Triple Score: A Character Study

By Kerry Freeman

They were truly the best of buddiesPhillipe Bardot, Jonathan Stone, James Brady, and Marie Arnettand they tended to be together in everything, such as school, church, play activities, etc., never thinking about anything except the equality of their friendship. The four of them were inseparable since they were ten years old, and their best times were the hazy, lazy days of summer but then the best laid plans of mice and men often go astray.

Triple Score, a character study.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Mar 6, 2014
• ISBN: 9781493151011

Kerry Freeman

Born and raised in the Southern US, Kerry Freeman has written romance since her first foray into fan fiction in 2009. In addition to her novels, she is the author of “One Last Road Trip,” a story in the Rainbow Award-winning anthology Playing Ball. Titles by Kerry Freeman What We Deserve Pine Tar & Sweet Tea Playing Ball (with Shae Connor, Kate McMurray, and Marguerite Labbe)

Book preview

Prologue

It was just another hot and humid day in June; the Central Florida sun was shining down over the Glades. The four of them were inseparable since they were ten years old, and their best times were the hazy, lazy days of summer. Each year after the school year ended and the morning chores had been completed for each of them, the four of them would spend their time romping through the woods and the fields. The best of times was when they would cool off in the lake, just jumping and diving and romping in the crystal water.

When they were ten years old, they didn’t worry about swimsuits; they would just shuck their clothes off and jump in the cool water in their birthday suits. They never did pay any attention to their naked bodies. After they finished with their romping, when they would lie out on the shoreline basking in the sun and talking, the four of them would talk about their childhood dreams and movies they had seen when they went together or with their families.

They were truly the best of buddies—Phillipe Bardot, Jonathan Stone, James Brady, and Marie Arnett—and they tended to be together in everything, such as school, church, play activities, etc., never thinking about anything except the equality of their friendship. Now that high school was completed, the conversation turned toward what’s next after graduation and the school prom, who would be Marie’s escort for the prom, and then what the other two boys would do.

Well, as it turned out, all three of the guys escorted Marie to the prom. They had a great time listening and dancing to the new rock-and-roll sound, wearing themselves out on the dance floor. There was quite a bit of whiskey being clandestinely passed around, and after the prom was over, they continued on doing what many of prom couples do on prom night.

Part 1

Marie, 1952

Chapter 1

Police Officer Wade Patrick,

September 1952

I’ll be damned, Bubba. What the hell happened here? I can’t understand it. How did you find out about it?

Well! responded the police chief of Sebring Township, Bubba Jackson. Some tourists called in about finding the three of them, and then took off, trying not to be involved. But I think we have a license plate number, so we can find him and get a statement from him.

Wade then asked, How did all three of them get bitten by a cottonmouth without any sign of a struggle or even movement?

Bubba responded saying, How about that empty gallon jug used for corn liquor lying over there? That white lightning will do a lot to incapacitate most young teenagers. You know how kids are—they seem to never know when to stop.

Wade came back saying, Yeah, but even if they were totally unconscious, how or why did a snake find all three of them? And why—unless they happened to fall asleep right next to the snake nest, and she thought her babies were in danger.

Bubba then ordered Wade to look around for footprints, tire tracks, or any other indication of an intruder.

Chapter 2

Friday of Labor Day Weekend

Wade accepted Chief Bubba Jackson’s order and started a search of the entire area. This was great training for Wade because he had joined the Sebring Police Force of two men including Captain Bubba only two weeks ago.

Wade had just graduated from Florida State University last spring. He was now less than three months on the job, and this was not his usual activity. Up to now, he spent most of his time giving tickets to speeders on Route 27, or poor souls who pass the thirty-second stoplight in the center of Sebring. This was most assuredly a tourist trap and a great source of income. Most tourists put up a cash bond to assure that they would appear for trial. Then of course they forfeited the bond and never showed; then of course, the paperwork got lost. The funds were then shared up by 50 percent to the town’s slush fund treasury, and the other 50 percent to the police chief, the justice of the peace, and the police officer—and not equally.

At any rate, this area search was good training for Wade; and he learned a lot about actual police procedures, but actually he learned nothing. There were no unusual tracks—neither auto nor footprints—and there was no sign of any kind of struggle most certainly mystifying to all concerned. The peculiar circumstance weighed heavily on Wade’s mind, but his investigation came up with nothing, except a mistake and a natural circumstance.

Wade put aside his doubts and finally closed the case. But he never forgot about it.

Chapter 3

Wade Patrick Interviews Marie,

September 1952

Wade asked Marie, Where were you on Friday afternoon, and why weren’t you with the boys? You usually are!

Marie answered, I had a doctor’s appointment at three p.m. with—Dr. Hochstedder.

Wade asked, Where were you about four to four thirty p.m. on Friday?

Marie answered, "I sat in the waiting room until almost four p.m. because—you know how doctors are. They overbook so much, they never see patients on time. It’s really aggravating. Anyway, at about four o’clock, I was on Dr. Hochstedder’s examining table, with my feet in the stirrups and my legs spread while Dr. Hochstedder was looking into my vagina with that big mirror thing he wears on his forehead. It was embarrassing me then,