Conclusion: Chapter 1 "Hawkins County" A Novel of the 1970s - the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

The sheriff felt like arresting Stacey for Obstructing Legal Process as he threatened to do, but he changed his mind. The Hawkins County jail was two beds shy of being full, and he wanted to hold those two beds open for emergencies. Besides, he would probably end up fumigating the holding cell to get rid of the lice if he did lock up the old drunk. Instead, he got into the squad car and sat there watching the exchange between the two men. He planned to arrest Stacey, however, lice or no lice, if he got violent and took a poke at the probation officer - something Stacey occasionally enjoyed doing.

"California!" Ken snorted. "That's pure hogwash and you know it."

"Honest Ken, if I'm lying I'm dying," Stacey said, raising his hand in a solemn oath. "You know how much I respect you law dogs and the fine job you do protecting us folks from all the riff-raff that are lurking in Hawkins County. Why, I couldn't find it in my heart to lie to the likes of you. I don't know who you thought you saw outside, but it obviously wasn't my boy."

Rather than argue any more, which he knew was futile, Ken waved the old man away. He walked to the squad car, opened the door, and as an afterthought said, "That's okay, O'Connor, you'll get what's coming to you. Today, tomorrow, next week, it's just a question of time. Pat can't stay hidden forever." He glared at Stacey. "But it's on your head if anything happens to him in the meantime or if he gets sick living out here like this."

The sheriff clicked the Mercury's bullhorn. "We'll be back, O'Connor, and we will catch Pat. You can bet your bottom dollar on that." Thus said, Connie turned the squad car, and he and Ken headed down the rutted driveway.

"That'll be the day," Stacey muttered. He strode out into the driveway and took another swig out of the pint as he watched the two officers depart. "I done learned Pat better 'n that."

Pat hid in the leaf pile until he saw the Mercury drive past him and continue down the road. When the squad car was out of sight, he stood up. Staring at the dust arising off the gravel, he raised his arms imploringly and shouted, "What do you want? I ain't a thief, I don't drink or do dope, I try to help my dad...what do you expect from a kid, anyway?" It really bothered him that Connie and Ken hated him so, expecially since he never did anything to hurt them. He felt the emotion build in his chest, and as he walked back toward the house, he wiped the tears from his eyes. (end of chapter 1)

Read the entire story of Pat and Stacey O'Connor, fat boy Toke Watson, "Lolita" Dawn Lundin, Jack Johnson and the other characters of Hawkins County in the format of your choice below:

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