It took Clark a while to take in what he had done. He was now an accessory to the crime. But Wade made a very good point that they were just taking care of their own. He would never be able to get everything that happened out of his mind. It ran like a video loop in his head all that night.
Thursday morning, Clark reflected on the events. Wade was so calm. He just knew what to do. Clark did not want to know what experience Wade had that prepared him for such action. In his mind, Clark replayed how he and Wade handled that delicate situation and removed Madison from the Anna Belle's..
He remembered standing in Miranda's room along with Wade and Anna Belle. Thankfully Wade was clear headed enough to handle Miranda's 'Little Matter'. He turned to Clark."We are going to 'walk' him down the back steps, as if we were carrying our severely inebriated friend." He paused, "First we going to move his car to the back door."
"I can do that," said Anna Belle.
"I know you can, but I don't want you more involved than you already are. I'll move the car." Wade took the keys and left the room.
Clark just stood there. He looked at Anna Belle. Very calmly, "She said we need to get him out of here before a lot of the men leave. It is not unusual for a few to hand around on the porch or in the yard, talking and enjoying a cigar."
"All I can say is I think Wade will handle this."
"Oh, he will. I'm so glad he was here tonight."
"Where's Miranda? That poor girl, she may never get over this."
"Sara took her back to Sara's room in an attempt to keep her calm."
Then Wade walked in. He told Clark where the car was in the back."Where's your car Clark? No, no need to do that." Wade reached in his pocket and handed Clark a set of keys. "Take mine, it's the older Range Rover parked across the street ."
"Where are we going?"
"We are taking Madison home?" Clark just looked at Wade, before he could say anything, Wade added,"We are putting him in his car and I'll drive that. You will drive my car. We'll park his car on his street. That way when he is found, since everyone knows his penchant for liquor, I doubt there will be any question as to what happened."
"What if Stella request an autopsy?"
"I imagine they will find whatever unfortunate thing happened here, just occurred in his car." He walked over to the bed. "We are only changing venue. I don't think that really matters in the big scheme. Come get his left side of his body."
Before they picked him up, Wade explained how they would carry him out of the house and that he would get Anna Belle to make sure there is no one around."If someone sees us walking out of the house, I can honestly say it is not the first time I've had to drag Madison's drunk ass outside."
They picked Madison up and took him down the back stairs. Anna Belle indicated that there was no one around. Clark was amazed at how easy getting him out of the house and into his car was. After Madison was in his car, Wade said in a low voice, "I'll see you on his street. Park my car at the corner of Oak and Boulevard and wait. I can do the rest."
Wade drove Madison's car to Boulevard. He parked the car, a bit askew, on the curb a house down from Madison's. Turning the interior lights off in the car, he carefully got out of the driver's side. He was able to Madison around the car and into the driver's seat. The body naturally slumped over the steering wheel as if Madison had succumbed to a severe and sudden heart attack.
When Wade got back to his car, he got into passenger's seat. Turning to Clark he said,"That went as well as I could hope. I would only hope that some of you would be friends enough to take care of me, should I meet my demise in a similar way."
Clark drove back to Anna Belle's. He parked Wade's car the same place it was. They both got out. "It would probably be better for you to go home now."
"What are you going to do?" asked Clark.
"I'm going around to the back door here, and go in and be social." He turned and then turned back to Clark. He stuck out his hand,"I really thank you for helping with this. It is an unfortunate thing, but like I said, I would hope a brother would handle my sudden such death in the same way." Clark shook his hand and turned to go to his car. Wade went in the back door of Anna Belles and straight to the bar.
"Everything was OK," Clark told himself. That was all last night. But that sense of calm would only last until they would find Madison this morning. The story would continue.
