dependin' on others, and tired of worryin' about losin' my house."
Agee looked at her sadly. "I understand, Gwen, but-"
"And if you got six thousand dollars of our money in the bank, you're wrong not to give it to us. We've got enough sense to spend it right."
Carl Lee, Jr., and Jarvis stood next to their mother and comforted her. They stared at Agee.
"But it's for Carl Lee," the reverend said.
"Good," Jake said. "Have you asked Carl Lee how he wants his money spent?"
The dirty little grin left Agee's face and he squirmed in his chair. "Carl Lee understands what we're doin'," he said without much conviction.
"Thank you. That's not what I asked. Listen to me carefully. Have you asked Carl Lee how he wants his money spent?"
"I think it's been discussed with him," Agee lied.
"Let's see," Jake said. He stood and walked to the door leading to the small office next to the conference room. The
reverend watched nervously, almost in panic. Jake opened the door and nodded to someone. Carl Lee and Ozzie casually walked in. The kids yelled and ran to their father. Agee looked devastated.
After a few awkward minutes of hugs and kisses, Jake moved in for the kill. "Now, Reverend, why don't you ask Carl Lee how he wants to spend his six thousand dollars."
"It ain't exactly his," said Agee.
"And it ain't exactly yours," shot Ozzie.
Carl Lee removed Tonya from his knee and walked to the chair where Agee was sitting. He sat on the edge of the table, above the reverend, poised and ready to strike if necessary. "Let me make it real simple, preacher, so you won't have trouble understandin' it. You raised that money in my name, for the benefit of my family. You took it from the black folk of this county, and you took it with the promise that it'd go to help me and my family. You lied. You raised it so you could impress the NAACP, not to help my family. You lied in church, you lied in the newspapers, you lied everwhere."
Agee looked around the room and noticed that everyone, including the kids, was staring at him and nodding slowly.
Carl Lee put his foot in Agee's chair and leaned closer. "If you don't give us that money, I'll tell ever nigger I know that you're a lyin' crook. I'll call ever member of your church, and I'm one too, remember, and tell them we ain't • got a dime from you, and when I get through you won't be able to raise two dollars on Sunday mornin'. You'll lose your fancy Cadillacs and your fancy suits. You may even lose your church, 'cause I'll ask everbody to leave."
"You finished?" Agee asked. "If you are, I just wanna say that I'm hurt. Hurt real bad that you and Gwen feel this way."
"That's the way we feel, and I don't care how hurt you are."
Ozzie stepped forward. "I agree with them, Reverend Agee, you ain't done right, and you know it."
"That hurts, Ozzie, comin' from you. It really hurts."
"Lemme tell you what's gonna hurt a whole lot worse than that. Next Sunday me and Carl Lee will be in your
church. I'll sneak him outta the jail early Sunday and we'll take a little drive. Just about the time you get ready to preach, we'll walk in the front door, down the aisle and up to the pulpit. If you get in my way, I'll put handcuffs on you. Carl Lee will do the preachin'. He'll tell all your people that the money they've given so generously has so far not left your pocket, that Gwen and the kids are about to lose their house 'cause you're tryin' to big-shot with the NAACP. He'll tell them that you lied to them. He may preach for an hour or so. And when he gets through, I'll say a few words. I'll tell them what a lyin', sleazy nigger you are. I'll tell them about the time you bought that stolen Lincoln in Memphis for a hundred dollars and almost got indicted. I'll tell them about the kickbacks from the funeral home. I'll tell them about the DUI charge in Jackson I got dismissed for you two years ago. And, Reverend, I'll tell-"
"Don't say it, Ozzie," Agee begged.
"I'll tell them a dirty little secret that only you and me and a certain woman of ill repute know about."
"When do y'all want the money?"
"How soon can you get it?" Carl Lee demanded.
"Awfully damned quick."
Jake and