Death By Rodeo Conclusion

My name is Sunny Alexander. And I’m Henry James and we’re writers for Dark Sides of the Truth magazine.

We met Charlie Throckmorton at the arena at six. After spending most of the day researching David Norris and his family what we discovered seemed to put an airtight lid on how Randy Culpepper died.

It was the why part we were hoping to find out. Brent Davis was the first to saunter in.

“Hey Henry, Ms. Sunny. How ya’ll doing?”

“Just fine Brent. You?”

“Awesome. So what’s going on? Charlie mentioned some changes that was gonna put more money in our pockets. Ya’ll fixin to show us?”

“Why don’t we wait till David gets here then we’ll all take a look.”

“Don’t have to wait. I’m here.”

We turned as David Norris walked across the arena floor, his boots scuffing up an occasional tuft of sand.

“Perfect. Me and Charlie were talking and we think we might have an idea that’ll draw in more customers. A new clown routine.”

“What’s wrong with the ones we got?”

“David why don’t you give him a chance to show you what he’s talking about?”

“Fine Charlie, but this better be good or I’m outta here.”

“Okay so to show you the improvements we’re thinking we need to examine how you boys do your routines. Makes sense right?”

Brent and David nodded.

“Because of Randy’s death we’re gonna need a third clown. Ms. Sunny has graciously agreed to be a clown for the night.”

“She has?”

“Yes she has.”

“James, you’re going to pay for this.”

“I know Alexander. Put it on my tab. Now you boys, and of course Sunny, get in the positions you start off with for the first bull out of the gate.”

“Hang on Mr. James. It differs from night to night.”

“You’re right Brent. Okay why don’t you guys start with the positions you were in Friday night?”

“The night Randy died?”

“Yeah David. That’s as good as any right?”

David stepped across the arena and stopped about twenty feet to the right of chute number 3.

“Okay so I had flank that night, Brent did too and Randy had head.”

“No that ain’t right David. You had head that night remember? You and Randy was pissing all over each other on who was going to take head.”

“Yeah, that’s right Brent. Sorry, slept since then.”

“Sunny could you take David’s place? David show me where you positioned yourself that night.

David moved about twenty feet back from the center of chute 3 and stopped. About ten feet separated him from the barrel.

“Brent you good?”

“Yes sir. I was standing right about here.”

“David. Something you said at 8 Seconds Saturday night got me thinking. What was it? The bull’s eye or something?”

“The one who catches the eye, gets dubs on the barrel?”

“Right, right. So I’m confused. If you had head that night David, wouldn’t you have been the first thing the bull saw? Wouldn’t you have caught the eye?”

“Not if it was a spinner. Everybody knows them things spin to get the rider off their back.”

“But Warrior wasn’t a spinner was he David?”

“I can’t remember. You know how many bulls we come up against in a season?”

“I’m guessing a lot, but don’t you guys study them? So you’ll know how they react when they come out of the chute?”

“But we ain’t never seen that bull before Henry. Warrior wasn’t local stock.”

“I know Brent, but one of you had seen Warrior before. One of you knew when Warrior busted out he wasn’t going to spin. He was just going to put his head down and go right at the first clown he saw. The clown in the head position.”

David started kicking the sand in front of him with the toe of his boot. He jammed his hands in his pockets, then withdrew them, then jammed them in his pockets again.

“How come you didn’t go in the barrel David?”

“What?”

“I said why didn’t you go in the barrel?”

“Cause I was flank.”

“According to Brent you were head that night. Are you telling me you moved to flank where Randy was when Warrior came out of the chute?

“Could have. I said I don’t remember.”

“But you do remember David. You moved to flank and forced Randy to take head. You wanted Randy to take the barrel. Why was that?”

“Mister I don’t know what the hell you’re talking about. Charlie, this is bullshit. I’m outta here.”

“What about the poison David?”

David stopped and turned around to face Sunny. His eyes narrowed, and he slid his right arm behind his back.

“Listen lady I don’t know nuthin about no poison. I didn’t do nothing to those straps.”

“Straps? Nobody said anything about straps. You mean the straps of the barrel you doctored with injection bladders and syringe needles? The bladders full of a rare poison from a frog?”

“Yeah David, the poison you stole from your father, Dr. Richard Norris, a renown specialist in herpetology who works at the Houston Zoo? That poison David?”

“You ain’t got no proof of that bullshit mister.”

“But we do David. We have access to the video tapes at your father’s lab. The ones showing your visit to the lab the day before the theft of a vial of poison was reported.”

“That’s bullshit.”

“All true David. After you rigged the barrel you forced Randy out of position why? Because you knew Warrior wasn’t going to spin. You knew because you’d seen him in action at rodeos in Fort Worth and Dallas. You knew he’d go straight for Randy and Randy would go in the barrel. You knew it didn’t you David?”

“You goddamned right I did!”

The young man pulled a pistol from the small of his back and waved it as he began to step backward toward the arena gates.

“He killed my sister and I swore I’d make him pay.”

“David, your sister died of a drug overdose in her dorm room. Randy had nothing to do with that.”

“Bullshit lady. He crushed her heart and soul. She was never the same after he dumped her. She told me she couldn’t live without him. I even went and talked to him, but he said it was over. Said Samantha and him wasn’t a good fit. He told me she needed help. Said she was crazy. She may have taken all them pills but it was Randy’s actions what killed her. He deserved what he got.”

“David, put the gun down. We can work this out.”

“Shut the fuck up lady! Look, I don’t want no trouble outta none of y’all. I’m just going to get the hell out of here and never come back. Y'all try to follow me I’ll shoot your ass for sure.”

Then he turned and started running. When neither of us moved Charlie asked the obvious question.

“Henry you going to do something?”

“We already have Charlie. When David hits those gates he’ll run into members of the Houston PD. I’m guessing he’ll either come to his senses and give up, or die in a hail of gunfire. His choice.”

We all stared at one another as if expecting to hear a barrage of gunfire. When nothing came and a member of the Houston PD walked into the arena we knew David had, at least for one moment in his life, made a good decision.

After getting an all clear from the police officer, we said our goodbyes to Charlie and Brent then turned and started walking toward the gates. We’d only taken a few strides before one of us forced an abrupt stop.

“Let me guess. Daniel?”

“Yeah, he’s right there in the middle of the arena Henry. You still can’t see him?”

“Nope. Where in the hell are you going?”

“Going to say goodbye.”

It’s an amazing thing to see a partner who you know is damned scared of clowns, stand in the center of an arena embracing the air in front of her as if giving a rodeo clown only she could see a hug.

Damned amazing.

We joined company again and headed toward the gates.

“Thought you were scared of clowns.”

“Daniel’s not just a clown. He’s a ghost.”

“Oh and that makes it okay then right?”

“Bite me James. You wouldn’t understand.”

“There’s a lot about you I don’t understand Sunny, but I guess that’s what keeps it interesting. You want some dinner?”

“My choice of restaurant?”

“Hasn’t it always been lately?”

“Yeap. Let’s keep it that way. Maybe we can get rid of some of that spare tire you’re wearing around your middle.”

“Oh for the love of God Alexander.”

Let’s keep in touch: [email protected]

Part I, Part II, Part III, Part IV, Part V, Part VI, Part VII, Part VIII, Part IX, Part X, Part XI, Conclusion