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Chapter 17
At about 3:45 that afternoon, Andy backed the squad car up to the back door and began ostentatiously clearing rubbish out of the trunk. Aunt Bee came out to watch.
“I do declare, Andy!” she said, her clear voice carrying very well on the light breeze, “you and Barney manage to get this car all full of I don’t know what! What is in there?”
“Oh, I don’t know, Aunt Bee. Some fishin’ stuff and some police stuff—and I think here’s them dish towels you bought last week.”
“Andy! I wondered where those had got to! For shame!”
“Wa’al, at least now I can get that package out from underfoot and in Mount Pilot where it belongs.”
“Yes, you come right inside and get it out of my kitchen!”
Andy went inside. Jarod was waiting at the kitchen table, drinking a cup of coffee. “You ‘bout ready, Jarod?”
“’Bout.”
“Oh, Jarod, I’m going to miss you.” Aunt Bee’s eyes were full of tears. She reached out and hugged him. Andy turned away a little uncomfortably when he saw tears in Jarod’s eyes, too.
“I don’t know how I could ever repay your kindness,” the tall, dark man said.
“Oh, nonsense. You don’t repay family. Now, listen, you better come back and visit us!”
Thinking it was all getting decidedly too emotional, Andy picked up the decoy package—actually Jarod’s silver briefcase wrapped in brown paper—and took it out to the squad car. As he shut the front door, he heard the excited voices of little boys and the sound of many running feet.
“C’mon! head him off!” he heard Opie shout.
“Catch ‘im! He’s gettin’ away!” other boys cried.
Front windows and doors of the neighbors’ houses flew open as a band of little boys came into view chasing a goat—or being chased by one. It was Farmer Gault’s mean billy goat, well known for its propensity to escape and wreak havoc on people’s gardens. Andy grinned and ran into the house.
“It’s time! Come on!”
“Wait.” Jarod pulled one of his PEZ dispensers from his jacket pocket and set it on the table. It was a cowboy. “For Opie.”
“He’ll like that. Now come on!”
Jarod smiled at Aunt Bee and slipped out of the house, slid into the back seat of the squad car, lay down on the floor, and covered himself with the lap blanket. Andy got into the front.
“Oh, Andy!” Aunt Bee came hurrying out of the house with a paper bag. “Don’t forget your dinner!” She handed it in through the window. “For him,” she hissed. “For tomorrow.”
“Thanks, Aunt Bee.” He pulled out onto the street and shouted out the window at the boys, “What’s goin’ on?”
“We’re just tryin’ to catch Farmer Gault’s goat, Paw!” Opie called back.
“Wa’al, better get him caught, then! You’re disturbing the peace! See ya, Ope!” He cast him a wink.
Opie gave one of his whole-faced winks back. “See ya, Paw!”
A good five miles out of Mayberry, Andy pulled over and let Jarod get into the front seat. “Mission accomplished,” he grinned. “Operation Billy Goat has been successful.”
“That was a clever idea, using the goat,” Jarod laughed.
“Opie’s idea.”
“He’s a smart boy. If he chooses to go into law enforcement someday, I think he’ll be good at it.”
“I think so myself. He shore likes learning the business. But fer now I don’t think he can decide between policeman, cowboy, and soda jerk.”
Jarod laughed again. “A good range of options. There’s no reason why he couldn’t be all of them.”
“Well, sure. He can be the policeman who keeps the chuck wagons supplied with ice cream sodas.”
“It sounds like an ideal job. I do like ice cream sodas.”
“I never did see a man eat more of them’n you.”
“I’m making up for lost time.”
“Speakin’ of which, here.” He gave Jarod the paper bag. “Aunt Bee sent you along a bite to eat.”
Jarod hefted it in his hand. “A bite? Feels like a banquet.”
“Well, knowing her, along with sandwiches, cookies, pie, and apples, there’s probably a little thermos of her chicken soup in there. You should eat that tonight. It’s strengthening. Hope you can get some rest on the bus to New York—you still plannin’ on going there?”
“Yes. I can find work there easily enough. I’ll send Ope a postcard.”
“Wa’al, if you’re sure. I’d hate to have been hiding you away in my house just to have Miss Parker find you in the big city. Speakin’ of Miss Parker, how did you know about Otis and her mother? How’d you make him tell you? He’s never told me after all these years.”
Jarod stared at him. “I didn’t make Otis tell me. I talked to his wife.”
“Ohh.”
“I actually came to Mayberry in search of them. I was tracking down children Catherine Parker rescued from the Centre, and I came to find the Campbells. It was only then that I found out about your local problems and decided to help.”
“I see. Why were you tracking down Mrs. Parker? And did you have me lock up Miss Parker next to Otis to keep her out of the way or so’s she could find out about her mother?”
Jarod moved a little restlessly. “Both. I’m looking for my past, and along the way I’m looking for Miss Parker’s. They’re related, in a way. And she was once my…friend. She’s had a lot stolen from her by the Centre, too.”
“I noticed.”
When they arrived in Mount Pilot, Andy drove to the bus station, where they had time to purchase a sandwich and a cup of coffee before the bus came in. Jarod bought his ticket, and Andy handed out his silver case, his duffle bag, and his food from Aunt Bee.
Jarod opened his mouth, and Andy held up his hand. “No more sorrys or thank yous. Just two friends sayin’ goodbye. It sure has been nice having you around.”
“It’s been nice being around,” Jarod said softly. He held out his hand, and Andy took it.
“So long, Jarod. See ya the next time you’re in town.”
“So long, Andy.”
He took his things and got on the bus. Andy watched until the bus was out of sight and then drove back to Mayberry.
On the bus, Jarod pulled the small thermos of soup out of the paper bag and opened his duffle bag to put the rest of the lunch inside for tomorrow. His hand hit a hard, unfamiliar object, and he pulled it out. It was a book, with a piece of paper sticking out of it. In untidy, schoolboy hand, the paper read, “Dear Jared, I thot youd like to keep this book cuz you liked it so much. Opie.”
With a grin and a tightness around his chest, Jarod put his duffle bag up on the rack and sat down with his soup and his book to enjoy again the story of the boy and his goat.
