Family Ties. Ernest Hill

brother.”

      He hesitated. I saw him looking me over with narrow, shifty eyes. “No, sir,” he blurted after a moment or two. “I haven’t seen him.”

      He was lying. I could tell.

      “Are you sure?” I asked.

      Suddenly, Junior Miller stepped forward. “He told you he ain’t seen him. Now leave him alone.”

      “When was the last time you saw him?” I asked Reggie, ignoring Junior.

      “It’s been a while.”

      “How long is a while?”

      “I don’t know,” he said. “Just know it’s been a while.”

      “Have you seen him since he escaped?”

      “No, sir,” he said. “I haven’t.”

      “Well, I need to find him,” I said. “And I need to find him quick.” I waited. He didn’t say anything. “Like to help him,” I said, “if I can.”

      “To get away?” he asked me.

      “No,” I said.

      “You mean you want him to turn himself in.”

      “Yeah,” I said. “I do.”

      “Why?”

      “Because they’ll kill him if he don’t.”

      “And he’ll go to prison if he do.”

      “I can get him out of prison,” I said. “But I can’t get him out of the cemetery.”

      “I can’t help you,” he said.

      “Did he talk to you before he left?” Peaches asked.

      “No, ma’am, he didn’t.”

      “I told you he didn’t know nothing,” Mr. Miller said. “Now you done talked to him. Leave him alone.”

      “He told me what you did for him,” Reggie said in a faraway tone.

      “Excuse me?” I said.

      “He told me you saved his life. He told me you went to prison for him. Is that true?”

      “It’s true,” I said. “But that was a long time ago.”

      “You know he’s been looking for you,” he said. “Don’t you?”

      “No,” I said. “I didn’t know that.”

      “Well, he has,” Reggie said. “He’s been looking for years.”

      “Well, I guess that makes us even,” I said, “because now I’m looking for him. Will you help me find him?”

      “I don’t know where he is,” Reggie said.

      “I think you do.”

      “I don’t care what you think,” Reggie said.

      “Take me to him,” I said.

      “He told you he don’t know where he is,” Mr. Miller said. “Now, leave him alone. And I ain’t gonna ask you no mo’.”

      “They’ll kill him if they catch him,” I said. “Is that what you want?”

      “Don’t put that on him,” Mr. Miller said.

      “Then help me find him,” I said.

      “I don’t know where he is,” Reggie said. “But I’ll ask around and see what I can find out. That’s all I can do.”

      “When?” I pressed him.

      “Right now,” he told me.

      “I’ll go with you,” I said.

      “No,” he said. “Be better if I go by myself.”

      “How long will you be?” I asked.

      “An hour or two,” he said.

      “Then what?” I asked him.

      “Meet me at your mama’s house,” he said. “And I’ll tell you what I find out.”