The World of Molly Grace Chapter 6

Chapter 6 The Hearing

Judge Harlan Walker had been the city judge longer than anyone could remember. He and

Doc Jones had a standing date every Thursday afternoon to play dominos. Everyone in the town knew Judge Walker and all considered him to be the most fair and honest man alive.

 He had tried to retire several times, but he was simply the only one qualified for the job. In Texas, judges are elected. Even though it had been twenty years since Judge Walker had his name put on any ballot, he still managed to be elected by a landslide via write-in vote in each and every election.

 Judge Walker was past ninety years old and still had a very keen mind and a grasp of the law that no one else seemed capable of. He could remember cases he had read back in law school and apply them appropriately. As fair as he was, the man accused of probably killing his best friend and attempting to kidnap a sweet little girl with the biggest brown eyes now stood before him.

Robert complained that he was hurt very badly when Lucky “attacked” him. No one cared. Judge Walker said, “You have probably killed the only man within a hundred miles who could or would be able to help you. After your hearing, we will see if we can find anyone willing to tend to your medical needs."

Lucky spoke out and begged Judge Walker to release Robert on bond. The Judge knew that, if that happened, the chances that Robert would live to show up for his trial were slim. Judge Walker quickly ruled that he would have to deny bond for Robert since he was a flight risk and was accused of attempted murder and attempted kidnapping. He ruled that if Doc were to die, if in fact he had not already died, then the charges would be changed to murder.

When Lucky heard that Robert was going to be held without bail, he reached over to Bucky and slapped him. He then walked to the front of the courtroom and said, “Your honor, I wish to plead not guilty to assaulting an officer.” Judge Walker set the bail at $50. Lucky said “Your honor, I refuse to pay it.” Judge Walker ordered that Lucky be held in lieu of bail.

Iron Mike was the next to assault an officer. He slapped Jimmy very lightly and went forward and pled not guilty. He, too, was held in lieu of bail. The forty bikers, and all the patrons of Iron Mike’s Pub, committed mutual assault and pled guilty. Each one was held in lieu of bail.

In Pigeon Hole, Texas, the local jail has two holding cells. Robert was placed in cell number one and several of the other prisoners were placed in the cell with him. There were simply too many prisoners to be held by both cells, so Austin, the jailer, decided that he should just leave both cell doors open. That was the only way he could see that each prisoner would have a chance to use the restroom or get a drink of water. 

There was a large common area outside of the cells that was separated from the rest of the building by a locking door with bars. He felt that most of his prisoners could be trusted to not escape.

The next morning Robert was released from jail without bond. He was no longer a flight risk. John “Digger” McCloud came by to pick him up and take him to his place of business, McCloud’s Funeral Home. There was not enough evidence to determine who, if anyone, assisted him in the termination of oxygen exchange that evening. No one saw anything. No one noticed that he was lying on the one and only cot in cell one.

Bucky asked Judge Walker to drop the charges against Lucky.  When he did so, Judge Walker dropped the charges against all the other prisoners.  No one wanted to press charges against anyone. 

The World of Molly Grace Chapter 5

Chapter 5 The Kidnapping

Lucky was standing right beside Bucky’s car when the call came in. The dispatcher said

that the phone was left off the hook and that she could hear Molly Grace screaming for help.

 Lucky ran to his truck and sped to Doc Jones’ house. He arrived just ahead of Bucky and Jimmy, who pulled up from opposite ends of the street. Robert had just forced Molly Grace into the car. 

Lucky was the first to reach Robert. He first grabbed Robert with the intent of restraining him until Jimmy and Bucky could handcuff him. But, when he saw the tears in Molly Grace’s eyes, he lost control of himself. 

Bucky, Jimmy, and Iron Mike all tried to restrain Lucky, but they could not. It was not until Tim Hunnicutt pulled up with nearly forty other bikers that there was enough muscle to pull Lucky off of Robert.

Robert was restrained and placed in the back of Bucky’s police car. Everyone in the town wondered whether or not Robert would make it to the police station or if he would be shot “trying to escape.”

Doc was the only medical practitioner for miles.  Mama Sue had been a nurses’ aid for a while and she tried to tend to him, but she was afraid he was hurt just too badly. His heart beat was weak. A man of ninety years is not able to take such a beating and survive. 

A Life Flight helicopter was summoned from Houston. Even though it arrived within minutes, it seemed like forever. Every eye in town was full of tears as the helicopter took off towards Houston.

The World of Molly Grace Chapter 4

Chapter 4 Molly Visits the Doctor

Molly Grace, while being a normally obedient child, had found a puppy in an alley

between Suzanne’s photo shop and the vacant building next door. The puppy appeared to be very sick. Since Molly Grace was a soft hearted animal lover, she found a box and took the puppy over to Barry “Doc” Jones’ house. Doc was the local doctor who also owned the local drug store where he served as the pharmacist as well as the soda jerk and clerk.

Molly brought the puppy to Doc’s house and he had her put the puppy on the front porch while he went inside to get his bag. He soon returned and started examining the dog. Molly was standing on the porch in plain view of the street when Robert drove by.

Robert recognized his daughter right away. He stopped the car and walked up and said, “Hello, Molly Grace. Daddy is here to take you home."  Doc did not know the whole story, but he knew enough to be concerned. Although he was over ninety years old, he was ready to fight Robert if he had to. He told Molly Grace to go into the house and call the police. 

Doc stepped between Robert and the front door. Robert pushed Doc to the ground and made it to the door just as Molly Grace locked it. She was able to call the police just before Robert broke through the door.

The World of Molly Grace Chapter 3

Chapter 3 Molly Takes a Walk

The days and weeks passed by and Molly Grace got more used to the small town. Every

day she walked home from Pennington Elementary School past all the little shops. Every day she stopped by to see Larry and Mama Sue and get a treat. She even stopped being afraid of Lucky. When she saw him ride up in his pickup truck with the gun rack in the back window, she would smile and wave. As he stepped out, they would exchange greetings and he would smile at her. Things were beginning to seem normal for a big city girl transplanted to a small town. Pigeon Hole was nothing like her old home town of Columbia, South Carolina. But, she was beginning to like the place.

She skipped into Suzanne’s Photography where she found Suzanne editing some photographs on her computer. Molly Grace had become quite interested in photography. She especially liked it when Suzanne (Aunt Susie) used her older film cameras and then took her into the dark room, where Aunt Susie let Molly Grace use the magic paper to make images appear. It seemed like magic when Molly Grace shined a light on a piece of paper and then put that paper in a tray with chemicals and a picture appeared just like magic. Molly Grace was having a great time growing up in this peaceful place.  Suzanne hung the photos up to dry and Molly Grace skipped on down the side walk on her way home.

Patsy had made every effort to cover her tracks. When they left Columbia, South Carolina, she drove the back roads at first, hoping to stay out of sight just in case Robert had done something like report that Molly Grace had been kidnapped or something. 

For the last several months, Patsy had been hoarding cash so that she would not have to use her credit or debit cards to purchase gas or food along the way. She knew that these would show where she had been and provide a clue as to where she was headed. In spite of all her care and planning, Robert learned where she was.

 Robert told his brother where Patsy was staying and that he was going to Pigeon Hole, Texas, to get his wife and little girl and bring them back to South Carolina. He had a strange look in his eye that his brother knew all too well. His brother, Ralph, decided to call Patsy and warn her. He looked up the Tick Tock Clock Shop and placed the call.

Patsy hung up the phone in total disbelief. She had a look of horror on her face and she went downstairs to tell Marlene what she’d learned.

Marlene told Patsy that they did not have time to waste. She would have to get packed and leave town as soon as possible. Patsy did not know where she could go or what she could do. She had very little money and her car could not possibly make the trip. Marlene told her that she would take her car to Roger Nimmons over at the truck repair shop and see what he could do to make the car road worthy. She told Patsy to find Molly Grace, then come back to the shop and keep the apartment door locked. Marlene left, and Patsy left to find Molly Grace.

Patsy walked down Main Street and stopped at all the shops. No one had seen her since she left Suzanne’s Photography. Suzanne stepped over to the Lamb Shoppe Doll Shop and told David what had happened. They locked the stores and both set out to help find Molly Grace.

Patsy became frantic. It had taken Ralph the better part of the day to find out how to get in contact with her and time was running out. Robert would surely be there soon and she had to go. But where was Molly Grace?

David Logan stepped into Iron Mike’s Pub and told Mike he was looking for Molly Grace and why. Mike made a general announcement that Molly Grace was missing and Robert was due in town very soon. Everyone in the pub went out to look for Molly Grace. Iron Mike called Jimmy, the police chief. Mike filled Jimmy in on all the details as he understood them, and then he hung up and went to join the search. Jimmy radioed Bucky, the only other officer on the force, and gave him the details. He told him to be on the lookout for Robert and that he should be ready for trouble.

Bucky had been a paratrooper with the 82^nd Airborne. He knew how to handle himself. When Bucky got out of the Army, he spent a few years with the Houston Police Department’s S.W.A.T. unit and was an expert at using almost any type of weapon available. Between Bucky and Jimmy, the small town of Pigeon Hole Texas was well protected.

Jimmy felt that he and Bucky could handle anything that Robert could throw at them. Still, he called the county Sheriff’s Office to let them know the situation. Sheriff Crabwell doubled the patrol around Pigeon Hole just to be on the safe side. Never can be too sure, he said. As the troop leader of a highly skilled Boy Scout troop and Eagle Scout, he always followed the Boy Scout Motto to “Be Prepared.”

By now all the merchants in the town, and most of the town’s people, were looking for Molly Grace. No one had seen her since she left Suzanne’s Photography. Suzanne remembered that when Molly Grace stopped by, she had taken a few photos of Molly Grace. She called David and had him stop by the shop to upload a picture to the shop’s web site and to print out flyers to be distributed. The whole town was in an uproar as Robert slipped unnoticed into town.

The World of Molly Grace Chapter 2

Chapter 2 Iron Mike’s Irish Pub

Lucky walked into Iron Mike’s Pub where he was greeted by the owner Iron Mike Murphy.

Iron Mike earned the name Iron Mike when he was in college. He was on the football team and played offensive tackle. He was known for stopping opponents who were much larger than he was. He held the all-time college record for bench pressing. He managed to bench press over eight hundred pounds before he graduated college. He was amazed that the record had since been surpassed and was currently held by Gene Rychlak, Jr., with 965 pounds.

One asset of being six foot five and over three hundred pounds is that very few people stepped out of line in Iron Mike’s Pub. For the most part, it was a peaceful place.

Overall, the clientele of Iron Mike’s were peaceful anyway. 

There was Roger Nimmons, who was a mechanic down the street. Roger was the best diesel mechanic in the state. Truckers would drive hundreds of miles out of their way to get Roger to work on their trucks. Roger was sitting in the corner booth talking with Tim Hunnicutt. 

Tim was a very rough looking biker who had found Jesus and was now a biking preacher. He would spend time in bars and pubs and witness to anyone who would listen. He was able to share the Word of God with many bar patrons because he looked like he was still one of them. He was six foot seven inches tall and had long hair that came to his belt. He had a long, scraggly beard and piercing eyes.

In spite of the fact that this group of people was often regarded as rough and outcasts, they had their place in the community. Whenever money was needed for a charity or cause, Iron Mike’s was the first place people turned. Usually this group would get out amongst their friends and raise countless dollars for the cause. 

Several years back the Craft Attic burned. The owner, Beth Wilson, was injured in the blaze and could not work. She had medical expenses she could not pay and needed to make repairs to the building and replace stock. No one knew where the envelope that contained over $200,000 in it came from, but everyone was sure that the patrons at Iron Mike’s Pub had a hand in it.

Back about five years ago, Farmer Rainey (as far as anyone knows his given name is Farmer) became ill just before time to plant his corn crop. He was sick a long time. He shared with his devoted wife, Mary, every day how they would lose the farm since they could not get a crop out that year. Mary slept by his hospital bed every night for weeks. As he started to recover, she would drive home at night and return every morning. She could not bear to look towards the fields as she passed by them. She knew she could not look at the empty fields knowing that this season would be their last.

One day Walt Garrison, who owned the local hardware store and grain elevator, came by Farmer’s hospital room and gave Farmer a check. The check was in payment for corn and sorghum that had been brought to the elevator early that morning and left outside the gates. The harvest was in trailers and trucks belonging to Farmer and Mary.

 Walt explained that as the day progressed different farmers from the area would stop by and offer to return the now empty trucks and trailers to Farmer’s farm since it was on their way. The check was the largest check Farmer and Mary had ever received for their crops. 

Walt swore he had no idea who had planted the crops nor who harvested them and brought them to the elevator. Regardless, the check was enough to pay off all the crop loans and provide a little living money for the year. There wasn’t enough to cover the ever growing hospital bill. By now it exceeded $150,000.

Farmer and Mary prayed every night for God to help them budget their money so that they could pay the bill. When Farmer checked out, the hospital informed them that the bill was paid in full. How could this be? The woman in the business office at Pigeon Hole Memorial Hospital said that this happens all the time. 

Sometimes a cashier’s check will arrive with no remitter on it. People from the town will go to the People’s Bank of Pigeon Hole and donate money to special accounts set up to cover a certain person’s medical expenses and then someone would send a cashier’s check to cover the bill. In this case, there was a good bit of money left over that the bank would be sending Farmer and Mary a check for soon.

The World of Molly Grace Chapter One

Chapter 1 Molly’s World

A walk down Main Street would reveal your typical small Southern town. There was, of

course, a library and a court house as well as a post office. The merchants in town were all friendly people and looked after one another.

Marlene Chambers had owned the Tick Tock Clock Shop for more years than she cared to remember. She was a good-hearted person with a very outgoing personality. Through the years, she had been forced to add other items to her clock shop like ornaments and collectibles. Fortunately for her and the other town merchants there was a large tourist trade. People came to this small town to see what the Old South was once like.

Marlene had offered a place to stay to her friend Patsy Madison when she learned that Patsy’s husband, Robert, had been beating her and her young daughter, Molly Grace. Molly Grace was the kind of little girl that you could not help but love. She had beautiful auburn curls and the largest chestnut brown eyes imaginable.

One of the bad things about living in a small Southern town is that everyone knows your business. One of the good things about living in a small Southern town is everyone knows your business. It was no different in the small town of Pigeon Hole, Texas. The town was about as exciting as its name. Since the only thing to do was to mind everyone else’s business that is what most people did.

Patsy had fled in the middle of the night with Molly Grace. She waited until Robert was passed out drunk and loaded up the family station wagon. She drove all night from South Carolina to Texas. She got into town about sunset the next day. She was tired and was very glad to see Marlene. Marlene carried Molly Grace up the stairs to the apartment she had above the shop. Most of the merchants in town lived in residences above their stores. This was one of the best things about owning a shop in a small town. The commute to work was simply a walk down the stairs.

Patsy and Molly Grace rested a while then Marlene said they should go to supper. Most of the town merchants did not bother to cook. They simply walked down the street to Eat, which was a small diner. It was named Eat because when Larry and Mama Sue Harthwell bought the diner, it had a sign on the outside that said “Eat”. It was simply cheaper to keep the name that had been on the sign for years. 

When they arrived, Marlene introduced Patsy and Molly Grace to Mama Sue. Mama Sue was a large black lady with a heart of gold. She was the kind of woman who liked most people. She treated every child in town as if they were her own. The kids often stopped by after school for a snack. Someday it would be cake and milk, other days it would be cookies or brownies. Mama Sue always had something ready. Larry, her husband, was pretty much the same way. He always had a smile and a laugh for his customers.

Larry brought a huge slice of cornbread for each one of them and Mama Sue set a huge bowl of homemade vegetable beef soup in front of them. Patsy thought it was odd because neither she nor Marlene had ordered anything. Mama Sue explained that she knew that she and Molly Grace had a long trip and they needed something hearty to stick to their ribs.

Soon dinner was finished and the ladies and Molly Grace made it back to the shop. Molly Grace was asleep before her head hit the pillow. She felt safe here. For the first time in a long time, she did not have to worry about waking up to the sounds of her father beating her mother. She did not have to worry about the beatings she received for anything and nothing. She felt at peace.

Molly Grace took to small town life. Every day she walked the one block from school past Lamb Shoppe Dolls and Collectibles. This shop was directly beside Suzanne’s Photography and the two stores were connected to one another. They were both owned and operated by Suzanne and David Logan. 

Molly Grace loved to look at the pretty porcelain dolls in the window. They seemed so pretty and happy. Suzanne saw her looking in the window and invited her in. Suzanne was a beautiful woman with a smile as big as the Southern sky. Molly Grace could not help but love her. Suzanne was not much taller than ten year old Molly Grace, but she looked very much like a fine Southern Lady.

Suzanne took Molly Grace around the shop and showed her all the pretty dolls. Molly Grace thought they were all beautiful. Little Molly Grace left the shop and skipped down the street. She hurried fast as she passed Iron Mike’s Irish Pub. Patsy had warned her that they served alcohol inside. She reminded Molly Grace that Robert was the way he was because he drank alcohol. When she met Robert, she never saw him drink. He did not start that habit until after Molly Grace was born.

All of her attention was focused on watching the door to Iron Mike’s as she hurried by. Suddenly she ran into something. She bounced off of the surface she hit. It felt like she had run hard into a brick wall.

 She looked up and saw a huge man. This man was about six foot six inches tall. He could easily weigh three hundred pounds, but none of it was fat. It was all muscle. As she took in all of the giant’s features, she noticed he had a large pistol in a shoulder holster and a huge knife hanging on his belt.


 Lucky was a bounty hunter and a darn good one, too. He had captured as many as ten bounty jumpers at one time. He was smart and he was strong. But to Molly Grace, he was just plain scary. He reached his hand down to help her up. He said “Sorry, little lady.” Molly Grace would have none of it. She scrambled to her feet and ran back to the Tick Tock Clock Shop as fast as her feet could carry her. 

Chapter 7 Molly Grace Returns

Previous Chapter

It was decided that Molly Grace should be looked over to determine her physical and mental well-

being. She was taken to a clinic in a town just outside of Houston. The doctors there determined that she was doing well and could return home. When she arrived, she asked Patsy what had become of the sick puppy. Patsy did not know.

Patsy asked Marlene if she could find out what had happened to the puppy. Marlene did a little checking and, shortly, Tim Hunnicutt arrived with a car to take Molly Grace and Patsy to see the puppy.

They drove to Doc Jones’ house. Molly Grace had a bad feeling about being there. Someone, no one knows who, had fixed the door. Someone had also been taking care of the puppy.

Molly Grace walked into the house and saw Lucky, Iron Mike and Judge Walker sitting around the kitchen table.

She heard a small bark in box in the corner of an adjacent room. She looked into the box and saw a very happy, healthy and playful puppy.

Iron Mike asked her what she was going to name the puppy. She said that she thought that she should name him “Doc” because Doc had tried to take care of the puppy. Doc had also risked his life to protect her from Robert. As she was leaning over the box playing with Doc, she felt a hand on her shoulder.

She turned and looked up into the sparking eyes of the real Doc. He still had some recovering to do, but he would eventually be fine.  Molly Grace gave Doc a hug and they sat down at the kitchen table for some cookies and milk and a lot of catching up.




I hope you enjoyed The World of Molly Grace.  Let me know what you think.

David E. McClendon Sr.

Back to the Begining. 

Chapter 6 Molly Grace The Hearing

Previous Chapter

Judge Harlan Walker had been the city judge longer than anyone could remember. He and Doc Jones had a standing date every Thursday afternoon to play dominos.

Everyone in the town knew Judge Walker and all considered him to be the most fair and honest man alive. He had tried to retire several times, but he was simply the only one qualified for the job.

In Texas, judges are elected. Even though it had been twenty years since Judge Walker had his name put on any ballot, he still managed to be elected by a landslide via write-in vote in each and every election.

Judge Walker was past ninety years old and still had a very keen mind and a grasp of the law that no one else seemed capable of. He could remember cases he had read back in law school and apply them appropriately.

As fair as he was, the man accused of probably killing his best friend and attempting to kidnap a sweet little girl with the biggest brown eyes now stood before him.


Robert complained that he was hurt very badly when Lucky “attacked” him. No one cared. Judge Walker said, “You have probably killed the only man within a hundred miles who could or would be able to help you. After your hearing, we will see if we can find anyone willing to tend to your medical needs.


Lucky spoke out and begged Judge Walker to release Robert on bond. The Judge knew that, if that happened, the chances that Robert would live to show up for his trial were slim. Judge Walker quickly ruled that he would have to deny bond for Robert since he was a flight risk and was accused of attempted murder and attempted kidnapping. He ruled that if Doc were to die, if in fact he had not already died, then the charges would be changed to murder.


When Lucky heard that Robert was going to be held without bail, he reached over to Bucky and slapped him. He then walked to the front of the courtroom and said, “Your honor, I wish to plead not guilty to assaulting an officer.” Judge Walker set the bail at $50. Lucky said “Your honor, I refuse to pay it.” Judge Walker ordered that Lucky be held in lieu of bail.


Iron Mike was the next to assault an officer. He slapped Jimmy very lightly and went forward and pled not guilty. He, too, was held in lieu of bail. The forty bikers, and all the patrons of Iron Mike’s Pub, committed mutual assault and pled guilty. Each one was held in lieu of bail.


In Pigeon Hole Texas, the local jail has two holding cells. Robert was placed in cell number one and several of the other prisoners were placed in the cell with him. There were simply too many prisoners to be held by both cells, so Austin, the jailer, decided that he should just leave both cell doors open.

That was the only way he could see that each prisoner would have a chance to use the restroom or get a drink of water. There was a large common area outside of the cells that was separated from the rest of the building by a locking door with bars. He felt that most of his prisoners could be trusted to not escape.

The next morning Robert was released from jail without bond. He was no longer a flight risk. John “Digger” McCloud came by to pick him up and take him to his place of business, McCloud’s Funeral Home. There was not enough evidence to determine who, if anyone, assisted him in the termination of oxygen exchange that evening. No one saw anything. No one noticed that he was lying on the one and only cot in cell one.

Bucky asked Judge Walker to drop the charges against Lucky.  When he did so, Judge Walker dropped the charges against all the other prisoners.  No one wanted to press charges against anyone.


Next Chapter

Chapter 5 Molly Grace The Kidnapping

Previous Chapter

Lucky was standing right beside Bucky’s car when the call came in. The dispatcher said that the phone was left off the hook and that she could hear Molly Grace screaming for help.

Lucky ran to his truck and sped to Doc Jones’ house. He arrived just ahead of Bucky and Jimmy, who pulled up from opposite ends of the street.

Robert had just forced Molly Grace into the car. Lucky was the first to reach Robert. He first grabbed Robert with the intent of restraining him until Jimmy and Bucky could handcuff him.

But, when he saw the tears in Molly Grace’s eyes, he lost control of himself. Bucky, Jimmy, and Iron Mike all tried to restrain Lucky but they could not. It was not until Tim Hunnicutt pulled up with nearly forty other bikers that there was enough muscle to pull Lucky off of Robert.


Robert was restrained and placed in the back of Bucky’s police car. Everyone in the town wondered whether or not Robert would make it to the police station or if he would be shot “trying to escape.”


Doc was the only medical practitioner for miles.  Mama Sue had been a nurses’ aid for a while and she tried to tend to him, but she was afraid he was hurt just too badly. His heart beat was weak.

A man of ninety years is not able to take such a beating and survive. A Life Flight helicopter was summoned from Houston. Even though it arrived within minutes, it seemed like forever. Every eye in town was full of tears as the helicopter took off towards Houston.

Next Chapter

Chapter 4 Molly Visits the Doctor

Previous Chapter

Molly Grace, while being a normally obedient child, had found a puppy in an alley between Suzanne’s Photo Shop and the vacant building next door. The puppy appeared to be very sick. Since

Molly Grace was a soft-hearted animal lover, she found a box and took the puppy over to Barry “Doc” Jones’ house.

 Doc was the local doctor who also owned the local drug store where he served as the pharmacist as well as the soda jerk and clerk.

Molly brought the puppy to Doc’s house and he had her put the puppy on the front porch while he went inside to get his bag. He soon returned and started examining the dog. Molly was standing on the porch in plain view of the street when Robert drove by.

Robert recognized his daughter right away. He stopped the car and walked up and said, “Hello, Molly Grace. Daddy is here to take you home.“

Doc did not know the whole story, but he knew enough to be concerned. Although he was over ninety years old, he was ready to fight Robert if he had to.

He told Molly Grace to go into the house and call the police. Doc stepped between Robert and the front door. Robert pushed Doc to the ground and made it to the door just as Molly Grace locked it. She was able to call the police just before Robert broke through the door.


Next Chapter

Chapter 3 Molly Takes a Walk

Previous Chapter

The days and weeks passed by and Molly Grace got more used to the small town. Every day she walked home from Pennington Elementary School past all the little shops.

Every day she stopped by to see Larry and Mama Sue and get a treat. She even stopped being afraid of Lucky. When she saw him ride up in his pickup truck with the gun rack in the back window, she would smile and wave.

As he stepped out, they would exchange greetings and he would smile at her. Things were beginning to seem normal for a big city girl transplanted to a small town. Pigeon Hole was nothing like her old home town of Columbia, South Carolina. But, she was beginning to like the place.


She skipped into Suzanne’s Photography where she found Suzanne editing some photographs on her computer. Molly Grace had become quite interested in photography. She especially liked it when Suzanne (Aunt Susie) used her older film cameras and then took her into the dark room where Aunt Susie let Molly Grace use the magic paper to make images appear.

It seemed like magic when Molly Grace shined a light on a piece of paper and then put that paper in a tray with chemicals and a picture appeared just like magic. Molly Grace was having a great time growing up in this peaceful place.  Suzanne hung the photos up to dry and Molly Grace skipped on down the sidewalk on her way home.

Patsy had made every effort to cover her tracks. When they left Columbia, South Carolina she drove the back roads at first, hoping to stay out of sight just in case Robert had done something like report that Molly Grace had been kidnapped or something.

For the last several months, Patsy had been hoarding cash so that she would not have to use her credit or debit cards to purchase gas or food along the way. She knew that these would show where she had been and provide a clue as to where she was headed.

In spite of all her care and planning, Robert learned where she was. Robert told his brother where Patsy was staying and that he was going to Pigeon Hole, Texas to get his wife and little girl and bring them back to South Carolina.

He had a strange look in his eye that his brother knew all too well. His brother, Ralph, decided to call Patsy and warn her. He looked up the Tick Tock Clock Shop and placed the call.

Patsy hung up the phone in total disbelief. She had a look of horror on her face and she went downstairs to tell Marlene what she’d learned.

Marlene told Patsy that they did not have time to waste. She would have to get packed and leave town as soon as possible. Patsy did not know where she could go or what she could do. She had very little money and her car could not possibly make the trip.

Marlene told her that she would take her car to Roger Nimmons over at the truck repair shop and see what he could do to make the car road worthy. She told Patsy to find Molly Grace, then come back to the shop and keep the apartment door locked. Marlene left, and Patsy left to find Molly Grace.

Patsy walked down Main Street and stopped at all the shops. No one had seen her since she left Suzanne’s Photography. Suzanne stepped over to the Lamb Shoppe Doll Shop and told David what had happened. They locked the stores and both set out to help find Molly Grace.

Patsy became frantic. It had taken Ralph the better part of the day to find out how to get in contact with her and time was running out. Robert would surely be there soon and she had to go. But where was Molly Grace?

David Logan stepped into Iron Mike’s Pub and told Mike he was looking for Molly Grace and why. Mike made a general announcement that Molly Grace was missing and Robert was due in town very soon. Everyone in the pub went out to look for Molly Grace.

 Iron Mike called Jimmy, the police chief. Mike filled Jimmy in on all the details as he understood them, and then he hung up and went to join the search. Jimmy radioed Bucky, the only other officer on the force, and gave him the details. He told him to be on the lookout for Robert and that he should be ready for trouble.

Bucky had been a paratrooper with the 82nd Airborne. He knew how to handle himself. When Bucky got out of the Army, he spent a few years with the Houston Police Department’s S.W.A.T. unit and was an expert at using almost any type of weapon available. Between Bucky and Jimmy the small town of Pigeon Hole Texas was well protected.

Jimmy felt that he and Bucky could handle anything that Robert could throw at them. Still, he called the county Sheriff’s Office to let them know the situation. Sheriff Crabwell doubled the patrol around Pigeon Hole just to be on the safe side. Never can be too sure, he said.

As the troop leader of a highly skilled Boy Scout troop and Eagle Scout, he always followed the Boy Scout Motto to “Be Prepared.”

By now all the merchants in the town, and most of the town’s people, were looking for Molly Grace. No one had seen her since she left Suzanne’s Photography. Suzanne remembered that when Molly Grace stopped by, she had taken a few photos of Molly Grace.

She called David and had him stop by the shop to upload a picture to the shop’s web site and to print out flyers to be distributed. The whole town was in an uproar as Robert slipped unnoticed into town.

Next Chapter

Chapter 2 The World of Molly Grace Iron Mike’s Irish Pub

Read Chapter One

Lucky walked into Iron Mike’s Pub where he was greeted by the owner Iron Mike Murphy. Iron

Mike earned the name Iron Mike when he was in college. He was on the football team and played offensive tackle.

He was known for stopping opponents who were much larger than he was. He held the all-time college record for bench pressing. He managed to bench press over eight hundred pounds before he graduated college.

He was amazed that the record had since been surpassed and was currently held by Gene Rychlak Jr. with 965 pounds. One asset of being six foot five and over three hundred pounds is that very few people stepped out of line in Iron Mike’s Pub. For the most part it was a peaceful place.


Overall, the clientele of Iron Mike’s were peaceful anyway. There was Roger Nimmons, who was a mechanic down the street. Roger was the best diesel mechanic in the state. Truckers would drive hundreds of miles out of their way to get Roger to work on their trucks.

Roger was sitting in the corner booth talking with Tim Hunnicutt. Tim was a very rough looking biker who had found Jesus and was now a biking preacher. He would spend time in bars and pubs and witness to anyone who would listen. He was able to share the Word of God with many bar patrons because he looked like he was still one of them. He was six foot seven inches tall and had long hair that came to his belt. He had a long, scraggly beard and piercing eyes.


In spite of the fact that this group of people was often regarded as rough and outcasts, they had their place in the community. Whenever money was needed for a charity or cause, Iron Mike’s was the first place people turned.

Usually this group would get out amongst their friends and raise countless dollars for the cause. Several years back the Craft Attic burned. The owner, Beth Wilson, was injured in the blaze and could not work. She had medical expenses she could not pay and needed to make repairs to the building and replace stock. No one knew where the envelope that contained over $200,000 in it came from, but everyone was sure that the patrons at Iron Mike’s Pub had a hand in it.


Back about five years ago, Farmer Rainey (as far as anyone knows his given name is Farmer) became ill just before time to plant his corn crop. He was sick a long time. He shared with his devoted wife, Mary, every day how they would lose the farm since they could not get a crop out that year.

Mary slept by his hospital bed every night for weeks. As he started to recover, she would drive home at night and return every morning. She could not bear to look towards the fields as she passed by them. She knew she could not look at the empty fields knowing that this season would be their last.


One day Walt Garrison, who owned the local hardware store and grain elevator, came by Farmer’s hospital room and gave Farmer a check. The check was in payment for corn and sorghum that had been brought to the elevator early that morning and left outside the gates.

The harvest was in trailers and trucks belonging to Farmer and Mary. Walt explained that as the day progressed different farmers from the area would stop by and offer to return the now empty trucks and trailers to Farmer’s farm since it was on their way.

The check was the largest check Farmer and Mary had ever received for their crops. Walt swore he had no idea who had planted the crops nor who harvested them and brought them to the elevator. Regardless, the check was enough to pay off all the crop loans and provide a little living money for the year. There wasn’t enough to cover the ever growing hospital bill. By now it exceeded $150,000.


Farmer and Mary prayed every night for God to help them budget their money so that they could pay the bill. When Farmer checked out, the hospital informed them that the bill was paid in full. How could this be?

The woman in the business office at Pigeon Hole Memorial Hospital said that this happens all the time. Sometimes a cashier’s check will arrive with no remitter on it.

People from the town will go to the People’s Bank of Pigeon Hole and donate money to special accounts set up to cover a certain person’s medical expense and then someone would send a cashier’s check to cover the bill. In this case, there was a good bit of money left over that the bank would be sending Farmer and Mary a check for soon.

Read the Next Chapter

Chapter 1 Molly’s World

A walk down Main Street would reveal your typical small Southern town. There was, of course, a library and a court house as well as a post office. The merchants in town were all friendly people and looked after one another.

Marlene Chambers had owned the Tick Tock Clock Shop for more years than she cared to remember. She was a good-hearted person with a very outgoing personality. Through the years she had been forced to add other items to her clock shop like ornaments and collectibles. Fortunately for her and the other town merchants there was a large tourist trade. People came to this small town to see what the Old South was once like.

Marlene had offered a place to stay to her friend Patsy Madison when she learned that Patsy’s husband, Robert, had been beating her and her young daughter, Molly Grace. Molly Grace was the kind of little girl that you could not help but love. She had beautiful auburn curls and the largest chestnut brown eyes imaginable.

One of the bad things about living in a small Southern town is that everyone knows your business. One of the good things about living in a small Southern town is everyone knows your business. It was no different in the small town of Pigeon Hole, Texas. The town was about as exciting as its name. Since the only thing to do was to mind everyone else’s business, that is what most people did.

Patsy had fled in the middle of the night with Molly Grace. She waited until Robert was passed out drunk and loaded up the family station wagon. She drove all night from South Carolina to Texas. She got into town about sunset the next day.

She was tired and was very glad to see Marlene. Marlene carried Molly Grace up the stairs to the apartment she had above the shop. Most of the merchants in town lived in residences above their stores. This was one of the best things about owning a shop in a small town. The commute to work was simply a walk down the stairs.

Patsy and Molly Grace rested a while then Marlene said they should go to supper. Most of the town merchants did not bother to cook. They simply walked down the street to Eat, which was a small diner. It was named Eat because when Larry and Mama Sue Harthwell bought the diner it had a sign on the outside that said “Eat”.

 It was simply cheaper to keep the name that had been on the sign for years. When they arrived, Marlene introduced Patsy and Molly Grace to Mama Sue.

Mama Sue was a large black lady with a heart of gold. She was the kind of woman who liked most people. She treated every child in town as if they were her own. The kids often stopped by after school for a snack. Someday it would be cake and milk, other days it would be cookies or brownies. Mama Sue always had something ready. Larry, her husband, was pretty much the same way. He always had a smile and a laugh for his customers.

Larry brought a huge slice of cornbread for each one of them and Mama Sue set a huge bowl of homemade vegetable beef soup in front of them. Patsy thought it was odd because neither she nor Marlene had ordered anything. Mama Sue explained that she knew that she and Molly Grace had a long trip and they needed something hearty to stick to their ribs.

Soon dinner was finished and the ladies and Molly Grace made it back to the shop. Molly Grace was asleep before her head hit the pillow. She felt safe here. For the first time in a long time she did not have to worry about waking up to the sounds of her father beating her mother. She did not have to worry about the beatings she received for anything and nothing. She felt at peace.

Molly Grace took to small town life. Every day she walked the one block from school past Lamb Shoppe Dolls and Collectibles. This shop was directly beside Suzanne’s Photography and the two stores were connected to one another.

They were both owned and operated by Suzanne and David Logan. Molly Grace loved to look at the pretty porcelain dolls in the window. They seemed so pretty and happy. Suzanne saw her looking in the window and invited her in. Suzanne was a beautiful woman with a smile as big as the Southern sky. Molly Grace could not help but love her. Suzanne was not much taller than ten year old Molly Grace but she looked very much like a fine Southern Lady.

Suzanne took Molly Grace around the shop and showed her all the pretty dolls. Molly Grace thought they were all beautiful. Little Molly Grace left the shop and skipped down the street. She hurried fast as she passed Iron Mike’s Irish Pub.

 Patsy had warned her that they served alcohol inside. She reminded Molly Grace that Robert was the

way he was because he drank alcohol. When she met Robert she never saw him drink. He did not start that habit until after Molly Grace was born.

All of her attention was focused on watching the door to Iron Mike’s as she hurried by. Suddenly she ran into something. She bounced off of the surface she hit. It felt like she had run hard into a brick wall. She looked up and saw a huge man. This man was about six foot six inches tall.

He could easily weigh three hundred pounds but none of it was fat. It was all muscle. As she took in all of the giant’s features, she noticed he had a large pistol in a shoulder holster and a huge knife hanging on his belt.

Lucky was a bounty hunter and a darn good one too. He had captured as many as ten bounty jumpers at one time. He was smart and he was strong. But to Molly Grace he was just plain scary. He reached his hand down to help her up. He said “Sorry, little lady.” Molly Grace would have none of it. She scrambled to her feet and ran back to the Tick Tock Clock Shop as fast as her feet could carry her.