In the excitement of the moment, Huffy had made a dreadful mistake. The expectation of a meaningful payment, coupled with the constant pressure from Mr. Prickhead, had caused a lapse in judgment.
Not long after Wes stopped by with the promise of $50,000, Huffy marched into the big office and proudly informed his boss that the Paytons' debt was about to be reduced.
When he got the bad news two days later that it was not, he was too afraid to tell anyone.
After losing sleep for almost a week, he finally forced himself to confront the devil again. He stepped in front of the massive desk, swallowed hard, and said, "Some bad news, sir.”
"Where's the money?" Mr. Kirkhead demanded.
"It's not going to happen, sir. Their settlement fell through.”
Forgoing curse words, Mr. Prickhead said, "We're calling the loan. Do it now.”
"What?”
"You heard me.”
"We can't do that. They've been paying two thousand a month.”
"Super. That doesn't even cover the interest. Call the loan. Now.”
"But why?”
"Just a couple of small reasons, Huffy. Number one, it's been in default for at least a year. Number two, it's grossly under-collateralized. As a banker, certainly you can understand these small problems.”
"But they're trying.”
"Call the loan. Do it now, and if you don't, then you'll be either reassigned or dismissed.”
"That's obscene.”
"I don't care what you think." Then he relented a bit and said, "It's not my decision, Huffy. We have new ownership, and I have been ordered to call the loan.”
"But why?”
Kirkhead picked up the phone and offered it. "You want to call the man in Dallas?”
"This will bankrupt them.”
"They've been bankrupt for a long time. Now they can make it official.”
"Son of a bitch.”
"Talking to me, son?”
Huffy glared at the fat hairless head, then said, "Not really. More to that son of a bitch in Dallas.”
"We'll keep that here, okay?”
Huffy returned to his office, slammed the door, and watched the walls while an hour passed. Prickhead would stop by soon for the follow-up.
Wes was in a deposition downtown. Mary Grace was at her desk and took the call.
She admired Huffy for his bravery in extending much more credit than anyone had thought possible, but the sound of his voice always rattled her. "Good morning, Tom," she said pleasantly.
"It's not a good morning, Mary Grace," he began. "It's a bad morning, an awful morning, one of the worst ever.”
A heavy pause. "I'm listening.”
"The bank, not the bank you've been dealing with but another bank now, one owned by some people I've met only once and never care to see again, has decided that it can no longer wait to be paid. The bank, not me, is calling the loan.”
Mary Grace emitted a strange guttural sound that could have passed for an expletive but really wasn't a word at all. Her first thought was of her father. Other than the Paytons' signatures, the only security for the loan was a two-hundred-acre tract of farmland her father had owned for many years. It was near Bowmore, and it did not include the forty acres and family home. The bank would foreclose on the property.
"Any particular reason, Huffy?" she asked coolly.
"None whatsoever. The decision was not made in Hattiesburg. Second State sold out to the devil, if you will recall.”
"This doesn't make sense.”
"I agree.”
"You'll force us into bankruptcy, and the bank will get nothing.”
"Except for the farm.”
"So you'll foreclose on the farm?”
"Someone will. I hope not me.”
"Smart move, Huffy, because when they foreclose on the courthouse steps in Bowmore there might be a killing.”
"Maybe they'll get ole Prickhead.”
"Are you in your office?”
"Yes, with the door locked.”
"Wes is downtown. He'll be there in fifteen minutes. Unlock the door.”
"No.”
&n............