The Dance Incident — surviving fragments
1. Crock’s note — written shortly afterward
Loose sheet; date consistent with the dance, poor handwriting
Truck had two tires down.
Neither punctured. Somebody let the air out.
Jack was gone.
Tire jack wasn’t where I left it.Nancy knows something.
Everybody says I ought to quit blaming Nancy.
Everybody can kiss my ass.
Archivist’s note:
The final sentence appears to have been underlined later, and then again later still!
2. Nancy to a friend — undated note
crumpled paper found in the hallway …..
He’ll blame me eventually.
Crock always needs somebody to blame when one of his plans goes sideways.Besides, if he’d checked the truck earlier, he’d have had time to do something about it.
3. Norma and Noe — hushed conversation
Late Spring evening as the weekend is winding down
Norma: I saw Nancy by Crock’s truck.
Noe: Doing what?
Norma: Letting the air out. Both sides. Then she took something from behind the seat.
Noe: The jack?
Norma: Looked like it.
Noe: Did she see you?
Norma: No.
Noe: Where were you?
[pause]
Norma: Close enough.
Noe: Norma.
Norma: Douglas was with me.
Noe: Oh.
Norma: Exactly.
4. Noe — private note, apparently never sent
No name to, no date, just folded behind Thessalonians:
Crock is still carrying on about Nancy and the tires.
I know he’s right.
I also know because Norma told me, and Norma told me because she saw it, and if I tell Crock that, he’ll ask where Norma was when she saw it.
Then he’ll ask why.
Then Jack will hear about it.
Then everybody will hear about it.
I have decided Crock can remain right without knowing he’s right.
5. Summer — Noe finally tells Anita
A recollection from Anita after the grocery store trip:
“Noe told me that summer. She said Norma had seen Nancy let the air out of Crock’s tires and take the jack.
I asked why nobody told Crock.
Noe said, ‘Because Crock would’ve wanted to know how Norma knew.’
….. I asked how Norma knew.
Noe told me…………………………………………………………..
I stopped asking questions.” 🙂
— Anita Kay Asse, recollection, date uncertain
6. Anita and Crock — much later
A chance being in the same place at the same time — discovers that Anita knows something.
Crock: Nancy did it.
Anita: I know.
Crock: What?
Anita: I said I know.
Crock: How do you know?
Anita: Doesn’t matter.
Crock: It matters to me. I’ve been saying that for years.
Anita: Then congratulations. You were right.
Crock: Who told you?
Anita: See, this is why nobody tells you anything.
The look on Crock’s face as I walked away was priceless! — End fragment.
7. Nancy and Anita — the dangerous little exchange
The sister that knows TOO much and won’t spill …..:
Nancy: Noe told you something.
Anita: Noe tells me lots of things.
Nancy: About the dance.
Anita: There were several dances.
Nancy: About Crock’s truck.
[no response recorded]
Nancy: He couldn’t prove anything.
Anita: I know.
8. Much later — Crock’s archival annotation
Sometimes you think you know something and for the life of you, you can’t show you know:
CROCK’S NOTE:
Nancy did it.I knew Nancy did it.
Anita knew Nancy did it.
Apparently Noe knew Nancy did it.Near as I can determine, everybody who needed proof had it except me.
Still don’t know where the jack went.
D.S.
That is not an admission of what happened at the dance.
Crock:
Didn’t say it was.