Chapter 50 Section Eleven

With the consent of Mr. Robert Branson, he and Betty's youngest son, Poppy, were taken to the witness stand.In Texas, the law stipulates that minors under the age of 21 must have the permission of their guardians to testify in court. Irri Unruth started asking some questions about what had happened since Betty and Jimmy got back from Virginia.Poppy said, "Robin broke motorcycles and stuff, drove Jimmy's launch and Mommy's truck, quit his job at the gas station..." "Mr. Pitts is angry, isn't he?" "yes." "Where's Robin?" "a little bit."

"There was a dispute between them?" "yes." Bill Bandy cross-examination: "How is Robin related to Jimmy?" "It's good, but sometimes we fight." "Did you argue with Jimmy?" "No. But I fight with Robin sometimes. Robin's tall, and sometimes he gets his hands on me." "Did he touch Jimmy?" "No." Irri Unruth's next witness is a real eye-opener for the jury.Contrary to the conservative, formal, neat and slightly prim attire of the others, Ray Bon wears a crumpled shirt, mud-stained boots and too tight jeans.A reporter later described him in a report as "like he just fell off a horse."

Irri Unrus asked: "You know Mrs. Pitts?" "right." "Have you lived together?" "One year." "What crime were you sentenced for?" "kill." "Do you remember when you came to my office?" "I've been there several times." "I mean, about the Mrs. Pitts case." "Oh, that time. I told you what her children told me. I said this woman would never kill." "Why did you say that?" "I've been with her for a year and she's been nice to me, that's all. I don't know the rest."

"You once had a conflict with one of her sons, tell me what happened." "Bobby and his friends were racing motorcycles in the garden, and I told them to get out and ride. I said his mother would be mad if she found out." "Are they listening?" "Don't talk to me at all. I said next time they see my truck parked here, they'd better get out of the way, because that means I'm here. Maybe his friend won't like it, boy, get out the gun Come and shoot. After a while, Bobby also rushed out of the RV with a gun in both hands." "So you hid in the woods?"

"Then what do you think? You can't use a gun during bail, but I won't be foolishly waiting to get shot." "How many times did he shoot you?" "I don't know. He flattened three tires, and there are seven or eight bullet holes in the car. I don't know how many shots were fired." "and after?" "The police came and took me to a friend's house in Arlington." Yi Rui nodded: "You were arrested for a gun in that friend's truck, tell us what happened." "I was arrested in Arlington and Detective Ruth went and brought me back here."

"You spent two days in jail, and how did you get out?" "Kenard Albright put up the bail for me. We have known each other for over 40 years." "Did you say anything to Rick Ross after that?" "I called him from a little grocer in Mansfield." "Mrs. Pitts was with you?" "yes." "What does Rick Ruth want to know?" "He wanted to know when we were leaving and which way to go." "Did you tell him what kind of car you guys drive?" "No need, he knows." "How many times have you called Rick Ruth?"

"Can't remember." "Three or four?" "I don't know." Ray Bang was already impatient, and his voice was getting higher and higher, as if he was arguing with someone.Sometimes he answered irrelevant questions to the lawyer's questions, and sometimes he said a few irrelevant words out of the blue.Like now, "Your office called Kinard's house, left him a number, and said he wanted me to call the prison." "You remember wrong." Yi Rui shook her head. "How could I remember wrong?" "Would it be weird if I told you that I don't even know Kinard's address or phone number?"

"No surprise, Irene. I'll never know what you know, but I know Kinard is in real estate and his phone number is always in the newspaper advert." Yi Rui didn't want to get entangled with Ray Bang, so she used advance as a retreat and asked another question: "Do you know about Jimmy?" "Never heard of it. I didn't know he was killed until I read the papers." "Okay, let's go back to Mansfield. Rick Ruth wants to know where you've been, doesn't he?" "He wants to know where Betty is." "How long after you hung up did Mrs. Pitts get arrested?"

Ray Bang thought for a while: "Half an hour." "When they arrested Mrs. Pitts, did they also arrest you?" "They handcuffed me first, then released me later." "When Mrs. Pitts was in prison, did you call her?" "right." "What did you all talk about?" "It's none of your business." "I'm afraid it has something to do with the court and the jury." "We talked about the case," Ray Bon said reluctantly. The two quarreled again, and Ray Bang refused to answer some of Yi Rui's questions.As a last resort, Judge Jack Holland had to intervene.

"How long have you been in prison?" Iree Unruth's last question. "Seven or eight years," Ray Bon replied. Yi Rui waved her hand wearily, handing over the witness to the prosecution. Bill Bundy picked up a few photos: "Do you know any of these places?" Ray Bang looked at them one by one: "well planter... storage room... RV..." "Please tell me, who tends the flowers and plants in the well-shaped flower beds?" "Betty." "Does she mow her own lawn too?" "She never lets anyone touch her garden." "When you lived there, did you know that two people were buried in the garden?"

"have no idea." Irri Unrus finally recovered.He asked Ray Bang, "Did you know, or did Mrs. Pitts tell you, that Robin Branson killed Jimmy Pitts?" "No. She never told me any of these things." "And she didn't tell you who she killed?" "No."