Incident on Ten-Right Road

by Randall Silvis

  Hickman: I see you know your constellations.

  DeMarco: Only a couple of them. But in that direction…you wouldn’t need to see overtop of your house. Or over the Fletcher’s either. Am I right?

  Hickman: Not for the Alpha Persei Cluster, no—

  DeMarco: Nor for the Swift-Tuttle cloud, I think.

  Hickman: No, that’s right, you’re perfectly right. But you see a dozen meteors, you’ve seen them all, you know what I mean? I’m kind of a restless stargazer. There’s a lot to look at up there.

  DeMarco: That’s for sure. Friday night, though, if I recall correctly, there was a fairly heavy cloud cover.

  Hickman: Yeah, at times, I suppose. Lots of breaks in the clouds, though. Still lots of opportunities.

  DeMarco: Weather records show only an average 28 percent layer transparency across the whole county most of the night. Plus the rain a few hours later.

  Hickman (after a pause): Well… like I said, there were breaks from time to time. Just have to be patient and take what you get.

  DeMarco: Not easy for a restless stargazer, I bet.

  Hickman: It’s a routine, that’s all. Some people are afraid of the dark; I prefer it. There can be a real serenity to it. That’s why I live out here, away from other houses. Darkness has a way of smoothing out all of life’s imperfections. Everything looks better in the dark.

  DeMarco: Life is imperfect, I can’t argue with that.

  Hickman: The meteor shower won’t peak till tomorrow night. I’m still hoping for at least one night of clear skies.

  DeMarco: We could all use a lot more clarity.

  Hickman: That sounds like a metaphor, Sergeant.

  DeMarco: Just talking in general. Life in general. (pause) So let’s get back to what you saw, didn’t see, heard, didn’t hear that night. Meghan goes into her house, and Tad pulls away with…I believe you called it “a godawful squeal of tires.”

  Hickman: That’s exactly what I called it.

  DeMarco: And did the manner of his exit suggest anything to you?

  Hickman: Well, first there was the truck door being slammed shut. People don’t close a door that way unless they’re seriously ticked off about something. And then there was the way she went up to the house.

  DeMarco: According to Chief Melvin, you said she ran up onto the porch.

  Hickman: I might have used that word, but now that I’m seeing it all again in my mind’s eye, I would describe it differently. It was more like a brisk, angry walk. Her arms were pumping like pistons. And I’m fairly certain she had her fists clenched.

  DeMarco: You could see all that?

  Hickman: Well, you know, the headlights were right on her most of the time.

  DeMarco: Right. I forgot about the headlights. Was the porch light on?

  Hickman: That too. Her mother always leaves the porch light on when Meghan is out late at night.

  DeMarco: This is really good information, sir. We’re lucky you have such a fine memory. And are so observant. So what about the house lights? Any lights on inside?

  Hickman: Before Meghan went in? I think maybe the kitchen light was on. But it went out after a couple of minutes. Then her bedroom light upstairs went on. And maybe three, four minutes later, it went out too.

  DeMarco: And you know it was her bedroom light that went on…how?

  Hickman. Just a logical assumption. I guess her mother might have turned on her light. But it’s just human nature, isn’t it? You come home at night, turn on your room light, do what you need to do, turn it off and go to bed.

  DeMarco: Sure sounds logical to me. (pause) So you didn’t hear any kind of verbal exchange between Meghan and her mother that night?

  Hickman: I can’t say there wasn’t one. But if there’d been anything loud, their voices would have carried this far.

  DeMarco: Especially at that time of night, when everything else is so quiet.

  Hickman: I would have heard.

  DeMarco: How late did you stay out that night?

  Hickman: Best guess? Another hour or so at most. Like you said, the cloud cover was getting heavier by the minute.

  DeMarco: And then you returned to your house?

  Hickman: Straight to bed. Swallowed a couple of melatonins, took a leak, and hit the sack.

  DeMarco: Remind me what time you awoke in the morning.

  Hickman: I’d say 8:00-ish, maybe a little later.

  DeMarco: So from 2:00, 2:30 to a little after 8:00, you were sound asleep?

  Hickman: At my age there’s no such thing as ‘sound asleep.’ I slept for a while, got up and took another leak, and went back to bed. I keep a little tablet computer on the bed so I can listen to meditation music. It helps me fall back to sleep after I get up in the middle of the night.

  DeMarco: And you turned on the music that night?

  Hickman: I’m almost sure I did. I do every night. But I keep the volume very low. Otherwise I wouldn’t be able to fall asleep again. So if you’re wondering if it might have kept me from hearing anything going on across the road, I’d have to say no, it wouldn’t.

  DeMarco: And did you hear anything from across the road?

  Hickman: Not a peep.

  DeMarco: Straight through till 8:00 or a little later?

  Hickman: Straight through. And I can’t say for sure I got up only once to take a pee. Sometimes it’s two, sometimes it’s three times a night. But whatever it was, I didn’t hear a thing except maybe the truck pulling out when Junie headed off to work.

  DeMarco: And how did you know that Junie drove to work that morning? She usually walks, doesn’t she?

  Hickman: Well…there were the sirens, you know. The ambulance and police arriving. And maybe 20 minutes after that, Junie comes roaring down the road in the pickup. I could see when she climbed out that she was still wearing her blue Belmont shirt. So, you know, two plus two equals four.

  DeMarco: On which side of the house is your bedroom located?

  Hickman: This side. It’s the room adjacent to this one. Contiguous, you might say.

  DeMarco: So when Junie pulled out in the truck that morning, her headlights would have shone straight into your bedroom window, correct?

  Hickman: Which is why I have the blackout curtains in there. I’m a night owl. Definitely not a morning person. Didn’t realize that until after I stopped teaching. In fact I’ll have a little nap around 2:00 or 3:00 every afternoon. That’s why I require only four or five hours total at night. It’s called polyphasic sleeping. Da Vinci, Edison, Tesla, they were all polyphasic sleepers too.

  DeMarco (after a pause): Meghan took some of your classes, is that right?

  Hickman: Chemistry and Phys Sci 1. She would have had Mrs. Ramsey for Biology and Earth Sciences.

  DeMarco: Was she a good student?

  Hickman: She was an earnest student. She did her best.

  DeMarco: Would you happen to remember what grades she received?

  Hickman: Not off the top of my head, no. I know she passed. Unfortunately I’ve had to lower my academic standards over the years—the entire school has—so what’s average now probably wouldn’t have passed muster in our day.

  DeMarco: So she didn’t really stand out in any way?

  Hickman: When you deal with over 100 students a year for as long as I did, you tend to remember only the stars and the complete wastes of your time. The rest just all blur together.

  DeMarco: Even when they live across the road from you?

  Hickman: Well, you’re not talking about grades now. I only said I don’t remember her grades.

  DeMarco: I just thought she might have lingered in your memory longer than the other average students, seeing as how she and her mother are your only neighbors out this way.

  Hickman: The truth is, when I left teaching, I just emptied out all the clutter. Threw away all the old grade rosters, the reams and reams of leftover handouts and lesson plans…. I burned it all. And I guess I did the same thing with some of my memories. I recognize stu
dents’ faces now, but their names and histories? That’s pretty much a blank.

  DeMarco: So you don’t remember having any of those special teacher-student moments with her? I thought every teacher has those.

  Hickman: But not with every student. Most of them just disappear in the crowd.

  DeMarco: You and the Fletchers have been neighbors for how long?

  Hickman: Since my divorce. And that was 10…10 years and five months ago.

  DeMarco: So you’ve known Meghan since she was a girl.

  Hickman: I wish I could say that’s true. Fact is, there has never been much interaction between me and the Fletchers. I got the lawn mower started for Junie one time, after she flooded the engine by leaving the choke open. And let’s see…Junie asked me to take care of a groundhog once that was living under her back porch. I set up a trap, caught the critter, took it out to the game lands and let it go. Other than that…. It’s a sad commentary on our society, isn’t it? How little we know each other.

  Silence.

  DeMarco: Okay. We’re just about done here. Thank you for being so patient with me. How’s your heart, by the way? I heard you had bypass surgery last year.

  Hickman: All is well, thank you. I’m doing just fine.

  DeMarco: Those people at the Cleveland Clinic, they know their stuff, don’t they?

  Hickman: Thank God they do.

  DeMarco: That’s where you had it done, right? Somebody I talked to mentioned Cleveland, so I’m just assuming….

  Hickman: No, that’s right. The Cleveland Clinic. Dr. Abdus Salam. How come all the best surgeons these days are from India?

  DeMarco: Was your heart condition the reason for your retirement?

  Hickman: Yes. Yes, it was.

  DeMarco: Doctor’s orders? To avoid the stress, and all that?

  Hickman: No… As you can see, there’s no physical reason to not return to the classroom. And I still might someday, who knows? But you lie there in bed, you know, with stitches in your chest, after some complete stranger has been mucking around with your heart, I don’t know, it gives a man pause.

  DeMarco: Intimations of mortality.

  Hickman: Well said. Makes you think about how you want to spend the rest of your time. And trust me: grading quizzes every night isn’t going to be on anybody’s bucket list.

  DeMarco: I’m just glad to hear everything worked out. You’ve been a big help to me today, thank you.

  Hickman: I suppose you’ll probably head over to talk to Junie now?

  DeMarco: She appears to have company at the moment. Two cars in her driveway.

  Hickman: Very nice woman. Very pleasant.

  DeMarco: You ever have the western scramble at the diner where she works? First they brown and season the home fries, ham, bell peppers and onions, then they pour in the egg mixture. I get mine with some chopped jalapenos. Great way to get the motor running.

  Hickman: I don’t, uh…I cook for myself most of the time. I’m not much for dining out.

  DeMarco: You’re a practical man. I can appreciate that. (pause) So now all I need is a DNA sample.

  Hickman: Which requires a warrant, am I right?

  DeMarco: Unless you volunteer to provide one. Is there any reason you wouldn’t?

  Hickman: None whatsoever. I already jumped through that hoop with the school district. Every teacher does these days. Just wanted to let you know that I am aware of my rights.

  DeMarco: I’ll get the kit from the car.

  End of interview.

  Notes:

  DNA sample collected from Richard Hickman. I left my phone recorder running without his knowledge, but after I came back with the kit, he was far less talkative. Nothing more of relevance was recorded.

  Conclusion: According to weather maps, there was nothing to see in the sky the night of Meghan’s death but dark clouds. Obviously his interests were of a more terrestrial nature. On the other hand, I have to be wary of my own feelings; would I distrust him half as much if I hadn’t been told about his behavior with students?

  Options:

  The rumors about his actions with female students are untrue. I deem this option unlikely based on previous interviews with Junie Fletcher, Missy and Patti Cochran, and superintendent Madura. Therefore:

  He had a relationship of a sexual nature with Meghan Fletcher, but it ended when she graduated from high school. Or,

  It continued after high school up to the time of her death. But if this were the case, why would he kill her? Because he was jealous of Blyler and wanted her for himself? Possible, but my gut tells me no. So then,

  On a cloudy, starless night, he is standing in his yard at one in the morning, looking through his high-power binoculars. At what? At the Fletcher house. Waiting for a glimpse of who? Meghan Fletcher. Why? Because he was obsessed with her. (But doesn’t this contradict my previous option? Except that when I write it out like this, it makes more sense. So okay, he was obsessed with her.) But how obsessed? Enough to follow her into her own home after she went to bed? And then do what? Demand sex? Threaten her with a knife? Maybe he never intended to harm her, but she panicked and jerked away. Could he do all this without waking Junie Fletcher? See next interview.

  Or maybe all he wanted that night, and all he did, was to spy on her through his binoculars, get his jollies, whack off, and go to bed. The truth will out.

  I wish I had asked to see his astronomical binoculars. Lots of astronomers hook up cameras or laptops so as to capture video of what they’re viewing. He might have years of Peeping Tom material on his hard drive.

  We need to search his house. Unfortunately, my gut feelings won’t get us a search warrant. I need to find something that will.

  Interview Junie Fletcher, then contact Cleveland Clinic to verify/refute Hickman’s heart surgery story.

  Interview with Junie Fletcher

  DeMarco: I’m sorry to disturb you, Ms. Fletcher. I’m—

  Fletcher: Don’t start calling me Ms. Fletcher now. Western scramble with jalapenos, link sausage, whole wheat toast, coffee black. How many times have I served you?

  DeMarco: I’ve eaten more sausage there than I should, that’s for sure.

  Fletcher: I thought all you guys did was to pull over cars on the interstate.

  DeMarco: We do our share of investigations too. I’ve taken over your daughter’s case from Chief Melvin, and I—

  Fletcher: Why? Doesn’t he want to handle it?

  DeMarco: It isn’t that he doesn’t want to. He has a very small staff, and the State Police have access to more resources than he does.

  Fletcher: Oh. Okay. So…?

  DeMarco: I see that you have company today, and I wasn’t going to interrupt, but then I thought that as long as I’m here, I could maybe schedule a time more convenient for us to—

  Fletcher: What did he have to say?

  DeMarco: Chief Melvin?

  Fletcher: My neighbor. Your car’s been over there for most of an hour.

  DeMarco: I can’t discuss that with you. I’m sorry. I know what a difficult time this must be.

  Fletcher: Do you?

  DeMarco: I lost a son. He was just a baby, but still….

  Fletcher: I knew there was something sad about you. Always have breakfast by yourself. Sit and stare out the window. Never look at your phone, never bring a book or paper to keep you company. You’re a good tipper but never once have you tried to hit on me. (pause) How did he die?

  DeMarco: Car accident.

  Fletcher: You were driving, weren’t you?

  DeMarco: I was. A guy ran a red light. Slammed into us.

  Fletcher: Was it recent?

  DeMarco: About four years ago. If you would like to—

  Fletcher: And you’ve never gotten over it. I can see it in your eyes.

  DeMarco: Ms. Fletcher, I…I just came by to set up a time—

  Fletcher: You’re still wearing your wedding ring, so I guess the marriage survived. Why doesn’t your wife come to breakfast with you?
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  DeMarco: How about if I go grab a sandwich or something, come back in an hour or so, and we can sit down then and talk.

  Fletcher: Relax. It’s not like you’re interrupting anything. We’ve just been setting in there crying, that’s all.

  DeMarco: Your friends?

  Fletcher: Peggy Wolfe and Erica Gathers. We do spinning together three nights a week. Meggie used to join us too sometimes. Peggy has the black card, which means she can bring a guest.

  DeMarco: How does a person have the energy for spinning when she’s been on her feet all day?

  Fletcher: Sounds crazy, doesn’t it? Actually, it’s very relaxing. They gave me the membership for my birthday last fall. Must have noticed that I was eating too much sausage too.

  DeMarco: I have just a few questions, but we can—

  Fletcher: Oh God, I forgot to call him.

  DeMarco: You forgot to call who?

  Fletcher: I was going to call Chief Melvin and tell him what was missing. I just noticed it this morning. But then the girls showed up and I completely lost track of what I was doing.

  DeMarco: There’s something missing from the house? My information is that there was nothing missing.

  Fletcher: I was numb when I told him that. I couldn’t even see straight. I’m still pretty much the same, except that I was looking at her things this morning…just wanted to touch them and smell them, you know?

  DeMarco: Of course.

  Fletcher: She had this old photo from high school of her and Alex. The two of them in that play about some little town in New England or somewhere. She played Emily and he played George. They got married in the play.

  DeMarco: Our Town. That’s the name of the play.

  Fletcher: She never would have been able to take that part if he hadn’t helped her memorize the lines. She was never very good at reading.

  DeMarco: And the photo is missing now?

  Fletcher: That and a little jewelry box. It was about the size of, I don’t know, the box a set of bank checks come in. It was made of that real light, spongy kind of wood. I think she bought it at the Dollar General.