“Well gee they ought to make you a detective, smarty pants. Anything you want to tell me, you tell me here in front of everyone.” His voice had risen an octave and was getting louder by the syllable. “It’s all your fault you lousy little shit.”
Ben hopped the counter and quickly led Marc’s dad towards the front door. Marc’s dad was yelling now. “You were the last one to see him. What did you do to my boy? Where is my boy?”
Ben escorted Mr. Forrester through the door and out into the night. The music, dancing and party chatter continued as if nothing had happened but I could barely register it. After all these years Marc’s dad still hadn’t found closure. Could he really believe I had something to do with Marc’s disappearance?
Sarahbeth made her way to my side. I think she could see I was slightly shaken. “Come on. Let’s blow the dust of this place, handsome.”
“But you’re the maid of honor. Won’t you be missed?”
“Everyone’s so drunk they won’t even notice I’m gone. Besides, you look like you could use some air.”
“Lead the way.”
I followed Sarahbeth outside and took a cautious look around. Sarahbeth nudged me with her shoulder. “He’s gone. If I know Ben, he’s driven Mr. Forrester home.” Sarahbeth started walking down the block and I followed.
Sarahbeth took my hand. “Are you ok?”
“Yep. I’m used to getting yelled at back home. On the job I get yelled at several times a shift. In FACT, if I am NOT getting yelled at, I know something is wrong.” I have a knack for glossing over uncomfortable feelings with sarcasm.
“But this isn’t home and you’re not working.” Sarahbeth squeezed my hand tighter. “He doesn’t really think that you had anything to do with Marc’s disappearance, you know.”
“No? Could’ve fooled me. It’s been how many years and he still hates me? I guess he has to have someone to blame.”
“Well did you?”
I stopped in my tracks and retrieved my hand from hers. “Sarahbeth, I had nothing to do with Marc disappearing.”
Sarahbeth grabbed my hand back. “I know you didn’t. You couldn’t have.”
We began to walk again and the silence between us was easy and somehow needed. We had managed to walk almost all the way around the block when she stopped me. “Maybe you could use a little art therapy?”
I smiled down at her innocent face. “You think so?” She put her arms around my neck and kissed me softly. “I could help you with that.”
I swept a mop of red hair from Sarahbeth’s face and kissed her back. “Oh young lady I am certain you could. But for now, lets head back to your party. I’ve had enough fresh air.”
Sarahbeth and I continued to walk in silence, hand in hand until we reached the location of my truck. I stopped dead in my tracks.
Chapter One Hundred Eighty
“Damn it!!”
“Umm, tell me that’s not your truck?”
I walked over to my ride and examined the shattered windshield. “Technically it’s not mine. It’s a rental.”
Sarahbeth picked up a piece of glass from the sidewalk. “I hope you got insurance.”
I rolled my eyes at her.
“Who do you think did this? Do you think it was Marc’s dad?”
“I really have no idea.
Sarahbeth took out her cell and began dialing.
“Who are you calling?”
“Kirk. He can at least take a report so you can give the information to the insurance company. If you’re lucky they wont hold it against you.”
Kirk arrived within minutes and I may have been wrong but it looked as if he was pleased I had suffered a little vandalism. “Well what happened here?” Kirk walked around the rental truck examining it. He came back to our spot on the sidewalk and looked at Sarahbeth, “What are you doing out here?”
“Don’t worry about what I’m doing out here. Just take the man’s report, Kirk.”
I kicked some loose glass on the sidewalk. “I came to the party. Was there for maybe an hour. I came out and the windshield was busted.”
“You see anyone suspicious?”
“Nope.”
“Anyone you can think of who might want to do this? Any enemies?”
“No.”
Sarahbeth interrupted. “Yes! John Forrester showed up to the party and he was pretty drunk. He laid into Jason a little.”
Kirk didn’t even try to hide his smile this time. “Ok. Let me take down all your info.” I answered all of the necessary questions and a few I was pretty certain were just for Kirk’s amusement. Is this how all victim’s feel at the other end of my own preliminary investigation?
When Kirk was done farting around he handed me a slip of paper with the report number written on it. “Stop by the station tomorrow or the next day and I’ll give you a copy of the report you can take to the rental car company.”
“Thanks I appreciate it.”
Kirk just stood there with his hand on his gun smiling that dumb smile. I looked at Sarahbeth who was busy watching Kirk with an irritated eye.
I touched Sarahbeth’s shoulder. “I’m going to head home.”
“No! Come back to the party with me.” Sarahbeth grabbed my hand but the look in Kirk’s eyes told me it was definitely time to go home. It also didn’t appear He was planning on leaving his little sister alone with me so a kiss goodnight was for certain out of the question. I took my hand back from Sarahbeth and began backing towards my truck. “I should go. It’s been a long day.”
“When will I see you again?”
Kirk took Sarahbeth by the elbow. “Jeez girl, leave the man alone. He’s here to visit and relax not get mauled by you.”
“Shut up, Kirk.”
I wasn’t entirely sure how to respond to Sarahbeth so I did the next best thing; I waffled. “I’m going to be pretty busy with my folks and I might even be heading home in the next few days. I’m not sure I will have a lot of time for hanging out.”
“I see. Doesn’t your mom work at the library?”
“As a matter of fact she does.”
“Then that settles it. You come visit her at work tomorrow and while you are there you can take a look at the mural I’ll be working on.”
“Tomorrow is Sunday. Library will be closed.”
Sarahbeth winked at me. “I’ll be there painting anyway. West side of the building. Big pictures of books. Smells like turpentine. Cant miss me.”
I smiled at her tenacity and she reached up and pecked me on the cheek. Sarahbeth turned and gave her brother a snotty look.
Kirk rolled his eyes again, “C’mon, little sister, I’ll give you a ride back.”
I watched as brother and sister drove away in Kirk’s patrol car. What the hell was I doing?
Chapter One Hundred Eighty-One
I watched Kirk’s car disappear around the corner. I swept the broken glass from the driver seat of my pickup and climbed in. It was going to be almost impossible to see through the windshield but maybe if I drove slowly enough I could get home in one piece.
Whoever had broken my windshield had done a great job. The rental company wasn’t going to be happy about this. As I drove, I kept a careful watch in my rear view mirror. I had a feeling Kirk would use any opportunity he could to hassle.
Several times I thought I saw his patrol car in the distance but at this time of night, car lights could have belonged to anyone. Just as I had convinced myself I would make it home with no issues, a patrol car pulled onto the road behind me. I kept waiting for Kirk to pull me over but he continued to stay two car lengths behind me. Maybe he was just making sure I made it home safely instead of heading back to the party to snuggle with his little sister? I was a block from home when the patrol car turned off and drove off into town.
What a weirdo.
Chapter One Hundred Eighty-Two
I parked the truck at the curb and didn’t even bother to lock it. Hell, if someone wanted to steal it, I’d rather they didn’t brea
k another window to do so.
I stood on the front porch listening to the night sounds for a few minutes. I had no feelings of being watched like I had the night before and suddenly felt a little silly that I had even worried. Dad was right. I was hyper vigilant and needed to tone it down.
I opened and shut the front door as softly as I could. Mom and Pop were sleeping and I smiled at the sound of my dad’s snoring gently making it down the hallway. Some things never changed.
I went to my room and after brushing my teeth and putting on my sweats I briefly considered going for a run. I usually went for a run before bed because it helped me sleep better but tonight, I was just too tired. Five minutes later I was tucked in under my fourteen-year-old Spiderman comforter. I lay on my side and looked out the window. The moon was nowhere to be found tonight but the sky was lit with a million stars. It was soothing. I was asleep in seconds.
Chapter One Hundred Eighty-Three
I dreamed. This one was a new version of an old nightmare. The man came out of nowhere. He was dressed as a cop but in my mind, in my dream mind, I knew he was the bad guy. He grabbed the little girl and held the knife close to her throat. His face was expressionless but his eyes found mind and I stared into two black pools.
The bad guy looked familiar but in my dream state I couldn’t name him. The man was silent but the little girl screamed and screamed. She had red hair and bright blue eyes full of terror. She was begging me to save her.
I pulled my gun. I pulled the trigger with all my might and nothing happened. I pulled again but it didn’t budge. Not even a millimeter. The man began to laugh. His laughter mixed with the little girls cries for help and I could feel myself start to panic. I gripped the gun with both hands. I put two fingers on the trigger and squeezed with all my might.
Bang!
I awoke with a start, panting, covered in sweat and both my hands cramping. I kicked off the sheets, got up and flung open my bedroom window. I held my face to the screen and let the cook night air wash away the cobwebs of the dream.
An owl hooted and I jumped. Shit.
Once the sweat had dried and my heart stopped racing I climbed back into bed. I would not be sleeping any more tonight. I should’ve gone for that run.
I reached for my cell phone. Now was as good a time as any to check my messages and read the articles my co-workers had sent me. I turned the phone on and found a text from Lizzie.
Don’t read your messages!!!
Relax!
I smiled in my darkened room. She knew me too well.
I changed my mind. Instead of scrolling through the rest of my messages I clicked off the phone and lay there controlling my breathing. I had learned some breathing techniques so I practiced them now. Some woo woo guy had come to the department during Advanced Officer Training and tried to teach us something called mindfulness.
For the most part it was crap but I had used the breathing techniques he had taught us. I found they were helpful during my shift when shit was hitting the fan, or when I woke p form a nightmare and needed to bring my heart rate out of the danger zone.
I lay my hand on my chest and breathed in slowly and deeply counting to ten. I exhaled slowly counting to fifteen. I did until I no longer saw monsters in the shadows and drifted slowly towards a peaceful oblivion.
Chapter One Hundred Eighty-Four
I woke up later than usual but after a restless night I wasn’t surprised. It was Sunday and my folks had already left for church. I was surprised Mom hadn’t come in and shaken me, demanding I put on my best and join her in the family pew. I was grateful she let me sleep.
I got up and went to the bedroom window. For a moment I could picture that last night with Marc as if it was last night. I looked out the window and down at mom’s flower beds. I imagined I could still see the impression I’d made with my clumsy fall into her daisies.
Lost in reverie it took me a moment to realize there were actual footprints in the daisies! I grabbed a shirt and went outside and looked more closely at the ground. Sure enough, in the damp earth were actual footprints, adult footprints. Just like the one I had found in the yard the other morning. My head was suddenly on swivel. I looked up and down the street, searching for someone who I was certain had been long gone.
Someone had been in the yard and this time it looked as if they had been looking in the bedroom window. The street seemed just as quiet and beautiful as always. Peaceful. Not one sign of anything dangerous but my cop senses were tingling. Something wasn’t right.
Who was poking around here? I wondered if this was happening before I came home or if this was just for my benefit. I had to go to the police station this morning anyway to get my report for the insurance company so I’d make sure and ask about any prowlers. Dad had said it was no big deal but this made me nervous.
I went back inside the house, locking the door behind me
After a quick shower I headed towards the Bojangles in my miserable truck. I needed coffee and I needed answers. Nowhere better to find both.
Chapter One Hundred Eighty-Five
When I entered the café Ben was behind the stove and Shelly was flirting her way among tables scattered with customers. Church was still in session and the café was only a quarter filled. I had my pick of places to sit. That’s one thing about a small town; pretty much everyone was at church on a Sunday morning.
The smell of fresh cinnamon rolls and dark roast coffee made my stomach grumble and I was glad I had come in.
Shelly came to my table and set a large platter in front of me. It was piled high with eggs, toast, bacon, hash browns and grits with melted butter.
“Woman, do I look like I need fattening up? I didn’t even order and you seem to know exactly what I would want, even if it is a little much.”
Shelly sat down across from me. “Shut up and eat, Jason.”
“Well good morning to you too sunshine.”
“I have a few minutes in between customers. I heard about what happened last night.”
I thought about Sarahbeth’s warm hand in mine, and her soft lips kissing me in the starlight. My face blushed before I could stop it.
“Your windshield got smashed in?”
I almost choked on my eggs. “Yeah it was a mess.”
“Do you think it was Marc’s dad?”
“I have no idea. It could’ve been anyone really.”
“What did the police say?”
“You mean Kirk? He said it was probably kids.”
Shelly looked at me skeptically. “Really? Kids?”
“Yeah. Why? Does that seem impossible?”
“It just seems like a weird thing for kids to do. Kids don’t usually go around breaking car windshields for no reason. At least not in Harmony.”
“What are you saying? You think it was a personal attack on me?”
“Maybe.”
“But why? I haven’t been home in years. Who could possibly want to do something like that to me?”
“Have you been making anyone angry since you’ve been home? Who knows, maybe someone is jealous of your big city success?”
I laughed. “That’s silly, Shell.”
Shelly waggled her eyes at me, reached over to my plate and picked at my bacon. “Maybe someone saw you dancing with a certain redhead?”
I ignored Shelly’s attempt to pry and I slapped her hand away playfully. “Hey I’m a growing boy. I need all the protein I can get.”
The cafe door jangled open and a young couple walked in. Shelly got up with a sigh. “Fine. Don’t tell me all the dirty details. I gotta get back to work anyway. But Jason, please be careful. Something doesn’t feel right and I don’t want anything to happen to you.” Shelly patted my shoulder as she went off to greet her newest patrons.
As I ate my monster breakfast, I considered what Shelly had said. Could someone be targeting me? Why? Someone was definitely prowling around the house. Then there was the windshield. Marc’s dad may have been responsible but it seemed he ha
dn’t even known I was in town until last night.
My only option was to run things by Kirk and see if anything weird had been going on before I got to town. I finished my breakfast…yes, the whole thing….and after leaving Shelly a hefty tip I waddled off to the police department.
Chapter One Hundred Eighty-Six
In an effort to speed up digestion and combat guilty thoughts of what a glutton I had been, I walked the several blocks to the Harmony Police Department.
I took my time and enjoyed the tree-lined street. I glanced in the windows of the barbershop, its neighboring nail salon and window shopped at the old bookshop. I continued on past the park where kids were screaming and laughing while their parents watched from perches on benches or blankets laid out on the grass. Geese wandered everywhere and the man-made lake in the middle of the park was full of ducks showering in the fountain.
Lizzie and Sam would love it here. I wasn’t really sure what made me think of them but this whole small town atmosphere seemed like it would fit Lizzie well. I missed her. A pang of…something…hit me and I stopped and sat on a bench. I couldn’t identify what I was feeling but I knew if I called Lizzie I would be able to figure it out
The phone rang twice and then, “Hi!” Lizzie’s sunshiny voice lit a smile on my face.
“Hey girl. You surviving without me?”
“Not even a little bit. Kronig has been working your beat and he’s horrid! Every time there’s a call he doesn’t want to go to he pre-empts himself and makes a car stop! I end up having to take it. I swear, I’ve written more paper outside my beat since you’ve been gone than during my entire training!”
I laughed. “Tell me your big news. Your message had my interest piqued.”
“Oh my gosh it was crazy! I will give you the long story short. You shouldn’t be thinking about work AT ALL. But since you insisted.” Lizzie giggled a little and it made me feel at home. “I on-viewed a kidnapping slash sexual assault and the guy got away. BUT, I got the car info and the detectives came out. They ended up catching the guy and then Sergeant O’Connell asked me if I wanted to be a detective when the spot opens up at the beginning of the year. But like I said, I’ll tell you all about it when you get home.”
Roland P D Omnibus Page 36