The Bone Harvest

by Stacy M Jones

  Hitting the foot on the gas, I asked, “How far did this go?”

  Cooper shook his head. “Dinner and I kissed her when I walked her to her car last night. That’s it. Before, how I used to be, that’s not for me anymore. I’m going to see her again when I pick my truck up in Atlanta on the way back.”

  “How’s she feeling? You’re down there to investigate her sister’s disappearance. It had to be weird.”

  “Funny enough, we talked at dinner about how weird it wasn’t. She feels the chemistry, too. In fact, she’s the one who kissed me on the cheek first. Had she not done that, I would have kept it totally professional, even though I wanted something else.”

  I understood. It was a case that brought Luke and me together back when I was a reporter. It was a child that had been shot in the southeast part of Little Rock. I was the first reporter on the scene, even before the body had been removed. The thin wall that normally stands between a reporter and their story was shattered that day.

  “I hope it works out for you,” I said and meant it sincerely. Cooper deserved a good woman.

  “What’s been happening here?”

  I spent the rest of the drive filling Cooper in on everything that I had found related to Michael Bauer. He cross-referenced his information on Michael Hayes. By the time we pulled into the driveway and parked, we were both convinced they were the same person, and he was the killer.

  “Luke will be here tonight. I don’t know what he will be up for, but I thought about driving him by the house. He’s interviewing Michael tomorrow.” Cooper grabbed his bags while I unlocked the front door.

  Dusty rushed us wagging his tail and nudging Cooper’s leg with his nose. He looked up at Cooper with his tongue out and a grin on his face. He liked him, but what wasn’t to like? Cooper leaned down and pet him.

  My mother called from the kitchen. “I saved some dinner for you, Cooper, if you’re hungry. Riley, bring his stuff upstairs.”

  Cooper smiled down at me. “You’re like my own personal concierge.”

  “Your room is top of the stairs on the left.” I left him standing in the hall. He could carry his own bag. I gave him a little wave for good measure. Cooper laughed and proceeded to carry his bag up the stairs. Dusty followed.

  “I thought I told you to help Cooper upstairs?” my mother asked as I entered the kitchen. I snagged a few chips from the bowl she had on the table.

  “Cooper’s got it. He wasn’t going to let me carry it anyway. The room is made up for him.”

  “What time will Luke be in?”

  “He should be here in an hour or so. I checked the website and his flight is on time.”

  I moved around the kitchen fixing a plate for Cooper. He didn’t say he was hungry, but I knew he would eat. My mother had made meatloaf, mashed potatoes, and green beans. Not a favorite of mine. I set his plate on the table, called for him and grabbed another handful of chips.

  “Mom, you said the other day that the family living in that house on Route 2 was strange. We didn’t get a chance to talk about that. What do you know specifically?”

  My mother poured herself a glass of unsweetened tea and sat across from me at the table. She brushed condensation off the glass with her fingers. “They have lived in that house as far back as I can remember. The early sixties I believe. The mother died early on. It was just a father and son.”

  Cooper walked into the kitchen. He stood on the threshold as my mother spoke, but she caught sight of him and stopped. She stood to hug him. “I’m so glad you’re here. I was just explaining to Riley about a local house and the family that lives there.”

  “It’s Michael Bauer’s house,” I explained.

  Cooper nodded and sat at the table. He dug into his food, praising my mother’s culinary skills in between bites.

  “Is that the suspect, Michael Bauer, the son?” my mother asked, her eyes on me in more than curiosity. I knew the look. She gave it when she thought I was about to stir up trouble. “It wouldn’t surprise me in the least if he had killed that girl. As I started to say, the father and son were strange. Don’t get me wrong, the father was a well-known professor here. He was just an odd duck. He’d walk around the neighborhood muttering to himself. He got involved in local politics and created a ruckus about the strangest things. It was the son that got the attention of most of the neighbors.”

  “Why?” Cooper asked, taking another bite of meatloaf.

  My mother sipped her tea and set down the glass. She seemed to choose her words carefully. “He had voyeuristic tendencies. Early on when he was in his teens, neighbors caught him peeping in windows. He’d lurk around the community pool staring at women. That wasn’t the most upsetting thing he did though.”

  Cooper and I watched my mother in anticipation.

  “He was suspected of killing animals, people’s pets,” she said. “That was the rumor anyway. A number of local neighbors’ pets disappeared from their yards. One of the men found his dog, shot dead, in the back hills of the property behind their house. It’s not theirs, it’s owned by the Troy Masonic Lodge. That’s who the father tried to blame it on. An animal sacrifice he claimed. No one believed that. When the police came and searched back there, they found a number of animals, some were shot, others stabbed, all up in the back near the root cellar. The animals had all been killed by a human hand. Everyone always suspected the son, but no one was able to prove anything. His father, not getting any support for the Mason theory, finally sent his son away to a boarding school in Vermont. Next, we heard he was off to university. By the time Michael returned here, he was a professor so the few of us that remained and remembered him in his youth assumed he grew out of whatever the issue might have been back then. All too strange for my taste though.”

  “What do you mean root cellar?” As soon as my mother had said that, I clung to it, waiting for her to finish.

  “Far behind the house in all those woods is a root cellar. It’s been on the Mason’s property for as long as both houses have been there, from the 1800s. The door pulls up from the ground. They used it back then to store vegetables and such. The entrance is probably long buried among the leaves and brush. It wasn’t even in use back in the seventies when the police found all those dead animals.”

  CHAPTER 75

  Luke’s flight had been delayed so he had arrived at Riley’s mother’s house at close to midnight. The house had been dark except for a downstairs hall light and a small light in what Luke assumed was Riley’s second-floor front bedroom. He had texted on his way.

  Riley had launched herself on him in a huge hug as soon as he walked in the door. Luke wasn’t complaining in the least. Riley had offered him dinner, but he wasn’t hungry. They had made their way back up to Riley’s bedroom, talked for nearly an hour about everything that had happened and then fell asleep. Luke woke to the smell of fresh coffee and chocolate. The sweet aroma called to him like a temptress.

  He shuffled down the stairs wearing a tee-shirt and shorts, rubbing his eyes. A few steps into the hallway a chorus of voices boomed. Luke popped his head into the kitchen. Cooper, Riley, Karen, and Liv sat around the table, chatting and eating.

  “I feel like I overslept,” Luke said, taking in the scene.

  Karen laughed and poured him some coffee. “Nothing of the sort. We haven’t been up long. It’s only seven-thirty. Liv wanted to share with us her new chocolate croissants. She made a batch yesterday and devoured them all herself. Today she’s in a sharing mood.”

  “These are so good. You have to try one.” Liv handed Luke a croissant on a small white plate.

  He took it happily. Luke took a bite and savored the sweet taste. “This is delicious. Teach your sister how to make them before we leave.”

  Liv beamed. Luke took a seat next to Riley and ate the rest of his croissant and washed it down with his coffee. “What’s the plan for today?”

  “Riley and I were just talking about that. I think while you are interviewing Michael Bauer, Riley and
I are going to talk to the Troy Masonic Lodge. We want to see if they will allow us on their back property to look for a root cellar that’s there.”

  Luke wasn’t sure of the connection. “What do the Masons have to do with any of this?”

  Riley explained what Karen had told them the night before about Michael’s history. She added, “I know there were women’s clothing and other items in that basement the other day. Yesterday they were gone. He’s moved them someplace.”

  “You really think it’s this root cellar?” Luke asked skeptically.

  “It’s a possibility,” Riley responded emphatically. “There’s probably only a handful of people who even know it’s back there. It’s not on Michael’s property so even if something was found, he probably feels like they might not tie it to him. I got a good tour of that house, and there wasn’t even so much as a cup out of place. It was weird.”

  Cooper chimed in. “It’s worth a look. I know you’re lacking evidence. We don’t need a warrant if the Masons agree to let us search. Who knows what’s back there? Michael obviously felt comfortable enough as a kid to kill animals back there, why not leave evidence?”

  Luke got up and poured himself more coffee. He held the pot up offering some to the others. Cooper held up his mug and Luke poured. He set it back down in its holder and snagged another croissant. Liv gave him a huge smile, which he returned. There was an innocence about her that reminded Luke of his own sister.

  “Go for it then,” Luke said as he sat back down. “Jack told Michael he was bringing photos of suspects for him to look at and see if anyone might be familiar. Jack said he was more than eager to help. He did ask why Jack didn’t want to come back to the house. I guess Jack told him that he was already going to be down at the pub, and it was just easier to do it there.”

  “Why aren’t you meeting at his house?” Karen asked.

  “He could slam the door in my face and refuse to speak to me. I really don’t think, if he is the killer, he will let me in. We doubted he’d be willing to come to the police station, so Jack suggested a neutral location. Riley hooked us up with the pub.”

  “Which pub?” Karen asked.

  “The Troy Brew Pub,” Riley responded

  “The only one that matters,” Liv added laughing. She put her hand on Luke’s arm. “Please don’t ruin my good vibe there with a shootout or anything crazy.”

  “Nothing of the sort,” Luke assured. “Riley, you said there is a closed-off upstairs room, right?”

  “There is. Jack should have everything ready to go. I’ll give you directions before you leave. We will leave after you. Just text me when he gets there so we know it’s clear to head over there. You’ll have to text us when you’re done.”

  Luke spent the rest of the day preparing for the interview. He hadn’t heard anything more from the killer via Katie’s cellphone. Riley and Cooper compared investigative notes and did some more online research, cross-referencing their lists with universities. All the universities where there was a murder had either a Michael Bauer, Hayes Bauer or Michael Hayes give a lecture series August through the end of October. It looked like the lectures wrapped before Halloween weekend and he’d depart right after. Brie had texted Luke too, letting him know a Hayes Bauer had been at the university the same time as Lily.

  It was no wonder why no one was suspicious of him. He had a couple of months to gain everyone’s trust. Scoping out the lay of the land, choosing a victim, picking his helpers and committing the crime. Then he’d vanish. It seemed he never went to the same school twice. If he hadn’t sent the letter and connected the crimes, he might have never been caught.

  Luke pulled together his notes as Riley walked into the bedroom. “How are you feeling about this?” She sat down on the bed.

  Luke turned to look at her. “I’m good actually. I thought I’d be freaking out, but I think we all have been able to connect the dots. He’s been hiding in plain sight for so long, I’m concerned about what he will do once he sees my face. My guess is he’ll play it off. He wants a cat and mouse game and this feeds into it. He could get up and walk away. He could lawyer up immediately. I don’t know what he’ll do. We will have to see how it plays out.”

  Riley moved to him, standing in between his legs. She kissed the top of his head. “Be safe.”

  “Always. I hope your search through the woods is worth it. You need to text me immediately if you find anything.” Luke stood and wrapped his arms around Riley. She turned her face up to him and kissed him deeply. He let himself fall into her embrace but his mind was elsewhere.

  Riley pulled back. “It’s time to go,” she said, pointing to the clock on the wall. “It’s nearly three and you have to meet Michael at four. Jack will be there waiting for you. Frank is waiting at the hotel. He said he’d come to meet you and Jack when you’re done.”

  A few minutes later, Luke drove off as Riley waved to him from the porch. It was a short drive into downtown Troy. The brewpub sat on the bank of the Hudson River. Parking was ample even on the narrow street. He walked past old brick warehouses until he reached the pub door. Inside, Luke was surprised how crowded it was for the middle of the afternoon. The seating area off to the left was packed with people and the bar was far into the building, also on the left, with more round tables in front of it.

  Before reaching the bar there was a hostess stand and steep stairs taking him to the second level. Luke scanned the patrons’ faces, trying to see if anyone looked familiar from the photos he’d seen. No one did.

  The second floor opened up to another dining area. The exposed brick framed the room nicely. Towards the front of the room, near the windows facing the street, Jack stood with a strained look on his face. He waved Luke over and the two men clasped hands. Jack whispered something to Luke he didn’t catch. But as Luke stepped through the open pocket doors into a room that held a fireplace and a large dining table, he understood.

  A man seated at the table looked up at Luke. “Det. Morgan, I’m Michael Bauer. It’s a pleasure to meet you. It took you long enough to get here.”

  CHAPTER 76

  “Excuse me,” Luke said, taken aback. Why was Michael there already and what did he just say? Luke stood, his hands on his hips, staring down at the man seated on the far side of the table.

  Michael ran his finger across the top rim of his glass, making it sing. He stopped and looked Luke up and down. “I just meant you came a long way from Little Rock. It must have taken you a long time.”

  “I see. How do you know I’m from Little Rock?”

  “I just left there last week. You were on the news several times about that poor missing university student. I heard they found her body. Gruesome.” He shivered and made a face of disdain.

  It caught Luke off guard that Michael so easily admitted he had just been in Little Rock. Luke took a beat and sat down at the table across from Michael. Jack stood behind him. “Why were you in Little Rock?”

  Michael smiled, showing off a row of slightly crooked white teeth. “I’m a professor, but you knew that. I gave a lecture series at the University of Arkansas in Little Rock. Isn’t that why I’m here, why there’s been this little charade about a long-ago case? You came here to interview me. You could have just come to my home.”

  Luke laid the file folder he had been carrying on the table in front of him. He watched Michael carefully. The man didn’t blink, didn’t show he was uncomfortable in any way. He sipped his water and then ran his fingers along the rim. The noise was insufferable, but Luke couldn’t show it annoyed him.

  “I’m glad you admit to being in Little Rock. It saves us time. Did you know the victim?”

  “No. Next question.”

  “Where were you that Friday night of her disappearance?”

  Michael held up a finger. He scrolled through his phone. “I had some late dinner at a place called Loca Luna. I grabbed a drink at a bar in the same vicinity and went back to my residence by ten.”

  Luke eyed him suspiciousl
y. “That’s a rather detailed account. Do you always keep such records?”

  “Yes,” Michael said directly, looking up at Luke. He waved his hand. “In my line of work, I’m able to write all of this off on taxes, a detailed record is required. It’s easy so I can just refer back as I’m looking over receipts.”

  “Where were you after you left the bar?”

  “I went home and went to sleep.”

  “Can anyone account for you during that time? Anyone see you come home for instance?”

  “There was no one else in my place if that’s what you’re asking. I wouldn’t know if anyone saw me come home, but that’s where I was,” Michael said with indignation in his voice.

  “Explain something to me, Michael. If you didn’t know the victim and had a solid alibi for the evening, why then would you think I’d be coming to talk to you about the victim’s disappearance and murder?”

  “Well I,” Michael stumbled. He watched Luke’s face and broke into a wide grin. “Well, you got me.”

  “Come again?” Luke said calmly.

  “I was at the bar the victim was last seen at on the night she went missing. Cristina was with her friends. I had been going there for some time while I was in Little Rock. I was there the night she went missing. Now we both know I was there, but I swear I didn’t see her after that.”

  Luke looked up at Jack. He winked at Luke, having also picked up Michael’s mistake. Michael dug himself in deeper but didn’t seem to know it.

  With that, Jack stepped out of the room and left Luke alone.

  “If you didn’t know Cristina before that night, how did you know the victim was at the bar with you, Michael? How did you know she was last seen at the bar? That’s not been on the news coverage at all.”

  Michael looked around the room. He looked past Luke to the closed doors Jack had shut behind him.

  “He can’t help you. Look at me, Michael.” Luke held up his hand and ticked off fingers with every piece of evidence they had. “You admitted to being in Little Rock at the time of Cristina’s disappearance. We have witnesses who saw you at the bar the night the victim disappeared. You are familiar enough with the victim to know her and her friends. You can’t account for yourself after leaving the bar.”