Smoke Stack

by Andrew Gruse

  “Did you see Derek’s car?” Zack asked.

  “Yes. Anyway, after a while, I decided to head to the teacher’s lounge on the first floor. I left part of my lunch and something to drink in the fridge.”

  Molly opened her mouth to talk but closed it. In the next moment, Zack’s phoned notified him of an incoming text. He looked and saw it was Jules wanting to know where he was and where can she pick him up. Zack ignored it. She’s too close to telling me, Jules. Just give me five more minutes.

  “Molly, what happened at school?”

  “I walk through the back hallway to get to the lounge. It’s shorter and has more light being on the outside instead of the middle of the building,” Molly said. “When they added the north addition, they added to the back of the original building so there would be multiple ways to access the auditorium more for administration than for students,” she explained. “Consequently, there are a few small offices in the back corner along the hallway to the new teacher’s lounge. There are also storage rooms and a couple of large closets along the hallway. Students are never there,” she said.

  “I heard two people talk but didn’t recognize the voices. I was about to walk past the room where they were but heard something I knew no one else was supposed to hear, and I stopped. I ducked into one of the storage rooms.”

  Zack walked closer. “What did you hear?”

  “They were loud at first, in an argument. One said the other didn’t deliver what he promised. The other yelled it wasn’t his fault. The first one asked what was he going to do now? I heard shuffling on the floor, like a chair moved, one said don’t touch me, the other said it would be all right, that he’d figure out something, then there was silence.”

  “Silence?”

  “You have a girlfriend. Do you two argue?”

  “Lately, yes,” Zack answered and hated what he heard himself say.

  “When you make up, does it get silent, and if so, why?”

  Zack watched as Molly tightened her grip on her elbows and pressed her arms into her ribcage as if she fought off the cold, uncomfortable experience at the school. “For how long were they silent?”

  “Long enough for me to know what they were doing,” she replied quickly.

  “Was Derek one of them?”

  She looked unsure.

  “Molly quit stalling.”

  “Zack, they had sex. It wasn’t silent very long. I can tell what certain sounds mean. I almost walked in on two lovers, and one was a student. And if I were forced to guess, I would guess one was Derek,” Molly said.

  “And the other?”

  She was silent.

  “Molly, whose office was it?”

  She looked at him with fearful eyes.

  “Coach Weber?”

  She nodded.

  “Did you see Weber?”

  “No. I didn’t see either of them enough to identify them.”

  That doesn’t help much. “Something happened next. Something made you hide. What was it?”

  “I wasn’t the only one who heard,” Molly said quickly. “And whoever it was, knew I saw. A man hid in a closet across from the room the two people were in. He saw me. I didn’t see who it was. I ran back to my room, was scared, and hid in the bathroom. That’s what happened.”

  “Did that person chase you?”

  “I think so.”

  Zack nodded. “That means that the person tried to lock you in your room and didn’t know you had two doors to your room.”

  “So? What does that mean?”

  Zack smiled. “Molly, that means whoever it was isn’t familiar with the school, and that is who likely started the fire.”

  She paused.

  “That narrows down the list of people. Most around here are locals, right? So we have to find one who didn’t go to Clyde High.”

  “What about Derek?”

  The smile left Zack’s face. “We have to find him.”

  CHAPTER 11

  Zack waited on Main Street for Julie. She was there quickly and full of questions about his whereabouts. Early evening and a beautiful sunset arrived, but a sense of defeat crept into the car.

  “I need a Pepsi,” he said. “Then we need to find Orbison. This hide-and-seek game he’s playing is pissing me off.” He looked at his watch. “Thirty-six hours about and no sign of the kid.”

  “Where were you?”

  “Ran into Molly,” Zack said. “Went to her house and found out why she hid in the school. You’re going to love this.”

  “Oh, really? Did you enjoy yourself there?”

  “Considering what she wore, the scenery wasn’t bad,” he said with a smile. She smacked his arm and called him a name he didn’t want to hear her repeat. “Look, she’s involved. We need information. And you’re far better to look at. Her butt isn’t as hot as yours. Nor are her breasts. Or her eyes.”

  “Oh geez, how well did you examine her?”

  “Cut me some slack. She was jogging in yoga pants and a tank top. What was I supposed to do?”

  Julie shook her head. “Do you really think I’m hotter than her?”

  Zack laughed. “Of course. Not even a question. If you ever dump me, maybe. But no way would that be a good trade for me.” He leaned over and kissed her. “I love you, only you. Ok?”

  “I know. Just testing you.”

  “Let’s find Orbison. We talk to him, go have dinner, get back to the motel, and I’ll prove to you how much I want your hotness.”

  “You are such a jerk,” Julie said and smiled. “Where do you think he’ll be?”

  “Let’s stop at the station and ask.”

  * * * *

  Sheriff Orbison didn’t look pleased when he entered the station. Sunday was his day off despite the situation in town. He wore his badge but was out of uniform. Zack and Julie stood in the small lobby, eyed by the cop behind the desk, and read the captions to the pictures on the wall. Historical. Interesting to read, but the wait made Zack antsy.

  “Stack, why you brought me down here on a Sunday better be good.”

  “I thought you said you were going to meet with us today,” Zack said.

  “I got detained elsewhere,” Orbison said. “Now, what is it?”

  “Derek Willows.”

  “Yeah, I know. His grandmother says he’s missing.”

  “It’s going on two days,” Zack replied. “He isn’t answering his phone.”

  Sheriff Orbison was silent. “You know, Captain Ted Barnes had some interesting things to say about you.”

  “You ran background on me?” Zack felt Julie squeeze his hand.

  “Both of you. I like to know who and what I’m dealing with,” Orbison replied. “Barnes says you’re a good man, one I can trust. Says you’re a good P.I., too. Says he’s used you before. Also said some really nice things about you, Miss Fletcher. Says you two can be valuable.”

  “Ted said that?” Julie asked. She nudged Zack.

  Ted wants us to keep a low profile but tells this guy about us. WTF? “We’ve collaborated on cases before.”

  “Yeah, well, so Derek’s grandmother doesn’t think I’ll do my job,” Orbison said.

  “She never said anything like that to us, Sheriff. She’s worried about her grandson,” Julie said.

  “And what’s your angle?”

  Zack cocked his head. “Angle? We have no angle,” he said. The sheriff opened his mouth, but Zack cut him off. “Look, last fall, I worked a case that involved kids about Derek’s age. One died in my arms, another was murdered, and after seeing how it affected her mother,” Zack shook his head, emotion welled up in him, “yeah, it bothered me. And if this kid is missing,” he trailed off. Julie gripped him tight.

  “You think you can save the day, or ease your conscience?”

  “Does it matter?”

  “Sheriff,” Julie said, “this isn’t about Zack or us. We were asked to help find Derek.”

  The sheriff stared at Zack. “Ok, I hear ya. So, after the school bur
ned down, the board and principal got together and decided the seniors had enough credits to graduate. Basically, they gave them a summer a couple of months longer. Once that was announced, a bunch of seniors left town. Some went upstate to the big city to have fun. Others went downstate to the university to party, watch the spring football, whatever kids do these days at college campuses. My hunch is that Derek went with those kids. He got a full ride to play for state football, so that makes sense.”

  “He didn’t go there, and he no longer has that scholarship,” Zack said.

  “What?” Orb looked confused but realized he was talking to investigators. “Oh, I see. You’ve been busy today.” He scratched his chin. “Anything else you need to tell me?”

  Zack ignored the question. “We need to ping his phone,” Zack said. The sheriff was expressionless. “We contact his cell phone provider and get them to find the location of his cell. They keep track of all that stuff, so if his phone is and was on near any tower anywhere, they’ll have the time and place. It’s a start.”

  Orbison adjusted his pants on his hip and rubbed his scruffy chin. “I’ll probably need a warrant for that. We can’t get that until the morning, mid-morning probably.”

  Zack shook his head. “No, we don’t. I’ll do it.”

  “Stack, what do you mean, ‘You’ll do it’? Do what?”

  “I’ll get the information on the cell phone.”

  Orbison smiled and shook his head. “Barnes said you can be accommodating if I don’t mind shades of gray.”

  Zack cracked a smile for the first time. “That’s what he said?”

  “Yep. I just need to know what shade of gray I’m wading into.”

  “Charcoal,” Zack said. “Look the other way. The less you know, the better.”

  “So, you’re asking me to break the law?”

  Zack pulled his cell phone out of his pocket. “Sheriff, words to live by: the key to breaking the law is to break it for the right reasons.” He pressed a button and waited. “By the way, what was the report on the dead guy at the Johnston fire?”

  Orbison lowered his head. “I.D is Bertram Johnston, the owner.”

  “Cause of death?”

  “Not sure, but I’d say being in his bed while his house burned down is a start.”

  * * * *

  Michelle Borman heard her familiar ring tone again. It was the exclusive tone she set for Zack Stack, her boss. Being the office manager of the Dre-Zack Detective Agency had its advantages, but being accessible 24/7, was not one of them. Michelle tried to ignore the phone, but it kept ringing. She left her kitchen with two glasses of wine and set them on a table. She sat on the couch next to her boyfriend.

  “Michelle, your phone is ringing,” he said.

  “I know, it’s Zack.”

  “What?” Ronald the FBI Guy asked. “Doesn’t he know it’s a Sunday?” Disgustedly, he reached for Michelle’s phone. “I’ll take care of this.”

  “NO!” Michelle grabbed the phone from him. “No, you won’t. I’ll handle it.” She turned her back on Ronald the FBI Guy and answered the phone. “Zack?”

  “Sorry, ‘Chelle, but I need you right now.”

  “It’s Sunday, and you’re on vacation.”

  “So?”

  “Where’s Julie? Does she know you’re calling me?”

  “It’s Sunday, Zack.” Ronald the FBI Guy half-yelled. “It can wait till tomorrow.”

  Michelle covered the phone, turned and smacked Ronald. “Be quiet!”

  “Zack?” She asked back into the phone as she got off the couch and walked into the bedroom.

  “You have company, ‘Chelle?” Zack smiled. “Was that Ronald the FBI Guy? Are you having a sleepover?”

  “Shut up, jerk. Now, why are you calling me?”

  “I need a cell phone located, and I need it quick.”

  “Get the local police to do it.”

  Zack let out a frustrated breath. “I’m texting you the cell number and his carrier. Time isn’t our friend here, so please hurry.”

  “YOU ARE ON VACATION.”

  Before Michelle got a reply, Zack disconnected. He sent a text and slid his cell phone in his pocket. “She’s good. Shouldn’t take too long.”

  “And in the meantime?”

  Zack looked at his watch. “Time is wasting, and you’re the sheriff.”

  Orbison exhaled. “Well, I guess we get a list of his friends. I know he has a cute girlfriend. So, we go talk to her. He’s got a sweet car, too. We could look for that.”

  Zack sighed. “We talked to his friends and girlfriend already, and I found his car.”

  Sheriff Orbison looked but paid not much attention. “You two have been busy. You’ve been here one day. How do you even know what kind of car he drives?”

  “Sheriff,” Zack shook his head, frustrated, “I saw it yesterday behind the school. I saw it get crushed by a brick wall,” Zack said. Julie still had a firm grip on his hand.

  Orbison looked confused. “Please tell me you are one hundred percent sure of that.”

  “I’d bet my life on it. Derek never left town, and right now, it looks like he may be buried under the school.”

  CHAPTER 12

  There was nothing else the two could do that night. Orbison left to tell the fire department about Derek’s car at the school. Sheriff Orbison made it clear to Zack and Julie: go have dinner. Go back to your motel room and stay there until he contacted them. Now that the window was beyond twenty-four hours, he could declare it officially a missing person.

  It didn’t sit well with Zack, but on a Sunday night in a sleepy rural town in the middle of thousands of acres of farmland, there wasn’t much they could do.

  Do nothing but wait.

  Something Zack struggled to do.

  Dinner was a simple burger and fries at Ma & Pa’s Diner. After the experiment of being dissected by the curious if not guarded and judging eyes of the locals, they made it back to the motel.

  Julie shot down his request to shower with her. The lukewarm water disappeared quickly, and when he finally got his shower to wash off the stink of the day, it was cold. The lack of hot water, which Zack guessed the owners of the motel rationed to save money, did not improve his mood or relax him.

  He laid atop the covers and flipped through the fourteen channels provided by the motel as “free cable TV” but found nothing. Silence filled the room, and it made Julie restless.

  “You aren’t talking. What’s wrong?”

  “We’re stuck in the middle of BuFu, Nowhere, and don’t even have HBO. Want me to go on?”

  Julie slid closer to him and put her head on his chest to watch TV. She rested one hand on his stomach and remained silent for a moment. “I noticed you didn’t tell Orb about the obvious connection to Weber. Any reason you’re keeping secrets from him?”

  “Yes.” He went silent again but put his hand on her back and gently rubbed it.

  “Do you care to tell me? We’re working this together, honey. I need to know what you’re thinking.”

  “Sorry. It’s been a long day, and we aren’t even drinking now. I’m kind of off my game.”

  “Talk to me, sweetheart.”

  “Well, I trust six people total in my life. So far, Orb isn’t one of them. You never asked what Molly and I talked about.”

  “I was pacing myself,” she poked fun at his standard comment. She looked at him and stuck out her tongue. “What did you two talk about?”

  “She’s scared, and I’ll tell you why.” He told her the whole story. Zack remembered precisely what she said and the emotions he felt from her and relayed to Julie. Julie sat up after he was done; the shock on her face unmistakable.

  “We have to tell Orb,” she said. “He has to find Weber and question him. Zack, Derek could be,” but he cut her off.

  “I know. But what do we tell Orb? Molly saw two people who she can’t identify having sex at the school in the office of Tim Weber. Coming from a guy who has been recently accuse
d of murder, I think we need more to go to the sheriff of Mayberry.”

  “Zack, Derek could be in danger!”

  “I know that. But we have nothing and really don’t want to be named in a libel suit right now. First thing in the morning, we’ll dig more. Maybe we’ll get lucky and run into Weber.”

  Julie didn’t like the idea. “I still think we should tell Sheriff Orbison.”

  “Right now, I can tell you exactly how that conversation would go with Orb and if he talked to Weber how that would go. I’m sorry, honey, we have nothing but speculation.”

  Julie turned away from him and pretended to watch the television, but Zack knew better.

  “Honey, tomorrow will be a better day. Michelle will dissect Derek’s computer. We’ll talk to some people, get some answers, and ideally, if someone is behind Derek’s disappearance, we’ll corner the bastard and beat Derek’s location out of him. Or them.”

  She looked at him. “Sounds like you don’t think he ran away.”

  “He had plenty of reason to. To me, though, it looks a lot worse than that.”

  Julie returned to lying on his chest. The case overwhelmed the atmosphere in the room. Julie needed him to be with her, not somewhere else.

  “Do you want to talk about how silent you were on Friday?”

  “Nope.”

  She exhaled. “Zachary Ulysses, I need you to talk to me. So talk to me. Why were you so quiet on Friday?”

  Zack paused. “I was pacing myself.”

  Julie scoffed. “I don’t want you to pace yourself! I want you to talk to me.”

  He let out a frustrated Ugh.

  “You want to go back to Michigan City, don’t you?”

  “Wouldn’t you?”

  Julie moved slightly on his chest. Her hair moved and tickled his nose. “You can’t go back. You know that, right?”

  “I missed something there,” he said. “I know that for sure.”

  Julie sat up and swung one leg over him so that she sat on him. She put her hands on his shoulders and leaned close to him. “Listen to me, honey, you cannot go back there. You have to think it through. First, some people know you, and they’ll recognize you. If your real identity is exposed, it’s all over. You’d likely get charged with your dad’s murder, not to mention all the federal charges when you entered the Marines under a false identity.”