Costly Obsession: Animalize

by Sasha Pruett

  Chapter Eighteen

  Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you:

  Matthew 7:7

  Gary left the arrogant Dr. Pintac at the hospital to continue his research and told Robert to go on home. Whatever they were dealing with wouldn’t be caught tonight and was most likely too large for him to handle by himself anyway. The department would be in touch when they knew for certain what they were dealing with, that is if animal control would be able to handle it.

  Robert didn’t hesitate; it was quitting time for him anyway. All in all this was one of his better days at work, no dank basements, no muddy crawl spaces, no threat of rabies, and the only snake he ran across wasn’t his problem. He sure did feel sorry for that poor officer though.

  His patience stretched, his nerves raw, and his mind and body exhausted, more from a day of ensuring civility than any encounter with a perp, Gary returned to the station to file a report on the… condition and initial findings of his boss’s autopsy. The thought of which sickened and infuriated him even more than Harold had. As he stepped onto the curb and pushed through the glass door to the station all hint of conversation dropped to barely a whisper here and there, he could feel dozens of eyes tracking his every move through the small town agency on the way to Frank’s office. Each stare burning into his head, even behind the closed doors of the former Sheriff’s modest work space, and he released the blinds cutting off the world outside. There he sat, amongst the relics of his best friend now resting it a garbage bag, on a cold slab, in the town morgue. Tears began to build, blurring his vision as soft sobs rose in his throat. Unable to hold back the frustration and sorrow of a day he wished he could blot from his life forever; he closed his eyes and succumbed to his grief, if only for a moment. That moment was all he allowed himself, for there was work to be done, and he owed it to Frank to bring this thing, whoever or whatever it was, down. Wiping his eyes and his mind clear of the tears he picked up the file that Frank had been looking at the night he was murdered. Nothing. No clues, no note other than the ones he had already seen. Nothing. The lights on the keyboard glowed hypnotically, drawing Gary’s attention from the papers in front of him and the light-bulb in his brain went off. He hadn’t noticed anything earlier, with Harold Pintac in the room who could, but now he resolved himself that the answers were somehow on the screen beside him. He pressed the button and lit the office with the black and yellow image of the department’s logo. A wave of excitement pulsed through Gary as he moved the mouse bringing the screen to life and unlocking the secrets it held.

  Newspaper articles, old archives that had recently been added to the town’s history website, but what did they have to do with anything. He scrolled to the top of the editorial when the title struck him and struck him hard, Only Survivor in Mutilation Deaths Refuses to Talk. His heart quickened as he read through the exact same story that not 24 hours earlier had led Frank Marshall to his death, his eyes resting on the same name that had sent the Sheriff out into the raging storm the night before, the name of Frank’s grandmother. That’s why he had been out on that road, he’d found a connection in some way, Frank had come too close to something and was murdered for it. He had known his sister was out of town so he couldn’t have been going to the homestead to see her, it had to have been something at the house, something of his family’s that he had thought important and went to check out. The killer had to have followed him out there, or was he already there looking for the same thing. Was Frank too close to the truth, or had he just been in the wrong place at the wrong time? Was it something about the Marshall family, but no that couldn’t be it, the couple slain only days before had nothing to do with Frank or his family? Questions, scenarios, motives, and more questions marched through his mind until he picked up the phone, and took the next step in putting the pieces of the deadly puzzle together. Susie had to have been home by now, and if there was someone out to get the Marshall family she needed protection. Gary was still selecting the words that he would use when the voice mail picked up, not waiting to leave a message or even knowing what to leave he hung up and pressed the button to reach Grace at the front desk.

  “Grace, Gary, have you been able to reach Susanne Marshall yet?”

  “She called in when she got home, Kevin’s over there now… breaking the news.”

  “Are you sure he’s still there?”

  “I think so. Do you want me to call?”

  “Yeah, tell him to stay there until I get there and tell him to keep an eye out.”

  “For what?”

  “I wish I knew.” Gary returned to the computer scanning more of the clippings stored in cyberspace. Again and again he dialed Susanne’s number, both times receiving her short but polite message. Anxious and frustrated, he printed what he thought was relevant, grabbed his hat and retraced the steps of his dearly departed boss, leaving behind a room full of questioning eyes.

  His knock was firm and full of urgency, divulging the situation. The second knock, he decided, if needed, would be more relaxed, he didn’t want to scare Susanne any more than she undoubtedly was. Of course depending on what he unearthed in the dusty depths of the family history, fear might be inevitable. As he reached to tap a second time the door cracked open enough for Susanne Marshall to peer out. Her look changed from concern to relief as she saw Gary standing on her door step and not one of the dozen people that she feared would break the curfew to extend their deepest condolences.

  “Gary, I’m so glad it’s you!”

  “Is everything alright? I mean... considering the situation… no one’s been bothering you have they.”

  Thinking he referred to well-wishers she wasn’t alarmed, “No, no, I was just afraid that you might’ve been someone wanting to tell me how sorry they were for my loss and so on. I’m glad you could come, has there been any news?” She tried to put up a brave front, but Gary could see the pain behind her eyes and the tone of sorrow in her voice. “Oh, stupid me, would you like to come in?” She led him into the den where Kevin was sitting nursing his iced tea. He nearly dropped it as he stood to greet the man who just witnessed the sheriff’s autopsy.

  “Officer Carpell, I was just...”

  “It’s okay Kevin, I’m glad to see you’re still here. I take it that things have been quiet here?”

  Slightly confused, but sensing secrecy was needed; he kept his reply short, “Yes sir. It seems that no one has broken curfew and Susie, I mean Ms. Marshall, has taken steps to avoid the myriad of phone calls.”

  “So I noticed,” Gary said under his breath.

  “What was that sir?”

  “Nothing. It’s been a long day; you’d better call in to Grace, then head on home.”

  Kevin thanked Susanne for her hospitality, “I know this must sound hollow, but I am very sorry, and if there’s anything that I can do just give me a call anytime. I mean that, anytime. We take care of our own.” Susie nodded the first of many ‘thank you’s as he turned to leave. Gary too turned to watch him leave, but called back to him, “Oh and Kevin, turn your radio back up.”

  A nod was given. Whatever it was that Gary was concealing he wouldn’t question it. He slipped out the door of the Marshall family home and pulled his radio from his hip, turning the volume back up. He hadn’t wanted to be interrupted while informing Susie of her brother’s death, nor wanting her to hear anything unpleasant accidentally either. Yet he realized now that this was a mistake, a stupid mistake. What if Frank’s killer had been found and they couldn’t get a hold of him, what if that murderer had been on his way to the house he was just sitting in and had taken them by surprise? Kevin turned to reenter the house, to acknowledge his failure, but remembered that wasn’t his orders, he’d have to repent later. Instead he walked the perimeter listening to every sound that the oncoming night uttered. Determined to be an officer.

  Inside the house Gary Carpell turned to Susanne and the business he came for. “I know you have a lot to think ab
out right now, and on such short notice, but I want to reassure you that the station’s taking care of the funeral arrangements and whatever you want done for him you just give Grace a call and she’ll take care of it. We’ll do whatever we can to help in any way possible. We’ve also contacted Frank’s lawyer and he’s taking care of all the legal matters, he’s expecting your call anytime. Your brother was a good man and a great friend and boss to us all,” Gary sighed, “Right now though we have more important things to discuss.” Gary fell silent and his eyes shifted to Jonathan coming down the stairs. How much could he trust this man? The two began to size each other up.

  Despite the horrid situation, Jonathan couldn’t help wondering what this man standing in his ex-wife’s sitting room meant to her, and ultimately to himself as well, as he studied them both all he saw between the two was Gary’s genuine concern and sorrow. No man had come between him and Susie, at least not yet; that he was pretty sure of anyway. His manner changed, he relaxed, and graciously offered his hand. Gary too relaxed, it had been years since he had seen Jonathan, and he knew very little about the man really, but since Frank had always liked him he had to be somewhat okay, “Jonathan, it’s been a while. I’m Gary Carpell, I work... worked with Frank.” Now it was his turn to be embarrassed, but Susie jumped in before apologies could flow again.

  “It’s alright Gary, I understand. Now what was it that you wanted to talk about? It sounded important.”

  Gary’s gaze flickered towards Jonathan, still unsure as to what he should reveal, but Susie settled the matter.

  “It’s fine. Anything that you need to know or say you can say in front of Jonathan. I’ve had enough of secrets in my life and I no longer want to keep any if possible; especially from Jonathan.” She turned to see his face light up and her trepidations eased, leaving Gary feeling like the proverbial third wheel. If only Frank had been here to see his sister finally reunited with her husband, unfortunately, now, he would never know.

  Suddenly feeling the urgency of his visit he cleared his throat, regretting the fracture of such a moment. “This may take a while and it’s probably going to sound a little strange. I’m not sure what to make of it myself.”

  “Oh, of course, please have a seat. Would you like something to drink?”

  “Thank you, but no. This might be difficult for you to hear right now and believe me I wouldn’t be bringing this up if it wasn’t important. At least it might be important, I’m not exactly sure.” He could see he was confusing them, he was confused himself. “I’d better just come out with it before none of us understands what’s going on.”

  Gary pulled the printout from his pocket. “I was checking into what Frank had been researching before he left the station last night. It seemed strange that he was driving out here that late when he knew you were gone. I pulled up the history on the hard drive and found this.” He reluctantly handed over the papers to Susie. It felt stupid for him to be so cautious. After all it was public record and part of her family history. Besides, it probably wasn’t anything she hadn’t heard before from her Granny’s stories, but somehow he felt that if this was what Frank had been murdered for he was now putting this couples’ lives at stake as well just by handing them the papers.

  “It seems that there were... similar killings back in your Grandmother’s time. A man was eventually blamed and the town seemed to be right because right after the man disappeared, the murders ceased. Unfortunately there were quite a few deaths. In fact, an entire caravan of gypsies was slaughtered, all but one that is, ...your grandmother was the only survivor. She was soon after adopted, according to the reports she never spoke of what happened. I hate to ask this, but does any of this sound familiar?”

  Susanne was shocked and could only shake her head for a moment, “No, I’ve never heard of it.”

  “Do you think Frank may have known anything about it?”

  “I don’t see how, he’d have told me if he had.”

  “Did Frank leave any messages for you at your, at Jonathan’s or on your voice mail?”

  “No, I haven’t heard from him. Of course I haven’t checked my voice mail since I got home; I just left the ringer off.” Jonathan immediately got up in search of the phone, but as Susie listened to recording after recording of well-wishers she reached the end with no word from her dearly departed brother.

  “Nothing, no message.” She began to put the phone away, but thought better of it and turned the ringer back on just in case.

  “Susie, do you think there could be anything here that Frank was coming after? Old family records, books, journals, scrapbooks, anything that might explain why he was on his way here?”

  Susanne, deep in thought, searched her mind for why he had been driving to her empty home in the middle of the night? What could he have possibly been after?

  “Susie, have you received any prank or threatening phone calls within the past few weeks or months?”

  “No, nothing like that. Why?”

  “I’m just running a few theories over in my head.”

  “You think this somehow ties into what’s been going on around here the past few days?”

  “I know it seems farfetched, I mean I know a guy from almost a hundred or more years can’t be running around picking up where he left off...”

  “But someone else might be.” Jonathan interjected.

  “That or a descendant of the man they ran out of town doesn’t care for the way his family was treated. Then again it could be completely unrelated and Frank could have just been in the wrong place at the wrong time. I’m just checking out all the possible options to protect your family if you were a possible target.” He hated putting it that way, but there was no easy way to say it and they deserved to know.

  “Mommy?” The call of the youngest boy brought Susanne to life and she excused herself to put the kids to bed leaving the men in an awkward silence. It was Gary who broke the hush.

  “I’m glad to see that you came back with Susie, she’s going to need someone to turn to and now with it possibly being a personal issue it’s a relief to know that someone will be here if any trouble arises. You will be staying won’t you?”

  “Definitely, I wouldn’t leave her, not now. Actually I was planning on coming back with her anyway, that is if she was alright with it.”

  “Frank would have been glad to hear that. He always thought that you two splitting up was a mistake, especially with the boys. To be perfectly honest the two of us even had a side bet when the two of you would get back together.” Gary was glad to have this chance to talk about something other than death and bodies, particularly a topic as good as a possible reconciliation. Jonathan too felt a surge of relief at the change of subject. He had begun to feel a kinship in Gary Carpell, and now he felt like sharing his own secret with someone else who was rooting for him.

  “Can I tell you a secret?”

  Thrown for a moment, Gary stumbled with a, “sure.”

  “It’s nothing bad, it’s actually pretty great, if it works out that is. Now I’m confusing you.” Jonathan leaned forward in his seat and Gary mimicked him, “I had actually planned to propose to Susie if this weekend worked out. Of course after what’s happened I think I might ought to wait a little while, at least until things settle down that is. It’s kind of bad timing right now. You think?”

  It took Gary a moment to realize Jonathan was seeking his advice, but then he felt flushed and honored, “I don’t know, maybe something good like that might help her get through the rough spots. You know if she knew she had something to look forward to after things ‘settle down’ as you said. That and knowing that you’re here to stay might help as well. Although, I couldn’t begin to tell you how to go about it. I’d get it all twisted up and end up saying something idiotic like ‘You wanna?’.”

  When Susanne appeared at the top of the staircase the two conspirators dropped the conversation and stood, as gentlemen should, when she entered the room and sat down.

  “Well
aren’t you old fashioned. It’s hard to find a gentleman these days, I kind of like it. I’m not interrupting anything am I?”

  “Just catching up.” Jonathan winked at Gary.

  “Sorry to interrupt then, but I think I might have an idea of what my brother may have been after.”

  The atmosphere changed back to one of dread and sorrow as she had both of the men’s full attention. “As far as I know, after Grandma passed away all of her belongings that were left after the will had been executed were eventually boxed up and stored in the attic for the kids after they grew up. They should still be there; no one’s touched them since as far as I know. If there were any family records they might be up there amongst her things. You’re welcome to have a look if you think it might help.”

  Officer Carpell leaned forward, hat in hand. He had no idea what he’d be looking for. The whole thing seemed quite silly actually, but something in his gut told him that he was on the right track and he had learned to follow his gut. “I’d appreciate it greatly.” The three slid from their seats and solemnly made their way up the two flights of stairs to the dark dusty attic. None speaking of their doubts, reprehensions, or the foreboding feeling that had fallen over them the past few minutes. Each wary of what they might uncover in the shadowy realm of the Marshall family history.