by Laina Turner
“Do you guys maintain this?”
Sheldon laughed. “Not anymore. We used to. It’s been passed down through generations of kids. It’s the perfect hideaway that’s been around since my dad was a kid. Maybe even before that.”
Wow. More impressive than I thought. “How do you know there won’t be other people here?”
“It’s daytime. The kids come here at night. To do the things kids aren’t supposed to do, undetected by adults,” he said, winking at me.
I smiled at the thought, thinking back to my high school days. My friends and I would have loved a place like this, though I’m sure my parents wouldn’t have loved it. I continued to follow Sheldon and in a few hundred feet we came to a small clearing that had a fire pit and several rough wood benches. It was very clean, which surprised me. I expected beer cans and the like scattered around from teenage parties. “It’s well taken care of.”
“It’s an unspoken rule. You party here, you clean it up. There’s never been any issues. Everyone respects the place.”
“Do the cops know about this?”
“Of course they do, but as long as the kids don’t cause trouble they turn a blind eye. It’s on private land and Mr. Scruggs, the owner, pretends he doesn’t know about it either. The kids respect that. Surprising, I know.”
“When is Harley supposed to meet us?”
Sheldon looked at his watch. “Any minute now. In fact, I think I hear him.”
Sure enough there was the sound of the brush moving and in a few moments Harley appeared at the end of the trail that opened up in the clearing we were standing in.
“Hey, Harley. Thanks for coming,” Sheldon said and held his hand out. Harley shook it and nodded. “This is Presley Thurman.”
“Hi,” I also held my hand out for him to shake. He smiled and said hello like it was a common occurrence to see Sheldon and a stranger out in the middle of the woods. Who knows, maybe it was. At least he seemed nicer than Eric.
“What can I help you with?”
“Roger Barrett. What do you know?” Sheldon said.
“Besides the fact he’s dead?”
“Yes, Harley, besides the obvious,” Sheldon said.
Harley briefly smiled. “I don’t really know anything.”
“Glen hasn’t said anything?”
“Nope. He’s been very tight lipped about the entire thing. Some of the other guys have been making comments about revenge and all that. Stuff that usually gets him all riled up. He’s usually the first one to rage how others are hurting his cause or suppressing his views and ideals. I would think he’d be all over this. But he doesn’t want to talk about it.”
“And you don’t find that odd?” I asked.
He shrugged. “I guess I just feel he’s more broken up over Roger’s death than I thought. He was his best friend for forty years.”
“Do you think something the group is involved in could have gotten Roger killed?” Sheldon asked.
“You know I couldn’t say much about that even if I knew, Sheldon. There are some things you’re better off not knowing.”
“You mean illegal things?” I blurted out and Sheldon glanced at me.
Harley paused.
“We’re not going to tell anyone if you’re involved in illegal activity. We’re just trying to find out who killed Roger and the other guy,” I said. “Not get you in trouble.”
Harley smiled again. “Sweetheart, I’m not worried about me. But the less you know the safer it is for you. Glen doesn’t like people knowing our business.”
Normally, I would have taken offense at the sweetheart comment but what he said about Glen gave me the chills, so I let it slide. Exactly why I didn’t want to talk to Glen when Harley first suggested it. I didn’t even know the guy, but could tell by the vibe he gave off he wasn’t one to be messed with.
“You have to know something, Harley. What about the name Juan Vasquez? Does that ring any bells?” Sheldon pushed.
“Who’s that?”
“He was killed two days before Roger,” I spoke up.
“Presley here found the body. That’s how we came to work together.”
Harley shook his head. “Doesn’t ring a bell.”
“He’s a known drug dealer. Could Glen be involved in drugs?” I asked. At that comment Harley seemed to tense up a bit, but in a second he was shaking his head and seemed completely relaxed. Maybe I imagined it. Looking for something that wasn’t there.
“Listen, all I know is Roger and Glen were working on something they hadn’t even told the group yet. I overheard them talking, about what I’m not even sure. They seemed really worked up about whatever it was. Like it was something big. When I asked about it all he’d say is in due time he’d let the rest of us know.”
“Is that why you were fighting outside the diner the other day?”
Harley cocked his head and looked at me, I’m sure wondering how I knew about that.
“I pulled up and saw you two arguing and then the Sheriff pulled up and broke it up.”
“Yeah, it was. The night before I hadn’t been able to sleep. I saw Glen and Roger come back from somewhere really late and that’s when I overheard them. When I questioned Glen the next morning, he refused to talk about it and when I pushed him, well, you saw what happened. Whatever it was they were planning, he wasn’t willing to share yet. But that’s not unusual for him.”
“And you have no clue as to what they were up to,” Sheldon asked again. Even though Harley had already said he hadn’t.
He shook his head. “He is known to keep things from the group until he feels it’s the right time. He likes to do that. To demonstrate his control. He wasn’t going to tell me anything he wasn’t ready to no matter how much I pressed him.”
Sheldon sighed. I could see the disappointment in his eyes. I felt it too.
“Sorry I couldn’t help you out more.”
“It’s fine. It was worth a shot.”
Harley looked at his watch. “Listen, I’ve got to get going.”
“Sure. Drinks soon?”
“You got it. Nice to meet you Presley.”
Harley winked at me and headed back down the path. I had to admit I liked the guy. There was something about him though. I couldn’t really put my finger on it. I got the sense he was hiding something and not necessarily the information we were asking him for.
“Let’s give him a few minutes and then we can head back to the car.”
“Why such a secret? Is he not allowed to talk to people outside the group?” I asked, thinking it seemed isolating and cult like.
“Well they don’t love outsiders, but many have girlfriends or boyfriends outside the compound and for the most part they’re tolerated. It’s more about me. I’m a reporter and that they definitely don’t like. They don’t exactly agree with the political views of our local paper. Glen was alright to me when Harley and I were kids, but once I took a job at the paper he started to treat me like the enemy and I wasn’t welcome anymore. I stopped coming around because I didn’t want to make things hard for Harley. We still hang out on the sly.”
“That’s stupid.”
“Yes, it is, but what can you do?”
“So, what now,” I asked as we headed back down the trail ourselves.
“We know Roger was up to something with Glen that most likely got him killed. It seems too much a coincidence for Juan Vasquez not to be tied to Roger in some way, which means Glen was involved and probably the one who orchestrated everything. This town isn’t some central hub for illegal activity. They all have to be connected somehow.”
“Maybe I should head back over to see Allison and Paul. They might know more than they were telling last night? Like why Glen was there in the first place. Oh my God, I’m an idiot. Why didn’t I think to ask Harley why Glen might have been at the mansion,” I said, berating myself.
“I should have thought of that too. I’ll call him later and ask.”
“So, should I ask Allison and
Paul or wait to see what Harley says about it?”
“It couldn’t hurt to ask them.”
“What should I do if the Sheriff comes back asking questions?”
“Answer them the best you can without giving anything away.”
Easy for him to say. He wasn’t the one being put on the spot. We reached the car and I leaned over, putting my hands on my knees to catch my breath. I was winded and my thighs were burning. The trail was on an uphill grade on the way back and I hadn’t really noticed the slope on the way down. I needed to get back to the gym when I got home. I was so out of shape. It wasn’t like this was a big hill.
We got in the car and Sheldon turned the key. The engine didn’t start. It didn’t make a sound. Not even the clicking sound it makes when your battery dies. He looked at me and back to the ignition and tried again. Still nothing.
“What the…” he swore under his breath and got out of the car and popped the hood. I got out to join him. More for moral support because I didn’t know the first thing about cars, so I certainly wasn’t going to be any help. We both peered at the engine.
“Do you know what you’re looking for?” I asked after we stood silent for a moment.
“Not really. I’m not much of a car person but I do think there’s something missing,” he said pointing to an empty spot where I even knew was where the battery should be.
“Harley?” I exclaimed, wondering why he would do such a thing when he seemed so nice.
“It wasn’t him. Harley is a good guy. If he needed time to get away, he would have told me. He wouldn’t play games like this.”
“Well this is obviously intentional.” It made me nervous that someone had purposely disabled our car which meant someone knew we were out here and didn’t like it. That didn’t bode well to me. Was someone following us?
“My guess? Glen. Or one of his guys. In case you didn’t notice, this car is old. It’s paid off and I’m driving it until it dies. Everyone knows this is my car. Drawbacks of a small town. And Glen and his cronies would do something like this. To show their displeasure of me getting even close to their place. I just hope Harley was gone before they came by. I don’t want to get him in any trouble.”
Sheldon pulled out his cell phone. “Lucky for me I’m friends with the only tow truck operator in town. Let’s just hope he’s not done for the day already or we may have to walk.”
I looked at my phone. “It’s two in the afternoon. Whose workday ends at two?”
“You don’t know Dave. It’s hit or miss if you can find him sober after noon. But he’s the only game in town and everyone likes him, so it all works out.”
Sheldon must have caught him before he started drinking or drinking too much because I could hear him give the person on the other end of the phone directions to where we were at. When he hung up he said, “He should be here in about thirty.”
Not bad considering the alternative of being stranded indefinitely. “Hungry? I have a bag of peanuts in my purse somewhere I’m willing to share.”
“Sure.”
I dug them out and also found a half-eaten chocolate bar I’d forgotten about. I gave him the peanuts and 2 squares of chocolate and we munched in silence.
“You don’t have ginger ale in there do you?”
I smiled and shook my head. “Sorry, and I only have Altoids for dessert. Not much of a selection.”
“We can save those in case Dave doesn’t show up.”
“I hope you’re joking,” I said, panicky.
He shrugged. “You never know with Dave, he’s not always the most dependable but he’s such a nice guy you can’t get mad.”
I didn’t want to be stranded out here. It would take forever to walk back into town and I was a little afraid that whoever disabled this car might come back and I didn’t want to be here when that happened. Luckily, my nervousness was short lived because about twenty minutes later we could see dust kicking up in the distance.
“That’s Dave.”
“Yeah!” I couldn’t help but cheering.
Dave had the car hooked up in no time and Sheldon and I scooted in the bench seat of the truck. He was a big burly guy with a long scraggly beard, an infectious laugh, and such a warm smile you didn’t even hardly notice he was short a few front teeth. I could see immediately why Sheldon liked him. He did seem really sweet. The kind of guy who’d do anything for his friends. Those kind of people weren’t easy to find.
“How’d you lose your battery?” Dave asked when we were back on the road.
“I can’t say for sure, but my guess is Glen. You know how he is.”
“That’s for sure. I might have an extra in the shop that would fit your car. Save you the expense of a new one.”
The guys chatted all the way back while I half listened but mostly stared outside the window. They dropped me off at my car and I headed back home after telling Sheldon I’d call him later. My plan was to go back out to the beach try to and enjoy what was left of the afternoon, but when I pulled up and walked to the front door something seemed off. Starting with the front door being wide open. I was certain I hadn’t left it that way. I closed my eyes and ran through my steps when I left the house. I could distinctly remember locking it behind me. At least I thought I did. I’d been rattled from the Sheriff’s visit and had been in a hurry to go find Sheldon, so maybe I didn’t pull it all the way closed and it drifted back open. But I really didn’t think so. That only left someone breaking in.
“Hello?” I called out as I stepped through the doorway, my heart pounding. “Anyone here?”
I strained to listen for the slightest noise that might indicate someone was in the house and heard nothing but the birds chirping outside. I thought for a second about calling the cops, but not only didn’t I want to seem like a scaredy cat, the last thing I wanted was to talk to the Sheriff again. Especially if it turned out to be nothing. I pulled out my phone, ready to dial 911 at a moment’s notice in case I came upon something or someone that changed my mind as I walked the rest of the way on the house trying to assess the situation.
It didn’t take too long for me to figure out someone had definitely been here. The place was trashed. My heart sank. This wasn’t my house and if anything was damaged, I couldn’t even think about the cost of replacing it or how I’d even tell Sheryl. I set my purse down, keeping my phone in one hand, and my keys in the other, and walked through the living room. Lamps were knocked over, furniture was moved, books spilled out of the bookcases, it was just a mess. It appeared that someone had been looking for something. But what? The screen door out to the back deck was wide open. Had the intruder went in one door and out the other?
I couldn’t tell if anything was missing. I mean it wasn’t my house, so I didn’t really know what was here and what wasn’t. I needed to check out my things in the bedroom and as much as I didn’t want to, I also needed to call the Sheriff. There needed to be a police report filed for insurance purposes in case something was stolen. I’d also have to call Sheryl and tell her. I wasn’t looking forward to either call.
I pulled out the card the Sheriff had given me and dialed the number, my hands so shaky it took two attempts. It rang twice and a man answered, “Travis.”
“Sheriff Travis? It’s Presley Thurman. You know, I um, found the body the other night.”
“Yes, I remember you. Is something wrong?” he asked, sounding all business.
“I just got home from town and someone’s been in the house. I’m not sure if anything is missing but I guess I should probably file a police report just in case,” I said haltingly.
“Where are you now?” he said briskly.
“In the living room.”
“Go out to your car and get in and lock the doors. Stay there until I get there. It’ll take me ten minutes.”
I did as he asked and he made it in five, turning in the driveway so fast gravel went flying. I rolled the window down as he approached.
“Stay here until I come back,” he
ordered and walked up to the house with his flashlight and gun drawn, making me realize how reckless I’d been going in there. Whoever had trashed the place could still be somewhere on the property. I hadn’t checked all the rooms before calling. Just the living room and kitchen because it was all wide-open space. There were a number of bedrooms and bathrooms, not to mention the basement and garage, where someone could be hiding.
I got goosebumps thinking of the danger of someone still being in the house. I’d been foolish to go in there.
I started to get worried the longer he was in the house. What if he didn’t come out? When he reappeared, arms by his side, looking more relaxed than when he’d went in, I gathered there wasn’t an immediate threat. I got out of my car and walked toward him.
“So, walk me through what happened?” he said, pulling out his notebook.
“There’s not much to tell. I was in town for maybe two hours and when I got back the front door was open and I found this mess.”
“Did you lock the door when you left?”
“I think so. I’m pretty sure I did.”
“Any idea why someone would do this?”
I shrugged. “No idea. Maybe burglars looking for nice homes to steal from?”
“So, you think this was random?”
“Why wouldn’t it be? I’m a visitor. Why would someone seek me out? Don’t you think it’s more likely that someone is hoping to get lucky by robbing the right home?” I felt like he was almost implying I’d brought this on myself and that didn’t sit well with me.
“You tell me.”
I wanted this to be a run of the mill break in by an opportunistic thief wanting to grab something to pawn for cash. This whole street was filled with upscale homes that all undoubtedly had many fine things to steal. It seemed to me a rational explanation. But now he had me thinking. What if Glen knew we’d talked to Harley and this was his payback? Maybe he was trying to scare me off? Of course, I wasn’t going to mention that to him. “I can’t think of a single reason why this wouldn’t be a random occurrence.”