Fatal Footsteps

by Brenda Donelan

  Barry called while Marlee and Jasmine were trying to make sense of Tim’s death and his life. There was no verification yet, but the dispatcher at the police department remembered something about a child falling off a ladder and dying about ten years ago. “I’ll do some digging to see what I can find out,” Barry said.

  “I’m going to the library. They have old newspapers on micro fiche, and I bet I can track down the accident Barry talked about.” Marlee grabbed her coat and was out the door. The library was a quick ten-minute walk from her dorm, and she made it in record time. The wind had let up and, the temperature seemed a few degrees warmer than it had in the past week.

  Once in the campus library, Marlee sought out a staff member from the archives. Her name tag revealed that her name was Blanche. She was in her fifties and wore her gray hair in an unflattering Pilgrim cut. Blanche showed Marlee to the micro fiche readers and gave her a refresher course on how to use the machine.

  Before Blanche could leave the room, Marlee asked, “How long have you lived here in town?”

  “I lived here all my life except for the two years I was in the Peace Corps in the ‘50s,” Blanche said.

  “The Peace Corps? That’s really cool. One of my professors told me about her experiences in the Peace Corps. She said it changed her life. The reason I asked you about living here is, I wanted to talk to someone who might remember an accident at the DeWitt farm outside of town. There was an accident, maybe about ten years ago, in an old shed on the edge of the property and someone may have died,” Marlee said.

  “The DeWitt farm?” Blanche asked. “Yes, I remember it well. It happened in 1977. That’s the same year I got married, so that’s why I remember the time frame so well. Billy DeWitt died, but it was no accident.”

  Everybody wants to hear family secrets. Especially when it’s about someone else’s family.

  Chapter 19

  Blanche was not used to someone hanging on her every word, so she took her time telling the story. Working in the archives section of the library was a thankless job, but appealed to her introverted nature. Since her husband’s death, she had no one to talk to at home and very little human connection at work. It wasn’t until Marlee asked Blanche about the incident at the DeWitt farm that she realized just how much she missed interacting with people.

  “It was at Easter,” Blanche said, now sitting at the table next to Marlee. “We had a lot of snow that winter, so everyone was in high spirits about the nice spring weather. Edgar and Ethel were still running the farm and were in good health. It was a Sunday, and they had their two adult kids out for lunch. Both of the kids were married and had kids of their own. Pam and Tim are Bernie and Nicole’s children, and Billy belonged to Art and Lola.”

  “So how do you know it wasn’t an accident?” Marlee asked, trying to get to the heart of the story.

  Blanche would not be rushed. She continued her telling of the story as if Marlee had not just interrupted. “After lunch, the kids were outside playing. Edgar always told them to stay in the yard where the adults could see them. They were not supposed to play in the buildings because of all the machinery and dangerous tools. Edgar was afraid they might get hurt and only allowed them to go in the barn and the other buildings when he or another adult were there.”

  “So they went into the shed?” Marlee would not give up. The suspense was killing her.

  “From what I heard, the kids played Frisbee in the yard until they got bored. Then, as kids will do, they decided to do something they shouldn’t. They went into the barn and messed around with the tools and machinery. To their surprise, none of the adults even noticed. That’s when Pam had the idea to go to the shed on the other side of the tree belt. She was the oldest of the grandkids, so she was the boss. They let themselves in to the unlocked shed and explored. The shed is small, but it held a lot of junk. Things that would appeal to kids. Stuff like old trunks with clothes from early 1900s, boxes of letters, and albums of family photos. It would be like opening a time capsule. There was a ladder in the shed, and Pam dared Billy to climb to the very top of it and touch the ceiling. He got to the top and Pam shook the ladder. Billy fell off, broke his neck, and died.”

  “Pam intentionally killed her cousin?” Marlee was incredulous. “Did she go to juvenile detention?”

  “No, she insisted it was an accident. She said Billy climbed up to the top of the ladder even though she told him not to. Then he lost his balance and fell. Tim tried to tell the adults that Pam caused Billy’s fall, but they didn’t believe him since he was quite a few years younger than his sister. They thought he either made it up or just didn’t understand what had happened. It was ruled an accident, and to this day, Tim is the only one in the family who believes Pam killed their cousin,” Blanche reported.

  “How do you know all of this?” Marlee asked, wondering if Blanche was just a lonely old lady who enjoyed spinning a tale for anyone who would listen.

  “Because Billy’s parents got divorced shortly after he died. Billy’s dad, Art, and I were married at the end of that year,” Blanche said.

  “But why do you think Pam killed Billy? You said nobody believed Tim.”

  “Tim’s parents and grandparents didn’t believe him, but Art did. Art told me he believed Pam got away with murder,” Blanche said.

  “But they were all just kids. Why would Pam kill her cousin?” Marlee asked, seriously starting to believe this woman was out of her head.

  “Because it was well-known among the family that the farm would go to Billy. Pam was the oldest, but Billy was the oldest boy. Edgar was old-fashioned and thought the land should only be passed on to the boys. Pam wanted to make sure Billy wouldn’t get the farm, so she killed him.”

  “What about Tim? Wouldn’t the land have been passed down to him since he was a boy?” Marlee questioned.

  “Ordinarily, it would, but he was a lot younger than Pam and Billy, and the farm needed taken over while Tim was still in high school. Plus, Pam made sure everyone saw Tim as unstable. She set him up time and time again to look bad in front of his parents and grandparents. They loved him, but didn’t think he would be able to manage a farm.”

  “Why didn’t Tim’s dad or Billy’s dad take over the family farm?” Marlee asked.

  “Tim’s dad didn’t have any interest in farming or country life. He wanted to work in an office where he wouldn’t get dirty. Art suffered from severe asthma and allergies, so he couldn’t be outside for extended periods of time. The grandkids were slated to take over, and it was known that Billy would be the recipient of the farm since he was the eldest boy. That’s just how a lot of traditional families do things,” Blanche stated.

  “Pam was jealous and wanted the farm for herself,” Marlee added.

  “Yes. She always loved the farm, and it’s really a shame that she wasn’t even considered a viable candidate to take it over until Billy died and Tim was thought to be incompetent,” Blanche said.

  “So Billy’s father believed Tim. Did he try to talk to Tim’s parents and the grandparents about what he thought really happened?” Marlee asked.

  “Yes, he did, but none of them believed him. It was a huge blow-up in the family, and Art was basically shunned.”

  “Did he think Pam really wanted to kill Billy or that she just did a reckless thing that resulted in Billy’s death? I mean, kids do dangerous and stupid things all the time. Sometimes somebody gets hurt. That doesn’t mean they intended to kill,” Marlee said.

  “Oh, no. Pam intended to kill Billy. Tim told Art that she tried to shoot Billy with a bow and arrow in the barn that day but missed him by an inch. On another occasion, she tried to push him into the artesian well.” Blanche was adamant in her claims.

  “Blanche, I need to tell you something, and you have to promise not to tell anyone about it until the information is released in the news,” Marlee whispered, looking around to make sure no one was standing behind them. Blanche nodded, not breaking eye contact.

  “I�
�m sure you know that Tim is missing. His house burned down and everyone has been looking for him,” Marlee said, not relishing what she was about to disclose to Blanche.

  “Yes, it’s been all over the news.”

  “Tim was found dead this morning. At the old shed on the edge of the DeWitt farm,” Marlee reported.

  Blanche gasped, one hand covering her mouth and the other hand clutching her chest. “What happened?”

  “The police don’t know yet. I went out to the farm after someone mentioned the old shed to me. I walked around to the building and found Tim lying there on the floor. I felt for a pulse, and he was ice cold. So I went to the neighbor’s farm, and they called for an ambulance and the cops.” Marlee said.

  “Why didn’t you have Pam call from the farm house? It would have been much quicker,” Blanche said. The look in her eye suggested she already knew what Marlee was going to say.

  “I knocked several times, and no one came to the door. I even honked the horn in case Pam was sick or taking a nap. The house was locked, so I drove to the neighboring farm,” Marlee said.

  “Well, that tells you everything you need to know,” Blanche said, her face taking on a hard look.

  “What do you mean, Blanche?” Marlee asked.

  “Pam killed her brother so he wouldn’t be able to take over the farm,” Blanche said as matter-of-factly as if she had just recited a recipe for peach cobbler.

  Marlee sighed, not trying very hard to hide her disbelief. “Oh, come on, Blanche. Do you really believe that? Pam already had control of the farm, and it didn’t seem to me like anyone was trying to take that away from her. Plus, you said it yourself that Tim’s family didn’t think he was competent enough to run the farm. What motive would she have for killing him? She already had the farm.”

  “You don’t know just how devious Pam is. I dealt with her for a few years while Art and I were married. She comes across as a nice, hard-working person, but I assure you Pam is as cold-blooded as they come.” Blanche was now on her feet and speaking in a loud tone. “There’s no way Pam isn’t involved in this. She might have everyone else bamboozled, but I won’t be fooled!” With that declaration, Blanche marched out of the room and slammed the door behind her.

  For a full minute, Marlee sat in her chair with her mouth open, not fully believing what just happened. Blanche seemed so convinced that Pam was capable of murder in order to keep control of the family farm. Was it possible that the calm, unassuming farmer killed both her cousin and her brother to gain and keep control of the farm?

  She continued to scan through micro fiche, now focusing on April of 1977. The newspaper printed scant information on William (Billy) DeWitt’s death other than an obituary identifying an accident leading to his demise. There was no mention of an investigation or any suspicion about cause of death. An obituary? That’s it? Marlee thought. Maybe Blanche is batshit crazy and came up with this theory on her own. Maybe she was never even married to Billy’s father.

  Marlee scrolled through more micro fiche looking for applications for marriage licenses from late 1977. Blanche was true to her word, on the marriage anyway. A little more digging found a small wedding announcement for Art and Blanche. Marlee then dug into divorce records from earlier that year and found that Art and his first wife indeed divorced soon after Billy’s death. A wave of sadness came over Marlee as she thought about the unhappiness the DeWitt family suffered with Billy’s death and the dissolution of their marriage. At least Art had somewhat of a happy ending in that he married Blanche.

  I wonder what happened to Billy’s mom, Marlee thought as she continued to scroll through newspaper articles. Did she stay in town or move away? Was she even still alive? Did she believe Billy’s death was an accident? Marlee jotted down her thoughts as fast as they raced through her mind. She needed to find out more about Billy’s death and what had become of his mother. Luckily, Marlee had a good source of information working at the police department.

  Marlee went to the bank of pay phones in the library lobby and called Barry at his home. A drowsy-sounding roommate answered and said Barry was sleeping until he went on the night shift and was not to be disturbed.

  “It’s an emergency!” Marlee insisted.

  A scuffle ensued as the phone receiver was put down and Barry was summoned to the phone. “It’s your girlfriend,” said the man who answered the phone.

  “What do you want now?” Barry growled, knowing it was Marlee.

  “I need two things. First, can you give me a ride out to Pam DeWitt’s farm? I want to see if she’s home now, and I want to talk to her. The second thing is, can you track down Lola DeWitt? She’s the mother of the kid that died in the accident in the shed back in 1977.” Marlee then went on to detail her conversation with Blanche at the library and what she confirmed herself through the old newspaper articles.

  “Really? I never heard anything about a young girl killing her cousin. There are a lot of stories floating around down at the cop shop about mysterious deaths, but this never came across my radar. I’m headed to work in a couple hours. How about if I pick you up on my way to work and you can borrow my car?” Barry asked.

  “Barry, you’re the best!” Marlee said, and she meant it. Just not in a lovey-dovey kind of way. She pranced back to her dorm room, excited with all the new information she learned and anxious to report to Jasmine.

  As Marlee burst through the door, ready to report her findings, the phone rang. Jasmine answered and after a brief conversation said, “I have a date tonight. Adam’s picking me up, and we’re going out to eat.”

  “Are you afraid to go out with him? On your own, I mean?” Marlee asked, realizing she pushed her roommate into spending time with Adam, who may or may not be dangerous.

  Jasmine didn’t answer immediately, but her discomfort was visible. She shuffled her feet and wrung her hands. “No, I’ll be okay.”

  “I’ll have Barry’s car tonight. How about if I follow you to make sure you’re not in danger?” Marlee asked.

  The smile on Jasmine’s face said it all. “Yeah, that’s a good idea. I’m sure he’s harmless, but I’d feel a little better if someone knew where I was with him. He might suggest we go out to the bar afterward or back to the place where he’s staying. I’d feel a lot safer knowing someone was keeping an eye on us.”

  With their plan firmly in place, Marlee and Jasmine settled in for a quick nap before the evening events began. Jasmine crawled up to her lofted bed while Marlee pulled a blanket over her as she loafed in her reclining lawn chair. A pounding on the door woke them a short time later.

  “Barry, what are you doing here? I thought you said you’d come by in two hours?” Marlee asked rubbing her eyes.

  “It’s been two hours since I talked to you. Come on, I need to get to work,” Barry said impatiently.

  Jasmine was scrambling out of bed. She needed to get ready for her date in a hurry and didn’t have time to waste making small talk with Barry.

  “I’ll be right back, okay? Don’t leave until I get back,” Marlee directed as she left the dorm room.

  Marlee and Barry talked over each other in the short time it took them to drive to the police station. “What kind of read did you get on Pam? Does she seem like someone who would kill to keep control of the family farm?”

  “She seemed really laid back and a salt-of-the-earth type to me, but you can never tell. We had a kindly grandma smother her husband of over fifty years in his recliner right after I started here.”

  “Did you hear anything about Tim’s cause of death? Any theories floating around even though the autopsy isn’t done yet?” Marlee asked.

  “Just the most obvious one which is that Tim wasn’t in his right mind after hitting his head and he wandered out to the farm and froze to death. Other than that, I haven’t heard any other ideas, but I was only at the station for a little bit after I dropped you off,” Barry reported. “It will be the only topic everyone’s talking about tonight, and there may even be new
developments.”

  “Will you call me right away if you find out anything?” Marlee asked.

  “Will you be home? I thought you needed my wheels to go out investigating again,” Barry said with a laugh.

  “Well, I won’t be out all night. I should be back by midnight or 1:00 for sure. Just call anytime if you find out something,” Marlee directed. She hadn’t had a decent night’s sleep in several days and doubted that Barry had slept well either, since she kept calling and waking him.

  Marlee put the pedal to the metal as she gunned Barry’s car back to the dorm. She jogged in from the parking lot, which she never did, and burst into the room. No one was there. She checked the communal bathroom and called out for her roommate.

  It wasn’t intentional, but Marlee failed to keep her promise to her roommate. Jasmine had left on her date with the sketchy Adam, and Marlee had no idea where they went.

  My roommates were all quite the ladies’ men. Each weekend meant different girlfriends in the house. After a month, I stopped asking their names. No point getting to know someone if you’ll never see them again.

  Chapter 20

  “Hello, I need to speak with Officer Barry Stevens. It’s an emergency!” Marlee screeched, pacing as far as the spiral cord to the wall phone would allow.

  “You’re turning into the little girl who cried wolf,” Barry grumbled. “Not everything that pops into your mind is an emergency.”

  Marlee detailed the plan she and Jasmine cooked up to get closer to the guys from Stairway to Hell. “We were trying to find out what they knew about Tim. Now that Tim’s dead, I’m worried that one of his roommates might know something about it. Jazz left on a date with Adam before I could get back here to follow them. We both think Adam is kind of creepy, and she didn’t want to be alone with him. I need your help!”