Red Ochre Falls

by Kristen Gibson

  I decided to let it go. “It’s not okay to scare people. But I accept your apology.”

  Sledge grabbed Manny by the collar and rushed him out the back. Smart move. Sledge knew as well as I did, they needed to leave before Manny said anything else.

  Garrett came over and guided me into Hank’s chair. I needed a distraction from my raw nerves, so I surveyed his desk. Hank was neat. It looked like the guy didn’t do any work. But I’d witnessed how hard he worked firsthand. I guess that was part of the reason he was so good at his job. He knew where to find everything when he needed it. He also had big shoulders, which was vital in the funeral business. For a second, I wondered if he would help us smooth things over with Stanley—that was, if Garrett and I pursued this romance.

  Mind still wandering, I noticed something unusual on Hank’s appointment calendar. He wrote down important stuff—‘It’s easier to remember if I see it on paper,’ he told me once.

  Printed in small blue ink were the words ‘Harper pre-need’.

  I’d learned enough to know what a pre-need meant. An individual or a family might set one up, to begin the funeral planning process before a loved one died. It meant preparation. I assumed we couldn’t afford a pre-need unless death was imminent, so I got angry.

  When I slammed the kitchen door closed, mom jumped. She had papers spread out on the table. She was working on something.

  “When were you going to tell me?!”

  “Tell you what? What’s wrong?”

  “Why don’t you tell me? Or are you going to lie some more?”

  “Lie? Mattie, what do you mean?”

  “I wish you and Aunt Eileen would have just told me!”

  “Told you wha—”

  There was a knock at the door.

  “Is everything okay in there?” Garrett must have wondered what was happening, but I didn’t have time to talk.

  “No!”

  “Mattie, don’t be so rude.” Mom hissed.

  “Give us a few minutes, please!” She may have been right, but I was still mad. I stood there accusing her. “You’re dying aren’t you? The trip to grandpa’s? Aunt Eileen’s concern? The note on Hank’s desk?”

  “I’m fine.”

  “Mom, please don’t lie. I’m a grown-up, tell me!”

  “I’m FINE! While the move hasn’t been easy, everything is okay. I wanted to see dad, but I may have overdone things a bit. Eileen probably wanted to make sure I rested. She knew you’d help. And the meeting with Hank is just exploratory. I wanted to learn more about pre-needs. It’s really nothing.”

  “Why would you do that?”

  “It’s necessary. After the heart surgery, I vowed to get things in order in case anything worse happened. So it would be easier on you.”

  “Mom!”

  “Mattie, please! Don’t worry so much. I’m okay, just a little worn out. Call my doctor and ask her yourself.”

  She was right. Too much was happening, and it was starting to drive me over the edge. I heaved a sigh, and rushed to hug her. Such a hard squeeze can sometimes keep tears from streaking my face, but not this time. When I looked at her, she had her concerned mom face on. The last thing she needed was to have to take care of a grown kid.

  “I’m sorry.” I wiped my face with the back of my sleeve and vowed to get it together.

  “It’s okay. A lot has happened.”

  Thank God, she didn’t know the half of it. “I have a lot on my mind. Guess you can relate. Is there anything I can do?”

  “No. But if I need help, I’ll let you know. Now, how was school?”

  “It was school. I think the class could be interesting.”

  She huffed at my vague answer, but let me off the hook. “Interesting is good. Keep at it, and you’ll be finished before you know it.” She always encouraged me to keep after things I wanted. “How is everything with Garrett?” She knew me well.

  “He’s fine. We’re fine. I guess.”

  “You don’t have to have all the answers. Have some fun. Be happy. Just be discreet until we can figure a way to tell the others.”

  “Thanks, mom. I love you.”

  We talked a little about the bills and the business. Then she shooed me downstairs to talk with Garrett.

  I got to the office just as Tess was leaving. Garrett watched her go. And it burned. Every ounce of strength I had barely contained my tears. Instead of talking, arguing, or whatever, I turned and ran to the apartment.

  Mom tried to ask me what happened, but I rushed past her. I grabbed my bag, my keys, and my jacket. I lied. Told her everything was fine. Said that I’d forgotten to pick up something for school, and I’d be back in an hour.

  Garrett called when he heard me rushing out, but I didn’t stop. As I got to my car, Millie appeared out of nowhere and stopped me.

  “Where ya goin so fast?”

  “Out.”

  “Seems to me, you leave a lot.”

  “So.” I crossed my arms.

  She huffed back. “I can see you’re upset. If ya won’t talk to him, how ‘bout me?”

  I wasn’t in the mood to listen to Millie’s or anyone’s wisdom right now. “I’ll think about it.”

  Before I could run out of there, she caught my arm. “Be careful. You can be stubborn, but no need to be stupid.”

  It didn’t matter what she thought, I just wanted out of the place.

  The door slammed when I wrenched it closed. I didn’t care. I hit the gas and chirped the tires pulling out. It was dumb because someone nearly clobbered me. The Hellcat rumbled, and I sped away. No idea where I was headed.

  CHAPTER 28

  Downtown bustled. I snagged the first available space, got out, and beeped the locks.

  After a frantic series of texts, first warning Cal about Tess, second to Jos who, thankfully, agreed to meet. She wouldn’t be around for a while. I wandered aimlessly until I made my way to Fountain Square.

  Chloe should have met me here. She should be alive, but she wasn’t. Mom’s health was fragile. Dead bodies came through the funeral home frequently. I knew life didn’t last forever. But if I wasn’t careful, mine would end sooner than expected.

  It was foolish not to have asked Garrett about Tess, but it hurt too much to see him look at her that way.

  Having grown up with one parent, I worked hard to be responsible and self-reliant, which made me wonder why I felt so sensitive. Before I analyzed my feelings too much, the water distracted me. My attention shifted to the murders.

  The facts didn’t quite add up. Why would three supposedly unrelated people end up dead, marked with the same red powder in some way or other?

  The Coroner ruled the other two homicides. Cal mentioned the bodies were found in Ruggiano’s territory with spear points, something called a buckler, and other artifacts belonging to the tribe involved with the casino deal. Could Ruggiano be sending a message, or was someone trying to send him one?

  If the others were homicides, why say Chloe committed suicide? To hide the truth? To close the case and keep the police from investigating? Or because it was the truth? An answer I still couldn’t stomach.

  We needed to figure out how these people were linked. And we needed to do it out before the bad guys caught up with us.

  My eyes darted around. Everyone looked suspicious. I stood out like total bad-guy-bait. Why hadn’t I waited to meet Jos?

  Someone touched my shoulder. I jumped up and took a swing.

  “Whoa! Take it easy. I come in peace.”

  Relief set in even though my pulse still raced.

  “I saw you here, and thought we might talk.”

  I wasn’t excited to chat with my old flame, but it was nice to see a familiar face. So, I went along.

  We walked around the square. Ethan apologized for being so distant the past three years. I admitted it was my fault too—my body relaxed as we cleared the air.

  Jos sent a text. She was running late. There was time, so Ethan and I stopped for a drink. We joke
d about our lives, and before I knew it the second round of drinks were nearly gone.

  “If I drink anymore without eating, someone will have to drive me home.”

  “I’m available for dinner.” The way he said it was so playful, it was hard to say no. I only agreed to appetizers just to be safe.

  We spent the time reminiscing. Jos showed up when he was finishing a story about his first ‘real job’.

  “Hey, girl.”

  “Jos!” I got up and hugged her. She eyed me with Ethan, so I felt obligated to give her the short version of how we got here. She gave me a look. I knew it meant she’d need the full scoop as soon as possible.

  “Can I buy you ladies dinner?”

  Jos was thinking about it when I stopped her. “Actually, we have some important things to discuss. Rain check?”

  “Sure.” Ethan paid the tab, shook my hand then left.

  Jos didn’t waste a minute jumping on that one once we were alone.

  “A hand shake. Wow.”

  “Don’t start.”

  “Don’t start? How about you tell me what’s going on. Why are you with him, and not Mr. Hottie?”

  “Mr. Hottie—I mean, Garrett, had hands full with Tess when I left.”

  “So, you fell back into old habits with Ethan?”

  “It’s not like that.”

  “I remember how he charmed you into bed the first time. And how he conveniently cooled off when you took a job sophomore year. He wanted a girl on his arm, and found one, but she wasn’t you.”

  “I didn’t make much effort to keep things going.”

  “Yeah, but you didn’t sleep with the first freshman who came along either.”

  “Jos, it’s in the past.”

  “Are you gonna answer my question? What about Garrett?”

  “Why don’t you ask him?”

  “Mattie, what did you do?”

  “What?”

  Jos knew me too well.

  “I might have seen Tess at the funeral home. And I might have been so mad that Garrett watched her walk away that I might have stormed off, texted Cal, and you.”

  “What were you thinking?”

  “I wasn’t.”

  “Apparently not.”

  “What do I do now?” I sank onto a barstool.

  “Go talk to him.”

  “I knew you’d say that.”

  “If you already knew, why’d you call me?”

  “Moral support?” I smiled at her, and hoped she’d let me off the hook.

  “You mean crutch. Nope. We’ll talk once you’ve cleared the air with Mr. Wonderful.” She nudged me off the stool and out the door.

  Jos dropped me off by the car. I got inside. Jos waved, and drove away. She’d made it clear I had to find Garrett and apologize for storming off. I’d probably have to answer for telling Cal about Tess, too.

  My life was a mess. I ran my hands over the steering wheel, but couldn’t shake the guilt. Garrett deserved answers. He’d called in favors to help search for answers to my friend’s death. He was the same guy who set me up with his mechanic to fix my car for free, and made sure I could borrow any ride I wanted. He was polite, and sexy. But he was also the guy Tess kept trying to manipulate—the same one who ran to her when summoned. My stubborn nature prevailed. I drove home determined to finish the investigation on my own.

  CHAPTER 29

  The next day I did my best to avoid Garrett. The funeral business was in full swing, so he was around the parlor, but tied up with meetings and funeral preparations.

  It wasn’t hard to avoid him once I figured out a school and job interview schedule that kept me away most of the day. The hardest part came when mom needed me home to give her a break, or run her to appointments.

  Eventually, I told Garrett bluntly, “I have responsibilities.” He got the message and stopped trying after that, either to give me space, or because he’d given up.

  Mom, Mrs. Jacobson, studies, the job search, and my quest for answers kept me busy. Each day, I’d share breakfast with mom, straighten the kitchen then make myself scarce. I ran errands for Mrs. Jacobson, attended class, and studied at the library, where I spent more time researching possible suspects than actually studying.

  I learned the allure and controversy of mobsters and casinos. Some mobsters claimed to promote order and protection; casinos boasted economic returns; but the studies I’d read concluded both increased violence and crime, which outweighed the benefits.

  I’d witnessed the extremes Ruggiano was willing to go to get what he wanted. I resisted him and ended up in the hospital. Maybe he’d pushed Chloe, and killed her when she wouldn’t budge.

  Based on Chloe’s files, he bought a large stake in the casino—worth zilch if it didn’t get built.

  There was a series of articles that ran in the Enquirer detailing some of Ruggiano’s shady business dealings. One source was quoted as saying Ruggiano swayed a couple officials to vote in favor of the project by giving them hefty contributions. No one admitted to it, and no one wanted to testify, so he was never arrested. Slippery sucker.

  The papers also ran photos of Ruggiano and the councilmen in question getting chummy at a charity fundraiser. The date surprised me. It matched the number on the back of Chloe’s photo—the one taken at the lake. There was even a photo of the dead woman delivered to our door covered in red ochre powder.

  I felt an adrenaline spike and searched every clip and news blurb Chloe kept related to the event. It was a benefit for the Children’s Literacy Coalition. The same project Mrs. Jacobson had mentioned at tea.

  Did she know Ruggiano? Did she have a mob connection? Did she know something about Chloe’s death?

  There were no direct links to Ruggiano in what I searched. So, I packed up and paid her a visit.

  Mrs. Jacobson was surprised to see me. Even more surprised when I started grilling her about the Children’s Literacy Coalition.

  “I’ve contributed to them for years.” She’d served us some tea and sipped hers.

  “Are you close with any of the other members?”

  “What do you mean?”

  “I mean…well,” I didn’t know how else to ask, so I just blurted it out. “Do you know Rocco Ruggiano?”

  Mrs. Jacobson was obviously startled by the name.

  “I know his reputation.” She broke my glance. Obviously hiding something. She seemed stuck for something to do other than answer me, so she signaled me to try the tea. I declined. Then she stood and indicated I should follow her, maybe to distract me. I warily followed.

  We went from the living room to a solarium. A lot of windows meant a lot of light. Several easels held her paintings.

  The painting in the center of the room wasn’t huge, but the scene compelled me to come closer. It was the painting I’d seen her painting on my last visit.

  Mrs. Jacobson stood at a rolling cart next to the easel and mixed a reddish powder with liquid from a squirt bottle, like it was as natural as breathing. She dipped her brush in the mixture and began to paint. I watched her work. After a few strokes, she put the brush down to touch up a spot with her hands.

  “It’s beautiful,” I said of the landscape.

  She worked on the deep sky by the tree. “Thank you. I’ve been painting some version of this for years.”

  “Where is it?” I asked.

  “A place far away.” She sounded distant, so I didn’t press her for the exact location.

  “The colors are incredibly vibrant. How do you get it to look so real?”

  “It’s the red ochre.”

  What? Did she know about the murders? Could she be involved? “Where did you get the paint?”

  “It’s a lovely color from Old Holland. I’ve been buying supplies from them forever.”

  “Oh,” I tried to sound natural.

  “What dear?” She stopped momentarily and looked at me.

  “It’s nothing, really.” I tried to figure it out, but I just couldn’t put the pieces toget
her.

  “Many ancient people buried remains with artifacts. Some natives sprinkled red ochre powder over the graves as part of their burial ritual. It’s quite fascinating.” She smiled, briefly, studied my face then went back to painting.

  “It sounds interesting,” I told her, wondering if this old woman was killing off people, and sprinkling red pixie dust on their bodies like some kind of lunatic fairy.

  “You should hear some of the stories I heard as a child. About the people that lived here long ago.”

  If she knew that I thought she killed those people, and it turned out to be true, I could be next. She could hardly walk, so maybe she had an accomplice. It was just the two of us now. My chances of escape were pretty good. I kept a sharp eye on the exit though.

  “Well, one I remember most is about a young girl who fell in love with a native boy.”

  This sounded like the story Garrett told me. How much did Mrs. Jacobson know?

  “She was a beautiful girl. Happy, sweet, and carefree. She had a habit of going off into the woods near her house and exploring them for hours.

  One day she chased a bird far into the woods, where she came across the most glorious tree. She admired it, touched it and stayed by the tree until sunset. She realized it was late and started toward home. But, the light had faded and she got turned around.

  The girl began to worry until a young boy came to her aid. He had dark skin, dark eyes and black hair. He startled her, but reached his hands out gently to help guide her home. After he brought her back to the edge of the wood, she asked him, “Who are you? How can I find you again?”

  Of course, he didn’t understand her language, so all he could manage to do was nod and smile. They met several times after that, and fell in love. Her fate had been sealed. Destined to marry a wealthy landowner, her father forbade her to see the native boy.

  As some young women are inclined to do, she ignored her father, and went into the woods anyway. After being caught again, her husband-to-be broke off their engagement. Soon after, the landowner married her cousin.

  The young girl was forced to live across the street from them, which she wouldn’t have minded, except the landowner had his men cut down the trees and burn the woods.” Something caught in her throat and she stopped.