“That bad, huh?”
“Yeah, he was going south in a hurry. Physically, you couldn’t tell. But mentally? He wasn’t nearly as sharp as he was his sophomore year or even last season. I even considered moving him to running back so he wouldn’t have to remember so much. But this town would’ve gone nuts. Even I would’ve lost my job over a coaching move like that.”
Cal smiled. Miller might be grieving, but his sense of humor – and grip on reality – was intact. It was enough to break him out of his catatonic state.
“But isn’t this unusual, Coach? I mean, three guys in 24 hours by using meth and all overdosed? I’m not a drug expert, but that seems highly improbable.”
“So, you think it was the mountain lion that got them?”
Kelly and Cal shot glances at each other, recalling Mrs. Washburn’s crazy rumor.
Kelly played dumb. “Mountain lion? What are you talking about?”
“You guys haven’t heard that yet? I thought you were the reporters, not me.”
“Where did you hear that?” asked Kelly, feigning surprise.
“Oh, it’s just a rumor I heard, but somebody told me that they heard Cody and Devin’s bodies looked like they had been mauled by a mountain lion. I don’t know any drugs that will do that. I know it’s a crazy rumor, but it might be something that the parents of those boys need right now to make sure they don’t go crazy with feelings of regret, like they didn’t pay enough attention to their sons.”
“According to you, they didn’t.”
“Look, I’m just processing this stuff out loud with you two, but can I trust you not to report anything I’ve said?”
Cal sighed. He had been capturing the whole conversation on his digital recorder. He hit the stop button.
“OK, Coach. I promise not to attribute any of this information to you. But if this turns out to be something more suspicious, I might call you and ask for your permission to reveal some information as an unnamed source. Deal?”
“Only if there’s a killer involved and it’ll help catch him. I don’t want to speak ill of the dead or the parents of the dead, especially in this town.”
Cal stood up.
“Thanks for your time, Coach. And I’m really sorry for your loss. I know your job in the days ahead is going to be tough, but I’m sure you’ll get through it.”
“Thanks, Cal. Kelly. You two have a nice day.”
Neither reporter spoke until they got into Kelly’s car.
“A mountain lion?” Cal asked. “Are these people for real? Why would anyone think a mountain lion could kill three teens in three different places in a day’s time?”
“I don’t know, but there’s only one way to find out.”
“Yeah, good luck with that. Sheriff Jones won’t give us a thing, much less an accurate coroner’s report.”
Kelly was already hitting high RPMs in second gear when she shifted into third and smiled.
“Did you forget that my cousin is the coroner?”
CHAPTER 12
GUY DRUMMED HIS FINGERS on his desk and contemplated what to do next. Three suspicious deaths in one day. That’s the reason he left The Tribune seven years ago. He didn’t want to bellow at reporters any more for getting scooped by Channel 4. He didn’t want to teeter on the verge of a heart attack each day as he feared he might lose his job for some green reporter slipping a libelous comment into a 1A story. He didn’t want to be hated by everyone who worked under him.
So he quit.
Yes, Statenville afforded Guy the opportunity to live out his days as a newspaperman in peace. Rotary Club dinners. Garden Club grip-and-grins. Mayoral elections. Anything beat daily crime and corruption.
But that was before Guy knew Statenville had a hallowed secret. He didn’t actually know what it was – and he was paid handsomely not to search for it. Guy had a gentleman’s agreement with the man he surmised was the mastermind. Every month Guy found a brown paper bag on his back porch full of $20 bills – 100 of them, to be exact. He knew because he counted it every time. Of course, Guy didn’t have to go along when he was first approached. But the way the proposition was presented, Guy figured he had no choice. It was either take the money and pretend like this really was a sleepy little town or move to some other place and hope its secret was less toxic. The first option seemed the best, especially since he hadn’t exactly amassed a sufficient nest egg for retirement. Besides, could this secret really be that big of a deal? Guy rationalized it away and didn’t dwell on it much, especially since nothing worth digging into had ever come across his desk.
When certain whispers wafted Guy’s way – the kind he begged for in Salt Lake – he acted hard of hearing. Some of the townspeople suspected he knew the secret, which is why they respected him all the more. He was becoming one of them, complicit in his silence. And for that, he was treated as one of their own.
But today, reality rocked Guy’s fantasy. The truth was dying to get out. Literally.
Were these deaths tied to Statenville’s dark secret? Perhaps. But would he reveal it, once the truth was known for certain? He didn’t know for how much longer he could suppress his editor instincts, even if it meant giving up the cash – or something far worse.
His phone rang.
“This is Guy.”
“Hey, Guy. Just wanted to find out how you’re going to handle the big story this week,” came the voice on the other end.
“With care and sensitivity.”
“OK, just checking because I’ve seen two of your reporters out snooping around like they work for The New York Times. You keep an eye on them, you understand?”
“Don’t worry. I’ve got them under control.”
Guy lied and hung up. He knew that if he tried to sideline Cal and Kelly on this story, he might have a fight on his hands with his reporters. He would have to figure out something to appease everyone.
Guy then smiled as a good thought registered in his mind. This might be easier than I thought. Cal was diligent but he had never covered a story like this. And Kelly? Her uncle could handle her.
Of course, that is if they didn’t find any damning evidence. One phone call could mitigate the situation, but not control it entirely.
He drummed his fingers on the desk again, resisting the urge to do what was right by all journalism ethics. It was like Dr. David Banner trying to restrain his inner Hulk.
***
Cal’s iPhone buzzed, dancing on the console of Kelly’s car.
“Hello, Boss?”
“Where are you?” demanded Guy.
“We’re just leaving Statenville High. I went to talk with Coach Miller and get his reaction . . . see if he knew anything else about those kids.”
“OK, well, get back here ASAP. We need to talk.”
“Have you found out anything new?”
“Yeah, I have. I found out you’ve continued poking your nose in the wrong places today and nobody likes it.”
“Just doing my job, boss.”
“Your job is to write what I assign you. Now get back here so we can finish this conversation in person.”
Click.
Cal knew Guy was cranky, but his boss’s behavior was bordering on erratic and irrational.
“Does Guy seem a little off today?” Cal asked Kelly.
“When is he not a little off?”
“No, seriously. You don’t find his behavior somewhat… strange, even for Guy?”
“Well, think about it, Cal. Guy moved here to get away from all this murder and mayhem. Now it’s followed him to his own private Mayberry.”
“True. But it seems like he’s dealing with something else. I can’t put my finger on it.”
“Well, I wouldn’t worry about it. To be honest, I can’t believe more of the town isn’t on edge and acting a little crazy after three teens die in a 24-hour period.”
“I know, but something just doesn’t seem right about him.” Cal stared out the window at the distant mountains.
“You’re thinking
too much.”
“Maybe I am, but he wants us back in the office ASAP.”
Kelly laughed. “As soon as possible for me translates into after I’ve visited my cousin, the coroner.”
“Ah, Kelly. I’m having more fun with you on this case today than I’ve had since I moved here.”
She shot him a cautious look.
Cal shifted nervously in his seat.
“Cal, I swear if you’re hitting on me during an investigative report of three murdered teens …” Her voice trailed off.
Cal smiled and put his hands up as to say he was innocent. He then busied himself by silencing his phone, not wanting to be interrupted by Guy until they got back to the office.
***
The Ford F-250 continued to maintain a safe distance behind Kelly’s car. The driver hit 1 on his cell phone’s speed dial to file his report. “It appears they’re headed back to the office,” the driver said.
The man on the other end seemed pleased.
“Keep me posted if they make any unexpected stops. I don’t want this turning into a big news story.”
CHAPTER 13
KEVIN MENDOZA PUSHED THE dark-framed glasses back up his nose. He peered at his clipboard and then returned his gaze at the lifeless body of Cody Murray.
Nothing prepared him for investigating the deaths of three teenage boys in a 24-hour period. While attending the University of Washington Medical School, Kevin had seen a few gunshot wounds and one pit bull attack victim. But never a cadaver even close to what he was looking at now.
Despite the pervasive rumor around Statenville, none of the victim’s wounds appeared to come from any variety of feline, mountain lion or otherwise. But they definitely looked like claw marks, scratch marks from someone in close proximity to each victim. Long slashes across their torso. Legs. Arms. Faces. No segment of the body was clear.
Kevin was nearly convinced it was a surprise attack of some kind, maybe even a vicious one that immediately sedated each victim before carving him up. Then he looked under their fingernails. That’s when he realized that this was more freakish than he could have ever imagined.
He picked up Cody’s hand and looked again. Scraped off skin was compacted under each fingernail. Kevin figured even his favorite TV medical examiner would have been perplexed by how such a death could have occurred.
Without more testing, he couldn’t be certain; but Kevin’s initial assessment was that each victim literally scratched himself to death. Exsanguination would be the term used in his official report, but it would be reported in the media as “bleeding to death.” They scratched themselves with such fierceness and intensity that they severed several major arteries and bled to death.
Kevin was finishing up his preliminary report when his cell phone rang.
“Dr. Mendoza here.”
“What did you find?” asked the voice on the other end.
“Who is this?”
“You know good and well who this is. Now answer my question: How did those boys die?”
Kevin paused, unsure of whether he wanted to reveal his initial findings, especially to this caller.
“I think they all bled to death.”
“Nope. They overdosed on drugs.”
“I beg your pardon. We won’t know from the tox screens that they overdosed for a few more days. But that’s not what ultimately killed them.”
“I think you misunderstood me. I said, ‘They overdosed on drugs.’ And you’re canceling the tox screens. You understand?”
“OK, got it.”
Kevin wasn’t thrilled to go along with this cover-up, but if he was going to be re-elected this fall, complying with his request made sense.
He hung up the phone and began filling out a new form. He slid his old report to the bottom of his clipboard, wanting to investigate on his own for curiosity’s sake. He would present the fake report to the Sheriff’s Department and media, but their deaths were too bizarre to not investigate.
Kevin then wrote a short email to the lab in Boise, canceling the tox screens of the victims’ blood.
The cover-up was almost complete—and then he heard his cousin calling his name down the hall.
“Kevin?! Are you here?” Kelly shouted.
He knew she was working her way down the short hallway, looking for him in each room.
Kevin pulled sheets over two of the victims in his exam room. He shoved his clipboard out of sight and prepared to sell his cousin on the fact that he was leaving the room and should join him in his office.
Their hands both gripped the door knob on opposite sides at the same moment. Kelly let go. The door flew open and she was staring her cousin – Dr. Kevin Mendoza, the county coroner – in the eyes. They were eyes of guilt.
CHAPTER 14
CAL HAD DECIDED TO let Kelly take the lead on this final investigative stop before returning to The Register’s office to face an irritable Guy. Kelly suggested he remain in the vehicle until she convinced her cousin to let them take a look at the bodies. But he was too impatient to wait for Kelly’s signal, which may or may not come. Besides, all those mountain lion rumors made him want to squelch them by seeing the bodies with his own two eyes.
After Kelly disappeared into the coroner’s office, Cal stepped out of the car and headed for the entrance.
He was 30 seconds behind Kelly as he slipped into the building that lacked a secretary or front desk attendant. Cal was just in time to see the door shut before the two disappeared into Kevin’s office. He heard Kelly pleading with her cousin as he slipped past the door in the hall.
“Come on, Kevin. I won’t take any pictures. Just let me look at the bodies.” Kelly’s plea filled the hallways.
“No, Kelly. I’ll release my final report to the sheriff and you can obtain a copy from him.”
Kevin’s stonewall began to irritate Kelly. She paused and then went on the offensive.
“What are you hiding, Doctor Mendoza? I want to know!
“I’m not hiding anything and you aren’t authorized to be in there. Those bodies are evidence in an official law enforcement investigation.”
“Oh, so it was a murder?”
“I never said that. I’m investigating what happened to these boys. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’ve still got a lot of paperwork to get to today before I can go home.”
The doctor was forcing Kelly to take one step into the hallway. In the dimly lit hall Kelly could see Cal out of the corner of her eye standing in front of the door to the examination room. She immediately knew what the daring reporter was up to so she redoubled her efforts to keep Kevin in his office.
“Isn’t there an election coming up soon?” Kelly asked.
Kelly knew how much he loved his job but how much he hated the campaigning portion of it. Kevin usually ran uncontested. But in the last election, Gerald Bachman made life uncomfortable for him. Bachman nearly pulled a stunning upset in a town where a Mendoza had served in the coroner’s position for more than 50 years.
Kevin hesitated but refused to yield to Kelly’s demand. She stepped back into his office and pressed him further.
“It’d be a shame for Bachman to come across a few photos that would give people the wrong idea about what you might do with their dead relatives.”
Kevin froze. He stared at Kelly in horror. In the hall Cal worked feverishly to pick the lock to the exam room.
“I still have pictures from when you and some of your friends got drunk one Saturday night. Remember the night you came up with the brilliant idea to break into the morgue and take pictures of the sheriff’s dead brother with a wig on, among other things”
“Seriously? You’d do that to me?”
“Yeah. You bet I would. Playing dress up with the sheriff’s deceased brother may seem like hours of hilarity when you’re 17. But when you’re 32 and an elected city official, frolicking drunk in the morgue becomes a skeleton in your political closet – especially when the press knows about it.”
Kelly let
that last sentence hang in the air before making her point clear.
“My brother was with that crowd of Einsteins and just so happened to catch it all on his film. One night while rummaging through his keepsakes, I found some of those pictures from your juvenile humor. I kept a few of the snapshots and asked him about it one day. Let’s just say, his recollections are far worse than the photos and would be the least of your concerns.”
Kevin retreated slowly back to his desk. He supposed there was no way to thwart her threat – but he decided he would take his chances with her.
“Look, Kelly. You have no idea the amount of pressure I’m under. But losing an election pales in comparison to being dumped into Cold River Canyon by some goon. So, do what you’ve got to do, but I’m much more afraid for my life than I am from people seeing some embarrassing pictures of my teenage indiscretions printed in the paper.”
Kevin hung his head low and plopped down in this chair He wasn’t giving in to her demands.
***
The man in the F-250 lit a cigarette and took a long drag. He tapped the steering wheel and looked at his watch.
What is taking them so long?
The phone rang. It was the voice.
“Have they left yet?”
“Nope. They’re still inside. What do you want me to do?”
“It seems like Cagney and Lacey need more than a simple scare. You know what to do.”
The man smiled as he scrawled out a threatening note, thinking less about the note and more about the green light to do some damage.
CHAPTER 15
KELLY CONTINUED TO KEEP Kevin occupied with other unimportant matters, making a few more worthless pleas to let her see the bodies. Meanwhile, Cal wasted no time picking the lock to the exam room door. Cal was no thief, but his penchant for losing track of his dorm room keys while he was in college forced him to acquire this skill by studying YouTube videos. The door clicked open. As Cal slipped into the room, the biting smell of formaldehyde and other chemical cleaners overwhelmed him. Cal cringed and fought the urge to cough.
Cal looked at the tag on the body’s toe. It read “Cody Murray.” Not that Cal needed to read it. He had spent plenty of time in one-on-one interviews with Cody during football season – and baseball season, too. His face seemed immune to the disfigurement but his chiseled body was barely recognizable.
Under Your Skin: A Thriller (A Cal Murphy Thriller) Page 4