by C. C. Wall
“You mean they hooked up?” Dyer asked.
“Something like that.” Eric said. “I went into Jen’s room to try to calm her down. She was crying into her pillow and I was just rubbing her back and then, I don’t know how much time went by, but, I heard screaming and a crashing sound.”
“Not romantic or sexual screams?” Dyer asked.
Eric looked at him like he was some creepy pervert. “No. It was like something bad had happened.” He sat up straighter as to somehow keep on his guard from horribly awkward questions like that if they were to come up again. “I ran in the room and it was dark. I saw Bekka fly across my face. Jason went down like he was going to finish her off or something and then I jumped on his back. He flung me and that’s the last thing I remember.”
“That’s it?” Dyer asked. “Jason Harker did this to both of you?”
“Yeah,” Eric said. “Bekka will deny it though.”
“And where’s Jen then?” Dyer asked.
“When I woke up she was gone. None of us have been able to get ahold of her since.” Eric said. “Jason took her. I know he did.” Eric gave Dyer a look as if he needed him to come closer. He then mouthed the words, “Bekka will deny it.”
It took Dyer a second or two before he figured out what Eric meant. He nodded letting Eric know that he understood. “Well, on the bright side, Elizabeth looks like she is coming around. While you’re here you should show her your support.”
“Elizabeth?” Eric hesitated. “We don’t really know each other.”
Dyer smiled at him. “A pretty girl like that? I don’t think she has had many visitors besides her folks. Trust me, she will remember those who stood by her while she was here.”
Eric thought about what he said and then cracked a slight grin. “Thanks.”
“Don’t mention it,” Dyer said. “If your mom comes by…”
“I’ll tell her you’re looking for her.” Eric said.
“Not me,” Dyer insisted, “the sheriff.” Dyer left the room looking for Bekka.
He felt he did the right thing by planting the seed of Elizabeth in Eric’s mind. Dyer knew Jason. He knew that he was the ‘it’ guy in town. He was the frontman of a band that had a shot of getting out the small town and into the big city. All the girls liked him. He came from a good upstanding family. He was everything a girl in Black Star Canyon would want.
Now Jen, was a young, impressionable girl. She was at the show at Cook’s. Dyer told Sue that he would keep an eye on Eric for her. While he was doing that, he saw how Jen was keeping her eyes on Jason while he was on stage singing. He knew the score. If Jason snapped his fingers, he was sure Jen would come running. He thought if anything, Jason had too much to drink, Bekka had an attitude with him, one thing led to another and Jen probably took him out of the house for fear that he would get in trouble. Plus, a guy like Jason after the night he had, could probably use some company. In the back of his mind, he was giving Jason props for bagging sisters in the same night but knew that was a little out of line.
Dyer knocked on Bekka’s door even though it was open and she could see him. “Are you ready to talk now?” he asked.
“Yeah,” she said. “Whatever.”
“Okay, that’s at least a place to start.” He got his pen ready to write down the information that she was about to give him.
“Look,” she said. “I know Eric probably told you Jason did this. But it wasn’t him.”
“Who was it then?” he asked.
“It was dark, I just got up to go to the bathroom, and when I came back in, it was like someone else was there with us. At first I thought it was Dakota. He has been pissed off at me for the last couple days and he is jealous enough to kill anyone that I slept…” Bekka stopped herself realizing that she just outed herself cheating on Dakota. “He would’ve been mad if he were there, that’s all.”
“So if that was Dakota, where did Jason go?” he asked.
“That’s the thing though. It was dark but I could sort of see through the moonlight coming in the window and that thing, wasn’t Jason. I don’t think it could’ve even been Dakota. Whoever that was had the most horrific face. I don’t know if I will ever be able to forget it.” Tears started again.
“Do you think whoever that was took your sister?” he asked.
“Seriously, that little prude might just be at one of her friends houses,” she said. She looked at Dyer as sensual as she could and said, “she doesn’t like to hear me when I fuck.”
Dyer swallowed hard, “Alrighty then. I think I got everything I need here.”
“Fabulous.” Bekka said sarcastically.
As Dyer was heading out the door he stopped and turned around. “One thing though, I went by your house to check on things and I couldn’t find your parents. Were they home last night?”
Bekka stood up in a panic. “You what?”
“Where are your parents?” he said.
“Did you look in the living room? In front of the TV?” Bekka was about to hyperventilate. “Did you check there?”
Dyer was confused. “Bekka I went through your entire house. No one was home.”
“Oh my God.” Bekka’s heart felt like it was going to explode from her chest and at the same time her stomach dropped like she just went down a huge drop unexpectedly. “I think I’m going to be sick.”
“Let me get someone,” Dyer said.
Just then, Bekka vomited all over the floor. “Oh my God!” Bekka screamed.
“I’ll get the nurse,” Dyer said as he ran out the door to the nurses station. “Janet! Come quick! Something is wrong with Bekka.” The two ran in the room to find the vomit on the floor but no Bekka.
6 - The Red Room
A black gloved hand, picked up a red phone. “You may begin,” said a deep, dark voice.
Very quietly, the voice from the other end of the phone, slipped into the air. “And if I do this, I will get what I want?”
The dark voice said, “She will notice you. In fact, I believe that you will have her undivided attention.” The black gloved hand, hung up the phone.
On the other side of the room, Hoodie walked out of a dark corner and smiled at the man with the black gloves.
7 - The Harkers
There wasn’t much more ‘long way’ left for Reagan to get the Harker’s home. He was afraid of what was going to be going on once he got there. This has been something that has been an uncomfortable subject for years and years for Reagan. That is why on Friday’s, Tom would come to the station for drinks. Reagan just doesn’t like going to Harker’s home.
He didn’t want to reek of booze when he got there, so he made that trip a dry one. That was a decision that he had been second guessing the whole way there. He figured that Tom needed him and that was a noble enough reason to not get hammered before getting behind the wheel.
When he turned down their street, he was shocked by how little it had changed over the years. Not that many things in Black Star Canyon change, but it didn’t even seem that the trees have grown at all over the years that he deliberately avoided their street. Once he got the their house, he noticed that it didn’t look any different either. It was just as it was the last time he saw it he thought. It was then that Reagan changed his mind about taking his truck into the station that day. He wished that he was in the cruiser. That would make the visit feel more like work.
Only a few seconds went by from the time that he knocked on the front door, until the time that the door opened to reveal Joan Harker standing there in a modest sun dress. She looked as though she had been crying. Her eyes were very puffy, but Reagan noticed how crystal blue they were.
“Wayne,” she said. “I’m so glad you’re here. Tom is beside himself.” She opened the door and stood aside to let him in.
“How are you holding up?” he asked.
“I’m fine,” she said. “Well, as fine as I can be.”
They stood there in silence for a moment.
“You cut your h
air,” Reagan said.
Her once long black hair was now extremely short.
She stared into Reagan’s old, tired eyes. She cracked a slight grin. “It’s been this way for at least a couple years now.”
“Has it now?” he said. “It has been awhile.” He broke the stare and looked around their house, hoping that Tom would walk around the corner any second and save him from humiliating himself anymore than he already has. “So, where is he?”
“He’s in the basement,” she said. “Do you remember how to get there?” Her tone was almost a slap to his face.
“I can figure it out,” he said. He walked away from her and passed through the Harker’s proof of a happy life; family pictures, nice things, a clean house. He turned down the hallway and found the door to the basement right where he last left it.
Reagan walked down the stairs and saw something that he never wanted to see. He saw his good friend Tom sitting there, on a milk crate, crying into his hands quietly. He knew that one day he probably would see Tom like this, but he thought for sure it would be for a completely different reason.
“Tom?” Reagan said.
Tom turned his head up slowly in disbelief to the sound of the voice. “Reagan?” Tom said. “Crap. What are you doing here?”
“I called earlier to ask you some questions and Joan asked if I could just come see you. She thought you needed the company.” Reagan answered.
“Smart lady,” Tom said with a chuckle. He wiped his eyes clean as quickly as he could. “I need your help.”
“That’s what I’m here for,” Reagan said.
“I can’t find Jason. He isn’t returning calls or texts. Nothing.” Tom stood up in an attempt to compose himself. “I heard that someone was trying to shoot him, you know, when Lukas killed that girl. Do you know if that’s true?”
Reagan let out a deep sigh. “Where did you hear that?”
“I saw it on Jack’s new blog,” Tom said. “He sent me an email this morning.”
“First things first, Tom,” he looked around. “Do you have anything to drink down here?”
Tom nodded and grabbed a couple beers out of a refrigerator that was near the washer and dryer. He opened both of them and handed one to Reagan.
Reagan took a big swig and then sat down on the milk crate, careful not to break it or fall through or off of it. “As of right now, I don’t have enough evidence to say that someone was there to try to kill Jason. What I do have however is a strange story about what Jason did after he left Cook’s last night.”
Tom face turned to a joyous panic. “He made it out of there? Have you talked to him? Where is he? Is he all right?”
“Calm down Tom,” Reagan said, “I’m getting to all that.” He took a sip of beer. “We have two people injured. One of them saying that Jason attacked the both of them, and the other saying that it probably wasn’t him that attacked them.”
Tom was in disbelief. “What are you talking about?”
“Wait. There’s more,” Reagan said. “One of them also thinks that he kidnapped this girl Jen. She’s dating Sue’s boy. My deputy however, who is running the case, thinks that Jason and Jen, just ran off together for a bit. I know you and Joan are worried sick, but Tom, you have to let this play out a little more.”
“Play out?” Tom was getting agitated.
“It hasn’t even been twenty-four hours yet Tom. He isn’t technically missing yet. But, because of his name coming up in those attacks, we have an all points bulletin out on him. If anyone sees him, they will pick him up and bring him into the station.”
“You know Jason,” Tom said. “I’m sure he didn’t attack a couple people.”
“I agree with you. I don’t think he did that either, but if I take his name off the list as a suspect, I can’t have my men out looking for him until he has been missing for forty-eight hours.”
Tom understood what Reagan was getting at. “Just do what you have to do. I have a really bad feeling in my gut.”
Reagan finished the beer and stood up. “I’ll let you know anything I hear.” He headed towards the stairs and then remembered why he wanted to talk to Tom in the first place. “So you fired that Jack Hart, right?”
“Sure did,” Tom answered.
“Do you have a current address for him?”
8 - Tying the Perfect Tie
Tying the perfect tie was never one of Eugene Wellington’s strong suits. In fact, as much as he loathed his wife Morgan, she could tie some of the best ties that Eugene has ever seen, complete with perfect dimples. The issue of the day was that he had somewhere to be, and Morgan was nowhere to be found. This left Eugene to his own devices as it came to tying his tie.
He stood in front of the mirror in the foyer of the house while he fiddled about trying to make his tie look perfect. At that point, he would have settled for just not looking homeless. His face was getting red. Beads of sweat appeared on his forehead. In his mouth, he tightly clinched a cigar between his teeth. As his teeth would grind, the cigar would stand almost fully erect. Grunts and mumbles spilled out of his mouth as his anger was about to reach an uncontrollable level.
“Why do I smell cigar smoke?” Morgan yelled from across the house.
Eugene smiled. “Morgan! My lovely wife! I’m so glad you are home, my sweet.”
“Put it out, Eugene!” She said as she stormed across the marble floor in her high heel shoes, almost spilling her glass of wine.
“As you wish my dear,” Eugene said. He then dropped his cigar into her wine glass. “Now help me with this tie.”
Morgan was ready to explode. She put her glass down and took a deep breath. “Fine. I just can’t believe after all I have done…”
Eugene stopped her in her tracks. “You got your hair done, your nails look nice, the sound from those shoes aren’t familiar to me, so I’m guessing those are new as well.” he turned from the mirror and closely examined her face. “And it seems that you have had a facial.”
Morgan was dumbfounded. She stumbled through the beginnings of a couple different sentences, none seemed to want to come out.
“Unbelievable,” Eugene said, “I finally found the way to silence the great beast.”
Morgan was blushing, trying not to smile, all the while trying to make sure that water that was filling up in her eyes wouldn’t run out and ruin her make-up. She immediately started working on his tie.
Eugene noticed that this might be a good opportunity to gain some points on the home front. “Morgan, you need to know that out of all of my possessions, I am the most proud and highly critical of you. You are an extension of myself.”
The tie was almost done and it was looking great.
“This is why you are so crucial to this next step in our lives. So to answer a question that is swimming around your sweet little head like a drunk goldfish, I always notice when you do anything to yourself. I notice when you have on new things. I even notice when you have a bit of pep in your step after a day at the spa.”
Her lips quivered. She was having a harder time holding back the tears. “Why have you never said anything then, after all these years?”
“I figured if you knew I noticed, then you would quit trying.”
The tie was finished and as exquisite as ever. “Thank you so much my darling, but now I must be off. I need to start planting the seeds in the city counsel that Jonathan is on the way out, and I’m on the way in. I just need good ‘ol Jonny boy to screw up somehow really big. Or at least a good frame job.” As Eugene said that , he realized that idea was new, and shouldn’t have been. That should have been his go to plan from the start. “I’m full of great ideas.” He spun around and walked to the door. “And if I have to buy every seat on that Goddamn city counsel, so be it.”
The door slammed and he was gone.
Morgan kept it together long enough to hear his car start and then wailed out a moan and cry of disappointment, joy, pain, disgust and many other emotions that were flooding her poor mind and he
art. She fell on the floor, tears pouring out of her eyes, causing tiny mudslides down the caked on make-up that hid the pain from her face. All the many colors ran together as she lay there on her back, staring up at their giant crystal chandelier. She screamed out as loud as she could, shaking her hands and feet as she did so. She screamed so loud that she was afraid that the crystals on the chandelier would start shaking. Once they didn’t do that, Morgan got even more upset and then screamed louder and louder, and longer and longer, trying to make that damn chandelier move, sway, shatter or come crashing down on top of her.
9 - The Hallway
Sue’s knuckles were getting sore as she kept knocking loudly on Lukas’s apartment door. She thought for sure that he would need her that day and she knew for a fact that she needed him.
“Lukas!” Sue yelled, “Open the door! I know your in there!”
The door behind her opened.
“Are you sure about that?” said a voice from behind her. “He might be out finding other kids to shoot in the head.” It was a woman who looked to be about Sue’s age. In fact she looked a lot like Sue, only if Sue had taken a couple more wrong turns in life.
“Screw off,” Sue said. “I’m with the Sheriff’s Station.”
“Yeah, well keep your gun in your coat please, I have a date later and the last thing I need is another hole in my head,” the woman said.
“You wouldn’t want to confuse your date,” Sue said smugly. “Now shut the fucking door and mind your own business.”
Sue went back to knocking. The slam of the door behind her startled her a bit but knew that she should have expected it.
“Lukas! Open the door!”
“Well, at least I found one of you,” Dyer said as he turned the corner into the hallway. “Are you okay? I thought you would be with Eric.”