Cypress Lake

by Graysen Morgen

  Dani changed into a pair of jeans, a tight black t-shirt that accentuated her athletic build, and sneakers. She pushed her ankle pistol into the back of her waistband, pulled the tail of her shirt down over it and slipped her wallet that concealed her badge into one back pocket and her cell phone into the other. Then, she pulled her hair free from the short ponytail it had been in for nearly thirteen hours and quickly brushed the dark brown strands that stopped at the top of her shoulders before tucking it behind her ear on the left side. She tossed a couple of cat treats on top of the food in the dish and grabbed her windbreaker from the coat rack by the door on her way out.

  Dani crossed the street and walked briskly towards the hole in the wall pub called Muddy's, entering from the side door instead of the main entrance. The establishment was only a couple of blocks away and had been in the town for close to forty years.

  "Evening, Chief," the bar owner grinned as she sat on a high backed stool.

  She smiled brightly, removing her jacket and laying it over the back of the stool.

  "How's business, Ernie?" she asked as he pulled the white towel from his shoulder, wiping the bar in front of her. He popped the top on a bottle of light beer and slid it over to her. Dani took a long swallow.

  "Oh, it's not too bad. The warmer weather's starting to bring people out. Can I get you something from the kitchen?" He pulled the pencil from behind his ear and waited to write her order on the pad in his hand.

  Dani stared at the chalkboard behind him that listed the daily specials. "Turkey club and a bowl of vegetable soup."

  "Coming up," he said.

  One of the two TV's over the bar had the national news muted and the other had a college basketball game playing. She sipped her beer, deciding the game looked more appealing.

  Ten minutes later, Ernie pushed an oval plate in front of her with her sandwich on one end and the bowl of soup on the other. He knew better than to offer the salt and pepper. She'd been coming into his pub a couple of nights a week for the better part of six years.

  "Another beer?" he asked, sliding it down to her when she nodded.

  A few of the town people sitting at the bar recognized her and said hello, but most of the time she was left alone and she preferred it that way. The rented lake houses drew a lot of new faces to Cypress Lake for the winter months and then a completely different set for the summer. Occasionally, one of the new people in town would hit on her and she'd politely decline their offer. When she was in the mood, she'd accept the offer and spend the night with a beautiful woman with no strings attached, but that occasion was about as rare as finding a hundred dollar bill in the street.

  Dani alternated bites of the sandwich with spoonfuls of soup as she watched the game on the flat screen. She was three quarters of the way through her two beer limit and contemplated ordering a shot after the day she'd had, but she changed her mind when she noticed the guy on the stool next to her working his way closer.

  Great. She rolled her eyes.

  "Can I buy you another?" he asked, eyeing her like a dog looking at a medium rare piece of steak.

  She smiled brightly. "No, thank you. I'm afraid I've hit my limit for the night."

  "Just one more. It's still early," he tried again.

  She finished the last spoonful of soup in the bowl, smiling thinly and shaking her head no.

  "How about a shot then?"

  Dani had just about had enough of the eager man. She ignored him as she sipped the last of her beer.

  "What's wrong? Your old man won't let you stay out?" he taunted.

  The man on the other side of him laughed loudly.

  "Maybe she doesn't like old farts," the man on the other side of him countered.

  Dani almost choked on her sandwich.

  "Hey, fuck you, man. No one's talking to you," the guy next to her said.

  "I don't blame her. I wouldn't talk to you either. Your breathe smells like a skunk's asshole," the other guy replied.

  Dani set the sandwich down slowly, watching the two men in the reflection on the TV. The guy next to her jumped out of his seat, standing uneasily and lunging for the man next to him as the man tried to stand up on wobbly legs. Dani was out of her seat and between the two men with lightning speed.

  "Break it up!" she shouted, slamming the guy that had been sitting next her, against the bar. The muscles in her arms flexed as she pushed the other guy back in the opposite direction. She pulled her wallet from her back pocket, flipping it open to her badge. "I suggest you sit your asses down, unless you want to go to jail tonight," she yelled.

  Both men put their hands up, shaking their heads no.

  "Ernie, get these guys some coffee," she said, shaking her head and sitting back down.

  "Holy shit," one of the guys huffed, getting back onto his stool.

  "You two messed with the wrong girl," Ernie grinned.

  Dani finished her sandwich and pushed the plate and bowl away. She pulled a twenty dollar bill from her wallet, tossing it on the bar as she stood up.

  "Call me if you hear anymore out of these two tonight." She smiled, waving at Ernie as she exited through the side door.

  She walked back to her apartment, but climbed into her SUV instead of going up the stairs. She pulled out of the parking lot, fueled by temptation as she headed towards the lake. She turned onto Lake Drive, watching the houses go by until she came upon the one that was off limits. The back of the house was lit up and the same blue car from earlier in the day was parked in the driveway.

  Dani fought the urge to stop as she slowed the truck to a crawl. Her mind was playing sinful pranks, making her remember making love to Kirsten when they were barely old enough to drive cars. She would never stop wanting the woman inside of that house, but the anger bubbling at the surface deterred her thoughts. She pressed the gas and sped off.

  They had been forced to go their separate ways and were now two totally different people. Their lives had intertwined overnight because of the homicide case and that case was Dani's top priority. She chided herself for even thinking about Kristen. Her heart had been torn to pieces twelve years ago and she wasn't about to let it happen again.

  *

  Kristen was closing the windows in the back of the house when she heard a car speed away for the second time that night. She thought about calling the police, but that only made her think of Dani. She was still trying to digest the image of the sexy deputy at her door, who turned out to be the last person on earth she ever thought she'd see in a uniform and the one person she had tried to avoid since arriving in Cypress Lake.

  She smiled, remembering their childhood together. They'd been inseparable from the time they were five years old, playing kid games. They spent their childhood through their teenage years, swimming and fishing in the lake, and trading stories about what they wanted to be when they grew up. So much had changed since she'd left town. The differences in her and Dani's personalities were like day and night. She had no idea who the woman in the uniform was. One thing was certain, Dani wasn't going to let the past go. The passion in Dani's green eyes used to stir her, but the anger she'd seen in them earlier had startled her.

  Thinking about Dani and her uniform brought her back to reality. She'd been at the door because of the dead body in the water. Kristen shivered, recalling the grotesque images of the man's chewed up face and the jagged cut on his neck.

  Chapter 5

  Dani was floating on her back in the lake under the hot sun. She felt a hand on her face and smiled, opening her eyes to see the face of her skinny orange cat, who was standing on her chest with his paw on her cheek, sniffing her face. She flung him off her and sat up, rubbing the effects of the dream from her face. The alarm on the nightstand buzzed loudly. Shaking her head, she turned it off and stepped into the shower.

  A few minutes later, she was dressed in her uniform and heading out the door with bottle of water, an apple, and a banana in her hand. The cat meowed and jumped up on the kitchen table against the wa
ll by the door. She juggled her hands, trying to open the door as she grabbed her keys from the table.

  "Oh, no you don't. I've just about had it with you ruining my dreams, cat. You're not my alarm clock. Get your own snacks," she growled, walking out the door.

  *

  Dani pulled her SUV off the road and slightly into the grass in front of the white house. She threw it into park and climbed out, adjusting her utility belt as she walked up the driveway. She pulled the screen back and knocked hard on the front door as she removed her sunglasses and turned the volume down on the radio attached to her belt.

  A minute later, the lock clicked and the door swung open.

  *

  Kristen was standing in the kitchen about to cut open a grapefruit when she heard the screen squeak on the front door. The loud tapping that followed made her drop the knife she was holding into the sink. She wiped her hands on the dishtowel and walked through the living room to look through the peep hole.

  "Here we go again," she sighed, pulling the door open when she saw the familiar face.

  "I'm sorry to bother you. I just wanted to check on you again. I saw the sheriff's office ride by last night. I'm glad they're checking on you too. Did they find out anything yet?"

  "I'm fine, Mrs. Cranston. Thank you for checking on me and no, I haven't heard anything from the police. I'm not even sure if I will," Kristen said to her nosy old neighbor.

  The woman had driven her family nuts for years, complaining constantly about every renter that had rented their house over the years. She had been on Kristen's doorstep wanting to know what was going on as soon as the last police car had left the day before. Kristen simply told her that someone had drown and washed ashore on her property. There was no need to tell her that the man had been murdered.

  "It's a shame about that young man. I'll pray for his family at church tonight," the old woman said.

  "That's a good thing to do, Mrs. Cranston." Kristen forced a smile.

  "Did you tell your parents? Oh…" She shook her head. "I bet your mother is just torn up about all of this."

  You old twit, maybe you'll be next. Kristen faked a grin. "I called them last night. They were sorry to hear about it, but unfortunately, people drown in the lake every year. He was probably drunk and fell out of his fishing boat."

  Kristen's cell phone rang before the nosy neighbor could speak.

  "I'd better get that. It could be the sheriff's office. Have a good day, Mrs. Cranston," Kristen said, closing the door.

  She pushed the button to send the call to her voicemail box as she picked the knife up out of the sink and sliced through the grapefruit.

  *

  "Dani Ricketts? Is that you behind that strapping uniform?" the older woman said, opening her screen door.

  "Yes, ma'am. I'm here on official Sheriff's Office business, Mrs. Davis," Dani replied.

  "Come in," she said, holding the door open.

  Dani stepped inside. The single story, crème colored house, had dark wood floors with colorful throw rugs under the tables and in front of the floral printed couch and love seat. An old, worn leather recliner sat in the corner near the TV. Various family photos in mismatched frames adorned the walls of the living room.

  "Would you like some coffee?" Mrs. Davis asked.

  "No, thanks. When's the last time you or your husband saw Paul?"

  "What's he done now?" Mr. Davis questioned as he walked into the room. "That boy isn't worth the sense God gave him," he finished, shaking his head.

  Dani cleared her throat. "He was found dead yesterday. I'm sorry."

  "Oh my God!" Mrs. Davis put her hand on her chest.

  "He overdosed on those damn drugs didn't he?" Mr. Davis shook his head and wrapped his arms around his wife.

  "No. Well, the toxicology results won't be back for another week and a half, so we're not sure if there were drugs in his system, but his death was ruled a homicide."

  "What?" Mrs. Davis asked, turning back towards Dani, wiping the tears from her face.

  "He was killed by someone."

  "What…how? By who?" Mr. Davis questioned.

  "At this point, Mr. Davis, all we know is someone…" she paused, wondering how much she should tell them. "He was in some kind of altercation and it resulted in his death. We're not sure of the exact details. It's still very early in the investigation."

  "One of those damn drugs dealers probably shot him," Mr. Davis said, shaking his head.

  "He wasn't shot, actually. His…someone…" she sighed. Dani loathed this part of her job. "His throat was cut," she finally said.

  "Oh lord," Mrs. Davis put her hand over her mouth in shock.

  "I'm very sorry," Dani murmured.

  "Chief, I know he wasn't the best citizen of this town, but he was my boy and he didn't deserve to die like that. I know he made a lot of enemies, but I hope you'll do everything you can to find the person that did this to him."

  "Yes, sir, Mr. Davis. We're working on it as we speak. Keeping crime off the streets of Cypress Lake is our top priority. If you don't mind, I'd like to ask you a few questions that may help us with our investigation."

  "Sure. We haven't seen him much, but I'll try to answer anything I can."

  "You've mentioned drugs a few times. What do you know about Paul's drug use?"

  "The last time we saw him he was strung out on something and asking for money. I know he was on and off the streets for the last few years. We'd give him money to clean himself up and he'd disappear for the better part of a year before coming back for more. This last time…" he stopped, looking at his wife. "He was here about two months ago and I told him that was the last time I ever wanted to see him again. He swore he was clean, but I knew what he looked like when he was high or needed a fix and that's exactly how he looked."

  "Do you know where he was getting the drugs? Was he hanging around anyone?"

  "He worked with Roger Fillmore from time to time at his lawn service. They'd been friends since middle school. I caught them getting high together in our garage when they were in school. I think that's about the time it all started for Paul."

  Dani made a few notes on the pad from her pocket.

  "I remember Paul mentioning something about going to the city with Roger when he was here."

  "Good," Dani nodded, writing more notes. "If you can think of anything else, please call me," she said, scribbling her cell number on her business card and handing it to him.

  "I guess we need to call the funeral home."

  "Can I talk to you outside, Mr. Davis?" Dani asked.

  "Sure," he said, stepping out behind her and closing the door.

  "Are you planning to have him cremated?" she asked.

  "No. We have family plots in the cemetery. Why?"

  "You'll need to have a closed casket," she paused. "Paul's body was found in the lake and human flesh doesn't hold up well to elements in the water."

  He sighed. "I understand."

  "His body is at the hospital. You will just need to authorize the funeral home to pick it up and Dr. Harper will release it."

  "Okay."

  Dani shook his hand and slid her sunglasses on as she walked to her SUV. She tore open her banana as she drove across the small town towards the lake and the house that she had no desire to go back to. Modest sized houses passed the window one by one as she rode down the large road that circled the lake. She pulled up in front of the house with the blue car in the driveway as she swallowed the last bite of banana.

  "Damn," she muttered, looking for a place to put the peel. Shrugging, she tossed it over her computer and into the passenger floorboard.

  *

  Kristen was scanning the internet on her laptop when knocking on the front door grabbed her attention. She looked at the clock on the wall. It was close to lunchtime and she figured her nosy neighbor was back again.

  "This woman's going to drive me insane," she whispered, pulling the door open. "I'm fine. You don't need to check on me every coupl
e of hours," Kristen said, not realizing who was at the door.

  Dani pulled the screen open. "I'm not here checking on you. I need to ask you some more questions."

  "Come in," Kristen huffed. "I thought you were Mrs. Cranston. That woman drives me nuts."

  "They still live next door?" Dani raised an eyebrow.

  "Yep."

  Dani watched her as Kristen walked across the room and pushed the laptop on the dining table closed. Her feet were bare and she was dressed in short jean shorts that drew Dani's eyes to her tan legs, and a white tank top that stretched across her round breasts, accentuating her lithe figure. Her hair was haphazardly pulled up off her shoulders in a clip with a few loose strands hanging down here and there and tousled bangs laying lazily on the side of her forehead. She looked somewhat disheveled, yet right at home, and sexy as hell. Dani peeled her eyes away, chiding herself for letting her vulnerability slip as she rested her hands on her utility belt.

  "Do you have any new information?" Kristen asked, walking back to the living room.

  She was still surprised at the woman Dani had grown into. Kristen avoided her alluring green eyes at all costs, but the uniform Dani wore fit her snugly, highlighting the muscles of her athletic body. Kristen felt the butterflies flutter low in her belly with temptation. It had always been difficult for her to control her attraction to Dani when they were younger, but the woman standing in front of her with the devilish good looks and sinful grin nearly sent her over the edge. She turned around and walked into the kitchen, contemplating sticking her head in the freezer to cool off.

  "I know the identity of the man you found," Dani said, peering around the room.

  "Oh really? Who was it?" Kristen asked, pouring a glass of ice water.

  "I thought you were packing?" Dani countered.

  "Not at the moment," Kristen answered.

  Dani nodded.