Visions of Evil

by J. E. Neiman

  Allie smiled at Westcott. "Sorry if I startled you. We're identical twins."

  "I knew you were sisters. But you two are the same, except . . ." Westcott appeared flustered.

  "Except Maddie's in a wheelchair," Allie said, reaching out to shake his hand. "It's okay, you can say it."

  Westcott composed himself. "Why don't you two take a look at the equipment?" He pointed toward the garage twenty feet away. "Two agents are finishing the final touches."

  "I'd like to see my sister first," Allie said. "I'll be right back."

  "No problem," Westcott forced a smile. "I made a fresh pot of coffee."

  Rita climbed the ramp to the front patio of the house. "Allie, follow me." Without waiting for an answer, she unlocked the heavy wooden front door. "Hey Maddie, we're here."

  The two women walked into the entrance hall. The house smelled of lemon oil and coffee. Morning rays of sunlight streamed into the room illuminating two three-foot tall, dark-maroon colored vases, one on each side of the narrow foyer. Reeds, bamboo and branches shot out of the top of each container, nearly reaching the nine-foot ceiling. It reminded Allie of a cemetery vault she'd visited years ago in Egypt where the statues of two mythical dogs, Anput and Anubis, stood guard on each side of the entrance.

  "Maddie?" Allie's voice resonated in her head. She felt a tingling at the base of her neck. "Maddie?"

  Rita pulled her revolver from her holster and pivoted in all directions. "Maddie?"

  Silence.

  Rita whispered. "Get Westcott, I'll find her." She held her left arm out to stop Allie. "Go."

  A vivid image flashed before Allie. An animal with a hulking black head stood behind her sister . . . a cliff . . . a gnarled tree . . . Maddie struggling. Pearl floated over Maddie. The vision faded into the present. She ran toward the front door. "Detective Westcott. Dan. Help."

  Agent Rita Martinez rushed back into the safe house when she heard Allie tumble to the floor. She checked Allie's pulse, placing two fingers on a carotid artery. Fifteen seconds—thirty-three beats. She opened the front door and nearly ran into Dan. "Allie's down. Pulse one-thirty."

  Dan took off his navy-blue blazer and placed it under Allie's head. "What happened?"

  "She collapsed. I've called the paramedics." Rita knelt and touched Allie's forehead. "Anything happen like this before?"

  "In Phoenix. That's the only time I'm aware of." Dan glanced around. "Where's Maddie?"

  The front door swung open. Westcott marched inside, gasping for air. "Emergency vehicles are coming." He moved around them. "We found Maddie. She nearly fell off the edge of the cliff in the backyard. Dan, stay with Allie. Rita, come with me. Maddie may need your help."

  Allie uttered a soft moan. Sirens wailed in the distance.

  Chapter 53

  Sedona, Arizona

  Jake maneuvered the old van down Oak Creek Canyon's two-lane road which consisted mainly of switchbacks, twists and turns. He laughed at slow moving cars that contained matched pairs traveling together. The men sat in front where they could see everything, while the women were placed in back with one-dimensional side views of red-dirt stained guardrails and roadside trash.

  “Hey, old farts,” he yelled as he passed a car. “Get off the road.”

  The driver drove as if it were his last scenic route. Could be, Jake surmised, as the "gray-hairs" are probably on their final page of life and into the fine print.

  As he entered Uptown Sedona, he rolled down his window to watch the milling tourists staring at the silver jewelry, red dirt shirts and the usual junk sold in vacation spots. He'd been here once before, and things looked nearly the same. Earlier, he'd noticed the large formation called Steamboat Rock that loomed to the right of the town, then to the left where Snoopy lay on his back on a mountaintop, ignoring the human ants below.

  He crossed the new bridge over Oak Creek on Highway 179, through road construction barriers and vehicles. The Tlaquepaque shopping complex to his right was a mini copy of an artist's community near Guadalajara, Mexico. As he passed, the wind came up and the leaves of the large oak trees along the water’s edge glimmered in the rising sun.

  Jake remembered a moderate priced motel in this area of town. He found it, parked in front and smiled at the new paint job on the building, a vibrant shade of purple. As Jake entered the lobby, a desk clerk quickly put his feet down from the counter. "Hey. Got a room?" Jake asked.

  "Yes sir. How many in your party?"

  "One . . . for now." Jake winked at the bespectacled man and tapped his fingers on the counter. "Anything on the second floor facing the road?"

  The skinny clerk clicked on the computer keys in front of him. "Have a king. Seventy-nine a night."

  "Perfect. Hang onto it. Need to get my wallet from the car."

  Jake grabbed one of the credit cards from the floorboard where he'd tossed them. He jogged back into the motel and read the name on the card.

  "Here you go," Jake said. "Use this one. It should have enough room for a couple of nights."

  The clerk studied the card then swiped it through a machine.

  Jake turned and glanced at the small lobby full of wine colored couches and chairs. In one corner, a ten-foot tall Indian chief carved out of red wood stood as if it guarded the place, maybe the town. The dark eyes of the statue seemed to stare right through him. A shiver went up his spine. He turned away and muttered, “Shit. Am I turning into a girlie-man?”

  "Okay, Mr. Cruz. Here's your passkey and a map of the motel. Let us know if you need anything." The clerk pushed away from the counter, placed his hands behind his head and threw his legs back upon the desk.

  Jake turned, glanced at the Indian chief and started out the door. “What’s the deal with Geronimo over there?”

  “Owner likes the chief and people get their photos taken in front of him.”

  Jake shook his head and laughed. “Damn thing gives me the willies." He scratched at the stubble on his face. “Where can I get a piece of ass tonight?”

  The man’s face reddened. "Uh . . . Sedona doesn't have much night life, but the Byway Bar & Grill in West Sedona, is a stomping place for locals and Harley riders.”

  Jake strolled out into the early morning air that smelled clean with a hint of pine and juniper. He drove around to the back of the structure and almost ran into a pack of Javelinas. “What the hell?”

  All but one of the pig-like animals ran up the side of an embankment and disappeared. The one remaining turned, snorted and lowered his tusks in Jake’s direction.

  “Okay, I get it. You’re king of this parking lot.” He honked his horn and pounded the side of the van through the open window. “Scram, you ugly beast."

  The one-hundred pound creature didn't move. Jake muttered under his breath, “If this is a warning, Allie my love, it’s not working.” He put the car in gear, maneuvered around the animal and pulled into his designated parking space.

  As he climbed the stairs to the second floor, he got a whiff of his body odor. He thought he probably smelled worse than the animals he had just seen. The clothes he wore were going in the trash, and he would put on the new duds he’d purchased in Denver. “Tonight I need to prowl and have some fun.”

  As he opened his motel room door, he turned and stared across the highway and Oak Creek. “Allie, I'm very close.”

  Chapter 54

  1875-Georgetown, Colorado Territory

  Levi grabbed the loaded rifle from me and hurried outside.

  Lulu and I managed to get Sonny to his feet. We guided him to the sofa. Lulu tore off his shredded shirt while I held the lantern to shed light on his wounds. He cried out like an injured pup. Unrecognizable words were mixed in with his wailing.

  "You's ain't hurt bad, Sonny," Lulu said, over the ruckus. "Just some deep scratches. Settle down."

  I ran upstairs and brought back left over hot water from the kitchen stove. When I returned, I asked, "Sonny, what happened?"

  Lulu held him still while I placed so
apy warm rags on his back. He yelled like a wild man.

  A loud bang from outside caused all of us to jump. Then another gunshot whizzed behind the store. I bolted from the floor in front of the couch to get a gun to help Levi.

  "Sonny," Lulu demanded, "tell me what it was. What's Levi shootin' at?"

  Sonny jabbered. We still couldn't make out what he was saying.

  The door flew open and Levi rushed inside gasping for air. "Thank God, there's a full moon," he yelled. "I think I hit it." He placed the gun on the counter near the front door and hurried over to us. "Probably a cougar. It took off into the woods." He stooped down and peered into Sonny's eyes. "Sonny, it's okay now. Let me take a look."

  Our patient stopped crying but shook with sobs. "Big cat. Big," he said.

  "Yes, you're right. Very big." For the second time in one day, Levi used his medical training. He cleaned Sonny's wounds and covered his back with bandages then looked at Lulu. "Give him a shot of whiskey before he goes to bed."

  Now Sonny had the hiccups. Lulu guided him to the stairs. "Get you's some medicine, that's what." She pulled Sonny along. "Hush boy. Watch your step."

  When mother and son were gone, Levi folded me in his arms and kissed me. I cried out in pain.

  "I'm sorry. I forgot. Let me check." He pulled me near the lantern and touched my lips. "Looks okay." He hesitated. "Pearl, I'm praying that cougar didn't have rabies."

  I shuddered at the thought. "How can we tell?"

  "Hopefully, we can find the cat's body tomorrow. I may be able to rule it out by looking at the animal. But if not, we'll just have to wait and see how Sonny fares."

  "Could you stay tonight? Just in case . . . Sonny wakes up screaming or─"

  "Of course," he said, grinning. "I'd love to." He kissed my forehead. "I'll sleep on the sofa."

  My gaze traveled to his Adam's apple, then to his chiseled jaw, sensuous lips and dark eyes. But it was his voice that I liked the most. When he talked to me, I felt like the most important person in the world.

  Levi snuggled behind me on the old couch, wrapping his lean body around me. He stroked my hair. Then his lips brushed my cheek and the curve of one ear. Tender. Soft. I arched my back against him. My nipples tingled, and my whole body came alive. His breathing became irregular. He swiveled himself to a sitting position and pulled me up with him.

  "Something wrong?" I asked.

  "I need to talk to you."

  Levi began sharing his dreams of our future together. He told me that a Father Dyer had asked him to move to Breckenridge, across the Continental Divide. "They need a doctor for that area."

  "But you didn't finish medical school," I said.

  "No, but I can deliver babies, set broken bones, and sew up lips." He kissed my forehead and chuckled. "Months ago, I wrote the University of Maryland, my Alma Mater, and received papers to begin a formal apprenticeship. I have to write monthly reports for two years and voĩla! I'm a doctor."

  "That's wonderful for you but . . . I don't want to leave Lulu, Sonny or the store."

  "It'll all work out, trust me," Levi said, a bit condescending. He went on to tell me about John Dyer, who at the age of forty-nine left Minnesota and traveled west. He became a Methodist minister and was assigned to Colorado's high-country mining camps.

  I tried to process the information.

  "Dyer's an amazing person," Levi said. "He travels the dangerous terrain by horse or mule when conditions permit, but when they don't he continues on foot." Levi stretched one arm. "But the incredible thing is that he made a pair of eleven-foot "snowshoes" that allows him to travel in the winter. Three times a week he delivers the mail and the word of God. Nothing stops him."

  "But you call him Father. That's Catholic."

  "He's Methodist. But folks have nicknamed him Father Dyer."

  "Breckenridge. I haven't heard of it." Deep inside, the name frightened me.

  "I know it will be a big change for both of us, but Father Dyer's going to build a church in Breckenridge and I'm honored he asked me to be the doctor there."

  "I don't know what to say, Levi."

  "Don't worry. We'll be happy there. You'll be the most loved wife, ever." He kissed my cheek and yawned. "Darling, go to sleep."

  It wasn't long before he started to snore. I slipped out of his arms and paced the floor. I loved Levi and didn’t want to discourage his dreams. I didn't know what to do.

  * * *

  Levi and I went outside together at dawn to hear flocks of meadowlarks singing. The sun rose over the foothills. Mosquitoes buzzed around our heads. We swatted at them and hurried to get away from the swarm.

  We found a blood trail near the water well and tracked the cougar's final steps. His body, at least seven-feet long from his nose to the end of his tail, lay sprawled in bushes near a grove of aspen trees. He'd tried to hide before he died. Patches of his tawny-colored fur were pink from blood. Levi estimated the cat weighed over a hundred pounds.

  I glanced around. "Could another one be nearby?"

  "Naw. They're usually solitary animals." He picked up the cat's long black-tipped tail. "Wait until Sonny sees what attacked him," Levi said.

  "I don't know if that's wise. He may never go outside again."

  Levi took a twig and prodded inside the dead cat's mouth. "No frothing, so maybe it didn't have rabies." He threw the stick into the trees and wiped his hands against his jeans. "But I'm surprised the coyotes didn't get to him."

  As if on cue, a series of piercing yips and several long howls startled us. We spun around to witness a pack of coyotes. They'd positioned themselves between us, and the back of our building. The hair around their necks bristled. They growled, with their mouths drooling.

  "Shit," Levi whispered.

  Chapter 55

  Sedona, Arizona

  Maddie rolled her manual wheelchair into the waiting area of the emergency room while Dan parked the SUV. Agent Westcott, who stood next to the check-in counter, spoke to someone behind a glass window. A door opened and Westcott pointed toward a mint-green curtained room in the corner. Maddie peeked inside and heard a doctor speaking to her sister.

  “Vertigo can result from inflammation of the vestibular nerves. Another common cause is a posttraumatic condition involving the inner ear. In addition to the blood tests, I've ordered a CAT scan to rule out a tumor or a stroke.”

  Allie sat up and swung her legs over the side of the bed. “Doctor, I can assure you that I’m fine.”

  “Before I release you, Allie, tests need to be completed to determine if you need to be hospitalized or medicated. Please be patient.”

  Maddie parted the curtain and rolled to a stop beside Allie’s bed and laughed. “She’ll never be a patient with patience.”

  “Oh my God. Are you okay?” Allie stepped down and hugged Maddie.

  “I’m great. You’re the one in the hospital. I only have a few scratches from an old sycamore tree.”

  The doctor stepped back to watch the sisters, looking from one to the other. “Identical twins. Wonderful,” he said, smiling. “Well Allie, if you need a blood transfusion or an organ donor, she's arrived.”

  "That won’t be necessary, Doctor.” Allie laughed. “I’ll be out of here as soon as the tests are completed.”

  * * *

  Dan stood next to Westcott outside the curtained ER room.

  “Where did Rita go?" Westcott asked.

  “She's meeting up with a high school friend for a little while. We’re to call her when Allie’s released.”

  Westcott touched his firearm. He spoke in a hushed voice. “These medicinal smells make me nauseous. I wish Jake Tansey would show up so I could lock him up and get the hell out of here.”

  “Yeah. Wonder where the bastard’s at right now.” Dan did a quick scan of the area. “He’s a chameleon. Probably closer than we think.”

  Chapter 56

  Sedona, Arizona

  Jake drove around the dimly lit, dirt parking lot in front of the By
way Bar and Grill in West Sedona. An isolated black Explorer with California plates and dark tinted windows caught his attention. It sat under the deep umbrage of a gigantic oak tree. He parked next to the vehicle. Jake needed a replacement ride as he assumed an APB was out on the van he'd stolen in Denver. He stepped out of the heap, removed a small metal box from the trunk and moved toward the SUV.

  The driver’s door was unlocked. Using a small flashlight, he searched for keys on the floorboard, dash and seat. He started to hot-wire the ignition, but noticed the console between the seats. His long fingers searched through paper clutter in the slot and found a set of keys. The stupidity of others, he thought, is a gift to me.

  Jake turned the key. The engine purred like a contented kitten. He drove across the highway, parked behind an automobile repair building and removed the license plates, tossing them in a nearby dumpster.

  Earlier, at the motel, Jake had noticed a similar vehicle with California tags. He would swipe them tonight and attach them to his new ride. Chances were the occupants of that SUV wouldn't notice the plates were missing for quite a while. And a while was all he needed, anyway.

  Jake crossed the street to the Byway Bar and Grill. Just inside the door, he paused to adjust to the muted light and noise.

  A half wall divided the dining area from a smoke-filled bar. Both areas exhibited automobile memorabilia. A cherry-red Corvette body sat near the entrance. A female mannequin dressed in a white bikini was propped behind the steering wheel. Hubcaps nailed all over the wood plank walls of the building reflected the multihued lighting. A chromed Hemi engine rested in front of the vacant reservation podium.

  In the bar area, a large-screen television filled one wall. Loud groups of sports-minded drinkers were waiting for tables. Jake took an empty seat at the semicircular counter.

  A muscle-toned, thirty-something bartender in faded jeans and a tight fitting tee-shirt asked, “What can I get you?”