“We won’t know that until I can look at the body. We should be able to tell if he’s badly hurt just by looking. I still smell the skunk, and it’s stronger down here.” She scanned the area. “You don’t suppose we should be worried about it do you?”
“As I said, we should be able to smell it stronger if it gets close and if it’s already sprayed it can’t do it again so soon. But I’ll keep my eyes peeled.”
They picked their way carefully along the bottom of the ravine staying on their side as Amy had promised. They both kept scanning for the skunk. The closer they got to the body the stronger the skunk smell was, and the more watchful they became. When they came even with the body, they stopped. It was easy to see his face because the flashlight was shining directly into his cold, dead eyes. “It’s him, and I think the smell may be coming from him,” Jenny said.
“Yeah, I know,” Amy said. “I saw him as he came toward the porch. Is he dead?” She could see blood on the rock under his head.
“I don’t know. Hey you,” she yelled at the supine figure. He didn’t stir in the slightest. “I’d say if he isn’t dead he’s really hurt. Look at his head.” She waved a hand in front of her nose. “And it sure does stink down here.”
“I saw it, and I’d rather not see it again. Can…can you go over and see if he’s dead or just out of it. And you’re right. It really stinks. I think maybe he got sprayed.”
Jenny didn’t really want to get anywhere near the body but, based upon what she could see of his head wound, she felt he would probably present no threat regardless if he were dead or not. “I…I…guess I can check though I’d rather not go anywhere near him. Especially if you’re right and he got sprayed.”
“Ah, go on. You’re the nurse wannabe.”
“I wish you’d quit calling me that.” Jenny put one tentative foot into the creek and took another step when the body didn’t move. She kept her eyes fixed on the body as she stepped carefully through the creek making sure each foot was solid before she shifted her weight. The rocks had been a bit unstable and slippery when they walked in the creek bottom before, and she didn’t want to slip. The water was so cold she couldn’t imagine the shock of being immersed if she happened to fall. A few more steps and she was on solid ground again, and the smell was intense. “Are…are you okay,” she stumbled over the words as she tentatively drew closer to the body. When she was beside him, she nudged him with her shoe as she said, “Are you okay,” again. She really didn’t want to touch his body, but she had no choice. He didn’t move in the slightest, so she knelt down and reluctantly felt for a pulse in his neck. She stood up and turned to Amy who still stood on the other side of the creek. She shook her head. “He’s dead. There’s no pulse, and he’s definitely the source of the smell. Maybe you were right. Maybe he did get sprayed.” She turned her attention to the severe head wound. “He must have fallen from above. He has a huge gash on the back of his head, and he stinks to the high heavens.” She grabbed her nose for emphasis.
“He sure does. I can still smell him clear over here. I wish the wind would shift.”
“Can I come back now?”
“I guess. But why don’t you grab his flashlight? We can use it. And be careful crossing the creek.”
“You didn’t tell me that before,” Jenny said as she retrieved the flashlight. She quickly flashed the light around looking for the skunk that was not there. She did it a second time before she was comfortable there was no skunk.
“Sorry. I had other things on my mind.”
“I know,” Jenny said as she took her first tentative step in the frigid water. She again traversed the creek being certain every step was solid before shifting her weight. Once across she gave Amy a hug. “What are we going to do?”
“Well, if he’s really dead I suggest we go back to the cabin and get something to eat and a good night’s sleep if we can.”
“I’m not sure I’ll ever sleep again.”
“Let’s not be dramatic now. I’m sure that’s not true. You’ve seen blood before. And you’ve seen dead bodies before.” Amy knew about Jenny’s visits to the emergency room for observation when she was in school. She had witnessed people brought into the ER from car wrecks, gunshot wounds, and overdoses. Several of them had died in the ambulance before they reached the ER and several more had succumbed in the ER despite the best efforts of the staff.
“I have, but none of them had been chasing me.”
“I’m sure that’s true. But let’s go. This smell is really getting to me. I may want to burn these clothes.”
“Me too,” Jenny said as she followed Amy back to the slope they had first descended before crossing the creek. Once they arrived, they crossed the creek and ascended the slope.
Following the edge of the ravine, they came upon the spot where Carl had been sprayed. Amy shined the light around in case the sunk was still there. When she was satisfied the skunk was gone, she shined the light over the edge of the ravine and saw the body. “Yep, this is where he fell. Maybe the skunk surprised him, and he lost his balance.”
“Makes sense,” Jenny said.
When Amy focused the light back onto their path, she saw a glint of metal. Startled she asked, “Is…is that…a gun?”
“I don’t know. It sort of looks like a gun.” Jenny knew perfectly well it was a gun and she was not at all surprised that the intruder had been carrying a gun. In her experience, someone like him generally had a weapon. It further confirmed her suspicions that he had come to kill her, not take her back.
“So the guy that broke into my apartment, followed us to my cabin, not to mention into the forest, now lies dead at the bottom of the ravine. And to top it off he had a gun. Is that what you’re telling me?”
“It would appear so.”
Amy frowned at Jenny. “All right Jenny, what aren’t you telling me?” She hissed.
Jenny hung her head in shame. “You won’t like it.”
“It can’t be worse than living on the street and working for a pimp, can it?”
“I’m afraid it can and is. I don’t think I should tell you. You’ll end up hating me.” She stared pleadingly at her childhood friend.
“I doubt that, but you need to risk it. I need to know the whole truth about what’s been going on. We’re not moving from here until I do.” Amy said with conviction. She glanced down at the gun and shivered from something other than the cold.
“Oh, all right. But just remember I warned you that you won’t like it.” With that Jenny launched into her story not leaving out anything. She revealed how she was recruited and threatened at the same time, about stealing the baby, about how the police knew about her tattoo, about how she managed to escape from Ronald by stunning him, and about how the intruder was actually sent by Ronald, she presumed, to kill her and Amy as well because Amy was with her.
“Oh, Jenny. How could you do something…something so…so heinous? What about those poor people who lost their baby. How could you?”
“I warned you that you wouldn’t like it. Do you hate me?”
Chapter 34
Amy didn’t say anything for several beats, and Jenny began suspecting the worst. What if Amy decided to turn her over to the police? She didn’t think she would be able to handle that. Amy had been such a good friend, and now she may be lost to Jenny.
“No. I don’t hate you. But I am really disappointed in you. I can’t believe you could do something like that. I can’t believe anyone could do something like that, much less someone I thought of as a sister.” Jenny could see Amy’s distress by the slump of her shoulders and how she was staring at the ground.
“I didn’t want to steal the baby, but Ronald said he’d kill me if I didn’t, and I had no doubt he would have. You should see him. He’s a really scary guy. And I’m sure that’s why he sent the dead guy after me.”
“You really do think he was here to kill you and probably me as well. Well, that very well may be, but I’m still having a real hard time wrap
ping my mind around you stealing someone’s baby. Why didn’t you just go to the police?” Amy shook her head sadly.
“And tell them what? That someone tried to talk me into stealing a baby. It wouldn’t have been anything more than a he-said-she-said situation if they believed me at all. Besides, Ronald really hadn’t done anything he could be arrested for. And I’m sure he would have come after me after they let him go. Also, how often do you think they believe the word of a prostitute? In their eyes, we’re lower than low. The scum of the earth.”
“I guess that’s true. But I have to tell you the truth. I’m still disappointed in you.”
“Not any more than I am of myself. I didn’t want to do it but what choice did I have.”
“Okay let’s leave it alone for the time being and just get back to the cabin. I’m tired, and I’m hungry, and this smell is driving me crazy.” Amy fanned her hand in front of her nose.
“I’m up for that. It sure does stink. But what about the gun? I don’t think we should leave it here. It might cause the police to ask a lot of tough questions.”
“So you think we should take it?” Amy asked, thinking she was getting deeper and deeper into the morass Jenny’s life had become. However, even as upset with Jenny as she was, she’d still do anything necessary if it meant keeping Jenny safe because, despite Jenny’s horrendous act, she still loved her. She couldn’t help herself. Love overcomes mistakes and friendship is precious.
“We don’t have to keep it, but I don’t think we should leave it here.”
Amy leaned over and picked up the gun which she slipped into her pocket. “I guess you’re right. Let’s go.”
They were both quiet as Amy led the way back to the trail and the cabin. She took off her coat, had Jenny do the same, and threw them both on the back porch. Then she washed her hands three times, fixed them both a sandwich, set them on the table along with a bag of chips and two glasses of water, and they ate in relative silence after Jenny washed her hands twice. Amy shook her head from time to time thinking about what Jenny had done. It was almost beyond imagining.
When they were finished with their supper, they trudged up the stairs to their respective bedrooms. After Amy had changed into her sleeping clothes, she wadded her skunk-inundated clothes and stood by Jenny’s door until Jenny noticed she was there. “Do you want me to ditch your clothes along with mine?”
“Might as well. I don’t think I could stand to ever wear them again and I’m sorry about your coat.”
“No worries. I have a special liquid that will supposedly eliminate the odor. I’ll wash the jackets in it in the bathtub in the morning and hang them outside until tomorrow evening when I’ll take them back to the springs in my trunk wrapped in a couple of trash bags. That ought to keep the smell contained if they still smell.”
“Sounds like a plan.” Jenny handed Amy her clothes stuffed into a trash bag she found in the closet and gave Amy the coat she had borrowed as well. “Need any help?”
“No. I’ll trash these clothes and leave the coats on the back porch until the morning. Take a shower and then go on to bed. Be sure to wash your hair well. Skunk smell is hard to get out.”
“You’ll get no argument from me on that score. I stink and I’m bushed.”
“I’ll be back up in a few minutes. I guess I’ll see you in the morning.”
Jenny slept fitfully knowing how close they had both come to being killed. For her part, Amy tossed and turned almost the entire night trying to reconcile what Jenny had done with her notions of right and wrong. She would never forget about the stranger’s intentions and how that beast Ronald had intimated Jenny. Just before sunrise, Amy was finally able to fall asleep. In her ensuing nightmare, she pictured the intruder breaking into the cabin and shooting both of them. She woke up in a cold sweat.
Amy had just poured herself a bowl of cold cereal when Jenny came down the stairs whistling while seeming to be in a good mood.
“What the heck are you so chipper about?”
“I’m free. The intruder, whoever he was, is dead and Ronald can’t track me through the cell phone anymore. And,” she said with emphasis, “I’ve figured out what I’m going to do.” She sat down and poured herself a bowl of cereal. “Pass the milk please.”
Amy poured milk into her bowl and glass and then passed the milk to Jenny. “Oh? And what might that be?”
“I’ve decided that I’m going to get as far away from you as I can so you’ll be safe. I think that the farthest I can get would either be Florida or Maine or anywhere in between on the east coast.” She poured a glass of milk and then poured milk on her cereal. She took a bite. “Hey, this is good.” She turned the cereal box around so she could read the label. “I’ve never had this. It’s good.”
“Don’t try to change the subject. Florida or Maine? Do you know anything about the East coast?”
“No. I do know they’re far away from here and even farther from California aren’t they?”
“They certainly are. But are you absolutely sure Ronald won’t be able to track you. After all, the dead guy,” Amy cringed slightly when she realized what she’d said, “tracked us here.”
Jenny focused on her friend hoping beyond hope that Amy still was her friend. “Well, at least if Ronald can still track me, I won’t be here, and there won’t be any possibility that you’ll be involved. The dead guy,” saying “dead guy” didn’t bother Jenny at all considering he was no doubt trying to make both of them dead, “shouldn’t have known anything about you. He was merely tracking me, and to him, you would have only been collateral damage.” She shivered at what she’d said. She had to get as far away from Amy as she could. She had to be out of Amy’s life. “I’m through getting you tangled up in my problems. I’d have never come here in the first place if I’d have thought you’d get caught up in my mess.”
“Forget it. That part is in the past.”
“Not completely. You’ll still have to call the cops and tell them about the dead body. By the way, how are you going to handle that?”
“That depends on how soon you’re planning on leaving.”
“So, you’re trying to get rid of me now?” Jenny winked.
“Now cut that out. You know that’s not what I meant. I just don’t want to call the police until you’re well away from here. I’d be surprised if they didn’t know about the California kidnapping and your tattoo. You could keep it hidden, but who’s to say, they might ask to see your leg. That would be even more likely if our dead friend has some kind of record that might tie him to the kidnapping in some way or other. After all, you did say you don’t know him, but you think Ronald sent him. If that’s true, then, if, for no other reason, he’s tied in some way to Ronald. And who knows, maybe the California police have tied Ronald to the kidnapping.”
“I doubt it,” Jenny shook her head. “But you’re right. There’s no way to know for sure. How are you going to handle informing the cops about the body?”
“I’m going to tell them I was out hiking and just happened upon the body. I’ll tell them I was out for a walk, the smell attracted me, and I spotted the body while looking for the skunk. But, as I said, I won’t do that until you’re well away from here.” All of a sudden Amy started to giggle.
Jenny started to giggle too as if giggling were a disease and she’d caught it. “What...what…are we…laughing about?”
“I’ve heard…of…” Amy tried to talk and finally stifled her giggles, “dogs and even people getting sprayed, but I’ve never heard of a skunk killing anyone…Let alone a skunk killing a skunk.” she started up again.
Jenny tried to stop and held up her hand. “Stop…it…the guy…is dead.” She grew serious. “It isn’t funny,” she said as she started giggling again.
Amy took a deep breath and was finally able to stop. “You’d better get ready to go. I should call the cops before too much longer but I won’t until you’re well away.”
“I appreciate that. The last thing I need is
to be tied to the body. Speaking of that, don’t you think we ought to try to find his car to see if we can figure out how he tracked us out here? It might give me a clue as to what I need to do to stay out of Ronald’s clutches. As you can see, he has a long reach. For all I know, it might stretch all the way out East.”
Amy smiled. “I see what you mean. I thought we were done with the intruder after you smashed the cell phone, but, obviously, there was more to it than that.”
Jenny nodded. “Obviously. She picked up her bowl and glass and took them to the sink. She rinsed them and opened the dishwasher. “Put them in here I presume.”
“Please.” Amy joined her at the sink and followed suit with her dishes. “Okay. Grab your coat, and we’ll try to find the dead guy’s car.” She was getting used to talking about the body, and it didn’t bother her as much as it had at first. After all, it’s not as if they’d killed him. It wasn’t a whole lot different than if she’d run across the body of a complete stranger out in the forest. He wasn’t much more than a stranger. She’d only glimpsed him through the cabin’s front window once and saw his body lying at the bottom of the ravine. It wasn’t like they were best friends or something.
Jenny grabbed her coat and followed Amy out the front door. “Should we take your car or mine?” Jenny asked.
“If you’re planning on driving back east maybe we should take my car. You’re going to need your gas.”
“True enough. Thanks for thinking of that.”
“By the way,” Amy said as they climbed into her car, “have you decided where you’re heading? There’s a lot of country between Maine and Florida.”
“I have, but I’m not going to tell you. If you don’t know you can’t tell anyone, especially the cops.”
“All right, I’ll accept that. But you will call me from time to time to let me know you’re all right won’t you?”
“Of course I will. Just don’t hang up if you get a call from a number you don’t know. I’ll call from a pay phone or a phone in a library or some such and will probably have to call collect. I wouldn’t want either Ronald or the cops to be able to track my call.”
The Dog Who Ate The Flintlock Page 24