by Allen Gates
“Where are you on this case, Lon, Ally asked? It’s obviously wearing on you and I’m getting worried about your health. You aren’t sleeping, and you eat junk food at all hours of the day. You have stress marks and bags under your eyes and I hate that you’re putting unnecessary wrinkles on that cute face that I love so very much.”
Lon smiled and pulled her close and kissed her.
“Let’s put Tad to bed.”
110
ANNE WAS FIGHTING with her good cop side as she headed home for the night. She was aware of the tight schedule they were on and her good cop needed sleep to stay alert for the long days ahead of her. The problem she had was her bad cop side had to pass by her favorite stopping-off place and the open parking spot directly in front sealed the deal for her.
“One drink, okay maybe two, and then home to bed for the sleep you need.”
She asked her image in the mirror if she could do that and nodded yes. The juke box seemed extra loud as she entered. It didn’t bother her because it was Ray Price singing, “For the Good Times.”
Waving to several people and signaling to the lady behind the bar she sat on her favorite stool.
“Where’s Johnny?”
“He’s taking a break, should be back soon. What can I get you madam detective?”
“Draught, make it a big one.”
Looking over her shoulder she watched three couples all in matching cowboy clothes dancing in perfect step.
“That looks like fun” she said to Angie as she placed the beer in front of her.
Picking up the ice cold glass she took a sip, then turned and watched the dancers until the song ended then asked, “Why are we surrounded by cowboys and cowgirls, Angie?”
“They apparently competed in a line dance contest. I was informed that they won and selected this place to celebrate.”
“Hey, heeere’s Johnny,” doing her best Ed McMann impression as he approached her from the front entrance.
“Good to see you Anne, let me check my messages and I’ll have a beer with you.”
Meanwhile out on the highway, Terry was fuming after an unpleasant argument with Cassandra and was heading to the bar to forget her and the problem she had confronted him with. He had left with the understanding that he would stay at his place for the night. Now he knew he needed a tall drink in a fun atmosphere to calm down and forget everything about her.
“You need to get out of this messed up relationship,” he said pounding the steering wheel.
The first thing he noticed as he approached his destination was Anne’s car parked directly in front. The anticipation of the reaction he would most certainly receive from her would be challenging. If he could remain calm and except the worse she had to offer it could still possibly work out. Could he do it, was another story.
Johnny saw Terry enter and gave Anne a heads up. She continued talking to him ignoring the entrance where Terry was standing. She could sense him moving toward her and decided to meet the situation head on.
“Hello there, Terry. How is life these days?”
“They’re fine detective, how is life with you?”
“Lately Terry, I don’t have a life other than searching for the stone cold serial killer still on the loose.”
“How is your secret admirer? Has he made a pass yet?”
“You know Terry, you’re even more obnoxious than I remember. Go away!”
He reached out and grabbed her arm and with lightning quick reaction she threw a right-cross to his nose. He hit the floor blood flowing from his nose and dripping off his chin. “If you leave now I will not arrest you for assault. Do you understand?”
“I understand alright Anne, but you went way too far.” He picked up a number of napkins and placed them over his nose. When the bleeding was under control he leered at her, turned, and left.
They watched him exit and Anne wondered just how angry he was and if it was the beginning of something really ugly.
“Man that was some punch, Anne, Johnny said laughing.”
“I wish I hadn’t reacted quite so fast, but that’s the way I was trained. They grab, you react and subdue before the surprise factor is lost.”
111
“CALM DOWN WILLIAM, she is not worth fretting over this way.”
“I know Mother, but she has no right to treat me that way.”
As he drove, he listened to the wisdom of his mother and anticipated the closeness she would provide him at home. Her face in his mirror had a calming effect on him and allowed his anger to pass. He now needed her arms to comfort him as she had always done at times like this.
“I’m waiting just where you left me, waiting to comfort you, William. Please hurry to me and let us enter in the sleep that will last and put everyone else aside and allow us to be together forever.”
When his thoughts drifted back to Stephanie, the mothers face became cloudy and he watched it metamorphous into Marie staring at him. He turned quickly to the back seat, but she was not there. A swerving action of the car brought his vision back to the front and he was on the shoulder heading for a tree. Turning the wheel sharply, he righted the car back onto the road and looked back into the mirror. Marie was still there leering at him with the same wide eyed stare she had that night in the motel. His staring at her caused him to drift again into the opposite lane and he had to swerve quickly to avoid an oncoming car. This time he looked back and she was gone. He was at his wits end as he passed through the gates around the drive and parked. He collapsed on to the steering wheel.
112
STANDING IN THE shadows of the shrubbery he watched Stephanie get out of her car and walk up to the front door. He knew her routine by heart now. Next she would go up to her room, grab her dog and bring him outside for a short walk. The dog always sensed he was near and kept him on edge. He decided it was time to retreat to his car and finish his observations of her routine from there.
The time frame seemed longer than usual before the door opened and she walked out bent down and released her dog. Another change happened to her routine when she remained on the steps and let the dog roam on its own. His thought process was thrown off by this change and combined with the other change he had noted he knew unless something brought the routine back on track he would again have to redo his plans and be delayed again.
From his vantage point in his car he could hear her calling the dog and realized his fear was coming true, she was not going to walk him like most nights. He watched her pick up the dog and walk back into the house. He now had to worry if she was going to mess with his mind even further and not drive to the coast.
Taking out a pad of paper and a black felt pen, he wrote, in large bold letters,
[YOU DID NOT WALK YOUR DOG.]
Unsure of her location in the house, he decided not to take the risk of discovery by walking to the car, but he would wait for a safer time to place it on her car.
“I do not like it when you change your routine, he said.”
113
LENNY WAS WALKING up to the entrance of the hospital and stopped to watch Stephanie as she pulled into her parking spot. He waited holding the door for her and they took the elevator down to the cafeteria to get a cup of coffee before checking in.
He was overly talkative this morning. So, Stephanie became his sounding board until she finally stood and reminded him they needed to go up and report in for the day.
In the elevator Lenny asked about her relationship with the senator. She responded very emphatically.
“There is no relationship Len.”
Before he could follow up with the next question the door opened and she exited, exchanging a quick wave and goodbye and walked to the nursing station where she was welcomed by a smiling nurse.
“Good morning Dr. Wearing, how was your day off?”
“You don’t want to know Grace; and I would prefer to forget everything about it. Let me see the patient log, please I need to get started on my rounds.”
Several
times throughout the day she encountered Len pushing a patient or waiting to enter a patient’s room. Each time, he was almost obnoxious in his joy of seeing her. She saw a situation building up that she was going to have to get a handle on or it was going to end in someone getting hurt. Maybe both of us, she thought.
114
ARRIVING EARLY, LON grabbed a coffee and selected a doughnut from the previous day’s box. It was hard, but dipping it in his coffee softened it. That would do the job until the fresh supply arrived.
His desk was still piled high with the files that he had hoped would disappear overnight. A note pinned to his phone said, a Mister Ransom returned your call and said he would talk to you. Looking at the clock he figured it was too early to call him back. He was anxious to know what this man could remember about the night the senator’s mother died. That should be an interesting conversation I can look forward to, he thought.
He sorted files according to their priorities for the day then stood and stared into the seven innocent faces, one after the other, he had posted on the board. He was certain he could hear each of them pleading for his help.
“I hear your plea and I promise I’ll get revenge for you,” he said.
115
THE NEXT MORNING the senator was up early and met the housekeeper at the door.
“Mrs. Caruthers, I will not require your services today; I’m going to spend the day working on constituent problems and I would prefer to have the house to myself. Of course, I will pay you for the day since I did not give you notice earlier. Enjoy your day off on me.”
He stood at the open door and watched her drive out of the gate. “Now,” he thought, “I need to go and be with mother.” Closing the door he walked to the stairway and thinking he heard muffled voices he paused at the first step. He began ascending slowly listening when his attention was drawn to the family photos on the wall and as hard as he tried he could not turn his eyes away. He was certain the voices were coming from the wall. There, in the first framed photo, was Beth standing next to his mother, who was shaking her head from side-to-side with her arms open and calling his name. Marie suddenly appeared in the photo with tape over her mouth staring at him with her eyes bulging causing him to back down a step almost falling.
Beth spoke first.
“I was right wasn’t I William?”
He was struggling to maintain his balance as he took additional steps upward and continued as if by some force to look at additional photos. A picture of Marie began vibrating until he looked directly at her face. She asked, “Why did you do it, William, I loved you?”
The framed photo flew off the wall and shattered on the stairway.
Tears began to form in his eyes as he heard his name being called from every frame louder and louder. He stared at the portrait of his mother and Marie together. Suddenly it was not Marie with her, but his father. But, his mother’s entire face was scared, startling him. He backed up awkwardly stumbling and again had to grab the rail to keep from falling to the floor below.
His father was pointing at him saying, “You killed her and you must reap what you have sown” over-and-over again in his demonic like voice. He placed his hands over his ears and started up the stairs. His father’s face appeared in every frame laughing.
As he reached the top he turned toward his mother’s bedroom and she was there in the hallway holding out her arms to him. He moved quickly to her and she enclosed him in her arms. His father’s image appeared, walking toward them from her bedroom door, laughing grotesquely pointing to the tattoo on his arm.
William began backing up asking for his mother’s help. Still holding on to him in a firm but loving embrace she walked with him to the railing and telling him how much she loved him. Catching him off guard, she pulled the two of them over the railing to the marble floor below. His head struck hard with a sharp cracking sound causing a large red blotch to swell beneath it on the white tile. The mother, fatally injured, managed to pull herself to him resting her head on his arm, whispering his name over-and-over until she finally fell in to the lasting sleep she had so often desired for them.
They were found that way the next morning by the housekeeper.
116
“LON GRABBED THE message from Mr. Ransom, owner of the bar where the senator’s mother had been drinking and dialed the number below his name. The man answered his questions with much understanding and Lon was surprised at the details he was able to provide surrounding the night she died in the car accident. A very important detail he relayed while describing her actions was that another young woman left with her when she went to meet her son. He described Mrs. Radford sitting and talking to the lady who had been stranded and how others had turned down her request for a ride. So, she had agreed to drop the girl off at a busy intersection where she could catch a ride with a trucker.
When Lon asked him what he remembered about the fatal accident, he said, “All I know is what was in the paper. Mrs. Radford, mother of Senator Radford died in a fiery auto accident. I remember she was a very classy and attractive woman and the papers said her body had been burned beyond recognition. I remember thinking that she should have waited for her son.”
“How long did she wait before leaving and was she pressed to leave because of the offered ride she made to the other woman?”
“I have no specific knowledge of that, but if I guessed, she wanted to help the lady who was anxious to get to a ride drop-off spot.”
“In your reading of the paper’s coverage of the accident do you recall anything mentioned in any report about the second woman?”
“No, and I always assumed that she had been dropped off somewhere prior to the accident. However, when I read where her car left the road, I was stumped trying to picture where the gal could have been dropped off before arriving at the spot where Mrs. Radford left the road. That area along that road is too isolated to drop off a person, especially a woman.”
“Wow,” Lon said, “and you say no autopsy was done. This case gets crazier by the day. Did you ever hear a name for the woman that left with Mrs. Radford?”
Shaking his head, he said, “No, she wasn’t a regular and had hitched a ride with a trucker to that point. Mrs. Radford was taking her to a truck stop closer to town to catch a ride. That accident was the topic of conversation around this bar for quite a spell.”
“Thank you for your time. If we need to speak with you again we’ll be in touch.”
He looked over at Anne as he hung up the phone. She had been listening to his one-sided conversation. He blew out a long breath and sat back in his chair.
“Let’s get a coffee and I’ll fill you in on what just passed through the lines. When he had relayed the information, Anne waited a moment before asking the obvious question.
“What do you suppose happened to the other woman?”
117
“TERRY THERE’S A Miss Cassandra Jones on the line for you.”
“Tell her I’m out.”
“She said you would say that and to tell you to get your butt on the phone.”
He laughed, thinking she is one tough cookie.
“Hello Cassandra. I’m pretty busy right now. I’ve fallen behind because a certain lady has been dominating my time.”
“That’s fine Terry, I wanted you to know that I’ve decided to invest my money with another agency. I informed your boss already to save you the time and embarrassment. He was very apologetic, but when I told him the figure he became angry. I must warn you he was not angry with the me.”
The click was deafening and a prelude of things to come. His boss opened the door, walked in, and stood over the desk glaring at him.
“Terry, I just got off the phone with one of your clients. She claims you mislead her and handled her and her portfolio unprofessionally. You just lost us a two-million dollar account.”
Before Terry could start his excuse he heard, “I have two words for you if you want to keep your job.”
“Find it!”
LON LOOKED AT the red stains on the bed and on the dress at the foot of the bed and determined them to be red wine. She obviously had been lying here, and fell asleep spilling the contents of the glass. There was another partially filled glass on the tray with a half-empty bottle.
“How much of that bottle did you drink and can I assume the other glass was for her live-in son and lover who was in the room with her, he asked out loud?”
Based on the ruffled bed clothes and indentation on the pillows he assumed they had both been on the bed. William apparently departed leaving her the note of his planned return later that night.
Anne entered and Lon went over his observation with her.
“What a mess this family has created through the years.”
“How do you want to handle this, Lon? I don’t think we want to mess with calling it anything but an accident. It is strange that somehow they both fell and died that way. Is it possible that one or the other planned to end the affair in this manner?”
“With this guy’s family tree anything is possible. My one problem with this suicide is that he died before I could prove him guilty for his wife’s death. And, we still don’t know the extent of their involvement in this whole scenario. I believe the Senator and his mother killed the old man and his lover and I believe they covered up the mother’s drunken driving incident by letting the natural assumption that she was the dead body in the burned auto go out in the press to the public. We need to find out how a woman of her stature stayed undiscovered all these years. I have demonstrated continually to you my super detective intuition and it is telling me the senator is responsible for Marie’s death.”
He paused in thought looking directly at Anne, then added, “I think for police protocol it would be best if we stop the search right now to protect ourselves and secure a warrant to search this palace. I’ll get started on that, while you put in a call to the chief. We need his approval for our actions, due to the sensitivity of this whole mess. If you need me over the next hour, I’ll be at the courthouse working on the warrant.