What You See

by Ann Mullen

  It almost made me sick. Anyone who would use their own child to help them cover up their nasty misdeeds must be insane. Who would do that? Yet, Larry Hudgins wasn’t the biological father of Jay Hudgins. He was the adoptive parent. It’s not the same. No matter how you look at it... it’s not the same. It can’t be... or is it?

  There was no doubt in my mind now. Helen Carrolton was dead and these two could lead me to her body. I wasn’t going to give up, but I had to move fast. The day was quickly coming to an end and I was afraid it wouldn’t be long before Larry Hudgins would be coming home. According to Cole, his lawyer was in the process of getting a restraining order out on Billy and me. If that happened before we found Helen, we’d never get to the truth. We’d be barred from getting anywhere near Jay or his family.

  “My dad’s a good man,” Jay said. “I’m sure he didn’t mean to hurt her. He said it was an accident.” He was still crying and pacing back and forth. His big shot attitude was gone.

  “I’m getting out of here,” Tommy said. “It’s time for me to go in and relieve that old bag.” He gave me a creepy smile and nodded toward the store. “That’s someone I’d like to kill. She’s a nuisance just like you.” He turned to Jay and said, “If you think she’s going to help you or your dad, you’re in for a real surprise. Don’t you see she doesn’t care about you? She’s using you to get what she wants, and once she gets it, she’ll hang us all out to dry.” He spit on the ground, gave me a nasty look, and then said to me, “Stay out of my way, while you still can.” He then walked away.

  Time was running out. I didn’t know who Tommy would call once he got inside, and I wasn’t about to wait around to find out.

  “Jay, please tell me what happened to Helen. Did your father kill her? Did he make you help him get rid of the body?”

  “If I tell you the truth, will you promise to give me immunity?”

  This kid was not so dumb after all.

  “Jay, I can’t do that,” I replied. “I’m not a cop. I don’t have that authority, but I can promise you this, if you help me, I’ll go to my cop friend and get him to help you. But first, I need to know the truth.”

  “Okay, but not here.” He looked around suspiciously as if he was checking for someone who might be listening. “Meet me at the end of my road when it gets dark. I’ll tell you the whole story then and show you where the girl’s buried. Come alone or it’s no deal.”

  “It’ll be dark soon. Why don’t we just go now?” I tried to convince him. I didn’t want to be alone with him after dark.

  “No!” he shouted, walking away. “I don’t want anyone to see you.” He was in his car and gone before I had a chance to change his mind.

  I walked to my car, looking in the store window as I passed. My suspicions were correct. Tommy was on the phone to somebody and I knew that before long, somebody would be after me. I had to get out of here fast. I jumped into my Jeep, pulled out my recorder to check it, and then turned on the ignition. At first nothing happened. I began to panic as I pictured in my mind the awful things that could happen if I was still here when whoever was coming arrived. I scanned the dash, checking for any sign of life. I didn’t understand it. The lights on the dash glowed, but the engine wouldn’t start. Then I looked down at the console. The gear lever was still in drive. Maybe that’s it. I had jumped out so fast, not only did I leave the keys in the car, but I also forgot to put it in park. No wonder the bells were still ringing when I got out. What to do? I put my foot on the brake, turned the key to the on position, and shoved the lever into park. It made a strange clank, but when I turned the key again it started.

  “Hallelujah, Lord!” I screamed out loud, put the car in reverse and hauled butt. While heading in the same direction as Jay, I tried to decide what my next move would be. Should I just sneak up on the property alone, or should I go get Billy? I needed time to think. First thing I’ll do is go to the grill. I can kill some time there while I figure this out, and I can get something to eat. Yeah, that’s what I’ll do.

  Unlike the last few times I’d been there, the grill was crowded with dinner folks. The six tables in the middle of the floor were overflowing with families eating supper. Large, boisterous mountain men having their before dinner drinks occupied most of the booths. Pitchers of beer lined their tables. I chose the same booth where Billy and I had sat previously.

  “What can I get you?” the waitress asked.

  I looked up to see a heavy, middle-aged woman with burnt, red hair, and a front tooth missing. Her makeup was so heavy, I felt weighted down just looking at her. She had a large mole over her right eyebrow. Any minute, I expected her to swing one of those huge arms at me and knock me out of the booth.

  “Is Rose working tonight?” I asked.

  “You don’t see her, do you?” she hissed, swinging her arm out through the crowd and inviting me to look for myself. “What’ll it be, Missy? I ain’t got all night. I got other customers.”

  “I’ll have the cheeseburger boat and a coke,” I said.

  She waddled off and within two minutes was back with my drink.

  “Bubba wants to know if you’re going to eat this time, or are you here to ask more questions? Cause, if you’re here to...”

  “No, I’m just here to eat,” I assured her.

  “Then, your cheeseburger will be right up,” she grunted. She turned and headed back to the kitchen.

  It had just started to rain outside, pouring for a few minutes and then slowing to a drizzle. The rain cheered me up as I tried to put her ugly behavior out of my head. I love the rain.

  The waitress returned with my food. She slammed the bill down on the table and said, “Enjoy your meal.” She wasn’t a very happy person. Maybe she needed a vacation, I thought... or a plastic surgeon.

  The food was exceptional, as much as a hamburger could be, considering I wasn’t eating filet mignon. I expected the meat to be greasy, the bun to be soggy, and the fries to be hard. Instead, I was pleasantly surprised. It was just as good as Mom’s... and Mom’s the best cook in the world.

  By the time the sun had set into the trees, the rain had been long gone and I could see the steam radiating off the blacktop. I finished my meal and left the grill without incident. I didn’t get to see Bubba, but I felt his presence. He probably had his eyes on me the whole time, wondering what I was up to. I got into my car and called Billy on my cell phone. It rang ten or fifteen times before I hit the off button. I tried his number again. Nope, I hadn’t dialed the wrong number. I had the correct number, but he wasn’t answering. Next, I tried his cell phone. No answer. I didn’t know what to do. I explored all my options. If I take the time to go to Billy’s house, I might miss out on meeting Jay. I had no idea whether or not he’d still cooperate if I waited too long, and time was of the essence. I couldn’t get Billy on the phone. He was most likely zonked out on pain pills, but yet, I didn’t want to face Jay alone. I swallowed my fears, and drove down Rt.15 to meet him. I can handle this. I have my gun, my cell phone, my tape recorder, and this car is designed to go anywhere and do almost anything. What else could I possibly need?

  Perhaps a little bit more courage wouldn’t hurt.

  Chapter 28

  I had never noticed it until now. There was a small, faded wooden plaque nailed to a tree that read—The Hudgins’ Farm. Oh, yeah—it’s a farm all right. I blasted the thought. It’s a funny farm and I don’t mean ha-ha funny, but funny like in strange. The family who lives on this road was definitely weird. They gave a whole new meaning to the phrase dysfunctional family. Mom is a psycho, the kid is a screwed up teenager, Dad’s a killer, and poor Rose is just an innocent bystander—probably the only one in the group who doesn’t have a clue.

  I turned onto their road and pulled off to the side. I dialed Billy’s number again. When he didn’t answer, I thought about calling Mom, but changed my mind because I didn’t want her to worry. However, I’m nobody’s fool. Someone needed to know where I was, just in case...

 
I punched in 411 for information and got the number for the Greene County Bed and Breakfast where Jack and Dennis were staying. Please be there, I said to myself.

  “Hello,” a lady answered. “Greene County Bed and Breakfast. Owned and operated by Ruby Pryce. May I help you?”

  “Yes,” I replied. “My brother, Jack Watson, is staying at your inn, I think. Could you connect me to his room?”

  “Just a minute, please. I think he just came in.”

  The phone made a clicking noise, and then started ringing again. Jack answered after the second ring.

  “I’m so glad you’re there,” I rambled. “This is Jesse. I need to tell you something, so listen closely.”

  “Jesse, calm down,” he said. “I’m here. What’s the matter?”

  “I need you to do something for me and I don’t want Mom to know.”

  “What is it?”

  “I want you to go to Billy’s house and tell him something for me. He’s all drugged-out from the pain pills and I can’t reach him on the phone. I’m right in the middle of something really bad and I need his help. Tell him I’ve found Helen’s killer. It’s the dad. I’m meeting Jay at his place, so he can show me where the body’s buried. He’ll know what I’m talking about. Tell him to get here as fast as he can.”

  “Have you lost your mind? Don’t do it Jesse. You don’t know what you’re getting into. Wait for help to arrive. I’ll go get Billy, if you promise to wait for him.”

  “Make it fast.”

  “How do I get to Billy’s place?” he asked.

  I gave him the directions to Billy’s, and every pertinent phone number I knew. I warned him not to call me unless it was a matter of life and death. Deep down in the bottom of my gut, I knew this was going to be a delicate situation, maybe even dangerous, and I figured the less my opponent knew about me the better. A ringing telephone is a sure sign that you have outside communication with the world, and that’s something the bad guys don’t like. This I figured out on my own.

  After ending my conversation with Jack, I called Billy one last time. I needed his butt-kicking support. I had no doubts he could, and right about now I wanted him here with me in case I needed him to do it. I knew my limitations, and what I was about to get into exceeded them. My unanswered calls made the pit of my stomach quiver. I was scared.

  “I guess I’m on my own,” I said to myself, while I hit the off button on the phone, folded it up and stuffed it into my jeans’ pocket. “But you better believe I’m going to be ready for you, buster!” I stared down the end of the road. “When I leave here, somebody is going to be in jail and it isn’t going to be me.”

  Swallowing a lump in my throat the size of a peach, I pulled back onto the road and kept my speed down. No matter how much I told myself I was doing the right thing, it still didn’t compensate for the intense fear I felt. This was serious! People have died in situations less dangerous than what I was about to face.

  It was dark, and the only lights I had to go by were the ones on the dash and the small glare from my parking lights. I had my headlights turned off hoping nobody would see me. Slowly, I crept passed the Hudgins’ house. Everything appeared quiet. Several lights were on, but the parking spaces in front were empty, except for Jay’s Nova and the red sports car. It only seemed natural to me that the dad’s car would be there, because he was locked up in jail, and they don’t allow you to bring your car. That meant Jay was the only one home. This was the way I hoped it would be.

  I inched my way down to the end of the road, made a U-turn and parked my Jeep facing what was to be my getaway route. This time I had the power to get out of here fast if I needed to, and I was going to be ready at a moment’s notice. Not once did I get myself into a rut or a ditch like I did with the truck. I was probably too scared to screw up. It’s amazing what you can do if you have to.

  I sat there for a few minutes trying to get up my nerve. It was eerie outside and the sounds of summer pounded in my ears. Crickets, cicadas, and other foul creatures of the night blasted at me. The sound was horrendously scary, and I couldn’t put aside the feeling that someone was watching me. I turned off the car, made sure to remove the key, and shoved it deep into my jeans’ pocket. I had already decided not to lock up the car just in case a fast getaway was in order. Next, I checked the cell phone in the other front pocket, and then put my tiny tape recorder in my back left one. In the last pocket, I stuffed my gun. I had so much stuff in my pockets, I could hardly move, but I was ready for anything... almost. The palms of my hands were so sweaty they slipped off the door handle when I went to open the car door. When I finally managed to get myself out of the car, I just stood there and looked around. This was a spooky scenario I’d gotten myself into. I was out here all alone and so scared I almost wet my pants. The darkness of the night had consumed everything, making it almost impossible for me to see.

  Eventually, my eyes adjusted to the blackness, and I decided it was time to move my butt, or go home. I glanced toward the path Billy and I had once gone down and was ready to head that way, when I heard the startup of a bulldozer in the opposite direction. This wasn’t good. The vision of a grave being dug for me and my car raced through my head. What else could it be? Who in their right mind would be out here at night doing excavation work? But then again, who said any of these people were in their right mind?

  Forcing my feet to move, I followed the sound of the bulldozer. It was an arduous journey creeping through the tangled mass of vines, trees, and rocks that seemed to be everywhere I walked. One of the things I’ve learned about the mountains is you never have a shortage of rocks. They were everywhere you looked.

  The decision not to bring a flashlight worked against me. I didn’t want anyone to see the beam from it, but without one I couldn’t see much. If I had to make a run for it, I’d be in serious trouble.

  Judging the distance the best I could, I realized I’d gone too deep into the woods to make a fast getaway. I sat down on a huge rock beside a tree and tried to calm down. The air was hot, yet I had the shakes. My body shivered and my heart was pounding so hard, I had to put my hand over it to keep it from jumping out of my chest. I could see a full-blown panic attack heading my way.

  Calm down and breathe deeply, I told myself. I promised myself after this was over, I would follow my doctor’s advice and go back on my medication.

  In the distance, I saw a ray of light and heard the up and down roar of heavy equipment doing what it was designed to do—move earth. I crept slowly with my body crunched over like an animal stalking its prey. I had to be very careful. I had come to the conclusion that my life could depend on it. This wasn’t a game.

  This can’t be real! Through the trees and underbrush, I saw Larry Hudgins sitting on the seat of the bulldozer, shifting gears and plowing through the ground digging a hole big enough... What was he doing here? He was supposed to be in jail!

  A few minutes later, Jay walked into view, screaming above the noise, and making guiding hand gestures. Obviously, he was going to stand by his dad and do whatever it took to protect him. Regardless of how hard I had tried, I couldn’t break their bond. Jay had lied to me, and made me feel like a fool. I was dead meat. I had been used. This wasn’t the way it was supposed to play out. Jay was supposed to meet me and show me where Helen’s body was buried, but instead, he was here to assist in my demise. It was time for me to leave.

  I moved through the woods faster than I’d thought possible. I was scared, sweaty, and tired. I kept falling down, but managed to recover each time until I stumbled on a pile of rocks halfway to my car. I hit my head and felt the warm flow of blood run down my eyebrow to my cheek. At that exact moment, I decided this wasn’t the life for me. The private detective business was out. Stick a fork in me... I was done. I couldn’t handle the intensity of it all anymore. I wanted excitement in my life, but not this much. Just as I got almost to the edge of the woods, I tripped on a tree root, fell and hit my knee—the same one that had been stitched. I sc
rambled up and pressed my hand to my knee. It hurt like crazy and I could feel warm blood. I couldn’t believe it. I had a new injury to add to the list, and before I could heal from the old ones, I went and tore one of those open. What else could possibly go wrong?

  As of late, I assumed it was only going to get better. I was going to help catch the bad guy and everything was going to be fine. But now, all I cared about was getting out of here and never looking back. Forget these crazies. Let someone else worry about them. All I had to do was make it to my car! With a pounding headache, and limping by now, I made it to my Jeep, sat down on the rear bumper and hung my head between my legs. I felt sick to my stomach from the pain and was afraid that I was going to pass out. I silently thanked God for getting me out of this mess, and in return, promised to change my lifestyle. No more smoking, no more cussing, and no more getting into situations like this! Sucking in my breath and mustering up all the energy I could, I forced myself to make it to the car door. I fished out my keys, and fell into the driver’s seat, noticing only after I’d sat down that the overhead interior lights hadn’t come on. What the... Then I smelled it. A strong scent of Jasmine filled the air. I recognized it immediately. Jasmine has always been my favorite cologne. I wore it in the summer because it made me feel like a spring flower, but I had a feeling, after what was about to happen, I’d never feel that way again. Instantly, I knew I wasn’t alone. I squeezed my eyelids together, trying to get my eyes focused, and when I opened them, I saw Rita Hudgins sitting in the passenger seat. She had what looked like a flashlight in her lap, but there was no mistaking the gun she shoved in my face.

  “You know, Miss Watson, you’ve become a real pain,” she spoke as she stroked my face gently with her hand and then leaned over so close I could smell the alcohol on her breath. Her hand brushed my breast as she pulled back. “As cute as I think you are, I’d hate to have to hurt you.”