Secret On Cobb Mountain (Cobb Mt Mystery Series Book 1)

by Kit DeCanti

  They had, had this plan laid out for weeks, and Ron had begun to think there would be no more incidents on the Boggs Mountain Trails. That the secret on Cobb Mountain would go unsolved!

  But here he was, sitting in the dark again.

  The plan was that Ron would follow who ever parked in the lot and headed up the path. Lenny would follow to the first fork and wait to make sure that the walker made it safely back to the car, and then head over to the other fire trail where the doctor’s Jeep would be parked. Jack would follow the doc again, just like last time, but after giving the doc time to disappear into the woods, he would pull in behind the jeep, blocking it in. Ron would follow the doc and his accomplice out of woods to the fire trail, where he, Lenny and Jack would surround and confront Dr. Fleming.

  Lenny suddenly sat down next to Ron! Ron was barely able to refrain from jumping. “He’s quiet for his age and size!” Ron thought to himself.

  Ron and Lenny waited and listened for the sound of a car. The silence was so thick you could cut it. The tension was even thicker. Ron couldn’t help but be glad that on this night he wasn’t waiting alone.

  An owl screeched, and both men had to fight to keep from jumping. Off in the distance a coyote howled… or maybe a wolf. Soon the woods were full of sounds of the night.

  Ron’s cell phone vibrated, alerting him of an incoming call. And this time the younger man did jump. He pretended only to be trying to get it before it ‘rang’ again. It was Jack, calling to inform them that the Jeep had pulled out, just like before, but they were heading to a different location! “I’ll follow and try and find out where they’re going. Right now, it looks like maybe somewhere around Whispering Pines… No, wait!…”

  Jack stopped talking; it sounded like the phone dropped. Ron rose to his feet. Lenny joined him, not knowing what had happened, but could tell it was serious.

  After what seemed like an hour, Jack spoke again. “Sorry about that. They pulled off so quick that all I could do was speed up and pass them fast, trying not to get busted! I think they turned around.”

  “Do you think they made you?” Ron asked, without even trying to hide his worry.

  “I don’t know. If they recognized my car, it might not be all that bad. This is my regular route home. For all they know, I could be on my way to work. It’s not unusual for me to do a repo at this hour.”

  “Yeah! Don’t worry about it,” Ron calmly replied. Jack had tried to disguise the panic in his voice, but failed- and Ron needed Jack to be calm. So he added, “We’ll stay put in case they turn around. You pull off the road out of sight, if you can. But only if you’re sure they aren’t following you!”

  “No, I’m sure I saw their headlights heading the other way when they pulled out of the shed. They may have gotten spooked by my lights and done a diversionary maneuver,” Jack said hopefully. “But if someone is on their way to Boggs, they will be there pretty quick!”

  Just then, Lenny nudged Ron. Headlights pulled onto the fire trail where the Jeep had parked before. “They’re here!” Ron whispered, “Better head on over here! But wait until you hear from Lenny or me before you pull your car in behind the Jeep….. Jack?”

  Ron looked at Lenny and said, “I don’t know if he heard that. He must have lost reception.” Lenny nodded. They heard another car and quickly ducked down as it pulled into the parking lot.

  The two lawmen quickly decided that Lenny should stay put and make sure the walker returned safely before heading over to the Jeep. Ron would first follow the walker, and then later follow the doc and his accomplice back to the Jeep parked on the fire trail.

  “Be careful!” Lenny whispered, as Ron took off after the flashlight. The scenario was strangely familiar. It was as if it was a complete replay of Ron’s first stakeout in these woods. The noises on the path and the trench coat draped figure- all as if following a script.

  Ron had his hand on his gun and was getting ready to descend the hill, when suddenly, from behind him, a hand went across his mouth and an arm caught him by the throat, pulling him behind a tree! And just as fast a rag was stuffed into his mouth and a rope went around him tying him to the tree. He felt his gun leaving the holster, and then someone was tying a gag around his mouth. A familiar voice said, “Just be still, and stay quiet Ron, so no one will get hurt!”

  Ron couldn’t see behind him, but he could feel the presence of someone still standing there. There was nothing Ron could do but listen and try to watch in the darkness as the melodrama played out just as before on the canyon floor below.

  There was a scream as the flashlight lit up the mask, and then the bottle was thrown through the air, and the flashlight went running past them up the hill and down the path towards the parking lot.

  Soon a car started and sped off. Only then did Cindy remove the gag. But she didn’t untie him. “What the blazes is going on?!” Ron demanded.

  Cindy just put her finger to his lips and whispered, “Shh, wait!” She looked up at the person behind Ron, and then as if following orders, she stuffed the rag back in his mouth and tied it back on, and patted Ron’s arm as if trying to reassure him.

  Soon the doctor appeared, and the person behind him stepped forward and began to untie him, except for his hands. It was John Buchanan.

  Dr. Fleming said, “Lets all go get Lenny, so we can take care of all this once and for all.”

  Bewildered, Ron followed the group down towards the fire trail and the Jeep.

  As they approached the Jeep, Lenny stepped out from behind a tree with his gun drawn. “Hold it right there!” Jack was with him.

  “Relax, Lenny.” The doctor calmly said. He motioned to John who untied Ron. Ron angrily pulled the gag from his mouth and threw it to the ground and yelled, “What the… What’s this all about?”

  Lenny still had his gun up. He was as mad as Ron, demanding “Let’s hear it! And it better be good…. You just broke a dozen laws. And what you did to Ron is a felony!”

  “You ever hear of Richard Henderson?” the doctor began calmly, “No? Not many have. He attempted suicide by jumping off the Golden Gate Bridge a few years ago. I’m working on a theory based on…”

  Ron cut him off, “This whole thing has been for research…?! A girl is dead and it was research?!” He was even hotter than when he listened to the eulogy and the seminar!

  Dr. Fleming waited until he was quiet. “Like I was saying…I’m working on a theory based on Henderson’s experience. I’ve interviewed him several times. He has even sat in on workshops at the retreat. When he stepped off the bridge he was certain that he had given up on living. He was absolutely certain he wanted to die. But before he hit the water, he had changed his mind… He wanted more than anything to live. As he fell through the air he thought of a thousand things that he wished he had more time to do. Lucky for him there was a coast guard cruiser near by. The force of hitting the water broke his vertebrae in three places and busted both legs and arms. The impact ruptured a lung. And still he fought with every ounce of strength he could muster. He fought for his life! And, unlike many who took the jump- he was able to survive until the coast guard pulled him in.”

  The doctor searched the faces in the dark, and continued, “Although Richard is now a paraplegic he lives a happy, full and rewarding life.

  “When I first heard Richard’s story, it struck me that if other people who are determined to commit suicide came face to face with death- that they may fight for their lives too. They might choose to live!

  “I have interviewed dozens of survivors and studied hundreds of cases. And I’ve started developing a way to implement their experiences into a treatment program. We have helped dozens to choose to live.”

  He looked down, briefly loosing his clinical demeanor. “We lost one.”

  Regaining his composure he went on, “Each one thought that I was helping them commit suicide. In reality, I always made sure that the water that they believed to be their ticket out was harmless. I also made them agree in writin
g to refrain from drinking it until they reached the bottom of the trail.

  The doctor continued earnestly, “They believed that the reason was to insure that they wouldn’t hurt someone else while driving. I led each of them to believe that they were the only one I had helped this way. It has worked for many.” He paused again, and sadly added, “Unfortunately, I had no way of knowing that Heather also carried a gun that night. We have since amended the agreement to include that they will only use the water, and carry no weapons at all.”

  “You didn’t know Heather had a gun?” Ron demanded.

  The doctor looked uncomfortable, “She had told me in her therapy session that she had bought a gun for protection. She was deathly afraid of her uncle. I took that as a positive sign- that she, deep down, really had a will live.” The doctor glanced away, revealing his human side.

  Then regaining his clinical persona, continued, “I’m sure you know her background by now. Well, when she found out about the death of her baby, at first she focused on revenge. Her attorney helped her prove her case and turned it over to the Santa Clara County District Attorney. But after the uncle was arrested, Heather couldn’t find a reason to keep going. I tried to get her to re-enter the retreat, but she refused- only agreeing to attend several sessions a week. Although I was concerned that she wasn’t ready for this ‘treatment’, I was more worried that she would leave the area to kill herself some other way.”

  Lenny growled, “Treatment?! You call this a treatment? What kind of sick-o are you? Terrorizing young girls this way!” Ron knew he was thinking of his niece going through this terror.

  The doctor was undeterred, “Yes, I call it a treatment. We have helped many people of all ages- and both male and female.”

  John spoke up for the first time, “I would not be here today, if it weren’t for the retreat.”

  “Me either,” Cindy said, then added, “I think Angel would agree.”

  The look of rage on Lenny’s face slowly turned to gratitude. At last he lowered his arm and put his gun back in its holster.

  “I’m glad we were able to get this settled,” Dr. Fleming said. “And just so you know, Sheriff Buchanan is not involved with this… he is just a friend… and a father who is grateful. I didn’t want to let him… or any of you in on our program. I didn’t want to compromise your position. But you forced my hand.”

  Lenny turned to walk away, saying, “Compromise what position? I promised to serve and protect. There’s nothing to protect against here.”

  Ron was still upset about being tied up, but he followed his boss. And after giving Cindy a hug Jack followed the two lawmen.

  The three of them silently climbed into Ron’s SUV, and sat quietly for a long time before Lenny finally broke the silence. “Good work,” was all he said.

  Ron drove Lenny to his car, knowing they would never again speak of the incidents of the Boggs Mountain Trails, or The Cobb Mountain Retreat. The secret on Cobb Mountain would be safe with them.

  As he took Jack to his car, he became aware that the sun was coming up, infusing the sky with a rainbow of color. “I could sure go for a cup of coffee!” Ron said.

  “Yeah! No kidding!” Jack replied eagerly. As intense as it had been, Ron could see that Jack really enjoyed it, and now didn’t want the adventure to end.

  He also noticed for the first time that Jack had lost about twenty pounds since that day he chased him to his car. “Yeah? Follow me to the Lower Lake Coffee Shop. I have some news on a job offer for you.” In all the excitement, Ron had forgotten that on the previous evening, his step dad had left a voicemail with the good news. He was waiting until tomorrow to call Jack... well- it’s tomorrow.

  EPILOG

  Tuesday, July 29th, 2007

  Ron saw little more excitement on the job, as he passed the rest of spring and half of summer romancing Kat with one ‘blind date’ after another. He had a very special one planned for later today and was looking forward to it, however, he was beginning to worry that he wouldn’t ever be able have a real date. Or learn Kat’s real name! He was ready for this relationship to move to the next level.

  Lenny had invited Ron for an early morning round of golf, and Ron had picked him up. They finished the last hole, and Ron drove Lenny home. He told Ron to pull around by the kitchen door. As Lenny was getting out of Ron’s SUV, he spontaneously said, “Let’s go see what the wife has lined up for breakfast.” Ron readily accepted, but immediately regretted it, when they walked into the big family style kitchen. The table was set for six. Ron realized that Lenny had tricked him in into having breakfast with his family- and meeting his niece.

  Ron’s mind started racing… “Now what am I going to do!?!” How was he going to be able to extract himself from this trap that Lenny set? How was he going to get away in time to keep his ‘blind’ lunch date with Kat today. He had not seen any reason to mention having lunch plans to Lenny, before. After all, it was supposed to be just early morning golf. And he was not expecting a ‘last minute’ breakfast invitation to be anything to worry about! But now, if he truthfully said he had plans, it would look like just an excuse to leave.

  Ron had met Lenny’s wife, Antoinette, several times before, and she gave him a quick hug and pointed to a chair across the table facing the hall. Ron sat down trying to mask his anxiety. He felt his face flushing, and try as he might- he couldn’t think of anything to bail him out. So he resolved himself to finally meeting Lenny’s niece...

  “I’ll be polite, but I’ll make sure that she won’t like me… we won’t hit it off and that will be that. I’ll let her be the one that rejects me… But either way, it’s going to be sticky!” he sighed waiting for the inevitable bad situation that he knew was about to walk through the door.

  Ron really didn’t want anything to interfere with the friendship that had developed between him and his boss. He was still frantically stewing in his predicament when he heard the front door open, and heard happy voices exclaim, “Hey! It smells like an Italian restaurant!” “Someone has been very busy!” “Yum! I smell Frittata!”

  An attractive middle-aged woman entered the kitchen, followed by a teenager. The teen took one look at Ron and blurted out, “It’s Crackers!”

  Ron was stunned to recognize her voice from the Main Street Bar and Grill, and her face from the photo that Lenny carried in his wallet. Ron also finally realized who she reminded him of.

  Just then Ron heard another familiar voice exclaim, “Auntie, you baked your famous French Bread! Wow! What’s the occasion?” Ron stood up, just as a smiling Kat rounded the corner, entering the kitchen. The smile froze on her face. He could see that she had been tricked as well. He stood there as waves of several emotions simultaneously washed over him- happiness to see Kat, surprise and relief that it was her, followed by worry that she would think he had agreed to meet someone else.

  Lenny was obviously proud of himself for pulling off the surprise fix up. He was beaming as he made the introductions, “Kitten, this is my friend Ron; that I’ve been telling you about.”

  Unable to move for a moment, Ron finally got control of his feet and walked around the table, his eyes still locked with hers. He took her hand in both of his, and said, “I am so happy to finally meet you Kitten… and to think I almost turned down breakfast when your uncle invited me over to eat with his wife and him after golf this morning.”

  Kat’s frozen smile relaxed and became the coy flirty smile that Ron loved. Her blue eyes sparkled as she replied, “Yes, this is a surprise for me, as well!” She shot a look at her family who all seemed to be in on the ‘set up’. “Well, Bu….umm Ron, so we finally meet.”

  Ron still had her hand in his and they laughed as they both realized that they had been using their ‘blind dates’ with each other to avoid meeting each other!

  It was Kat’s family’s turn to be surprised, when they walked to the table still holding hands. Ron held Kat’s chair for her, and took his seat opposite her. Lenny finished the introductions
and Ron and Kat sat smiling at each other through breakfast. The food was great and the conversation happy and bubbly, but Ron hardly tasted or heard anything.

  Lenny said, “Eat up boy! Don’t pass up seconds! There’s plenty! Antoinette doesn’t put on a spread like this everyday!”

  “Oh, yeah then how do you explain that?” his wife joked, patting Lenny’s belly.

  Everyone laughed, and Ron said. “My sincere compliments to the chef, and I hope I don’t offend you, Antoinette… But I have made plans, and I’m afraid I’m going to have to leave, or I’ll be late.” Lenny’s fork stopped mid air, but then to his surprise and pleasure, Ron turned to Kat and asked, “Perhaps you would like to join me? I have a very special day planned.” Kat smiled sweetly, and replied demurely, “Are you sure I wouldn’t be interfering? I don’t want to spoil your plans.”

  Ron smiled and said, “I assure you, although I wasn’t expecting to bring my boss’ niece along today… you are completely welcome! In fact, it wouldn’t be the special event I had planned without you!”

  He stood up, looked at Antoinette and said, “Ma’am, I hope you will give me a rain check on seconds, and allow me to help with dishes next time.”

  Then Ron shook hands with Kitten’s mother, saying, “It was a pleasure meeting you, and I hope to see you again very soon.”

  “Better take some crackers with you!” Angel teased as she waved goodbye.

  As the door was closing behind Ron and Kitten, they could hear Lenny gloating, “Didn’t I tell ya they would hit it off!?!”

  As Ron pulled his SUV out of the driveway, Kitten purred, “So Bud… Ron. I guess the rules are out the window…along with our secrets. We seemed to have been tricked into a blind date where we actually learn about each other… Whether we were ready to or not,” She teased, then noticing his worried look she added quickly, “So, you’re a cop. I’m going to be a social worker… we will have the same employer. Lake County.”