by Irving Munro
“We plan to be married in Las Vegas and then we’ll see where life takes us. It’s such a huge country with so much to explore and experience. The world is our oyster!” replied Pavel.
The old lady turned to Archie and said, “How exciting! Two young lovers off to explore the world. Just like you and I, Archie. We’re just young lovers aren’t we.” Archie managed a smirk as he continued the demolition work on the behemoth steak that lay in front of him.
As they returned to their steaks, Galina’s mind, for the first time on the trip, felt a sting of doubt. “The world is our oyster? Where did that come from?” thought Galina. “What happened to settling down and raising a family in California?”
~
They rose early the next morning, made good time along the I70, and arrived at the American RV Park just outside Albuquerque at 4:30 in the afternoon. They decided that they would stay there a couple of nights to recharge their batteries for the next leg of the trip to Vegas. They didn’t want to reach Vegas so exhausted that they couldn’t enjoy their wedding day to the fullest. A good spot was found for the tent and they got it secured.
The city of Albuquerque is five thousand feet above sea level. On a chilly night in May, they were both glad for the warmth of the restaurant. They found a small corner booth and sat down below a huge painting of a hot air balloon. The waitress arrived to take their order and when Galina asked about the painting, she explained that every year in October, the city plays host to the largest hot air balloon festival in the world.
The restaurant was quite small, so they couldn’t help but hear the group in the opposite corner of the restaurant kicking up a storm. There were five of them, two guys and three gals and they were hooping and hollering and chugging beers like there was no tomorrow.
A petite brunette with an LSU tee shirt looked up at them and yelled, “Come join us!”
Pavel and Galina looked at each other and after a brief pause, walked over to the party. The group made some space for them around the huge corner table.
The brunette grabbed a pair of nearby chairs, set them down and moved over. “We’re so glad you decided to join us. We saw y’all sitting there together like runaway lovers, staring into each other’s eyes and we thought you’d like some company.”
“Well, yes we are runaways,” said a somewhat embarrassed Pavel. Galina was furious that he had told them but bit her tongue.
The brunette squealed, “I knew it! I just knew it! We need introductions! Attention, everybody!” The group looked over and smirked at her antics. She had done this before.
“I am Fran Taylor, this is Rocky Redmond and Gail Anderson and over the other side of the table are Lani Boudreau and Adelaide Leblanc. We’re all seniors now at LSU down in Baton Rouge. We’re on our way to Vail to work in the restaurants and bars there to make some extra cash. Afterwards, we’re headed back to school for our final year. We’ll be back the first week in August.”
Galina made their introductions while trying to hide her anger at Pavel for admitting that they were Romeo and Juliet.
Galina was also a little confused about the dynamics of this group of five. She assumed, correctly as it was later to be revealed, that Fran was the odd one out and that the other four were in relationships, given the way that Fran had done the introductions.
Adelaide Leblanc ordered a round of drinks for the new friends. Pavel and Galina knocked back a tequila shot. It tasted weird and as at shot slid down, they both screwed up their face. Growing up in Russian households where vodka was the norm, the tequila tasted like dish soap. They wouldn’t be doing any more shots of that. Beers accompanied the shots and the party rolled along.
“Where are you headed?” asked Gail Anderson.
Galina had a good feeling about Gail. She was a little five foot four bundle of energy with red hair and freckles. She seemed more levelheaded and down-to-earth than the others but she, like everyone else, was now drunk and was having difficulty focusing her beautiful green eyes. The daughter of a third generation Irish-American, Gail had to work to pay her way through college. The others all had rich parents.
“We’re headed to Vegas,” replied Galina. “We plan to get married there and then travel on to California, get work, and find a place to live. Pavel worked for his uncle in construction in Maryland, so he’s confident that he will get a construction job quite easily in California.”
“It’s hotter than Hades in Vegas this time of year. Well over a hundred degrees,” said Fran, overhearing the conversation between Galina and Gail.
“You can’t go outside and you’ll spend a fortune in the casinos just to keep cool. Been there, done that!” continued Fran. “You both should tag along with us, find work in Vail and then head on to California at the end of the summer season.” Galina felt instantly threatened at Fran’s attempt to control their lives.
Fran’s voice became higher as she continued, “You could even stay on for the winter. Even more money can be made when the skiing jet set hit town! Heck, we could all be in your wedding; Rocky could be best man, and we three girls could be your maids of honor!”
“You know, sometimes Fran, you can be a real pain in the ass!” yelled Gail, taking Fran by surprise and taking Galina’s breath away. She didn’t expect that from the little Irish girl, but she giggled just the same.
An hour later, they all staggered out of the restaurant and headed to the campsite. They were all a bit drunk, some more than others. Rocky Redmond went head over heals in the parking lot.
“I’m going to sue!” slurred Rocky. A law student, he trying hard to demonstrate that his untimely demise was the fault of the owners of the establishment’s failure to maintain the parking lot and had nothing to do with the fact that he was drunk as a skunk, They all hugged as eventually one by one they found their tents and said their good nights.
The following morning, they all met for breakfast slightly the worse for wear from the night of partying. As usual, Fran was the master of ceremonies and got the conversation started.
“So what do y’all think? Want to join the party for a couple of months and come with us to Vail?”
“It’s very tempting, but I don’t know. We had our heart set on a wedding in Vegas,” replied Galina. Her cautious side needed time to weigh up folks she met until she got to know them better. She was a little undecided about the LSU crew, in particular Fran, who didn’t sit well with her at all.
Pavel’s eyes were wide with excitement. He learned over and said, “Come on, Galina. Remember what we talked about with Lewis and Clark. Sometimes, you just have to swallow hard and go for it!”
Fran leaned in on Galina’s other side and said, “You can still head to Vegas after Vail. It will be cooler by then, and you’ll have more money in your pocket.”
“What’s your plan to get to Vail?” asked Galina, softening her position.
Rocky, still nursing his hangover and rubbing the significant contusion on his forehead from last night’s festivities, spoke up from across the table. “We’re taking North I-25, branching off on Highway 84 toward Pagosa Springs and then north on Highway 160 to River Bend Resort campground.
“If we drove straight to Vail, it would take almost nine hours, so staying the night at River Bend is a better plan. We did it last summer and it’s a scenic drive. The campsites at River Bend are great with showers and all the amenities,” continued Rocky.
“Let’s do it,” said Pavel, and his excitement to make the change in their plans made Galina feel more than a little nervous.
“Yes!” yelled Fran.
Galina thought she saw Fran look at Pavel as she screamed. She couldn’t be sure but as she turned back to look at Pavel, she could see he was smiling broadly in the direction of Fran. “What is going on here?” she thought and then dismissed it from her mind as the rest of the LSU crew demanded a group hug.
~
Later that morning, with bags packed and loaded on the bike, the Triumph followed Adelaide’s white Cadillac
Escalade out onto North I-25.
Chapter 15 - The Three Musketeers
2014 - The Cold Case Investigation
Just after lunch, Tommy and Marie strode into Jack Johnson’s office with Bill in tow. “We would like to give you an update on our meeting this morning with Billy Jo McWilliams,” announced Tommy.
“Let’s go to the conference room. Not a lot of room in here. The cleaners didn’t show up yesterday,” joked Jack.
They sat down at the long table and Jack started without any preamble. “So, what’s the scoop, team?”
“Billy Jo reconfirmed what she said to Marie and George in 2005,” said Tommy. “The reason it’s so clear in her mind is that it was her birthday that day and there was an incident in the street where a kid was almost run over by a Ford Explorer. And you’ll never guess what else: she saw the driver!” Tommy sat back triumphantly to allow the news to have the desired effect.
“Well then?” asked Jack, his eyes staring Tommy down like a relief pitcher facing a full count. “What did she see?”
“It was a man with glasses and a beard,” responded Tommy.
“Would she be able to pick him out of a lineup?” asked Jack.
“Unlikely and at any rate, it would be difficult to have an ID stick as it was getting dark and she only saw him for an instant,” responded Tommy.
“Jim McCord has a beard and glasses!” Marie chimed in excited to get that fact out on the table.
“My brother has a beard and glasses, Marie and I’m pretty sure he didn’t do it,” quipped Jack with a note of sarcasm in his voice.
Marie’s face deflated until Jack continued.
“But Jim McCord is front and center in this whole thing, so we should try to run the traps on this. Any ideas Bill? Anything else in the file where we might be able to connect some dots with this new piece of info?”
“I would recommend that we keep this new information to the four of us for now,” suggested Bill. “We sure as heck should not let Jim McCord know that there has been a new development. Based on the other info in the file, we should also be very careful with any additional enquiries, as I would guess that Bill Anderson would hear about it on the grapevine and Jim McCord would know about it instantly. Thick as thieves those two,”
“So what do you suggest?” said Jack, wondering where Bill was going with this.
“I suggest we take a look at Dawn and Harvey Cohen first,” said Bill.
Marie’s eyes lit up as she imagined herself waterboarding Dawn Cohen. Dawn was the type of person that Marie disliked the most. To Marie, it was more than obvious that she wallowed in her husband’s money, drinking wine all day and looking down her nose at any other woman who hadn’t managed to land the “big catch.” It was Marie’s opinion that she probably had never put in an honest day’s work in her life.
After Jack nodded his approval, Bill said, “OK, let’s find out if they still live in the neighborhood. Not sure how we might go about talking to them if they are still around but let’s check and get back together here tomorrow morning to discuss what we know and where we go.”
Jack opened the conference room door and yelled down the hall, “Celia, can you reserve this conference room for us at 9:00 a.m. tomorrow?”
“Will do, Detective Johnson,” replied Celia.
~
The following morning in the conference room, with coffee and doughnuts in hand, the atmosphere was one of subdued excitement. They had discovered Dawn and Harvey Cohen had divorced in 2009 after Harvey found his wife giving the pool boy a lesson in the art of rodeo riding. He had come home early from the office and heard the screams coming from his recreation room. Harvey had burst open the door and found the pool boy lying naked flat on his back on the pool table. Dawn Cohen was astride him, giving her best impression of Clint Cannon, the bareback rodeo champion. Her little tassels on her tits swayed rhythmically as she grinded on her “pony”. She had been wearing Harvey’s black Stetson that he bought at the State Fair. That was the final straw.
“No one fucks with my pool table,” Harvey is reputed to have said. It was unlikely he had actually said that, but the pool table did have new felt fitted the following day.
Jack took a bite from his glazed donut and said; “I suggest we keep our powder dry on the two of them for now. I was reading through the notes you made on the file, Bill. I would guess that Riverside has a homeowner’s association, an HOA. I wonder if they give out warnings to owners who park cars in their driveways overnight. Some associations insist that you clear it ahead of time if you are expecting out of state guests. There have been some reported cases in Austin over the years where out of state vehicles were parked in driveways while the owners weren’t home. When the owners came back, their home had been robbed. These events had been missed by the HOA patrols, so now each out of state visitor has to be cleared in advance.”
Jack took another bite along with a sip of coffee and continued.
“Can you do some research on that, Bill? See if Riverside has an HOA and what their rules are regarding out of state vehicles. I’m sure that Tommy and Marie have other things that they need to be working on.
“And one more thing”, Jack continued. “I haven’t decided whether to get approval to reopen this case yet but I am getting pretty darned close. If I get that approval, I will want you three amigos working on it with me!”
“There would be four of us,” chimed in Tommy, as he had always been good at arithmetic in school. “It should really be the four musketeers!”
“Get back to work!” blared Jack, ending the meeting and going off to see if the cleaners had been in his office yet.
~
The following morning, Bill sat with Jack Johnson in his office. “Riverside does have a homeowners association and they do give out warnings regarding overnight parking of out of state vehicles,” said Bill.
“Outstanding!” barked Jack.
“I went a step further and called the current president on the pretext that I was conducting a survey for the Police Department on various neighborhood traffic policies. Apparently, we already have an officer scheduled to drive through Riverside at some frequency looking for people breaking the speed limit, and the HOA President Bill Larkin was very complimentary on how effective the program has been. He would be happy to help with any survey and to call him anytime to set up a meeting.”
“That was probably a little bit hasty Bill, but good to know that we have his cooperation if and when we need it,” said Jack.
Later that day, the word came down. “Jack wants y’all in the conference room ASAP,” said Celia, sticking her head around the corner break room.
It was almost 6:30 when they walked into the conference room. Jack sat at the top of the table and standing beside him was Travis County Police Chief Bill Dunwoody with a serious look on his face. Bill Dunwoody was a huge man, well over six feet and weighed two sixty. He had two sons in college, both linebackers and younger versions of Bill. He was powerful and intimidating. No one messed with Bill Dunwoody.
They all sat down with a feeling of trepidation. Jack cleared his throat and read from prepared text, “After giving due consideration to the extensive additional information provided by Special Reserve Officer Bill Ross on the Riverside murder case of 2005, plus the latest developments regarding the possible identity of the driver of the dark Ford Expedition thought to be involved, Chief Bill Dunwoody has given his approval to reopen the case. Congratulations, everyone!”
It was like they had won the lottery. Marie turned and gave Tommy a hug and Bill, with a beaming smile, looked like the cat that got the cream.
Bill Dunwoody quickly ended the festivities and said, “I want a thorough job done this time, people. And when you talk with Stan Hardwick, which I’m sure you will, I want y’all to show him the respect he deserves. He was a good detective and served the people of Travis County well. Good luck and Jack, you’ll give me regular updates on progress as we agreed. That is all.”
&
nbsp; After Dunwoody left the room, Jack said, “Beers are on me at the Oasis! And none of that single malt shit, Ross!”
“You got it, boss,” said Bill, and off they went for a few beers and to watch the sun set over Lake Travis.
Chapter 16 - The Oasis
2014 - The Cold Case Investigation
The Oasis on Lake Travis is a popular restaurant on the western edge of Austin. The restaurant promotes itself as the "Sunset Capital of Texas" with its terraced views looking west over the lake. The thirty thousand square foot restaurant sits on a bluff 450 feet above the lake and is the largest outdoor restaurant in Texas.
The restaurant was first built in 1982 by Houston entrepreneur Beau Theriot, who had purchased the 500-acre ranch overlooking the lake a few years earlier. He still lives on the property in a huge mansion, half a mile down the road from the restaurant.
Many people think that the line from the Garth Brooks song “I’ve got friends in Low Places” when he sings, “…go down to the bar at the Oasis” refers to the Lake Travis hill top restaurant. In fact it refers to a seedy nightclub in Nashville.
Marie put her glass down on the table and said, “This place burned down the same year we found the woman’s body in Riverside,” said Marie.
“Looks pretty good now,” responded Bill as he shared the pitcher of Bud Lite and tried to look like he was enjoying it. Bud Lite would not have been Bill’s first choice but Jack had got the beers in, so Bud Lite it was.
Marie continued, “Beau Theriot had the entire place rebuilt after the fire. The apartments, the huge multi-story car park and the other retail outlets were added. None of this was here when the original restaurant burned. Beau is a real entrepreneur and sees great potential in building his empire,” continued Marie.
They were an interesting group brought together by a murder of a young woman less than five miles away from where they sat that night. The sun set over the lake as they drank a few beers, exchanged stories and learned a little bit more about each other.