by Leah Burke
Marissa took a few more shots, enough to get by, at least. “I think I have enough. Shall we press on?”
She got up from her rock, and the birds disappeared. Oh well, she thought. They’ll come back once we’re gone. Thomas also got up and started leading her down the creek.
“Hold on, I want to check out this dumping ground.”
“Why? It’s just a bunch of garbage.”
“I saw a microwave over there. It could be valuable.” Marissa winked at Thomas.
As they walked over to the dump site, she started to take a few more pictures. They approached and found even more junk than she thought. In addition to the appliances and the mattress, there were bags of garbage and recycling. The air was thick with the stink of rotting refuse.
“Ugh, you’re right. This was a bad idea.” Nonetheless, Marissa took photos of it all.
On the road, she saw some tire tracks heading north. It looked like whoever it was was in a hurry. She took a picture for posterity. “Looks like these garbage enthusiasts were in a rush to get back.”
“Yeah, they probably spotted some rangers coming their way. If they get caught, then it’s a thousand dollar fine.”
“Yikes. Doesn’t seem worth it, huh?”
“Well, it is to them, apparently.”
Marissa snapped a couple more images and they were off to find some more waterthrush.
Chapter 4
Back at the hotel, Marissa was exhausted. Spending nearly eight hours in the dense Georgian brush with the heat sucking every last drop of sweat from her was enough to make her feel like collapsing on the bed. Not to mention that she did all of it on only three hours of sleep, making it feel like she was in a haze.
She didn’t even bother taking off her shoes, she was so tired. She lay on the bed, and her dreams came to her almost immediately. They were nice, for the most part. She dreamt of faraway lands that had engaging, interesting stories. She dreamt of her and Brand, sitting on a beach somewhere, toasting each other for another job well done.
Suddenly, they lean toward each other, their lips almost touching… Brring!! The phone rang. Rudely awakened, Marissa’s dreams shattered into a thousand pieces. What the heck? she thought. Brring! She glanced at the clock. It read 11:00 p.m. Who the heck is calling at this hour?
She groggily reached over and picked up the receiver. “Whoever this is must be ridiculously good-looking, otherwise you are going to have heck to pay.”
“Um, hello to you too,” Thomas replied in an unsure voice.
“Oh, hi, Thomas. What are you doing? Why are you calling so late?” Marissa closed her eyes; they still burned from exhaustion.
“Are you, um, watching the news?”
“What? No, I was, until this point, in a deep sleep. What’s going on?”
“You’ll want to turn to Channel Five. Trust me.” Thomas sounded scared over the phone.
“What’s going on?”
“Um, just do it. Believe me.” Thomas hung up the phone.
What is going on? Marissa went from groggy to grumpy immediately. How dare he interrupt her sleep like that. What kind of local news was so important that he would call so late?
Angrily, she picked up the remote and switched on the television. She flipped through the channels, one by one. What is he talking about? There’s nothing here, she thought. Finally, she made it to Channel Five. It was probably some weather forecast or something, right?
“Burton’s body was found in the southern portion of the park, with forensics experts believing that he was most likely killed elsewhere and then dumped in the area.”
Stunningly, emblazoned on the bottom of the screen, it read: Robert Burton Found Dead in Ocmulgee Park. This can’t be, she thought. This had to be some kind of practical joke. Interestingly enough, she was now fully awake, without an ounce of exhaustion left in her body.
“Police got a call earlier today about a body in the park, and when they investigated, they discovered that it was, in fact, Robert Burton. Burton had gone missing last night when he didn’t come home after work. His wife filed a report, but authorities had no idea of his whereabouts until this afternoon.”
‘This afternoon?’ We were there this afternoon. Marissa’s mind raced. Suddenly, her cell phone started ringing. Who could that be? She reached over and looked at her phone. It was Brand. “Hello?” Her voice cracked as she answered
“Marissa? Are you okay?” Brand asked.
“Um, yeah, sorry, you just, um, caught me as I was sleeping.”
“Is that why you didn’t answer my call earlier?”
Marissa checked her phone. It was true, Brand had called earlier that night. She must have been wiped out and missed it. She also had a few missed texts, both from him and Thomas. She’d have to read them later.
“Yeah, I was pretty beat from today’s hike. What’s up?” As she spoke, her eyes stayed on the story. She lowered the volume, but bits and pieces still crept in.
“How did it go today? Was Thomas useful to you?”
“Preliminary reports suggest that Burton was stabbed repeatedly in the back and torso. They have yet to find a murder weapon.”
“Um, yeah, he was good. I didn’t know any potamologists before today, but now I can cross that off my bucket list.” Marissa chuckled. She tried to keep things light, even though her heart was pounding.
“Any what?” Brand seemed confused.
“Burton, of course, being the owner of Burton/Shelby Enterprises, a development company responsible for Atlanta’s regrowth in the past couple of years.”
“Um, potamologist. They study rivers. I guess Thomas is one.”
“Oh, that’s weird. I thought he was a biologist or something.”
“Burton was the second richest man in Atlanta, and the fifth richest in Georgia. He leaves behind a wife and a son, who are both expected to hold a press conference tomorrow morning.”
“Did you get any good photos?” Brand asked.
“Hm? Oh, uh, yeah. I think I’ll get a Peabody Award for them. Fingers crossed.” Marissa continued to stare at the screen.
“Are you sure you’re alright? You seem distracted.”
“Sorry, I, um, I’m still a little out of it. I guess I was more tired than I thought. Can I call you back in the morning?”
“Yeah, that’s fine. You’re sure everything’s okay? You seem a bit anxious.” Brand sounded genuinely concerned. Why did he have to be so perfect?
“It’s nothing, really. Do Thomas and I have another excursion tomorrow?” Marissa stopped paying attention to the TV.
“You mean you didn’t talk to him about it?” Brand sounded confused.
“I mean, we talked, but I guess I didn’t think to ask him.”
“Well, it’s up to you. Thomas is being paid by the hour, so you can use him as much as you want. To a point, that is.”
“Okay. I’ll figure out what I need and then I’ll talk to him about it. Do I need to fill out a request form first?” Marissa chuckled.
“No, I’m sure it’ll be fine. Just don’t spend too much time with him. Otherwise, I’ll have to come down there to separate you two,” Brand shot back.
“Well, when you put it that way…”
“Just try to get some sleep, Marissa. I’ll talk to you tomorrow. Let me know if you need help with anything.”
“Of course, Brand. Good night.”
She hung up the phone, smiling. Her smile quickly faded, however, as she turned the volume back up on the TV. The screen showed a map of the park. Please don’t show the fork, please don’t show the fork, she thought.
“Burton’s body was found here. A short distance from where Shellstone Creek splits in two. Rangers discovered it at about 4:30 p.m. local time.”
4:30 p.m.? That was just an hour after they left. Were they purposefully waiting for us to leave? Marissa’s head filled with all kinds of dark and paranoid thoughts. She felt her phone vibrate. She was getting a text.
Did you see it? Thom
as asked.
She scrolled through his earlier texts. He apparently had been trying to reach her since 8:13 p.m. He sounded frantic in his messages. Where are you??? Turn on the TV NOW!! Channel Five!! This was all so surreal. But suddenly, it hit her. Now she had a story worth telling. Could this be the universe giving her something more worthwhile? She’d have to call Harlan in the morning and beg him to let her cover it. This has to be fate, she thought.
Yeah, I saw it. What do you think? she replied to Thomas’ text. She wondered how freaked out he had to be right now. He was probably shaking in his boots, she thought. That would be a lovely sight.
I think we’re going to get a call from the police. But don’t worry, I have a good lawyer. Thomas’ reply was not exactly what she was expecting.
Suddenly, her hotel phone started ringing. This is too spooky, she thought. She reached over and picked it up. It was probably Thomas, trying to explain his message.
“Is this Marissa Larkin, from The World at Large Magazine?” The voice on the other line was heavy and deep, with a thick Georgian accent.
“Um, yes, who is this?”
“My name is Wilson Jeffries. I am a detective with the Atlanta Police Department. I was wondering if we could have a moment to talk?”
Marissa’s blood went cold as ice.
Chapter 5
Being the first time that Marissa had ever been to a police station stateside, she had to say it was different than she expected. In Mexico, she waited for six hours before finally seeing someone. The place was cramped and hot, and she sat next to a drunk man for most of that time, which meant that she had to smell his awful breath for much longer than anyone should.
Conversely, the Atlanta station was much nicer. First of all, it was air conditioned, which meant that waiting for hours did not force her to worry about the status of her deodorant. Second, it was much more calm than she had anticipated. Usually, in the movies, the police station is a hive of activity. Apparently, real life was much more restrained.
She checked her watch. It was just after 11:30 a.m. I’ve only been here for two hours? she thought. That morning had been a very interesting one, which started off with a spirited phone call from Harlan.
He woke her up at 7:00 a.m., wondering why he was getting contacted by Atlanta police regarding her connection to a high-profile murder case. She did have to admit that it was strange, considering that this assignment was basically the opposite of exciting.
“What the heck did you do down there?” Harlan asked, exasperated.
“Okay, first of all, good morning, Harlan.” Marissa was still struggling to wake up.
“We’ve known each other for six years, Marissa. I don’t think we have to open up with pleasantries anymore.”
“Well, pardon me for trying to be civil.”
“Oh, you want to be civil? Okay, then let’s have that conversation. ‘Hello, Marissa. Good morning to you.’ ‘Good morning to you, Harlan. How are you today?’ ‘Oh, I’m fine, Marissa, just having a bit of a stomach issue, but I should be okay. How are you?’” Harlan spoke in a ridiculously patronizing voice.
“Okay, I get it. You can stop now.”
“So, I will repeat my question. What the heck did you do down there?” Harlan sounded irritated, but not angry. If he was angry, he would have been yelling.
“I didn’t do anything. I guess you could say I was in the wrong place at the wrong time.”
“And how exactly did you manage that? I sent you down there for a quiet little piece on Louisiana waterbirds, and you get wrapped up in a major homicide?”
“Waterthrush.”
“Oh, shut up, Marissa. I know what I said. Tell me exactly what happened, step by step.”
“Look, you’re the one who sent me that guide. I never would have been there if it weren’t for Thomas.” Marissa was fully awake now, and spoke in a matter-of-fact tone.
“So you were there? Next to the body?”
“I wouldn’t say next to it. I don’t even know where they found the body. I just know that we were a lot closer than I would have been otherwise.”
“So it’s just a twist of fate, then? Is that what you’re saying? You just happened to find yourself within a stone’s throw of the corpse of one of the richest men in Georgia?”
“I suppose it is. So does that mean I can cover it?”
“What?” Now Harlan sounded mad.
“Well, I mean, I think this takes precedence, don’t you? The waterthrush can wait?”
“Oh no, I see what you’re doing here. I am not going to let you drop the climate change thing, you hear me?” Harlan sounded adamant.
“So you’re just going to what, send someone else to cover this story? Pay for another plane ticket and hotel room?” Marissa knew how to convince Harlan, even if it was an uphill battle.
“Who says we’re even covering this story?”
“What? You would be a fool not to, Harlan. He was the fifth richest man in Georgia! You said it yourself! I did some cursory Googling last night, and it turns out that he had his fingers in a lot of pies, if you know what I mean.”
“Damn it, Marissa, I am not having this conversation with you. Just tell the police what you were doing there, and cooperate fully, you understand me?”
“So you’re just going to drop this story? I was there, Harlan! Who knows what kind of insight I can bring into it. You think fate put me there for no reason? I have to do this!” Marissa started to get impatient. She knew that she was right.
There was a long pause. It was obvious that Harlan had to think about it. It made sense, after all. How often did an opportunity like this come along?
“How do we even know that there is a story here? What if he was killed by accident?”
“The news said that his body was dumped in the park. You think someone accidentally left him there?”
Harlan took another moment to think.
“Okay, two things. First, you’re still on the bird article, and that is your main priority. Got it?”
“Fine! I’ll do the stupid birds! What else?”
“Secondly, just do some research on this, and then get back to me with what you find. I swear to God, Marissa, unless this guy was killed by some scorned secret lover or assassinated, you’re dropping it. You hear me? I don’t want you turning in a full-page article about some guy who got killed in a hunting accident.”
“Of course. But I promise you, something is there.” Marissa started to get excited. This trip was taking some unexpected, but promising, turns.
“How do you know?”
“Call it hunch. I’ll talk to you later, boss. I gotta get ready to talk to Detective Jeffries.”
“You cooperate with him, okay? Do whatever he says. If you get arrested for interfering with the case, I won’t bail you out. Not again.” Harlan had made that threat before, but he had never followed through.
“Come on, Harlan, what kind of photojournalist do you take me for?”
Back at the police station, Marissa realized that she hadn’t eaten anything. Her stomach started to rumble. She looked around and spotted a vending machine across the way. It didn’t look like it had anything substantial or nutritious, but she felt that that was a risk worth taking.
As soon as she got up, Detective Jeffries arrived. “You’re not trying to go anywhere, are you?”
“Oh, um, sorry. Are you Mr. Jeffries?” Marissa was caught off guard.
“Detective. And yes. Sit down, please.” Wilson seemed very warm and charming. It was obvious that he had been doing this a while.
Marissa glanced longingly at the vending machine. Hopefully, this wouldn’t take very long.
“Would you like anything? Coffee, water?” Wilson asked.
Marissa half-wanted to say a cheeseburger, but she felt that that would take more time than she wanted to spend. “Um, no, I’m fine, thank you.”
“Alright then. First of all, how are you today?”
After Marissa’s talk with H
arlan, Wilson’s Southern charm took her by surprise. Why couldn’t Texans be so polite? “Um, I’m fine, thank you for asking.”
“You’re quite welcome, Miss Larkin. I also want to apologize for keeping you waiting so long. As you can imagine, this case has a lot of moving parts.”
“I understand.”
“Do you know why I called you here, Miss Larkin?”
“Please, you can call me Marissa. Miss Larkin sounds so formal.”
“My apologies. I’m something of a stickler for propriety. I’ll work on that.” Wilson flashed a smile at Marissa. His teeth are so perfect, she thought. “So, do you have a guess as to why you’re here?” he continued.
“Oh, um, I suppose it’s because I was in the vicinity of the body yesterday?”
“You’re quite right, Miss Larkin—” As Wilson said it, Marissa gave a look. “Sorry, Marissa. Why were you and Mr. LeFleur at the wildlife area in the first place?”
“Who?”
“Uh, Mr. Thomas LeFleur. He was with you, correct?”
“Oh, um, yeah. He was there. Have you talked to him already?”
“Why do you ask?”
“Just curious. Um, we were there because he was showing me where to find Louisiana waterthrush.”
“Are you an ornithologist, Miss Lark— Marissa?”
“No, I’m doing a story about how climate change is affecting the waterthrush migration patterns. But, you knew that already, didn’t you?” Marissa was trying to suss out Wilson’s intentions. Surely he wasn’t thinking anything foul of her, right?
“Of course. I did speak with your boss last night to verify Mr. LeFleur’s statements.”
“You’re very thorough, Detective.”
“Well, I try, I suppose. So you happened to be at the fork of the Shellstone Creek? Did you find what you were looking for?”
“Um, yeah. We did see some birds.”
“From what I understand, you saw a lot more than that. What else did you find out there, Marissa?” Wilson took a more serious tone. What could he be talking about?
“Um, I don’t know. We saw some trash that people had dumped, but that’s about it.”