WISHBONE II: ...Some Wishes Should Never Be Made

by Brooklyn Hudson

  “No, no…they are happy tears. It is okay, Jessica. Papa is okay. I am just very happy to see you.”

  Her expression brightened and he pulled her close again.

  The sound of the axe striking wood startled them both and Julien spun around, immediately getting to his feet.

  Sarah stood with her back to them. The axe stuck in the wall, a headless chicken held low and dripping at her side; its head on the floor at the base of the wall. Julien turned Jessica around and ushered her out of the coop. As they reached the barn doors, he heard the slam of the axe again and the barn walls vibrated. He picked Jessica up and headed for the house.

  CHAPTER THIRTEEN

  Julien carried Jessica to the Victorian’s porch. The distant sound of the axe hacking into the barn wall, echoed off the snow covered landscape. Jessica hugged tighter to his neck with each jarring strike.

  “It is okay. We’re going inside now. Everything will be okay.” He carried her over the threshold then reached back for the screen door. The blue jay swooped past them and into the house. It fluttered against Jessica’s back attempting to perch as Julien lowered her to the floor. Jessica smiled and rocked gleefully as the bird found its footing on her shoulder then poked its head through her hair. It squawked and Julien stood gawking in utter disbelief. He had completely forgotten about the bird he abandoned the night he fled the city and now it had found them. There was no time to ponder the bird’s tracking abilities; Sarah will be coming and she will be angry.

  Whatever she wants to do to me…

  Do it…

  But don’t do it in front of Jessica.

  Julien closed the door, knowing it was not reliable protection. He rushed Jessica to the dimming fire and crouched down, seating her against his body for warmth. He tossed another log into the fireplace. A brilliant show of exploding embers performed a ghostly dance as they swiftly wafted up the flue. The log popped and ignited, and a twirling flame grew. Jessica sat, enamored by the display of light and sound. The bird flew to safety, on the high back of an antique armchair.

  Ed had been on the road for ninety-minutes. Visibility was nil and he had covered only 51 miles. He could hardly see the road signs, but through the weather, there were lights in the distance. At worst, he would take a nap at a truck stop and wait out the night, but forging ahead was pointless without the ability to read the road signs.

  Exiting the expressway, he spotted several fast food restaurants, open and empty; across the road, a Motel 6. He pulled into the nearest drive-thru and ordered himself a meal and two coffees then headed for the motel.

  A clerk checked him in, and then ambled up a row of recently shoveled cement steps, leading Ed to his assigned room.

  Ed took a fast tour of the room and bath then kicked off his shoes, turning on the television, with no concern for the programming, just to break the silence. He settled down at a small table to eat. He swallowed a few seasoned curly fries then tore open a small packet of salt, sprinkling them liberally. He removed his phone from his pocket, to call in for his messages. There was only one; a call from Dr. Scott at Fair Oaks Hospital.

  Ed sat thinking for a moment, surprised to hear from the doctor and wondering why he would want him to call in with such urgency. He pressed Call Back and listened to the phone ring.

  A young, male voice came on the line, “Fair Oaks Hospital reception desk, how may I direct your call?”

  “Yeah, this is Detective Ed Bale returning Dr. Scott’s call.”

  He glanced at his watch and wondered if it was too late to reach him.

  He heard silence on the line, “Hello?” he said, believing he might have been hung up on.

  Music filled his ear; he was placed on hold. Moments passed and he thought about hanging up and dialing back, when the music stopped.

  “Detective Bale, Dr. Scott here. Thank you for getting back to me.”

  “What can I do for you Dr. Scott? Everything’s okay with Mrs. Grenier?” Ed asked.

  “Yes, I’ll get right to the point…shortly after you left yesterday, we had to sedate, Mrs. Grenier. We’ve continued to sedate her through the night, but today, she has been adamant to speak with you…something about the death of a child. Now, I’m torn because, as I’ve expressed to you, we don’t want to indulge her fantasies; however, knowing her daughter is in fact missing, I thought I would pursue the topic with her, further.”

  “And what did she tell you? What did she say?”

  “That is the problem, she will only speak with you. I know the weather is inclement, but is there any way you can come to the hospital? I can keep her calm through the night, but if you can come, first thing in the morning…?”

  “Oh, Doc…can’t we do this over the phone? This isn’t the kind of weather I want to be out driving in, and I’m off from work for the next few days.”

  Dr. Scott paused, “Yes, that can be arranged.”

  Ed sensed immediately, Dr. Scott would prefer him to come to the hospital, perhaps to direct his conversation with Rachael. They shared a moment of awkward silence.

  Ed stuck to his guns, “Do you want me to talk to her now?” he asked.

  “Detective Bale…Nurse Pence assured me that your conversation with Rachael went well the other day.”

  “Well, it wasn’t much of a conversation, but she seemed to handle it fairly well.”

  “After you left, she was lucid for a time and I stopped by her room to be sure...”

  “And she was okay?”

  “Well, she said something peculiar,” Dr. Scott hesitated, “I wouldn’t typically discuss a patient’s private conversations without permission, so this is difficult for me…”

  “I understand, Doc. We can make this off the record, if it makes it easier for you…unless you’re going to tell me she killed somebody.” Ed waited for the doctor’s response.

  A low groan escaped Dr. Scott, “No, no…not exactly. She said, that you were going to look for her husband and that…well, that you would be killed.”

  Ed felt an instant chill travel up his spine.

  “Oh yeah? Well, in my line of work, I hear those words a lot,” he pretended not to care.

  “I’m sure, I’m sure you do. I just thought you should know due to the nature of your case. A missing child…the father goes out of town rather suddenly…I’m not sure who you might be dealing with and I thought it best not to ignore the statement; though, Rachael is known for very flamboyant fantasies.”

  “Well, I appreciate you passing along the message. Maybe this is another one of those dreams she rambles about…to go along with that town she speaks of.”

  “Perhaps, perhaps. Nurse Pence did say you talked with Rachael about her child being abducted.”

  Ed felt caught and a little embarrassed. He hoped the nurse hadn’t heard the details of their conversation.

  “Yeah, Doc, I’m sorry about that. The conversation had been going well and she seemed okay. A few of the things she said got me thinking she might know something and I kind of broached the topic, but she kept it together. That little girl is out there somewhere, and these kinds of cases need to be solved quickly, or they typically aren’t solved at all…at least, not with the outcome we hope for. The longer she’s missing, the more likely she will never be found. I hope you understand. It’s my job.”

  “Well, we don’t want to interfere with your police work…I do understand.”

  “So do you still want me to talk to her?”

  “Yes, this might take a moment. Please hold the line.”

  Carl stood at the sink, draining cooked white rice through a mesh strainer. He separated portions into three bowls then poured steaming milk over each as he whistled a vibrato tune. Arlette had gone off for a hot bath and he knew her favorite sweet rice would help to calm her down for the evening. If the little girl wouldn’t eat, there would be more for him. He sprinkled cinnamon over the bowls then a spoonful of sugar in each. He paused and added a second spoon to his own and gave the bowls a stir befor
e carrying two of them to the table. He returned for the last bowl and caught a glimpse of the snow falling beyond the kitchen window. He felt content, knowing that the longer it snowed, the longer it would be before trouble ensued. He whistled again, anxious to devour the warm, peasant meal, as his father had called it. The man had survived the great depression on meals such as this and he never let Carl and Bernie forget it.

  Carl slid a chair out from beneath the table, about to take a seat. He opened his mouth to call for Arlette, but before her name could escape his lips, she screamed.

  “Carrrl,” Arlette shrieked from down the hall, “Carl, hurry, come quickly.”

  Carl grimaced and clenched his teeth. What now, he thought as he slid his chair back beneath the table.

  “CARL!” she hollered again, “Hurry…oh, hurry!”

  “Coming, I’m coming. For heaven’s sake, Lettie.” He rounded the corner and found her in Sarah’s room.

  Arlette stood in a white nightdress; her bare feet buried in the pink shag carpet. She held her arms up at her sides, as if she were nailed to a cross; her mouth wide open and an expression of horror and shock on her face.

  Carl stood there looking back at her, but she stared at him as if to await his response.

  “What? What is it, Lettie?” Carl’s heart pounded in his chest.

  “Carl…!” she said again.

  “What? What Arlette? Tell me what’s wrong.”

  “Where is she?”

  Carl, looked around the room befuddled, “She’s not out there,” he pointed over his shoulder to the hallway.

  “I know she isn’t…out there. I had her locked in here, so she couldn’t get into trouble while I took a bath.”

  Carl opened the closet door and found nothing more than a few hanging dresses. He bent over, nearly losing his balance, but found nothing under the bed.

  “She isn’t here, Carl.” Arlette rushed from the room to their bedroom. Carl followed.

  “I’ll put on my boots and go out after her,” he offered reluctantly.

  “She isn’t out there either,” Arlette insisted, tugging on a pair of pants; her nightdress bunching up at her waist.

  “I’ll go. You can’t go out there in this,” he sighed and reached for his snow boots.

  “Carl, she’s not out there. She’s with them! They’ve got her.”

  Carl let go of his boots. He stood up slowly and turned to face her, “She must be. You’re right.”

  “Yes! There is no other explanation. Of course I’m right. They…they…they took her, Carl.”

  Carl sat down on the edge of the bed. He spoke calmly, “Arlette, there is no way for us to get up that mountain tonight…”

  “But, Carl…what if he convinces her to send them back to the city?”

  “Sarah?” he laughed. “She’s not going to do that. She…she wanted a playmate. She wanted the girl…or maybe she did it for him, but she isn’t going to let him go anywhere. She’s in love with him.”

  Arlette’s eyes widened and she scoffed at his comment, “Love! She doesn’t even understand the concept.”

  Carl stood up, anxious to get back to his dinner. “You keep telling yourself that, Arlette.” He walked out into the hall with Arlette trailing behind him.

  “But that’s a good thing, right? I mean, if it’s true. Why would she let him leave?”

  Carl sat down at the table. Arlette moved to her chair, and stood behind it, gawking at him.

  Carl took up his spoon, “Yes, of course it is a good thing.” He took a taste, “Aaah. It’s still warm, Lettie…sit…eat…”

  Arlette sank into her chair, but didn’t touch her food.

  “I don’t know why you care about this girl; Sarah’s back.” Ed muttered between mouthfuls of rice.

  “Because Sarah is uncontrollable, Carl. She may be an idiot, but that man put all these ideas in her head and she’s never been the same since. I never thought I would see the day when we would be given a second chance, and now we have one. If I can just work with Jessica, as we did with Sarah when she was that age, we know what our mistakes were…we know where we went wrong…and this time it can be different.”

  Carl shook his head, “And Julien? How do you propose we get him to hand over his child?”

  “He’ll never do that,” she admitted. Her eyes, wild and distant.

  “That is my point, Arlette. And what about Sarah? It is hard enough to handle one…now two?”

  “No. We only need the young one. Once I have Jessica and she understands the rules, there will be no need for Sarah.”

  The door swung open and hit the wall with a loud crack. The bird took flight, soaring up to the second floor. The dog barreled in and Jessica broke away from Julien before he could grab her. He jumped up just as Sarah entered the room. She walked right by him, never looking his way, and headed straight for the kitchen. Jessica left the dog to chase after Sarah.

  “Jessica,” Julien yelled, stopping her in her tracks.

  Jessica turned to look at him from across the room.

  “Come here to me,” he said in a soft yet stern tone.

  The little girl peeked into the kitchen then looked back at her father.

  The dog danced around the dining room table, sniffing the air and eyeing the remaining roast.

  Julien held out his hand to his daughter. Sarah appeared behind her and Jessica spun around. Sarah smiled down at Jessica who grinned right back. Sarah held her hand out and Jessica took it. Julien immediately rushed after them as Sarah walked back into the kitchen with Jessica in tow.

  Julien had to weave through a bouquet of pink and white helium filled balloons. The table at the center of the kitchen sat blanketed in bright decorations, cakes, cookies, ice cream and gifts. He watched Sarah help Jessica into a chair at the far end of the table. Julien wanted to grab his daughter and run, but the look of sheer delight on Jessica’s face made it difficult to act on his inclination.

  Sarah stood behind Jessica, she ran her fingers through the little girl’s hair, brushing it neatly back over her shoulders and away from her face. Jessica reached for a bowl of M&M’s and sampled a bright red piece. Sarah moved to the other side of the table and cut into a white and blue frosted cake, serving Jessica a huge wedge and then another for herself. She moved her chair closer to Jessica and the two girls took giant forkfuls of cake into their mouths. Sarah swallowed then opened her mouth revealing a blue streak of frosting on her tongue. Jessica squealed, giddy with laughter then did the same; her tongue was a mess of mashed yellow cake and buttercream. Sarah laughed as she slid a colorful box toward Jessica. The little girl’s eyes lit up in an instant. Julien stepped forward and Sarah scowled at him, daring him to take another step. She turned back to Jessica and nudged the box closer again.

  Jessica took one end of the bow and released the knot, allowing the pink ribbon to fall away. The box sat tall and broad before her. She placed one hand on either side of the top and lifted it high then passed it to Sarah. Jessica looked at the pastel pink tissue paper; she began to peel it back. Her brow furrowed; the box was empty. Confused, she looked to Sarah, who smiled and placed the lid on the box again. The two girls gazed at one another and the dog rushed in. It danced between them, sniffing at the air and suddenly enamored by the box. Sarah kept her eyes on Jessica as she lifted the top again. Two heads popped up through the tissue. With long fluffy white fur and piercing blue eyes, the kittens began to meow and the dog whined, popping up and down on its front paws. Jessica giggled with delight and reached for a kitten, but Sarah closed the box on them again. She pointed at Jessica who wrinkled her face, disappointed. Sarah nodded and Jessica looked at the box again. She gave the top a pat and sat back, taking her hands away. Jessica closed her eyes and the room fell silent. She opened them again and slowly brought her hands to the lid, raising it up once more. Sarah reached in and peeled back the tissue, revealing a rhinestone decorated princess dress and a pair of shimmering shoes. Jessica couldn’t resist and snatched up
the dress. Sarah clapped and rocked in her seat, delightedly.

  Julien suppressed a smile, seeing the innocence of his daughters wish, but knowing that, in reality, nothing good was happening here.

  Sarah helped Jessica to get into the dress and shoes. She looked into the box and frowned then ran her hand over the empty space and snapped her fingers in a showy display. Jessica, standing beside the table, couldn’t see over the box but reached right in, struggling to touch the bottom and feel around. She brought her hand back up with a sparkling magic wand. She looked at it for a moment, dazzled by the twinkling accessory then began to dance around, waving the wand through the air and humming gleefully. The dog followed her, wagging his tail and trying to lick her face as she pranced about.

  Sarah reached across the table for a smaller white box with a powder blue bow. She slid it in Julien’s direction.

  Declining the gift would only make matters worse. He stepped closer to the table and placed his had hesitantly on the box. He took a deep breath and tugged at the ribbon then removed the lid. He peeled back a layer of light blue tissue paper, revealing a second layer, stained with dark droplets of fluid. He peeled the next layer back and looked down up her peace offering. Jumbled in the box, were eight wishbones, some tainted with blood and bits of raw remnants of meat. Before he could say anything to her, Sarah looked away.

  “Detective Bale,” Rachael’s voice trembled.

  “Yes, hi Rachael. They tell me you needed to speak to me. How are you doing?”

  “Detective Bale…you have to help him. Promise me you’ll help him.”

  Bale paused; he was never good at sentiment and struggled for the right words, “I know. I’m trying to. The weather is…”

  “If you go to that house, you’ll find them, but...I don’t know how you’ll do it.”

  “Let me worry about that Rachael. I’m pretty good at this stuff,” he laughed. “The doctor said you were worried about me. That I might be killed? Can you tell me who I’m dealing with? Do these people have weapons? Who might try to kill me?”