Sooner Dead

by David L Thornburg

  They got him into the back seat, and Lianne resumed chest compressions. "You drive!" she said.

  Two minutes later, they were on the state highway. "Where are we going?" Lianne asked.

  "Franklin."

  "There's no doctor in Oak Valley?"

  "You've been on the main street. Did you see a doctor's office? How's he doing?"

  "I don't know. Drive faster."

  When they got to the clinic, two orderlies loaded Harris on a gurney and followed the doctor back to a treatment room. Daniel and Lianne were left in the waiting room with a mother and her sniffly baby and an elderly couple. Daniel couldn't tell which of them were sick - neither of them looked very good.

  Daniel called Harris' wife Francis from the road, and she arrived a few minutes after them. She was ushered back to the treatment room.

  After 30 minutes with no word, Lianne said, "We should get back."

  Daniel's eyes widened. "Leave?"

  "We got him here as fast as we could. His family is here. There's nothing more we can do. What if there's an emergency back in Oak Valley?"

  Daniel couldn't believe what he was hearing. "I'm staying right here. You can go back if you want. Take the cruiser. Just don't arrest the whole town before I get back."

  Before she could reply, an ambulance pulled up to the front door. The doctor came out from the back of the clinic, followed by the gurney with Harris, and Francis trailing.

  "We're sending him to Muskogee," the doctor said. "He's not out of the woods yet, but you two did great to get him here so fast. You make a good team."

  Daniel and Lianne were quiet for a moment, then she said, "Whatever. Let's go."

  "You go. I'll bring Francis' car back to town."

  "You have keys to her car?"

  "They're in the ignition."

  "How do you know?"

  "Trust me."

  Chapter 4

  The next day, Daniel decided to have his morning coffee at the diner instead of the office. He couldn't face Harris' empty desk, and the more he could avoid Ortega, the better. Over a steaming cup of sludge, he pondered whether that made him a coward or just self-aware. He decided that discretion was the better part of valor and took another sip.

  He turned the page of the Oak Valley Sentinel, the weekly newspaper. He passed the news of the upcoming county fair and the legal notices and perused the sports page.

  When he couldn't put it off any longer, he walked two buildings down and into the Sheriff's office. The cell was empty. Eileen turned Stevenson loose yesterday.

  The dispatcher had a pained look on her face. She nodded toward Harris' desk.

  Lianne Ortega was sitting there, the phone receiver in one hand and taking notes with the other. "Yes. Yes. Yes, sir, will do." She hung up. "That was the county commissioner." She went back to her notes.

  Daniel and Eileen exchanged glances. "And?" Daniel asked.

  "Apparently there's a survey crew coming tomorrow to plan for a new state highway. He asked us to check out the..." She referred to her note, "...Stone Mansion and make sure there are no squatters or safety hazards."

  Eileen whistled. "So they're finally going to build the road."

  "Sounds like they're getting closer," Daniel agreed.

  "What road?"

  "A state highway spur connecting I-35 and I-44 has been rumored for a long time. It'll bring a lot of money to the town," Daniel said.

  "And unwanted visitors," sniffed Eileen. "The biggest winners will be the Stone family."

  Lianne raised a quizzical eyebrow.

  Daniel continued. "Stone. As in Stone County. Named for an oil baron from the early 1900s. He built a huge mansion not far from here, just a ruin now. His family still owns the land. The oil is long since gone, but the word is they held on to the land in case the road was ever built."

  "That's about all they left behind," Eileen said. "They took their money and moved to Dallas decades ago."

  "They did some good while they were here," said Daniel. "The Indian city and school they funded. Stone City, right?"

  "Is it still there?" Lianne asked.

  “Of course not,” Eileen sniffed.

  "They couldn't help it if there was a fire and the residents all scattered."

  Lianne clicked at the keyboard and squinted at the monitor of Harris' computer. "Stone City. A trade city, residential housing, and school started by Alphaus Stone in 1917 to provide for local Native Americans, and funded by proceeds from the enormous oil deposit discovered in what is now Stone County, Oklahoma. Little remains at the location after a fire destroyed all the buildings in 1927. Stone Mansion, the family residence, is on the site."

  "Maybe not for much longer," Daniel said.

  "All my years here, I've never even seen it. Never had any desire to," said Eileen.

  "Wish I could say the same," said Daniel. "It's been a high school party place for years. I've had a few misspent evenings there."

  "Let's go see what it looks like in the daylight, then." Lianne stood up.

  "First I want to call and check on Sheriff Harris."

  Lianne said, "His condition is stable. They plan to keep him under observation for a couple of days, but he might be able to come home by the end of the week. Francis appreciates you getting her car home." She walked to the door and turned to see Daniel and Eileen looking at her. "I called when I got in. You two weren't here yet."

  Lianne knew she was sulking, but she couldn't help it. Daniel insisted on driving, and it made sense as he knew where they were going, but she hated not being in the driver's seat.

  It didn't take long for them to get out of town and into the agricultural area. After 15 minutes, Daniel turned onto a dirt road that would have escaped her notice completely. After another bumpy five minutes they arrived at a rusty gate, secured in place by a chain but not locked.

  Daniel put the cruiser in park. "Well?"

  "Well, what?"

  "It's customary for the passenger to hop out and open the gate, then close it after the driver of the vehicle enters the premises."

  "Is that so?" she muttered, getting out. She unwrapped the chain, rust coating her hands. Before she swung the gate open, she saw marks on the ground. She motioned to Daniel.

  He rolled down his window. "What is it?"

  "Someone has been through here recently. I can see where the chain was dropped."

  "Probably kids, like I said. Leave the gate open and get in."

  They drove slowly down the lane for a half mile, the overgrown weeds making Lianne feel claustrophobic, but soon they emerged into a wide-open space. Gentle hills sloped into the distance, covered with rich wild grass. In the center was a large pond, and up the largest hill from that was Stone Mansion.

  "Stone Lake," Daniel offered.

  "Not much of a lake."

  "Years of drought."

  The house's shabby decrepitude did not hide its former glory from Lianne. It was two stories, with rounded turrets at either of the front ends. Six gables interrupted the broad expanse of the roof, but the windows were long since broken. The white plaster exterior had peeled in many places, exposing the gray wood framing underneath. A generous porch surrounded the entire ground floor, beginning and ending with two 12-foot oak doors in the center of the home, both boasting shattered stained-glass windows.

  Lianne stepped out of the car. "It must have been beautiful," she said. "Like Tara in Gone with the Wind, or Mount Vernon."

  "I suppose so." Daniel was out of the cruiser and leaning with his arms crossed on the roof.

  "Where was the town?"

  "I don't really know. I guess it was at the bottom of the hill."

  Lianne paused. "You mean the Stone's brought all those Native Americans to live here and made it so they would be looking up at this grand mansion all the time? Think old Alphaus had a god complex?"

  "I never thought of it that way."

  "I bet your people hated that."

  "My people?"

  "Aren'
t you Native American?"

  "Yeah, but I guess I don't really feel a connection to the people that lived here."

  "No?"

  "I have my own life to live."

  "Everything that came before you affects that life, doesn't it?"

  Lianne thought he looked pained. Maybe he wasn't used to thinking so hard.

  He snapped out of it and said, "Let's look around. You go east, I'll go west. I'll meet you at the back and we'll go in together."

  "Copy."

  "Ortega, you heard me say 'together,' right?"

  "Yes, sir!"

  It took a while to go around such a big house. Up close it seemed even shabbier. Plaster chips mixed with shards of glass around the perimeter, and the smell of mildew and rot was powerful.

  She rounded the corner to the back of the house and was surprised to see a late model SUV parked there. On the back patio was a new lawn chair, an ice chest, and a barbeque. She saw a little smoke coming from it and it was warm to the touch.

  She backed up and called, "Police!" Movement in an upper window caught her eye. She focused and saw a man's face looking at her. Then he disappeared.

  She looked for Daniel but didn't see him. "Minco!" No answer. She decided to go in.

  The screen door was barely hanging on to the house. She opened it and pushed the back door open. "Police entering the premises," she yelled.

  She was in the kitchen, its workmanlike surfaces and plain cabinetry a reminder that the servants worked here, unlike the shiny modern kitchens that were the center of contemporary houses. She passed through the opening on the opposite wall and was at the bottom of a staircase. "Police," she called again.

  "I'm coming down," came a man's voice from upstairs.

  She rested her hand on her pistol handle. She saw the legs first – work boots and pressed jeans – then a corduroy work shirt with the hands raised. Then the face of a man in his late twenties, clear eyes with a couple of days’ beard stubble.

  "What's your name, sir?"

  "Perhaps I should ask you. This is private property, after all." His tone was not confrontational; it even had a hint of humor.

  Which Lianne chose not to respond to. "I'm Officer Ortega with the Oak Valley Police Department."

  "What can I do for the Oak Valley PD?"

  "Answer my question. What is your name?"

  "Blake. Bronson Blake. I'm the caretaker here."

  She heard the back door open again, and footsteps. Then Daniel was behind her.

  "Who do we have here?" he asked.

  "Caretaker."

  Daniel scowled at Bronson. "There's never been a caretaker here before. If you don't mind me saying so, you're not doing a very good job."

  "I just started. Stone Energy hired me to see how much it would take to fix this place up."

  Lianne said, "Why fix this place up if the road is coming through here?"

  Bronson said, "Road?"

  "Just a rumor, sir," Daniel said, glaring at Lianne. He handed Bronson a card. "Since you're keeping an eye on the place, if you need anything, please let us know."

  "Will do," Bronson said, pocketing the card.

  Daniel herded Lianne back to the cruiser. "Why would you tell anyone about the road? It's police business."

  "Sorry," she said, not really meaning it.

  "And what does 'we'll go in together' mean to you?"

  Chapter 5

  It was a long, silent ride back to town. Lianne knew Daniel was bent out of shape, but she didn't understand why. Did he think she was incapable of conducting police work without him? She was used to operating in a lot bigger department than Daniel would ever see. She had been considered a rising star and groomed for promotion. Until Catoosa.

  She'd always hated cops like Daniel, and even Sheriff Harris. Good ole boys who had a casual concept of enforcing the law. They would do well to learn from her.

  "Hungry?" she asked.

  "Nope."

  More silence. Eventually, they parked in front of the office and went in.

  Eileen didn't look up. "Mayor called."

  Daniel explained. "John Gray. He also owns the car dealership." To Eileen, "What did he need?"

  "Emergency council meeting tonight at the diner. Sounds like the new road is heating up."

  "What time?" Lianne asked.

  "Ortega, they don't need police presence at a meeting, at least since old man Smith agreed to abide by the leash law. John just called as a courtesy."

  "I believe I'll go, just the same."

  Lianne saw Daniel notice Eileen's alarmed look.

  "Maybe I'll go to," he said.

  Daniel held the door to Zach's Café for Lianne, and she breezed by him. He followed her in. The dining room had paneled walls, Formica tabletops, and plastic chairs. Behind the counter was an open window into the kitchen. The only occupied chair was an elderly man in overalls and a Tractor Supply cap hunched over his coffee.

  "Where is everybody?" Lianne asked.

  Daniel indicated swinging doors on the wall opposite the kitchen.

  They passed into the back room. The Lion's Club and Toastmasters insignias were on the walls since both groups, and many others, met here. Three folding tables placed end to end were surrounded by eight people. John Gray sat in the center of one side. Daniel recognized six of the others: his high school football coach, the elementary school principal, president of the bank, the owner of the funeral home, one of the ministers, and a retired judge. He'd known some of these people his whole life.

  Charlie Dibble, editor of the Oak Valley Sentinel since the final days of moveable type, hobbled around the room, a seeming anachronism with his digital camera.

  He didn't recognize the remaining attendee. A man in his early fifties, he was dressed in pressed khaki slacks and cotton polo shirt. A black sport jacket was draped on the chair behind him. The highway man, Daniel thought.

  John stood. "Officer Minco, glad you could make it. How about introducing the newest member of Oak Valley's finest?"

  "Uh, sure. This is Officer Ortega."

  Both John and Lianne looked like they expected more, but when there wasn't, John said, "Of course, our prayers are with Sheriff Harris and Francis. All right, I think we can get started. Our main item of business is to introduce Caleb Morris, an engineer from the Oklahoma Department of Transportation. He's here to give the plans for the new road and answer any questions. Caleb?"

  The engineer stood and walked to an easel with an aerial photo of the town and surrounding land. "Good evening, ladies and gentlemen. I'm pleased to announce the bond money has been released to fund State Highway 390."

  There was polite applause.

  Morris grinned. "I'm sure everyone wants to know where it will be." He flipped over a transparent overlay with a red line on it. As it settled over the photo, the red line merged with the main street of town.

  John Gray stood, clapping loudly. "That's what I'm talking about!"

  The reaction in the room was exciting. Daniel was a little embarrassed, but his first thought was the fines that could be issued to travelers who didn't obey the decreasing speed limits as they approached town. Already thinking like the sheriff.

  Lianne nudged him. "It goes right through the Stone's property."

  Morris said, "Our right of way people will be contacting the affected landowners in the coming weeks." He went on, giving timelines and describing the materials and processes to be used. Daniel was nodding off when the swinging doors opened.

  The lady who entered had his full attention. At 5'5", she carried herself like she was much taller. Her stylish boots and jeans were topped with a white blouse beaded with bird designs. Her straight black hair highlighted the high cheekbones and brown skin of her face, and fell to the middle of her back. She carried a leather satchel in her right hand.

  Gray looked her direction. "Can we help you?"

  "I'm Dr. Sherry Threefeathers, a professor of Native Studies at OU. I have an injunction for Mr. Morris to susp
end all activities relating to Highway 390."

  She handed papers from her brief case to Morris. The retired judge said, "On what grounds?"

  "The proposed path goes through the site of Stone City, a Native American archeological site."

  "Archeological?" the judge said. "No one has ever dug there to my knowledge." Around the table, heads shook.

  "It will be now," she said. "The highway sped up our timetable."

  "Just go around it," John said.

  Morris was still looking at the papers. "We can't go around. Preliminary engineering shows that excessive drilling and natural gas frakking have left much of the land north of town unstable." He looked up. "I know you've felt the earthquakes."

  Several nodded their heads.

  "We may have no choice but to use a secondary route."

  John said, "You can't do that. That road could mean the difference between this town living or dying!" He pointed at Threefeathers. "We'll fight this. The Stone family won't let you spoil this for them!"

  Threefeathers face was flushed. "There are more important things than this little town. Think of the history!"

  "Little town? I'll have you know that our population..."

  Lianne leaned over to Daniel. "Are these meetings always so interesting?"

  Daniel shook his head.

  Lianne said, "And you didn't want to come."

  Chapter 6

  "Really?" Eileen said into the phone. She hung up and went to the window of the sheriff's office as Daniel and Lianne watched.

  "I declare, that is the biggest limo I've seen since my rich aunt Jenny died."

  Daniel and Lianne stood next to her and followed her line of sight toward Gray's Auto Sales.

  "That was Cynthia at the dealership on the phone, Daniel. She suggested you get over there."

  "On it," he said. To Lianne, "I don't suppose I could talk you into staying here and finishing up the notes from last night."

  "Not a chance. Are we driving or walking?"

  The license tag was a Texas plate, and the frame said, "Executive Limousine Service, Dallas." The sales yard around it had Fords of many shapes and colors, though the inventory was pickup heavy.