Sinking Suspicions (Sadie Walela Mystery)

by Sara Sue Hoklotubbe

Chapter 24

  She rode Joe back to her house like a barrel racer on full tilt and dialed Lance's cell phone. When she heard his voice mail recording click on, she slammed down the receiver and let out a screech of frustration. Regaining her composure, she called 911 and instructed the first responders to meet her at Buck's house, where she promised she would lead them straight to the sinkhole that held her neighbor prisoner.

  She ran back out to Joe, pulled the saddle off his back, and dropped it inside the barn. Praising Sonny for his good work, she threw him another piece of venison and commanded him to stay put until she got back. After grabbing her purse and keys, she jumped into her truck, arriving at Buck's house just as the paramedics drove up with sirens blaring. Ignoring a black vehicle parked on the east side of Buck's house, Sadie motioned for the emergency personnel to follow her as she pointed her truck through an open gate and down a nearly invisible path into Buck's property. Both vehicles creaked as they bobbed up and down over the bumpy terrain, finally arriving where Buck's truck sat in front of a rock springhouse. Sadie got out and ran, past an old abandoned house and for nearly a mile to where she'd found Buck. The paramedics followed closely behind carrying a portable stretcher.

  Sadie fell on her knees at the edge of the hole. “Buck, I'm back,” she yelled. “Hang on. I brought help.”

  Buck weakly raised his head and looked at her. “Wado,” he said and smiled. “Thank you,” he repeated.

  Anchoring one end of a rope to a sturdy tree, the smaller of the two medics slowly lowered himself into the sinkhole. The rescuer steadied himself against the wall of the sinkhole and placed one foot on the ledge next to Buck. After assessing Buck's injuries, the medic looked at Buck with a sympathetic smile. “There just ain't no good way around this, old man,” he said. “This is going to hurt.”

  The medic went to work, rigging a crude harness with Sadie's rope while the other medic ran back to the emergency vehicle. The returning medic pitched a blanket to Sadie.

  “Here, give this to him.” He pointed with his head at the sinkhole.

  Sadie fell onto the ground at the edge of the sinkhole and dropped the blanket to the medic, who carefully used it to protect Buck while he wrapped the harness between Buck's legs and around his waist and shoulders. The other medic quickly attached a block and tackle to the same tree they had used to lower the first medic into the hole.

  “Hopefully,” he said, “the blanket and this pulley system will allow us to pull him out without causing additional injury.”

  With one medic supporting Buck from below, Sadie and the other medic pulled him onto solid ground. Buck grimaced but never made a sound as the two emergency workers placed him on the stretcher.

  “You'll be okay, Buck.” Sadie wiped dirt and perspiration off his face. “How'd you get this gash on your forehead?” she said.

  One of the paramedics checked the head wound while the other started an IV, then together they carried him to the waiting ambulance. Once they'd secured the gurney for travel, Sadie climbed in beside Buck.

  “Hang on, Buck,” she said. “We've got cool air coming right up.”

  Buck smiled with his eyes. One paramedic nodded at Sadie as the other began to chatter on the radio.

  “There's a shortcut back to the road,” she said. “We don't have to drive back through the pasture to his house.” She directed them to an abandoned road obscured by overgrown weeds. “This used to be the road to that old house back there,” she pointed with her head.

  The driver carefully nosed the ambulance in the direction Sadie had motioned, and in a few short minutes, with lights flashing and sirens wailing, they were on their way to the Memorial Hospital in Sycamore Springs. Buck didn't say much on the ride to the hospital. He only squeezed Sadie's hand a couple of times and whispered his thanks to her.

  Once they arrived at the hospital, the paramedics swept him past the check-in desk and through the double doors into a restricted area, stopping just long enough to instruct Sadie to wait there. After a couple of unsuccessful tries to sneak past a very robust nurse, she gave up and staked out the corner couch, where she could keep her eye on the activity at the desk, the double doors, and the outside door.

  After an agonizingly long fifteen minutes, one of the nurses emerged, recognized Sadie, and approached.

  “Are you the one who came in with Mr. Skinner?”

  Sadie jumped to her feet. “Yes, I am. Is he going to be okay?”

  “Are you family?” she asked.

  “No, I'm his friend…neighbor. He doesn't have any family around here. Can I see him?”

  “I'm sorry, but we're running some tests and getting some x-rays. We don't think anything is broken, but we need to make sure. He's pretty bruised up, and he's got lacerations on his head and knee.” The nurse smiled an optimistic smile. “He's a little confused, but I'm not surprised with the state of his dehydration. He seems to be pretty tough. I think he'll be fine.”

  Sadie let out a sigh of relief and began to blink back tears. “I've been gone for four days. If I'd been here I could have…”

  “It's going to be a while.” The nurse patted Sadie on the shoulder. “You might as well go get a sandwich or something.” Then she turned on her heel and disappeared.

  Thankful for the nurse's reassurance, Sadie sat back down on the couch to think. Why couldn't anyone else in Delaware County have found Buck? Did they even try? Another day and he could have died from exposure. There she was on Maui having a good time and her neighbor, lying at the bottom of a sinkhole, was about to die. Why couldn't Lance find him? None of it made any sense to her. Then she remembered Lance's condescending words on the phone: You can't be in control of everything.…If he's out there we'll find him…. I was in law enforcement for a long time before I met you.

  Thoughts swirled in her head, stirring fiery anger. In an effort to redirect her thoughts, she turned to a nearby table and picked up the Sycamore Springs Gazette. Settling in on the couch, she began to read about two recent murders. “Man,” she muttered, “leave for a few days and all hell breaks loose.” She dropped her nose into the paper, engrossed by the article.

  According to a spokesman at the Sycamore Springs Police Department, a worker was found dead early Sunday morning at the Sisson Farms chicken plant, the victim of an apparent stabbing. The investigating officers found another murder victim a short time later in a trailer at the Vista Trails Trailer Park on Creek Street. The source refused to confirm whether the two murders were connected due to the ongoing investigation. Identities of the victims are being withheld until next of kin can be notified.

  A nearby presence startled her. Looking up, she found Charlie McCord standing with his hands on his hips, grinning at her.

  “Oh, Charlie. It's good to see you.” She rose and gave the big man a hug. “How have you been? I haven't seen you since you helped Lance with the murder investigation in Liberty—when the woman who owned the Liberty Diner was murdered.”

  “Lance told me you'd given up the restaurant business. Do you miss the café?”

  “No, not really. It was hard work.” She laughed. “My ancestors must have had more stamina than I do. Did Lance tell you I'm trying my hand at the travel business?”

  “No, can't say that I've heard about that. What are you doing here, Sadie?”

  “I came in with my neighbor,” she said. “He fell into a sinkhole, of all things, and I don't know how long he'd been there, but he's not in very good shape. They're getting him fixed up right now.”

  Concern crossed Charlie's face. “That neighbor wouldn't be Benjamin Skinner, would it?”

  “That's right,” she said. “But most folks know him as Buck, not Benjamin.” She wrinkled her forehead. “What are you doing here, Charlie?”

  “Picked up the information on the radio. I'm interested in Mr. Skinner's whereabouts as it pertains to a murder investigation. Didn't Lance tell you about it?”

  Sadie frowned. “No. He picked me up at the airport this mornin
g and then accused me…well, let's just say…uh, no, he didn't tell me anything about anything.”

  Charlie looked surprised. “Oh.” He rose and walked over to the check-in desk, flashed his badge, and spoke with the nurse before walking outside onto the sidewalk. Sadie watched as he made a call on his cell phone before returning to the waiting area.

  “Is it about these murders, Charlie?” She pointed at the newspaper.

  He ignored her question. “Listen, Sadie, they're slow as molasses in this emergency room, so it's going to be a while before anything happens around here. Lance is on his way.”

  Sadie frowned again.

  “He's been working with me on this case. I'm surprised he hasn't talked to you about it. We're going to need to talk to Mr. Skinner when he can talk.”

  “Buck,” she corrected him. “His name is Buck.”

  “At any rate, it's going to be a while. Do you want to get a bite to eat?”

  “That sounds like a good idea.” Sadie grabbed her purse and stood up. “I didn't know how hungry I was until you mentioned it.” She looked at the clock on the wall. “It's almost five o'clock and jet lag is catching up with me. This has been a really long day.”

  The outside double doors slid open and Lance rushed through, zeroed in on Charlie and Sadie, and froze. Almost immediately, an attractive woman with long red hair, wearing short shorts and a tight tank top, ran through the doors behind Lance, latched onto him, and burst into tears.

  Sadie felt like her heart might explode in her chest. What's going on? Is this woman the reason Lance was in such a bad mood on the way home from the airport? Please, God, don't let this be happening. She'd been treated badly by men in the past—physically and mentally abused by her first husband and then later almost murdered by a man she thought she loved—and even though she'd grown stronger after each experience, this strange woman had hooked an insecure spot in Sadie's soul and reeled it to the surface. She wanted to shrink into the corner and disappear.

  Sadie watched Lance try unsuccessfully to free himself from the woman. Finally, steering the redhead to a nearby corner away from Charlie and Sadie, he pushed her into a chair.

  Sadie grabbed Charlie's arm. “Please,” she pleaded. “Get me out of here.”

  Confusion quickly spread across Charlie's face as he guided Sadie through the doors and to his cruiser. Together they drove away from the hospital, Charlie staring straight ahead while Sadie sat in the passenger's seat and sulked.

  Chapter 25

  After angrily detaching himself from Dee Dee Skinner, Lance watched as Sadie and Charlie drove away. He walked over to the check-in desk and spoke to the young nurse.

  “Benjamin Skinner's niece is here,” he said. “Can you let her know when Mr. Skinner can have visitors?”

  The nurse raised her eyebrow and looked past Lance at the woman dabbing a tissue at the black eye makeup smeared on her cheeks, then shifted her eyes to the empty couch where Sadie had been sitting.

  “He sure is a popular guy,” she said. “I thought the other woman who came in with him said he didn't have any next of kin around here.”

  Lance transferred his weight from one foot to the other. “That was his neighbor. I don't think she was aware that Miss Skinner had arrived from California.”

  The nurse nodded. “Okay, I'll let her know.” The phone rang and she disappeared behind a cubicle partition.

  Lance reluctantly returned to where Dee Dee was sitting, but kept his distance and remained standing. Dee Dee stood and Lance took a step backward.

  “Can I go in?” she asked.

  “They said they'd let you know when he can have visitors.” He took his cell phone out and looked at it as if it held the key to his escape. “I've got to go. You'll be okay here.”

  “Oh.” Dee Dee lowered her eyes. “Sure.”

  “If you need anything, have the nurse contact the local police department and they'll send someone out.” Without waiting for her response, he retreated out the double doors to his truck.

  Charlie pulled into the parking lot at the Waffle House and took the last parking space. He shifted the cruiser into park, switched off the engine, and turned to Sadie.

  “Let's get a bite to eat,” he said. “Everything looks better over a plate of food.”

  Sadie managed a weak smile. “Yeah, a little comfort food might be in order.”

  They walked together across the parking lot and entered the restaurant. Charlie headed for his favorite booth in the back corner. Sadie followed. Charlie took the side against the wall and Sadie sat with her back to the door. They both ordered big—cheeseburgers, fries, and Dr Peppers.

  “You want to talk about it?” Charlie asked.

  She avoided Charlie's piercing eyes by turning her gaze out the window next to their booth.

  “Not really,” she said, eventually returning her attention to him. “Let's talk about Buck. Why do you want to talk to him?”

  “It's pretty cut and dried.” Charlie waited for the waitress to deposit their soft drinks on the table and leave. “The old man went missing. Someone stole his social security number, which had created a little problem with the IRS, which in turn kind of angered the old man Benjamin Skinner because it was going to cost him his ranch.”

  “Buck,” she corrected him. “His name is Buck.” She sipped Dr Pepper and waited for him to continue.

  “Okay, Buck it is. Anyway, it appears that Buck found the guy causing all the havoc with the stolen social security number and popped him in his lover's trailer house right after one and the same—that is, lover and identity thief—carved up the other old boy his girlfriend was having a fling with.”

  Sadie felt confused as she chewed on the end of her straw.

  “That part took place at the chicken plant at the edge of town,” Charlie continued. “But the suspect Benjamin Skinner, or Buck I guess it is, got away from us. That is, until you carted him into the hospital today.”

  “What?” Sadie almost spit Dr Pepper across the table.

  The waitress arrived and plopped down their food—two huge plates overflowing with burgers and fries.

  Charlie began to assemble his burger, pulling off the lettuce and tomatoes and pushing them to the side. He replaced the top of the bun and smashed it down with his hand.

  “For which I'm quite grateful, I might add. Thank you very much.”

  Sadie's food sat in front of her for several seconds while she stared at Charlie as if he were a madman.

  “You've got to be kidding me,” she said, drawing out each word for emphasis. “That's ludicrous. Especially since when I found him he was about dead…in a sinkhole on his property…in Eucha.”

  “Yeah, but you don't know how long he'd been there. He could have been hiding.”

  Sadie rolled her eyes. “You don't know Buck. There's no way.”

  “Maybe he planned it that way, so he'd have an alibi. Sounds like the old ‘I-can't-be-the-killer-because-I-was-stuck-in-a-sinkhole’ excuse.”

  Sadie shook her head. “You're wrong, Charlie.”

  “It's not that far-fetched. There's been folks out there looking for him for days and couldn't find him. Then all of a sudden, when you get back to town, he's right where you go look.”

  “You make it sound like I was in cahoots with him or something.” She took a bite of her burger and talked with a full mouth. “To which I take offense.”

  “Of course not.” Charlie sounded apologetic. “I've been wrong before, but you've got to admit, I've got a pretty good theory.”

  “Well, you're wrong,” she repeated. “Dead wrong. And if I have to, I'll prove it.”

  Charlie grinned. “That's what I'm afraid of.”

  They continued to eat in silence, each deep in thought. The incident at the hospital with Lance and the unknown woman hung like a ghost in the air between them, neither wanting to broach the subject.

  Charlie broke the silence. “When you were working at the bank, did you ever have any bomb threats?”<
br />
  “No. Thank goodness. Bank robberies were about all I could handle. I'm glad I never had to deal with a bomb threat. Why?”

  “The branch where you used to work got one.” Charlie hesitated for a moment and then added, “Through the mail.”

  “I heard about that.” Sadie sat back in her seat, wide-eyed. “Was there really a bomb?”

  “No, it was more like a threat of something in the future.” He dug in his pocket and pulled out his copy of the threatening note and handed it to Sadie. “This note is official police business, so if you tell anyone I showed it to you I'll have to say you're a liar.”

  “Right.” Sadie snatched the note out of Charlie's hand and studied it for a few minutes before handing it back to him. “It's kind of strange, isn't it?” she said. “And it doesn't really say anything about a bomb.”

  Charlie folded the note and replaced it in his pocket.

  “Yeah, it is kind of strange. I told the manager I'd keep my eye on the place. Do you know the manager there? Name's Melanie Thompson.”

  Sadie shook her head. “No. They've added a lot of new people since I worked there.” She pushed her plate aside, her food half-eaten. “When we get finished here, can you take me home? I rode in the ambulance with Buck, and I left my truck sitting in the middle of his property near where I found him.” She paused and thought for a moment. “I'll walk over and get it later. It'll be all right where it is for now. What time is it?”

  Charlie checked his watch. “Little after seven,” he said, wiping his hands on his paper napkin.

  “I'd like to get back to the hospital pretty soon so Buck won't be alone.”

  “What exactly is that old man to you, anyway, Sadie?”

  “He's my neighbor. He's a good man who lives alone. He'd do anything to help me and I'd do the same for him. I feel bad because, obviously, if I'd been here he wouldn't be in as bad a shape as he is, because I could have probably found him four days ago.” She grabbed her purse and scooted to the edge of the booth to signal she was ready to go. “I guess that would have been the easiest way to prove his innocence, as well. I can't change that, but I can stand by him now.”