South River Incident

by Ann Mullen

  I could tell I wasn’t going to like what she had to say. If she thought for one minute she was going to run me out of my home, she was crazy. I would stand my ground.

  “Honey, it’s only a suggestion,” Mom added.

  “All right, let’s have it.”

  “What do you think about moving into Billy’s house?” Claire asked. “I mean, if Billy agrees to it.”

  I was momentarily stunned by her suggestion. That was a great idea. Why hadn’t I thought of it? I looked over at Billy to see if I could pick up on his facial expressions. As usual, all he had on his face was a smile.

  “Well, I never thought about it,” Billy replied. “But now that you mention it, I think that would be a great idea. Jesse could have her own place to do whatever she wants to do with that boyfriend of hers, and you and the kids could have your own space.” He blew me a kiss.

  Everyone got a good laugh out of his comment.

  “You’re crazy, Billy Blackhawk. One day you’re going to pay for being so mean to me.” It was all I could do to keep from laughing, too.

  “If rent money is a problem, Jesse, I can help you out there,” Claire continued with her pitch. “Carl’s being very generous. He knows I’m going to get half of what he has, so he’s set up a bank account for us. There’s enough money to live the way we’ve been accustomed to for a long, long time. I guess he wants to make a good impression on the judge. The kids and I won’t go without, that’s for sure.”

  “Don’t worry about the money,” Billy insisted. “We can work something out. Besides, money is not an issue when it comes to family.”

  Of course I would like to have had my own place, but I would never have left my mother alone. She had been through so much. But now that Claire lived with Mom, I could move out and not feel like a deserter. I wouldn’t have to worry about Mom being by herself or being lonely. Loneliness is so heart wrenching. I know all about it.

  “Claire,” I said as I swallowed my pride and admitted to myself that I had been a selfish, self-involved little turd. “That’s a great idea.” I looked over at Mom. “Is this what you want? I mean, I won’t be that far away, and if you need me I can be here in no time at all.”

  “The main thing I want is for my kids to be happy. Jesse, you’re independent and you’ve been on your own for a long time. Claire has never lived alone. She didn’t leave home until she was married. If she still lived in the city I wouldn’t worry as much about her and the kids living by themselves. She’d have friends close by and if she needed anything, she could call one of them. But out here, she hardly knows a soul, and I think the isolation would be too much. Looking at it logically, it’s the perfect solution. I just don’t want you to think that I’m throwing you out.”

  “It’s all right, Mom.” I leaned over and patted her hands. “I know you would never do that. If I get lonely I can always come back for a visit.”

  “Then it’s settled,” Billy announced. “We’ll make the move right after Thanksgiving, just like we planned, only now we’ll be moving Jesse instead of Claire. It won’t be a problem. I think this is the right decision. Now that everyone has made up their minds, all we have to do is do it.”

  Just then, a thought struck me. What about the dogs? Would the dogs live with Mom or me? Mom was the one who has been taking care of them, but maybe she didn’t want the job of looking after two dogs anymore. Athena was my responsibility, but I couldn’t take her and leave Thor behind. They had become inseparable. What about me? I wasn’t the best care provider. I braved the question.

  “What about Athena and Thor?”

  Mom looked in their direction. As usual, Athena and Thor were crouched together in front of the fireplace, taking a nap. Napping was their favorite pastime. They could do it all day long.

  “That’s up to you, Jesse. I think you should be the one to make that decision. They’re welcome to stay here or they can go with you. It doesn’t matter, as long as they’re together. We sure can’t split them up. What would they do without each other?”

  The minute I mentioned their name, both of them got up and proceeded to go through their ritual of stretching and licking each other, eventually finding their way over to us. Athena jumped up and put her paws in my lap. Thor licked at the air around my heels. I knew what I had to do. I had to take responsibility.

  “I’ll take them with me. It’s the right thing to do.”

  “Oh, you know you love those dogs.” Billy made fun of me. “You’re always talking about them.”

  “Yeah, because they’re always doing something to make me mad, like when Thor chewed up my new tennis shoes or the time Athena puked all over my bed.”

  “Thor’s just a puppy, and Athena wouldn’t have puked all over your bed if you hadn’t given her that pizza,” Mom said. “I tried to warn you.”

  “Maybe I do like them a little bit.”

  “A little bit? Bull. I saw how you were when Athena got bitten by that copperhead,” Mom added. “You cried like a baby. When you rescued Thor that day, you were like a mama hen. Your concern was overwhelming. It almost made me cry.”

  “Forget it,” Billy said. “Jesse will never admit to having a heart. She’s too stubborn to...”

  The doorbell rang before he could finish his sentence. The sound echoed like a bell tower and seemed to rattle the walls. I was so startled that I jumped up and knocked over my chair.

  “Oops,” I said. “I bet that’s Sheriff Hudson. He said he’d come talk to us before he left. Maybe they’re finished and he wants to apologize. I’ll try to be as nice as I can, but considering who I’m dealing with, it might be a real chore. The police can be such jerks.”

  “I sure hope you’ll behave yourself, Jesse,” Mom said.

  “Let me answer it,” Billy said. He stood and headed for the front door. “Minnie, why don’t you go to your bedroom? Claire, you go upstairs. I’ll handle everything.” He looked at me with a serious expression on his face. “Jesse, you stay with me.” He stood at the door waiting for them to do as he said before he opened it.

  “Sheriff Hudson, please come in,” Billy said, and then closed the door behind him.

  “Would you like a cup of coffee?” I asked. “Mom made a fresh pot.”

  “Yes, thank you. That would be nice. It’s freezing out there.”

  “How do you take yours?”

  “Black is fine.” He looked around the living room. “Nice place you have here, Miss Watson.”

  “Please, I told you to call me Jesse,” I said as I took him a cup of coffee. Billy gave me a dirty look, and as usual, I ignored him. “Actually, this is my Mom’s house. She’s been kind enough to let me stay here, but I’ll be moving out pretty soon.”

  “Has Mrs. Watson gone to bed?”

  “Yes,” Billy answered for me. “This has been terribly upsetting for her. We thought it would be best if she got some rest. I’m sure Jesse and I can answer any questions you might have left.”

  “Do you mind if I sit down?”

  “Oh, I’m sorry. Please have a seat, sheriff,” I said, embarrassed by my poor manners.

  Sheriff Hudson sat in the recliner sipping his coffee while Billy and I sat on the sofa and waited. I couldn’t stand it any longer.

  “What’s going on out there? Has the body been removed?”

  “Yes, it has. The M.E. is going to start the autopsy first thing in the morning. The forensics team says they’ll be done in about an hour, so we should be cleared out of here soon.”

  “What about the crime scene tape? Can that come down?” I asked. “It’s almost Thanksgiving, and we have family coming.”

  “I’m sorry, but I’m afraid that’s going to have to stay up for a while longer. We will need to come back in the morning and do a final sweep. I assure you that as soon as our investigation is complete, my men will remove it.”

  “Can’t you just take down the one out front? It’s a bit of overkill, don’t you think? All of our neighbors are going to see it. I couldn�
�t care less about the tape, but I can assure you my mother is not going to be happy. She’s from the old school, if you know what I mean. Pride is everything to her. She’ll fret herself into a tizzy worrying about what her neighbors will think. She won’t be able to sleep. It will drive her nuts. Next thing you know, she will be on the phone complaining to everyone that your department was bullying her.”

  “I’ve already done that. We didn’t need that one up, but I wasn’t sure what we were dealing with in the beginning. If you don’t mind, I just have a couple of questions I need to ask before I go.”

  Billy and I answered the sheriff’s questions for almost an hour. By the time he and his men left, we had our own idea of what had happened. Even though her body hadn’t been officially identified, it was only a matter of time. Roy would put a name to the face soon enough. It was obvious that she had been murdered and whether or not she had been kidnapped was yet to be verified. Either way, Roy Keen’s wife was dead, and the bad guys just happened to pick Mom’s place to dump the body. That decision might have been an act of convenience or just plain frustration. Maybe the kidnappers were out riding around looking for a place, got tired, and decided this was it. Whatever their reasons were for dumping the body in our back yard, I had a feeling all was not well on our home front.

  “Are all women as transparent as you?” Billy asked as he shut the front door. “I was so embarrassed. You should be ashamed of yourself.”

  “What on earth do you mean?” I asked. I walked back to the sofa and sat down. I was worn out and all I wanted to do was lay back and relax.

  Billy came over, sat down beside me and said, “You’ve been flirting with that man ever since you met him. You even had the nerve to do it in front of Cole. It was disgusting. I’m surprised he didn’t say anything. If you were my `ge ya, I’d dump you like a hot potato.”

  “Fortunately, I’m not.”

  “Do you always have to be so sarcastic?’

  “Was I being sarcastic? I’m sorry. I’m just tired.” I batted my eyes at him, mimicking my past indiscretions.

  “You’re so full of yourself,” he said, laughingly. “It’s about time for me to leave. I’m tired and it’s a long drive.”

  “You can’t go out in that mess. The last time I looked it was still snowing. I bet there’s a foot on the ground. It’s too dangerous. You can spend the night with us. How about I fix us a shot of bourbon before we go to bed? I could use one after all this.”

  “And where are we going to sleep?”

  “I’m going to sleep in my bed and you can sleep on the sofa, smarty pants. Don’t pout, it won’t be so bad.”

  “In that case, I’m leaving. I would choose my bed over your couch any day. I’m tough. I can handle a little snow.”

  “Oh, stop being silly. You can sleep on the sofa. It won’t kill you.”

  Mom’s bedroom door opened.

  “Billy Blackhawk, you’re not driving home in this blizzard,” she ordered. “Jesse’s right, it’s too dangerous. You can sleep on the sofa. I’ll get you a pillow and a blanket while she gets you a drink.”

  “I guess it’s settled,” Billy said. He looked over at Mom and smiled. “I sure don’t want to go against your wishes.”

  Mom had spoken.

  Chapter 4

  I don’t know if it was the shot of bourbon or the question Billy jokingly asked about our sleeping arrangements, but something had triggered a reaction. I spent a restless night having romantic dreams about him and when I awoke, I was covered in sweat. I couldn’t get the images of the two of us out of my head.

  When I finally dragged myself out of bed and went to the window, it was apparent that more snow had fallen during the night, covering any trace of last night’s visitors. However, I thought I caught a glimpse of the sun behind the trees in the front yard. I walked over to the side window to my computer and clicked the icon to log on. After typing in my zip code, the weather forecast promised the temperature would be in the low forties today. The roads might be tricky tonight when the temperature drops back down into the twenties and freezes the melting snow, but by tomorrow, Thanksgiving Day, the temperature would reach a high of forty-eight. If the temperature continued to rise in the following days as predicted, it would erase any signs of our prelude to winter. However, flooding might become a problem.

  I took a shower, and then headed downstairs, ready to start a new day. Claire’s door was closed when I passed her room, and Billy was asleep on the sofa. The dogs were curled up on the floor next to him. Mom was in the kitchen, and I could smell the aroma of fresh brewed coffee.

  “Would you like some coffee, honey?” she whispered.

  “Please,” I answered as I pulled out a chair at the table and gingerly sat down. I was starting to get a headache from the one shot of alcohol that had turned into three before the evening was over. I should’ve known better. Alcohol is not without lasting affects. It makes me stupid. I sure hope I didn’t say or do anything that might come back to haunt me later.

  “Do you have some aspirin? I have a whopper of a headache.”

  “Sure, honey, I’ll go get you some. Did you and Billy have a few drinks too many last night?”

  “Oh, we had one or two...”

  I swallowed the aspirin with a big gulp of coffee while Mom mumbled something about my relationship with Billy. I brushed her off with a wave of the hand and tried to change the subject.

  “Are Uncle Bill and Aunt Edie coming for Thanksgiving?”

  “I’m afraid they can’t make it. Edie called yesterday morning and said Bill had the flu and they weren’t going to be able to come.”

  “That’s too bad. I enjoy their visits.”

  “Who are you talking about?” Billy growled from the living room.

  “It’s alive,” I snarled. “Mom has some coffee ready. Come and get it!”

  Athena and Thor came to life. I guess they must have thought I was talking to them because they came running to the kitchen, barking like they normally do when they sense food. They were awake and wanted to be fed. They drooled on my feet.

  I went to the utility room to fill their bowls, but before I could finish they tried to eat the food right out of the scooper.

  “God, you both act as if you’re starving. Calm down, and have some manners. You’re such pigs. You’re a bunch of mongrel dogs!”

  “Thanks,” Billy said as Mom sat the cup down in front of him. He looked at me. “Jesse, they’re just dogs. Give’em a break. If you want them to have manners, you have to teach them.” He looked at Athena and Thor and said firmly, “Sit!”

  They stopped their playfulness, glared at Billy, and then sat down.

  “See, they’re like kids. You have to tell them what to do.”

  I backed away and stared in disbelief.

  “How did you do that? They never listen to me.”

  “It’s the tone in your voice. You have to let them know who’s boss and at the same time be gentle. You can’t yell at them.”

  The kitchen phone rang just about the time I was getting ready to put my hands around Billy’s throat.

  “Hello,” I answered, turning my back when I recognized Cole’s voice. “I’m fine... No, I’m not mad... Okay... See you then... Bye.”

  “That was short,” Billy said as I hung up the phone and sat down at the table. “I sense trouble brewing.”

  “Cole’s coming over in a few minutes. He wants to have a talk.”

  “What do you think that’s all about?” Mom said with a concerned look on her face. She had liked Cole from the start, and thought he would be perfect for me, until Billy came along. I don’t think she could make up her mind which one she wanted me to marry. What I couldn’t get her to understand was that I wasn’t going to marry anyone until I found the right man. I was in love with Cole, but we had some issues to deal with before making it to the altar. Billy was my boss and friend—not my lover.

  “Beats me,” I said, trying to act like it wasn’t important
. Yet, under my cool facade, my heart was racing. What did he want to talk about? He sounded so cool and distant. Was he going to dump me? What had I done wrong this time? “Maybe he wants to apologize for being such a creep about our relationship. I’m sure his boss didn’t know that I was his girlfriend, and Cole didn’t stand up and tell him.”

  I met Cole six months ago. We started dating immediately. Our fire was intense and if our jobs hadn’t gotten in the way, we’d probably be living together. But things happen. We finally adjusted to seeing each other every few days, savoring every minute of our time together, but we couldn’t quite get past dealing with the different directions our jobs pulled us: he’s the law, and I’m the snoop. I’m not officially a P.I., but eventually, I will be. I attend night classes at the community college, and to expedite time, I also take courses online. Billy convinced me that if I wanted to stay in this line of work I would need a license, and as an incentive, he offered me a partnership.

  In retrospect, my career was on the rise, but my relationship with Cole was going down the toilet.

  The twenty minutes it took Cole to show up on my doorstep had been plenty of time for me to go into a tailspin. I had yelled at everyone at least once, and pushed the dogs away so many times that they finally got fed up with me, and retreated to their favorite napping place. It was barely nine o’clock, and the day was starting out badly. My instincts told me that it would probably get worse.

  “Good morning,” Cole said, smiling at all of us while brushing the snow from his boots. “I think the snow is beginning to melt.”

  “That’s good to hear,” Mom said, walking over to Cole. “Here, let me take your coat. Come on in and have a seat.”

  Mom quietly left the room; Billy was in the shower; and Claire was upstairs planning the takeover of my bedroom. I was left alone with Cole.

  “Why don’t we go to the kitchen? We need some privacy.”

  That had to be a joke. Privacy isn’t possible when you have three snoops lurking in the background.

  “Let’s go to the garage,” I said. I didn’t wait for a reply.