by Jack L Knapp
“Do they say why?”
“They’ve got an eyewitness. He saw two men matching their description at the scene just before that mountain fell on them. Their cars were there, wrecked by falling boulders. The VIN numbers check. They think it might even be a novel version of suicide, just standing there with their hands up waiting to be squashed like a bug. Geeze…couldn’t they just shoot themselves?”
“Some people do that, and some jump off buildings, and sometimes they suicide by cop. This might be something like that.”
“Too bad. This Wilson was a vet, just retired a couple of years ago I think, and he’d recently returned from Afghanistan. Maybe he had PTSD.”
“Well, maybe. But what about the other guy?”
“No idea. They were business partners and they’d been working as assistants to a group of scientists. Making money at it, apparently. Supposedly they’ve invented a helicopter drone that no one’s seen yet. If they’ve got one, we didn’t find it.”
“No bodies at the scene?”
“No, nothing. Doors on the vehicles sprung and nothing inside except a couple of hand tools in the glove compartment. A pair of goggles in the back seat too. There were a couple of empty cartons, so maybe this guy collected goggles.”
The two shared a grin.
“Can we close this case?”
“I don’t know. We’d need approval by the Justice Department. But we don’t have evidence of anything except transport of undeclared cash, and maybe not even enough cash to break the law. There were the two men and a woman, but we’re not sure about her. The only evidence we found at the house consists of a few outfits and a toothbrush that was probably hers. The outfits had Mexican labels. No personal items. Maybe he had a girlfriend that stayed overnight.”
“Maybe. I’ll buck it up to the US Attorney. If he thinks we should fight to keep the money, we’ll have to keep the case open. But if he’s OK with it, I’d just as soon get it off my list of things to do. According to the guy who bought those gold coins, Wilson claimed they were a legacy from a grandfather, but both of his grandfathers died years ago. Not likely, in other words.”
“OK. Maybe we should just stick this one on the back burner for now. Meet again in a month or so? I’ll take you up on that coffee then.”
“Anytime, Miranda.”
Special Agent Pangola resumed studying the file he’d been working on before the interruption. Too bad Miranda wasn’t better looking. According to rumors, she was recently divorced. Well, the job was hard on men and women alike. His own marriage had dissolved under the stress of his job.
Something continued to bother him. In the files he’d looked at was a packet from the lawyer representing Wilson. He opened the file again and looked at the letter authorizing legal representation and the power of attorney filed with it. Something about the date…
He looked back at the police report. The quake had happened on August 17th and the rescue crew had reported finding the two heavily-damaged vehicles on the 20th. Strange, because the power of attorney was dated August 19th. Could it be a simple mistake on the part of the lawyer? Unlikely, because lawyers were usually very careful about legal documents. He laid the papers on his desk, leaned back in his chair, and thought about it.
Well, something would turn up. The kidnapping he had been working on before was clearly of higher priority. He put the matter of anomalous dates from his mind as he reached for his telephone.
#
The KOB News helicopter headed south along Interstate 25. It was bound for a particularly bad accident in the southbound lane. A woman in an SUV had tried to cut in ahead of an 18-wheeler and misjudged the distance. The truck had clipped the rear of the SUV, causing it to roll over three times. There had been children and some of them had been ejected from the SUV. An ambulance was on the scene now and there was a report that some of the children had died. The driver of the truck was shaken but otherwise unhurt. He was now trying to explain what happened to the police. It was clearly a major local news story, so the chopper had been dispatched south.
“Charlie, what’s that down there?” The speaker was the cameraman who had been sent with the news anchor.
“Looks like a hole. I’ve flown this route a lot of times, but I don’t remember ever seeing it before.”
“Think we can look at it on the way back?”
“Sure, we should have fuel enough. I don’t know if I can set down, but I can hover long enough for you to get a few pictures. Remind me on the way back, OK? But it just looks like a big empty hole on top of a hill.”
#
Shorty had lived in Nevada most of his life. Now past eighty years of age, he had few activities left to keep his interest. One of those interests was gossiping with his friends, also old men who’d lived here for years.
They’d left for foreign battlefields during The War, Shorty to become an infantryman, Oscar to sail on a minesweeper in the South Pacific. After the war they’d returned to their desert home. In time, they’d be buried here as had already happened to many of their friends.
Shorty brushed past two men who were leaving as he entered Mona’s Café. He glanced at where they’d been before joining his friends at their accustomed table.
Denny was the barber for the village and he had a shop next door to the café. If there was anything to be known, Denny knew it…and was willing to tell his friends.
“I’ve never seen those two before, the two that just left. Know who they are?”
“I’ve seen them a couple of times. They came into the shop and got haircuts about two months ago. Came back last month too, now that I think on it. Why?”
“Oh, no reason, Denny. We just don’t get many strangers here. Not much to see down here, and the freeways are up north. People go to Las Vegas, not here.
“How about you, Mona? Have they been here before?”
“Sure, about once a week. They bought Old Man Spencer’s place. Gonna fix it up and try raising horses, I think. One of them mentioned California. But I didn’t ask. Unlike some people I know.”
“Mona, you’re just as nosy as any of us. Besides, that doesn’t make a lick of sense. Old Man Spencer went broke out there. Probably what killed him, bringing on that heart attack.
“Who’d they buy the property from?”
“Tax office. I know that much. Mabel told me when it was sold. Cheap too, all that land. That old ranch extends all the way back into the mountains.”
“Doesn’t matter. There are only a couple of small springs back there. Spencer’s grandson said he thought there might be an old mine in the mountains, but he never did anything about it. Windbag, I think.
“Those guys married, Mona?
“No rings. They never brought any wives or girl friends in, either. And I’ll bet they would have. They sure like my pies. The older one likes the apple, but that young fellow once had two pieces of the blueberry.”
“Bring me a slice of that blueberry if you haven’t kept it long enough to go stale. I could use more coffee too. I’ll tell you, good help in a restaurant is sure hard to find!”
“You can always go somewhere else if you don’t like the service, Shorty!” With that, Mona flounced off to bring the pie and coffee. She’d add a scoop of vanilla ice cream, too; she and Shorty had been wrangling amicably for years.
“Mike, you’re pretty quiet. Did you even see those strangers?”
“Yep. Seen ‘em.”
“Well?”
Mike shifted in the chair.
“I’ve got it figured out. Mona said they came from California. Stands to reason.”
“Stands to reason WHAT, you old coot?”
“Use your head, Shorty. You never have been much on thinking, but you could figure this out if you tried.”
“Figure what out, Mike?”
“I’ve been waiting. I knew it was bound to happen. Ever since that damned movie came out.
“Them two were always here together. Never seen with a girlfriend or nothing. D
on’t socialize much. Talked to Mona ‘bout California. Yep, it was that movie. Worthless old ranch, but they’ve got that mountain range back there, behind the desert. It was that Broke-ass Mountain.”
“Goddamn it, Mike. There’s no Broke-ass Mountain back there!”
“I been waiting. I knew it. Just a matter of time. It was that movie.”
“You mean that Brokeback Mountain movie?”
“That’s it. Come from California, two guys always together, no women. Got their own mountain range. Yep.
“Them two are some of them California gays. It was only a matter of time ‘fore they started movin’ in.
“Mona, can I get a coffee refill? And a slice of that apple pie?”
Book Two Ends
The Wizards Trilogy concludes in Book Three, Talent
Books by the author:
The Wizards Series
Combat Wizard (http://www.amazon.com/Combat-Wizard-Paranormal-Thriller-Wizards-ebook/dp/B00J2HMUX2/ref=asap_bc?ie=UTF8)
Wizard at Work (http://www.amazon.com/Wizard-Work-Paranormal-Thriller-Wizards-ebook/dp/B00J6OO42G/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&qid=1426612232&sr=8-6&keywords=jack+l+knapp)
Talent (http://www.amazon.com/Talent-Paranormal-Thriller-Wizards-Trilogy-ebook/dp/B00MJ5LBL6/ref=pd_sim_kstore_2?ie=UTF8&refRID=1867GH2RHV288CM62RXK)
Veil of Time (forthcoming)
The Darwin’s World Series:
Darwin’s World (http://www.amazon.com/Darwins-World-Epic-Survival-Book-ebook/dp/B00K1PWI6S/ref=asap_bc?ie=UTF8)
The Trek (http://www.amazon.com/Trek-Darwins-World-Book-II-ebook/dp/B00KNE07IS/ref=asap_bc?ie=UTF8)
Home (http://www.amazon.com/Home-Book-Three-Darwins-World-ebook/dp/B00TCZBVWK/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1423487128&sr=8-1&keywords=Home+by+Jack+L+Knapp)
Novella
Hands (http://www.amazon.com/Hands-Novella-Jack-L-Knapp-ebook/dp/B00NVZU9KC/ref=asap_bc?ie=UTF8)
Short Stories
Ants (http://www.amazon.com/Ants-Jack-L-Knapp-ebook/dp/B00LG3BLLC/ref=asap_bc?ie=UTF8)
About the Author:
Jack Knapp is a former soldier and science teacher, now a novelist and blogger. He’s a member of Mensa and the Society for Creative Anachronism.
He’s reinvented himself a number of times over the years. Currently Jack is a novelist and an amateur scientist, musician, photographer, and commentator on national and international affairs.
Jack retired (twice) before becoming a full-time caregiver for a disabled adult son. That kept him at home but didn’t occupy his time, so he turned to writing.
http://jlknapp505.com (nonfiction essays)
http://jacklknapp.com (topics in writing and publishing)