by Roger Hayden
Theo reluctantly stepped out of the SUV and closed his door then examined the shattered window in the back. “I don’t like this,” he said. “Why don’t I just wait here?.”
“Come on,” Mary said, walking fast down the alleyway. “We can’t split up. Not with Curtis missing.”
Theo huffed but followed, ultimately giving in. They emerged from the alleyway and onto the sidewalk to the distinct sound of folk melodies playing in the town square. There was an endless feeling of cheer permeating the whole of downtown, which Mary couldn’t have felt more at odds with. There were a few people on the sidewalks ahead, passing shops and going to their cars, and they paid her little mind. As she passed Bricklayers Pizza, with Bob Deckers’s office in view, her anxiety increased. Either they were in there or they weren’t. And if they weren’t, then where were they?
She envisioned Bob Deckers at the police station giving his confession as Curtis stood hovering behind, watching. She hoped for nothing more than that, but if that were the case, Curtis would have called her by now.
They walked up to the office. The blinds were shut and a “closed” sign hung in the window. Theo pulled at the glass door of Deckers’s office, but it wouldn’t budge. He tried to look inside as Mary approached, clearly worried.
“Nothing,” Theo said. “Not a soul inside.”
Mary looked in, finding a gap in the blinds, and saw the familiar empty alignment of desks on both sides of the room, and beyond that, Deckers’s office in the back. Something on the floor sparkled, like glass, but there were no lights on and no signs of a single person inside.
“Just great,” she said. She held her cell phone up again to see if Curtis had responded to her latest text and call. Again, nothing. She walked past Theo and headed down the sidewalk toward the festival grounds, soon entering a world of face-paintings, pumpkin pies, and autumn cheer.
Under different circumstances, she could see Curtis and her having a wonderful time, but these were far from normal circumstances. Pastor Phil had been murdered, and now Curtis was missing. They passed a few buildings as the music grew louder and more people filtered out into the road in their path.
Mary could see the tops of tents and booths in the distance. She moved quickly around a few barricades with Theo trailing and entered Main Street, slightly disoriented by the blur of faces all around—none being Curtis or Deckers. The stage was roughly a hundred feet ahead of her and past most of the assembled crowd.
There were kids with snow cones and balloons, carnival booths featuring apple bobbing and ring tosses, craft beer tents, and barbecue trucks. There seemed to be a little of something for everyone. Mary moved through the crowd, feeling both inconspicuous and slightly exposed at the same time.
She felt drawn to the stage where a man was strumming his acoustic guitar, his soulful voice accompanied by familiar, folksy chords. She could see a tall, silver-haired man ahead standing near one of the booths with a plastic cup in hand. Didn’t she know him? Theo caught up to her just as her pace increased, and they maneuvered around the crowd with stealth-like ease.
When they were five feet from the Bob Deckers look-alike, Chief Riley suddenly entered her line of sight, just as surprised to see her as she was to see him. He halted suddenly and touched her arms to avoid a collision as his Aviator sunglasses nearly flew off his face.
“Careful there, ma’am,” he said.
“Chief Riley!” Mary said.
“Ah, Mrs. Malone. So nice to see you.”
Mary stood on her toes, looking over the chief’s shoulders, only to find her mystery man no longer there. He had disappeared.
She found herself distracted, but with Bob Deckers now only a figment of her imagination, she turned to Chief Riley with her full attention.
“How are you today? A little crowded, eh?” she asked.
The chief moved next to a cotton candy booth where the crowd had thinned out. The singer on stage had just wrapped up his last song as the crowd cheered his fast-strumming finale.
“Yes, ma’am. One of the busiest days of the year. Something about fall time always brings out the celebration gene in people around here.”
Mary leaned closer as though she were speaking in confidence. “I’m looking for Curtis. Have you seen him anywhere, Chief?”
Chief looked up and thought to himself. “No, I haven’t actually. He’s been at the fair?”
“Yes,” Mary said. “I dropped him off a while ago at Bob Deckers’s office.” She paused, already afraid that she had said too much. Theo stood behind her, watching the stage with his hands in his pockets while trying to stay unnoticed by the chief. His eyes were alert and purposeful. Mary knew that, despite his nonchalant stance, he was keeping a lookout for the Taylor brothers. They could be anywhere, plotting their next move. The safe, however, was elsewhere and out of their reach—if that was indeed what they were looking for.
The chief seemed intrigued by the mention of Deckers, but then said that he hadn’t seen him either. He then said, “I did receive a call from the coffee shop across the street from the Realtor office. Owner said she saw two men walking to a blue Volvo. Real suspicious-like.”
Mary was stunned by the news. “Suspicious-like? What do you mean?”
The chief shrugged. “Like something wasn’t right. I’m about to go over and talk to her myself. Just waiting for Deputy Ramirez. Have you seen him anywhere?”
Mary thought to herself. She had seen other police officers, but not him. “No, I’m sorry. I haven’t.”
“Well, that’s just odd,” Chief Riley said. “He’s been MIA for nearly an hour now.”
“This coffee shop call,” Mary began with a worried expression. “Did they describe who they saw?”
“Two Caucasian males,” he said. “One tall. The other about average height.”
“And what were they doing that was so suspicious?” Mary asked.
“Going over there to get more details in a minute,” he answered, as though he didn’t want to elaborate. “She said one man was leading the other to a blue Volvo and holding what looked like a firearm.”
Mary’s mouth nearly dropped. “Chief Riley, doesn’t Bob Deckers own a blue Volvo?”
He turned to her, clearly not making any kind of connection. “What do you mean?”
She was prepared to make a scene right then and there when a new speaker took the festival stage, blaring into the microphone. “Ladies and gentlemen, we hope you’ve enjoyed the festivities thus far for our annual autumn festival!”
Mary saw that it was Cliff Bronson, Pastor Phil’s assistant, speaking on stage. He was wearing a flannel shirt and blue jeans, his mustache trimmed, and his hair cut short on his balding head. Mary, taken aback by his presence, saw that there were more surprises in store.
Bronson said, “I’d like to introduce our own master of ceremonies, the man who has been this town’s mayor since before many of us were born… a man who has overseen the growth and expansion of an enclave of tiny buildings and modest surroundings into the vibrant town before us. Ladies and gentlemen, Mayor Taylor!”
The crowd cheered as the mayor emerged on stage, bounding in a lively way from the steps below. He was domineering and stocky, like his brothers, with gray hair and a clean-shaven, though slightly sunken face. Even from a distance, she could see into his soulless dark eyes as he took the microphone and scanned the crowd with respect—or contempt, upon a closer look.
Mayor Taylor raised his arms as the clapping and cheering grew louder and louder. Theo placed his hand on Mary’s shoulder, causing her to turn her head.
“We should get out of here,” he said with urgency.
She scanned the park, the stage, and the various booths around them and didn’t see any sign of the brothers, but he could feel their presence, just as she was sure Theo had.
“Okay,” she said. “Chief Riley got a tip about two men going to a Volvo outside Deckers’s office. The taller of the men looked like he was brandishing a gun.”
> Theo’s eyes widened as he shifted toward the chief. “Crap. Then what are we waiting for?”
But the chief was fixated on the mayor, as were most people in the crowd.
“I can say that, without a doubt, October is one of my favorite times of the year!” the mayor bellowed to more applause. “And spending this lovely afternoon with the fine folks of Redwood is more than I could ask for. It’s something I look forward to each and every time.”
The mayor paused, taking in a breath and lowering his arms. He leaned closer to the crowd, grabbing the microphone and talking to them in a more intimate fashion than before.
Mary could see his charisma and his ability to control a crowd—but she also saw a lot more, a man who cared about nothing more than power.
“Before the night’s end, I promise a big surprise. So stick around for the big unveiling. That’s all of you, okay?”
The crowd applauded, some shouting and whistling. The mayor paused again and pulled an apple from his coat pocket. “You see this delicious morsel? It was grown right here in the apple fields of Redwood. One of our finest homegrown products.” He bit off a big chunk from the apple, crunching and chewing it, with an almost vulgar satisfaction evident on his face.
In the middle of the routine, an aide rushed across the stage and took the mayor’s arm, speaking into his ear. The mayor stood frozen as his mouth slowly continued chewing. He swallowed and then leaned back into the microphone, distracted and rushed.
“That’s all for now, everyone. Relax, have some food, and enjoy the day!” He was rushed off stage to the confusion of the crowd as a musical duo quickly appeared and began playing. In a matter of moments, the mayor disappeared, security detail and all. Mary knew that she and Theo were in trouble, and she knew they needed to make themselves scarce.
Awakening
Mary glanced at Chief Riley, whose attention was still on the stage. She was ready to confide in him and recruit his assistance when her cell phone suddenly vibrated in her pocket.
Chief Riley had a call too. He walked toward the stage after listening to an APB on his radio mic. He was then gone in a flash. Mary pulled her phone out and knew it was Curtis even before looking at the screen.
“Hello? Curtis, where are you?” she said.
Theo stayed near, keeping watch, as Mary moved between the cotton candy and the ring-toss booths. There was a pause on the line, so she continued. “Damn it, Curtis. Where have you been?”
“Hi, Mary…” his voice said.
“That’s all you have to say? I’ve been worried sick about you.”
“I’m at the house… Where are you now?” he asked. His voice sounded strained, suspicious even. She knew something was wrong.
“How’d you get to the house? Where’s Bob?”
“He-he dropped me off,” Curtis said unconvincingly.
Mary was frantic. “Curtis, you have to tell me what’s going on. I’m with Chief Riley right now.”
There was another pause, and Mary was certain that she could hear a faint voice in the background. Curtis had sounded distraught, and Mary felt her stomach churning.
“He killed Deputy Ramirez!” Curtis blurted into the phone. “He’s got a gun pointed at me right now!”
Mary gasped and clutched her chest just as she heard a loud whack that was followed by static. “Curtis!” she shouted, causing Theo to turn around and look at her with concern. She held a finger up, telling him to wait as she listened, ear pressed against the phone, her eyes watering. She heard shuffling on the line, and then someone spoke. A voice she was in no way surprised hearing.
“Mary, this is Bob.”
“Where’s Curtis?” she seethed.
“He’s fine… for now. Listen to me, you bitch. You so much as look at Chief Riley or any police officers between now and your journey home, I won’t hesitate to put a bullet in your husband’s head.”
“What do you want?” she asked, trying to control the trembling in her voice.
“I want you to come home. Bring your investigator friend with you. You know, the little rat who betrayed me. I’ll be waiting.”
Mary looked at Theo with uncertainty. “Theo Stone? He left a few days ago.”
“Is that so?” he said.
“I promise,” Mary said with conviction.
“Don’t screw with me, Mary. Curtis told me all about that hack.”
“He’s not with me!” she nearly shouted.
There was a pause followed by Bob talking a little more calmly, like he’d bought it. “All right… Get over here. No stops. No police. Just you. Do that and you and your husband will live.”
Mary didn’t feel right about any of that. She could sense a trap. “How do I know you won’t hurt us?”
“Because all I want is information,” he said. “And then you’ll never see me again.”
He hung up without saying another word, leaving Mary shaken and holding the phone in a daze. Theo grilled her, speaking softly as the latest folk-rock band continued its lively set on stage. There was no sign of the mayor or his brothers, or Chief Riley for that matter. Mary saw other police in the crowd, but none of whom she recognized. The chief would have been her only bet, and he was gone.
“Bob Deckers has Curtis,” she said to Theo. She covered her face suddenly, holding back tears. “Oh my God. I knew we shouldn’t have left him. This is all my fault.”
Theo held her arms, trying to reassure her as Mary stared at the ground in despair. “No one is to blame here, Mary. We’re all trying to do our best with this situation.” He paused, looking around, and finding the right moment, he escorted Mary out of the crowd. “I’ve got a plan,” he said, guiding her away. “But let’s get out of here first.”
***
Curtis woke to find himself sitting in a darkened room, his hands and legs tied to a chair behind him. He jerked at the rope but was unable to move. He lifted his head, the top of his skull throbbing, and tried to look around, eyes squinting in the dim light of a mysterious room. The white curtains behind him glowed in the afternoon light, streaming in through a bay window. The room was illuminated enough for him to then realize that he was downstairs in the ballroom.
The winding staircase was to his left, roughly fifty feet away, with hallways on both sides of him leading to other rooms. He still couldn’t believe the scale of the mansion. His head pounded as recollection of what had happened came rushing back to him: the moments leading up to Bob’s assault and everything that had happened before that. He tried to remember the details, to fix the narrative in his mind in a way that made sense. Leaving the office at gunpoint. The senseless murder of Deputy Ramirez. Hiding Deputy Ramirez’s police cruiser. Then driving Bob’s Volvo to the mansion, being taken inside and told to call Mary.
Curtis had complied and soon realized that he couldn’t mislead Mary, whether there was a gun to his head or not. He tried to warn her and then received a quick blow to the head with the barrel of Bob’s pistol, knocking him unconscious.
He probably had a concussion, given the number of times Bob had struck him. Still, Bob had not shot him, not yet. This, he believed, meant that Bob needed him alive for some reason. He needed something from him, and their business was far from over.
He could hear Bob walking up and down the hall to his right, which led to the kitchen. And as he heard Bob’s dress shoes clacking against the tile floor, he could also hear him talking on the phone, just loud enough for Curtis to decipher some of what he was saying.
“I’ve got him here, with Mrs. Malone on the way. Yes, everything is in place.” There was a pause as his voice faded in the confines of the hall, only to resurface once he drew closer to the ballroom. “Beatrice, just tell them to hurry up. This damn mansion gives me the creeps.” He hung up the phone, footsteps growing closer. Curtis bowed his head and closed his eyes just in time to hear a curious swooshing sound of water in a bucket. Before he could react, cold water drenched his face, streaming down from his head, wiping out Curtis’
s sight and making him howl in protest.
He snapped forward, livid and unable to free himself from the rope tying his hands and ankles behind him. Water dripped from his face as he gasped for air. As his eyes flickered rapidly, he saw a blurry figure pacing in front of him.
“Wake up, buddy. Your wife will be here soon.”
Curtis took another deep breath, still in shock from the jolt of cold water thrown into his face. Bob continued in his snide and self-satisfied tone. “Sorry I had to subdue you there, but it’s all for your own good. I don’t like having to hit you over the head every time you step out of line.”
Curtis jerked again at the rope, but it was hopeless. Bob had tied them too tight. “Untie me…” he said.
“Careful now,” Bob replied. “You don’t want to knock the chair over. You’ll be like a turtle on its shell. You ever seen how foolish one of them look, all helpless like that?” Bob laughed to himself as Curtis squinted with malice.
Curtis regretted not stopping Bob when he’d had a chance in the office. He couldn’t stand the sight of Bob in his house. It was a violation, much like so many others: their apartment in Chicago being broken into, the inverted cross painted on the mansion’s front door, and the kitchen left in shambles by what? Supposed supernatural forces? What did it all mean? Was any of it connected?
Curtis sat helpless in his chair, unable to harm Bob when that was exactly what he wanted to do. Rage burned inside him as he discreetly pulled at the rope around his wrists.
“You haven’t explained anything,” he said to Bob. “I don’t know what the hell you want. I don’t know why you killed Pastor Phil. I don’t know any of it. All I know is that you are a lying, murdering scumbag.”
“Not necessarily,” Bob said flippantly. “Once everything falls into place, I’ll be greatly rewarded for my steadfast loyalty and belief in the mission.” He got within a few feet of Curtis and patted his cheek as though he were a child. “Keep your chin up, and you’ll get through this fine.”