by Roger Hayden
Curtis jerked his head away, face flushed with his rage. “Don’t touch me again, you bastard.”
Bob backed away and shook his head in disappointment. “No need to be so angry. You and Mary could come out of this thing on top if you just use your heads.” He paused and took his pistol out while glancing down at the screen of the cell phone in his other hand. “Of course, if you refuse, you’ll be very sorry in the end. You’ll wish that you’d just cooperated.”
“Who the hell are you?” Curtis demanded, his loud voice echoing throughout the room. “You shot an innocent man in the head. A family man. A—”
“Shut up,” Bob said, waving him off. “Yes, yes. We’ve been through this before. I know what I did, and it had to be done. You’ll see soon enough.” He then lowered his pistol and walked toward Curtis, a steely glare on his face.
“You want to talk about family? My wife left me without warning two years ago.” He took another looming step toward Curtis, his tone rising with anger. “Took my three daughters and disappeared. Left me a letter. A letter! Dear John all the way. I haven’t seen her or my children since. It’s like she went into hiding. She took everything from me.” He paused again and held the pistol up, pressing it into Curtis’s forehead. Curtis flinched as Bob continued. “I always fantasized about finding her, about holding the gun against her head just like this and making her pay.”
He yanked the pistol away and stepped back as Curtis sighed in relief. “She left me for another man, but I’ll find them some day, and when I do, I can’t wait to see the look on their faces when I leave them dead on the floor.” He slipped the pistol into his front coat pocket and began scrolling through his cell phone as Curtis stared ahead, disgusted.
“You’re a monster,” Curtis said.
Bob replied, his eyes still on the phone as he typed a message. “Flattery will get you nowhere, my friend. Just you wait until the others arrive. We’re going to have one hell of a party.” He walked past Curtis toward the bay windows and drew back one of the curtains, looking out.
Curtis stared ahead at the blank wall near the staircase. They still hadn’t hung any pictures yet or done other things that would have made the place more homelike. They should have taken two months off, not two weeks. With his hands and ankles bound to a chair, such ideas seemed inconsequential, a pipe dream. Curtis’s mind drifted further into the future, to a time when all their misfortunes were long behind them. That was if they could just survive the day.
***
Mary raced down Keaton Street, a rural three-mile stretch leading to her house. Theo sat in the passenger seat, holding a bag of tools they had picked up in haste at the hardware store. She had been right. Nobody had disturbed the SUV or the safe, tucked under its blanket in the back seat. Neither of them were experts in picking a safe, but Theo had insisted they at least try.
It seemed he was more obsessed with the contents than she was. Mary couldn’t think of much outside of their current situation. With Curtis in peril, she could barely concentrate enough to drive, but when Theo insisted that he drive, Mary wouldn’t have it. She was going to get them there. She was going to save Curtis. She was going to see that Bob Deckers paid for his crimes. And if the Taylors showed up, she would see to their justice as well. She felt wild and emboldened, pushed to the brink, and as she floored it down the empty, two-lane road, Theo pointed toward the forest and shouted for her to stop.
She swerved to the shoulder and slammed on the brakes, making the SUV screech to a halt. Their bodies jerked forward, and for a moment they sat in the idling vehicle not saying anything.
“What is it?” Mary said, her fuse nearly lit. Deckers had Curtis, and there was nothing she could do about it. They were already at the house with God knows who else.
“I see something in the woods. Looks like a vehicle,” Theo said. His door opened, and he was already stepping out when Mary called out after him. “Theo, we don’t have time for this.” She paused and slammed her hands on the steering wheel. “Theo!” But he was already halfway there and approaching a gap between two trees that led into the woods.
Mary turned off the ignition and looked around for anything or anyone out of the ordinary. To her, it was very possible that the Taylor brothers were either on their trail or already at the house, waiting for her. She patted her purse, where her loaded .38 special rested, and then stepped out onto the pavement, following after Theo. Even before entering the woods, she could see part of a police light hidden behind leafy branches.
Mary believed Theo had a good eye to have noticed the care from the road. Or something more. He kept charging forward toward the vehicle, removing sticks and branches that had been covering the path. There were tire tracks leading to the vehicle, and it was clear to both of them that something wasn’t right. The cruiser wasn’t supposed to be there.
“Someone had to have parked this here not even an hour ago,” Theo said, trying the doors, though all of them were locked. Mary looked inside through the windshield and observed the undisturbed police equipment lying about inside.
“This looks like Deputy Ramirez’s cruiser,” she said.
Theo backed away from the rear of the car, horrified. “You don’t think that…?”
Mary shook her head, a familiar sickness growing in her stomach. “I don’t know. I mean, Chief Riley put out the APB. He told us so. Maybe the deputy saw the blue Volvo, and they…”
Theo stepped forward, irate. “What are you saying, that Bob Deckers had something to do with this? That he killed Deputy Ramirez?” He threw his arms down in frustration. “Who are these people we’re dealing with?”
“I don’t know! We just moved here,” she said defensively.
Theo continued to study the cruiser and the ground around it, flustered while thinking to himself. “Okay… Maybe they took Deputy Ramirez hostage with Curtis,” he said, weighing the other possibilities.
“Maybe,” Mary said, locked on the police cruiser with a concerned, vacant glare.
Theo walked past her toward the SUV, touching her arm. “Let’s go. I’ve got a plan.”
She turned and followed after him with no clear sense of what happened to Deputy Ramirez. She didn’t want to admit it, but she could feel a growing unease about the possibility of his fate. The thought sickened her. She emerged from the woods, taking one last look at the cruiser from afar. Her mind was shifting in a hundred different directions.
Theo had made a point in his bewildered outrage. Who exactly was she dealing with? She soon came to the conclusion that she had no real idea—corrupt officials, a ruthless family, and a possible murderer, all within this picturesque small town. It was a disturbing scenario.
Once they were seated inside the SUV, Mary started the engine and sped down the road, getting ever closer to home and ready to confront whatever danger lay ahead. Theo watched the forest slip by while weighing his own options.
“So Bob Deckers thinks that I’ve split town? Good. Here’s an idea. Drop me off about a half mile from the house, and I’ll sneak around through the back and put the kibosh on Bob before he knows what hit him.”
Mary glanced repeatedly into the rearview mirror. Her lack of response and straight-faced expression indicated her lack of confidence in the plan. “You really think that would work? What if there are others there besides Bob? We could be dealing with the entire Taylor clan. They might even be hiding in the back too. You could get killed.”
“So could you,” Theo offered in a quick retort.
“I have to do this. You don’t.”
“Please, Mary. I’m in this just as deep as you now.” He turned his head to look at the safe in the back seat. “I can take the safe, put it somewhere they won’t find it.”
Mary’s eyes lit up. “What? Absolutely not.”
“What if they search your car?” Theo held his hands out as though there were a hundred disastrous possibilities. “Think about it. They get what they want, there’s no reason to keep you alive. That safe coul
d be the only leverage you have.”
Mary suddenly slammed on the brakes. Theo gripped the dashboard as her tires skidded across the pavement.
“Enough,” she said, gripping the steering wheel. “Why don’t we just open it now and find out what’s in it ourselves? That way, we’ll know for sure.”
Theo seemed surprised by her suggestion. “But what about Curtis? He’s waiting for you.” It seemed strange that he was the one bringing it up.
“Don’t you think I know that?” Mary asked in frustration. She brought her hands to her face with a sigh, her eyes watering. “I’m not sure what to do.” She then slapped her hands down on the steering wheel and pulled onto the shoulder, the car idling. “Bastards!”
“It’s okay,” Theo said, placing a hand on her shoulder. “You’re not alone in this. I only want to help.” He reached for the bag of tools they had purchased and set it on his lap. He pulled a crowbar from the bag and held it up. “Let me take a crack at it.”
Mary nodded, glanced down the road, and resumed driving. Still miles from the house, she turned onto a back road and drove down it until she found a suitable place to park. She slowed and coasted under the shade of several red maple trees, just off the pavement, their leaves all nearly fallen.
Once they stopped, Theo hopped out, eager to get started. Mary looked at the dashboard clock. It was nearing 5:00 p.m. Theo opened the rear passenger door and reached into the back seat for the safe. Mary opened her door and stepped onto the ground, carpeted in dead leaves.
“I’ll pull the hatchback down. Just set it in the back,” she said to him. “You’ll have room to work.”
“Be careful of the broken glass,” Theo said.
He wrapped his arms around the safe and heaved, lifting it from the back seat and then carrying it to the rear of the car. Mary went around to the other side and grabbed the bag of tools, pausing for a moment to look around. Birds fluttered above, cawing, as squirrels scurried up the trees around them. The undisturbed nature provided temporary comfort for Mary. She felt safe and at peace. She could almost believe, for a moment, that things hadn’t gotten so quickly out of hand. But the truth was unavoidable: she would have to face the Taylors at some point. There was no turning back.
“Little help,” Theo called out, expecting the tools. Mary snapped into action and approached Theo, handing him the bag. The safe was seated upright, with its thick metal door facing them, and the large combination dial resting in the center, like a challenge or a dare. Its discolored surface had rusted, and there was a fair amount of dirt and grime covering it.
“Do you know what you’re doing?” she asked.
“No,” he told her.
Setting the crowbar aside, Theo sifted through the bag, pulling out some metal rods, a power drill, batteries, screwdrivers, files, and a hacksaw. It was clear he had never done anything like this before, but they couldn’t find a place open that sold either an electrical circular saw or a welder. This was the best they could do. Theo took the power drill first and pressed it against the safe’s door, just above the combination dial.
He turned to her with a faint look of uncertainty. “I’m no expert, but if I can get into the drive cam somehow, I’m pretty sure I can bypass the spindle and then breach the lock.”
“I’m not sure what you just said, but please be careful…” Mary told him.
She kept watch as he pulled the trigger and pressed the thick quarter-inch drill bit into the safe, barely making a scratch. He pressed harder as tiny sparks flew, with the drill grinding against the safe’s seemingly impenetrable metal surface. Just when it looked as though he’d push through, the drill bit suddenly snapped in half. Frustrated, he lowered the drill and shook his head.
“Looks like it’s not going to be that easy. That was our thickest drill bit,” he said, grabbing the crowbar.
Mary stood cautiously to the side in deep thought, searching for some alternative. She could sense that something was off. There would be no way to break into the safe with the tools they had. Such thoughts crossed her mind as Theo plunged the crowbar into the slit where the door was mounted, pushing down with all his might. His efforts seemed futile, and she could sense his increasing anger with every failed attempt.
He took the drill again, replacing the bit with another. Placing the safe flat on its back, he pushed the drill into the small dent he had made the first time and pressed against the metal, again scratching the surface but doing little else.
“Damn it!” he said as the bit snapped in half. He tossed the drill to the side and grabbed the crowbar again as though he was prepared to club the safe into submission.
He raised the crowbar into the air and swung down harder and harder, a loud clang sounding with each spark-inducing blow, barely making a dent. Theo pummeled the safe continually as sweat dripped from his face. Mary jumped at an idea and grabbed his arm before he could take another swing.
Theo paused, looking at her with shock as she managed to hold his crowbar-wielding arm back against his will.
“What?” he said, angered.
“A thought came to me. Let me give it a shot.”
Theo looked down at the safe then back to Mary with a nod. “Very well,” he said, stepping back. “It’s all yours.” He tried hard not to smirk.
“In the case of this safe,” she said, “none of these tools are going to work. We’re going to have to take our chances with this.” She reached for the combination dial, spinning it a few times to get a feel for it.
“You’re going to guess the combination?” Theo asked, astonished.
“Just think of it like a riddle,” Mary said.
“Well,” Theo said, scratching his head. “You’ve gotten us this far.”
He backed up as she adjusted the knob, setting it on zero. She then spun the dial to three times to the left, stopping at the fifteen. “There were fifteen victims in the Bechdel massacre.”
She paused and then spun the dial to the right. “And from what we know, there may have been three killers that evening.” The dial stopped at three, and Mary hesitated. “One more. What could it be?”
Theo thought to himself, struggling to come up with anything. “How many children did Phil have?” he asked.
The question seemed to click with Mary, and she brought the dial back around to two. She spun it to the left, awaiting a clicking sound with heightened anticipation, but nothing happened.
“It was a noble attempt,” Theo said. “Looks like it’s back to plan A.”
“Wait,” she said. “I think that you’re on to something. Phil’s family. Plus his wife, that makes three.”
Theo ran a hand down his face with a sigh. “I don’t know. Seems like we’re just grasping at straws here.”
“We are,” Mary said in response.
She repositioned the dial and spun it wildly from fifteen to three to four. She wasn’t expecting any miracles, but upon hearing a resounding click, she nearly jumped out of her skin. Theo’s eyes widened in disbelief. The crowbar dropped from his hand into the dirt as he stumbled forward.
“Did… Did you just…”
Mary could barely believe it herself as her hand clutched the dial. She pulled a lever near the dial with her other hand and the door began to slowly move, opening quietly as rust fell from the hinges and a sliver of light crept into the opening.
“That’s incredible,” Theo said.
She held the door half shut and turned to Theo, not fully ready to see the stored contents inside. “I don’t know how to explain it. Seems like pure luck.”
Theo laughed. “Luck? Yeah right. You’re the real deal, Mary.”
Mary blushed. “I don’t know, Theo. I never asked for any of this. You know I get headaches, right? Sometimes, I pass out just like that.” She slapped her hands together, startling Theo. “I just want to live a normal life somewhere safe where no one can bother me. Is that too much to ask?”
Theo looked to the safe, unable to answer.
�
�Well, is it?” she asked.
“Not now, Mary,” Theo said. “Everything will go back to normal, I promise. But right now we need to focus.”
Mary gave him an understanding nod. Theo signaled to the safe and asked her to do the honors. She pulled the door open, revealing a dark interior packed with what looked like thick file folders.
Theo stood over Mary, studying the contents. “It’s like some kind of time capsule.”
She reached inside and pulled out one dusty folder with a drawstring tying it shut. But that wasn’t it. There were other folders inside, including a few trinkets that piqued Mary’s curiosity. She pulled a porcelain doll out and set it to the side.
The girl was wearing a Victorian dress, and her long curly locks went down to her knees. Next, Mary found a golden bracelet and carefully set it aside as well next to the doll. When she discovered the next item, Mary’s heart nearly sank. She held a framed picture in her hands of Phil and his wife, Alisha, standing in front of their farmhouse with big smiles on their faces. But, like some kind of personal treasure trove, there was more.
She found another framed picture, this one of three teenagers standing around Pastor Phil, all smiling, sticks in hand with marshmallows at the ends. They were in front of a cabin somewhere in the mountains. Phil had never looked happier.
“It’s his kids,” she said to Theo, who then leaned in closer. “Phil’s children.”
“Wow…” Theo said. “Maybe he just wanted to protect the items closest to his heart, the things that he cared about the most.”
“There’s more to it,” Mary said with certainty. In addition to the thick file folder, there were three manila folders filled with documents. Most surprising of all were the last items they came across, all sealed in an oversized Ziploc bag. Inside it were bundles of cash secured with rubber bands, and next to the cash were two U.S. passports. Mary fished out the passports, opened them, and saw that they belonged to Pastor Phil and his wife.
“Surprised he didn’t have a gun stowed in there too,” Theo said. “Who was this guy?”