Hidden Vices

by C. J. Carpenter

  “I know, I shouldn’t have said it.” Callie stroked her hair. “I’m sorry.”

  “You can’t imagine the things I’ve seen. The horrific ways some people hurt one another.”

  “Worse than the videos you watched?”

  “My last case was. It wasn’t the same kind of violence but, yes, it was really, really bad.”

  “What happened?”

  “Haven’t you picked up a newspaper in the last month or two? I’m not going to talk about it.”

  Callie surely knew most of the details from Megan’s last case. It was all over the news, but his curiosity got the better of him. He wanted to know how Megan got pulled in, but it was quite clear she would not speak of it. Callie put his hand up the back of her shirt, not in a flirtatious manner, just to rub her back. He knew he’d upset her and he remembered it was one act that relaxed her.

  Megan began to fade into sleep while staring at the picture of her parents. Early Christmas cheer was now over.

  They’d fallen asleep on top of the blanket fully dressed, and both stirred around the same time thanks to Clyde whimpering to go out.

  “I have an idea,” Callie said rubbing his tired eyes. “Why don’t we take a few hours. I’ll call Jake Norden over at his marina and see if we can borrow two of his snowmobiles. We can go snowmobiling on the lake, maybe get some lunch after. We can have a little time off.”

  The thought of downtime interested Megan. It was the main reason she came to Lake Hopatcong, but the word we slightly annoyed her. She didn’t want to be a we with anyone right now, and when she was a we, she was terrible at it. Relationships never came easily. She’d find a way to screw them up or let her job get in the way. Or the guy would be a jerk and she’d end up feeling guilty somehow. Who the hell needed that? Then she thought Callie was being nice to try to make up for what he said last night and said, “I guess so. Why don’t you make some coffee, contact Norden while I take Clyde for a walk.”

  Megan made it down to Leigh’s house with Clyde and was happy to see she was out as well walking Lady Sadie. She looked stronger than the last time they’d met up. “Morning, Leigh.” Megan needed to pull Clyde back from Sadie before asking. “How is everything?”

  “Well, Billie is more alert today from what Jo said. I was just going to head down to her house and see if her aunt needs anything, give her our number and whatever.”

  Megan couldn’t believe she hadn’t thought of Billie’s situation since the previous day. Slightly embarrassed, she offered, “I’ll go see her again soon.”

  “I noticed you had quite the crowd yesterday.”

  “Family came with an early Christmas dinner.”

  “You’re welcome to join us this year if you like.”

  Megan rubbed her belly. “Oh, I appreciate that, but one Christmas is enough for me. Thanks anyway. I need to head back. I’m getting ready to go snowmobiling on the lake.”

  Leigh went wide-eyed. “You’re brave! Stay away from the boathouses and be careful of the bridges.” Now Megan’s eyes went wide. “Oh, I don’t mean to make you nervous. It really is a lot fun.” Leigh looked up at the sky. “Gray clouds rolling in. Hope no flurries today.”

  “Hope not. See you soon. Oh, and Leigh—you look better today, much stronger.”

  “Today is a good day.”

  Megan walked back with Clyde and thought about Leigh’s fight with cancer, her own fight with loss, and reminded herself what her grandfather would say: “We all have our crosses to carry, Megs.” She was pulled out of the memory when Clyde stopped and stared into the woods. He wasn’t growling, but he was extremely focused on an object. Megan rubbed his neck. “What is it boy? What’s wrong?” She scanned the area Clyde was centering on. Positioned on a large branch was the hawk she’d seen previously. Megan couldn’t figure out why Clyde wasn’t barking. After all, the dog barked at wind or dead leaves blowing. “You’re okay boy, let’s go.” As they resumed walking, Clyde continued to stare back at the creature until it took flight over one of the homes and went out of sight.

  Megan and Callie pulled up to Norden’s Marina. Callie explained he’d gotten in touch with him. Jake was in the middle of teaching winter ski lessons about an hour away and said it was no problem to use his snowmobiles.

  “Jake said all the gear is in the garage.” Callie knew the combination to the home alarm system. They geared up, helmets and all. “Have you ever been on one of these before?” Callie asked patting the seat of the snowmobile.

  “Yes, but never on a frozen lake.” Megan adjusted her helmet.

  “It’s pretty similar, a little slicker but not really all that different. Two rules: One is you stay away from the boathouses. Don’t get too close. Even though it’s daytime some people don’t have their bubbler systems on, so the water looks like it’s frozen over. And second, don’t go all cowboy on my ass and get up to a speed like Taz.”

  “Who?” Megan had no clue what he was talking about.

  “The Tasmanian Devil. From the cartoon?”

  “Sure, whatever … ”

  They pulled away from the marina going a moderate speed at first, then Callie made the play of racing her to the other parts of Lake Hopatcong, stopping in different spots to give her a bit of a tour. First was the lake house Megan was staying in. She got a kick out of seeing the house from the middle of the lake until she thought about the water pulsating under the more than foot-thick ice. She immediately darted forward and Callie raced to catch up. When they were going around a bend, Megan slowed and asked Callie where they were.

  “That’s Bertrand Island, though it’s not technically an island. It’s where the mayor lived. Years and years ago there was an amusement park built there, but they tore it down in the eighties.”

  “Let’s go!” Megan had to admit she was enjoying the change of scenery and the activity. It was a distraction that she needed, not to mention she enjoyed the speed. They covered half the lake with Callie showing Megan the state park, the country clubs, and some of the lakeside restaurants.

  After a while, Callie motioned to Megan to check her gas level. She did and it was fine. He pulled alongside her. “Mine is really low. You hang and keep going. I’m going back to fill up.”

  “I’ll follow you back.”

  “Nah, you’re having fun and it won’t take me long.”

  “Are you sure?” Megan wasn’t nervous going alone; she was worried he’d run out before he got to refill his tank.

  “Yeah, just remember the rules I told you.”

  “I’m going to go play ice tourist.” Megan remembered she’d seen two large islands—Raccoon Island and Halsey Island—on a map of the lake in the Macks’ home, so she went north to find them. The homes there were more what she expected from a lake house, given they were on islands. She was sure not many people were year-round residents unless they snowmobiled to work. She was circling around the first island when another snowmobiler appeared directly in front of her. The rider wasn’t moving, but his

  engine was idling. Megan slowed to avoid colliding with the rider. With the dark-shaded helmet, it was difficult to tell whether the rider was male or female. A few seconds later, the rider revved up the engine and charged her like a bull toward a matador.

  “Jesus Christ!” Megan swerved and gassed it, going at top speed and nearly losing control of the snowmobile. The snowmobiler came up beside her, inches away from her. The move forced Megan to the right.

  Don’t go near the boathouses, don’t go near the boathouses continued to echo through her mind as she fought to maintain control.

  The other rider slammed into her once and she swerved just a few feet from a boathouse with open water. The only solution she could think of was to brake hard, fast. She wasn’t sure this was the smartest moved when it propelled her into a three-sixty on the ice. The engine seized up. She struggled to remain upright as she slo
wed to a stop in the sudden silence. Megan looked around, but the other rider was gone.

  “What the fuck?” She focused on restarting the snowmobile when she heard the other sled. Out of the corner of her eye, the other rider reemerged, circling her like a shark.

  “Come on baby, start. Start, damn it!” Megan pleaded.

  Still nothing.

  The other driver slowed down and again pulled up to Megan. This time she was as motionless as her dead snowmobile. She could still see nothing through the face guard on the helmet. The driver pulled out a long silver knife, waving it at her. The knife was only a few inches away when her engine finally turned over. She tore away, heart racing as fast as she was driving. Megan flew down the lake, blind to her surroundings, wanting only to reach safety.

  Where the hell is the marina?!

  Finally the shoreline began to look familiar and she spotted Norden’s. Megan steered her snowmobile toward it. But being on the lake had distorted her sense of speed. The dock seemed to zoom up on her in an instant, and she realized too late that she was going way too fast.

  Megan lost control of the snowmobile and slammed into the side of the dock, flying forward. The noise sounded like an explosion. She hit one side of the dock with her arm and went tumbling down onto the frozen lake. The snowmobile went silent. Megan turned over on her back as she heard Callie screaming. He was running from the garage out to the dock.

  “Megan! Megan!” He jumped down on the ice and took off her helmet. “What happened? Are you okay? What the hell happened?” He looked down at her arm. Hitting the dock had torn through her gear and cut into her forearm. “Oh my God. You’re bleeding really bad. Come on.” Callie helped her up and back to shore. “Why were you coming in so damn fast?”

  It was difficult for her to catch her breath. “There”—she put her hand up to her forehead, trying to gather her thoughts and stop her heart from coming out of her chest—“there was someone out there. I don’t know who. Charging at me, trying to force me off.”

  “Slow down, okay? Deep breaths.”

  “The driver was wearing a dark helmet. I couldn’t see the face.” She looked up at Callie. “Where were you?!”

  Callie looked confused. “I told you I came back to get more gas. I was in the garage getting the tank.”

  “The snowmobile stalled. He was chasing me and I turned too fast and it killed the engine.”

  Deep breath.

  “The rider pulled up alongside me and pulled out a knife. A big-ass knife.”

  Callie ran back to the end of the dock to look around. “I don’t see anyone. We were the only ones out there.” He whipped around. “I don’t even hear a snowmobile.”

  Megan held her injured arm. The blood was now dripping down the ripped coat. “I’m telling you, someone was out there and they had a very clear agenda.” Megan went from frenzied to angry. She was more comfortable with angry.

  Callie toned down from panic mode into caretaking. “Come on, you’re going to need stitches.” He moved to help her stand.

  “I can do it,” she snapped.

  Twenty-Nine

  Megan sat while the doctor sutured her arm. Callie stood by, both not speaking. The doctor attempted to make small talk. “Don’t I know you?”

  Oh fucking hell.

  “No, wait, I do know you. You came in to check on that teenager the other day.”

  Relieved he wasn’t going to bring up her time in the news, Megan became more congenial. “Oh, right, yes. I hear she’s doing better.” The sting of the suture line made her wince slightly.

  “Sorry, we’re almost done. Yes, given the fall”—he said fall in a way that was extremely unconvincing—“you’ll be sore for a while but will make a full recovery. I’m just going to get some Steri-Strips to place over the stitches and wrap it with gauze and you’ll be all set. But I do want you to wear a sling for a few days.”

  “Thank you, doctor,” Megan replied.

  Callie looked confused. “What teenager?”

  “A girl who lives on McGregor, down the street from me, was hurt the other night. She’s here in this hospital. I came to see her before. I should see her again before we leave, actually.”

  “How was she hurt?”

  “Domestic violence case. Drunk boyfriend of the mother knocked her around and pushed her down a flight of stairs.”

  Callie flinched at the cause of her injuries. “Man, that’s awful. Yeah, we should definitely stop by before we go.” He paused. “Are you still up for that lunch? I know this cute restaurant and am good friends with the owner.”

  Megan was reluctant but consented. “Only if it comes with a few cocktails. My arm is starting to throb. Oh shit, I just realized something: What if the snowmobile is damaged?”

  “You had a man—or woman—chase you at top speed around a frozen lake and then threaten you with a knife. Norden will understand. And I can have Duane at the garage fix whatever might be broken.”

  “Oh, I didn’t know you knew him.”

  “Haven’t you figured it out yet, Trouble? This is a small-town area, and almost everyone knows everyone. I don’t really know him, but I’ve run into him at Norden’s fixing boat engines, quad bikes, stuff like that.”

  “He makes Manson seem normal,” Megan responded.

  Callie just rolled his eyes.

  The doctor returned, applied the Steri-Strips and the gauze and, for extra protection, an Ace bandage. He handed her a sling. “You’re good to go. I want you to wear this for the next few days, just to help keep your arm protected while you heal. You can go to the front desk to see what room Isabelle is in.”

  They found Billie’s room in the small hospital within five minutes, and Megan gave a small knock before popping her head in. “Hey, kiddo, up for a visit?”

  Billie gave a big smile, adding a “you bet” through a slight yawn.

  “I brought a friend, if that’s okay?”

  She nodded yes.

  “How are you feeling?” Megan asked.

  “All right, I guess.” Then Billie saw Megan’s arm. “Are you okay?”

  “Just a small cut, no big deal. Here.” Megan motioned for Callie to come in. “Billie, this is my friend, Callie.”

  “Hi. What kind of friend?”

  Wiseass teenager has returned. “You’re obviously starting to feel better. He’s an old friend from college. He owns Krogh’s restaurant.”

  “Oh, hey, I’ve been there. Great nachos.”

  Callie laughed. “Thanks.”

  “So, are you going to share? What happened to the wing?”

  “A small bump and scrape falling off a snowmobile. She’s kind of a spaz,” Callie joked, making Billie laugh.

  “Do you know when you can get out of here?” Megan asked.

  “A few more tests say maybe a week. I’m not sure I’ll be able to make it down your driveway right away, though.” Billie laughed, pointing at the soft cast on her leg.

  “We’ll figure something out.” Megan smiled, adding, “You get some rest. I’ll see you soon.”

  Billie smiled. “Okay. Take care of that wing, and your ‘college friend.’”

  Thirty

  Krogh’s was quite busy when they arrived, which made Callie happy. “Good crowd today.” They walked through the kitchen. Callie asked one of the waitresses to show Megan to a table, give her a menu, and set them up with drinks. “Trouble, I’m just going to check on what’s going on in here and see how things have been running. I’ll be out in a few minutes.”

  “No problem.” Megan followed the waitress to a booth and made herself comfortable, as much as she could. Her arm felt like it had its own thumping pulse, so she popped a few ibuprofen, knowing a cocktail would ease the slight discomfort faster. While she waited for Callie, she thought of the person on the snowmobile.

  Definitely
had to be male. Body type rugged, even with winter gear on. Broad shouldered. Big winter gloves means big hands. It was difficult to discern his height because he was seated, but he was possibly six foot, maybe more. What did the knife look like? Think. Think. The knife had a long silver blade with a black handle. Like pretty much every other knife in the universe. But there was something different. Think harder.

  “That’s all I’ve got,” Megan whispered to herself in frustration.

  Callie sat down. “Sorry about that. I needed to check up on things.”

  “Everything okay?” she asked.

  “Running smooth. You looked deep in thought. About earlier?”

  “Yeah, something just crossed my mind.” Megan was interrupted by a waitress delivering a pitcher of beer and an appetizer of hot wings Callie had ordered. To her surprise, she was suddenly ravenous. “Do you remember what the knife that was found in Vivian’s car looked like?”

  He shook his head. “We weren’t standing close enough. I didn’t get a good look at it. Did you?”

  “No, but I got a good look at the one today.” Megan thought again before adding, “Wait, there was a dip in the side.” She got frustrated with herself. “I don’t know. Let’s eat.”

  I’m sitting in my gatehouse wondering what might happen to me. In most ways, I now regret what I did that night. I read the captioning on the news and look at all the faces and think, am I the only person who knew the Judge was a monster? Then I think, he’s been murdered so I wasn’t the only one to feel his wrath. Since this has started, I pray to Momma, wondering if she hears me from heaven, hoping she’s watching out for me. I think of the afternoon I found her. We’d gone jogging together, as we had every morning. She was a fit, healthy woman. She’d just had an excellent annual check up one month earlier. I can still hear, even though I can’t actually hear. I would hear through looking into her eyes, and through sign language. “I will never leave you Vivian. Never,” my mother said to me.

  They wouldn’t let me see her before they cremated her. I know the Judge had something to do with her death, and eventually he would have gotten to me too. So when I pray to Momma and tell her how much I love and miss her, I also pray to whoever killed the Judge. I say thank you.