The Bovine Connection

by Kimberly Thomas

  Chapter Thirty-Three

  There was a hard jolt. The plane landed roughly on the tarmac. She began to regain her senses as the jovial flight attendant announced that the flight had arrived at the gate and everyone was free to use their cell phones. Angelica looked out the window and saw the dark grey clouds above the sparse golden prairie landscape surrounding the Denver Airport. She was surprised she had slept so hard and felt disoriented. The flight went quickly, she couldn’t even remember taking off. She immediately thought about Michael and the little amount of sleep she had while they were together. She was missing him already, she realized. Angelica looked over and saw a man in a business suit sitting in the aisle seat beside her. He never looked her way.

  Angelica leaned down and found her purse under the seat in front of her. She opened it and grabbed her mirror and small makeup bag. She pulled out her concealer and dabbed the dark circles under her eyes then ran lip balm across her lips while the other passengers unloaded their bags and exited the plane.

  After almost everyone was off the plane, she stood up and lifted the overhead compartment to grab her bag. The only bag left was her black suitcase. Angelica felt an adrenaline rush of panic and started moving down the aisle, opening all the compartments that had remained shut. Where was her tan satchel? she wondered. She was absolutely certain she had placed it next to her suitcase. The flight attendant heard the commotion and looked out from the beverage area.

  “Ma’am!”

  Angelica didn’t respond.

  “Ma’am, is there a problem?”

  Angelica yelled, “Yes, my bag is missing!”

  “Okay, calm down Miss. I will help you look for it. What does it look like?”

  Angelica was now looking in and under every seat on the plane. “I have to find my satchel!”

  The flight attendant had now gathered the other attendants and they were each searching the entire plane. “I’m sorry, ma’am, someone must have grabbed your bag by mistake,” the woman casually announced.

  Angelica looked at her. “My laptop and my files… I can’t believe this!” Angelica grabbed her purse and suitcase and ran off the plane, bumping into a slow-moving man as she passed by him. “I’m so sorry!” she blurted.

  The attendant yelled, “Ma’am, ma’am!” Angelica didn’t acknowledge her. The attendant looked at her colleague in the beverage area by the phone on the wall. “Call security!”

  Angelica ran down the tunnel from the plane to the gate and slowed to a stop. There were so many people. She looked around, closely eyeing everyone’s bags as they walked by. She was in a panic. Her heart was racing. She sprinted into the crowd, rushing in and out, pushing people and almost knocking them over with her suitcase. She grabbed at every tan-colored satchel or bag until a man snapped, “Hey, what the hell are you doing?” Angelica just looked at him and stopped in the middle of the crowd. She stood there frozen as everyone continued to push past her. She started shaking her head and her mouth was open in disbelief. She quickly turned to see two men in uniforms standing in front of her. “Miss, we need you to come with us.”

  Angelica gasped, “No, I have to find my satchel.” She looked away toward to crowd of people moving past.

  “Miss, you must calm down. Now come with us calmly or we will have to take you forcefully.”

  Angelica looked back around to the security officer and met his eyes. “Really, are you serious?”

  “Yes, ma’am, I am. This way please.” The officer turned and led the way. Angelica followed, as the other officer walked closely behind her.

  They passed by a counter where a security officer was patting down a woman who looked like an average soccer mom; she appeared mortified. The officers then led Angelica through a door with bold letters that read, “Authorized Personal Only.” Once inside they walked down a narrow hallway and entered into a bright room with a non-descript table and four chairs. “Have a seat.” One of the officers said. Angelica let out a breath of frustration and sat down at the table. “Do you have your identification?” he said, as he extended his open palm. Angelica pulled her wallet from her purse and showed the officer her driver’s license and then took out a business card and put it on the table. The officer laid her driver’s license down and picked up her business card, “Ms. Angelica Bradley with the Liberator Magazine.”

  Angelica looked up at him with irritation. “Yes, that’s me. Have I done something wrong, officer?” she asked with a taunt attitude. He looked at his partner and then back at Angelica.

  “Couple things…” he said sharply. “First, if you continue with the attitude, we could just be here all day. I’ve had my lunch.” The officer looked at his partner. “Have you had yours?” “Sure have,” his partner responded.

  Angelica looked sincerely at the officer. “I apologize… I’ve had very little sleep lately.” Angelica felt tired. She’d just comply and hope to be on her way soon.

  “Now, why are you running around this airport grabbing at other passengers’ bags?” And what business do you have in Colorado?”

  Angelica looked at him and let out another breath in frustration. “I’m here to interview a Doctor at the University of Colorado - and someone has stolen my satchel! It was on the plane with me and then when I got up to get it from the overhead compartment it was gone. Look, someone has stolen it and there are very important and confidential documents in there.” She thought for a moment. “And I can’t even begin to tell you how important the files on my laptop are. So perhaps, you could just let me leave so I can go call my editor!” Angelica looked at him sternly but her heart was racing. She had never been in a small room with police before. She felt like a criminal.

  “You’re free to go.” He raised his eyebrows, amused. “But you can’t be causing a commotion like that in an airport! After 911, well, hell, I’m sure you know that being a reporter from D.C. and all,” he said in a husky voice. “I’m going to let you go, but I want you to immediately leave the airport and be on your way. I’m sorry about your satchel. You can fill out some paperwork and give us a detailed description. I’ll take charge of the search. If it turns up, where can you be reached?”

  Angelica picked up the business card and handed it to the officer. “Here is my cell number. Do you have a pen? I’m staying at the Brown Palace Hotel. I’ll write it on the card,” she said, as she took his pen and wrote down the information. Angelica handed him the card.

  As she was leaving the room, she glanced back to see the other officer who hadn’t said but two words, giving her a flirtatious look. Angelica smirked at his audacity after the afternoon she’d endured.

  Chapter Thirty-Four

  In front of the airport, Angelica held her purse over her head as she stood in the rain in the cab line. After a few minutes, a cab pulled up to the curve and Angelica jumped in as the driver threw her suitcase into the trunk.

  “The Brown Palace Hotel, please.”

  The cab driver looked around at Angelica while shutting the door. Her hair and clothes were wet from the rain. “Yes ma’am,” he said without hesitation.

  In the cab on the way to downtown Denver, Angelica took her cell phone out. “Hey, it’s me.”

  Gail answered. “Hey you, how are ya?”

  Angelica sank into her seat. “Terrible! I’ve lost my satchel with my files, laptop, the story… I’m freaking out!”

  There was silence on the other end of the phone, and then Gail asked. “How?”

  “It was on the plane with me and then when the flight landed, I woke up and waited for everyone to exit. When I went to get it out of the compartment, it was gone! I was exhausted. I slept the entire time so someone could have taken it at any time during the flight.” The cab driver was looking up at Angelica in the mirror eavesdropping.

  “Why would someone take your satchel - do you think it was taken because of the story? The weird phone call and all… what do you think?” Gail went silent.

  Angelica looked out the window and bit down on h
er bottom lip. “It’s odd… I don’t know… I really just don’t know. Look, I’m on my way to the hotel to meet with Dr. Goolrick. I’ll see you in D.C. tomorrow.”

  “Okay, sweetie, bye,” Gail managed to reply before Angelica hung up the phone. It had started raining harder on the way to the hotel. The drops of water were hitting her window and creating large splashes.

  The cab driver looked up in the mirror. “It’s really coming down now.” Angelica met his eyes and nodded. She had been so tired from the lack of sleep that she hadn’t paid much attention to anything since she had left the lodge. She laid her head back and watched the rain in the grey haze.

  Chapter Thirty-Five

  Her hair and clothes were almost dry as the cab pulled up to the valet in front of the Brown Palace Hotel. Angelica paid the driver and stepped out slowly. She grabbed her suitcase from the curb and pulled it behind her as she stepped through the front entrance of marble and stained glass. Angelica usually preferred more modern amenities, but she had a fondness for art deco architecture and was intrigued by the history of the Brown Palace Hotel. It reminded her of growing up around downtown Asheville. She had only lived a few blocks from the art deco, limestone, terra cotta trimmed buildings, where she spent a lot of time at the bookstore and pharmacy-deli.

  Pulling her luggage through the lobby, she found the front desk and checked in. The ornate hotel was busy with guests.

  Once she had her key, she hurried through the lobby, quickly passing the other guests and taking little notice of the golden marble walls, wrought iron railings, and ceiling of stained glass.

  Angelica opened the door to her room and put purse on the dresser. Walking over to the bed, she stopped, looked around the room, and then collapsed onto the fluffy duvet comforter. She was still completely shaken from the ordeal at the airport, and exhausted from the sleepless night spent with Michael, but knew she needed to conjure up some energy for her interview with Dr. Goolrick.

  As she thought about Michael, she considered calling him but decided not to. She needed to focus on work, and she knew he would be able to hear the stress in her voice. Angelica didn’t want to tell him about her satchel, cautious not to worry him. She wasn’t sure it was taken intentionally.

  Angelica walked over to the phone and dialed room service. A woman answered warmly. “Welcome to the Brown Palace. What will it be this afternoon?”

  “Hello, please send up a glass of a Macallen 12 neat… water… Oh, and ice, thank you,” Angelica hung up the phone. She glanced down to notice an elegant dark mahogany bedside table. She reflected back on Paul Colbeck’s comparison between ETs and angels, so she opened the drawer and pulled out the Gideon’s Bible, randomly flipped through the first chapter, Genesis. Angelica stopped when she noticed 6:4 “The Nephilim Giants were on the Earth in those days. And the Sons of God saw that the daughters of men were fair and they took wives unto themselves and bore children -- mighty men, of renown.”

  Hearing something fall behind her, Angelica jerked and sharply closed the Bible. She looked around and noticed her suitcase had fallen over. She put the Bible back in the drawer. As she turned to walk into the bathroom and shower for dinner, she noticed sparks of light flickering in the air around the room.

  Angelica rubbed her eyes, sat down on the bed and watched them flicker. She instinctually closed her eyes and then opened them, and the sparks were still there. She sat there curiously observing them for a moment before they suddenly disappeared. Angelica frowned. “Odd,” she thought aloud.

  After a hot and refreshing shower and pulling her hair back into an elegant side sweep twist, Angelica looked at the clock as she dabbed her neck with perfume and took sip of Scotch. It was five thirty-three. She realized she needed to get down to the restaurant to meet with Dr. Goolrick soon. She put the glass down on the desk and walked over to the mirror. She straightened her black silk blouse and black skirt, then retouched her lips with red color and slipped on her nude heels. She grabbed her small black Chanel purse, put it under her arm, and briskly left the room.

  A nicely dressed couple smiled warmly at her as she stepped in the elevator. Angelica watched as the couple moved closer to each other. She discreetly observed their interaction as the man slid his hand down the woman’s back and looked intensely into her eyes.

  Angelica remembered the way Michael touched the small of her back when he moved beside her. She closed her eyes and let out a slow breath, noticing the smell of pleasing cologne lingering in the air. She felt relaxed, temporarily forgetting about her satchel and the time spent in the tiny, intimidating room with airport security. Angelica reluctantly shifted her focus from Michael to her interview with the Doctor.

  Chapter Thirty-Six

  The grand lobby of marble and ornate gold trim was all around her. Angelica looked up to see the beautiful stained glass ceiling and black wrought iron railing wrapped around each floor. She wasn’t sure in which restaurant the doctor had intended for them to meet. While on the phone with him, she had forgotten there were several restaurants in the hotel so she took a guess and walked into the Ship Tavern first, and looked around.

  There were only a few couples sitting at the bar, so she walked over to the Palace Arms Restaurant.

  “Hello, has a gentleman come in alone tonight for dinner, maybe in the last twenty minutes or so?” Angelica glanced around.

  The hostess thought for a moment. “No, I don’t believe so.”

  “Thank you,” Angelica turned and walked out.

  Since it was still a few minutes until six, she decided to wait in the lobby. Angelica sat down in one of the chairs facing the front entrance and the direction of the restaurants. She folded her arms and looked up to admire the stained glass ceiling. After a moment, she noticed a gray-haired man with an American bomber style brown leather jacket and dark taupe slacks walk into the Palace Arms Restaurant, and then step back out into the lobby. He was looking around as if waiting to meet someone.

  “That must be the doctor,” she thought aloud. Angelica got up and walked over to him. “Hello… Dr. Goolrick?” she asked. The man looked around as he took his little oval-shaped reading glasses off and slid them in the inside pocket of his jacket.

  “Yes, hello, Ms. Bradley, I went into the restaurant and the hostess said an attractive young lady had just come in and left. She was looking for a gentleman so I guessed that was you.” His eyes were kind, she noticed.

  “Yes, nice to meet you Dr. Goolrick,” Angelica extended her hand and Dr. Goolrick shook it.

  “Very nice to meet you, Ms. Bradley.”

  “So I see you prefer the Palace Arms? That sounds perfect,” Angelica said, as they turned and walked toward the restaurant.

  They sat in silence for a full minute at the table not sure where to start. Angelica looked around and commented on the elegance of the hotel. “This hotel reminds me of my hometown, Asheville, North Carolina. I’m fascinated with art deco, whether it is art or architecture, I love the period from which it came.”

  “Yes, I am an art lover, as well. Do you know the hotel’s history?”

  Angelica smiled. “Not much.”

  “Well, it was built in the late eighteen hundreds. Let’s see… Construction started in l888, if I remember correctly, and it opened in 1892. The hotel has its own artesian well.”

  “Interesting, I did not know that.” Angelica tilted her head in curiosity.

  “Yes, and the design is Italian Renaissance, crafted from Arizona sandstone. The architect created medallions depicting Rocky Mountain animals for the lobby.”

  Angelica enjoyed listening to the doctor. “Oh.” She leaned in closer and cupped her chin.

  As their dinners arrived, Dr. Goolrick was still talking. “The famous 1911 murders in the ‘Marble Bar,’ where a man shot and killed another man over a beautiful socialite,” he announced, sounding like a tour guide. “It was quite a big deal here in Denver. She was the wife of a wealthy businessman and political candidate.”

&n
bsp; “How intriguing,” Angelica said softly.

  “Yes, you know, there are rumors that the hotel has been haunted ever since.”

  “Haunted,” Angelica giggled. “That is fascinating. I hope my room is not haunted!” she said playfully. “Thank you for sharing some of the history of this beautiful hotel with me. Most of all, thank you for taking time out of your busy schedule on such short notice. As you know, I’ve just arrived from Elberton today, interesting trip… I spent a great deal of time with Matthew Tillman. He took me to the locations where the mutilations occurred.”

  “I see,” Dr. Goolrick nodded blankly.

  “The carcass at the Keller ranch was quite unusual, to say the least.” Angelica pursed her lips and put her fork and knife down after noticing the bloody drippings on Dr. Goolrick’s plate next to his half eaten steak.

  “Yes, indeed, the poor animal. The stage of decomposition must have been terrible to witness. The notion that someone would perform such a heinous act is incomprehensible. Don’t you agree?” The doctor took a sip of his cabernet, analyzing Angelica.

  “Yes, the cuts to the animal and the removal of the organs and tissue… Who do you think is responsible, doctor?” Angelica looked intensely at him. She was anxious to hear what he would say.

  In her room earlier, she had concluded that he would put some scientific explanation behind this story and give her readers something more sophisticated to contemplate.

  “Angelica, I’m going to be frank…” The doctor sat up straight and his tone became deep and more authoritative. “When I started my career as a medical doctor, you would have never heard me utter the words I am about to speak. The very thought of such things did not enter my mind.”

  Angelica pushed her plate forward and rested her arms on the table as the doctor was speaking. “My attention was given to local research activities, attending seminars, journal clubs, and enthusiastically supporting colleagues in their scientific career… Nevertheless, a political murder of an environmental/animal activist, who just so happened to be a good friend of mine, changed the course of my interest in the field… I am convinced his murder was committed in an effort to reduce complex political issues by removing any modifier or nuance. Anyone such as my friend that challenges benign generalizations on this unique subject matter is in grave danger, my dear. Generalizations have a great effect on controlling the message to the masses – causing an agree/reject reaction before rational analysis begins. When these simple explanations are diminished by introspection and non-biased logic, only then do the true layers of truth reveal themselves. To say it in a more pedestrian manner, most people do not want to know the truth, and those that do, seldom want it to be told if it gives away any of their power or control.”