by Rich Foster
“Not much chance of getting down there,” he said before walking away.
Lilly looked down the slope, which appeared much the same as others she had seen. She saw no tracks. Only bits of the river were visible. She picked up a rock and tossed it out in space. It landed and knocked a slide of small rocks scattering and chasing after it as it rolled far down the loose hill.
Lilly reached in the car and took out one of Charles’ cigarettes. She had never smoked until Charles and she had spent a marathon two day’s bed. For years she had complained of Alan’s smoking, but when Charles lit up and offered her one, she had taken it, perhaps if only to please him. She now lit the cigarette and inhaled deeply as if it were possible to force down the frustration and irritation she was feeling. If only they could find Alan, she wouldn’t have to think. If only Charles and she could be left alone. If only the police could be placated. The thought of going on trial nagged at her mind. What if she were convicted? Was it possible she might go to jail? Where did the blood come from in the kitchen? What had she really done? The questions spun through her thoughts one after the other. The cigarette disappeared with rapidity and she lit another.
She noticed a bright spot on the far wall of the canyon. A rock face rose up from where the river must lie. The boulders were in shade, yet a bright spot was lit as if a flashlight shone on it. She watched as she smoked. The light neither flickered nor dimmed.
Charles returned. He took a cigarette himself.
“What do you think is causing that? Lilly asked.
Charles eyes followed to where her fingers pointed. “It’s probably sunlight coming off the water.
“But it doesn’t move!”
They both watched and it never wavered or shimmered, as sunlight would do.
“I don’t know,” said Charles, “but I don’t see how we could get down there.
“You could climb down over there and perhaps you could see some more of the river.” Lilly pointed to a rocky bluff that was off to the side but well below where they stood. Charles grunted noncommittally. He wanted to move on. He was rapidly loosing interest and the sense of emergency he had felt for the search. It was ridiculous to permit a small-town cop goad him into panic, he thought.
“You know, I think it has moved a little bit. The light area was closer to the pointy rock a little bit ago.”
“It’s probably just your eyes playing tricks on you, but lets have a bite to eat and see in twenty minutes.”
They ate their lunch occasionally looking for the light. It had definitely shifted and its shape had changed. While they watched it disappeared completely.
“Well the sun is definitely reflecting off something and it’s not water. The most likely thing is metal or glass. So it could be a car,” Charles admitted grudgingly. “Of course who knows how long it has been there.”
“Well we can’t really call the police and ask them to check it out can we? If it is an old wreck instead of Alan’s car they may already know it is down there, but I don’t want to call them and ask.”
Reluctantly, Charles agreed to climb down the bank as far as the point. He got the ropes out of the truck they had bought in Red Lake. He tied one end off to a tree and the other to himself, in case he slipped. Then, keeping tension on the rope, he let it slide through his gloved hands as he started to walk down.
“Wait!” Lilly called. She disappeared and shortly returned with a pair of binoculars. “You might need these!” Charles took the glasses and reluctantly resumed his descent. It was about a hundred feet to the small bluff. He sat down; the precipitous drop was giving him a tinge of vertigo. From this vantage point he could see more of the river. Systematically he swept the canyon with the lenses. There was no car visible, no shiny metal. He looked up the bank toward Lilly and saw her face close to him and waved. She was clutching herself nervously. Charles brought the binoculars down the graveled hill. Something flashed white! He moved them back up the hill where he saw a small tree that was snapped off. The white shattered meat of the three-inch trunk stood out against the gray gravel of the hillside. The broken portion of the tree was still attached. The young pine was turning brown but enough greenery remained to witness that the damage was recent. He let the glasses roam down the hill. The hillside flattened out onto a rock. From this angle he could see dark marks and white scrapes across the top of the rock. “I think we might have it,” he yelled up to Lilly while pointing madly toward the canyon. If he could only get further down he might see below that edge.
Charles moved to the side of the rock and began to climb down. There was twenty-five feet yet left on the climbing rope. He had only taken three steps when his feet came out from under him on the loose shale. His arms flailed wildly and the binoculars sailed out of his hands. He landed on his back and spun down the hill, until he was jerked to a violent stop by the rope. Gravel cascaded down the slope in a small landslide. The binoculars were gone, but with his bare eyes he could see the back corner of a gray vehicle, which he was sure was a the Jeep Cherokee!
At the top of the hill Lilly was screaming repeated questions as to whether or not he was all right. Meanwhile, Charles was yelling at her that they had found it. None the worse for his fall, but glad to have been tied to the rope, Charles stood up and began to pull himself up the side of the mountain. His feet would slide but he made steady progress. Soon, though breathing heavily, he was at the top. He quickly apprised her of what he could see. But Lilly was disappointed that he had not been able to see into the car.
At the car they celebrated their find over a cigarette. They gloated over how the police would have to “eat crow!” Charles found the business card that Sergeant Maddox had given him the last time they spoke. However, when he tried to dial he couldn’t get a connection. They got into the pickup and drove toward Red Lake. It was not until they neared the top of the mountain that they had a cell signal. They reached the Beaumont Police Station but Maddox was out. When they explained they thought they had found Alan Chandler, the dispatcher told them to wait, while she radioed the Sergeant.
Maddox told Candice to confirm their location and to pass it on to Search and Rescue, though at this late date it seemed certain to be only a recovery operation. He then said he would come back to the station to meet Mick Delaney and they would go up together.
A half hour later the two officers were speeding past the gas station outside of town. The same sallow youth was still wasting his life out front, now stirred to life by yet another vehicle and siren that rapidly faded in the distance. Inside the car Maddox listened to dispatch. Candice had initially contacted the Parson’s County Sheriff. However, mis-communication had left the Sheriff’s office believing this to be a current accident, consequently, the responding Sheriff’s cars were followed by both an ambulance and a tow truck from Beaumont.
While Maddox and Delaney were driving into the foothills, they heard a call from the Parson’s Sheriff Deputies. They had not come upon the incident before they reached the County Line. They reported they would continue on until they came to the crash site but asked that the Canaan County authorities be contacted since it appeared it was in their jurisdiction.
Meanwhile, Charles and Lilly had told the Beaumont Police that they would return to the crash site. They were standing at the side of the road when the first squad car swept around the bend. The car squealed to a halt as Lilly waved them over. Shortly, there followed several other vehicles and the road became bottlenecked. The first deputy to arrive hurried over to Lilly.
“My husband’s car is down there!” she blurted out excitedly. The Deputy looked over the edge and softly whistled. He looked at Charles. “How did you get out? Or did you stop and forget to set the brake.”
“No, this isn’t my husband. We think he is down there”, she said pointing toward the river. The Deputy thought to himself that if someone went down that slope there didn’t seem much hope for him. Meanwhile people exited the other vehicles and what traffic there was came to a stop. The poli
ce managed to get cars moving past the site again until an equally large contingent of vehicles arrived from Canaan County Sheriff. They took jurisdiction of the site but the Parson’s County people lingered to see the developments.
Sheriff Gaines walked over to Lilly and Charles. May I see some ID, please? Lilly and Charles produced their licenses. Gaines studied them. Lillith Chandler? Would your husband’s name be Alan? The fellah that went missing three weeks ago?”
Lilly nodded her head yes.
“If he’s down there he sure has a dedicated wife and friend. I checked this area myself and never saw a thing.”
“It was the sunlight! We saw light reflecting on the far wall over there. Charles climbed down to where he could see the car.”
Maddox came to the traffic jam. Cars were stopped, and formed a snake up the road. He cut his speed and rolled past them while driving on the wrong side of the road. They proceeded a quarter of a mile with their light flashing, but no cars came toward them. Rounding a curve in the road they came to the blockade of emergency vehicles. There were yellow fire trucks, forest green Search and Rescue vans, white and blue squad cars, a red ambulance and a purple tow truck. Red, yellow and blue lights flashed and people in a variety of uniforms moved about. However, the initial sense of urgency had passed once they realized that this was not an active accident.
Search and Rescue nosed up to the bank and they readied a winch cable. Two men hooked on to the cable and began walking down the hill. As they descended they scanned the hillside. Occasionally they paused to snap a digital photograph as the documented bits of what was probably a car. The winch operator called out five hundred feet just before the climbers reached the broken tree. Another hundred feet and they were on the rock ledge above the river. They unhooked from the cable and hurried over to the ledge.
The radio crackled and a voice came across the airwaves. “We have a vehicle, looks like a Jeep Cherokee. It’s fairly well smashed and she’s been under water.”
From the rim of the curve, the people waiting could see one man taking photos of the marks on the rocks. The other climber had scrambled down the bank beside the rock outcropping and had disappeared from sight.
“The vehicle is upside down under this ledge. The rear window is smashed but we will have to rig a line to get to it. She’s sitting in four feet of fast moving water.”
At the top of the hill, men began getting into wetsuits. Soon they had dive gear slung to their backs and began to descend down the cable. Down below, the first climber reappeared and came back up onto the rock. He and his partner uncoiled their climbing ropes. They pounded pitons into the rock face to create a belay point. Then they hooked on their carabineers. By the time the others had joined them they had tossed the lead over the side and were ready to rappel down to the car.
There was nothing to see and little to do but wait. A Channel 13 News van pulled to a stop. A cameraman hopped out and immediately began filming. Meanwhile, the lead reporter set out to find whoever was in charge. She was attractive, one of those ubiquitous television blonds, and people were glad to help her. She was passed between different authorities until she found Sheriff Gaines. Lacking an angle on the action down the hill, the cameraman had joined them and settled for filming an interview with Sheriff Gaines. The Sheriff was succinct. He stated they had found a vehicle, but at this time did not have the registration numbers. It was presumed to be Alan Chandler’s car, in that it matched the description. No, they had not recovered a body. The car was discovered, by Mrs. Chandler and her friend. They who were looking for the missing man. The Sheriff hoped to have more information shortly after the dive team reported.
The television people moved quickly off in order to interview Lilly. The reporter knew of her arrest for murder. Now she had found the missing man’s car. This had the potential for a blockbuster story. Charles saw the cameras coming and began to retreat. He drifted away from the truck where Lilly sat with her legs dangling over the open tailgate.
Maddox watched with interest. He joined Sheriff Gaines and introduced himself. Gaines was talking to the Search Leader.
“We just heard. The car’s plates match. It’s Chandler’s car. However, they didn’t find a body. It probably washed downriver.”
“Well I guess we’ll have to get a chopper up here tomorrow and fly the river bank,” said Gaines. “How about a ground search?”
“The gorge is pretty rugged. It would have to be hit and miss. We could put people down wherever there’s an open bank. I doubt we’ll find the guy.”
“What do you make of her story?” Maddox asked the Sheriff.
“If the glass is intact or there is chrome on the car, it might have happened like she said. There may have been a reflection.”
“I’d like you to leave the car where it is until tomorrow, if you don’t mind.”
“Any particular reason?”
“Yeah, there is a lot of evidence that there was foul play involved. I would like to wait and see if we can see this reflection tomorrow!”
“I don’t see why not. It’s been down there three weeks. Another day won’t hurt anything. We have to be up here to look for the body anyway.”
“I don’t see how we missed this. I was up in the helicopter myself and we didn’t see a thing.”
The Search Crew leader said, “We had a lot a rain up here a few weeks ago. Between that and the snow melt the water would have been a lot higher. After a big downpour I’d bet that car would have been completely underwater. It really took dumb luck that anybody found it.”
“I wonder,” murmured Maddox.
Lilly had spotted Maddox from where she was being interviewed. Stopping mid-sentence she stormed off toward him with the reporter and cameraman chasing in her wake. As the video rolled she assailed Maddox.
“I told you I did not kill my husband! If you had done your job properly we would have found this car weeks ago!” Her indignation through the viewfinder was magnificent and the reporter was inwardly ecstatic. Maddox knew he was about to be skewered by the press unless he turned it around. There was still something political about this case and as yet he was not certain how the wind blew. But he knew the District Attorney had wanted the case. He wasn’t ready to let Lilly walk in the eye of the press.
“Funny how you found the body, Mrs. Chandler! It’s a little odd how the grieving widow and her “friend” managed to find what professional search parties had missed!”
“You’re a bastard, Maddox!”
“Maybe, Mrs. Chandler, but do you know how often the killer returns to the scene of the crime? Perhaps you got to thinking about my comment that without a body there would be no insurance money. Seven years is a long time to wait!”
Lilly reached out and slapped him.
“If I were vindictive I would have you arrested for assaulting an officer, Mrs. Chandler. But I’m in a forgiving mood. Instead I am going to ask Sheriff Gaines to take you into custody for skipping bail. This is Canaan County, you are in violation of your bail.”
Sheriff Gaines didn’t want to mess with another officer’s investigation. Obviously the Sergeant had an agenda of his own, it wasn’t his place to judge the man’s methods. He nodded to one of his deputies, “Take her into custody.”
Once again Lilly had handcuffs put on her wrists. Once again the cameras documented her humiliation. Seeing her escorted to a patrol car, Charles hurried over and tried to intervene. Unsuccessful with the Canaan County Deputies, he came after Maddox. Before he could speak Maddox held up his hand to stop him.
“You can go home, or you can be taken into custody as a material witness, but I do not want you here! If you leave, I will expect you at the station at eight p.m. to make a statement, else wise I will have it taken in you Sheriff Gaines holding cell. Am I clear on this?”
“But what is she under arrest for?” he asked indignantly.
“Jumping bail. We picked her up, so you can probably kiss your hundred thousand in bonds good-bye. I hope she was wo
rth it Mr. Blain! Now leave immediately or I will ask Sheriff Gaines to take you in until a court orders you turned over to me.”
Blain was about to bluster, but thought better of it. He gained control and then turned and strode off to his truck.
“Can you hold the lady for two nights? I want to see what happens here tomorrow, then we will take her back to Beaumont?”
“Sure,” said Gaines. “I remember she was picked up for murder. I take it you have evidence that wasn’t in the press?”
“Well there are a lot of things which can be taken two ways. The lady and her friend have been less than honest. It’s too early if there is more to it than that.”
They parted company. Gaines set about giving instructions to the various agencies concerning tomorrows search. He had to make sure the copter would be ready. He also had someone in custody. It would have been fine with him if Maddox had taken Lilly with him. A bounty hunter could have taken her straight back, but the police had a process to follow.
Delaney was visibly annoyed with Maddox. “Why did you bust her? It would seem she’s in the clear!”
“Mick, you’ve got a soft spot for women. If you’re not careful, the day may come when you won’t live to regret it.”
“What do you mean?”
“You let their looks twist your judgment. Someday, you’re are going to trust the wrong broad just because she’s good looking, and she’ll pull out a piece and put a couple rounds in you.
‘I really think she’s innocent!”
“She might be, damn it! But if she’s guilty I want to keep her sweating. We still have a lot of unanswered questions and no body. If they’re in this together they probably assumed this stunt would get them off the hook. They never dreamed she’d be taken into custody. They can’t talk now and if they’re guilty it’s bound to make one or the other nervous. In either case, Mick, she violated her bail and I’m not in a popularity contest!”