Paul said he needed to swing by the impound and check out something on Karen Smith’s car. “You know there is a place called The Pub by my hotel. Neighborhood place, good burgers. You game?”
Roger didn’t even have to think about it, “Yeah, about an hour?”
Paul scratched out a little map as he said, “Works for me.” Then he left the office.
Roger had his eyes shut and was rolling his head in slow circles. Ellen decided to give him a little Christmas ‘gift’. She stood behind him and placed her hand on his shoulder……hmmmm, she thought, a lot of problems caused by stress. Early ulcers, sleep apnea, migraines, high blood pressure, just to name a few. Mortals didn’t realize how damaging stress was to their organs. Ninety percent of their medical problems stemmed from it. Ellen ‘lent’ him a spirit filter for stress, his for this life. “There you go handsome! You will sleep like a baby whenever you want to sleep, and feel better than you did thirty years ago,” she said to herself. She knew that he was going to need it. Ellen left to check up on her ‘gals’ and to perform some required holiday jobs.
Roger made a couple of last minute calls on the case, and phoned his mother in Michigan to wish her a Merry Christmas. Roger had purchased a nice lake house with some acreage in Michigan a few years back and had encouraged his mom to move in. He couldn’t see leaving it empty, and his mom loved it there. As little as he was able to go home, the arrangement worked out fine. He knew she had secretly hoped he would come home for the holidays. Not this year, he had told her. She asked if he was dating anyone special. She never gave up.
He consulted Paul’s map a couple of times and found the Pub quite easily. There were just a few cars and mostly trucks in the parking lot. Working people vehicles which usually meant good food. It took a minute for his eyes to adjust to the dim light, and he saw a couple of bar stools vacant at the far end of the bar where it made a short ‘L’. It was his habit not to sit with his back to a door, and he wanted a view of the entire room. The bartender walked over with a rag hanging over his shoulder, “Can I get you something?” Pleasant enough fella, looked like he had been here for a while.
“What’s on draft?’ Roger asked. The bartender put a napkin in front of Roger and rattled off a list of beers. Roger picked one and just looked around the room. He found himself doing mini profiles on everyone. Two guys playing pool in the corner, they hate each other. They both want the blonde gal, in the white blouse, sitting in the booth. She is waiting for someone better than either of them. Next booth, yuppie guy. He is trying to make some kind of sale on his cell phone. Papers in front of him suggests disorganized. At first glance he looks successful, but has well-worn shoes and drinking cheap beer. Appears agitated, not making this sale. Snaps his phone shut, gulps his beer, doesn’t leave a tip, and gets up to leave.
Roger saw Paul come in the door and head toward him. “Hey, you found my favorite seat!” This was an old joke between them. Whenever they were assigned a case together, they found they always wanted the same seat.
“At least some things never change,” Roger said.
Paul looked at the bartender, “Larry I’ll take my usual.” Larry nodded and pulled a draft.
Roger looked at Paul, “How much time you spending here?” They both laughed.
Paul responded, “One of us has to keep up the image of eligible bachelors!” After ordering their food they settled into some very quiet, cryptic talk about the case. Paul said, “You know when we first got this case, I wasn’t expecting it to go like it has. This one is different and not in a good way.”
Roger was nodding agreement and said, “I have a very bad feeling about all of this actually. I’m glad you were available to help. We make a good team!” He raised his glass to clink Paul’s.
About half way through enjoying their burgers, they both were drawn to a loud voice at the other end of the bar. “Thought you got rid of me, huh? I might just stay the night here tonight! Whew! CRAZY night! CRAZY!” Judging by the difficulty this fella was having placing his bar stool just right, he had already had too many. Paul noticed that Larry glanced their way. He didn’t motion for help, so they just kept working on their burgers.
Larry was quietly talking to the new guy at the bar, “Man, I don’t need your shit right now. You don’t need any more beer. Come back tomorrow.” Larry turned and walked away.
“SCEEEUUZZEEE ME?” The drunk shouted.
Larry quickly walked back to Jack and snarled, “You get out of here NOW, or I will ban you for life!”
Jack straightened himself up, looked at Larry, and said very softly, “This has not been a good day for Jack Simpson. I don’t know what I did to make you mad at me. I don’t think I want to know.”
Larry had lost his patience. He knew Jack, and he knew this little soliloquy could go on for half an hour. “Shut up man. I’ve got FEDS sitting at the end of the bar. I don’t need to serve a drunk right now.” When Larry said that, Jack fell forward on the bar and looked toward Roger and Paul. Jack’s mouth was open and his eyes were bugging out. Paul pointed his finger at Jack and nearly caused him to fall from his stool, he was so startled.
Then they heard Jack tell Larry, “You know you’re right! I better finish that Christmas shoppin’. Seems like time’s running short for me.” He stumbled his way to the outside of the Pub door and realized he had wet his pants. “HOLY SHIT! HOLY SHIT! First they come to my house, now my bar!” Joy’s right. The FEDS want me!” He climbed in his truck and felt the most sober he had been in months.
Roger arrived at his hotel room about 10:30, took a hot shower, got a beer out of the small fridge, and turned the TV on. He watched about half an hour of several news shows. They were all talking about his case. ‘Talking Heads’ that don’t know what they are talking about. “How do they get on TV?” Roger said out loud to himself. He fell asleep with the TV on and had the best sleep he could remember.
* * *
Christmas Eve…….Ho, Ho, Ho. James Devon sat in his office. What a week. That damn bitch got away. Sandy’s stupid SUV wouldn’t climb that highway incline. Then WHAM! The bitch is road kill. He couldn’t have planned that better, except he really wasn’t done with her. Sandy had actually told him to go “save” her! God, she is stupid. Of course he told her his phone wasn’t working, and he would need hers to call the cops. Yeah right. He took her car and her keys too, so she wouldn’t leave. Sure enough, she was standing there waiting for him when he came back, poor little thing. She didn’t like hearing that her new friend was smashed all over the highway. Sandy, Sandy, Sandy. Mrs. James Devon (ugh). Only until her birthday is past. He scratched his dog’s head while he was thinking. “What ‘cha think Bruiser? Should Daddy go Christmas shoppin’?” He knew the present he wanted. Ashley Tait. A judge. Well, isn’t that special? He had her address from Google and her bio as a federal judge in the Grand Rapids, Michigan District. He had his Taser. Mommy would be so proud. She told him he would never have a “Pretty Girl.” He’d better make a lot of money if he wanted a “Pretty Girl. He understood right? He was such an Ugly boy.”
* * *
Sandy was bound with rope and duct tape in the closet Ginger had just escaped from. Had it only been one day? It seemed much longer. Sandy was cold, hungry, and most of all scared. James was the monster. How had she not seen that? How could she have married him? He was right. She was stupid, but not anymore.
She knew when she saw his face in the kitchen that he was the monster. His eyes were black and piercing. His lips were twitching strangely, and he looked like those people in the movies that are possessed. Yes, that was the look…possessed. That woman knew the sound of HIS motor. It was HIS eyes that looked evil. She knew she had to convince him that she thought he was there to save them. How could she do that? Sandy had to act stupid. She had begged him to go after that woman and save her. That some Monster had held her captive in their home!
Sandy was proud of the acting job she did to convince him to go after that poor woman and save
her. He had told her his phone wasn’t working and to give him hers. She knew he didn’t want her to have her phone, and he also took her car and keys. She knew he would be asking a lot of questions when he got back. She was pretty sure she couldn’t answer them right, so she used that time to prepare. She took the key to the house off the key ring, laid it on the kitchen counter, and hid the rest of the keys in her pants pocket.
She found a nail file in her purse and a pair of scissors in the Christmas decorations bag. She quickly found the tape and taped them to her back under her shirt where she thought her hands would be tied. She ran to the living room, grabbed the cleaning supplies and her sweat suit, and stuffed them in the bathroom under the sink. Surely he was going to let her go to the bathroom. She ran out to his car to see if she could get the North Star person to answer. It wasn’t hooked up! She pushed the emergency button anyway, saw his phone, and took it. She just got back in the house when she heard her SUV fly around to the back of the house again. She put his phone in the corner of the closet under some rags and was turning it off as she ran. She didn’t need to have it ring at the wrong time. As soon as she came out of the closet and stood in front of the window, he was in the room. “You have been a very naughty girl today.”
* * *
CHAPTER 10
* * *
Ellen checked in on Mary, Linda and Teresa to see how they were doing on their home visits. These gals were pretty amazing, Ellen thought. They will make superior Angels. if we get through training. She had caught Mary in her sister’s garage practicing moving objects and nearly causing a suspended wheelbarrow to fall on the hood of a car. Heavy objects were a little more difficult. Mary was playing little tricks on her siblings and having a blast!
Linda had spent a fair amount of time convincing their new puppy she was a “good” spirit, and trying to help season the food on the stove when no one was looking. Her family was feeling her love, and they were managing to have as much of a Christmas as they could.
Teresa’s family was having issues, her mother in particular. Teresa had selflessly just planted herself on her mother’s lap. It was beginning to work. Ellen made a note to check back soon. Moms can be especially difficult to comfort.
Vicki was another story. Her daughter could see and hear her! This was the will of Granny, so Ellen wasn’t real sure where this was going. She peeked in on them, and they were watching TV together and laughing. It looked like any other quiet family moment in the middle of such a bizarre circumstance. Kim was obviously a mortal with exceptional coping skills. Ellen giggled, “That has probably been a saving grace with Vicki as your mother.”
Ellen decided to start her Christmas chores and catch up with the gals later.
* * *
Joy had a six pack of beer sitting on Nettie’s dining room table that she was determined to finish off herself. No point even puttin’ ‘em in the fridge, she thought. They are cold, and I am need to forget some stuff. The TV news was on, and she listened intently to everything they said about the murders. “How could he even meet this many women?” she asked herself shaking her head. Jack was a loser. She knew that. Hell, she was a loser too. That’s how they got together. She started singing, “And the world goes ‘round, and ‘round, and ‘round…”
Suddenly there was a pounding at the door. It was Jack. “Joy! Let me in! You got this all wrong baby! I ain’t no killer! Joy let me in! I got you a present!” Oh boy, Joy thought. Gunna be hard to beat last year’s nearly empty champagne bottle.
She walked over to the door and yelled to him through it, “Why should I believe your sorry ass?”
Jack was quiet. Then she heard some mumbling. Then she heard, “Joy, I need you.”
“Oh shit,” she said as she unlocked the door to find him actually standing up straight, freshly showered, clean clothes on. He was holding a new mop with a big red bow on it. She looked him up and down. This was bar time, and he was here. “What’s with the mop?” she asked expressionless.
Jack perked up, “You said the other day you wanted a new mop!” He was actually proud.
“Not for Christmas you asshole.” She moved over, so he could come in. He actually walked to the table where the beer was, sat down, and didn’t take one. She waited a while and then said “I’m not real happy with you. What did you mean when you said I best not piss you off?” She was standing next to Nettie’s wasp spray, so she felt pretty brave for the moment.
Jack took a minute and answered, “I don’t know what I meant by that. You pissed me off accusing me of killin’ people, for Christ’s sake! I just wanted you to leave me alone. I figured if you really believed that, what the hell. Might as well scare you into fixin’ my dinner. I know I ran over here whenever I knew Darla was here. Gave her rides home most times.” He waited for Joy to throw something at him. When that didn’t happen he continued, “I flirted a lot with her, but I knew she’d never want a loser like me. She was just so pretty; I wanted to be around her. I never even really tried anything. I swear!”
She studied his face. She had known him about eight years and never seen him even raise his voice to anyone. He usually went out of his way to avoid trouble. “Let’s say I believe you,” she noticed he still hadn’t grabbed a beer. “Why do you think the FBI came to our house?”
He looked serious, very serious when he answered, “Why do you think they are at my bar?”
Joy had a sinking feeling. This was not good. Just then the news anchor was showing more pictures of the murdered women. The anchor’s voice trailed into the dining room saying, “Karen Smith, the accounting officer for Davis Construction Company, was last seen.” Jack and Joy looked at each other. Joy spoke first. “That’s where YOU work!”
Jack had his eyes glued to the television. “I know her!” he gasped. They both ran into the living room and sat on the sofa to hear.
The reporter said that of the six women murdered, beginning with Nettie Wilson on November 6th, the only information made available to the public, was that some of the women had been strangled in their homes, and some of the women had been raped. “Who would rape an eighty year old woman? Ugh.” Jack looked disgusted.
Joy said, “Nobody ever said Nettie was raped.”
Jack was shaking his head, “God I hope not.” Jack always got along with Nettie, and she was pretty quick to give him fifty bucks or so for doing handyman work for her. Good source of extra drinkin’ money.
The news anchor was still talking about the murders when they heard, “Earlier today, Police Chief Edgar Doyle held a news conference on the case developments. Let’s listen to what he had to say.” The video of the news conference popped on the screen. Chief Doyle was standing at a podium in the Police Center Conference room with a row of people standing behind him. At the end of the back row stood Agent Roger Dance and Agent Paul Casey.
Jack flipped out, “That’s them!” He had jumped off the couch and was pointing on the TV screen for Joy. “That’s them two FBI guys that came to the PUB!”
Joy hissed for him to sit down. She wanted to hear. The Chief of Police was moving over, so Agent Dance could speak to the reporters. Now Joy spoke, “He’s the one that came here to Nettie’s house!” Jack put his hand on her knee to signal her to be quiet.
Agent dance was introducing himself to the group just to be polite. They all knew who he was. Then he spoke, “We do have some positive developments in the case. I would like to assure the public that everything that can be done, is being done, by this task force of your local detectives and the FBI. All resources of the FBI are being utilized to apprehend this individual and bring justice and peace once again to the City of South Bend.”
One of the reporters shouted, “Are you saying you have a suspect now?”
Agent Dance took a thoughtful pause and answered, “I am more hopeful at this moment than I have been since this started that we will be able to announce a resolution to this case soon.”
The reporter shouted another question, “Have you dev
eloped a profile of the suspect you can share with the public.”
Roger looked at the reporter and answered, “Our profile of the suspect sharpens with new developments, but it basically remains a white male in late thirties, early forties, a job that offers flexibility, arrogance, very intelligent, and certainly a pattern of difficulty with women.”
Jack actually looked happy! “That can’t be me! He said arrogant, I don’t even know what that means, and smart!”
Joy was frowning, “He also said early forties, flexible job, and trouble with women.”
Jack looked at her, “I’m screwed.”
The sound bite of the news conference was over. The TV news had moved on to national topics, so Joy turned the TV off. “Do you want me to move back home?” she asked Jack. He was looking at the floor.
“You are the most important person in this world to me. I don’t deserve to have you in my life the way I’ve acted. Flirtin’ and drinkin’ all the time. Lettin’ you pay all the bills and never there for you. Hell, I don’t even know when your birthday is ‘cept in summer sometime.” He had tears in his eyes and he still hadn’t reached for a beer. He pointed at the television as he wiped his cheek. “This might end up a lot of trouble,” he continued, “so I don’t know what I should say. I don’t want to bring no more shit in your life.” His voice trailed off, but he was now looking her straight in her eyes.
Joy saw the Jack she had been attracted to eight years ago flickering back. She was quiet for a minute and said, “Let me pack my stuff to come home. Somewhere around here is a bill from that lawyer Nettie used. I remember her saying he was smart and cheap. You can look for that. I think she also said he was vile, but we can deal with that. You are going to need a lawyer. We are going to have to sell this house fast to get some money.” She looked at his face and almost cried. He looked so hopeful.
“Are you saying we can go home together?”
Alcohol Was Not Involved : A Shallow End Gals Trilogy Page 7