The Dying Season

by J. Reichman

  "It's Andy's room." Janet squared her shoulders. "Maybe he's there." She got to her feet. "I'll go."

  Lyn found the leash and met Janet at Andy's door. "We can't let Duke run through the house."

  "I'll get him." Janet took the leash. The dog was silent. She cracked the door. Duke charged it. Janet stepped back. "Duke. Duke. It's me." She tried the door again and slipped in. "It's okay, Duke . . . calm down . . . that's a good boy . . . okay, I got you. Lyn?"

  "Yes?"

  "He's excited. He's a strong dog. I may need help."

  "I'm ready."

  The door opened slowly. Duke lunged toward the door and stopped. He eyed Lyn.

  Lyn knelt. "Come, Duke." She held out her arms.

  Duke approached and sniffed her hand. His tail wagged. He stepped forward and licked Lyn's face as she stroked his head.

  "I'll take the leash." Lyn guided the German Shepherd to the door, down the steps and put him in the ATV.

  "We need to finish up," Lyn told Nick. "I want to photograph the room where Duke was. Make sure the boy's nowhere in the house."

  "The man in the blue car must've taken him," Howard said.

  Nick turned to Howard. "You said a moment before the lights went out."

  "We were coming to the village about then," Lyn said. "No blue car passed us."

  "So he must've gone east." Nick looked at Lyn. "I wonder."

  They returned to the house. While Lyn photographed the room, Nick made sure the house was secure. They found no sign of Andy. They locked the door as they left.

  After dropping off the Graysons, Nick bypassed the cabins and drove down to the highway. Having surveyed the damage, most of the spectators had gone home. Water no longer covered the highway, but debris prevented traveling the roadway. He turned back uphill to the cabins.

  "We have to tell them." Lyn braced herself. It isn’t over, yet.

  "I know."

  SEVEN

  As he pulled into the drive to Brett’s cabins, Nick debated how best to tell the group about the murder. He wasn’t sure he could recount details without choking up and they would disturb Lyn. How best to put madness into inadequate words?

  Zenia approached the ATV. "Chuck's raising hell. He stopped me and Jeff. Asked us what we were doing. Told us to mind our own business. He's in charge, he says."

  Nick realized it might’ve been wise to include Chuck from the start. He turned off the ATV's engine. "What does he intend to do?"

  Zenia shrugged. "You'll have to ask him."

  Brett, Shannon and Jeff stood outside the first cabin, talking with the mayor.

  Chuck turned on Nick. "I suppose you've been out upsetting people, too."

  "Don't think I upset anyone. I only apprized them of our situation and told them about the meeting," Nick said.

  "I've been getting complaints about you." Chuck pointed to members of the group.

  "Don't think anyone called you, Chuck," Zenia said. "You into telepathy, now?"

  "She came by my house," Chuck's said, his face flushed up to his thinning hairline.

  Nick believed Chuck should watch his blood pressure and lose weight, especially that paunch and double chin.

  "She?" Brett asked. "Oh, Henrietta Jones."

  "Said you planned to force people to bunk together," Chuck's said.

  "Damn it, Chuck." Jeff pushed up his sleeves. "What a bunch of nonsense."

  "Said it was immoral." Chuck sputtered. "You're leading people into sin."

  Everyone laughed.

  "It's not funny." Chuck put his hands on his hips.

  "It's the stupidest thing I've ever heard," Lyn said.

  "She's completely crazy," Shannon said.

  "Why're you listening to Henri?" Brett asked.

  "She makes a lot of sense to me."

  "Then you're as fuckin’ crazy as she is," Jeff said. "We ain't forcing anybody to do anything."

  "There are kids up at the school whose parents won't be coming home," Zenia said.

  Chuck shrugged. "That's the teachers' responsibility."

  "Look, Chuck," Nick said. "They don't have beds."

  "And without electricity, people won't have heat," Brett added. "Some with electric pumps won't have water, either."

  "It's been frosty in the mornings," Lyn said.

  "They can bundle up," Chuck suggested. "Drink bottled water."

  "We might ask for volunteers to take people in for the night," Brett said. "My cabins all have wood stoves and plenty of firewood."

  "And I have a generator and five empty rooms," Shannon said.

  "Well, if you want to do that, it's your business." Chuck waved them off. "People who need help should come to me."

  "Use your damned head for a change." Jeff shook his head. "You want twenty people knocking on your door?"

  "And how would you coordinate, hook people up?" Lyn asked. "Phones don't work. Can't e-mail."

  "Well, maybe a meeting is a good idea,” Chuck said. “I'll jot down some ideas to present."

  Jeff glanced up at the cabin's chimney. "You got a fire going in there?"

  "Sure." Brett motioned to the cabin. "Let's go in. Rain's picking up again."

  "Just what we need," Zenia said.

  Raindrops ran down Nick’s neck, and he pulled his jacket’s collar tighter.

  "Never been in your cabins," Lyn said as she sat at the table.

  "Has a bedroom." Brett thumbed to his right. "Couch makes out. Kitchenette, as you can see."

  Nick looked around the cabin. The couch was worn, the table wooden and scarred. A hurricane lantern hung from the ceiling throwing shadows around the room. The fireplace added a warm glow and filled the cabin with the fragrant scent of burning wood. He considered it cozy and functional.

  "Appliances look old." Shannon walked around inspecting the place.

  "They work." Brett sounded defensive.

  "Light paint would make it seem larger," Shannon said.

  "Sit down, everyone." Nick rubbed his hands together. "We've another situation to deal with."

  "What's up?" Brett asked as everyone claimed a seat. Thunder rumbled.

  Nick decided details were best left unsaid, but he’d have to come right out with it. “Brook Strong’s been murdered.”

  "Are you sure it’s murder?" Chuck asked.

  "We've never had a murder here." Jeff looked puzzled.

  Nick looked around the room at five stunned faces as he recounted only the pertinent facts.

  "The man in the blue car," Shannon said, "he took Andy?"

  "It looks that way," Nick said.

  "You said he must have gone east about the same time the surge hit us." Brett leaned forward. "If he was ahead of it, he may have been able to outrun it."

  "Maybe for a time." Jeff frowned. "But you can't speed on that road. Lots of sharp turns and bridges before you get to Two Rivers."

  "We don't know," Nick said. "He may still be in the area."

  "I don't remember seeing a blue car like that," Jeff said.

  "He would've passed the general store about the time we were leaving," Zenia said, "but I don't remember any car let alone a blue one."

  "Another problem," Nick said. "We have no way to notify law enforcement."

  "With rain still coming down," Brett pointed to the drumming on the roof, "no help's coming."

  "Forecast for more tomorrow," Shannon said.

  "The only way in is by helicopter," Jeff added. "They won't go up until the weather clears."

  Brett nodded. "Wind's tricky down through the canyon even during good weather."

  "I'll have to tell everyone at the meeting about the murder," Nick said.

  "Absolutely not," Chuck said.

  "Chuck—"

  "You'll create a panic." Chuck paced around the room. "You'll have people out shooting at each other."

  “You tell them then,” Nick said.

  "I think it's obvious people need to know," Brett said.

  Lyn nodded. "The Graysons know
. This group knows. Secrets can't be kept."

  “People talk,” Nick said. “Everyone will know by the time we meet at the school.”

  "We’ll have to be careful until we know if this murderer is gone or not," Jeff said.

  "If he's here," Nick said, "he'll need food and shelter."

  "Lots of empty houses around," Shannon said.

  "We’ll have to check them tomorrow,” Nick said. “Ask for volunteers."

  “Let’s use my cabins as a headquarters,” Brett said.

  “How do we find out if the murderer is gone?” Shannon asked.

  “Anyone see a blue car that you didn’t recognize?” Nick asked.

  No one had.

  “Then we need to check the river. Wade will help,” Brett said. “We’ll go down river tomorrow.”

  "Good idea. And look for Charlie Sandler’s pickup, too."

  “What’s this about Charlie?” Chuck asked.

  Nick explained. "Now I think we all need a good dinner."

  "Can't cook," Zenia said.

  "We have a grill," Lyn said. "Want to have hotdogs with us?"

  "I can bring some cole slaw." Zenia donned her yellow rain hat.

  "What about you, Jeff? Have plans for dinner?" Lyn pulled up her jacket's hood.

  "My folks won't be home." Jeff snapped his jacket. "Don't know what's in the fridge."

  "Come on up," Lyn said. "We'll have an indoor picnic."

  "Where'd you get the dog, Nick?" Brett asked at the door.

  "Oh, I forgot Duke." Nick tied his jacket hood. "He's Brook's dog. He was shut in a bedroom."

  “Wait a minute,” Brett said. “I just remembered.”

  “What?”

  “Wade has a radio. Hasn’t used it in years.”

  “No electricity.”

  “I’ll get it. Bring it down to the school. See if we can contact someone tonight.”

  “Best news I’ve heard yet.”

  Nick watched the group disperse. They work together well, he thought, but are they in danger?

  EIGHT

  From the afternoon canvass, Nick knew few residents of North Fork Glen remained, and most were women and children. The flash flood caught the rest at work or school in Two Rivers or Estes Park. About twenty vehicles sat in the school parking lot when Nick and Lyn arrived, their vehicle's wipers ticking back and forth. Zenia and her son rode with them to dinner. As he entered the school, several women rushed to Nick.

  “Is it true?” Henrietta Jones asked, her voice loud and demanding.

  “Yes,” Nick said.

  “But why?” Stella Myers asked.

  “Who did it?” Prissy Waters joined in.

  “Ladies, I can’t answer that,” Nick said. “If you’ll all go into the cafeteria.”

  “A murderer’s among us,” Henrietta said. “We’ll all be killed in our beds.”

  “Please, ladies.” Nick pushed his way through them. “If you’ll follow me.”

  Conversation ceased as Nick opened the cafeteria door and entered. The smell of greasy French Fries hung in the air, a remnant of the students’ evening meal.

  “Here’s the man,” Steve Myers said.

  “If you’ll all have a seat, I can answer a few questions,” Nick said.

  “Let me take the children out into the hallway,” Cassie Long said.

  Slowly, the adults lowered their bodies into chairs meant for kids five to eight years old, their knees up higher than their waists. Nick waited until the doors closed after the students.

  “You’re all aware of the murder of Brook Strong,” Nick said. “Lyn and I along with the Graysons, discovered her body about four this afternoon. Her son Andy is missing. Howard Grayson noticed a blue car, maybe a rental Audi, at Brook’s house this morning. The car left a few minutes before our lights went out. Lyn and I were coming into the village from Estes Park at that time. No blue car passed us, so we believe the killer took the boy and left the village going east down to Two Rivers. We have no idea who the killer is, why he murdered Brook or why he took Andy. With our communications out, it’s impossible to notify law enforcement.”

  “How was she killed?” Chrissy Noland asked.

  Nick anticipated this question. Human nature demanded the gory details. “The killer used a knife.”

  “What can we do?” Cooper Stone asked.

  “The house is a crime scene,” Nick said. “Lyn and I covered the body, removed the dog and locked the house. Our concern now is for Andy and Charlie Sandler.”

  “What’s this about Charlie?” Red asked.

  Nick explained the situation and noticed Shannon comforting Louise Sandler. “We don’t know if he turned around or got caught.”

  “If the killer left before the lights went out, he’d be five or ten minutes ahead of the flash flood,” Steve Myers said.

  Nick nodded. “Yes. He may have made it to Two Rivers.”

  “And maybe not,” Brett said. “Wade and I will ride out tomorrow. Check the river. We’ll look for a blue car and for Charlie’s pickup.”

  “You mean the flash flood could have caught the killer on the road,” Steve said.

  “It’s possible,” Brett said.

  “They’d be killed, then,” Doak Noland said.

  “Not necessarily,” Brett said. “You all know the highway to Two Rivers. It dips and climbs. Follows the river in places. Pulls away from it in others. It would depend upon where he was on the road. That’s why we need to check the river.”

  “My God!” Henrietta Jones said. “He may come back.”

  “I think that’s doubtful, Henri,” Nick said. “Brett, what’s the status on the radio?”

  “Well . . . I wasn’t thinking straight,” Brett said. “We can’t bring it down. Got to use the antenna up at Wade’s. Need a generator.”

  “Chuck,” Nick said. “The city surely has a police radio.”

  “Sure. In Town Hall.”

  “We’ll check on that tomorrow,” Nick said. “I believe you wished to say a few words.” Nick stepped back and leaned against the wall.

  "We face a grave situation," Chuck began. "We cannot leave. The bridge is out, and the road to Two Rivers has been scoured down to bedrock in places. Help cannot reach us until the weather clears. We are on our own. Some of you have children who will not be home tonight. Some of you have husbands or wives who will not share your bed."

  Nick half-listened to Chuck's monologue. He looked over the group. Stella Myers, the school secretary, sat with the four teachers as did Prissy Waters, the cook, and her husband Herb, the custodian. May Guthrie from the day care was flanked by two young women Nick recognized as Audrey Daniels and Danielle Welsh. A group of older residents, including the Graysons, Fleeners, Lockharts and Mrs. Sandler from Town Hall, surrounded Shannon. Doak Noland, owner of the missing bar, sat beside Steve Myers, the local electrician, and Red Palmer, the bartender. A young man Nick didn’t recognize sat beside Cheyenne Conrad, the bar’s waitress. Nick counted fourteen men, twenty women. He wondered how many children were in the hallway playing a game.

  Chuck droned on about the seriousness of their situation, and his audience responded by commenting to each other in whispered conversations. "I’ve formed a group that has some ideas to get us through this crisis. I want to remind everyone that participation is purely voluntary. We are not requiring anyone to do anything they don't want to. Now who's presenting this plan?"

  Nick stepped forward. "Chuck emphasized the seriousness of our situation. Our greatest asset is you.” He pointed to the group. "We have each other. I believe many of you are doing the very thing we had hoped—offering to help your neighbor. We'll get to more of that in a few minutes, but we need to hear from Cooper about the conditions here at school. Cooper?"

  Tall and lanky, Cooper elected to sit on a cafeteria table rather than squeeze his frame into a too-small chair.

  "We have twenty students whose parents can't pick them up. Rather than trying to place them, we've decided to keep them
here where we have lights, water, and food. Thus far, we've treated the situation as a fun-time together, telling the children the truth about being cut off, but emphasizing the positive. They're all looking forward to a helicopter ride."

  The group chuckled.

  "Several students have keys to their homes, so we gathered camping equipment—tents, air mattresses, sleeping bags and linens. We'll move these tables and have a campout here tonight. We're short two tents and equipment for eight students. If you can help us out, please see me after the meeting. Tomorrow’s Friday, so we’ll have classes as usual, and we teachers will be staying here with our students. We'd appreciate some cots."

  "Anything else, Coop?" Nick said.

  "No, that's all."

  May Gutherie stood. "I'd like to speak."

  "Sure, May," Nick said.

  "We have a baby and four toddlers at the daycare whose parents are unable to pick them up." May spoke so softly that everyone was quiet and leaned forward to hear her.

  "However, we have a generator, which means we're much like the school. Neva stayed at the daycare with the children this evening. I’ve arranged for Audrey and Danielle to join us. They both have young children and we have beds for the kids. Audrey and Danielle offered their mattresses for the adults, but we need a truck and some muscular help. See me afterward if you can help." She sat.

  Thunder cracked overhead and startled the group.

  “That must’ve hit close,” Steve said.

  Nick spoke to the group again. "We want to be sure everyone has a warm place to sleep, not only for comfort but for safety. Volunteers?"

  Shannon stood. "I, also, have a generator. I've spoken to the Graysons, the Lockharts, the Fleeners, and Louise Sandler who will join me."

  Nick knew they were all older or retired people.

  "I have one more room. See me after if you'd like to occupy it." Shannon sat.

  Brett addressed the group. "I have nine empty cabins with comfy beds. All have wood stoves and plenty of wood. No electricity, but hanging hurricane lanterns. No water, I'm sorry to say. A fine outhouse, though. I'll be in cabin one. Knock on the door and I'll get you settled."

  Wade Murphy spoke up. "Me and Nora got two rooms. Heat. Hand pumped water. Lots of candles. Let me know."