by J Scaddon
The Vagrant
J Scaddon
Copyright J Scaddon 2015
www.jscaddonbooks.co.uk
Sheriff Glick solemnly came out through the tattered old screen door and stepped onto the warped boards that covered the porch floor. He pulled out his handkerchief and wiped it over his moist brow. Sweat dripped from every pore in the sweltering heat that beat down on the middle aged and heavily set officer. His face was glistening with perspiration, but his cheeks were soaked with tears that continued to fill his eyes and blur his vision. He dabbed his tears away and slowly lowered himself onto the steps that led down from the porch. He sat on the top step and looked out over the dusty front yard that was well in keeping with the poorly kept house that he had just left. Other officers passed him by, coming to and fro from the house. All of them racked with concern and distress. He pulled himself from the step and trundled out of the way as a deputy started to take photographs of the house’s front. When the deputy had finished, he made his way into the house and the sheriff resumed his seat at the front of the porch. The sun was so intense that the sky almost seemed to yellow under its influence.
“Sheriff Glick,” came a voice. The sheriff looked up and saw one of his colleagues approaching him. “Sheriff, are you okay, Sir?” said the deputy. Sheriff Glick waved his hand, gesturing for the man to take a seat next to him. He was lost for words and it took him a moment before he could address the deputy.
“Sit down, Jeb,” said the sheriff. “Take a load off with me.”
“I heard about the incident, Sir. So I came straight over. I thought I could help out.”
“Jeb! It’s your day off. It’s such a pleasant day, although a little hot. Go home and be with your family. There will be plenty to do when you come back on duty. Go home.”
“I can’t, Sir,” said Jeb. “I gather that all hands would be welcome at the pump on such an occasion. It is mighty hot today and you look like you could do with a little rest. Why don’t you go home and I can take over.”
The sheriff shook his head. He did need a break, but he also knew his duty was to finish what he had started that day.
“What’s happened?” asked Jeb.
“Old Miss Aubridge brought them over some biscuits that she had just baked. She said something about helping out whilst Mrs Birch was under the weather. She thought she had consumption, but she was never really that bad. You know how over excited Miss Aubridge gets. And that’s what we thought when we got the news.”
“Did she find them?”
“She sure did, and some. She knocked and knocked with no response. Now there is always someone here, you know that. The Birch’s don’t ever leave this place empty, so she worried straight from the off. Poor old dear went into the house and found them. The kid who relayed the news into town said, that when he found Miss Aubridge, she was wandering up and down the lane. White as a sheet. Trembling and muttering to herself. She nearly dropped down dead at his feet when she told him what she had seen. By the love of God, I couldn’t have imagined it myself if it hadn’t have been for the others. What are we going to do Jeb?” The sheriff wiped his brow again and then cleared his nose, which was streaming as hard as his eyes were. He stammered with emotion, struggling to carry on with the story.
“How bad?”
“It’s bad, Jeb. Real bad this time. I mean, the others were bad, but this is something on a whole new level. She…..Miss Aubridge….stepped in through the screen door and stepped into Dale. Literally stepped into him. Into him, Jeb….. Not on him, but into him. That’s as far as she got. The kid who came to us….oh Lord, I can’t remember the kid’s name. Anyway, he didn’t get very far either. He pushed the screen back and then fled. So we have very little disturbance, if that is any small mercy to help us……..I was the first in there, Jeb. My heart was pounding, as I didn’t know if the guy was still in there or not. Waiting for me, you know? I went from room to room checking the scene out and it’s real bad. This guy did a number on these poor folks. I nearly used the Lord’s name in vain. You know my feelings on blasphemy and cursing. But I did curse.”
“Gee, Sheriff. That’s bad if you nearly broke like that. You’re a strong man and a good Christian. And you’ve seen a lot, Sir.”
“Yeah, I sure have. Well, I thought I had until today. Oh hath there no mercy? Mrs Birch, Dale and the three kids. All of them gone. Played with. Mutilated. The Doc said that they had all been evixilated…eviscalated?”
“Eviscerated?”
“Right….eviscerated. It’s a cold medical term that doesn’t give any justice to what it actually means. Sliced like dogs if you ask me. Treated like dogs. Worse than dogs. I don’t like my officers seeing me cry, but the three kids? They were just kids.”
“Well, do you need me to do anything?” said Jeb. “In all honesty, there aint much doing around my place and so I would be grateful for something to do. It don’t seem right to be relaxing, knowing what I know. There must be something.”
“Well, the Birch’s have been removed and Tim is taking a look around and doing a few more photographs. After that we need to get out and about around the town and make people feel safe again. This is sure gonna knock the folk’s confidence. You could help me with that, if it’s not too much trouble?”
“Sure thing. And the investigation?”
“We ask questions. That S.O.B needs to be found and quick. Please forgive my language, but it’s been a testing afternoon. Even for a man like me!”
The two men sat in silence for a few moments. They both looked at the run down old house. Its wooden frame unpainted and every edge frayed and in need of care. The family were poor, but they were also considered decent people who didn’t deserve any such fate. The air was hot and stifling and a sombre atmosphere coated everyone who surrounded the grisly scene.
“I guess I’ll be cleaning the house down afterwards.” said Sheriff Glick. “I don’t know who would take the place over. The whole family are gone. I guess Dale’s cousin will have it now. The least I can do is get rid of the blood and that. Although, I’m sure the floor will need sanding down to remove all the stains. They are deep set in the wood. It’s gonna be tough. So, if you would join me in canvassing the town, it would surely be welcomed. It would be a load off of me.”
“Of course, Sheriff. No problem. This is getting a real issue. Any news from the Feds?”
“No Jeb, there is nothing. No news, no phone call, no letter, nothing. I don’t think I will be calling them either. This is the third murder scene in just as many weeks and I don’t doubt that word has got to them. If they want to come and investigate then I sure as well won’t be against the idea. They have so much experience and resources that I would be in derelict of my duty if I were to not welcome their support. That being said, I will not be contacting them direct either. If I can help it, I want to avoid this place getting flooded with suits in sunglasses and the press invading everyone’s business. Can you imagine how the town’s folk would feel with that much commotion around us? No Jeb, if I can avoid dragging them in myself then I will. But we need to catch this guy. We need to do it quickly as we can’t afford another one of these.”
“You still working of the lone vagrant idea?”
“It has to be, Jeb. It has to be. I know everyone in this town and the surrounding area. I know half the county. There aint no-one here that I don’t trust and there aint no big secrets that I aint heard about. The last people to move in to this area were Mr and Mrs Hobbs, and they have been here nearly twenty years. To even imagine that any of my dear friends and lifelong associates could be involved in something as deranged as this, well, it’s impossible. Even the nasty ones aint this nasty. This is devil work. No, it has to be a stranger. There has to be someone creeping around this place. We gotta find
him, Jeb. And we gotta have found him yesterday. Today is far too late.”
“Sheriff, I know you don’t want to call them in, but the Feds can take this over. They can come and get this guy. Just remember that if we don’t get them involved then the next one is on us.”
“Don’t you think I don’t know that, Jeb? I’m not snapping at you, boy. Trust me when I tell you that I lose sleep over this. We have a serial killer in our midst and everyone is looking to me for the answer. This thing today is a blow to my heart and it’s also a blow to my position as sheriff of Monroe. When I put this uniform on for the first time, I took a vow to do what was best for my community. So I know full well what should be done. I’m trying to balance it with the needs of this town…….If we don’t get any leads this week then I’ll put the call in. Now then Jeb, how about we go and do some police work and knock on some doors?”