I know where she went. I just wish I could hurry it up!
Before turning on to highway 46 west out of Nashtown, Jim glanced over at the new Law Enforcement building and thought briefly about stopping to garner some help from Sheriff Wayne. He knew Ken would be expecting him to call or stop by to bring him up-to-date, but Jim didn’t want to take the time to explain the latest twist in the case. He smiled wryly when he imagined how the sheriff would react to a ghost story. Better continue on myself.
As he drove on, he frowned at the thought of what might happen. Claire is putting herself in a precarious position.
Jim pushed down on the accelerator as soon as he left the small town and saw the speed limit sign indicating a higher speed was now in order.
* * * * *
As soon as he saw Jim Hoppes turn, Trent Newman knew exactly where they were headed. He’s going to Pine Lake! He grimaced at the thought.
She must know! His expression took on a puzzling look. But how did she find out?
Reaching over, he fingered the knife for security. It doesn’t matter. Once she sees me, she’ll forget about Libby. Trent smiled at the thought. She’ll be so thrilled to see me again; she won’t even give her a second thought!
His heart started to beat faster. A sense of urgency made his brain kick in to overdrive as well. I need to get to her before he does.
He remembered a short cut to the Lake and smiled as he saw Jim speed past it. Now I can get there ahead of him! When Claire sees me, she won’t have any interest in Jim Hoppes!
Trent let go of the knife and put his hand up to his mouth to squelch a giggle. Then, Jim Hoppes will be ‘history’… in more ways than one.
* * * * *
Retired Captain Marvin Hennessey sat in his car, feeling the familiar bulge of his Glock, 9 mm. model 17, medium frame, in his holster, under his jacket. He turned the key in the ignition and smiled wryly at the now somewhat distant thought of retirement. Guess it’s been postponed.
He had a worried expression on his face as he backed the car out of the driveway. What’s important is getting to Claire before someone tries to hurt her.
His foot instinctively lowered on the gas pedal and speed picked up as he drove out of his neighborhood. I hope Jim gets there before the killer does.
He shook his head and thought, who are we kidding? We know who the killer is. Why don’t I just say it! Trent Newman! He’s the killer and I can only hope that he’s still out of town.
Marvin eased out into traffic and slowed down impatiently to adjust to the beginning of afternoon commute. But, what if he isn’t?
He found himself chafing at the volume of cars on the interstate as he dealt with the magnitude of the situation without his state-issued patrol car, which he had left at home, not wanting Trent Newman to see him following in it.
I’m finding out what it will be like to be an ordinary citizen again, he thought as a sardonic smile touched his lips.
Chief eased over into the far left lane and watched as drivers found their way to their exits at some of the more populated areas on the south side of Indianapolis. Heavily placing his foot down on the accelerator, he pushed the speed limit and steadily drove toward his destination. The exit to Columbus would take him to Pine Lake. Wish there was a faster way to get there! Feeling his impatience growing, he breathed deeply and concentrated on what lay ahead. The early spring setting sun glimmered in the west; light tones of pink and salmon adding to its beauty, but Marvin Hennessey didn’t really notice. His mind was on his journey…and where it might take him.
* * * * *
Claire trudged along on the path that would eventually take her to the site she remembered, the one that would hopefully hold the truth about what had happened to Libby Newman. She too saw the setting sun and didn’t let its beauty deter her, but she automatically quickened her steps out of a sudden sense of urgency at beating the dark before it came to her. Instinctively she knew that finding Libby would be much safer for her if dusk hadn’t settled in. Night made for enough shadows on its own. It held mystery, but also brought fear, especially if faced alone.
Worriedly, she watched the sky as the tinges of color turned stark and foreboding, pale pink giving way to deep orange, and then to rust as the sun settled deeper into its palette. While others might be watching this sequence with a sense of awe and appreciation of breathtaking natural charm, Claire had the temerity to import a certain amount of fear into her reaction, a fear bred from anticipation, anticipation caused by the fear of the unknown. And so the cycle went…fear, anticipation, more fear, and the unknown.
It had a certain cadence to it as she walked, ironically reminding her of one of her favorite movies. She smiled, remembering watching the “Wizard of Oz” and hearing Judy Garland saying over and over again as she walked, ‘Lions and tigers and bears…oh, my! Lions and tigers and bears…oh, my!’
She resisted the urge to say it aloud and instead proclaimed, “Libby, if you’re there, I’m coming.”
Afraid someone might have seen her and wondered why she was talking to herself in the middle of the woods, she ducked her head shyly and looked around. Glancing over her shoulder and to each side, she breathed a sigh of relief when she realized she was entirely alone in the woods this late afternoon going into early evening time. Her police instincts were focusing on the task at hand and not the inherent danger that might be involved.
Better pay attention to where I’m going. Don’t want to forget my way back even though I think this is the right path. I’ll do well to concentrate on remembering some of the landmarks.
Then, she made a point of taking in her surroundings, and she noticed details that started to come back to her. I remember that bench with the crude writing on it--‘Larry’ and then a big heart and ‘Kris’.
Remembering her own teenage years, Claire kept occupied for the next few minutes thinking about some of the foolish things she and her boyfriends would do to show their love for each other. Sex wasn’t part of the equation—not until you were engaged or married. Nowadays, kids aren’t as simple as that.
She shook her head, too bad they don’t consider the consequences. They might be facing a lifetime of regret for making a wrong decision.
“Oh well, I can’t solve the problems of this generation; I can’t even solve mine,” she said as she continued walking, her mind back on following Libby’s and her own leads.
There’s the turn off. I remember this bend.
Claire stopped and seemed to be considering something. “That’s where the other parking area is!” She pointed to the opposite footpath that approached the bend.
“That’s the way we used to come!”
Garnering her thoughts, she smiled and said, “No wonder, it took me so long. If I had remembered the other path, I would have been here a lot quicker.”
She continued down to the lake, noting identifying marks as she walked, there’s the big, old, gnarly oak tree with the large branch I used to sit on while my Dad fished.
Hmm, the ground is barren where the melting snow doesn’t cover it. Looks like people might build fires here now. Too bad.
Back then, Dad wasn’t close enough to keep an eye on me, but he could hear me singing my favorite song—‘Love Letters in the sand’. Boy, did I have a crush on Pat Boone when I was a kid!
Claire grinned to herself as she plodded along, closer and closer to her destination. There’s the tree stump I used to sit on, the clearing where Dad and I would put our things. Sometimes he would bring along a small tent on hot summer days. We’d pitch it right there and eat our picnic inside if it rained.
Her mind raced, happily bringing up old memories, taking in the now familiar surroundings. Her pace quickened as the excitement of the past came back to her, yet she came to an abrupt halt when the lake loomed into view.
Her steps resumed, although at a slower rate. She saw the weeds encroaching on the open dirt space leading to the water; an old canoe was tipped over next to the dock; and th
e dock was listing to one side, half in and half out of the lake, not very stable and obviously not in use anymore.
Where the ice had started to break up, water lapped up against the sides of the canoe, making whooshing noises, almost like it was trumpeting Claire’s arrival. It beckoned her, but in an unfriendly, non-welcoming way.
She hesitated and almost turned around, but instantly a picture of Libby entered her mind and she stood still, gathering her strength before going into the clearance. Simultaneously, the night moved in and everything turned black.
Chapter Twenty-seven
As the last streaks of sunset gave way to the more sinister shaded sky, Trent Newman carefully turned into the Pine Lake Recreational Area. He took in the environment and noticed no cars, no people, not even park rangers.
Under cover of darkness…no witnesses to worry about, he thought. All I need is to concentrate on where I’m going.
He smiled in anticipation of the fateful meeting he had planned for Claire. Finally, the love of my life is here!
Grinning from ear to ear, he reasoned, In fact, what a great place to make it all happen!
As Trent recalled what had occurred here four years ago, a frown replaced his smile, How did Claire know to come here?
Agitated, he continued questioning, does she suspect Libby is buried here? And, if so, who else might know my secret?
He thought about Jim Hoppes and frowned. Trent knew that he would have to kill him if that was the case. He clutched the knife tighter, squeezing the handle as if it was a replacement for a future victim’s neck.
Responding to the building uneasiness, Trent applied more pressure on the accelerator as he followed the main road into the park. Rounding a curve, he did not see another car turn into the entrance. All of his attention was focused on finding Claire.
He knew she would understand. It had always been about Claire. He loved her and no one else.
There’s her car! He recognized immediately that she had parked in the wrong lot.
This buys me more time, if she hasn’t been here long.
Again, his grin turned to a scowl. But, if she has, I don’t want her digging around too much. She might be sorry if she finds anything.
Trent continued on to the right parking lot. Organizing his thoughts and preparing for what he would tell Claire, he didn’t notice the other car as it pulled into the same parking area she had used.
* * * * *
As Jim Hoppes approached the park, he noticed a vehicle turning onto the main road and deliberately slowed down to make himself less visible. Jim strained his eyes to see the other car and identify its occupant.
Can’t tell for sure, but it looks like a man driving. Hard to see more than that…he hesitated and remembered something…it was following me on 46 and turned off on a side road behind me.
His analytical mind struggled to remember anything else of importance, and his eyes lit up when he finally recalled that that road led to Pine Lake too. Now I remember! It’s a short cut to the Lake!
Jim pushed himself to recollect when he first noticed the vehicle behind him. I know it wasn’t behind me when I drove through Nashville, but maybe he was trying to follow at a distance.
The car doesn’t ring a bell…or does it?
He fought to recall more details. Whoever it is he stayed too far back for me to make a positive I.D., so now I’d best be careful, stay back, and keep an eye on him.
No one else is in the Park that I can see so why would anyone be here? It’s almost dark, still cold…not exactly a prime time for picnicking.
Then, a look of determination came over Jim’s face as he realized his suspicions might be warranted. I’ll follow at a safe distance with my lights turned off. Don’t want to alert him to my presence. He might be up to no good.
Jim let his foot off the accelerator and slowed down. Turning off his headlights before rounding the curve, he kept his eyes on the car ahead. Hmmm…wonder why the person driving that car slowed and braked slightly?
The other car sped up again almost as if he had read Jim’s mind. Guess I’ll find out soon enough.
As Jim kept an eye on the car lights ahead, he came to the point in the road where the other driver had slowed down and braked. Jim looked over. That’s Claire’s car!
Without hesitating he made a fateful decision and swung his car into the same parking area.
* * * * *
Claire stood there in the clearing, her eyes adjusting to nightfall, taking in the details while her mind absorbed the visual memories. She listened to the sounds of nature and surroundings and could hear the canoe bobbing up and down in the slight current, tapping against the rickety dock. An owl hooted in the distance. Claire thought she heard a small animal skitter across the forest floor, but the hard ground muted the sound enough to cast some doubt on her auditory impression.
Feeling foolish now and wondering how she planned to summon up a ghost, she leaned against one of the dock posts and thought, so, what’s next, Claire Dungarven? Do you wait until Libby appears or do you say something and alert her to the fact that you’re here?
Claire shook her head. That’s pretty silly. She’s the one who told me to come! She’s here and she knows I am too!
Sighing, she stood up straight and announced to the cold and dark, “Libby, it’s Claire. If you’re here, please let me know.”
Looking obliquely out over the lake, her senses sharpened as she tried to pick up any noise or vision that would herald Libby’s presence. Starting to doubt her own sanity, she positioned herself there in that spot to stare out into the night, almost in a hypnotic trance. She didn’t realize that she was hardly breathing until she let out a strong exhalation. And that was the exact moment when she heard a tenuous rustling coming from the forest behind her. Tensing, she listened with all the inner strength she could muster. Her ears hurt physically from the strain she put on herself, but no other sound emanated from the woods.
Claire couldn’t identify the noise because it was so hushed as to be inconsequential. However she knew it wasn’t. It was there and it was there for a reason. It was alerting her to a presence and she knew in that instant that she was about to meet Libby Newman face-to-face.
She turned around slowly, feeling the trepidation, hearing her own heart hammering away inside her chest. Her eyes focused on the outlines coming into sight—the stoic tree trunks, spreading out into barren branches, with moonlight filtering through. But as Claire adjusted her eyesight to take in the surroundings of land and not water, she was hit with the vision of a shape forming amongst the trees. It seemed to take on more substance as it moved forward out of the forest and into the space between solid and liquid, between woods and lake. Was it just her mind playing tricks on her or did it look like it was floating as it approached? Her brain didn’t have time to answer that question before she jolted upright in surprising recognition of the figure before her as night glow lit up the features. Shock coursed through her body and she shivered as the night air turned even colder. Her eyes opened wide and her hand flew up to cover her mouth as she said, “Oh my God, what are you doing here?”
Chapter Twenty-eight
“Surprised to see me?”
Claire stood perfectly still, stunned with the dawning realization that the figure approaching her was not a ghost, but the rock-hard, solid substance of a man…and one whom she remembered from her past. Assessing his face, she could see that the span of time had not been kind to him. As she looked closer, she realized that it was not just the years gone by, but also a frame of mind, maybe a personality quirk that she had never noticed before, that especially affected his countenance.
Overall, it gave him an aspect that was not pleasing to the eye. In fact, it seemed to bring out the worst type of characteristics that might be found in a person—deep, rigid lines that ran across the face, not the kind that were earned, but the ones that sprung forth from within, signaling an evil that had been artfully and purposefully hidden, seemingly at w
ill. As Claire continued to stare, she shuddered inwardly at the false expectations of the past and the frightening reality of the present.
“I…I’m just in shock. It’s been a long, long time.”
“Ahh, yes it has, Claire, but I’ve never been far away. I’ve kept up with you,” he said, grinning expansively.
She smiled in return, but all the while she was attempting to gauge his intent and study his features more closely. Same determined set to his jaw line, but now it looks leaner and meaner to me.
Mistaking her smile for an invitation to come closer, he edged nearer.
She noticed the slim, but muscular body. A little softer around the edges, but that happens with age.
“You’re checking me out, aren’t you?” He laughed heartily, but to Claire’s ears it sounded sinister.
A growing repulsion caused her stomach to jerk. She focused on hiding her observations…and the dislike that was building inside.
Buying time, she spoke up. “You’ve not told me yet why you’re here.” She forced another smile.
“Why Claire, I think you’re glad to see me. I bet you’ve missed me.” He moved to within an arm’s link of her.
Then, she looked into his eyes and gasped.
He grabbed her a little too forcefully and she blurted out, “What happened to your eyes?”
His grip loosened slightly on her arms and he said, “Why, whatever do you mean, dear Claire? I thought you loved my eyes.” He stared darkly into her face.
Knowing that she didn’t need to anger him right now, she responded, “Oh, nothing really. I just thought they were green; now they’re brown.” She gritted her teeth and added, “Very attractive though…just different.”
He laughed loudly and hugged her. “Just like you, Claire. You don’t miss a thing, do you? Contacts are so useful, don’t you think,” he added. “You can be whoever you want to be.” He bent his head to look at her.
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