She held her arm out in front of her and pointed to Trent. Then she swung her arm around and pointed into the woods, sadly gazing at a spot between two pine trees. Snow covered the ground but as Libby continued to focus on this location, water and then blood started to ooze up out of the ground, bubbling, gathering momentum and volume, until it turned the earth a rust color. It moved closer to the threesome as it threatened to overtake the landscape.
Startled and frightened, Trent gasped and Claire could feel his grasp on the knife weaken tenuously. But both of them, and Jim, felt as if something or someone was holding them in place. Their bodies were paralyzed.
Then, Libby pushed into the consciousness of each one present, the true story of her death. Through wordless pictures she showed them how Trent came to see her at the house and begged and beseeched her not to leave him and move to California.
She impressed upon them her stubbornness and refusal to bend to his wishes. She gave them a sense of her desire to flee and make a better life for herself.
Fast forwarding, Libby showed them how Trent convinced her to go with him for one last ride on his motorcycle. She loved riding with him…and he knew that. She enjoyed the freedom of riding, hair blowing in the breeze, feeling the pull of the great beyond. Not able to resist, and unaware that this would be her last ride, she walked with him to where he had parked his motorcycle and hopped on the back. Libby was not concerned when Trent drove into Pine Lake; that was one of their favorite spots when they were together.
The thoughts that were being impressed into Trent, Jim and Claire’s minds turned dark and menacing as Libby approached the climax of the story. They all felt a pounding in their heads as she revealed the last minutes of her life.
The images came fast and furious. Trent argued. He tried to persuade Libby to stay. He wanted her back. She shook her head, ‘no’ and turned to walk back to the motorcycle. He pulled out the knife and started stabbing her over and over again. His rage continued unabated for several seconds until he stopped, took a breath, and bent over to look at her. He realized he had killed her. His passion had caused him to plunge the knife into her seven times. The last wound was the one that killed her. It struck her in the heart and Libby Newman breathed her last breath.
The dreamlike kaleidoscope Trent, Jim and Claire were seeing slowed down and the sadness of this moment was felt in all three. There was a pause, giving each an opportunity to experience the death of Libby Newman. Tears streamed down Claire’s face. Jim bent his head in sorrow and silently said a prayer. Trent didn’t move; shock and disbelief kept him rooted to the spot.
In slow motion the pictures started up again and showed how Trent used a shovel he had hidden in the old canoe to dig a burial place for Libby. He placed her body in the hole, covered it up and disguised it with dirt and leaves, deep enough for no one to discover in the last four years she had been gone.
Then, as a fitting conclusion, Libby turned and pointed to her grave again. On top of the ground were all the signs in the snow that had been left for Claire…a knife, a rose, and a shoeprint had all magically appeared in the mix of blood and water that continued to seep up through the soil.
Of course! Now it all makes sense! He used a knife to kill her and he buried her near water. She wanted me to know who was trying to communicate with me so she left the rose because she had a rose tattoo. Wordlessly, Claire sent a message of thanks to Libby and she smiled back in understanding.
Trent seemed unaware of the silent missive flowing between the two women. He remained frozen in fear. With his attention diverted, Claire stole a look at Jim and nodded slightly. Trent was so shaken by the ghostly image of Libby that he did not notice Jim bend over. In the next second, when he finally felt Claire shift unobtrusively, it was too late for him to regain his position of authority. A shot rang out and a body fell to the ground.
Epilogue
The small group huddled around a table at the State Police Post, drinking hot coffee, silently absorbing the facts as they came to light during their discussion.
Clark Tomlinson walked into the room and announced to all present. “Crime technicians are finished at the site. They found the grave and it looks like it could be her.” Puzzled, he continued, “They found a knife and a rose on top of the ground…not sure if they were placed there by Trent or not.” He shook his head and said, “They just called and will be here shortly...with everything.” His voice trailed off as he turned and looked at Claire and Jim. They didn’t respond, only sipped at their coffee, avoiding eye contact.
George Stanley swallowed and nodded his head up and down. “Thanks, Clark. We’ll still be here when they arrive. Just tell them to come on in.”
Officer Tomlinson softly closed the door behind him.
The group remained quiet for a few seconds and then, Claire spoke up in an obvious attempt to change the group’s train of thought. “So, Chief,” she paused as if still trying to get things straight in her mind. “Tell me again how you knew to come out to Pine Lake?”
Jim spoke up before he could answer. “I called him, Claire. I just wanted him to come along with me in case we had any trouble.”
“And I didn’t get the message until after Jim had left,” Captain Hennessey interrupted. “But, I decided to follow him out there anyway.”
Claire sighed, “Good thing you did, Marvin. You saved our lives.”
“Yes, Chief, if you hadn’t shot Trent Newman when you did, Claire and I might be dead right now.”
“If you hadn’t bent over to grab your gun when you did, Jim, I’d have shot you instead!”
The group around the table managed to smile at this bleak attempt at dark humor.
“But, I’m curious,” Chief said. “How did you know this Trent Newman, Claire?”
“I had the misfortune to date the guy about eight years ago. I met him at a book store; we had a few dates and then I found out he was married.”
“That was back when he was calling himself Greg Roberts, right?”
“Yeah, I didn’t know it of course, but that was a false identity too.”
Corporal Stanley spoke up next. “So, let’s summarize what we know and get this straight. This guy was Grady Rogers. He and his wife committed a murder and then set their house on fire to collect on some insurance money?”
Claire responded affirmatively, “Yes, they used some poor homeless guy that Grady had picked up as a hitchhiker.”
“Then, he disappeared for a while and resurfaced only to meet you, Claire, the love of his life…”
“Please, George, let’s not play up that angle too much!”
“Okay, my apologies.” He grinned and continued, “Grady, or Greg, figured out that you dumped him and then he took on the identity of Trent Newman, met Libby, and married her.”
“And, he was still married to his first wife!” Jim shook his head in disbelief.
“Libby was suspicious of his long absences but just chalked it up to being a truck driver,” Claire interjected.
“So,” Marvin picked up the story, “she divorced him and then disappeared the next year.”
“He said that she was planning to move to California…,” Claire hesitated before reminding him, “We suspected that might be the case, remember?”
“Yes, I remember…and then he told you that he was afraid he might lose her, even though they were already divorced…and he killed her for that?”
“Crazy…but remember we were dealing with a psycho serial killer,” Jim replied.
“And, he killed Doug for no reason at all,” Claire added quietly.
Jim reached over and put his arm around her shoulder. “As I said, Claire, we had a nut case on our hands.”
“Yeah, I know but it just seems so surreal. To think that he would kill so many people…he told me he killed his first wife after he found out that she had him declared legally dead. He felt she was of no use to him anymore,” she lowered her head and paused, “I can’t believe it. It’s just too horrible to
consider.”
“We’ve all been in law enforcement long enough to know that loonies do crazy things,” Corporal Stanley responded.
“Don’t forget, George…he probably killed Art Cane too,” Marvin said.
“Hell, we know he killed Mr. Cane!”
The group fell silent again.
Claire glanced at Jim surreptitiously. She hoped he caught her message—should we tell them about Libby?
He placed his hand over hers and squeezed. She nodded slightly and remained quiet.
Jim nonchalantly spoke up,” Will you need us when the techs get here, George? Or, can we go home and get a few hours of sleep first?”
“I don’t think it will do any harm for the two of you to get some rest first, Jim. Go on and we’ll call you in the morning.”
Claire smiled in gratitude. She stood up to leave and bent over to give Marvin a hug. “Thanks again, Chief.”
He smiled up at her and whispered, “Thank Libby too, Claire.”
She stiffened in shock and reared her head up to look Marvin in the eyes. She whispered, “Did you see her?”
He shrugged his shoulders and said, “Sometimes the night can play tricks on us.”
She stared at him. An unspoken doubt hung in the air between them, but she saw the answer in his smile and in the discreet wink he gave her.
THE END
About the Author
Jennifer Seet is the author of Borderland and now Snow Signs. Both are fictional paranormal thrillers set in the hills of southern Indiana. Jennifer is a retired teacher from the Indiana School for the Deaf, who lives in Brown County, Indiana, with her husband, Bob. She has always had a fascination for and even some personal experiences with the spirit world.
Mrs. Seet has also written professionally on the subject of Deaf Education and Autism, having two adult sons with the disability.
While working at the Indiana School for the Deaf, she wrote several short stories for a federally-funded literacy project for deaf children. When she started her writing career after retirement, her fellow teachers at the school urged her to include deaf characters in her books. Snow Signs is a first offering at fulfilling that promise to her dear friends at the school and in the Deaf community.
Other books by Jennifer Seet
Borderland
Snow Signs
Snow Signs Page 17