Reunion (A Psychological Suspense with Murder, Mystery and the Paranormal)

by Jeff Bennington

  “Kate?”

  “Yes?”

  “Why does Nick think David Ray’s ghost is coming back to haunt him?”

  “He said he saw David Ray at the school last night. He goes there a lot to think and do—. I don’t really know why. I don’t think it helps him much.”

  “You don’t?”

  “No. I think it makes things worse. Anyway, he went there last night and he said he saw David inside the school. He said he heard David’s voice inside his head telling him that he’s going to kill him. He said David told him that “it wasn’t over” and “he wouldn’t be so lucky the next time.” After that, Nick went off on a tirade, screaming and throwing stuff.”

  “I’m so sorry, Kate.”

  Bryan continued stroking her hair. He leaned close and gently touched her chin, drawing her eyes to his. “What do you want from me? What can I do?”

  Kate didn’t hesitate to answer.

  “Hold me.” She looked deep into his eyes. “Just hold me, please.”

  • • •

  Kate waited for Bryan’s response. Fearful of rejection, she forced herself to not reach out to him. Fortunately, he responded immediately to her needs. His right arm reached out and pulled her toward him. His other arm reached around and encircled her. Their bodies slanted toward each other as Kate slid as close as she could get. Bryan squeezed her tight. He held her with the strength and security she needed. Years of longing and regret finally let loose as Bryan nestled her head into his chest. He kissed her head and gently stroked her black hair. His uniform brushed against her face and she let out more tears. She had crossed a line. She had placed herself in another man’s arms and it felt extremely comforting.

  • • •

  Although Bryan had lost an emotional sensitivity to some of life’s moments, he had never lost sight of Kate and the feelings he had for her. While he held her in his arms he thought back to all the moments he could have tried to woo her away from Nick but didn’t. He thought of the many opportunities he had to clinch their relationship, and his lack of effort. His strong eyes began to fill with tears as well, but he quickly forced them back. Driven by remorse in his daily pursuit of her, in that moment, passion took over.

  With red, swollen eyes, Kate looked at Bryan as if asking him to go further. He looked down. Her eyes spoke volumes, but Bryan didn’t know how to interpret her expressions. After all, he didn’t fully know the woman she had become, not like Nick did anyway. It would take a lifetime to get to know her emotions and expressive nuances. He put his thoughts on hold.

  “What are you thinking?” she asked.

  “Nothing. I’m just—”

  “Just what?”

  “I—”

  “Bryan? What is it? Is something wrong? Is it me?”

  “No. No, it’s not you…it’s—”

  “Tell me. Tell me what you’re thinking. Please don’t leave me hanging.”

  “Okay. It’s just that…oh, I’m so sorry, Kate.”

  “Wh…what are you sorry about?”

  Bryan sighed.

  “I’m sorry that I left you with Nick.”

  “What? You didn’t leave me with him. I chose to be with him!” She pulled away and sat up. Bryan’s hand slid down and landed on her thigh.

  “No. You’re wrong, Kate. I left you with him. We all did.”

  “What are you talking about?”

  “I’m talking about leaving you with someone everyone knew was a jerk. That is, everyone except you.”

  “Really? You think I didn’t know? Oh, I knew all about his flirting and bullying. The problem was, at the time, I didn’t think I deserved anything better than him. I waited for you, Bryan. I waited for you to prove me wrong, but you never showed up. After Nick lost his brother we leaned on each other. We didn’t have anyone else. It’s that simple.”

  Bryan hit the steering wheel in frustration. “You don’t understand, Kate. I was ready…but then David…he…everything changed after that. Me included.”

  “I know.” Kate’s chin quivered. “Before it happened I hoped for something more, something better, but you disappeared, and Nick was there for me.”

  Bryan continued. “I was so messed up after the shooting. I guess I lost my nerve. It was like everything I had going for me changed, like some cosmic reordering of the universe. I wanted to be with you so badly. I wanted to give you a chance to choose between the two of us, but I felt like it was too late. He had you, and you had that ring, and I guess I thought that was the end of it.”

  “The end of it? You think this”—she turned her wedding ring in circles—”is the end of it?” She started to pull her wedding ring off her finger. “Well maybe it is! Maybe this is the end of it, and maybe you’ll get your chance after all.” The ring wouldn’t come off. She looked irritated.

  “Oh! I hate him! I hate him!” She let go of the ring and fell back into Bryan’s arms and cried some more.

  • • •

  Tanner Khan’s schedule and heart rate were right on target. With the crowd behind him and the myriad of colorful rock all around, he savored the moment. A late bloomer and an adventurist at heart, Tanner’s life certainly could not have been predicted. As a shy young boy, he had been content with going to college and getting a regular job like his dad. After the massacre, however, he began to look at life through a different set of lenses.

  Tanner still went on to college, where he and Mike Townsend had become best friends. They lived in the same dorm their freshman year and later shared an apartment at Boise State University. Mike focused on business and Tanner spent his time soul-searching. As time passed, school became an afterthought. The impact of the shooting and the loss of Kenny tormented his psyche. After the initial trauma and mental anguish, Tanner changed. His introverted self learned to appreciate the fleeting moments of life. As a result, the shy boy from Crescent Falls resolved to live a life completely devoid of regret or monotony. Mike Townsend’s adventurous lifestyle made that easy. He introduced Tanner to a whole new world of travel and thrill seeking. Consequently, Tanner chose to create excitement, because he knew from experience that his life could be cut short at any moment. Yet as passionate and adventurous as he became, it was fear that drove his enthusiasm.

  Tanner often recalled the words of his therapist with each fearless pursuit: “Traumatic experiences build barriers to help us handle stress.”

  As a result, he sought out gut-wrenching excursions to cover the pain of the massacre—to build his protective barrier. He and Mike spent their college weekends bungee jumping, skydiving, hang gliding and mountain climbing, to name but a few of their daring activities. They developed an uncanny zeal for adventure. Accordingly, they built a chain of adventure establishments across the United States. They called their business All-American Adventures and specialized in river rafting, mountain climbing, hiking expeditions, professional and semiprofessional extreme sports. Once the hard work of getting the business set up had paid off, Tanner and Mike were free to pursue their own personal goals, and Tanner dreamed of breaking the world record of hiking across the canyon. With Mike trailing behind, Tanner was well on his way.

  “How you doing, Mike?” Tanner asked as he chugged along, stirring up red dust with each step.

  “Doing fine, Tan. But I have to tell ya, after two hours, I’m already tired of looking at your ass!” Mike laughed.

  Cocking his head back, Tanner responded, “Oh come on, you knew what you were getting into when you signed up for this.”

  “You said I might get a piece of ass. You didn’t say it was going to be yours!”

  “You haven’t seen the girls on the North Rim yet, have you?”

  “What girls?”

  “Fear not, my friend. Fame has its advantages. You’ll learn that soon enough!”

  “Speaking of fame,” said Mike. “Your cell phone’s been ringing off the hook lately. What’s up with that?”

  Tanner lost his footing briefly, grunted, and bounced back into
his stride.

  “You all right?”

  “Yeah.” Tanner caught his breath. “I’m fine.”

  Tanner suddenly got quiet.

  “So, did you hear me?” asked Mike. “I asked you about all the phone calls. Something I should know about?”

  Tanner dropped his head and picked up the pace. “Just a friend from high school. That’s all.”

  Tanner heard Mike stop dead in his tracks. The camera kit mounted on his chest bounced with the sudden halt.

  “Just a friend from high school? Are you serious?”

  “Yeah! Just a friend.” Tanner lifted his hands expressing his sarcasm.

  “Come on, Tanner! You don’t just fall off the face of the earth and suddenly get a call from a classmate, who happened to survive of one of the worst school shootings in the history of the United States, and shrug it off as just another call!”

  Tanner turned around to face Mike and began walking backward. “You better get up here if you want to hear about it, because I’m not going to keep screaming at you like this.” He turned back, facing forward and continued his frenzied pace.

  Mike jogged forward until he caught up.

  Tanner grinned. He loved making Mike work.

  “So, what is it? Why all the secrecy?”

  “Apparently, we’re having a reunion.” Tanner kept his pace.

  “You’ve got to be kidding me? After twenty years?”

  “Yup! I wasn’t going to say anything until I knew it was a done deal.”

  Tanner couldn’t help but grin as he broke the rest of the news to his friend. “And, I think we should have it at the school.”

  Mike laughed. “You think you should, huh? Why’s that?”

  Tanner stopped walking. He allowed himself to take a short break every couple of hours.

  As he wiped sweat from his forehead, he explained. “Well, first of all, it might help some of us to finally get over our fears.” He then rested his hands on his knees, and took a few deep breaths. “Secondly, it could be exciting!”

  Tanner paused and looked up at Mike. “What do you think?”

  “I think it’ll be a hard sell. Not everyone’s quite as eccentric as you, Tan.”

  “What can I say? One of my old classmates calls me from out of the blue, leaves a message and asks me what I think about having a reunion. Well, that’s what I think. I figure if we’re going to attempt this damn thing, we might as well get a bang for our buck, you know what I mean?”

  “Yeah, I guess.”

  “Anyway, I suppose I’ll call her back sometime after I break this damn record.”

  “Who is it you’re calling?”

  “Maria, our valedictorian.”

  “That’s probably a good idea. But you better get your ass moving if you’re going to set any records today.”

  Tanner stood up, eased back into his pace and shouted, “God, you’re a slave driver!”

  10th

  Kate’s body jolted when Bryan turned the key and abruptly started the vehicle.

  “Where are we going?” she asked.

  “I’m taking you to the station!” The car jetted forward.

  “Why?” Her eyes popped open.

  “Two things: One, we’re going to get you cleaned up. And two, you’re going to press charges.”

  Mentally startled, Kate replied, “What? Are you serious? I can’t do that! He’s never hit me before!” She turned her body toward Bryan. “Shouldn’t I give him a second chance or something?” She turned back and covered her face with her hands. “Oh, God, please just hold on a minute, Bryan. I’m not ready for that.”

  Bryan hit the brakes and pulled over. Kate’s seat belt locked up.

  “What do you want, Kate? Do you want Nick and that life back there, or do you want me?”

  “I don’t kn—”

  “Because I’m telling you right now, whatever you decide will determine the course of the rest of your life. And if he’s hit you once, it proves that hitting you is in his arsenal and he’ll likely use that weapon again.”

  Kate sat there silently, arms crossed.

  Bryan’s voice escalated.

  “So are you going to let him beat you up when things get hard? Is that what you’re going to do? Or are you going to take advantage of his abuse as a way out?”

  Her thoughts grew heavy with confusion.

  “Think about it, Kate. You can do this in good conscience! He’s given you a chance to escape on a silver platter! So, are you going to take it? Because it’s either me or him!”

  Kate cared about Bryan, but her feelings for Nick were still in limbo. The emotional ups and downs of living with Nick all those years had created an addictive, melodramatic lifestyle, just as habit forming as Nick’s drinking.

  How can I choose? she wondered. The pull to continue shielding Nick from the many consequences he deserved overwhelmed her.

  She turned toward Bryan. His face looked stone cold. Kate wiped her tears and spoke with a weak and broken voice.

  “I’ll…do it.”

  • • •

  Minutes after they arrived at the sheriff’s department, Kate officially pressed charges against her husband of nineteen years. Two of Bryan’s coworkers were dispatched to arrest Nick at his home. A female deputy helped Kate clean up. When Kate had finished writing her statement, Bryan walked her to his car and drove her to his apartment for the night. By pressing charges, Kate made her intentions clear. Bryan planned to be just as explicit.

  • • •

  Two sheriff’s deputies pulled up to the Tooley residence and casually walked up the driveway. Surprised to find the door wide open, they walked in and announced their presence. They saw furniture turned over, broken lamps and shattered glass spread all over the floor. A typical domestic-violence scene, the two men took notes and pictures of their surroundings.

  “Sheriff’s Department! Anyone home?”

  Silence.

  “Hello! Sheriff’s Department!”

  Nothing.

  The two deputies cautiously pulled out their weapons and made hand signals that indicated they would split up. One went into the kitchen that adjoined the living room, while the other walked down the main hallway of the ranch home.

  The first deputy didn’t see anyone in the living room or dining room. He turned the corner into the kitchen and pulled his gun close to his chest in preparation for the worst. The smell of beer filled his nostrils. His feet crunched the small pieces of glass and debris spread across the carpet.

  “Kitchen clear!”

  Walking amidst the fragmented home decor, the other deputy entered the shadows of the hallway until he came to a half-bath. He quickly turned into the bathroom with his gun facing forward.

  “Half-bath clear!”

  He continued down the hall and charged into the next room. Vacant. He walked farther down the hall, entered the master bedroom, and found Nick lying naked, face up and stretched out across the bed. Amused by Nick’s unsightly figure, the deputy called for his partner.

  “Hey! Come look at this! I found him! He’s back here!”

  The other deputy entered the room armed and ready, but quickly realized that force was not necessary. The men chuckled as they considered the fun they could have with their captive.

  “Nick Tooley!” called one of the deputies.

  “Wake up!” shouted the other.

  The first deputy put his shoe on Nick’s thigh and started pushing rhythmically as he continued shouting.

  “Hey, Nick!”

  Nick’s body jiggled.

  “Wake up!”

  Nick started to rouse. His eyes slowly opened. When he saw the two men, he panicked. Suddenly aware of his nakedness, he sat up and clung to the headboard.

  “Mr. Tooley, just stay calm. We’re not going to hurt you.” The deputy’s palms cautiously faced up and open in an attempt to calm Nick down. The two deputies inched closer to Nick and read him his rights.

  “I’m Deputy Burns and this
is Deputy McMahon, and you’re under arrest for battery and attempted battery.”

  Nick attempted to escape. They added resisting arrest to the charges.

  “You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you—”

  • • •

  Bryan led Kate into his apartment. They were both nervous. He offered her a drink.

  “Wine?”

  “Please!”

  “I’m gonna take a shower if you don’t mind,” he said. He grabbed a beer from the refrigerator and headed down the hallway.

  Kate nodded and smiled. She wandered around his apartment and investigated his ability to keep house.

  Not bad, she thought to herself. Kate didn’t know the real Bryan. She knew the imaginary Bryan—the Bryan she hoped he’d be. Their plans for the future, however, had come unexpectedly. Fate hurled them into the middle of what she had always hoped for. But what that actually looked like scared the hell out of her. Nonetheless, she drank her wine and continued the tour of his bachelor pad. Everything looked good. He passed the first test.

  After Bryan showered, he walked into the living room, arms outstretched.

  “So, do you approve?”

  “Yes, I do. You have a very nice place here Mr. Jacobs. I’m surprised”

  “Surprised? Why?”

  “Well, I guess I assumed all bachelors were slobs.”

  They laughed.

  “Not this chevalier!”

  “Oh, so you’re saying you’re chivalrous?”

  “I try to be.” Bryan bowed before Kate.

  “Oh, my!” Kate grinned. “If you’re so chivalrous, why haven’t you asked me if I’ll have another drink?” She handed him an empty wine glass.

  He bowed. “So sorry, Madame.” Bryan hurried off to the wine chiller. Kate made herself at home and plopped down on a black leather futon, and he quickly returned with another glass of wine. Bryan’s cat rubbed against Kate’s leg and purred, leaving traces of grey hair on her jeans.

  “I’m sorry. That’s Kitten. She’s my roommate. She loves everybody.”

  “Well, she’s very sweet.” Kate rubbed her fur. Kitten raised her back.