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

by Jeff Bennington

  Tanner smirked at her. “Well, what if I like chasing carrots?”

  Lana responded sternly, while laughing at him and smacking his shoulder with her small hand. “Oh, what if, what if! I think you know by now that we’re about to embark on the greatest what if of our adult lives! Start looking at the now what! I mean, we’re here, and when it’s over, now what is the question we’ll all need to start asking ourselves.”

  Tanner stood still and silent.

  “Are you hearing me, Tanner?”

  He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. “I suppose.”

  The school stood only a block away. Lana nodded her head in the direction of the campus, bringing it to Tanner’s attention. They looked forward, held their breaths, and took the first step together into the great what if.

  • • •

  Later that same morning, Sheriff Richards sat in his office, shielded by the dusty window blinds that hid him from view. He slouched in his chair, mentally and physically exhausted from a night without sleep. He had just endured an hour of conference calls with the mayor, the county prosecutor and various members of the county council over their policy in regards to the death of young Chris Haden, the boy mysteriously murdered the previous night. His parents waited in a conference room just down the hall from Larry’s office. A city clerk, completely unaware of the situation, accompanied them.

  Larry was anxious about what to say to the worried parents. He leaned back in his chair and considered his options. He had experience in communicating the worst of circumstances. For years he had delivered warrants, subpoenas, divorce notices and the dreaded news of the death of a loved one. Although his messages were rarely received well, they at least made sense or were often in some way expected. Chris’s death was nothing of the sort.

  He knew he had to be extremely sensitive and careful with his words. He recognized that the sound of his voice would be blotted out like static until they actually came to terms with their loss, but it had to be done. It was his job. He stood up, walked out of his office and made his way to the conference room.

  When Larry walked in, his heart grew heavy. The man’s arms clutched the boy’s mother, whose eyes were dark and puffy from a night of worry. Their brows furrowed—afraid of what they were going to hear. Mrs. Haden’s small frame slumped forward and her thin hands held a damp tissue. The couple looked at Larry, anticipating the bad news they feared he brought.

  Larry cleared his throat and said, “Mr. and Mrs. Haden…” His deep voice was sincere and suited the occasion. “You were asked to come here this morning, because we have some unfortunate news for you regarding your son Christopher.”

  Mrs. Haden began to tremble.

  Mr. Haden increased his supporting hold.

  “There is no easy way to say this and I can’t tell you how sorry I am, but we found your son last night around 9:00 p.m. at the old Crescent Falls High School. He’s…he’s gone.” Larry paused. “I’m so sorry.”

  For a moment the couple sat in quiet disbelief. All at once, Mrs. Haden began to wail. Mr. Haden spoke tender, yet ineffective words of consolation.

  Moments later, Larry took them to the morgue to officially identify the body.

  “Oh, God!” cried Mrs. Haden when she saw their son. Her knees buckled and Mr. Haden helped her to a chair nearby.

  An explosion of misery and grief followed. Mrs. Haden buried her head in her husband’s chest and lost all of her strength. The heavyset man lovingly enveloped her and shared her grief. Larry dropped his head and recited a prayer he’d memorized over the years.

  He silently prayed, Oh God, if you’re there, please, please help these poor folks cope with the loss of their son. Give them peace and give them hope. Amen.

  Somewhat comforted, Larry opened his eyes and sat down in a folding chair adjacent to the Hadens. He waited quietly and respectfully until their first tears had run their course. Then he led them back to his office. He knew the questions would come soon enough.

  When they were again seated in his office, with trepidation Mr. Haden asked, “How did this happen?”

  Larry sighed and proceeded with great sadness in his voice.

  “That’s why I’ve asked you here, Mr. Haden. You see, Chris’s passing is not what we call a normal circumstance. In fact, the cause is still under investigation, but at this time, we’re calling this an unexplained accident. I have pictures, if you want to see them. The scene is very painful and difficult to describe. The best I can do is let you come to your own conclusions.”

  Mr. Haden put out his hand. Larry passed him a picture of Chris on the flagpole. Mr. Haden held the picture but hesitated before looking.

  “Look at it,” commanded Mrs. Haden.

  Mr. Haden slowly lifted it, but glanced no more than a few seconds before he handed it back to Larry.

  Still trembling, Mr. Haden reached for the manila envelope that Larry held in his hands. He opened the flap and proceeded to look painfully at the pictures of the glass door, the melted face and the body on the flagpole.

  “What is it?” demanded Mrs. Haden. “Show me. He’s my son too!” Her forehead wrinkled with concern.

  Mr. Haden shook his head but she took the envelope as he tried to hand it back to Larry. She looked at each photograph and then howled like a dying animal. Mr. Haden snatched the pictures from her hands and threw them at Larry.

  “You can have those! I didn’t want her to see our son like that.”

  Larry left the room to give them some space as Mr. Haden tried to comfort his sobbing wife. Larry was the most uncomfortable he had ever been but he could not let them go until he had conveyed the message he had been ordered to give them. He had a female officer bring in coffee and sandwiches and take Mrs. Haden to the restroom.

  When she returned, Larry detailed what the authorities thought had happened and why there were no suspects. He then delivered his next statement.

  • • •

  Tanner felt apprehensive as he took his first step onto the school property. Lana wrapped one arm around his waist and Tanner responded in kind by gently placing his arm around her shoulders. At that moment his mind filled with memories—memories of Kenny, the shooting, and the woman to his right. Holding each other upright, they walked across the weed-filled campus in defiance of their fears. Filled with a feeling of foreboding, Tanner managed to push back his fears, somehow overcoming the weight of the past.

  Lana stopped and broke the silence. “Well, we did it. That wasn’t so bad, was it?”

  “Could’ve been better.”

  “Yeah, well, I just hope walking inside the building is just as easy.”

  Lana and Tanner smiled shakily at each other and celebrated their courage with a warm hug. When they pulled away, Tanner’s eyes reflected his triumph. I’m here, he thought, and it isn’t as bad as I feared. He continued walking, confident that he could go through with the reunion.

  15th

  Maria’s cell phone began pounding to a Latin rhythm. Her eyes strained to open as her hands fumbled around on the nightstand in search of the beat. She was tangled in the bed sheets, but managed to put the phone to her ear as the sun broke through her window blinds, casting brilliant lines across her face.

  “He-llo.” Her voice cracked and croaked.

  “Good morning, Maria. This is Julie Divulge. Did I wake you?”

  “Uh, well, yes, but that’s fine.” Maria sat up and cleared her throat. “Is there something I can help you with?”

  “Oh, no, I’m so sorry. You sound sleepy. I’ll call back later! I didn’t mean—”

  “No, really, it’s fine. I need to…” Maria yawned. “…wake up anyway. So, what is it you’re calling about?”

  “I called to find out if you thought you could assemble everyone in a couple of days for an interview. Also, I’ve made arrangements to meet with Doctor Mitch Heinz, the Schools Superintendent, for lunch and I was wondering if you would like to join us.”

  “Sure. You move fast, don’t
you?” Maria stood up and started to gather her clothes for the day with her cell phone pressed between her ear and shoulder. “I have to say, I’m very impressed.”

  “Thank you,” said Julie.

  “Oh, and as far as my classmates are concerned, we’re all on standby right now so I don’t think the interview will be a problem. Just pick a time and place and we’ll be there. But, what did you have in mind with the superintendent?”

  “Well, I was thinking about you and your friends all night and I thought a lot about how we could make this a memorable occasion. Then I realized that if you were going to do this at the school you’d need permission from the school board. And if they happen to say yes, then there would be a lot of clean up and maintenance involved. So, I took the liberty of calling Mitch, who just so happens to be accustomed to my prying, and arranged to have lunch with him today. He doesn’t know why yet. He’s probably just being cordial so I’ll stay on his good side.” Julie laughed at herself.

  “That’s awesome, Julie! Thank you so much.”

  “You’re welcome. So…can you be ready by eleven thirty?”

  “Does Rockies serve lunch?

  “Breakfast, lunch and dinner.”

  “Then it’s a date. How about noon?”

  “Perfect,” said Julie. “I’ll see you there.”

  “Great. Thanks again.” Maria couldn’t believe how smoothly things were going. She hung up, glad that things were falling into place. She put her phone back on her nightstand, next to her picture of Darrin and continued getting ready for the day.

  • • •

  Larry told Chris’s parents the story as described by the two young boys who had witnessed the bizarre events leading to his death. He explained to Mr. and Mrs. Haden that the city believed it was in their best interest to protect Chris and their privacy from the media by not releasing the report of his death. Not to mention protecting the city from further exposure of its already tarnished image, Larry thought to himself.

  He continued by advising the bereaved couple that the county was willing to pay a sum of $150,000 toward their expenses, if they would be willing to sign a nondisclosure document. Larry did not go into the details of how it prohibited them from publicly revealing what had happened to their son. They naturally requested time to discuss the circumstances with their lawyer and Larry was able to help them call him right away. Mr. and Mrs. Haden were in shock but Larry had strict instructions from his superiors that they had to sign the document before the body of their son could be released to them. He explained everything to the lawyer and after some time in a private room, due to the inexplicable and supernatural nature of the death, they eventually agreed and signed.

  • • •

  Julie Divulge smiled and waved when she saw Maria and Mitch enter Rockies Bar & Grill. Their lunch date went well, ending with Mitch giving the survivors his blessing to hold the reunion in the school. He had taught science at the high school twenty years before, and had often worried about what would become of the students who witnessed the massacre. The closure of the school had ushered in a new and unexpected life for him and all the other teachers as well.

  No one knew exactly what the long-term effects of such an experience would have on the children, the faculty, or the town. As far as Mitch Heinz was concerned, he’d changed from that day forward. After the massacre, he felt constantly on edge, looking over his shoulder every time he’d hear the faintest noise. In addition to the increased paranoia, his perception of the innocence of youth became permanently altered. He no longer thought the best of every child. He believed a reunion would give him a long overdue sense of finality. He also thought of it as a chance to find out if the students turned out okay.

  Mitch felt that a reunion would be an ideal opportunity to bring closure to the school’s shadowy past. He offered to donate the labor necessary to clean up the exterior of the old building and a portion of the interior. He promised that the district’s maintenance crews would be dispatched to get the site in working order as soon as possible, and mentioned that, if things went well, there could be a chance that the board would consider reopening the school.

  Julie promised that she would publicize the event in a way that would respect the group’s privacy, yet gain public support. On behalf of the group of survivors, Maria gratefully accepted the offers from both parties. They all began to feel hope that this reunion celebration could finally bring closure to the twenty-year-old massacre.

  • • •

  Julie and Maria agreed to begin the interview the next afternoon. Maria called Tanner, Kate, Lana and Bryan. They all consented. No other students had responded to the call for the reunion and Bryan remained unaware of the decision to have it at the school. He too had been required to sign a nondisclosure contract with the county regarding the investigation into the murder of Chris Haden.

  • • •

  The next day, Julie Divulge assembled a camera crew to shoot the interview. They cleared an area in front of the school and placed half a dozen chairs in a semicircle with the building behind them. Julie intended to have the local newspaper print the transcripts from the interview. In addition, she hoped to sell the video to national television broadcasters. Her team had planned every detail from the seating arrangements, contracts, lighting and order of speakers. Until now, it seemed as if the town had tried to forget the past. Julie, however, wanted to bring a sense of closure to Crescent Falls and the survivors.

  • • •

  Tanner hopped out of his Jeep and walked toward the school. As he approached, he watched the production team setting up power cords and lights, while Julie paced back and forth, reading her notes. See, this is easy, he told himself. No problem.

  He heard other vehicles drive into the parking lot. He turned and saw Lana pull up in her Land Rover and Bryan in his municipal vehicle with Kate. He watched Lana get out of her car and throw her purse over her shoulder. She’s gorgeous, he thought. She always was. And she’s still as sweet as ever. He smiled and she waved as she approached the building.

  • • •

  Nick entered unnoticed through the back and parked his truck in the far corner of the parking lot. He had followed Kate and Bryan from Bryan’s place and slouched down in the cab, intent on accumulating evidence of Kate’s infidelity. But he wasn’t going near the school if he could help it. They’re crazy, he thought. If they only knew about the ghost, they’d never go there. He lifted a cold beer from a small cooler filled with ice, twisted off the cap and took a long swallow, then spied Brian walking with Kate as if he owned her. There he is, son of a bitch, he shouted inside his head. His blood heated up, bubbling like a volcano. Suddenly, he looked toward the school, searching for the spirit, peering up at each window for a sign.

  • • •

  The survivors congregated under an old maple tree near the staging area.

  Tanner stood near Lana and gazed at the school, remembering the last day he had walked through that parking lot. He recalled Nick and Randy Tooley fighting and how the junior high kids had raised the flag. And now, he thought, it looks so small, so insignificant.

  Tanner watched Kate and Bryan approach the group and said, “Hi.” They said hello, but kept to themselves. Bryan was wearing his uniform—Kate had on white slacks and a yellow blouse. They appeared to be in a deep conversation.

  Tanner noticed Maria walking across the courtyard; she was smoking a cigarette with her head down.

  “Hi, guys,” said Lana.

  Maria lifted her head. “Hey.”

  “Beautiful day, huh?” asked Tanner.

  “I guess,” replied Maria. She looked at the cameras and lights and said, “So what do you think? Is this a little over the top or what?” She blew her last exhalation out the side of her mouth, stubbed out the remains and tossed it into an old trash can.

  “Yeah, it’s a little more hype than I anticipated,” said Lana. “But it’ll be fun. What do you think, Tanner?”

  Tanner was look
ing at the tree, reminiscing about his youthful adventures that had taken place in its branches. The tree gave him a good feeling. Studying it seemed to help relax his protective barriers. He answered Lana out of the side of his mouth. “I’m fine, thank you.”

  Lana and Maria laughed.

  He turned his head and responded to their snickering. “What I meant was, I’m fine with this setup. As in, I don’t have a problem with it. Is that better?” He looked back into the branches to visualize the path he used to take when he climbed to the top, but still listened with one ear to the others.

  “Okay, Tanner,” said Lana. “Whatever you say!”

  Julie approached from behind them.

  “Hey folks! You all look great!” She touched Lana’s shoulder as she circled around the group. “Thank you so much for coming.”

  Tanner nodded and the girls chuckled.

  “So, is this a bit much?” asked Julie. “You know, lights, camera, action and all that?”

  Maria said, “Oh, I think we’re all fine with it. In fact, we were just talking about it. Looks like you’re taking this pretty seriously.”

  “I am,” said Julie, who was dressed in a navy dress and jacket and heels. “I mean, it’s been twenty years since you’ve seen each other, and all things considered, I think you deserve to have a chance to let the world know that you’re all okay.

  “I think people are curious as to how you’ve coped over the years. They want to believe that life can return to normal when all hell breaks loose. And after talking with you, I believe it can. I believe you’ve all grown from your experience, as traumatic as it was, and for the most part, turned it into something positive.”

  Maria interjected, “Well, as you can see, there are only five of us here, and since we haven’t heard from the others, it’s hard to gauge how we’ve all turned out, statistically speaking. But if this small sampling is any indication, I’d say you’re making a fair assumption.”