“I’m ready,” Sam said.
Rob stood up, gathered our empty plastic bowls and took them to the trash bin.
Sam and I proceeded to the door.
“Hewey Spader…is that you?” I heard a voice behind me.
I turned and just as I thought—it was Clyde. “Hey…Mr. Rivera,” I said.
He actually got up and came over, smiling and all.
“I can’t believe it! Last time I saw you, you were a li’l brat living down the street from me!”
“Yeah, I was. Wasn’t I?” I grinned.
Rob walked over and was about to head out without us.
“You remember my friends, Sam and Rob?” I asked Clyde.
I saw vertical wrinkles on his now sixty-something-year-old forehead suddenly become more pronounced. “This is Sam? Really? Oh…wow. You’ve changed a lot! You look so…ladylike.”
Sam rolled her eyes. She was definitely not interested in engaging in any type of conversation with the guy.
“Oh, and yes—Rob. I remember Rob. You don’t look like you’ve aged a day since I last saw you.”
Rob nodded, opened the door and walked out. Sam followed him.
“Anyway, it was good seeing you, Mr. Rivera,” I said.
“It was great seeing y’all.”
He didn’t seem moved that much by Rob and Sam’s reaction to him. Maybe he was used to it.
“By the way, I got out of jail two years and nine months ago,” he spoke softly. “Been doing maintenance work for the police department ever since. The new chief was kind enough to give me the contract even though they don’t pay that well. But I’m able to keep up with my apartment rent, utilities and have something left over for food to carry me through, you know?”
“That’s good.”
I got the impression he wanted to talk, but I had mixed feelings about it.
“Well…I won’t hold you up any longer. I’m sure your friends are anxiously waiting for you.” He started to walk off.
Then I remembered something. “Mr. Rivera! Can I ask you a question?”
He looked back. “Sure. Anything.”
For the sake of privacy, I closed the gap between us a little more. “That time when the spacecraft was here… were you under the spell like everyone else was?”
I’d asked because I always wondered how he managed to even think of killing anyone in a zombielike state. Everyone was literally stripped of their will back then.
He glanced around, then said, “We should talk outside.”
“Sure.”
Rob was behind the wheel of the car and Sam was sitting next to him, staring at us as we made our way over to the side of the building.
Clyde sighed deeply. “It’s funny you asked me that question, Hewey, because no one else ever did even during my trial. The truth is…Johnette and I had a terrible argument the same day the spacecraft showed up; I happened to be at her place at the time. I wanted to break things off with her because I knew it was wrong what we were doing and I still loved my wife. On top of that, God was watching and I was feeling so guilty. She threatened to tell my wife and said she’d ruin my life. Out of anger, I told her if she did that, I’d kill her and I called her every filthy name in the book. Nothing I said seemed to faze her because she was angry too. Then, in the heat of the argument, we heard something outside just above us and Johnette hurried out to see what it was. I couldn’t do that because I didn’t wanna be seen leaving her house, so I stayed inside and peaked through the window. Johnette went into the street and was looking up at the sky. There was a strange buzzing sound that was so intense it started to hurt my ears; I had to grab a couple of towels and press them against my ears to drown out the sound. When I got back to the window to see what was going on, I saw everyone—all the neighbors—standing in the street and their eyes were so strange-looking like they were in some sort of daze. Then I saw the dogs and heard their voices, speaking just like we did and I got scared. There was no way I was going out there. I realized when I eased one of the towels away from my ear, that I no longer heard the buzzing sound. Not long after that, Johnette came back inside and she was totally different. She looked and acted like a zombie. Didn’t say anything to me; just went about the house doing chores as if she didn’t know me. I knew something was seriously wrong and that it had to do with whatever was out there and I was sure everyone else was affected just like her. I’m ashamed to say that even though I was scared and didn’t know what was going to happen the minute I walked out the door, I saw it as my opportunity to silence Johnette once and for all.”
He paused for a moment and I could see the guilt and perhaps, regret, in his eyes.
“So, I unlocked her back door, planning to return that night and use it as my entrance. I was determined I needed to get her out of my life because if she woke up from this daze, we were bound to pick up where we left off with the argument and threats.”
“It was you I saw that night from the top floor of the distillery…” I told him.
“You saw me?” He seemed surprised.
“Uh-huh. ‘Course, I didn’t know it was you at the time because it was so dark out.”
He went on to tell how something fell to the floor as he was hurrying out of the house after he’d stabbed Mrs. Christie. That must’ve been the crashing sound I’d heard which prompted Sam and me to go over to the house the next morning and check on her.
“But to answer your initial question…I was never under that spell everyone else was obviously under. I watched my wife, Suzanne, turn into someone I didn’t recognize and there was nothing I could do about it. When the buses came to get everyone, I escaped through the back and hid in the bushes, only returning home hours later.”
“So, you stayed there the entire time?” I asked.
“Yep. I almost lost my mind. I knew the day would come when all the food ran out and I’d made up my mind that I was gonna die right there all alone and probably deserved it after what I’d done to Johnette. I couldn’t believe my eyes when Suzanne was back home and was her old self again. By then, I was at my wits end, down to my last morsel of food and riddled with guilt. After holding her for what seemed like forever, I confessed everything to her and had to see the pain in her eyes. She encouraged me to turn myself in and that’s what I did. The rest is history.”
Clyde’s explanation of those events didn’t change my view of him or what he did, but I appreciated his honesty. After we said our goodbyes and went our separate ways, I couldn’t help but think the guy had really messed up a good thing he had going and was now paying the price. According to him, Mrs. Christie had threatened to ruin his life, but the fact of the matter was he did a great job at that on his own.
“What the hell took you so long?” Sam barked at me the second I sat in the car.
Rob, who usually kept his cool, told me how much of a dimwit I was for wasting precious time conversing with a guy like Clyde Rivera.
“I’m feeling the hate, guys,” I said. “Where’d the love go?”
After taking a sip from my water bottle, I went on to share with them the conversation I had with Clyde and how he was unaffected by the spell from the UFO. At least, they found that bit of information interesting.
“And that’s why he was able to kill Mrs. Christie!” Sam announced.
“Precisely—because he couldn’t have done it under the so-called spell,” I returned.
“Idiot, either way!” Rob said.
10
_________________
Carl took a stroll with me through our neighborhood that Sunday. There wasn’t much else to do.
I went and paid a visit to a few of our elderly neighbors who weren’t doing so well physically and a couple of others who were completely bedridden. Our neighborhood was an old one with lots of houses that were standing for at least a half of a century. Mrs. Miller’s, two houses down from ours, was actually close to a hundred years old and so was she. She lived with her caretaker, Doris, who’d been hired by
Mrs. Miller’s only son David, to be there with her. David happened to pass away ten years earlier and Doris never left. He’d made financial provisions for his mother to continue to be cared for in the event he did not survive her. Smart guy.
Then on the corner were Velda Howard who had a bad case of arthritis and her husband, Ben. Those two managed all right on their own, having their groceries delivered and one of the kids on the block to come and do yard work every so often. I remember when the Howards were middle-aged and fairly strong, going on their jobs and minding their own business, for the most part. They were pretty close to mom and dad—even invited us over for birthday parties when their kids were young. I noticed many of the adult children around the neighborhood had moved out. Carl, and a few others, had never left the nest.
I whipped up a nice dinner for Carl and me and sent a plate over for Uncle Charlie. I wasn’t much of a cook, but at times, the dish was edible. Carl said the yellow rice with veggies and baked salmon was delicious. I’d have to agree, since most of the seasonings I used made my job a whole lot easier. I hadn’t heard any complaints from Uncle Charlie, so that was a good sign.
Later that night as we hung out in the living room, I said to Carl, “How would you like to open a mechanic shop in town?”
He looked at me curiously. “What do you mean?”
“I know you do your work here in the yard which is fine, but how would you feel about having your own shop in an area where there’s lots of traffic which can mean a lot more business?”
“I thought about it once, but I can’t afford any overhead expenses,” he replied. “Rent and utilities these days are so ridiculously high for residences, so imagine commercial buildings.”
“What if I alleviated the rent part?”
“What are you getting at Hewey?”
“I saw a vacant lot there on Furlough Drive and think it’s a great location for a mechanic shop. I’d like to purchase it for you—that is, if you want it. If not, you can look for something else and let me know.”
I couldn’t read the expression on his face after I’d said that, and for a moment thought that somehow, I’d insulted his intelligence.
“You’d do that for me—buy me a piece of property?” he finally replied.
“Sure, I would! You’re my brother.”
He shook his head. “I can’t believe it.”
“You’re not interested?” I reluctantly asked.
“The heck I ain’t! I know the land you’re talking about on Furlough. It’s the perfect location, for sure.” He smiled.
“Great! Because I have the contract of sale in my room.”
“What the hell? Are you serious?”
“Yep. A couple of days ago while I was out with Sam and Rob, I found out who owned the property and quickly learned the guy was about to put it up for sale; had already informed his attorney. So—long story short, I told him I was interested; he gave the attorney instructions for the contract of sale and here we are. Now that it’s a go, I’ll have the money wired from my bank and the property is yours!”
“I can’t believe this, Hewey! You’re amazing, man!” He got up and gave me the biggest bear hug ever.
When he decided to release me, I went to my room and showed him the contract.
“Whew! One hundred and fifteen grand!” He exclaimed. “I still can’t believe this, man.”
Carl must’ve been the happiest guy on the planet that day and seeing him like that was the greatest feeling.
“So, next, we can find an architect and have some plans drawn for your new mechanic shop,” I said. “And don’t worry, li’l bro, I’m gonna help you with the construction too.”
He was washed in tears by then and I loved every second of it.
11
_________________
Monday finally came—the day Sam, Rob and I were patiently waiting for. Luke Barry was the topic of conversation every day since Mrs. Cooper mentioned his name. Turns out, he was stationed at police headquarters where Chief Mays had worked his entire career.
We arrived there at a quarter past nine and were relieved that the hour had come for us to put some serious questions to this officer.
“Keep your fingers crossed,” I said before we walked inside the station. Sam and Rob immediately sat down while I enquired at the counter.
“Good morning. I’m here to see Superintendent Barry,” I said to the slanky officer seated at the reception desk.
“What’s the name?” he asked.
“Hewey Spader.”
“Superintendent Barry’s in a meeting right now, Mr. Spader. Can someone else assist?”
“It’s very important that I speak with him personally, so I’ll wait,” I replied.
He had no objections.
As we sat quietly, time slowly ticked by and before we knew it, a full hour had passed. By then, another officer had relieved the first guy at the reception desk.
I got up and went over to the desk again. “Excuse me. My name’s Hewey Spader; I’m here to see Superintendent Barry. Can you check to see if he’s still in a meeting please?”
This guy barely looked up to acknowledge me, unlike his much younger colleague. He did, however, pick up the phone and enquire.
“A Hewey Spader’s here to see him,” he said to whomever was on the line. Then, he finally made eye contact with me. “Are those two with you?”
I glanced back at Sam and Rob who were looking our way. “Yes…they are.”
Our plan was for me to speak with Barry alone, as we didn’t feel the need for all of us to be there, similar to the arrangement we had concerning our visit with Chief Mays. But since the officer asked if the guys were with me, I was thinking that maybe there should be a change of plans.
The officer ended the call, slid a large black book with dogears in front of me and said, “Write down all of your names here.”
I did as requested, then he directed me to enter the door directly behind him and offered further instructions on how to find Barry’s office.
Luke Barry was in his mid-fifties, a bit on the tall side and clean-shaven. His head was as shiny as a bowling ball. Sipping a cup of coffee at his desk, he made a single gesture of his hand for us to have a seat when we arrived at the door.
We all said good morning.
Barry got up and extended a handshake to each of us. After returning to his chair, he asked, “How can I help you?”
Of course, neither Sam nor Rob bothered to respond.
“Sir, my name is Hewey Spader…”
“Yeah. I understand you had called for me late last week and were told I was on vacation, due back today. Very little happens around here, especially concerning me that I don’t know about, Mr. Spader. Every phone call, every text, every email—I am aware of. What I want to know is why you’re here.”
I crossed my legs, assuming a more comfortable position. “I guess I should start by saying that my friends, Sam and Rob here, and I have a friend and his mother who have been missing for more than twenty-five years. We’ve gotten absolutely no answers and no indications from police that there have been leads or an investigation concerning the matter and we think it’s high time someone showed some interest in finding out what happened to them.”
“What’s the name of the missing persons?” he asked.
“Jason and Catherine Anderson.”
He nodded. “I remember those names.”
“Has there been any type of leads in the matter?” I asked.
It took him a few moments to respond.
“I can’t say for sure.”
“Well, who can?” Sam interjected.
“If I can’t tell you, there’s nothing to tell,” he replied.
“What kind of nonsense is going on around here?” Sam exclaimed. “How in the world can two people go missing from a small town like this and no one—absolutely no one gives a damn?”
She’d caught me off guard there, but I must say that I admired her spunk—always had.
/> Barry was silent.
“I went to see Chief Mays just before he died,” I continued. “And he started to tell me something about an officer overhearing a conversation regarding Jase and his mom during that time when residents here were held captive on the compound…”
“Uh-huh,” he muttered.
“And then another resident recently called your name indicating that you might know something about the disappearances and that’s why we’re here.”
He was nodding again, but I could tell he was feeling rather uncomfortable.
“If you know something, sir, we would appreciate you telling us,” Rob chimed in.
“Well, if we don’t get our answers today,” Sam started, “When I go home, I’ll be contacting every major news station in this country and also in France where I live and I’m gonna make it known that law enforcement in Eppington has either failed to investigate or is covering up the matter pertaining to our friend and his mother’s disappearance. And I guarantee you, sir, that some heat is gonna come down on this town like you’d never seen. A pity it didn’t happen long ago!”
For the better part of a minute, we all sat there without uttering a single word. Barry was now looking more uncomfortable than ever.
Then he finally said, “Only three people know exactly what happened to the Andersons and one of them is dead. The fact is…he only knew the truth because I told him. He was my superior who I trusted back then with my life and we promised not to speak a word of it in case those aliens came back for us with a vengeance. But what ended up happening was it gradually became a burden for Chief Mays since his duty—all of our duty—was to serve and protect the people of this community. We hadn’t done that for two of our own and keeping quiet about what happened to them that last day at the compound was extremely difficult to bear.”
“You seemed to have coped with it all right,” Sam asserted, much to my dismay. Sometimes, the girl just went overboard.
The Hewey Spader Mystery Series (The Complete Trilogy * Books 1 -3 ) Page 18