by RB Schalin
Chapter 38
Kerry parks the young couple's car next to Katie's and her husbands and then he gets out and locks it. There are another six cars parked there and he knows he has to change to another hiding place; the lot is getting too crowded.
The clearing is more than ten miles by car from the trail reaching the cabin, but through the forest is no more than one hour walk. Kerry checks his watch and sees he has to hurry up if he wants to be home for dinner. He had told Becky he would be back after just a couple of hours when she left this morning, but one thing led to another and now it's almost eight o'clock. He begins to run and it feels good. It reminds him about the times when he and Taku would race through the jungle together.
Becky hears the Quad before she sees it and when she steps out to greet her husband, she asks, "what happened, you took so long?"
"I tried to call you, but my phone was without battery, sorry."
Taking his arm, she leads him inside the house and asks him, "but what did you do?"
Hanging his jacket on a hook by the door and taking off his boots Kerry says, "the damn Quad broke down when I was going back from dropping you off. It must have gotten some dirt into the engine. I had to take it apart and clean it."
"Oh well, maybe it needs a good tune up, let's eat, I'm starving."
Kerry puts his arm around her shoulder and together they walk into the kitchen where Danny is waiting at the table. Kerry kisses his head and sits down next to him.
Looking at his family, he smiles at them and wonders how he could get rid of them without making a mess. He needs to dedicate all his time to the god, and they are distracting him.
"This is nice," says Holmes, looking around the pizzeria, she and Hawk are sitting in. The walls are covered with photos and paintings showing Italian motifs. There are vineyards, churches, small villages and a giant poster of the Coliseum.
"The pizzas here are just out of this world, " says Hawk, while looking at the menu.
The place is busy since it's still tourist season and around them are several tables with couples and a few with families.
A waiter comes over with a pad in his hand and asks, "are you ready to order Chief?"
"Yes, I'll have the seafood pizza and a glass of red wine."
"I'll have the fettuccini with garlic and giant shrimps," says Holmes.
When the waiter withdraws with their order Holmes leans forward and almost whispers, "what's next?"
"Good question. Kerry doesn't seem to be our killer, but we don't have much else to go on."
"I agree with Fieldman, it has to be him. There is no one else who fits what we know so far."
After they came back from watching Kerry's cabin they had had a short meeting with Collins and Fieldman telling them what they had seen. Fieldman thought that the way Kerry had hidden away his cabin made him very suspicious. Why go through all that trouble if he didn't have anything to hide? Just because he took his family there didn't make him innocent. Collins had agreed, saying that by taking his family there Kerry could just be using them as a ruse, making people think it was just the family's weekend place.
Hawk and Holmes had agreed. The problem was how to get in there and do a proper search of the property. After playing around with several ideas, they decided to think about it overnight and meet again the following morning. Hawk had invited Holmes to dinner and the two deputies had made encouraging sounds and a lot of thumbs up. They worried about their Chief, and wanted him to be happy.
"We need to get him away from town or at least away from the cabin for a long time. I'd say an entire morning or afternoon to be able to search it properly. The locks were standard so it should be easy to get in," says Holmes, before biting into warm crusty bread with garlic.
"I agree, the question is how?"
"Maybe we can call him into the station and have Collins and Friedman talk to him?"
"No, he would become suspicious, the man is clean, doesn't even have a parking ticket. He would smell a rat in no time."
"What about if someone called him and invited him to another town to do a reading of his book?"
Hawk takes his glass from his mouth and after swallowing the wine, he says, "that's not a bad idea. Even though he will figure out it was a bullshit story when he gets there, we would have him gone for almost a day. Good thinking, Holmes."
Their food arrives and they stop talking while enjoying it. When they are done, they order coffee and Holmes a slice of apple pie.
"Can I ask you a personal question Hawk?" asks Holmes.
He knows what she will ask, but says, "sure, go ahead."
"The scar on your neck, is it from what I think it is?"
"Yes, it is."
"Self inflicted or in the line of duty?"
Hawk touches the scar and says, "self inflicted, I tried to hang myself when my son died."
"I'm sorry. Is his mother around somewhere?"
"No, she died at the same time."
Holmes is quiet; she doesn't know what to say. She feels stupid for asking.
Hawk notices how uncomfortable she is and says, "look, it was a long time ago. I was working narcotics in LA, and some friend of a drug trafficker thought their boss would be better off if they shot the arresting officer. I was having dinner with my wife and son when the shooting began. My wife died there and my son was in a coma for a few days before he died."
"How did you end up here?"
"Life I guess. I was living in Florida with my father, and he basically kicked me out, telling me I was too young to be miserable. I found this job, and applied."
Holmes drinks some coffee and says, "so that's why you drink. You haven't gotten over them yet?"
"Yeah, I guess. It's only at night when I'm alone. I think I see them in the shadows watching me and accusing me for killing them. I drink so I can sleep."
Outside the evening is warm and when they get into Hawk's car Holmes lowers the window and asks, "would you like a nightcap?"
Hawk laughs and asks, "what's this? Are you suddenly supporting my drinking?"
"Maybe, I just think it's better to drink together than alone. What do you have at home?"
"Bourbon, it's the only thing I like."
"OK, that works for me, let's go back to your place and plan this mission to Kerry's cabin in detail."
That night they don't plan anything. After a couple of drinks Holmes wraps her arms around Hawk and says, "I like you, even though you are an old, suicidal alcoholic with half an ear missing."
"I just like you, for being you," says Hawk before kissing her.
It has been a long time since he was with a woman, and in the beginning he fumbles and Holmes laughs at his feeble attempts to take her bra off. In the end she takes off her clothes and his and together they lay down on the bed.
That night after making love Hawk lies on his back listening to the young woman sleeping beside him. In a whisper he says, "I'm sorry Vivian."
There is no response, the house is quiet, and to his great relief that night there is no one in the shadows accusing him.