Murderous Intent and Deadly Desires

by Angela C. Blackmoore

  “What?” the sheriff said, then flicked on his radio. He usually turned it off when he was giving interviews. “Josh? Come in, tell me what happened. Is the mayor ok?”

  “I don’t know, sir!” Josh said, concern clear in his voice. “We just got a call from the clinic. Some neighbors heard a crash, and when they went to go check, they found the mayor on the ground outside, bleeding and unconscious.”

  Abby could hear the sheriff grit his teeth before responding. “All right, Josh. This is what I want you to do. I know you’re on dispatch tonight, but get your butt over to the clinic and protect the mayor. It’s going to take me a few minutes to get back down to the patrol cars and get over there. I’m going to have to leave Sam here, because Abby was almost attacked tonight, too.”

  “Ah, pickles!” Josh cursed, “This can’t be a coincidence, can it? I’m leaving now.”

  They all heard a scuffling sound before the sheriff yelled into his mic. “Dang it, Josh! Don’t forget to turn off the radio and forward it to the service we pay for.”

  “Roger, boss!” Josh said just before the mic went dead.

  Sheriff Pearson just shook his head in response. “He’s a good kid if he’d just blow some of the sawdust out of his ears,” the sheriff said before looking at Sam while he walked by, clapping the other deputy on the shoulder. “You’re here for the night. Hope you packed your jammies, but don’t leave this house. If it’s the same people that were here, this might have all been a huge setup to get to the mayor.”

  “Or vice versa,” Sam said, nodding. “I got it, Sheriff. I’ll keep my eyes peeled.”

  “Like a banana, Sam, just like a banana,” the sheriff said before opening the door and disappearing into the night. They could hear the crunching of his boots on the gravel as he ran down the road to his patrol cars.

  When they finally closed the door, they all gave a start as Mr. Wilberson appeared holding his shotgun. Sam gave him a look, but just shook his head, and didn’t look like he was going to argue. If someone had attacked the mayor, then they were dangerous. Abby suspected that this time Mr. Wilberson’s shotgun wasn’t loaded with black-powder blanks.

  Chapter 12

  “So do you think you were the target or the distraction?” Becky asked from the back seat of Gabe’s truck. Gabe had swung by that morning to pick Abby and Becky up along with Cheerio. They were on their way into Salem to visit the mayor who had been taken there last night.

  Abby was happy that Gabe had gotten the time to come with her. She would have gone herself, but she felt much better with having her strapping boyfriend along after the events of the night before.

  “I don’t know,” Abby said at last. “Was it even the same people? Maybe there’s more than two of them? Or it’s unrelated? I just have no idea.”

  “That’s the problem with situations like this,” Gabe said as he concentrated on the road. “You can drive yourself crazy with what-if scenarios. I’d say don’t do it, but I’m running things through my head right now. I don’t think you can help it.” He reached over and squeezed Abby’s hand.

  “Did Charlie say anything?” Abby asked, turning from the passenger seat toward her friend.

  Becky shook her head. “Not really. He said it was bad, but he can’t really talk about a patient’s condition.” Becky fidgeted for a moment before continuing. “I didn’t press him too hard. He was very tired last night.”

  Abby smirked at her friend. “But you did press him?”

  Becky nodded. “Well, you know me. I have to know things if I can help it, and since I’m sleeping with the doctor, I figured I’d take the opportunity to ask. But yes, he didn’t really give me specifics. I could tell he was exhausted last night when he got home.”

  “How late did he get in?” Abby asked, curious.

  “About ten in the evening,” Becky said. He had to stabilize the mayor before he could get him into an ambulance. He wouldn’t really say, but I got the feeling that he wasn’t worried about the mayor dying. Thank goodness.”

  “Thank goodness,” Abby repeated, then turned back around in her seat to face the windshield.

  They rode in silence for a while, each lost in thought until Gabe merged onto Highway 22 toward Salem. Abby watched the houses and businesses flash by on either side. This close to Salem, the urban sprawl stretched out its tentacles and despite the prevalence of trees, Abby found herself uncomfortable at seeing the ever-increasing signs of civilization.

  It was hard to imagine that only a few short months ago, she’d lived in the very treeless and built up city of Phoenix, Arizona.

  “Do you think we’ll have any problems from detectives Mike and Ed?” Becky asked as she scratched a very-grateful Cheerio. Abby exchanged a look with Gabe as they both thought about it, but they weren’t sure.

  “I don’t know,” Gabe said at last. “I don’t think they would know about us coming into town to visit the mayor, but they probably heard about it on the police reports. Still, that would be a big waste of time to just watch the hospital in hopes we might show up. Mike and Ed don’t strike me as the diligent type.”

  “I hope they don’t show their faces,” Abby said. “The last thing we need is to have them try to hassle us again. I don’t think Robert Carrington is going to be close by to save us this time.”

  “Well, I have it on good authority that the sheriff is at the hospital keeping an eye on his friend,” Gabe said. “I’m pretty sure Mike and Ed won’t make an appearance while he’s around. He’s still very upset with them over what they tried to pull the night we went to the senator’s dinner. I think he’s just looking for an opportunity to light into them.”

  “I hope they don’t,” Abby said. “We’re in the middle of their territory, and the sheriff doesn’t need any more stress. He’s too worried about the mayor. Did you know he was camped out on the mayor’s porch the other day when I went to take cookies over there?”

  Gabe nodded. “Yes, you told me. They’ve been good friends for a lot of years. After the mayor’s wife died, the sheriff was there for him. Kept him off the bottle. I think he’s doing the same thing now, more or less. Gil has a bit of a problem, but he’s managed to keep it under control for years with a little help.”

  Abby nodded and watched as they pulled into the busy parking lot of the hospital where the mayor was a patient. It was a large, boxy building like many hospitals, having put a premium on function over form. Still, it wasn’t an unpleasant building to look at.

  After finding parking, Abby stroked Cheerio’s neck and kissed the top of his head as she fluffed the fleece blanket he was laying on. He’d be ok in Gabe’s truck for a small amount of time, but even with the blanket, she didn’t like leaving him for too long. After a few moments, Cheerio settled, though he didn’t look happy. He always wanted to come along but was fairly patient when he wasn’t allowed.

  “Don’t worry, boy,” Gabe said, giving his own pats to the dog after Abby had moved away. “We’ll get you a treat on the way back.”

  Shutting the door, Gabe took Abby’s hand and the three friends walked toward the front door of the hospital.

  Chapter 13

  “Hey kids,” the sheriff said tiredly as he leaned his elbows on his bony knees in the waiting room. The bags under his eyes made the man look ten years older.

  “How long have you been here?” Abby asked with concern. “Have you gotten any sleep at all?”

  The sheriff squinted up at her through his bushy, salt and pepper eyebrows but finally shrugged. “I got a few hours nap here in the waiting room.”

  Abby frowned at the man as the three friends sat down next to him. Abby thought about chastising him, but decided against it. The sheriff was a grown man and could make his own decisions. “How is he doing?” she asked quietly.

  “He’s stable right now,” Sheriff Pearson said, blowing out a deep breath before looking at Becky. “Your boy did a good job of getting him stable. The doctors here can’t say enough about it. I think they we
re actually impressed by a small town doctor.”

  Becky practically glowed before nodding. “Just because he’s a small town doctor doesn’t mean he didn’t train just like any of them. Charlie just didn’t want to put up with the fast pace of the city. I think he interned up in Seattle and then in Portland, but he hated every second of it.”

  “I knew that,” the sheriff said before sighing and giving Becky a sad look. “Sorry, that sounded pretentious. I’m just tired. But the important thing is the mayor is doing well. I’ve been waiting to ask him some questions, but the doctors wanted to give him until the morning.”

  “Is he awake?” Becky asked.

  The sheriff nodded. “More or less. He’s in a lot of pain, but they said he’s awake and responsive.”

  “Can you talk about what happened?” Abby asked, uncertain of the response. Since Abby had arrived in Red Pine Falls, the sheriff had been right on top of her whenever she’d become embroiled in a police investigation, but since the mayor had almost been unseated, the man had seemed to be more willing to bend the rules.

  The sheriff gave her a hairy eyeball, but instead of getting angry at her, he sighed. “I can’t talk about everything, but I’m pretty sure the three of you would be the last people to attack the mayor. He was attacked. It wasn’t just him falling out of a window.”

  “How do you know?” Gabe asked. “If he was cut up, could it have been the glass from the window?”

  “I know stab wounds when I see them,” the sheriff said testily before taking another deep breath. “Glass would be slashing, these were thrusts. They got him in the stomach twice before he apparently fell or threw himself backwards and broke through the window. He had some cuts on his shoulder, arms, and back, but they were completely different from the knife wounds. I’m waiting to get final confirmation from the doctor, but that’s my guess at this point.”

  “Stabbing,” Abby said slowly. “Don Buckshire was stabbed. Do you think it might be the same people?”

  “Another one of your gut instincts?” the sheriff asked, eyeing her carefully. “I would be lying if the thought hadn’t crossed my mind, but we won’t know for sure until we compare the wounds. It won’t be the same knife, though, since that was stuck in Don’s back, but we might be able to compare strength and angle. The knife used on Don was very unusual, though. Not your normal blade.”

  “Unusual how?” Gabe asked.

  “It was hand forged,” the sheriff said. “Very good work, too. I believe they call it Damascus steel but I’ve been trying to let Lanie handle the investigation. Still, it’s unique.”

  “How often do you run into hand-forged blades?” Abby asked. “That must be rare. Won’t it make it easy to run down the maker?”

  The sheriff grinned. “You would think it would be rare, but you might be surprised at how often people get hand-forged blades. There’s a whole world of people that do reenactment stuff like black powder, mountain man, or the Society for Creative Anachronism not to mention people who just like knives and guns. I wouldn’t say it makes anyone rich, but there’s plenty of business out there for people to make knives in their garages.”

  “I’ve seen a few of those groups rent out camp sites,” Gabe said. “You’d be amazed at the lengths some of them go for their costumes.”

  “Wait!” Abby said, snapping her finger at Gabe. “Did you say your poachers were out camping and they’d cut up one of those deer? Do you think it could be some of these reenactors?”

  Gabe looked dubious, but as he thought about it, she shrugged. “It’s worth checking out. We have the deer carcass up at the ranger station.” He looked at the sheriff. “Do you think we could coordinate with you to see if the blade cuts are related?”

  The sheriff shook his head. “Not with me, but I’m sure Lanie will be willing to share information. I think that’s a long shot. Most reenactors I’ve seen usually camp in pretty big groups, and they don’t go for breaking the law. It’s a hobby for them, not a lifestyle.”

  “All right,” Gabe said. “I’ll check with Lanie. I agree it’s a long shot, but you never know.”

  Just then a nurse came up, getting all of their attention. “Sheriff Pearson? The doctor said it was okay if you went in and saw the patient now. Just be gentle. He’s weak.”

  The sheriff nodded and stood, turning to the three friends. “Wait here. Hopefully I can get some information out of him, but if not, I’ll see if they will let you in to see him. At least now he won’t be drunk.”

  “Thank you, Sheriff,” Abby said. “Even if we can’t see him, please tell him we’re out here and wishing him the best.”

  The sheriff tipped his hat before pulling out his well-used notebook and following the nurse.

  Chapter 14

  It was only a half-hour later when the sheriff came back and he didn’t look happy. Tucking his notebook into his pocket he stopped and sighed. “The nurse said it was okay for you to go see him, but don’t expect much. He’s still groggy from being medicated, and coupled with his depression, it doesn’t make for a good combination. It will be better if you didn’t visit long.”

  Abby, Gabe, and Becky stood and all three exchanged worried glances. “How bad is he?” Abby asked.

  “I won’t lie to you, Abby,” the sheriff said. “He’s barely fit for visitors. I’ll go in there with you to make sure he doesn’t try to get under your skin. He’s bitter right now, but at least he tries not to be a jerk with me around.”

  They all nodded and followed the sheriff back through a hallway and toward one of the rooms. The nurse was outside, waiting. When they got there, she stood in their way, clearly wanting to tell them something before they went in.

  “Don’t get him excited,” she said sternly but quietly. “If he starts to get excited, I’ll have to ask you to leave, and I don’t want to hear any argument. He lost a lot of blood and is still weak. Getting his temper up won’t do him any good.”

  The four of them nodded and the nurse held their gaze for a moment longer before nodding and stepping out of the way. Abby didn’t know about the rest of her friends, but they had looks on their faces that reflected what she was feeling. A bit of fear and uncertainty. Just how bad was the mayor? They were about to find out.

  The sheriff pushed the door open and entered first. “Hey Gil,” he said softly. “Brought some friends that wanted to see how you were doing.”

  There was no answer, but as they all filed in behind the sheriff, they could see the mayor laying on the bed and staring at the window. It was heartbreaking to see him like this. He looked not only spent and deflated, but he was covered with bandages, with some showing signs of blood still leaking through. One of his legs and one of his arms was also in a cast. Not unexpected for having fallen out of a second story window. He didn’t seem to have acknowledged their presence yet, but Abby suspected it was just an act.

  “Hello, Mayor,” Abby said, walking toward the bed.

  He took a deep breath and frowned at the words. “Mayor. Funny you should call me that. I don’t feel much like a mayor right now. Seems my so-called constituents even want to kill me now.”

  Abby frowned at the words but decided not to respond. She wanted to argue, but she suspected that’s exactly what he wanted, and the nurse didn’t. It sounded like he was spoiling for a fight. “I don’t care who it was. I’m just glad you are alive.”

  The mayor glanced at her like a petulant teenager, but nodded briskly. “Yep, I’m alive. I don’t know how I managed, but I am. I guess being drunk and falling out of that window was a stroke of luck.”

  “Sounds like it,” Becky said, moving over to the other side of the bed. “Mr. Tomlin, I don’t know what you want me to call you right now, but you are still my mayor and I’ll fight anyone that says otherwise. I’ll even go find that skunk and throw it in whoever’s house I need to, starting with Ruby Anderson.”

  The mayor blinked and looked at her, and cracked a small smile before wiping it off his face. It was clear he wa
sn’t done being angry, but at least he wasn’t so far gone as to not appreciate loyalty. “Not a good idea to mention that in the presence of the sheriff, is it? But I’d pay good money to see you throw that skunk.”

  “I would, and you know it!” Becky said, puffing out her chest as she got her fiery red-haired temper up.

  “But, more importantly,” Gabe said calmly from the foot of the bed. “I can’t believe something like this happened in our town. Is there anything we can do for you?”

  The mayor looked at Gabe with an unreadable expression on his face but finally shrugged, then winced as the movement caused him pain. “No, or at least, I don’t think so. Can someone make sure my window is fixed or at least covered? I can just imagine all the leaves blowing around in my study when I get out of here.”

  “Already taken care of, Gil,” the sheriff said from behind them. “I had Lanie run over and put a tarp over. You know with her, it will be done right and won’t leak.”

  “Yeah,” the mayor said. “I like Sam and Josh, but sometimes their heads aren’t always screwed on right.” He paused for a moment and looked away. “Thanks, Bob. And thank you to the rest of you for coming. I know I’m a bit difficult to get along with right now, but I appreciate it more than you know.”

  With the ice broken, they spoke about small things for a while but nothing of importance. It seemed like the right thing to do, and by the time they left, the mayor had smiled a few times though he didn’t quite shake the shadow that seemed to float over him. He was even disappointed that Cheerio couldn’t be brought in to visit, but they knew he would never have gotten by the nurse.

  “Thank you, Sheriff,” Abby said as they exited the mayor’s hospital room and headed toward the exit.

  “No, thank you,” the sheriff said. “I think that helped. He needed to see not everyone was against him, since I don’t count.”