Act Normal, A Stan Turner Mystery Vol 9

by William Manchee

time we got up and made a run for what was left of the barn. Fortunately, three of the four wheelers were not damaged. As I got on one of the vehicles, I smelled the foul odor of burning flesh and turned to see two more fallen aliens, their bodies badly burned and mutilated by the lasers. I felt sick and turned away trying to avoid vomiting.

  Soon we were racing as fast as the four wheelers would let us along the perimeter of the farm. The tall oaks and thick Bradford Pear trees made it difficult for the fighters to get a beat on us. Finally, they disappeared and we stopped to catch our breath.

  "Do you think they've gone?" Martha asked.

  "It looks that way," I said. "But they may be back."

  When we got back to the main house there were five aliens still alive. Six had been killed and the Double T Ranch was in shambles. The scene reminded me of the string of bad luck that had befallen Dusty Thomas and his ranch. In his youth Dusty had nearly been killed by a falling branch after a lightning strike. His first wife spent his life’s savings, ran up a pocket full of credit cards, and then divorced him. A few years later he'd had a heart attack while plowing, fell of his tractor, and broke his leg. Then there was the tornado that leveled the house and barns. In recent years much of the ranch had been seized by the IRS and sold at auction. Finally, an IRS agent was murdered in front of the big house while serving a warrant and Dusty was hunted down by the FBI and charged with the crime. He was later tried for that murder but acquitted.

  We thought it best to evacuate the ranch before the police and fire department showed up. There was no way we could have explained what had happened. I looked up as I heard sirens in the distance. Martha ran to her neighbor and borrowed another truck. We threw the dead bodies in the back, covered them with a tarp, and got the hell out of there. As we drove away, I had no idea where we were going. All I knew as we had to get as much distance from us and the ranch as we could.

  That night we camped out at one the Oklahoma state parks on Lake Texoma. Tehra managed to contact the Loyalists and gave them our new position. The following day just before dawn the huge ship glided over the lake shooting out blue lightning ahead and behind the ship. Once it was overhead it hovered effortlessly above us.

  "I wish I could stay," Tehra said. "I'd like to live here with you."

  "I'd like that too if circumstances were different."

  She sighed. "I'll find Peter when I get back to Tarizon and tell him how I met his father."

  Tears began to well in my eyes. "If you do see him, tell him we love him and we miss him terribly."

  "I will," Tehra said squeezing my hand. "Take care of yourself."

  "Me! You're the one who'll be walking into a civil war."

  She shrugged and then joined the others on the shore of the lake including the dead soldiers whose bodies were laid out in a row. Suddenly there was a hissing sound and both the living and the dead floated up into the ship within an invisible tube. It was an incredible sight that left me breathless.

  When I got home an hour later, Rebekah wanted to know all that had happened. I told her everything and assured her the alien project was finished. She breathed a sigh of relief.

  "Thank God. These past two years have been the worst years of our lives. I curse the day you met Mo and got involved with the CIA."

  "Don't worry. Those days are over," I said and took her in my arms. "Paula will be happy too. She hated all of this."

  "I don't blame her. It's been horrible."

  As I held Rebekah, I thought of Tehra somewhere out in space. How could that be? I wondered if she'd really look for Peter when she got to Tarizon and, if she found him, tell him about her adventures on Earth. It was all so incredible, I could scarcely comprehend it. Then a strange calm came over me. Someday I'd see Peter again. Somehow he'd make it back to Earth and we'd be reunited! I just knew it!

 

  54

  Outburst

  Stan Turner

  In early spring the following year I got a call from Ben Stover reminding me that Ralph Herman's trial was starting the next week. He and Alice really wanted me to attend the trial. I told him I really couldn't afford the time away from the office as I was involved with a trio of doctors who’d enlisted me to set up a defensive estate plan for them. They had been plagued by ex-wives, frivolous lawsuits, and the IRS and wanted to be able to practice medicine without constantly being distracted by someone after their money. It was one of those projects that involved creativity rather than legal prowess and had been a nice change of pace.

  "Alice and I'd really feel better if you came," Ben pleaded. "We'll pay you for your time."

  "Do I have to remind you that you're bankrupt?"

  "I don't care. We'll find the money."

  "It's not the money," I said. "It's just I'm deluged with work right now."

  There was silence on the other line. I could feel Ben's anxiety through the phone line. I couldn't stand it.

  "Okay, I'll come down for the last day of the trial and sit with you and Alice during jury deliberations."

  "Well, I guess that's better than not coming at all," he said gloomily.

  "Come on. You're in good hands with Gary Wakefield. He's a good prosecutor."

  "I know, but he could probably use some help. You know Herman's a smooth talker. He'll probably have the jury eating out of his hand."

  "I doubt that," I protested. "There's a lot of evidence against him.”

  "True, but every time we take Ralph Herman for granted he burns us."

  Ben was right. It was uncanny how Herman could hit you with a grenade when you least expected it. Could he possibly escape conviction? We just couldn't let that happen.

  "Listen, Ben. Don't worry about. I've got an idea how to insure Ralph gets what he deserves. Jodie and I will be there to give Wakefield a hand if he needs it."

  "Good. I feel so much better now. Alice will be thrilled."

  After I hung up, I asked Jodie to come and see me. We had a plan to concoct to be sure the truth about Ralph Herman finally came out. On a previous case we had been desperate to get a witness to tell the truth so I had asked Mo if he could get us some truth serum. We were shocked when he provided us with the CIA's latest brew. The directions were simple. A few drops directly on the tongue or a half teaspoon in a liquid. Luckily I had a little bit left.

  On Wednesday of the following week I got a call from Ben. He told me the case was winding down and would likely go to the jury on Friday.

  "I'm really worried. Ralph testified today and he's very convincing. He went on and on about my poor health and how forgetful I've become. He says it got so bad, he was practically running the company for me. He still claims I authorized him to set up the accounts and that he just did what I told him to do."

  "What about the missing money?"

  "He says I've got it stashed away somewhere. Wakefield says he's going to have to recall me and Alice as rebuttal witnesses to try to undo some of the damage he's caused."

  "I can't believe this. Didn't Wakefield try to discredit him?"

  "Yes, it's not his fault. Ralph's a snake. When Wakefield brought up his surreptitious trips to the Cayman Islands, he claimed that I gave him detailed instructions on how to set up the accounts and then blurted out the fact that I had been arrested for bankruptcy fraud."

  "What! I thought the judge ruled that was not relevant and couldn't be mentioned at trial."

  "He did, and Ralph was admonished for bringing it up but big deal. The jury still heard it."

  I took a deep, frustrated breath. I told Ben we'd be there in the morning and not to worry.

  The next morning Jodie and I worked out our plan to dispense the drug to the witness on the way to Waco. The truth serum seemed to have worked on the last witness we tried it on, but her testimony was interrupted so we didn't really know for sure. Another uncertainty was that she was a willing participant in the use of the drug. Today our witness would not know that he had been drugged and it might not work as well on someone who fought it
s effects.

  Another worry would be if the judge found out what we'd done. It would be considered obstruction of justice and we'd be immediately arrested and I'd lose my law license. But we couldn't let Ralph Herman get away with his crimes and it looked like that was exactly what was going to happen if we didn't take matters into our own hands. It didn't feel like we were doing anything wrong, since the truth serum was supposed to make the witness tell the truth. What could be wrong with that? But, I knew the judge and the bar association wouldn't see it that way. I discussed the situation with Jodie and told her that she probably shouldn't help me, but she wouldn't hear of it.

  We conferred with Wakefield when we arrived at the courthouse and he advised us that he was taking Ike Eiseman on cross when the trial resumed. That was perfect as Ike seemed to be the best candidate for the truth serum as he would have less resolve to fight off the effects of the drug than Herman. I pointed out Eiseman to Jodie and she went off to implement our plan.

  It was a simple plan. Jodie would sit next to him and strike up a conversation and then invite him to have a cup of coffee. While he wasn't looking, she'd slip in the truth serum. As I entered the courtroom, I saw them walking off to the courthouse cafeteria. I shook my head. Female charm was the deadliest weapon in the universe.

  Inside, I saw Ben and Alice and went over to them. Alice and I embraced and Ben shook my hand fiercely.

  "Thank you for coming, Stan. You don't know how much this means to us."

  "Well, I want to see