by Ed Robinson
“That’s what we’re after,” I said. “I think we have an understanding.”
“How can I get in touch with you?” he asked.
“You can’t,” I said. “We’ll check in as necessary.”
He handed each of us his business card, encouraging us to call at any time. He was on the phone before we could get out of his office. Brody and I smiled at the receptionist and wished her a nice day. I suspected she’d be more cordial on our next visit. It was late, we were hungry, and there was nothing left for us to do that day. We drove back to our little creekside cabin to hide from the world for the night.
Red was at the door with his legs crossed. Poor boy, I’d forgotten about him in all the excitement. I let him run loose in the yard while I checked for signs of a doggie accident. There were none, so I went back outside to play for a while.
Sixteen
I couldn’t sit still the next day. There was a manhunt going on, and I wasn’t part of it. Brody sensed my restlessness.
“You want to drive around looking for white Subarus?” she asked. “Follow them to work or home?”
“The cops are better suited for that,” I said. “What can I do though?”
“If we had a cell phone we could call the particulars and find out what’s going on,” she responded. “But I know I won’t get anywhere with that suggestion.”
“I’ll take it under advisement,” I said. “Maybe I will take a drive. Talk to the cops.”
“Is Miss Will still involved?” she asked.
“I have no idea,” I said. “She was handed the case on Beech Mountain, but I don’t know if the kid is even still a suspect.”
“Go find out,” she offered.
“You’re telling me to go talk to the pretty lady cop?”
“I’m not worried about her,” she said. “If that’s what you’re getting at. I’m worried about you pacing around here like a caged animal. I’ve got shit to do. Go ahead. Talk to whoever you want.”
“You’re welcome to come with me,” I said.
“I need a break,” she said. “I’m not quite the Avenger that you are.”
“I know we came here to get away from it all,” I said. “I know I’ve promised you better.”
“Breeze is Breeze, and that’s the way it will always be,” she said. “I can deal with that.”
“Reason ten thousand why I love you so much,” I said.
“You better.”
I drove up to the top of the driveway and paused. I could turn right towards Boone, and find Rominger, or I could turn left towards Newland and Angelina Will. We’d been in Boone yesterday, I told myself. The decision to turn left was made. During the thirty minute drive to Newland, I told myself to turn around at least ten times, but the trip continued. Even after I was in the parking lot of the Sheriff’s office, I gave myself one more chance to leave and not go inside. I walked inside anyway.
The dispatcher told me Angelina was on the road. I presumed she was checking out white Subarus. I asked if she could relay a message.
“Deputy Will, there is a Meade Breeze here to see you.”
“I’m not near the shop,” Angelina replied. “Ask him to meet me at 111 Morning Song in twenty minutes.”
“I don’t have a phone or GPS,” I told the dispatcher.
She told Angelina to stand by while she showed me on a map. I jotted down some quick directions and thanked her.
“He’s on his way,” the dispatcher said.
The address was a private residence. There was a Sheriff’s car in the driveway. Before I could ring the doorbell, Angelina opened the door.
“Welcome to my home, Breeze,” she said. “Come on in.”
The little devil on my left shoulder and the little angel on my right shoulder began a furious argument. So many times in my life, I knew I was about to do something wrong but did it anyway. This was one of those times. That realization did not stop me from entering the home of Angelina Will.
She was on me as soon as the door closed. She kissed me passionately, and I returned the sentiment. It was not a one-sided affair. The kissing continued long enough to evolve into roaming hands. She tasted like champagne and smelled like heaven. Breeze junior was wide awake and ready for action. She could feel my readiness poking her and trying to bust out of my pants. Her hands moved to undo the button at the top of my jeans.
This had always been the point of no return for me. Desire became too great to change my mind once things had gone this far. I suffered from a condition that had only one cure. I was too weak to deny myself, even when I knew that I should. I found the strength that I needed as Angelina began to unbutton her blouse. I put my hands on her shoulders and very gently pushed her to arm’s length. I looked at her beautiful face, felt her inviting body, and said no.
“I can’t do this.”
“You know you want to,” she said.
“I’m not arguing that,” I said. “But I can’t.”
“Because of Brody?” she asked.
“I love her,” I said. “Maybe it seems old-fashioned, but I can’t betray her.”
“That’s impressive willpower,” she said. “Now I want you even more.”
“Please,” I said. “Stop before my willpower fails. I’m begging you. You’re so hot and desirable, I can’t believe I’m saying no. I do want you, but I just can’t.”
“Okay, I’m going to give you good guy credit,” she said. “But why come here looking for me?”
It took me a few seconds to remember. The blood had left my brain several minutes prior.
“White Subaru,” I said. “Big guy with a crew cut.”
“Let me get you some water,” she said. “You’re not going to believe what I’m about to tell you.”
I sat down and tried to pull myself together. I was embarrassed, but Angelina had given me a reprieve. She left me alone long enough to return to normal. For that I was grateful. She came back and handed me a bottle of water. I couldn’t interpret her smile. I was afraid that if she reinitiated contact, I’d have no defense. I’d used up my strength already. I tried to forget how pretty she was, and conjured an image of Brody’s equally pretty face.
“The Chief’s wife owns a white Subaru,” she said. “Zack drives it often. The Chief himself matches the description you gave to Highway Patrol.”
“That’s enlightening,” I said. “I made that realization about the Chief yesterday.”
“You told a lawyer, and he told some cops and so on and so on,” she said. “Now the Chief himself is a suspect.”
“Have you searched the car?”
“We haven’t found the car,” she said. “Zack left in it yesterday afternoon, soon after all this news broke.”
“APB?”
“If he’s on the road he’ll be found,” she said. “A little tougher if he’s holed up somewhere.”
“The Chief?”
“Lawyered up and not talking,” she said. “Not under arrest either. We have to examine that car.”
“So who’s the killer?” I asked. “The Chief or his son?”
“It always comes down to evidence,” she said. “Or a confession.”
“You’re a good cop,” I told her. “You’ll figure it out.”
“And you’re a good man,” she said. “I’m sorry about earlier. I misread things. Please accept my apologies.”
“It’s not your fault,” I said. “I knew what I was walking into.”
“I hope that Brody knows what she has in you,” she said.
“I’m the lucky one,” I said. “I thank God for her on a regular basis. On that note, I’d appreciate it if we could avoid any further incidents like this. No offense intended.”
“Probably for the best,” she said.
“You should go find that car,” I told her. “You being the cop and all.”
“Yep,” she said. “Let’s get out of here.”
“Thanks for letting me off the hook,” I said.
“You’ve almost restored my faith in
men,” she said. “But only almost.”
“Men are dogs,” I said. “Don’t forget it.”
“Most of them.”
The further I got from her house, the clearer my thoughts became. It was evident that the Chief and his son were involved in the girl’s death. The son was on the run in the vehicle that the cops had been looking for. The father had clammed up. I needed to get a picture of the Chief to the hermit, preferably a full-body shot. Maybe a picture of the car too once it was located. The son did not match the description. He didn’t seem to have any of his father’s traits. I didn’t know what the mother looked like, but I had to assume the boy favored his mom.
I tabled that train of thought for future consideration. I moved on to chastising myself for going to see Angelina. I’d felt a strange excitement during the drive to Newland. I’d ignored all the warning signs and driven through the metaphorical stop signs. I wanted to see her. I was drawn to her like a moth to the flame. I knew that sleeping with her would destroy my relationship with Brody. I was aware that it would ruin the life we’d forged together, even if Brody never found out. I would know. Things would never be the same, but that didn’t stop me from going. I’d let it go too far, but finally came to my senses. Having put a stop to the festivities allowed me to forgive myself. It had taken more strength to say no at that point than it would have taken not to go at all. I’d stared down my greatest temptation. I held it, kissed it, felt its electricity, and was able to say no. I knew this was all a grand rationalization, the truth was that I’d fucked up royally, only saving my sorry ass at the last possible moment. I needed a way to call that a win. I also needed to get back home to Brody.
My last thoughts as I turned onto Pigeon Roost Road were all about Brody. I made a solemn promise to myself to never let anything like today’s events happen again. How many times can you taste the ice cream before you go ahead and eat the whole bowl? I wondered how a supposedly smart guy could sometimes be so damn stupid. It wasn’t the first time that I had tried to solve that riddle. I gave myself a sharp rap on the noggin before going in to talk to my girl.
She had a funny smile on her face when I came in, like she knew something was up. Her eyes twinkled like they did during special moments. She gave me a kiss that was more than the standard welcome home greeting.
“How did it go?” she asked. “Did you talk to the hot cop?”
“I did,” I admitted. “It was frustrating, in more ways than one.”
“You want to tell me about it?”
“Well, the Chief’s wife drives a white Subaru,” I began. “The boy took off in it as soon as he heard what was going on. We need that car, but it sure looks like Father and son are part of the murder at this point.”
“All well and good,” she said. “But I’m more concerned about the rest of it.”
I knew better than to lie to her. We’d grown too close. She could practically read my mind. I wasn’t a great liar to begin with.
“She came on to me, hard,” I said. “It’s okay if you connect frustration with hard. That’s how bad it was.”
“I see,” she said. “How did you respond?”
“I’ll be honest with you,” I said. “I hesitated ever so slightly. She took me by surprise, and I can’t say it wasn’t pleasant, but I put a stop to it. Nothing happened.”
“How did she take it?”
“Graciously,” I said. “Believe it or not. I think we reached an understanding.”
“I think I’ll have to consider this an act of supreme gallantry,” Brody said, taking my hand and pulling me towards the bedroom. “Let Nurse Brody relieve your frustrations and soothe your wounded soul. Let me reinforce just why you turned the pretty lady down.”
I tried to please her in return, but it was all about me. In spite of my obvious foolishness, I was being rewarded for doing the right thing in the end. I was being reminded just what I had in such a valuable partner. It was a lesson well-learned, and much appreciated. I can’t say that it was well-deserved, but it was one that would stick with me for the rest of my days. Most women would have been pissed off and enraged with jealousy. Brody knew better. She sensed it before I confessed any of it. Her trust in me had been justified, and our love had been solidified beyond a doubt.
I was mentally, physically, and perhaps even spiritually, blown away by the way Brody had handled the situation. I struggled to say something appropriate.
“You’re an amazing woman,” was all I could come up with.
“I think we’ve reached our own understanding, wouldn’t you say?”
“Absolutely,” I replied.
Seventeen
The entire Highway Patrol of North Carolina was on the lookout for the car and its driver, as was every county sheriff’s department and local police force. Short of looking for the car ourselves, there wasn’t much that Brody and I could do to help the cause. I spent one day at home taking care of chores and playing with Red, before I felt the urge to do something. We drove down to Boone to talk to Joshua Dorman.
He seemed like a well-connected guy, so we hoped he had some inside information for us. We didn’t have an appointment so we had to sit and wait for thirty minutes before he could see us. We made small talk with the receptionist, who was now our best friend. Finally, Joshua opened his door and waved us in.
“You seem to have created a real hornet’s nest,” he said. “Every bit of the buzz is about this case.”
“Let’s just hope it all works out for the best,” I said. “What’s with the search for the car and the kid?”
“All hands are on deck,” he said. “He has to be in hiding. Law enforcement is reaching out to everyone he’s ever known to try to find him. His mother has checked herself into a mental health facility and isn’t talking. His father has been suspended from active duty. He’s still not talking.”
“What does the court say about our immunity request?” Brody asked.
“General feeling is that we’ll get that approved,” he said. “We still need an arrest, and then we’ll see who gets the case. Convicting a Sheriff of murder is a much bigger deal than arresting a vagrant for petty theft.”
“Especially if that vagrant is the star witness,” I said. “The only witness.”
“Assuming he ID’s the Chief,” he said.
“I hadn’t considered any other possibilities,” I said. “If he doesn’t then we’re screwed. There is no case.”
“There’s a lot of circumstantial stuff now that the son has disappeared,” he said. “The Chief’s lack of cooperation speaks volumes as well. The prosecutor’s office will break them and get to the bottom of it, if one of them is guilty.”
“Solid evidence sure would be nice,” I said. “Mud in that car. Muddy shoes. Blood or hair.”
“The police only have the girl’s body,” he said. “Which was washed clean of that type of evidence. They don’t even have a crime scene.”
“I’d look for it, but I don’t know where to start,” I said. “We scoured every likely address on Beech Mountain.”
“Maybe something was overlooked,” he said. “The initial investigation never really got off the ground, right? Except for you two.”
“That’s right,” I said. “The Beech Boys didn’t have a clue how to proceed. The Chief was happy to delegate the property search to us.”
“The Chief and Officer Sally are the ones who gave us the list of properties to search,” Brody said. “All the Chief had to do was leave off the real crime scene.”
“Maybe Sally was not complicit,” he said. “He just didn’t know.”
“Of course not,” I said. “He gave all of his information to the Chief. It wouldn’t take much to alter the list. Erase one and reprint it or whatever. I think we were sent on a goose chase.”
“That seems like something you could work on,” he said. “If you can get the necessary cooperation.”
“If I can’t, I know people who can,” I said. “You’ve been helpful, thanks.”
“I’m here to serve,” he said. “Have you been in touch with Tyler Scott?”
“I have not,” I said. “Get me some pictures of the Chief, and I’ll take them to him. I need a good full body image.”
“I’m sure I can arrange that,” he said.
“Then we just wait for the car and the kid to be found,” Brody said. “The waiting is the hardest part.”
“I’ll get Rominger up to Beech Mountain PD,” I said. “Try to take another look at those properties. It will give us something to do in the meantime.”
“Give me a day to get some pictures,” he said. “I’ll leave them at the front desk for you.”
“Great, thanks,” I said.
Brody and I got in the car and headed to the office of Highway Patrol. As long as we were moving, I felt like I was doing something to help. Brody welcomed the chance to return to the search for clues on Beech Mountain. Rominger put a little kink in our plans right away.
“Deputy Will has the Beech Mountain assignment,” he said. “You’ll have to ask her.”
Brody and I looked at each other and shrugged.
“So be it,” she said. “I guess we’ll drive down to Newland.”
“I can call ahead if you want,” Rominger said. “Maybe save you the trouble.”
“No, we’ll go see her in person,” Brody said. “Not much else to do today.”
So there I was, driving in the car with my lover and best friend, to go speak with the sexy woman who’d just tried to seduce me, and almost succeeded. It was uncomfortable, to say the least. I tuned into No Shoes Radio and listened to Kenny Chesney tell me he was learning how to build a better boat. I still had an attachment to boats and beaches, but I hadn’t looked back much on those times. We’d built a better life here in the mountains, with apologies to Kenny Chesney. I hoped that when this mission was over, I could learn to sit back and enjoy it more, instead of chasing murderers and hermits all over the wilderness.