A Tale of Two Lenores

by Terry Mattingly

  Sip by sip James quenched his thirst, glad he was drinking bottled water. It would not do the end up with diarrhea from drinking some of the well water in this area, wherever here is. Heaven only knows where the facilities are in relation to the old wells.

  Taking the empty bottle from his hands, Casey put a clean cool cloth to James’ head and instructed him to rest. “We can’t risk starting a fire tonight, so it will be a cold supper when the time comes. Just as well rest now.”

  “What time is it and how long I have been here?” James demanded.

  “You were out for about twenty minutes, from what Charlie told me.”

  “Charlie?” James turned to his old friend for confirmation.

  “You were fuzzy at first, but awake and I helped you walk,” Charlie spoke in a slow, deliberate voice. He always had, as if he was giving careful thought to every word. “You passed out before we got to the porch.”

  “We will talk more, later, Mr. Collins. Rest.” She placed a blanket over him. “This will keep the chill off.”

  James soon fell asleep. When he woke up, the whispering voices of Casey and Charlie came to him from across the room. He strained to hear what they were talking about to no avail. James’ leg started cramping, he groaned, and tried to stand but couldn’t. The voices ceased.

  Casey and Charlie came to his aid. “Please, my leg is cramping” James hated this but once his leg cramps started, walking was the only way to alleviate the pain. “I need to walk, but can’t seem to stand”

  It took both Charlie and Casey to help James to his feet and hold him as he walked around his room. Several laps later, the cramping subsided, and James sat down in one of two chairs in the room and lay his head across his arms on the table.

  “Are you better, Mr. Collins?” Casey asked.

  James nodded, without raising his head.

  “I can fix you a plate of peanut butter and crackers, if you are hungry. With all the activity around the last few days, we have not had a fire.”

  “Peanut butter and crackers will be lovely, thank you.”

  As she prepared his meal, James studied his surroundings. The small windowless room he estimated to be about 9 x 12 feet. He saw no fireplace or a stove. Charlie had said they would hide in the house. Did he mean Twin Maples? A single butane lantern was the room’s only light source. The furniture consisted of a small table and two chairs. On one wall, James spied one small cot. Not much, but if one needed to hide from ‘bad men’ it was as good a place as any.

  Casey and Charlie sat in silence watching him eat. James washed the last of his repast down with another bottle of water. Question and answer time.

  “It is time to tell me where I am and what is going on” James demanded.

  A pregnant silence lingered in the air before Casey at last began to speak. It did not surprise James that the girl would take the lead role. Charlie had always been shy.

  “There are certain things, I can’t tell you,” she started. “I can tell you where we are right now.”

  “That is a good start,” James remarked. “Charlie you said we would hide in the house. Are we at Twin Maples?”

  “Yes, in a secret room in Mr. Paul’s house,” Charlie said in a conspiratorial whisper.

  “This is too dark for the attic room and I don’t think you could have carried me up those narrow stairs.”

  “No, this is another secret room. Mr. Paul showed me. It is behind a wall in the kitchen and there is a tunnel under the room, too.” Charlie told his friend proudly. “I like to come through the tunnel.”

  “The room between the study and kitchen?” James asked, glad that his memory was improving.

  “That is the one. I stay here sometimes, for fun,” the gentle giant of a man explained. “I feel close to Grammy and Mr. Paul. I camp out in the attic too, sometimes.”

  “Charlie, you have a home. Why are you hiding out here?”

  “I like it here. Besides, Casey needs me to protect her, Mr. Jim.” Charlie said proudly.

  James turned to the woman. “Miss Casey, who is after you and why? I have a friend who is an attorney and one who is a detective. I am sure we can help you.”

  “I appreciate the offer Mr. Collins, but for reasons I cannot divulge I need to keep low for a few more days. I have friends who will come to my aid when they miss me. For Charlie’s safety and mine, we must hide out until then.”

  “Can I get word to my daughter?” James implored. “I know she will be worried.”

  “You cell phone case is empty, and I lost mine during my spat of trouble. I am afraid leaving will be too dangerous tonight, sir. Those men who are of the greatest threat, roam at night. I am sorry,” and she sincerely was. “I have someone who loves me worrying now, also.”

  “I have a car sitting in front of the house. We can leave and get you help.” James suggested.

  “The man who hit you stole your keys and cell phone. The man who did this,” pointing to the wound on her face, “is looking for us I am sure. Does your daughter know where you are?”

  “She knows I was supposed to come to the old place today and I sent her a message when I found the grave.”

  “You found a grave?” Casey was shocked.

  “Yes, it is not but a few days old. I tripped over it,” James explained. “I took a picture of it and sent it in a text to my daughter. If I had not lost my phone, I could show you.”

  “Charlie,” Casey shot a questioning look to her protector. “Do you know about this grave?”

  “I found a dead man in a sinkhole the other day and buried him so he would not turn into a zombie,” Charlie explained solemnly.

  Casey gave Charlie a disbelieving look. Did he really believe in zombies? James grinned, despite the urgency of his situation. Charlie was an avid fan of the TV show the Walking Dead and he did believe in zombies.

  “What did the man look like, Charlie?” Anxiety swirled within Casey’s gut.

  “It was terrible. His face was beat up bad.” Charlie shuddered.

  “How was he dressed Charlie?” she coaxed.

  “He had on boots and jeans, that is all I remember.” Charlie could tell his friend was worried about this man. “Was he your friend, Casey?”

  “Oh, Charlie. I hope not, but I am so afraid he is.” Casey fought back her tears. “Mr. Collins, you are in no shape to walk tonight but I promise you we will get out of here tomorrow.”

  “You are right, Miss Casey. I feel much better, except for this headache and that is to be expected I suppose. As much as I hate my daughter to worry, it is best I rest here tonight.”

  “Charlie, please show Dr. Collins to the bathroom facility,” she instructed. “Then he needs to get some rest. We start out early in the morning.”

  Charlie nodded, and helped James to another room. His head throbbed, and he became dizzy with standing. He felt sick at his stomach but managed not to retch. The dizziness and nausea subsided, and James returned to his bed.

  Back in his cot, his head throbbing, James asked, “Would you happen to have something for a headache?”

  “I am afraid not, Mr. Collins. I can get you another cool cloth. Will that help?”

  “Yes, please. It did earlier.”

  “Thank you,” he whispered. “Good night all.”

  Chapter 6

  Larry Canner pulled over to the shoulder of the road to let the police vehicles pass. Wonder where they are going at this hour? With the last of the cop cars around him, Larry fell in line behind the entourage keeping two respectable car lengths behind. He wanted no run ins with the law. He hoped they would soon turn off on another road, but they kept going until reaching the old Twin Maples property, the land adjoining Maple Bluff, the small horse farm Larry and his brother worked.

  Damn, now what? The abandoned place belongs to someone out-of-state, Larry knew that. He also knew that the No Trespassing signs nailed to fence posts and trees surrounding the property did not deter nosy kids wanting to see the ghosts reported to haunt
the place. He hoped nothing serious was going on. It is not that Larry is concerned with the welfare of a would-be ghost hunter, but the presence of police on the adjacent property would make getting their cargo out to the buyers difficult. He also wanted to search for that woman tonight. She kept out of sight during the day, snooping around after darkness fell.

  Larry passed the old manor and pulled into a hidden entrance a few yards down the road. The old logging road that served as a rear entrance to the property was uneven, rough, and full of ruts, but it was nothing his 4x4 dually pickup truck couldn’t handle. Stopping in front of a horse barn, Larry jumped from the truck and hurried to open the double doors and drive the truck inside. The door magically closed behind him. Mitch had heard him coming.

  “What happened to tapping the horn a time or two, warning me to open the door?” Mitch Canner asked his older brother.

  “Cops everywhere on the next property, I did not want to announce we are home over here.” Larry informed him. Then, seeing his brother shirtless and barefoot, and his pants unzipped, Larry scowled. “Damn you, Mitch. That girl is not here again, he she?” He demanded. “I told you after last time, to stay away from her and keep your drawers on. Her old man will kill you if he finds out.”

  “What do you expect, Larry? I ain’t no saint and she ain’t either. She comes on to me every time she is in town. She came to me tonight. Her father has his fancy piece here this weekend too,” Mitch challenged. “Said it was awkward at the house watching him cuddling a woman her age. Dirty old bastard is what the man is, if you ask me.”

  “Mitch, no one is asking you. The man is our boss and he can do what he damn well pleases. But I am telling you, we are nothing but a couple of work hands, stable muckers; he won’t like it if he finds out you are doing his little girl.”

  “She is eighteen, Larry. And she is damn sure no little girl,” Mitch grinned. “I can guarantee that.”

  “Mitch, we need to keep a low profile. The boss man will not be happy, and we are replaceable.”

  “He ain’t going to find out, Larry. He is laid up there now with his lasts tart,” Mitch protested. “Besides, how do we really know if he is really the boss? It could be any of the rich men, or women that hang out up at the house.”

  “He might not be the big boss, but he is our boss, Mitch. He gives the orders and hands out the payroll. Stay away from the damn girl. We have enough problem as it is, especially since the cops are snooping around here. That bitch might have made it to the cops after all. Damn, they could be over searching for that FBI agent. You did toss the body over the cliff, didn’t you and make sure it landed in the river?”

  When his brother did not answer, Larry got up in his face and demanded, “Mitch, you did throw that cop over the cliff like I told you to, didn’t you?”

  “No Larry,” Mitch mumbled.

  “What did you do with it, Mitch?” Larry demanded through clenched teeth. “Answer me, damn you!”

  “I tossed it on the property next door in a sinkhole. Nobody lives there and if he is ever found, the idiot that hangs out over there will be the first one police suspect.” Mitch sounded proud; he thought it was a clever idea. “He will take the blame for that old man today too.”

  “What old man, Mitch? What have you done?” Larry demanded, his stomach knotting in worry.

  “This man was walking over the place today and he found the grave. I couldn’t let him get away and tell the law.”

  “What grave, Mitch?”

  “That cop. The idiot found the body in the sinkhole and buried it” Mitch explained. “An old man was nosing around over there today, and he found the grave. I stopped to talk to the old geezer just to see what he was up to. He said he was writing a book and had the owner’s permission to be there. I guess I got nervous and I hit him up the side of his head.” Mitch did not dare look at his brother.

  “Did you kill him?”

  “He was alive when I left but that idiot that hangs around came charging at me and I had to shoot at him. I didn’t hit him though,” Mitch added in a hurry. “And, I cleaned out the old man’s pockets. See? Cash, driver’s license, and house keys. We can find the house, scope it out and maybe get something good.”

  “Dammit. That is why all the cops are doing over there now. It was the imbecile that called the cops. This whole area will be swarming with cops for days now. Damn, Mitch. Why can’t you just do as I tell you? Sometimes, you aren’t any brighter than that idiot next door.”

  That did it. Mitch was always the stupid one, always the one getting into trouble. Like Larry never did anything wrong. Or, like Larry never screwed one of the boss’ guests. Two things made Mitch’s blood boil and his mouth get in gear before his brain: alcohol and anger.

  “Well, ain’t you a self-righteous, two-faced prick? What about that girl two weeks ago Larry? The red head with the body like a pole dancer? She had never been on a horse and you were giving her lessons. You couldn’t keep from drooling all over yourself and feeling her up when she needed a hand. No sir. You just have to have her, didn’t you?”

  “Shut up, Mitch,” growled his brother.

  “Why you broke that little filly in good, didn’t you? If that fat old fart she is married to finds out, your ass is grass.” Mitch laughed. “And to top that off, you are the one that let the woman with the cop get away. You wanted to play around, get a little before killing her and look what happened. You should have slit her throat instead of slashing her face.”

  “I told you to shut up, Mitch,” Larry hissed. He had to get out of here, before he did something, he would later regret to his stupid baby brother. “I am going to take a walk and see what is going on next door. Get your clothes back on. We have to try to make a delivery tonight and I want to find that damn woman.”

  “Yeah, Larry,” Mitch mumbled, before getting in one parting shot. “You know Larry, that red-head filly might even be the big boss. Maybe you should be her personal instructor more often.”

  “Shut up, Mitch.” His brother’s raucous laughter followed Larry as he left the barn.

  The cloudy sky made sneaking through the woods easier, not that Larry needed any help. Someone once compared Larry’s skill in the woods to those of a mountain lion. His night vision was better than most; his ears always on alert; and he had a knack for walking so light, you would think his feet never touched the ground. Larry loved the woods, especially in the night. He often thought he was a mountain man or an Indian or even a sleek, sly mountain lion in his past life. Instead he was a stable mucker and drug runner. A man with a record trying to take care of his imbecilic brother, Mitch.

  This night would be perfect for their run if not for the police next door. Larry experienced a resurgence of anger at Mitch for putting them in jeopardy. Sinkholes littered the landscape around here sure, but the property ran along the river. The strong current would have washed the body downstream. Why did the kid just throw the body away next door within spitting distance of the coral? Mitch just did not think straight sometimes.

  Larry wondered if he was too hard on his brother at times. It was hard to raise a kid just ten years younger than yourself. Mitch was young, good-looking, charming, and raging with hormones. The boss’ daughter is a looker and a flirt, that is for sure and Mitch was not the first cowboy she’d taken a ride on. But that describes all the women the boss and his rich friends bring to the farm for weekend riding lessons. Larry had no doubt most of the women were high-end call girls, not wives.

  That red head, for example, she had Larry undressed with her eyes before he had saddled the mare for her. She rubbed herself against him at every opportunity, leaning in close to so Larry could look down her blouse which strained against her breast. The question flicked across his mind at the time if the breast were real or store bought. Before that weekend was over, Larry had his answer. Ever body part of her was original. Her sugar daddy did not appreciate what fine candy that woman is. It’s a damn shame.

  Larry reached a spot fr
om which he could keep out of sight and still see what was happening at Twin Maples. Cops, dogs, and sure enough, a grave. Mitch, what have you started? The last thing the boss would want is cops creeping over to the corral and stables. It would be bad enough if one the dogs spooked one of the high dollar thoroughbreds. But it would be worse if they sniffed out the stash of pure snow and smack. He and Mitch would be pushing up daisies instead of pushing drugs. Doing time in the penitentiary would not be a choice. The big boss chose one trusted man as fall guy should things go wrong with the operation. That man was being well-compensated in advance to ease the less than luxurious accommodations the penitentiary would offer. Those on the upper rungs of the power ladder than the fall guy will be safe and the unfortunate ones on the lower rungs, like Larry and Mitch, will be the first to go down. Syndicates did not let witnesses live. That is why Larry had to kill that man the other day, he got too nosy.

  One of the boss’ regular guests brought a new couple with him last week. They planned to spend four or five days. Nothing unusual about that. Both were experienced riders and wouldn’t need any help, leaving Larry and Mitch time to work with the inexperienced visitors. The group arrived last Thursday night. The new couple was nice enough. True to their word, neither needed any help with saddling, riding, or grooming their mounts. All Larry and Mitch had to do was feed the horses as usual. The woman was a real looker for sure, blond hair, blue eyes, and a good figure. She was sort of shy around the man like this was the first time they had been away together. Larry suspected one of the two was cheating on a spouse somewhere.

  Guests at the farm usually clear out Sunday night, but the new couple planned to leave midday on Monday. Larry and Mitch, not needed to babysit guests that morning, made good use of the free time to off load some of the merchandise. The man took advantage of the brothers’ absence to snoop. He found the stash of cocaine the brothers had been keeping for themselves as an ‘investment’. Larry had discovered the intruder. Thinking the boss had become suspicious and sent the man to the farm as a spy, Larry’s blood boiled. He killed the man. Larry went through the guy’s pockets for information to support his suspicions of the boss and discovers guy had been an FBI agent. Mitch was supposed to get rid of the body and Larry would get rid of the woman.