Home Fires

by W L Ripley

  Jake shifted on the sofa and said, “Yesterday’s box score.”

  “Not what she thinks. I can see it in her posture. She sees you as a possibility. Why would she think that?”

  Harper was boring in and Jake uncomfortable with her questions. Why did Pam think that? The gray kitten batted at Bandit with a paw. The Schnauzer flinched but leaned down and nuzzled the kitten.

  “Pam and I were together back in the day. That help?”

  “And she looks to fast-forward to now.” She searched his face, his eyes, feeling her look. “There’s more. I know her, have watched the way she does things. Know when she is in seduction mode. Observation not intuition. Anything else?”

  “My choices haven’t always been the best,” he said. Life was never simple. “Sometimes I require a lot of forgiveness. Can you give me that?”

  In the background Adele was singing ‘Melt My Heart to Stone’. It was quiet between them. She folded her arms over her chest and moved ever-so-slightly away from him.

  “I have to be able to trust you,” she said. “And, you need to trust my feelings for you. Neither of us is perfect. No one is. We have to allow each other to make decisions based on that trust. I’ve had a crush on you since junior high. You didn’t know that? Of course, you knew, you’re too aware not to. There’s still some of that. There could be more than just a crush developing between us. You want to go into that with secrets?”

  “No.” He shook his head. “No, I don’t. But this is not going to be pretty.”

  In a quiet voice she said, “Okay, that’s fair, go ahead.”

  He told her. Told her about Pam’s visit the night before. About the scene at Hank’s place. She didn’t interrupt or ask questions until he was finished.

  “So, are you going to stay away from her?”

  “Yes.”

  “Because of her father or because you don’t want her?”

  “Because of you, I guess.”

  “Guess?”

  “I don’t want anything like last night, ever again.”

  “So, one more sport fuck for old time’s sake? Another item for the school paper’s gossip column?”

  “Keep in mind there was no you at that time.”

  “So, a nostalgic ride. Once more into the breach. That it?”

  “Don’t overthink it. You asked for the truth. I provided it.”

  “I know,” she said. “This is more difficult than I imagined. Like you, I have history with Pam and the Mitchells. I need to let that go.”

  “I have no desire to be Pam’s boy toy nor to be known for the fastest hips in town. Not something I seek. Pam was years ago. I walked away from her for the very reasons you mentioned. All of this is ancient history. Last night was like a car wreck.”

  The kittens back raised and turned and ran from the room. Bandit took a couple of steps to chase her and stopped, then took out after her. Harper rested her chin on the back of her hand. With her teeth in a straight line, she said, “I need time to think about this.”

  “Sure.”

  “You’re right,” she said, “it’s not pretty.”

  But there it was.

  “One more thing,” said Harper.

  “Sure.”

  “You don’t wonder how she got in your house?”

  Chapter Thirteen

  The next morning Jake was at the county courthouse, his boots echoing on the ancient wooden steps up to the second-floor recorder’s office where he was led to the map room. He searched for his place and found it, saw the boundaries. He looked up property owners of the land adjacent to it and recognized the names. Alex Mitchell, Tommy Mitchell, Vernon Mitchell and Pam Mitchell.

  Wow. Alfred’s place was surrounded by Mitchell property. The purchases were made within the past eighteen months. Now the inquiries about buying the place making sense. The Mitchells wanted the farm. It was sitting right in the middle of their holdings. But, what did it mean? There was talk of an airport and maybe they wanted the farm as part of that project. Nothing criminal about procuring property and extending your holdings. Land was a marketable commodity.

  Still...

  Gage and Alfred both died within the eighteen-month period of the land purchases. Maybe a coincidence.

  Jake hated coincidence.

  Jake sought out the county coroner, a local doctor. He doubted the M.E. would tell him much but his experience was you checked everything. Whatever you were wishing to turn up could be anywhere.

  The coroner, Dr. Majuri, a medium sized man with a middle-eastern accent, made a tent of his hands, resting his elbows on his desk as he listened to Jake’s questions.

  “I was a friend of Gage Burnell,” Jake said. “He was killed in an auto accident recently.”

  “I remember it. Tragic.”

  “Was there another vehicle involved?”

  “I only examined the...a...body. The sheriff’s office investigated the scene.”

  “Was he drinking?”

  Dr. Majuri studied Jake. “What are you looking for here?”

  “I’m a law enforcement officer in Texas,” Jake said. He produced his star with the words ‘Department of Public Safety, Texas Rangers’ embossed on the circle. “Like I said, Gage was a friend.”

  “You are perhaps out of your jurisdiction,” said the coroner, smiling. “But you are an officer of the law and as a matter of courtesy I will tell you this. His blood showed, if memory serves, high levels of blood-alcohol content. Over the legal limit.”

  “Never knew Gage to drink much. When we were younger Gage was generally the designated driver. Why would he get drunk and drive his car off a bridge?”

  Looking over the top of his bifocals he said, “You are asking me to make a value judgment. I examine and propose medical theories of a person’s passing. Hopefully, I am accurate. Mister Morgan, I see strange things in my work. Dead spouses stabbed post-mortem, carbon-monoxide suicides, once found an old woman who had been dead for over a week sitting in her rocking chair, the television tuned to the Playboy channel. The average citizen does not see these things.”

  “May I see the photos taken at the scene?”

  “The sheriff has those. According to state statutes they could not be disclosed except to close relatives.”

  “Were there any post-mortem wounds or anything that may suggest previous injury?”

  “Meaning?”

  “Bruises, contusions or cuts that were present prior to the accident.”

  “Well... ” Majuri thinking about it now. “Hard to make that determination as the body was badly damaged in the...a...crash. There were, naturally, contusions and multiple cuts and abrasions. I will admit I found that odd.”

  “Your final determination was accidental?”

  Majuri nodded.

  “Which of those injuries was most responsible for his death?” Jake said.

  “None of them. The cause of death was suffocation resulting from aspiration of fluid.”

  “What?”

  “You didn’t know? Your Mister Burnell drowned.”

  Chapter Fourteen

  Jake drove out to the old bridge on HH. There was a significant drop off as the ground over the creek was elevated. He could see the tracks and trail of Gage’s vehicle where it tore weeds and ripped turf. He got out of his truck and walked down the bank. There was no suggestion that Gage had tried to stop, walking down to the creek’s edge he saw were the bumper of the vehicle had dug into the shallow sediment of the creek.

  There were several footprints on the slope but that would be consistent with people recovering a body and pulling the vehicle out of the creek. There were signs of boots or shoes sliding down the bank.

  He looked closely. Thought about it. Sliding marks. The gouge in the sediment and shore looked as if the truck had stopped right there.

  Meaning the vehicle had not fully gone into the creek.

  How did Gage drown? It was a large running creek and deep enough. Did Gage exit the vehicle, disoriented in a drun
ken stupor or from injuries incurred during the crash and stumbled into the creek face down? It was possible. Jake had once investigated a drowning as a possible homicide, but the victim was drunk and high on crack, passing out. Still, what explained the injuries sustained by Gage the M.E. described? He had more questions for Majuri and wanted to interview Deputy Sheriff Bailey. Cal had said Bailey was a good person.

  He called Majuri’s office and waited. Majuri came on the line.

  “Yes, Mister Morgan. What can I do for you?”

  “One more question, Doctor Majuri. Was there a full autopsy done on Gage’s body?”

  “Why, no. He was rushed to the med center. I examined him there and determined the cause of death was suffocation resulting from aspiration of fluid even as I related earlier and that is on the death certificate. There is little doubt he died from drowning. Sheriff Kellogg accepted that finding. As I mentioned previously, I did perform a blood test.”

  “Would Gage’s blood-alcohol content be high enough that he would be black-out drunk?”

  “It varies with each individual so it would be hard to say. Is there a problem?”

  “I don’t know,” Jake said.

  “Let me know if I can help you further. As the county ME I can only suggest certain things. I am not infallible. Determination of reason is the province of law enforcement. Again, much sorrow for your friend’s passing.”

  Jake thanked him and broke the connection.

  He dialed Buddy Johnson.

  “Can you hook me up for a meeting for me with Deputy Bailey?”

  “I can try.”

  “Have you been out to the site of Gage’s accident?”

  “Been there but didn’t examine it. Why?”

  “Something’s not right. Gage sustained multiple injuries but that isn’t what killed him. The ME marked it as an accidental drowning. But from what I’ve seen out here—”

  “Dammit, Jake, are you out at the bridge?”

  “Yes.”

  “Hang on, be there in ten minutes.”

  Buddy arrived in street clothes. His day off. They stood on the bank and looked down at the creek bed.

  “Man, you’re right,” Buddy said. “I don’t see how he got cut up if what you’re telling me is a fact.”

  Jake saying, “It’s a fairly steep grade and he could’ve bounced or rolled on the way down. If he wasn’t wearing a seat belt he could’ve been tossed around and tore up by the steering wheel, gear shift and debris in vehicle. We don’t know if there was another vehicle involved which would create other questions.”

  “Drowning’s weird though.”

  “You didn’t know?”

  Buddy removed his baseball cap and scratched his head. “No. Sheriff just said it was a wreck. That’s all he told me. Word around town is the wreck killed him. I told you Doc’s been keeping me on the outside of things. He was unhappy the day you had your little scrimmage with Tommy and Fat Boy. I made a joke about it, pissed him off, telling me citizens getting assaulted wasn’t a joke, but then he doesn’t have much of a sense of humor. And now I’m fired so my access is gone.”

  “I come to town and I start asking questions and you’re fired. That bother you?”

  “Some.”

  “What about Bailey? Can you set something up?”

  “I don’t know. I’ll try but she could hesitate she thinks Doc won’t like it and he won’t. She’s got a kid and her husband ran off and left her to pay the bills he ran up. She’s going to be reluctant to do anything Doc won’t approve, and lose her source of income. You know I never knew how Kellogg got the nickname, “Doc”?”

  “He was a medic in the military,” Jake said. Another thing to think about. Why hadn’t Kellogg been concerned about Gage’s injuries if he knew Gage had drowned? A medic would have questions.

  “Bailey’s not going to buck Kellogg,” Buddy said. “May be better if I ask her about her investigation.”

  “Ask her if she saw other footprints when she arrived on the scene.”

  “Yeah,” Buddy said, nodding. “Yeah, that’s a hell of an idea.”

  “Another thing.”

  “Yeah.”

  “I want to see the car.”

  Buddy nodded. “You’re a lot of trouble.”

  “All this at no extra charge.”

  Chapter Fifteen

  Saturday morning Jake decided to take shooting practice. He fired his personal firearms along with his service weapon, setting up targets for both combat and competition shooting. Groupings were good, glad for that, wanting to stay sharp. Afterwards, he cleaned the weapons and planted a pair of red maple trees, something constructive. Jake’s mind was sharper and more focused when doing manual labor. Digging the hole, he thought about last night and his discussion with Harper hoping their relationship was not stillborn.

  Now thinking about what he had seen at the bridge. Buddy said he would attempt to draw information from Deputy Bailey that would be useful. So far, Jake had only suspicions most of which could be explained away but his experience had taught him to chip away and continue to gather evidence.

  But he was running out of time. He now had only a few days to learn what happened to Gage before returning to Texas to face the music...or be reinstated. If he was not cleared of the specious charges, then what?

  Jake had finished digging the first hole when he heard the rumble of the Camaro burning up his lane. One of the newer Camaros, with the throwback look, throwing gravel and trailing a plume of dust.

  Aw hell. Not now. Not today. It was Tommy Mitchell.

  Tommy got out of his car and slammed the door. Without preamble he jabbed a finger at Jake, saying, “You stay away from my wife, Morgan. Stay away from my brother’s wife, too.”

  “Do you take intelligence reducing meds?” Jake said. “Get back in your car and get out of here before I change your day.”

  “She’s my woman, Morgan.” He was swaying a little as he said it. Drunk or stoned before noon. What a special guy.

  “That’s not accurate,” Jake said. He wiped perspiration from his forehead with the back of a sleeve. Who needed this? “Doubt she ever was. She’s her own woman. That’s what guys like you don’t get. She’s free to do what she wants.”

  “Don’t make me say it twice.”

  “Repeating it make you feel better? When you’re finished scaring me, let me see your taillights get small before this escalates and you finish your drunk act at ER.”

  Tommy leaned against his car and crossed his ankles. “You think you’re some kind of swinging dick, don’t you?”

  Jake really smiling now. Tommy could be unwittingly entertaining. Jake jammed the shovel in the ground to make it stand erect, wiped off his hands and said, “Did you hear that on TV, Tommy? Nobody really talks like that.”

  “Don’t fuck with me, buddy.”

  “I’m not your buddy and your threats are boring.”

  “You think I’m bluffing?” Tommy said, his bluster diminished by his unsteady stance.

  “I don’t have thoughts about you at all. We’ve already seen what happens when we’re are at odds. But guys like you gotta be shown, right?”

  “You need to pack it in and head back to wherever you came from.” Jake noting that Tommy apparently didn’t realize Jake lived in Texas. Tommy wasn’t the guy who mentioned Pam to Sheriff Kellogg.

  “I was born here,” Jake said, wondering why he said it.

  “I’m going to get her back,” Tommy said. “One way or another. She’s my bitch, no one else’s. I can’t have her I’ll fix it so no one else can.”

  “What does that mean, Tommy?” Jake stepped towards Tommy not liking Tommy’s choice of words, feeling the heat and the red cloud forming behind his eyes. “Is that something you want to have said? You talk about her as if there is no weight for saying things like that.”

  “That a threat?” Jake could see Tommy was losing the heat of his bluster.

  “Seeing your future. You touch her and your life w
ill never be the same. Now, get off my place before I drop-kick you down the lane.”

  “Maybe it won’t always be your place.”

  Hell of a thing to say. Jake wondering about that.

  “Do I have to count to three?” Jake said.

  Tommy got back in his car and ripped a donut in Jake’s drive.

  Jake leaned on his shovel and shook his head, trying to remember who said, ‘May you live in interesting times’.

  After Tommy Mitchell left, Jake planted and watered the trees and did chores around the house. He took a break for lunch and called Harper, no answer. He left a message for her to call him back.

  That done he decided to take another look around the place and in particular the dog pen. Something wasn’t right. The pen was secure and well-constructed. It was clean and the hinges and fastenings were not damaged so Gage’s dog, Travis, didn’t break out of the pen and run off. So, why did Travis for days? Was Travis with Gage when his vehicle went off the bridge? The chain spoke against that. Where did the dog get the injuries?

  Jake had the broken chain from Travis’ collar. He looked at it again, examining the break. The chain was a good one. Too strong for a dog, even a good-sized Lab to break. A chain link had been cut clean as if with wire cutters. Travis had bloodied and bruised up his neck trying to break loose, but the vet had said the damage was fresh like the dog was trying to get away from someone.

  Someone cut the chain.

  Why not just turn the dog loose? Why cut the link?

  Did Travis’ injuries have anything to do with Gage’s death?

  Where was Gage’s second vehicle?

  Okay, Jake, take a look at it. There’s a vehicle missing, an SUV, a Dodge Ram if he remembered right. Gage didn’t just drive off and leave it anywhere. The wrecked vehicle was a car, not an SUV.

  In any investigation the simplest explanation was often the best. Occam’s razor. Someone had reason to get rid of the vehicle. Someone had reason to take Travis, and someone let the dog loose and cut the chain.

  Jake decided to take plaster casts of the footprints and the tire tracks near Travis’ dog pen. Wondering now if any of them would match the prints at the bridge slope. It was a long shot.