My Father's Universe

by Mitch

  La`no added, “Yes, and your new advanced Corsair is nearly finished. It will be the first to be fitted with defensive and offensive weapons.” The shepherds approved the fighting forces and gave promotions to each division.

  La`no, smiling, watching the young war heroes, remarked to his wife, “After the required time, there will be four weddings, maybe five seeing Kenz and Mer`ee together. We may be getting a new son and a sweet beautiful daughter.” With a sheepish grin, he put his arms around his wife and whispered, “I hope there will be little ones to love and spoil. Isn’t that what grandkids are for?”

  Late afternoon, all were walking through the forest: exotic trees, bushes, flowers; admiring the tapestry of the fields, beautiful trails, and lakes. It was so peaceful no one was worrying about time or who was where.

  Tara stopped Careah and Kedar, “We owe you two a lot. We all could be in the hereafter had it not been for you two.”

  Careah responded, “You owe us nothing.”

  Kedar shot back, “No, we were not the only ones, and you’re the people that saved your world from an impending doom.”

  La`no spoke up, “We owe you two a lot, even our lives.”

  Careah answered, “No, the Lord in His infinite wisdom helped us to achieve victory by following his directions.”

  “But still, we owe you. Without a doubt, you have established an everlasting bond with everyone, and I mean everyone!”

  Tara sounded off, “I just remembered, King Flash mentioned there is going to be a party. What’s this about a party, La`no?”

  La`no explained about the party for Careah and Kedar to take place on the Feasts of Lights.

  Tara Missing

  Eli should have called the doctor about his splitting headache. Instead, he called La`no, speaking very rapidly, “I haven’t seen Tara since yesterday late afternoon. I had a story to cover in Hi-Why-I. It was supposed to be a big one. It turned out to be a false alarm. She had gone to the cottage alone. I was to meet her there to spend the weekend.”

  La`no broke in, “Slow down, she may be visiting friends. Give me a chance to call around. Everyone knows her. If I cannot locate her, I’ll call the radio and TV station and have them give an APB. I’ll see you as soon I can get away.”

  Eli opened the door as La`no was about to push the door buzzer, “Did you hear from her?”

  “No, I’m afraid not. I inquired all business places she deals and does work for, including the shepherds,” supplied La`no.

  Eli gulped, clearing his throat and taking a deep breath as he replied, “I was hoping you had good news of her being with someone.”

  “No, I have nothing. No one has seen her since we were together the other day. I would like you to start from the last time you saw her, what she had on, was she to have visitors? I know she had no enemies,” assured La`no.

  Eli answered while wringing his hands, “When I got to the cottage, she wasn’t there. But her air car was by the lake. She usually left a note on the table, where she would be and when she would return. I waited till evening, but when she didn’t show up, I called every one of her friends, including your wife.”

  La`no pressed the on button on his two-way video wristwatch and asked his wife if she had seen or knew where Tara may be.

  “No, Eli called last evening asking about her. Is she missing? Oh my, I hope nothing terrible happened to her?”

  “I hope not, sweet.” As he got up to leave, he asked Eli, “Did you have a spat or argument. Is it possible she was angry with you without you knowing it?”

  “No,” reassured Eli, “we parted with a kiss, and as she drove away, she waved goodbye.”

  La`no inquired further with a modified frown, “Was she depressed or something bothering her? Maybe something happened in the Ant War to cause her to go away.”

  Eli whimpered, “If there was, I didn’t detect anything wrong.”

  As La`no paused at the door for a moment, he was going to say something but changed his mind, “Okay, I’ll let you know if something turns up. In the meantime, if you hear from her, let me know immediately so I can cancel the missing person’s report.”

  Several hours later, La`no pushed Eli’s door buzzer. As Eli opened the door with anxiety, “Did you find her? Where is she? Please tell me she’s alright!”

  A mournful look crossed La`no’s face, "Eli! I’m afraid I have some bad news. Several men fishing saw a woman’s body floating in the lake late last evening. They are pretty sure it was Tara. As they rowed toward her, keeping a light on her, her face was visible only for a moment. One man dived in to get her, but she went down before he got to her. That was the last time anyone saw her, if it was her. Two men searched for her while the others went for help and called rescue. The lake is several hundred feet deep there. They searched the waters all night. The reason they didn’t call was that they were not positive it was Tara.

  Search and Rescue just informed me of the drowning. They did find a blue hat and shoe floating a good way from shore. As soon as they bring the items in, I’ll call you to identify the articles. I hope nothing happened to her; my wife will be mighty upset."

  Teary-eyed, Eli’s lips quivering, he mumbled with an affected cough, “She often took a walk to meet a friend and stay the night. I asked her not to go alone at night. She could easily slip or fall anywhere along the twisted shoreline. There are many rockfalls and deep gullies. She could do herself harm. I begged her to wait until I got back, and we would go to the cottage together. But she insisted going right then. She got in her air car and dismissed me with a wave. That was the last I saw her.”

  When La`no left, he felt something was not right, like an object was out of place. He just couldn’t put his fingers on it. He muttered to himself, “It’s like going to the doctor for a pain in your stomach and he tells you it’s all in your head.” It was more than a gut feeling. “Maybe I’m going on a fool’s errand? The more I think about it, I’m getting a very uncomfortable feeling about this. There’s something smelly, Mister Sitt!”

  After La`no left, Eli felt a little nervous. He was sure his story was convincing. In fact, he thought he was brilliant, he had stonewalled the best of the shepherds. He bragged to himself what he had done was perfect. He went over every detail, there was nothing he needed to change in his story. “Anyway, I dare not change a thing.” What he had done had no effect on him. Thinking to himself again, “This will blow over before the week is out. Then in a couple of weeks, I’ll apply, no, I had better inquire about being a Shepherd first.” He mused, “There’s no way of predicting how this will turn out.” Feeling sure there was no risk involved, if there were, he would not have done it. Again, he mused to himself, “Tara certainly was the kind of a woman who gathered people to herself, but no more.” So far, his plan was working perfectly.

  La`no called Eli to come to the Shepherd’s meeting hall. The hat and shoe would be there soon. Eli had to be the one to identify the articles, and La`no reminded him they were meeting in one of the Emporium’s spare rooms until a new hall would be built.

  Arriving, Eli had to find out if La`no knew anything without being too inquisitive? La`no gave no hint. Eli thought to himself, I’ll have to be a little more direct. “Do you know what happened, did anyone see something suspicious?”

  La`no shook his head, “No, not yet. We’ve just begun to look into this. We all are sorry for your loss.”

  Eli reasoned nobody could doubt the genuineness of his sorrow. La`no startled everyone, “I do feel this will widen and push deeper as the case progresses!”

  Eli swallowed hard, causing a slight nervous jerk which he covered with a quick hand motion. Every one’s mouth dropped open and all eyes fastened on La`no. The silence in the room suddenly turned into a wall of ice. Eli’s face was chalk white as he asked, “What do you mean?”

  La`no answered, “I mean, Tara was a professional athlete, there’s no way she could have met with an accident. I saw her race all the way up Pumpy hill and down its treacherou
s path. She was one of the best swimmers, Sarg was always at her side. Even the Aquatic people were amazed how fast she was in the water.”

  All the Shepherds agreed, “She was fast and quick with her feet.”

  Tara’s Lady Shepherd friends remarked, “Yes, we once saw her walk a tight rope blindfolded.”

  La`no told no one how he felt about Tara’s accident, not even his wife, who were best friends. He said coldly, “I do feel someone close to her had to be involved with her disappearance.” Again La`no asked Eli, "Was she not feeling well or upset about anything? How about visitors, were there strangers around lately?

  Eli answered, “The only strangers she knew were Careah and Kedar, and I’m sure they had nothing to do with it.”

  La`no cut him short, “You better believe that mister, they were with us since they arrived here. I’m going to ask you right out; did you have anything to do with Tara’s disappearance?”

  The question struck unforeseen sparks. His features contorted into a sardonic smile, and his sardonic voice exploded in a series of ungodly obscenities. It was like hell’s trapdoor tore open in his face and refused to shut until he entered. He twisted his face into a serious grim expression, wringing his hands, eyes flashing back and forth, looked all around the room. His features changed and he looked like a man chased by the Devil through the gates of hell, turning, hoping for someone to help him.

  They all looked like Satan’s cohorts instead of friends. He broke down and shouted, “No I didn’t.” Expelling the words as if they’d been pent up inside him forever. Weeping, he kept repeating, “Where could she be?”

  La`no answered, solemnly, “I wish I could tell you, Eli.”

  But as the case progressed, Eli refused to give an inch. His mind raced, “What happened? Everything was perfect, there were no mistakes.” Suddenly, his mind flashed the unpardonable sin of murder. Not only was it the code of the shepherds, it was God’s law. He was near panic and snapped an evil smile, “I’m telling you all, I did not have anything to do with my wife’s disappearance!”

  La`no interjected, “I still only suspect you did something. If I’m wrong, I will apologize to you then resign from the shepherds!”

  La`no’s accusing words flushed over him with a tug of fear, and he wished there was a door to close behind him, forbidding anyone to come after him. He was fast sinking into a great pit, and he knew it. The recording secretary asked Eli, “For the record, we need to know what your wife had on when you last saw her?” Being extremely careful not to say something incriminating, he lowered his head, blew his nose in a clean handkerchief, then wiped tears as he spoke, “I will never forget a single detail, the way she was dressed, never. She had on her blue jay slack suit, straw hat of the same color, and matching leather walking sandals with a small gold buckle. She also had her matching blue purse with a long strap and her gold initials on the flap. The color blue jay was her signature.”

  The secretary asked, “How about jewelry, rings, earrings?”

  He sniffled, “No, no jewelry. She usually left her rings and jewelry at home. This was one of the times she didn’t wear them.” Every Shepherd listened to him give the details of his wife’s apparel, not missing a detail.

  Then the straw hat and shoe were brought in and placed before him. He feigned an innocent gasp. “Yes! That’s the hat and one of the sandal’s she was wearing the last time I saw her.” Won, Careah, and Kedar in the outer office heard Eli’s sad news. “Yes, that is Tara’s hat and sandal.” Won’s worst fear was confirmed. Tara, her best friend was no longer alive. Careah looked into Won’s pleading eyes. Won was heartbroken. She felt a stab of panic. Tara’s life slipped unexpectedly from this life. She couldn’t comprehend yet what had happened.

  Careah tried to console her, “I’m so sorry, Won. I wish I could say something that would help.”

  Won broke down, weeping and sobbing uncontrollably. She nearly lost consciousness as coldness swept over her. She finally accepted; Tara was no longer alive. With soft sobs, she asked, “Who will laugh with me? Who can I call when I need a friend to confide in, share each other’s hurts?” She cried, “Oh Tara, Tara, why? Why you?” She turned to Careah, pleading, “She’s not dead, she can’t be. Please say she isn’t dead. Oh Careah, help me. Lord, help me!” Again, she broke down sobbing, gasping to get her breath. Her heart throbbed and chest ached from uncontrollable pounding.

  Kedar’s eyes teared as he tried to say something to comfort her, but the words would not form. Then he turned from her to keep from breaking down and crying, “Ah, she can’t be dead, she just can’t be.” Without looking at Won, he said, “She isn’t dead, I feel this is a nightmare we are having.”

  Careah continued calmly as she patted Won upon her back. In an effusive manner, she tried her best to console Won. “Go ahead let it all out. It will help a little. What hurts you, hurts me. I, too, wish she were alive.”

  Her mind flashed back seeing the straw hat and sandal. Her pulse quickened. Her heart was racing, warning her something was wrong. Something mighty wrong, but what? She blurted out, “Think, woman, think?”

  Won wiped her eyes and looked at her with a puzzling look, “What are you saying?”

  Careah murmured, “Think, and think hard! There’s something I just can’t put my finger on. It’s there in front of me, probably staring me in the face.” A dark frown crossed her face and then twisted into a grim expression. She smacked the side of her head with the palm of her hand and blurted out, “Aha!” She became angry. No, she was madder than an angry hornet. With a peppery tongue, she shouted, “He did it! I know he did it.”

  “Did what?” asked Won.

  “He killed Tara!” she said with a rash expression.

  Won glared at Careah, anger flared in her eyes, and with cold anger in her voice, she demanded, “Who killed Tara?”

  Careah, breathing rather heavy, almost as if she had been running, a bit nervously said, “I’m sorry, Wonder.” Then added with painful frankness, “I hate telling you this. I know for sure Eli killed Tara! There’s not an iota of truth to his story.”

  Won’s stoic face turned bright red as she yelled at Careah, “What! That’s the most cruel thing to say.”

  “No, it’s not, Won. He did it as sure as you are standing before me.”

  Won asked bitterly, “How do you know he did it?”

  Tears began rolling down her cheeks, “I am painfully aware you two are very good friends of the Sitts. But I’m positive he did it, and I can prove it!”

  Won looked at her, fuming mad, vision blurred, tears of rage flowing as she spoke in a callous voice, “Okay, hold it right there, missy! I’ll call Lance to come out here, you can tell us both.”

  Careah spoke up, “I know you are upset; you just called your husband Lance.”

  With a modified twisted smile, Won replied, “I call him Lance when I’m really mad, and now I’m killing mad! No one kills a friend of mine, especially my best friend, and gets away with it.” She grabbed the phone speaking rather rashly into it, “Lance, I need you to come out here, pronto!”

  La`no was in the room as the phone clicked off, “Honey, I know you are upset over Tara’s death, but something else has you mighty angry to call me Lance. What is it?”

  With eyes full of hot tears, murderously mad, she pointed to Careah, saying, “She…she said Eli killed Tara!” She buried her face in her hands sobbing, bleating, her heart hammering as the pain rushed to her head. “Oh La`no, please tell me, Eli didn’t kill his wife.” Nothing would soften the pain tearing her whole being apart.

  La`no blew air through his teeth whistling, “I felt he had something to do with Tara’s death. I hope you can prove it Careah?”

  Kedar interjected calmly, “I know when my wife says she knows Eli did it, you can bet your life on it!”

  La`no apologized, “I believe you, Careah, but I need proof.”

  "I have indisputable proof. Won, remember we were here in the Emporium and a call came in, you
had to leave the store for a while. The other ladies had gone home, I said I would watch the store until you got back. While you were gone, Tara came in to buy a new hat. She said she was a little upset and yanked too hard putting the hat on, ripping it a little.

  I didn’t ask what she was upset about. I felt if she wanted me to know, she would have told me. She really wanted a fiber hat. You only had a straw hat, but it was the right color, so she put it on. As she was about to leave, she saw sandals the same color as the hat and tried them on for size. She said, they were so comfortable, she would leave them on. Upon leaving, she said she would settle for them later. Her old ones are under the counter with a note for you. When she waved goodbye, I noticed she had her diamond ring on. She said she was going straight to their cottage.

  If you remember, you called your husband to pick me up. It would be late until you would be home."

  Kedar confirmed the call, “Sure, we picked her up and went home!”

  Careah continued, “Everyone was having such a good time and it was late when you got home. We all went to bed, not knowing Tara was already in her watery grave.”

  La`no went to the counter, picked up the box containing the hat and shoes, and looked at it. Primitive rage boiled through him. He dropped the box on the countertop as if it were a poisonous adder. Still looking at the box, he backed away from it as if it might strike out at him. Won picked up the box, wrapped her arm around it, dropping to the floor weeping.

  La`no burst into the meeting room, snorting angrily, shaking an accusing finger under Eli’s nose. “You killed your wife!”