The Bone Puzzle: The Saga Begins

by Clayton E. Spriggs

“What is it?” Ricky asked.

  Robert waded to the shore and placed the item on the ground.

  “It’s wrapped up in a tarp, but I can tell you right now what it is,” said Robert. “It’s a femur. Go call it in and get something to mark the area. We’ll need forensics on this. Nobody touches this until I say so, is that clear? I’m calling my own man on this.”

  “Your own man?”

  “Forensics, Ricky. It’ll make or break you, don’t forget it. Don’t trust whatever dipshit gets elected or appointed, but find reliable people you trust. Make them part of your own personal team. It’ll pay off. Trust me on this.”

  “But how did you know you’d find it there?”

  “Watch and learn. Let me give you another piece of advice, Ricky. When you discuss this later with Fuller, pretend that you don’t want to follow me around anymore. Insist on it.”

  “But I thought—"

  “Do it. He’ll override your request and assign you to me with explicit instructions to relay everything we talk about. Are you going to do that?”

  “Not a chance.”

  “That’s what I thought.”

  “But how do you know he’ll do that?”

  “Same as I knew where that leg was.”

  “How did you know?”

  Robert smiled. “Before this is over, Ricky, you’re going to help me find the rest of the parts. You’ll see. Now, go on. This thing is only going to smell worse the longer we stand here. I’ve smelled enough death already.”

  The deputy nodded and made his way to his police car as instructed. Robert waited till he left, took a few steps back, and leaned against a tree. He’d been out there for a less than an hour and he knew that more of these horrible discoveries awaited him.

  He regretted having involved the deputy in the search, knowing what a toll it would take on the young man in the years to follow. Ricky would be excited when he found his first bone, like catching his first fish. He’d be proud of his professional accomplishment. He’d get a pat on the back and a toast in his honor. Then, he’d go to sleep, only to find the nightmares begin. Robert knew that they would never stop.

  CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT

  By the afternoon, a team of officials had marked off the site, taken photographs, and gathered around, pretending to be busy. Robert took Dr. Hall aside to discuss his findings.

  “What do you think?”

  “It’s probably connected to one of the feet that were found earlier. The size matches, and the tarp looks to be the same,” answered the coroner.

  “Yeah, that’s what I figured, too. There’s not much flesh still attached that I can see though.”

  “The tarp wasn’t secured too well, and the critters got to it. Off the cuff, I’d say, three months, maybe more.”

  “Same as the others.”

  “Yep,” agreed the pathologist, “same as the others. Find me more parts, and hopefully, we can piece this together—no pun intended.”

  “The Bone Puzzle,” Robert smiled.

  “That was a clever one.”

  “It got you down here.”

  The men paused and scanned the area. The heat and humidity were oppressive; the swamp was overgrown with dense vegetation and filled with swarms of insects. Dr. Hall took a handkerchief out of his pocket and wiped the sweat from his face and neck.

  “I don’t envy you having to search out here. Do you think you’ll find something else?”

  Robert nodded. “We’ll dig up what we need.” He glanced over at the group of useless law enforcement officers gathered around the pond and frowned. Dr. Hall noted the detective’s disapproval.

  “I see you’re not exactly surrounded by the best and brightest this time.”

  “Am I ever?” Robert agreed. “Still, that’s not what troubles me.”

  “Is that so?”

  Robert ignored the question and returned to where the others were standing, with Dr. Hall following. He motioned for the men to circle around.

  He addressed the group. “We have three separate parts now. There’s plenty more out here, and we’re going to find every last one.” Grunts of disapproval could be heard from the group.

  “That’s the spirit!” he replied. “I knew I’d find some enthusiasm. Now gentlemen, I realize that, for some of you, catching a child killer might not be as rewarding as breaking up a bar fight or directing traffic, but it’s what we’re going to be doing.”

  “We’ve searched out here for weeks already,” Deputy Smith complained.

  “I was only here twenty minutes before I found the femur,” Robert said. “Care to go on?”

  His question was met with silence.

  “But since you’ve made your feelings known, Deputy Smith, we’ll exempt you from further involvement. You may go.”

  The deputy stood awkwardly by, not sure what had just happened. He looked around for support from his fellow officers but found none of them willing to make eye contact with him. At last, he looked to Sheriff Fuller.

  “Go on,” the sheriff instructed.

  “I’ll volunteer,” Deputy Earl Barber offered. “I can muster up a group of locals that know the area pretty well, too. They’ll be willin’ to help, I’m sure.”

  “Is that so?” asked Robert. “Get in the car with Deputy Smith.”

  “What?”

  “You heard me. Get in the car with Deputy Smith and high-tail it out of here.”

  “I, I don’t understand.”

  “You will.”

  “Detective Stallworth,” Sheriff Fuller asked, “is there any of my men that you’ll need to assist you?”

  “I’ll need one. Is there one worth a fuck that you can spare?”

  “I’d offer Deputy Halpin, but—”

  “But?”

  “I just had a talk with him and, to be perfectly frank with you, he ain’t too keen on working with you.”

  “Is that so? And why is that, Deputy Halpin?”

  Ricky hemmed and hawed, unsure how he was supposed to play the charade. “No offense, Detective, but you ain’t the easiest person to work with. This swamp is ripe with vermin, and it’s hot out here. I was out here with you this morning and I hated every second of it.”

  “Go on.”

  “With all due respect, Detective, you’re a bit of an ass. You talk down to us and treat us like dog meat. I might not be as college smart as you are, but I’m not a moron, and I don’t appreciate you treating me like one.”

  “He’ll do just fine,” Robert said to the sheriff.

  “Dale!” pleaded Ricky.

  “Dale what? You’re now assigned to the detective,” said Sheriff Fuller. “Is that clear?”

  “Yes, sir.”

  “And as such you can now take over writing the weekly reports that he requires,” added the sheriff.

  “I don’t think so,” said Robert. “He’ll be glued to my side. I’ll already know what he thinks, or doesn’t think, as the case may be. I’ll need the reports to come straight from your desk, with your signature on them.”

  “What’s the point of that? What am I supposed to be doing that you’re not?”

  “You’re the sheriff, aren’t you? Figure it out,” Robert said. “But don’t sweat it too much. I’ll point you in the right direction with my red pen. Just get it done.”

  “Detective, I don’t know what–"

  “Yes, you do, Sheriff.” Robert glared at the sheriff. The look in his eyes said the words that would remain unspoken between them: I know what you’ve been up to.

  “Now, before you start complaining, remember, your deputy and I will be wading through the swamp looking for the rotting body parts of murdered children.”

  Dr. Hall looked on in amusement. Same ol’ Robert, he thought. He could feel the hatred in the air. They all despised the detective. Well, maybe not all of them. To the doctor, the deputy assigned to assist the detective seemed to be acting. Hall figured the detective had worked his charms on the young man and had previously set the whole
thing up. The doctor smiled. He’d been played the same way. It’s why he was there.

  Dr. Hall glanced at the others. Yep, they all hated the man, with one exception. The deputy who had volunteered to help and been rejected didn’t look as angry as he appeared scared. The doctor wondered if the detective had noticed.

  Robert had.

  CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE

  Earl was nervous. Just as he was preparing to leave for the day, the detective requested his presence in the interrogation room. The deputy shrugged and casually did as he was told, as if it were an afterthought. Deep inside, he suspected the worst. How could the detective know? There was no way he could, but Earl felt uneasy all the same.

  “Good evening, Deputy,” Robert greeted him as he joined the officer in the cramped room. The detective took a seat and opened a file. He shifted through a few papers, then pulled a notepad out of his pocket and clicked his pen. He was ready to take notes. “I’m glad you could join me. Please, don’t be nervous.” Robert eyed the man across the desk and paused.

  Everything the detective did made Earl nervous. Telling him not to be nervous and then preparing to take a statement while giving him the evil eye made it virtually impossible to be calm. All the same, Earl did his best to pretend it was just another day at the office.

  “Why would I be nervous?” he asked, his voice cracking.

  “Right. Why would you be?” Robert asked rhetorically. He waited another moment for effect, and then shifted gears. “I hope you weren’t insulted by the way I called you out earlier. It’s not what you think. I appreciate the fact that you’ve been so willing to help out when others haven’t been. There are reasons for the decisions I make. And some of those reasons will become clear, in due time, to those who pay attention.”

  Robert glanced at the man and asked, “Are you paying attention?”

  Earl nodded, but he had no idea what the detective was talking about.

  “I see that, early in the investigation, you not only went out of your way to search the area in question, but you also rounded up a group of locals to help you. That’s very impressive, Deputy. That’s the kind of initiative that we need.”

  Robert smiled, forcing Earl to respond in kind. Things were getting more confusing by the minute for the deputy.

  “Your friends have provided an invaluable service, one that we will need in the future. They must be an extraordinary group of individuals to volunteer their time like that. Tell me, Earl—May I call you Earl?”

  “Yes, sir.”

  “Call me Robert. Anyway, Earl, tell me, how did you manage to find men so willing to help out like that? You must really have a way with the powers of persuasion.”

  “No, sir, I mean Robert, it weren’t me at all. That’s just the kind of men they are.”

  “You know them personally?”

  “Yes, sir, I’m proud to say. We’re all members of the same church.”

  “Well, that explains it,” said Robert. He nodded his head and smiled. “Good Christian men. We men of faith understand what’s really important, isn’t that so?”

  “You, you’re a believer?”

  Robert laughed. “Don’t be so shocked. Am I that much of an asshole that you find that hard to believe?”

  “I didn’t mean—"

  “Yes, you did.” Robert laughed again. “It’s okay, Earl. It’s all part of the act.”

  “The act?”

  “Surely you’ve heard of the good cop/bad cop routine? I’m the bad cop.”

  Earl laughed. “Funny, I didn’t realize—"

  “That’s the whole point. We used to play that in the army, too. Only then, the bad soldier was able to do much more than pretend.”

  Robert looked Earl in the eye. The detective’s face was without expression, which made the implication all the more disturbing.

  “But that was a long time ago. It’s hard to stay the course in our profession, walk the narrow path, as it were, and remain part of the flock. One gets tested at every turn. A small gesture here, an exemption there, and, pretty soon, one is on his way to the fiery pit. I must confess, I have failed on more than one occasion. I suppose it’s what makes the Lord’s gift of redemption so important. Wouldn’t you agree?”

  “Yes, sir. It’s like my pastor says, ‘The Lord sacrificed himself on the cross so that we all can be forgiven.’”

  “Amen. Your pastor sounds like a wise man.”

  Earl remained silent. He once believed the words that the detective spoke, but he’d been having doubts since the incident and its aftermath.

  Robert gave no indication that he’d noticed. He’d make his notes on the matter later. He shifted through some papers in front of him and retrieved a form. He scanned the page for a brief moment before setting it down and addressing the deputy.

  “I have a partial list of your friends who helped in the search. I’m hoping you can add anyone that I missed and fill me in on some details regarding these righteous men. Don’t fret about it, Earl. There are reasons for what I’m asking. May I speak to you in confidence?”

  Earl nodded.

  “We’ve known for quite some time about the nocturnal activities of this county. By we, I mean, the state police. We also know that there are many, if not most, of the county officials involved in this, including in this department. Do you see where I’m going with this?”

  Earl nodded again, and then shook his head. “No, not really.”

  “I’m talking about the Klan, Earl. This county has the third highest number of lynchings in the state. Not one conviction. That’s nothing to be proud of.”

  “I’m not proud of it.”

  “I noticed. I also noticed that you’re not exactly one of the gang with your fellow officers. It doesn’t take a genius to put two and two together.”

  “I don’t believe in what they believe in.”

  “Neither do I, and that’s because we believe in justice. I’m guessing the members of your flock don’t participate in those activities, either.”

  “No, we don’t.”

  “And y’all were the ones out there searching. I didn’t see mention of any other group of hunters or fishermen helping out.”

  “That’s because there were none.”

  “Precisely.”

  Earl nodded. This was perfect. If the detective suspected the Klan, he’d get nowhere, and they’d all be off the hook. Earl relaxed a little. Stallworth wasn’t as smart as Earl had originally thought he was.

  “So you can see why I need your help.”

  “But you said earlier—"

  “That I didn’t want your help? Now, why would I say that?”

  “Because you don’t want them to know I’m helpin’ you,” Earl replied.

  Robert winked. Earl smiled. Robert took his pen and motioned to the list.

  “I’ll need more than your help, Deputy. Do you think the members of your flock might be willing to see that justice is done?”

  “Yes, I do. I’ll have to speak with them first, of course. They’ll be hesitant to talk to you, being that you’re a detective and from out of town and all.”

  “I figured as much, which makes you even more valuable to me. I’ll leave them to you, for now. We can go through this list, and you can help me with the details. We’ll update it accordingly. I know this will make you uncomfortable. You’ll feel like your ratting on your friends. But that’s not the case. I consider you and them allies of mine. The problem is, if we don’t do this correctly, we’ll have problems later when we go to trial. It’s complicated, I know, but you’ll have to trust me. Once the lawyers get a hold of this, even the slightest irregularity will set the perpetrators free. We can’t have that. When this gets to court, our cover will be blown. If we get anything less than a conviction, there’ll be hell to pay. Of course, if we never get to court, none of this will matter. It’ll stay hidden in a file until it gets trashed. Do you understand what I’m saying?”

  “Yes, sir, I get it, and you’ll get full coopera
tion from me. I’m glad you came to me with this. I might be the only one that’s willin’ to help you.”

  “That’s what I was hoping for,” Robert said. “Keep in mind that I’ll keep this all confidential. No one will know you and your friends are helping me—maybe not even them. We don’t want to spook anyone or make them unwelcome with their not as enlightened neighbors. We’ll have to be discreet with this. Do you think your friends can keep a secret?”

  Earl smiled. “You have nothin’ to worry about.”

  Robert nodded. I know I don’t, but you do.

  CHAPTER FORTY

  Three weeks passed, and the body parts started to accumulate. Each one was photographed on location, and a stake was placed at the site. A colored pin with a number attached was placed on the giant map at the sheriff’s office in the conference room that doubled as Stallworth’s command center. Each part was numbered, tagged, bagged, and brought to Dr. Hall’s morgue to process. Once he was finished with his examination, the bone, or bones, was laid out on a giant tarp on the floor in the middle of an empty room at the morgue, as per Robert’s request. Dr. Hall thought it was curious but did as instructed.

  “Don’t you think you’re taking this bone puzzle thing a little too seriously, Detective?” he asked one day as they gazed over the exhibit taking shape on the floor.

  Robert laughed. “Maybe, but I’m a visual learner, Jack. I’m wondering how you know which bones to put where.”

  “An extensive knowledge of anatomy is required for a man in my field.”

  “Yeah, I know that, but that’s not what I mean. I see three femurs and four humerus bones. How do you know which goes with which skeleton?”

  “I don’t, but it doesn’t matter. They’re identical.”

  “So we have twins?” The detective’s question proved to be more of a statement.

  “It would appear so. But we haven’t found all of the bones yet, so there’s that.”

  The men looked at the partial skeletons lying side by side and paused. There was something odd about it, but Robert couldn’t quite figure out what it was.

  “Do you think they were attached?”