Journey to Murder (An Alex Warren Novel)

by DJ Owen

  “That’s just awful!” Alex felt the need to chime in. “I wonder what happened.” Everyone turned toward Alex and she began to worry that they were suspicious of her when she heard the distinct crunch of gravel beneath tires coming from behind her. She turned to look and saw Mike, the Park Ranger, easing his official Jeep to a stop not far from her Winnebago.

  “Mornin’!” The Ranger looked as though he left off the “good” for a reason. “I suppose you heard the commotion this morning.” Everyone was saying “yep” or “uh-huh” as they nodded.

  “What happened?” Carla asked. "Mr. Drake mentioned he saw the Coroner over there."

  “Well, there was a fire in a van. Seems the driver somehow managed to set it on fire with him still in it.” The Ranger shook his head. “I don’t rightly see how a man can set fire to his own vehicle and not try to get out. Smells a mite fishy to me.”

  “That’s terrible! Who could do a thing like that?” Alex hoped she looked slightly ill at the thought of it.

  “I surely don’t know, but the police asked me to tell you all to wait here until they can send someone over to take your statements.”

  Everyone nodded in agreement again. Joe said, “I’m not surprised. They‘s gotta’ cover their bases. Nobody here would do such a thing. Heck, we were all in our campers by 10:00 last night.”

  “Yes, at least I know I was,” Alex interjected. “I settled down in bed to read and fell asleep early.”

  “I got up around midnight for a smoke, and it looked to me like everyone else was asleep.” Joe said. “Pretty much all the campers were dark.”

  “I know he’s my husband, but I’ll still vouch for him," Carla teased. "He came back in by 12:15 and went right to sleep. Just needed that couple of puffs to stop the cravings. No way could he have done anything to that van guy.” Carla wrapped her arm around Joe. “You really do need to stop smokin’, Joe. That bad habit just made you the last person up and around out here! Good thing I was still awake to know when you came back in.”

  “I’m sure the police just want to know if anybody heard anything. Doesn’t sound like it, but they’ll want to do the asking themselves.” The Ranger turned to leave but stopped when he heard Alex address him.

  “Mike, my reservation was only through last night. Will I be okay to leave my motorhome here until after they come by?”

  “Sure thing. We don’t need your spot until Friday. Hopefully it won’t take them that long to interview everybody.” The Ranger chuckled. “I’m sure the driver was too drunk to wake up when the fire started, or maybe he picked up a hitchhiker and got robbed and killed. We do a quick check on everybody who makes a reservation and all of you checked out clean. Just go about your day here and the cops will be over shortly.”

  Alex shivered as everyone started to get up from the picnic tables and stretch. “I’m going back inside. All this talk of fire and death has me spooked. What if you’re right and it was a hitchhiker? We could all be in danger. In fact, would you walk me to my door and take a peek inside? I wouldn’t want somebody sneaking in and hiding in my Winnie while I’m out here chatting with the neighbors.”

  The Ranger tipped his hat and said he would be happy to oblige. He turned on his heal and followed Alex back to her motorhome. “Thank you so much,” Alex said as she opened the door for him. “It’s a little messy. I haven’t cleaned up after my shower and making breakfast.”

  As the Ranger made his way through the Winnebago, he looked anywhere a body could hide. Alex was glad she had left her bed messed up, and her e-reader obvious on her nightstand. “Would you hand me my reader, please? I fell asleep last night just before the good part. Now would be a good time to read a little more. Maybe it will calm my nerves.”

  The Ranger picked it up and handed it to her as he made his way back through the motorhome. “Here you go. Now don’t get yourself all upset by this. These things happen. You just happened to be a bit closer to it this time. You lock up when I leave and make sure you only open the door for someone you know, okay?”

  “Yes, sir!” Alex closed the door behind him as he left and made sure he heard her lock it. She promptly climbed onto her bed, fully clothed. Sleep came quickly.

  CHAPTER THREE

  Two sharp raps on her door woke Alex from her slumber. She glanced at the clock and saw it was almost half past noon. Alex groaned as she sat up and called out, “Just a minute!” She stopped by the bathroom to check herself in the mirror. Aside from looking a bit drowsy, she was presentable. No bruises, cuts or bumps visible as long as she kept the cap on.

  “Coming!” Alex called as she headed toward the door. She looked outside and saw a clean-cut man in a County Sheriff’s uniform. He was tall, maybe 6’4” or 6’5”, and his many hours spent in a gym were obvious. His uniform fit him nicely. She looked past him and saw two Sheriff’s cars. After taking a deep breath to steady her nerves, Alex unlocked the door and told the officer she would appreciate seeing some ID.

  “Of course,” the man said as he pulled out his ID to show her. “You can’t be too careful these days.” Alex noted his piercing blue eyes, straight blond hair and a jawline that reminded Alex of Brendan Fraser, who played the lead character in the 1999 Dudley Do-Right movie.

  “Thank you, Officer…Buckley,” Alex replied as she read his name from the ID. “I could see the cars and your uniform, but a little paint and a few badges and anyone can look like real officers. If I had any serious doubts, I would have made you show me your ID before I unlocked the door.”

  “Yes, Ma'am," Buckley nodded. "Ma’am, I understand everyone here at the campground knows about what happened near the lake this morning. Are you aware?”

  “Call me Alex, and yes, at least I know some of it. I heard someone set themselves on fire in some kind a vehicle. I think Mr. Drake said it was a van. The Park Ranger told us someone would be by to take our statements.”

  “That’s why I’m here. I’m not at liberty to give you any more information than you already have, nor confirm what you’ve heard. I do need to ask you a few questions, though. Would you and your husband prefer to do that here?”

  "Here is fine, but I'm a widow," Alex stated. “I really don’t know much. I came out here to enjoy some peace and quiet, and have spent most of my time in here.” She motioned to indicate the Winnebago. “It’s got all the comforts of home. Occasionally, I'll walk around the park and maybe go down to sit by the lake. About once a day I spend a little time with my neighbors at the picnic area. Ask away, Officer, but I don’t know how much help I’ll be.”

  “Tell me what you did last night and through this morning until you heard about the incident by the lake.”

  “Sure. Let’s have a seat.” Alex sat down on one of the captain’s chairs in what served as the living room. She offered Buckley coffee or a soda, which he declined. “Well, I fixed myself dinner around 7:00 last night, walked outside to take my trash to the bin, and came back in. Oh! Wait a minute…I ran into Carla, my neighbor, on my way back. She was coming back from the showers and said something about their camper needing flushing. Once I came back inside, I started reading. I fell asleep and at some point I woke up enough to turn off the light, but I didn’t look to see what time it was. Then I woke up this morning and heard the others outside. I heard sirens when I was showering, but they weren’t close and I didn’t think too much about it. I made myself breakfast and after eating I stepped outside to chat. We talked about what happened, but they didn’t know much about it either.” Alex paused as the officer jotted down her response. “Is there anything else?”

  “Yes, I just have a few more questions. Why did you choose Lake Morgan? What brought you here this specific weekend?”

  “Oh, that’s easy. When I was a little girl, my mom and dad brought us here. I haven’t been back in well over twenty years. As for the timing, it just happened that way. I had the time and decided to make the trip. Thursday was the anniversary of my dad’s death, and that’s what made me think about com
ing here. No other reason.”

  “Okay. Did you hear anything overnight? Maybe someone leaving their trailer or out in the woods? A vehicle, perhaps?”

  “Sorry. I was out of it all night. I wish I could be of more help, but it isn’t like I was expecting to be questioned about it.”

  “One last request. Would you mind if I take a quick look around? We are just asking each of the campers to see if we find anything out of place. You do have the right to refuse.”

  “Oh, no. I don’t mind; I even asked the Park Ranger to look around in case someone came in while I was outside. Please excuse the mess, though. I fell asleep again after the Ranger left. I wonder if I’m coming down with something. Anyway, go right ahead, Officer.”

  The Winnebago was obviously not made for someone of Buckley’s height and shoulder width. He managed to squeeze himself all the way to the rear of the motorhome and began checking every closet and cupboard. Alex watched him as he checked out the bathroom and then opened the cabinet with the hidden panel, but he didn't appear to notice anything suspicious. He finished up and thanked Alex for her time.

  “One more thing, we may need to reach you in the future. May I see your ID?”

  Alex nodded and turned to pick up her purse beside the captain’s chair. “Of course.” She rummaged for her wallet and found what she was seeking. “Here’s my driver’s license.” It gave her name as Alexandra Warren with an address in San Francisco. As Buckley jotted down the information, he asked for her phone number.

  “Are you asking for personal reasons?” Alex asked with a smile. It was an innocent flirtation, though she did find him attractive.

  Buckley blushed and started to stammer. “Uh, no! Absolutely not! That’s against department policy…I think.”

  “What a shame,” Alex flashed him her best flirtatious look. She gave him her cell phone number and he backed toward the door, still a bit flustered.

  “Thank you, Ma’am. I’ll be on my way now. You have a good day.”

  “Officer Buckley, am I free to leave? My reservation for this spot was up today, but the Ranger said I could stay if you need me to.” Thoughts ran through Alex’s mind. What is with me? Am I really trying to get him interested?

  “That’s okay, Ms. Warren…Alex. We probably won’t need you and if we do, we have your number.” Buckley held up his notepad to emphasize that he did indeed have her number.

  “Okay, Officer. Thank you. I’ll be leaving either this evening or first thing tomorrow.”

  Alex shut the door behind Buckley and peered out through several of the windows. There were three Sheriff’s cars outside. She watched as Buckley walked over to two other officers and chatted with them. They each pointed out various campers, probably those they had visited, and identified two which likely still needed a visit. Buckley nodded at something one of the officers said and then began to walk back toward Alex’s motorhome. Alex realized she was holding her breath as Buckley walked past her camper to Joe and Carla’s. Relieved, she went back to her bedroom and made the bed. She finished cleaning up and realized it was close to 2:00 p.m. She would have been near Las Vegas by now if she hadn’t had to stay to talk with police. She looked out again and saw that all the cars had left except for one. Alex was trying to spot the driver of that car when someone knocked on her door. She looked out to see Officer Buckley standing there and caught her breath. She opened the door, not knowing what to expect.

  “Ms. Warren? I'm sorry to bother you again.” Buckley was having a little difficulty looking her in the eye. “Are you sure you didn’t hear anything this morning shortly before you heard the sirens?”

  “No, I didn’t. Why?”

  “Well, your neighbor said he heard a noise as he was leaving his camper this morning and he thought it was right outside your door.”

  “Really? That’s a little scary. I don’t recall hearing anything.” She thought about it and said, “I bumped my hand against the wall when I was getting up. Maybe that was it. Let’s hope so, anyway.” Alex paused for effect. “Wow. I really wish you hadn’t told me that. I hope he was wrong. I hope no one was trying to get in!”

  “I’m sure you’re right, Ms. Warren. It was probably nothing. I’ll be going now. We just had to follow up on that.” Buckley turned to leave, then looked back. “You drive carefully, okay?”

  “I will.” Alex watched him get in his cruiser and heard the motor’s low rumble as Buckley drove away. She decided to wait about a half hour before leaving the campsite and took that time to review maps of the area. She saw a few of her neighbors near the picnic tables and decided to go over and say good-bye.

  “Hey, folks. I figure I’ll be heading out shortly and wanted to wish everyone well,” Alex said, putting as much sadness into it as she could. “I’m going to miss you guys.”

  Joe stood up and walked over to Alex with his arms out. “We’re gonna’ miss you, too, gal!” Joe wrapped his arms around her and squeezed just enough to let her know she had been properly hugged. Carla raised her eyebrows but didn’t say anything since Joe’s hug didn’t linger. “You take care, now. Mebbe we’ll run into you again sometime.”

  “I hope so!” With that, Alex turned and went back into her Winnebago, started it up and drove away. She stopped by the front office to use the dump station. Ready to hit the road, she drove out of the park, heading south on US Highway 93.

  She passed The Last Call Bar on her right, and glanced at the gas station two doors down. The bicycle she left there was gone, as she had hoped it would be. While she had wiped off her prints, she was glad someone had taken it before the police had time to track down Brad’s last hours and chanced upon the bike sitting there.

  An hour or so later, Alex pulled off US 93 in a small town and treated herself to a sit-down meal at a small diner. She chatted with the waitress, asking how far it was to Las Vegas. As she paid, she confirmed with the cashier that she needed to continue South on US 93. She drove off in that direction.

  A few hours later she turned onto NV 319 and headed toward Utah. Following the signs to Beaver Dam State Park, she came across a small picnic area with a cooking grill. Just what I was looking for, Alex thought. She pulled over and rummaged in the kitchen cabinet, bringing out the bag with the bloody clothes and wig. She also retrieved the boot box from the wardrobe.

  She found charcoal lighter fluid and matches under the sink and went out to the grill. Wetting the grill with lighter fluid, she put the bag under the grate and lit it all on fire. It only took a few minutes for the bag and clothes to become ashes. Anyone driving by would assume she was simply having a late dinner. As the fire died down, she tossed the boot box and boots onto the grate, letting them also catch on fire. These took longer to burn, but leather doesn’t last forever.

  Once the fire was completely out, Alex found a stick which she used to sweep the ashes onto the ground. She filled a gallon jug with water from her motorhome and drenched the ashes so she could verify nothing remained to link her to Brad. She found the charred heels and zippers of the boots in the ashes. She returned to her Winnebago and located her dustpan. Using the stick, she coaxed the heels and zippers onto the dustpan and walked into the woods. About forty feet from the edge of the woods, she discovered a ditch. She flung the heels and zippers into the ditch and made her way back to the motorhome. She returned the jug, dustpan and lighter fluid to where they belonged, and drove on toward Utah.

  That closes the book on Brad; tomorrow is another day, Alex thought as she drove East through the night, pleased with her efforts of the past 24 hours.

  CHAPTER FOUR

  The scenic views from the mountains of Utah and Colorado gave way to the flatlands of Kansas with its miles and miles of wheat and cattle farms. Driving past hundreds of acres of corn reminded Alex of the story she had written about the FDA's approval of blending corn crops containing higher levels of aflatoxin with crops of lower levels to end up with product that met the 20 ppb guidelines for livestock food. Alex knew one of her stren
gths as a writer was being able to see both sides of a story. Blending the crops saved the farmers from losses on the corn that didn't meet the guidelines. However, history has shown that greed often corrupts businesses, governments and individuals, and how long would it be before someone fudged the records and began feeding cattle corn with the higher levels of aflatoxin? Alex often worried about the food supply for future generations, and she often wrote of those concerns when she wasn't writing about serial killers and rapists.

  The flat terrain gave way to the majestic vistas of the Ozarks, and then the plains of Illinois and Indiana. Alex drove straight through those two states, stopping only for necessities: sleep, food and gasoline. She arrived at her sister’s house Wednesday morning and parked her motorhome on the far side of the double-width driveway. She used the key Monica had given her to enter the large colonial style house.

  “Monica? Amy?” Alex called out as she entered. “It’s me, Alex.” Hearing no response, and not expecting any, she headed to the closet where her sister kept the vacuum and took it outside. She spent the next several hours thoroughly cleaning the motorhome, using her sister’s laundry room for the bedding and her clothes. She finished her cleaning and locked up the Winnebago.

  “Hey, Monica! It’s me, Alex,” she said, once her call was transferred to her sister. “I just got in this morning and thought I would start dinner. Do you have anything specific in mind?”

  “Alex! We were wondering when you would get back. How was your trip? Get everything accomplished?” Alex could tell by Monica’s voice that someone was probably nearby and could hear the conversation.

  “Yes, I did. We’ll talk later. What about dinner?”

  “Just fix something with the ground beef I have thawed out. It’s your choice. Amy will be glad to see you. She has drama practice today, so she won’t make it home until almost 5:30. I should be there about the same time.”