Death of a Survivalist

by Glen Ebisch

  “Do you see this kid doing that?” Charles asked. “He seems to me to be mostly bluster.”

  “But he did go downstairs in the library to confront Locke. That shows some moxie.”

  “I’d definitely keep him in the picture, but from what Lavinia said to him, it seems as though there must have been someone else she also suspected. Maybe someone else she planned to meet in the parking lot around the same time.”

  Joanna nodded. “I wish she’d given the boy a little better idea of who her second suspect might be.”

  “Maybe if we keep poking around, something will turn up.”

  “Let’s hope.”

  Charles cleared his throat to indicate a change of topic. “If you have a minute, there’s a personal matter I’d like to discuss with you.”

  Joanna’s brow creased in concern.

  “It isn’t about us,” he said quickly to reassure her. Then he went on to tell her about the quarrel between Amy and Jack.

  “What you’re describing is a bad situation, Charles. Any cop will tell you that domestic disputes are the most likely to escalate into violence. When love turns to hate, anything can happen. Has anyone tried to mediate between them?”

  “I did,” Charles said, and he described his meeting with Jack.

  When he was done, Joanna grinned. “Breaking one of the disputant’s fingers is certainly a new negotiating technique. I never picked that up in any of my courses.”

  “Not my most shining moment,” Charles admitted.

  “But it sounds almost unavoidable. Your son-in-law is clearly a bully, and bullies can be the worst type to deal with in a situation like this.”

  “I’m planning to have a conversation with his father to see if he can talk some sense into him.”

  “It’s worth a try,” Joanna said doubtfully. “But remember, your son-in-law wasn’t born a bully. He learned it somewhere, and the most likely source is his father. So he may not be any easier to deal with than his son.”

  Charles felt his stomach clench. He had pinned his hopes on Jack Senior being reasonable. Now Joanna had called that into doubt. What would he do if nobody was willing to talk sense to Jack the Philistine? Whatever the next move was, it would have to be a radical one.

  Chapter 25

  Charles was sitting in his office stewing over the situation with Amy. He couldn’t call Jack Senior until the evening because Amy didn’t have his work or cell number, only the landline number at their home. Just as well because he wasn’t looking forward to making the call, especially after his conversation with Joanna. He pulled over the textbook of readings he was using for the course, and tried to concentrate. However, the words simply marched across the page in an unfocused blur as his mind was elsewhere. There was a knock on his doorframe and he looked up to see Marie Locke standing in the doorway.

  “You seem lost in thought. Shall I come back?” she asked.

  “Not at all, please sit down,” Charles said, gesturing to the chair in front of his desk. Charles studied her as she sat down. Although she was no doubt in her late forties, she had the tight body of a teenaged gymnast. Obviously practicing the martial arts had some health benefits.

  “I’m sorry to bother you, but Reggie and I are planning to head back to Boston tomorrow. I’ve done about as much of my work as I can from outside the office, and they’re clamoring for me to get back. We both feel a little nervous about leaving Tori out here on her own, considering what’s been happening. We tried to convince her to take the semester off and come home until everything is sorted out, but she refused. I’m sure you know how stubborn young people can be.”

  “They’re usually rather certain that their plans are the best ones.”

  “Exactly. I suppose I could put more pressure on her but I’d hate to do that. I don’t want this to lead to any long standing resentments.”

  “She does have Jason.”

  Marie nodded. “For right now. But college relationships aren’t always for the long haul. They may break up in a few weeks, and then she really would be completely on her own.” The woman paused. “So anyway, this is my rather long-winded way of asking if you would keep an eye on Tori for the rest of the semester. She has an academic adviser, but doesn’t particular care for him. When I asked her if there was any faculty member she felt particularly comfortable with, the only one she mentioned was you.”

  “Exactly what would you like me to do?”

  “Nothing very complicated. I’m going to ask Tori to come to your office just to update you on how she’s doing once a week or so. Have a normal friendly conversation with her. I’m not asking you to do any psychological counselling yourself, but if she does seem to be having any problems, perhaps you could refer her to the proper resources.”

  “I can certainly do that.”

  She paused and looked across the room, so Charles knew the real point of her conversation was yet to come.

  “If you could, without violating any confidentiality, let me know how the inquiry into Sebastian’s death and now that of Lavinia is coming along, I would appreciate it. I’m also a bit concerned about leaving Tori here with her father’s murderer still running loose, although I don’t see why anyone would want to harm her.”

  “I’ll tell you what I can. Of course, I’ll have to run it by Lieutenant Thorndike first.”

  “Naturally, I understand that.”

  As the woman stood up, Charles decided to make one last effort to continue the investigation.

  “Have you had any new ideas on who might have killed your husband?”

  She smiled and shook her head. “I wish I could help you, but my first candidate for that position, Lavinia Cole, has been taken out of the running. I still think it all has its roots in Vermont. It’s part of something that Sebastian got involved in up there.”

  “A falling out among survivalists, then?”

  “Very likely. Sebastian was probably one of the more stable members of that crew, and you know what a loose canon he could be. It wouldn’t surprise me if there’s lots of factional infighting up there, and Sebastian could have gotten on the wrong side of some group trying to take over in the area.”

  “Sounds plausible.”

  Marie Locke nodded. “Thanks for being understanding about Tori, and thanks for all your help.”

  “Don’t mention it.”

  Once the woman had left his office, Charles sat back and considered her theory. He didn’t doubt for a moment that survivalists could be both violent and harebrained, but if one of them had decided to kill Sebastian down in Massachusetts in order to allay suspicion, wouldn’t the killer have brought his own weapon? He wouldn’t have relied upon Sebastian to have provided him with a knife to do the job. This all seemed to have a much more spur of the moment quality to it. Perhaps a killing that the killer hadn’t intended, one that had been brought on by Sebastian Locke’s violent response to whatever was said.

  Not able to make any more headway with his musing, Charles returned to the solace of his preparations for class.

  • • • •

  Right after dinner that night, Charles got out the number Amy had given him and dialed the residence of Jack Rossiter Senior. The woman who answered spoke a formal but somewhat accented English that led him to believe that she was a employee of some sort. When he identified himself, she said that she would fetch Mr. Rossiter. Chalres waited so long that he began to think that he was waiting for service at a government agency.

  He had lulled himself into a half-awake state when a voice bellowed in his ear.

  “What do you want Bentley?”

  Although he had only met Jack’s father a couple of times—a bull-like man with a taste for fine cigars and better brandy—he thought that they were on a first name basis. Apparently all of that had gone out the window now that marital issues had arisen.

  “I wanted to discuss this disagreement between your son and my daughter.”

  “Easily settled. Just tell your daughter to stay home
and take care of the kids and not be trying to have a career that she’s not suited for anyway.”

  Charles took a deep breath, struggling to keep his temper.

  “I was going to suggest that you tell your son to stay home and not be harassing my daughter. Because the next time he shows up to cause a disturbance in the neighborhood she’s going to call the police.”

  A harsh laugh came down the line. “Let her call the police. Remember I live in the same town they do, and I have influence. The police are more likely to end up arresting her than my son. You can’t win this, Bentley, so tell your daughter to clean up her act before I take those kids away from her.”

  The phone went dead in Charles’ ear. He hung up the receiver and noticed that his hands were shaking. Joanna had been right, it was a case of like father like son. He wondered why he had never recognized the father’s lack of class before, and decided it must have been because the man was on his good behavior as long as the marriage was going the way the father and son wanted. Once Amy began to assert some independence the gloves had quickly come off. Whether Jack Sernior really had as much influence as he imagined was difficult to know, but Charles didn’t like the idea of Amy living three hours away and having to deal with that father-son combination.

  Before he could pursue his concerns further, the phone rang again. This time it was Amy, and he could tell by her voice that she was agitated.

  “What’s the matter?” he asked.

  “I went to see the lawyer today. He said I have a very good case when it comes to the boy’s inheritance. He also said that I could certainly file for a separation since Jack has virtually abandoned his family.”

  “Then what’s the problem?”

  “The lawyer, even though he’s my friend’s husband, doesn’t want to represent me.”

  “Why not?”

  “He said that Jack’s father has so much influence in the town that his practice could be damaged. Jack Senior could get companies and important individuals to take their business elsewhere just to get even, if he takes my case.”

  “Not a particularly heroic or even ethical stand.”

  “Oh, Dad, what am I going to do? It’s like I’m up against the mob.”

  “Not the mob. Just a big fish in a little pond.”

  “So what’s the solution?”

  In a flash, the answer came to him. It might be a bit inconvenient to himself, but this was his daughter, and he had to do what he could to protect her.

  “You switch ponds. You bring the boys out here and stay with me.”

  “Can I do that? Legally I mean.”

  “I think you’re all right as long as you stay in the same state, but let’s not worry about that right now. Do it, and we’ll let the legality of it be sorted out by the lawyers. We’ll talk to Roger Mornington, the man who handled my father’s estate. If he doesn’t handle divorces, I’m sure he’ll know someone who can. You’ll be a lot safer out here with Joanna and myself than where you are.”

  “Okay, tomorrow I’ll contact the post office and have our mail sent out to Opalsville. I’ll send on whatever comes to Jack. I’ll tell the school that I’m taking the boys out for a few days.”

  “You may have to enroll them here if this takes as long as I think it will.”

  “They won’t like changing schools.”

  Charles didn’t want to unduly alarm her, but he thought she had to see reality.

  “I wouldn’t put it past Jack to kidnap the boys if he gets angry enough. They’ll be safer out here.”

  There was a long pause. “I think you’re right. They’ll adjust fine. We’re going to take care of this thing,” she said in a firm voice.

  “We definitely are. I’ll be out there tomorrow afternoon, and we’ll load up whatever we can and make the move.”

  “Sounds good.”

  “And, Dad, thanks a lot for offering. I know it will be an imposition on you.”

  “Not a problem. This is something we have to get settled.”

  Ending the call, Charles sat back in his chair and took a deep breath. Although he had made light of it to Amy, having two small boys running around the house would change his life considerably. Amy had been a quiet and well-behaved child even when young. Her sons were quite another matter. He was sure the energy level in the household would go up by several notches. But as he had told her, it was something that needed to be done.

  Although Jack the Philistine had never been Charles’ favorite person because of his deep affection for money and disinterested ignorance of culture, he had never thought the man would go off the deep end this way. Family relationships, with all their tensions and deep emotions, were a real powderkeg, just waiting for the right situation to ignite them. Losing his ideal marriage and total control of his family was clearly enough to cause Jack to explode. Charles had no intention of leaving Amy and the boys out there alone to discover how far reaching the devastation could be.

  Chapter 26

  The next morning right after breakfast, Charles called Joanna and filled her in on the situation with Amy and Jack, making sure to give her all the details.

  “I think you’re doing the right thing,” Joanna said without hesitation when he was done. “Even if the father is exaggerating his influence with the police, Amy will be safer out here. I can arrange for a patrol car to swing by your house a few extra times a day, and if Jack the Philistine comes by to make trouble, I can guarantee that he will be arrested.”

  “I was hoping you’d say that.”

  “How are you going to feel, suddenly having your whole family move in with you?”

  “Disoriented. But I’ll learn to adjust.”

  “You can always spend the occasionally night over here. You could even keep some toiletries here if you wanted. Of course, I don’t know if Amy is going to put you on a tight curfew. She might not want you setting a bad example for the boys,” Joanna said with humor in her voice.

  Charles chuckled. “I think she’s so happy that I’m finally seeing someone, that she’d pack my toiletries for me. Thanks for making the offer.”

  “Seriously, though, I think you’re right and she should get in touch with a lawyer in town as soon as possible. If this thing is going to escalate, the sooner she has legal advice the better.”

  “Agreed. By the way, speaking of advice, Marie Locke came to see me yesterday. She wants me to be a sort of informal adviser to Tori. Someone she can come to whenever she wants to talk about how things are going in her life. I guess her mother is concerned that she may have some delayed reaction to the death of her father, and I’m her favorite adult.”

  “I’d be surprised if she didn’t have some reaction. Even though he was out of the house, the murder of a parent can be very traumatic. Do you feel comfortable taking on that kind of responsibility?”

  “I told her I’m not a professional counselor, but I could suggest that Tori go to mental health services if she needed it. Lord knows, a lot of our students end up there because of stress. But as long as all Tori wants to do is chat about what’s going on in her life, I’m comfortable with that.”

  “I’m sure you’ll do fine. All she probably needs is a solid father figure.”

  “I think I’m more of a grandfather figure to an eighteen-year-old.”

  “Better yet.”

  “I also asked Marie if she had any new ideas on who might have killed Sebastian and Lavinia. She still seems to feel that it could have been part of some kind of gang war among Vermont survivalists. Although why they would make their killings down here, I’m not sure.”

  “When I talked with the local police in Vermont to tell them about Locke’s murder, they didn’t seem to have any information about his having local enemies. Apparently, he’d lived a quiet life. Of course, the places are so far apart up there, you could be blowing stuff up on your property and the neighbors would be oblivious. I have a friend on the Vermont State Police, I think I’ll give him a call and see if I can find out any more about
survivalist groups in that neck of the woods.”

  “May as well be thorough, although I still think the motive is more personal than political.”

  “When it comes to these fringe groups, the political is personal.”

  “I suppose.”

  “When are you going to move your daughter out here?”

  “Today. I’m leaving in a few minutes. I’ll catch some lunch on the road, and pick them up in the middle of the afternoon. I’m not going to feel comfortable until they’re in my house.”

  “Don’t blame you. Give me a call later on today when you’re settled in. I’d just like to know that everything went okay.”

  “I’ll do that.”

  Charles sat behind his desk and thought about the conversation. Sometimes life moved at a glacial pace. Each year marched by very much like the next, until they blurred together in uniform decades. That was particularly true of teaching, where the years varied only by the faces in front of you and small changes in course offerings. This was part of the reason for his sometimes wondering where the past thirty-five years had gone. But then at other times, change came rapidly and dramatically. Suddenly he was bringing his family into his home, and he was also taking the first step in developing a more permanent relationship with Joanna. Would toiletries soon lead to living together? Perhaps he was jumping the gun, but Charles had a feeling that he’d better be ready to make a decision if that time ever came. Not having lived with anyone else for several years, he’d no doubt developed some bachelor ways that would have to be modified if he was going to share his life with another. Was he ready for that? He had to admit to himself that he just wasn’t sure.

  • • • •

  Charles pulled his car into Amy’s driveway. He got out and stretched his back. With age, long distance trips had become more difficult as his legs and back were no longer quite as resilient as they used to be. He looked at his own compact sedan and then at Amy’s, which was parked ahead of his in the driveway. Neither car would hold very much. Jack had a large new Lexus SUV, but Charles doubted they could ask to borrow it for their intended purpose. But he hoped that Amy wasn’t planning on moving furniture or large boxes of things. Clothes alone would probably fill both cars.