Dead Man's Curve

by Jack Patterson

  Lee loomed over Palmer. “Wanna tell me I’m a despicable human being to my face now?” Palmer withdrew. “Coward.”

  Lee ambled around the room for a few moments. “You think you’re the only one in here who understands pain, Palmer? If so, you’re sorely mistaken. Life is full of pain. Let me tell you about mine.”

  Lee motioned for one of the men in the corner to bring him a drink. The man rushed a glass of whiskey over to him. Lee drained the glass and continued.

  “I had a wife once—a barren woman. A useless woman. She couldn’t give me the thing a man craves the most: a son. No one on which to bestow this empire that I’ve built with these hands. No one to play catch with in the yard. No one to watch grow up and discover what it’s like to be a man. My life was on the verge of becoming meaningless. Perhaps even worse than that: not even worth remembering. Who would talk about me twenty years after I was gone and in the grave? No one.”

  Lee licked his lips and continued speaking with a steady pace.

  “But then my brother was about to go to Afghanistan to fight in the war when I discovered that he and my sister-in-law were having trouble getting pregnant. So, I did the honorable thing: I made a donation to the cause. My brother was gonna be gone for a year, so the timing was perfect. My sister-in-law could tell him she was pregnant after he was gone and he’d be none the wiser. But something strange happened.

  “My sister-in-law called me to tell me that she was having twins—and according to the blood tests, they were identical. I told her that she needed to give me one of the boys. She resisted at first. But I told her that I’d spill the beans to my brother if she didn’t acquiesce to my demands. She eventually wised up and agreed.

  “Then over the next few months, she developed a conscience and decided she needed to tell him herself. I knew my brother—knew he wouldn’t let her give one up for adoption, even though she’d already signed papers legally binding her to do as much. So, I made a call to one of my friends at the Pentagon, had my brother sent to a combat region that exuded danger. Less than a week later, he died from wounds suffered in a roadside IED. Disappointing? Yes. I grieved his loss. But it still wasn’t as difficult to handle as not being able to raise at least one of my own sons.”

  Lee motioned for another drink and threw it back before continuing.

  “But Jeremy and Josh grew up together, just like they were brothers. We conspired to ensure they never had the same haircut. No one else could know our little secret. After all, cousins often look alike. It’s not like anyone would suspect anything if we did our due diligence. And when I divorced my wife several years ago, she didn’t fight for Jeremy. She knew it was in her best interest not to do so. I loved them both.

  “However, something happened that ruined all our plans. You know what that was, Palmer?”

  Palmer shook his head.

  “Billy Riggins. His curious little self threatened to ruin the most important thing in my life: Jeremy. You see, your daughter helped Jeremy become a man.” He paused. “You should’ve heard her scream that night. If I didn’t know any better, I would’ve thought she was being stuck with knives all over. Of course, eventually she was stuck with a knife—one right around her throat as she gasped for air. I watched her breathe her last breath. It was pathetic. If she hadn’t been such a fighter, perhaps we would’ve let her live. She wasn’t like her mama, though she was slightly more appealing.”

  Palmer shook as he glared at Lee.

  Lee continued. “Meanwhile, my sister found out about what we were doing out here and threatened to expose me. I warned her not to, but she wouldn’t listen. She told me she was going to tell the FBI about it. Then there was Billy Riggins, who just kept sticking his nose where it didn’t belong. He needed to be taken care of. So, the efficient man that I am, I saw an opportunity to take care of two problems at once—and I did.”

  Palmer began wailing as he heaved.

  “Don’t cry, Palmer. I’m not done with this story yet,” Lee said. “I learned that Josh had a thing for Emily, but she wasn’t fond of him. So, I decided if I pinned both murders on Josh, I’d teach my sister a lesson she’d never forget and keep my son out of prison. The cops would never figure out they had identical DNA since nobody knew they were brothers.” He paused for a moment, scanning the room. “Then the meddling Cal Murphy and his wife Kelly had to come to town.” Palmer shook his head. “We’d have an otherwise happy ending to this story. Unfortunately, you’re going to have to witness some of these things that you say make us despicable human beings.”

  Lee turned toward the crowd. “So, I ask yet again: Who wants to go first?”

  Two men each grabbed Kelly and Hannah and began re-tying them to the table. After they finished, they ripped their pants down.

  Footfalls on the porch caused everyone to freeze.

  “I’d stop right there if I were you.” Tom Corliss strode through the door and aimed his gun right at Lee.

  CHAPTER 34

  FLOOD LIGHTS BEAMED through the cabin’s windows, blinding most of the men in the room. Without being instructed to, almost everyone threw up their hands and remained silent.

  Corliss walked over to Wilfred Lee and handcuffed him. Lee stumbled without the help of his cane.

  “Let’s go, old man,” Corliss said. “The feds will get you a new crutch in prison.” He handed Lee over to another FBI agent and began pacing the room. “Give these women their dignity back and get them some clothes.”

  Another female agent hustled over with some blankets and helped the women cover up.

  Corliss turned toward Cal. “Thank you for your help. If it hadn’t been for your hunch, you would’ve had to witness the awful thing these cretins had in mind or worse—you might not be here at all.”

  Cal rushed over to Kelly and put his arm around her. “There was something about it that didn’t make sense to me.”

  “It wasn’t until we pulled a partial print from Emily Palmer’s car that your idea seemed plausible,” Corliss said. “It didn’t match Josh Hood. And while he could have been wearing gloves, crimes committed in passion rarely have such forethought put into them. But the print matched Jeremy Lee’s—as well as his DNA at the scene. That’s when I figured out you were right.”

  A grin crept across Cal’s face.

  “I didn’t kill anybody,” Jeremy Lee said, stepping forward.

  “Easy, kid,” Corliss snapped. “You’re not being charged with anything just yet, but your father is.” He took a deep breath. “Now, we also have a number of crimes that were committed or were about to be committed here tonight. I can’t promise you all a plea deal, but I can guarantee one for the person who steps forward first and tells me what’s going on here. Any takers?”

  The men glanced around at each other but no one moved.

  “Very well then. If you all want to protect each other, I’ll get to the bottom of this myself and make sure that you all do equal time—in a federal penitentiary.” He stopped and turned toward one particular man. Corliss grabbed the man’s biceps and squeezed.

  “I doubt you’ll fend off many midnight callers you’ll be sharing a cell with.”

  Corliss turned toward another. “Or you. Do you think your ‘I heart Emmy Lou’ tattoo is going to strike fear in the hearts of the gang members roaming the bone yard?”

  He surveyed the room again. “Or you, Mr. Bean Pole. You might be a hero when they ask you to change the light bulbs, but thwarting an attack? Hardly. You’ll be begging to be thrown out with the busted bulbs. Or you—”

  “Enough,” one man said. “I’ll show you.”

  Corliss spun toward the direction of the voice. “And you are?”

  “Seth Reed, sir.”

  Corliss scanned the room, now full of faces sneering at Reed. “Okay, we have a wise man, here. I appreciate a man who values integrity over loyalty. Tell me what I need to know.”

  “Follow me,” Reed said.

  Reed marched outside and led Corliss and two o
ther agents about thirty yards into the woods before anyone spoke.

  “This better not be a trap,” Corliss said. “I have my gun trained on you.”

  “It’s no trap, sir. Just the truth.”

  It was another twenty yards before Reed stopped and stomped on the ground. The hollow sound of wood echoed through the forest. “Here’s what you really need to know about.” He knelt down and looked up at Corliss while he tried to shield his eyes from the glare of his flashlight. “It’s worse than murder, if you ask me.”

  Reed yanked up on the handle, revealing a staircase down into the ground.

  “What’s this?” Corliss asked.

  “You’ll see.”

  Corliss told one of the men to watch Reed while he descended the stairs with another accompanying agent. The wood planks creaked beneath his weight. A blast of cool air overcame him as he neared the final step. He shined his flashlight around the cavernous area, revealing water trickling down the earthen walls. A musty smell wafted over Corliss.

  “What is this place?” Corliss shouted.

  “Keep going,” Reed yelled back.

  Corliss forged ahead, probing the room with his flashlight. It seemed like nothing more than a hole in the ground until he noticed a door at the far right corner of the room.

  He turned the knob and swung open the door.

  Instead of silence, Corliss was greeted by shrieks and screams.

  “Don’t hurt me.”

  “Not again.”

  “I can’t do it.”

  “Please, I’m begging you.”

  Corliss’ flashlight nearly fell to the floor as he found more than a dozen women caged up. The underground prison reeked of urine and feces.

  “I’m not here to hurt you,” he said. “I’m with the FBI.”

  Their pleas to be left alone quickly changed to cries for help.

  “Don’t worry, I’m going to get you all out,” he said. “Just be patient.” He turned to his partner. “We’re going to need some more agents.”

  Corliss brushed back a few tears as he worked to unlock the cages. The stench served as an ever-present reminder of what these women had endured. Their matted hair, sunken eyes, and jaundiced skin all helped paint a picture of the depth of depravity the little cabin in the woods had fallen to. The smell of mold overwhelmed Corliss, as did the musky scent that melded with urine and feces. Rust flaked off the cages and flittered to the ground as he inspected them. Plastic bowls filled with water rested in each corner along with a small tray of food. No plates or utensils. Just bread and some mush that looked solidified. Water dripped from the ceiling and splashed onto the rocky floor.

  One by one the women filed out of the cages, shivering and muttering thanks to him. They looked like demonic apparitions from a horror movie. Corliss slumped to the ground and didn’t try to hold back his tears once he freed them all. The Gentleman’s Club was home to unspeakable atrocities committed on innocent women. It would be days before he would learn the full truth—something he could never erase from his memory.

  I should’ve shot Lee on the spot.

  CHAPTER 35

  THE NEXT MORNING, Cal awoke before the sun peeked over the Kentucky hills. He sat in a chair next to his bed and watched Kelly sleep. She looked so peaceful in the moment, a drastic change from her furrowed brow and pleading eyes the night before, as she lay strapped to that table. He struggled to accept the fact that he was responsible for what happened.

  If we’d just gone back to our hotel like we were told to do …

  He loved the adrenaline rush of breaking the big story and witnessing something that he was tasked with relating to others in a finite number of words. But he loved Kelly more.

  How could I have done this to her?

  He leaned forward in the chair and buried his head in his hands. He rubbed his face and threw his head back, staring at the ceiling. She was just seconds away from being violated by the goons who lined the walls of that cabin.

  If Corliss hadn’t stepped in when he did …

  What had started out as a favor for Kelly’s cousin devolved into a nightmare. He’d lost his job, his job prospects, his credibility, and quite possibly his entire career. And he almost lost Kelly. He could—and would—deal with losing anything related to his profession. But Kelly? She was irreplaceable.

  While Kelly may have avoided the unthinkable, Cal was left with the second worst thing: an incredible story to tell with nowhere to tell it.

  Instead of going to sleep, Cal stayed up half the night, traumatized by what occurred—as well as what nearly happened. He fired off emails to editors at other papers, hoping a few of them would count his past friendship more important than present accusations. It was a long shot, but he figured somebody would give him the benefit of the doubt. But, no. Not a single one possessed the courage to stick his neck out for Cal.

  He leaned back in his chair and watched Kelly sleep as the first signs of daybreak streaked through the curtains. After a few moments, Kelly’s sun-kissed face twitched as she opened her eyes. Cal knew he’d been caught staring.

  She smiled at him. “I love you, Cal. I truly don’t deserve you.”

  He chuckled. “I’m quite certain you weren’t drinking last night, so how did you forget everything that just happened?”

  “It wasn’t your fault.”

  “I should’ve never dragged us into this.”

  She sat up in the bed and reclined against the headboard. “You? It was my idea to come here in the first place. I’m the one who lured you here by mentioning Josh Hood’s name.”

  “I still could’ve said no.”

  “In what world does Cal Murphy turn down the chance to expose a conspiracy and a town’s dark secret? Besides, I wanted you to go. I pulled out all the stops.”

  He nodded. “Apparently so, but I still could’ve said no.”

  “You were never gonna say no, okay? You were always gonna say yes. That’s why I framed the story like I did. If you didn’t—if we didn’t—investigate, who would? There’d probably be at least another dozen Emily Palmers or so before either Wilfred Lee kicked the bucket or someone else assumed the mantle of his twisted leadership and continued his legacy.”

  Cal shuddered. “It makes me sick to think about it.”

  “I did more than just think about it last night—I relived it over and over and over again.” She paused and crawled across the bed to take his hand. “And I don’t blame you one bit. Those thugs are the ones who did this, not you.”

  “But I put you in this situation and—”

  “No. We both came willingly. And I’d do it all over again. What happened last night—” her voice trailing off.

  Cal put his arm around her. “It’s okay. You don’t have to talk about it.”

  She looked up at him. “Yes, we do have to talk about it. You have to write about it. This stopped a major human trafficking ring. People need to know this stuff exists, not only in big cities, but also in small towns, too. Trafficking is a real horror in this country, and no place is immune from it.”

  Cal sighed. “But I just can’t get those images out of my head from last night. They almost—”

  “Almost, but they didn’t.” She put her arm around him and climbed into his lap. “When I married you, I knew full well what I was getting into. Not for one minute did I believe our life together would be one where we camped out in the safe zone. Adventure and danger—it’s what drew me to you. And I’ll never begrudge you for what happens on our adventures together.”

  Cal forced a smile. “Too bad no one wants to let me tell this story.”

  She shook her head. “No, someone will. Don’t worry. The one who tarnished your good name is going to prison. His lies will be found out.”

  Cal’s phone buzzed. He snatched it off the nightstand and scanned the message. “Looks like they already have been.”

  He dialed Corliss’ number.

  “It took you ten seconds longer to call me than I estimated
,” Corliss said as he answered the phone.

  “I’m a slow reader,” Cal quipped.

  “Well, fortunately, people will be reading your work for a long time to come, thanks to one of my tech guys.”

  “What happened?”

  “He did some digging into those sites where the purported plagiarism occurred and discovered that those sites were all hacked on the same night. We haven’t been able to prove it all came from the same place, but I think an FBI press release announcing that several major news websites were hacked to alter archived stories tied to the dates of your supposed plagiarism should be enough to convince editors that you’re not the lazy, no-good journalist they all believe you to be right now.”

  “Thank you so much. How can I ever repay you?”

  “You? Repay me? I’m the one who still owes you. What you did in helping us crack this case is beyond any debt I can ever pay you back for. You helped us avoid convicting the wrong man for murder and then helped us bust a human trafficking ring. Clearing your name is the least we could do—trust me.”

  “I’m glad I could help.”

  “Give me a couple of hours and I’ll make sure this gets out on the local news wires. You should have editors fighting for your exclusive after that.”

  Cal thanked him again and hung up.

  “Well?” Kelly said. “Didn’t I tell you?”

  He nodded. “I may not have any readers at the moment, but I do have the world’s greatest fan.”

  She cut her eyes toward him. “Fan? That’s all you think of me as?”

  “And wife, too.”

  “That’s more like it.” She ran across the room and tackled him onto the bed.

  CHAPTER 36