Fatal Footsteps

by Brenda Donelan

  “I’ll do some checking and call you right back,” Barry assured her.

  Her nerves were on edge as she paced around the small dorm room. If Jasmine got hurt carrying out their plan to find out more about Tim’s disappearance, she would never forgive herself. It had, after all, been her idea, and Jasmine just went along with it to help.

  Marlee’s heart jumped into her throat when the telephone rang. Barry, true to his word, did some record checking.

  “It’s not good,” he reported with a solemn tone. “Adam has a pending charge against him for attempted rape in Brown County.”

  “What?” Marlee shrieked. “We have to find them. Jasmine’s sassy, but she’s not very big. I don’t think she could defend herself very well against Adam. Please help me find them!”

  “Already on it. I ran Adam’s name to get the make and model of the car registered to him and the license plate number. We should have him located within the hour. Since you said Jasmine thought they were going out to eat, officers are checking all the parking lots for the restaurants and fast food joints in town.”

  “Can you have someone go out to the house where Adam and his roommates are staying now? He might have taken her back there, especially if the other roommates aren’t around.” Marlee was beside herself with worry about her friend.

  Barry tried to calm Marlee, but he was just as concerned as she was about Jasmine and Adam’s date. He rattled off the description and tag number of Adam’s car, and Marlee jotted it down on a greasy napkin left over from a McDonald’s bag.

  “I’ll call in every so often,” she promised before hanging up. Marlee ran out the door and got into Barry’s car and tore off to find her friend. She cruised around the downtown area, thinking they went straight to a bar for something to eat. Then she cruised the campus parking lots, knowing that there was little chance Adam would chose a campus activity for a first date.

  Marlee sped down the main highway leading through town. She was deep in thought and didn’t see the flashing lights behind her until the police car sounded its siren. “Dammit!” Of all times to get busted for speeding, Marlee thought. She briefly considered outrunning the cops and then turning herself in later after Jasmine was safe and sound. Sensibility prevailed, and she pulled to the side of the road.

  A self-assured officer in his early forties strode up the passenger side of the car and motioned for her to roll down the window. Marlee complied and produced her driver’s license when asked.

  “Step out of the car, Miss and have a seat in the patrol car,” the officer stated as he held on to her driver’s license.

  “I know I might have been going just a smidge over the speed limit, but I have a good reason. My friend…” She was cut off by the officer giving her a stern look and raising his hand to silence her. It was clear she would not be getting any breaks from this hard-ass cop.

  Marlee slid into the passenger seat of the cop car and marveled at all the devices, radios, and other crime-fighting tools. The officer picked up the radio receiver and rattled off some jargon. Then he handed the receiver to her. “Just push this button in when you talk,” he said.

  With a confused look, Marlee did as directed. “Hello?”

  “It’s Officer Stevens,” said Barry with an air of cockiness. “We’ve located your roommate and her date.”

  “Is she alright?” Marlee asked. Her heart was beating like a drum, and she held her breath as she waited for the answer.

  “Jasmine is fine. They’re at Bubba’s Pizza eating supper. His red Buick Skylark is in the short-term parking lot near a light pole,” Barry reported.

  “Thanks, Barry! Uh, I mean Officer Stevens,” Marlee said, a wide grin spreading across her face, relieved that her roommate wasn’t being attacked and butchered out in an abandoned house. “I’ll keep watch on them for the rest of the night.”

  “Fine. Check in later,” Barry said.

  “You’re free to go,” the cop said with a slight smile playing at the corner of his mouth. “I heard you were a firecracker. Barry needs somebody like you.”

  “No, we’re just friends. We have a class together,” Marlee mumbled realizing that all of Barry’s coworkers at the police station must think they were an item. That was her original intent when she kissed Barry in front of his cop classmate, but now this rumor was taking on a life of its own.

  “Uh huh,” said the officer. “Have a nice night. If you need anything, just call us.”

  Marlee got back in her car and drove to the short-term parking lot to keep tabs on Adam’s car. She parked a row over and a few cars away so she could see if Jasmine and her date returned to the vehicle. Wherever they went after their meal, Marlee was sure to follow.

  The wind had picked up, making it cold sitting in the car. She started the vehicle and turned the heater on full blast for a few minutes, then repeated the process every so often. Marlee wanted to keep warm, but if she became too warm, she might fall asleep, given her lack of sleep the past several days.

  Making mental notes became a way to keep alert. She thought about all the things she would add to the notebook when she returned to the dorm. Additional entries would include Jasmine’s date with Adam, her disappearance, and the cops tracking them down. Plus, she planned to document Adam’s pending charge for rape. Then she needed to write down everything that Blanche from the library said about Pam killing her cousin Billy.

  A light snow began to fall, but with the wind, it was turning into a mini-blizzard. Marlee kept her eyes focused on Adam’s car, and after what seemed like hours, he and Jasmine returned to his vehicle. They were walking hand-in-hand, and he opened the passenger door to let her in. “Hmmm… very polite for a rapist,” Marlee thought as she started the car and followed them out of the parking lot.

  She had watched enough cop shows to know if you’re following a car that you shouldn’t drive right behind them. That would alert the driver’s suspicion. She lagged a couple cars behind Adam and changed lanes once. She even passed them, her scarf draped up around the side of her face, so he wouldn’t recognize her. Tailing Adam wasn’t as difficult as she thought it would be, especially since he just drove a few blocks to the only movie theater in town. She parked in the adjacent Burger King lot. Jasmine and Adam walked into the theater, again holding hands. And Marlee watched as they purchased tickets, popcorn, and pop before walking toward the back of the building. Movies tended to last around two hours, including the previews, so Marlee knew she had plenty of time to go on another caper before they returned to their car.

  The snow and wind made driving in town tricky, but it was downright nasty outside the city limits without the protection of buildings. Marlee drove slowly with the car lights on bright, until she reached Pam DeWitt’s farm. The lights were on in the big farm house, so she suspected Pam was now home. The wind had whipped the already-existing snow and the newly-fallen snow into peaked snow banks reaching nearly two feet. Instead of testing the metal of Barry’s car, she parked outside the driveway to the farm and walked in.

  Pam flung the door open before Marlee knocked. “Tim’s dead!” she wailed as she pulled Marlee into an awkward embrace.

  Marlee waited for Pam’s crying to subside before she expressed her sympathy regarding Tim’s death. They made their way to the large kitchen table and sat down. “I’m the one who found him,” Marlee said, watching Pam’s expression. Surely the police told her who found Tim’s body and where it was located.

  “Yeah, I know.” Pam grabbed a handful of tissues and blew her nose with a honk. “The police said he’d been dead for a long time before he was found. He was right here under my nose, and I didn’t even know it.”

  “I’m so sorry, Pam. It must be a really tough situation to handle.” Marlee could feel the emotion welling up in her chest and in her eyes. She fought to gain control of herself. She didn’t come out here just to express sympathy, although that was the role she intended to play. Marlee’s main objective was to find out what Pam knew about Tim’
s death and also what she had to say about Billy’s accident ten years ago.

  “I came out here this morning and knocked on your door but there was no answer. Where were you?” Marlee tried to keep her tone even and not full of judgment.

  “The hogs were running low on feed, so I went to the grain elevator to order more for delivery. Then I ran a couple other errands and met a friend for coffee. When I got back here, an ambulance was just pulling out of the driveway, and there were cops all over. I had no idea what happened.” Pam used the wad of tissues to dab the tears running down her face.

  “Why would Tim go to the shed?” Marlee asked.

  “I don’t know. We always kept it locked. My cousin died there. We were horsing around, and he fell off the ladder and broke his neck. Since then, the shed stayed locked, and we never kept much in there except some old junk. It had gone to ruin in the past couple years. Now I wish I’d talked Grandpa Edgar into demolishing it.”

  “How would Tim have gotten in?” Marlee asked, wondering if Grandpa Edgar’s claim of Tim coming to him and asking for the key was legitimate.

  “The key is still here in the entry way,” Pam said pointing to a wooden wall hanging with a series of hooks, each holding a key. “Tim must’ve had his own key.”

  There was a light knock at the door, and then Pam’s mother, Nicole, and a man in his forties entered the house. They carried with them a paper sack of groceries and a twelve-pack of Coke. Pam got up from the table and hugged them both, introducing them to Marlee as her parents.

  “Yes, I met Nicole yesterday,” Marlee said as she shook hands with them both. “I’m so sorry about Tim. I know we were all hoping for a much different ending than this.” She held her breath after she spoke, never sure of what to say to people who just lost a loved one. Everything seemed so trite and pointless, yet Marlee knew she needed to say something to show her sympathy. Tim really was her friend, but she could not think of a way to express how she felt. They hadn’t known each other that long, and their encounters had either been in class, at parties, or on campus talking about their shared class or upcoming parties. She doubted his parents cared to hear about any of that.

  “Thank you. We’re so glad Tim had you as a friend,” Nicole said, wiping her red eyes with the sleeve of her coat. “It’s such a shock. I thought we’d find him soon, and he’d be fine.” She dissolved into sobs and collapsed into a kitchen chair. Her husband, in a trance, stood behind her and rubbed her shoulders.

  Marlee had several more questions to ask, but she also had a level of common decency that knew sticking around would be inappropriate. She gave her condolences again and walked through the snow drifts to her car.

  Glancing at her watch, she could see that she’d spent more time at the farm than intended. She revved Barry’s car and took off toward the movie theater. Luck was on her side, as Adam’s car was still parked in the same spot. She sat and waited. And waited. If they decided to go to a second show I’m going to lose my mind, she thought as she drummed her fingers on the steering wheel.

  Luck was still on Marlee’s side, because she woke up when her head hit the steering wheel. It was the same time Adam and Jasmine backed out of the theater parking lot. “Damn, I almost lost them,” Marlee chastised herself, realizing Jasmine’s safety depended on her.

  Adam drove to Blake’s cousin’s acreage and held Jasmine’s hand as they walked inside. Marlee parked the car on the outskirts where it wasn’t visible from the house. She pulled her coat and scarf tighter and ventured to the house and found a window to the basement which wasn’t covered with a curtain. Peering inside, she could see Adam and her roommate sitting on an orange-and-brown plaid couch, each holding a can of beer and chatting. Hard rock music was playing in the background, and even though Marlee recognized the drum beat, she couldn’t place the song. Jasmine appeared relaxed and happy. She smiled and then reached over and touched his knee as they talked. Marlee was happy her friend was having a good time, but would she be this at ease if she knew about his pending rape charges? Who knew what tricks Adam had up his sleeve to entice his victims?

  Even though she felt like throwing up a little, Marlee continued to peer through the basement window as Jasmine and Adam kissed. His hands slid all over the back of her sweater and eventually he stood up and took her hand. Adam helped Jasmine from the couch and led her out of Marlee’s eyesight. She froze, not knowing what to do next. If she did nothing, Jasmine could be Adam’s next victim. If she interrupted them, then their cover was blown. Jasmine seemed to be consenting to everything that was happening between herself and Adam right now, but what if she changed her mind when they got to the bedroom? Would he attack her?

  Marlee took a deep breath and knocked on the door. She knew what she had to do, not just for Jasmine’s sake, but for the sake of the whole case. The door was flung open by Blake after two knocks.

  “What’s going on?” he slurred, several beers into his usual Friday night routine.

  “Not much. Just wondering if I could come in and chat with you guys for a bit,” Marlee said as she rubbed her mittened hands together even though they weren’t even that cold.

  He motioned for her to come in and led the way downstairs. A Krokus cassette was playing, and John was sprawled in a recliner watching the television with the volume turned down. “Want a beer?” he asked.

  “You bet,” Marlee said, glancing around looking for Jasmine. “What’s going on around here tonight?”

  “Nothing. Blake and I are just watching Hangin’ with Mr. Cooper. Adam’s got a hot date back in his room.” John flopped into the other recliner after he handed Marlee a can of generic beer.

  “Is Jasmine here by any chance?” Marlee asked in her most innocent voice.

  “The chick in the mini-skirt that was with you the other night? Yeah, she’s with Adam in his room. Why?” Blake asked.

  “I thought she might be here. I need to talk to her immediately.” Marlee stood up and placed her opened beer can on the floor. “What room is she in?”

  “Wait. You can’t just go barging in. Who knows what’s going on in there,” Blake said.

  Marlee disregarded Blake’s objections and knocked loudly on a closed door. No answer. This time she knocked hard enough to make the door rattle on its hinges.

  “What?” growled a male voice from the other side of the door.

  “I need to talk to Jasmine,” Marlee yelled. “It’s an emergency!”

  Rustling sounds were heard before the door burst open. Adam stood in the doorway, his eyes ablaze and his shirt partially unbuttoned. “What the fuck do you want?”

  “It’s a life or death situation! I need to talk to my roommate right now!” Marlee insisted as she shoved by Adam and found Jasmine sitting on the floor, crying.

  “Jazz, are you okay?” Marlee rushed to her roommate’s side and helped her to her feet. “Did he hurt you?” She gave a death glare to Adam, who had now buttoned his shirt.

  “No, I’m fine,” Jasmine insisted although she continued to cry.

  “We’re leaving. C’mon,” Marlee said to her roommate as she led her out of the bedroom and outside to the car. None of the guys stood in their way as they left the house, although they all stared.

  Once safely in Barry’s car with the doors locked, Marlee asked, “What the hell happened? What did he do to make you cry?”

  “Adam didn’t hurt me. He said I was beautiful, and it caught me off guard. No guy has ever told me that before,” Jasmine said.

  Marlee was dumbfounded. Her roommate was drop-dead gorgeous, and to find out that Jasmine had never had her beauty commented on was unbelievable. “So he didn’t hurt you? He didn’t try to attack you?”

  “No! Adam is a perfect gentleman,” Jasmine said, drying the last of her tears.

  “Maybe not a perfect gentleman,” Marlee said with a frown. “When you left the dorm before I got back, I was a nervous wreck. I called Barry, and he ran a check on Adam and his car. Turns out that he has a pending
charge for attempted rape.”

  “Rape? You’re kidding, right?” Jasmine scoffed. “He’s one of the nicest, most considerate guys I’ve ever met. Barry must have his records mixed up. It was probably somebody with the same name.”

  “I don’t think so, Jazz. Barry seemed pretty confident that Adam was charged with rape and is out of jail on bond until his trial.” It was difficult, but Marlee tried to be sympathetic when relaying the news. She felt in her heart that Adam was a dirtbag, but she didn’t want Jasmine to feel even worse about the whole situation.

  “I don’t care what you say. I don’t believe it,” Jasmine said, her arms crossed in front of her in defiance.

  “You don’t have to believe me, but just promise you won’t go anywhere alone with him unless you tell me. Please?” Marlee begged.

  “Fine.” Jasmine wouldn’t even look at Marlee and had shortened her answers to one word, so Marlee knew her roommate was pissed.

  Taking a deep breath, Marlee changed the subject. “When I went to the library I talked with a lady who told me all about the accident in the shed at the DeWitt farm.”

  “Really?” Jasmine turned toward Marlee, now with rapt attention. “What did she say?”

  As they drove back to the dorm, Marlee revisited her conversation with Blanche and the claims that Pam was responsible for her cousin’s death and maybe even the demise of her brother. “I did a little fact-checking, and what Blanche said about being married to Billy’s dad checked out. I just don’t know what to believe about Billy’s death.”

  “You’re shitting me! I can’t believe all this. Ten days ago I couldn’t name anyone who died except my grandparents, and now you’re asking questions about the deaths of two friends plus Billy. I can’t get my head around all of this,” Jasmine said as she shook her head back and forth in an attempt to rattle some of the facts into place.

  “I don’t know what’s going on either. I went to talk to Pam tonight while you and Adam were at the movies. She seemed pretty torn up about her brother’s death. Then their parents showed up, and I left. There was no way I could bring up Blanche’s accusations while they were in so much pain. It’s going to be tough, but I need to confront Pam with Blanche’s claims. Based on the way Pam was acting tonight, I don’t think she had anything to do with Tim’s death. But who knows? She might have killed her cousin and her own brother just to keep hold of the farm.”