"What I tell you, stays here. Do you understand what I'm saying?" Sarah hoped she wouldn't regret telling Johanna anything, but if things were to work out, it was only right to give her some information.
Johanna answered, "Yes."
Sarah led Johanna into the kitchen and dusted off a couple of seats for them to sit on so they could chat. It was time for some of the secrets to be revealed. Sarah hoped that it would help ease some of Milan's heavy burden.
* * *
MILAN WATCHED AS Ned and his men worked. The scene was hauntingly familiar. It tore his heart out to watch it happen again on his property. He couldn't help but think back to the day his mother took her life.
That day had been like countless others. His mother piddled around in the gardens she so loved. They were expecting guests for dinner that night and Sarah was in charge of getting the house in order. They'd given her authority over the others that worked at the manor and she was to see that they readied the manor for a five course meal and a dance to follow.
Nothing seemed at all out of the ordinary. His mother behaved like she'd always behaved before Milan's father's death a year earlier. It was the happiest Milan had seen her in a long time and he remembered being so relieved to finally see her getting back to her old self. He'd even commented on it at the time. Now, he wished he hadn't made mention of it. Although he knew that nothing he necessarily said or did would have made any difference, he always wondered if there was something he missed in her demeanor. That was a guilt that would never go away.
As the sheriff's deputies removed trash bags full of items from the tunnel, flashes of the day his mother's body had been discovered in the tunnel came to mind. He hated those thoughts and, no matter what he has done since that terrible day, he could never truly forget those images.
The sheriff motioned for him to return to the tunnel. Milan swallowed his pain and walked slowly toward outside to speak to Ned.
"Yes?" He asked, feeling nauseous.
"We are going to cordon off this area. I'm going to place an officer here around the clock. I'll need you and your lady friend to steer clear of here. Can you manage that for me?" Milan didn't appreciate his condescending tone, but he chose not to make mention of it.
"No one will go near here." He answered, looking directly into the sheriff's eyes.
"Good. Are you sure you don't remember seeing or hearing anything?" Ned asked the question for the third time since he'd arrived.
"I'm sure. I was with you, remember?" Milan had no intention of telling him one way or another if he'd heard anything. It was still a long-held secret that he sometimes thought he heard his mother crying. That hadn't happened since he'd lived here, but he had no doubt in his mind that if he paid close attention, he would hear those same noises again and again for as long as he lived.
"Yeah, you were with me this morning, but to be honest, I have no idea where you were before that or immediately after that."
"Are you accusing me of something, Sheriff Acker?" Milan asked.
"Nope. Well, we don't know for sure how that young woman made it here, but you know how this goes, we have to check all leads and make sure we've crossed our T's and dotted our I's. You'd expect the same to be done for someone you cared about, wouldn't you, son?" Ned grinned, knowing he annoyed Milan.
As the sheriff walked away, Milan forced himself not to react. Acker knew exactly what he was doing. Milan knew that he was trying to get a rise out of him. He understood that everyone in River's Bend had been waiting for the day they could make Milan suffer.
"Hey," Milan called out, "who said she was here in the first place. Why are you asking me?”
Ned stopped, not looking back and answered, "To find the truth."
Milan heard Sheriff Acker's words. He could read between the lines. This search wasn't just about the poor girl and her tragic death. It was about more than that. The sheriff wanted proof of wrongdoing in Paulina's death as well and now had a platform to re-investigate her death.
"You won't find anything that connects me to anything." Milan spoke low.
Acker turned around, answering, "Tell me where I will find what I'm looking for, then."
Sarah watched the exchange from the kitchen window. She'd seen the same look on both men's faces before. The nightmare had come back to haunt them again and both men were more determined than ever to prove the other one wrong.
Johanna stood up to look out the window. "The sheriff thinks Milan killed his wife?"
"The whole town does." Sarah answered.
"Why?" Johanna felt chills run up her spine. "I thought there was an autopsy. Isn't that what you said?"
Sarah turned to look at her, answering, "There was, but people still have questions. When someone that young dies, everyone wants some kind of explanation. No one wants to believe that people just die."
Johanna looked at Milan. He looked defeated, standing outside with his shoulders hunched and his head hanging low. If he was innocent and was the victim of a very cruel world, why wasn't he fighting for himself, Johanna wondered.
"Why do they blame him though, specifically? What was their relationship like?" Johanna couldn't imagine that Milan was at all cruel. She'd known mean, cruel people in her life and nothing about Milan fit that bill. What she saw when she looked at him was a sad, lost soul. He wasn't a murderer. He was a broken man with a broken heart.
"I've already told you too much." Sarah still grieved for Paulina too. She hadn't spoken of Paulina in a very long time because she missed her.
Just then, Milan walked back into the house. The women stopped talking and waited for him before making another move. He didn't come into the kitchen. They listened as he stomped up the stairs and walked into the guest room, slamming the door behind him.
Johanna looked to Sarah as to what to do next. Sarah sighed heavily before leaving the room and making her way up the stairs to talk to Milan.
"I guess, I'll stay right here." Johanna said to herself.
With Milan and Sarah both upstairs, Johanna had some time to let the information sink in. Taking this job was supposed to help change her life, but she never anticipated that she'd find herself in the center of a scandal. As she glanced out the window at the sheriff and his deputies, the day's events finally hit her.
"What am I doing here?" She said, watching a deputy photograph the tunnel and the area surrounding it.
Behind her, the floor creaked. She hadn't heard anyone come down the stairs. Goose bumps formed on her body immediately, warning her that she was not alone. She'd seen enough movies and read enough books to know what not to do when she felt she was being watched, but couldn't think of the right thing to do now.
Suddenly a door slammed in the distance. She screamed and ran toward the sound. Above her, she could hear Sarah and Milan rush to the stairs.
"Who is that?" Sarah asked from the landing.
The kitchen screen door was swinging open as Johanna entered the room. She rushed to look outside, believing that the sheriff or one of his deputies had just been inside.
Milan stormed into the kitchen. "What's going on down here? Who was that?"
Johanna stood, looking out over the back yard. "No one. I didn't see anyone. There was just noise."
The officers were still milling about outside. No one looked their way. Milan was confused. He knew he'd heard someone downstairs with Johanna.
"Who did you let in here?" He glared at Johanna.
Wide eyed and suddenly defensive, she answered, "No one. I didn't let anyone in here. I just heard noise and, then, it sounded like someone went out the back door."
Sarah chimed in. "I think we have had a stressful day and now we're getting a bit paranoid. Let's just calm down and try to act like civil human beings." She gave Milan a warning look. "Sit down. It was probably just the wind. It probably caught the door. Nothing to get all worked up about."
Milan's eyebrows furrowed.
"Now, we are going to start all over again." Looking outs
ide at the police officers, she added, "Well, we can at least try to get along here. Johanna, since you're going to stay here with us, we'll need to get a room ready for you. You can help me with that."
Johanna eyebrows quirked up. "Stay here? You mean, live here? I didn't know this was a live-in position." She looked at Milan for confirmation.
His eyes narrowed. Through gritted teeth, he said, "What are you talking about, Sarah?"
Sarah smiled. "Well, there's a lot to do here. It would probably be easier to have Johanna stay here with us. There's plenty of room. It would save her a commute every day and save her some money too. Did you know that she's been staying at the motel downtown?"
Milan rubbed his temple. "No."
Johanna tried to interject. "Really. You don't have to do this. I'm fine where I'm at."
"No. You can stay here. Why waste the money? It will be fine." Sarah answered, nudging Milan's foot with hers.
He threw himself back in his seat. "I suppose."
"Good. It's settled, then." Sarah winked at a stunned Johanna.
The doorbell interrupted their impromptu discussion. Sarah left Johanna and Milan to answer the door. Sheriff Acker stood on the other side of the door, a grim look on his face.
"I need to speak to Milan." He said.
A chill ran up Sarah's spine. It was happening again. She could feel it in her bones. Milan was going to be named in another young woman's death.
Chapter 8
MILAN STOOD LOOKING into his eyes, daring him to say something offensive.
“Milan, are you really going to make me ask? You know why we are here.” Sheriff Acker looked at Milan, accepting his challenge.
Milan's mouth went dry. He'd lived this moment before. Behind Ned stood two deputies, all looking at him with darts in their eyes. They'd waited a long time for this moment.
Milan cleared his throat before responding. “Why?”
“I think you know how this works. I ask the questions and you answer them.” Acker's mocking tone only served to add to the animosity in the air.
“Are you accusing me of something, Acker or are you inviting me to dinner?” Milan's anger showed through his words.
Sarah placed her hand on Milan's arm. “Stay calm. I'll call your attorney.”
Ned responded to Sarah, but kept his eyes remained focused on Milan. “Do we need to call in his attorney yet? We just have some more questions. We were hoping, Mr. Merced here could help us answer those questions.”
Johanna stood up, trying to look past Milan and Sarah, thinking that she'd be able to read the seriousness of intentions by looking at the way the officers were positioned.
She'd spent a lifetime studying law enforcement body language. Between the constant brawls her father found himself in and the past boyfriends she wished she'd never met, Johanna considered herself an expert in the area of law enforcement manipulation tactics and this definitely fell into that category.
In her experience, officers that intended to arrest someone took a very specific stance and made sure to surround a home and secure a location before entering. These officers were alone. They didn't surround the home. No one was peering in windows or doors. Their hands weren't near their weapons. To her, this looked more like officers trying to ruffle some feathers.
She offered her unsolicited advice to Milan. “I think you should probably call your attorney before you talk to anyone. It doesn't look like they actually found something and, last I checked, I don't think you have to talk to anyone that you don't want to.”
Milan looked back at Johanna, surprised by her insight. Looking back at Ned, he replied to his request. “I think I'll wait to hear what my attorney has to say about this.”
Ned hesitated, looking Milan directly in the eyes. “Alright. I'll tell you what, why don't you get a hold of that attorney and let him know we've had another incident in the tunnel, then, see how he wants you to play this.”
“I'm not playing anything. I'll be in touch.” Milan moved to close the door, but the sheriff didn't budge. He peered in, looking at Johanna, who didn't shy away from glaring back at him.
“Well, I guess it's settled then. Will you be needing anything else, Sheriff Acker?” Sarah asked, trying to ease the tension and prompt Ned and his team to vacate the property as quickly as possible.
Sheriff Acker opened his mouth to speak, but changed his mind and turned quickly on his heels, motioning for the other officers to resume what they were doing.
Milan watched them as they walked back in defeat. Whatever they thought they'd accomplish, led them down a failed path. Milan was just glad that Johanna had the presence of mind to put them in their place and enlighten Milan on what his rights were in the present matter. As had happened before, he was dumbfounded and had no way of knowing how to proceed when faced with the unthinkable.
"Thank you." Milan turned to Johanna. She nodded, paying heed to what Sarah had said to her just a little while earlier. Her place was to work and provide a service. She was just relieved that Milan wasn't angry at her for interrupting.
"What happens now?" Sarah asked.
Milan's shoulders slumped. He braced himself on the wall, jarred by how quickly things had begun to spiral out of control.
Johanna offered her opinion again. "Not to step on any toes, but if they actually found any evidence that he had anything to do with that girl's death, the sheriff wouldn't have asked permission to speak to you. I think they're just trying to do their jobs and figure out what happened. I don't think it really has anything to do with you. I mean, how long has it been since you lived here? And, I think most people know you just came back to town. How long has this girl been missing and who knows how long she's been in the tunnel. It's creepy and so sad."
Milan didn't answer. The town of River's Bend was proving to be just as judgmental as it had been before and he had no doubt in his mind that all eyes would be on him and this house the girl's murder was solved. He just hoped that it would be done quickly.
Johanna hated to ask, but she needed to be sure. “Did you know that girl? Why would she have ended up here?”
Milan felt the weight of the world pressing down on his shoulders. He looked at Johanna, unsure that she'd be satisfied with any answer he gave her. He'd seen the look she had in her eyes many, many times over the years. The look of doubt haunted him every night of his life. Now, he had to prepare himself for what was sure to be another round of accusations and vicious rumors about him and the tunnel that everyone claimed was haunted.
"How about something to eat? Johanna, can you run to the market and bring back a few items for us? I don't think Milan should leave and he definitely shouldn't stay here alone. We don't want to give anyone any reason to suspect him of wrongdoing." Sarah suggested, trying to lighten the mood.
As soon as Johanna pulled out of the driveway, Sarah sat down next to Milan in the living room. They didn't say a word to each other. Milan placed his hand over hers, squeezing it gently. She didn't have to be told that he was thankful that she was there. She knew. She was just as thankful to have come back. He needed her. Abandoning him now would be cruel. She understood how quickly rumors spread in this town and was sure that people were already wagging their tongues about what was happening manor now.
Milan sighed, leaning back on the sofa. Sarah didn't move. Her eyes were focused on the small gathering of people that suddenly was inspired to go for a walk up the hill to Merced Manor. Each person that passed by was another indication that this town had been bursting at the seams to get the chance to watch Milan finally fall to his knees. If she had anything to do with it, she would ensure that she didn't let that happen. Not now. Not ever.
"We'll get through this." She whispered.
* * *
JOHANNA WEAVED HER way back down the road, amazed by the amount of people making their way up to the manor. One by one, they marched on in tribute to the young woman. A feeling of pity came over her as she took in the sight. She didn't pity the citizens th
at had gathered and made excuses to go near the manor and the tunnel. What she felt was an overwhelming sense of loss over the girl's death. No one deserved to die that way, alone.
By all accounts, Milan and his family had been pillars of the community. When she'd first arrived in town only a couple of days earlier, just beyond the old mills and the old schoolhouses, she saw the manor. It stood taller than the smattering of homes that sat around it, looking down the same hill.
The manor beckoned her in a way. She, like she was sure countless others had been, was curious about the old home. She imagined that the founding father of River's Bend must have lived there, choosing the location to get a bird's eye view of the town, but when she'd inquired about the home after checking into the motel, all she heard were warnings to stay away from it and from the nearby tunnel.
Initially, no one informed her as to what exactly had happened, but they did say that the manor was no longer a welcoming place and that it held many secrets. Not one to listen to tall tales or to pay much attention to rumors, she left their words to fall on deaf ears. She had her own issues to deal with and didn't need to take on someone elses troubles.
"What can I do you for?" The clerk asked, eyeing Johanna like she was something out of a horror film.
Hoisting the items she held in her hands, Johanna asked for assistance finding an item. The clerk clicked her tongue in annoyance.
"I'm working the register today. You have to ask the stock boy for that." She turned her attention to her hands, examining her bright green fingernail polish.
"I'm the only customer in here. What exactly are you busy doing?" Johanna looked around the small grocery store, stocked with just the basic necessities from what she could see.
The teenager rolled her eyes. "Nothing, but I'm on the register today."
Paranormal After Dark Page 348
