“From one old man to another,” he chuckled, extending his hand.
As Pastor Highland rose, he grunted. His joints joining in the chorus of crackling knees.
“Okay, Sir” Captain Steelman said, “I think it’s time we get you home.”
“Got a place I can clean up first?”
“Right this way.” Alex said, directing Pastor Highland to the bathroom.
Chapter 44
Monday, October 17
10:23 p.m.
Checking on the details of Pastor Highland’s story took quite a bit longer than Alex had anticipated. There were still several unanswered questions and unconfirmed bits or pieces by the time Alex left the hotel, driving the pastor’s car toward the Highland residence. But, Alex felt secure in the belief that, indeed, Pastor Highland was telling a true, albeit remarkable, tale. Behind him, Steelman drove Alex’s car with Reggie in the passenger seat, likely still bending his ear as he had been for the last ten minutes. Adrenaline can make a man do crazy things, both good and bad. Occasionally, it could make a man do annoying things, like pelt a group of more experienced officers with questions.
Tara Franks and Agent Remington agreed to take Shelley home. Josh and Alyson had decided to run through a hamburger joint and meet up with some friends. No doubt the excitement of the night would cause a lot of sleeplessness in and around East Texas.
Before leaving, Alex checked in with Kellan and Janet at the station. All quiet on the Western Front is how Kellan described it. Janet, apparently still nursing a bruised ego, was much shorter with her answers.
“I still can’t believe it.” Alex lamented.
“You know what this means, don’t you?” the pastor’s face was sullen, possessing a slight ashy tone. Alex could see trepidation falling upon him.
“Yes,” Alex confirmed, failing to elaborate further.
“It means we still have a killer on the loose, Alex.”
“I know,” Alex grumbled. His jaw tightened, he wasn’t sure if the sound of his grinding teeth was as audible outside his head as in, but it was loud enough inside so as to cause him to open his mouth and flex his jaw side to side. Simultaneously, he raised and lowered his eyebrows, flexed his eyelids open and closed, doing everything to exercise the tension from his facial muscles.
“Next right,” Highland said. “Springfield Street. Then round the corner. It’ll turn into Winchester. We’re the third house on the left.”
“Gotcha.”
Turning right on Springfield, Alex had to correct just a hair to the left as the dark night caused a shadow to mask where the road actually lie. Pastor Highland let out an almost adolescent scream followed by a laugh.
“Should have warned you about that!”
“Any more surprises?” Alex whispered, forcing a chuckle.
“Nope, you’re good.”
Rounding the corner to Winchester, Alex was overcome by a cozy sense of home. Each house looked to be around two thousand square foot, with the exception of the second house he’d passed on Springfield, which was a two-story brick and stone structure that looked just slightly out of place among the much smaller homes. Now, on Winchester, a similar house came into view. Though slightly larger and enclosed at the back by a wooden fence, the house was nearly identical to the one on Browning. Though not imposing by any measure, it stood out like a sore thumb among the cozier family dwellings. Off hand, Alex did not know who lived there, but it was a very nice house.
“That’s the one,” Highland said, pointing to the big home that had drawn Alex’s fascination.
“Wow,” Alex exclaimed, “The God business pays well, doesn’t it?”
Laughing, Pastor Highland didn’t immediately reply. After a few seconds, his laughter subsided into a wistful sigh.
“Oh, it pays in many ways, but none of them are monetarily, I’m afraid. No, what you’re looking at is inherited money. Dad was a successful businessman. His greatest disappointment was that I chose to follow my heavenly father’s line of work rather than his. I’ve tried to use most of it to serve God, but the truth is we’re getting on up there in years and, frankly, I just wanted to give my wife a nice home. Something we could enjoy in our golden years. Sometimes, I feel guilty. Spending what should be God’s money on an extravagance. But, I hope—no, I believe God understands my heart and knows that I bought this house to honor the person who’s been beside me during this grand adventure we call life. I hope it’s not boastful to say that I trust He will judge me a good and faithful servant, at least for the last third of my life.”
“We should all be as good as you, Pastor.”
Pulling into the driveway, Alex found the house inviting. The shrubbery was well-manicured, the yard almost too neat. Perhaps it was the moon’s reflection off the dew, but it was as if the grass had been painted in place.
The chimney breathed a steady stream of smoke, not uncommon for this time of year.
“Well, I think I can make it from here,” Pastor Highland said, as they approached the door. “Unless you’d like to come in for some coffee or some such?”
“Well, normally I wouldn’t. However, I think I’ll make an exception just this once. It’s not that often I am able to stand this close to a man of God.”
“Alright then!” Highland said, smiling, patting Alex’s shoulder. “Shall we?”
Chapter 45
Monday, October 17
10:33 p.m.
Jingling his keys, Pastor Highland appeared less to be searching for the right one than perhaps willing it to wash its way to the top of the pile of kings rung together, held by a singular metal ring attached to a small wooden cross bearing pastor Highland’s first name.
Even in the dim light, Alex became keenly aware that Pastor Highland looked disheveled. More so than he had mere moments before. Having removed the hairpiece and makeup in the bathroom, he looked more himself, but not entirely normal. The wind had swirled and swooshed his thin mat of hair to and fro. His shoulders seemed weighted under an invisible mass.
“You okay?” Alex asked, as Pastor Highland inserted the key, turning it.
“I’m not as young as I used to be, Alex.” Highland chuckled. “I’ve had quite enough fun for one evening.”
“Perhaps I should come back another time for that drink,” Alex asserted.
“Nonsense, Boy. I won’t hear of it.”
“If you’re sure,” Alex whispered, entering behind Pastor Highland. “I don’t wish to impose.”
“Jim? That you?”
Mrs. Highland’s voice was soft, passing through walls, around corners and down corridors from wherever she was in the house.
“It’s just me, Honey,” he shouted back. “Alex is with me. Captain Mendez.”
Despite the darkness blanketing the corridor, Alex was enamored by the abundance of decorative accoutrements. Pictures in decorative frames dotted the walls. A small, decorative curio cabinet sat opposite the opening to the kitchen area. Upon it, sat several statuettes, figurines and a single vase of artificial flowers.
The kitchen was likewise decorated with ornate cabinets, polished appliances reflecting the dim lights as clear as a true mirrored surface.
Opening the refrigerator, Pastor Highland pulled out two soft drinks.
“Hope you don’t mind,” he whispered, “We’re don’t typically buy your brand.”
Laughing softly, Alex took the bottle of generic soda.
“No worries. When it comes to carbonation, I have my preferences but I’m hardly picky in a pinch.”
She looked sick. Her face held to a greenish-white tinge. Mrs. Highland lumbered into the room, stumbling not unlike a drunk would stagger down a dark alley.
Her hair was wet and strung down her back. The robe wrapping her body and the scent of soap suggested to Alex she had just had a shower.
“Jocelyn!” Pastor Highland gasped, reaching to steady her as she stumbled.
“No!” she screamed, pulling away, falling to the floor. “Don’t touch
me!”
As she scooted toward the cabinets, struggling to sit erect, Alex watched, confused.
“Mrs. Highland?” Alex whispered, kneeling beside her. “Should we dial 911? Do you need to go to the hospital?”
“No,” she said, retching as the word left her throat. Alex jumped back before being hit by the putrid stomach contents being expelled on the Highland’s expensive kitchen tile. He’d smelled many things in his life, including vomit in many stages and forms. He’d smelled every manner of decomposition, defecation and death. This was new. This was like every fetid odor come together with any number of unnamed caustic gasses. When Pastor Highland knelt beside her he, too, heaved, though he did not vomit.
“Get back!” Alex cautioned, more out of instinct than anything.
“Alex, this is my wife,” Pastor Highland chided.
“Yes. She is. And your wife needs an ambulance. Please call 911.”
Nodding, he stood, walked a few steps.
“Mrs. Highland, I’m going to—”
“No!”
Her tongue proved thick as the word labored to escape her throat.
“I’m just going to—”
She jerked when he tried to touch her, shook her head.
Looking down, Alex caught sight of her fingers.
“What in the—”
Turning, Pastor Highland caught sight of his wife’s hands just as Alex did.
“They’re blue!”
Blueish-white, Alex almost corrected him. Puffy. It looked like the skin was going to bubble right off the bone any second.
“What on earth did you do?” The pastor asked.
“Mrs. Highland, the ambulance is on its way.” Alex said, noting her breathing had become raspy. Her lips were turning blue.
“She’s not getting enough oxygen,” Alex noted.
“Do something!”
“Pastor Highland, the ambulance should be here shortly. I need you to do something for me. I need you to get me some gloves. I need kitchen gloves, not just rubber gloves. Two pair. One for you. One for me, if you can find enough. If you have any kind of mask, that’d be great. Something to cover our mouths and nose.”
Nodding, Pastor Highland lunged toward the kitchen sink. Bending down, he opened the cabinets and began rummaging through the various chemicals and contents underneath their sink.
Pulling out his phone, Alex dialed the police station.
“Kellan? There’s a 911 call that just went out from Pastor Highland’s house. I need you to beat them here. Bring gloves. Masks. We have a HazMat situation here.”
“Alex? What sort of—”
“I don’t know, Kel,” Alex interrupted. “Just get here. Bring Cade. And call Josh. Have him notify the feds that we need a HazMat team here immediately! Gloves, masks, full on inflatable buildings like they had in E.T. Whatever they got, bring ‘em now.”
“You got it, Boss. Done, done and on my way.”
“I’m sorry to do this to you, Buddy.”
“No worries, Boss,” Kellan said. “I’m good.”
Hanging up, Alex was not sure what action to take next.
“HazMat?” Pastor Highland asked, interrupting Alex’s assessing.
“You find those masks and gloves?” Alex asked.
Nodding, Pastor Highland headed toward Alex, passing the gloves and masks to him.
“I use these masks to mow the grass,” Highland mentioned. “They’re a little dirty, but they’ll do the trick, I think. Now, what’s this about HazMat situation?”
“Her hands are blue,” Alex said, reiterating what they both noticed. “Mr. Highland, I think your wife has been attacked.”
Chapter 46
Monday, October 17
10:41 p.m.
She stopped breathing twice in quick succession. Not wanting to do mouth-to-mouth, Alex had labored to revive her using improvised CPR he hoped was not causing more damage than good.
The mask made it admittedly difficult to breath, but he couldn’t take any chances.
The thick, yellow kitchen gloves were about two sizes too small for his hands, but he’d finagled them on without ripping them. As a precaution, he’d asked Pastor Highland to get him some Hydrogen Peroxide and iodine solutions from the bathroom. Though he hadn’t used them, he wanted them nearby just in case. Contaminating what was looking more and more like a crime scene wasn’t exactly first thing on his list, but neither was dying from poison or infectious disease if the truth be told. Thankfully, sitting on the sink was a huge bottle of antibacterial soap. It probably wouldn’t do any good, but it was a mental thing. He’d read a lot about Hydrofluoric acid since Tabby had suggested its presence and found it to be a most caustic substance.
The hard part, as he’d anticipated, was keeping Mr. Highland’s skin from contacting that of his wife.
The human’s innate need to touch those we love is very powerful, impossibly difficult to overcome at times.
“Pastor, I need you to do me a favor.”
Tears welling up, Pastor Highland raised his eyes toward Alex. Silent, he nodded.
“I need you to talk to her. I need you to keep her awake. Tell her a story. Tell her you love her. Read the phone book to her. I don’t care what you say. I just need you to keep talking to her. Whatever you do, don’t touch her. Not until we know for sure what all this is, okay?”
Nodding again, Pastor Highland looked toward his wife. A single tear drop fell toward the earth, lighting on her hand before trickling toward the kitchen floor.
Outside, Alex could hear several sirens.
“I’m going to go greet them,” Alex said, standing. “Promise me you will not touch her.”
“Yes,” Highland agreed, his eyes never leaving his wife’s ashen face.
“I’ll be right back.”
***
“He’s not doing well, Kellan,” Alex said. “I’m sorry I had to call you out here, speaking of not doing so well. You going to be okay? And did you call Reggie?”
“Yeah, I’m fine. Better than desk work. Reggie said he’d be here ASAP. Just point me where you need me, Boss.”
“Have the uniforms rope off a perimeter. Right now, we have no crowd. That’ll change any second, now that folks are awake. After that, put on some gloves and get masked. Then I want you to bring Pastor Highland out. Get a uniform to help you drag him out if need be. He can’t tell you anything more than I can. We were together. We just need him out of the way right now. We’re going to have to figure out what to do about Mrs. Highland and, to be honest, I don’t want him in there just in case.”
“On it.”
“Captain Mendez, we need you inside. Mr. Highland is refusing to leave his wife’s side so we can treat her.”
Turning toward the paramedic, Alex raised a curious brow. Nodded.
“I’ll be inside shortly.”
As Alex turned around, he noticed Reggie’s car approaching.
“Grab my rookie, will ya? Make sure he’s suited up before he comes in here.”
“You got it.” Kellan assured him.
“Jenkins?” Alex shouted to a nearby female officer. “You’re with me!”
Nodding, the young officer jogged to catch up with Alex. Had it not been for the autumn leaves, he might not have heard her hurried steps double timing his own.
***
“Pastor, I need you to go with Officer Jenkins.”
Tears streaming down his face, the pastor let go a mournful wail as Alex lifted him, ever so gingerly, to a standing position.
The living room was abuzz with officers and forensic specialists, which included Tabby and the FBI’s Forensic Pathologist.
Now wearing rubber gloves over the tight kitchen gloves, Alex felt strangely claustrophobic, despite the vaulted ceilings and large, open area in front of the burgundy couch on which Mrs. Highland was lain.
Barking out orders through his mask, Alex did his best to direct traffic so as not to corrupt a crime scene. Behind him, three uniformed officer
s grouped with Detective Bo Hopkins searched the Highland’s three downstairs bedrooms and bath area. Another group was searching the upstairs.
Alex felt like he was handling a porcelain doll as he lifted the limp pastor to an unsteady stance. Per Alex’s orders, the elder gentleman had resisted the urge to take his wife’s hands, the skin of which had begun to sour and flake as huge boils festered and burst, seemingly at will. Her arms, too, were covered with these sores and boils just as her face had become covered with a blueish-green tinge.
The EMT’s gave her something to counteract what appeared to be some sort of poisoning, though they also treated it as if it were an allergic reaction.
“Officer Jenkins, please escort Mr. Highland outside and remand him to Lt. Arthur.
“Yes Sir.”
He resisted but for a moment. Tears streaming down his face, Pastor Highland did not let his eyes leave his wife until such time as he rounded the corner of the living room into the foyer.
Alex waited for a heartbeat and then turned his attention back to Mrs. Highland.
“Who did this to you?” Alex whispered. “Mrs. Highland, did you see him?”
Weak, she shook her head side-to-side, struggled with the word “no”.
“That’s okay,” Alex said, manufacturing his police calm. “We’re going to find him. Whoever did this, we’re going to find him. You need your rest right now, Mrs. Highland. These people are EMT’s. They’re going to take care of you and then we’re going to get you to the hospital.
Again, a weak head shake followed by the whispered “no.”
Standing, Alex jumped back as Mrs. Highland reached a hand toward him, causing him to stumble. Catching himself, Alex looked around to make sure no one else was in the way.
“Mrs. Highland, I’ll be right back. I promise. Your husband is outside. He is safe. I’ll be right back to you, I promise.”
Turning, Alex started walking away.
“Captain! Wait!”
The female EMT had shouted so loud it had echoed off the vaulted ceilings.
Connection Terminated Page 21
