by Frank Perry
sixties, she’s not going to hurt anyone. There won’t be anyone else, just her and me.”
Jim looked at Kiki, “Okay, what time?”
“Ten o’clock?”
“We’ll be there.”
Jim didn’t need to tell Kiki any details; she’d heard his side and knew what the agenda was. They showered together and played a little touchy-feely before dressing. There was enough time. It was silly to act like this and they both knew it, but neither of them understood what was about to happen at the farm.
Stalker
Rack took the gun case with him into the woods. He was parked in a wide turnout several hundred yards from his surveillance spot. Anyone seeing his car would probably assume he was taking a leak or hunting. He WAS hunting.
Trekking through the brush under the trees wasn’t easy. He hated the woods and never went in unless the job required it. He moved cautiously, taking half an hour to get within effective range for his AR-15 scoped rifle. He had not planned on using it except in an emergency. It wasn’t an effective sniper rifle, and he’d need to get within two hundred yards, preferably a lot closer; the terrain near the granary dictated that.
Karina reluctantly allowed Evan to be with her as they inspected the property. She didn’t have a choice; he had insisted. Earlier that morning, she had reported to Gregor about her search for Hicks’ property and further clues about what happened to the stolen crates, many dozens of large shipping containers. Hicks had died less than a year after returning from the war and couldn’t have gotten rid of everything. There was no indication that he had any money when he died and no news articles around the largest treasure find in history. He’d obviously hidden it, if he had it, but, where?
They thought about the grain silos, but they were replaced in the 1980’s according to the installation and service information on them, including an 800 phone number. They walked around the perimeter, where there was a partially collapsed gray barn down an abandoned dirt drive now covered in weeds. It had half a roof and most of the siding blown off. Interestingly, the door still had an old rusted hasp, locked. They walked to the right side and stepped through a gap where several planks were missing. There was nothing inside. It was well lit from the sun pouring through every opening. The place was empty.
Evan commented, “Well, what now?”
“I am not sure.”
They walked together slowly thinking about the next piece of the puzzle. They never heard the shot.
Meeting
The same silver sedan was parked in front of the house when they arrived. Jason came out to greet them. He seemed edgy, like he wasn’t sure this was a good idea. He didn’t offer to shake hands, saying to them, “Mr. Olander, ma’am, my mom is inside and wants to talk alone to Ms. Joyce.”
Kiki was dressed in jeans and a white knit shirt with the Tranquility city symbol on it. On duty, she would have had her badge on her duty belt, but she didn’t otherwise look to be in an official capacity this day. Nobody except Jim would know she was a police officer. On the other hand, he was dressed in tan Dockers and a brown corduroy blazer over a light blue cotton dress shirt. He carried his shoulder gun and identification hidden as a detective. He wasn’t in any official capacity this morning, but he was considered to be on duty.
As they walked onto the porch, Kiki asked, “Why all the mystery, Jason?”
He shrugged, “I don’t know, ma’am.”
She smiled, “Look, you calling me ma’am sounds like an old lady; you’re only a couple years younger, so call me Kiki.”
He answered straight-faced, “Okay, ma’am.”
Kiki grinned slightly, looking at Jim, “Well, I’ll leave you two to talk about the weather.”
She walked through the open doorway into her house. She considered it her house; she’d been raised there. Inside, there was a thin mostly gray-haired lady sitting on the couch looking at her through clear blue eyes; the eyes looked familiar. “Come, dear, sit by me.” She placed a hand beside herself.
At first, Kiki wasn’t sure what to do. This wasn’t what she expected. The woman was certainly not threatening in any way, but Kiki had not expected such a warm greeting. After all, weren’t they in dispute over ownership of the farm? She was prepared to fight the legal battle and expected the older lady to feel the same. So, why the kindness? She’d been in many courtrooms, many. This wasn’t what she expected from an opponent. It might not even be proper for them to be speaking without lawyers. She hesitated then moved forward, taking a side chair, “I think I’d be more comfortable here. It was the chair she always remembered her father using. He’d probably sat in it the morning he died.
The older woman stared at Kiki for a moment, studying her. It was a kindly stare. “I would offer you some tea, dear, but I wouldn’t know where to look and doubt that your father had any anyway. Do you know if he had any?”
Kiki remained upright, “No, ma’am, I doubt it, too. I haven’t been here in a few years.”
“Yes, I know.”
Kiki couldn’t understand it, but the old woman looked vaguely familiar. She probably wasn’t as old as she appeared, but age wasn’t it. There was something from long ago.
Both sat silently for several seconds looking at each other. Kiki stared out of curiosity and the older lady stared back as older people do from lack of time perspective, finally speaking, “You don’t remember me, do you?”
Kiki stared harder, finally shaking her head, “No, ma’am.”
The woman smiled, “You last saw me almost thirty years ago.”
With that information, she tried to picture the woman without the gray streaks in her hair and more subtleness in her face. Her eyes seemed familiar; who could forget such gorgeous eyes? Shaking her head, “Sorry, ma’am.”
“Well, it’s been a long time, a very long time. So let me help with part of the puzzle. You rode the bus to school in grade school.”
A spark ignited, “You were my bus driver! Miss Albrecht.”
The woman smiled, “You remember.”
“You were always so sweet to me; you treated me like I was special.” Kiki remembered the attractive tall vibrant woman as a much younger vision of the lady now in front of her.
Miss Albrecht smiled wider, “You see, dear, we do have a past.”
“Oh, yes. I remember you giving me gifts on my birthday and at Christmas.”
Miss Albrecht answered, “They were small things, dear. Hopefully things you would enjoy.”
“Miss Albrecht, would you believe me if I told you I still have the Barbie dolls?”
She looked like she would cry, “I’m so glad, Kiki. Can I call you Kiki?”
“You always did then, and I’d like that.” It was seeming very strange chatting with this nice lady. Why would she claim to own the farm? Why was she so nice when Kiki was little? Why meet alone without Jim or Jason?
There was a moment of silence before Miss Albrecht spoke. Her expression changed to be quite serious, maybe even regretful, “My, dear, I wanted to meet with you privately to explain some things that I hoped you would never need to hear.” Kiki started to speak, but the woman continued, “There are things about this farm that should be secrets that die with me. Jason doesn’t even know them all; but before I say more, I want to know if you really want to hear the dark side of things, things that will change your life and maybe break your heart. There are also things that could entangle you with past deeds that have killed people, things that could still be illegal if you do nothing about them.”
Kiki had a puzzled look on her face, “Ma’am, I’m a police officer in New Hampshire, where I live. I’m the Chief of Police in a quiet resort town. Jim Olander out front with Jason is a Detective with the Jackson County Sheriff’s office.”
“Thank you, Kiki, for your honesty. I knew about Jim, but not you. I knew you were once with the Detroit police, but I knew you left some time after your divorce.”
“You kn
ew that about me?”
“Yes, I tried to follow as much about you as I could.”
“Why?”
Miss Albrecht look kindly at her, “I would need to tell you the rest of the story, dear. You may not want to hear it now.”
Kiki thought for a moment and considered talking to Jim, and maybe just stopping before it went further, but something about this woman, something made her stay. “I think I’d like to know more.”
Miss Albrecht sat back, gently appraising the younger woman. “All right, dear, this will take some time.”
She recounted the whole Albrecht saga as she knew it, as her grandmother had explained it to her. Her father, Carter, had passed away in the 1970’s and Miss Albrecht was the last of the people who knew the whole story. Kiki knew about the grave, but she didn’t know how John had been victim of the legal system. He was an innocent man, a kind and loving man. He and his wife Sarah had built the farm based on that love and wanted to raise their son, Carter, on the farm. She explained how hardship was overcome after John’s execution through desperation measures. Carter had married in his twenties, but his wife died of cancer. They had a daughter, who was raised in the farmhouse by her grandmother, who also lived there. The same house Kiki grew up in.
“Now I’m going to tell you some things that will cause you great conflict as a police officer. Things that, if known publically, would further tarnish the Albrecht name and harm some members of the family still living that
