by Jason Deas
Rachael wanted desperately to advise him to go. It would solve the problem of Vernon running against him in the next election, but her morals wouldn’t allow her to do such a thing.
“I wish I could tell you what you want to hear,” Rachael said, turning back to the mirror. “If I have to be deadly honest with you though, I’m going to have to say, from my vantage point it looks like it would be a mistake. I don’t think you would be able to stay faithful, and haven’t you already put that poor woman through enough?”
The Chief pulled at his mustache.
“When I left for that gig in London I was all messed up thinking of nothing more than my career. It only took me two days to realize once I was there that I had made the worst mistake of my life. It’s not the money that matters in life. It’s not the stature or the accolades. It’s the people. Without the special people in your life none of it means anything.”
“You may be right,” Chief Neighbors said, as his eyes focused on the parking lot. “Vernon just pulled up.” He walked toward the front window and peered outside. “Look at all the media vans out there. I dare say there might be more than the time I went on television with you.” He paused as he remembered. “I was pretty amazing.”
Rachael laughed at his lack of modesty. “You were pretty fantastic. Here comes Vernon. I hope you make the right decision about Jane. And don’t worry; your secret is safe with me.”
“Thanks. Should we hug it out?” Chief Neighbors asked with a suggestive wink.
“No, but nice try.” Rachael gave him a wink of her own.
When Vernon walked in the door, Rachael knew instantly that the news conference and interview would be fine. She had been in the media business long enough to recognize the look of someone who was scared to death of the camera versus someone who was confident in their self and capable of ignoring the thought of hundreds of thousands of eyes upon them.
“You look great,” Rachael said.
“I feel great. So how’s this going to go?”
“We set up a podium outside like you would see at most normal news conferences. I also set up two chairs so we can sit and have an interview like I used to do on my show. I know it’s not the way most news conferences go, but that’s one of the things I like most about this town—you all don’t always do things the normal way.”
“You know you can start saying ‘we’ when you talk about Tilley.”
“What do you mean?”
“You just said, ‘you all don’t always do things the normal way.’ You can start saying we don’t always do things the normal way.”
Rachael realized what Vernon was saying. “Thank you, Vernon. That means a lot to me.” Rachael looked at her watch. “Five minutes and we need to get out there.”
“When I was in town today I could tell people were pretty frightened. Don’t you think this has the possibility of making it worse?”
“No. I guarantee that a lot of the information out there isn’t true. It’s our job to let people know the truth. If the truth is scary—so be it, but they have the right to know.”
“I just don’t want to make things harder on everybody by scaring them.”
Chief Neighbors walked to Vernon and clapped him on the back. “You’ll do fine. You’re working with a real pro here,” he said, nodding his head Rachael’s way. “I was pretty nervous when I did the national TV show a few years back, but once we got going it was like it was just the two of us talking. She led me in all the right directions.”
“Thanks, Charles,” Rachael said, “and that’s exactly what it is—just the two of us talking.”
Rachael and Vernon simultaneously looked at their watches.
“You ready?” she asked.
“Let’s do it.”
Rachael walked to the podium at exactly seven o’clock. The media waited.
“Good evening ladies and gentlemen,” she began. “I would like to thank each and every one of you for attending tonight and waiting patiently for the Tilley Police Department to formally address the situation. I would like to introduce myself and tell you my role in this matter. My name is Rachael Martin. In the past I have had the opportunity to work as a journalist for a few different networks. I may have had the pleasure of working with some of the people present here this evening. I have taken on a temporary role as public relations director for the Tilley Police Department.”
Rachael paused momentarily for the information to be processed.
“This evening I am accompanied by Officer Vernon Kearns.” Rachael looked at Vernon and he nodded. “Officer Kearns has been with the Tilley force for almost fifteen years. He has an exemplary record. You might remember reading about him during the last case that put Tilley, Georgia on the map, as he was an integral part of the investigation. Mr. Benny James has told me many times that the case may not have been solved if it weren’t for the dedication and insight of Officer Kearns.”
A local standing behind the hoard of media gave Vernon a rowdy rebel yell.
“Tilley, Georgia is not the kind of place where this sort of thing is supposed to happen. Life is slower in Tilley. People are friendlier. We do things different in Tilley, Georgia.”
Rachael looked at Vernon and winked as she used the word “we.”
“We’re going to do this news conference differently too. I can guarantee that this is the first and will probably be the last news conference you attend that will be carried out in this fashion. I am going to interview Officer Kearns like I would have on my television show. Please welcome, Officer Vernon Kearns.”
Rachael began clapping. The television crews, newspaper writers, radio people, bloggers, and all in attendance were not sure what to do as this was most definitely a first. The first claps came from the back. A few more scattered through the middle of the crowd and before long it grew into boisterous applause. Rachael and Vernon sat down.
“Thank you for agreeing to do this, Officer Kearns,” Rachael began smiling deep into his eyes.
“It’s my absolute pleasure. Thank you for asking.”
“I would like to start by addressing the grave nature of the situation at hand. From speaking to you earlier I can tell you care deeply about all the people who live here.”
“I do. I’m a police officer and protector, but I’m also more than that. People here call me friend and neighbor, and I don’t like to see my friends and neighbors worried.”
“Where are you in the investigation?”
“We’re making progress every hour. I’m doing everything in my power to solve this case as fast as my department can so my friends and neighbors can get back to their normal lives. You mentioned Mr. Benny James earlier, the department has hired him to assist. I think most people know the experience he brings from the FBI. He has an incredible talent for solving tough crimes. As we speak he is following up on a lead we received earlier today.”
“He said some very complimentary things about your talents earlier when we spoke.”
“He’s very kind.”
“Let’s get into the specifics of the case,” Rachael suggested.
Vernon settled in and it was just as the Chief said it would be, just two people talking. And a couple million people watching on television. In Tilley and across the nation, Vernon had his coming out party.
Chapter 25
The next morning Rachael was gone when Benny woke at a few minutes after eight, which was a couple hours before he preferred. He was worried about Ned. He missed the previous evening’s news conference trying to track him down.
Benny tried calling and calling without success, which wasn’t weird, but the fact that he didn’t answer the door was out of the ordinary. Benny even tried the side door and two back doors plus a window or two trying to get inside. Ned rarely if ever went anywhere. Although it was possible he was out, Benny doubted it and decided if Ned didn’t answer the door on his next attempt he was going to kick it in and ask for forgiveness later.
As he drove toward Ned’s, he had a great idea and calle
d Red for a favor.
“Red here,” he answered.
“Hey buddy. I need your help this morning.”
“Sure, Bendy. Red helping with anything.”
“Can you still climb like a Billy goat?”
“Oh sure. Red not even needing a ladder to get on you house.”
“It’s your house now, don’t forget that.”
“Right.”
“I’ll pick you up in a few minutes.”
“OK. Red making you coffee.”
Red met Benny in the driveway with a cup of coffee. Benny took it gratefully and thanked him for his thoughtfulness. Benny explained to Red what was going on and what he needed him to do.
The front door of Ned’s house was locked once again. Ned was not a morning person, so Benny did not expect him to be awake. He did expect him to answer the knocking and the incessant ringing. He did not.
Benny nodded to Red and said, “Let’s see your stuff, kid.”
Red grabbed a column on the porch, put a foot up on the railing and launched himself upward. Standing on the railing he moved one hand to an old flag holder attached to the column. He pulled at it to test its strength. His other hand reached to the brick facade of the house and found a place to wedge his fingers into. He crouched momentarily and then in one fluid motion somehow jumped, pulled, and pushed his way onto the roof.
Benny walked into the yard where he could see him.
“How the hell did you do that?”
“Red not know.”
“Start checking windows.”
The second window he tried opened. He turned and beamed.
“Now do what I said so you don’t scare the piss out of him and get shot or something.”
“Ned!” Red screamed into the house. “Open you door or Red come in to open for you. Bendy very worry.” Red listened. He yelled down to Benny, “He say Jesus Christ he coming.” Red yelled back into the house, “It not Jesus Christ, it Bendy James.”
Ned reluctantly pulled the door open. His nose was taped, lip split, and bruises were still forming on the left and right side of his face.
“My God,” was all Benny could say.
Red appeared behind Benny.
“You not looky so good. Who bees mad at you?”
“Me,” Benny answered. “I’m angry with him. Did you start that ridiculous research project again after it almost killed you last time?”
“Afraid so,” Ned lied.
Benny walked into the house.
“Let me see you in good light so I can decide if I’m going to kill you or take you to a hospital. Get him some ice in a Ziploc bag or something,” he instructed Red.
Red walked to the kitchen. A minute later he came back with a baggie of ice and a question. “Why you break you pewter, Ned. Is that what you fight about?”
Ned shook his head from side to side trying to tell Red to drop the subject. Red missed the communication.
“What are you talking about, Red?”
“They bees a pewter in he kitchen with all the alphabets around. Come look.”
“Aw geez,” Ned said.
Benny walked to the kitchen. Ned had put the broken laptop on the kitchen table. The keys from the keyboard were scattered around the table along with a few tools.
“This is interesting,” Benny said. “Ned, my friend, you’ve got some explaining to do. Why is a piece of my evidence that I entrusted to you in shambles? I’m guessing you are lying to me about restarting your research and your face has something to do with this computer, but for the life of me I think it would take a million years or more for me to guess what. Why don’t you end all of this suspense right now and tell me what is going on.”
“OK. I was taking the computer downstairs to work on it. I moved my workstation for these type of things to the basement. As I was walking down the stairs I tripped and fell all the way down the stairs hitting my face several times and dropping and rolling over the computer.”
“Fascinating,” Benny said.
Red walked back into the living room and returned to the kitchen.
“Since you he friend, Red help Ned buying he a new couch.”
Again, Ned shook his head back and forth to Red trying to tell him to stop. Again, Red missed it.
“Why is that, Red?” Benny asked.
“He missing one of he cushion and they some blood on side.”
“Explain,” Benny said to Ned.
“I…”
“Let me help,” Benny offered. “Let’s play a game.”
“OK,” Ned said, not sure where Benny was going with his thought process.
“I’ll give you a word to start a sentence with and you say whatever comes to mind out loud.”
“OK.” Ned’s bruised and battered face scrunched with confusion.
“Mushroom,” Benny said.
“Mushrooms are delicious.”
“You’re very good at this game.” Benny looked Ned in the eyes. “Round two.” Benny paused. “Big E.”
Ned’s yellow and purple face turned red where it could.
“Big E is an unfamiliar term to me.”
“Wrong.”
“Big E is a person I have never met.”
“Wrong.”
“Big E will kill me if I tell.”
“Ding, ding, ding. Although you are not entirely correct, you do win a prize.”
“I hope it’s Vicodin.”
“No, it’s protection until you decide to tell me the truth.”
“I’ll take it.”
After gathering a few of Ned’s belongings, Benny dropped them at Red’s house. He promised to take good care of him and said he wouldn’t let anyone know where he was.
Benny’s next stop was the Oglethorpe place. He decided it was time for Nina to take a look at the art found at the murder scenes. He remembered her saying that if she knew the artist who had made a piece, she would be able to tell.
Heading down the long dirt drive, Benny’s attention wandered from the road as he marveled at the metal sculptures off to the side. When he glanced back at the road, a car barreled toward him. The driver was trying to scrunch down in the seat and get out of sight. Benny slammed on his brakes and pulled off to the side to let the car pass. As the car passed he lifted himself as much as he could to get a better view and swore to himself that he recognized the driver. It was Dr. Walton.
The roofers were already set up and crawling all over the house. Benny wondered how long it would be until Uncle Karl started speaking Spanish and acting like some of the workers. He peeked into his studio. Uncle Karl was wearing a sombrero he had noticed in there on another occasion.
“Buenos dias,” Benny joked.
“Hola, amigo,” Uncle Karl answered. “Can you tell them to stop making all that doggone racket?”
“It’s going to be awful hard for them to put a new roof on your house without making any noise.”
“I don’t go in there much anyways.”
“Did I just see Dr. Walton leaving here?”
“Yes.”
“I didn’t know he made house calls?”
“He wasn’t here to see me.”
“Who was he here to see?”
“Ah, God. Do I have to tell this story again?”
Benny’s forehead wrinkled.
“Who did you already have to tell?”
“Clarice.”
“Your ostrich?”
“Yes. She’s the nosiest thing you’ve ever met. I just finished telling her why he was here.”
“Be a pal and tell the story one more time,” Benny said, climbing onto the rocking horse. “Do you mind?” he asked, pointing to the wooden horse under him.
“Nah, she hasn’t been ridden in a while and could use a good workout. Warm her up slow.”
Uncle Karl took off the sombrero and tossed it to his right without looking. This time he didn’t knock off any jars, break, or spill anything.
“Dr. Walton was in love with Nina, but his mother didn’t
approve.”
Uncle Karl started scratching his knee.
“That’s it?”
“Yep.”
“You were complaining about having to tell me one sentence? That’s not a story. It’s more like a fact or something.”
“It’s a short story.”
“I’ll say. Why didn’t Hazel like Nina?”
“She thought Nina was after his money.”
“Does Dr. Walton have a lot of money?”
“From what I hear he does. The family owns a prime piece of real estate in town. He’s a doctor. What more do you want?”
“Fair enough.”
Uncle Karl stood and walked over to one of his canvases propped against the wall. He picked it up and began to study it as if Benny was no longer in the room.
“I’ll be going then.” Uncle Karl turned to Benny, startled. “I’m going to take Nina into town to help me out with something. Is it OK with you if I ask her about her relationship with Dr. Walton?”
“Who told you about that?” Uncle Karl said running up to him. “Did Clarice blab all that to you? I told her to stop gossiping to strangers.” He turned around and kicked the canvas he had been looking at. “Que demonios es eso?”
Benny shook his head as he left the studio.
Nina answered the front door.
“You got an hour to run up to the police station and look at the two paintings?”
“Sure, but I thought there were three?”
“One is a sculpture.”
“I can’t help you with that one—maybe Uncle Karl can.”
In the Jeep on the way to the station, Benny questioned her about Uncle Karl.
“I talked with him this morning and he seemed somewhat normal. Then it was as if someone threw a light switch and he didn’t remember talking to me.”
“I wish I knew what to tell you. As soon as you think you’ve got him figured out he changes. Sometimes I think he does it on purpose, but I can’t prove it—and why would somebody do stuff like that?”
“What does your doctor friend think?”
Nina blushed. “Did you see him leaving here a little while ago?”
“I did. I assumed he was making a house call, but Uncle Karl tells me different.”
“Oh, God.” Nina pulled her fingers to her flushed face. “I feel like a schoolgirl. I guess it’s a good thing your girlfriend came back into town and nothing happened between us.”
