by K C Norrie
It was almost four am, too late to sleep, and he was too agitated anyway. He would have to dress for work in just a few hours.
Jakery dressed quietly in the dark and left the house early. He drove to Highview and parked in the lot near the mountain path. He checked his watch for the time. It was just before six am. It was still a climb and a long walk before he reached the secret spot where he left Anna. He needed to hurry, as to not be late for work. He started up the path.
No one was around. He wanted to see Anna this one last time before her body disappeared. He'd leave the broken necklace with her. It was the least he could do. She'd won.
****
It was 5:00 AM on Friday morning when Vera Harrison called to report that Anna had not slept in her bed last night and they didn't know where she was.
It was a school morning.
Sergeant Douglas Walker took the call.
Everyone in Settlers Way knew Anna. The girl was born boy crazy, wearing lipstick at eleven years old, smoking cigarettes at thirteen. Now what?
The other Harrison children Francis, Leon, Marion, and Georgia were adults now, much older than Anna. They had all been good kids growing up; never causing trouble. All were married now raising children of their own. Two still lived in Settlers Way and the other two lived in Middleton.
When Sergeant Walker arrived to take the statement; Mrs. Harrison poured him a cup of red tea and invited him to sit down.
He added sugar and took a sip before taking out his notebook.
"When was the last time you saw Anna?"
"Yesterday at dinner," answered Vera. "Right here at the dinner table. She ate some. She was quiet. But that's not unusual. Life with Anna could be quiet or noisy."
Here she paused and Joe Harrison, Anna's father continued the story.
"She said she had too much homework to help with the dishes. She left the table and went to her room to do homework."
"She never came back out," said Vera. "Her bedroom light was out when we went to bed. We thought she was asleep, so we went to bed not knowing she was gone." Vera sobbed. "We just went to bed."
Sergeant Walker wrote up the statements. Hopefully Anna was at a friend's house and she'd just show up and get grounded for a year, but girls had been disappearing from this area for several years now. Newton, Middleton, Highview, Mulberry; six girls were missing—and no one had found a single one.
He thanked the Harrisons and told them he would be back as soon he found out anything. Anna had not been missing the law's required twenty-four hours yet, but this was Settlers Way. They did not have twenty-four hours. They considered any disappearance a possible death, and the eight-hour countdown began. They were already out of time.
Chief Harding called the town council.
The council called an emergency meeting.
The council, all members of the police department and all the volunteers of the fire department arrived in answer to the call, a total of twenty-eight persons; twenty-five men and three women.
The meeting room was adjacent to the police station and firehouse. They didn't have a courthouse. There was little crime here and they could travel to Middleton for court should the need arise.
The assignments were divided up with time on everyone's mind. They divided into three groups of searchers leaving the three women council members to "man" the police station answering the phones and getting messages to the searchers if the need should arise. The searches would concentrate on three areas. Remembrance Creek, the Settlers Way Mountain meadows and within the town itself knocking on doors from house to house. The teams set out.
The women made red tea and waited. No calls came in. Nothing disturbed the wait. They may never find out what happened to Anna. They never found out what happened to those other girls.
****
Arnie's Report
Friday
The call that Anna was missing, came in at 5:00 am. Shortly after 6:00 am, we divided into groups and were ready to begin the search. I was in the group assigned to search the mountain. We hadn't much hope in our hearts. It was me who decided that a few of us should start on the Highview side and work our way back to Settlers Way to meet up somewhere in the middle.
"It will take us hours to cross from our side of the mountain to the Highview side. We need to make sure no Highview resident sees or encounters something they shouldn't."
Everyone agreed. Charlie and I took my car, changing out of our uniforms first. We didn't want to arouse suspicion while in Highview.
We arrived and parked in a small parking area near the Fielder's Meadow Path. We noted two other cars parked here already. Bad luck for us. It took us twenty-minutes to climb from there to the meadow. My watch said 8:30 AM.
Around 9:00 am, we saw something moving up ahead and hurried towards it. It turned out to be our Anna. We could tell by her hair. Curly blond. She had already altered. It made me sad. Until that moment, there was hope. Unfortunately, there was a dead man on the ground beside her. As we got closer, we could see the gore. His chest was open and bloody. Anna turned toward us as we approached. I distracted her as Charlie came up from behind with his club and struck her head. She was dead again. There was no blood. We carefully folded her and placed her in the special box that was made to look like large toolbox. Then we searched the man to find out who he was.
His identification showed his name to be Jakery Finn Delancey. He was twenty-four years old. His address was listed as the old Webster cabin in Settlers Way. He was a newcomer originally from Highview. In one of his hands he clutched a broken necklace with a heart-shaped pendant. We both recognized what this could mean. We've linked such a necklace to the other missing girls. Did Anna kill her killer?
We searched the area to be sure no one was around. No one saw us. We used the club on Delancey's head so he couldn't alter. We had no means to carry him along with us, so we hid the body deep into some brush. I tied a white handkerchief on a nearby branch so we could locate him later. It was after 10:00 when we set off with Anna
It was noon when we met up with the group coming from the Settlers Way side. They took Anna and the necklace with them, and we turned back to Fielders Meadow to get my car and retrieve Delancey's body.
We arrived again at Fielder's meadow and checked on Delancey. It was just past 1:00. We made better time without the load to carry. He was still there, hidden unless you knew where to look. We walked back to the car with the thought that a large blanket may have been in the trunk and could be used to transport Delancey. We noticed several picnickers which we did not acknowledge. Bad luck. There wasn't a way to get Delancey's body out of the field without being seen. We decided to leave and come back in the dark. It was close to 2:00 pm when we arrived back to the car. We drove back to Settlers Way to report.
****
The search was called off.
Everyone from the search groups re-assembled into the council room where Chief Harding delivered the report.
"With a heavy heart I report that we found her," he began. "We found Anna Harrison. She was located on the Highview side of the mountain and discovered by Officers Charlie Hawkins and Arnie Wentworth. She was not alive. She was in the dreaded state."
He paused. Everyone understood what that meant. Some eyes teared up.
"Charlie used his club, and she returned to her resting state. They brought her to the Settlers Way side of the mountain without incident, and we brought her down with us. Mr. And Mrs. Harrison will at least have a proper funeral for their daughter."
He paused again and everyone waited. He had more to say—more bad news. He cleared his throat.
"They also found a dead man. Anna killed him."
Another pause.
"This was found in his hand."
He held the gold necklace up for all to see. The chain appeared broken, but they all noticed the heart.
"As you know, we have been looking for such a necklace ever since it was first described by Celeste Green's mother, when Celeste di
sappeared six years ago. Several of the missing girls have been described as last seen wearing a necklace such as this. It's possible that our killer has been found. In fact, I personally believe that we have found our killer. I believe that this," and he held the necklace up one more time, "is the necklace we have searched for. It's possible that our Anna has saved the rest of the world from a monster."
He paused again for the murmur that followed this important announcement and continued.
"Charlie reported to the receiving officers that he used his club on Delancey to prevent his altering into the dreaded state. The two officers are on their way back as we speak."
Just then the door opened, and the two officers Arnie Wentworth and Charlie Hawkins trudged in. Chief Harding gave them a questioning look, and they answered with a shake of their heads.
Arnie relayed the information, that Jakery Delancey was still up in Fielders' Meadow hidden in some brush.
"There were people about and we had no way to transport him from the meadow to our car that would not attract notice. We'll have to wait until dark. Then we'll bring his body here to be disposed of."
"Thank you, Arnie."
Chief Harding continued, "The problem we have now, is how do we the rest of the world know that the killer has been found. We can't let anyone even know that Anna was missing. How do we explain finding Jakery? How would we explain his chest wound and crushed skull?"
"In the next days, someone will call to report the disappearance of Jakery Delancey," Chief Harding said. "We may not be the ones to receive that call, but we need to ensure that Delancey's body will never be found. First, we bring back his body. After the body is destroyed, he can be exposed as the killer."
Anna's ceremony took place at 8:00 pm on Friday, the same night of the same day she was reported missing. Her death was listed as an accidental fall. Dr. Alan Breton filled out the death certificate and documents required by the State. Her family was devastated. The whole town would mourn Anna, despite her wild nature. The rest of the world would never learn what happened to her.
****
Arnie's Report continued…
10:00 PM. After the funeral Charlie and I left to retrieve Delancey's body. We were tired, but we'll get our beauty sleep later. We were the only ones who know its location. It took nearly two hours to get to Highview. We hid the car off the road and climbed up the hard way to Fielders Meadow. We couldn't take the easy path we had taken before. We didn't want to be seen. It was rough going. Steep. Back breaking. Thank goodness for the clear night and the bright full moon or we would not have been able to see. We made it up to the meadow and took a few moments to get our bearings as we had come in from another direction before. We found the white handkerchief fluttering in the breeze as we approached. But when we looked into the brush where we had left him, Jakery's body was gone.
We searched the area for a good hour before the decision was made to return. We took the easy path down. The parking area only held one car. It had to be Delancey's. Too bad we didn't bring the necklace. We could have easily planted it.
We walked down the dark road to get to Arnies's car. It took both of us to push it out as neither of us had noticed the bog or the mud when we parked it. I fell once and my front was covered in mud. Thirty minutes into the drive back, a tire went flat. We changed it. Somehow, I missed a turn, and we were miles out of our way before either of us noticed. We turned around. By the time we returned to Settlers Way it was 6:00 am. Saturday morning.
We returned empty-handed; our assignment a total failure.
****
"My husband is missing." Mrs. Delancey reported over the phone. It was 9:00 am, Saturday. Officer Malcolm Davis wrote the address down, but they all knew where it was. Malcolm and Officer John Henning were dispatched to the address. Most others had gone home to sleep.
When they entered the cabin, Mrs. Delancey offered coffee. She was a newcomer, and an outsider. She didn't know about the red tea. Her living room was as neat as a pin.
Malcolm took out his notepad and jotted, while John asked the questions.
"When was the last time you saw your husband Mrs. Delancey?" he asked.
"Thursday morning. Just before he went to work. I made us breakfast."
"And where does he work?" Mrs. Delancey gave the name and address of a company in Sacramento. Neither officer had ever been to Sacramento, and they had never heard of the company.
"Do you know whether he arrived to work on Thursday? Did anyone from "Lee Industries," phone to ask about him? Or did he phone you that day?"
"No. No one called. Jakery didn't call either. Thursday is our day off from each other; if you know what I mean."
Neither officer knew, but they were interested. Tamara had to explain.
"Well, Thursdays are his late nights out. He comes home late after I am already in bed. He doesn't like to disturb me. He has always been thoughtful that way, and so we agree its best if he sleeps on the couch. On Friday mornings he leaves here so early that I often don't see him until Friday evening."
"Did you hear him come in late Thursday night?"
"I thought I did. I thought I heard the back door open. I glanced at the clock on the nightstand. It was just after three in the morning. I thought that unusually late. But instead of hearing footsteps and keys, I thought I heard his car drive away. I fell right back to sleep. When I woke up about eight, he was gone and looking back now, I'm not sure if I heard him or not. But this was common for us on Friday's. I had no reason to worry. He often left early Friday mornings. If he didn't, he would be moody and uncommunicative. He never wants to talk in the morning after being out late. I think he is hungover."
John paused and sipped his coffee to give Malcolm time to catch up on the notes.
"Did you get any calls on Friday, yesterday? Did he arrive to work?"
Tamara said she didn't know. "My mother picked me up early. She took me to lunch after a doctor appointment, and then we went shopping. I am pregnant, just four months." Tamara paused here to smile. It was Malcolm who congratulated her.
"I was really tired, so my mother let me take a nap at her house. She brought me home later."
"Do you know where he goes on his nights out? What he does?"
Tamara shook her head. "I assume he spends them with other men. You know, drinking, smoking cigars and playing poker."
"Do you know the names of these men?" asked John.
Tamara shook her head again.
"You'd think I'd know, right? I've asked him before. He gets angry. He calls me meddling and says I'm like his mother. I quit asking. Someone from his work would know. He gets along well with his coworkers."
John hated to ask. "Do you have any of their names?"
Tamara shook her head.
"How long have you been married?" he continued.
"We have been married just over two years. We lived most of our married life in San Francisco. I loved it there, but once we found out I was going to have a baby, he wanted us somewhere closer to my mother. He transferred to Sacramento and bought this place without even telling me. It's still a long commute for him, and it takes almost as long to get to my mother's house from here, as it did from San Francisco. It would take less time to climb up the mountain and walk to the other side. I would never do such a thing, but I feel so isolated here that it's comforting just to know I could. I never wanted to come here in the first place. I don't know anyone in Settlers Way. Back in San Francisco there were places for me to walk to. I had a job, and I made friends. That life is gone. Now Jakery's gone too. I don't know where he could be. I don't know where to look. Do you think he's just left me?"
Tears slid down her face. She wiped at them.
It was all making sense, Malcolm noted. There had been a two-year lull where no girls went missing in this area; then suddenly Anna. And the Delaneys had only been here a brief time. Two months maybe three. Malcolm made a note to contact San Francisco police to ask if any women have been reported missing durin
g the two-year time period. If any young woman disappeared on a Thursday night, well…
"Do you know if your husband keeps an appointment book or a calendar or even a journal? The reason I'm asking is that it may give us clues to where he might have gone. It could give us an idea of places to check; or the name of a person we could talk to.
Tamara thought. "He keeps nothing like that in our house," she answered. "There is a shed out back which he keeps locked. I don't know what's in it. He goes out there sometimes. He hides the key and I don't ask him about it. I don't know why. I'm curious but I don't want him to say I'm like his mother, so I let things be. It is so hurtful when he says that to me. She's not even a bad sort. It's just the way he says it. The way he looks at me."
Tamara changed as they asked more questions. It was as if she had seen Jakery only in the shadows and now he had come into the light. She found him not as she had imagined.
"Just one more question," said John. "What type of car does he drive?"
"He drives a red Oldsmobile. He bought it barely a week ago. He loved it." She didn't smile.
John broke the lock on the shed. It took a moment to take in what they saw, but there were very few gardening tools. There was a folding table set up. On the table was a hatbox. Inside the box were newspaper clippings. The clippings contained pictures and articles of the all the missing women, including two they hadn't known about from San Francisco.
Malcolm asked Tamara if she would like a ride to her mother's house in Highview.
