Blood Red Sundown: Evil Begins

by Allen Gates

  “When I arrived at our arranged meeting place and she was not there rather than wait I continued on thinking she may have decided against driving in her condition. I saw a fiery glow in the sky ahead over the tree tops and as I neared the source I saw that it was a car totally engulfed in flames. I approached and worked my way closer and realized it was her car, but it was no use.

  “Was an autopsy or any form of identification done on the body?”

  “No? There was no need, I knew it was her car and remember she had left the bar to meet me at the beach site.”

  “I guess you’re right, but it must have hit you hard as close as you two were.”

  Anne looked sharply at Lon, as to say, be careful, don’t go too far. He got the message and back peddled a bit to cover his meaning.

  “I mean to say you lost your father in a terrible manner and then to experience it again with your mother must have had an impact on you.”

  He simply nodded yes, looking away from them Lon assumed to hide his anguish.

  “You mentioned a spot where you were going to meet her. Is that the spot where you met the Doctor?”

  “It is. Mother and Marie both loved to go there and watch the sunsets. We would sit there for hours. Sometimes there was conversation and other times we sat quietly and just took in the beauty of the day’s end.”

  “In our first interview, Senator, you said that on the night Marie was murdered, you went to our special place. Were you talking about the same site?”

  “Yes.”

  “How would you describe the relationship between your mother and Beth Radford?”

  “It was amicable. They tolerated each other, but Beth always in her quiet way intimated that I favored my mother over her.”

  “Why do you suppose she felt that way?”

  “I highly appreciated my mother’s opinions both in my political career and even more in my personal life. She often traveled with me on business trips and quite naturally Beth felt that it should have been her with me. In short, I would say she was jealous and yes resentful toward our close relationship. I resented her constant accusations and asked her to leave and take her blatant suspicions with her.”

  “You mean she accused you of incest?”

  He looked surprised at the question, but answered.

  “Yes, detective, since you have been talking to Beth apparently about this, yes she insinuated that.”

  “I see. What about Marie, did that subject ever come up?”

  Lon watched the man’s facial reactions as he carefully structured his answer to the question. He was very uncomfortable discussing this subject and Lon felt he was close to showing his Jekyll and Hyde routine but maintained his control.

  “I loved Marie, detective, but Mother was very convincing that she was not right for me. She thought Marie had a side to her that would eventually be unfaithful and based on what just transpired I see now she was right. To further answer your question, Marie never once mentioned anything about my relationship with my Mother being a problem.”

  “We’re having her computer checked for this on-line affair you say she was having. I want you to understand completely that we have a computer expert tracing the messages back to the other party. We’re hoping it leads us to her killer.”

  Anne noticed the eye twitch and his look of disdain as Lon talked about the computer affair. He didn’t like that last bit of information, she thought. She noted it in her log and put a big star by it to remind her to tell Lon later.

  “Are you on some kind of leave from Washington Senator?”

  “Yes, they gave me special permission to remain here in Santa Barbra. If there is an important bill brought before the senate I will travel to the chamber and cast my vote.”

  “Tell me about your relationship with your father.”

  The look that overtook the Senators face was to become a defining moment in Anne’s opinion of him. He totally ignored the query and she watched his face reflect immediate pain, then anger, and finally hate. This must be the hidden side Beth Radford was referring to, she thought.

  She looked over at Lon who was totally locked in on the Senators facial reactions. It was as if the senator was trying to balance some unwanted memories that had tilted negative with the mention of his Father.

  “I’m sorry, detectives, I really am, but I refuse to answer any further questions. You are getting into areas of my life that do not concern you and have nothing to do with the murder of my dead wife. So, I will show you out.”

  His face and demeanor continued to display anger as he spoke.

  “That won’t be necessary, Senator. We can find our way out. Thank you for your time and we’ll be in touch with you if we uncover anything of importance in your wife’s case. Good evening sir and please call us if you think of anything that might help our case.”

  He stood and watched them leave the den not bothering to follow them waiting for the front door to close. The anger he had been able to hold in now boiled to the surface. He picked up a vase off the table next to him and threw it across the room. Just as it was shattering across the hallway floor the front door opened and Lon stepped inside.

  “One more thing Senator, my partner has some issues with certain aspects of your story and would like to ask you a few more questions. Time wise it’s not urgent you understand. You can stop by the station or we can come back. Let us know,” and he closed the door.

  “Got him,” Lon said to Anne as he walked back to her at the car and described the object being thrown incident.

  “I’ll drop you off at the station partner, then I’m going home to see my family. I know you’ll miss the past few days of our sleeping together out in cowboy land, but I have certain responsibilities that must be attended to.”

  “Do you ever get out of that fairyland you live in? Besides that, I keep telling you to be solicitous in what you ask for.”

  “Great word, I have to assume it means the careful word you are constantly throwing around. Solicitous, wow, get in the car while I add that to my vocab collection.”

  They continued their exchange of witty digs at each other right up to their arrival at the station.

  “See you tomorrow partner and don’t forget the doughnuts.”

  She walked up to the entrance smiling at the exchanges shared between them and the obvious mutual admiration they held for each other.

  Lon’s driving time was filled with thoughts of what he would face at his home in the night ahead. He knew Tad would require his attention either at the basketball net or in a game of some type at the kitchen table. Ally, will require every detail of the trip to Nevada from him. He knew she would want a description of the senator’s ex-wife’s appearance and what she was like in detail. Was she the cause of their marital breakup or was he? That’s just a beginning, he knew, of what was coming before she would be satisfied that he had given a complete description of the trip.

  Tad was sitting on the porch reading a book and was excited when he saw the car pull into the drive. He jumped off the porch, tripped head first on the grass, got up laughing, and continued running to the car.

  “Hey Dad, glad your home.”

  “Thanks Tad, it is good to be home. Nice slide by the way. Hey let me say hello to Mom and I’ll whip you in a game of one-on-one.”

  Ally stepped out on the porch. She waited for him to step up and take her in his arms.

  “Was it a worthwhile trip, Lon?”

  “Let’s say, I definitely strengthened my suspicious position on the senator. He’s as big a jerk as I had predicted, Ally. But forget him. How are you, sweetheart? Did anything special happen while I was gone?”

  “Hey Dad, games on.”

  “Hold on son, I need to spend a few minutes with your mother. Let’s go inside.”

  “Ally, I want you to be extra careful. I know the odds are with you, but I want to know that you’re always alert to the possibility of running into this guy. Do you understand?”

  “I have deve
loped a detective wife’s mentality, Lon, so I’ll be fine.”

  “Great, let me play a quick game with our son and I’d love to spend some special time with you.”

  She smiled seductively in agreement to his meaning.

  85

  “WELL HOBO MY little friend, we found it necessary to cut our trip short tonight, but I feel we made the right decision.”

  She looked again at the note and decided to show it to the detectives the next day after her shift was completed. She hoped they would be able to offer assistance in finding out who and why someone was leaving the notes in her car?

  She sat down in a comfortable chair and after a review of the evening news she turned off the TV and settled back with a novel she had been trying to get through for several weeks. She awoke two hours later changed into her night clothes, then sat back in the chair, tucked her legs under her and resumed her reading. Try as she might to concentrate on what she was reading her thoughts kept returning to the man standing on the beach. She knew the detectives would ask her if she had seen him before or was there anything unusual or familiar about him.

  “Think,” she thought. Picture him standing there on the beach. Was anything familiar? Why was his back to her? Stop it, you have got to let it go for tonight and let the police help straighten it out tomorrow.

  86

  ANNE WAS READY for a drink and an earful of friendly conversation with her favorite bartender before cashing it in for the night. When she entered he noted her entrance and let her know he was glad to see her.

  “My favorite drop-in has returned, he said loudly drawing the attention of several patrons at nearby tables. What will it be tonight my friend, beer or a gin and tonic?”

  “Make it the gin and tonic Johnny; and I’m glad to see you too. You always seem to help me put my troubles away for the night?”

  While she waited for his magic potion she scanned the crowd which seemed to consist of pretty much of the regulars. As she looked around she expected to see Terry sitting somewhere in the shadows staring at her. She caught the stare of a man sitting alone at a table that nodded and smiled at her. She smiled back out of politeness and turned around to greet Johnny who had returned with her drink.

  “How was your trip to the great state of Nevada, Anne? Reno I hear can be pretty wild. Did you kick up your heels a little bit?”

  “I wish, but no, not really, Johnny. For me it was all business. My partner did a little gambling at night, but I tried to keep focused on the reason we were there.”

  Hearing laughter at the door they turned and Terry was entering holding the hand of a very sexy lady. He spied Anne at the bar and dropping her hand he walked over to her with the lady at his side whose eyes were asking who is she?

  “Anne this is Cassandra Jones. She is a client of mine who is fast becoming a very good friend. We would like to have you join us for a drink.”

  “No thanks I’m having one drink and this girl’s out the door. It was nice to meet you Miss Jones”

  Johnny gave her a wink when she turned back around. “Welcome Home, Anne,” and laughed causing her to throw a peanut at him.

  “I’d like another drought please came from the end of the bar.”

  Anne turned to see who was ordering and looked into the face of the man from the table. He was looking at her and he smiled again as if he knew her.

  Anne sensed something not right almost evil reflected in his face. A familiar vision of him came to her mind. She knew she had seen him before?

  He continued to smile and with a nod to her he retreated to his table.

  “Another drink Anne?” interrupted her concentration.

  “No thanks, I need to get out of here. I’m suffering jet lag from the three day trip.”

  A strange feeling of someone staring came over her. Turning as she prepared to leave, she glanced over at Terry and he was deep in conversation. Shifting her eyes further to her left, there were those eyes staring directly at her with that obnoxious smile covering his face.

  She continued to stare back as she searched her memory for his story? I know him from somewhere recently. She shrugged it off as unimportant and with one last wave to the bartender she walked out the door.

  As if on cue, the man stood and followed her out.

  “Hello detective,” he said from behind her.

  His words startled Anne. Instincts put her in a defensive mode and touched her revolver as she turned toward the voice. It was him.

  “Have we met?”

  “No, I happened to overhear the couple sitting at the next table talking about you. It seems the gentleman has feelings for you.”

  “We spent a few hours together, that was all there was to it.”

  “Maybe sometime when you are here and I happen to be in town we can talk and share a drink at the bar.”

  “Maybe is always the correct possibility. I never promise anything.”

  “Fair enough, detective.”

  That smile again came over his face then he turned and walked to a car parked in the street. He waved at her as he drove off. Get yourself home and forget this guy or you’re going to have nightmares.

  No matter how much she tried she could not keep his face out of her mind.

  “I know I have met him, but where?”

  87

  LYING IN HIS bed he was restless as sleep was a no show again. He stared at the ceiling as the fever began rising deep inside him and in a matter of seconds he was in a state of unsatisfied desire. The picture of his next objective appeared in his mind and would not fade and he needed to be with her soon. He threw off the covers and stood up and paced while the thought of going out in the darkness to find relief appeared.

  “No, the time is not right,” someone or something inside him said. He knew the voice inside his head was encouraging him to wait until the time was right, but it was his desire on the inside that was fighting the delay.

  His mind was becoming a slide show. He saw her on the beach. He pictured her walking her dog, walking the shoreline and getting in and out of her car. He saw her under his control and tried to imagine her reaction when he described the times he was so near while watching her. Finally almost magically his mind cleared and he felt the urge begin to subside. So, he felt compelled once again to lie down and try sleeping. He dreamed of her.

  88

  THE MESSAGE ON Lon’s desk said, Please call, Dr. Stephanie Wearing. He went to his file and took out the report she had filed. The name William Radford jumped out at him. He needed to reacquaint his memory on the substance of her recently filed report before he called her. As he began punching in the numbers, Anne walked in with her usual bag of breakfast treats. Lon winked, and then turning to his phone, asked for Dr. Wearing.

  “What’s up Lon?”

  “Dr. Wearing wants to talk to us.”

  “Dr. Wearing, this is Detective Sanders. You asked that I call you.”

  He stared at Anne sitting on the corner of his desk.

  She felt him undressing her with his eyes. Was she blushing?

  “When you get off work Doctor, give us a call. We’ll know you’re on your way.”

  He looked at Anne. “It seems the Doctor had another run in with the note leaver.”

  “Do you feel there’s a connection to our guy,” Anne queried?

  “Until we know different, everything is related to him.”

  Lon walked to her desk and grabbed the bag. “Let’s hit the coffee room. I need a sugar fix.”

  I need more than a sugar fix she thought as she walked behind him. Too bad you’re married.

  89

  THE PASSING OF two of Stephanie’s terminal patients caused her day to begin in a very somber mood. She was aware that this was always going to be a part of the profession she chose, but it did not take away her sense of loss each time she signed a death certificate. She made every effort to keep her mind focused on the patients that she had helped overcome the odds and survive.

  Today the an
ticipation of her important meeting with the detectives was keeping her mind filled with the questions she wanted to ask and the hope of their answers provided her with an extra boost of energy.

  She found herself confronting Len several times that morning and at each chance meeting he became a little more acceptable and she found herself starting to like him and his crude ways that made her smile. She decided to be very careful and keep their relationship on a professional level with a tinge of friendship.

  Later at lunch the two of them were sitting at a table in the cafeteria and the discussion naturally turned to his diner incident with the senator. The standing recap by Len actually brought laughter from both as well as the people sitting close by. He described the main event of the evening and what he would have done to the senator if not grabbed by the waiter.

  Their conversation remained light and enjoyable and as she returned to work her sullen state of mind improved. Checking in at the desk for messages and finding none, she called and arranged her meeting with the detectives for four o’ clock.

  90

  ANNE SAT AND stared across the room at Lon waiting for him to hang up the phone. His expressions seemed overly serious which did not fit his normal personality. He slammed the phone down hard, stood, and stared at her.

  “Okay partner here’s the orders for the rest of the day as prescribed by the big guy. Grab the files of our victims and bring your notes on our interviews of the witnesses and follow me. We’re going to backtrack all the way to number one and go through each again.”

  She watched him walk to the door, stop, turn, and look back at her. She waited expecting some form of witticism from him, but none came. She followed him into the side interrogation room.

  “Let’s start with every name we're working with or any name mentioned in passing in any of our interviews. Pull out the file on the Asian girl and open you’re notes taken out on the highway. Let’s go over every fact listed in both.”