Skeleton Key

by Jeff LaFerney

“Zander explained things?”

  “I don’t know what the heck a medulla oblongata is, but I guess yours is completely open and you get sensory messages that the rest of us don’t get. And you’re able to control the messages. Does that sum everything up?”

  “Pretty much.”

  “And what do you think I can do?”

  “You could start by taking us to the horse graveyard, and then we can dig up the body.”

  “Well, the first problem is that it’s private property, so Marshall Mortonson will have to give his permission. If he doesn’t, we’ll have to get a warrant, and the trouble with that is that we don’t have any proof there’s a body there. It’s my guess that a judge is going to be hesitant to issue a warrant based on a stranger’s story that Adrian’s ghost told him to look there. Oh, but if I tell him you have ‘mind powers,’ that ought to convince him, don’t you think?” he asked sarcastically. “Maybe you can make him believe, Clay. Let’s start with Morty. I’ll give him a call and see if he’s willing to help us out.”

  Hopper asked Erika for the number to Marshall’s office and made the call.

  “Hi, Morty. This is Luke Hopper…I’m fine, thanks. Any new break-ins to report?...Well, that’s good to hear…Listen, Morty. We’ve been given some information here at the office that suggests that maybe Adrian Payne might be buried with the horses along your railroad tracks….Yeah, I know, Morty, but what we’d really like is your permission to dig into the horse burial ground, so we can find out for sure…No, there isn’t a warrant, and no we don’t have any physical evidence. Just a tip…Well, Morty, I understand your concern, but Adrian Payne’s been missing a long time, and this is the first time we think we know something about his disappearance…Yeah, of course, Morty, we could be wrong, but if we’re right, we could finally give Erika and Logan some closure…I know it’s a historical landmark. I don’t know what to tell you, Morty. Can we dig or not?...Okay, if that’s what we need to do, we’ll try to get a warrant. I sure wish you’d be more reasonable…I understand. Have a good day, Morty.”

  Luke Hopper got off the phone, and with more than a little disappointment in his voice, he said, “Morty says no.”

  The hair on Tanner’s arms stood up. Those exact words were the second confirmation that his vision was legitimate. Clay looked Tanner in the eyes and sent him a message. “Are you going to do something?”

  Tanner nodded back at his father, and then with as much concentration as he could gather, he sent a message to Chief Hopper. “At 7:30 tonight, go check on the horse gravesite along the tracks.”

  Chapter 10

  Clay, Tanner, and Erika left the police department with only a promise from the police chief that he would definitely call the local judge the next day and attempt to get a warrant to dig up the horse graves. As they walked to their cars, they were discussing taking a visit to the burial site. Clay suggested that they take a look before they headed to Erika’s house to meet Logan Payne and to eat dinner.

  “What I’ve heard while working at the railroad,” Erika explained, “is that the circus animals from the Wallace train wreck were buried about fifteen hundred feet west of the South Oak Street crossing, but there’s no way to confirm that anymore. There was no memorial placed at the site. The current memorial for the circus wreck is at Lovejoy Cemetery, about a half mile west of Durand Road on Prior Road. There’s like a five-foot tall granite monument explaining that the elephant, camels, and dog from the circus were killed and buried after the wreck. When the horses were killed seven years ago, they were legitimately buried approximately fifteen hundred feet west of the South Oak Street crossing. A similar monument to the one at Lovejoy was erected. If Adrian is buried with the horses, we can know right where to look.”

  Without a seeming care in the world, Tanner said, “We can’t go there, Dad. We should just go back to Erika’s and make sure some people see us. I’m thinking that we’re gonna need an alibi later today.” When Clay and Erika gave him questioning looks, he said, “Trust me on this one, okay?”

  ***

  Once they reached Erika’s house, Tanner and Clay spent some time raking leaves. For an early December day, the weather was fairly mild, but the cool temperatures were dropping as they worked. In case they needed an alibi, they intentionally waved at several neighbors and many passing cars. Tanner explained to his dad what happened in the restroom at the restaurant and then explained how he had manipulated Chief Hopper and the railroad workers. “I expect that sometime after 7:30, all hell’s gonna break loose, and Erika will get a call.”

  “You’re right about the alibi, Tanner. I think it’s best that we stay visible until that family comes with dinner. I don’t want to be accused of digging up that grave. By the way, seeing into the future is called precognition.”

  Tanner smiled as a train roared from a nearby railroad track. “I could make a fortune betting on games,” he nearly yelled.

  “Great idea, Tanner,” Clay yelled back sarcastically. “That way you’ll never have to get a job and be responsible. You’ll make me so proud.”

  At about 4:45, Logan arrived home from school and basketball practice. He was thin and about five feet ten inches tall. His dark hair hung over his eyes and he barely looked up when his mother introduced him to her new friends. When Tanner asked Logan about how practice was, he said, “Okay.” But he didn’t elaborate.

  “Tanner’s a freshman on U of M’s basketball team,” Erika said.

  “Cool” was all that Logan said in response. Then, because Tanner manipulated his mind, Logan said something he wouldn’t have said of his own free will. “Do ya wanna shoot some hoops?”

  For the next fifteen to twenty minutes, Clay and Erika watched from the front window while Tanner and Logan shot baskets in the driveway. They seemed to actually be carrying on a conversation, and Clay remarked that Logan had a pretty nice shot. When he noticed that Erika looked a little sad, he asked what was wrong.

  “You know when I told you I was afraid of midgets?”

  “Yeah,” Clay laughed.

  “Well, I am kind of afraid of them, but that’s not what I’m really afraid of. I’m afraid that I’m failing him as a mom,” she said as she glanced Logan’s way. “He’s going to be eighteen on his next birthday, and I’m afraid I’m not doing my job. He’s so depressed and unhappy, and I can’t fix it. I take people like you out into a cave and teach them what it means to have faith, but in my own life, I have a hard time believing that I’m not failing him. And why can’t I get him to have faith in something? Why can’t he be happy? Why can’t I fix whatever it is that’s eating away at him? It scares me more than anything to think I might not be an adequate mother.”

  “I don’t have the answers,” Clay gently responded, “but I have a hunch that we may be able to help him if we can solve this mystery.”

  “I’ll be praying with all my heart that you’re right about that,” she said. Then she changed the subject and said, “Good. The Gomezes are here. The one thing that always seems to bring a smile to Logan’s face is their oldest girl, Anna. I’ve learned to treasure these moments. Come on.” She grabbed Clay’s hand and led him to the door.

  ***

  When the Gomez pickup truck parked in the driveway, a side door flew open and little Anna jumped out, smiled a big dimpled smile, and yelled, “Logan!”

  Logan brushed the hair from his eyes and smiled his own terrific dimpled smile. Erika elbowed Clay, and with tears in her eyes, said, “See what I’m talkin’ about? That girl brings joy to our lives.”

  Tanner strolled over to the couple as Logan began lowering his basketball hoop so Anna could easily make some shots. “Hi, Anna. I’m Tanner. How old are you?”

  “Seven and a half,” she said. But she was more interested in playing with Logan than talking to Tanner, so as soon as the basket was low enough, she squealed and grabbed the basketball, not minding the cold whatsoever.

  Logan spent a few minutes reviewing how to dribble with her fing
ertips. Then he made her dribble with her left hand too because “if you only dribble with one hand, you’re only a half a basketball player.” It sounded like something a coach probably said to him over the years.

  The Thomases were introduced to Stacy Gomez, and Roberto said hello to them again. They all stepped into the house and Erika put the food in the oven to keep warm. She returned the dish from the previous week and spent a few minutes playing with the younger Gomez girls. When it finally got too dark for Logan and Anna to play anymore, they came inside. “Mom and Dad, Logan says I’m a good basketball player! And I’m gonna be a superstar!”

  “You’re already a superstar to me, Sweetheart,” said Roberto. “But if Logan says you’ll be a star, then I’m certain he’s right.”

  “A superstar, Daddy!”

  Everyone laughed and then Stacy suggested it was time to leave so everyone could eat dinner. During dinner, Erika broke an uncomfortable silence by telling Logan that the police were investigating information that might soon lead to the discovery of his father. “Sooner than you think,” thought Tanner. Logan shrugged his shoulders like he didn’t really care, but Clay caught a glimpse of one of his eyes and he heard the boy think, “…hate him.” Logan claimed he had homework, and he excused himself and went to his room.

  Clay somewhat anxiously explained to Erika that he and Tanner would leave at 8:00 or so if they didn’t hear from Chief Hopper. But he also explained that Tanner was very sure they would hear from him. The next hour or so dragged as the friends waited, but time wasn’t dragging elsewhere.

  Chapter 11

  The three railroad workers started digging as soon as it was dark. They were a bit drunk and quite confused as to why they were there, but everyone agreed it was something that they needed to do. Once they had dug close to six feet deep, they seemed to sense that they needed to be careful. The worker with the large pick went to his truck and returned with two flashlights. He kneeled at the hole and lowered the flashlights below the ground surface in an attempt to hide the beams. One of the men used his hands to clear dirt from one skeleton while the other man cleared dirt from a second skeleton. Eventually the bones became recognizable. “This one is the head of a horse, but these bones beside it are definitely human. Someone buried a human body in this grave!”

  After very little discussion and a unanimous decision, the man with the flashlights helped pull the other two men out of the grave, and they practically ran to their truck and drove away vowing to never tell anyone what they had just done and seen.

  At 7:30, Luke Hopper drove a police cruiser near the burial location and then walked to the horse gravesite, shining his flashlight to lead his way. First, he saw the mound of dirt. He quickened his pace and approached the hole. What he saw next he found quite disturbing. His powerful flashlight beam shone directly on the skull of a horse. To his left of the horse was the skull and upper body of a human. “Clay Thomas, what have you done?” he thought. He headed back to his car and made the call announcing he’d found a dead body. He requested a call be placed to the Genesee County Medical Examiner and he ordered a couple of backup units to be sent to the scene.

  Dan Duncan received a call from Chief Hopper personally. “You need to get over here, Dan. I think I’ve discovered Adrian Payne’s body at the monument along the tracks. I’m gonna have to call Morty and Erika too. It’s probably best if her friends are here when she shows up.” Dan felt sick. He rushed around and left his house almost immediately.

  Hopper called Marshall Mortonson next. “Yeah, I know you said no, Morty. I had a bad feeling and took a look, and someone dug up the grave. I think we’ve found Adrian’s body. I’m calling Erika next, but I think you should be here when she arrives.” Anxiously, a disturbed Mortonson threw on a coat. He too left almost immediately.

  When Hopper called Erika, it was a little before 8:00. “I think your friend dug up the grave, Erika. But there’s a body. I think you need to get over here. I’m sorry, Erika; I really am.”

  “It looks like he was right about the grave, Luke, but he didn’t dig it up. He and Tanner have been with me ever since we left your office. There’s no way it was Clay. We’ll be there in a minute.” Erika called to Logan and then told Clay that his theory was right. A body had been discovered.

  “I’ll drive,” Clay said.

  When they arrived at the gravesite, Tanner saw a man in a white lab coat kneeling over what he was sure was the skeleton of Adrian Payne. A short, stocky police officer was setting up crime scene tape. The policeman, Dan Duncan, looked anxiously at Erika as she arrived. Erika walked right up to a pot-bellied, balding man wearing a blue dress coat over a white dress shirt and loose necktie. The man, Marshall Mortonson, gave Erika a hug. It was so strange to Tanner to see his final vision coming true before his eyes. Condensation was coming from the noses and mouths of everyone present, but Adrian Payne’s partner was sweating. Luke Hopper walked up and glared at Clay with obvious distrust. “We don’t know for sure yet, but if Clay here was right, we’ve found Adrian’s body.” As the words escaped his mouth and entered Logan’s ears, the teenager began crying. Erika put her arms around him and held him tightly as he wept. It was going to have to be confirmed, but Tanner, Clay, and Erika were certain that Adrian Payne’s body had been discovered after seven years. And since it had been secretly buried, Adrian might have been murdered.

  Chapter 12

  The next morning, as Clay was eating a late breakfast, his phone rang. It was a call from Chief Hopper, asking Clay to come back to Durand for a meeting. The previous evening Tanner had driven back with his father to the house in Flint and then had continued on to his apartment in Ann Arbor, so during a mostly sleepless night and restless morning, Clay had been alone, thinking about the events of the past day. He found that he was very attracted to Erika, and realized that for the first time since Jessie’s death, he was interested in another woman. Yet, he knew that his purpose in Durand was going to have to be to solve the mystery. It worried him that discovering the unknown might not have the desired romantic outcome, but he felt confident that he needed to do whatever he could to help Erika and Logan. He would worry about the rest later.

  As Clay’s mind wandered, he began to realize that he needed to find answers to a lot of questions. He needed to know what actually happened on the night of the train wreck. How did Adrian’s body disappear? Was he actually murdered? Who would have the motive to kill him, and how could it have been done? If the coroner’s report confirmed the identity of Adrian Payne, would the coroner be able to discover the cause of death after seven years? And who could have buried the body? And why? Those questions and more flooded Clay’s mind. Why did Logan hate his father? And if he hated him, why was he so upset when the body was found? He also wondered, now that the body was discovered, if the ghost at the Depot had found some sort of peace and would stop communicating with him. Is a ghost some sort of entity trapped in a type of spiritual state until his or her purpose is achieved? After Clay cleaned up the kitchen, he brushed his teeth, grabbed his keys, phone, and jacket, and headed out the door, feeling a wave of anxiety. Was he getting into something that was over his head?

  ***

  During breakfast at the Payne household, there was nearly complete silence, except for the continuous opening and snapping shut of Logan’s jackknife. Logan looked like a wreck. He was slouched in a seat at the kitchen table, a plate of uneaten waffles before him. His unwashed hair was hanging over his puffy eyes, and a look of misery clouded his face. Erika wanted to cry. She had no idea what to say. She was personally hopeful that the coroner would be able to identify the body and that she might be able to know for certain that Adrian would not someday surprisingly show up in their lives again. She knew she was happier without him, and she found that she was already looking forward to seeing Clay again. Once the investigation was concluded, maybe Adrian’s funeral would mark a new beginning. Her thoughts then switched to her parents in Florida. She wondered if they would remember
the crush she had had on Clay. Additional questions began to swirl in her mind. How could she help Logan? He was going to have to get some additional counseling if he continued to feel so upset over the loss of his father. What if she and Clay dug into the mystery and found out things that she didn’t really want to know? Would it be better to let things go as they are, or could finding answers finally help Logan to move on with his life?

  There was a knock at the back door. It was 10:30 in the morning. Erika had no desire to fight Logan about going to school, so she hadn’t even tried. When she opened the door, it was Stacy with little Anna. Stacy had brought a vegetable pizza that “you can eat anytime.” She explained that she kept Anna from school and brought her in hopes that she would cheer up Logan. Logan smiled, grabbed Anna’s hand and led her to the living room where they started hitting a soft volleyball back and forth to each other. Erika gave Stacy a hug and thanked her for her kindness.

  “Robbie seemed really upset when he heard the news from last night. He said he was worried about you and Logan, so I volunteered to come to see you. So, how’re you doing?”

  “I’m okay. At the beginning, I figured he’d disappeared on purpose. It didn’t make sense that there was no body after the wreck, but as time passed, I believed he was gone for good and maybe he was actually dead. Stacy, life has been hard, but it’s been better without him. I worry so much about Logan, though. He was sad and withdrawn before the wreck, but he’s been getting worse since his father disappeared. He doesn’t talk about it—even to a counselor—so I don’t know how I can help him.”

  “Well, kids love and need their dads. I’m sure it’s been tough on him to not have one.”

  “If you ask me, Logan didn’t love or need his dad. I don’t believe Adrian loved him. Logan had to see that. And Adrian never took an interest in him either. He was mostly only interested in himself. Logan could see that too. So I’m just simply confused about his reaction to losing him and his emotional reaction to finding him last night.”