Dead of Autumn

by Sherry Knowlton

  “I’ve really been affected by this experience. Finding a dead body near my old apartment in Brooklyn would have been shocking but not all that surprising. In the city, I read about violence every day. I even knew a couple of people in the office who had been mugged or burglarized. But, this random encounter with death in Michaux came as a real shock. And, it happened fairly close to the cabin, as the crow flies. I feel like there’s been a tear in the fabric of my peaceful little universe.”

  “I understand that this has been upsetting, Lexie. But, you’re going to get over the shock. It’s critical to keep your involvement in this situation quiet. Don’t tell anyone else about finding the body.”

  Back at her desk, Alexa contemplated the idea that the young girl had been murdered. Alexa zeroed in on a major reason for her distress. Whoever had killed the delicate blonde had expressed their contempt in the careless way they abandoned the body. The killer had tossed the girl in the woods like yesterday’s trash.

  The ringing phone interrupted Alexa’s thoughts. “Caleb is on the line,” Melinda told her. “I’ll transfer him in. Do you have a hot date coming up?”

  “Yes, we do. But, today’s only Tuesday, right? He usually doesn’t call this early in the week.”

  Caleb kept the conversation short. “I have to go out of town tomorrow. A big outdoor show near Philadelphia. So, I thought I’d check in with you today. Are we still on for Friday night?”

  “Sure. I’m looking forward to having some fun. It has been a very crazy few days.”

  “OK. How about I pick you up around seven? Sorry, I’ve got to go. A customer wants to buy rifle.”

  By the time Alexa said, “See you Friday,” Caleb had hung up the phone.

  Chapter Four

  After work, Alexa headed straight to yoga. Just walking into the familiar yoga studio calmed her. For almost an hour, Alexa concentrated on spinal twists, sun salutations, and warrior poses. Near the end of class, the instructor moved to half moon, always one of Alexa’s favorites. Thoughts of the dead girl and Graham’s warnings sapped Alexa’s focus, and she lost her balance again and again.

  During savasana at the end of the session, Alexa let the distractions recede and found her center. Then, she remembered that savasana is Sanskrit for Corpse Pose.

  Following class, Alexa and her two best friends sat in the outer room to put on their shoes. “Om Cafe?” Haley asked.

  “Yes. I can make it tonight,” Alexa affirmed.

  “Let’s go. I haven’t talked to either of you this week,” Melissa said. “I’ve been so busy with the Friday’s opening. You’ve seen Clem Bouder’s work before, haven’t you? The guy’s a frigging genius.”

  The three women chatted as they strolled to the nearby Om Cafe. While they placed the order for three chai tea lattes, Alexa leaned back in her chair and gazed fondly at her friends. The two were as different as night and day.

  A tall, slender brunette, Haley always dressed with style, although a bit on the conservative side. She could do a television interview at a moment’s notice with only a touch-up to her lipstick and a pat to her sleek chin-level bob. Her husband’s job as an investment broker helped fund her spectacular wardrobe.

  In contrast, Melissa was a free spirit. Her hippie parents named her after one of their favorite Allman Brothers songs and raised their daughter to live in the moment. She flourished in that environment and often seemed like a throwback to the early seventies. She dressed with a bohemian flair and always wore her long auburn curls loose in a cascade down her back. Melissa made her living running a small art gallery in town and was, herself, an accomplished photographer.

  “So, yet another Lululemon outfit tonight, Haley. Did you just go through the fall catalog and buy one of everything?” Alexa teased.

  Haley ran her gaze over Alexa’s frayed sweat pants and ratty tee and sniffed, “Perhaps, I could lend you something for next week? I think I remember that t-shirt from summer camp in eighth grade.”

  “Hey. I always liked that t-shirt,” Melissa chimed in. “I nearly cried when mine finally ripped at the seams. But, I still use it as a rag when I stain picture frames.”

  The waitress interrupted the friends’ banter when she arrived with the tea. “We’ve got cranberry-orange scones tonight. Want one?”

  “Not tonight, Ariel,” Alexa declined. “I can’t stay very long. Scout’s been alone all day.

  Melissa shook her head in refusal, and Haley said, “Maybe next week. Thanks.”

  “Haley, what’s the Chamber of Commerce position on dead bodies popping up in Cumberland County’s beautiful forests?” Melissa asked.

  “How can you talk like that about a tragic situation? You should be ashamed of yourself.” Haley admonished her friend.

  “I’m sorry. That came out a little wrong. I think the whole thing is terrible. Apparently, the girl was quite young. The police don’t seem to have a clue what happened. I just wanted to know if you have any inside information.”

  “No. Public Relations at the Chamber is in the dark. Maybe I overreacted because my boss has been so worried about the bad publicity. We get a lot of tourists this time of year: campers, hikers, the fall festivals. What if people get scared and stay away? Local business could lose a lot of revenue.”

  Alexa longed to confide that she had found the body, but Graham’s voice popped into her head, telling her to keep quiet.

  Instead, she observed, “You two talk like some mad killer is on the loose. It’s a little early to jump to conclusions. No one even knows how she died.”

  “Alexa, you’ve spent too many years in the city. One dead body is nothing to you. Hell, they pile them up in the streets in New York, right?”

  “As usual, you exaggerate, Melissa.”

  “It’s not just the city,” Haley interrupted. “She’s always been like this. Remember when Alexa punched out little Johnny Gayman on the playground? I think it was fifth grade.”

  “Yeah. Wasn’t he picking on that new girl, Angie? I can’t remember her last name. Haley’s right, Alexa. You’ve always been fearless.”

  “So,” Haley clarified, “you need to understand that neither Melissa nor I—or anyone else in this little burg—are used to having dead bodies appear in the forest. Or anywhere else for that matter. The whole thing makes me nervous.”

  “OK, OK.” Alexa wished she could tell her friends how wrong they were, that this particular dead body haunted her dreams. Instead, she smiled, “I get your point. And, what happened to that girl is tragic, no matter how she died. I shudder every time I think of her, dead and alone, out there in the woods.”

  Leaving the Om Cafe parking lot, Alexa had to wait for an opening in the traffic. As she punched the preset button for National Public Radio, Alexa noticed a group of kids in soccer uniforms spilling out of a blue van. Alexa smiled in sympathy at the harried woman who was trying to steer the group of boys and girls into the pizza shop two doors down from the Om Cafe.

  The sight jogged her memory. “The van,” she said out loud. “I never thought to tell the police about the van.”

  Driving home, Alexa debated the importance of the speeding van.

  Was it relevant? Yes, it was driving fast. Yes, it came from the same direction as the girl’s body. But, thousands of guys in camouflage drive around the woods in hunting season. Hell, half the population of Cumberland County thinks camouflage is appropriate attire for even the most formal social occasion.

  By the time Alexa reached home, she still had not decided whether to call the state police about the van. She let Scout out and went to change into jeans. A few minutes later, she stood on her deck, searching for the big dog. She finally spied him, lumbering under the pines where the carpet of fallen needles muffled the sounds of his feet.

  Scout raised his head, alert to the sound of a car coming down the lane in the gathering dusk. Alexa smiled as Reese Michaels unfolded his long frame from the SUV. Scout loped over to greet the ranger.

  “I thought I woul
d check in to see how you’re doing.” He approached the steps. “I’m glad I caught you at home. Wasn’t sure of your schedule.”

  “Come on up. I’m doing OK. But, your arrival is timely. I just remembered something that happened on Sunday. And now you can give me your opinion about whether I should mention it to the police. Would you like something to drink?”

  They sat on the deck in the fading light, Alexa with a soft drink and Reese with a beer. She told him about the speeding van that had startled her on the road a few minutes before the trailhead parking lot.

  “I’m not sure if I should call the cops. It might not be related,” Alexa finished. Noticing her agitation, Scout scrunched his body closer until he was lying on her foot.

  “Anything could be important,” Reese leaned forward. “At this point, I don’t think they have much to go on. The police still haven’t identified the body. What do you remember about the van? Color?”

  “Sort of a dirty white. Maybe gray or tan. I don’t really know anything about cars, but it looked like a million other vans on the road. It was old and looked pretty beat up. It seemed like a workman’s van, no windows on the side; not the soccer mom type.”

  “Anything on the roof?”

  “You mean like ladders or kayaks or something? No. There was a roof rack, I think; the kind that contractors and painters use. Keep in mind; I just saw this van for an instant. They passed me really fast. I was a little pissed that they ran over into my lane on the curve. They nearly forced me off the road. But, I just thought it was two hunters in too much of a hurry.”

  “Why do you say hunters? It was Sunday. No hunting is allowed.”

  “I didn’t think of that. But, I said hunters because both men wore camouflage, even the hats. Of course, lots of guys around here have more camouflage in their wardrobes than anything else.”

  “Why don’t you call Trooper Taylor? I have his number here in my cell. I can stay while you make the call.”

  When the plainclothes investigator arrived, Alexa repeated the information she had shared with Reese.

  Trooper Taylor asked, “Did the van have any markings?”

  “I don’t remember anything on the side, like a company name or anything. I didn’t really see the back of the van.”

  “You said that they reminded you of hunters. Was there a gun rack? Did you see any orange?”

  “Oh, that’s right. If they were hunters, they should have had orange vests and stuff. No, I don’t remember any orange. There may have been a gun rack, but I can’t say for sure. I just caught a fleeting glimpse of all of this. They were going really fast, and they startled me coming around the curve. They blew by so quickly, I didn’t really see much at all. Sorry that I can’t be more specific. And I don’t know that they had anything to do with the girl. I just thought it was worth mentioning when I remembered seeing the van.”

  “Don’t apologize. Calling me was the right thing to do. The chance that these men were involved in this incident may be slim. But, they may have seen something that could help us with this case. So, we appreciate your information.”

  “In fact, I was going to contact you anyway. Can you tell us where you were on Saturday between two and midnight?

  “What?” Alexa gulped. “Do you consider me a suspect?”

  “This is just routine.” Trooper Taylor sidestepped her question.

  “On Saturday, my friend Haley and I went to a Yoga Day benefit in Harrisburg. We left Carlisle around noon and stayed until four-thirty or so I had dinner at her house. Left around ten and drove home. If you need to verify with my friend, her name is Haley Donahue. I can give you her phone number. At one yoga session, there was a photographer from the newspaper. He may even have some photos of Haley and me.”

  “Thanks for the information,” Taylor said, jotting the details on a notepad. “Do you own a gun?”

  “A pistol? No. When I lived in New York City, my dad wanted me to get one, but I just didn’t feel comfortable with a handgun in the apartment. There is a shotgun in the cabin. It’s been here as long as I can remember. Dad taught my brother, Graham, and me to shoot with it when we were kids.”

  “That’s all the questions I have for now.” Taylor glanced at his notebook again before he spoke. “I am the lead investigator on this case, so call me if you think of anything else.”

  As the trooper rose from his chair, Alexa stood and asked, “Do you know what happened to her yet? Or who she is? Did she die on Saturday?”

  The trooper exchanged a quick look with Reese, and then he said, “We have not yet identified the victim. But, I can tell you this since we will release the information to the newspapers tomorrow. She was a victim of criminal homicide.”

  The policeman’s words hit Alexa like a blow, and she felt faint. In an instant, she was back in the woods gazing down at the young girl with the delicate face and vacant blue eyes.

  Reese jumped to his feet and grabbed Alexa’s elbow as she swayed. “Sit down,” he suggested. “Give yourself a minute to deal with this.”

  As Alexa sank back down onto the nearest chair, Reese shot a dark look at the trooper. Taylor apologized to Alexa, “Sorry. Maybe I shouldn’t have dropped that on you so abruptly.”

  Alexa brushed off his concern. “Don’t apologize. I think I’ve known ever since I found the body that someone killed her. Then, they just dumped her under the bush. Still, to hear the confirmation is sobering. I’ve never had direct experience with death like this. It’s a lot to absorb.”

  In bed few hours later, Alexa tossed and turned but remained wide awake. While Scout snored beside her, Alexa played the events of Sunday morning through her mind like a movie on automatic replay.

  The van zipping by as she rounded the curve. Scout’s frenzied barking. The girl in fuchsia lying motionless under the mountain laurel.

  She couldn’t explain why, but she felt an obligation to this girl. Intellectually, she knew that didn’t make sense. She had no connection to this young woman other than finding her body in the forest. But, she couldn’t shake the feeling that she had a responsibility to find out why the girl was killed.

  Maybe, Alexa mused, it’s because of the Babes in the Woods.

  In the 1930s, three young girls had been found dead in the woods near where Alexa’s cabin now stood. As a child, the story of the young girls’ murder captured Alexa’s imagination, perhaps because they were close to her age. Now, this young woman she had found in the forest played on her mind just like the Babes had haunted her youth.

  Alexa vowed to act as an advocate for the dead girl. Until they found her true family, Alexa would become her family. Reaching this conclusion brought Alexa some peace. Rolling onto her side, she wrapped her arms around Scout and slept.

  Chapter Five

  Tuesday, November 20, 1934.

  Sleep tender blossoms …

  Dewilla’s stomach rumbled. Hunger stalked her every waking hour. A hollow beast had crawled into her stomach and snaked out to the tips of her fingers and toes. Sometimes, the monster roared so loudly that she could barely think. Today was Tuesday. The last time she and her sisters had eaten a full meal was on Sunday in Philadelphia.

  Norma and Dewilla had gone wild with excitement when they slid into the wide red seat in the bustling diner. The steamy warmth, the buzz of conversation, and the heady aroma of food all around them enveloped the girls in a pleasant cocoon.

  Dewilla’s spirits plummeted when Daddy opened the heavy paper menu and said, “Girls, you will have to share a meal.” Her little sister, Cordelia, started to cry. Dewilla felt dizzy until Norma reached to clasp her hand. As usual, Cousin Winifred just sat there looking adoringly at Daddy, oblivious to the distress of the three younger girls.

  “I don’t want any sass from you three,” Daddy admonished. His voice lowered, “We have to make the money last until I can find a job.”

  Then, an angel spoke, “Why don’t you join me and my boy? I would be happy to have you as my guests.”

&
nbsp; It took a minute before Dewilla realized that the dulcet tones came not from an angel but from the elegant-looking lady seated in the booth next to the Noakes family. Dewilla held her breath until Daddy answered, “Thank you, ma’am. I will accept your offer for my daughters. I am in your debt.”

  The girls wolfed down the food. Meatloaf, mashed potatoes, peas, and little square Parker rolls. The gracious woman even insisted that they order apple pie for dessert.

  While they waited for the waitress to bring dessert, Daddy said, “Girls, where are your manners? Your mama brought you up better than this.”

  Little Cordelia piped up and told the kind lady, “Our daddy is looking for work. I was so hungry, and this food tastes awfully good. Thank you, ma’am, for me and my sisters.”

  “Yes, ma’am. You are very kind. We have fallen on some hard times, but I hope to find a job soon.”

  The lady replied, “Times are indeed hard. I wish you success in your search for work.” The bell on the door tinkled as the stylish woman and her well-behaved son vanished into the night. A tendril of cold air slithered through the closing door encircling the Noakes as they tackled the apple pie.

  Today, that Sunday dinner already seemed a distant memory. Dewilla had to stop thinking about that wonderful meal because it only made her hungrier. Leaning her head against the car window, she closed her eyes and thought instead about the good times with Mama.

  Chapter Six

  Alexa tapped her foot beneath the wide oak table and took a quick glance at the iPhone resting on her notebook. Eleven fifteen. Beside her, Patrice Collins, swathed in bandages, looked like she had fallen asleep in her wheelchair. Or maybe the meds had knocked her out?