Forbidden Entry

by Sylvia Nobel

  “It’s Kendall…”

  “Hell’s bells, woman! I told you not to tell anybody!”

  “You stubborn old donkey! Do you want to die of a stroke?” came her high-pitched retort. A clunking sound and then Tugg came on the line. “Don’t pay any attention to her, she’s exaggerating. I’m perfectly fine. You go ahead with your trip.”

  My spirits plummeted lower. I’d thought the news about Walter was bad, but this was the proverbial icing on the cake. How could everything I’d planned to go so right be going so wrong? Again, my intuitive dad observed my crestfallen expression and frowned his concern. “What’s wrong?”

  “Just a second,” I answered him before saying to Tugg, “I have to agree with Mary on this one. We need to talk about our options…’

  “No, we don’t. I can handle it.”

  “Tugg…”

  “Send me a postcard. I’m hanging up now.”

  And he did. He was a stubborn old donkey.

  “Yoo-hoo! Kendall! Can you come here for a minute?” I turned to see my mother signaling me from the doorway of an art gallery. “I need your opinion on something!”

  Out of control. My life was spiraling out of control and it was all I could do to maintain the tumultuous surge of emotions engulfing me. My cheeks burning, I wondered if perhaps I could use some blood pressure meds myself. I stood and inhaled a deep breath to calm my erratic heartbeat. Following a measured exhale, I forced a serene smile and stated to my dad, “I’ll be back in a few minutes.”

  “Hold on. What’s going on with Tugg?”

  “His doctor put him on blood pressure meds and he’s supposed to avoid stress, which I don’t see as being even remotely possible with me out of town for ten days.” I didn’t realize until that second how tightly my jaw was clenched.

  My dad’s face softened. “I’m sorry, kiddo. Sometimes the winds of fate turn against us. I’m sure you’ve heard that old saying, ‘Men plan, God laughs,’ right?”

  “No, but it’s certainly appropriate for my situation.”

  “Keeeennnnndaaaaaallllll,” shouted my mother, “are you coming or not?”

  I glanced over, noting her agitated expression, yelled back “Yes!” and to my dad, “Be right back.”

  Wrestling with the magnitude of problems confronting me, it took extensive willpower for me to keep it together and focus on what seemed now to be the innocuous determination as to which of the two Arizona landscape paintings my mother should buy—really, really low on my priority list. But I gave her my considered opinion and of course, she chose the other one. It was a real effort to concentrate as she chattered on about the Native American art and jewelry. She finally got around to talking to me about Ruth’s unconscionable behavior at the barbeque and I shared with her Tally’s vow to banish his mother from our engagement party if she didn’t clean up her act. It was uplifting to see the glimmer of approval in my mother’s eyes.

  Over an hour had elapsed before we returned to the bench where my father sat talking in an animated tone to someone on his cell phone. When he looked up and saw me approaching, he hastily ended his conversation. His self-satisfied expression mystified me. Strange. Who had he been talking with? Before I could ask him, my phone’s text alert sounded. It was from Sean and read: @ THE BAR HAVING A COLD ONE. I noted the time. If we were to make it back to Castle Valley for dinner, we needed to get on the road soon.

  The late afternoon sun cast long checkered shadows across the street and there was a distinct chill in the air by the time we returned to the Jeep and piled my mom’s painting and other purchases into the back. While she munched on a protein bar and my dad admired the row of Harley Davidson motorcycles backed into parking spaces in front of the bar, I went to find Sean. I canvassed the interior of the noisy bar without success and felt my chest tightening with irritation. Please, not again! I stepped out the side door and looked up and down the street. No sign of him. Where was the brat this time? Beyond frustrated, I dug out my phone and was in the process of messaging him when I heard the sound of masculine voices from somewhere at the end of the short, narrow side street. I didn’t pay too much attention to it until I heard a familiar laugh. I cocked my head to one side, listening closely. Sounded like Sean. More hoots of laughter. Yep. Definitely him. Now super curious, I pocketed my phone and walked downhill, avoiding deep cracks where the crumbling sidewalk had fallen away. A partially collapsed house stood to my left and through a gaping hole in the wall, I had a clear view of the vast Verde Valley below. I rounded the corner of an abandoned building and stopped short, shock rooting me in place. There was Sean, straddling a black Harley, immersed in conversation with the Hinkle brothers. What the hell? I was too far away to hear what they were saying, but I immediately realized that their rendezvous could not possibly be coincidence. Had these plans been hatched at the desert party last night or since then? What for? And why hook up here?

  When I heard the distinctive clatter of another Harley approaching from behind, I ducked into a shadowy doorway just as a big-bellied man with a salt and pepper beard and ponytail glided past. He also wore the signature Harley attire—leather, ultra-dark sunglasses and a bandana. I peeked around the corner and watched with interest as the brothers crossed to meet the rider on the opposite side of the dead-end street from Sean. They greeted the newcomer with one of those macho handclasps and then Danny, the one without the spike through his ear, handed the guy something, which he pocketed in his jacket. It was reminiscent of the scene I’d witnessed in the parking lot of the Rattlesnake Saloon last night. My intuition told me that whatever was going on here could not be good. The fact that Sean had chosen to continue involvement with these two characters, even after I’d warned him, really frosted me. While the Hinkles had their backs turned towards me, I sprinted towards Sean, who seemed unruffled by my sudden appearance. One look at his goofy smile and vacant glassy eyes revealed the reason why. “Are you high on something again?” I demanded just barely above a whisper.

  Lips pinched together in a cagey smile, he giggled, “Maybe a little.”

  “Are you friggin’ kidding me?” I seethed through clenched teeth, “You couldn’t manage to stay sober for one day?”

  “I only had a few hits for...for…” he frowned, staring blankly for a few seconds while he struggled to find the words, “medicinal purposes,” he concluded with an expression of sublime accomplishment.

  I fisted hands on my hips. “Medicinal purposes?”

  Another mellow grin. “Yeah. I was carsick and now I feel a whole lot better.”

  “Uh-huh. Where’d you get the weed? At the bar?” I asked, thumbing over my shoulder.

  “From Daryl.”

  I nodded. “Of course you did.”

  “Don’t be mad. It’s totally legal. He’s got a medical marijuana card, so he just shared a little bit with me.”

  “Is that a fact?” I glanced over at the strapping bull of a guy. “He doesn’t appear to have any health issues.”

  “Yeah, he does. Umm…he says…yeah, ah, he’s got chronic pain from getting thrown off his horse.”

  “Sure he does.” I struggled to keep my temper at bay. “Sean, what are you doing hanging around with those two losers again anyway? Are you too stoned to remember what I told you about them?”

  First, he looked perplexed, then taken aback for a second before stating earnestly, “They’re my friends, Kenny. Why are you always so…so…touchy and negative about everything?”

  A combination of hopeless, helpless anger consumed me. I stood there holding my breath, fighting back the desire to throttle him for his stupidity, when I heard a sarcastic voice behind me. “Well, look who’s here. Dude! Is that the wicked bitch of the West stalking you again?” Raucous laughter.

  I turned slowly and glared at the Hinkle twins’ smirking faces and beady, steely-blue eyes. The air of smarminess surrounding these two lowlifes
made my skin crawl and the childish remark only served to compound my escalating dislike. “I don’t know who you think you are, calling me a bitch, but that’s the second time and I’d strongly advise that it be the last. Got it?”

  “Ooooohhhh! I’m so scared,” Daryl jeered, stretching his stocking cap down over his ears.

  Laughing gruffly, Danny punched his brother in the shoulder, “Guess she told your sorry ass off, didn’t she?”

  Tiring of their adolescent game, I returned my attention to Sean. “It’s getting late. We have to go now.”

  I could see his mouth moving, but couldn’t hear his answer because at that moment, the ponytailed guy revved up his Harley and roared up the street out of sight. In the ensuing silence, and obviously still spoiling for a fight, Daryl piped up again. “Why don’t you butt out of your brother’s business? We were just having a nice friendly visit and here you go again, barging in and ruining everybody’s fun. Why don’t you leave him alone? You’re not his mommy.”

  It took herculean effort to suppress a caustic comeback. Squaring my shoulders, I scowled at him. “I don’t remember asking for your opinion.”

  “Yeah,” Danny concurred, his tone mocking, “She didn’t ask for your opinion, you dumb shit.”

  I turned back to Sean. “We’re leaving right now.”

  He stared at me inanely, then mumbled, “But…but, I um…can’t really go with you.”

  “Why not?”

  “Because Danny promised me a ride on this Harley and I wanna go.”

  He sounded like a petulant little kid. Thoroughly disheartened, I groused, “Are you crazy? You’re not going to operate this thing in your condition on that winding road, or any road for that matter!”

  “Chill, lady,” Danny interjected sternly. “I’m cool. Just had one beer. I’ll give him a ride back to Castle Valley.”

  To his credit, at least he didn’t call me a bitch again. Yet. “I don’t know what you guys are up to, but whatever it is, I don’t want my brother involved in it.”

  Danny drew back, appearing offended. “What’s wrong with trying to show him a good time while he’s here?”

  “Come on, Kenny,” Sean whined. “He’s right. I’m not a kid. You can’t tell me what to do. Quit trying to deprive me of my great Arizona adventure.”

  I paused a few seconds to gauge the situation. It was apparent that he wasn’t as addlebrained as last night, so short of dragging him off the Harley, there didn’t seem to be much I could do. He was beyond reasoning with. And, unfortunately, he was right. He wasn’t a kid. I was not responsible for his behavior and couldn’t force him to come with me. I turned to meet Danny’s penetrating gaze. His hooded eyes looked clear. Sinister, but clear. And sober. “Six o’clock at the Crab Shack.” I turned on heel and hiked up the street, my earlier elation diminished. When I reached the corner, I cast one last glance over my shoulder in time to see Daryl hand something to Sean, which he popped in his mouth. Profoundly troubled by my brother’s reckless behavior, I continued up the hill, more aware than ever that I was up against a powerful adversary. Addiction.

  CHAPTER

  15

  What a shitty day it was turning out to be. Torn as to what I should do, what I could do, I approached my parents conversing on a bench adjacent to my Jeep. Should I fess up to my mother about Sean’s activities or continue to keep it between my dad and me? Poised to lay it all out, I braced for the inevitable fireworks. But the confession froze on my tongue when she noticed me and smiled brightly. She looked so happy and relaxed I decided the details of his accelerated substance abuse would keep a while longer.

  “Where’s Sean?” she asked, puzzlement crinkling her sun-tinted face as she searched the distance behind me.

  “Oh…ah…he met up with a couple of the guys from the party he attended last night and he a…wants to hang with them for a while.” Lame. That sounded so lame

  “Really?” Indignation evident in her voice, she added, “And just how is he planning to get back to Castle Valley?”

  Should I tell her he would be returning on the back of a Harley with a person I could only pray would be sober while traversing the steep winding road that lacked guard rails in some places? Nope. Best not. Why worry her? I couldn’t change anything anyway. “Um…he’s getting a ride back with one of his…new buddies.”

  The corners of her mouth turned down. “So typical of him to prefer the company of strangers over us and I have a pretty good idea of the caliber of friends he’s chosen.” It was hard to miss the flash of suspicion in her eyes as she rose abruptly and headed towards the Jeep. My mother wasn’t stupid. She had to know something was amiss and it only intensified my growing sense of guilt. I glanced over and caught my dad’s look of warning. He mouthed, ‘not yet,’ so I swallowed the words back once again.

  All during the drive back to Castle Valley, sandwiched in between conversation with my parents, I contemplated again how to resolve the issues dogging me and came up with no satisfactory solution. As the lavender-blue dusk spread across the landscape, my sleep deprivation finally caught up with me. Fighting to stay awake, my eyes sandpaper-dry, I chewed gum and drank caffeine-laden sodas while maneuvering down the switchbacks. Intense relief flowed through me when we finally rolled into Castle Valley. As we pulled up in front of the brightly-lit restaurant, the overpowering smell of fish and French fries permeated the night air. I was in the process of handing my dad his crutches when my cell phone sounded. It was Fritzy. Finally! “Hey, I need to take this call,” I told my parents. “I’ll meet you inside in a few minutes, okay?”

  They nodded agreement so I slid back into the Jeep and closed the door. “Hey, busy lady, I was wondering when I’d hear from you.”

  “Sorry. It’s been pretty hectic at work, but I wanted to touch base with you before you take off with your family. Tomorrow, right?”

  “Bright and early. Got any news for me?”

  “Yes, but probably not what you’re expecting. My examination confirms the cause of death to be CO2–carbon monoxide–poisoning.”

  “So, you believe this was simply an accident?”

  “Right now, there’s no evidence to suggest otherwise.”

  So that was that. Case closed. For some strange reason, I could not shake the underlying sense of skepticism. I pressed her again. “So…in your professional opinion, there was nothing at the scene to raise any suspicions of…”

  “I know you’re always on the lookout for an intriguing story, Stick,” she said, intercepting my line of thought, “but again, unless you can produce evidence to the contrary, it appears to be an accident.”

  “Wow.”

  “Why wow? These types of things do happen.”

  After I filled her in on the details Marcelene had shared surrounding the death of Jenessa’s childhood friend, she mused, “Okay, I can see why she might be unsure. And you.” She was silent a few more seconds before tacking on, “Listen, I was there for two days and there was nothing, and I mean nothing, to indicate foul play. I do have a question for you, however. Do you know if this girl was experimenting with drugs?”

  “Why do you ask?”

  “Because we discovered some pills in the pocket of her jeans. They’re at the lab now being evaluated, but we suspect they’re probably MDMA, which is a street drug with a lot of different names, but you might know it as Molly or Ecstasy or a hybrid.”

  I stared straight ahead, mildly shocked. What an odd coincidence. I had just been reading about this subject last night. It was disturbing enough to know that my own brother was dabbling in drugs, but being involved in the party scene seemed totally out of character for a straitlaced person like Jenessa. I finally found my voice. “Well…how soon will you know whether either of them had used drugs prior to their deaths?” I asked hoarsely, still feeling disbelief. Marcelene and Ginger would be horrified to learn this. Was this the
confidential information Marshall had been unable to share with me?

  “Could take three to six months to verify.”

  “Are you kidding me? Why that long?”

  “A big backlog of cases ahead this one.”

  False. Something about this scenario felt false. “I’ll do a little investigating and see what I can find out from Ginger.”

  “No rush. Try to relax and have a good time with your family, okay? I’ll see you next Saturday at the party.”

  “Okay.” I tapped the END button and just sat there absorbing this new and provocative information. No matter how I tried, I could not reconcile the idea of Jenessa using these types of drugs. She had been as far from a party girl as one could get. No. Nathan must have been the corrupting influence in her life. But that was just conjecture on my part. To verify my suspicions, I needed to contact his relatives and friends to find out more about his personal life. He had been close to Sean’s age, and like many young people had most likely experimented with pot and perhaps other stimulants. But wait, how would that work? Hadn’t Ginger told me that he’d participated in all manner of extreme sports? Wouldn’t that require him to be in excellent physical shape and have his wits about him? I could buy the fact that he might have used steroids, but hallucinogenic drugs? That didn’t make any sense. I pressed a hand to my head, admonishing myself. Stop it! Quit torturing yourself, O’Dell! You can’t do a damn thing about it until next week anyway. Would the story be stone cold by then?

  I had my hand on the door handle when I felt strong vibrations and a thunderous roar filled the air. Seconds later, three Harleys rumbled past me and stopped near the restaurant’s main entrance. When I recognized Sean perched behind Danny Hinkle, irritation-infused relief streamed through me. At least he’d made it back in one piece. I was buoyed by the fact that by this time tomorrow night, he’d be far away from the influence of the Hinkles. Sean dismounted, gave each brother a firm high-five handclasp before crossing to converse with the third individual whose face was hidden behind a helmet. Following a short exchange and another macho handshake, all the bikers hit the gas and disappeared onto the highway. Sean was ambling towards the entrance when I pushed the door open and shouted, “Sean! Wait up!” I slid out and hurried to his side. “Well, was it everything you hoped for?”