Reamy hushed in anticipation. He didn’t even realize at first that he was holding his breath.
“It’s addressed to Clarissa,” Ted practically whispered. “Care of Detective Collins, here at the precinct. Hold on, Sherifff; don’t hang up.”
Ted thought about opening it, but instead he picked up the Intercom. “Elvie, dear, I need forensics in here. Suspicious package.”
“On my way, Theodore.”
“You don’t have to…” But she’d already hung up.
Miss Elva Lester arrived before forensics. “They’re coming, Ted,” she said. She took Ted’s hands that looked like they were floating in the air above the box as if he were a child.
“Let me see,” she said softly as she read the label. Elvie picked up the Intercom again. “HazMat,” she said quickly. “We need the bomb squad in here, immediately.”
“Ted?” Sheriff Reamy called through the speaker phone. He’d heard every word in the room.
“Oh!” Elvie jumped, then quieted her voice as she realized it was coming through speaker phone. “Who is this? I’m Miss Elva Lester. I’m the Office Manager here at the precinct. Ted’s just fine. We’re just being a little cautious is all.”
“Good God,” Reamy whispered in a plea, a prayer. “A bomb squad? I’m Sheriff Colton Reamy from Evergreen, Colorado.”
“Oh, I see,” Elvie said. “This package is from your town, Sheriff. “
“I know, Miss Lester. I…I…knew a package was sent from here…Rush, but I never saw it myself. Had no idear it was coming to Dayton.”
“Well, of course not, Sheriff. Don’t you worry about that,” Elvie said sweetly. “Everything is under control here.”
Colton replied with one soft word, “Russo…”
“Yeah,” Ted replied.
Colton heard footsteps as forensics and the bomb squad piled into Ted’s office.
“What you hear, Sheriff, is just people coming to help,” Elvie said to the terrified voice on the phone.
“Thank you, ma’am. Thank you. You’re gonna’ say there with him, aren’t ya? Please…”
“Elvie, you should step outside…” Ted said quickly.
“Now you know that’s not going to happen, young man. We’ve known each other far too long for that nonsense. Sheriff? I raised this Detective. He’s like my son, and he’s fine. We’ll both be just fine.”
The courage in the little black woman’s body was laced enticingly through her words.
“Much obliged, ma’am. Hang in there, Ted.”
Reamy was scared to death. How had that package and the address on it missed the scrutiny of his post office? Everyone in town knew about Detective Collins and Clarissa. The whole town had shown up for the massive manhunt in the hills. He felt responsible. He felt horrible.
Quickly and respectfully, Colton said, “God bless you, Miss Elva Lester.”
“Thank you, dear. Now don’t you worry.”
‡ ‡ ‡
It took over 30 minutes to take all the necessary precautions before they could even begin to think about opening the box.
Ted refused to leave the office, and so did Elvie. Colton Reamy never hung-up the speaker phone. He was listening intently, praying to the Lord in his mind to keep everyone safe. After about five/ten minutes, Colton couldn’t stand it. He picked up the landline and called his mother, “Just listen, Mom; don’t speak.”
Elvie and Ted heard the short exchange in the background.
“It’s Ted,” Reamy said succinctly. “He got a package from here in Evergreen, probably from Russo. I have ‘em on speaker phone.”
“It’s all right, Sheriff Reamy. I’m so glad you called someone to be with you. I’m happy to make your acquaintance too, dear lady. Ted speaks so highly of you. I’m Miss Elva Lester, and Ted’s just fine.”
“Call me, Claire, Miss Lester. You take care of Theodore, now, you hear?”
“That’s what I’m doing. He’s calm and quiet. And I’d be honored if you called me Elvie, Claire.”
“You dear, dear soul,” Claire responded, then lapsed into silence.
Ted stared at the white box. You could have heard a pin drop in the room. HazMat procedures had been followed outside the office. Ted could see Chief Harry Ferguson through the protective glass they’d arranged in the hallway. He gave Ted an encouraging smile and a “thumb’s up” sign.
As the Lead Bomb Analyst told everyone softly that he was going to remove the top of the box, everyone held their breath. It had already been lightly dusted for finger prints and come up clean. A quick x-ray had revealed some bones; maybe dry ice. Nothing to indicate explosives, but dry ice could hide a multitude of sins.
The top eased off, revealing a plastic freezer bag. “For Teddy-boy” was written in large, red letters on the freezer label. In smaller hand-script was, “This Mexican kid didn’t speak no English. Useless!” Then a scrawl that looked like a “B” circled. The bag contained a child’s small frozen head. Below it was a drained carcass, the child’s body in bloody clothes, the rest of the kid whose head was in the bag.
Ted heaved a startled choke of tears. This is what Clarissa told me Jeremy Manchester had looked like, he thought to himself as a single tear etched down his face.
Elvie was holding Ted’s shoulders. “It’s okay, everyone. We’ve seen dead bodies a’fore. It’s a child. His head is preserved in a freezer bag. The body is … folded beneath it.” Elvie had to stop as her voice cracked with thick emotion.
The little plastic freezer bag was whisked away to a cooler. A HazMat-suited specialist lifted the body in thickly gloved hands.
Under the boy’s remains there was a box for Clarissa. It was opened. It contained the remains of a Doberman Pincher. The dog had been beaten to death.
Ted vowed to himself that Clarissa would never see Dog’s body. He didn’t want to tell her at all, but it knew that would be futile.
‡ ‡ ‡
After everything was removed from Ted’s office, he told the Reamy’s, mother and son holding on the line, everything that was in the Styrofoam crate.
Both men switched gears immediately and became all-cop. “Colt, get Morningstar and Horse up into the hills. Russo’s probably gone, but he was in another cabin, according to Denny and Clarissa. Not where he was before. We didn’t think about Evergreen because the weather wasn’t right for October. Freak storm, huh?”
“Yeah,” Colton replied. “Got it; on it! You okay for me to hang up now?”
“Yeah, buddy. Tell Claire how much I appreciate…”
“Sure, Ted. Tell Miss Lester…well, you know what to say…”
“Sure, I’ll call Valetti.”
The phone line went dead, and the work began
‡ ‡ ‡
Epilogue
Denny and Ted went to see Dr. Irma a few nights later. The serial killer, Benny Russo, had disappeared, just as they all had feared.
Denny and Kari, the young paegan nurse, had been discussing the physical effects of Clarissa’s dreams. Kari said she’d read stories of such in Celtic History, but when asked to join them she didn’t want to muddy the waters with superstition.
On the drive to Wright-Pat, Denny told Ted about the scratches on the child’s feet and the hair torn from her scalp that Clarissa had dreamed.
“Denny, how…? Have you done this?”
“Maybe the night I had the Stroke. I felt like I was physically in Russo’s cabin. I could hear him, feel and touch things, and when he threw me in the freezer, slamming the big lid on top of me, well … that’s when I became frozen. Do you think that “frozen” could be another word for paralyzed?”
“Yeah, I guess so,” Ted said. He took her hand, and she twined her fingers through his.
‡ ‡ ‡
Afterword
The first three novellas in this series produce a Trilogy that deals with the death of Jeremy Manchester, a real-life experience which happened many years ago and has been changed and fictionalized, and the abduction
and traumatic rescue of Clarissa Alexander.
Crime investigation from local law enforcement agencies and the FBI are flooded with cold cases of missing individuals, especially children. Can the paranormal help these cases? Perhaps.
This fourth novella starts a new Trilogy that will delve into the research of the psychopathic and sociopathic minds. This series is appropriate for ages 12 and above. If we can stop even one abduction and cruel death by informing our children what to listen and look out for from people they don’t know or even people they may see every day, it is so worth it to read and discuss this information as a family. Unfortunately, the best parenting and the most informed, watchful children can become victims. It is almost always a random crime with no reason or targeted group.
Stopping this epidemic is my passion and my prayer.
Deborah A. Bowman, Author
Stroke of Innocence! (Denny Ryder Paranormal Crime Series Book 4) Page 5
