Jack thought for a minute, went into the other bedroom and came back with a large bag and a box with a handle on top.
He worked on the kitchen table for a few minutes, turned around and showed Grumpy a bundle of dynamite with a timing device attached.
“You see Mr. Jones, you are correct. You can take a chance and over power me and even perhaps kill me while digging your grave. After all your hands will have to be free to handle the shovel, however, this bomb will go off two hours after we leave the cabin. I assure you that I am not taking the chains off your feet so you can’t possibly get back here in time to save little Sam. Just in case that you perform a miracle and do get back here in time you should notice that the timer has to be unlocked with a code that only I know. So you might save your sorry life, but will doom Sam in the process.”
Stalling, Grumpy said, “Not bad planning for a meth head. Where did you learn how to make a bomb?”
“It’s surprising what you can learn from the internet.”
“That may be true, but why did you have all of the parts and dynamite to build the bomb?
“You are nosey, but since you will be dead soon I don’t mind telling you. I have a business arrangement with a very powerful person who needs some dirty work done from time to time. The bomb was going to eliminate a potential threat. Now because of you it might eliminate Sam.”
Sam heard this and said, “Jack, just turn yourself in. The bad guy always gets caught in the end.”
“Little darling, you are right, but I think the end is years away. My dad won’t let any punk policeman put me in jail.”
***
It was a piece of cake to pick the lock and enter the house. He worked on the oven and she ran the tube for the knockout gas through a hole made in the wall to their bedroom for an old cable TV wire. They installed a defective pilot light on the hot water heater and turned the gas off for the house. They would supply the gas and spark at the right time for maximum damage. The tube for the knockout gas would be pulled out and there would be no evidence it had ever been there. The timer for the spark was to be supplied by the gas-fired water heater.
The sheriff and his wife were in bed asleep when the knockout gas started filling their bedroom. The killers crept back into the house and made sure that no evidence had been left behind. He turned the water heater setting down a bit and made sure the defective oven pilot light was allowing gas to enter the kitchen before they made their escape. He guessed that the water heater would cool for about an hour before it got cool enough for the electronic spark to be generated to light the water heater. When the water heater lit, the whole house would be full of gas.
They were both sound asleep when the explosion leveled their house and damaged the houses on either side. Both bodies were burned extensively.
The killers were sitting at a bar three blocks away when the explosion jarred the building and fire truck sirens could be heard blaring in the night. In a few minutes, several police cars roared by the bar.
“Well, the boss should be happy. I think that Jack Collins, Jr. being a fugitive for kidnaping might have something to do with our work.”
She replied, “Don’t know, don't care. As long as I get paid, I will do whatever they want.”
“Boy, you are a cold-hearted bitch.”
“If I were you, I’d remember that and don’t ever cross me.”
They toasted their success and had a couple more drinks before heading back to Louisville.
The police and arson investigator searched in vain to find evidence of arson. The manufacturer of the oven even brought in its expert and found only a defective valve. They knew that they’d had some defective valves get out, but this stove was not in the production run for that defect. Case closed. Insurance paid off the sheriff’s children and no one was the wiser.
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Chapter 18
Jack told Grumpy to get up and go outside. Grumpy tried to stand up and fell down the first attempt. Jack laughed and kicked him. Grumpy got up on the second try and shuffled out the door.
“Follow me to the shed. You will pack the bag of lime down to my little graveyard. I’ll be a nice guy and carry the shovel. The dirt is very loose and easy to dig so you won’t even break a sweat.”
They walked to the back yard and Grumpy saw a large shed that was built to match the cabin. There was a johnboat, canoe and several lawnmowers under an awning attached to the shed. Grumpy surveyed the area around the shed searching for a weapon to no avail. It was dark and Grumpy only saw a few sticks. He knew that he must escape and free Sam in the next few minutes or they would all be dead.
Jack opened the shed, walked to the back end and was busy moving something. Grumpy spotted a pair of grass clippers, stuck them into his belt and tucked the handle under his shirt. Jack was preoccupied with something at the back of the shed and did not see the movement. The combination of painkillers and other drugs were taking a toll on Jack; he was moving very slow and not thinking clearly. His limp was getting worse by the minute.
Jack came back to the front of the shed, gave Grumpy the 40lb bag of lime and grabbed a shovel. Jack was very unsteady on his feet and almost dropped the bag. The light in the shed highlighted the back of the shed where Grumpy saw something like clumps of hair hanging from hooks on the wall.
“Oh, I see that you saw my collection of pigtails, ponytails and scalps from my many adventures. Don’t worry; I don’t collect hair from old men. I have been collecting these trophies since I was 12 years old. I was caught the first couple of times and my old man was able to bribe and force judges to set me free. You know, I can’t help myself. I must have these girls to survive.”
Grumpy thought about what Jack had just told him and asked, “How many girls have you molested and killed?”
“You are dying soon and will take what I say to the grave so I will answer your questions. I have molested many young girls and killed twenty three.”
“Have you ever thought about seeking help for this affliction? Have you asked God to help you?”
“There is nothing wrong with me. I don’t need help and I don’t believe in God. Pray to your God and see if he saves you or Sam. You will die today and I will either sell or kill Sam.”
He pointed the gun at Grumpy, punched him in the stomach with the shovel and made him walk towards the woods. Jack lit a lantern and walked just behind Grumpy as they went deeper into the woods.
“What kind of pervert are you? You kidnap, rape and then scalp little girls. You are one sick bastard. There is no punishment too severe for you. You will surely burn in hell. God will judge you and people like you very harshly.”
“If that is true, why hasn’t he stopped me yet? Screw you and your God.”
“God works on his own timeline. He doesn’t step in and fix everything every time something goes wrong. That would be heaven. However, I do believe that God empowers others to take care of evil like you."
“Well, he’d better hurry up because your time is running out. Stop here, this looks like a good place for you to dig your grave.”
Grumpy saw something move in the shadows and saw two eyes glowing in the dark just watching them. Jack unlocked the chains on Grumpy’s arms and locked the chain around a small tree so Grumpy couldn’t escape even if he overpowered Jack. He then told him to start digging. Grumpy saw movement in the shadows and was just able to make out Sammy as he moved behind Jack. Sammy was creeping closer to Jack as Grumpy talked to him to keep him focused away from Sammy.
Grumpy had a feeling of calm come over him, he knew that whatever happened that he had reconciled with God and was at peace. He saw Sammy in the shadows and thought that maybe that little dog was sent by God to help him. He then thought that he wished that God had sent a Pit-bull or a Rottweiler instead of a tiny mop dog.
Grumpy started digging and with each shovel full, he stopped and tried to get Jack to talk. He knew that he was using up valuable time, but he had to make sure th
at when he jumped Jack, he was successful.
Sammy was only a few feet behind Jack when Grumpy turned and said, “Jack, it’s time for God to kick your ass and send you to hell.”
Jack laughed and pointed the gun at Jack, “You talk too much. If you keep this up, I won’t get back to the cabin in time to save Sam. Even worse, I’d have to get a new hiding place. I’d shoot you now but I want you to finish digging your grave.”
He barely got the sentence out when Sammy leaped through the air and bit Jack on the arm that he was holding the gun. He didn’t drop the gun and started shooting at Sammy. This gave Grumpy the distraction that he needed. He swung the shovel and aimed at Jack’s head just as Jack turned to shoot at Sammy again. The shovel hit Jack on the right shoulder and Jack swiveled around to point the gun at Grumpy just as Grumpy brought the shovel down on Jack’s head with all of his might. The gun barked, Grumpy fell to the ground and grabbed his left arm. Jack fell to the ground unconscious with his head bleeding.
Sammy jumped on top of Grumpy and started barking. Grumpy thought he heard Sammy say, “Let’s go Bill, we have to save Sam. Get up! Get up!”
Sammy licked Grumpy’s face and Grumpy woke from his daze. He saw Jack on the ground and tried to stand up, but the chains caused him to trip. He searched Jack’s pockets and only found the key for the lock that had held the chains that bound his hands. Knowing that they only had a short time to save Sam, Grumpy took the shovel and used it like an ax to cut the small sapling down that Jack had chained him too. The shovel didn’t cut very well though he was making progress and in five minutes, he was half way through the trunk of the tree. Knowing that he was running out of time he started swinging the shovel with all of his strength. The wound in his arm was on fire and Grumpy winced with pain at each blow. Just as he was getting close to cutting through the trunk, the shovel handle broke. Grumpy grabbed the shovel blade and pounded the tree with his bare hands. The tree finally broke in two, but his hands were bleeding from several blisters and cuts.
Sammy tried to get Grumpy to run, but he could only stagger and hobble forward with the chains around his legs. Grumpy swore that he heard Sammy talking to him again.
“Come on Bill. We have to save my girl. Please hurry.”
Grumpy replied, “Sammy I’m doing my best and will do better.”
He thought, “Now I’m talking to a dog and he is talking back. I must have lost a lot of blood.”
They arrived back at the cabin in about 20 minutes and found Sam struggling to escape from the chains. She was beating on the bed frame with a lamp base to try to break the metal to no avail.
“Sam, let me take over. I know how to disassemble the bed frame.’
“Bill! Sammy! You are both alive. I thought that he had killed both of you. Where is Jack?”
“Don’t worry about him. He won’t hurt anyone any more. He had an accident with a shovel and Sammy bit him several more times.”
Grumpy hugged her and moved her to the side. He tossed the mattress and box springs out of the way and separated the bedrails from the footboard so Sam could now take the footboard with her as they escaped the cabin. Grumpy turned to look at the timer on the bomb and saw that they had ten minutes. Thank God, that Sammy had helped him defeat Jack and save Sam. He heard a noise coming from the porch, turned to see Jack standing there pointing the gun at him.
“You thought that you killed me. What kind of God loving person as you say you are kills a good man like me? Well I guess that I’ll have to shoot you where you stand and call for some help to bury the body. You’re not getting a second chance to split my skull.”
Grumpy knew that they only had a few minutes so he said, “Jack, please disarm the bomb so Sam won’t be killed. Do what you want with me, but save Sam.”
Sam saw Jack walking up the steps, looked over to the table and saw Grumpy’s pistol lying beside the bomb. While Grumpy distracted Jack, she dragged the footboard to the table, retrieved the gun and aimed it at Jack.
“Jack, put the gun down. We can all get out of here alive. Don’t shoot.”
Jack heard Sam and lowered the pistol.
“My little darling, if I can’t have you, no one can.”
He raised the gun and aimed it at Grumpy again, but before he could pull the trigger the .45 Colt barked twice and Jack fell to the ground dead.
“Sam, let’s go, the bomb is blowing in a minute.”
Grumpy lifted the footboard and they both limped out the door with Sammy leading the way. They walked for about a hundred yards to the main road and stopped.
Sam said, “Well, I guess Jack wasn’t much of a bomb maker. I was scared to death for nothing.”
They walked on to Grumpy’s truck and rested for a minute. Sam looked at Grumpy’s wound and the bleeding had already stopped. Grumpy lifted the bed cover on the pickup and retrieved some tools to cut the bedframe so he could free Sam. He was almost done with cutting the frame when a tremendous explosion blew the cabin to pieces. The fireball was a hundred feet across and there were multiple explosions. They ducked into the truck as burning debris fell around them. They could feel the heat from the fire as far away as they were from the cabin.
"Jack must have been ready to make several bombs. The guy was blown to bits and there won’t be much left of him," said Sam.
“I guess we won’t have to call the fire department or the police. You could hear that explosion and see it for miles.”
They had several minutes to talk and Sam wanted Grumpy to know how sorry she was for bringing Jack into their lives.
“Bill, I’m so sorry for all of this. Mom, sorry Mary, has been shot and now you got shot."
Grumpy interrupted her and said, “Mary would like it if you call her Mom. We both love you and want to adopt you. Don’t worry about the trouble. Every family has trouble.”
“I love y’all too. I’ve never had a real family. I know that I have been a brat at times, but promise to do better. Can I call you Dad?”
“Of course you can call me Dad. I like that. We don’t expect you to be perfect, however I would like you to go to church with us and make up your mind about church and God. Just give him a chance.”
“Okay, can Sammy go with us?”
“The pastor might object to that. How are you doing?
“I’m fine; you got shot, not me.”
“I mean how are you doing after having to shoot Jack?”
“I don’t feel anything except relief. He can’t hurt me or anyone else anymore. It was no different from shooting a snake. Don’t get me wrong, I know that killing anyone is wrong, but he would have killed you if I hadn’t shot him first. I may feel differently later, but I’m okay now.”
Grumpy thought, “What a remarkably strong and intelligent young lady.”
The police arrived first and a few minutes later several fire engines arrived. A fireman used a bolt cutter to remove the chains from Sam and Grumpy and then paramedics started working on Grumpy’s shoulder. Both were placed in an ambulance and taken to the hospital in Williamson for treatment.
A paramedic loaned Grumpy her phone and he called Mary.
“Sir, it’s past midnight, you’ll wake up your family.”
“Yes, I know, but Mary has been waiting on this call for several days.”
He dialed Mary’s cell number and she answered on the second ring.
“Mary, I found Sam and she is okay. Jack is dead and we will be home tomorrow. I can’t talk right now. We have statements to give the police and need to get Sam looked at by a doctor. Yes, she is okay; it’s just precaution to make sure she has no hidden trauma. I’ll call early in the morning.”
“Thank God for this good news." "
Are you okay?"
"Yes, I am doing much better. Bill, I have some disturbing news. Sheriff Cox and his wife were killed tonight when their house exploded. It was a gas leak.”
“Damn, he was a good guy. Thanks for the info. I got a few scratches and will have a doctor look at me w
hen we get Sam to the hospital. I love you and will call you back in the morning.”
“Mr. Jones, a bullet in your arm is not a scratch. You are lucky to be alive. You will be going into surgery as soon as we get you to the hospital.”
He told the paramedic about Mary’s wounds and a brief version of what Sam and his family had been through over the last month.
“I thought it best not to alarm my wife until she could see that I am okay. Mary will understand.”
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Chapter 19
They arrived at the hospital and Sam was moved to an evaluation room while Grumpy was wheeled into the operating room and prepped for surgery. The bullet had gone through the top of his left arm and had not hit any bone or major blood vessels. The doctor told him that he would be as good as new in a couple of months. The surgery went well and they took him to recovery to be monitored.
He woke up the next day with Sam and Sammy watching over him. Sammy was on the bed curled up to his side and Sam was asleep in a recliner.
“Good morning Dad. You look like a truck ran over you. I’ve never seen so many scrapes and scratches on a man before. I’m so glad that you are okay.”
“I like being called Dad. It’s much better than Grumpy that most people call me behind my back.”
“I don’t see why they call you Grumpy. You are so sweet to Mom and me. How did you get the name? Is it supposed to be ironic?”
“I know that you are being a smart ass, but I’ll give you a straight answer. No dear, I guess that I have been changing without knowing it. I am very opinionated about politics, what’s right and wrong for our country. I also have strong feelings for how children should be raised and was too strict on my two kids.”
Sam corrected him, “Three kids.”
Grumpy, Sam and Sammy: A Murder Mystery and Thriller Page 11
