Paddy Plays in Dead Mule Swamp

by Joan H. Young

  “I’m sorry,” she said in a few minutes. “That was stupid.”

  “It’s never stupid to be sad when you lose something that’s very important to you. We all have to let that sadness out, and tears are good for that. It’s what we do next that matters.”

  “What do you mean?” she asked.

  “Some people, when they have to let go of a dream, get angry and blame everyone else or act like they were cheated. Some people get depressed and stay sad for months or even years; sometimes those people blame themselves for what happened. But healthy people kind of mentally stand up, brush the dirt off their knees, mend the hole in their jeans, and decide to find out what dream is next. People like that know they have people who love them.”

  “You mean, like how Grandpa and Star love me.”

  “That’s exactly what I mean.”

  “And you love me too?”

  “I do, Sunshine. May I call you that?”

  “Sometimes.”

  “Just for special times?”

  “I’d like that.”

  I pulled a couple of tissues out of the box on the floor and handed them to her. She wiped her face and blew her nose.

  She giggled. “I’m really too tall to sit on your lap very well.”

  “Entirely too tall.” I looked up into her eyes. Mine were wet, too.

  Sunny wiped a drop of wetness from my cheek with her thumb. “How did you get in my seat anyway?” she asked, but with a grin. “You can’t drive home from over here.”

  “I’ll just have to push you out and walk around the car.”

  “I think it’s time you go let Paddy out of his cage. I have to give my grandpa a hug.” She gave me a quick, firm squeeze, and then showed me one of her genuine “sunny” smiles. In a flash she was out of the car, and running toward the trailer. She turned and waved to me once more from the steps. Sunny was back.

  Chapter 28

  By the time I got to my house, I was sure my body was aching in every possible muscle, and my heart also was experiencing a little twinge or two. I let the dog out briefly, then fed him. I swallowed two ibuprofen and crawled into bed with my book. I didn’t even change the bandage on my arm. I don’t think I read more than two pages before I was sound asleep.

  The dog was barking in the distance under a pale moon. I saw him racing toward the house with a long white bone in his mouth. There was something wrong with that. Star and Sunny were chasing after him and laughing. Paddy became the skeleton of a dog holding a fleshed-out arm torn from a body. I came awake with a jerk. It was pitch black. There was no moon and no arm, but the very real dog was having a fit. Paddy was racing back and forth between the two bedroom windows whining, barking and pawing at the window sills.

  I threw off my light blanket and stepped to the window without turning on the light. I didn’t want anyone who might be out there to see me. I could barely make out the dim shapes of my Jeep and the county car side by side in the driveway. Paddy was still going nuts, so I grabbed his collar and tried to calm him. Had a new guard just come on duty? But Paddy had never barked at their arrival before. I had no idea what time it was. Actually, I had no idea what time the deputies changed shifts, either. That would have been a good thing to ask of Milford, but I hadn’t thought of it. My eyes were refusing to focus; I squinted at the lighted digital clock and saw 1:32.

  “Shhhh, Paddy,” I whispered. He stopped barking, but remained alert. “What did you see?” The old-fashioned windows were set low in the wall, so I sat on the floor with my hand on the dog’s back. There was very little light outside, but I rubbed my eyes and stared at the trees where the lawn met the forest. I studied the spaces carefully, but saw nothing. Paddy gave a low growl that vibrated under my hand along his rib cage. Then I saw it. A dark figure separated itself from the trunks of the trees and moved smoothly until it disappeared behind another large bole. Paddy’s growling was getting louder, but I really didn’t want him to bark. I grabbed his head in my hands and looked at him. “Be quiet. Quiet!” I said softly but sternly. “We aren’t going to chase after someone this time. Let’s go call the police.”

  I hadn’t gotten used to the portability of a cell phone. It was still on the charger in the kitchen, and the house phone base and handset was there too. Leaving the lights off, we went downstairs, and I dialed the number for the Sheriff’s Department, again looking at the card I had posted on the wall.

  “You have reached the Forest County Sheriff’s Department. If this is an emergency, please hang up and dial 911, otherwise remain on the line for assistance.” I had reached a recording. I chose to wait. While the call was being transferred to a human I looked out the kitchen window and once again saw a dark shadow moving between the trees. Whoever it was seemed to be moving away from the house, and toward the road.

  “Officer Harvard Brown. How may I help you?”

  “Harvey?” I couldn’t believe my luck.

  “Yes, Harvey Brown. Who is this please?”

  “Ana Raven. I’m so glad I got someone I know. There’s a man, I think it’s a man, prowling around my house. He’s just inside the line of the woods.”

  “Can you see him now?”

  “Not right this minute, but I could just a few seconds ago. Paddy... the dog, was barking and he woke me up.”

  “Can you describe the person?”

  “Not really, maybe a little taller than average, solid build, wearing dark clothes I think. It’s hard to tell. There’s almost no light outside tonight.”

  “Hold on, Ana.”

  Abruptly, I was put on hold. I took advantage of the time to make sure the doors were locked, and to look out other windows. I couldn’t find the elusive figure anywhere. After what seemed like several minutes, Harvey came back on the line.

  “Ana?”

  “Yes, I’m still here.”

  “I’ve called the officer who is out at the grave site. He’s going to try to check it out, but it could be a decoy to draw him away from there, so we have another car on the way as well. Detective Paul Peters lives in Cherry Hill, and he’ll be at your place in under ten minutes. I’ll stay on the line with you until one of them comes to your house.”

  “All right,” I said. “But, do you really think that’s necessary? The person doesn’t seem to be approaching me. I can’t find him at all now.”

  Harvey’s voice became firm. “This is an official murder investigation. Someone has managed to keep a big secret for seven years. We don’t know who it is, or the motive, or even if there are multiple people involved. We don’t know very much at all, except that someone is really interested in the grave site, and your property is the easiest access. You may know something you aren’t even aware of. Keeping you safe is most definitely necessary. Could you tell anything else about this person? Race? Gender?”

  “Well, I guess I didn’t notice a light face and hands. But that might not mean anything. The person could be wearing gloves and a mask, or even camouflage paint. I think it was a man, but I’m not even positive of that. I’m sorry.”

  “That’s OK. It’s much better for you if they keep their distance.”

  “I agree. I’m not really interested in being shot at.” I recalled being chased through the woods just a couple of months earlier.

  “Did you hear any vehicles go by this evening?”

  “I went to bed very early, in the afternoon actually, so I didn’t hear anything at all until the dog began barking.”

  “Are you sick?”

  “No, I was just tired, and sore from a little fall I had on Friday.” I didn’t really want to explain that. “Harvey, can I ask you a question? Maybe a difficult question.”

  “Sure, Ana, I’m a deputy, but we know each other from church. That should count for something.”

  “Does Ralph Garis have a problem with African-Americans?”

  There was a pause, just enough that I knew Harvey was going to choose his words carefully. “I’ve never had a confrontation with him, but when he does c
ome to church, he manages to avoid talking to me, or my family. Why do you ask?”

  “He seems to be antagonistic toward Family Friends helping the Leonards. I wondered if it was because the girls are bi-racial, or if he just doesn’t like them because they are from Hammer Bridge Town.”

  “DuWayne spent a lot of time at his house when we were all kids. He never squawked about anything then.”

  “Maybe his attitude has something to do with Frank.”

  “Maybe. Frank’s different now. Ralph probably wants someone to blame for that.” Harvey shifted topics and became official once again. “Peters is almost at your place. He should be pulling into your driveway right now.”

  I heard the sound of a quiet, powerful engine. Then the night became still again. “Yes, I think he’s here.”

  “Good. Stay in the house until he comes to you. He’s going to check around outside first. I’ll sign off now, if you’re all right.”

  “That’s fine, Harvey. I appreciate your concern. Thanks.”

  “All in a day’s work. Good night.”

  The connection was broken. Paddy hadn’t become agitated at the approach of the police car. Perhaps he’d become accustomed to the sound of their engines over the past few days. Working slowly in the dark, I made myself a cup of tea and waited, sitting at the kitchen table.

  I had almost finished drinking it when there was a knock at the kitchen door. I checked to see who it was through the window, and the man on the stoop was holding a folder open, displaying a badge. I let the detective inside and turned on a light. Peters was younger than Dennis Milford. He was dressed casually, in jeans and a pale yellow shirt. His blond hair wasn’t combed. I suspected he’d been called out of a warm bed to check on me. He had the good sense not to mention my daisy pajamas. I was glad the pajamas had long sleeves and covered my bandaged arm.

  “I’ve been all around your house, and partway down the trail into the swamp. There doesn’t seem to be anyone around now. No one has tried to approach the grave site either. We’ve kept in touch with the deputy out there.”

  “Thank you for looking. It wasn’t really very frightening. I mean, whoever it was didn’t seem to want to threaten me, but so many strange things have happened here this week, I thought I should report it.”

  “Exactly. Things seem calm enough. I’ll leave now, but I’m going to be driving this road occasionally the rest of the night, so don’t be alarmed if you hear me go by.” He handed me a card. “And if you see anything else tonight, call this number directly. It’s my cell. I’ll be within three miles of you until daylight.”

  “I’m really all right. Sorry to make you come on duty.” I knew that in Forest County there weren’t a lot of extra law enforcement people.

  “Not a problem, Ms. Raven. We’d like to solve this one soon. Old murders really rankle.”

  Chapter 29

  After the detective left, my stomach started rumbling loud enough to rival Paddy’s growls. I was ravenous; I hadn’t eaten since noon. There wasn’t much in the refrigerator, but I opened a can of soup and made a grilled cheese sandwich, after trimming the mold off the edges of the cheese. I really needed to buy groceries. Paddy asked to go out, which gave me a moment’s pause. I had told both officers that I was fine, but I hadn’t been thinking about going outside myself. However, I realized if someone was still out there, Paddy would tell me about it, loudly. However, I decided not to let him loose. I clipped him on the leash and ventured only a few steps beyond the kitchen stoop. He was completely unconcerned about the woods or any noises he might be hearing. That was reassuring.

  My stomach wasn’t full yet, and I rummaged around and found a wrinkled apple in the bottom tub of the refrigerator. Even better, there was one square of dark chocolate wrapped in foil. It must have fallen out of the bag I’d finished off last month. I gave Paddy a couple of extra dog biscuits, then unwrapped the chocolate, closed my eyes, and let the luscious treat melt on my tongue. Amazing, how one small piece of chocolate could calm the nerves.

  My arm was sticking to the bandage in a couple of spots, so I unwound the gauze and was glad to see the road rash forming dotted lines of scabs the length of my forearm. None of the wounds had been deep, but they had bled and oozed, making it too messy to leave uncovered. I’m a great believer in fresh air to promote healing, so I chose to cover only the few spots that were still open with non-stick pads and gauze. I switched to a short-sleeved t-shirt, got a clean pillowcase from the bathroom shelves, laid it across the top of my blanket, and crawled back in bed. Resting my arm on the cool, clean, smooth fabric, I opened my book.

  I thought I had slept enough for the night, even though it was only three in the morning. However, after a couple of chapters, my eyelids were heavy. I turned out the light and fell asleep again.

  When I awoke, it was late morning, too late to get cleaned up and make it to church. I was feeling a lot better though, and I dressed in jeans and a fresh t-shirt. The scabs on my arm were now quite dry, and I expected the two areas that were still covered wouldn’t need bandages very much longer. Except that the skin felt tight, it didn’t really hurt, and there was no sign of infection.

  It seemed like a good day to mow the lawn and accomplish some other chores. Eating without buying food was going to be a challenge, but I wanted to support Adele and shop at Volger’s Grocery, which wasn’t open on Sundays. There was always peanut butter, and I still had eggs and bread. There was a jar of pickle relish and some mustard, but I’d need mayo to make egg salad. If I felt motivated, I could run over to Fairgrove Road and buy some vegetables at Bidwell’s roadside stand. However, the truth was, I’d had enough adventures and people for a while, and I just wanted to spend the day alone. I almost succeeded, until Adele called.

  I’d mowed the lawn and gone in the kitchen to get some iced tea when the phone rang. I thought about ignoring it, but old training made me pick it up.

  “We missed you in church today,” Adele began with no introduction. I didn’t mind. I’d gotten used to Adele; I even liked her. She made sure she knew everything that was happening in Cherry Hill, but her heart was pure gold, and she was always ready to help people.

  “I know. I overslept.”

  “I can understand that. I thought you might not be feeling well, or that something else might have happened out there.”

  I suspected Adele already knew about my shadowy visitor, so there was no point in trying to keep that a secret. “There was someone prowling around in the trees in the middle of the night, and Paul Peters came out, but the person had already left.”

  “Could you tell who it was?”

  “Not at all. It was a really dark night.”

  “What did they want?”

  “How should I know?” Sometimes Adele’s questions were annoying.

  “Well, somebody seems to be afraid of you.”

  “How do you figure that?”

  “They ran away from you the other night, and now they’re watching you. Maybe you were supposed to see the intruder last night. Maybe it’s like a warning for you to stay away.”

  One thing Adele didn’t know about was that I had been crowded off the road by a truck. I hadn’t thought of that incident as part of a plan to intimidate me. But that was a ridiculous idea. How would anyone have known I was going to be walking along that back road? I hadn’t even known it myself until just before I’d left the house, and I hadn’t told anyone where I was going.

  “Ana, are you still there?” Adele pulled me back to the conversation.

  “I’m here. Sorry. Stay away from what? I don’t know any more about this case than you do.”

  “You must,” she insisted. “Actually there’s one thing you don’t know yet. That’s why I called.”

  “What’s that?”

  “I’m so glad you told me about those footprints, otherwise I wouldn’t have understood the information on the scanner. They weren’t discussing details. Anyway, everyone has been working on this, Tracy and the Sherif
f’s Department. They even got the State crime lab involved.”

  “What did they do?”

  “That tread pattern must have been pretty unusual.”

  “I thought it was. I’d never seen anything like it, but styles change all the time.”

  “Apparently they identified the shoe type and size on Friday morning. Those are $500 shoes!”

  “Who around here buys shoes like that?”

  “Exactly. They’ve been trying to match them ever since. They’re so expensive it’s unlikely someone walked around in them and then discarded them, or bought them just to make tracks as some sort of fake lead.”

  “Do they know whose they are? It seems as if they’d pull that person in, at least as a material witness, if they found the shoes.”

  “I know it! Nothing like that seems to have happened, though. But I know a few people they checked on.”

  “Who?”

  “Frank Garis, for one.”

  “His name keeps coming up, doesn’t it?”

  “It does, and I’m not sure why, except that Ralph has been shooting his mouth off a lot. Maybe Frank and DuWayne did more than play football together, even if no one saw him hanging out with the drug crowd.”

  “Anybody else?”

  “I think they got the Illinois State Police to look for DuWayne and check his shoes. There were conversations about Chicago, and there’s no one else involved in this case who lives there.”

  “What did they find?”

  “No matches were reported on the scanner. I’m not sure they even found DuWayne. Right now, they sound really frustrated whenever the topic comes up. They don’t know who else to check, unless they start trying to match any people who happen to be Angelica’s age.”

  “They’ll never get warrants for connections that thin, will they?”

  “Probably not, but I think they’re getting desperate.”

  “What about Pablo Ybarra? His sister told me he lives in Emily City.” I remembered Juanita reminding me of this when she had stopped to help me. What was she doing on that back road? I thought she had said something about Mulberry Hill, but I couldn’t remember her exact words.