MACK JONES WAS WAITING for them back at the trailer.
“Congratulations, Bird! You’re the talk of the show.”
“Thank you, Mr. Jones.”
“You look puzzled.”
“Well, yes. I thought you might be busy with my grandfather.”
“You always get right to the point.” Mack shaded his eyes from the sun. “There’s news.”
Bird slid down and rubbed Sunny’s right ear. She looked at Mack earnestly. “Tell me.”
Mack’s face told her that the news wasn’t entirely good. “I don’t want to tell it more than once, so let’s wait for the others to catch up.”
Bird looked behind her. They were taking their time, chatting away. “Hurry up, everybody!”
Hannah and Eva were the first to respond. Then, when Stuart and Paul noticed Mack, they hurried as well. Soon, the entire small crowd had gathered around.
“Hannah, Eva — I’m sorry to have to tell you that your father has been charged with mischief and conspiracy to mislead the course of justice.”
Mack’s words were met with dead silence.
He continued. “Kenneth was apprehended today, thanks to Bird and the Piersons. And finally, we’ve been able to piece the whole story together.” Mack leaned on the trailer. “Kenneth and Sandra were having a secret affair. They had an argument on the side of the road, just like Tanbark recorded. Sandra hit herself with the tire iron and fell, cracking her head open on a rock. Kenneth left her in distress and said nothing. When she died, he devised a scenario to keep his part in this whole mess a secret; one that involved the Wells.”
“The Wells!” said Bird. It all made perfect sense! “They were right in the middle of everything!”
“Turns out that Jim Wells was paid to form a committee to divert attention. Muddy the waters, so to speak.”
“Paid by whom?” Stuart asked.
“Paid by Kenneth.” Mack was solemn. “Jim needed the money to pay off a bad debt.”
“All this to keep Kenneth’s part in this quiet?” Hannah asked. “Wow.”
“Yes, wow. It’s quite elaborate, isn’t it,” agreed Mack. “But poor Ellen truly believed in the cause. She was played for a fool.”
“Ellen was the one who found Sandra Hall by the side of the road?” Eva was still struggling to put it all together.
Mack nodded. “It became her mission to out the guy who did it. It’s just sad that her husband led her on.”
“But there were others involved in Justice for the Innocent,” observed Paul. “What about Les and Hank Crowley?”
“We’ve interviewed them all. Jim was the ringleader and the only one being paid. Everyone else thought they were doing their civic duty in trying to bring an evil man to justice.”
Paul added, “There was a lot of fear out there to tap into.”
Bird was thoughtful. “Aside from Jim, I bet they wish they’d got the facts straight before jumping on the bandwagon.”
“You got that right,” agreed Paul.
“There’s no penalty for airing your views,” Bird continued, “but they went way farther than that. What about the barn fire?”
“The fire was set by Hank Crowley, in a trash can under Pierre’s window,” Mack answered. “Jim Wells admitted that he and Les were there, too. They will be charged.”
“What a huge mess!” exclaimed Eva. “But I still don’t understand.” Her forehead creased in concern. “Dad didn’t touch her! Why go to all the trouble of bribing Jim to protect him, when he hadn’t done anything wrong?”
Mack’s lips tightened. “He knowingly walked away from a dying woman.”
“True. But he didn’t actually kill her, and he likely didn’t even know she was dying.” Eva persisted, looking for an answer. “It was an accident.”
“Yes, it was. But Eva, nobody walks away from a bleeding person.” Hannah spoke sadly. “If he’d called 911,she might not have died. I guess he didn’t want anybody to know he was even there.”
“Tanbark ruined that plan,” Bird pointed out.
“I’ll guess Kenneth didn’t want to add to all the trouble he was already in,” speculated Paul. “His insurance fraud case is coming up in August. I bet he thought another scandal would prejudice the jury against him.”
“He misjudged it badly if that was his aim,” said Mack. “I’ve never seen such a blatant case for telling the truth and taking your medicine.”
Paul nodded. “The cover-up made it far worse.”
Mack agreed. “The cover-up is what he’ll be spending time in jail for.”
“Think about it,” said Stuart. “He would have been embarrassed about leaving the scene, but it would’ve lasted one day if he’d just called an ambulance and faced it right then.”
Hannah agreed. “If he’d told the truth about what happened, Pierre wouldn’t be clinging to life in the burn ward of Sunnybrook Hospital.”
“If he’d told the truth, Pierre would be fine, and Cliff and I would never have gone through what we did,” added Phil. The sound of his voice made Bird realize how quiet he’d been until now. “The entire community became vigilantes. It wasn’t pretty.”
Patty put her arm around his waist.
Stuart asked, “How’s Pierre doing?”
“Better every day.” Mack seemed pleased to have some good news.
“That’s good,” said Paul. “And very lucky for the Justice for the Innocent gang. That would’ve been a murder charge for them.”
Stuart had another question. “Does all of this hinge on Tanbark’s eyewitness account? I mean, he’s homeless, and mentally ill.”
“Which is very convenient for my grandfather.” Bird suddenly felt exhausted. She sat on the tire-well of the trailer, still holding Sunny’s reins.
Mack turned to her. “It doesn’t matter now that the Wells have confessed. Their story backs up Tan’s. But we still need to speak to him right away. Bird, do you know where he is?”
“No. But he’s around. He won’t come in unless he knows he’s safe.”
“Nobody can hurt him now. Kenneth Bradly is going nowhere.”
Bird gazed levelly into his eyes. “Then I’ll try.”
“Thanks.” Mack studied her fondly. “You’re a remarkable girl.”
Bird was deep in thought. “How awful for Tanbark.He came here to find his family, and he walked right into a boiling vat of deception.”
Hannah shivered. “How right you are. His timing could not have been worse.”
“For Tan, but perfect timing for Kenneth!” Paul exclaimed. “To think he might have pinned the whole thing on his own son!”
“He gave it a good try, that’s for sure.” Mack straightened. “Thanks, folks. Now, I must be going. I have an interrogation to do.”
“Thanks for filling us in, Mack.” Paul shook his hand.
“My pleasure.”
Bird stood and rubbed Sunny’s face. He was dozing in the afternoon sun,bored by the human-talk.“I’m glad that my grandfather is where he can’t cause any more trouble for people.”
Mack nodded. “There are people who only look at life from their own perspective. Your grandfather, sadly, is one of them.”
“He just doesn’t care about other people,” said Eva. “He wants what he wants, and heaven help anyone standing in his way.”
“He’s always been that way,” agreed Hannah, linking arms with her sister. “That’s why it’s taken us so long to be able to stand on our own two feet.”
“You’ve both certainly learned how to do that!” teased Paul.
“I’ll second that,” chimed in Stuart. “And in Eva’s case, feet shod in Manolo Blahniks!”
The drive home from the show was very quiet. Hannah, Bird and Julia had the truck to themselves. Liz had gone with her mother and Phil, and Lavinia had taken Kimberly to the Malone’s farm, where they were working out the details of Moonie’s sale. Eva and Stuart had gone home to unpack their clothes, and were coming to Saddle Creek later for dinner and to
pick up the girls. Paul had headed off to a horse emergency.
Bird lay down in the back seat. Her head was full of what Mack Jones had told them. She could scarcely believe that her grandfather had actually tried to set up four innocent men. Justice for the Innocent. How ironic.
A quotation from English class floated into her mind. “Oh what a tangled web we weave, when first we practice to deceive.” She sighed. That poet really knew what he was talking about.
Bird had just started to doze off when Hannah jammed on the brakes. The horses clattered and bumped in the trailer as they regained their footing, and Bird rolled off the back seat onto the floor.
“What?” Bird blurted, jolted awake. “What happened?”
In the front seat, Julia trembled. Her hands covered her mouth and her eyes bulged. Hannah’s knuckles were white as they gripped the steering wheel.
“What’s wrong?” Bird demanded.
“Stay where you are.” Hannah opened the truck door and stepped out.
Bird pushed the seat forward and jumped down from the truck. What she saw caused bile to rise in her throat.
The body of a small grey coyote lay on the road at the end of the Saddle Creek lane.
“No!” screamed Bird. “Nooooo!” She fell to her knees on the gravel and felt for a pulse. The coyote was still warm. She licked her wrist and put it near his nose to feel his breath. There was no sign of life. “Cody! Oh my dear Cody.” Bird sobbed. “Did we hit him?”
“No,” answered Hannah. “He was already here.”
This had to be a dream, thought Bird. It was impossible that Cody was dead. She bent her head to his prone body and buried her face in his fur. “Cody! This can’t be true.”
How could this have happened? Cody was too wary to fall in a trap. He would never have been hit by a car. He never ate food left out, so he couldn’t have been poisoned. A hunter? A brush wolf? Natural causes?
Bird pushed her fingers through his fur and felt for a gun shot or teeth marks. Nothing on the body. She worked her hands up the animal’s neck and felt his skull.
There, between his eyes. Something small and round had hit him hard, causing a deep skull fracture that must have killed him instantly.
“I hope you didn’t suffer, my friend.” Bird snuffled and wiped her dripping nose and tears on her arm. “I can’t believe this.”
Hannah reached down and put her hand on Bird’s head. “I’m so sorry, Bird.”
Julia knelt down beside her. “We’ll have a funeral. Remember when Hector died last summer? His funeral was lovely. We’ll have a lovely funeral for Cody, too.”
A sudden terrible wail from the bushes beside the road interrupted the quiet moment. Somebody was there, gasping for air and sobbing.
Bird knew it was Tanbark.
Slowly, horribly, things started to come together. Tanbark ... Tanbark hunted his food in the wild, and he did that with a ... slingshot. A slingshot. Bird’s fists clenched and her jaw locked. That’s what had killed Cody. The hole in his skull, right between his eyes, had been made by a rock flung from a slingshot.
She stood up, seething with rage. “Tanbark Wedger, you come out here right now.”
Hannah gasped at Bird’s sudden anger. Julia huddled close to her aunt, and together they watched what transpired next.
Tanbark emerged from the shrubs and walked slowly to the lane, head down and shoulders slumped. “I didn’t mean to kill him. I promise, Bird. I didn’t mean to kill him.”
“Then why did you?” Bird shouted. “Why did you kill him if you didn’t mean to?”
“I wanted food.You said Cody would bring me food! I saw him and I followed him and I kept asking him for food. He looked at me like I was crazy! I lost my temper and pulled out my slingshot.”
“Cody didn’t have any food for you, Tanbark! How could he have? Even if you’d come around the house, like we agreed, I was gone all day, so he couldn’t tell me! If I’d been here, I would’ve sent him to you with food, but I wasn’t!”
“He should’ve had food for me! I was hungry and you said he’d bring me food! I was mad!”
“So mad you killed him? Did you mean to kill him, Tan?”
Tan’s shoulders slumped even further. “I knew it was wrong as soon as I did it.”
“I never should’ve helped you! Everyone is right. You’re crazy — and now Cody is dead!” Bird sank down on the ground beside the dead coyote and cried. “You killed Cody!”
Tanbark crumpled, completely deflated. He covered his head with his arms. “I’m sorry,” he whispered. “I’m sorry.” His voice became louder. “I’m sorry!” His body heaved with sobs. “I did something very, very bad.”
Bird girl.
Bird raised her head slightly and studied the dead animal on the ground beside her. What was this? Was Cody speaking to her, even in death? Cody? She gently patted his fur, ignoring Tanbark’s cries.
Yes, it’s me.
Did it hurt much?
What?
The stone to your head?
I know not of what you speak.
Bird sat up. Something was very odd. Where are you, Cody?
Beside you, in the cover of brush.
Are you alive?
Very much.
Show yourself.
There are many people, but look now beside the tree.
Bird looked. There was Cody, in the flesh, peeking back at her from the bushes! She stared at the dead animal on the lane. Then she stared back at Cody. Alive.
I thought this was you, Cody! Dead. On the lane.
No. That’s a wild coyote. Not a nice one. He stalked the wild man.
Why?
He thought the wild man might lead him to food.
The picture was becoming clear. The coyote wanted food from Tan and Tan wanted food from the coyote. And he’d gotten angry when the coyote didn’t understand. But Bird still was furious; Tan had thought the coyote was Cody, and he’d killed him anyway.
“Tan, I will never forgive you for this.”
“I couldn’t stop myself, Bird. I got so upset.”
“So why do you continue like this? Look at yourself! You know you need help. You told me so when we were down in the cave.”
Tan gnawed on a fingernail. “I know,” he whispered. “I know.”
“Will you get help now?”
Tan’s teeth chattered, and he wrapped his arms around himself. He looked utterly, completely miserable.
Bird asked the question a different way. “What do you think I mean by getting help, Tan?”
“I’ll go to a doctor. I’ll take medicine. I’m so confused! I feel afraid and out of control, and I don’t like it! I’ve done something horrible and I know it. I’ll go to a doctor if you want me to.”
“It doesn’t matter that I want you to.” Bird allowed her voice to soften. There was no reason to yell any more. “This will only work if you do it for yourself. You have to want to get better.”
Tan stood up and placed his hand over his heart. “I want to get better, Bird. I never want to do a thing like this again.”
“I have witnesses, Tan. Hannah and Julia heard you say that.”
“I know. I mean it. I want to get help.”
“Today?”
“Yes. If that’s what you want.”
“No, Tan! It has to be you who wants help today. Not me.”
“Then I want to get help today.”
“You won’t run away like last time?”
“I won’t run away.”
Bird relaxed a little. “Then we have a deal. Go with Aunt Hannah to clean up and get some clothes.” Hannah nodded in agreement. “Julia and I will bury the ... body of our ...” She didn’t know what to call the animal now that it wasn’t Cody.
Julia finished her sentence. “The body of our dearest coyote friend.” She began to cry again.
Hannah and Tanbark climbed into the big rig. Hannah carefully steered it around the dead coyote and drove up to the barn.
Bir
d waited a moment before speaking, then she confided in Julia. “This is not Cody.”
Julia didn’t say a word. She stared at Bird, then at the dead coyote, then back at Bird.
Bird tried again. “Seriously. This is not Cody. Cody is in the bushes.” Show yourself to Julia, Cody.
Cody’s head popped up again.
Julia gasped. “I can’t believe it! Cody’s alive!” She jumped in the air gleefully and hugged Bird. “Cody’s alive!” she repeated. Then she stopped. “Did you know all along?”
“No! Would I have hugged a wild coyote? Especially a dead wild coyote?” Suddenly both girls realized that they could be covered in germs. “Yuck! I need a bath!” Bird exclaimed.
“Me, too!” Julia paused. “But why didn’t you know it wasn’t Cody?”
Bird wasn’t sure. “I assumed it was Cody. Same size, colour. It didn’t occur to me that it could be any other coyote, I guess.”
Julia shrugged. “Same with me.”
“Let’s bury this poor animal, then soap up in the wash stall.”
“Good idea! We don’t want to bring cooties into the house. Where should we bury it?”
“In the hole behind the barn where we thought we’d bury Saul.”
Julia nodded. “The horse that never dies. He’s thirty-four, isn’t he?”
“Yes. At least. Hannah got the hole dug years ago.”
Julia nodded. “There’s plenty of room in there for this little guy.”
“You take his back feet, I’ll take his front. Look sad as we pass the house.”
“It is sad, Bird! This coyote didn’t deserve to die.”
The two sisters began their journey to the barn, carrying the body.
“Are you going to tell Tan the truth?” Julia asked. “He’s miserable.”
“I need to figure that out. He meant to kill Cody.” Bird was quiet for a few paces.“I think that’s why he realized he needs help.”
“Because it shocked him? That he could do that?”
“It might have made him understand that he really can’t control himself.”
Julia considered this. “Weird, isn’t it, how his mind works.”
Mystery at Saddle Creek Page 25
