Blue Moon Rising: A suspense thriller

by Lillian Francken

Dan shoved Junior over to the rack where the keys were on the pegboard. He reached up and took the cellblock key and stuck it into his shirt pocket.

  “County womenfolk missed you.”

  “Not you, too.”

  “No shit, all of a sudden there weren’t any calls from the single women in town. It’s like all was right in the world. No loose geese on the run, no strange noises in the night. You got to go on vacation more often to give us guys a rest.”

  “Very funny,” was all Dan could muster up to say.

  Dan glanced over at Mac as he quickly hid the girlie magazine he had been reading. Dan raised his eyebrows and laughed to himself.

  “Get Junior a shirt,” Dan said, motioning to Junior.

  Mac opened his bottom drawer and pulled out an old T-shirt he kept there for when he watched the drunks on Saturday night. They never seemed to care on who or where they heaved. Mac handed Dan the T-shirt.

  “Good, I want the one he was wearing checked for DNA at the crime lab.”

  “You think he’s involved in the murder of that Ames boy?”

  Dan shook his head. “He’s too simple-minded to do something that gruesome.”

  “Then why bother?”

  “If that’s Richie’s blood, Junior may know who did it. I want to make sure all the bases are covered.”

  Dan held up the T-shirt. “Yeah, should fit.”

  “Oh, before I forget, there’s a bunch of messages for you.” Mac handed Dan the pad.

  Dan took the pad and flipped through it quickly and laughed. He then tossed all of them into the wastebasket.

  “Mabel wasn’t happy with Conroy,” Mac added quickly.

  “I thought it was her geese she wanted.”

  “You know what she wanted. Conroy is married with three kids and a fourth one on the way.”

  “Did Conroy find her geese for her?”

  “Yeah, but now she claims they’re traumatized by the experience.”

  Dan rolled his eyes while shaking his head. He took the shirt, pulled the key out of his pocket, and guided Junior through the door that led to the cellblock.

  “You got your pick, Junior.”

  “I want my daddy,” Junior responded, almost crying.

  “Mac will call him for you.”

  “Me don’t like you.”

  “Junior you know me. I’m Kelly’s father. You went to school with her.”

  “I like her. She my friend. You not my friend.”

  Dan shoved Junior along, as he was reluctant to enter the cell.

  “I be good.”

  “It’s not a matter of being good. Right now I want to keep you safe until I can sort things out.”

  “I go home,” Junior said as he tried to slip away, but Dan grabbed him from behind and pulled him along.

  Dan uncuffed Junior and then quickly opened the cell door. But Junior grabbed onto the bars and hung onto the outside of the cell. Dan struggled with him to release his fingers.

  “Junior, let go.”

  “I go home. I no like it here.”

  Dan finally loosened Junior’s fingers and shoved him into the cell.

  “Now give me your shirt.”

  “My shirt?” Junior hugged his shirt.

  “It’s ripped and dirty, Junior. I want to send it out to get cleaned.”

  When Junior glanced down he saw the holes and the blood. He quickly pulled the shirt over his head and handed it to Dan.

  “Shirt dirty. Need it cleaned,” he remarked. “Daddy going to be mad, my shirt has a hole in it.”

  “I’ll give it to Mac to have it cleaned, maybe we can have the holes mended.”

  “Mac fix my shirt? Daddy won’t be mad.”

  Junior quickly put on the clean shirt. He looked at Dan and then smiled.

  “Daddy won’t be mad at me for getting my shirt dirty now?”

  “How did you get it dirty?”

  Junior walked over to the bunk and huddled into the corner. “I don’t want to talk about it. It wasn’t my fault.” He started rocking and mumbling incoherently.

  Dan shook his head, not wanting to deal with Junior any longer. Maybe later after a few aspirins he could deal with him, but not right now. He walked out of the cellblock and back to the office. Mac was on the radio and when he saw Dan he quickly cut off. Dan walked over to the desk and looked at the stack of mail. He finally turned to Mac.

  “Do you know anything about the new medical examiner?”

  “Wondered when you’d get around to her.”

  “It isn’t what you think.”

  “Billy Bob says she’s pretty.”

  “I only saw her the one time and there was a dead body on the ground.” Dan hesitated a moment, pretending to read a memo lying on the desk. “I hardly took notice of what she looked like.”

  “She’s not married, if that’s what you want to know?”

  Dan quickly looked up as he was definitely interested in that little tidbit of information. It was the sign that Mac was waiting for.

  “Not anymore at least.”

  “You sure about that?” Dan asked. As much as he did not want to appear interested, he wanted to know more about her and Mac was the one person who always knew the latest town gossip.

  “She was married to some high-powered lawyer in Little Rock.” Mac laughed before continuing. “Turns out he was providing more than legal services to his clients. If you know what I mean.”

  “No, I don’t know what you mean?” Dan asked, trying to look ignorant as to what Mac was saying.

  “Well, word has it he went both ways. He wasn’t choosy about who he bedded down with.”

  “How long?” Dan asked.

  “How long has he been screwing the clientele?” Mac asked, looking puzzled for a moment. “How in the hell should I know?”

  “No! How long has she been divorced?”

  “Not long enough to make her forget what jerks some men can be.”

  “Explains her attitude.”

  “Billy Bob said she took a liking to you.”

  “You two gossiping old women.”

  “You should hear what they’re saying about her over at the hardware store,” Mac laughed, and could tell Dan was interested in hearing more.

  “Whom did she tangle with?”

  “Mind you, this is only rumor,” Mac motioned Dan to come closer. “Jackson over at the bank made some remark to her the other day. The way I hear it, she chewed him a new asshole.”

  Dan laughed. “Jackson was always crude when it came to the ladies.”

  “You going to try your luck?”

  Dan shook his head. “I like my life just fine the way it is. Kelly and I manage.”

  “Kelly ain’t going to be around forever.”

  “She has three years till college and right now I have my hands full.”

  “Kay has been gone two years now. It’s about time you start living again.”

  “It’s been eighteen months.”

  “Well almost two years. Besides, it was an accident, nothing you could have done to prevent it. I don’t think she’d want you living like a hermit.”

  Dan ignored Mac for a moment and walked over to the desk. “Don’t forget the shirt.”

  “You want me to have her pick it up?” Mac asked with a big grin on his face.

  “No! On your way out for lunch you can drop it off. Tell Ms. Davie I’ll stop by to get the report on Richie Ames later today.”

  Without saying another word, Dan got up and then walked over to the door and hurried out. He didn’t want to sit and listen to Mac talk about Nancy any longer. The less he knew about her situation, the better he liked it.

  CHAPTER 4

  Dan pulled up to his house and parked the squad in front of the garage. For the longest time he just sat there looking at the comfortable raised ranch that he called home. He remembered a time when he looked forward to entering those walls, but lately as the time grew longer he was having a hard time remembering what it was like when Kay w
as alive. So much he took for granted back then. Kelly tried to fill that gap, but it was hard for Dan to explain to Kelly how much her mother meant to him.

  Slowly he got out of the squad and strolled up the walk. Kelly had planted the same flowers as her mother, but it just was not the same. Nothing was. Dan opened the front door. He took off his gun belt and his hat and put them on the hat hook behind the door and then took off his shoes and set them on the rubber mat next to Kelly’s flip-flops. Kay didn’t like anyone walking around the house with his or her shoes on, something about tracking the dirt in. Even after all this time he still abided by her wishes even though he never bought into it while she was alive. There were so many little things that he still did that pleased her. Hoping above all else that maybe it had all been a mistake and the call that she was dead was never made.

  Dan walked into the living room. He glanced over at the fireplace and the array of photos on the mantel. The pictures were of happier times in Dan’s life. There had not been any new pictures added since Kay’s death. God, he missed her, and he hated this funky mood when it hit and wondered if it would ever get better.

  Dan walked past the mantel and headed for the kitchen. He went to the fridge and opened the door. Dan grabbed the pitcher of lemonade and drank from the pitcher. He turned at the sound of footsteps behind him.

  Kelly looked at her father with disgust. “I’m not drinking any of that now,” she snapped.

  Dan stopped drinking the lemonade. “Didn’t think you were home,” Dan said finally.

  “Where would I be?”

  “Swimming?”

  “Pool doesn’t open until one,” Kelly said rolling her eyes. She reached in the fridge for the casserole dish. “Ms. Witherspoon dropped this off. It was to welcome us back from our vacation.”

  Dan turned his nose up and pretended he would throw up. “That’s the third one this month.”

  “Well, she thinks you like it,” Kelly laughed mockingly.

  “The garbage men are threatening to boycott our place, the stuff reeks so bad.”

  “Maybe you shouldn’t throw it out. Did you ever think of trying it?”

  “That was one thing I never let your mother make me. I hate tuna,” Dan said and then turned to Kelly. “Did you ever read a consumer report telling you the allowable percentage of rat droppings found in tuna?”

  “Oh, that’s disgusting.”

  “My point exactly!” Dan snapped. “I just won’t touch the stuff. Give me a T-Bone any day.”

  “Why don’t you talk to her?” Kelly asked.

  “Don’t think I haven’t tried. It only encourages her to do more.” Dan shook his head with innocent eyes. “Why do you think she makes me this crap anyway?”

  Kelly looked up at her father and grinned. “She’s nice. Besides, what are you going to do once I’m gone?”

  “I’ll think of something. Maybe I’ll take up bowling. In the meantime I don’t need another woman in my life complicating things.”

  “Oh, that reminds me, a Nancy Davie called. She said something about setting up a time to talk.”

  Dan perked up. It did not go unnoticed by Kelly, who shook her head, smiling.

  “It isn’t what you think,” Dan said quickly.

  “I didn’t say anything.”

  “Did she leave a number?”

  “Yeah, it’s on the fridge.” Kelly walked out, smiling at her father. “You won’t hurt my feelings if you start dating.”

  “Not you, too.”

  Dan turned to the door, but Kelly had already disappeared. He turned around and pulled the note off the fridge. Dan smiled at the note. Kelly suddenly peeked around the corner.

  “Well, Martha’s more than willing to take care of you.”

  Dan pointed at her mockingly. “Nothing, is better than ol’ Martha.” Dan hesitated a moment. “Besides, I’ve got Mac to take care of me.”

  “That old pooh! You need a woman to keep you in line.”

  Kelly quickly vanished. Dan turned back to the message and walked over to the phone.

  CHAPTER 5

  Dan drove back to the office after lunch. When he walked in, Mac had his back to the door while he busily thumbed through a girlie magazine unaware of Dan’s presence.

  “Any good pictures in there?” Dan asked.

  Mac practically jumped out of his chair. “Don’t do that,” he said quickly, putting the magazine in the drawer. He turned to the desk and grabbed the message pad. “The medical examiner was looking for you earlier.”

  “She left a message for me at home. I talked to her already.”

  “What did she want?”

  Mac was like an old woman who had to know everything. But the sad fact was everything he knew, he passed on. So Dan had to be careful in what he shared with Mac. In the old days, it did not matter but given the current state of affairs with privacy laws and all, it was not wise to share sensitive information with the town gossip.

  “It was business.”

  “You ain’t going to tell me?”

  “In time you will know.”

  Mac tossed the notepad to Dan. “Murphy called again. He wasn’t happy with what you told him.”

  “So what’s new?” Dan shrugged. “Give me some good news.”

  Mac hesitated for a moment while scratching his head.

  “I dropped Junior’s shirt off.”

  “How long will it take?” Dan asked.

  “I told them you needed it yesterday.”

  Dan walked over to the desk. He picked up the paper, but then turned back to Mac.

  “You keep on them until I have the results.”

  “Jake isn’t going to like me pestering him.”

  Mac looked up as if a light bulb went off. “That reminds me. Junior’s papa is on his way in.”

  “Might have known he’d be stopping by when he got wind of where Junior is.”

  “Says he is bringing a lawyer. Claims he has a witness that says you beat-up on Junior before bringing him in.”

  “I never touched the boy.”

  Mac held up his hands. “Only repeating what they tells me.”

  Dan took off his hat and then slammed it on the desk. “That’s just great.”

  “You know how people are.”

  Dan plopped down on the chair. He picked up the paper and searched for Kay’s article but then remembered he would never read an article written by her again. It was hard on him when he was under stress. He tended to think of her more because she had been his tranquilizer. No matter how much the job threw at him, she was there at the end of the day to help him unwind. She never let her job at the paper interfere with being there for him. But that was no more and it was times like this that he desperately missed her.

  * * *

  Dan had a pen in hand doing paperwork when the door suddenly swung open. John Youngblood, a tall nicely dressed Native American in a business suit walked in with Albert Ruben, a short, typical-looking attorney. Ruben was as round as he was tall. Dan set the pen down and stood up. He had been waiting for Junior’s father and now, seeing Albert Ruben, he knew why he had not been there sooner. Ruben was a bottom-feeder and Dan wondered how many attorneys John called before he found one who would take the case.

  Dan offered John his hand, but John just stood in front of the desk with arms crossed.

  “Sorry you feel that way,” Dan said.

  “You beat up on my boy. Then hold him in custody on some trumped-up charges and you can’t understand why I feel this way?”

  Dan looked at John. “This is serious business.”

  John stepped closer to Dan, but Albert stopped him. “John maybe you should let me do the talking.”

  Dan quickly held up his hands. “I never touched the boy,” Dan argued as he stepped away from his desk and then turned to John. “I don’t care what that motorist thought he saw.”

  “Did you read him his rights?” Albert asked, as only a lawyer would think to ask that at a time like this.

&
nbsp; “I haven’t charged him with anything yet,” Dan snapped.

  “Why is he here then?”

  “His shirt was covered in blood. We’re having it checked out right now.”

  “Whatever you find will be inadmissible in a court without Miranda,” Albert said mockingly.

  “That’s only a formality,” Dan said, realizing his mistake. He was angry with himself for an instant.

  Albert stepped forward. “It’s the law. That’s what protects the innocent.”

  “Innocent, my ass!” Dan snapped. “It was a good call,” he stammered as his jaw muscles tightened.

  Albert laughed when he realized the screw-up. “If you don’t release Junior immediately, I’ll go to the press,” Albert argued, while moving around the room as if giving a summation. He stopped and raised his hand and then shouted out. “Police brutality,” he said turning to Dan before continuing. “And on top of that, trumped-up murder charges to cover up your wrong doing.”

  John stepped between Albert and Dan as the situation seemed to be getting tense. He turned to Dan finally.

  “Look, Dan, Junior wasn’t involved in this murder. Christ, you saw the boy.” He pointed to the cellblock door. “He wouldn’t hurt a flea.”

  “It’s not my call,” Dan said.

  “Can’t we work out something?”

  “You’re right about the boy. I don’t think he did it. But I’m sure he knows something.”

  “I can’t let you keep him.”

  “Can you protect him?” Dan asked in a voice only a father could muster up.

  “What do you mean?”

  Dan did not answer right away. He let John think about it for a moment. Albert appeared speechless for an instant.

  “Just what I said,” Dan finally responded. “If Junior didn’t do it, and knows something, do you think the killer is going to want him walking around talking about it?”

  “I didn’t…” John said, but then paused.

  Albert cut John off. “The fact remains. You can’t hold him.”

  John motioned for Albert to be still. John thought hard about what Dan had just said because it did make sense.

  “Albert, maybe for Junior’s sake we should leave him here. I can’t be with him every minute of the day,” John said, running his hand through his hair in frustration. “Damn, I didn’t even know he was out of the house last night until I got the call this morning.”