The Archer [Book 13 of the Hawkman Series]

by Betty Sullivan La Pierre

  Driving down the road, Hawkman thought about the young lad. He didn't believe Joey had anything to do with using the tape as a tool to frighten Laura. The boy didn't appear to have the guts to pull off such a trick. Hawkman thought Joey seemed to have little self-esteem, probably one reason why he mumbled. His older twin brothers shone in the eyes of his father, and this younger son obviously felt like he could never compete.

  The day passed rapidly and he decided to journey home. At least, he felt a little closer to solving this case, especially, if he could find out where the tape went. Cindy Brown looked like a prime suspect, but he couldn't be sure. The voice changer brought on a new aspect. The class could have taken turns with the instrument; and one of the students could have recorded different messages playing around, then used the tape to taunt Laura. He still couldn't figure a motive, as to why she was a victim of the harassing. Maybe once Joey talked to Jason, he'd know a little more.

  Hawkman's thoughts drifted to Olly. If he didn't push this case to a conclusion, the old fellow's patience would wear thin very soon, especially if Laura received more calls or someone attempted to ram her on the road again. He might end up sending his daughter to her uncle, who lived out of state. Laura wanted nothing to do with that option, regardless of the circumstances.

  Just as he turned off Interstate 5 toward Hornbrook, he felt the cell phone vibrate against his waist. Instead of risking getting a ticket for talking while driving, he pulled off the road. “I've got to invest in a hands free contraption,” he mumbled, removing the instrument from the pouch.

  “Tom Casey speaking.”

  He frowned, as he listened to the caller.

  “Thanks for letting me know, Joey. Don't let this upset you too much. Hopefully, we'll find the culprit soon.”

  Hawkman slid the phone back into the pouch and pulled onto the road. He soon arrived home and parked in the garage. When he went inside, Jennifer glanced over, got up from the computer, and approached him.

  “What's the matter?”

  “Nothing. Why do you ask?”

  “You're scowling.”

  “I've had better days.”

  “Tell me about it.”

  “First. Did you have any bad experience driving my vehicle?”

  She shook her head. “No. Everything went smoothly.”

  He removed his hat, hung it in the Hawkman corner, ran his hand over his hair. “Good to hear. Let me get a beer and relax a moment, then I'll tell you the events of the day.”

  They went into the living room and settled in their matching chairs. Miss Marple hopped into Hawkman's lap and butted her head against his chin. “Good grief, I wish she'd find another way to show her love,” he complained

  Jennifer laughed, and pivoted toward Hawkman. “She definitely gets your attention. Now, tell me about your day. I'm dying to hear what happened.”

  “The morning started out fine; no incidents with Laura going to school. Then when time came for her to get out, I get this call. She's in the parking lot with a flat. So, I drive to the school and fix the tire. However, while inspecting it, I discovered the cap and valve stem had been removed. Also a black pickup had been parked behind her before I got there, and she thought Cindy Brown had gotten into that truck with the Wallace brothers.”

  Jennifer raised a hand. “Wait, you're going too fast. What do you mean, ‘she thought’ it was Cindy?”

  “Sorry, she knew it was Cindy, but wasn't sure about the Wallace brothers as she hadn't seen them in a long time. She said the guy who jumped out to let Cindy scoot in looked like the youngest one.”

  “Did they look over at Laura's car? Usually, if anyone has done some mischief, they like to watch their victim discover it.”

  “Laura said they didn't act like they even saw her.”

  “Continue.”

  “Once we got to the King's ranch, I listened to the latest call Laura received. She really got me to thinking when she asked if I thought the voice was male or female.”

  Hawkman continued the story about the class where the professor had introduced the voice changer. “Turns out Joey Higgins is also a student in the class and all the kids had made crazy recordings from the instrument.”

  “Wow, what a twist. So what'd you do next?”

  “I went back to the office and listened to all the tapes and sure enough, I could hear the inflection in the voices that made Laura suspicious of them being female instead of male. However, this one recording definitely sounded like a guy.”

  Jennifer placed her elbow on the arm of the chair, put her chin in her hand, and stared at her husband with wide hazel eyes. “And?”

  “Remember the one where I asked if you recognized the voice?”

  “Yes.”

  “It finally dawned on me who it was, but I decided to test it out. So I drove to the Higgins’ place and talked with Joey. I wish you'd seen his face when I played the tape. Talk about someone turning white. I thought the boy would faint.”

  “Is he the culprit?”

  Hawkman shook his head and told her about Jason Calderidge recording Joey. “He tried to contact Jason while I was there, but couldn't reach him. On my way home Joey called. He told me Jason said he'd lost the tape recorder or someone had stolen it. Joey didn't know who else had recorded that day, but several kids had their cell phones and were having fun.”

  “Do you believe him?”

  “Yes, I think he happens to be the innocent victim in this situation. Someone's using him. I knew I'd heard that voice, but the day I met Joey, he mumbled so badly, I hardly understood what he said. Just like today when he called me about Jason. I had to ask him three times to repeat.”

  “What about Jason?”

  [Back to Table of Contents]

  * * *

  CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO

  Jennifer frowned and looked into the face of her husband. “Why do you mistrust this girl?”

  “Something about her; can't put my finger on it. One thing, she's awfully sure of herself to the point of conceit.”

  “Is she pretty?”

  “Very much so. About five foot, five inches, slim, long natural blond hair, big blue eyes and...” He put his hands out in front of his chest, and winked at Jennifer. “Also very sexy.”

  She rolled her eyes. “Oh, one of those. You said Laura is attractive too. Is she also ‘sexy'?” she asked, mimicking Hawkman's gestures.

  “Not like that, but in her own way.”

  “Wonder if there's a bit of jealousy brewing here?”

  “I don't see how. They only talk on the phone or see each other in class. From what Cindy said, they don't socialize outside, as Laura's not the partying type.”

  “Hmm,” Jennifer said, tapping her chin. “What would make her say such a thing? How would she know if they'd never attended a function together?”

  Hawkman shrugged. “Beats me. I don't understand the female mind. You explain it.”

  “I think she's just assuming. You say Laura's a natural beauty, wears little make-up, and has a mind of her own. This could make the prettiest girl very envious of someone with such a strong character.”

  Hawkman listened intently to Jennifer's commentary. “You know, you make a lot of sense.”

  “Does Cindy have a boyfriend?”

  “Yes, but I've never met him. I don't even know if he's from the college.”

  “Might be interesting to see what kind of guy he is. Cindy's maybe a very jealous woman and doesn't want Laura around her beau.”

  He grimaced. “You think it's possible? It sure seems petty.”

  “Sometimes girls like Cindy have little confidence in themselves. They may know they're beautiful, but feel very unsure of their capabilities. Like keeping a boyfriend.”

  “Interesting thought. I might ask Laura if she's ever met Cindy's guy.”

  “Good idea. It should give you a clue as to why Cindy never wants Laura in her social group.”

  After dinner, Hawkman yawned and stretched his arms above
his head. “I better hit the sack. It's going to be a long day tomorrow, and I have to get up so blasted early to follow Laura to school. Then I'll have to check on Jason Calderidge and Cindy Brown in the late afternoon after escorting Laura back to the ranch. No telling when I'll get home.”

  Jennifer rinsed the dishes and placed them in the dishwasher. She turned toward him and smiled. “Don't worry, I'll be waiting to hear all about your adventures.” Then she raised a finger. “By the way, could you refrain from hitting the snooze alarm more than twice?”

  Hawkman threw back his head and laughed. “You never batted an eye.”

  “Doesn't mean a thing.”

  Wednesday morning, Hawkman arose at the first ring of the alarm. He dressed and soon left for Medford. When he reached the road leading to the school, he parked in a different area and waited for Laura to journey by. It didn't take long before her Toyota shot past him. He looked down the road and saw no reason for her speed, then glanced at the clock. “Ah, ha, she's running late. Wonder how many times she hit the snooze bar?” he chuckled, as he pulled onto the pavement.

  It took a little doing to keep her in sight, as she hadn't let up on the accelerator for several miles. When they reached the outskirts of the campus, she slowed, and turned into the lot. As he passed the entrance, he spotted her running toward the buildings, and smiled to himself.

  Since he had several hours before Laura's day would end, he figured it time to purchase a handsfree unit for his vehicle. He knew the store that carried all sorts of gadgets for cell phones, and figured they'd have just what he needed. Spending a good two hours looking through all the wireless headsets, he finally settled on the Bluetooth that would fit his iPhone. Going out to the parking lot with a bag of goodies, he spent another hour setting it up inside his 4X4. Once completed, he rang Jennifer and had her return his call to see how it worked. Pleased with the accomplishment, he settled in the seat and pulled his briefcase out from under the passenger side. He removed the class schedule Laura had made for him, and noted the Speech class where Joey had recorded his voice, met today. Hawkman checked his watch; they were in session at this time. He wondered if the boy had made it, after their conversation yesterday.

  His curiosity got the best of him, so he drove to the college parking lot. Driving down the row of cars, he checked each of the black pickup's license plates. He'd memorized the Higgins', when they pulled out from the pasture and scared him and Laura. About to give up, on the last row he spotted the truck. “Good going,” he said aloud. “At least you're showing some guts.”

  Traveling out of the lot, Hawkman made his way along the road toward the King's ranch and found a fairly secluded spot to wait for Laura. He'd be eager to ask her if anything unusual happened in the classroom. The day had warmed up and he felt fortunate to be under a big oak tree that not only hid his vehicle, but also provided shade. This was one of Laura's longer days at school, and with about an hour left before she was dismissed, he settled back in the seat and read the full instructions on his new Bluetooth wireless headset.

  Soon, he spotted Laura's car coming at a much slower pace than this morning. She passed him and he pulled out behind her a few minutes later. No incidents took place and Hawkman followed her to the rear of the house. She jumped out of the Toyota and ran to the driver's side of his SUV.

  “I want to talk to you, but not in my parent's earshot. Could I get into your vehicle?”

  “Sure.”

  She ran around to the passenger side and climbed in.

  “What's up?” he asked.

  “We had quite a discussion in our Speech comprehension class today.”

  “I'm listening.”

  “Did you confront Joey about one of the phone calls I received?”

  “Yes, but I didn't tell him you were the one who got it. I wanted to test his reaction, and he appeared bewildered. Someone from that period used his recording to scare you.” “What I don't understand is, how come I didn't recognize him.”

  “Because Joey had pitched his voice up about an octave, and I believe someone applied the voice changer, but it didn't do a great job. Also, remember you were more interested in the comments made. I'd think Joey was the farthest person from your mind.”

  She pushed a strand of hair out of her face and frowned. “I hope he's innocent. I'd hate to think he'd do something so stupid.”

  “Don't worry, Joey had nothing to do with it, I can almost guarantee you. He's a victim here.”

  Glancing at Hawkman, she said. “He was one mad dude today. Standing up in the middle of the class, he asked who had stolen his recording. Everyone gasped. His face turned blood red as he glared at every person in the room. He told them he had evidence someone had used it illegally and he wouldn't be happy until he found out who had done this deed.”

  “How'd you figure out I'd talked to him?”

  “He said a private investigator had interrogated him yesterday and had him listen to a tape that had been used to harass the man's customer. I put two and two together.”

  “I'm sure Joey has no idea you're my client.”

  She shook her head. “I don't think he knows either, or he wouldn't have been so bold in class.”

  “It sounds like you had an interesting day, and Joey had a growing up one.”

  Laura smile. “Yep.”

  “I'd like to ask you one more question, then I've got to get out of here.”

  “Sure.”

  “Do you know Cindy Brown's boyfriend?”

  “I've only met him once. A real pleasant guy. His name is Brett Gibson.”

  “Where'd you meet him?”

  “At a high school friend's wedding where Cindy played the bridesmaid. After she introduced us, and took off to do her thing, Brett and I sat together in the church. I don't think Cindy liked it one bit. She stared daggers at me through the whole ceremony. Then at the reception, she took him clear across the room and avoided me like a plague.”

  “Is he a local guy?”

  “No. He comes from back east, and works for an accounting firm in Medford. Anyway, that's what Cindy told me.”

  “Has she ever made a comment about him since the wedding?”

  Laura furrowed her brow. “One day, she made a crack like she wouldn't dare leave Brett in the room with a pretty woman, or she might lose him. I don't think she meant the comment toward me, but she blurted it out shortly after the wedding and it sort of gave me a jolt. I can't imagine her being worried, as she's so beautiful.”

  Hawkman looked at her. “Don't underestimate yourself, Laura. You're quite lovely.”

  She covered her face with her hands. “I'm not, but thank you for the compliment.”

  Then she glanced at him with a questioning expression. “You've brought Cindy Brown's name up several times. Do you think she might have something to do with these horrible calls?”

  Hawkman pushed back his hat with his finger. “I'm investigating anyone who knows anything about archery, and is in your circle of acquaintances. Cindy is one of them.”

  Laura scooted out of the 4X4. “I better let you go; you've got things to do.”

  [Back to Table of Contents]

  * * *

  CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE

  Hawkman drove toward Medford with the story Laura had told him about the wedding running through his head. The comment Cindy made about her beau in a room with a pretty girl, definitely pointed to Laura. The description Jennifer gave of an insecure woman fit Cindy to a tee.

  He turned the corner toward Jason Calderidge's home in time to see Blake Russell, in his black pickup, stop in front. Hawkman pulled to the side of the road, about a half block down, and waited. Fortunately, Blake didn't hang around and took off when Jason hopped out of the vehicle. After the truck disappeared around the corner, Hawkman drove up and parked at the curb.

  He gave Jason a few minutes before he climbed out of the Ford and headed for the entry. When he rang the bell and the young man opened the door, Hawkman noticed how he ste
pped back and a flash of fear crossed his face.

  “Hello, Mr. Casey, what do you want?”

  “I'd like to talk to you.”

  “What about?”

  “I think you know.”

  Jason's gaze dropped to the ground. “Come on in. My folks aren't home from work yet. Might as well talk to you inside this time.”

  “I appreciate the offer,” Hawkman said as the boy stepped aside for him to enter.

  “I bet you want to know what happened to Joey's tape.”

  “Yes.”

  “Like I told him, I don't have any idea. My recorder was either stolen or I lost it out of my backpack.”

  “Who else appeared interested in those tapes?”

  Jason shrugged. “A bunch of us got a chuckle out of Joey's recording, as it didn't sound like him at all. No one had ever heard him talk big; he always mumbles.”

  “Name a few who were listening.”

  “Blake, Susan, Jim and Cindy were standing around me.”

  “Did anyone else record his voice?”

  He shook his head. “No one I know. Most of the class hadn't thought to bring their recorders, but if any had asked, I'd have made a copy for them.”

  “So as far as you could tell, no one else showed any interest?”

  “None. Something like that is usually a one time deal. We have our fun; then it's over.”

  “Do you know of anyone who bought a voice changer?”

  “No, but they'd be a blast to have.”

  “Okay, Jason. For now, that's all I need to know. I may want to talk to you again, so don't be surprised if I come hunting you down.”

  “That's what I'm afraid of,” he said, walking Hawkman to the door.

  “How are you doing in your archery class?”

  “Okay. I'll be glad when it's over, though. I've discovered it takes a lot out of you, and it's a bummer if you don't have your own equipment, as you have to adjust the school's bow every time you use it. I doubt I'll take the class again. I've even quit going to the practice range.”