An Iron Fist, Two Harbors

by Dennis Herschbach

  Andra jolted. “Yes. How did you know?”

  “I have some news you’ll be relieved to hear. It hasn’t hit the media yet, but Jamie Storder is in jail in Duluth, and I doubt if he’s going to be getting out soon. He has been identified as the primary suspect in a rape and attempted murder case against a woman in Duluth. She lived and identified him.”

  Andra gave a sigh loud enough for Deidre to hear, and buried her face in her hands. When she looked up, she asked, “Do you think he’s the one who got to Maren?”

  “It’s beginning to look like that might be the case. If it is, he’ll get tagged with her murder as well.” She caught herself, realizing that Andra had refrained from using words of death. Now Deidre had actually said it out loud. She added, “We’ll have to wait and see.”

  For a few seconds both women sat in silence, staring at the floor. Finally, Deidre asked her last question. “Did Storder have anybody he hung out with, any friends?”

  Andra thought before answering, her hand under her chin. “There was one person, a guy. I don’t know his name, but he met Storder at the bar quite a few times. They seemed to talk about fishing most of the time. From the snippets of conversation I caught, I think they had taken some trips together. Trouble is, I don’t know his name.”

  “Did he ever try anything funny with the waitresses.”

  “No. He ignored us, except for ordering drinks.” Andra shrugged.

  Deidre thanked her, and when she was leaving she said, “I think you can open your drapes now.” Andra gave a half-hearted grin.

  As she walked to her car, Deidre checked her watch and was surprised to see how late in the afternoon it was. Before pulling away from the curb to pick up the boys from their grandparents’ home, she dialed Dave’s number. He answered on the third ring.

  “Dave, Deidre here. I’ve got some important news to tell you. Can you come for dinner tonight at our place?”

  The pause on the line was so long, Deidre checked to see if the call had been dropped. Dave answered her question. “Sure . . . sure. What’s up?” Deidre thought he sounded apprehensive, but she knew how he felt. There had been so many leads that went nowhere, and she knew what it was like to not want to get hopes up for a breakthrough.

  “Too much to talk about on the phone. See you a six thirty?”

  “Yeah, okay. See you then.”

  Chapter

  Twenty-Eight

  DAVE WAS EARLIER than Deidre expected, arriving before Ben came home from work. He gave a rap on the door and walked in, like the old days.

  “Hey, good to see you,” she said and gave him a strong hug. “How’re you doin’?”

  “Good. Good,” he answered, and hurriedly asked, “What’s the news you’ve got?”

  Just then Steve and Jack spilled into the room. “Dave! Do you wanna play catch?” Steve had a football in his hands.

  “Why don’t you do that? I wanted to wait for Ben to get home so I didn’t have to repeat myself. It won’t be long, and the boys have missed being with you.”

  Dave looked let down, but he headed for the door. In seconds she heard one of the twins calling out, “Dave! Dave, over here. I’m open!” The boys’ pleas for the ball went on for several minutes, and she looked out the window to see Dave sprinting across the lawn as he chased down an errant pass from Jack.

  She turned back to the counter where she was beginning to fill the serving dishes when she heard the crunch of tires on the gravel drive. Ben was home.

  Dave, Ben, and the boys came into the house together. She noticed that Dave was perspiring profusely.

  “Sorry to put you through that, Dave, but the boys sure love it when you play ball with them. I saw you running across the lawn. Looks like you still have it, even in your old age.” She laughed and playfully elbowed him in the ribs. For a moment he relaxed and laughed, too.

  “I’m not sure how long that’s going to last. After eight months behind and accountant’s desk, I’m already out of shape.”

  Deidre had the table set and was putting the dishes of food on the table. “You guys get washed up for supper,” she commanded, referring to Jack and Steve. “You too, Ben.” She turned to Dave. “You remember where the bathroom is upstairs. You can use it to freshen up. You look like you could use some cold water on your face.”

  When Dave came down to the table, the others were seated. He was no longer sweating and had brushed his hair back. Deidre thought he looked as handsome as the day Maren brought him home to meet her family.

  As they were passing the food around, each taking a serving, Dave asked, “So, what’s the news?”

  Deidre cocked her head toward the boys and rolled her eyes at them. Dave got the message that he would have to wait until after supper. Deidre thought he was particularly jumpy during the meal, and noticed that his hand had a slight tremor when he lifted his fork to his mouth.

  “I’m worried about you, Dave,” she said in a motherly way. “Are you getting enough rest?”

  Dave finished swallowing the bite he had in his mouth. “Honestly, no. I have a hard time being in our apartment alone. Everything I touch and smell reminds me of Maren. I sit down to eat, and the pattern on the dishes remind me of her. I open the cupboard and the first thing I see is her favorite coffee mug. But I can’t get myself to get rid of them. It’s like a catch twenty-two. If I give them away, I’ll miss them. If I keep them, they are a constant reminder of her. I have to admit I don’t sleep well at night in our bed. Perhaps I should tell you, I’ve been thinking I should move to Duluth. It’d be closer to my job, and it might help me move on.” He put his fork down and stared at his plate.

  Deidre reached across and placed her hand on his. “We’re all hurting. That’s why we have to stay in contact, to support each other.” She remembered Pastor Ike’s story about the three-fold cord and how strong it becomes. They ate in silence until Jack spoke up.

  “Grandpa took us to the rocks below the lighthouse today. He showed us pools of water and said a lot of small animals live in them. When we got down on our bellies and looked into one of them, we could see baby salamanders swimming around. We thought they were tadpoles, but he said they were efts.”

  Deidre thought, Thank God for the innocence of children.

  *****

  AFTER THE MEAL and after the kids were shooed outdoors, Deidre suggested they go into the living room where they would be comfortable, but Dave hardly looked comfortable as he perched on the edge of his chair.

  “So what’s the news?” he pressed, obviously anxious to hear what she had to say.

  Ben didn’t respond and seemed to be withdrawn from the conversation, so Deidre began her story.

  “Jeff, Sheriff DeAngelo, called us yesterday and asked us to accompany him to Duluth. The St. Louis County deputies arrested a man for rape and attempted murder a couple of days ago. His victim identified him, and he’s going to be placed on trial sometime in the future. The thing is, he has ties to Two Harbors, and some of the aspects of his crime in Duluth are similar to Maren’s case.”

  Dave became animated. “Do they think he’s the guy who took Maren? Have they found any evidence?”

  Deidre could understand his agitation. “Everything is circumstantial right now, but something happened today that might make the case against him even more believable.”

  That statement pulled Ben from his thoughts. “What are you talking about? I haven’t heard anything new.” He looked at Deidre questioningly.

  “I didn’t have time to tell you because the boys were around, and I didn’t want to bring it up during supper. I did some sleuthing today, talked to two of the waitresses from the restaurant.”

  Dave interrupted. “Who were they?” he asked, trying to disguise the urgency in his voice.

  “The first was a young woman named Jessica. She said that the accused rapist hung out at the bar quite frequently. More than that, she said all the waitresses stayed as far from him as they could. According to her statement, this gu
y had his eyes on Maren, and I suppose we could say he harassed her. Nothing serious enough to bring charges, but he was always making lewd comments and trying to get close to her.”

  “Who is this suspect?” Dave demanded.

  “I don’t think that’s for us to say right now,” Ben interjected. “But you said you spoke to two women. What about the second?”

  Deidre was glad to see that Ben had partially crawled out of his cave and was actively listening.

  “The second woman is named Andra. Do you know her?” she asked Dave.

  He pondered the question before answering. “No, I don’t think I do. Should I?” He looked puzzled.

  “Probably not,” Deidre granted him. “Although she said she and Maren were very good friends. I just thought you may have gotten together at some time. They must have just had a workplace friendship. The thing that I found so damning was her fear of our suspect. Did Maren ever mention that a customer was giving her a bad time?” She again addressed her question to Dave.

  He shook his head. “I don’t remember her ever talking about any trouble. Could this Andra be a little overly jumpy about Maren’s situation?”

  “I don’t think so. She told me that several days after it became apparent that Maren was missing, the suspect told her she would be the next on his list. I think she’s legitimately frightened.”

  “Have you told Jeff all of this?” Ben wanted to know.

  “No, I haven’t had time. But I’m going to see him tomorrow to fill him in. Besides, there are a couple of people I want to check with tomorrow. In my gut, I’d like to think we can crack this guy and get to the bottom of it all.”

  Dave settled back in his chair. “Deidre, I’m so thankful you’re going after Maren’s abductor. Do you really think you can pin the crime on him?”

  “That’s the direction I’m leaning toward. I don’t know why, but I want it to be him. Maybe I’m just tired of not knowing, but I want to get this over with.”

  “Me, too,” Dave agreed. “Me, too.”

  Dave left soon after their conversation, saying he had an early morning appointment and needed his rest. Deidre and Ben were sitting on the couch together when the boys joined them. One sat on either side of their parents, and Deidre felt the togetherness of family for the first time in a long while.

  “Do you miss Maren?” Jack asked after they had sat together for several seconds.

  Deidre hugged him tight. “Of course we do. I think of her every day.”

  Steve, who was sitting next to Ben, looked up at his dad. “What about you, Dad? Do you miss her, too?”

  The question took Ben by surprise. “More than anything.” He paused. “Why do you ask?”

  “I don’t know,” Steve said, and Deidre could see he was puckering up. “It just seems like you never say anything about her. I thought maybe you had forgotten about her. All you do is read the paper at night and watch TV. I miss you, Dad.”

  Ben looked shocked but recovered in time to pull Steve close to him. “I love you guys,” was all he could say.

  The four sat together for a long time, talking about how much they missed Maren. They took turns crying and being comforted. Deidre realized it had been some time since they really communicated with each, despite their daily check-ins. Although painful, it was a tremendous relief to her. She hoped the others felt the same.

  She and Ben ushered the boys to bed, tucked them in, and assured them they’d be a family again. Afterward, as they sat on the deck in the faint light coming from inside through the window, they had a serious discussion.

  “Have I really been that self-absorbed?” Ben asked as he stared across the neighbor’s field at the rising moon.

  Deidre gave his question some thought. “I’m afraid we both have,” she said finally. “I don’t know what to say, because I’ve never experienced this kind of emptiness in my life. It’s as if there is a Maren-shaped hole in my chest that just won’t be filled.”

  Ben nodded. “She’s the first thing I think of in the morning and the last at night. I’ve tried to get my mind on other things, but I can’t.”

  They sat in silence for a long time. Finally, he said. “We’d better try to get some sleep. Tomorrow’s going to be another long day.”

  Their arms around each other’s waist, they made their way up the stairs and to their bedroom. As they passed the twins’ room, they could hear one of them crying.

  Chapter

  Twenty-Nine

  AFTER BEN LEFT FOR WORK the next morning, Deidre checked in with Jeff at the Law Enforcement Center. She told him about speaking to Jessica and Andra and filled him in on what she had learned.

  “I hope you don’t care that I’m out talking to people,” she half-heartedly apologized. “It’s just that I can’t sit home and think about things any longer. This makes me feel as if I’m at least doing something positive.”

  Jeff reached over and took her hand the way only a close friend would. “If it were anyone else, Deidre, I’d tell them to back off and let us do our job. But you, for you I have the utmost respect. I know you won’t foul up any evidence or do anything crazy. Do what you have to do.”

  That afternoon she decided to visit the restaurant and bar where Megan had worked as a waitress. She wanted to find the identity of the man Storder sometimes sat with at the bar. She entered the bar area, intending to buy a Diet Coke, but before she could sit down, she recognized Andra. At the same time, Andra looked up and Deidre spotted a sense of recognition, not really a smile, but a slight upturn to Andra’s lips. She came from around the bar and pulled Deidre into the dining room.

  “Deidre, I’m so glad to see you. I wanted to give you a call, but I didn’t have your cell number, and no one answered at your home.” Before Deidre could respond, Andra continued. “Remember I told you that Jamie Storder sometimes talked fishing with another customer? He’s in the bar right now, sitting alone at the table in the back corner. I haven’t said anything to him, and he has no idea you might want to talk to him. Please, let me go back in and work for a few minutes. Then come in and go to him. I don’t want him to know it was me who tipped you off.”

  Deidre agreed, but to herself she thought whoever the mystery man was, he surely must have seen Andra pull her out of the bar. She waited a good five minutes before going back in. As though she wasn’t quite sure who she was looking for, Deidre looked the room over with a sweep of her eyes. Then she headed toward the table where the lone man was sitting. He looked up as she approached his table.

  “Hello,” she said as she extended her hand. “My name is Deidre Johnson. I’m wondering if I could speak with you a minute.” Deidre observed a look of puzzlement cross his face, but he motioned for her to sit down.

  “My daughter was a waitress here until a little over two months ago, and I’m wondering if you remember her. She was about five-five, blonde hair usually pulled back in a ponytail. She was quite nice looking, at least I thought so.” Suddenly Deidre realized she was speaking of Maren in the past tense, and her stomach knotted. She was spared anymore discomfort when the man said, “Sure, I remember her, remember her well. One of the best waitresses they had. I read about her being missing, but from what you say, they must have found her body. I’m sorry for your loss.”

  Deidre’s eyes misted. “No, we haven’t found her yet. I guess I’ve just come to accept the fact that she’s gone. Thanks for caring.” She straightened her shoulders. “But that’s why I want to talk with you. I’d like your help, if you’re willing to talk a minute.”

  “My name’s Dan, and sure, I’ll try to help you if I can.” Dan took a sip of the beer he’d been nursing.

  “I was told that you know a Jamie Storder. Do you?”

  Dan produced a sound midway between a snort and a guffaw. “Yeah, I knew him. He was always alone at the bar, and sometimes after work, when I stopped in for a beer or two, I’d sit next to him.” He tilted his head toward the bar. “He talked a lot about fishing, and after meeting like
that a few times, we started to swap lies about our favorite fishing holes. Seems we both were into brook trout.” Dan more or less snickered to himself, and drained his glass. He held it up and motioned to a waitress for a refill. “We decided to take a trip up the Gunflint Trail for a weekend. I was going to take him to one of my favorite lakes. I’ve made a lot of mistakes in my life, and that was one of the worst. The guy was a total nutcase. He hit on every woman we met—at the bait shop, at the restaurant up there, even at the gas station. The further we got away from Two Harbors, the raunchier he got. It takes a lot to embarrass me, but after a while, I didn’t even want to be around him.” The waitress put another tap beer in front of him, and he took a drink before continuing.

  “Then, up in the woods, all he talked about was women and what he wanted to do with them. I thought to myself, this is one sick ass-hole. I cut the trip short and headed for home. That’s the last time I talked to him.”

  “Did you ever see him after that?”

  “Yeah, I came in here the next week, and he was here, at the bar. He was hittin’ on all the waitresses that night, especially your daughter. It got so bad that she left the room, and the bartender told him to get out or he was going to call the cops.”

  Deidre’s shoulders sagged. “Did he leave?”

  “Yeah, he picked up his change and swore at the bartender. He said something I couldn’t hear, but the bartender sent a waitress to go find your daughter. He looked pretty mad about whatever it was that Jamie said.”

  Deidre thanked him, never having asked his last name. As she stood to leave, he said, “I hope you find your daughter. She was one of the friendly ones here,” and he went back to his beer. Then he added, “Oh, tell the waitress that it’s okay that she pointed me out to you.” He hoisted his glass and smiled.

  Deidre moved to the bar and waited for the other bartender to have a break in his serving. As he washed glasses, she edged over to where she could speak to him.

  “How many male bartenders work here?” she asked.