HIGHWAY HOMICIDE

by Bill WENHAM

  “If I had wanted my guests to pay me, Carl Berger, I would’ve put a bloody great big sign over my front door saying ‘Restaurant’,” she’d told him huffily, “and another one right underneath it saying ‘No goddamned cops allowed inside.”

  Carl had never offered to pay again, but now and then he’d buy her a little gift, flowers for her desk or take her out to Lisa’s for dinner. Fortunately both ladies appreciated each other’s cooking.

  “How are you getting along with my list, Carl?” David asked him.

  “I was able to cross Hugh Larkin off it today. Apparently he’s in Germany, has been for several years now. He’s with the Mercedes-Benz Group over there. He comes back here from time to time but he hasn’t been back to the U.S. this year at all. Another one, Rick Shelbourne, is in a wheelchair as a result of a motorcycle accident and is unlikely to have been our perp. More than unlikely, Dave, bloody near impossible, I’d say.”

  “You know something, Carl; I thought I saw someone familiar today, someone from the old days. It wasn’t his face that made me notice him, though, so much as what he was doing.”

  “And what was that?” Erica asked.

  “Well, I’m not sure really, Erica. He could have either been putting something into someone’s pickup or taking something out of it. I couldn’t see which it was from across the street but he was sure as hell furtive about it.”

  “Where was this pickup then, Dave?” Carl asked him.

  “Outside O’Shaunessy’s Pub, the place where we went the other night,” David answered.

  “O’Shaunessy’s!” Judy exclaimed. “That’s where someone stole something out of Ellis Perrin’s truck today.”

  “What was stolen, Jude?” Carl asked, although he’d already guessed what her answer would be.

  “Ellis said someone stole one of his rifles. Everyone knows he keeps a pair of them in plain sight on a rack in the back of his truck. To use Ellis’s exact words, he said ‘the lousy bastard stole my ammo as well.”

  Carl, David and Erica all turned to look at her.

  “Christ, Jude, it sounds like we’re about to get even more trouble in town. I’ll get over to see Ellis in the morning. I’ll probably catch him at the Pub.” Carl said. “I hope he’ll start to lock his truck up now before he loses the other one. God knows, I’ve told him often enough about it.”

  “You think it’s the same guy then, Carl, the same one that killed…” Erica choked up and couldn’t continue,

  Carl nodded.

  “I’m afraid so, Erica. I think he’s got some more unfinished business of some kind in our town. Something he needs a gun to attend to. And, let’s face it, guys; nobody steals a rifle unless he intends to use it, does he? I’m just wondering who he plans to use it on.”

  “We don’t know why he killed Forrest Appleyard either, do we?” Judy said.

  Carl shook his head.

  “And the two murders don’t appear to have any connection at all to each other, apart from those thumb prints. One victim from Rutland,” he said, looking apologetically at Erica, “and one from right here. I just can’t help wondering who his next target is.”

  Erica said. “You don’t need to pussyfoot around and watch what you say around me, Carl, although I appreciate your concern. My sister was murdered. I know that and I’ve accepted it. I may bawl my eyes out from time to time but you don’t need to baby me. I’ll survive. Unless I’m the next target for some reason, that is.”

  Her words shocked them into silence as Judy served up the dinner, but the recent conversation had taken the edge off their appetites.

  To break the tension, Carl suddenly asked. “Did you get the license number of the Jeep the guy was driving, Dave?”

  “No, I’m sorry. I just thought it was unusual behavior, enough to make me look. But not enough for me to take down any details. I’m sorry, but I just didn’t realize at the time it might be important. I’m really sorry, Carl.”

  “No matter. But how about a description of it. Was it old, new, clean, dirty and how about the color of it? Did you notice any damage on it that could help us to identify it?”

  “The only thing I can help you there with, Carl, was that it looked fairly new and it was, um, like a brownish, grayish color, I think. Not really brown, but not gray either.”

  “Would you know it again if you saw it, do you think?”

  David shrugged.

  “Maybe, but remember, I was looking at the guy and what he was doing, more than at the Jeep.”

  “Would you recognize him again then?” Carl asked.

  “Again, Carl, maybe. I’m sorry I’m not being much help to you here, but most of the time he had either his back to me or he was sideways on. I only got one very quick glimpse of his face.”

  “And you said you recognized him?”

  “No. I just said his face looked familiar, I thought, that’s all”

  Carl looked glum and lapsed into silence again.

  “I sure as hell hope you catch this guy soon. He’s completely ruining my dinners, for Christ’s sake. I’ll kill him myself if I catch him.” Judy complained. “Anyway, eat up, you guys. There’s still desert to come yet.”

  She thought the mere mention of desert, Carl’s favorite part of a meal, would brighten him up a bit, but today he was deeply preoccupied with his own thoughts.

  A few moments ago he’d wondered aloud who he thought the next victim would be. Now he no longer had to wonder. He was absolutely certain who it would be.

  As ‘Cal’ drove away in the Jeep, his mind was in a whirl of mixed thoughts and feelings, with adrenaline pumping through him.

  He’d achieved his initial goal and fairly easily too. On the back seat of the Jeep he had a rifle, and on the seat beside it, he also had the ammunition for it. But the main cause for his excitement was he’d found his target just as easily. He was possibly just hours away now from his payoff.

  He was astounded when he’d turned his head away as the guy had left the pub. Directly across the street and looking right at him was the man he was seeking.

  David Gates!

  But, as he drove away he was puzzled.

  Gates didn’t appear to be shopping in the store. He wasn’t wearing a heavy winter coat, as he would have been if he’d just walked into the store from outside. He was in shirt sleeves, for God’s sake. Was it possible he was working there? It was highly unlikely but why else would he be dressed like that?

  At least he knew now that Gates was in Cooper’s Corners. Even if he wasn’t working in the store, it would be easy enough to track him down. But if he’d recognized Gates that easily, it was possible Gates had also recognized him. The main difference was he, Cal, was actively looking for Gates, not the other way around.

  Well, he thought with satisfaction, I know where he is and I have the means to kill him. All I need now is the right opportunity and it’ll be all over!

  He thought briefly of going back on foot to verify, if he could, that Gates was indeed working there. If he was, it would make his task much easier. If he wasn’t, there’d be the chance, a very strong chance, he might lose him.

  After careful consideration, he decided the safest way would be to do a drive by of the store on the following day. If Gates was in there then, he knew he had him nailed. He was sweating badly now and he’d started to tremble. He had to get this job done and it had to be done soon. He wasn’t sure he could last until tomorrow like this.

  He shook his aching head and told himself he had to last. He still had enough to keep him going but he knew it wouldn’t last much longer. The longer Gates remained alive, the worse it was going to be for himself. Stay calm, stay cool, he told himself. He was sweating like a pig now and he was telling himself to stay cool. That was a laugh. Who was he kidding?

  He made a decision, come hell or high water, David Gates would die tomorrow. He had to.

  Chapter Thirty

  David took time out from his lunch hour at Ryan’s Appliances to drop into the S
heriff’s office. He’d called and asked Carl to meet him there. Carl had told him it would be no problem for him to drop by the store any time if he’d prefer it.

  David asked him not to, but to meet him at his office if he could. Carl asked him what it was about and David said he’d tell him when he saw him.

  He and Carl had brought his Chevy back from Burlington and David had spent a long time scrubbing the cargo space out. It now looked clean, but David thought he’d trade it in just as soon as he had the opportunity.

  The car reminded him too much of things he didn’t want to have to remember.

  “So, Dave, what’s up?” Carl asked as Dave walked in to the office and greeted them. Carl had called Almost and had asked him to swing by the office as well if he wasn’t busy.

  Before David could say any more, Judy said, “You haven’t had any lunch, have you? I’ll bring you some donuts and coffee. And you can keep your hands off them, Carl. These are for David,” she said over her shoulder.

  Carl grinned.

  “Your mother hen is taking very good care of you then, Dave, is she?” he said, as Judy returned carrying a mug of coffee and a plate of donuts. David smiled but ignored the comment, taking the coffee from Judy instead.

  “The reason I’m here, Carl, is that I’ve just seen it again this morning.”

  “The Jeep?”

  “Yes. It drove very slowly past the store again this morning.”

  Carl put his hands together in a praying motion, and looked reverently up at the office ceiling.

  “Please tell me you got the goddamned license number this time, Dave,” he said fervently.

  David let him stew for a couple of long moments.

  “Was I supposed to?” he said innocently.

  “Just give me the goddamned number, Dave, and quit jerking me around,” Carl growled at him.

  David laid a piece of paper down on the desk in front of him.

  Carl looked it over and said, “So it’s a Jeep Grand Cherokee Limited then, brownish gray and…”

  “Taupe,” Judy interjected.

  “What?” Carl said, giving her a baleful look.

  “Taupe, Carl. It’s a stocking color, ladies stockings. It’s called taupe,”

  “We’re not looking for ladies stockings, Jude; we’re looking for a goddamned Jeep!” he said testily.

  “Same difference, its still taupe,” Judy said smugly.

  “Whatever. We’re looking for a brownish gray Jeep,” Carl repeated.

  “Taupe,” Judy said again.

  Carl heaved an exasperated sigh.

  “Okay, then, goddamn it, we’re looking for a taupe Jeep. You happy now?”

  Judy didn’t answer but just licked her forefinger and drew an imaginary line in the air in front of her as though she was keeping score.

  Carl shook his head in frustration.

  “Accuracy, Carl. All good descriptions should at least be accurate, even yours.” Judy added.

  “Well, Jude, if you want to be really accurate, the manufacturer, Chrysler, doesn’t call it that either. As a matter of fact, the color is…” David started to say.

  “Don’t you start as well,” Carl roared at him.

  “Okay, Sheriff. You’ve got all the info now so do I get a deputy’s pay for this?”

  “You don’t want to know what you’ll get if you don’t get yourself out of here. And take her with you, for God’s sake. Leave me in peace; I’ve got work to do now.”

  “Finally, the man’s got work to do,” Judy said. “Come on over here and have your coffee with me, David. Let the old grouch get on with it and I’m better company than he is anyway. I swear if you were to give that man a brand new Cadillac, he’d just complain about the color of it. Especially if it was taupe,” she added with a grin.”

  Her comments had gone right over Carl’s head, since he was already on the phone checking out the Jeep’s ownership.

  When he hung up, he said, “Ever heard of a guy called Overton Wells, Dave?”

  David thought for a moment.

  “Overton Wells? Yes, I believe I have, if it’s the same guy,” David said. “I guess it must be. Not too many people around called Overton, are there?”

  “Okay, then, who is he?” Carl said impatiently.

  “I met him just the once, at the University. He’s Jason Wells’ father.” David said.

  “Jason Wells, the guy on this list of yours?”

  “Yes, he was part of our little group.”

  “Tell me about him, Dave,” Carl said.

  “Well, for starters, he was another one of the guys in our group that Maria gave a hard time to. He laughed it off but you could tell he was furious with her. I remember he was also kidded about his name by one of our professors once. In front of the whole class. He didn’t like that too much either.”

  “Kidded him about what? Wells or Jason? Why would he be kidded about either of those, they’re common enough names, aren’t they?” Carl said.

  “The professor called him the ‘Calendar Guy’ one day, in front of everyone, because of his name.”

  “Calendar Guy? What was there about either of those names to cause him to do that?” Carl said in a puzzled voice.

  “It was the first letter of each of the months in the name Jason, Carl,” David said.

  “Huh? I still don’t get it.”

  “July, August, September, October and November. J.A.S.O.N., ergo, calendar,” David said.

  “Ergo? What the hell kind of word is that, for Christ’s sake? Hell’s bells, Dave, use English, dammit.” Carl spluttered.

  “That is English, Carl. It means therefore”, David said.

  “You have to remember to just use small words for Carl, David,” Judy said, grinning.

  “It was a small word, Judy. They don’t come a whole lot smaller, but I’ll try harder next time.”

  “Alright, smart asses, if it means therefore, why can’t you just say therefore, instead of all that ergo crap?” Carl said testily.

  “Anyway, Carl, after that episode, a lot of people started to call him Cal, short for Calendar Guy, or Jay, short for Jason.”

  “Alright, Dave, I get the picture, so enough of the explanations. The important thing is, did you see this Jason guy driving the Jeep, or was it someone else? His father, maybe?”

  “Yes, it was him. I knew the face yesterday, but I just couldn’t place it right away. Not until you threw his name into the mix.”

  “But you’d already written that name down for Carl,” Judy said.

  “Yes, I know, Judy, but it’s been a while since I’ve seen any of the old group, except Maria. I’m sorry if I’ve wasted a lot of time here. I should have made the connection earlier.”

  “Don’t beat yourself up over it, Dave. At least we know who our killer is now,” Carl said with satisfaction. “Jason Wells of Rutland.”

  “Right,” David said.

  “That’s the good news, folks. You ready for the bad?”

  “Bad?” Judy said. “What’s bad?”

  “I think I know who his next intended victim will be,” Carl said grimly.

  David was very quiet for a moment.

  “So do I then, I guess,” he said, “You think it’s me, don’t you?”

  Beside him, Judy gasped, “Oh, God, no!”

  David breathed out heavily.

  “I suppose I should go away and just paint a big target on the back of my shirt” David said in a vain attempt at levity.

  “David!” Judy said harshly, “Don’t even joke about such things.”

  “We’re gonna catch that bastard, Jude,” Carl growled. “I don’t plan for that son of a bitch to murder anyone else around here.”

  He thumped his fist down angrily on his desk.

  “Where the hell is Almost?” he said, “Jude, call him and tell him to get his ass in here now, right away. And Dave, you call Alvin Ryan and tell him you’ve been detained at the Sheriff’s office to help with the investigation. Tell him too, I�
��ll call him later to fill him in about what’s happening. I’m sure that he’ll understand,”

  “Well, if he doesn’t and I’m out of a job, I guess you’ve just hired yourself another deputy,” David said jokingly. Judy shook her head and frowned at him but said nothing.

  “Actually, that might not be such a bad idea, Dave, all joking aside. We’ll talk it over when Almost gets in here.”

  “I don’t like this one little bit, guys,” Judy moaned. “I don’t want any of my boys to get hurt.”

  “Jude, if anyone is going to get hurt, it’s our plan to hurt the other guy. And in any case there’ll be three of us against one of him. Four of us, if we count you, Jude,”

  “Three?” David queried. “Who are the three?”

  “That’s what I said. Three of us, Deputy Gates,” Carl said, smiling. “Feel better now, Jude?”

  Judy just shook her head.

  “Not until it’s all over, Carl, no.”

  In their planning, they had to tread very carefully. At the moment, the only hard evidence they had to go on was two partial thumbprints of somebody. At this point in time, they actually had no solid idea if that ‘somebody’ was actually Jason Wells or not. Somehow they’d need to match the prints they had to his.

  Suspicions alone were not enough to possibly blast someone out of existence, if it came down to a shoot out of some kind. That wasn’t the way things were done here. In New York City or in Tombstone, maybe, but not in Cooper’s Corners!

  The trouble was Carl was now almost obsessed with catching the Cooper’s Corners killer himself. Not himself personally, necessarily, but he did want his police department to bring the killer to justice one way or another.

  When Almost arrived, Carl filled him in and together with Jude; they witnessed Carl’s swearing in of David as a Sheriff’s Deputy for the County of Lamoille. Carl said the position was temporary and could be part time if he wanted to continue with it later. In the meantime, he’d square it all away with Alvin Ryan.

  To be more comfortable, they all adjourned to the back interview room for their planning session. All four of them agreed that, although they wouldn’t be officially deputized, Carl would need the assistance of a lot more of the townsfolk, if their plan was to succeed.