“How can you tell?”
“His craftsmanship is superior.”
“So, he’s building all of these himself?”
“Yes, he is. He’s getting help with the labor obviously but they are all crafted flawlessly.”
“Where’s the big guy?”
“He’s coming,” Marshall says.
“I think I can hear him,” Princeton says. “At least, I hope that’s him.” Princeton and Marshall both draw their guns; Marshall looks down at the blip indicating Chester’s location.
“It’s him,” Marshall says as Chester comes through the woods.
“What the fuck? Is this pull a gun on a black man day?”
“Sorry, Chester, we had to be sure it was you,” Marshall says.
“If you’re going to help us catch the brown wizard, you is going to have to work on your stealth. Shit, I could hear you lumbering, cracking branches and stompin’ around from yards away.”
“I can be quiet when I need to be,” Chester says.
“Yes, maybe you can but nature quiet ain’t the same as city quiet. For you to be nature quiet, you might be better off climbing up in a tree and watching.”
“Are you trying to say I’m a monkey or something?”
“I wasn’t saying you was primate or simian-like, but now that you mention it, you kind of look like a knuckle dragger.”
“I’ll throw you up into a tree and light the god damn thing on fire.”
“Boys, simmer down now, we don’t have time for this. Just follow my lead and, if I tell you to stop, don’t take a step,” Marshall says.
“The damn cabin could be booby-trapped,” Princeton says.
“Maybe you two should keep your distance,” Marshall advises. He picks the lock on the door and opens it.
“Why you did that like a bonafide criminal,” Princeton says.
“What the fuck?” Marshall says as he looks at animal bones in a large pile in the middle of the cabin, he looks at the floor and sees boot prints of the same size as one of the prints they find in the cave, he kneels down to inspect it.
“What is it?” Chester asks.
“Animal bones picked clean and discarded in a pile. Then there’s the boot prints,” Marshall feels one of the prints with his gloved hand. “It’s guano,” he says.
“That’s batshit,” Princeton tells Chester.
“Maybe one of them cave-dwelling hillbillies left them,” Chester says.
“Oh, yes, it was one of the family members. There is residue on the boot prints that matches the chemical composition of the cave floor, then there’s the guano. What perplexes me is the man in brown would never have approved of this, these bones and these prints would have been gone.”
“He has been leaving us gifts, so to speak,” Chester says as he approaches the stoop of the cabin.
“Yes, but those were ones he created himself, poems and trinkets left to taunt or intimidate us. It appears whoever did this, must have done it once the man in brown had moved on, along with his followers,” Marshall says.
“So, he left a straggler, it’s not the first time he’s done so,” Chester says as he looks at Princeton.
“But if the family is so vital to his community and to his work, why would he have allowed one of them to stay behind?” Marshall asks as he photographs the piles of bones and the boot prints.
“It was the boy,” Princeton says as he approaches the stoop. “Why look at that, he was killing almost every type of animal he could find in these woods.”
“You guys can come in, just take your shoes off and don’t walk on the prints, I can track where he went in this cabin, just stay close to the walls,” Marshall tells them.
“Look at all ‘dem skulls,” Princeton says. “Mountain lion, deer, bear; the boy’s got a voracious appetite.”
“Boot prints by the fireplace too and in this far corner,” Marshall says.
“What was he doing in that corner?” Chester asks.
“I’m not sure yet,” Marshall says as he sifts through the ashes in the fire. “Here we go,” Marshall says as he picks up a half-burned slip of paper with his tweezers.
“What is it?” Princeton asks.
“I could have counted our fortunes good so far with what we have discovered but this, well, it’s really too easy,” Marshall says.
“What did you find?” Chester asks.
“We’ll need to head into Springfield, the little bastard went shopping.”
“What the hell was he thinkin’?” Princeton asks.
“He probably wasn’t. At least he tried to burn it in the fire.”
“Maybe he just didn’t have the attention span to see it through,” Chester adds.
“You might be right. Attention to detail is lacking in the younger generation,” Marshall says. “No offense,” Marshall adds as he looks at Princeton.
“None taken, I don’t have that problem. I can identify every animal in this pile of bones,” Princeton says as he walks towards it.
“Just don’t touch anything,” Marshall cautions. “We’re still not sure what we’re dealing with here.”
“Squirrel, possum, the aforementioned mountain lion, bear, and there are multiple deer here, rabbits, shit there’s even a badger and a raccoon. The boy may be rabid,” Princeton asserts.
“Even better if he was, he would’ve seen a doctor. It wouldn’t be much use to us because a. we don’t know that he was and b. they wouldn’t be able to tell us if he sought medical attention anyway,” Marshall explains. “That and we don’t know the boy’s full name.”
“But if he slipped up like this once, he may do so again,” Princeton reasons.
“True, and a visit to the merchant in town could get us a name, physical description, or both,” Marshall reasons. “Now for that corner,” Marshall says as he photographs the boot prints there, “he was facing this wall here,” Marshall says as he feels along the wall, he knocks and finds nothing but solid wood, no hollowed out place, “ah, but here, he knelt down,” Marshall adds. “There is trace chemical residue from the cave, it will be on his trousers,” Marshall says as he examines the floor, he finds a floorboard again where the wood has a little give in it, he cuts around the floorboard and lifts the plank up carefully, Marshall lifts the box up carefully, he holds it up to his ear for safe measure.
“Don’t you open that thing with me in here. There may be a demon in it or a spirit of a sinister sort,” Princeton says.
“Relax, we’ve found boxes like this before,” Marshall tells him.
“The man in brown leaves us letters and figurines,” Chester adds.
“You two have gone around opening boxes he left for you? Remember what I told you about that box he has. Shit, you two may be cursed all ready,” Princeton says.
Marshall opens the intricately designed box bearing the same symbols as the previous ones, he again finds a letter, he slices the edge of the envelope, pulls the letter out, and reads it.
“I can see the thoughts you think.
Everything returns in spring.
Carefully choose what you drink.
A thug and cowboy you’ll bring,
A challenge I’ll give in ink.
Distant bells at night will ring.
You’ll travel on the east brink-
Beware the animal king.
The Man in Brown”
Then he finds the wooden figure wrapped in brown paper, he turns the figure over and sees that it is a teenage boy.
“What do you think it means?” Chester asks.
“He thinks he can read my thoughts,” Marshall says.
“I told you the man has powers,” Princeton says.
“The return could signal my return to searching for him, the drink probably refers to the hallucinogen Princeton imbibed or a potential plan to drug us though it could also be a reference to Gina, Chester he believes you’re a thug and Princeton a cowboy, he’ll provide a written challenge, which in a way, he already has, the bells could
be a reference to his current location and the east brink, he seems to think we’ll travel along the Mississippi River, completely plausible, and the animal king, well, that would most likely be our cave-dwelling teenager who left all these bones and way too many clues.”
“So what now?” Princeton asks.
“We go to Springfield, we seek out the merchant and any information we can get on the boy. While we’re there, you gather up all the materials I requested pertaining to Hank Wright and his gang, I will spend some time at the library while you boys stay out of trouble.”
“What the hell are you going to a library for?”
“Research,” Marshall says. They drive into town and visit the merchant at the shop where the teenager went, Marshall looks for cameras but there are none, Princeton and Chester follow him in, an old man is behind the counter, his skin is leathery, his eyes are cloudy.
“Why, Princeton Wright, your momma been worried that you might be dead,” the old merchant says.
“What on earth would give her that idea?”
“You’ve been gone a long time in the dead of winter, she spent Christmas without you.”
“Momma, she worry too much. It’d take a hard-charger to snuff our old Princeton; mother nature ain’t got shit on me.”
“I’m Detective Tumbler, I’m looking for a teenager that came by this store on this date,” Marshall says as he points at the half-burned receipt. “I’m assuming there aren’t any cameras in here based on my observation.”
“What the hell would I need cameras for? Beneath this counter is my own little personal armory,” the old man says, he takes his shotgun out from beneath the counter. “Woe be the man who tries to steal from me, the townsfolk never would.”
“This teenager that came in and bought these supplies, do you remember him?”
“Why, I do believe I recollect the boy, he was tall, about an inch taller than you, his hair was short and fair, he was dirty as all get out, looked like he hadn’t bathed in a month and smelled like it too. I don’t think he’d been around civilization for awhile. His eyes was blue, his skin was pale, his canines they were sharp and his teeth were yella. He grunted quite a bit, it was a little disconcerting, he paid in cash but I had to count it for him, he gave me too much.”
“Did he tell you where he was headed?”
“No, he didn’t but I didn’t ask. I tried to make small talk with the boy but he wasn’t much of a talker. He spent about half an hour in here, then I watched him head back into those woods, he never came back into town again.”
“Is there anything else you remember?”
“He squinted a lot, like the light was too bright for him; he looked like a strong kid, just not civilized, y’know?”
“Did he ever give you his name?”
“No, he didn’t.”
“Thank you for your cooperation,” Marshall says.
“Now you better talk to your momma while you’re back,” the merchant tells Princeton.
“I will, I’m bringing my friends with me,” Princeton says.
“Tell your Ma I said hello,” the old man responds.
“That was pretty useless,” Chester says once they are outside the store.
“No, not completely. We now have a physical description of the animal king and I’ve drawn a conclusion based on the items he bought,” Marshall says.
“What conclusion is that?” Chester asks.
“We’ll talk about it on the way to Poplar Bluff. Princeton, take us to your family.”
“Be careful what you ask for. They’re an ornery lot but they’ll feed us and I’ll get you them artifacts you asked for.” They walk to the Wright family home, a modest house down a green lane in Springfield, they approach the front porch. Princeton’s mother approaches as she opens the door, he hair is white though there are still brunette streaks through it, her eyes are brown, she is wearing a plain blue dress with a white sweater.
“Don’t tell me you’ve been arrested,” she says as she puts her hand on her hip. Princeton holds his hands up and shakes them.
“No handcuffs, no ma’am, I am still a free man. These is my friends, Detective Tumbler and Chester Swanson. We’re tired as all get out and hungry as hell.”
“Now watch your mouth around company. Come in and I’ll fill you up, two of your cousins are staying here too,” she says as she invites them all in. She takes a look at Marshall and Chester, then looks at her son’s belt and holsters with his guns in them. “Now you three will have to take your shoes off and leave your firearms on the table.”
Chester and Marshall remove their shoulder holsters beneath their coats and lay them along with their firearms on the table; Princeton takes off his belt and lays his guns on the table along with the rifle slung across his back. Princeton watches his mother and knows the look in her eyes. “We is workin’ on a case but the detective here has promised me to help find Hank’s stash of gold. He needs the letters and Hank’s journal, I can get the rest,” Princeton says. He turns to Marshall, “See the Wilkins clan and the Dolons and the Gobbins, they have turned all artifacts over to me, trusting that I would find the treasure, our agreement is a four-way split upon the discovery though I receive an additional ten percent of the amount for doing all the legwork. Down through the years descendants of all four families has tried, all have failed. They have entrusted their parts of the code to me and should I fail, then I would pass it on to the next descendant who chooses to look for it but, with your help, I think we shall find success.” Princeton’s mother brings down a wooden box with a lock on it, she hands Marshall the key.
“These are Hank’s effects. Be gentle with them, they is old as hell and of obvious value to the family,” she says.
“I will provide the utmost care,” Marshall assures her.
“Now here are the other three boxes, along with their keys. Ma, did you give him the photos?” Princeton asks her.
“No, let me get them,” she says, she returns with a thick album full of old photographs. “Now, this is Hank and his brother Finn before the war,” she says, then she goes on to explain who is in each photo. Marshall jots notes down in his pad, he looks at all four boxes and places the keys in his pocket, Princeton’s cousins, Stafford and Cliff, are eleven and thirteen respectively.
“What you hangin’ out with city folk for?” Stafford asks Princeton.
“We is tryin’ to capture a dangerous man, we is on a grand adventure,” Princeton says. “You boys keepin’ out o’ trouble?”
“Hell, no, we isn’t,” Cliff says.
“That’s how it should be. If you’re gonna be a Wright, trouble will find you,” Princeton assures them. Ma makes them a meal, homemade chicken noodle soup, cornbread, and cooked ham. They all sit at the table to eat.
“I keep beggin’ Princeton to go back to college, but he won’t listen. Now, you is college-educated, Detective Tumbler, correct?” Ma asks.
“Yes, I am, ma’am,” Marshall responds.
“College ain’t the place for a man like me. The people is uptight, like they got sticks up their asses, I get bored easily, it’s expensive as all get out. The world teaches me, I value experience,” Princeton says as he slurps the soup and takes a slice of ham on his plate.
“Now you watch your mouth at the table, y’hear?”
“All I said was asses, their assholes is so tight why they couldn’t shit a dime out.”
“I’m not gonna ask you again. I will knock you on your back. Now, as I was sayin’ it’ll make a civilized man out of you. You needs a career and education is the way to get it,” Ma says. “Now, Chester what about you?”
“I never went to college, ma’am. I worked for the district attorney in Kansas City, now I’m working for the detective here. I’m still trying to figure out what I want to do with my life,” Chester admits.
“Chester would make a fine detective someday,” Marshall says, “should he choose to be one.”
“Pa was a mechanic, I have always been a
seamstress,” Ma tells them. “Princeton is an explorer, I guess.”
“I will find my place in life, don’t you worry Ma,” Princeton assures her.
“Being a Wright brings some baggage, I suppose. The boys always turn out wilder than big ol’ grizzlies and just as temperamental, the women end up trying to hold the rest together,” Ma admits.
“If it makes you feel better,” Chester says. “My mom always worried about how I’d turn out too.”
After they have eaten, Marshall thanks Bernice Wright for her hospitality and the meal. “We are descended from Southern folk, this is what we do,” she assures him.
“I will be at the library, I’ll take these boxes and the photographs with me, I’m sure I’ll find an answer,” Marshall tells her.
“Your eyes, well you are young yet, those eyes have seen a lot,” she remarks.
“I’m not as young as I look, ma’am,” Marshall tells her.
“I’ll carry the boxes for you,” Chester says.
“Thank you. Then you two hang out here until I’m done. I’ll come back for you,” Marshall says.
“I can’t promise that we won’t go drinkin’,” Preston admits.
“I prefer that you didn’t but well, you two are gonna do what you want anyway,” Marshall says, he places his hat back on and leaves with Chester.
“I’ll go with you,” Princeton says. “I’ll walk Chester back here once we drop you off.”
“All right, let’s go,” Marshall says, once they arrive at the library, Chester hands the boxes to Marshall.
“How long will you be here?” Chester asks.
“As long as it takes,” Marshall says. “Don’t worry about me.”
“We ain’t worried. Chester, let’s go in search of loose women with self-confidence issues,” Princeton says.
“I’d feel better if you two went back to your Ma’s house and laid low,” Marshall says.
“You don’t understand, I need everything all the time. I do burn twice as bright and I will live half as long as the average man. But I will cram a lot of livin’ into my years on this earth,” Princeton says, he walks away with Chester towering beside him, Marshall heads into the library, he doesn’t return until the next morning, he carries the boxes all the way back to the Wright home, Ma is the only one awake.
Detective Tumbler and the Man in Brown (Detective Tumbler Trilogy Book 2) Page 17
