by Terri Reid
“Not if someone is actually trying to murder Chandler, too,” Mary said. “Stanley mentioned that Charlie was very eager to give him information that implicated Chandler. If Charlie is the real killer, maybe he thinks he can get away with it by making it look like Chandler killed himself.”
Bradley hurried over to Charlie’s workstation and started pulling things out of the drawers while Angela turned on the computer, put in her administrator’s password to bypass Charlie’s security and waited for it to boot up.
Bradley opened the large bottom drawer on the side of the desk and pulled out a forest green backpack.
“That’s my backpack,” Ruth cried.
“That’s Ruth’s backpack,” Mary said.
Bradley spread the backpack out on the table, and everyone could see the dark stain of blood across the back.
Angela stared at the backpack, her hands shaking. “He actually did it?” she asked, her voice high-pitched and nearly hysterical. “He actually killed her?”
Mary moved in next to Angela and opened Charlie’s word processing system. She looked at his current files and found what she’d been searching for. “Here it is,” she said. “Ruth’s paper with Charlie’s name inserted instead of Ruth’s.”
“That’s all he wanted?” Ruth asked. “He killed me because he wanted my paper?”
“Where do you think he’s taken Chandler?” Bradley asked.
Mary looked at the rats scurrying around the desks. Could they be smart enough to help them? They had led them back to Granum.
“Bradley, I need you to create some kind of diversion so I can talk to the rats,” Mary whispered.
“Talk to the…” he began.
“Please,” she begged.
“Look,” Bradley called, hurrying to the window. “Is that something?”
Everyone hurried to the window except Mary. She turned to the rats. They looked up at her with their unblinking, pink eyes and white twitching whiskers. “Find Chandler. He needs your help. Go find Chandler.”
They stared at her for a moment longer and then they started to move, slipping past the group and out through the window.
“I think I know where Chandler is,” Mary said, praying she was right. “But we have to leave now.”
They hurried from the room and down to the banks of elevators. “What did you do?” Bradley asked.
She looked up at him. “I said, go find Chandler, girl, go find Chandler,” she said. “And they did.”
“Well, you hope they did,” Bradley countered.
She nodded. “Yes. Yes, I really do.”
The elevator opened, and they hurried inside.
Chapter Forty-nine
Bradley’s cruiser took the lead, while Mary looked out the window, trying to keep track of the rats in the dark. “They’re heading toward Highway 20,” she said, watching them scatter towards the busy intersection. Mary gasped in horror as a double-long semi-trailer barreled towards the creatures, only to sigh in relief as it passed through their ghostly bodies without the slightest degree of harm.
“I keep forgetting they’re dead,” she said, her voice slightly shaking.
“Yeah, I know what you mean,” Bradley replied. “They’re like this undulating wave of rodents.”
She grinned. “That’s kind of beautiful and disgusting all at the same time.”
He chuckled. “Okay, the road’s clear. Which way now?”
“They’re cutting across the field,” Mary said, watching them. “It looks like they’re going towards Gund Cemetery.”
“Well, we’re not cutting across country,” Bradley said, turning left onto the west-bound lane on Highway 20. “We’ll cut them off at the pass.”
Mary looked over her shoulder. “Alex is right behind us,” she said.
“Good. It would be nice if we both make it to the cemetery at the same time,” Bradley said.
They turned right on the road that led to the cemetery. “You might want to pull into the gravel road that goes all the way to the back of the cemetery,” Mary said. “That will get us closer to the end of the field, and that’s where Chandler was burying the rats.”
Bradley called Alex. “We’re going to pull into the cemetery road,” Bradley said when Alex answered. “And drive to the end of the road for better access.”
“I think I saw someone on the edge of the field,” Alex said. “So, be alert.”
They pulled into the cemetery and sped down the gravel lane.
“I see someone,” Mary said, peering out the window. “At the far end of the field.”
Bradley pulled the cruiser up next to the fence and jumped out of the car. “Stay here,” he said to Mary. “Whoever killed Ruth used a rifle, and I don’t want you out there.”
She started to argue, then stopped. He needed to get out there, and he didn’t need to worry about her. “Go,” she said. “I’ll stay here.”
“Thank you,” he said, pulling his handgun from his belt. “I’ll be back as soon as I can.”
He started to close the door when she stopped him. “Bradley,” she called.
He turned back to her, his face questioning.
“There’s a break in the fence at the northeast corner of the cemetery,” she said. “It’s the quickest way into the field.”
He smiled at her. “Thanks.”
Mary watched him slip through the fence opening and head toward the lone figure walking along the tree line. Suddenly, a movement to the side of the cruiser caught her eye. The rats were swarming around a furrow in the field, in the same area Mary had found Ruth’s body. She looked over to the edge of the field where Bradley and Alex were following the suspect. There was nothing she could do to get their attention without alerting the person they were following.
Shaking her head, Mary reached up to make sure the interior lights were turned off. Then she quietly opened the car door and slipped outside. Following Bradley’s path, she slipped through the opening in the fence line and then turned back toward the road. The ground was bumpy, and Mary had to carefully feel her way forward. As she got closer to the swarm, she was able to see a body on the ground.
“Oh, no,” she exclaimed softly. “Chandler.”
Hurrying forward, she pushed through the swarm to get to the young man. As she got closer, she could hear his quiet sobs.
“Chandler?” she asked.
“I don’t want to die,” he cried.
“Well, of course you don’t,” she said as she got closer.
“Don’t!” he cried out. “Don’t move any closer.”
She froze and looked around. A thick rope encircled the area, looped around jagged cornstalks, ending finally with Chandler.
“Where does the rope end?” she asked.
“It’s rigged to the rifle’s trigger,” he whimpered. “The hammer is cocked, and the muzzle is pointed at my head.”
“Can you move?” she asked.
“No, the rope is also wrapped around my body,” he said. “If I move, it shoots me. And I’ve got to say, the drugs Charlie gave me are making me pretty drowsy.”
“Well, crap,” Mary said, slowly walking around the circumference of the rope trap, making sure she was far enough away that she couldn’t upset anything. “You need to stay awake!” She stared at him from a different direction. “There has to be a way to move the gun.”
“Only if you can lift the gun in the air without putting any pressure on the ropes from any other direction,” Chandler said.
“How about putting something in between the hammer and the firing pin?” Mary asked, moving so she was behind the butt of the gun and looking at Chandler’s face.
“That could work,” Chandler said. “But if the rope gets touched, it’s all over.”
The rope was intertwined all over, and Mary knew there was no way she could disarm the gun in the dark. She looked around, trying to find something that would work. She backed away from Chandler, slipping through the swarm of rats.
“How smart are la
b rats?” she asked Chandler, trying to keep him talking and alert.
“I think they’re just as smart as dogs,” he replied. “I even taught some of them tricks.”
She stopped and looked at him. “You taught them tricks?”
“Yeah, they learn even faster than a dog,” he said. “I actually taught them fetch.”
Mary, who was still looking around searching for an idea to save him, stopped when she noticed several of the rats chewing on scattered kernels of corn on the ground. “Which rats did you train?” she asked.
Chandler sighed. “Lucy, Linus and Snoopy,” he said. “But they were killed last week. They’re buried by the cemetery.”
“Lucy. Linus. Snoopy,” Mary called, and three of the rats looked towards her.
Kneeling down she picked up a few of the corn kernels. “Fetch,” she called, tossing the corn a few feet.
The ghost rats darted across the uneven ground and sniffed around until they found the kernels.
“What are you doing?” Chandler asked.
“I’m hoping these rats are as smart as you think,” she said.
Chapter Fifty
Bradley moved forward into the tree line that separated the field from the edge of the property line. He could see a dark clothed figure in front of him, moving slowly. Had he not heard their cars pull up? Was he so sure of his plan that he wasn’t even worried about it? Bradley jogged forward, getting closer to the suspect. The guy wasn’t even looking over his shoulder. Why was he so confident?
A hand on his shoulder had Bradley bracing for a fight. “It’s me,” Alex whispered, jogging forward to walk next to him. “What’s with this guy?”
“I don’t know,” Bradley said. “He’s not even looking over his shoulder.”
Alex shrugged. “Let’s take him,” he said.
“Are you sure?” Bradley asked. “You could get your suit dirty.”
Alex grinned. “Yeah, I never liked this suit anyway.”
The two men rushed forward, Bradley tackling low and Alex hitting high. The suspect tumbled onto the ground rolling away from them. Bradley jumped after him, rolling him over and pinning him down. Charlie lashed out, kicking and punching, but Bradley held him tight.
“You have the right…” Bradley started and then stopped. Alex heard an audible sigh.
“Really?” Bradley exclaimed, holding up a set of earphones and a phone. “He was wearing ear phones.”
Alex shook his head and walked over to Bradley. “I’ll take those,” he said. “You read him his rights.”
Bradley handed Alex the electronics and then pulled Charlie to his feet. “You have the right to remain silent,” Bradley said as he pulled his handcuffs out of their holder and clapped them over Charlie’s wrist. “Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law. You have the right to an attorney. If you cannot afford an attorney, one will be provided for you. Do you understand the rights I have just repeated to you?”
He shook Charlie’s arms. “Do you understand the rights I have just repeated to you?”
“Yeah. I’m not stupid,” Charlie spat. “I get it.”
“And with these rights in mind, do you wish to speak to me?” Bradley asked him.
“You’ve got nothing on me. I’m not afraid to talk to you,” Charlie said dismissively. “I’ve done nothing wrong. Chandler asked me to tie him up. I didn’t do anything.”
“We’re not talking about Chandler,” Alex said. “We’re talking about Ruth.”
Charlie shook his head. “Like I told the old guy,” he said. “Chandler did it. Chandler killed Ruth, and that’s why he wanted to die.”
“We found Ruth’s backpack in your workstation drawer,” Alex said. “And we found her research on your computer with your name on it. We’ve got you.”
“Well, you’re too late. Chandler already took the fall for her death,” he said. “I know how this works. You got a fall guy. You don’t need anyone else.”
“Obviously you don’t know how this works,” Bradley said. “Because we don’t want a fall guy, we want the murderer.”
“So tell us where Chandler is,” Alex demanded.
Charlie laughed, the sound sending chills down both of their backs. “He’s all tied up,” he said, laughing again. “And don’t try to help him. The gun’s rigged to not only discharge, but also give a little extra something special for anyone trying to help him.”
Bradley grabbed Charlie’s collar. “Where is he?” he said through gritted teeth. “Where’s Chandler?”
Charlie motioned with his head. “Right where Ruth fell,” he said with a shrug. “I thought it would be poetic justice.”
Suddenly the sound of a rifle shot and a secondary explosion echoed in the night sky.
Charlie chuckled. “Guess he got help.”
“Mary,” Bradley breathed.
When he shoved Charlie into Alex’s hands, Alex could see that Bradley’s face was white with fear. “Go,” Alex said, urging Bradley on. “I’ve got this.”
Chapter Fifty-one
Bradley sprinted down the gravel lane and then dove through the tree line towards the field. Branches scraped against his face, but he wasn’t even aware of the pain they were inflicting. All he could think of was Mary. In his mind, all he could picture was Mary lying on the cold ground in the middle of the field, her life ebbing away from her.
“Don’t be hurt,” he pleaded. “Oh, God, don’t let Mary be hurt.”
He emerged from the tree line gasping for air, but he continued on, his flashlight scanning the field. He ran, nearly twisting his ankles, over rough and uneven ground towards the place where they’d found Ruth’s body. Finally, the beam of his flashlight illuminated the tops of figures above a furrow. But from his vantage, they didn’t seem to be moving.
He pushed himself, jumping the furrows and finally gasping out her name. “Mary,” he cried. “Mary.”
“We’re over here.”
The sound of her voice nearly brought him to his knees. He took a deep, gasping breath. “Are you okay?” he asked. “I heard…I heard a gunshot.”
He stumbled over the last furrow, finally next to her. Dropping to his knees, he pulled her into his arms and just held on to her.
“I’m sorry…” she began.
“Shhhh,” he pleaded. “Just let me hold you for a moment.”
She relaxed against him, feeling the rapid beating of his heart against her ear and waited, waited until his heart beat had slowed, waited until his grasp wasn’t as tight, and waited until the tears she felt falling on her face slowed. Finally, when she heard him take a deep breath, she pulled away.
“I’m fine,” she said softly. “I guess when I tossed the gun away from us the corn must have gotten dislodged.”
Bradley shook his head. “Corn?”
Before she could respond, a triumphant yell sounded next to them. “I’m free,” Chandler yelled, waving his arms in the air with rope still hanging from his wrists. “They did it. They actually did it.”
He turned to Mary and Bradley. “Who would have thought that dead rats were as smart as live ones?” he said, his eyes wide with excitement. “Can people, like, study working with dead animals? Is that a thing?”
Mary grinned up at Bradley and then turned to Chandler. “I have a friend who’s a professor,” she said. “I’ll get you his information, and you can talk to him about it.”
“Cool,” he said, leaning forward to untie his legs. “That is so cool.”
Bradley stood up and helped Mary to stand. Then he led her a few yards away from Chandler. “You were supposed to stay in the car,” he whispered.
She nodded. “I know, and I would have, really,” she said. “But I saw the rats swarming, and then I saw Chandler. You were too far away for me to call, so…”
He bent over and kissed her. “So, you really had no other choice,” he said.
She shrugged. “Yeah, kind of,” she answered. “Did you catch Charlie?”
&n
bsp; “Yeah, we tackled him,” Bradley said. “And he actually confessed to Ruth’s murder. So, it’s going to be a fairly easy case for Alex.”
“Good,” Mary said. “I’m glad it’s over. I…”
She stopped when she saw Ruth standing next to Chandler in the field. “I told you he didn’t do it,” Ruth said to Mary.
“You were right,” Mary whispered. “He really is a good guy.”
Ruth sighed. “Yeah, he was a good friend,” she said. She paused for a moment, pondering something, and finally spoke again. “I guess it’s time for me to go.”
Mary nodded. “Yes,” she said. “It’s time for you to move on.”
“My parents are still really sad,” she said.
“And they are probably going to be sad for a long time,” Mary replied. “Losing someone you love is hard.”
“Do you know, will I be able to visit them?” Ruth asked. “Just to make sure they’re okay?”
Smiling, Mary nodded. “Yes, from what I’ve seen, Heavenly Father keeps those bonds of love and family strong, even after death,” she explained. “And those bonds often pull our loved ones back to the earth to check on us.”
“Are they going to be okay?” Ruth asked.
Mary sighed. “That’s kind of up to them,” she said. “But I think they’ll be fine.”
“So, what do I do next?” Ruth asked.
“Look around,” Mary replied. “Do you see a bright light?”
Ruth nodded. “Yeah, over by the cemetery. It’s cool. It’s kind of glowy and warm.”
“Just walk towards that light,” Mary said. “And as you get closer, you’ll remember what you’re supposed to do.”
“Thanks, Mary,” she said. “Will you tell my parents that I really love them? And tell Sonja that she was the best roommate anyone could ever have. And tell Chandler…” she paused for a moment and wiped a tear from her cheek. “Tell Chandler that I was lucky to be his friend.”
“I will,” Mary replied.
Mary watched Ruth glide towards the cemetery and then slowly fade away.
