“Yours too.” No doubt she was wondering what was going on. Why I hadn’t called yet. She knew that I had enough time to make it to Grundy.
“I’ve been waiting all night to hear from you, are you alright? Did you make it home?”
“I’m here.”
“Have you gotten to your niece yet?”
“Not yet. I’m at the funeral home. I have to examine Angel’s body.”
“What?” she asked, shocked. “Tommy, do you think that’s a good idea. You have to be hurting so bad right now. Let the ASA handle it, go to your niece.”
“I can’t,” I replied in a low tone.
“Why?” she asked.
“Because nobody is doing anything. It’s like they don’t care.”
“What do you mean?”
“Evidence has been handled poorly. There hasn’t been a formal autopsy that I know of… I mean fuck! They’ve already got her body at the funeral home to be prepped!” Sara remained silent. I don’t know if she was in shock or just didn’t know what to think about the whole situation. Most people had never dealt with murder in their lives. Murder hadn’t even been a major problem in the U.S. since the 1970’s. A few hundred across the nation in 2024. “If I don’t figure this out, nobody will.”
She took a deep breath that was clearly audible in the earpiece. “Alright, Tommy. Call me later, alright?”
“I will. I promise.” We hung up after that. Ronnie’s patrol car pulled in. He had the director with him. It was five fifty-nine.
The director exited the car, dressed in jeans and a white tee. He approached me holding out his hand. “Mr. Logan?” I shook his hand, nodding towards the guy. “I’m Ty Shortt, director here at Keen Mountain. Agent Scott said this was urgent?”
“I need to examine my sister’s body.”
“A shame what happened. It was to my understanding that the coroner had documented all needed information and cleared the body.”
“Mr. Shortt, I require further examination.” I looked to the windowed doors, staring inside at the dimly lit room. “I’m not asking.”
“Go ahead, Ty,” said Ronnie. “You don’t want to be in this guy’s way. He’ll kick in the door if he has to.”
Ty nodded his head, pulling the keys from his pocket. He opened the door, leading us through the parlor room, switching on the lights as he went. We entered the embalming room where Angel’s body was stored. “Now, Mr. Logan… The body is in a… Well, there is no nice way to say this. It is in a gruesome state. Being an immediate family member, please prepare yourself.”
What was I supposed to say to that? I had been trying to prepare myself the whole time after Ronnie told me the nature of the killing. But I suppose nothing could prepare anybody for that. “Let me see her.”
Ty took a deep breath, pulling the large drawer out. There Angel lay, covered by a thin sheet. Ty pulled over a stretcher and moved her covered body onto it. He then moved her over to the examining table. Ty reached me a pair of rubber gloves, then proceeded to put his own on. “You’ll need those if you want more than a visual examination.”
The gloves snapped tightly around my wrists. Ty stared at me, awaiting my word to uncover the body. “Go ahead,” I said, hesitantly. He pulled the cover from her head. The sight made me turn away. Seeing her like that, it still haunts me to this day. “God,” I muttered, returning my sight back to Angel. As much as it killed me, I studied her. It was just as I thought; small entrance wound in the back near the crown. The exit had come through the upper area of her mouth, ripping her lips and nose. Her teeth were shattered and broken on both top and bottom. Slowly, I moved what was left of her jaw and lips down, so I could see the mangled mess inside. The hollow point had destroyed much of everything as it broke apart. The main body of the round should have stayed intact, which could explain most of her broken teeth when the round exited. “Do you know if there were any fragments recovered?”
“You mean of the bullet?” asked Ty.
“Yes.”
“I don’t know, you’ll have to ask Mr. Allison.”
“The coroner?”
Ty nodded while I returned my gaze to angel. One more thing I needed to check. If she was executed, she wouldn’t have been put on her knees gently. I pointed towards the lower part of the cover. Ty folded it up slowly. Her knees were bruised with small cuts and scrapes. That meant she had been shoved down with enough force to cut through her clothing. Turning my gaze back to her neck and shoulders, I saw light bruising, possibly from hands. There had to of been a struggle. “Do you know if the coroner photographed the body?”
“He should have.”
Ignoring his words, I pulled my phone from my back pocket and started snapping a few shots.
“You can’t do that!” he said, startled a bit.
“I’m not asking. This whole investigation has been nothing but a bunch of bullshit from what I’ve seen. I’m not taking any chances that one person has done their fucking job. I’ll do it for them.”
It was just after six-thirty when I had gotten back into my car. Shey probably hadn’t slept a bit. I’m sure she was wondering where I was. Ronnie pecked on the side of my car. “You headin’ home?”
“I’ve got to find out where Shey is, told her I’d be here this morning.”
“Alright, Tommy. You need anything, just give me a call.”
My baby rumbled to life with a menacing growl while I dialed Shey’s number. It barely had time to ring once before she answered. “Uncle Tommy!”
“Hey Squirt, where are you?”
“I’m home,” she quietly answered.
“Who’s there with you?”
“No one…”
“I thought I told you to have a friend come over or something?”
“I know… I just wanted to be alone.”
“I’ll be there in about twenty minutes, I promise.”
“Okay. I love you.”
“I love you too, Shey.” She hung up the phone. I could hear the rasp in her voice. She had cried all night most likely. Shey wasn’t the hard-hearted type. She wore her emotions on her sleeve.
Turning up route 638 was difficult. Shey was about eight miles away. It was my childhood home as well. Angel had moved back after Mom passed to help watch after Dad. After he passed, she decided to stay and keep things going. Dismal River ran alongside route 638. I followed it all the way home. It had been a while since I had pulled into my gravel driveway that was just off the road. The single-wide, white and gray trailer was fenced in. The aging wooden porch was about twenty-five feet from the gate. Before I could step out of the car, Shey popped out of the front door, walking to the porch banister. She was dressed in her pajama pants and a black tank top with her messy dark blonde hair draping over her shoulders. I walked towards her, opening the gate while the familiar clang of the latch echoed in my ears. Climbing the creaky wooden stairs of the porch, Shey remained quiet and wrapped her arms around me tightly once I reached the top.
“I’m here now.” Shey just nodded to my words while her head laid against my chest. “Come on, let’s go inside.”
Shey followed me in. The house hadn’t changed much at all. All our pictures were still hung on the walls and stood on the TV stand. A depiction of a cross with some scripture was hung on the back wall above the couch, the ten commandments were hung next to the front doorway. I guess Angel had wanted to leave it as mom and dad had. We were believers but nothing in comparison to our parents. I sat down on the couch, Shey sitting next to me. “Did you sleep?” Shey shook her head. “You should get some sleep.”
“I will,” she replied. “I’m just glad your home.”
“Me too.”
“Why did it happen? Why her?”
“Sweetheart, I don’t know. I’ll find out though.”
Shey looked up at me, her eyes meeting mine. I could see the desperation, a lack of hope, a loss of faith would be a good way to put it. “Do you promise?” she asked. I nodded my head. I would find whoeve
r did this to Angel, to our family, and make them pay the ultimate price.
August 4th, 2025
August heat weighed heavily on us, even the few who sit under the canopy next to the gravesite. It was just after one while the preacher spoke his last words over Angel. We picked a silver casket for her. It best represented her. Angel was a person that when all of the grime of the world, its dirt, filth, caved down around her… She would shine through. Shey gripped my hand tightly. She wore a snug fitting black dress with her hair pulled back. I actually wore a black suit with a silver tie that I had bought just for the occasion. Formal wear wasn’t something I made a priority when purchasing clothes.
The preacher was a young guy. His name was John, that much I remember. His gaze stared out at all of us, maybe a couple dozen that had come to the cemetery after the funeral services. “In closing, I would like to recite a verse from the book of Joshua. I hope that it will comfort the family in these trying times and give some peace to Angel as she ventures to our Father’s side.” He opened his bible. I’m not sure why he did, maybe habit but he had clearly given the verse thought prior. “Have I not commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest.”
Shey and I both stood, each placing a red rose on Angel’s casket. We moved as others gave a final pass, laying their flowers as well. Most were Angel and Shey’s friends. A couple old friends of mine had come as well, one being Ronnie. The other was Jay Vanover. We went way back. Both of us were into fast cars, it was the whole basis of our friendship. A few minutes later, the casket was lowered into the grave. Shey and I had decided we wanted to lay Angel to rest on Hale Creek, next to Agel and I’s parents. Other than a few estranged cousins, our whole family had passed on now. It was a lonely feeling.
Shey approached the mound of dirt, scooping some into her hands. She poured the dirt into Angel’s grave and said, “I’ll see you again someday, Mom.” It was hard to hold back the tears at the sight. Shey looked back at me as my hand touched her back. “Let’s go.” I nodded to her as the Pallbearers began shoveling in the dirt.
Jay approached us as we descended the hilltop towards the road. He was one of the better friends I had over the years, always willing to give me a hand if I needed it. “Tommy, I’m glad to see you. I just wish it was for a better reason.”
“Me too,” I replied.
“You staying around this time?”
“I believe so. About time I came home for good.”
“Holler at me sometime. We’ll go to the track or something.”
Ronnie approached us, shovel in hand. He was dressed in jeans and a black polo. The only time I ever saw him in a suit was his wedding day. “Leavin’?” he asked.
“We are,” I replied.
“Can’t say I blame you. I’d want to get out of here as soon as possible if it were me. This place can’t be anything more than a bunch of hurt for you both.”
Ronnie was right. My parents, Shey’s grandparents, and now her mother was buried here. Shey lowered her head a bit, undoubtedly ready to leave. I wrapped my arm around her and pulled her close, nodding to Ronnie. “Yeah, it always hurts to come here.”
“You guys goin’ to that dinner they’re having in memory of Angel?”
I remained quiet for a few moments. This was the first I had heard of it. Shey looked up at me, slightly confused. She mustn’t have heard anything either. It wasn’t surprising in the least. Not the first time we had been kept out of the loop. I never could figure out if they’d do that stuff intentionally or just wouldn’t bother to tell us. “Dinner? Where at?”
“At the fire department right below your house,” he answered.
“I guess we should make an appearance.”
“Damn, that’s rough stuff. Not even telling y’all about the dinner?”
Shey gave a sigh accompanied by an aggravated glare towards me. “It must have slipped their minds.”
I couldn’t condemn everyone for not telling us. We hadn’t exactly talked to anyone in detail between my getting home and the funeral services. We kept to ourselves for the most part and tried to avoid as many people spouting I’m sorry as we could. “It must have, Shey.”
Ronnie pecked his shovel on the ground, swapping the handle between his hands. Sometimes he never could sit or stand still; always had to be engaged in something. “Well, if you guys go, I’ll see you there.”
I nodded to Ronnie, watching him take his leave and return to the gravesite. Jay, who had remained quiet just shook his head. “You know, Tommy, wouldn’t blame you if you just left this place. You’re either nobody or somebody here. If it wasn’t for my garage, I would’ve left a long time ago. Sometimes you just can’t win here.”
Jay was right. As much as I loved most of the people here, I hated some. It didn’t matter if they were wealthy or not. It was just a mindset that some of the people had. Once they decided they were better than you, they were, and they would do whatever they could to keep you in your place. Very few people had challenged those people and won around here. I guess you could say Jay won. He had a pretty successful garage. Part of which was nobody could deny that he was damn good at what he did. I was pretty good with a wrench, but he was better. “Ah, Jay. You did pretty good, didn’t you?”
“Only reason I did was people remembered us working on those cars all the time. Nobody could touch us. They see me opening a garage and think, ‘If he can make that Trans Am run a ten second quarter mile workin’ out of his driveway, I reckon he can change my brake pads.’ I couldn’t help but do okay.”
I chuckled a bit. He was right, as usual. “I’ll swing by sometime. I reckon you can change my brakes.” Jay laughed at my picking at him. Couldn’t ask for a better guy to hang around with and he’d do anything to help someone. He sure helped me a lot.
Jay left as we did. He waved as Shey and I got into my car. Jay pulled out, the sound of his Trans Am almost deafening. We drove away as others descended the hill.
“Are we going to that dinner thing they are having?” asked Shey.
“I guess,” I answered. Shey was like me, she hated that sort of thing. We had both heard I’m sorry enough to last a lifetime over the past couple of days despite trying to avoid it. We both knew that this dinner would probably end up more of a gossiping thing than a memorial. “We’ll at least stop and change.”
“Alright.”
About ten minutes later, we arrived home. Shey just looked so beaten down. I couldn’t stand it. That dinner wasn’t going to do her any good. People would just say they’re sorry and talk about this time and that time with Angel. In years to come, it might make Shey smile. Happy memories and all, but not that day. They’d just rip her apart more so than what she already was. “Shey,” I said, placing my hand on her shoulder.
“Yeah?”
“You still have that four-wheeler in the building?” She gave a nod. “Go get changed into old clothes… We’re going for a ride.”
A light grin crept across her face as she walked inside. Following her, I walked in to see the calm house. It was nerve-wracking. I hadn’t told Shey of what I had discovered about Angel. A brutal execution and the ASA not seemingly giving a damn. About that time, the phone rang. It was Robins… Again. Over and over, I ignored his calls. He was no doubt aggravated about me going to the crime scene, then examining the body. By regulation, that had to be cleared with him. The same regulations he tossed out the window when securing the crime scene and the handling of the body. I saw it as a ‘no harm, no foul’ scenario.
A few moments later, the phone rang again. I was sure it was Robins once more, but when I looked at the phone, it was Sara. Quickly answering the phone, I said, “Hey.”
“Tommy, how’d things go?”
“As good as they could. I’m glad you called.”
“I was worried about you. I know that underneath that tough exterior you put up, that this hurts. It hurts deeply.” I
didn’t say anything back. She was right. It was astonishing how she could read me like a book. Sara took a deep breath. “I just want you to know I’m here for you. How’s your niece holding up?”
“She’s trying to be tough like me… But she’s barely holding it together… Hell, I’m barely holding it together.”
“Then cheer her up. Go have fun, get your minds off of it.” That was easier said than done, but Sara was right. Looking back, she always was.
“I’m going to try.”
“What are you guys going to do?”
“We’re going to go play in the woods.”
“What?” she asked, confused. Sara was a city girl. The thought of playing in the woods was strange to her.
“We’re going to go ride the four-wheeler.”
“Four-wheeler? Oh, you mean an ATV?”
I couldn’t help but laugh a bit. ATV was the proper name, but to us who had grown up around here, it had four wheels so it was a four-wheeler. “Yeah.”
“Are you laughing at me?”
“I can’t help it.”
“You’re an ass,” she said, giggling. “But that sounds fun, I’ll let you go so you can get to it. Call me tonight?”
“I promise.”
“Bye, babe!”
“Bye.”
I walked down the hall to my old room. My bed was still there, although it had become more like a storage room than my bedroom. It didn’t really matter, it would suit its purpose just fine. After changing, I returned to the living room to see Shey with her jeans on and a long sleeved tee shirt. “You ready?”
“Of course!” she replied, tossing me the keys to both the building and four-wheeler. Shey smiled at me. A lot was still eating at her, and it would for some time, but she seemed happy in that moment.
We walked through the yard towards the old brown building. It was on the far side next to the riverbank. The padlock struggled a bit against the key before unlocking. A green Kawasaki was revealed by the opening doors. The paint on the racks was chipped as it was an older model. It had plenty of fuel, so I hit the start button. It cranked a few times, struggling before it finally came to life. I backed it out of the old building, then turned it around. “Let’s go!” Shey hopped on and we were off.
A Tommy Logan Story Page 6
