First Night of Summer

by Landon Parham

  Isaac set his flight bag on the ground. “Albuquerque was a quick stop, and we had a nice tailwind to push us.”

  They wrapped each other in a tight embrace.

  “Sarah’s all squared away?”

  “Yeah, she’s ready to go.”

  “We’re glad she’s excited about it, but we sure wish she could have made it up here, too.”

  Isaac walked out to the end of the wing and lifted a coil of rope attached to a tie-down ring. He fed it through a brace and tied it off. Tom went to the other side and did the same while Isaac secured a third rope to the tail. With all three ropes pulled snug, it would keep for the weekend.

  “How was your flight?” Helen greeted him at the pickup. She wrapped both arms around his neck, and he pulled her into a tight hug.

  “Good. Fast.” He looked down at his mom, a head shorter. “How are you?”

  “Excited that you’re here. Let’s head to the house, and we can talk on the way. Supper’s almost ready.” She turned and started to get in the backseat with Josie.

  Isaac slung the bags into the bed. “I’ll ride in the back, Mom.”

  “Nonsense,” she said with a flick of her hand. “I’m getting back here with Josie. You ride in front with Dad.”

  As the door closed, he heard Josie ask if she could help cook.

  “I hoped you might,” Helen assured her. They settled into girl chat, Josie happily answering all the questions her grandmother asked.

  He looked out the window, out across the expansive valley floor to the western horizon. The change in scenery worked its magic, slowly leeching into his system. At home, he felt vulnerable, exposed to the predator who threatened to come back and visit his mayhem on them. But away from Ruidoso, he had no worries, no anxiety over a bogeyman hiding in the shadows. A casual smile parted his lips.

  The sunset cast the village in radiant light, a glow that happened for only a few minutes each day. Headed up the mountain, he took in the whole picture—the desert valley, all the Pueblo-style houses scattered across the landscape, and, in the distance, the Rio Grande Gorge running south with its white water churning in the depths. He absorbed it all, all except the vehicle that followed at a discreet distance. That, he thought nothing of.

  Chapter Forty-Five

  Every few minutes, a hiker or biker went by on the nature trail’s dirt path. It led to a clear water streambed where giant cottonwoods and poplars rose from the wet soil. Not only did Ricky find the location ideal for observation, he also appreciated the serenity and ease with which he blended into a steady flow of outdoor lovers.

  One meandering road accessed Tom and Helen’s house where Josie stayed. From his vantage point at the bottom of a hill and seated on a split-log bench, if she or Isaac left, he would see it. All he had to do was jump in his truck and follow.

  A fueling station with two gas pumps and a convenience store sat just across the road from the trailhead. He could buy snacks when hungry and keep watch through the front glass. Instead of going into the public restroom to take a leak, he ducked behind trees for relief. Taking his eyes off the road, a potential window to miss Josie leaving the house, was unacceptable.

  Friday rolled by with no activity from his target. He spent the better part of Saturday bored and perplexed. Like all creative thought, a plan had to sprout from an idea. As of yet, he had none. Plenty of made-up scenarios tumbled through his mind, but nothing realistic. Another break-in—a strategy he used the first time to go after Josie—made no sense, especially with Tom and Isaac inside the house. He had no wish to relive an event similar to the one in Ruidoso ever again.

  He viewed Josie and the rest of her family like a herd of cattle. If he could somehow corral them, steer her to a destination, and hem her in, he might have a chance. The problem of how and, more importantly, where could not be solved without movement. They had to leave the house at some point. But until they did, he had only one option, sit and wait.

  As the sun sank in the sky and approached the end of another day, it finally happened, and his boredom turned to anxious hope. He looked at his watch. It was almost six o’clock.

  Tom’s pickup, the same one from the airport, wound its way down the twisted blacktop and headed for town. Ricky’s lip curled into a lopsided, menacing grin. When it passed the trailhead, he saw Isaac and Josie inside. Where are you two going?

  He sprang into his newly acquired work truck and followed. They drove into the village, passed through several traffic lights, and pulled into an adobe façade shopping center. Isaac parked in the scarcely occupied lot and walked into a small grocery market. Josie skipped in pace, holding her father’s hand.

  At the far end of the center, Ricky found a row of empty spaces along the outer wall of the grocery store. He couldn’t see the front of the shops, but kept their vehicle in his line of sight. The alley was mere steps away.

  Josie was so close yet so far away. He fidgeted restlessly. His normally calm demeanor betrayed his desire as he evaluated the situation. He had already made his move by coming to Taos. Now Josie was on the move. The ball was back in his hands. Do something or keep waiting. He felt the short weekend slipping away.

  Chapter Forty-Six

  Isaac stood in a grocery store aisle with an array of brown sugar options before him. Josie waited in silence as her father debated over which kind he should get, dark or light. He held the dark bag in his left hand and the light in his right, eyes roaming back and forth.

  “Is there anything I can help you with, sir?” a voice came from behind.

  Isaac looked over his shoulder and found a youngish guy in a green store apron. “I’m not sure.” He held up the two bags of sugar for the clerk to see. Strong fingers gripped around the soft granules of sweetness. “Which kind do most women buy?”

  The clerk tilted his head and was about to say something when Isaac looked down to a tapping on his leg.

  Josie politely poked him on the thigh with her finger. She looked up with her bright eyes. “Mom gets the dark.”

  “She does?” He didn’t know why he hadn’t thought to ask her before. She loved to go shopping with her mom, and Sarah had taught her to cook for a couple years now. “Is this what MaMaw likes?”

  Josie shrugged her little shoulders. “I don’t know. Mom says the dark has more flavor and keeps the food moist.”

  “There you have it,” the clerk said, somewhat surprised.

  Isaac, also surprised at how much Josie knew, raised his eyebrows and confirmed, “And there you have it.”

  Sometimes he forgot how smart she was, how many things she knew despite her stature. It was one of those moments as a parent that reminded him how quickly children change. Sometimes he had to be taken off guard to realize it.

  Isaac put the light sugar back and turned to leave when the store employee asked, “You guys aren’t from here, are you?” He made a gesture toward them with his hand. “I don’t recall seeing you before.”

  Isaac looked the guy over. He had a five o’clock shadow, slightly greasy brown hair tussled in a million directions, and a laid-back demeanor. Isaac guessed him to be around the same age as himself.

  He stuck out his hand. “I’m Derek.”

  Isaac returned the gesture, and they shook with firm grips. He smiled at the situation. Only in small towns did store employees formally introduce themselves to customers. It felt a lot like life in Ruidoso, wholesome, minus the bad memories that haunted them there. Derek the tree hugger, ski bum, raft guide … grocery store worker to help pay the bills.

  So many guys Derek’s age came to Taos—mountain towns all over New Mexico and Colorado were full of them—to be ski bums for a while. Some loved the life so much they never left. The purity of nature and slower pace never lost their appeal. He completely understood why it beckoned to people. They could lose the madness, forget about what society says one must do to lead a full life and be considered successful. He had seen many guys and girls over the years, just like Derek, people who turn
ed their backs on the status quo and beat to their own drum.

  “I’m Isaac. And this …” He nodded his head down. “Is my daughter Josie. We’re in town from Ruidoso to visit my folks.”

  “That’s cool,” Derek said. “Big plans while you’re here? The river’s flowin’ pretty well for this time of year. It’s a good time to hit the rapids.”

  “No, we’ll have to take a rain check. We’re leaving in the morning.” He placed a hand on Josie’s shoulder to include her in the conversation. “Isn’t that right, kiddo?”

  She nodded. “Daddy, can I have some candy?”

  “Candy?” He didn’t know where the question came from.

  “Please,” she begged with puppy dog eyes.

  “Absolutely not.” He held up the sugar. “MaMaw is making dessert.”

  “Just a little one,” she stared up, eyelashes fluttering.

  Where did she learn to do that? He knew she was working him, but it did the trick anyway. What does it matter? We’re on vacation.

  “Fine. Something small, and you’re not allowed to eat the whole thing.” She darted away around the end of the aisle and out of sight. “Small,” he called loud enough to reach her ears.

  “Well,” Derek said, “is there anything else I can help you with?”

  Isaac looked up and tried to glance over the top of the shelves. “Butter?”

  Derek thumbed over his shoulder to the back of the cozy market. “In the cooler section.”

  “Excellent.” Isaac stuck out his hand, and they shook again. “Thanks for your help, Derek.”

  “Anytime. You guys have a safe trip tomorrow.”

  Isaac retrieved a box of stick butter, then made his way across the back of the store to the candy aisle. When he turned, he found it empty. Bags of candy and sweet treats lined the shelves, but Josie was not there. It had only taken a minute or two to find the butter. She couldn’t be far. He went back one aisle and looked down it. Nothing. He went to the aisle on the other side of the candy section. No Josie.

  “Josie!” he called. “Where are you?”

  He didn’t feel anxious at this point, but he couldn’t imagine where she had gone off to. He walked to the front and looked from side to side. Two teenage girls in store aprons worked separate registers. One customer walked out the door with a handful of plastic sacks held in her hands. Another customer counted out change from her purse. Still no Josie. The small-town market was little enough for his voice to carry throughout the whole store. He didn’t want to shout, but the seed of fear slowly crept in. The most recent letter from the killer rang fresh in his memory. It plagued his mind, always present. I’ll be seeing you. Soon.

  “Josie!” he hollered. “Josie!” He stayed in one spot, turned in a circle, and waited for a response.

  Finally, she poked her head around a checkout stand shelf covered in magazines and tabloids. “I’m right here.”

  He let out a breath without realizing he had held it. Fear receded, and he could feel his accelerated heart rate thump. “Where were you?” he demanded more out of desperation than anger. “Why weren’t you in the candy aisle?”

  She held up and rattled a yellow box of Milk Duds. “They were all big over there.” She pointed to the place she had just come from by the vacant register. “The small ones were up here.”

  It wasn’t fair to be mad at her. She had only done what he said and went to find the smaller servings. “Don’t wander off like that, okay?”

  Josie had no idea of the last two letters, and everyone had agreed not to tell her.

  “Are you ready?”

  She shook the box of candy again with a satisfied expression on her face. “Yep!”

  A pretty high school girl at the checkout counter set down her jewel-covered cell phone. She scanned the sugar and butter without making eye contact. Isaac didn’t think she looked old enough for the job, but it was encouraging to see young people at work. She tucked a strand of golden hair over her ear. Fingers with neon pink nail polish busily punched a series of keys on the computerized register.

  “Did you find everything you need?” she politely asked.

  “Yes, thank you.” He held his wallet at the ready. “Derek helped us out.”

  She giggled and scanned Josie’s candy. If Sarah had been there, she would have later told Isaac that the girl thought he was cute. Her nametag read “Ashley,” and she hit a final button. “Your total is nine ninety-two.”

  Isaac handed over ten dollars. “Keep the change.”

  She put the sugar and butter into a sack and gave the Milk Duds directly to Josie, who accepted them with obvious excitement. “Have a nice day.”

  “You, too. Let’s go, Jo,” he said to Josie. “We don’t want to keep MaMaw waiting.”

  Once they were clear of the front doors, Ashley turned around and spoke to the teenage girl at the other checkout stand. “Sam, will you cover for me? I’m gonna find Derek and take a break.”

  Sam glanced about the store. No other customers were in line on the slow Saturday evening. “Sure.” She rolled her eyes. Ashley and Derek were tight and liked to have a smoke from time to time in the alley. “Is he working tonight?”

  Ashley didn’t answer. She was already gone, headed to the back in search of Derek. At this hour, he would be stocking an aisle or loading carts in the supply room. She liked Derek, a lot, even though he was two grades above her. He was so popular at school and athletic.

  In the rear warehouse area, she flipped on the lights and looked around. No one stirred. A row of coat pegs lined the wall outside of the employee break room. Derek always hung his on the end. It was gone. She almost flipped off the light switch and went to find him on the aisles when it caught her eye. The exterior door, next to the loading dock bay entrance, sat slightly ajar. It let in just enough of the fading outdoor light to catch her attention. She grew giddy at what hung on the door handle, Derek’s green apron.

  A sparkle shone in her eye. I bet he’s outside having a smoke. She went to the door and pushed out into the cement paved alley. I could use a drag.

  Derek was only seventeen and, therefore, not supposed to have cigarettes. That was part of the reason Ashley liked him. He was a rebel, so mature.

  She took off her apron so it wouldn’t smell of smoke and hung it on the handle with his. Rickety metal steps wobbled as she stepped to the ground and walked past the dumpsters. No one was around.

  “Derek?” she called.

  Silence.

  Chapter Forty-Seven

  Ricky pulled over and leaned his head forward, rested it against the top of the steering wheel, and closed his eyes. His hands trembled, and beads of sweat dampened his upper lip. He couldn’t believe what he had just done. Never before had he allowed himself to be so reckless. In truth, he had never wanted to be. Pushing the limits in privacy with his victims did not in any way represent how he comported himself in public. All of that, however, had just gone out the window.

  When he went into the back door of the grocery market, he had done so with an open mind. Perhaps he might be able to find Josie alone, close enough to an exit to make a break with her. That was best-case scenario. Worst-case, he would get to spy on her from up close and personal. But when he found the rack of store aprons and hardly a soul in the place, Ricky decided to play cat and mouse. In his wildest dreams, he never imagined he would speak directly to Isaac, shake his hand, and pull off such an impromptu performance.

  Now on the roadside with pulse pounding, he praised himself for such an audacious show of confidence and chastised himself for acting like an impulsive idiot. The events of his entire life had brought him to Josie. He would never forgive himself if he screwed up again.

  “Shit, that was crazy.” His body shivered to release the tension. “Get it together,” he coached himself.

  The grocery store event had provided valuable information. Ricky was certain that Isaac and Josie would not leave Taos until morning. They would stay at Tom and Helen’s one more ni
ght, and he had no reason to follow. He now had enough freedom in his schedule to set an ingenious trap. The idea was basic but not entirely simple, and he needed supplies for ultimate effect. He put the truck in drive and turned deliberate thoughts into actions.

  The hardware store was his first stop on the list. A few necessary items were in order to set the ball in motion.

  He paid for them in cash and asked the clerk, “Does anyone in town sell fireworks?”

  “All the Fourth of July shops are closed,” the Native American-looking man explained. “This time of year, the only guy who might have some is on the edge of town. He sells Roman candles, bottle rockets, firecrackers, things like that. My kids love them.”

  “Thanks, friend. You mind writing down the name and directions for me?”

  “Sure.” He wrote the information on a yellow legal pad and tore it off. “Better hurry. Old Joe likes to close early on weekends. You might catch him if you get going.”

  “Will do.” Bells rattled as he walked out the front door.

  To have a real chance, he needed those fireworks. Certain details could not be overlooked, and this was one of them. Progress depended on Old Joe keeping his doors open for a few more minutes.

  To Ricky’s delight, an “Open” sign flashed in Joe’s window. The little shop looked like it had once been a single-wide trailer that someone covered in tin. It sat off the road a few yards. Nothing but sage and desert surrounded it for miles and miles. The inside was just as ragtag as the exterior and happened to carry everything he needed. Again, he paid in cash.

  Stocked up and back outside, he rejoiced in the early sunset of the Rocky Mountains. Darkness made everything easier, and the more hours of it he had, the sooner he could get things done.

  Twenty minutes south of town, he turned off the pavement onto a nameless road marked on his GPS. A gravel and dirt lane led deep into the forest and far up a mountain. Time was of the essence. Tomorrow, his wits were a fundamental part of the trap. He had to prep everything and still have time to sleep.