by Jan Tilley
Fischer nodded. “I’d appreciate that. Would it be okay if I looked around a bit down by the bridge?”
“Absolutely. Any time.” Malachi’s heart raced. The last thing he wanted was for Fischer to start nosing around on his land, but he couldn’t let on. That might raise suspicion. Fischer didn’t strike him as an extremely thorough cop anyway. He was just biding his time until retirement. What were the odds that he would discover anything?
As soon as Fischer left, Travis made a bee-line for Malachi. It tortured him, patiently waiting, pretending to work on the bridge. He couldn’t focus enough to accomplish anything. His mind raced with questions and he didn’t know where to begin. Did they find the body? Had the girl seen him in the woods? “What’d he say, Malachi?”
“He’s looking for some missing kid. He was last seen in the woods by the bridge. I haven’t seen him. Have you?”
Travis shook his head. “No, sir. I haven’t seen a thing.”
Malachi nodded. “Well then, end of story. We have nothing more to say to the man.”
Sixteen
Travis grew more and more solemn as the days passed. Malachi could tell that he was disgusted with himself. Travis went to school and came straight home afterwards. He tended to his chores, ate his dinner and then focused on his homework until bedtime. The nights of leisurely watching TV together were few and far between. Travis was angry at what he’d become. Never in a million years had he anticipated ending up like this. Malachi had offered him the world on a silver platter. He didn’t feel like he deserved it anymore. What kind of a person does something like that? He detested the man he saw staring back at him in the mirror. All he saw was the face of a total stranger, a murderer, a monster.
It was late in the day and Malachi was sprinkling some fresh ash on his angel plant when he was greeted by Baxter jumping on his leg. He sat down his watering can and smiled. “Well, hello there, my friend. How have you been?”
About that time he heard a familiar crotchety voice coming from behind him. “What’s up with the cop?”
Malachi turned and saw Roberta making her way up the driveway. “Hello, neighbor.”
“Yeah, yeah… hello, hi, how are ya. What’s with the cop?”
“What cop, Roberta?”
“There’s been a cop car parked at Cry Baby Bridge for over an hour. It was there when I left to take Baxter to the vet and still there now.”
Malachi patted Baxter on the head and played dumb. “Well, Officer Fischer stopped by here several days ago, looking for a missing kid. He must be investigating.”
“That’s private property, Malachi. Did you give him permission to snoop around? If not, he’s breaking the law.”
Malachi smiled, trying to calm her worries. “Yes, yes. I gave him permission. He’s not hurting anything.”
“Scares people. Folks round these parts don’t want any trouble with the law.”
“He means no harm. He’s just doing his job. I’m sure he’ll be up and gone before we know it. It’ll be fine. Now, how about a fresh glass of lemonade?”
“Thanks, but no thanks. Stomach’s been a bit upset. I think the acid might aggravate it. I’ll take a rain check. Baxter’s been sick too. He got into something nasty and puked a couple times last week. Doc says he probably ate some road kill. Why do dogs feel compelled to eat old rotting carcasses?”
Malachi shook his head. “I couldn’t tell you. It’s one of life’s little mysteries.”
“You been burnin’ off the spring sap?”
“Last week I did. It’s that time of year again.”
“Thought so, but it was hard to tell with everyone burning their leaves around here. Your plant’s looking real good, Malachi. Your Granddad would be proud. Gosh, he loved that thing.”
“Thank you, Roberta. That’s very kind of you to say.”
“I only speak the truth, Malachi. You know that.”
“Yes, ma’am. I know that to be a fact and I have always appreciated your brute honesty.”
Shaking her head, she grinned at him with a crooked smile. “Yeah, sure you do.” She slapped her leg. “Come on, Baxter. Let’s head on home. Catch ya on the flipside, Malachi.”
“Have a lovely evening, neighbor.”
With a wave of her hand, she disappeared down the lane with Baxter at her side.
Roberta’s great-great grandfather had been a founding member of ‘The Awakening’, just like Malachi and Travis’s ancestors. Malachi felt it was best if she didn’t know all the gory details of what their ancestors had done while in their little cult. He’d never shared the secrets with her that lie safely hidden away in the cellar at the old mill. Folks round these parts shy away from the law. It’s in their blood. They keep to themselves and expect to be left alone. Roberta was no different. She bristled at the thought of the police snooping around their hollow.
Malachi agreed. He couldn’t help but feel nervous about Officer Fischer nosing around. He was more thorough than Malachi thought he would be. They’d done everything that they could to cover it up. At this point all he could do was hope for the best.
Seventeen
Malachi was resting on his rocking chair when Officer Fischer’s squad car flew up the drive. He could feel his stomach flip-flop as he said to himself, “Here we go.” He knew that if Fischer has discovered the truth, they’d both be going to jail; Travis for murder and he for being an accomplice after the fact.
The police car breezed over the bridge at a hasty pace and then came to an abrupt halt as Fischer threw the car into park and jumped out. “Malachi, we need to talk.”
“Hello, Officer Fischer. Beautiful evening here in Rogue’s Hollow. Would you like some lemonade?”
“No, thank you. Did you say that you owned all that land down by the river?”
“Yes, sir. Both sides of the road, as far as the eye can see. Why do you ask?”
“We have a situation, Malachi. I think you need to come with me.”
Taking a deep breath, he pondered what to do. He didn’t want to concern Travis at this stage so he decided to leave him at the mill. His young friend was busy at the kitchen table working on his homework. Malachi felt that it was best to let him study while he talked things over with Fischer. Maybe he could smooth things over a bit.
Malachi stood up and stretched his old bones. “Do you want me to ride with you or take my own vehicle?”
“Come with me, please.”
Malachi left with Fischer without saying a word to Travis. He didn’t want to give him a chance to do anything drastic while they were gone. He wanted to hear the man out first and see what he was dealing with.
The silence in the car was deafening. Malachi could hear his own heart beating loudly in his ears and his face was flushed from the rise in his blood pressure. Taking a deep breath to try and calm his nerves, he couldn’t take it any longer and had to ask, “Did you find something out about that missing kid?”
He looked over at Malachi, inspecting him. “You say your family has owned this land for a long time?”
“Yes, sir. Since the early eighteen-hundreds. Why do you ask?”
“Do you get out in the woods much?”
“I try to keep active. Most times I trek out back of the mill and head up to the old sugar camp. But I do love it down here by the water as well. Why?”
He threw the transmission into park and said, “Follow me. You need to see this.”
As they made their way down the narrow path, Malachi’s eyes eagerly searched the ground for any signs of struggle or foul play. It looked fine. A new blanket of freshly fallen leaves added an extra barrier to the path. Malachi quietly followed behind as Officer Fischer trudged through the forest. He appeared to be on a mission as he rounded the bend of the creek.
Malachi’s heart skipped a beat as Fischer came to an abrupt halt. “Do you know anything about this?”
As he stepped aside, Malachi saw the Cry Baby Bridge cryptic plain as day. His mind raced and he cursed at himself.
Damn it, Malachi. You should have anticipated this. He stammered on his words as he tried to figure out what exactly to say.
Taking a deep breath, he shook his head, sighed and threw his hands out in front of him. “You caught me, Officer. Better cuff me and throw me in the slammer.”
“You, Malachi? This is yours?”
Malachi nodded. “Guilty, as charged.”
Fischer scratched his head. “What in tarnation is it?”
“It’s a little contraption I built to keep this old place on the map. Business was dying off, so I had to keep the legend alive.” He walked up to it and pushed a button to demonstrate. The distinct sound of a crying baby wafted through the trees, blending in perfect unison with the babbling of the creek. “Built it myself. It’s sound and light activated.”
“Seriously, Malachi?”
“I know it’s silly, but folks just love being scared out here. Keeps ‘em coming back, which keeps my store open for business and puts food on the table.”
Fischer smiled. “You sly old coot, you. That’s genius. And no one’s caught on?”
“Not a soul, except for you. You’re quite a good detective, Officer Fischer,” he said trying to stroke his ego.
“Folks are too scared. They hear the faint cry and high-tail it outta here. No one is brave enough to go searching for the baby, especially at night. These woods can scare even the bravest of hearts.”
“Is this what you brought me out here to see?”
Fischer nodded. “I thought someone was messing with your land. Looks like a moonshine still or something sinister to me. Who the hell would have thought that it was yours? How long have you been doing this?”
“Forty-some odd years now.”
Fischer began to snicker. “You’re one crazy dude, Malachi.”
“Do I need to take it down? Am I breaking the law?”
“I don’t see any harm in it. You’re just having some fun. Plus, it’s private property. I guess you can make whatever sounds you want on your own land.”
Malachi nodded and smiled at him. “It is fun.”
“No harm in it as far as I can see. Come on, let’s head on back. I’ve been out here most of the day and I need to be getting home for supper.”
“I thought maybe you found something to do with that missing kid.”
Fischer stroked his mustache and shook his head. “Oh, hell, that kid’s probably in Texas by now. But at least I can say that we did our part and searched for him.”
As they walked along the trail, Malachi continued the conversation with Fischer, trying to distract his attention from anything he might see. As they passed by the murder site, Malachi looked around, scouring the ground for clues. There were none to be seen. Mother Nature had done a fine job camouflaging the area. Fischer seemed oblivious to the clues that lie just below his own boots.
Malachi breathed a sigh of relief as they drove back to the mill. Even though his heart was still racing, he felt more assured that it would all be over soon. He thanked Fischer for the ride and for his discretion. The legends of Rogue’s Hollow would turn into a joke if word got out about Malachi’s cryptic. Fischer understood its importance and vowed that it was their little secret. Malachi shook his hand and watched him drive off down the dirt lane with a cloud of dust trailing after him.
Gathering his thoughts, Malachi headed into the store. He flipped the sign to ‘Closed’ on the door and wandered into the kitchen. That was usually the place where Travis could be found working on his homework. He liked to hang out close to the food; he was a growing teenager after all. Travis was nowhere to be found. Malachi yelled his name, but there was no reply. He checked out back, thinking maybe he was tinkering with Rosie, but he wasn’t there either.
His mind began to wander. Was it possible that Travis saw Officer Fischer pull up? Could he have gotten scared and taken off? Malachi started to get worried. He rushed around the mill, searching from room to room, desperate to find his young friend.
As he walked back into the store, he realized that the cellar door was ajar. He pushed it open further, flinching as it slowly creaked and then stood frozen as he peered down the narrow staircase. The light was on. Travis must be down there. Maybe he just needed some tools.
Slowly, he made his way around the curves and followed the narrow hall. He peered into the tool room and saw that it was empty. His heart sank. Turning the corner he walked down a dirt-floored hallway that led to the old library. Stopping at the doorway, he saw Travis sitting at the old wooden table. “What are you doing down here?”
Travis jumped up onto his feet and turned with a fury. “Holy shit, Malachi. You scared me.”
Malachi looked at the table and saw the old family books sprawled out in front of him. “What are you doing, Travis?”
“I was looking for you. I couldn’t find you anywhere, so I thought that you might be down here. I came looking for you.”
“Why are you looking at these old books? I told you that they’re off limits!”
Travis became agitated. “Off limits?”
“Yes. There is nothing here that pertains to you.”
“It’s my family history, too. How can you say that? I have just as much right to look at it as you do.”
Malachi’s pleading eyes pierced into him. “Please, Travis. Don’t go there.”
Travis wasn’t going to let it lay. “I saw that they called my relative Marcus ‘The Executioner’. What did they mean by that?”
“It was a long time ago. The men went mad. They didn’t know what they were talking about half the time.” Malachi closed the book and placed it neatly back onto the shelf. “Come on, let’s go get some supper.”
Travis knew he was hiding something and he didn’t like secrets. They ate at him like cancer. He wasn’t willing to stop until he got to the bottom of it. Secrets were the root of all evil. He’d kept too many of them in his lifetime. Why was Malachi being so tight-lipped about the past? It was a really long time ago. Why did it matter so much to him to keep it hidden?
Malachi cooked chicken and noodles while Travis finished his homework at the table. He smiled as he watched the young man taking his school work so seriously. He was on the right path. It was Malachi’s job to keep him on that path and not let him get distracted. Graduation was the goal and they were so close. They’d come so far. It had become an obsession with Malachi to see Travis cross that stage in his cap and gown. He planned on being in the front row with a huge smile on his face.
Eighteen
Malachi sat at the breakfast table sipping his steaming mug of orange pekoe. His brain felt overwhelmed trying to figure out the right thing to do and guide Travis down the proper path. This parenting was no easy task and he felt a bit rusty.
Travis rubbed his eyes as he breezed into the room and poured himself a glass of milk. He took a long drink of the cold beverage, let out a sigh of satisfaction. He leaned against the counter and glared at Malachi. “When were you gonna tell me?”
Taking a sip of his tea, Malachi replied, “Tell you what, son?”
“Damn it, Malachi. You said there would be no secrets between us.”
“And I meant that. I will always be honest with you.”
Travis pulled a small black book from his back pocket and flung it onto the table in front of Malachi. “Then when were you gonna tell me about this?”
Malachi didn’t need to look at the book. He recognized the tattered edges and the words carved onto the leather cover that read, the truth shall set you free. It was his great-great-grandfather’s personal journal. Malachi stared at the book and solemnly asked, “Did you read it?”
Travis scowled at him. “Yup. Stayed up half the night trying to make sense of it.”
“Why would you do that?”
“The truth shall set you free, Malachi. Why don’t you try being truthful with me?”
“I have never lied to you, son.”
“No, you just told half-truths and avoided it altogether.”
“Ambrose sounded pretty sane to me. The rest of them were loco maybe, but he still had it together.”
“This is part one of his journal. Part two is under lock and key in a strong box hidden away.”
“I want to read it.”
Malachi shook his head and bristled. “Absolutely not.”
“No secrets. You said no secrets. Come on, Malachi. Are you gonna be honest with me or not? This is bullshit!”
“Don’t curse, Travis.” Malachi sipped his tea and stared at the book on the table.
Travis sat down next to him and tried reasoning with him. “I don’t know why, but I need to know what happened. They were my ancestors too. I have a right to know!”
Malachi looked at the young man’s serious face. He was relentless. It was one of the traits he admired most about Travis. He questioned himself and wondered if he should just let him read it. Confusion blurred his thinking as he tried to sort it out in his mind. It showed a dark side in their families’ past, but Travis had already seen darkness in his father. Maybe he could handle it okay. It was such a long time ago. Malachi had read it, processed it the best he could and filed it away, keeping the knowledge safe and hidden from the public. Maybe he needed to trust that Travis would be able to do the same thing. Travis had kept his word about everything else that Malachi had shared with him. This should be no different.
“I told you that I would always be honest with you and I meant that. I will let you read it, but you have to understand the magnitude of the information you will receive. We will need to talk at length when you finish, is that clear?”
