His faces must have proved annoying to those on the other side of the mirror, for it wasn’t long before the door opened and two plain clothes officers entered the room. The first officer to enter was a large black man, looking more like a professional football player than a cop. He was followed by a thin, bald, white man only half his size. The black man sat down at the table opposite Jimmy, while his partner stood in the corner of the room.
“Mr. Cypress, my name is Captain Williams,” said the black man, “and this is Officer Mills. Do you know why you have been brought here today?”
Jimmy smiled. “You think I’ve committed a crime. Or maybe you just like having your deputies handcuff people.”
Captain Williams frowned. He nodded toward the other officer, who stepped forward and removed the handcuffs from Jimmy’s wrists. “Better?”
Jimmy rubbed his wrists and nodded. “Much.”
“We’ve brought you here to ask you a few questions,” Captain Williams continued.
“Am I under arrest?” Jimmy asked.
“Not yet. Not if you cooperate with us.”
“And if I don’t cooperate?”
The captain gave Jimmy a harsh look. “Then I can make things very unpleasant for you.”
“Sounds like a threat.”
“Not a threat. A promise.” Captain Williams reached into his shirt pocket and pulled out a small card. “I would like to ask you a few questions, but before I do I have to read you your rights.”
The captain read Jimmy his rights, saying that he had the right to remain silent, and that anything he said could be used in a court of law. He also had the right to have an attorney present, and if he couldn’t afford an attorney one would be appointed for him. Captain Williams asked Jimmy if he wanted an attorney to be present, but the Indian just shook his head.
Putting the card back into his pocket, Captain Williams shifted his weight in the chair. “Mr. Cypress, a book was found at your home today. The book belongs to a little girl that disappeared last night. Her name and address were on the inside cover of the book. I would like you to explain why you had that book inside your home.”
“I found it.”
“You found the book?”
Jimmy nodded. “That’s right. I found it.”
“I see. And where exactly did you find the book?”
“I found it in the forest.”
“Where in the forest?”
“I don’t remember,” Jimmy lied. He had found the book by the lagoon, but didn’t want to say so. With the evil of Mansa Du Paul growing stronger every day, the last thing he wanted was a bunch of idiot cops hanging out around the lagoon.
Captain Williams frowned. “You don’t remember where you found the book?”
“That’s what I said,” Jimmy replied.
“Mr. Cypress, I find that hard to believe.”
Jimmy smiled. “I don’t care what you believe. I don’t remember.”
Captain Williams leaned forward in his chair, placing his hands on the table. “You found a copy of Green Eggs and Ham in the woods, and you expect me to believe that you don’t remember where you found it?”
“That’s right.”
“And why is that?”
“I find a lot of things in the woods. Don’t always remember where I find them.”
“You found the book, and you didn’t think to call the authorities?”
“Why should I have done that?”
“Because the book belongs to a missing child. Her name is on the inside cover.”
“I didn’t know there was a kid missing,” Jimmy replied. “Not until your deputy told me about it.”
“You didn’t know about Krissy Patterson? Why’s that?”
“No one told me.”
“The story has been on the news.”
“I don’t own a television. Or a radio.”
“There’s been a search going on. Don’t tell me you didn’t know about that.”
“I live in a tourist area. I see people in the woods all the time. I don’t pay attention to what they’re doing.”
“That’s not what Robert Patterson said.”
“Who?”
“The little girl’s father. He said you threatened him, warned him to stay out of the forest or something bad would happen to him.”
“I don’t remember that.”
“You never threatened Robert Patterson?”
“I didn’t say that. I said I don’t remember threatening him.”
Captain Williams looked at him for a few moments, then asked. “Do you make a habit of threatening tourists?”
“Only when they need to be threatened,” Jimmy answered.
“And Robert Patterson needed to be threatened?”
“I don’t know. I don’t remember. Maybe I didn’t even do it.”
“And what did you mean by something bad was going to happen to him?”
“Am I under arrest?” Jimmy asked, changing the subject. He knew the captain would not believe him about the evil that resided in the lagoon, and the land surrounding it, or that he had scared off Robert Patterson for his own safety.
“No. You’re not under arrest. Not yet,” Captain Williams answered.
“Then I want to go home.”
“You can go home when we’re finished here,” said the captain.
Jimmy smiled. “We are finished. If I’m under arrest, then you lock me up. If I’m not under arrest, then you had better release me. One thing for sure, I’m not answering any more of your stupid questions--not without my lawyer. And my lawyer happens to be a Seminole, from the reservation. He’s also a tribal chairman. I’m sure he won’t be too happy to hear that a tribal member is being held without being charged. He might even alert the federal authorities, and the media.”
Captain Williams glared at the Indian for a moment, then stood up. “Okay, if that’s the way you want it.”
Jimmy’s smile widened. “That’s the way I want it.”
The two officers started to leave the room, but Captain Williams stopped in the doorway and turned back to Jimmy Cypress. “You can sit there and clam up if you want to, but I know you’re lying. I will get the truth out of you sooner or later. And let me tell you this: if I find out that you had anything to do with the disappearance of Krissy Patterson, anything at all, I’ll nail your Seminole ass to a tree. That’s a promise.”
With those parting words, Captain Williams and his partner left the room, leaving Jimmy sitting alone at the table. But the Indian wasn’t worried about the captain’s threat, for he had more important things to worry about. A little girl’s life might be in danger, and there was nothing he could do to help her if they locked him up. Nothing at all.
Lowering his head, Jimmy whispered a short prayer under his breath. He prayed to the Creator, and the spirits that guided him, asking for help with his current situation. He asked that they aid him in getting released, because he could not help anyone if he was sitting behind bars. He asked that they watch over Krissy Patterson, keeping her safe from the evil of Mansa Du Paul--an evil Jimmy could not have told the officers about, because they never would have believed him. Finally, he asked, just for spite, that the spirits give Captain Williams a real bad headache.
Finished with his prayer, Jimmy Cypress raised his head and went back to making funny faces at the mirror.
Part II
Chapter Seventeen
Two days had passed since Krissy disappeared: two long, frustrating, and even painful, days. Robert and Janet Patterson were trying their best to keep their composures and stay positive, but it wasn’t easy. Not easy at all. Along with the additional patrol cars from the sheriff’s department, more reporters had arrived at the fish camp. Krissy’s disappearance was now the lead story on several local news channels.
Channel 2 had been joined by news crews from Channel 6, and Channel 9. They were all jockeying for the best position, trying to be the ones with the exclusive pictures when Krissy was finally reunited with her
family, or when her lifeless body was carried out of the woods or dragged from the river. It was doubtful if any of them cared how the search would turn out, as long as they got their stories.
Robert and Janet wanted to help with the search, but every time they stepped out of their cabin half a dozen microphones where shoved into their faces. At first they tried to be polite, hoping the press coverage might actually help to find their daughter. If she had wandered off, then someone might recognize her from the news reports and call the authorities. And if Krissy had been abducted, then having her picture shown on the evening news might make it harder for the kidnapper to sneak her out of the area.
They had tried to be helpful by answering the reporter’s questions, for Krissy’s sake. But as time passed, the news crews became anxious for something new to report about, so they made up new questions: painful questions that hinted at Robert and Janet’s inability as parents, and allegations that portrayed Krissy as a troubled and disturbed child.
“Mr. Patterson, is it true you were seen drinking in the bar the night your little girl disappeared,” asked the young woman from Channel 6, a wry, all-knowing, grin twisting the corners of her mouth.
“I had a few beers that night. That’s all. Why? Is that a crime.”
“No, sir.” Her grinned widened. “It’s not a crime.”
“Mrs. Patterson, is it true that you didn’t call the police right away when your daughter was discovered missing?” asked the man from Channel 2.
Janet frowned, “We looked around first. We thought she might have sneaked off somewhere.”
Seeing the opening, the reporter moved in like a shark. “Oh? Does your daughter have a habit of sneaking out at night?”
“No. She doesn’t.”
“But you didn’t seem concerned when she sneaked out this time.”
“I didn’t say that,” Janet argued.
“But you didn’t call the police right away.”
“I said we went looking for her first. She wasn’t in her bedroom, so we didn’t know what to think and wanted to look around before we called the police.”
The reporter refused to back off. “But by looking around yourself you may have wasted valuable time. If your daughter was abducted then you should have immediately called the police.”
“We don’t know that Krissy was abducted,” Robert said, wading into the argument.
“The police seem to suspect she was abducted.”
“Which police?” Robert asked, his face growing warm with anger. “As far as I know there are no clues to my daughter’s whereabouts.”
“What about the book that was found yesterday? I’ve heard it had your daughter’s name and address in it.”
Robert and Janet looked at each other. They had been told by the sheriff’s department that no information about the case would be given to the press, but apparently someone had been talking. The book the reporter was referring to was a copy of Green Eggs and Ham by Dr. Suess. The book had belonged to Krissy, and her name and address were on the inside cover. It had been found at the home of Jimmy Cypress, who was now a possible suspect in the disappearance of their daughter.
Along with the book, a fresh grave had also been discovered beside the cabin belonging to the Seminole. Luckily, the grave had not contained the body of a little girl. Instead, it had contained the remains of Patch, the dog, who had also been missing. The dog had been murdered, his neck and several of his ribs, broken.
After finding the book and the grave, the police had taken Jimmy Cypress into custody for questioning. They had also made a thorough search of his cabin and the surrounding forest, but found no other clues to aid in the investigation. If the Indian had kidnapped Krissy, then he had her hidden away somewhere. Or he had buried her.
Robert swallowed hard, remembering the threat the Indian had made toward him. Jimmy Cypress had been mad about his staff being moved, threatening that something bad would happen if Robert ever returned to the area. Had that bad thing happened to Krissy? Had she wandered into the forest and been attacked by a crazy Seminole Indian?
Why in the hell did they even let that Indian stay around there in the first place? The land along the Wekiva River belonged to the state of Florida. Jimmy Cypress had built his cabin illegally on state property. The authorities should have torn it down years ago. It wasn’t right that they let him stay for the simple reason that he had been living there a long time. What kind of logic was that? One thing for sure, if that son of a bitch had anything to do with Krissy’s disappearance, or if had he so much as harmed a single hair on her head, Robert would do everything within his power to send Jimmy Cypress on a one way trip to the happy hunting ground. He would also sue the shit out of the state of Florida.
Robert turned his attention back to the reporter. “Yes, they did find a book that belonged to my daughter, and they are questioning a possible suspect in my daughter’s disappearance. That’s all we know. Anything else you will have to ask the police about.”
“But--”
He didn’t give the reporter a chance to ask another question. “Now. If you don’t mind, my wife and I would like to have a little peace and quiet. This has been very hard on the both of us, and we’re just not up to answering any more questions.”
Taking Janet’s hand, he turned his back on the reporters, ignoring the questions that were shouted at them. He opened the door and led his wife back into their tiny cabin, closing and locking the door behind them. He had just locked the door when Janet burst into tears.
“Those bastards! How can they ask such questions?”
He turned to his wife, offering her a hug of support. Janet, who was usually the strong one, buried her face in his chest and sobbed. He held her tighter, stroking the back of her head with his hand. “It’s their job. Reporters get paid to uncover dirt on people, to get the scoop that no one else can. A missing little girl isn’t much of a story without a scandal to go along with it.”
Janet sniffed, but did not raise her head to look at him. “Did you see their expressions? They’re like wolves, and we’re fresh meat.”
“I saw. And you’re right, they are wolves,” Robert agreed. “I never had much use for the press, even less now. But in their own twisted way, they are trying to help. Krissy’s photo has been on all the local channels. It’s only a matter of time before they find her.”
She lifted her head and looked at him. “Do you really think so?”
Robert looked at his wife, feeling a love so deep it hurt. He also felt pain, because when he looked at Janet he also saw his daughter. They had the same color hair, the same brown eyes, even the same cute nose. It was all he could do to keep from crying himself. “Yes. I really think so. They will find her. I know it. They’ll find her safe and sound, curled up and sleeping somewhere, and then we can put this whole ugly mess behind us.”
She looked at him, unblinking, studying his face to see if he was lying. After a moment she lowered her eyes and nodded. “I think so too. She’s not dead. I know it. I can feel her, like she’s a part of me. If she was dead I wouldn’t have that feeling. God, I wish someone would hurry up and find her.”
“They will,” he said, reassuring. “They will.”
“But they’re taking so long, and everything seems to be going wrong. I thought the bloodhounds would find her--that’s what they told us--but the dogs weren’t even any help.”
The sheriff’s department had brought in a team of bloodhounds early yesterday. Two deputies had brought three dogs into the cabin, with the intention of walking them through Krissy’s bedroom. They wanted the bloodhounds to pick up the little girl’s scent from her bed, and from some of her dirty clothing, but the dogs had started barking and howling uncontrollably as soon they entered the bedroom. One of them had even relieved himself, right there in the middle of the floor.
The deputies had tried to quiet the dogs, but the bloodhounds had refused to settle down and had to be taken back outside. They tried twice more to bring the dog
s into the cabin, but each time the results were disastrous. Thinking there must be something in the bedroom that the dogs didn’t like, one of the deputies had carried some of Krissy’s old clothing outside for the bloodhounds to sniff, but the dogs wouldn’t get near the articles of clothing. The deputies had finally given up, putting the hounds in the back of a pickup and driving away.
Robert shrugged. “I don’t know what was wrong with those dogs. Ross said they must have picked up the scent of a skunk. Maybe Krissy picked up a little skunk scent somewhere, perhaps got a little bit on her clothes. Not enough for us to notice, but enough to drive the bloodhounds crazy. Their noses are more sensitive than ours.”
A knock sounded at the door, startling them. Robert frowned. “If that’s another reporter, I swear I’m going to punch him in the nose.”
He let go of Janet and walked over to the door, opening it. Captain Williams stood in the doorway.
“Sorry to disturb you,” said the captain. “but I thought I would stop by and give you an update.”
“Please, come in,” Janet said, quickly wiping the tears from her eyes.
The captain glanced behind him at the reporters milling around in front of the cabin and then entered and closed the door. “I wanted to stop by and check on the two of you, and give you an update on what’s been happening. I’m afraid there really isn’t much to tell you at the moment.”
“What about the Indian?” Janet asked.
“We took Jimmy Cypress in for questioning, but we didn’t learn much. He said that he found your daughter’s book in the forest and brought it home. He didn’t know who the book belonged to, but he didn’t want to see it get ruined. The man is something of a book collector, well-read, and couldn’t stand the sight of seeing a book just lying out in the woods.”
Evil Whispers Page 15
