Claws of Doom

by Peebles, Chrissy

  Returning to Big Beaver had been sheer hell on his tattered nerves. He narrowed his eyes and said under his breath, “I hate Big Beaver.”

  He couldn’t wait to leave but he had a job to do. Tomorrow was another day, maybe Beau would show up? Maybe?

  He flicked a page over and tried to concentrate on the novel. But his thoughts kept going back to Lou, his first and only love. She was still a real hottie. He wanted to bone her but knew that would never happen, not with their history. She would never forgive him for up and leaving town the way he did.

  He sighed thinking it was for the best he left as soon as possible, never to return to Big Beaver and the only woman he’d ever loved. As for that dumbass Duane Dexter, he didn’t think they’d be able to rekindle their friendship.

  Virgil picked up his cup of herbal tea and blew on it to cool it down. He took a sip and savored the soothing brew. A warm relaxed feeling came over him. The tensions of the day ebbed away. He was about to take another sip of tea when there was a loud thump-thump on the inter-connecting door between his room and Agent Merlot’s room, though to be more accurate the bathroom door.

  Virgil glanced at the door and scowled. Shit! He hadn’t locked the door. She could come in. Shit! He suspected she wanted to make a nuisance of herself.

  “What is it Candi?”

  “I’m bored. Can I come in?” she called out.

  Virgil narrowed his eyes. “Go away. Do some work on your field report. Watch some TV. Just don’t bother me.”

  “No … I won’t go away. I’ve done and dusted my field report. Don’t wanna watch TV. And screw you.”

  “Then go to bed,” Virgil replied.

  A moment later Merlot swung open the door and came into the room. She was wearing a man’s white shirt and singing, “I’m too sexy for my shirt.”

  Sheriff Lou walked down the hallway to Agent Tuckerwood’s room. So far so good, no one except the gal at the desk had seen her enter the hotel. What would people think seeing the sheriff dressed in a sexy black dress and high-heels knocking on a man’s door at this time of night? Obviously she wasn’t on duty if her outfit was anything to go by. It would be all around town that she’d been calling on her old flame.

  Was she making a mistake going to see him looking so hot? Surely one look at her would get him horny. But should she be throwing herself at him? No she shouldn’t, but she had a strong urge to have him bone her.

  Lou reached the agent’s door and stared at it, hesitating to give it a knock. She glanced down at her cleavage accentuated by her push up bra. Did she look slutty? Yeah, maybe a tad but she couldn’t help it if the dress made her look slutty.

  She was about to give the door a knock when she heard singing coming from inside the room and if she wasn’t mistaken she recognized the person doing the singing — it was Agent Merlot. Lou put her ear to the door and listened.

  “I’m too sexy for my shirt,” Merlot continued singing.

  Virgil had a hunch she was wearing one of his shirts. “Where did you get that shirt?”

  “I got it out of your hold-all,” she replied. “You like?”

  No, he did not like, and yes, he did like. She had no right whatsoever to go rummaging through his belongings and putting on items of his clothing.

  “Take it off,” he snapped. But the moment the words were out of his mouth he regretted saying them. Fuck!

  Merlot tilted her head and giggled, “Okay I’ll take it off.” She tore off the shirt popping the buttons and flung it in the air. Underneath she had on a skimpy pink teddy and skimpier thong.

  “Come and get it,” Merlot said, flaunting her body.

  Virgil raised his eyebrows in annoyance. He’d been so looking forward to a quiet evening and now that was spoilt.

  That was all Lou needed. It was obvious Virgil and Merlot were an item. How could she have been so blind? So Virgil did have someone in his life — his partner. Not so regulation after all are you, you heartless bastard?

  Tears filled Lou’s eyes as she backed away from the door. She looked down the hallway and was grateful no one was there to see the acting town sheriff with tears in her eyes. She turned quickly and hurried down the hallway.

  Virgil shook his head. “Go back to your room, Candi.”

  Merlot pouted. “Well do you think I look hot? I think I look hot.”

  Well yeah of course he thought she looked hot. He’d have to be blind not to see she looked hot but she was his partner and he had no intention of bonking her, not even if she was such a hottie.

  Anyway he had a feeling she was messing around because she was bored. “You look hot … now go back to your room.”

  Merlot eyed him mischievously. “I want you to be honest with me,” she said turning her back to him. She bent forward slightly for him to catch an eyeful of her buttocks and wiggled them. “Is my ass too big? I can take it. Be honest.”

  Virgil looked at her ass and had to admit it was a tad big. He hesitated to speak, knowing she was messing with him.

  Merlot persisted, “Well is it too big?”

  “Okay just a tad.”

  Merlot stared at her partner. Her lip trembled. She sniffed back the tears. “What a horrible thing to say … that I’ve got a big fat ass,” she said raising her voice.

  Virgil knew she’d entrapped him, so to speak, and was teasing. He wasn’t in the mood for any of her antics. The bad mood he was in would continue for as long as he was forced to stay in Big Beaver.

  “I didn’t say big fat ass,” he replied in a serious tone.

  Merlot put one hand on her hip and jiggled a finger at him. “Yes you did … I distinctly heard you say my ass was fat and big.” She jiggled her finger some more. “If anything’s a big ass, it’s you.”

  Despite Virgil’s desire to keep things on a serious note, seeing his partner in her teddy wiggling her finger at him and putting on such a good act of being insulted brought a faint smile to his face.

  “Stop messing about, Candi.”

  Merlot giggled. “But I’m bored. It’s not even ten. I’ve heard Earl’s is a good place this time of night. We can grab a few non alcoholic drinks and have a chat with the locals … ask them about Beau and continue with our investigations.”

  “We can do all that tomorrow,” Virgil replied.

  Merlot eyed him keenly as she pondered the matter over. “Admit it Agent Peckerwood, you don’t want to bump into the sheriff,” she said rolling her eyes. “Can’t fool me … you’re scared of her … scared to let your guard down.”

  Yeah well, duh. Of course he didn’t want to bump into the sheriff.

  “Very astute,” he admitted. “Now go back into your room and stop bothering me.”

  Merlot pouted, “Party pooper, spoil sport, Mister Grouch Bear.” She stamped her foot and walked over to the door.

  ****

  Agent Virgil Tuckerwood was in the restaurant of the Grace Hotel finishing off his breakfast. Agent Merlot was seated opposite giving him the silent treatment which suited him just fine. She was sulking or more accurately pretending to sulk.

  The Verge pushed his plate aside and took a sip of coffee. Damn it was bitter! Most of the guests consisted of Japanese tourists and their chatter was getting on his nerves. He much preferred to eat in silence. To avoid Merlot’s glare, he glanced around the room at the stuffed animal heads on the wall and gave his surroundings a disapproving look. Admittedly the food was good and tasted home-cooked, he had no complaints there. His hotel room was clean and homey, just what he’d expect from staying in a small town favored by tourists. It was the darn coffee.

  He looked back at his partner and decided to break the ice, “Stop sulking, already.”

  Merlot shrugged her shoulder. “I’m not sulking.” She pouted.

  “You’re pouting. I’d say you were sulking.”

  “Okay I’m sulking, but you hurt my feelings last night saying I had a big fat ass.”

  “No, I didn’t hurt your feelings and I didn’t say yo
u had a big fat ass,” Virgil replied.

  “But I forgive you.”

  Okay she annoyed him. Yanked his chain but he liked her a whole lot. Virgil was about to say words to that effect when his cell phone rang. He picked it up off the table and answered it.

  “Agent Tuckerwood.” He listened and gave a wide smile to Merlot. “Beau is in your office right now? Yeah, we’ll be there ASAP.” He grinned at Merlot.

  Chapter 30

  Virgil Gets a Big Bigfoot Hug

  DUANE’S EYES MISTED up the moment he entered the sheriff’s office. There was his best friend obviously giving Beau a hard time. Duane-o desperately wanted to give Agent Virgil Tuckerwood a big brotherly hug and that’s exactly what he did. He grabbed Virgil in a big bear clinch.

  Virgil stood rigid with a grimace.

  Duane sensed his friend was unsure how to react to his warm welcome and wanted to get on with his investigations. But this was an emotional moment for Duane, one that he’d been waiting for a long time. He held on tight, nestling his head against Virgil’s shoulder.

  Virgil whispered, “Duane, stop hugging me.” He pulled himself free of Duane’s hold.

  “But I love you, man,” Duane replied, looking teary-eyed at his friend. He sensed deep down Virgil loved him too. Well sort of anyhow, but that he regarded Duane as someone from his past, someone who he’d once been close too. But they no longer shared that familiarity. It hurt Duane to think their friendship was just a memory to Virgil. He wiped the tears from his eyes and looked into Virgil’s unsmiling face.

  “Whatever, dumbass,” Virgil replied. “Stop it Duane, you’re embarrassing me.”

  Duane gave a soppy big smile as he sensed Virgil’s confused emotions. Maybe they could rekindle their friendship after all. “Sure thing, Woody.” With those words he sauntered over to the door and leaned against the wall.

  Duane noticed how pale Beau looked and was relieved his excessive Bigfoot hair had all but vanished for the time being.

  Virgil quickly turned his back to Beau. He briskly walked over to him and loomed over the teenager, who was seated in a chair with a blanket wrapped around him, drinking hot coffee from a large mug with shaking hands.

  Sheriff Lou sat behind her desk looking real pissed.

  Duane yawned with exhaustion and slid down the wall to crash on his ass. He jumped to his feet and tried to look nonchalant as everyone glared at him for a second.

  And sitting on the edge of Lou’s desk, once again giving Beau a hard time with her tough guy act was Agent Merlot with arms crossed.

  As yet, Beau’s parents hadn’t arrived to claim their son, but Lou had given instructions to Deputy Dwight to give them the good news that their son was back safe and sound in Big Beaver.

  Virgil looked dubiously at the teenager, pointing an angry finger. “So … that’s the story you’re sticking to … that you simply got lost in the woods and you found your way to Duane’s cabin?” His tone of voice was his regular matter-of-fact, and somewhat stern with an obvious hint of disbelief thrown in.

  Beau gave Virgil a worried glance then turned to Duane who gave him a reassuring smile to continue.

  Virgil noticed the faint smile Duane gave Beau. His keen instincts told him that the kid and Duane weren’t being truthful as to the facts of Beau’s disappearance.

  Beau looked back at Agent Tuckerwood. He shrugged his shoulders. “How many times do you want me to say this?” He looked exasperated. “Like I said, I got lost in the woods after eating these weird mushrooms. I went all weird as if weightless and the next thing I remember is coming out of the woods. It was real weird.”

  Virgil looked at him disbelievingly. “You must have eaten more than just mushrooms,” he demanded.

  Beau nodded his head, “Sure … the forest is full of berries and such.”

  “And you just found your way to Duane’s cabin?” Merlot exclaimed with disbelief.

  Beau looked from one agent to the other. “Like I said before … I saw this smoke above the trees and made for it, thinking I’d be safe. And after Duane had given me something to eat he was kind enough to bring me here on his dad’s Harley.”

  Duane chipped in, “Yeah, there was this knock on the door and there was Beau, as large as life and looking none-the-worse for his ordeal.”

  Sheriff Lou gave them a dubious look and sighed heavily, “That just don’t cut it guys. I don’t believe either of you.” She concentrated on Beau, “Are you aware the sheriff’s department and the FBI have spent a great deal of time and effort looking for you?”

  Beau smiled apologetically. “So what!” He saw the scowl on Duane’s face and lightened up a tad. “I mean sorry, but I couldn’t help getting lost. I know I must’ve wandered off, but I can’t remember … it’s all kinda fuzzy, like.”

  The two FBI agents exchanged irritated glances, but didn’t speak.

  Sheriff Lou shrugged her shoulders. “Well, you didn’t come to any harm. Let’s be grateful for that.”

  Beau gave Duane a furtive look.

  Duane smiled reassuringly at him.

  Virgil saw the cheeky smile on Duane’s face and looked dubiously at the two idiots, and knew there wasn’t a damned thing could be done about it. “Well, I guess that just about wraps things up in Big Beaver,” he said matter-of-factly. “We should be leaving, right?” He looked to Merlot.

  Tears filled Duane’s eyes at the thought of Virgil leaving. He glanced at Lou and saw the anguish on her face. Shit his plan to get them back together was going down the pan quicker than a Bigfoot poop.

  Lou sensed Virgil was looking directly at her. She glanced in his direction. Their eyes met. They held each other’s gaze for several moments. She turned her attention to Agent Merlot’s back view still sitting on her desk. It occurred to Lou maybe she’d got things mixed up last night when she’d gone to Virgil’s room and overheard the agents’ conversation. But hadn’t he asked his partner to take it off — meaning he wanted her to take off her clothes, which seemed to imply they were an item, Lou thought. Shit! She didn’t know what to think anymore, just that she loved him.

  Lou felt tears waiting to spill. She didn’t want him to leave — ever, but if he and Merlot were an item then she’d let him.

  Duane gave a gentle cough, “Lou, you feeling okay?”

  No, she was not feeling okay. Lou felt quite heady and overcome with her strong feelings towards Virgil Tuckerwood, the heartless bastard. And now he was going to walk out of her life again, maybe for good this time.

  When would she see him again? Maybe when they were old and gray? She wanted to bawl her eyes out, but instead, she bit down on her lower lip to stifle her tears.

  The arrival of Walt and Rose Bruger dragged Lou out of her miserable contemplations.

  Rose rushed over to her son and gave him a big smothering Bigfoot hug and kiss. “There’s my lovely boy.”

  Walt stood in the background glaring straight at Duane with sheer malice. He pointed a finger at the prankster and then mimicked cutting his throat. Mister Drainage looked sorely pissed.

  Duane sniggered at Walt’s angry thoughts. So what if the idiot thought he had been hiding Beau up at his place. It pleased Duane no end to know Walt’s anger would never get him chosen. There again, he might be wrong. Who knows?

  “Hey, Mom,” Beau said in a cheerful tone of voice.

  “Oh, my baby,” Rose blurted amid lots of hugs and tears. She felt her son all over, “Are you hurt?”

  Beau didn’t say a word. His gaze remained fixed on Duane.

  Duane gave him a secretive nod as Beau’s devious but stupid thoughts cascaded around Duane’s head in a cheerful manner. This could be fun, Duane thought.

  “He’s okay, Rose. Apparently he got lost,” Lou said in a sarcastic tone of voice.

  Walt accepted that statement with a nod of his head but kept his gaze on Duane.

  “Yeah, Dwight told us he’d been found after getting lost.” Walt looked at the sheriff and hesitated before he spoke
. “I was out searching for my boy when I bumped into Chuck and Skeet … and guess what they told me they saw in the woods?”

  Lou had a hunch what he was about to say, “Bigfoot, perhaps?”

  “Damned straight they was … not one, but three of ‘em.” Walt glared at Duane. “And two of ‘em were way real big, so Chuck said.”

  Duane sniggered. “Come on, shit-for-brains … we all know Bigfoot don’t exist.”

  “I say they was real, asshole,” Walt insisted with a snarl.

  “Did you see them, butt head,” Duane pushed.

  “No I didn’t, but Chuck and Skeet did.”

  Lou continued, “And do Chuck and Skeet think they were real Bigfoot?”

  Walt was slow to reply. He gave a barely audible dissatisfied grunt. “Well … no, damn it … they think a couple of Duane’s friends got dressed up in Bigfoot costumes. What do they know?”

  Virgil gave Walt a scathing look and muttered under his breath, “What an asshole.”

  Walt’s sharp ears picked up what Virgil had just said. He looked nastily at him. “You watch your mouth, Agent dick head.”

  “Takes one to know one,” Duane chipped in.

  Lou raised a hand for them to be quiet before the name calling got out of hand. She looked questioningly at Duane. “Were these Bigfoot your friends … do they have names?”

  Duane looked thoughtful for a moment as he scratched his earlobe. “How would I know, Lou … I wasn’t there.”

  “Yes you were, asswipe … Chuck and Skeet said they almost ….” Walt shut his big mouth before he got his friends into deep shit.

  “Almost what, Walt?” Virgil asked, giving Walt his best I-know-what-you’re-thinking look.