Visions Of The Past

by Elizabeth Mahood

  “What am I going to do without you? Marc won’t watch sappy girl movies or go shopping for shoes or binge watch episodes of Grey’s Anatomy. Who is going to do that with me?” Nora could hear the hitch in her friend’s voice.

  “There are planes you know; you can come visit and we can skype.” Nora said rubbing her friends back. Karen pulled back with a pout.

  “It’s not the same.” Karen said softly with a sniffle.

  “I know.” Nora said sadly. “But I know if I stay here, I’m never going to leave my house and I’m always going to be looking over my shoulder to see if Terrance is there. I can’t live like that.” Nora said. Karen watched her a few more moments.

  “Ok, so what do you need from me?” Karen asked with determination. Nora smiled and hugged her friend again. She knew she could count on her to help her and she would miss her friend. But Nora knew that this was the only way. That feeling, deep down in her stomach and at the back of her psyche was telling her if she didn’t leave, she would be dead.

  Chapter 2

  Cade Masterson pulled up behind several other patrol cars and the medical examiners van. He stepped out into the cool morning air and his breath puffed out in front of him. Winter was just around the corner and even the damn geese had left for the winter. Badger Falls, Wisconsin had not been where he thought he would be at 30 years old but after a 4-year stint in the army and a bullet to his shoulder, the army decided that a medical discharge was his best option. He used his military grants to go to college and got his degree in criminal justice and became a deputy for the Sheriff’s department in Milwaukee. After a year, he was promoted to detective in violent crimes. A year on that duty and he knew he couldn’t stand living in the city and dealing with the worst kinds of scum, he was offered a job as a detective back in his hometown and he took it.

  He hadn’t been sure he would like working for his father but in the end, it had been amazing to be back home. Family dinners every Sunday, watching the Packers and going hunting with his father, all the things he had missed when he had packed up and left. The one thing he regretted was not getting married. He had met a few women, especially in his army days but no one ever seemed to be in the same place as him. There was only one woman that haunted his dreams day and night and that was Elinora Ridley.

  The day she walked out of her father’s house he had tried to chase her down but she had disappeared into the night. A few kids at school had told him that she had moved in with her grandmother but he never saw her. Her family acted as though they never had a daughter and Ellie’s sister never returned. Annawon Beartree had been arrested for kidnapping and possible homicide of Ellie’s sister but there had been no proof. Cade’s father had been outraged at the lack of evidence but higher ups in the county had decided that Beartree was guilty and that was the end of it.

  He often wondered where Ellie was and what she was doing. As dumb as it sounded, Cade sometimes felt like he could feel her thinking about him. He never told anyone because he didn’t really understand it himself, so he just kept the feelings and thoughts under control.

  “Morning Sheriff.” A deputy said to Cade as he walked up to the scene.

  “Morning. What has us all out here this early in the morning instead of sipping nice hot coffee at the Sheriff’s department?” Cade said rubbing his hands together and then blowing into them to try and warm them up. He moved under the yellow crime scene tape that a state trooper was holding up as the Chief Deputy emerged from a crowd of several other law enforcement officers.

  “Hank, what’s going on?” Cade asked. Hank Rogers had been a deputy when Cade’s father had been the Sheriff and had run against Cade in the election that had taken place last fall. Cade felt like Hank had been a little offended that the county had voted for Cade but Hank had always been a little hard to deal with and not exactly a people person. It had been difficult at first to get him to follow Cade’s orders but eventually he had stepped into the Chief Deputy role and had been a big help to Cade as he navigated his new role as sheriff.

  “Campers dog took off into the woods and started digging. When the owners found him, what they found made them all sick.” Hank stated cryptically. Cade moved towards where everyone else was gathered and when he stepped through the crowd, he understood what his Chief Deputy had been saying. A large hole had been excavated and bodies littered the bottom of a 6 to 8-foot hole. Some bodies were completely skeletonized while others were in different stages of decomposition. The smell coming from the hole had started wafting through the air causing many of the deputies and CSI workers to don masks.

  “What the hell?” Cade whispered under his breath. An instant flashback had Cade thinking of Ellie, her telling him about women tied up and then the hole he pulled her out of. No one ever found a body in the woods behind his parent’s house and his father never brought it up again after that night. He had been ordered to stay away from Elinore Ridley and that hadn’t been a problem since she disappeared.

  “Where is the ME?” Cade asked. Hank shook his head.

  “Just coming back from a bad traffic accident out on 51 but she should be here pretty soon. Her techs are here but she ordered them to wait.” Hank answered. Cade shook his head.

  “What a mess. This is going to take time to figure out who all those people are and where they are from.” Cade stated. Hank huffed next to him.

  “Yeah no kidding. With something like this, I wouldn’t be surprised if the Fed’s aren’t called in.” Hank stated. He turned and walked away from the hole blowing his nose in his handkerchief. “Fucking nasty.” He stated as he spit on the ground then froze. He looked up at Cade. “Shit.” Cade lowered his eyes in a scowl.

  “Seriously, did you just spit at a crime scene? That is a rookie move Hank and you know it.” Cade stated trying not to draw to much attention to Hanks mistake.

  “Sorry about that Sheriff.” Hank said with a sarcastic tone. Cade glared at him and pulled himself up into a stiff stance.

  “Stay here until every piece of evidence is collected and the ME is done with her work. I want a report on my desk no later than 1600. Is that clear?” Cade stated with authority. Chief Deputy Rogers glared at him and then straightened.

  “Perfectly, yes sir.” He said giving him a fake salute. Cade watched him walk away and join a few other deputies who all turned to glare at Cade. Hank had a few of the other deputies on his side and they were all called the Chief Deputies posse. Well, Cade didn’t give a shit what they were called. Leaving DNA at a crime scene was a stupid move and he would make sure to watch his back and his Chief Deputy better from now on. His radio crackled and dispatch came on the line.

  “Any and all units we have a suspected 10-62 out at old lady Ridley’s property. Neighbor called said they heard noises coming from the house. Any units in the area?” A 10-62 was a breaking and entering call out but with all the deputies busy at this scene and the accident out on 51, they were short-handed.

  “Dispatch this is the Sheriff. I’m in route now, ETA 15 min. Over.” Cade responded.

  “10-4 Sheriff, approach with caution.” The dispatcher stated. Alice Johnson was the new dispatcher and had been extremely flirtatious with Cade from day one. She was in her late 20’s and was actually attractive but Cade made it a practice not to get involved with people at work, especially women. It never worked out for anyone.

  “10-4 will relay when I arrive. Out.” Cade stated as he got back in his squad car. He headed down state route 70 back towards Badger Falls and then turned off on county road D. Greta Ridely lived several miles off the main road and had over 80 acres of land. She had passed last summer and word was that she had abandoned her property and not left her son, Pastor Thomas Ridely, a dime. The place had been sitting empty since last summer and he wasn’t surprised to hear that possible squatters were trying to break in.

  He pulled into a long drive way that had fencing on both sides. It was in desperate need of repair and trees and weeds made it almost impossible to drive t
hrough. Cade maneuvered his squad car into a clearing and what he saw made his heart squeeze. The poor old cabin looked dilapidated and probably should be condemned. The roof looked like it was caving in and all of the windows were broken. He came to a stop next to a silver Jeep that had rental plates from Minnesota and he let out a long whistle. If someone was staying here, it hadn’t been a very good idea to do it at the beginning of winter. Maybe it was a Bear, that thought made Cade shake his head. He would rather take on a bear than a human. At least bears were only doing what came natural to them. He got out of the car and then stopped suddenly when he heard metal scrapping from around the right side of the house. He moved slowly with his hand on his revolver towards the side of the house. He pushed himself up against the outer wall so the perpetrator couldn’t see him. He heard a small squeal and then a swear word. As he peered around the corner, what he saw caught his breath.

  A small female hung from a gutter that was barely hanging on to the roof of the house. One foot was just touching the rung of a rusty metal ladder with the tip of her shoe while the rest of her dangled in mid- air. She had on a pink Seattle Seahawks stocking cap, a slim fitting camo hoodie, work gloves, jeans and work boots. Little puffs of air came from her mouth as she took quick breaths trying to regain her balance. Cade leaned against the house and watched her. He should have been running to her rescue but something about her seemed familiar and he couldn’t move from his spot. Suddenly, she turned to look him in the eyes and like a flash it all came back to him. Ellie. He watched as recognition hit her as well but then suddenly her fingers lost their grip and she screamed as she fell to the ground. Cade watched in horror as her head bounced off the earth and then she went still.

  “Shit, Ellie. Ellie talk to me.” He said as he rushed to her side and held her head. She didn’t move and he felt a weight sitting on his chest. He picked her up and moved quickly around the corner, up the rickety stairs and into the small dusty cabin. Surprisingly, the inside was clean and organized and a small fire was burning low in the fireplace. Cade placed Ellie’s small form on the old flowery couch and put a pillow under her head. He stoked the fire and it came roaring back to life. He added some larger pieces and then turned to look at Ellie.

  She was beautiful. The last thing he remembered was her looking at him with those sad green eyes as she went up the stairs of her father’s house. He had tried to talk some sense into her father that night but he wasn’t hearing anything Cade had to say. When he went back up to talk to Ellie in her room, she was gone and Cade had never seen her again. She had beautiful creamy white skin and dark raven hair. Her soft eyelashes lay daintily on her cheeks and her chest raised and lowered as she took in breathes.

  He moved over next to her and removed her stocking cap and lay a hand on her cheek. She smelled like outside and smoke and something soft and flowery, lavender maybe? He had only smelled it a few times when he had run into Mrs. Ridely in town. She always smiled at him and took his hand and told him not to give up hope. He had not really understood what she meant and had blown it off as just her being sweet but senile. A small moan and movement brought him back to the moment. Ellie’s eyes fluttered and then opened. He let out a breath that he hadn’t even realized he had been holding.

  “Wh…where am I. Who?” Ellie stammered with confusion. Cade took her hand as she started to try and sit up,

  “Whoa, don’t move to fast now, you fell.” Cade stated as he slowly pushed her back down. She was looking at him with confused eyes and then apprehension, then recognition.

  “Cade?” She whispered. Cade could barely hear her. He shook his head.

  “Yeah. Hi Ellie.” He said on a small smile. “What are you doing here?” Cade asked. Ellie closed her eyes and a small crease formed on her forehead. He squeezed her hand. “Are you ok?” Cade asked with concern. Her eyes fluttered open again and she stared at him which unnerved him.

  “I, my grandmother left me the cabin. In fact, she left me everything of hers. I…that is my lawyer was going to just sell everything but he said the cabin needed fixing before I could sell it. So, here I am.” She said not looking at him. There was more to it than that but he wasn’t going to push her.

  “What are YOU doing here?” She asked him with a small smile on her lips. Her beautiful eyebrow shot up and he felt a flutter in his chest he hadn’t felt in a long time.

  “I’m the Sheriff.” He said. That had sounded lame. “I mean. I’m the Sheriff and I got a call that there was an intruder out here so I came out to check it out.” Cade said quickly. She giggled and then pushed herself up into a sitting position. He watched her close her eyes and wobble. “Whoa, take it easy. You hit your head. What the hell are you doing climbing up on ladders out there alone?” Cade said with a scowl. She shook her head.

  “Who else is going to do it? Besides, you are the one who distracted me. I was doing fine until I heard a car door. Then the ladder went out from under me and the gutter started to give out.” Ellie stated matter-of-factly. Cade held up his hands in defeat.

  “You got me. I couldn’t help it. When I saw you hanging there, I just got mesmerized.” Cade said with a smirk on his face. She smiled and shook her head.

  “Mhmm. Seriously, what are you doing here?” She asked.

  “I told you, we got a call from a neighbor and so I came out here to check it out. All our deputies are tied up with a big case.” Cade stated. He watched Ellie perk up with interest.

  “What case?” She asked. Cade looked at her curiously.

  “Why do you want to know?” He stated trying to bait her into saying more.

  “I, well I work for the FBI now and sometimes I get pulled in on cases.” She said standing and then wobbling. He grabbed her around the waste and held her close.

  “Whoa, take it easy. Let me look at your head.” Cade said trying to feel her scalp. She pulled away and pushed his hands.

  “No, I’m fine stop touching my head.” She stated, wincing when she brushed a specific spot herself.

  “That’s it. I’m looking at it or I’m taking you to the hospital.” Cade said putting his hands on his hips trying to sound authoritative. She folded her arms over her chest and glared at him. He glared back. Finely she rolled her eyes at him and moved forward.

  “If you insist on playing doctor, go ahead. Get it over with.” She stated putting her head against his chest and putting her arms around his waist. That had been a mistake. Her hair smelled like apples and the energy and heat from her body sent shock waves through his body. He lifted his hands and ran them through her hair which was soft and silky. He felt a good size lump at the back of her head and felt her tense when he ran his hands over it lightly. She pulled back and looked up into his eyes. “Happy?” She asked breathlessly. He couldn’t speak. Instead he just nodded and moved away from her.

  “You have a nice lump back there; you should put some ice on that. Look Ellie this place, you can’t stay here. You need help. Why don’t you hire some people to fix it up and stay at a hotel in town? There is a really nice bed and breakfast called “The Cabinn” just down the road from the sheriff’s department. The owner is Mrs. Kramer our old chemistry teacher. Remember her?” Cade asked. Ellie stiffened.

  “Yeah, I remember her. She asked me if I knew any spells one day when I had a….” She stopped.

  “Had a what?” Cade asked. Ellie shook her head.

  “Never mind, I’m fine here. It’s warm and I am armed.” Ellie stated. Cade shook his head.

  “You are not staying out here. All the windows are broken, the roof is caving in, it isn’t safe. If I have to carry you to my squad car and take you to the B& B myself I will.” Cade stated staring her down. He didn’t know why he felt so protective. He hadn’t seen her in 14 years but something strong was pulling her towards him.

  “What are you going to do sheriff, arrest me for being on MY property? I’m fine here. I’ve been fine my whole life and I can take care of myself. I have plastic for the windows and sheeting for th
e roof. It might take me some time but eventually, it will get it done.” She stated putting her hands on her hips. Cade pulled out his handcuffs.

  “Don’t make me do it.” He stated glaring at her.

  “You wouldn’t dare.” She said backing away from him as he moved towards her.

  Chapter 3

  May 2007

  My Journal

  It’s been a while since I journaled. My heart is bleeding and I don’t know how my Harold and I ever had a son like Thomas. My other granddaughter Allison was never found and the whole town has accused Annawon Beartree of murder. He is innocent. He is being railroaded into a confession by the entire town. The only one to believe him is Sheriff Masterson but he has no power here. There is a great evil in this town and it keeps growing day by day. I just keep to myself and pray that someday, someone will have the courage to do something about it. Meanwhile, my granddaughter Ellie is living in Seattle with my sister Helen. She is graduating from Lakewood High School with honors and is heading off to the University of Washington. I have provided for her even though she doesn’t know it. It is family money that I never intend to share with my son. He hasn’t earned it. God knows what he has done. Until next time.

  Greta

  Ellie couldn’t believe who had been sitting next to her holding her hand when she had opened her eyes. The last thing she remembered was hanging from the gutter as she was trying to reattach it and then Cade leaning against her house like a damn super model. She would have known him anywhere. Wavy dark brown hair with patches of red, strong face that was no longer a boy but a man, and that nice fitting Sheriff’s uniform hugging his muscles tight. It was what had made her lose her grip but she wasn’t going to tell him that. She had been so busy ogling him, that she hadn’t felt her fingertips slipping.