Coming Home (Norris Lake Series) (32 page)

“You some kind of Rambo?” Victor said.

“Leave him alone sheriff.  He was here asleep.  I found him in the cave.  I am the one who woke him up and asked him if he wanted to party with us.  Cut him some slack.” Tim pleaded.

“Shut up, Tim and don’t you even think about chiming in Victor.  You two are already on my shit list.  I can understand you kids out here partying, hell, I was young once too, but I’ve got to put my foot down on the drinking and driving.  One of you foolish kids are going to get yourself killed on my watch and I don’t appreciate it.”

“He’s clean,” Deputy Moore said walking back over and handed Cliff his wallet. 

“You two kids, get in your car and go on home.”

“Cliff, where you staying the night?”

“You offering me a cell?”

“No, I am offering you a ride to a hotel, my treat.”

“Why would you do that?”

“Chief Warrant Officer Blackhawk pilot retired Virginia 2nd Battalion, 224th Aviation Regiment 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing.  Good to meet a fellow marine.”  Ben said holding out his hand.

“Well, damn if that doesn’t beat all.  We’ve got two war heroes, here.”  Victor grinned.

“Shut up boy.”

“Come on, Cliff,” the sheriff said. “I’ll even spot you a meal and see what I can do to get you a ride home.”

“I need to get my bag.  I left it in the cave.”

“Victor, get the man’s bag for him.”

“Aw man, get it yourself.  I don’t want to go back into that cave.”

“Deputy Moore go with him so he’s not afraid.”

“Suck yourself, man.  I’m not afraid.”

“One more word, boy and I am going to have a discussion with your mother.”

“Asshole, just because you’re dating my mom doesn’t mean you can order me around.”

“Yes it does. Now go get the man’s bag.”

“I’ll go with you man, but you gotta go first,” Tim said.  They walked away with Deputy Moore.  “It’s a drag having your mom dating the sheriff, man.”

“Yeah, I know.”

The boys disappeared down the trail.

“He’s not a bad kid, just a little wild.  His dad died when he was a toddler.”

“Thanks, Sheriff for the help.”

“How was it over there?”

I felt it was my duty to join and help out.  I decided the Marine Corps was the best,” said Cliff. “I wanted the challenge.” I’ve been involved in two combat deployments in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom.  My last tour of duty was with 900+ other Marines patrolling a volatile area in Iraq known as the H-K Triangle, so named for its location near the insurgent strongholds in Husaybah and Karabilah.  Many friends of mine died.  I decided to get out after a massive explosion from a suicide car bomb.  Two cars loaded with explosives blew. First one then the second barreling through the smoke of the first explosion. I ran up the road which was covered with shrapnel.  Several buddies were dead including my Sergeant.  I thought I was going to die when it blew up and threw me to the side of the road. I took shrapnel through the hip  and shattered my pelvis.  It took me months of rehabilitation to learn to walk again.  What about you?

“I was flying a Cobra that went down.  I was hit several times.  Once in the right knee, another time in my arm, and a final hit from the aircraft breaking up; a golf-ball size piece of shrapnel hit me and was imbedded in my neck. My co-pilot was also hit and was out unconscious during the landing.  I managed to wrap my arm around the stick and control the helicopter enough to land it, but the aircraft exploded and drew the attention of the Afghanis.  I lay in the wreckage left for dead by the enemy.  My co-pilot was captured and murdered while trying to find help for me.  The rescue team found him about a quarter mile from the wreck.  After the same team found me, I was told by my doctors that I would never walk again.  What did they know? I am up and walking.  The only reminder is here.  You can see the burn on my face has left me a vivid reminder of the crash.” 

“Simpre fi.  We made it out.”

“Yeah, man, God and country.”

Just then they heard a pair of feet running towards them from the direction of the caves.  Victor, breathing hard stopped waving at them.

Ben turned towards him. “What is it boy?”

“You gotta come see.  There’s a body in the cave. Deputy Moore says to hurry.”

Ben turned toward Cliff.  “What do you know about this?”

“Nothing sheriff, I swear.”

“Okay, follow me and let’s go see what we have.”   He pulled a flashlight off his belt and strode towards the cave.

The next day, Ben stood once again with Brian, the medical examiner, looking at a dead body.  The skeleton lay upright on the stainless steel table; an array of instruments arranged at the coroner’s side.  The bright fluorescent lights beat down on the antiseptic room making the scrubbed linoleum floor shine like a mirror.  “So who is it?”

“I can’t tell you that.  It’s a young woman most likely between the age of 15 and 20.  I am guessing on the gender.  Gender is difficult to determine in a skeleton this old.” 

“How long has the body been down there?”

“About 20 plus years.  If I had to guess, I would say she was about 5’7, with black hair and blue eyes.”

“How can you be so specific?”

“The body had on a silver ID bracelet.  The name on the bracelet is Beth. My guess would be that we finally found Beth Kane.”  He pulled off his rubber gloves and dropped them on the edge of the table.  He walked over to a small silver tray and pulled out a manila envelope.  Here it is. 

Ben tapped the envelope on his hand and out dropped a silver filigreed bracelet with a pretty heart cutout and delicate feminine links. The rectangle ID was engraved Beth in cursive.  On the back of the bracelet it said Michael. 

He shook his head.  Who was there to tell about the discovery of this young woman who was lost so long ago?  Her mother dead, one brother disappeared, father in a vegetative state.  There was only one answer, her surviving adopted brother, Stephen. 

“How did she die?  Can you tell me that?”

“She died of a blow to her head, I would guess. There was also a circular skull fracture that drove bone a short distance probably into the brain.  One way or another she died of violent causes.”

“I will go show this bracelet to Stephen. Let’s see if it’s her.”

Chapter 33

He sat in the semi-darkness of the local tavern, the Hitching Post.  A glass of Bookers bourbon sat in front of him.  The neon beer signs, the fried food, the pool tables and the pictures of local hunters were contrary to his normal surroundings. 

He longed for a piano bar, an expensive chardonnay and a well cooked meal.   His tailored suit, white starched shirt, tie and obvious look of money marked him as an outsider.  There wasn’t a person in the bar who wore a tie except him.  

He gestured to a tall bald man with a beard a mustache who worked behind the bar.  The man walked out with a white towel in hand, “What do you need, sir?”

“Another Bookers,” He waved the man to lean closer.  “Point out Jimbo and Randy.  There’s a C note in it for you.”   

“What do you want with those two losers?”

“It’s personal.”

“I’ll let you know when I see them come in, he said, pocketing the roll of money.  I’ll be right back with the drink.”

He sat nursing a drink waiting.  Just waiting.

After about an hour, the bartender, walked over to his table.  “There’s one of them.  That’s Randy.  Jimbo’s not with him.”

Dominic picked up his drink and walked over to where Randy and two others sat.  “May I have a word with you, Randy?”

Randy looked at the suited man as if he were the law.  “What do you want? He snarled.”

“Just a moment of your time.  It will be worth your while if you will grant me a moment,” Dominic played the sniveling beggar.

Dominic walked out on to the back porch of the A-frame toward the benches that stretched out over the black lake water.  Randy followed him.  Dominic took a seat at one of the picnic tables and gestured to Randy to sit opposite of him. 

“Tell me, Randy, what you know of a woman and a houseboat.  Make it the truth and I will reward you.  I am sure you can tell, but I have money.  If you don’t give me what I want, I’ll make your life very painful.”  Dominic smiled sardonically.

“Man, I don’t care if you have money or not.  I don’t know nothing about a woman or a houseboat.  Now, I am going to get up and leave.  You stay the fuck away from me.  I’m not afraid of you.”

“Randy,” he snarled, “you should be afraid, very afraid.”

“Man you’re crazy.”

“Randy,” Dominic said in a soft tone matching the sound of the lapping of the waves on the bank.  Randy had to lean forward to hear the words. “You have no idea how right you are.  I am crazy…crazy, mean, and rich.  Listen carefully to my words.  If you walk away, I will make you sorry you did.  There will be no witnesses.  I won’t necessarily be the one that does the deed but I assure you that in the end you will be dead, you and your family. If I were you, I wouldn’t want to spend the rest of my life looking over my shoulder and trying vainly to protect those I love, from a crazy man.”

“You don’t know what you are talking about,” Randy got up to leave.  “You’re not the law.  I don’t have to talk to you.”

“You’re right.  I’m not the law. That’s a point you should consider carefully.”

“I’m out of here, man.”

Dominic stood up and blocked his way.  He leaned in close and whispered in Randy’s ear.  He put his hand on the man’s shoulder and pulled him close, cheek to ear, I know exactly what I am talking about. “ I won’t kill you.  Instead I will find your family and make them pay for your mistake.  You will watch your wife, your parents and your children suffer if you don’t tell me what I want to know.  My wife is in the hospital and I don’t care about my own life.  I don’t care about the law.  I have a personal attorney on retainer and grew up on the streets.  I’ve been in jail and even if they were to convict me of killing you, it’s not important.  What’s important is finding who hurt my wife and my unborn child.  Do you understand me?  If you help me your family will live.  If you don’t, well, I’ve made that pretty clear.  It is that simple.” Randy looked into Dominic’s dead eyes and suddenly understood.  He knew that if he didn’t cooperate, Dominic would make death look like the easy way out. 

“Yes, sir.  I think I understand.”  Randy went on to tell Dominic all of the details he needed. 

“Sheriff O’Donnell, phone for you,” the dispatcher called from the front room.

“O’Donnell, here,” Ben said picking up the phone on his desk.

“Sheriff, It’s Dominic Lawson.  I have some information for you about your recent incidents in Norris.” 

“How did you come across this information?”

“That’s really not the point now is it?  I have it.  Are you going to listen or read me my rights?”

“Go ahead, I’m listening.”

“There were two of them, Randy and Jimbo, hired by a dark haired man to scare the two women on the houseboat.  They weren’t involved in the fire or the threatening emails, but I believe they were involved in forcing Caitlyn off the road.  I’ve found Randy.  He’s been very cooperative.  I haven’t located Jimbo, but Randy said he’s the one who attacked Sarah and followed Caitlyn into the cave.  That makes him the one who raped her and left her for dead.  I am going to go find Jimbo and the man who hired him.” 

“Don’t take the law into your own hands. I know how you feel, but I am warning you not to do anything stupid.” Ben warned.

“Don’t tell me what to do.  You don’t know how I feel.  I have a woman who I made an oath to protect and to cherish.  She was beaten and raped.  If I find the person who did it, I will wring his neck with my own hands.”

“Who is the dark haired man who hired them?” Ben inquired.

“I didn’t get a name, but I think I know who it is.  Call Jesse and Stephen.  Bring them with you.  Caitlyn is at her father’s house.  Meet me tomorrow if you want to hear what I have to say.” With that, Dominic stood and walked out without looking back.