JACK KNIFED (12 page)

“Alice. I ran a background check…” Jack’s hands went up and out. “Now she’s totally nuts.”

“You ran a background check on the girl you’re here with? And you don’t get why she’s ticked off? Maybe you did fall a little far from the tree.”

“She wanted to go, but…I’m gonna do this. You said… Hey! You can get me stuff.” Jack tapped Dennis’s chest.

“If you want to know, I’ll bring you up to speed. I’ve never closed the case, but I’m not going to talk with you about it when you’re three sheets to the wind.” Dennis drove right up the sidewalk to the inn. “You have anything new to go on?”

Jack held onto the dashboard. “Nope. Nadda. Zilchie.”

Dennis put the cruiser in park and frowned at Jack. “Sleep it off. Don’t go anywhere. I’ll stop by tomorrow.”

Jack got out of the cruiser and held onto the door. “Thank you,” he slurred, before he stumbled up the steps.

The lobby was empty, and he had to hold onto the railing as the room moved. Even with one eye open, he couldn’t get things to straighten out. The room door squeaked as he staggered through. Replacement rushed up to him but she quickly made a face as though she smelled a skunk and stepped back.

“Have you been drinking?”

“Drinking? No. I drank. I drink…drunk.”

“Jack, I…can you stand right here?” She tapped her foot on the floor next to the bed. Jack walked in a curvy line to the spot and stopped. He heard her close the door.

“Look at me.”

Jack’s eyes went wide as he tried to pivot around, and his upper body swung in a wide arc. He grinned lopsidedly as he straightened up to face her; the backs of his legs almost touched the bed. Replacement slammed both hands into his chest, which knocked him onto the bed. Jack groaned from the impact and landed with his arms outstretched. He struggled to sit up, but she grabbed his foot first and peeled his shoe off.

“Shut up,” she snapped as she yanked the other shoe off, too.

“I’m an idiot.”

“Yes, you are.” She walked around to the top of the bed. “Sit up.”

Jack struggled to slide back while Replacement grabbed him and peeled his shirt off. She made a face as she tossed it in the corner.

Her hands on his belt made him gasp. “Hold—”

She smacked his hand away. “I said, shut up.” She yanked his belt open and undid the button on his pants. “Roll over.” Replacement groaned as she pulled him onto his stomach.

“Sorry,” he mumbled into the soft sheets that immediately warmed his face.

“I have a feeling you will be.” She peeled his jeans off.

Jack tried to say something else, but the bed was so soft and he was so tired that sleep finally found him.

How Did I Get Out Of My Clothes?

Jack opened one eye and groaned. His head hurt so badly he didn’t want to move. He tried to remember the details from the night before.

Stupid background check. The bar. Lots of drinks. Terry Bradford. Damn. Cops. Damn. Chief. I’m screwed.

Jack sat up and rubbed his face. His mouth tasted like mothballs.

I need a shower.

His stomach turned as he rolled off the bed. He looked down at his underwear and frowned.

How did I get out of my clothes?

After Dennis dropped him off, everything was a complete blank. Jack groaned as he rolled off the bed, swaying unsteadily when he stood. He held onto the furniture as he stumbled to the bathroom. Replacement sat up in the tub and rubbed her eyes.

“You’re awake. I hoped you’d sleep longer,” she said groggily.

“Did you sleep in the tub?”

She was surrounded with blankets and a pillow. “Not too well.” She frowned.

“I’m sorry, kid. I was an ass.” Jack held out his hand to help her out.

“Yes. Yes, you were. Look at your hand.”

“Ah…” Jack looked down at his swollen hand, noting the dried blood he was sure didn’t belong to him.

“You didn’t.” She glared at him.

“I didn’t start it.”

“Who?”

“Bradford. He came into the bar and got into my face. Can I take a shower?”

“How is he?”

“Breathing.”

Her eyes widened. “Hospital?”

Jack shook his head. “The cops came.”

“Cops? Did you get arrested?”

“No.”

“You didn’t do anything to the cops?”

Jack winced at her raised voice. “No. It was Dennis Wilson. The guy Terry Martinez told us about. He’s the chief.”

“Did you ask him anything?”

“I don’t know.” Jack rubbed his face.

“What? Did he ask you anything?”

“I screwed up.” He leaned against the sink. “I can’t remember. I’m an idiot.”

“Yeah. You said that, and I still agree. Go soak your head.” She carried the bedding out.

Jack took his time in the shower. He waited until the last of the hot water ran out. He didn’t want to get out. Eventually the cold water won, and Jack retreated from his sanctuary. As the water stopped, he heard voices in the room. He quickly put on his pants and opened the bathroom door. Chief Wilson sat in the chair, and Replacement was on the edge of the bed. Dennis stood and stared at Jack.

“Damn, boy. You look just like your old man.” He stuck out his hand. “I was talking to your girl here, and she told me you ain’t been sleeping. You’ve been having nightmares and such, so you decided to go looking for your father.”

Jack resisted the urge to look at Replacement and nodded. “Sorry about last night.”

“You got nothing to be sorry for. I heard what he said about Patricia. That must have pissed you off.”

Jack nodded.

“I was Steve’s friend, Jack. If you need help, just ask. He’d have done anything for me. What can I do for you?”

Replacement cleared her throat. Jack held up a hand. “I’ve been flying blind. Do you know the case?”

Dennis shook his head. “I’m the chief. Of course I know the case. You got something new?”

Jack shrugged and gave a brief shake of his head. This time he looked at Replacement, who gave a small nod.

“No. It’s like she said. I’ve just been thinking about it. I decided to come and check into it.”

The chief sighed. “Well, I’m glad you kicked Terry’s ass then. I don’t know if you remember last night, but you said you had nothing to go on except what you read in the papers. I had my secretary copy the case files. They’re on the bureau.”

Jack looked at the pile of manila envelopes. It was eight inches high.

“Thank you.”

“Before I give them to you, I need you to be straight with me, and I’ll be straight with you. Before you do anything, talk to anyone, you talk to me. You find out anything, you talk to me. You don’t and…there will be consequences.”

“I get it.”

“Do you? I know your boss, Sheriff Collins. That guy is so by the book, I think he has it shoved—” He looked at Replacement and cleared his throat. “If you don’t listen, or if you beat the crap out of anyone else…you do, and then you’re up the creek with no paddle.”

“I got it.” Jack rubbed the sides of his head.

Will I listen? Probably not.

“You fish?”

“Huh?”

“You gotta take a step back. Get away for a couple of days. At least a day. Go get a fishing rod and take a break.”

Jack nodded and the chief exhaled.

“I know that you’re going to go out there, Buckmaster Pond. Your dad and I used to go there all the time. There’s a path that goes all the way around. A quarter of the way around, on the right, there are two rocks that look like boobs—  sorry…breasts. Right there is the deep spot. Catfish big as your arm.”

“Got it.”

“Do you?” Dennis stood. “I have a lot to tell you, but let’s do this. Take your time and read over the files. Right before Buckmaster is Ron’s Bait, Tackle, and Sports. You can get some gear there. After you go fishing, we’ll talk.”

“Okay.”

Dennis waved to Replacement. “Nice to meet you. Jack, I have to tell you, your dad was a good man.”

“Thank you, again. I appreciate you smoothing things over with Terry.”

“Just go fishing.” He turned toward Replacement. “Keep an eye on him, sweetie.” He winked and walked out.

Jack leaned against the bed. Replacement jumped up and went to the folders.

“Do you want something to eat before we look these over?”

“I’m good.” Jack moved over to the desk and switched on the lamp.

“I’ll be right back.” She smiled and headed out the door.

Jack hesitated for a moment before he opened the top folder. It was the crime-scene photos. The first photo was of Steven lying on his back—his eyes were closed, bruises covered his face, his shirt and pants were soaked in blood.

Jack closed the file and put his head down on the stack of folders.

God… Please…

He closed his eyes and sat there. A few minutes later, Replacement came in with a tray of food.

“We’ll eat something, and then—Jack?” Replacement rushed over and knelt down beside his chair. “Oh, Jack…”

Jack sat up and ran his fingers through his hair. “Damn. I’ve seen three different pictures of my father. Three. Look at the third.” He flipped open the folder.

Replacement closed it. “Jack, I’m so sorry. Let’s just go.”

“No. You heard that guy. Buckmaster Pond. That’s where he was killed. I have to go there. Can you…help me?”

She touched the back of his head. She lifted the folders and moved the pile over to the bed behind him.

“Wait. If I’m going to look at the crime scene, I should see the photos.”

“You can see the photos tomorrow. We can always go back out there.” She rubbed his shoulder as she put down a folder. Jack took a deep breath, but before he could open it, Replacement stopped his hand.

“Let me, first.” She picked up the folder and leafed through it before she handed it back to him.

Inside was the official police report. It was photocopied, but it still looked old. Jack started to read the details and Replacement wrote them in the notebook. His head pounded, but he forced himself to sit up and keep going.

Three hours later, they had almost as little information as they’d had before. Jack paced the floor. It was Replacement who blew up first, though.

“That sucks. They got nothing. We got more from the stupid paper.”

“I don’t get it. They came up with no suspects. No enemies. No motives. Nothing. And nothing similar before or since.” He stopped pacing.

“I’m sorry, Jack.”

“Don’t be.” He cracked his neck. “We’ve ruled out a lot with the report. They couldn’t figure it out. We will. Ready?”

Race You

The Impala stopped in a gravel parking lot about a hundred yards from Buckmaster Pond. On the way there, they’d swung into the tackle shop and picked up a can of worms and a fishing rod, which Jack grabbed from the trunk.

“Are you feeling better?” Replacement stretched her arms out.

“Shower, food, and the aspirin helped.” Jack still winced as he closed the trunk. “Thank you for not giving me a guilt trip this morning.”

Replacement laughed. “That’s why you love me. I might talk a lot but I’m not a nagging shrew.” She smirked and shrugged. “You apologized. All’s forgiven, east from west.”

Jack watched her as she turned and headed for the pond.

Any other girl would have smothered me in my sleep last night.

A woodchip path led to a large clearing with picnic tables and barbeque stands. In the middle was a large fire pit surrounded by benches. “I want to start looking…” Jack let his voice trail off as they walked forward.

He could hear only their footsteps as they approached the pond. Jack looked up at the tall pine trees that ringed the clearing; their branches were perfectly still. The brush was cleared all the way down to the edge of the pond, and he could see across the still waters to the other shore. The pond itself was about two football fields wide and another two fields long. It was the most beautiful pond Jack had ever seen.

There was a marble rock, close to the middle of the clearing, with a square bronze plaque attached to it. It read: IN LOVING MEMORY OF STEVEN RITTER.

Replacement touched his arm. She looked around and her eyebrows knit together.

“It was different then. None of this was here.” She waved her hands around and shook her head. Jack looked at her, puzzled. She stared at the ground and quietly said, “I looked at the photos. You said we might need the info.”

“None of it’s the same?”

Replacement closed her eyes. Her hands slowly rose up, and her mouth moved. “There was a fire area, but it’s hard to remember where it was. I remember that rock.” She pointed to a large rock that stuck out over the water. “There were three or four logs around it.” She looked at him.

“Walk me through it. The report said Steven’s body was found near one of the logs.”

“I can’t tell the exact position, but, it would have been around here. Right near the sign. The rock with the sign wasn’t here then. There was a log, and he was on his back.”

“Was anything around him?”

She shook her head.

“Did you notice anything about his clothes?”

She shook her head again. “No.”

“Were there…stupid!”

Her eyes flew open, and she held her hands up. “I’m sorry. I’m trying to remember.”

“Not you.” Jack reached out and grabbed one of her wrists. “I didn’t mean to direct that at you. Me. I’m stupid. I should have been man enough to look.” He let go of her hand and rubbed the side of his face.

“This is a first look, right? You said we can come back.” Replacement moved closer to him.

Jack nodded. “They brought in dogs, but basically, they have nothing. No murder weapon. No suspects. No motive. His mother was at work. She said he’d come out here to fish. Come on.”

Jack walked toward the pond. When he looked back, he could barely see the Impala.

“Where are we going?” Replacement asked.

“Fishing.”

A well-worn dirt path curved around the pond. The water was free of ice and it was perfectly still. The old trees sheltered it from the wind. Jack couldn’t help it; he got excited at the thought. He hadn’t been fishing since he was in high school.

As they rounded a corner, they saw the rocks Dennis had told them about.

“Gee, wonder why the boys liked fishing here?” Replacement rolled her eyes.

The two rocks did look like large breasts rising out of the water and resting against the shore.

Replacement took Jack’s outstretched hand as he helped her onto the rocks. It only took him a few minutes to set up the rod and bait the hook. The line swished as he cast it out toward the center of the pond.

Jack sighed. “They said a diver searched the pond, but he came up empty.”

“Wouldn’t it be like looking for a needle in a haystack?” Replacement’s shoulders popped up and down.

“You need to search in a grid. Slowly. They have metal detectors now that are much better, too.”

“The police said kids would hang out here.” Replacement peered into the water.

“It was a school day. I can’t think it would be a party. They didn’t find any sign of a recent one, either.”

“He came out to meet Patty. The cops never figured that out?”

“They thought he was just fishing.” Jack jiggled the rod. “His mother said he’d come out here alone to fish and they went with that. Patty never came forward so…what else would they think?”

“Look how clear the water is.” Replacement tossed a rock out, and it landed with a big splash.

“That sorta drives the fish away.” Jack raised an eyebrow, but he looked over the edge, too. The water was so clear he could see the steep slope the ground took right at the end of the rock before darkness covered the depths.

“How deep is it?” Replacement tossed another rock in front of her. They watched the flat rock twist and turn as it sank out of sight.

“Deep.” Jack smiled. “Hold on.” He started to reel in his line.

“Are we done?” Replacement smiled hopefully.

“No. I want to get rid of the bobber and bottom fish. It’s deep. Look how still the water is. It’s perfect for catfish.”

Replacement picked up another rock. Jack cleared his throat. With a frown, she tossed it into the woods. She exhaled and asked, “Can I go walking?”

“You want a turn?” He held out the rod. He might as well have held out the can of worms from the face she made.

“No thanks.” She backed up, turned, and hopped off the rock. “I’ll follow this trail.” She pointed to a path that ran straight up a little hill.

“Suit yourself.” Jack cast out the line again and watched it disappear. He kept his finger loose on the line, feeling it as it continued to slide out. Finally, the line stopped.

He was meeting her. She lured him here.

He looked back to see Replacement standing at the top of the hill. She waved and then continued out of sight. Jack brushed back his hair and made a face. His head still pounded.

Put yourself in his shoes. Your mother is at work. It is late in the afternoon. You have school the next day. You don’t ask any of your friends to go, too? Do you just jump in your car…?

Jack’s rod twitched in his hands. He gave a firm, quick tug to set the hook, and the rod bent over. He smiled as he reeled in. It was sluggish. He stopped and looked at the end of the rod. It was now curving toward the water. He waited. The rod didn’t move.

Dang. I must have caught a log.

He reeled it in slowly, and the line suddenly went crazy. The gears on the cheap reel slipped and the line started going back out.

The tension is wrong! I forgot to set it.

Jack tried to adjust the tension as he struggled with the fish on the end of the line. He moved forward and looked down. From the depths, he could see a massive catfish trying to escape back into the darkness. A crack in the rod caused him to lower the tip and reel faster.

“Yes,” he cheered as he dragged the hulking fish onto the rock. It was an enormous, fat catfish. It flopped on the rock and twisted. Jack quickly grabbed the cold, slimy fish and marveled at its size. It had been awhile, but he was sure it was the largest fish he’d ever caught. After a bit of twisting, he managed to free his prize from the hook and gently tossed it back into the water. With three powerful flicks of its tail, it disappeared back into the blackness.

Jack shivered as he washed his hands in the water, and then he froze, not because of the cold, but because of his reflection. As the ripples faded and the water calmed, he stared at himself. He realized his father must have done the same thing in the exact same place.

Don’t…

Jack looked back for Replacement, but she was nowhere to be seen. Leaving the rod, he jumped down from the rocks and jogged up the path after her. At the crest of the hill, he came up short. A beautiful field spread out before him. The grass looked like waves frozen in time. In the middle of the field was a large oak tree. Jack laughed. Replacement climbed around in its branches. He ran through the field and called out to her.

“Hey, kid!”

“Jack, this is the best climbing tree ever.”

As he grabbed a low, thick branch, he couldn’t argue. It was easy to pull himself up. Replacement looked down as she sat on a branch above him.

“It’s a romantic spot.” She pointed to the trunk, and Jack noticed the places all over it where the bark had been removed. “You should see some of these. CR loves KD or Billy loves Wendy forever and ever. It’s cute.”

“Must be a local tradition.”

“I found one that may be something.”

“May be something?” Jack hoisted himself higher to get a better look.

“DJ + PC.” She pointed to a large heart that at one time had three arrows in it, but two of the ends were broken off.

“PC—do you think that’s Patty Cole?” Replacement asked.

Jack shook his head. “It could also be Penelope Cruz. You ready?”

“Did you catch anything?” She started down.

“Yeah.” Jack smiled smugly. “A giant catfish.”

“Sure…where is it?”

“I put it back.”

“You put it back in the pond? Then why did you try to catch it?”

“That’s the point. I just like trying to catch them. It’s the hunt. Race you.”

Jack jogged for the hill. Replacement was in shape, but he’d never seen her run. She blazed past him. Jack quickly changed into a sprint; she was pulling ahead. Startled by her speed, he pushed himself to go faster, but she was already going over the crest of the hill. She was small, but her little legs were a blur as he watched her race to the rock.

“Ha, blew you away.” She danced on top of the rock and held her arms over her head. “I thought cops were supposed to be able to run?”

“No.” Jack gasped as he tried to catch his breath. “That’s why we have guns and cars.”

She stuck her tongue out. Jack dumped the rest of the bait into the water and picked up the rod.

“Where to now?” She skipped a rock across the pond.

“I need to talk to his mother.” Jack started to walk back.

“Are you sure?”

“Yeah. I need to know how he got here.”

“How? Didn’t he drive?” she asked.

“No. He didn’t have a car. His house was over six miles away.”

“Maybe he rode his bike?”

Jack shook his head. “No bike was found here. Police report said his bike was still at his house. I figure a kid walks a mile in fifteen to twenty minutes if he’s walking fast. I don’t see him walking out here that late in the afternoon. He’d take the bike.”

“None of his friends said they talked to him.”

“We need to talk to his mother.” He paused. “Tomorrow.”

“And tonight?”

“Let’s get something to eat at the inn.” Jack smiled.

“That’s great. Uh…at the inn? I could…”

“Or we can get delivery. Whatever you want.” He grinned. He knew she loved delivery. “Can you hold the rod and tackle box?”

“Sure.” Replacement looked perplexed. “If we eat at the inn, I just want to go back and change—”

“Stop for a second.” Jack walked backward. “Just hold up right there.” A grin slowly spread across his face as he continued to back up. “Race you to the car.”

He turned and bolted.

“Cheater,” Replacement cursed as she sprinted after him.

Jack didn’t look behind him as he flew ahead. He hoped the pole and tackle box would be enough to ensure his win, and he was right. As he reached the woodchip path, he was surprised to hear Replacement so close behind. When the Impala came into view, he skidded to a stop.

“You can’t let me win now, you—” Replacement slammed to a stop beside him.