Paradise Falls (28 page)

“I understand,” said Jennifer. “Believe me, I do.”
 

He nodded. “What you said about the Summers’ girl was real pretty, miss. I wish you knew my boy better so you could say something like that, might be if we have a get together. Got to do something, but it don’t feel right now. Not with the boy that kill’t him out there runnin’ free. Probably halfway to Mexico or the moon by now, for all I know.”
 

“I’m sure the police will turn up something,” said Jennifer. “It takes time, and we don’t have these sorts of problems very often here.”
 

“I know,” he said. “That’s why the wife and I set to live here. See back home, things’s been bad for years, everything’s closing. I heard about the oil up here and hoped my boy my find his way. Was overjoyed when he came to the house with that girl on his arm, grinning like the cat done ate the canary. She liked him a bunch too, I could tell.”
 

Jennifer shifted on my feet. “They were in my class together. He was smitten for her, I could see it.”
 

His father nodded. “That he was, that he was. Thank you, miss. We’ll let you know when we have that gathering, if you’d like to come.”
 

“I think I would,” she said. “The other teachers would attend as well, I’m sure. We’re all deeply saddened by Cole’s passing. It’s a terrible tragedy.”
 

“I know,” he said, and now he looked as if he might crumble.

He shuffled off, and Jennifer turned to find Jacob and Katie. It was time to leave.

As they walked outside, Jennifer froze. The heavy mist from the driving rain caught the swirling red and blue light, and and spread it everywhere, like weird lightning.

Ellison was standing on the sidewalk, his thumbs thrust through his duty belt, wearing a rain suit and a plastic cover over his hat. Despite the weather, he was wearing his damned sunglasses. A cluster of local police stood around him, watching Jacob. When he stepped down to the sidewalk, Ellison stepped up to him.

“Mister Kane,” Ellison said, his voice bubbling with mirth, “You’re under arrest.”

He looked at Jennifer, and his grin widened.

“So are you.”

Turning Point

1.

The world closed in around Jennifer Katzenberg, and she almost cracked a laugh in disbelief. Almost, but for the mourners behind her. When the gathering noticed the red and blue lights flashing in the rain, a few people drifted outside, huddling open-mouthed under the porch. That drew the rest, and in moments there was a crowd milling around in the yard, drenched by the downpour.
 

Jennifer stood next to Jacob on the sidewalk, Katie a few paces behind. There was a heavy tension in the air, coming from both directions, pressing her between them. Ellison Carlyle stood on the sidewalk wearing a clear plastic poncho over his cream colored dress uniform and a cover on his hat. The side of the poncho was unsnapped and his hand grasped the butt of his pistol. There were four others with him, fanning out around Jacob and Jennifer in a semicircle, taking places on the grass. More blockaded both ends of the street, standing outside their cars in the driving rain, doors open and ready to act as rests to steady their hands if they had to shoot.

A high, bubbling wail cut through the quiet sound of rainfall. Krystal’s mother slumped off her feet, like a puppet with her strings cut. Her husband held her up, but only because he’d gone still as a statue. The sight of it was like a blade in Jennifer’s stomach and she rounded on Ellison, anger bubbling up over the anguish.

“I said you’re under arrest. Don’t move.”

“Do you have to do this
here?”
Jennifer snapped, “Now?”

“Yeah. You two are a flight risk.”

“Officer,” said Jacob.

“You have the right to remain silent,” said Ellison. “Use it.”

She looked at him. Jacob’s feet were planted wide, his knees, bent, his arms out from his sides. The rain slicked over his face and flattened his long hair against his head and neck, but he didn’t react to it at all. He looked everywhere at once, eyes darting from cop to cop, back to Ellison, gauging, weighing. Ellison slid his pistol free of his belt and held it at his side.

“Get your hands behind your heads and get down on your knees.”

He raised his gun and swung it on Jennifer. She stared down the muzzle, watching the rain bead on top of the slide.

Jacob froze.

“You heard me.”

His jaw set, but he folded his hands behind his neck and slowly lowered himself to his knees, eyes cast down.

“You, too.”

Jennifer rested her hands on the back of her head and slowly sank to the ground, gritting her teeth as her ankle twinged. Ellison finally swung the muzzle of his gun away but didn’t put it back in the holster. A curt nod sent his men moving in with handcuffs.

“This is bullshit!” Katie shrieked.

Jennifer’s sister surged forward, only to stop when Ellison brought the gun halfway up. Jacob flinched, about to spring, but Jennifer shook her head. Katie stepped back across the lawn, hands raised in surrender.

“You can’t do this. They didn’t do anything wrong.”

“This one is a person of interest,” Ellison said, almost shouting, “in the murder of Krystal Summers and Cole Hauser. He can’t account for his whereabouts the night of the killing. This one here,” he nodded at Jennifer, “lied to cover for him. We have proof. Any further question should be referred to Chief Carlyle.”

“You mean your dad,” said Katie.

“Shut up,” said Ellison. “I’ll run your fat ass in, too. Joey, Frank, frisk these two and cuff ‘em.”

They seized Jacob first. One of Ellison’s men stood behind him with a drawn pistol while the other two dumped his pockets out on the wet grass. He had nothing but his cell phone, wallet, and keys. One of Ellison’s boys took the wallet and left the rest on the ground. Then they shoved his arms behind his back and cuffed him. Jacob grunted, probably pained from his shoulder. Then, it was Jennifer’s turn. When a rough hand clasped her wrists she tensed, sucking in a breath and pressed her eyes shut as dread uncoiled in her belly and slid cold down her limbs.

The rain drank all the heat from her skin. Hands clawed over her body, reaching into her pockets, feeling up her sides. Then they painfully twisted her arms and closed the cuffs around her wrists, the cold metal biting her skin. It took everything she had to press her lips shut and stay quiet.

“Get ‘em up.”

Jennifer could have stood on her own but two men lifted her up by the arms, painfully pulling her shoulders as they lifted her bodily from the ground. She let out a yelp and Jacob’s lips peeled back from his teeth. He glared at Ellison as they dragged him up and walked him down the sidewalk, towards the open door of Ellison’s car. Ellison personally shoved Jennifer inside, bowing her with a hand on her head the other on her hip.

Jacob tumbled in after her with a grunt, and the door clapped closed. Jacob righted himself and shifted closer to her as she wrenched around in the seat, awkwardly sitting with her hands behind her back. Ellison got in and fired up the engine, flipped on the lights and siren, and pulled off, sending a long splash of rainwater at the mourners.

“I want my phone call,” said Jacob.

“You ain’t gettin’ a phone call,” said Ellison.

“Then you can detain us for seventy-two hours,” said Jacob, “and I still get my phone call. You’re going to be explaining to a judge why you felt the need to aim your service pistol at an unarmed woman.”

Ellison half-turned, leaning one arm on the back seat, against the plexiglass divider. “If I need to shoot, I’m going to put the bullet where it will do the most damage. Get me?”

Jennifer flicked her head, vainly trying to get the loose locks of hair soaked with rainwater out of her eyes. Jacob edged closer to her.

“We’re going to be okay,” he whispered, “I’ll handle this.”

She nodded.

“No, you ain’t. Last thing you’re gonna be is okay. Especially him.”

Ellison turned off, and swung away from the old town. He turned well before crossing the bridge, and the tall towers and flashing red beacon lights receded into the mist.

“You’re going the wrong way,” Jennifer said, her voice tightening with every word.

The police annex was in town, next to City Hall, at the far end of Commerce Street. Ellison was driving out into the country, away from Paradise Falls. He flipped off the warning lights and settled into the seat. Jennifer pushed closer to Jacob, leaning her head against his. He shifted in the seat, turning towards her, and she ducked under his chin.

“Ain’t you cute,” said Ellison. “I don’t get you, Jenny. All you have to do is polish Elliot’s knob twice a week and you’d be set for life. I guess this one makes a better proposition, though. How much money you got, rich boy?”

Jacob said nothing.

Ellison gave him a smirk in the rear view mirror. “Oh, yeah, play the quiet tough guy. I’m really intimidated. Yeah, well,” he looked at Jennifer. “I like your sister better anyway. I like a little junk in the trunk, you know? You’re too fuckin’ skinny. Elliot says you could suck start a lawn mower, though.”

Jennifer scowled, anger bubbling up until she turned away from him. Beside her, Jacob’s anger became visible as his face reddened and a vein stood out on his forehead.

“You’re the type,” Ellison went on. “English teacher, ya know? I bet you’re into some freaky shit. You ever wear a thong to school? I bet you get off on strutting around in front of all those high school boys. I know that other bitch does, what’s her name? Rachel? She’s a little past her expiration date but I remember she was fine when we was in school.”

“Ellison,” said Jacob.

“What?”

“You talk too much.”

Ellison laughed, “Listen, rich boy. You’re a dead man. You behave yourself we might make it quick. Otherwise, keep your mouth shut.”

“If you say one more word about Jennifer, I’m going to break your jaw.”

Ellison snorted, but his eyes twitched. He turned forward again.

“I should bundle you up and take you to my boy. Elliot’d love to see you dropped off on his front porch. It’d be like Christmas. He could pick up where he left off at the party, before his asshole brother messed everything up.”

Jennifer’s head snapped up. “Don’t talk about my husband like that, Ellison.”

“Oooh,” he said, waving his hands over the steering wheel. “What are you going to do, send me to detention?”

Corn sped by the windows. The rain was still driving hard, sideways in the wind and slashing the glass in heavy sheets, but there were breaks in the distance. Summer storms in Paradise Falls could be strange like that, pouring rain and sunny a mile down the road. When Ellison pulled off the road, Jennifer realized where she was, and her dread grew, flowering into near panic. The dirt track was mud now, so thick from the rain that Ellison had to keep the car rolling or it would sink up to the axles, before gravel crunched under the tires.

The barn stood in the field, the sharp angles of its lines cutting the sky, drab brown walls black in the dark of the storm. The swinging doors stood open, Blondie’s little hatchback crouching beside it. Ellison stopped, put the car in park, but left the engine running. He stepped out.

He came to Jennifer’s side. The door swung open, and his gun poked into the car.

“Get out,” Ellison said, curtly. “Make a move, rich boy, and I’ll shoot her.”

“Do it,” Jacob whispered. “It’s going to be okay.”

Jennifer looked down and stepped out. Before she had her footing, Ellison wrenched her around by her arm and pressed the cold muzzle of the gun against the back of her neck. He walked her forward a few steps.

“Now you. Out.”

Jacob came out feet first, standing with an eerie, liquid grace. Ellison tugged Jennifer’s arm and pressed the muzzle harder into the back of her neck.

“Walk. No sudden moves.”

Jacob’s eyes narrowed, but he turned and walked into the barn. Ellison pushed Jennifer along behind him, digging his fingers into her arm. She blinked a few times, her eyes adjusting to the deeper dark in the barn before the overhead light, a bare bulb, flicked on.

Blondie leaned against the work table, puffing on a cigarette in his good hand. His other was wrapped in bandages so as to be a useless ball of gauze. He was stripped to the waist, and had a .45 pistol jammed in his belt, the grip turned so he could pull it with his strong hand. He ground the cigarette under the heel of his brand-new engineer’s boot and stood up, staring at Jacob.

“Hey there, look who it is.”

“Do I know you?” said Jacob.

“Yeah, motherfucker, you know me. You broke into my room, ran off with my bitches and beat the shit out of me.”

“I have a habit of that.”
 

Blondie snorted. “Right, you’re real tough. We’ll see how badass you are in a minute, mister man. Get over here.”

The chain hoist. Jacob walked over to it, and Blondie shoved him.

“Get on your knees.”

“Now,” Ellison added.

Jacob glanced at Jennifer and dropped down. Blondie kicked him in the back and he pitched forward with a grunt, landing hard on the gravel floor. Blondie took a pair of handcuffs and closed them around Jacob’s ankles. They barely fit. He fitted the hook on the end of the chain under the cuffs, and cranked it up. Jacob rose slowly from the floor.
 

He turned as he rose, spinning in place until he was about at chest height with Blondie, who stopped his spinning with hand on his meaty shoulder. Ellison shoved Jennifer over to a metal folding chair and pushed her down, driving the back of the chair up under her arms. He finally lowered the gun but stood next to her, holding it in his hand.

“Sit tight,” said Ellison.

Blondie picked up a cheap butcher knife from the table, and slashed. He cut through Jacob’s suit coat and shirt, leaving a red stain on the cream colored silk, and started tearing away in strips. Jacob was utterly silent as the shallow cuts welled with blood that trickled down towards his reddening face. Jennifer winced at every cut, sucking in a breath through clenched teeth.