The Final Shortcut (27 page)

“You do remember that this is not our case. We have to stay out of it. Unless you have something solid to go on, like a motive, we’re back to square one.” Jenkins walked to the end of his hallway to refill his bottle at the water fountain. “Priority one, we still have to look for signs of those missing trucks.”

“Oh, none of this makes any sense, why can’t we just shoot the bad guys like the old days?” Ramone clenched his fist and paced excitedly, beads of sweat covered his forehead. “I can’t help it! I just know those guys are involved. Who’s to say they haven’t been commuting for many years.”

“Don’t waste too much time on it but see what you can find out. And by the way, we’ve found out that there is bad blood between Bontonville and Brayton, their Sheriffs’ departments haven’t cooperated for twenty years. We think you can safely contact the Bontonville Sheriff without word getting back to Brayton. He might be of some help. We couldn’t do any worse than we have already.” He slid back under his desk and logged on to his computer. It would be a few more hours yet before he could call it a night. Even though the investigation wasn’t getting any hard evidence, he still had many people deployed. A huge team in constant movement, checking and double-checking every scrap of information available. And until the Senator decided to call them off, they would continue to pour over the same information again and again.

“I know how you feel. I think I will keep watch out for Fudd and his big buddy, maybe I’ll get lucky.”

“Just don’t get too cock-sure of yourself and do something stupid. I don’t want to find you dead too!”

Ramone took a deep breath, “Ok, I‘ll take it easy. I guess I’m still a little pumped up from that other bust.” He closed his eyes and took a few more slow steady breaths.

“Just make sure you come back in one piece, you’re good but nobody’s perfect.” Jenkins hung up the phone, they both had said enough, and they both knew each other’s feelings from many years together. He knew Ramone could follow a cold trail better than a bloodhound, and if he had a gut feeling then it was worth looking into. His only hope now was that he was right, and right now they desperately needed a miracle to solve this case.

Chapter 20

It had been a very busy day at Ellen’s with an influx of travelers taking in the mountain scenery. And just before closing the North Vilpott Leisure Club pulled up in a sixty-seat bus. For the next two hours they ate, took pictures and bought souvenirs. And above all they talked. By the time the group left, Ellen was ready to drop. The receipts looked very good and all the girls had made some healthy tips. Junior’s shop had a banner day as well. It looked like it was hit by a storm. After the last of the trash was dumped and all the lights were out, Ellen stopped to look back before locking up. She could see a light in the back room where he was working. For a second she stood there in the dark, the only sound was some light traffic nearby. She could feel her heart racing faster and her breaths coming shorter, all at once she started to weep profusely. The same old feelings of dread and fear from her nightmares, only this time she was wide awake. Her legs got weak beneath her and she wobbled to a seat, her tears dried up and her feelings of anguish turned to fear. She jumped at the sound of a car horn, her emotions shredded. For an instant she thought her son was in danger. Shaken, she rose to her feet and was about to call out when she heard Junior singing along with the radio. As she flopped back into the chair she laughed, then she began to cry again. “What is wrong with me?” She laid her head on her arm and cried quietly for a few moments. Until gradually she felt the fearful emotions subside and her heart began to beat normally again.

For most of the last twenty years she just assumed her secret condition was the backlash from her drug laden past. More recently she wasn’t sure of her sanity. For the most part her dreams seemed to be random and incomprehensible. But lately she began to see a coincidence between her feelings and tragedy. Twice in the last several months she’d had an episode only to find out later that a driver she knew had gone missing at nearly the same time. If she believed in clairvoyance it wouldn’t be so hard. But the thought of somehow sensing the future was unsettling.

She looked at her face in a compact. Her skin looked smooth and young but her eyes told a different tale. Life had not been kind and the eyes that stared back at her were very tired indeed. Tomorrow she would talk to Clyde and tell him all her manic fears. Maybe he could give her the strength to seek help. A weary Ellen took one more look in the mirror and tried to muster a smile. Tomorrow things would begin to change for the better. As she shakily rose to her feet, she couldn’t believe how tired she felt. The music from Junior’s shop was just loud enough for her to hear. She almost called out to say goodbye but she knew he wouldn’t hear. He would work on into the night, refilling the shelves with his skillful artistry. More tears welled in her eyes as she thought of her son, hardworking and talented. She hated herself for ever thinking that he might hurt her, she was certain now that it was all in her mind. As she locked up and walked to her car she could hear the sewing machine humming steadily, Junior was hard at work.

Safely nestled behind locked doors surrounded by bundles of leather and hides, he worked at a fevered pace. Dozens of patterns were stacked beside him held together with clothes pins, waiting to be assembled. He poured into his craft oblivious to any outside distraction, a near frantic expression on his face. Every since the incident with the family in the RV, his nerves had been at a ragged edge. His thoughts ranged from extreme guilt to delusion. Not only had someone discovered his mine, they forced him to put two young girls in danger. A thought that was driving him over the edge.

The only solace to his torment was working. Immediately after the deal with Tree he reworked his entire security system at the mine. Installing a complex network of sensors that covered the entire area, including his shack. Not so much as a dog could pee on a tree, without him knowing it in a flash by remote paging. And once that was finished he moved into his shop and began refilling the shelves with all new masterpieces. The quality of his goods did not suffer due to his mood. In fact it got markedly better. It seemed the more manic he became the more expressive and creative his work turned out.

And right now he was particularly detached, hardly looking at his work but piecing it together flawlessly. While he was cutting out the patterns he cut his fingers three times without noticing. He only put a bandage on one finger because it was staining the leather. Already during the assembly he stabbed an awl into his knee, but the pain never dissuaded him from the hurried pace. It was as though he could work away the feelings of guilt. Make enough good things to make up for all the bad things he had done. An empty bobbin was spinning in the machine and the sound woke Junior out of his delirium. Only then did he notice the pain in his hands. Only then did he stop to tend his wounds. As he washed the cuts in the sink he looked out across the rolling mountains. It as already full dark and he could see lights blinking on through the miles of forest. He began to feel more relaxed; the tension had subsided for now. By the sound of his stomach he could tell it had been too long since he’d eaten. The canned soda next to his sewing machine had long since fallen over and dried into a sticky mess on the floor. He turned toward the restaurant door but stopped before taking two steps. Some of the new materials he was experimenting with were lying out and they grabbed his attention. He immediately started thinking of new designs, after eating he would try something radically new. When he walked up to the door his reflection in the glass panel seemed to jump out at him. And when he looked closer at it, he could see his fathers face glaring angrily back at him.

“YOU NEVER HARM CHILDREN!”

The voice echoed in his ears and he screamed out loud. He fell to his knees and covered his ears with his hands.

“No, no no I didn’t. I treated ‘em good. They were ok when they were with me.” His tears and his mutterings flowed like water, his stability rapidly declining. When he stood up his sore knee buckled a little and he slumped into the counter. The new material caught his eye again and his tears seemed to dry away at once. He grabbed the bundle of exotic samples from around the world and started creating anew. The tears gone, the guilt gone and his father’s image was gone. He piled into the floor and began laying out patterns, he had forgotten about the meal. All that mattered now was keeping the demons at bay, a task that was becoming increasingly more difficult.

Most of the businesses along their street were closed by now. Only the streetlights illuminated the lonely blacktop. The deep valleys and the abundance of tall trees made the nights very dark. And on nights like tonight, even though the sky was clear, the dark seemed to suck up all light. An eerie still cooled the air and the animals seemed strangely quiet, an icy feel to the air made anyone outside shiver. The flow of traffic on the interstate made a mournful sound. It droned loudly at the intersection but faded quickly, filtered by the dense trees. Only a mile away the sounds were nothing more than a faint buzz. A lone pair of headlights ambled along the popular shortcut barely piercing the night. The dirt road wasn’t used as much at night. It was most popular with the local route drivers, but it wasn’t unusual to see traffic at any time. Puttering along well below the speed limit, a small rental car eased down the road, seemingly lost.

“I think we’re almost there.” Fudd pulled his head back in the car and pointed his flashlight outside.

“How can you tell? I can hardly see the road myself.” Taipei drove carefully along keeping an eye out for other traffic.

“I made a mental note of some landmarks so I could find …wait…there it is. Stop!” Fudd held his flashlight high enough to illuminate a small level spot in the bushes, just off the road. “Ha, I told you I could find it. Pull in there and kill the lights”

“Ok, I still think we could have waited until morning, I do my best work in the morning.” Taipei parked carefully trying not to get stuck. “One more night on one of those feather pillows…”

“Well too bad! You know I trust my instincts, and when I feel like a safe house isn’t safe anymore, then I leave.” Fudd was a little irritated at his prodding even though he knew Taipei would follow him anywhere at anytime. “After we take a look around here, we’ll get out of here and go to a real city, ok?”

“Ok. What is it we’re doing here again?”

Fudd cocked his head and gave the big man a sideways grin. “You are just in a picking mood tonight aren’t you? I just want to see what that guy has tucked away back in the woods.” He climbed out of the car and went to the trunk.

“What makes you think there’s anything back there. It’s very dark, no signs of life.” Taipei went to the trunk and pulled on a black sweatshirt and cap to conceal him in the dark, Fudd was similarly dressed.

“A gut feeling. He either has a place back there or there’s another shortcut. Somewhere where he could have hidden two girls. And maybe he has something else of value hidden away.” He checked his pistol and flashlight before starting out. “I believe if we walk across this rise we should cross the road I saw him use after his meeting with Tree, about half a mile that way.”

“Ok, if you say so. You don’t mind if I follow you at a distance. In case you fall in a hole, or off a cliff.” Taipei couldn’t help poking a little more fun at him.

“Very funny, just don’t get lost.” Fudd set off into the thick foliage, his city boy manner far behind him now. His hunter instincts, honed over many years of use, were guiding him now to what he hoped was treasure.

They swiftly moved through the tangle of underbrush almost as though they knew their way. The scattered stars produced a helpful, but dim glow across the ground. Each step was calculated for stealth and speed, each movement deliberate. Both men loved the thrill of a hunt and with each passing step they became more excited. Neither of them made any noise other than the occasional rock fall, they even took care to push branches out of the way instead of breaking them. It took less than twenty minutes for them to find the dirt road that lead away from the shortcut. And they stepped onto it carefully, still reserving their flashlights for later. Fudd was the first to speak, and he did so very triumphantly.

“There, I told you I had a special talent for direction. I believe that…” He walked out further in the road and looked both ways before talking again. “There, that’s the intersection where Tree picked up the brats, and we’re standing on the road I was looking for. The one that leads back into the dark abyss.” He looked over at Taipei with a broad grin and put both hands on his hips.

“I never had any doubt, shall we go?”

“Yes, we’ll probably be ok on the road for a bit, I can’t see any signs of life back there.” Fudd started at a leisurely pace but instinctively moved to the edge of the road for cover. Taipei followed silently keeping an eye on their rear as well as scanning the countryside to their sides. For several moments they trudged along quietly, mindful of every silhouette looming out of the dark. Studying each acre searching for a familiar shape.

“I’m beginning to wonder if we stepped into another time, this looks like a desolate stretch of woods. Taipei spoke in a muted tone just loud enough for Fudd to hear.

“It is certainly that….if we don’t see anything soon….we’ll go back and get the car. We could be looking at another shortcut.” Fudd kept walking as he talked, his voice at a low tone. They continued on as they had before, quiet and cool. Then, as they made a slight curve to the left, Fudd stuck out his hand and they both stopped at once. “I think I just saw something.” He took a couple small steps backward and crouched to peer through the leaves. “Let’s walk up this bank a bit.” And without another word they pushed through the brush and climbed a six-foot bank that opened into a clearing. “That looks like a small house up there on that rise, I make it another fifty yards.”