The Journal: Cracked Earth (22 page)

“If it’s from Marilyn apologizing for Bill,
maybe
you
should have it,” said Karen.

“Oh, no! Besides, she was specific that it
should be for you two. How is the investigation coming?”

“We think we know who it is. I don’t want to
say anything at this time, not until we’re positive,” said Ken.

“Are you going to need back-up? I’d suggest
Lenny,” I said, much to their surprise “He’s got a CPL and is a
very good shot. It would also go a long way to pulling him back
into the respectability in our town.”

* * *

Late in the afternoon on January 3, Karen
stopped by. She gratefully accepted a cup of coffee and one of the
scones I had made this morning, not questioning baked goods. I
wonder if she would get the joke if I made donuts for her.

“There was another fire last night,” she
said. “One of the camp cabins on the Sullivan Trail. Fortunately it
was not occupied. I just don’t know what to make of this. The fires
seem to be random, yet they are not. Any ideas?”

“Have you been over any of the lists Anna and
I made in November?” I asked. “We compiled lists of all those who
needed medical continuance, the elderly, those who live alone, and
are rural, of the CPL holders.” I caught her quick glance at the
CPL remark and smiled. “Don’t ask! Yes, I know who they are.”

“Can you make this any stronger?” she asked,
extending the coffee cup towards me.

John pulled a bottle of whiskey from a
cupboard and showed it to her with raised eyebrows.

“Oh, yeah,” she said excitedly. “It’s always
five o’clock somewhere. No, I haven’t seen those lists; I suppose I
need to. I think we can eliminate some of the elderly. Most can’t
handle a snowmobile like that.”

She sipped her fortified coffee and sighed.
“What about the medical list? Anything peak your interest?”

I retrieved a folder of things that were
ongoing in the township since the event. I flipped a few pages and
turned it to her. When her eyes scanned the list, something caught
her attention.

“Can I take this?” she requested.

“John, will you start the generator?” I
asked. “I’ll make you a copy. The medical list was viewed by Gray
and then enhanced,” I said to Karen. “Someone catch your
attention?”

“Yeah. Someone that is already on our radar
is on that list.” she said. “If it’s any consolation, if it
is
who I think it is you’re not a target. It really may have
been all random.”

* * *

JOURNAL ENTRY: January 3

This arson business has me confused and
concerned. Everyone left here in Moose Creek
wants
to be
here. They love the town and the people in it. It doesn’t make
sense for one of our own to do this kind of damage.

* * *

When I put my coat on this morning to feed
the chickens, I found a couple of slips of paper that I had put in
my pocket the last time I was in the office. These were phone
messages that I had forgotten about. One was from Pastor Carolyn
and the other was from Tom White at the County EM office. I was
curious what he wanted. I had inkling what Carolyn wanted.

John was not happy that I wanted to go to the
office again without him as my bodyguard. I reminded him that all
the attacks had taken place at night, and I would stay at the
office once I got there.

I drove to Jason’s first. It had been over a
week since they were over for Christmas and I needed to know that
they were okay. When I neared his place, I saw the burnt out shell
of the Brewer house, ringed with police tape.

With Amanda at home to watch Jacob, Jason was
out cutting wood for the stove. The house was on the chilly side,
so I kept my coat on.

“Did you bring any food with you?” Amanda
asked when I walked in.

“No I didn’t. If you make a list of what you
need I’ll do what I can.”

She snorted. “Mom, we need
everything
.
I should have listened to you about stocking up.”

I knew better than to say I told you so.

Jason came in right then with an armload of
snowy wood. After setting it down near the stove to dry, he gave me
a hug.

“Did either of you hear or see anything
around the time of the fire next door?” I asked them while Jason
warmed his hands over the woodstove.

“No, we slept right through it,” Jason said.
“Amanda and I put some blankets on the windows to help hold the
heat it, and they also muffle the noise. Ken and Karen were already
here asking us questions, I’m sorry we couldn’t help.”

“I’m just glad you all are okay. Don’t forget
to get that list together, Amanda,” I said, and gave each of them a
hug before I left.

My next stop was Carolyn. Luckily, I tried
the church first and she was there, helping out in the Stone Soup
Kitchen.

“I’m so glad to see you!” she said, giving me
a brief hug. “Let’s go upstairs to talk. I was hoping to see you at
church last Sunday.” We went up a short flight of stairs to her
office.

“Food donations have really fallen off,
Allexa. Is there any chance you can help us out again?” she asked
sheepishly. “We’ve had some fish, but it’s been so cold that the
fish aren’t biting like they usually do.”

“My own supplies are limited and dwindling,
Carolyn.” I noted how her face drooped with disappointment. “Would
another bucket of rice help? I think I’ve got some bouillon too.
That will be the last though, I’m sorry.” I knew I had more, but I
can’t be
everyone’s
supply line, and the people have to
learn to stand on their own. I prepped for
my
family, not
the whole damn town!

* * *

The township offices were in an uproar. It
seems that there was yet another fire last night, the Catholic
church, and this time there was also a witness!

“I was walking home after having a beer at
The Jack,” Lenny said excitedly, “when I heard a snowmobile coming
up behind me. I stepped closer to The Out-Riggers to get out of the
way and must have been out of sight. This sled raced by, then
slowed in front of the Catholic church and I saw the driver throw
something,” he continued to his captive audience. “A few seconds
after the sled took off again there was a burst of flames up the
front door!”

“What happened then, Lenny?” I prompted
him.

“I ran across the street and scooped up snow
and threw it at the flames, over and over.” He took a breath and
went on. “My hands were numb but the fire was contained. Then I
called Mike to make sure the fire was completely out.” He smiled
proudly.

“You did good, Lenny, you saved the church.”
He grinned even wider.

* * *

Ken and Karen have made an arrest!

When I went to the office on the 4th, I found
our team of deputies in a back office, with Junior Simms handcuffed
to a chair. Karen spotted me and came out, closing the door behind
her.

“Junior? Are you sure?” I asked. Junior was
in his late twenties and had never caused any real problems, even
when he drank too much at the Jack. I heard he had been a troubled
teen, getting into fights and vandalizing public property, though
he seemed stable in the past years and lived alone in one of the
older homes on the edge of town, working odd jobs to pay the
rent.

“He’s already confessed, now he’s babbling,”
Karen said. “Once we picked him up, Gray went through the house
looking for meds or drugs. What he found were empty prescription
bottles, and confirmed that Junior was being treated for
schizophrenia and paranoia. He was on a literal cocktail of mood
stabilizers. Every fire target was totally random. He thought that
someone was after him, but didn’t know who. He just drove around
until a voice in his head told him to stop. Weird, huh?”

Then she smiled. “We got him now, in part to
your lists. He showed up several times. I just don’t know what
we’re going to
do
with him!”

“What do you mean?”

“We don’t have a jail. We don’t have
anything
up here. I’m afraid that if we try keeping him
here, even overnight, the town folk may lynch him! Ken thinks we
should take him into Marquette, and let them deal with him.”

“That might be for the best. Congratulations
on the arrest, Karen. You and Ken deserve our gratitude. Oh, and
you might want to call Sherriff Lacey
before
you make the
trip to town with your prisoner.”

* * *

While I was there, it was time to make the
phone call that I had forgotten about.

“Tom, Allexa Smeth in Moose Creek, returning
your call. I hope you’ve got good news for us up here, like some
food?” I said after he picked up on the fifth ring.

“Uh, no, sorry. How would you like a job
though?” he asked, getting right to the point.

“A job? What do you mean?”

“I need help. An assistant. You’ve already
had the training, and I think you would be perfect.”

“Thanks for the confidence, Tom, but I’m
needed here. I must decline,” I said politely.

“Just think about it, okay?” he said and hung
up abruptly, like Liz used to do. Apparently he got
that
part of the job down quickly.

John was delighted about the news of the
arrest. It was a night to celebrate: Steaks on the grill, a baked
potato, and some canned coleslaw, topped with one of the few
bottles of wine left.

“A job in Marquette?” John asked, clearly not happy
with the news when I told him.

“Don’t worry, I’m not going to take it. I
thought you would like to at least know about it.” I was a little
affronted that he was angry with me about the job offer.

“I’m sorry for snapping at you like that, I’m
just tense that’s all. These past two weeks have been…”

“Been
what
? I thought you were happy
here,” I said with concern.

“Oh, I am,
I am
. That’s part of it.
It’s all been overwhelming. You. Here. I really thought I was going
to die, Allex, and now… Marquette is so far away and it’s still
dangerous. I don’t want anything to happen to you, that’s all.”

“Well, I’m not taking the job, I already told
Tom that. I’m not going anywhere.”

We were both on edge, and we needed a
diversion.

“I know that I said that one of us needs to
stay here, but with the arrest of the arsonist, I think we can bend
those rules a bit.” I smiled up at him. “How would you like to go
to Bob and Kathy’s for dinner? We’ll take the food over. Besides, I
think that we need some company other than each other.”

“I think that’s a great idea,” he said with
his soft North Carolina accent that melts my insides.

* * *

Karen took my suggestion and called the
Sheriff’s office before transporting Junior Simms. The dispatcher
turned down their request because the jail was at double capacity
already. Then were told to deal with it themselves.

Downtown Moose Creek once had a courthouse,
town offices and a jail. After the new modern offices were built,
the building was sold and has been the Down Riggers Bait and Gift
shop for two decades. Part of the gift shop includes the old jail
cell on the lower level. Ken contacted the owners this morning and
asked to use the old jail cell for a few days. The owners
reluctantly complied. Ken went to Fram’s and got a chain and a
padlock to replace the dismantled old locks. It should help to keep
Junior secure while they decided what to do with him. Despite the
fact that they tried to keep Junior’s whereabouts quiet, word still
got out.

*

“Kathy? Bob?” I called out several times
while I pounded on their front door. After a few minutes, Bob
opened the door, the chain still engaged. When he saw it was only
us, he removed the chain and opened the door.

“We can’t be too cautious right now, you
know,” Bob explained when he saw me looking at the rifle in his
hand.

“No problem, Bob, I think that’s wise. Can we
come in and visit?”

He led us downstairs to the basement, which
was decidedly warmer than the living room, though still cool. Kathy
greeted us both with hugs and John set the picnic basket down on
the covered pool table.

“What’s this?” she asked.

“Well, we needed to get out and I thought it
would be nice to visit,” I replied while I unpacked pasta, sauce,
corn, canned salmon, eggs and bread. “And bring dinner with us.
Hope you don’t mind the intrusion,” I said, which got a laugh out
of both of my friends.

We cooked the pasta on the grill then poured
the sauce into the same pan to heat. After slicing up the bread, we
took our full plates and sat near the fireplace to eat.

“In spite of what a simple meal this was,
Allexa, it sure tasted wonderful,” Kathy remarked as she sopped up
the last of the sauce with a piece of bread and Bob poured more
white wine for all of us.

The guys had just stepped out to the enclosed
porch for a cigar when we heard the gun fire.

John rushed back in, his calm buzz gone.
“That sounded like a .22! And it was close.” Another shot rang out,
then another. “A .223 and a .38.” John could distinguish the
sounds, which surprised Bob.

“Three different calibers. Someone might need
help,” I said.

Bob looked at Kathy, “You stay here, please!
And lock the door behind us!” He looked at us. “What do you
have?”

When I told him that we both had nine-mils,
Bob grabbed another rifle and handed it to John. The three of us
left the basement, went upstairs and out into the street. When we
cleared the tree line, the frozen grass crunching beneath our feet,
we saw a group of guys with rifles or clubs in hand, running in all
directions from the gift shop. One stopped and looked at the three
of us. Bob and John instantly leveled their rifles at him. The guy
turned away and ran down the street away from us.