Deadly vendetta, p.9
Deadly Vendetta, page 9
As I tried to get my bearings and wipe the sleep from my eyes, I was shocked to see I had been asleep for twelve hours straight. I was disoriented, peaceful and distraught all at the same time, which left me confused and a tad anxious. Having been away from Luke’s for so long, it felt strange, in an odd way, but comforting, too. I clearly was having a hard time pinpointing my mood. Needless to say, I was still grieving for my father, and I doubted that would change anytime in the near future. One thing I was positive about was that my dream had left me hopeful.
After my Mom had been killed, I had suffered from repeated nightmares that were vivid and often left me shaken for days, but, over the years, as I learned to cope with her death, they had, thankfully, dissipated. Just recently, with my hospital stay, they had reappeared, and I was scared of what this might mean. So, to say I was relieved to have a happy dream was an understatement. I often struggled to remember my dreams, but this one was as clear as day, and I caught myself smiling from ear to ear. As of late, my life had been in shambles, so I was due some good news.
Making my way downstairs, I had a slight spring to my step, which I could attribute only to the possibility of a relationship with Quinn. My body was healing, slowly but surely, and I was happy to report it was making steps in the right direction. I ached for the time when this would be behind me, which startled me back into the reality that I still had not one clue as to why these unfathomable things were happening and what despicable person was responsible. The meeting Luke and I’d had last night with Lux and Quinn was a start. In the past, Luke and I would have tackled this together, but times had changed. He was getting up in years now, in his seventies, and I was—well, I was still physically a disaster, and, unfortunately, my mind wasn’t in tip-top shape, either.
Knowing that our meeting with Lux and Quinn had been set up for a couple of days in the future, I was surprised and curious when I heard voices coming from the den. I stopped and listened before rounding the corner to make sure Luke wasn’t in danger of any type. I despised that I questioned everyone and everything, but, unfortunately, we were all learning the hard way. This was something I was going to have to live with for the rest of my life, and I was more determined than ever not to have any more fatalities on my conscience.
The voices were male but didn’t sound angry. They were talking in a normal tone, which put my mind immediately at ease. As I strained to listen to what they were saying, I recognized one of the voices—it was that jerk of a deputy sheriff, Osborne. What the hell did he want? I didn’t like him, and, more than that, I didn’t trust him. I had inherited my good judge of character from my Mom, and this guy was screaming Bad News.
Luke saw me lurking around the corner and pleaded with his eyes to come save him from the men he was talking to. This wasn’t a good sign. “Deputy Osborne, what can I do you for?” I questioned. Hatred dripped from my words no matter how hard I was trying not to show my true feelings. I couldn’t help it, though. This guy had an attitude and clearly hated me as much as I hated him, if that was even possible.
I could tell I’d caught him off guard, as he jumped in the air upon hearing me speak. No introductions were made as to who the other guy was. He didn’t look familiar and was definitely not the short, semi-compassionate guy whose name was “Titus,” I believe, from the other day. He had probably lost his job for caring. As Osborne spoke, I saw a glimmer in his eye that told me he was enjoying himself—a little too much, considering what had transpired lately. I braced myself for what was coming and told myself that, no matter what he told me, I wouldn’t show any emotion. I was not about to give him the satisfaction.
“As I was telling your friend Luke, before you so rudely interrupted, we are investigating a murder. Or so it seems. There most definitely has been foul play involved. Tom Watson, the editor from the Pacific Sun-Times was found this morning in the park adjacent to the east side of the forest, with his throat slit. He bled out and was dead before anyone found him.”
I audibly gasped. My knees gave out, and I hit the floor. So much for my poker face. My mind was numb, and, as I tried to formulate a response, nothing came out. I looked at him dumbfounded and in shock. Was this because of me as well? Were these predators picking off my family and friends one by one? Wait—did he think I was responsible?
Standing with his right hand resting on his holster, his thumb gently massaging his gun handle, he smirked at me as his eyes shot daggers through my heart. “Preliminary reports show the time of death between nine and midnight. I’d like to know where you were last night between those times.”
I struggled to gain composure as I managed to utter “Are you serious? You really think I am capable of murder? And a friend at that? You must be out of your mind!” I was enraged and on the verge of losing my temper when Luke jumped to my defense.
“Jonathan doesn’t have to answer your ludicrous insinuations. I can vouch for him because he was right here with me and our two private investigators for a good portion of the night. Now unless you have anything constructive to tell us regarding Michael Elliott’s death, you need to go. You are no longer welcome in my home!” Luke was pissed and trying to keep a level head, but I, once again, saw the telltale stressful twitch in the corner of his mouth. I took a step toward Osborne with my arms hanging loosely by my side, my hands clenched into tight fists, trying to calm myself. I started to speak, but Luke quickly intervened and told me I didn’t owe them an explanation. I listened; being an attorney, I knew this was solid advice.
Osborne and his cohort turned to leave but not before he pointed a finger in my direction, telling me to not leave town. “You haven’t seen the end of me, loser!” he obnoxiously proclaimed. And then he boldly looked us up and down before he spat on the floor by our feet. Luke made a move toward him, but I grabbed his arm to hold him back. It was better to let them go. A confrontation would get us nowhere quick and only cause the situation to escalate.
Mystified about what had just transpired, we stood in silence for a minute, staring at the space where Osborne had stood seconds before. All kinds of scenarios were running through my head, and none of them were good. “It’s apparent that I’m toxic and that everyone I come in contact with is in danger!” I blurted out. Sweat had started to run down my back, making me feel chilled, and I had the sudden urge to vomit. As I ran to the bathroom, I tripped over a corner of the rug that was spread out, covering the hardwood floor throughout the cabin. What a klutz. I managed to get onto my knees before heaving uncontrollably. Luckily, I didn’t have anything in my stomach, so it was all for show, but it left me trembling and wondering what I could possibly have done to warrant these adverse reactions from others. Tom didn’t deserve this. But then, again, neither had Brie or my Dad. That was still assuming there was a correlation between the three and myself. Once again, I was reminded that Luke wasn’t allowed out of my sight and that Lux and Quinn needed to be warned ASAP.
Looking up, I saw a concerned Luke hovering over me, offering a hand to help me up. In the past, when times had gotten rough and we were left with questions about why, we had tried to find humor in the situation and, more times than not, laughed till tears ran down our faces. It was great stress relief, but, today I couldn’t even conjure up a smile. I was destroyed. I was confused, and I was mystified. But, most of all, I was heartbroken. Three deaths in a matter of weeks was daunting, to say the least.
“What is going on, Luke? I don’t think I can take much more of this, and the thought of anything happening to you is unfathomable.” He took me in one of his infamous hugs I had loved for years. For a second, I forgot about everything and reveled in the comfort of his embrace, feeling loved and cared for, but, above all, untouchable. I didn’t want it to end.
I took a second to look at Luke—really, really look at him. I took in every wrinkle he had so proudly earned and every scar that told a story. I looked deep into his eyes, all the way to his soul. It was as if, subconsciously, I was expecting something to happen. I wanted to remember everything about him, in case the unthinkable became a reality. His eyes were brown, like murky lake water, with gold specks that sparkled like diamonds. His hair had turned gray over the years and had thinned; tufts floated like gray clouds atop his head. His smile was so genuine and warm that you couldn’t help but feel his kindness and a sensation of being the most important person in his world. He was the most wonderful of humans, and he glowed with an angelic aura. I would rather die myself than let anything happen to him.
“Penny for your thoughts?” Luke inquired, bringing me out of my trance. “You were so intently staring at me, it was like you were memorizing every little detail in case something were to happen to me.”
How was he so wise and intuitive? Or was I that transparent?
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to weird you out. You know you mean the world to me, and, oftentimes, we take others for granted and stare past them instead of at them. I guess I somehow was searching for answers,” I explained. “After all, you are one of the most intuitive and smartest men I know. If anyone could have ideas about what’s going on, it would be you.” As much as I wanted Luke to have answers, I knew he didn’t—he would have shared them by now.
“Jonathan, what I want for you is to concentrate on getting yourself one hundred percent better. We will get to the bottom of this. I promise you, and you know that a promise is sacred to me. I don’t make them lightly. I make them only when I know I won’t have to break them.” Oddly, this made me feel better about things. At least the part about getting to the bottom of this fiasco. It would take way more than a promise to make me feel better about my Dad being gone. It would take a miracle for that to happen.
The rest of the afternoon remained drama-free. I was afraid to show my face outside, in case someone was lurking behind a tree, ready to end my life. I couldn’t and wouldn’t live like this. I was too young to become a recluse. Instead, I stood gazing toward the barn, watching the horses having the time of their lives in the spring air. Flowers were in bloom, welcoming a new season and new beginnings, but neither of these things was something I felt confident about.
Luke had whipped up some of his legendary chicken soup. He was convinced it was comfort food and good for the soul. I still couldn’t chew, but the broth was amazing and was just what the doctor ordered. We tackled my Dad’s burial and funeral plans, and I felt somewhat accomplished with the progress we had made. The sun made its way down behind the magnificent mountains that surrounded his property. The sky was full of stars, and, against my better judgment, I opened the door to stand on the porch to wish on one. This was something I had done for years. It started after my Mom passed, and it was something I still did on a regular basis. I found astrology interesting and was the proud owner of my very own star in the galaxy.
And that’s when I heard it—a terrifying scream that made the hair on the back of my neck stand up. Hearing this brought me immediately back to twenty years ago, when a blood-curdling scream started my investigation into the Mount Sierra serial killer. The scream was coming from the forest, piercing through the night, waking the animals from their slumber. I held my breath, waiting to hear another one, but all I heard were owls hooting in the distance and some bullfrogs croaking nearby.
I wanted in the worst way to grab Luke and our forest gear, and head out, but I listened to reason and instead walked inside to find Luke in the kitchen, stirring a pot of hot chocolate over his Wolfe stove. I contemplated not telling him, partially because I knew he would feel like dropping everything and venturing out. I hesitated because I wasn’t sure he was physically capable of it. The last thing I wanted was to put him in harm’s way. If I knew him like I thought I did, he wouldn’t want to let me down and would hide how he was feeling, to his detriment.
Instead, I sat down and began to beat my fingers against the table out of nervousness and pent-up energy. Subconsciously, my knee joined in, and my mind started to go places that were unthinkable. As much as I liked a good adventure and always thought Luke and I would take another together, I was still haunted by what had transpired years ago in the same forest. The darkness of the forest and dense tree cover partnered with the fact that it was off the beaten path and made it a perfect backdrop for gruesome activity.
The more I sat and thought about the scream, the more my mind questioned it. Was I imagining it? Was I making it into something more terrifying than it was? Could it have been an animal and not a human? I had been off my drugs for a while, allowing me to think more clearly, but I was on edge over just recently finding out about Tom and being accused. I was so absorbed in my thoughts. Going places I shouldn’t, I didn’t even notice Luke standing over me with a mug of steaming hot chocolate. I wasn’t sure how long he had been standing there, but his glasses were fogged up, and he had a puzzled look on his face.
“What has made you a bundle of nerves and lost in space that you didn’t see me?” he asked. He delicately placed the mug in front of me as he eased himself into the chair opposite me, groaning as if he were in pain.
“Forget about me, old man,” I joked. “What’s with the groan? Is there something you’re not telling me?” That’s all I needed on my plate—worrying about Luke. Through the years, he had suffered a lot of physical pain, coupled with a great deal of emotional pain. He was a Gulf War veteran and had been injured in battle. Not that any pain was good, but I was hoping it was a flare-up of that and nothing new.
Luke began to chuckle. I loved his laugh. It shook his robust belly and, more times than not, got me to join in. “I see what you’re doing. You’re trying to make this conversation about me, when it’s you that we both should be concerned with,” Luke kidded.
Uh, oh—he was on to me. He wasn’t falling for my shit and shifted the conversation back to me.
With reassurances from Luke that he was fine—just old and arthritic—eased my mind a little. I wasn’t entirely sure he was telling me the truth, even though I didn’t see him lying to me, either. I caved, as I knew I would, and told Luke about the creepy, scary scream and asked what he thought it might mean. When I told him, though, I was wrong about his reaction. I initially thought he would be like me and want to investigate on the spot, but, instead, he approached it with a level head. Don’t get me wrong—he was plenty suspicious but knew the timing wasn’t right for either one of us to throw caution to the wind and take off exploring. He made a good point that I hadn’t considered, and wondered if it could have been staged. If we had taken the bait, the creeps could have been lying in wait to ambush us the second we walked into the forest.
After discussing this further, I had to agree with him. That’s precisely what was happening, I hoped, in a weird way. It was better than the alternative—that someone had been tortured or even possibly killed. I caught myself hunched over, wrapping my arms around myself in a hug. Just when I had convinced myself that it was only mind games, there was a loud bang outside the door that shook the windows. The entire cabin became illuminated in light, and we saw brightness—like something had been set on fire. Our first impulse was to run to the windows to look out, but even that simple act had to be considered. Was it another trap?
We both knew calling the Sheriff’s Department wasn’t an option. I wasn’t altogether convinced Deputy Osborne wasn’t behind some of this shady business. I wouldn’t put it past him. After all, he was the spawn of the devil himself. We tried to ignore what was going on, but as the light got brighter and our curiosity grew, we knew something had to be done. We were both sweating bullets and holding our breath, as Luke armed himself. We gave each other a thumbs-up, and, as I peeked around the curtains, I couldn’t believe my eyes.
There, before my eyes, was an inferno. Luke’s truck was engulfed in flames. The windshield had blown out, and intense red flames were licking the hood and sweeping across the body, leaving the tires melting and dripping into hissing puddles. I yelled at Luke to call 911, but, not hearing a response, I realized he was gone. A sudden chill washed over me as my attention was drawn to the entryway, where the door was standing wide open, and a blistering hot breeze was slapping me in the face. As I ran outside, I saw Luke frantically spraying the fire with a hose but not making a dent, as the flames increased and began to spread. I ran back inside, calling 911, hoping and praying that the fire trucks would arrive before the fire reached the cabin.
There was a sharp, acrid smell permeating the air that was beginning to burn my already-compromised lungs. My nose began to burn, and darkness began to close on me like a velvet curtain that signaled the end of a theater performance. I woke up with a start as I inhaled a strong ammonia smell. As my eyes began to focus, I realized I was lying on the couch in Luke’s cabin. He was standing over me, with my hand grasped tightly in his own giant paw. He was not alone, though, as a couple of paramedics, holding smelling salts, were hovering over me, taking vitals and asking me questions. Did I know where I was? What was my name? What day was it? That one stumped me because all my days had become a blur lately, one blending into the other.
I must have passed their test, because, after what seemed like a half an hour, they announced that I was free to stay here and that there would be no need to transport me back to the hospital. That was music to my ears. If I never saw that place again, it would be too soon. With my promise that I would see my regular doctor in the morning, they were off. That worked out perfectly, because I already had an appointment set up with Dr. GQ at 9 a.m. the next day.
