Justified killings, p.15
Justified Killings, page 15
“What happened at our graduation is inexcusable. I, and my administrative staff, will not tolerate any violence from any students, faculty, parents, or guests, during any school event, even when we are not on school property, and we plan on filing formal charges of disrupting the peace against the Major.”
“We will keep you informed as this story develops. To report on our upcoming forecast…”
Edward yanked the plug of the television out of the socket from the wall. “Fuck!”
Chapter 19
Jess and Tazz drove into Leesylvania State Park along Daniel K. Ludwig Drive on a Friday afternoon, parking in the lot near the end of the circle. “I think the park closes at dusk,” he mentioned.
“We’ll be leaving well before dark. The wake is tonight.”
“Oh, yeah.”
“I thought you never forgot anything.”
“Whatever.” He locked his side of the truck after grabbing a water bottle.
“No need to lock it. My side broke. It won’t lock. You know it costs like a hundred fifty dollars for a couple handles made in some other country? Crazy, huh?”
“Everything is expensive these days. I believe anything you want costs something.”
“Do you want to go to the pier, or find a bench?”
“Bench. The pier will probably have more people on it.”
“Bench it is. Follow me.” Jess started walking down a pathway.
“Do you know where you are going?” Tazz glanced at a marked trail map at the edge of the parking lot.
“Of course. We take Lee’s Woods Historic Trail about a hundred feet to the amphitheater then turn right on Wood’s Trail for about two football field lengths. That will take us to Scenic View Point.”
“Sounds like you have been here before.” Tazz walked faster to catch up to Jess.
“It is one of my favorite places. You’ve never been to the point?”
“Once before. I don’t think we’ve been here together.”
“We haven’t. Why is that?”
“We were always out on your boat.”
“That’s true.”
“Did you know the point overlooks where the Occoquan Bay meets the Potomac River? It separates Virginia from Maryland.” Tazz took a drink of water. “Want a gulp?”
“Sure.” Jess took a sip and sealed the cap. They walked almost to the point without saying anything else. There were birds chirping, flowers blooming, and a nice breeze blew cooler air from the north. “So why are we doing this?”
“Walking?”
“No, Tazz. You can’t deny it has been a crazy week. Your brother’s death, the graduation catastrophe, ditching a detective…”
“Jess! I get it. It’s been a week for the ages. I wasn’t coming to the point to relive it.” He was visibly aggravated.
“Sorry. I wasn’t trying to… Sometimes it’s good to talk about things that need talking about. Right? I find when I talk about things on my mind, it helps me organize my thoughts. Maybe find a solution to a problem, or how to handle a specific situation, or sometimes, just to get something off my chest. Unload. I know you know what I mean.”
“Sorry. I didn’t mean to snap at you. I’m listening.” Tazz smiled. “I didn’t know you could be so logical.”
“I’m not really. But I can fake it when I need to,” Jess responded with a big smile. There’s the benches. “Do you want to sit on the Paul Allen Marine’s bench? Or the Norman H. Tennant’s bench?”
Tazz studied the two benches, angled from each other in a shallow V shape from opposite front corners, both facing the water. “Let’s see. Paul Marine retired from the CIA. His family put a bench here in his memory because he was a Leesylvania State Park active volunteer. Like you, he enjoyed walking the trails. He died of a heart attack. As for the other bench, not much is known about Norman Tennant. He was born in 1931 and died in 1998. I suppose his family also put a bench here in his name. Families are doing this sort of thing today, especially if the deceased is cremated, and have no gravestone. It is a way to keep their memory alive.”
“How could you possibly know those facts? I’m calling your bluff. There is no way…”
“No way?” Tazz gave Jess a look and grinned.
“You do remember everything, don’t you.”
“It’s more a curse than a blessing, I assure you. Sometimes I wish I could forget.”
“I choose Paul’s bench, then, since he liked to walk the trails.” Jess sat down and patted the area of the bench next to her. “Look at that view.” He sat next to her and put the water bottle between them. “What do you want to happen to you when you die? I know we are too young to think about it. I plan on living forever. But have you? Thought about it?”
“More this week than probably all the rest of the times in my life combined. I think it is natural after losing someone you know.”
“Me too. I have thought a lot about it this week.”
Tazz took a sip of water and chuckled to himself.
“What?”
“Did I ever tell you about Richard and Leslie?”
“I don’t think so. Who are they?”
“Who was your third period history teacher your freshman year? Peterson, right?”
“Yes. It was. Peterson. I don’t remember his first name. I do recall he was weird.”
“Yeah. I also had him. He was weird. His first name was Richard. He was married to a woman named Leslie.”
“He was married? I thought he was gay for sure.”
Tazz chuckled again. “I was twelve the last time Pat and I did anything together. It was his twenty-first birthday weekend. I had biked over to George Mason to give him birthday presents from Maryanne and Katherine. He said he wasn’t going to be stopping by the house, and they wanted him to know they were thinking about him. It was a last-minute thing. Anyway, just before I got to his apartment, I got a flat tire. He wasn’t very happy to see me. After I gave him the presents, he shook the boxes, and guessed one was clothes, and the other video games. He set them on the kitchen counter without opening them. He said he was on his way to a party. I told him about my flat tire, and he told me to fuck off. He said it wasn’t his problem.”
“You are the smart one. Figure it out and fix it,” he said.
He grabbed his car keys and wallet and started to leave, but for some reason, stopped at his door and turned to me and asked me if I had ever been with a girl. I laughed and shouted back to him, ‘I’m twelve you moron!’ He laughed. He waved at me to come with him. So I did.”
“Where did you go?” Jess was intensely listening.
“We didn’t go to a party. He parked his Buick LeSabre in a dead-end circle off Waterway Drive in front of a house. He wouldn’t tell me where we were or whose house we were at, but only to follow him. Pat ran around to the side of the house. I apprehensively watched him. I admit I was curious about what he was up to. We crept past a couple windows into the backyard.” Tazz closed his eyes and shared the experience.
“What are you doing Pat? What house is this?” I shouted.
“Shut-up Tazz. What the hell dude?” Pat snuck around some bushes to the edge of a nice swimming pool. He took off his shoes, his socks, and pulled off his shirt, then his pants. He threw his clothes on a lounge chair, stepped onto the diving board, and cannonballed into the pool, making a huge splash.
“Oh that was quiet,” I said.
“What are you waiting for? It feels great! Strip down to the boxers and jump in.”
“Whose house is this?” I walked to the edge of the pool.
“Why do you care?” Pat swam under the water to the other end of the pool.
“Maybe because we are trespassing?”
“No one is home.” Pat seemed awfully confident.
“You sure? Then why do I have to be quiet?”
“There are neighbors you idiot. Don’t make any excess noise. Strip, Tazz. You’re not embarrassed are you?”
“No. I am not embarrassed.” I slipped off my sneakers, shirt and shorts.”
“There you go. Now jump in.” I didn’t even hesitate. I dove off the concrete deck into the pool and swam underwater to the other end and resurfaced. “Nice, huh?”
“Yeah. It feels great. Are you allowed to swim in this pool? Is it someone you know from your college? A friend’s house?”
“Hell no.”
“What? You don’t know…” Pat dove under the water again.
Pat surfaced at the other end of the pool. “I know who lives here. It’s Peterson’s house.”
“Peterson who?”
“Richard Peterson. The history teacher at the high school.”
“What! We have to go. We have to go now. I can get in so much trouble for this.”
“Relax. He’s at a school meeting. He won’t be home until at least ten.” Pat swam the length of the pool underwater. “Plus, he has a hot girlfriend. Or maybe she’s his wife. Not sure.”
“Are you crazy? Have you lost your mind?” I stepped up the side pool ladder and grabbed a towel draped on the back of one of the lounge chairs. Pat began to swim laps. “You’ve been here before, haven’t you?” He ignored me and kept swimming from one end to the other. “Hey! Pat!” He stopped swimming and flipped the excess water from his hair. “This isn’t your first time here, is it?”
“So what?” He continued to swim laps.
I put the towel around my back to dry it off more. A light from within the house turned on. “Pat,” I said in a heavy whisper. “Patrick! A light just went on in the house.”
He stopped swimming and wiped the chlorine from his eyes. “What?”
“Look! A light went on in the house. Someone is home.” Another light turned on in the kitchen.
“Excellent. She’s home!” Pat scrambled to the side of the pool making a lot of noise.
I grabbed my clothes and hid behind a couple bushes. “Hurry up! We have to get out of here.” Pat pulled himself out of the pool. The back porch light turned on. “Grab your clothes, Pat. Hurry up! Move faster.”
“Would you shut up! You have to see her body.”
“I don’t need to see her body. I am sure she…” We could see a woman in the window of the kitchen.
“That’s her. That’s Leslie.” She poured a glass of wine then disappeared from the kitchen. The bedroom light turned on. We watched Leslie unbutton her blouse. She slipped off her skirt, looked into her dresser mirror and pulled back her long blond hair, and took a sip of her wine, then turned toward the window and removed her bra.
“I am in love,” Pat whispered. The pool lights came on. “Here she comes.”
“Here she comes?” We were hiding behind a small clump of bushes.
She passed through the exterior double sliding doors from the master bedroom, carrying her wine, stopping at the edge of the pool, which was still very choppy from Pat swimming. She covered her large breasts with her arm. “Who’s out here?” She looked around her pool patio area. She observed the wet cement from the sides of the pool.
“She knows we’re here,” I whispered. “We’re in so much trouble.”
“Would you relax. I got this.”
“Got what? There is nothing to get. We are screwed.”
Leslie turned around and went back into her bedroom. “Did you see those tits? I’ll bet you have never seen a pair like that before. What’s your guess? Thirty-six? Thirty-eight’s? Definitely double D’s.”
“Can we go now please?” I slipped on my shirt.
“You are being paranoid.
“I’m not being paranoid. I’m being twelve. You’re a perv.”
“Funny. She does the same thing every time I am here. She gets a glass of wine, takes off her clothes, well except for her panties, walks out to the pool and asks if anyone is there. Every time.”
“How many times is every time?”
“At least ten. Let’s stay a few more.”
“No. We have to go.”
“There she is again. She’s coming back out. She has a towel wrapped around her. Quiet.” He moved some bush limbs to get a better view. I put on my pants and shoes.
“I have an idea. Stay here.”
“What are you doing?”
“Try and keep up. I’ll meet you at the car in a few. Get ready.”
Leslie stood on the first concrete step on the far end going into the pool. She slipped her towel off and tossed it on a lounge chair. She was completely naked. The curves in her body cast shadows across her tanned skin from the lights of the pool. Pat stepped from behind the bushes holding his clothes and walked toward Leslie. “You caught me. But you are so beautiful I couldn’t help but notice you.”
I couldn’t believe what my brother was doing.
“Hey!” Leslie screamed.
Pat panicked and turned quickly to run away but caught his foot on the leg of a lounge chair causing him to trip face first smacking his nose into the concrete. He screamed in pain. “My nose.” He laid on the concrete and clutched his bleeding nose. Leslie scurried from the pool and grabbed her towel. Pat started screaming my name. “Tazz! Where the fuck are you?” I stepped out from behind the bushes. “Tazz! Get me a towel or something.” I was scared shitless.
We didn’t bring our own towels, and I wasn’t about to use one of Leslie’s, so I pulled off my t-shirt. “Here. Use this.”
Leslie stood at the feet of Pat who had sat up and was holding my shirt on his nose. “What the hell is going on here? Do I need to call the police?”
“Sorry Mr. Peterson’s girlfriend. We were just…” I was so embarrassed I could hardly speak.
“We thought you were on vacation,” Patrick interrupted. “We were just taking a quick dip in your pool. It’s better if a pool is used. We didn’t mean to frighten you.”
“Bullshit. It’s better if a pool is used? What kind of crap is that? What were you two doing in the bushes?” Leslie had a very distinct English accent.
“Damn my nose hurts.” Pat folded my shirt over to an area not so bloody.
“Serves you blokes right. You were watching me swim naked, weren’t you? Peeping on me. Shame on you two.” She looked at me. “How old are you?”
“Twelve, ma’am.”
“Ma’am? You think I am a ma’am? Twelve, huh.” Leslie bent down to Pat. “Let me have a look-see.” He lifted the t-shirt from his nose. Leslie lightly touched his cheekbones. “It’s not broken. Just bloody.”
“How do you know?” Patrick replied.
“I am a nurse. Let me get you some ice. Wait here.” Leslie left for the house.
“Can we go now, Pat? She is probably calling the cops.” I tried to pull my brother up. “Come on. I was supposed to be home a half hour ago.”
“Leave now? Do you not like women or something, Tazz? Are you gay? Didn’t you see her tits? I’m not going anywhere.” He looked around at the pool furniture. “Help me sit on that lounge chair there.” I helped him to the chair.
“Come on Pat. We should go.”
“Tell you what…” Pat reached into his pants pocket and pulled out his car keys. “Here. Take my car and drive it home so you aren’t too late.”
“I am twelve years old. I can’t drive.”
“It’s easy, Tazz. Put the key in, turn it, start the engine, put the car in gear, and press the gas pedal to go, and the brake to stop. You don’t have to press the gas pedal hard. The more you push the brake petal, the faster you will stop. Move the wheel to steer. Don’t cut the corners too closely and drive into the curbs. That’s it. Park the car on the street at the house so dad won’t see you.”
“And what about you?”
“I’ll be fine. Leave the keys on top of the front passenger tire. I’ll pick it up later.”
“What if Maryanne or your dad catches me.”
“That would be bad. Don’t get caught.”
“But what if I do?”
“Tell them your bike had a flat tire and I had to drive you home. Then I walked to Chips house down the street.”
“I don’t know if this is the right thing to do.”
“Of course it’s not. Go. I’ll be fine.” Leslie came back out of the house wearing a white bikini. She was holding a small towel and a baggie full of ice. “Oh, one more thing. Don’t wreck my car.”
“Okay boys. I admit I am a little surprised you’re still here. So you two figured you could hide behind the bushes and get a peek, didn’t you?” We didn’t respond. “I suppose it’s natural for boys of your ages to want to see a woman.” Pat shrugged his shoulders and grinned. “You boys are naughty.”
I was so embarrassed. “We’re sorry. We will leave now.”
“Leave? Why? I thought you came for a swim?”
“Yes. That’s why we came,” Pat blurted. “For a swim.”
“Well, if you are going to use my pool, I should know your names. I’m Leslie.”
Pat looked at me. “That’s Tazz. He’s my stepbrother. I’m Patrick, but my friends call me Ricky.”
I gave Pat an odd look. I had never heard him refer to himself as Ricky before.
“I like your accent. Are you from England?”
I rolled my eyes. Sometimes Pat said some obviously dumb things to try and impress someone.
“Yes. Warwickshire to be exact. Hello Tazz. Ricky. Now put this baggie on your nose. You should stay still for a few more minutes until the bleeding stops. I don’t want blood in the pool.”
“Yes ma… Leslie,” Pat replied holding his head back. “I’ll catch you back at the house Tazz.”
“Does Tazz have a ride home?” Leslie asked.
“Yes. He does,” Pat said before I could respond.
“It was nice seeing, I mean meeting you Leslie.” I was completely red faced.
“You too, Tazz.”
I waved to Leslie and Pat and left. Leslie waved back. “Your brother is cute. Keep that ice on your nose. I am going for a swim.”
Tazz opened his eyes and looked at Jess. “I got in Pat’s car, started it, and drove it home with no problems. I don’t think mom ever found out. That was the last time Patrick, and I did anything together. I’ll bet we haven’t spoken ten times in the past two years, until last weekend.”
