A Love for all Ages (Crockett County Trilogy Book 1) (21 page)

This family lived honestly, no arrests,
Someone outside of the family had to
has been difficult for you, not knowing why you are stuck in this
limbo.
I will help you any way I can.”

Archie looks at Andy in the eye for a few minutes then nods
slowly.
Breaking eye contact, he turns to Stephanie, “Even if this
does not involve me, even if I am unable to go to Della, I want this to
be ended, keeping you safe is what is most important now.”

Feeling tears form in her eyes, Stephanie blinks.
“I know
you mean that and I really do appreciate this, but we need to help
you too.
There has to be a connection to you, we just haven’t
found it yet.”
Smiling through her tears she lays her hand over
Archie’s on the table, passing through his hand has her hand on the
bottom while his hand shimmers on top.
The soft whisper of
coolness from his hand helps calm her nerves.

Chase clears his throat to get their attention when everyone
looks at him he states, “The timeframe is what has us stumped.
According to the reports we have, the first murders happened 1950,
then nothing until three years ago, now in the last four months
there has been another murder and one attempted murder.
We
have to figure out why the long absence of activity surrounding this
house and this family."
Looking at Stephanie Chase notices her
face pale and her eyes widen as she listens.
Softly he tells her,
“Honey, I know this is about you and your family and hearing this is
stressful for you.
But we have to deal with this, you know that.
You also need to know just how dangerous this remains.”

Andy agrees adding, “We both feel this isn’t over.
You
continue to be in danger until we can solve the crimes and arrest
the person responsible.”
Looking at Stephanie he tries to stress
the importance to her, “There is a reason this family is targeted.
Until we know the answer, you will need to be careful.
Don’t go
outside alone; no matter the reason.
Either Chase or myself will go
with you.”

Listening to them, Stephanie realizes she has two
bodyguards, three if you count Archie which she did.
Thinking
about her life before she came here, she was a loner, she did what
she wanted when she wanted.
She was independent, now she is a
prisoner in her new home.
Bringing up her hands she covers her
face as she grasps her circumstances. Pondering on the past isn’t
going to help; she must put her basic character aside and adjust to
depending on others.
Admitting this isn’t going to be easy she
drops her hands in her lap, turning to face Chase she says, “I know I
have to stay safe, I am an adult, I understand this.
I just don’t
know how to be the Damsel to your Knight.”
On a nervous laugh
she concludes, “I may need reminding at times that I am under
police protection.”

Empathy for her fills him, “I know this is difficult for you.
We will get through this together.”
Chase smiles tenderly.
Archie moves to stand beside Andy, noticing Andy’s slight
flinch Archie smirks asking, “So what is the next move?”
All attention turns to Andy as he responds to Archie, “I think
we should check the car in the barn, this is just to re-verify the
conclusions we already made.
Then I think we need to
concentrate on finding evidence to solve Lee and Rebecca’s
murders. My instincts tell me, we need to start there.”
Turning to Chase Stephanie suggests, “Why don’t you two go
check the car now?
It’s still daylight, in fact will be for a while.”
Rising from her chair she goes to the freezer and begins searching
for supplies, “I think I am going to start supper.”
Turning from the
freezer she uses her hip to shut the door, placing the pork roast in
the sink she moves to the cabinet to retrieve the roaster pan.
Figuring keeping busy is her best choice of action right now.
Looking up she sees Chase watching her.
Andy agrees, “Your right.
We can go now, check out the
car then be able to have that part done and over with.”
“Now remember this is a cold case, it’s been over sixty years,
I don’t expect us to find much evidence.
But like Andy I think we
need to stay with this direction.”
Having said that, Chase moves to
stand in front of Stephanie, leaning down he kisses her lightly on her
lips. Raising his head, he winks. Turning on his heels Chase tells
Andy and Archie, “Come on men, we may as well get this done.”
Before leaving both Chase and Andy retrieve their weapons from
their holsters, they slide the guns in the back of their jeans.
Without a backward look, they walk out the door.
With the men gone, Stephanie finishes preparing the roast;
she puts it in the oven at 300 degrees to thaw as it cooks.
Knowing
this process takes longer she sets the timer for four hours.
Walking back to the table, Stephanie glances at the reports
laying there.
Leaving them as they are, she picks up her computer
deciding to work in the living room.
As Stephanie moves towards
the door the phone rings, changing direction she goes to answers it.
Hearing the voice on the other end of the receiver Stephanie
leans her hip against the counter waiting for Michael to take a
breath; allowing her to answer his questions he is rapidly asking.
Hearing a brief pause Stephanie injects, “It’s nice to hear from you.
Yes, I did send the rough draft to the secretary.
No, I haven’t
heard from the author.
Yes, I am almost done with the final
product.
And yes, thank you I am feeling better.”
Laughing she
adds, “Did I get all your questions answered?”
Michael joins in laughing; he knows he talks fast and doesn’t
give a person time to interrupt.
This is a joke through the office,
he blames this on being the youngest of eight children, he always
tells people he learned to talk like this growing up; otherwise he
would never get a word in the conversations.
After a few more minutes discussing the colors changes to
the book’s cover, Michael bids her goodbye.
Hanging up the
phone, Stephanie resumes her earlier quest heading to the living
room.
Sitting on the couch she opens the computer turning on the
power.
As she waits for the system to load Stephanie glances at
the portrait speaking to her Aunt.
“Well Della, I feel as if I am
getting to know you, with help from Archie and your diary.
You
were a remarkable woman.
The love you and Archie shared
transcends time and space.”
Sighing she admits, “Your love is the
kind I want with Chase.
A special kind of love; the kind of love that
last through the ages."
Checking the computer screen she notices it is loaded and
has started updates.
Scooting back on the couch, Stephanie raises
her eyes again to the portrait.
Since she has to wait for the
updates to finish their process, she decides to continue her one
sided conversation with her Aunt.
“Archie loves you, even now with him still stuck here and
you gone.
I feel he is here due to his guilt over his mission, he feels
as if he failed his men and his superiors.”
Not wanting to put
blame on Della but wanting to continue with this train of thought
she adds, “After meeting you he fell in love and then didn’t want to
leave because of you and his feeling.
Or I could just be wrong and
for some reasons only known to the power above, he is here.”
Shifting on the cushion Stephanie reveals to the portrait, “I
am in love with Chase.
Having given up on finding love, this came
fast and total unexpected.
I know he has feelings for me, I just
don’t know if he is in love with me.”
Closing her eyes briefly
Stephanie inquires, “How will I know if this is true love?
How do I
give my love to a man then trust him to care for it?” Laying her head
against the couch, she adds “I wish I had met you, I would have
enjoyed getting to know you as a person. I could sure use some
advice right now.”
Noticing her computer is done with the updates; she places
it on her lap and accesses her email account, needing to check for
messages from the current author she is working for.
After
reviewing the message with the change in colors and the lay out,
she closes her email account.
Opening her work folder with the
images saved for this book, she begins to edit the design.

As the men walk toward the barn none speak.
Archie floats
beside Chase with Andy slightly behind them.
Once they reach the
old tobacco barn, Chase slides the door open allowing light to flow
inside.
Archie leads the way to the back of the barn.
He stops at
the stall furthest from the door, inside is a car covered by a tarp.
Both men walk inside the stall moving to the front of the vehicle
they reach down lifting the tarp up and back from the car.

Whistling at the sight of the car Chase expresses to Andy,
“This car was a piece of work back in the day.”
He stands admiring
the 1948 Cadillac; even after decades of neglect the vehicle paint
would shine with a coat of wax and elbow grease.
With the same
kind of care the chrome would glisten like new.
Before the wreck
this was a classy car.
It showed the world the owner had money.
Back in the day this car represented wealth and power.

Both men walk to the front of the car, Archie stays just
outside of the stall, not wanting to interfere with their work.
Both
men look at the car now with trained eyes, seeing the front of the
car mashed in, they know from the pictures the car had slammed
into a tree.
However, the pictures did not prepare them for the
damage inflicted on the car and in turn the victims.
The passenger
side of the windshield glass was missing; a clear indication the victim
had indeed been ejected from the car.

Through mutual agreement they walk to the driver side of
the vehicle Andy opens the door and squats down to view the scene
in front of him.
Chase leans in over Andy; he notices the dark
dried blood on the steering wheel.
Observing out loud he states,
“The steering wheel kept the victim in the car, but unfortunately for
Lee it also killed him in the process.”
The size of the steering
wheel, huge by today standards, would keep a man from being
ejected through the windshield, but with the momentum of a car
going from 50 to 55 mph to a dead stop, the force of hitting the
steering wheel would crush a man ribs, causing fatal sever internal
damage.
Noticing the steering wheel knob, Chase voices his
speculation, “This would have cause the most internal bleeding.
I
think him hitting his head on the wheel is the cause for the dried
blood.”

Stepping back Chase strides to the rear of the car.
Andy
follows agreeing, “Most people back then didn’t wear seatbelts.
No laws making them do what is for their protection.”
Crouching
down he moves close to the bumper, scanning the area he smiles;
turning to look at Chase he tells him, “Look at this, its paint.”
He
points to a brownish mark on the bumper.
Upon closer inspection
Andy notices several places the paint had transferred when the
vehicles made contact, there is a dent on the driver side along the
back fender.
This too has paint transfer.
Standing up he states,
“This verifies what we already presumed, Della’s parents were
murdered.”

Chase takes a knife out of his pocket and rips a piece of
paper from his notebook; stooping down he uses his knife to scrap a
few fleck of paint onto the paper.
Folding the paper around the
flecks he places it back into his notebook.
Closing his knife Chase
slides it back into his pocket.
“This also verifies the Sheriff did not
do his job; anyone could have seen this was deliberate.
This car
was forced off the road.”

Archie floats to hover between the two men, leaning
forward to looks at the damage.
“Why would the Sheriff declare
this an accident?”
Straightening he turns to Chase, “Why did you
remove evidence from the car?
Won’t you need to send the car to
have it processed?”
Hearing Andy laugh, Archie turns glaring at
him then turns back to Chase waiting for an answer.

Chase clears his throat to keep from laughing and receiving
the same reaction from Archie.
After a few seconds he feels he
can respond.
“This isn’t the television shows you watched with
Della.
We don’t send the whole car to the lab, we send these
samples. It’s more cost efficient.” Glancing at Andy, Chase is
thankful he has recovered and no longer laughing.
Chase explains
to Archie, “The FBI will process these, they should be able to tell the
make and model of the vehicle, also with this much damage the
other vehicle would have also had damages, and we should be able
to find the owner when we know what kind of vehicle we need to
look for.”

From the next stall Chase hears Andy call out, “Man, Chase
you need to see this.”
Chase strolls to the next stall then stands
admiring the vehicle; the 1945 Chevy Truck is in mint condition.
Having been covered also with a tarp, the dust and grime could be
washed and waxed away.
Not taking his eyes off the truck Andy
asks, “Do you think it will start?”

Chase laughs, “You’ve got to be kidding.
It’s been sitting
for over sixty years.” Walking around the truck he wonders if it
would be worth the expense to restore it.
He has fantasized about
restoring an antique and this truck would be perfect for that project.

Archie is confused, trying to figure out why the men are
excited about this old truck.
Having never ridden in a vehicle he
couldn’t fathom the attention they give to this one.
After seeing
up close the damage to one and knowing the people had died, he
was glad to have only ever ridden a horse.
Remembering his Della
had never driven, and would only ride with certain people.
He had
never questioned her about this, now he ponders why she was so
determined not to drive. This being the circumstances before her
parents had died.
He also should have asked why she had the car
brought here after their accident.
Shaking his head he realizes he
just accepted Della decisions, he never questioned her.