Blue Moon Rising: A suspense thriller (9 page)

CHAPTER 16

Dan slept restlessly as he tossed and turned the whole night through.

In his dream, Dan was walking down the dark country road, the full moon shone brightly in the distance. There was movement in the underbrush. Dan ran until he was out of breath. Suddenly there was a flash of light coming at him.

Dan suddenly sat up in bed. Lightning illuminated the room followed by the clamor of thunder, picture frames rattled on the walls. Dan had trouble catching his breath and wondered why that dream always haunted him when things did not go right.

* * *

Dan entered the Sheriff’s office. Mac was sitting at the radio. He turned to Dan and pointed to the cellblock door. Dan looked over in the direction Mac was pointing to. There, standing near the cellblock door with mop and pail in hand, was Ester Cratchet. She turned to Dan.

“Morning, Sheriff,” she greeted Dan with a big grin.

Dan turned to Mac and then glanced back at Ester, who disappeared through the cellblock door and shut it behind her.

“What’s going on?” Dan asked.

“Says you hired her.”

“When?” Dan asked.

Mac raised his hands. “Maybe the other day.”

“But there’s no money in the budget to clean this place.”

“You tell her,” Mac argued.

Dan raised his arms in frustration, and then quickly turned to Mac before Ester came back.

“How much is in petty cash?”

Mac opened the left hand drawer. He took out the old metal box and then opened it. Mac quickly counted the money.

“Fifty-five bucks,” Mac said, looking up at Dan.

Dan quickly reached into his pocket, pulled out a twenty, and tossed it into the open box.

“At noon send her home,” he pointed to the money before continuing. “This is all I can afford to pay her,” he added and then walked to the door.

“Where are you going?” Mac asked.

Dan turned back to Mac. “Remember, I got a murder to solve.”

He stared at Mac a moment and then pointed to the cellblock door, indicating for Mac to take care of the situation.

* * *

Dan parked the squad next to Alan’s car and got out. He walked up to the door and rang the doorbell.

Mabel guided Dan to the study. She tapped lightly on the door and then opened it. Unlike before, she did not announce Dan. Dan just walked in and stared at Alan, who had a magnifying glass in one hand while holding a tweezers with a stamp in the other.

“I’ll shut the door,” Dan said, turning back to the door.

Alan set both stamp and magnifying glass down. “This isn’t social, then?” Alan asked.

Dan shook his head. “Hardly. We have to talk,” he said.

Alan folded his hands and then looked up at Dan. “Should I have an attorney present?”

“Depends if you’re innocent or not.”

“What if I just want one?”

Dan motioned to the phone. “Be my guest,” he said, studying Alan for the longest time. “Is this what you do all day?”

“I don’t know what you mean.”

“Stamps, nothing. You wanted to become a doctor, to help people.”

“People can’t be helped,” Alan said irritably as he stood and walked over to the fireplace. “Oh sure! You can correct what ails them,” he continued. “But you can’t do anything for what’s wrong up here,” Alan pointed to his head.

“So become a shrink.”

Alan rolled his eyes, realizing Dan did not have a clue. “You wouldn’t understand.”

“What happened that night twenty years ago?”

Alan waved his hand as if dismissing Dan. “Is that why you’re here?”

“Buzz is dead.”

Alan tried to hide his surprise. “So!”

“Something was bothering him.”

“And you think I have the answers?”

Dan looked hard at Alan. “What happened that night?” Dan asked pointing a finger. “I’ll find out and when I do you’ll be sorry.”

“Can’t be any worse than the hell I’m already in.”

Dan stared at Alan for the longest time and then turned and walked out in disgust. Alan was so unlike the cocky kid he knew in high school. He seemed a broken man now, and Dan wondered how someone who had everything going for him could waste it all away and have nothing to show for his time on Earth.

CHAPTER 17

Dan unlocked the front door and then walked in. He quickly put his gun and hat on the rack at the door. He hurried to the bedroom and once there went to the top dresser drawer. He took out the pocketknife and put it in his back pocket and walked out.

Kelly was standing at the sink washing dishes when Dan walked in. He glanced at the table, where the puzzle was almost complete. Kelly turned to her father.

“Do you want lunch?” she asked.

Dan walked over to the fridge. He opened the door and just stared for a moment. “I’m not hungry.”

“What are you doing home then?”

Dan shut the door and then turned to her. “Can’t I stop in to see my favorite girl?”

“Yeah, right,” she said, rolling her eyes. “You’re checking up on me?”

“Not on you in particular.”

“Then what?” she asked looking at him with concern.

“There’s a lot of crap going down lately.”

The front door opened. Dan turned to Kelly as he listened closely.

“Are you expecting someone,” he asked.

Kelly shrugged. “No, maybe it’s Ms. Witherspoon with another tuna casserole?” Kelly mocked.

“So soon after the last one. How can I be so lucky,” he laughed.

Kelly wiped her hands and walked out of the kitchen. Dan leaned on the counter and just watched her disappear around the corner. He did not want to see Ms. Witherspoon and knew Kelly would make sure of that.

* * *

Kelly walked into the living room and froze when she saw Alan Maxwell taking her father’s gun out of the holster.

“Hey!” she yelled.

Alan held up the gun quickly and pointed it at Kelly. “Where is your father?”

“Dad,” Kelly yelled. “Someone is here to see you.”

Alan quickly grabbed Kelly by the arm and pulled her to him. Dan walked into the living room. He stopped suddenly when he saw Alan, who had the gun in one hand and Kelly pinned with the other.

“Alan, you don’t want to do this,” Dan warned.

“You just wouldn’t leave well enough alone,” Alan replied shaking his head.

“All I wanted to know was what happened to Jason.”

“It was a long time ago. We had no idea, and everything was out of our control.”

“You talking you and Buzz?”

“I’m not saying anything more.” His face turned ugly. “Jason deserved what he got.”

Dan was concerned and feared what Alan might do to Kelly. He wanted to keep Alan talking until he could get the upper hand and somehow get Kelly safe from harm.

“You have to tell me what happened.” Dan kept pressing.

“Wasn’t natural,” he said and then looked at Dan with pleading in his eyes. “All I need is a little time.”

Dan held up both hands. “Leave Kelly out of this.”

“You wouldn’t let it rest. You are just like Kay, you just had to keep digging into the past.”

Alan bringing up Kay puzzled Dan and he wondered what he meant by her digging up the past. She was an investigative reporter and didn’t share a lot of what she was working on with him until she completed the story.

Dan moved slowly toward Alan. “The past and the present are one. There’s been a string of unsolved murders throughout the state. What started twenty years ago didn’t end with Jason. It only got worse.”

“You don’t know that for a fact,” Alan snapped.

“I have proof, so if you know something, talk to me. We can work out a deal.”

“I can’t,” Alan said.

“We’ll work through it.”

“If you only knew.”

“Knew what?”

“It’s not just the boys, it was Kay too.”

“Why bring up Kay?” Dan asked.

“You really don’t know, do you?” Alan said with a sarcastic look on his face.

Dan’s face flushed at the mention of Kay’s name. It had always bothered him about the brakes, but it was a guilt he had to live with every day. That it was his fault his wife was dead.

“It was an accident.”

“Yeah, right, keep thinking that. I used to think you were smart.”

Dan lost control at that moment and grabbed hold of the gun. But Alan was too quick and hit Dan across the side of the head with the butt end of the gun. Dan went down. Alan kicked Dan in the rib cage while Kelly struggled to free herself, but could not break Alan’s hold on her.

* * *

Dan groaned in pain as he slowly came to. His hands were tied behind his back. He struggled but it was useless. The car engine starting out front and tires squealing caused Dan to sit up. Dan continued to struggle to free himself and finally he managed to get one hand in his back pocket. He pulled out the pocketknife. Opened it quickly and slowly managed to cut the rope.

Once free, he raced out of the house. He glanced down the street and saw Alan’s car turning the corner. He quickly got into the squad. Thankful that Alan did not have the fortitude to disable it as someone did on the Bayou earlier.

Dan sped through city streets and finally gained on Alan’s car. Dan could see Kelly in the passenger seat. She turned around and Dan saw the frantic look on his daughter’s face. He just prayed that Alan wouldn’t harm her.

Alan headed out of town. He took turns too fast, fishtailing almost out of control, but then regained control of his car. When he passed Murphy’s place the squad was bumper to bumper with Alan’s car. Dan was not letting Alan take his daughter anyplace without putting up a fight. The dust seeped into the car. Dan quickly rolled up the window as he coughed almost out of control.

Alan was driving to the tall pines, puzzling Dan, not knowing what Alan had on his mind. Suddenly the brake lights came on Alan’s car. Dan slammed on his brakes too and barely missed hitting the Seville.

Alan grabbed Kelly and dragged her out of the car. He yanked her down the path toward the tall pines. Kelly struggled with Alan while being dragged along the path.

All Dan could do was watch from a distance. Dan finally got out of the squad. He was not going to let Alan take Kelly anywhere without a fight.

Dan held up his hands showing Alan he was unarmed. “Let her go,” Dan yelled.

Alan dragged Kelly along the path. All the while Kelly struggled to get free of him.

“Stay there. I’ll let her go when I get to the woods.”

“Where do you think you’re going?” Dan yelled.

Alan shook his head. “Don’t matter. Any place is better than this hell.”

“You aren’t taking Kelly.”

Alan raised the gun at Dan. Kelly grabbed his hand as a shot rang out but it still hit its mark and grazed Dan in the temple. Dan fell to the ground while Kelly screamed and struggled with Alan but to no avail.

Alan turned and hit Kelly with the butt end of the gun. He tossed his keys into the field and then fired a shot at the squad car’s front tire. Alan walked up to the squad and fired a shot at the radio.

Dan was face down in the tall grass pretending to be dead. He waited a while until he was sure Alan was far enough away so as not to put Kelly in further danger. In the distance Alan turned around and yelled.

“I never meant to hurt anyone,” he said in his defense and then turned around and hurried to the tall pines.

Dan slowly got up while Alan disappeared into the woods. He hurried over to Kelly where she was motionless on the ground. As Dan reached down, she finally started to come to. There was a trickle of blood coming from her forehead where Alan struck her with the gun.

“You okay, honey,” Dan asked.

“What’s the matter with him?”

“He did some bad things.”

Dan helped Kelly up. Kelly looked up at her father and saw the blood dripping down the side of his face. “You’re hurt,” she said.

Dan ignored her concern. He had a job to do, but right then he had to make sure Kelly was safe.

“You’ll have to go back to Murphy’s place and get help.”

Dan hobbled over to the squad. He glanced inside at the radio and then grabbed his billy club from under the seat. He helped Kelly over to Alan’s car. He looked in and saw the car keys were gone. Dan was thankful it was an older model Seville as he opened the driver’s door and then reached under the dash. Dan quickly hot-wired the car. Kelly just stood by and watched her father.

“You’re bleeding,” she said.

Dan wiped the blood from his forehead. “Murphy’s place is just down the road.” Dan said, while trying to focus his eyes.

“Come with me,” Kelly begged.

“No,” Dan whispered finally. “I have to go after Alan. What I need for you to do is go get help.”

“Daddy, I’m scared.”

Dan got out of the car, he shoved Kelly into the driver’s seat, and then shut the car door. Kelly looked up at him with tears in her eyes as she finally put the car into gear and backed up. She stepped on the gas and spun away.

Dan started walking toward the tall pines. He winced in pain from where Alan kicked him in the ribs earlier. Dan turned to see Kelly driving off down the road. He took a deep breath. The pain in his side caused him to double up for a moment. After he recovered, he quickly hurried in the direction that Alan had run off in.