Authors: Marianne Spitzer
She snapped, “Not in that broken chair. After
yesterday, I’ve been through enough. I’ve tried to help you, but you aren’t listening.”
“I don’t believe you Annamarie, and I’m going to hold you for forty-eight hours as a material witness.”
“What?” she practically screamed. “You’re going to put me in a jail cell for two days because I don’t know what’s going on?”
“That’s about right because while you may or may not know anything, Daniel and Garret do. With you here, Daniel will come in and talk to me.”
Annamarie began to cry, even though she tried hard to stop, saying through her tears, “You can’t hold me. Ben’s funeral is tomorrow. I have to go.”
“I can hold you and I will.” The sheriff leaned back in his chair appearing not to care about her plight.
“I want my phone call.” She needed Mr. Townsend there now.
“You can be held for forty-eight hours without a phone call. However, since your dad and I are close friends, I’ll call him so your parents won’t worry.”
“I have to let Daniel’s family know. They might find him. They’ll be terribly upset.”
The sheriff snapped, “I don’t care what the
Logans think.”
He was doing this his way.
They both knew Daniel would find out she was in jail. She wasn’t going to share the rest of the information she had. She no longer trusted the former friendly law officer.
***
The sheriff escorted Annamarie back to the cell and opened the door. She had never been so scared in her life. She could see Greta standing at the end of the hall looking stricken. Neither she nor Annamarie could believe what was happening.
The sheriff said, “I don’t think you’ll run.” He slid the door closed, but left it unlocked.
It didn’t matter. She was in a jail cell, Annamarie Logan of all people. She decided if Daniel wasn’t dead, she might kill him herself.
She looked around the small cell. Even though she wasn’t claustrophobic, she felt the space closing in on her. She knew the door wasn’t locked, but that didn’t matter. She was in a jail cell and forty-eight hours seemed like an eternity.
Checking out her surroundings only made her feel worse. The walls were painted the same ugly green adorning all the walls in the station. She wondered what they had looked like with fresh paint. She couldn’t believe she was studying the paint. Ten minutes in a cell and she was losing her mind. She wanted to scream, but quickly decided against it. It would only prove she was as crazy as people thought Daniel was. Annamarie and Daniel would be the “crazy couple” of Timmus Woods. What a legacy that would be.
She sat on the lone bench and watched an odd-looking bug crawl across the painted black cement floor. She wanted to go home, and took out all her frustrations when she stomped the bug into its afterlife. She didn’t want to think of what the bathroom looked like. She couldn’t stay here. In forty-eight hours, her nerves would be completely shattered.
The cell door wasn’t locked. Maybe she could sneak out through the back door. The door probably had an alarm. She wouldn’t get far. She felt trapped again.
What if she became hysterical? They’d take her to the hospital.
No, they wouldn’t. Knowing the sheriff, he’d call Dr. Norse. She’d get a shot of something and still be there but in some odd, altered state of reality. She decided awake was better. She also decided she was spending too much time thinking about herself and her problems.
Trying to work off her tension, she began to quickly walk in a circle. A brisk walk always helped her clear her mind. It wasn’t helping much in the confined space.
Daniel could be hurt or dead and it was time to stop worrying about her problem. She let her anger grow because it overshadowed her fear, and she was going to be ready for whatever came next.
“Sheriff,” Greta said, “a call just came in about Garret
Frant’s Bronco. It was found on its side off Tangledbranch Road, about a half mile east of the saloon. The caller said it’s damaged, but empty.”
Annamarie overheard Greta’s conversation. Her blood ran cold at the thought something happened to Garret and Daniel might be involved. She didn’t know whether or not Daniel was with Garret. She had no idea where he was. She realized there was more she didn’t know than she did know. She had to get out of the cell.
Annamarie sat back down on the hard jail cell bench and felt terrible for thinking about killing Daniel. She’d never do that for any reason. Her fear Daniel might be dead was taking over her thoughts. What her next move would be perplexed her even more. She heard George’s voice booming from the waiting area.
He was yelling at Sheriff Richardson to let Annamarie out of the cell. She didn’t know what the sheriff was saying, but from George’s end of the conversation, she could tell he wasn’t listening to George.
“Forty-eight hours? Are you mad? You can’t do that to an innocent child.”
Straining to hear more of the conversation, she heard a familiar voice say her name.
“Annamarie.” It was her dad.
She jumped up and ran to the bars separating them. Seeing the sadness in his eyes, she explained she hadn’t done anything to warrant being held in a cell.
“I think the sheriff hopes my being stuck here will induce Daniel to tell him what he wants to know. I’m not sure Daniel cares enough to help me.”
Then she did something she had rarely done her entire life. She lied to her dad.
“Dad, I have no idea what happened at the cabin.”
It wasn’t the truth, but it was something she had to do.
“Daniel was home when I woke up on Sunday morning.” At least that was true. “I know he’d never hurt Ben.”
“I agree Daniel would never hurt Ben intentionally, but accidents happen. My mind is wide open when it comes to what he’s capable of doing.”
“He’d never do anything to Ben. I know it.”
Seeing Annamarie sitting in a jail cell didn’t help his demeanor, and he began to tell her what this was doing to her mom. His lecture was interrupted by George’s voice again.
He bellowed, “What do you mean you’re leaving, and Annamarie is staying here? I don’t care whose car was in an accident. You get my daughter-in-law out of that cell now, or I’ll have your job.”
The sheriff must have left because it became extremely quiet in the outer offices.
George walked down the hall to Annamarie’s cell. He said, “I’m sorry. There’s nothing I can do to get you released. The sheriff is sure Daniel will come to the station and talk since you’re being held.
Annamarie realized it was time she told her dad and George at least part of the story. She explained about the strange phone call last night and how Daniel had left in her car.
“Your car’s in the lot at the agency, and Daniel’s Jeep is gone,” said George.
Annamarie was more confused than ever. “Please find him,” she begged George, “or I’ll be here for forty-eight hours.” She turned trying not to let them see how frightened she was.
George didn’t think the sheriff would keep her if Daniel showed up by tonight. It was only a ploy, he explained. Hoping he was right, she knew she might be in more trouble than she’d ever thought possible. Worse, she was sure Daniel was in even more.
***
The sheriff had the same thoughts while he drove toward Tangledbranch Road. He knew legally he could keep Annamarie in jail. He also knew if Daniel didn’t show up by nightfall, he wasn’t coming. The sheriff didn’t have the heart to let Annamarie spend the night in a cell. He hoped Daniel would come in and if not, once he came home, Annamarie’s few hours in jail would scare him enough to tell the truth.
***
Annamarie’s dad asked Steve for a chair because he wasn’t going to leave her alone all night. Steve told him the cell wasn’t locked and he was welcome to sit with Annamarie. She was happy when her dad pushed the door open, walked in and sat down next to her. She cuddled up to him, her head on his shoulder.
“Dad, I’m afraid the sheriff will come up with another idea and arrest me. If he thinks I’m hiding Daniel, or went up to the cabin with the guys Saturday night,
he will have grounds to arrest me for any number of reasons.”
Her dad put his arm around her. “Don’t worry. I’m sure he’s only trying to get to the truth, using desperate measures to achieve his goal. I’ve known him for years, he’s a fair man.”
Annamarie’s dad tried to lift her spirits. “If you want a reason to worry, imagine what your mom would say if she saw the two of us sitting here like hardened criminals.”
For some reason, his statement tickled her funny bone, and Annamarie began to laugh. He quickly joined her, and for a moment she relaxed. Then looking up, she saw her mom and Maureen standing outside the cell.
“What in the world is so funny you can laugh in this situation?” Maureen was gripping the cell bars so hard her knuckles were turning white.
She looked at her dad, and they both laughed even harder.
“Have the two of you lost your minds?” Paula crossed her arms, frowning disapprovingly. “My husband and daughter in a jail cell and you think it’s funny?”
Steve brought two chairs for Paula and Maureen, and the jail cell began to resemble a weird family reunion. Annamarie was sure George would join them when he was off the phone with Mr. Townsend. Greta popped her head in to see if they needed coffee, or if she should call Ray’s for some burgers, but they told her they were fine.
***
At the same time Annamarie and her dad were having their laugh, the sheriff pulled up to the accident scene where Garret’s Bronco lay on its side. The sheriff could tell from the tire
tracks whoever was driving had lost control, drove off the road into the field, and flipped the Bronco. He did his best to examine the interior of the car, and didn’t see any blood.
Annamarie wished she had known that. It would have given her some relief. The sheriff only felt more confused. Using his car radio, he told Greta to have the Bronco towed back into town. He wanted it in the lot behind the station.
Something was wrong with the accident. It wasn’t like Garret to leave his vehicle. The tow truck arrived about thirty minutes later. The Bronco was righted and towed to the sheriff’s lot. The sheriff followed to be sure it arrived safely.
Before going to check out the Bronco further, Sheriff Richardson strolled into his office. Greta pointed silently toward the back of the station. The sheriff walked back to see the odd family reunion waiting to give him a piece of their minds.
***
Staring directly at
George, he said, “Heard from Daniel?”
“Not a word.”
Sheriff Richardson leaned against the wall for a minute thinking about the situation. He knew the entire town was already buzzing about how he’d arrested Annamarie. No one cared about the difference between being held as a material witness and being arrested. It was all the same to them. If Daniel were anywhere close, he would have heard the news. He would have called his father or shown up thinking his name alone would get his young bride out of jail. Neither happened.
The sheriff decided it was time to release Annamarie. His plan hadn’t worked, but it’ll send a message to Daniel that he was in control. He also knew George would keep his word at election time, and do his best to keep him from being reelected. He wasn’t worried about George’s opinion, but George would be sure to remind the voters how he had treated sweet Annamarie Logan. Keeping her in a cold, damp jail cell for no reason at all would fire up the voters against him. George would tell them the sheriff was losing his mind and any of them could be next. That would be the end of his career in Timmus Woods.
He looked at Annamarie saying, “You can leave, but when Daniel comes home your first call better be to my office, or you’ll be right back in this cell. Don’t even think about leaving town. I don’t want you helping Daniel or Garret. If they’re smart, they’ll come in and soon.”
Annamarie wanted to tell him what she thought of his demands, but agreed and left with her parents. She didn’t want to end up back in that cell.
***
If Annamarie had seen the dented Bronco with its broken headlights and torn
seats, she would have had the most fearful thoughts. She would have worried it was connected with Daniel’s disappearance. The sheriff had the same idea while he stood staring at the Bronco.
Sheriff Richardson walked to the back door of the
station and called for Steve to meet him in the parking lot.
Steve joined the sheriff as he examined the Bronco and noticed the same things the sheriff did. The passenger side of the vehicle was dented and scratched. Its windows were broken. What perplexed them both was the interior. It appeared everything not bolted down was removed. The seats and seat backs sliced open with a knife.
“Someone was looking for something.”
“I agree, but what?”
Leaning against the Bronco, the sheriff said, “Garret has to be in some type of illegal business. Since we never caught him, doesn’t clear him of anything. He may be working out of Oaklin.”
“I don’t think Garret’s clever enough to do anything on a large scale. He must be working with someone where he’s not well known.”