"Okay, since we didn't get very far at the hospital, let's start again from the beginning."
Crane McFadden reclined in bed on a stack of pillows. He regarded Deputy Will Hastings. The officer had tried to get a statement from the third McFadden the evening before, only to have oldest brother Adam bring the proceedings to a premature halt when Crane became upset. Now, Adam and Brian sat on Daniel's bed, anxious to hear the details of their brother's assault but wary of his having to relive it so soon after the ordeal.
Crane cleared his throat, speaking slowly but deliberately. "I know you need a statement, and I want to get it over with, but like I told you before, I didn't really see their faces so can't identify them."
The deputy sat at the foot of Crane's bed. "We need whatever you can tell us. There's no rush, so take it slow. We want to be thorough, but if you need a break, just say so."
Crane nodded.
Will looked at his notes. "Okay, you said you left here about one yesterday afternoon to go to the county assessor's office?"
"Um hmm."
"Then?"
Crane fidgeted. He slipped a finger underneath the binder around his chest. All of a sudden it seemed tighter. "Um." He coughed. "I had an appointment at two, and we were done about a half hour later." He coughed again. "Then I went to Angels Camp to pick up tractor parts."
"About what time was that?"
Crane winced as he shifted position. "Probably about three thirty or so."
Will looked up from his notebook. "Okay. Then?"
"I drove from the tractor supply into Angels Camp to go to the book store." Crane stared straight ahead, as if seeing the scene he described. "I started to walk down the block and stopped to look at something in a store window … near an alley … After a second I saw the reflection of two guys behind me in the window, one on either side." Crane's breath quickened. Adam moved to him, squeezing his shoulder in support. "It wasn't a mirror reflection where I could see them good, just … almost like shadows. One was taller than the other and had dark hair. Before I could turn around, I felt something jabbing me in the back and they told me to walk into the alley and not turn around …" He breathed harder.
Adam announced, "Let's take a minute." He grabbed a cup of water from the nightstand and handed it to Crane, who sipped slowly, finally letting out a breath.
Will waited patiently. In his years as a deputy, he found taking victim statements to be one of the more difficult parts of the job, and it was even harder when he had to put a friend through it.
"So I did as I was told and started to walk into the alley and …" Crane rubbed his temples. "They grabbed my arms and … pushed me further back."
A guttural sound erupted from Brian's throat. He exchanged a glance with Adam and edged forward on Daniel's bed.
Crane gulped. Adam sat next to him and asked, "You okay?"
"Yeah." Crane continued to stare into space as he spoke. "I fell but they … they picked me up and pushed again and we wound up … near a dumpster, I think. It all happened pretty fast. They really didn't say much. I figured they were gonna rob me and I started to tell them I didn't have my wallet on me."
Adam interrupted. "Where was it?"
"In my jacket in the jeep. I didn't want to be tempted to buy anything."
Brian quipped, "Nice to know you follow the advice you like to hand out to us."
Crane managed a tight smile before grimacing and fidgeting with the binder again. After a few seconds, he continued. "Anyway, they started punching and I tried to fight back, but …" He looked ruefully at his next older brother. "I might have landed a few but I'm not Brian." He paused. "After that it gets blurry, but at some point they forced a bottle down my throat. I couldn't breathe and had to swallow. Seemed like a lot." Crane frowned; he could almost taste it again. "Then I felt cold and wet … like they threw water on me." He started shaking at the memory.
Adam asked softly, "You want to stop?"
Crane shook his head. "After that I must've blacked out or fell asleep. I think I woke up a couple times and tried to yell for help, but I'm not sure anything came out." He blinked back tears. "Next thing I knew I was at the hospital."
Adam pulled Crane close, trying to stem his own shakes.
Brian stood. His eyes held fire, but he spoke quietly, "That's enough."
~~00oo00~~
After Will left, Adam and Brian sat with Hannah and Daniel in the dining room.
"I've read through the follow-up instructions, but I guess you two," Hannah indicated Adam and Daniel, "already know what it says."
Adam yawned. "Sort of, but since we were up all night, I couldn't tell you right now." He rubbed his face. "Hell, I barely remember what the doctor said, but maybe Daniel and I can piece it together. What do they say?"
Hannah yawned with the others in turn. "I think we all need to get to bed. Anyway, all it basically says is Crane should rest. We should give him meds for pain, and he can get up and move around if he feels up to it but should take it easy and follow up with Dr. Meade as needed, or at least in a couple of weeks to have the ribs looked at."
Brian spoke. "So, in other words, common sense."
Hannah looked at him. "That's about it."
Adam recalled, "And the doctor, I think, said he wasn't calling it a concussion but that Crane probably took a bump on the head and might have a headache for a couple of days."
Daniel added, "Yeah, and he said downing a lot of alcohol at once when you're not used to it could cause confusion."
Brian asked, "How high was the blood test?"
Adam looked at Daniel, who shrugged. The eldest replied, "I'm not sure he told us exactly, but he said it wasn't high enough to be considered legally drunk. Will told us last night that after he got Crane's statement, Charlie would look at everything and get back to us."
Brian seethed. "I can't wait to hear what he says. I want to get my hands on whoever did this."
Adam warned, "Bri, that's not helping."
"No, but it'll make me feel better."
"I know how you feel, but let's try to stay calm, okay. We have injured brothers and a ranch to tend to, in case you forgot." Adam sighed.
Brian frowned. "I know that, but …"
"I understand." Adam smirked. "You're not the only one around here with a temper, you know." He yawned. "Okay, what's next? Oh yeah, working out chores."
Hannah suggested, "Well, in the meantime, how about we enlist Evan to keep an eye on Crane? It'll save the up and down the stairs and give him something to do besides homework. Ford sees the doctor tomorrow and I think he'll be cleared to get back to regular activity. Guthrie should be good to go, too, if he works with gloves on. Same with Daniel."
The mention of his name seemed to wake Daniel from a trance. He stood and stretched. "I'm hitting the hay. I'll tell Crane to wake me up if he needs anything."
As they all got up, Adam said, "Wait. Before I forget, since we don't know what we're dealing with, I don't want anybody leaving the ranch alone." He looked at Brian as he continued. "We go in pairs, or we don't go. Understood?"
Brian sighed. "No argument from me."
~~00oo00~~
The next day passed without incident. Adam drove Ford and Guthrie to the school bus stop and waited until they boarded before he returned the short distance to the ranch, with Brian taking the after school duty. As Hannah predicted, Dr. Meade cleared Ford of all restrictions. With precautions for their injured hands, Daniel and Guthrie helped as they could. All in all, daily chores and some small projects got done, but bigger projects would have to wait until the McFadden crew was back to full strength.
Having gotten more mobile with his crutches, Evan spent most of the day keeping an eye on and helping with Crane. Otherwise, he lounged on Daniel's bed immersed in 'Moby Dick,' taking the time to read out loud to and asking Crane for clarification and ideas for his report. He smiled when a couple of his questions went unanswered when Crane nodded off to sleep. Laid up as he was the last few days, Evan felt better being able to contribute in whatever small way he could. He even ate his dinner upstairs to keep Crane company. Later, when Daniel went up to bed, he found little brother asleep. Not wanting to wake Crane or Evan but wanting to be there in case either needed anything, he grabbed a sleeping bag and camped out on the floor between the two beds.
~~00oo00~~
Late the following afternoon Sheriff Charlie Lewis drove up to the Circle Bar 7 just as Adam, Brian, and Daniel called it a day. They shook hands and welcomed him into the house, where Hannah had just come downstairs and Evan, Ford, and Guthrie tackled their homework in the living room.
After pouring coffee for everyone, Hannah shooed Ford and Guthrie to Ford's room to continue their homework.
"Aw, Hannah, I'm old enough," Guthrie protested.
"Not this time, young man." She pointed upstairs.
"Adam?" the youngest whined.
The oldest replied with a terse, "Upstairs, both of you."
"Come on, Guthrie." Ford gathered his school materials and led the march upstairs.
"And close the door," Brian ordered.
Those assembled downstairs watched the pair trudge slowly to Ford and Evan's room and shut the door. They did not wait for the sound of the latch before getting down to business.
Charlie scanned his notebook before proceeding. "Okay, we're still looking into things, but … I wanted to let you know where we are at this point."
"Do you have any suspects yet?"
"Brian, let's hear Charlie out, okay?" Adam eyed his brother.
The sheriff regarded Brian. "Sorry. The short answer is no." He reached for his coffee and took a sip. "First, Crane's case falls within the jurisdiction of the Angels Camp police but they've asked us to help out, so that's why you've seen us and not them. I've been in touch with the police chief over there, and the thing that struck us was the personal nature of the crime."
Adam's eyes narrowed. "What do you mean, personal?"
Charlie explained, "Where the assailant goes beyond the usual. For instance, if a person is assaulted and beat up, that's usually all there is to it. But instead of high-tailing it out of there, whoever did this took the time to force alcohol down Crane's throat and soaked him with it. That makes it more personal, and it's not normal."
Brian stood straighter. "You're damn right it's not normal! Neither is getting assaulted in the first place!"
"Bri!" Adam's verbal warning matched his icy glare.
Brian backed down and resumed his lean against the fireplace. His body language spoke frustration loud and clear. Hannah, Daniel, and Evan eyed both brothers but remained silent.
Charlie waited and continued. "Crane didn't say those guys were drunk. On the contrary, from what he said, they seemed very much in control. It's almost like they knew he's a stand-up guy with a good reputation and they were trying to make him look bad or discredit him in some way."
Adam's brow furrowed. "So you think they were after him and not just some random guy to rob?"
Charlie replied, "I don't know anything. We can only go by what we have to work with. But here, yes, my first impression is that he was targeted."
Brian opened his mouth to say something but stopped with a quick glance at Adam.
Charlie went over where the investigation stood. Angels Camp police had interviewed shopkeepers and passersby in the area and come up empty. However, as with Evan's incident at the fairgrounds, they hoped someone might remember something later and come forward. The sheriff said it was as if the assailants had the opportune time to strike, with either not many people around or at least those who were, were too preoccupied with their own errands to notice anything.
Daniel interrupted. "So the attack happened in broad daylight and nobody saw anything? That's hard to believe."
The sheriff pulled a typed form from a folder and reviewed it. He regarded Daniel. "From what Crane described to Will here in his statement, there was little warning, and even if passersby did notice three men walking into an alley, they probably thought little or nothing of it." Charlie sighed, glancing at the five McFaddens in turn. "Like it or not, that's pretty normal behavior. When any of us are on the street, I doubt we notice anything unless it's out of the ordinary."
Hannah corroborated, "Unfortunately, that's true."
Adam spoke. "Charlie, you mentioned some kids were arrested?"
"Yup. Those three kids were caught in the act and arrested, but their descriptions don't fit with the little Crane was able to tell us in terms of identification. Plus the timeline's off. Crane said it was about three thirty and those kids were in after-school detention, so they have an alibi. We're back at square one."
Brian threw up his hands. "Unbelieveable!"
Everyone paused a moment before Adam remarked, "I know Crane didn't really see the guys, but he did say one was tall with dark hair. Why aren't you looking for somebody matching that description?"
The sheriff chuckled and raised a brow.
It was now Adam's turn to raise his voice in frustration. "There's nothing funny about this, Charlie!"
The lawman retained a smile as he spoke. "Adam, you're right, but I have two men with that description right here in this room. Am I supposed to arrest you and Brian?"
Adam shook his head. "Sorry. I guess this whole thing is screwing with my thinking."
Guthrie appeared at the upstairs railing overlooking the living room. "Yeah, Adam, that sounds like the guy who tripped me. He was tall and had dark hair, too."
Adam's eyes widened. "Squirt, you were told to close the door!" He paused as a thought hit him. "What do you mean, the guy who tripped you?" He waved the youngest to come downstairs, adding, "Ford, you might as well come, too."
All looked at Guthrie with interest. Adam rose and motioned the youngest to take the vacated seat. He repeated, "Who tripped you?"
"This guy in town."
Charlie asked, "In Murphys?"
"Uh huh. Evan and me were running errands after school and …"
"Was he tripped on purpose?" Adam turned to Evan, who listened from the couch.
Evan explained, "I wasn't there when it happened. Guthrie went back to the hardware store for a box of nails and tripped on the way back. He told me about it but also said he was reading and not paying attention."
Guthrie defended himself. "No, Evan. I told you I was sort of watching where I was going and the guy was just sitting on the bench and put his foot out when I got there."
Adam asked, "Evan, why didn't you say anything at the time?"
Now it was Evan who felt attacked. He blurted out, "Because it didn't sound like anything important. Guthrie was reading while he was walking and admitted he wasn't paying attention and it might've been an accident. I figured maybe the guy didn't see Guthrie, either." Coming up for air, he continued, "Adam, you always say to give the other person the benefit of the doubt, and there seemed enough doubt to Guthrie's story, so I didn't think too much of it. Besides, Guthrie said the guy walked away and he didn't see him when he got up."
The eldest agreed. "Sorry, squirt, but it does sound like carelessness on your part, but I'll leave it to Charlie to decide." He turned to the sheriff. "What do you think? Just another accident, or is there something to it maybe?"
Charlie's brows knit together. "It was before any of this really started happening, right? Before the cinch broke on Evan's saddle?"
Evan replied, "Uh huh, the day before."
"So it's probably just coincidence like you thought. But I guess it wouldn't hurt to see if Guthrie can give us a good description, just in case. But I doubt it amounts to anything."
Guthrie interjected, "I remember what he looks like."
Brian reasoned, "But, like Charlie pointed out, there's a lot of us who are tall with dark hair. Adding color of eyes or a scar here or there probably won't help much."
Guthrie moped.
Adam squeezed his shoulder. "You did good, Guth." The eldest turned to the sheriff. "Anything else?"
"That's just about it." Charlie glanced at his notes. "There is one other odd thing I have to ask Crane about."
Hannah said, "He's asleep. I just checked on him. What is it?"
"As you know, we try to cover everything, no matter how unimportant it seems. I talked to the clerk Crane spoke to at the county assessor's office, and he said when they were done, Crane asked him what phone number their office might have for the state athletic commission. Crane told the guy he'd called the number in the phone book and left a couple of messages, but nobody got back to him. The clerk remembered it because no one's ever asked him that before. Do you know why Crane would be interested in that?"
Adam shook his head. "I have no idea. Bri? Daniel?"
Both shrugged their shoulders.
Evan paled. "Adam?"
"Yeah?"
"There's something I have to tell you."
