Hi everyone, sorry it's taken so long to get ch 5 up. I've been very busy
lately getting back into the old Uni routine of up at dawn and sleep very
early. Chapter 6 is coming along now too, so it shouldn't be long before
that's up.
Happy reading!
Chapter 5 - The Back of Beyond
The train pulled into Magerville station at about quarter to one in the afternoon.
"Woah, this place is really like the back of beyond." Steve said looking around him.
Magerville lay near Coyote Lake, a tiny desert town with only the very base essentials: a general store, a small police headquarters, a smaller clinic, a pharmacy and of course, a bar.
The train's journey was delayed for about forty-five minutes all told, as the body was unloaded and moved to the clinic and while Jane handed over all the information she had collected.
"I'd call this a one horse town," said Jesse, "only a one horse town would have more horses. So much for hiring a car, Mark. You'll be lucky if you find one of them ole surreys, with or without a fringe on top!"
"Never mind that; I need some equipment for an autopsy, especially as I suspect an air embolism. I'll need an x-ray machine, a tank of water, and probably a million other things this place doesn't have. And without proper refrigeration facilities, the body will soon begin to deteriorate."
"I'll go and talk to the token cop, see if he can do anything to help."
Steve went to the station house whilst Mark and Jesse went over to the clinic to be with the body and Amanda took the boys to the general store to get sodas and snacks for everyone.
"Lieutenant Steve Sloan, LAPD homicide." Steve introduced himself.
"Officer Jake Lowe, Magerville. What can I do for you Lieutenant?"
"I was wondering if you could organise some transport for my friends and the victim to the nearest fully equipped hospital. We need x-ray facilities for the autopsy."
"Anything else, Lieutenant?"
"A couple of hire cars wouldn't go amiss. You surely have somewhere from which you can get a couple of hire cars?!"
Officer Lowe scowled.
"You'll be able to pick up a car in Cregtown, you'll be able to use the facilities there for the autopsy, it's a bit bigger than this place. I figured want to go elsewhere, most people do. I called the Cregtown precinct and they're sending over a couple of police vehicles and an ambulance to pick you guys up."
"Thanks." Steve looked a little taken aback. Despite his seemingly bad attitude, seen by Steve at the outset, this guy obviously knew his job and was efficient. Steve put down the negative attitude to the fact that he didn't appreciate being told his job by a city cop. Steve had to admit that he felt the same protective instincts over 'his patch'.
"Thanks Officer Lowe. How long?"
"About twenty minutes."
"Thank you. I'll go find my Dad and tell him."
Steve left the officer to what he had to do in terms of official police duty, even if it was only a riveting game of solitaire - well, in a one- horse town you can't even issue traffic penalties.
* * * * *
"Dad, Jess, you in here?" Steve called into the clinic.
"In here son." A voice called out of nowhere.
Steve went into a small, white room, lit only by a single fluorescent strip light. To say it was bleak is an understatement.
"He's not done much since we arrived." Said Jesse, obviously bored.
"That's because he's dead, Jess!"
"Honestly Steve, I don't know how you do this job day in and day out. I mean, it's hardly a thrill a minute, is it? Watching a dead guy all day."
"Hey. At least the dead ones don't usually fight back!" Mark nodded his agreement. He knew his son lived his job, but it was the cause of much worry to Mark. Deciding to change the subject Mark said:
"What were you doing looking in his shoe, son? It's not the first place you would normally think to check. Pockets, yes. Shoes, no."
"Using my powers as a detective." Jesse gave him a sideways look as Steve grinned sheepishly. "Actually, Amanda wanted me to see if there were any more marks on him before lividity set in to certain areas and distorted them."
"Ah." Mark nodded knowingly. All had become clear. "Anything?"
"No. there was just the mark on his arm."
At that moment, there was a call towards the clinic's small treatment room.
"Jesse, are you doing anything at the minute?"
"No Amanda. Only watching the dead g. Daniel Robinson."
"In that case, could you come and sit with Dion and CJ for me so I can come in and inspect the body."
"Sorry guys, duty calls." Jesse said, relief of the reprieve evident. "Don't worry boys, Uncle Jesse's coming. Now all we need is something to make it worth my while." Jess chattered as he walked to Amanda and the boys.
"Would a soda buy you off Jesse?"
"Is that all I'm worth to you Amanda, a soda. You think I'm that cheap to buy off, what kind of guy do you think I am?"
"One who's pushing his luck if he doesn't watch it!"
"O.K. a soda will have to do I suppose. I guess there's no candy bar to go with it is there. You know I can't drink anything fizzy without food."
"Jesse, you can't do anything without food. If you feel that strongly about it though, we did get a couple of bottles of water."
"Soda's fine. I'll just go and starve somewhere."
Amanda rolled her eyes and left Jesse and his minders to it.
"O.K. boys. What do you want to do? How about a nice game of i-spy?"
"Uncle Jesse, what could we possibly spy? There's nothing here." Said Dion.
"Look, I'll go first." Said Jesse, adamant they were going to play the game and twice as adamant that they were going to enjoy it! "i-spy with my little eye something beginning with 'D'"
"Dirt."
"Right CJ. Your turn."
"You take my turn Uncle Jesse. Please."
"O.K. if you're going to be like that, "i-spy with my little eye something beginning with 'D'"
"Dust."
"Right Dion, you got it."
"Of course I got it Uncle Jesse. There is nothing else here."
"Fine. We'll just sit here and wait then!" Jesse gave up and sat on the dusty ground resting his chin on his hand, his elbow in turn was resting on his knee. Looking at the dead guy was more exciting. He thought to himself. As he sat there, CJ and Dion shot each other guilty looks, but made the most of Jesse's despondence and sat in silence, one either side of him.
* * * * *
"Why do you think someone would do this Mark?"
"You know Amanda, I don't think we could even get close to guessing until we have spoken to Susan."
"Do you think the whole key to this case lies with Susan in Carmel?"
"No son. I think Susan being in Carmel has no relevance beyond the fact that she knows we'll find her there and it's far away from anything that's normal to try to alleviate some of the threat."
"Do you mean physical threat Dad."
"I don't know. Nor do I know if Jesse has accepted how much danger she could be in. I just hope nothing comes back and bites him."
"You think there's every risk of that, don't you Mark, given he and Susan's past."
"I'm afraid I do Amanda. Especially as in her note Susan wanted us to make sure that Jesse's safe. I'm very worried things might turn nasty somewhere along the line and if whoever is after Susan find out that she and Jesse were once a couple, it may provoke them to come after him too."
BANG!
Happy reading!
Chapter 5 - The Back of Beyond
The train pulled into Magerville station at about quarter to one in the afternoon.
"Woah, this place is really like the back of beyond." Steve said looking around him.
Magerville lay near Coyote Lake, a tiny desert town with only the very base essentials: a general store, a small police headquarters, a smaller clinic, a pharmacy and of course, a bar.
The train's journey was delayed for about forty-five minutes all told, as the body was unloaded and moved to the clinic and while Jane handed over all the information she had collected.
"I'd call this a one horse town," said Jesse, "only a one horse town would have more horses. So much for hiring a car, Mark. You'll be lucky if you find one of them ole surreys, with or without a fringe on top!"
"Never mind that; I need some equipment for an autopsy, especially as I suspect an air embolism. I'll need an x-ray machine, a tank of water, and probably a million other things this place doesn't have. And without proper refrigeration facilities, the body will soon begin to deteriorate."
"I'll go and talk to the token cop, see if he can do anything to help."
Steve went to the station house whilst Mark and Jesse went over to the clinic to be with the body and Amanda took the boys to the general store to get sodas and snacks for everyone.
"Lieutenant Steve Sloan, LAPD homicide." Steve introduced himself.
"Officer Jake Lowe, Magerville. What can I do for you Lieutenant?"
"I was wondering if you could organise some transport for my friends and the victim to the nearest fully equipped hospital. We need x-ray facilities for the autopsy."
"Anything else, Lieutenant?"
"A couple of hire cars wouldn't go amiss. You surely have somewhere from which you can get a couple of hire cars?!"
Officer Lowe scowled.
"You'll be able to pick up a car in Cregtown, you'll be able to use the facilities there for the autopsy, it's a bit bigger than this place. I figured want to go elsewhere, most people do. I called the Cregtown precinct and they're sending over a couple of police vehicles and an ambulance to pick you guys up."
"Thanks." Steve looked a little taken aback. Despite his seemingly bad attitude, seen by Steve at the outset, this guy obviously knew his job and was efficient. Steve put down the negative attitude to the fact that he didn't appreciate being told his job by a city cop. Steve had to admit that he felt the same protective instincts over 'his patch'.
"Thanks Officer Lowe. How long?"
"About twenty minutes."
"Thank you. I'll go find my Dad and tell him."
Steve left the officer to what he had to do in terms of official police duty, even if it was only a riveting game of solitaire - well, in a one- horse town you can't even issue traffic penalties.
* * * * *
"Dad, Jess, you in here?" Steve called into the clinic.
"In here son." A voice called out of nowhere.
Steve went into a small, white room, lit only by a single fluorescent strip light. To say it was bleak is an understatement.
"He's not done much since we arrived." Said Jesse, obviously bored.
"That's because he's dead, Jess!"
"Honestly Steve, I don't know how you do this job day in and day out. I mean, it's hardly a thrill a minute, is it? Watching a dead guy all day."
"Hey. At least the dead ones don't usually fight back!" Mark nodded his agreement. He knew his son lived his job, but it was the cause of much worry to Mark. Deciding to change the subject Mark said:
"What were you doing looking in his shoe, son? It's not the first place you would normally think to check. Pockets, yes. Shoes, no."
"Using my powers as a detective." Jesse gave him a sideways look as Steve grinned sheepishly. "Actually, Amanda wanted me to see if there were any more marks on him before lividity set in to certain areas and distorted them."
"Ah." Mark nodded knowingly. All had become clear. "Anything?"
"No. there was just the mark on his arm."
At that moment, there was a call towards the clinic's small treatment room.
"Jesse, are you doing anything at the minute?"
"No Amanda. Only watching the dead g. Daniel Robinson."
"In that case, could you come and sit with Dion and CJ for me so I can come in and inspect the body."
"Sorry guys, duty calls." Jesse said, relief of the reprieve evident. "Don't worry boys, Uncle Jesse's coming. Now all we need is something to make it worth my while." Jess chattered as he walked to Amanda and the boys.
"Would a soda buy you off Jesse?"
"Is that all I'm worth to you Amanda, a soda. You think I'm that cheap to buy off, what kind of guy do you think I am?"
"One who's pushing his luck if he doesn't watch it!"
"O.K. a soda will have to do I suppose. I guess there's no candy bar to go with it is there. You know I can't drink anything fizzy without food."
"Jesse, you can't do anything without food. If you feel that strongly about it though, we did get a couple of bottles of water."
"Soda's fine. I'll just go and starve somewhere."
Amanda rolled her eyes and left Jesse and his minders to it.
"O.K. boys. What do you want to do? How about a nice game of i-spy?"
"Uncle Jesse, what could we possibly spy? There's nothing here." Said Dion.
"Look, I'll go first." Said Jesse, adamant they were going to play the game and twice as adamant that they were going to enjoy it! "i-spy with my little eye something beginning with 'D'"
"Dirt."
"Right CJ. Your turn."
"You take my turn Uncle Jesse. Please."
"O.K. if you're going to be like that, "i-spy with my little eye something beginning with 'D'"
"Dust."
"Right Dion, you got it."
"Of course I got it Uncle Jesse. There is nothing else here."
"Fine. We'll just sit here and wait then!" Jesse gave up and sat on the dusty ground resting his chin on his hand, his elbow in turn was resting on his knee. Looking at the dead guy was more exciting. He thought to himself. As he sat there, CJ and Dion shot each other guilty looks, but made the most of Jesse's despondence and sat in silence, one either side of him.
* * * * *
"Why do you think someone would do this Mark?"
"You know Amanda, I don't think we could even get close to guessing until we have spoken to Susan."
"Do you think the whole key to this case lies with Susan in Carmel?"
"No son. I think Susan being in Carmel has no relevance beyond the fact that she knows we'll find her there and it's far away from anything that's normal to try to alleviate some of the threat."
"Do you mean physical threat Dad."
"I don't know. Nor do I know if Jesse has accepted how much danger she could be in. I just hope nothing comes back and bites him."
"You think there's every risk of that, don't you Mark, given he and Susan's past."
"I'm afraid I do Amanda. Especially as in her note Susan wanted us to make sure that Jesse's safe. I'm very worried things might turn nasty somewhere along the line and if whoever is after Susan find out that she and Jesse were once a couple, it may provoke them to come after him too."
BANG!