Dexter: St. Bernard part 2
*** Thank Goodness for Small Town Gossip ***
Mail in his grasp…..Dexter Morgan (aka, Jim Lindsay), backed away a couple of steps from the sliding glass window inside the post office. He didn't have to worry about standing in anyone's way. The small postal building in this little town saw only a handful of visitors in a day. And….other than Sadie and her mother, no one else had come in.
Dexter (Jim), began to sort through the half dozen envelops he held in hand.
"Bill, bill, letter from Mrs. Gross thanking me for helping her with her sheep. Bill, bill, and last one…bill," he said out loud.
He glanced up and could see the postal manager (arms resting on the counter in the mail room), watching him.
"You sure have a lot of bills Jim," Bucky Tander, the post office worker told him.
Dex looked at her.
"Doesn't everybody," he replied.
It was always good to mingle with the locals. No matter what town he was in. And, knowing that most, if not all, people in world, knew the feeling of having to deal with those unwanted monthly notices, he was sure that all would agree.
"Roger that, "she said giggling.
"Yeah, when I'm dead, gone and in my grave I'd probably find a pile of bills resting on my chest if I were to return as a zombie," Dexter added with a smile.
Bucky laughed again. She really enjoyed when he came in. He would talk to her and make her laugh.
"Yes, not much of anything happening in Iron Lake but bills still have a way of finding me," Dexter said. However, to himself he added….
"Just the way I like it."
"Yeah, if someone is looking for high adventure….then they'd probably need to stay away from here," Bucky said.
But then...after a pause, she seemed to have moved towards him a little further, leaning through the window a little more. And although there was no one else around, the postal worker spoke to him in a whisper.
"However, we did get a little excitement in town today. And it came right through here. Right through the post office. Can you believe that?"
Dexter looked up at her. Bucky had that look on her face. That look that says that a person is getting ready to reveal something that maybe they shouldn't.
"I got a call from Esther this morning (Esther, Iron Lake's police dispatcher and town gossip). It was a few minutes after I dropped off the Iron Lake Police station's mail."
She paused and looked around again. Of course there was no one but herself and Jim in the building so she felt safe. She continued…..
"Yes, seems that they received a letter marked anonymous. And opening it up to find out what is was Esther read…..
"Looking for people? Follow St. Bernard. He will lead you to the missing."
Bucky halted a second. She looked up into Dexter's face. It seemed that he'd become intrigued by what she'd just said. She liked that. She continued…..
"You know the letter could be a hoax. There are sick pranksters out there. But, there has been a few people gone missing around here. Not often but occasionally. Drifters, runaways, homeless folk just passing through. Girls mainly. Angela….I mean, Chief Bishop, keeps a board in her office with pictures on it."
Bucky stopped at this juncture. Her eyes grew glazy in thought…as if she were pondering something.
"And to think that it came through here, my post office. A clue," she said. "Isn't that loony. I myself could have handled some kind of evidence about a murder case. Isn't it just crazy?
"Yeah crazy." Dexter agreed. "I guess this little town has more adventure in it than people think."
Bucky smiled.
"Wouldn't that be exciting," she added.
*********** Birds of a Feather ***********
"So, here we go again," Dexter thought to himself. "Another serial killer in my mist. Well maybe. There isn't really much to go on. Not yet. Could be a serial killer or just single killers. Or maybe these disappearances are just that...disappearances, and have nothing in common. I need to find out more."
Dexter decided to make a stop at the police station (before he ventured over to the General Store). He wanted more Intel, and talking to the Chief of Police (he had been dating Angela for a while now), he may just get some. Of course he would have to keeps his interest disguised. Can't make it look like an employee of a local outfitters store has an interest in getting involved in police work. Angela was sharp. She may become suspicious of his curiosity and maybe start looking at him. No, Esther might be the better option. He'd stop by her desk for a little chat.
Dexter stepped out of the post office headed towards the station.
"Bucky's right…..it's crazy. But I don't know if they're following me, or I'm following them. However, it does seem like there's an attraction. Some kind of mental draw like criminal magnetics or something. We are pulled together….Birds of a Feather. My compass always points me towards the devils lair? Yes, that's right, I said compass, not moral compass."
Dexter smiled to himself. He'd had had these thoughts before. His "Dark Passenger" he called it. Some kind of insane monkey on his back. It might sit there, quietly, not making a sound, but he still felt the pressure of it being there. It never went away. And once it becomes agitated, it seemed to get worse.
"So here you go again big brother."
OMG his sister.
"Gonna solve crime when you should be keeping your ass away from it. How stupid can you be?"
Deb always knew when to show up. Especially when he didn't want her to.
"No it isn't like that. It's early, go back to sleep."
"Are you kidding me? When you're awake I'm awake. That's how it work dumbass."
A moment of silence. And then she continued….
"Look, I know that your curiosity is getting to you. You've always been like that. And watching you when we were young, I became like that too. But Dex you're away from that kind of life now. It's Okay to be curious but you can't get involved. This is a police matter...and you're not in that game anymore."
Of course she was right, he knew. But how many times had she been right, and he hadn't followed her advice. Or how many times had he been right and she hadn't followed his. If he'd following his instincts in Florida, like he should have, Debra would still be alive right now (killing Saxon instead of turning him over to the authorities, that would have been to best thing to do. Maybe not the moral thing, but the best thing).
Anyway…Dexter continued walking.
"I'm going to the station. I want a cup of coffee," Dex said.
"Liar…you're going there to stick your nose where it doesn't belong. I tell you bro, you're going to attract attention that you don't want."
"Maybe you're right. But maybe I'm just using my nose to sniff out something that will bring more attention to this area if I were to stay out of it. You know Deb, all it would take is to have an investigator like you become interested in Iron Lake. Who do you think would be the first guy they'd look into? Me, the new guy. I appreciate your help and all but I got this one."
He continued on to the station. He just wanted a little more information, that's all. Deb could stay out of it.
End Part 2