Part II

Chapter 9. A Missing Person

Bill knocked on the door to Ralph's house. As usual, he didn't wait until Ralph invited him in, especially when he was in a hurry. It had been five days since Ralph suggested to Bill that he should continue looking into the death of Charles McDonald. Finally Bill had some new leads on the case, and was excited to follow them through.

"Come on Ralph! Where's the counselor? Pack your bags, and put on your jammies. We're going to St. Louis! Our plane leaves tonight, in 3 hours."

"Bill, it's a Thursday! We can't just pack up, pick up and go! I have classes tomorrow."

"And I have two cases I am working on!" Pam called out from the kitchen.

"I am sure you can get someone to clean out the cages while you are gone." Bill was referring to Ralph's special ed class, although he was sure the comment could apply to the lawyers Pam worked with, too.

Bill walked over to Ralph and handed him two plane tickets, and forced them into his hand. Truth be told, Bill was not at all interested in what Ralph thought. In The Book of Life, written by Bill Maxwell, he wrote the game plan, and the world was obliged to play along. Ralph was always frustrated by this presumption. Still, he was curious about what Bill had learned about McDonald.

"So, what happened? What did you find out?

Bill walked to the kitchen, meeting Pam in the doorway. She immediately handed him a box of dog biscuits, then turned around to pour two cups of herbal tea. Returning to the living room, Bill spoke with his mouth full, as he crunched on pieces of off-brand dog bones.

"I called up the bureau office in St Louis, and then the Sikeston Sheriff's department." Bill looked at the stale bone in his hand, and then at the box. "Where'd you get this stuff?"

Ralph shook his head at his partner's disinterest. "Bill, come on. What did you find out?"

"Well, Ralph, McDonald was a local boy, went off to college, came back a lawyer. Divorces, speeding tickets, get out of jail free cards. That sort of stuff." This statement brought Pam out of the kitchen. Bill turned to her as she handed Ralph his tea. "So, you're in this, Davidson."

"I don't know about this Ralph. If Bill Maxwell starts relying on his third string utility for his cases..." She was half joking, but there was something about this that didn't sit right with her. She paused, then continued. "What else did you find out."

'Well, that's the problem. Nobody's talking! We've gotta get out there, as soon as possible. In the field! Dig this all up for ourselves!" He looked at the box of biscuits again, then put them on the table. "These are awful!"

"Sikeston Sheriff's office sounds like it has a gag order. Completely clammed up. They say they don't want us bringing up bad memories, bothering his old widow with this stuff. Then they said it's an internal affair, out of my jurisdiction." Bill was visibly irritated; he hated being fed bullshit. "And the St. Louis Bureau doesn't have much on this case at all."

The agent looked at the young couple. He recognized their incredulous look.

"Despite popular belief, the gubmint doesn't have a secret file on everybody!" He rolled his eyes. "But they did have a thin file on McDonald. It was closed almost 7 years ago, as a missing person case."

Ralph's disbelief turned to confusion. "Missing person? But Bill, I thought it was a suicide!"

Bill looked his partner, with a glint in his eye; he loved an intricate case, and this was proving to be more difficult than he ever imagined.

"According to the sheriff, McDonald drove his car out to a corn field and shot himself. That's it. End of scenario. They found his car a week later, his blood all over. So the sheriff calls it a suicide."

"Problem is, Ralph, there was never a body."