At the Stroke of Madness

CHAPTER 59

Luc hadn’t left the house all morning. Not even to get the newspaper. Ever since Agent O’Dell had left he had been pacing, trying to watch TV while he walked back and forth from one window to another with the baseball bat never leaving his hand. Scrapple had given up on him hours ago, finally settling down on his favorite rug. Except for a few ear perks now and then, the terrier was fast asleep.

Luc kept hearing vehicles up on Whippoorwill Drive. Maybe there was more commotion happening down at the rock quarry. He thought he had heard sirens earlier. On the midday local news there was mention of a car being found in Hubbard Park, but that was in Meriden, not down the lane. He wasn’t about to leave the house to go see. Ordinarily they wouldn’t be able to keep him away. But today…today he couldn’t seem to set foot on his porch without getting the shakes. Is this what he was turning into? An old man who couldn’t leave his house and then couldn’t even remember whether or not he had?

Agent O’Dell had asked him this morning if he would please consider calling Julia to let her know that he was okay. But if his daughter didn’t know about this mess, she wouldn’t need to know that he was okay. Or so went his reasoning. He knew he needed to call her. He wanted to call her. Ever since he had talked to her…jeez, what day was that? Was it a few days ago or had it been weeks?

He heard another car, only this one sounded like it was in his driveway. By the time he got to the door, Agent O’Dell was coming up the front porch. He opened the door for her and felt a flush of embarrassment when she saw the bat still in his hands.

“What’s the excitement down the lane?”

“I’m not sure,” she said, sounding a little out of breath. “I couldn’t get hold of Sheriff Watermeier. You think you might be able to help with something, Luc?”

“Sure. I mean, I can try.”

She had a map in her hands and started spreading it out on his crowded coffee table. “You’ve lived around here for a long time, right?”

“Almost all my life. My wife, Elizabeth, was from Philadelphia, but she loved it here, too, so we stayed. Wish Julia would have loved it enough to stay, but…well, what can a father do, huh?”

“I wonder if you can tell me where Ralph Shelby’s property is.”

“Ralph the butcher? Ralph’s been gone a long time. What’s it been, maybe ten years. Jeez, I can’t remember. Didn’t I tell you this morning that Steve Earlman bought the butcher shop from Ralph? But now Steve’s gone, too. I told you that, didn’t I? Didn’t we talk about that this morning?”

“Yes, you did tell me. But Mr. Shelby’s property, the acreage where he lived, can you tell me where it is? It’s close by, right?”

“Sure, it’s up the road, past the Millers’ old sawmill. Mrs. Shelby died just a few years ago, but I think her son still lives out there.”

“Can you show me on the map?”

He stared at the lines and blue spots and nothing looked familiar.

“We’re right here.” She pointed to an area, but it didn’t look like anything to him except some red intersecting lines. She was looking up at him with a frown. Or was it worry? He didn’t know her well enough to know if she was upset with him or feeling sorry for him. He’d rather have her upset with him.

“Luc, can you show me?”

“I can show you, but I can’t show you on the map.” He went to the door and grabbed his black beret and a jacket.

“No, you can’t come with me, Luc.”

“That’s the only way I know how to show you.”

“Can’t you just give me directions? How far up the road? Is it on Whippoorwill Drive?”

“I’m really not being stubborn,” he said, and tried not to get embarrassed again. “But I can’t tell you. I can’t put it into words.” His hands were already flying, trying to help him explain. “I have to show you by…well, by showing you.”

She hesitated, standing with arms crossed, looking like she was trying to decide. “Okay, but you promise you’ll stay in the car.”

“Sure, I can do that. Why are you interested in the old Shelby place?”

“I need to check something out. Remember you told me that when the butcher shop closed someone bought all the equipment?”

“Oh, yeah. But I don’t remember who it was. Seems like I should know.”

“I found out. It was Ralph Shelby’s son. He bought everything, every last piece.”

“Really? Hmm…I wonder what he wanted with all that old stuff.”

“That’s what I want to find out.”