Dempster Road

Chapter16

Barney was talking to Emily when Belinda came down the steps to the lobby. She paused, glancing around for Stan and then walked toward the couple, her professional smile in place.

"Sheriff. Had to bring in the A team, did you?

"Hello Miss Talltree, on the job as ever I see."

"Actually it was Stanley that was on the job, I came along as company."

"Sure you did. Where is Stan?"

Belinda cocked her head. "Isn't he here? He went out with the Curtis woman about three quarters of an hour ago. She said she was having car trouble and he offered to help."

"Car's not in the lot," Barney said, heading quickly for the door.

He walked around the entire building and then came back to the lobby a couple of minutes later. "Anybody see which way they went?" He asked urgently.

Emily shook her head. "I could ask some of the other guests, they might have seen out the windows." She hurried into the dining room and back again shortly. "The couple by the fireplace said the car took off south . . . very fast."

Barney frowned. "I came that way. Nobody passed me."

"There are two or three side roads between here and the Dempster junction, mostly farm roads." Emily said. Barney thanked her and headed for the door.

"Hey, wait for me!" Belinda hurried after him outside.

"Sorry, Belinda, no passengers."

"The hell you say. Your guy brought me up here and I have no way back unless you have spare keys to his car, and in case that isn't enough, I can put in a call to my paper with an update on the Edgar Street killing." She stared him down in her no nonsense pose of hands backwards on hips and feet apart.

Barney scowled and swore under his breath at Stan for his indiscretion. "Get in the goddamn car."

He cranked the engine up and barrelled down the highway, bright lights illuminating the gravel and scrub along the shoulders on both sides. Belinda strained her eyes into the darkness on her side searching for anything that might indicate where Stan turned off.

"You're sure he's on one of these roads?"

"Well he must have been before I got to the hotel 'cause nobody passed me." He leaned over and fumbled with the glove compartment, hauling out a portable searchlight. "Here, shine this out there, it'll give more coverage." He plugged the cable into the lighter socket.

Belinda wound down her window and held the light on the sill. Aiming it into the night. She was barely beginning to concentrate when she caught a flash of red somewhere beyond the trees and she shouted for Barney to stop. "I saw something back in those trees and look, there's a road; we missed it."

"When I was diggin' out the light." He jammed the gear into reverse and backed recklessly down the highway, and made his turn up the rutted side road. "Keep that light on where you saw whatever it was." The road grabbed the wheel and Barney fought through the pull of the ruts as gravel pinged off the under carriage with a worrisome noise.

****

Adelaine placed her knife in the plastic bag from her carry bag and used the paper from a towel roll to wipe her hands. She walked back to the body and stared at the final look of horror on Stan's face then knelt down and refastened his pants. A large black looking pool had gathered on the ground about his neck and shoulders and its source traced back up to the rip in his throat.

"You missed the best part, Deputy." She said.

The sudden sweep of a light through the trees made her start, and she jumped up and raced back to the car. Adelaine gunned the engine and put it in gear. The car leapt forward and she had to fight with the wheel to keep it on the narrow path illuminated by the bouncing headlights. In her mirror she could see the car gaining,and then it seemed to fall back.

"They found you, Stan. That'll keep them busy for a few minutes." She said aloud, giving the car more gas and driving dangerously through the blackness.

Barney's headlights picked out the still form of Stan on the edge of the road and he jammed on the brakes raising a cloud of swirling dirt and dust. His belt flew off and he was out of the car, gun drawn, before Belinda knew what was happening. When she managed to get out, he stood and motioned her back.

"No way, Belinda. This is no sight for anyone let alone you."

"I have to see!" She pushed against his arms trying to get around his stocky frame, and in the struggle they turned sideways and she saw in the headlights, Stan's gaping throat wound and his glassy stare.

"Ooh dear God!" She fell back and Barney had to keep her from falling. "Oh God! No! No!" She stumbled again and landed against the hood of the car, sobs of horror and disbelief racking her body.

"Get in the car, we can't let her get away." Barney shoved her roughly to the passenger side, opening the door and unceremoniously pushing her in.

They both bounced mercilessly against the interior, seat belts forgotten and thoughts trapped in the grizzly scene behind them.

Barney wrenched the wheel, battling the road's surface and swore aloud with each bang and thump of the shocks as the frame bottomed out. They rounded a large clump of bush jutting into the roadway, and Barney stood on the brakes sending Belinda crashing painfully against the dash.

"There's the car! You stay here and lock the doors." Before she could object he was out, gun out once more and flashlight playing over the surrounding area.

The Honda was at an angle down from the road. The hood was buckled back and steam was gusting from around the damage. Barney cautiously moved alongside the driver's side and shone his light through the window. Empty.

He carefully moved around the entire car including underneath, his light probing every nook and shadow. Nothing. He stood still and listened to the night sounds, but the hissing steam interfered and so he moved further along the roadway until he was out of sight of the car then stopped again.

Belinda rubbed her shoulder where she had banged it on the dash and strained to see where Barney had gone. She could see his light bobbing in the darkness quite far down the road, and she suddenly felt alone and vulnerable. Stan's image jumped into her mind and she began to sob once again. The hard-crusted, female reporter impression she liked to present crumbled like a stale cookie.

She sniffed loudly and turned toward the console as she wiped her face with the back of her hand. The shattering glass of the passenger window made her scream and before she could react, the door was wrenched open and Adelaine was hauling her out by the hair.

"Are you all right, Miss Talltree? What happened? I saw you crying and rubbing your shoulder are you hurt?"