Fire at Dusk: Part 13

“Alright, here's what we're gonna do,” announced the sheriff as he grabbed a fresh beer from the kitchen counter. “Since the four-wheelers ain't got enough room for the all of us, Roger and Jessie are coming along with me and the deputy. You and sleeping beauty over here get to stay behind.” The sheriff making eye contact with Jim while pointing at Dick with the baton.

As the party started shuffling out of the cabin, the sheriff paused in the doorway for a moment. He turned toward Jim and said, “Oh and try not to kill anyone while we're gone, Jim.”

The party walked over to the four-wheelers. The sheriff eyed Jessie and opened up his mouth to speak.

Deputy Smith cut in before he could speak, “Jessie, you're with me.”

Disappointment shaded the sheriff's eyes and he gawked at his deputy for a moment. She glared back at him and he shut his mouth.

“Roger you're coming with me,” the sheriff said. “Alright folks, let's roll out.”

With that, the crew set out on the four-wheelers across the field. Jessie hung tightly around the deputy's waist, glad she had been able to pair off with her. She glanced over at the other vehicle and saw the sheriff gripped his beer in one hand while steering with the other. On the short trip over, he would take an occasional gulp from the can. This would cause the sheriff to swerve dangerously close to their vehicle. The deputy adeptly steered their vehicle out the the way, clearly practiced in this situation.

The headlights of the four-wheelers illuminated the forest line and the two vehicles slowed to a halt. Jessie watched as the sheriff's abrupt stop nearly sent Roger flying from his seat. The travelers dismounted their vehicles and stepped into the grassy field. Jessie walked over to Roger and thought he looked a little green in the moonlight.

The sheriff drained the can he was holding and tossed it casually to the ground. “Lead the way,” he said, looking at the pair.

Jessie racked her brain as she scoured the area, searching for any familiar landmarks. “I think that's the bush we found Richard in,” she said as she pointed at a bush in the distance.

The party walked over to the bush. After a few moments of scanning the area they caught a glimpse of a large, egg-shaped bolder which led them directly to Parker's body.

“Sweet Jesus,” said the sheriff with a low whistle. “Well, he sure looks dead.”

Jessie watched as Deputy Smith walked over to the body and set up a small plastic toolbox. The deputy then began shining her flashlight across the body. A few moments later, she pulled pair of latex gloves from the toolbox and snapped them on her hands.

“Okay Smith, you take care of the body and I'll look around fer some evidence,” said the sheriff keeping his distance from the body.

Jessie hung close to the deputy as she watched the sheriff pace around the area. He reminded her of a chicken pecking at the ground as he wandered around the area hunched over, pointing his flashlight at the various tree roots and branches. She knew he was trying to look serious with his eyebrows furrowed and the tip of his tongue sticking out of the side of his mouth, but she though he looked more like someone who was trying to pass a kidney stone.

“Sheriff, come take a look at this,” said Deputy Smith.

The sheriff straighted and slowly approached the body.

“Check out the claw marks and puncture wounds here”, she said as she pointed to some tears in Parker's pant legs and shirt. “Also look at this,” she said, pulling off a small clump of black fur which she neatly placed in a plastic bag. “This clearly looks like the work of some kind of animal.”

“There's no way an animal put him up in a tree like that,” scoffed the sheriff. “Why I would bet-” The sheriff was cut off as the sound of a blood curdling wail which echoed distantly through the forest.