Chapter41 An Inauspicious Reunion

Being an avid fisherman, it was no surprise that ex-Sheriff Roy Jameson moved up to the Massachusetts Bay area. After talking with some of the locals, it didn't take the deputy too long to locate his residence. He approaches the bungalow and knocks on the porch screen door. When the ex-sheriff opens the door and sees the deputy standing there, he becomes elated and rushes across the porch, and flings open the screen door. "Mikey, you son of a gun; come on in!" The ex-sheriff throws his arms around the deputy and gives him a big, friendly bear hug. "Good to see you kid! It's been a while; how've you been?" "I'm alright; how about you, Roy? Retirement life driving you crazy yet?" "Yeah right! You know me, Mikey; as long as there's fish out in the bay, I'll be happy as a pig in shit." "So, you don't miss the job; not even just a little bit?" "Let me tell you something, kid; I spent forty-seven years of my life with the Beaver Ridge police department…thirty-four of them as sheriff. I've had both good and bad times while on the force; and, I enjoyed just about every bit of it. But, now that I'm retired…do I miss it….Not at all, Mikey." "Well, as long as you're happy. I don't know…me…when I retire…I'll probably miss the job…at least a little." "Maybe…maybe not. As far as I'm concerned; forty-seven years with the Beaver Ridge Police department was a long time, but…" The deputy cuts off the ex-sheriff, "Forty-one years, Roy." "Forty-one years?" "You were only with the Beaver Ridge police department for forty-one years." The ex-sheriff laughs, teasing the deputy, "Mikey, I think you need to go back to school, kid; your math needs a little tune-up there. I joined the department when I was eighteen. I was sixty-five when I retired; that's forty-seven years, Mikey." "Yeah; but, you joined the department back in 1956…right?" "Right." "Then you were on the Beaver Ridge police department for forty-one years. Your first six years was with the Woodland Falls police department…until they changed the name of the town to Beaver Ridge in 1962; right Roy? After all those families were slaughtered?" At first, the former sheriff remains silent, rubbing the back of his head with his hand, staring at the deputy; then breaks his silence. "Christ, Mikey; what the hell are you getting yourself into?" The deputy grins. "You know me, Roy." "Yeah, I know you, kid. Oh shit; come on, let's go inside and sit down." "I thought you'd never ask." Once in the living room, the ex-sheriff removes a pile of Field & Stream magazines off of an old recliner. "Have a seat, Mikey." The deputy sits in the recliner, watching his former boss clear a spot on the couch to sit. The two look at each other without saying a word. Soon, the ex-sheriff starts. "So, Mikey; how are you and Lloyd getting along? I remember the last time I spoke with you, you still weren't too thrilled with him being the sheriff." "It's better now. Lloyd's an all right guy." "So, you've worked out your differences together; huh?" "Yeah well; we've reached an understanding. Besides; we're both dealing with the same asshole." "The same asshole?" "The mayor." The ex-sheriff laughs, "So; how's old Al these days?" The deputy responds, "The same as before." "Sorry to hear that." The deputy shifts the conversation back. "What about the killings, Roy? Thirty-two families hacked to pieces? Why didn't you ever mention it to any of us?" "Because it didn't matter if you knew about it or not; it happened before your time." "If it didn't matter if we knew about it or not…like you say…then why not tell us about it?" "Damn it, Mikey! You know you're like a son to me. I took you in under my wing when you joined the department." "I know that, Roy. You taught me everything I know about law enforcement." "And, don't you forget it, kid!" "I won't. I appreciate it, Roy; and, I have nothing but the utmost respect for you. I just don't see why you kept something like that from us." "Because I didn't want to see you get mixed up in that shit, kid!" "How could I get mixed up in it if it was over in 1961, Roy? It was over back then; wasn't it?" The ex-sheriff solemnly replies, "The killings, yes…but, it wasn't over." "What do you mean it wasn't over?" "Just forget about it, Mikey; it doesn't concern you. It all happened before you were even on the force. Let it go, kid." "Alright then, how about this, Roy; and, this was still going on while I was on the force. Those families that disappeared…seventeen families vanish, Roy; and, you didn't do anything about it." "What do you mean, Mikey; investigations were conducted...." The deputy scoffs, "Investigations? Come on, Roy; I was there! No effort was put into looking for what happened to those families. There was hardly any attempt made to search for those families, or find out where they were. It was bullshit, Roy! Why didn't we look harder for them? Can you answer that for me, Roy?" "Christ, Mikey! Damn it! Why can't you just let things be?" "I'll tell you why, Roy; because right now there's a family living in that house that's in danger." "There's a family living there? God damn it; I don't know why they just didn't burn that damn house to the ground and have it done with!" "Have what done with, Roy?" The ex-sheriff starts shaking his head side to side. "Shit, Mikey! Shit! Shit! Shit!" "Talk to me, Roy." "You guys are in over your heads on this…I take it Lloyd is in this with you?" "Yeah." "Back off it, Mikey; you and Lloyd. Get those people out of there, and let it alone." "What about those families, Roy?" "What families?" "The seventeen families that disappeared, remember; we were talking about them before. Roy, why didn't we look harder for those families when they disappeared?" The ex-sheriff breaks and blurts out, "Because they never disappeared; damn it!" "What do you mean they never disappeared? I was with the department when some of those families disappeared." "When you thought they disappeared, kid. They left on their own." "They left on their own, Roy? They buy a house and leave just like that?" "Yeah; just like that." "Why?" "Because that was what they were paid to do, Mikey!" The deputy's stunned. "Paid? What are saying, Roy…they were paid to leave the home that they just bought; why?" "It was a rouse, Mikey; the town council and realty company just pretended those families bought the house. They were paid to move in for a short time, and then, mysteriously disappear without a trace. They wanted to keep rumors going about that place so no one would want to move there." "Who? No, let me guess; the Steinman family." "Listen to me kid, you don't want to go fucking with that family; they have a lot of pull, and are backed by friends that are just as powerful as they are. Hell, they got ties all the way to the White House, Mikey." "So, what's with the house, Roy; how are they tied to it?" The ex-sheriff throws his arms in the air and storms away from the deputy. "Christ; you're not listening to me, kid! Did you hear even a single word I said; damn it! They got power, kid; pure, unadulterated, political power! And, they're sure as shit not going to let some small town cops ruin their reputation." "The house, Roy; what's their tie to that house?" The ex-sheriff walks over to the deputy and puts his hand on the deputy's shoulder. "Look, Mikey, I told you before; you're like a son to me. I love you to death, kid. I don't want to see anything happen to you." "Like Delilah?" "Delilah? What happened to Delilah?" "Well, as far as we could tell; she's been killed and buried near that house." "What?" "Probably to keep the Steinman's little secret I guess; Roy." The ex-sheriff puts his head down and shakes it in disbelief. "Like I was saying; I care about you, and don't want to see anything bad happen to you. And, that's why I'm going to tell you this….Fuck off! Forget it! Just go, Mikey. Go home."