The Demise of Tom Hendry (A Wild Cove Mystery Book 3) Read online

  There isn't much else Jane can glean from the interview after this piece of information. After a few more questions, she leaves Lila alone. Charles steps out of the room with the sheriff.

  “Do you think she'll be okay?” asks Jane.

  Charles looks back in the direction of the room. “One day... She's always been delicate; I just need to protect her for now. This is a terrible shot. She and Dad were really close. We all were.”

  “The house will be a crime scene for the next few days,” says Jane. “Unfortunately, you and your sister won't be able to go back there until forensics is finished. I'm sorry.”

  “That's okay,” says Charles. “Here.” He pulls out a keyring with several keys on it. “This is for the house – the alarm number is 1962.” Charles' voice trembles for a moment as he says it, the emotion poking through before he composes himself. “Sorry...that's the year Ray Bradbury published one of Dad's favorite books. He loved it.”

  “Something Wicked this Way Comes...” Jane offers. “I'm a stickler for Bradbury myself.”

  “Then Dad was in very good company.” Charles looks at Jane with his deep-blue eyes, for a moment, connecting with hers, and says, “I really have to get back to my sister, Sheriff. It was lovely meeting you.”

  Jane watches as Charles goes back to his sister's room. She is impressed with how caring he is, but there is something more than that. He has a refined way about him that is different from what she is used to. As she leaves the hospital on the way back to Conwell House to see how Deputy Morris and the others are progressing, she thinks about how rough around the edges Jack is in comparison. The truth is, though, that she likes that about Jack, even when it causes trouble for her occasionally.

  Chapter 3

  “Why are you so nervous?” asks Jack from across the restaurant table.

  “I'm not nervous,” answers Jane, unconvincingly. The restaurant is quiet; a nice little Italian place on Karswell Square. The owner, a large, stout man with black hair and a thick mustache named Stefano, is always happy to see Jack and Jane, and has given them the best table in the house for such an important occasion.

  The truth is, this is the most nervous Jane has been in years. Her heart is even pounding fast. She likes Jack, she likes him a lot. And in their short time together, they have been through their fair share of scrapes. First, nailing the sheriff and Timothy Williams at her farmhouse, and then hunting down Susan Dern's kidnappers. When Jane first arrived in Wild Cove, she felt alone. Jack made her feel like she belonged, and they have moved from a casual relationship to something more serious.

  It matters to Jane that Jack's parents like her. She still doesn't know where the relationship will go in the end – Jack is unpredictable at times – but she has a good feeling that, before long, they might become more serious and see if they really have something that will last.

  “You don't need to be nervous,” reassures Jack, stretching across the table and caressing Jane's hand affectionately. “If they don't like you, then I'll just have to leave you.”

  They both laugh hysterically. Jack has a sarcastic sense of humor; it’s what originally attracted Jane to him the most. That, and the fact that his broad-shouldered frame and his dark features are all too easy on the eyes.

  “Here they are,” announces Jack, standing up. “Just be yourself.”

  Jane takes a deep breath and turns around. Entering the restaurant are Jim and Nora Macready. Both in their late 60s, both gray haired, and both absolutely beaming with pride as they see their son.

  “Jack, my boy!” cries Nora, her arms outstretched as she rushes over to him.

  “Hello, son,” comes Jim's more muted welcome, hand outstretched before an uncomfortable hug follows.

  “Mom, Dad,” says Jack, turning to Jane. “I'd like to introduce Sheriff Jane Scott.”

  Jane blushes. “Please, I'm off duty, just call me Jane.”

  Jack laughs. “It's okay; I just like to play up that you're a cop. Dad had a few...”

  “Run-ins with the corrupt police state...” Jim says wryly. “But I'm sure you are not like that.”

  This aversion to the police sets the tone for the entire evening. The four of them sit at their table in the cozy little restaurant. Although they are politely chatting, the topic always seems to come back to Jane's job. The Macreadys are preoccupied with it, and not in a good way. Jane has experienced this before, but she can usually dismiss people feeling uncomfortable around law enforcement. Tonight, however, there is no shaking the tension being pushed upon her by Jack's parents.

  "My son tells me you got into a bit of trouble in Willow County?" Nora says, slurping on her spaghetti.

  Jane looks at Jack with a disappointed glance. Nora is referring to what happened before Jane came to Wild Cove, when she was involved in exposing corrupt officers at her station there. The aftermath of that resulted in her life coming undone, so the pain of that, still fresh, is something she does not like to explore. "I don't really like to discuss my work. Confidentiality, and all that. So, Nora," says Jane, trying to lighten the mood, "I hear you're into dog breeding down in Florida?"

  "Yes. That's right." Nora's answers are increasingly curt. "But the authorities down there, you know they're real sticklers for rules and regulations about breeding."

  "I'm sure it's just to protect the animals," offers Jane without trying to sound judgmental.

  "You would think that," says Jim under his breath.

  Jack tries to intervene several times to steer the conversation to a more polite place, but Jane can see how disappointed he is that she and his mom and dad have not hit it off immediately. When Jack excuses himself to go to the bathroom, things get even worse. Nora watches her son walk to the bathroom, smiling insincerely before turning to Jane with a snap.

  "Let me get something straight, Sheriff Scott," says Nora, glaring at Jane across the table. "Jim and I think you should back off a little with our Jack. In fact, we think you should back off a lot."

  Now Jane's efforts to keep calm and polite are beginning to wear off. “Oh, really? Well, I'm sure your Jack can make up his own mind about the person he wants to be with.”

  "He hasn't mentioned Martina, has he?" offers Jim, rolling his eyes.

  Jane gives him a puzzled look as she searches her mind for an answer.

  Jim laughs. "We thought so. Martina is the love of Jack's life. They split up not that long before you came to Wild Cove, and I think my boy is still confused about that relationship. We just want to see him happy; and let me tell you, he was very happy with Martina."

  Jane is horrified. Although she isn't interested in talking about previous relationships, Jack has never even mentioned someone named Martina. For his parents to suggest that she is such a big part of his life, and for Jane to know nothing about it, takes the wind out of her sails.

  Before Jane can catch her breath, Nora leans forward and gives an insincere smile. "I'm sure you're lovely, dear. But Martina was with Jack for three years. She was part of the family. They used to come down to Florida and visit us regularly. They had a big misunderstanding with each other, but they can fix that. I think you were exciting for Jack when you came here. An outsider coming to town, just when he was trying to mend his broken heart. Now? I think you're more of a diversion than anything else. We talked to Jack about Martina just last week, and I could tell he was still pining after her. True love will do that."

  “Look," says Jane standing up. "It's clear neither of you like me. It's also clear you have a problem with me being a sheriff. But that's what I am, and Jack is well aware of that. I would really have liked for us to get along, but that doesn't look like it's going to happen. What I will say is that Jack and I are both big enough and old enough to decide whether we want to be together or not. And we do want to be together!"

  "Hey!" says Jack loudly, returning from the bathroom. "What's going on?"

  "Oh, nothing," responds Jane sarcastically. "Just your mother and father telling me that you'd
be better off with your long lost love Martina. Funny that you've never mentioned her before."

  Jack stutters momentarily. "I don't like to talk about my past." He promptly turns to his mother and father. "Please try and be nice."

  "We've been perfectly nice," Jim says. "But now that it's out in the open, we want you to know that Martina has been speaking with us for a few weeks. She misses you, Jack. This is the real reason we're in town. You know she only lives one town away, and you were so good together. She's already like the daughter we never had. Your mother and I think you should give her a call."

  "I don't believe this." Jane signals to the restaurant owner that she wants her coat. Stefano brings it over to her immediately, eyeing the Macreadys with disapproval.

  "You came here to split us up?" says Jane incredulously, putting her coat on. She faces Jack. "What do you think about this?"

  "Can we all just please sit down and talk this over?" pleads Jack, trying too hard to be diplomatic without taking sides.

  "I have nothing to say to this woman," says Nora. "You do remember that she arrested you in a bar the first night you met? This is not healthy. Why don't you stay here and talk this over with your father and me?"

  Jane can't believe what happens next. Jack pauses for a moment as if deep in thought, and then says, "Jane, I'm sorry about this, but I think I should talk things over with my parents. I'll drop by the farmhouse later, okay?"

  A concerned Stefano interjects. "You're treating Sheriff Scott very poorly, Jack."

  "Stefano, this is difficult enough," dismisses Jack. "Try and stay out of your patrons' business for once.”

  Jane has had enough; she turns and leaves the restaurant. For a moment, she is standing on the sidewalk outside Stefano's, hoping she will hear the sound of the door behind her opening, with Jack running after her to show that he doesn't care what his parents think. This does not happen. Jane only hears the quiet lapping of waves from the bay nearby.

  Jack attempts to call later in the evening. In fact, he calls many times, but Jane tells him point-blank that she needs some space from him. She's always thought Jack had her back. Now, she isn't so sure anymore. And as for this Martina business; sure, it could all be a poisonous product of Jack's parents' imaginations, but what if there is something to it? Is Jane just simply a diversion or a rebound? If she is, she would rather Jack leaves her alone for good.

  Chapter 4

  Jane does not speak with Jack for several days; instead, she buries herself in her police work. Tom Hendry has been brutally murdered and she is determined to find out who has done it. For now, she has to put her personal life aside. That is just part of being a cop.

  After the forensics team clear up the murder scene and move Tom's body, Lila and Charles are allowed to return to the house. Jane spends the next few days familiarizing herself with Conwell House, the grounds, and its occupants. With Lila back home but still in a fragile state, Jane does her best to question her without pressing too hard. On several occasions, the questions become too much for her. That is when Charles intervenes. He is never combative, and while he states a number of times how much he appreciates Jane's efforts, he quietly suggests pulling back for a time to allow Lila a chance to breathe. She is his sister, and now being the only member of his family that he has left, he is particularly protective of her.

  These visits become more frequent, though also more informal as the days progress. Before long, Jane is sipping tea on the immaculate lawn of Conwell House with Charles and Lila, talking about everything from the town to Jane's family back in the Midwest. It is a tactic to be cordial during a police investigation, but this goes beyond that. Jane enjoys their company and the serene setting of the Conwell House estate; its manicured lawn and the surrounding woods are comforting, offering even Jane a sanctuary from her worries about Jack.

  Though these conversations are enjoyable, they do not push the investigation forward in a meaningful way. All is not lost, however. It is the letters Tom was sent by his stalker in the weeks before his death which offer Jane the most hope in catching the killer.

  When Lila handed over the two letters from their dad's office to Jane, she studied them back at the sheriff's station. For once, she has access to her briefing room. This is usually taken up by FBI agent Ross and his team, who are investigating a supposed people trafficking ring in the area – one Jane believes doesn't exist at all. She is used to the FBI snooping around the station now. Ever since the time of the Susan Dern case, Agent Ross has moved back and forth between Wild Cove and the surrounding towns, working on information that Sheriff Williams is providing him from prison. Jane has surmised that Williams is an informant, and she worries if that means he will get an early release or perhaps even enter the witness protection program. He is a disgrace to his uniform, and Jane believes he should not be cut a deal. This brings her continually into conflict with the FBI whenever they visit the station.

  Jane is just happy that, for now, Agent Ross's attentions are elsewhere. That means she has the sheriff’s station back completely under her control and is free to operate as she chooses, without the prying eyes of the FBI. What she really desires is to have the case wrapped up before Agent Ross and the others return to town, which they will undoubtedly do.

  The letters that were sent to Tom Hendry before his death are a scrambled mess. Incoherent at best, they talk about Tom Hendry being part of a satanic group. The writer of the letters – and as far as Jane and her team can surmise it is the same person who wrote both – claims that Tom's books contain subliminal messages aimed at brainwashing and controlling people. They claim it is a satanic plot so devious that only a skilled mystery writer can pull it off without people noticing.

  This is the same “moral panic” Jane has seen before, blaming creative people for the ills of society. Stories do not make killers, Jane thinks. Whoever wrote the letters believes that Tom Hendry's words have exactly those powers – to corrupt the minds of readers and to lead them down a dark and violent path. It’s ironic to Jane. The stalker believes the world has to be protected from the likes of Tom; otherwise, it will descend into “immoral and evil violence”, as the letter puts it. And yet, in order to stop that evil, the stalker committed a violence of their own, stringing Tom up in a bizarre ritual and bleeding him dry. Twisted minds rarely make sense.

  Jane understands why the Hendrys didn't take the letters seriously. They are amateurish at best. Poorly written and filled with the ramblings of a sick mind; the type of letter horror writers are used to receiving every now and then. Jane has read enough exposés on how authors are often treated to know. As Charles put it, his father believed that if you received the odd mad letter every now and then, you were doing something right. Tom didn't believe that you had to worry about the reader making threats, because real killers lay in the shadows and struck without warning; they didn’t telegraph their intentions. In this case, unfortunately, it seems that Tom was wrong. How Jane wishes they had shown the letters to her before the murder; maybe she could have protected the Hendrys from this terrible tragedy.

  Poring over the letters from the desk of her office, Jane has been pulling a lot of late nights. This is mostly to avoid thinking about Jack. She doesn't like rattling around the old farmhouse by herself, thinking about Jack's reaction to his parents' horrible behavior or, worse yet, thinking about whoever Martina is and why Jack never mentioned her. Jack has tried to call again, but Jane isn't in the mood to talk. She feels utterly let down by him, and though she has a deep desire to see him again, she needs a little distance before talking things over. If she just dives into trying to sort that mess, she'll grow angry. Jane feels it is best to let things cool down; maybe Jack will even learn something if made to simmer for a while.

  These late nights at the sheriff's office are being taken up largely by calling around a few places in the county. Jane needs assistance when it comes to fully understanding the letters Tom Hendry was sent before his death. There is one aspect of the let
ters that Jane can simply not decode. At the bottom of both pages are a series of strange symbols, scrawled in red ink. They look almost like old Viking runes that Jane saw once in a book, but beyond that she is puzzled about what they mean. She sends a copy of them to a few friends in law enforcement, but they are dumbfounded. That is when Jane hits upon an idea. She makes a list of several academics working at universities across the county. Between them all, they specialize in areas like folklore, mythology, and even the occult. It is Jane's hope that someone will understand the symbols and their meanings. Sometimes killers want to be caught and Jane hopes that the meaning behind the letters will reveal the killer's name or identity, much like the zodiac killings in the 1970s.

  Two weeks after the murder of Tom Hendry, Jane's attempts have all been unsuccessful. Several of the academics had no clue about the runes, and she is now placing all of her hope on one academic alone. His name is Philip Barnsley, and he is currently touring several colleges across the country giving talks about satanic rituals and their meanings. Jane is dearly hoping he will be able to decode the symbols for her, but he is very busy on his tour and so his assistant tells Jane that she will have to wait a few days for an answer.