Riddle (4 page)

Chapter 6

Grace wiped her feet on the mat as she entered the lobby. Sandy looked up and smiled when she saw Grace. “How was the food?”

“It smells pretty good but I decided I’d bring it back to my room when I saw the storm coming. I was impressed with the diner though. In fact, I like it so much I applied for a job.”

Sandy raised her eyebrows questioningly. “Really? Planning on staying for a while?”

Grace laughed. “I may have to stay a little while so I can get the car repaired. I don’t suppose you have extended stay rates?”

Mandy shook her head regretfully, “No not really. But if you’re looking for a place close by I know where you can get a furnished apartment pretty cheaply.”

“Within walking distance of the diner?” Grace asked hopefully.

Sandy considered for a moment before nodding, “Yes. I could do it so I’m pretty sure you’d be able to. Why don’t I give you the leasing agent’s number and you can call and check it out?” As she wrote the number on a post-it note she continued, “My aunt is the agent and she lives right behind the apartments. Just tell her I gave you her number.”

Smiling, Grace took the slip of paper. “I really appreciate it Sandy. You’ve been a life saver.”

Now Sandy laughed. “I hope you still feel that way after you see the apartment. It’s not a palace. But it will do as a temporary solution.  If you decide you like Riddle you can always find a better place.”

Grace smiled wryly and shook her head. “I doubt that will happen. I have some traveling left in me. But I do appreciate all your help. I think I’ll head upstairs and eat this food while it’s hot. I need to turn in pretty soon. I have an early morning.”

“Do you need a wake up call?”

After arranging for a call at 5:30 in the morning she went to her room longing for that comfortable king sized bed.

Kicking off her shoes she scooted up on the bed and turned on the television. Taking her food from the bag she set it carefully on the end table. Flipping through channels she finally gave up and turned on the local news. Suddenly realizing how very hungry she was she practically gobbled down the burger and most of the fries before burping loudly. Drinking half of her ice water she leaned back against the headboard, feeling some of the tension begin to leave her body. She was just dozing off when a familiar name caught her attention and caused her to sit up and take notice.

An attractive young newscaster continued the story. “Convicted killer Kort Eriksen was released from Eastern State Prison today. Convicted of manslaughter seven years ago in the death of his girlfriend Desiree Steele he served seven years of a twelve year sentence.” A photo of a sweet faced teenage girl flashed on the screen as the commentator continued, explaining the pair had been high school students. “Eriksen pleaded not guilty and has continually denied any involvement in the high school senior’s death.” A shot of a long haired, slender, and much shorter Kort Eriksen crossed the screen. A close up of his face showed a somewhat sullen looking boy.

Grace stared at the television, mouth hanging open in stunned silence. After a moment she realized she was holding her breath. It exploded from her body in a whoosh. “Oh my goodness. He is a murderer.” She remembered the expression on his face when she was in the truck. Her mind was reeling. Jack at the diner seemed to like him well enough. How was that possible? If Kort was a murderer (oh my) why would Jack be so nice to him?

Now her curiosity was aroused and she booted up her laptop to search for more information on Kort Eriksen and Riddle’s big crime story. It didn’t take long to get the details of the crime, the trial, and the history of all those involved. Kort was the town bad boy although from what she read his biggest crimes were having long hair, tagging graffiti on abandoned buildings, drinking underage, and driving without a license. There were rumors of drug use but no evidence of any and his drug screens after his arrest had come back clean. Apparently Desiree Steele was Kort’s girlfriend, a wholesome, church going, cheerleader whose parents in no way approved of her relationship with the town hood. The couple dated secretly. At the same time in order to throw her parents off the track she dated the star football player, a quarterback named Leland Parker. Photos of “Butch” as he was known showed a big broad shouldered high school senior in a foot ball uniform with his helmet tucked under a meaty arm. Desiree didn’t show up for cheerleader practice after school one fall afternoon. It took two days to find her body because of severe storms that limited the time searchers could comb the woods for her. An autopsy revealed she was about eight weeks pregnant and DNA proved that Kort was not the father. He maintained he knew nothing about the pregnancy. He swore he had not killed her, first saying she was supposed to meet him that evening and she had something to tell him. Apparently his story changed and he admitted having ridden with her to the woods outside of town. Stating they had an argument, he claimed he rode his bike home and that had been the last time he’d seen her alive.

During the trial, stories about Kort’s adoption and his difficulty in adjusting to life in Riddle, his biological parent’s histories of alcohol and drug use, and the petty crimes he’d committed were all brought out. There wasn’t very much physical evidence tying him to the murder scene since the heavy rains had just about obliterated the crime scene and animals had been ravaging the body. However a thin piece of a leather cord was found clutched in the victim’s hand and traces of Eriksen’s blood was found under the nails of the fingers that had not been mangled by animals. Photos of the boy’s body showed scratch marks on his arm that seemed to indicate Desiree had struggled with him at some point.

A court appointed psychiatrist stated Kort had anger management issues based on abandonment by his parents. He was described as having defiant oppositional disorder. However a defense psychiatrist stated he did have anger management issues stemming not only from his adoption but also because neither his parents nor most of the older people in the town accepted him because he was Native American. He had been teased through all his school years and except for two or three other “outcasts” he had no friends. Those friends however stepped up to speak in his defense. Of course their words were overlooked as was the testimony of one of the high school teachers who not only defended his character but stated he was a “brilliant young man who had the ability to accomplish a lot of good things in the future.” In spite of all the positive reports a jury found him guilty and he was sentenced to twelve years. The first two years were spent in a juvenile setting before he was moved to Eastern State. Less than his age, there was concern about his size since he had grown to be a whopping six foot four with broad shoulders and a quick temper, far larger and more intimidating than the other boys at the juvenile facility. There was nothing written about his years in the adult prison until his parole hearing where Desiree’s parents asked that he serve the rest of his sentence. Based on his excellent behavior, the fact he had earned a college degree, and not only worked in some construction capacity but also tutored other inmates working toward GED’s or in college classes he was granted early release. Two hours after beginning her search Grace laid back on the bed in stunned silence.

She struggled to match the boy in the reports with the man she had met. “Well I’ll just stay out of his way,” Grace decided. It was unlikely they would even see one another again in the short time she expected to remain in Riddle. Pushing all thoughts of the Riddle mystery aside she turned on the shower and prepared to settle down for the evening. Less than an hour later she fell asleep with the canned laughter of a sit com on the television.

Chapter 7

Kort had gone half a mile down the road before he made a sudden u-turn and headed toward the high school. Part of him questioned his actions; the other part simply went along for the ride. The parking lot at the school contained a few cars and a couple stood beside a truck, the girl leaning back against the cab and the boy leaning on one arm in front of her. They didn’t turn as he shut off the engine. The day was quickly turning to twilight, the gray of the rainy day giving way to a dull, flat color. Rain had turned to a light mist and there was no activity on the football field now. A sign at the far end of the field proclaimed the Riddle Rangers as state champs two years running; the years were back in the eighties. The Rangers hadn’t had a winning team since then. Kort had never cared much about football or basketball, although both teams had tried to draft him during his freshman year. He’d played basketball in junior high but lost interest by the time he hit high school. Part of his declining interest had to do with the attitude of the jocks on the teams. Sports were big in Riddle where nothing much happened outside of the gym or off the field. Even the high school baseball team, which was mediocre to say the least, drew crowds. Of course a lot of action took place under bleachers and in parking lots. But that wasn’t of any interest to Kort either. That was one of the reasons people were surprised when cheerleader Desiree Steele began dating him. They would have been more surprised if they knew it was Desiree who had asked him out for their first date, it was Desiree who pursued him, and it was Desiree who initiated their first kiss.

Kort shook his head. That was so long ago; another lifetime that became fuzzier as time passed. He wondered what might have happened if Desiree had not been murdered. Eventually it would have come out that the baby wasn’t his but was the result of Desiree’s occasional slips of fidelity with Butch. At the trial Butch maintained that he and Desiree were reconciling and planned to get married. He insisted she was going to tell Kort about the baby and their plans for the future and that was what drove Kort to pound her brains out with a rock before holding her face down in the river to make certain she was dead. Kort had sometimes wondered if things had actually gone the other way and Butch had killed her when he knew how far it had gone between him and Desiree. It didn’t matter now. It was water under the bridge. Butch was sheriff and Kort was a convicted killer.

Kort was startled out of his reverie by a sharp tap on his car window. In the deepening twilight he saw Norma staring in at him, a smile teasing the corners of her mouth. “Hey there!”

He took a deep breath and rolled down the window. “Hey there.” His voice cracked slightly.

Resting her hands on the open window Norma leaned toward him. The misty air highlighted by the halogen lights of the parking lot created a halo around her head and threw her features into a strange washed out shade of grey. “What are you doing here? Following me?” Her voice held a tone of humor, her eyes unreadable in the shadow of the car door.

Kort mustered up a smile. “I could ask you the same thing. What’s up?”

Norma seemed to draw back slightly. “I facilitate a CPR class for teachers and staff to get recertified every so often.” The smile that had faded returned in full force. “What’s your excuse?”

Kort looked out the front window of the truck. “I’m not really sure Norma. Just putting old ghosts to rest I guess. Burying the what-ifs.”

Norma rested her hand lightly on his shoulder. “I understand. Do you want some company?”

Turning back to look at her Kort found she had leaned even further toward him and her eyes were wide and moist. The scent of coffee on her breath was slightly sour and Kort drew back a little. “No I need to get home. I have an early morning.”

Her eyes narrowed and for a moment she looked angry. But the moment passed and the big smile returned. “Got a big date in the morning?”

That caused Kort to laugh out loud. “Oh absolutely. All the ladies in town are lined up to date the resident parolee. I’m the hot ticket.” Sobering he continued, “I have to meet with my new employer and then I have an appointment with my P.O. to check in.”

Norma’s shoulders relaxed. “Yeah I need to head home too. I have the early shift tomorrow.” She hesitated. “Would you be interested in having breakfast?”

Kort studied her eyes, dark and expectant. “That’s not a bad idea Norma. What time and where?”

Her lips twitched slightly. “How about the old diner? They fixed it up you know.” Something in her face said she was aware he knew very well.

Hesitating as he sensed something of a challenge in her voice he agreed. “I know. I actually had supper there.” He wanted to add “But you know that” but held his tongue. She had no way of knowing that. He was just being paranoid.

“Is 7:00 too early for you?”

“Sounds good. Sounds a lot better than the 6:00 AM I’m used to.”

Tapping her hands lightly on the window frame she grinned. “Alright then. I’ll see you at 7:00 unless you want me to pick you up?”

“Nope. I’ve got the truck so it’s all good.”

Norma pulled herself up and kissed him awkwardly on the corner of his mouth. “It’s good to have you back Kort.” Then she turned and hurried across the now empty parking lot to her car.

Kort watched her go, her yellow slicker shiny in the dull glare of the parking lot light. It was almost fully dark now and when she waved at him from the front seat of her car he could only see the paleness of her hand, her facial features lost in the dim interior. Starting the truck he followed her out of the parking lot and watched as she turned onto the main road headed east as he turned west. He seemed to remember her parents lived a few streets away from his mother’s home and realized she might have her own place now. It was funny to think of all of his friends as grown up and independent, with jobs, and their own homes, and probably families. They had continued their lives, doing all the things that kids did when high school was over and life opened her arms to draw them on. He was caught between who he was now and who he had been. And he wasn’t even certain who the current Kort was.

Glancing in the rearview mirror he saw a police cruiser right behind him. Squinting, he saw a hand wave at him casually. It was Butch. He didn’t signal Kort to pull over; he simply continued to follow him for a couple of miles before pulling up beside him. As he prepared to make a left turn away from Kort he gave another small wave as if to say “I’m watching you. You never know when I’ll show up.”.”

A vein throbbed in Kort’s temple and his hands tightened on the steering wheel. Butch would never let this go. “Dammit.” He swore under his breath. Taking several deep breaths, he counted to ten then counted to ten again. By the time he reached the house he had calmed down a little.

Pulling into the driveway he hit the garage remote and watched as the door slowly rolled open. He did not notice the small dark car parked halfway down the street nor would it have meant anything to him if he had. After the garage door closed the headlights on the little car flicked on and it pulled slowly past the house, the driver’s face lost in the darkness.

Kort dropped the truck keys into the dish on the hall table where he had found them and followed the sound of the television into the living room. His mother was watching some TV drama and he saw her eyes flick to the clock on the wall checking the time. He was surprised to find he was holding his breath like a guilty teen until he realized it was just past 8:30 PM and he was well within his curfew. Clearing his throat he attempted to make some connection with her. “The diner looks great.”

She glanced at him and immediately returned to the television. “I don’t eat out. It seems a waste of money.”

Kort struggled for a moment between a sharp response and inviting her to join him some time. Finally he shrugged his shoulders and turned to go to his room.

“Kort,” she called after him, “Do you need me to wake you in the morning? Would you like breakfast before you leave?”

He stood at the foot of the stairs, his hand on the polished wood banister. “No thanks. I can set my alarm and I’m meeting someone for breakfast.”

The silence thickened and then her voice came evenly. “Very well. Good night then.”

Taking the stairs two at a time he went directly to his room, closing the door and leaning against it. Eyes closed, he counted slowly to ten and then repeated the count. It was becoming a habit he had left behind when he first left the juvenile facility. How was it possible that she could still get under his skin? He was an adult and she still managed to make him feel like a badly behaved teen.

“Screw it,” he muttered under his breath before grabbing the television remote and laying on the bed.  There was something both familiar yet unfamiliar about it; not unlike his life before he went away, totally unlike while he was away. In many ways he felt like two different people. His life was now pre-Desiree’s death and post-Desiree’s death. Although the television rambled on, his mind was far away. The posters on the walls were gone, the clothes in the closet too small, the bookshelf, now empty of his school texts and sports magazines that had spoken of a boy almost a man with his future spread before him. But the body on the bed was a grown man who barely fit the twin sized bed, long outgrown most of the clothes in the closet, with a future shaded by a past that hung over him like a menacing gray cloud. He closed his eyes and listened to the sounds around him. Only the television spoke. There were no voices from surrounding cells, no radios playing hip hop or rock or rap. No one chattered at him from a distance. He muted the television and marveled at the quiet. Occasionally a car would drift by outside his window, engine purring softly like a sleepy kitten. Opening his eyes he noted although the window was closed the air from the vent below moved the curtains gently. Curtains, pale and sheer, light bouncing off the window glass so he couldn’t see the tree he knew grew almost as high as the window frame. His eyes closed again and in moments he had drifted into sleep, the light from the television dancing behind his lids.

Sometime during the night he awoke to a darkened room. It took him several minutes to remember where he was. The light and the television were off and he knew “she” (his mother) must have come in and turned everything off. There was a light blanket covering him and he was surprised to think she must have tossed it over him. Reaching out he turned on his bedside lamp before getting up and heading to the bathroom. His bladder felt as though it would explode and he leaned his head against the cool tiles as he stood by the shiny white porcelain sink. He had always been told one of the hardest things about adjusting to the outside was learning to sleep without the sounds he had grown accustomed to. Yet he had drifted off easily into a dreamless sleep.

Returning to the bedroom he stripped down to his underwear and leaving his clothes on the floor he crawled beneath the covers and went back to sleep.