Double Blind (38 page)

I killed Lloyd Varney. It was an accident, but he died at my hand nonetheless. I killed Walt Packer and Ted Smyth in self-defense. I burned Burt Eagan’s stables to harass and terrify him. To let him know that his judgment would come and that he could not hide from the truth even in his own fortress.

I have now set in motion a plan that will bring Burton Eagan to justice. I will pay for my own sins, but he will likewise pay for his.

These journals provide the truth of what has happened. Please keep them safe, for if something happens to me, they are the only evidence against Burt.

Please do not interfere. Trust my judgment in this, even if my previous decisions have been flawed. The end is near and truth and justice will prevail with God’s help.

I love you and Martha. Please forgive me for not living up to your expectations.

Morgan Russell

Sam closed the book.

“What happens now?” Martha asked.

“I called the CBI Field Office in Montrose,” Sam said. “Hopefully, they’re sending down a couple of State Patrol officers first thing tomorrow.”

“Morgan, told me to bring them up to the Glenross Mine,” Billy said. “Said everything would be clear then.”

Sam stood. “I guess we wait until morning and see if the cavalry arrives.”

Morgan squatted against a spruce trunk and shoved the last of the ham Martha had given him into his mouth. He wiped his hands on his shirt. Before him stretched Burt Eagan’s rambling house. Though the interior appeared dark, three floodlights hung beneath the eaves of the pitched roof and illuminated the entire rear yard except for the shadows cast by the two large trees near the patio.

He knew the layout of the house, having been there many times for parties and dinners, usually with Dr. Locke. But, those visits ended nearly two years ago. Since his return, he had been invited only once and that was to sign his contract, an agreement, which required him to live at the lab, contact no one, and stay out of sight.

And even though he had been a prisoner in a concrete box, he had lived up to every word of the agreement. As had Burt. Every reagent, animal, or piece of equipment Morgan requested, magically appeared, no questions asked. Burt kept the refrigerator stocked, never forgetting plenty of Morgan’s favorite beer, and always provided clean clothes and sheets, books, and the latest movies on DVD. And his agreed-on salary appeared in his Denver bank account on the first of every month. And most importantly, Burt had given him the freedom to pursue his research in any manner he wanted. All Burt expected was results. 

Yes, Burt had honored every clause of their agreement. Right up until he gave him a 400-yard head start, and then hunted him down.

Burt’s suite was on the second floor as was the suite of rooms Hollis used whenever he visited. But Conner’s room occupied a first floor, rear corner. And taking Conner was the only way he could hold leverage over Burt and make him confront the truth. The trick would be getting Conner from his room without causing a commotion or alerting Burt or Hollis.

Perhaps a few pebbles against the window would bring Conner out or at least to the window to investigate, and he could surprise him. Smashing the window and grabbing him didn’t seem a good idea. Conner wasn’t a child, but a strong young man and would likely put up one hell of a fight.

But, regardless of how, even it required such drastic action, he had to take Conner now. He had only a few hours left to complete his trap for Burt.

He pulled a piece of brown paper from his pocket and unfolded it. The two words he had written only an hour earlier were smeared but legible.

Glenross Mine.

He would leave it in Conner’s room, beneath the window, where Burt would find it. He folded the paper and shoved it back into his pocket.

Keeping low, he scurried from the trees and hid behind the pool cabana. Then, using the shadows provided by the trees near the patio, he moved around the deck to the rear corner of the house, near the window to Conner’s room. Allowing his adrenaline-stoked breathing to calm, he knelt, listening. Assured that he had not been detected, he stood and peered around the window frame into the room. He could see nothing in the darkness, but noticed that the window was cracked open three or four inches, most likely to capture the cool night breezes. It was about time something went his way.

He slipped his fingers into the gap and began to inch the window upward. Then, whispered voices. The quiet closing of a door. A soft giggle. He ducked.

A light came on and spilled through the window to the ground before him. He backed around the corner.

He heard the window scrape, and then soft voices again. Now he could make out what the voices were saying.

“Be quiet.” It was Conner’s voice.

Another giggle. A girl’s giggle.

He pressed his back against the sidewall of the house. Shadows flickered in the light that bathed the ground. Then, a soft thud.

“Come on.” It was Kelly. She was outside. Around the corner, not ten feet from him.

“Let me get the light,” Conner said.

“Do you have the stuff?” Kelly asked. “And the tequila?”

“Yeah. Now, be quiet before you wake someone.”

The soft illumination that fell through the window suddenly died. Another thud. They were both outside now.

Morgan held his breath and readied himself, expecting them to turn the corner toward him.

“Phew,” Kelly said. “What’s that smell?”

“Probably Carlos’ compost pile. He uses it to fertilize the flowers.”

“Smells like a skunk died in it.”

“Come on,” Conner said. “Let’s get going.”

The sound of their footsteps retreated across the patio. He waited until they faded, and then peered around the corner. Kelly climbed behind the wheel of Conner’s red pick-up truck, while Conner pushed it from the rear, propelling it down the sloping drive, lights off, engine silent. As it picked up speed, Conner jumped inside, behind the wheel, Kelly sliding over to give him room.

Morgan ran around the pool deck, along the backside of the cabana, and slipped into the trees. He watched as the truck rolled silently down the slope, toward the road. As it reached the end of the drive, the engine turned over, the headlights came on, and the vehicle swung onto the paved road.

Perfect.

He knew exactly where they were going. Where they always went to drink and smoke marijuana. Where no one could see them. And no one would see him.

He turned and loped into the forest.

Shelby had dozed off and on, but never really slept. She was too excited. The storm that raged by earlier had concerned her. Had it continued, it would have blown the whole deal. But, it rumbled on eastward, leaving behind a few scattered clouds, which she could see through her bedroom window as they drifted across the full moon.

An hour and a half ago, she had heard Sam and Billy leave and as far as she could tell, they had not yet returned. Her mother had gone to bed shortly after they left. Since then, the house had been silent.

Having dressed an hour earlier, she tied her boot laces, slipped on her jacket, and eased open the window. Swinging one leg and then the other over the sill, she slid to the ground. After assuring herself that the only lights on in the house were the usual living room lamp and the upstairs bathroom night-light, she headed down the winding quarter mile drive toward the road. The storm-washed night air smelled fresh and the stars seemed brighter than usual, especially when a cloud softened the moonlight.

As she walked, she could see most of the valley. Few lights, no activity, and a thick blanket of silence. An owl flew overhead, its wings whispering rhythmically, its huge eyes visible as it obviously searched the fields for mice or rabbits.

She saw a car in the distance, coming up the road. Good they’re early, she thought. When the vehicle reached the drive, it slowed and turned toward her.

They were supposed to wait at the end of the drive, not come up toward the house. The headlamps grew brighter as they approached. She glanced over her shoulder, fearing she would see lights flickering on all over the house.

She quickened her pace. Stupid, she thought. They were going to wake her mother.

Suddenly, she stopped. That wasn’t Conner’s truck. She recognized the square headlights. Sam’s Jeep.

“Damn it,” she said aloud.

She ducked low and scrambled off the road into the knee-high grass. Dropping on her stomach, she flattened herself against the ground. The water from the rain-soaked foliage seeped through the front of her jeans and shirt.

The headlights swept across the grass above her, then back the other way, as the Jeep wound its way up the drive. The crunching of the tires on the gravel grew louder. Lying only ten feet from the drive, she held her breath, fearing they had seen her and would stop. The Jeep continued past her and toward the house. She remained still until she heard the car doors close, then she rose up just enough to see Sam and Billy climb the front steps and go inside.

She stood. The night breeze drove a chill through her soaked jeans and shirt. She brushed off what surface water she could and hurried down the drive toward the main road, arriving just as Conner pulled the truck to the shoulder. She jumped inside.

“You’re soaking wet,” Kelly said, moving to the center to give her room.

“You would be too if you’d been crawling around in the weeds,” Shelby said. She told them what had happened.

“Do you think they saw you?”

“No way. They would’ve stopped.”

“Here,” Conner said. He handed her the bottle of tequila. “This’ll warm you right up.” He eased the truck into a U-turn and headed back into the depths of the valley.

Shelby grabbed the bottle, spun off the cap, and took a slug. She swallowed and exhaled loudly. “Yes. That helps.” She took another shot, then passed it to Kelly. “You guys have any trouble getting out?”

“No,” Kelly said. “Piece of cake.”

“No thanks to you,” Conner teased her. “You made enough racket to wake the dead.”

She elbowed his ribs. “But, I didn’t. We’re out and no one on Earth knows.” She took a pull from the bottle and handed it to Conner. “Let’s fire up one of those joints.”

Conner pulled one from his shirt pocket and gave it to Kelly. She lit it, took a drag, and handed it to Shelby. They passed it around until it was too small to handle. Shelby stubbed it on the bottom of her shoe and tossed it out the window.

“That feels better,” Shelby said.

Conner wheeled off the road onto a dirt track, which soon played out, leaving them bouncing and gyrating over the uneven terrain of the valley floor. The girls giggled, screamed, and hung on as Conner spun the wheel one way and then the other, the truck airborne more than once. Ten minutes later, they reached the lake. Conner skidded the truck to a stop and they piled out.

A silver slash of moonlight reflected off the water, gently rippled by the soft breeze. The pearlescent glow of the snow-capped peaks hovered above the valley.

“This is so beautiful,” Shelby said as she helped Kelly spread a blanket on the ground. They sat in a circle, lit another joint, and passed it and the tequila around, talking, laughing, getting pleasantly stoned.

Shelby lay back and stared up at the sky. “I’ve never seen so many stars. In LA, you can see about a dozen. If the smog isn’t too bad.”

Kelly lay back beside her and giggled. “Billions and billions as Carl Sagan would say.”

They all laughed, and then fell into an easy silence.

Shelby decided Conner and Kelly were way cool. Maybe living here wouldn’t be so bad. If she had her car, that is.

Conner broke the silence. “Where are you going to college next year, Shelby?”

“Probably UCLA.”

“Studying what?”

“I don’t know. Maybe English. Or writing.”

“You should come back east. Princeton.”

“I don’t have the grades for Princeton.”

“Too bad. You’d love it.”

Shelby propped up on one elbow and looked at Conner. “You must be pretty smart.”

“I make good grades, if that’s what you mean. But I have a swimming scholarship.”

“So, that’s the ticket,” Shelby said.

“It helps.” He stood. “I’m going to get another joint from the truck.”

Shelby rolled her eyes. “Yeah. That’s what we need. I’m completely mangled as it is.”

“Me, too,” Kelly said. “But what the hell. We can always get more wasted.”

Shelby lay back again and laced her hands behind her head. She felt completely relaxed. She heard Conner open and then close the truck door. Then, a thump and a groan. She and Kelly sat up at the same time.

Conner lay on the ground by the truck. A massive creature with long wild hair stood over him.

Both girls screamed.

“Shut up,” he growled. He stepped toward them. “Hello, Kelly,” he said, his voice coarse and raspy.

Kelly took in a sharp breath. “How do you know who I am?”

“Don’t you recognize me?”

Shelby looked at Kelly, whose eyes were wide with fear.

Kelly shook her head.

“I’m Morgan.”

“No,” she said. “You couldn’t be.”

“But, I am.” He looked at Shelby. “And, who are you?” 

She couldn’t speak. Her heart hammered against her chest. The odor that surrounded the creature was overpowering and seemed to thicken the air, making it difficult to breathe. She looked around, searching for some escape. She was in the middle of an open field. No trees, no place to hide, only the lake. The thought that maybe the man couldn’t swim crossed her mind, but she rejected it. She wasn’t the best swimmer in the world either.

“I said, who are you?” He took another step toward them.

“Shelby. Shelby Cameron.”

The moonlight brightened as a cloud slid from its face. Shelby saw the man’s blue eyes and his smile peeked through his beard.

“You’re the swimmer,” he said.

“What?”

“I saw you swimming in Aspen Creek a few days ago.”