Beneath the Tombstone (The Tombstone Series) (20 page)

“That
places you at the scene of the crime,” Sheriff Victor said thoughtfully. Then
in a slow, quiet, and emotionless voice he began speaking, “You have the right
to remain silent.”

“Are
you serious?” Jason questioned loudly, unable to believe his ears.

“Anything
you say can and will be used against you in a court of law,” the sheriff said
then went on reading Jason his rights, but the words quit registering. Getting
locked up was going to change everything.

“Place
all your personal belongings on the table,” the sheriff instructed.

Jason
quietly obeyed. He didn’t want to have resisting arrest added to his charges…
whatever the original charges were.

“Now
put your hands on your head,” Sheriff Victor ordered flatly. Jason obeyed. Then
the sheriff motioned to the door. “Let’s go,” he instructed.

Leading
the way to the next door down, where the men from the lineup had already filed
out, the sheriff waved his prisoner inside. Once across the threshold, Jason
stopped and glanced around the room. So this was the other side of the glass.
Victor had promised if he ever got Jason into this room, his sentence would be
eternal incarceration.

“Let
me know when you’re ready to tell the truth,” Victor growled as he began
closing the door shut on Jason.

“I’m
ready,” Jason spoke flatly as he lowered his arms and made his way over to the
side of the table that made him face the mirrored glass. Figured that would be
his side.

Victor
opened the door back up, walked in and sat down across from his prisoner,
cocking an eyebrow, obviously a bit suspicious that it had been this easy.

“You
want the truth?” Jason asked with an edge to his tone. “I’ll give you the
truth. The truth is that I watched men drag my wife away one night not so very
long ago. The truth is that the only way I can save her is by doing something
that will likely get me killed. The truth is that yesterday I walked and ran
close to fifty miles training to save her and
possibly
come out alive.”
A tear ran down Jason’s cheek and his voice shook as he concluded by saying,
“And the truth is… if you screw this thing up… if you make it where I can’t
save her, you will answer to me.”

“In
this life or the next?” the sheriff mocked, but the uneasiness in his voice
didn’t go unnoticed.

“This
life,” Jason answered without missing a beat. “I don’t know much about the
next.”

Jason
leaned back in his chair and locked eyes with the sheriff. Finally, Victor
looked away and stood up. “Looks like you need to think on your attitude for a
while,” he commented before walking out the door, closing it behind him.

With
nothing else to do, Jason sat and stared at his reflection in the mirrored
glass. He almost didn’t recognize himself. Two weeks ago, if he’d met the guy
looking back at him now, he probably would have gone to great lengths to avoid
him. The work, worry, and sleepless nights were beginning to take their toll.
His cheeks were more drawn and haggard than before. The effects of being pushed
to the limits shone back from his tired eyes. Plus he hadn’t shaved since the
whole thing started. He wasn’t Big Foot hairy but, still, it was the longest
he’d ever gone without shaving.

Jason
rubbed his eyes. Fatigue was setting in. The stress of yesterday, now this – it
was all getting to be very tiring. If he could just get a few minutes of sleep
then he would focus on his predicament. He rose to his feet then stretched out
on top of the interrogation table. Soon the cruel and unfair world faded away
as he drifted off to sleep.

- - - - - -

Cold
and dark surrounded him. Cruel and unyielding steal lay beneath him. Where was
he? What had happened? Slowly, bit by bit, the earlier part of the day began
creeping back into Jason’s mind. Misty’s necklace. Identification of one of the
kidnappers… Got arrested? – Yep. Finally, his mind made the day’s complete
circuit, bringing him to where he was… on top of a metal interrogation table.
How long had he been asleep? And why was it so dark… and freezing?

Then
it dawned on Jason. That sheriff had a lot of nerve. He must have shut the
lights off and turned the A/C down all the way. That was border line torture.
What if Jason had gotten sick or woke up enveloped by the total darkness and
cold, causing him to go into shock. Then the police department would be
personally liable… Light bulb – Jason had a brilliant plan.

“
Noooo
!” he screamed, flailing and rolling off of the table.
He landed on a chair, knocking it over, grabbed it and flung it into the wall.
Stumbling, he crashed to the floor, rolled under the table and leapt up with
all of his might, sending it flying across the room. Running footsteps
approached. Jason fell limply to the ground. The door was flung open, letting
light and warmth spill in from the hallway.

“Oh
my goodness!” a concerned voice exclaimed. “Are you okay?” A uniformed officer
knelt by Jason’s side. It was Deputy Andrews. “Talk to me. Move. Breathe. Do
something!” Andrews exclaimed, nearing panic. “Sheriff,” he yelped. “Sheriff
Victor! Hurry!”

Jason
let out a moan and gasped for air as his eyes bulged.

“Hurry
Sheriff!” Andrews screamed. “I think he’s dying!”

“Move
it Andrews – move!” The sheriff’s abrupt shout sent his deputy scrambling to
get out of the way. “What have you done to yourself?” he asked in an astounded
voice as he quickly surveyed the room before focusing his attention on Jason.

“Come
on, man,” Victor encouraged as he knelt down by Jason’s side. “Stay with me
now.” He let out a distressed sigh then muttered under his breath, “This is
just what I need. Election time. Could get run out of office over this.”

Well,
at least Jason knew where the sheriff based his concern. It certainly wasn’t in
Jason’s wellbeing. “It’s
sooo
cold,” Jason said in a
raspy whisper as he thrust a shaky hand heavenward. “And so dark,” he added
before letting his hand fall limp by his side.

“Come
on man, please!” Victor begged. “Work with me man. If we can get you out into
the hall, it’ll be warmer.” He paused for a moment. “The light is shining out
there, too,” he added like he was talking to a child who didn’t want to come
out and play.

Renewed
by the sheriff’s desperation, Jason went rigid. “No!” he shrieked like a
mountain lion that had gotten its tail caught beneath a rock then began acting
like he was trying to get up. “We cannot go towards the light!” he added
desperately. “Momma said if you think you might be dying, don’t you ever, ever,
EVER!” he exclaimed then began fumbling for the sheriff’s hand, grasped it,
gave it a squeeze then concluded in a raspy whisper, “never go towards the
light!” With that, his hand slipped from the sheriff’s; he went completely limp
and quit breathing as it dropped to the floor.

Victor’s
eyes grew big. He had only wanted to get the truth – not kill his main suspect.
“Come on. Stay with me, man,” the sheriff pleaded. “I’m sorry. Just hold on.
Hold on. Jenny’s on the way; she’s trained in first aid.” Jason was impressed.
What could that woman not do? “Hang on a little longer, and she’ll be here!”
The image of that energetic woman trying to pump the breath of life back into
him almost ruined Jason’s act. Fits of laughter threatened to burst free, but
he somehow managed to maintain his limp composure.

“Where’s
Jenny?” Sheriff Victor hollered over his shoulder.

“I
don’t know,” Andrews answered in a desperate voice.

Sheriff
Victor sighed and hung his head. Finally, a decision shown in his eyes. “Awe,
screw it,” he huffed as he grabbed Jason’s nose and tilted his head back.

Was
he
gonna
? Yes – yes he was! The sheriff was lowering
his open mouth down towards Jason’s. Time to quit acting! “Whoa, whoa, whoa!”
Jason shouted. Victor’s mouth froze inches away from his.

“Were
you going to kiss me?” Jason asked in disbelief. “You were going to kiss me!”
he shouted, like some dirty truth had just been revealed. “You know that only
works in fairytales, right? And only with his one true love.” Jason paused for
a moment. “I’m not your one true love… am I?” he asked sounding hopeful.

Sheriff
Victor was frozen from shock. He wouldn’t have appeared more stunned if he’d
just witnessed a herd of monkeys riding motorcycles down the hall. Seeing the
expression on the sheriff’s face and knowing that this mission was very
accomplished, Jason busted into fits of hysteric laughter. In the middle of
which, he gasped, “Since we can’t go towards the light why don’t you go ahead
and turn the one on in here?” Victor still hadn’t found his voice, so Jason
took advantage of it by adding more mockery. “And as far as me being
soooo
cold turn the A/C off.”

Jason
was still rolling on the floor when the sheriff caught up to speed. Needless to
say, he didn’t find the joke nearly as funny as his prisoner did.

“You
little… get up from there!” Sheriff Victor ordered as he grabbed Jason’s shirt
and yanked him up. “I
ought’a
…”

“Sheriff
Victor?” a stunned voice interrupted.

The
sheriff released his prisoner like he had just been informed that he had the
plague. Jason stood beside him, still grinning.

“Oh,
hi Jenny,” Victor said in a startled voice. “Just helping a prisoner up.”

“Prisoner?”
she asked, confused. “Jason?”

“Yes,
Jason,” the sheriff replied flatly.

“But
what’d he do?” Jenny questioned.

“Now
Jenny,” the sheriff spoke down to her, “we both know that multitalented though
you are, you can’t be involved in everything.” With that, he marched Jason
right past her, out the door and down the hall.

Jason
shook free of the sheriff’s grip and walked along by his side. As they rounded
a corner, they came face to face with a pretty, young woman. “Sheriff,” she
exclaimed with a bright and toothy smile. “I have something for you to sign,”
she added without taking her big eyes off of him. Was he going to strut?
Seriously, the sheriff looked like he was going to strut like a rooster.

“Are
you saying you want my autograph, Miss
Adean
?” he
asked in a flirting tone. She giggled as she began to hand over the clipboard.
“You know, out of all my adoring fans, I think I sign my name for you more
than…” the sheriff stopped abruptly as Jason snatched the clipboard before it
reached his hands.

Knowing
he would only have a few seconds of stunned silence, Jason quickly scanned the
page, handed the clipboard to the sheriff and said, “Everything appears to be
in order, sir.”

“
Wh
-what?” the sheriff sputtered in surprise as he tried to
form a question.

“I’m
sorry,” a professional sounding Jason said, directing his attention to the
young woman. “The sheriff is a busy man. He didn’t introduce us.” He paused for
a moment then asked, “You’re his old assistant, I assume?”

“Old
assis
… what?” she asked, turning her attention to a very
flustered sheriff.

“You’re
not my assist… I mean old assistant!” the confused sheriff exclaimed to the
lady.

“I’m
his new assistant,” Jason explained to the now disturbed young woman.

She
turned back to the sheriff with a look of betrayal in her eyes.

“He’s
not my…” Sheriff Victor tried to explain, but Jason slapped him on the shoulder.

“
Gotta
go check on the prisoners,” he shouted excitedly as
he took off running down the hall. “I have a feeling they’re about to start
rioting!”

“Wait,”
Jason heard Victor order before he turned and began trying to explain things to
the lady. “I didn’t – He’s not – You’re, um…” then Jason turned a corner and
was out of earshot. The sheriff wanted to make trouble for Jason then Jason
would make trouble for the sheriff.

Grabbing
a metal mop bucket from a corner, Jason dumped the soapy water out on the floor
and began running down the hall banging the bucket on the bars on the cell
windows and yelling, “Everybody up! We’re busting out! We are busting out! Get
up! Get up!”

Soon,
every window had arms sticking through it, and the whole jail house was filled
with excited hollers, yells, and screams as almost every inmate joined in on
Jason’s racket making. Jason dropped the bucket and began running back the way
he’d come. As he rounded the corner, he spotted Sheriff Victor, Deputy Andrews,
and the young lady all running in his direction.

“Sheriff,
sheriff,” Jason called out desperately. “I didn’t get there soon enough! The
prisoners are rioting! The prisoners are rioting! Hurry!”

Without
speaking, Victor grabbed Jason, spun him around and slammed him up against the
wall. He patted around on his own waist, as if searching for something, then
turned to his deputy and asked, “You got your handcuffs, Andrews?”

“Yes
sir,” Deputy Andrews said as he handed them to the sheriff, happy to be of
assistance.

“Let’s
lock this clown up,” Victor muttered to Andrews.