Rogue's Hollow (17 page)

As he headed down the trail, he shuffled leaves with his feet. Travis had done a good job covering the trail. You couldn’t tell anyone had been on it at all. Malachi sprinkled additional Lime as he walked towards the truck, trying to camouflage any residual scent that was left on the trail.

Meeting with Travis near the end, they finished up and placed their tools back in the truck bed. Malachi led Baxter down to the creek and washed him off, trying to remove any remnants of the feast the dog had just devoured. Malachi gave Baxter a treat that he kept in his glove box and sent the dog happily on his way, back home to Roberta.

Malachi pulled around back and parked. “Go change your clothes and get cleaned up, Travis. Bring your dirty clothing out back and leave them by the barrel so we can burn them. I’ll be back in a bit.” Travis headed into the house as Malachi hooked his tractor up to the wagon and pulled it off into the woods.

As Travis showered he began to cry. He’d never felt like more of a failure in his entire life. Why did he always have to screw everything up? Malachi had been so good to him. What would happen to him when Malachi came to his senses and kicked him out? Where would he go? His mom didn’t want anything to do with him. There was no one else that he could rely on. Feelings of isolation and confusion flooded his thoughts.

The back of his right arm began to burn as he ran a bar of soap over it. Upon closer inspection, he saw that his flesh had a large gash in it. The kid must have cut him before he got the knife away from him.

He was so angry at himself. It took all his will to fight the urge to cut himself. The desire was strong and he wanted to so badly, imagining how good it would feel to inflict pain on his body and to silence his inner demons. All he’d ever wanted was for someone to care about him, to see value in his life. And Malachi had done just that. He was the only one who’d ever believed in him. Tears flowed even harder when he realized how much he’d let Malachi down.

There was no explanation for what he had done. Tears mixed with the shower water causing a constant stream down his face. Through his own sobs, he thought that he heard Holly’s voice calling out to him. “Travis, help me.” The memory of the night she died haunted him.

For the first time in a long time, Travis talked to God. “I will never understand your ways. Why would you take my sweet little sister and leave a monster like me behind?” He purposely banged his head against the ceramic tiles on the wall and fell to the ground sobbing. Curled up in a fetal position, rocking himself back and forth as the shower continued to pelt him with water, he cried out, “I don’t deserve to live. I wish I’d never been born.”

Fifteen

S
everal days went by. Travis and Malachi never spoke of the event in the woods again. Travis couldn’t bring himself to ask Malachi what he’d done with the body. He thought it was better if he didn’t know.

Travis got up early Saturday morning and began working on the old bridge. He was trying so hard to redeem himself. Even though Malachi never said a harsh word about the incident, a dark cloud hung over them. He could tell that his mentor was disappointed in him.

As Malachi tended to his angel bush, Travis’s attention was drawn to a car turning down the old mill lane. Not many tourists ventured way out here in November. He stood up and got out of the way as the vehicle approached the bridge. Travis’s stomach dropped when he saw that it was a police car making its way closer and closer. The officer waved and Travis nodded as the car passed over the rickety old bridge headed for the mill.

Malachi acted calm and collected. “Officer Fischer, it’s nice to see you again. What brings you out here to the sticks on this crisp November day?”

Fischer shook his hand. “Hello, Malachi. Great day for a drive. It’s so beautiful out here. I can see why you stay.” He removed a paper from his pocket. “Do you have a moment that I could speak with you?”

“Absolutely. Come on inside and I’ll get you some more of that lemonade that you like so well.”

“Thanks. I’d greatly appreciate that.”

Malachi waved at Travis as they headed inside the store. Travis hadn’t taken his eyes off the cop from the moment he pulled into the drive.

“Glad to see that old bridge is getting some repair,” Fischer said as the cowbell chimed when they entered the store.

Malachi replied, “My friend, Travis, has been working with me for a while now. He’s turned into a real good handyman and has been a big help to me out here. Lord knows I can use the assistance.”

Fischer nodded as he looked around. “Place looks real nice. Are you glad the Halloween rush is over?”

“Yes, sir. It’s the same thing every year. Tourists and kids flock to the area looking for ghosts and things that go bump in the night. Which is fine with me because they usually stop here on the way and drop a few bucks, but it does get exhausting on these old bones.”

“I know exactly how you feel.”

Malachi led the officer into the kitchen, washed his hands and poured him a tall glass of fresh lemonade. Fischer sat at the table and gulped it down in two long drinks. Then he a small notebook from his pocket as Malachi refilled his glass.

“Another kid’s gone missing, Malachi. This one was last seen right around here, too.”

“Really? Who’s the kid?”

Fischer clicked his pen as he read over his notes. “Eighteen year old, Bently Blake. Local kid. Dropped out of school last year and works at the lumber yard just outside of Doylestown.”

Acting nonchalant, Malachi asked, “Do you think he took off?”

Fischer took a sip of lemonade and gave him a half nod. “There’s a good chance. We had a girl file an attempted rape charge against him. We’ve been looking for him to question and he seems to have vanished.”

“Do you think he came this way?”

“He was last seen in the woods down by the creek. I would have just filed this one away, but his parents are insistent that something has happened to him. Do you know who owns the land adjoining the bridge?”

“I do, Officer Fischer. It’s been in my family for decades. Do you think he’s hiding out down there?”

“Who knows with kids these days.” Opening up a paper, he showed Malachi a picture. “This is a recent shot of him. Did he stop in here by any chance?”

Malachi took out his glasses and carefully inspected the photo. He sighed as he looked at the smiling young face on the paper. He would have never recognized him from the gruesome scene he saw in the woods that evening. Shaking his head, he handed the paper back to Fischer. “Nice looking kid. I haven’t seen him here in the store. I like to take hikes in the woods quite a bit, so I’ll keep my eyes open for anything strange.”

Fischer nodded. “I’d appreciate that. Would it be okay if I looked around a bit down by the bridge?”

“Absolutely. Any time.” Malachi’s heart raced. The last thing he wanted was for Fischer to start nosing around on his land, but he couldn’t let on. That might raise suspicion. Fischer didn’t strike him as an extremely thorough cop anyway. He was just biding his time until retirement. What were the odds that he would discover anything?

As soon as Fischer left, Travis made a bee-line for Malachi. It tortured him, patiently waiting, pretending to work on the bridge. He couldn’t focus enough to accomplish anything. His mind raced with questions and he didn’t know where to begin. Did they find the body? Had the girl seen him in the woods? “What’d he say, Malachi?”

“He’s looking for some missing kid. He was last seen in the woods by the bridge. I haven’t seen him. Have you?”

Travis shook his head. “No, sir. I haven’t seen a thing.”

Malachi nodded. “Well then, end of story. We have nothing more to say to the man.”

Sixteen

T
ravis grew more and more solemn as the days passed. Malachi could tell that he was disgusted with himself. Travis went to school and came straight home afterwards. He tended to his chores, ate his dinner and then focused on his homework until bedtime. The nights of leisurely watching TV together were few and far between. Travis was angry at what he’d become. Never in a million years had he anticipated ending up like this. Malachi had offered him the world on a silver platter. He didn’t feel like he deserved it anymore. What kind of a person does something like that? He detested the man he saw staring back at him in the mirror. All he saw was the face of a total stranger, a murderer, a monster.

It was late in the day and Malachi was sprinkling some fresh ash on his angel plant when he was greeted by Baxter jumping on his leg. He sat down his watering can and smiled. “Well, hello there, my friend. How have you been?”

About that time he heard a familiar crotchety voice coming from behind him. “What’s up with the cop?”

Malachi turned and saw Roberta making her way up the driveway. “Hello, neighbor.”

“Yeah, yeah… hello, hi, how are ya. What’s with the cop?”

“What cop, Roberta?”

“There’s been a cop car parked at Cry Baby Bridge for over an hour. It was there when I left to take Baxter to the vet and still there now.”

Malachi patted Baxter on the head and played dumb. “Well, Officer Fischer stopped by here several days ago, looking for a missing kid. He must be investigating.”

“That’s private property, Malachi. Did you give him permission to snoop around? If not, he’s breaking the law.”

Malachi smiled, trying to calm her worries. “Yes, yes. I gave him permission. He’s not hurting anything.”

“Scares people. Folks round these parts don’t want any trouble with the law.”

“He means no harm. He’s just doing his job. I’m sure he’ll be up and gone before we know it. It’ll be fine. Now, how about a fresh glass of lemonade?”

“Thanks, but no thanks. Stomach’s been a bit upset. I think the acid might aggravate it. I’ll take a rain check. Baxter’s been sick too. He got into something nasty and puked a couple times last week. Doc says he probably ate some road kill. Why do dogs feel compelled to eat old rotting carcasses?”

Malachi shook his head. “I couldn’t tell you. It’s one of life’s little mysteries.”

“You been burnin’ off the spring sap?”

“Last week I did. It’s that time of year again.”

“Thought so, but it was hard to tell with everyone burning their leaves around here. Your plant’s looking real good, Malachi. Your Granddad would be proud. Gosh, he loved that thing.”

“Thank you, Roberta. That’s very kind of you to say.”

“I only speak the truth, Malachi. You know that.”

“Yes, ma’am. I know that to be a fact and I have always appreciated your brute honesty.”

Shaking her head, she grinned at him with a crooked smile. “Yeah, sure you do.” She slapped her leg. “Come on, Baxter. Let’s head on home. Catch ya on the flipside, Malachi.”

“Have a lovely evening, neighbor.”

With a wave of her hand, she disappeared down the lane with Baxter at her side.

Roberta’s great-great grandfather had been a founding member of ‘The Awakening’, just like Malachi and Travis’s ancestors. Malachi felt it was best if she didn’t know all the gory details of what their ancestors had done while in their little cult. He’d never shared the secrets with her that lie safely hidden away in the cellar at the old mill. Folks round these parts shy away from the law. It’s in their blood. They keep to themselves and expect to be left alone. Roberta was no different. She bristled at the thought of the police snooping around their hollow.

Malachi agreed. He couldn’t help but feel nervous about Officer Fischer nosing around. He was more thorough than Malachi thought he would be. They’d done everything that they could to cover it up. At this point all he could do was hope for the best.

Seventeen

M
alachi was resting on his rocking chair when Officer Fischer’s squad car flew up the drive. He could feel his stomach flip-flop as he said to himself, “Here we go.” He knew that if Fischer has discovered the truth, they’d both be going to jail; Travis for murder and he for being an accomplice after the fact.

The police car breezed over the bridge at a hasty pace and then came to an abrupt halt as Fischer threw the car into park and jumped out. “Malachi, we need to talk.”

“Hello, Officer Fischer. Beautiful evening here in Rogue’s Hollow. Would you like some lemonade?”

“No, thank you. Did you say that you owned all that land down by the river?”

“Yes, sir. Both sides of the road, as far as the eye can see. Why do you ask?”

“We have a situation, Malachi. I think you need to come with me.”

Taking a deep breath, he pondered what to do. He didn’t want to concern Travis at this stage so he decided to leave him at the mill. His young friend was busy at the kitchen table working on his homework. Malachi felt that it was best to let him study while he talked things over with Fischer. Maybe he could smooth things over a bit.

Malachi stood up and stretched his old bones. “Do you want me to ride with you or take my own vehicle?”

“Come with me, please.”

Malachi left with Fischer without saying a word to Travis. He didn’t want to give him a chance to do anything drastic while they were gone. He wanted to hear the man out first and see what he was dealing with.

The silence in the car was deafening. Malachi could hear his own heart beating loudly in his ears and his face was flushed from the rise in his blood pressure. Taking a deep breath to try and calm his nerves, he couldn’t take it any longer and had to ask, “Did you find something out about that missing kid?”

He looked over at Malachi, inspecting him. “You say your family has owned this land for a long time?”

“Yes, sir. Since the early eighteen-hundreds. Why do you ask?”

“Do you get out in the woods much?”

“I try to keep active. Most times I trek out back of the mill and head up to the old sugar camp. But I do love it down here by the water as well. Why?”

He threw the transmission into park and said, “Follow me. You need to see this.”

As they made their way down the narrow path, Malachi’s eyes eagerly searched the ground for any signs of struggle or foul play. It looked fine. A new blanket of freshly fallen leaves added an extra barrier to the path. Malachi quietly followed behind as Officer Fischer trudged through the forest. He appeared to be on a mission as he rounded the bend of the creek.

Malachi’s heart skipped a beat as Fischer came to an abrupt halt. “Do you know anything about this?”

As he stepped aside, Malachi saw the Cry Baby Bridge cryptic plain as day. His mind raced and he cursed at himself.
Damn it, Malachi. You should have anticipated this
. He stammered on his words as he tried to figure out what exactly to say.

Taking a deep breath, he shook his head, sighed and threw his hands out in front of him. “You caught me, Officer. Better cuff me and throw me in the slammer.”

“You, Malachi? This is yours?”

Malachi nodded. “Guilty, as charged.”

Fischer scratched his head. “What in tarnation is it?”

“It’s a little contraption I built to keep this old place on the map. Business was dying off, so I had to keep the legend alive.” He walked up to it and pushed a button to demonstrate. The distinct sound of a crying baby wafted through the trees, blending in perfect unison with the babbling of the creek. “Built it myself. It’s sound and light activated.”

“Seriously, Malachi?”

“I know it’s silly, but folks just love being scared out here. Keeps ‘em coming back, which keeps my store open for business and puts food on the table.”

Fischer smiled. “You sly old coot, you. That’s genius. And no one’s caught on?”

“Not a soul, except for you. You’re quite a good detective, Officer Fischer,” he said trying to stroke his ego.

“Folks are too scared. They hear the faint cry and high-tail it outta here. No one is brave enough to go searching for the baby, especially at night. These woods can scare even the bravest of hearts.”

“Is this what you brought me out here to see?”

Fischer nodded. “I thought someone was messing with your land. Looks like a moonshine still or something sinister to me. Who the hell would have thought that it was yours? How long have you been doing this?”

“Forty-some odd years now.”

Fischer began to snicker. “You’re one crazy dude, Malachi.”

“Do I need to take it down? Am I breaking the law?”

“I don’t see any harm in it. You’re just having some fun. Plus, it’s private property. I guess you can make whatever sounds you want on your own land.”

Malachi nodded and smiled at him. “It is fun.”

“No harm in it as far as I can see. Come on, let’s head on back. I’ve been out here most of the day and I need to be getting home for supper.”

“I thought maybe you found something to do with that missing kid.”

Fischer stroked his mustache and shook his head. “Oh, hell, that kid’s probably in Texas by now. But at least I can say that we did our part and searched for him.”

As they walked along the trail, Malachi continued the conversation with Fischer, trying to distract his attention from anything he might see. As they passed by the murder site, Malachi looked around, scouring the ground for clues. There were none to be seen. Mother Nature had done a fine job camouflaging the area. Fischer seemed oblivious to the clues that lie just below his own boots.

Malachi breathed a sigh of relief as they drove back to the mill. Even though his heart was still racing, he felt more assured that it would all be over soon. He thanked Fischer for the ride and for his discretion. The legends of Rogue’s Hollow would turn into a joke if word got out about Malachi’s cryptic. Fischer understood its importance and vowed that it was their little secret. Malachi shook his hand and watched him drive off down the dirt lane with a cloud of dust trailing after him.

Gathering his thoughts, Malachi headed into the store. He flipped the sign to ‘Closed’ on the door and wandered into the kitchen. That was usually the place where Travis could be found working on his homework. He liked to hang out close to the food; he was a growing teenager after all. Travis was nowhere to be found. Malachi yelled his name, but there was no reply. He checked out back, thinking maybe he was tinkering with Rosie, but he wasn’t there either.

His mind began to wander. Was it possible that Travis saw Officer Fischer pull up? Could he have gotten scared and taken off? Malachi started to get worried. He rushed around the mill, searching from room to room, desperate to find his young friend.

As he walked back into the store, he realized that the cellar door was ajar. He pushed it open further, flinching as it slowly creaked and then stood frozen as he peered down the narrow staircase. The light was on. Travis must be down there. Maybe he just needed some tools.

Slowly, he made his way around the curves and followed the narrow hall. He peered into the tool room and saw that it was empty. His heart sank. Turning the corner he walked down a dirt-floored hallway that led to the old library. Stopping at the doorway, he saw Travis sitting at the old wooden table. “What are you doing down here?”

Travis jumped up onto his feet and turned with a fury. “Holy shit, Malachi. You scared me.”

Malachi looked at the table and saw the old family books sprawled out in front of him. “What are you doing, Travis?”

“I was looking for you. I couldn’t find you anywhere, so I thought that you might be down here. I came looking for you.”

“Why are you looking at these old books? I told you that they’re off limits!”

Travis became agitated. “Off limits?”

“Yes. There is nothing here that pertains to you.”

“It’s my family history, too. How can you say that? I have just as much right to look at it as you do.”

Malachi’s pleading eyes pierced into him. “Please, Travis. Don’t go there.”

Travis wasn’t going to let it lay. “I saw that they called my relative Marcus ‘The Executioner’. What did they mean by that?”

“It was a long time ago. The men went mad. They didn’t know what they were talking about half the time.” Malachi closed the book and placed it neatly back onto the shelf. “Come on, let’s go get some supper.”

Travis knew he was hiding something and he didn’t like secrets. They ate at him like cancer. He wasn’t willing to stop until he got to the bottom of it. Secrets were the root of all evil. He’d kept too many of them in his lifetime. Why was Malachi being so tight-lipped about the past? It was a really long time ago. Why did it matter so much to him to keep it hidden?

Malachi cooked chicken and noodles while Travis finished his homework at the table. He smiled as he watched the young man taking his school work so seriously. He was on the right path. It was Malachi’s job to keep him on that path and not let him get distracted. Graduation was the goal and they were so close. They’d come so far. It had become an obsession with Malachi to see Travis cross that stage in his cap and gown. He planned on being in the front row with a huge smile on his face.