Hazy View: Souls of the Vanished (2 page)

“
These people found the
boat after spending the night on the lake.” Andrew finally informed
as they passed the private vehicle.

He tried to gain Martin's attention.
Martin ignored him. Uninterested in the conversation he appeared
tired and sluggish. He reached into his vehicle and took a packet
of cigarettes out of the glove compartment. He glanced at the lake
again. Martin's actions confused Andrew.

“
The boat’s still stuck in
the reeds, it must‘ve run ashore after he died. We turned the
engine off when we arrived. The corner and forensics are already on
scene. You would think they'd never seen a dead body before. Do you
want to speak to the witnesses in the meantime?” Andrew added
quickly.

“
No, there aren’t many
deaths here. So they jump at any opportunity to do something
skillful.” Martin took a deep breath of relief then paused. “You
say a boat ran ashore?”

Andrew looked hard at Martin. He knew
there was something bothering him, something more than just his
wife walking out on him.

“
Yes. What’s wrong? You
look like you were expecting something else, or worse.”

“
You're delusional. I
received a message of a body that washed up.” Martin
snapped.

Martin smoked faster to hide how
nervous he was. He tried to block Andrew from his mind, but every
time he moved, Andrew followed.

Andrew stepped in front of Martin. His
concern carried in his voice. “I don’t think there’s anything
dramatic about this case although I haven't seen it yet. I couldn't
get too close. With everyone busy it's too crowded. Tom said that
Robert Wilson went out fishing as usual and suffered a heart
attack. Why don’t you head back to the office, get some rest you
look exhausted? I'll fill you in later.”

Standing a distance from the scene,
Martin finished his cigarette and stomped it out on the ground. “We
better show face.” Martin said and sighed deeply.

Andrew looked at Martin.
“Martin...”

He stopped but didn't turn to Andrew.
He looked at the ground and interrupted in a soft voice. “I'm fine.
You don't have to worry about me.”

Andrew reached to touch Martin on the
shoulder but stopped.

“
Martin, you need
to...”

Martin interrupted again, but this
time his voice was strong and he was avoiding the subject. “I don’t
want to be out the whole day, let’s do our job.” He walked off
towards the reeds while Andrew followed.

“
If you need to talk...”
Andrew started as soft-spoken and gentle as he could
manage.

“
I said I'm fine let it
go.” Martin was angry but his still didn’t face Andrew.

“
Martin.” Andrew
paused.

Martin turned to Andrew slowly.
“What's your problem? We've got work to do. This problem between us
has nothing to do with work.”

Andrew closed the gap between them.
“You need to talk to someone. This breakup is killing you. You've
become reckless and absentminded. Half the time you're somewhere
lost in your memories and thoughts, or you’re drowning yourself in
a bottle of gin.” He paused, his voice soft as he pleaded. “I'm
your best friend. We're like family. I was your best man, for God
sakes I’m Christopher’s Godfather. Talk to me, we can work this
out. Please ... I miss them too.”

Martin was silent, just stared back at
Andrew. “I’m sure you do.” He finely scolded.

“
Martin talk to me, I’m
right here.” Andrew realized that he had finally hit a
nerve.

“
If I need help you'll be
the last person I'd turn to. Mind your own business. I'm not your
problem anymore. You're not responsible for counseling, or to
rescue me from the depth of despair. Just do your job.” Martin said
loudly filled with anger.

Martin turned swiftly and disappeared
into the reeds at the edge of the lake. Andrew followed
again.

*~*~*

*
II*

The sky was like ash. The storm came
in fast. The wind grew colder and more brisk by the
minute.

A path of crashed reed made a sort of
bridge from the shore to the stranded boat. Voices carried through
the wind. It rose above the hissing of bulrushes.

Andrew followed the path to the
stranded boat. The reeds weren't too thick and the water was
shallow. Water seeped into his shoes making a squeaking sound as he
walked. The thought of removing his shoes had crossed his mind, but
the reeds and leaves would surely draw blood.

Martin stood with his back to the
path. Forensics were clearing up equipment and preparing to leave.
The boat with Robert's body was lying at Martins feet.

Martin gazed at the lake again, lost
in his memories. He was always staring in one direction, the rock
face. Andrew could tell by the look on Martins face that it wasn’t
the death of Robert Wilson that had occupying his mind, but
something deeper and darker. Something was haunting him.

“
Do you see something out
there?” Andrew asked behind Martin.

Martin froze but didn't respond. He
only mumbled softly. The word murder was the clearest.

“
What makes you think its
murder?” Andrew asked as Martin turned to him slowly.

“
Sheriff…?”

“
What’s it with
you?”

Forensics left the scene. Martin
stepped away from Andrew who followed.

‘
Stay calm, keep it
together. You're taking too many chances. Don't lose it now. You're
almost in the clear, nobody can know.’ Martin coached himself
softly.

“
You said its murder. How
do you know, it seems like a simple heart attack.”

Martin turned pale and seemed
unraveled but relieved at the same time. He looked at the
boat.

“
I don't know, look at
him. Something scared him to death. You don't need a Coroner to
tell you that. It just doesn't look natural.” Martin stated while
pointing at the body in the boat.

Martin turned away from Andrew before
he could read any other facial expressions.

“
Robert wasn't young.
Maybe the sudden heart attack frightened him.”

“
It's already too crowded.
Go get statements from the witnesses. I'm sure they want to go
home. I'll speak to the Coroner and look around. We can compare
notes later.” Martin ordered turning to Andrew annoyed.

Without a further word Martin walked
to the coroner. Andrew left the reeds.

*~*~*

*
III*

The wind picked up leaves and cast
them across the parking lot and pier. The sky was darker, the
clouds hung heavier. The forensics van had left. An Ambulance lit
up the area with a red and blue glow. A large group of people had
gathered including a media crew. The reporter stormed closer as
Andrew passed the media van with a camera operator in
toe.

“
Deputy Foster, can you
please tell us what had happened?”

“
I have no comment at this
time, but I'm sure Sheriff Parker will give you a full statement as
soon as he has done his investigation. Thank you.”

Leaving a disappointed reporter behind
Andrew reached his vehicle and changed shoes for running shoes from
his gym bag in the trunk. He walked over to the
witnesses.

“
Did you find the body?”
Andrew asked the tired witnesses. He took out his notebook and
wrote down their statements.

“
Yes sir. We've been on
the lake till about seven this morning. When we came back to the
pier we saw the boat. It didn’t look right, the way it stuck out of
the reeds like that, so we went to take a look.” Steven explained
leaning against the passenger door.

“
What were you
celebrating?” Andrew asked and noticed the youngsters seemed a
little worse for wear.

“
We were celebrating our
friends’ birthday.” Beth assured from next to Steven.

“
Well it's good that you
found the boat. It could’ve been hours before someone would’ve
found it.” Andrew said.

He noticed a gush on Linda’s head. She
sat on the backseat. “It looks like the party got out of hand, what
happened to your head?”

“
She knocked it hard. She
was going on about a child crying and a strange sound on the
water.” Beth informed.

“
Do you want to tell me
what happened?” Andrew asked and turned his attention to
Linda.

“
I was on deck getting
fresh air when I saw something strange. First a light shot across
the water. Then I heard the child crying. Softly at first, the
sound came from the rock face. The sound got louder. I thought it
was on the water. Something attacked me and I fell.”

“
Who attacked
you?”

“
Not someone. Judging the
way it hissed, moaned and screeched from beneath the boat it wasn’t
human. I tried to shine into the water but it grabbed the
spotlight. I couldn’t see through the mist.” Linda struggled to
recall.

“
Mist, it's too hot for
mist.” Andrew replied shocked.

“
I know what I saw. It
happened just like that.”

“
Can you tell me about the
child you mentioned?”

“
Well, it sounded lost and
scared, maybe even hurt. Mostly it sounded close to the rock face.
It was quiet and sound travels, I'm sure it's a young child, too
young to be out there alone that time of the night.”

“
What makes you think it
was alone?”

“
The cry was heartbreaking
and desperate, children don’t cry like that for any
reason.”

Andrew turned to the others slowly.
“Did any of you hear or see anything?”

“
No sir. We were in the
cabin, but we're sure something happened last night.” Steven
assured.

“
Thanks. We'll look into
it immediately. I have your details so I don't see any reason for
you to stay around here.”

Andrew walked to the crowd of
bystanders.

*~*~*

*
IV*

The coroner and three officers
gathered around the boat. Robert was still in the bottom of the
boat as he fell. Water filled two inches of the bottom. Robert's
eyes had turned gray and cold, his mouth was wide open.

Martin stood silently, his back to the
lake. He puffed up his collar and tucked his hands into his pants
pocket. He remained still only his eyes followed the
Coroner.

“
Looking at him you can
say something scared him to death.” Martins’ voice was faint, his
throat dry and scratchy.

“
What’s that?” The coroner
asked without stopping his work.

Martin cleared his throat and didn’t
realize the coroner heard him. “All I've said was that if you look
at him it looks like something scared him to death.”

“
You might say so.” The
coroner remarked quickly as he paused for just a moment.

The coroner was a short stocky man
dressed in a knee length gray short and a t-shirt. His white coat
seemed a size too large and gum boots didn’t fit the outfit but it
was practical. His hair blew wildly in the wind. It fell into his
eyes and onto his glasses. Now and then he stuck his pen into his
mouth to free his hand while he clung to a clipboard in the
other.

“
What's the possibility
that this could’ve been murder?”

The coroner turned to Martin. “In this
little sleeping hollow of a town, are you smoking something?
Nothing ever happens here. You should know better. The worst crime
around here's someone running the only stoplight. This isn't a cold
blooded murder. No.”

‘
Maybe he could’ve been...
no that's ridiculous.’ Martin paused deep in thought.

Martin turned paler than Robert and
turned to the lake, his legs weakened by thought. ‘Your secret's
not coming out. Can't you just be quiet? What do you want? What are
you doing? You will be quiet. I'll keep you quiet for as long as it
takes.’

He turned back to the coroner. The
officers lifted the body out of the boat and placed it in a black
body bag but didn’t close it.

“
So you're ruling it
natural causes?” Martin asked hoping that explaining this
misfortune could be that easy.

The coroner paused thoughtfully.
“There's nothing natural about the way he died. Based on his facial
expression, his heart attack was provoked? I don't think he
would’ve died under normal circumstances.”

“
What makes you so sure?
Maybe the sudden heart attack frightened him to death.”

“
I’ve gone through the
pick-up and his personal belongings. There's no medication for any
heart condition. No scars indicating any heart surgery. People who
suffer from a heart condition never leave home without their
medication.” The coroner assured.

“
Some people will say that
heart attacks are silent killers. You might not know it and one day
it just knocks you off your feet. But that's just some cases,
right?”

“
Right, although in this
case I believe that he was healthy and a scare had caused him to
suffer a heart attack.” The coroner added pointing to Robert.
“People don't look like that when they suffer a heart
attack.”