Secrets in the Shallows (Book 1: The Monastery Murders) (13 page)

C
HAPTER
10

Early the next morning, John was jolted awake by his cell phone ringing. Looking at his alarm clock, he saw that it was 6:45 a.m. Scrambling for the phone, he managed to wake up enough to recognize Sheriff Johnson’s familiar voice on the other end of the line.

“Morning, Counselor. You awake yet?” Sheriff Johnson greeted him.

Rubbing his eyes, John yawned and replied, “I am now, Sheriff. Anymore news on the body?”

The sheriff replied, “Actually, that’s what I’m calling about. We need to get together and start working on this case right away. Can you meet me at the office at 8:00 this morning?”

John replied, “I’ll be there. Can you have the coffee ready? I need some extra java to get me going today.”

“I can’t promise you it’s gourmet, but it’ll be hot and fully loaded,” Sheriff Johnson chuckled.

“That will work, Sheriff. I’ll see you then.”

“Okay, Counselor, 8:00 this morning it is. Talk to you soon.”

John set his phone on the end table and got up to get ready. He thought to himself,
Well, I guess it begins. This is going to be a big case I’m sure. Maybe it’ll even give me a boost in my career. Great timing. God, I hope Katy accepts my proposal ... I really can’t wait to see her in that new dress too.
He smiled as he thought about how beautiful and sexy Katy was. After picking out his favorite suit, he whistled as he headed to the shower.

* * * *

Finding everything under control at the Fields’ house, Deputy Williams had been released to go home just after midnight. He planned to return in the morning if needed. Mother Superior and Sister Margaret stayed the night in the spare room to be of any ministering aid to Margie and Herbert.

As the early morning sunrise began streaming through the east window, Margie sat at the dining room table wrapped in her bathrobe silently drinking some coffee. Dark circles under her eyes were an obvious result of her lack of sleep. Herbert sat across from her completely silent, lost in his thoughts as he stared out the window.

Margie looked over at Herbert and said, “Sheriff Johnson called earlier and will meet us at the hospital morgue about 10 a.m.” Staring directly into Herbert’s eyes, she asked, “They are going to do an autopsy, right?”

Reaching across the table, Herbert grasped Margie’s hand, patting it gently. “I’m sure they will, dear,” he replied. His voice was devoid of any emotion. “Yesterday, Sheriff Johnson told me that in circumstances like this, they will definitely do an autopsy to find the cause of death. The situation is just too unusual.”

He continued, “Timmy’s death could have been caused by the weather conditions; Timmy could have slipped and hit his head; someone else could be responsible. We can’t tell if any foul play is involved yet. At this point, there’s no way to know. The sheriff assured me that they will get to the bottom of it, though.”

Herbert and Margie sat and continued drinking their coffee at the table. The two nuns emerged from their room, fully dressed and ready to meet any challenge they would face for the day. Herbert and Margie looked over and greeted them.

“Morning, ladies,” Herbert said without his usual cheer. “Hope you both slept well, considering the situation.”

“Your room was more than adequate, Mr. and Mrs. Fields. Thank you for letting us stay the night. Is there any news yet?” Mother Superior asked.

Margie replied, “Sheriff Johnson asked us to meet him at the morgue at 10:00 this morning. He said you should come too so he can ask all of us some questions. It may help the sheriff find out what happened to our son. The more details we can give him, the better the chances are.”

“We’ll be more than happy to go with you,” Mother Superior replied, smiling softly.

Herbert spoke up. “I’ll drive all of us there and drop you both off at the monastery once we’re done.”

Everyone agreed as Margie stood up and said, “I’ll make some breakfast. It’ll keep my mind occupied while we wait. Hope pancakes are all right with everyone?”

Herbert said, “I’ll try to eat, though I’m not very hungry. However, if anything can get me to eat, it would be your griddle cakes. Thank you, dear.”

Mother Superior said, “That is very sweet of you. We all need to keep our strength up, especially you two. This will not be an easy day.”

“It still doesn’t seem real to me. I cried most of the night. I don’t understand how I could have anymore tears left,” Margie commented as she sighed.

Herbert stood up and embraced his wife. “We’ll get through this somehow, Margie. I love you very much.” He held onto Margie for a long moment before releasing her, then kissed her on the forehead softly.

“I love you too, Herb. I just don’t know what we’re going to go on without our son,” Margie said as a single tear streamed down her cheek. Wiping the tear, she turned towards the kitchen. “I need to do something to pass the time. This is killing me.” Margie’s silently cried as she walked through the doorway to prepare breakfast.

* * * *

As the morning sunlight peeked through the gray fluffy clouds, John drove quickly down the road towards Wattsville. Deep in his thoughts, he recalled a similar case he had helped out just shy of a year earlier, when they found Tom Green’s body. At that time, John was the assistant district attorney. Since then, the former district attorney retired, and John was installed as his replacement until a special election could be held.

It was the beginning of spring break for the students at St. Francis Catholic School, and Tom Green was a bright senior. The only child of Tom and Helen Green, Sr, he seemed to have a bright future ahead of him. He wanted to study electrical engineering at the university.

After his parents reported him missing, fliers decorated Wattsville telephone poles and storefronts everywhere. The whole town searched for him with flashlights and dogs. There was no sign of him for three days. Finally, the dogs picked up a scent and ran towards the monastery pond, leading the authorities to where the body was found.

John was there when they found the poor boy’s corpse floating on top of the water. In the warming spring temperature, fish and vultures had already begun to devour parts of his corpse. Due to lack of evidence, they officially labeled Tom’s death as a suicide.

John thought,
I still don’t understand why Tom’s death wasn’t investigated more thoroughly. It should’ve been.

After the light had turned green for a few seconds, a honk came from the car behind his. Startled, the sound broke John’s trance and he continued heading towards the Wattsville Sheriff’s Department.

* * * *

Ticking from a small clock on Sheriff Johnson’s bookshelf was the only sound that split the silence. The sheriff looked around his office quietly as he leaned back in his brown leather chair. Rarely did a case affect him as the death of Timmy Fields.

The sheriff gazed slowly over several oil paintings depicting Maine’s beautiful bays and seashores. His eyes drifted downward and ended up settling on a myriad of family photos on a credenza nearby. His wife, son and two teenaged daughters smiled back at him from the picture frames.

Rotating his chair, Sheriff Johnson reached for one of them and grasped it firmly. Gently caressing the silver frame, the sheriff looked down at a picture of his son and thought,
I’m so glad it wasn’t you they found
,
Chad
. He felt a little guilty for being grateful that his own son had not died. Taking a deep breath, the sheriff exhaled slowly before standing.

Suddenly regaining his focus, Sheriff Johnson walked over and turned his attention to a dry erase board facing his desk. Images of the crime scene were splashed across the surface. Dozens of notes were written in thick marker beside photos of Timmy’s lifeless body.

Removing one of the pictures from the board, the sheriff studied it closely while shaking his head. “What happened to you, boy?” Exasperated, the sheriff took a deep breath and walked back over to sit down in his chair again.

The intercom beeped on his phone speaker. “Sheriff Johnson, the district attorney is here.”

“Go ahead and send him in. Thank you.”

Only a moment later, rapping came from the door. “Come on in, Counselor,” the sheriff shouted.

The door opened and John walked in carrying his briefcase and a cup of coffee. “Morning, Sheriff. What time did you get home last night?”

Sheriff Johnson stood up and shook John’s hand. “Too late, John. My wife wasn’t happy with me for missing dinner either.”

John sat in the armchair in front of the sheriff’s desk and set his briefcase on the floor. “So have you found out anything about Timothy Fields’ death yet?”

Sheriff Johnson sat down again and leaned back in his chair. “Well, the forensics team scavenged the pond area all afternoon yesterday, and the body was transported to the morgue. We still need to determine cause of death, but fortunately we found the body quickly. It also didn’t hurt that it was freezing temperatures. We think there is foul play involved.”

“Really? When are they supposed to finish the autopsy?”

“Hopefully, it’ll be done by the end of the day. We put a rush on it for obvious reasons. I’ve asked the parents to meet me at the morgue at 10:00 this morning to question them, and so they can officially identify the body.”

“Maybe we can figure out what happened. Do you need anything from me now?”

Pointing to the board, the sheriff said, “Feel free to take a look at our crime board and see if you notice anything that stands out. Are you able to come to the morgue and talk to the coroner with me?”

John glanced at his schedule on his smartphone and said, “I don’t have court this morning, and I can get my assistant to reschedule the one appointment I have right now. I’ll go pick up Katy on my way there. Since I hired her as my paralegal, I’ve been giving her a variety of experiences when I can. She hasn’t gotten to meet the coroner yet.”

“Sounds good. So, have you popped the question yet?”

John smiled and replied, “Not yet, but I have something special planned soon.”

Sheriff Johnson sipped of his coffee. “You sure you’re ready?”

“Oh, I am definitely ready, Sheriff. Katy’s one in a million, and I’m not letting her get away,” John chuckled.

“She is a catch. Good luck with the proposal. Hope she says
‘yes’
for your sake. I can’t imagine how pitiful you will be if she doesn’t,” the sheriff chuckled and smiled.

John grabbed his briefcase and laughed. “You aren’t kidding. I’d be a mess. Do we need to talk about anything else before I head out? I need to make some calls so everything’s worked out with my schedule.”

“Nah, I think that’s about it for now,” the sheriff said. Standing up again, he reached out his hand.

John stood up and shook the sheriff’s hand. “Thanks, Sheriff. I guess I’ll see you at 10:00.”

“See you then, Counselor. Drive safe. There are a bunch of icy patches still on the roads.”

As John opened the door, he replied, “No worries. I’m very careful. See you soon.” Waving, he walked out the door and closed it behind him.

C
HAPTER
11

John and Katy arrived at Wattsville Memorial Hospital, where a large crowd of reporters had already gathered. Their eager ambition to get the latest break in the news story was evident as John parked near the building.