Chief watched Martha’s Buick speed down Main Street, spitting up clouds of dust in its wake. 

Then he turned to Mike. “Search the area. The kill was fresh.”

Mike nodded and began a perimeter search, going off towards the back yard. Chief moved in the opposite direction crossing the yard towards Miss Celban’s and the ravaged rose garden. But his search was interrupted as Maggy and Elly came running across the street followed closely by Moss and one of the FBI agents. Elly lifted her long skirts as she ran.

“What happened?” she asked once she was at his side. “We heard the squeal of tires and looked out just in time to see Martha driving up the road.”

Chief took only a moment to note how beautiful she looked in her wedding gown. “Fred’s killed Kelly’s dog. I’m afraid Kelly was the one to find it.” He looked deeper into her eyes. “He’s making his move, El. I had to get her to safety.”

“I understand.”

Chief glanced at his daughter. Her eyes were wide and bright. Her brow was creased, and her lips downturned. “It’s all right, Maggy. She’ll be all right.”

“But Hoover?”

“I’m afraid he made quite a mess of the pup.”

“You think he’s still around?” Moss asked from behind the women.

Chief’s eyes rested on Moss. “The dog was killed recently and I can’t imagine going to that amount of trouble and not wanting to watch the response.”

“Chief!” 

Towards the edge of the trees along the back lot Evers broke through the brush at the end of the Broden yard. He was dressed in his Sunday best, his boots freshly polished and a bow-tie secured at his throat, General Custer style. He dragged an unwilling hostage by the wrist in his wake. He paused briefly to look at the dog, gutted and laying at the base of the tree and shook his head in disgust, before continuing on his way. Once in front of Chief, he grabbed Huey Blackney by the back of the neck and forced him to face the Chief of Police.

“Caught this one running through my woods on my way over to the church, Chief. He was toting this.” Evers produced an eight-inch buck knife, covered in blood. Chief recognized it as Fred’s. 

Chief’s eyes met the boy’s. “I see.” He bent down for a more direct view of the child. “Where’s your father?”

Huey’s smile was crooked, cold.... Evil?

“I asked you a question. Where’s your father?”

Huey spit at the ground, inches from Chief’s foot. “I don’t know.”

“I don’t believe you,” Chief said calmly. “I’m going to ask you one more time and I better get a straight answer–”

“Or what!” Huey wailed. “You ain’t ever gonna find ‘im. He’s too smart for you! And you know what?”

Chief straightened. “What?”

“It’s already too late.” Huey’s laugh was joyless.

“What do you mean, it’s too late?”

But before the boy could respond, Mike called from the side of the house, “Chief! Over here!I think you’d better come take a look at this.”

Chief looked at Evers. “Take him to the jail, Bob. Lock him up for now. I’ll question him later. Keys are in the bottom drawer of my desk.”

Evers nodded and roughly led the boy away as Chief crossed the front yard.

“What is it?” Chief asked, once at Mike’s side.

Mike was examining the ground beside the den’s window.

“Look at this,” he said picking something up off the ground.

Chief examined the item. “Luckies.”

“And there are no prints, Chief. That means he must have been here before the rain last night.”

Chief stared at the cigarette butt. By his feet, half in the bushes was an empty cardboard pack, green with a large red circle. Chief felt the blood leave his face, his vision momentarily turned dark.

“What is it?” Mike asked.

“He knows,” Chief whispered more to himself. Then he shot a hasty look at Mike. “My god he knows. He heard the whole thing.”

“What thing?”

“Don’t you get it? He heard us–Martha and I!” Chief’s words tumbled out. “When I asked her to take Kelly with her to Four Oaks. Jesus Christ Mike! He knows!”

Chief turned abruptly and started for his truck. Before he cleared half the distance, Frank Dobbs whipped into the drive. 

He was out of his truck immediately. “What the devil is going on? Martha darn near ran me off the service road!”

Chief’s mind was racing. “Frank, I need the dogs.”

“What the hell, Bob?”

“Fred’s after Kelly. I sent her home with Martha. I thought she’d be safe. Damn it, Frank, he knows. I think he’s waiting for them somewhere along the service road.”

Dobbs’s eyes widened. “I had to take the west loop. Someone’s cut a tree across the east.”

“That’s it, then. Can you get the dogs and meet me there?”

Dobbs nodded. “I know a short-cut back to my ‘stead, but it’ll take a while to get the dogs ready. Wait for me when you get there.” 

He jumped back into his truck. He threw it into reverse and backed out of the driveway. In the street the tires kicked up dirt as he threw the stick shift into gear and slammed a foot down on the accelerator.

Chief turned again towards his truck and was confronted by Elly and Maggy.

“Jesus,” he whispered.

“Martha’s in danger, too,” Moss said from behind the women. 

“I’m afraid so, Mort.” Chief turned to Elly. “I want you and Maggy to get into the house and lock the doors. Call Doc and let him know what’s going on and where we are going. Tell him to take the west loop until he gets to the felled tree. Tell him to hurry.”

Elly nodded. There were tears in her eyes. Chief’s eyes met hers forcefully for a brief moment, before regarding the man with Moss. “Who are you?”

“Stevens.”

“I’m leaving them in your hands.”

“Don’t worry, sir. I’ve done this before.”

“I don’t care how many times you’ve done it. I want them protected at all costs.”

Stevens nodded, his cheeks coloring slightly.

Chief turned to his deputy. “Mike,” he said softly. “I can’t be in two places at once.”

“Don’t worry about a thing, boss. We’ll handle it.”

Chief nodded. He turned, and with Moss at his side, made his way to the truck. When he opened the door he noticed his son sitting on the bench, staring through the front window.

Joe turned, locking eyes with those of his father. Without a word, Chief consented to let him come along.

© Copyright 2025 C J Driftwood. All rights reserved.