Letters from an empty trailer
the Valley of Decision
chapter twenty-one
Famous Bolinas Ocean Front Estate, Burns to Ground, cried the morning headlines. Axle slept fitfully, when he did sleep and saw the morning headline on the front page of his complementary newspaper.
Does the man have any morals? Wondered Axle shaking his head, as he took the elevator to the dining room level. He was the only person in the dining room besides staff, eating breakfast. He didn’t even have to read any further to know it was Red’s estate and tossed the rag on a chair. He thought about how he had never been in the main house, and wondered if Red destroyed the cottage as well? Did he destroy all the beautiful things and his expensive art treasures?
Plus, Angela’s private things and Rosa's possessions? A fit of rage engulfed him, and he dialed the San Rafael Police department. When a woman’s voice answered, he hung up. However, all calls to the Police are followed up, even hang-ups.
Within an hour detective Swallwell received Axle’s name and number on her computer screen. Her eyes opened when she saw who rented his room. She knew there were no coincidences and instinctively knew there was a connection. She called her partner the second she put two and two together. He sent over a cropped section of the news about Red’s estate fire. They decided to go to Bolinas, then to San Francisco, cleared it through their superiors and took out a car.
On the way to Bolinas, Swallwell received a call from her lawyer to attend a personal review of her actions the following Monday. It sounded serious, but she didn’t care. When they reached the gates of Red’s beach front estate, a fire truck was just leaving. Since the fire was deemed suspicious, no one could stop them from entering the scene. The only thing not smouldering, and chard was a sprawling 6 door garage. <>br
Investigators in white suits were still poking around what looked to be the main house, they informed Penny that the fire broke out in an office area, on the main concrete floor. Then strangely spread across an open park like area to burn down a far out building. The house was a complete right off, and the cottage may as well be. The cause of the fire was yet to be determined. Swallwell figured the office area was the murder scene, and that some type of incendiary device was used?
She also thought that the same device was used on the out building. “Murder!” replied the investigator, No one said any thing about murder? She ordered the area to be sealed off, and for them to concentrated in that area. Given the large distance between them, and the cottage, she asked them to study it closely as well.
Penny called her supervisor and requested a homicide team to be sent out? Ten minutes later the request was denied. The local authorities had jurisdiction.
They were told to leaved the scene. Penny was furious, she knew this time that there was a legitimate reason. She was told to follow her plan, and head to San Francisco.
“Since we’re here anyways, we might as well poke around?” said Penny to her partner. They walked along the cliff-side to the staircase leading to the water below. Mostly for the view since their investigation had been hampered. It was low tide, and a man was walking his dog. When Penny waved to him, he began heading for the foot of the steps. When she saw him laboring to the first platform, she yelled for him to wait. He was an old man, and when they arrived, he was still panting.
“What’s going on up there?” he asked.
“Why?” Asked Penny showing him her badge.
“Ever since that thug bought the place its been hell around here. And that terrible little midget threatening me all the time for walking my dog here. I’ve been waking Eddy along here for years, without complaint. I really hate to say it, but I’m glad it burned down. Maybe now we’ll get some peace around here?” complained the old man.
Penny asked for his name and number. “You might want to talk to his neighbors as well, I heard they all hated this new owner?” he said. “Guns going off all the time. Strange sounds and men hanging around.” continued the man. “He’s big friends with the local sheriff here, you know!” the old man added.
“No, I didn’t know?” Replied Penny, jotting down his information.
“You say a midget threatened you?” asked Doug. “Yes indeed!” replied the man. “A number of times.”
“Did you get a name?” asked Penny.
“No, but he seemed or acted like the boss of the place though,” he replied. “Eddy and I never went up on the grounds, we always stayed by the water. I never spoke to him, he did all the yelling. Nasty little creature. Nasty!”
“We’ll be in touch soon,” said Penny, handing him her card. “In case you want to add to your statement? “
Two figures appeared up on the cliff edge, high above them. “See, just like that,” interjected the old man. “Always men in suits standing guard up there, like it was a fort or something. What are they expecting, the bloody Germans?” Interesting thought Penny?
“Thanks again we’ll be in touch,” Penny called back to him, as they climbed the long set of steps. When they reached the top the two men were gone. Doug decided to walk further along the cliff edge. Within a few steps he came across a small pile of cigarette butts. It was obvious someone had sat there for a long time. He opened an evidence bag and slipped in a few with a stick, and sealed the bag, and held one separate in his fist.
When he looked up again Penny was talking to the two men, sitting in the gazebo. Which had somehow managed not to get a scratch on it? Detective Skidmore could now see that they were a sheriff and his deputy. Doug walked over smiling and said a warm hello but was greeted coolly, almost rudely by them. “I’ll take that, if you don’t mind,” the Sheriff snorted, reaching for Doug’s plastic evidence bag. “Do I come snooping around your backyard and trample about in your crime scene?”
“We called first!” Replied the surprised detective.
“Ya, and as I’ve been telling your partner here, we don’t need anyone’s help!”
“Funny, aren’t we on the same team?” said Detective Skidmore sarcastically to the Sheriff. Handing over his evidence.
“Apparently the Sheriff here doesn’t agree with us?” said Penny.
“O, is that right deputy dog!” said Doug, now all up in the mans face.
“I think we can handle it from here now,” said the Sheriff, backing down and stepping back. Penny looked over to see the deputy kicking the butts over the windy cliff edge.
“Did you catch that Deceive Skidmore?” said Penny. “Destroying evidence!”
“Yes, I did, Detective Swallwell,” said Doug. But he hadn’t really, because he was too busy staring down the Sheriff.
“Very interesting, I’ll have to report that.” Stated Penny in official tones.
“Nothing you see or do here is legal!” snapped the Sheriff.
“O… you mean like you, and deputy dog over there?” retorted Doug, in very angry tones. Just wishing for one of then to make a move on him.
“Think you had better get a move on, so we can finish our jobs here?” snarled the Sheriff. Staying outta Doug’s reach, but pushing him never the less.
“We’ve seen everything we need to see here Sheriff,” said Penny. “Shall we go report our findings to the FBI, Detective Skidmore?”
“Might as well partner,” replied Doug, playing along with her.
“O, like what?” asked the Sheriff. “And the FBI have no derestriction here either.”
“You have no idea how big this is, and it’s gonna blow up right in your dumb ass face?” snapped Doug. “Its a bomb, just waiting to go off, and it looks like its got your fucking name all over it?” You pissed off the wrong people here pal!” continued Doug.
“They’re interested, is all. Said Penny. “You said it yourself, you don’t need our help, so we’ll be on our way.” Added Penny. Come on partner, lets leave them to their work.
.
“It’s a serious offense,” stated the Sheriff. “Withholding evidence Detectives.”
“Go on Pal… search me, go a head!” smiled Detective Skidmore, opening his suit coat, just itching to smack the guy.
“Just leave, or you’ll be arrested,” threatened the Sheriff, feeling stronger now with his deputy beside him.
“Ha, who by,” laughed Doug. “You and deputy Barnie Fife here?” Penny had already started waking to ward the smouldering main house. So, Detective Skidmore bumped through the two men and followed her. The deputy made an advance toward the detective, but the Sheriff waved him back.
Doug kept goading him, wiggling his fingers down low, for the deputy to come fight him. When they all reached the main house one of the men in the white suits said something to Penny, before the sheriff ran up and asked what he said. “I demand to know what was said?” yelled the Sheriff.
“I just asked him for a cigarette, is all Sheriff?”
“I’ll be talking with your supervisors. I’m betting dicks like you aren’t very popular?”
“O you better believe that buddy,” piped up Detective Skidmore, walking back ward towards their car. As Penny started the car, Doug opened his fist showing Penny the cigarette butt. She laughed, “good job detective!” Penny said the investigator didn’t know she wasn’t in charge anymore and told her that they found blood spatters. Something happed there that Red was trying to cover up?” And it must be big to go to all that trouble and expense?
In San Francisco, they booked hotel rooms that their expense account could afford, and both took time to freshen up and rest a bit. Penny reported to her supervisor that a cigarette but had been sent via FedEx for analysis. She wanted the evidence checked for saliva and fingerprints. Skidmore and Penny met up again for dinner and planned out their next move.
The Sheriff called Red, but got his voice mail, and hung up, then called Penny’s boss, and related his blown-up account of what transpired on the estate. The boss reading between the lines asked him to send in a full report and advised them to try and be a little less dramatic. The sheriff hung up, feeling a bit like a tattle-tale.
Penny called the front desk of the luxury hotel to see if Axle was still there. Penny and Detective Skidmore decided to make a surprise visit Axle’s hotel room the following morning. On the way up to his room, Axle checked with the front desk for messages just minutes before the detective’s call. The desk clerk ran around the desk to try and catch Axle, but he was gone.
When Axle entered his room, Angela and Red were sitting on the end of each of the two beds, ignoring each other like children. Angela ran and hugged him nearly knocking him over. “I was worried for you,” said Axle speaking first. Red waited, giving them a moment, then quickly injected, “I’ve put everyone here in grave danger and I apologize again, but we must leave the hotel right away. Rosa is all ready packing.”
Axle found himself in a delicate position between a father and daughter battle. On the one hand, a crime boss, struggling to keep a handle on his crumbling empire, with most of his best, and most trusted men gone. And on the other hand, saving his relationship with the only family he had. Although his daughter was far more important, Axle knew that Red viewed them equally. He knew that Red knew they were on to him, he could tell by the man’s words, actions and mannerisms. Axle could tell he was only inviting Rosa and him, because that’s what his daughter wanted.
“Leave us father…NOW! We want some privacy.”
She had never spoken to him like that in her life. And he withdrew like scolded child.
Red added on the way out, “I’ll go check us out.” Trying to regain some dignity over the situation.
As soon as Red left and she was sure he wasn’t listening, Angela said, “Rosa’s packed our things. We need to leave. Rosa is in a rented car in the basement. All we need to do is take the elevator to the basement. Please darling, there is no time. He’s a dangerous madman. and I despise him.”
Axle felt the biggest fear he had ever felt and was divided.
“Please let’s go,” she said, as she peeked out the door, holding her shoes and started tip toeing down the hall without him. Like she was somehow going to be quieter on the carpet wearing no shoes? Axle left the room and followed. Suddenly a stranger stepped out between swinging fire doors halfway down the hall. They both thought the same thing, that he was one of Red’s goons. But he passed them, with a warm smile.
Dan Ger