Chapter 6
Three men were under arrest.
And every one of them seemed to think it was all part of a silly game; they were amused as they were read their rights and taken in to be interrogated.
As far as settling the men into holding, Perry and his team had taken over for the convenience of location, though a call to Jackson assured them the three would face federal charges as well.
In the clearing, the three men had attacked a federal officer.
But to begin the investigation into what was going on …
It was convenient and most expedient to begin their work with combined jurisdiction at Perry’s headquarters.
Despite the one man’s declaration that he should be arrested for murder, once he was cuffed, he demanded an attorney.
They clearly had a case against the men, but what was really going on with the three, they didn’t know.
In Shelly’s mind, they certainly weren’t the “brains” behind the major scope of what was going on.
And they had no proof the men who had attacked her were the same men who had been responsible for the torture done to George Maynard.
Standing in an observation room with Grant, she watched as Perry spoke with one man.
Perry told him that if he hoped for any kind of a deal, it might be best to speak with him now.
He was promising the usual: if someone just broke and talked and explained what was really going on, that person might manage the best situation with an exceptional plea deal.
She turned to Grant, vocalizing her frustration. “In truth, we have an attack on a federal agent. Assault and battery. We can’t even prove yet that these three were the men torturing George Maynard.”
“Right now, that’s true. But don’t worry.
They can be held, they are being charged, and considering what’s going on, I don’t believe any judge will let them out on bail,” Grant told her.
“And forensics will match them with those who were in the cabin with George. They’ll find something.
” He had been watching the man in interrogation, but he turned to Shelly then.
“These three are not the brightest lights in the closet,” he said dryly.
“Yeah, I rather caught that right away. They were working for someone,” she said.
“Or with them. The hard part here is deciding who is in this for a payday—or simply because they get off on killing and torturing others—or who might believe in the ancient power of a curse tablet, as long as it’s helped along. ”
He hesitated. “I’m not sure how to explain my theories on this, but I think you’re right on the question.
I believe there is something bigger at play here.
These three are minions, hired to do some dirty work.
I’m willing to bet that the large ‘shadow’ George saw when he entered his house wasn’t one of these guys, but perhaps the person who really wanted him tortured, or the person who might be at the head of something that could be like a cult.
A cult of people who have come to believe that the ancients were right and curse tablets could cause a person’s death or downfall.
Except, of course, whoever the leader of all this is manages to help the curse tablets along with good old physical attacks—and murder. ”
“Exactly what I was just wondering. But why did the man in Rome confess to murder if he didn’t do it?” Shelly asked. “Except, of course—”
“Loved ones, children, family … they’re probably taught from the beginning that if they don’t convincingly confess, a child will be attacked and killed, a wife, a loved one.”
“And do we think this Andy Jeter might be the leader of the club?” Shelly asked.
“Well, it would help if we could find the man!”
“Do you think he’s there somewhere—on the grounds, in another cabin, hidden in the trees?” Shelly asked. “That place is so beautiful, the trails are rich, the cabins are charming—but we’re also talking wilderness.”
“You think that’s wilderness?” he murmured.
She looked at him, arching a brow.
He shrugged and grinned. “I spent a week deep, deep in the heart of the Everglades once, after a fellow who knew what he was doing.”
“Did you ever catch him?”
“We did, and we didn’t. Nature caught up with him.
We did find him. Unusual circumstances. You hear tales about the horrors of alligators in the areas they traverse across the country.
People who live in those areas come to know them.
Most of the time, if you leave them alone, they’ll leave you alone.
Unless you’re small, bite-sized—and there have been tragic accidents because they can travel in and around and through waterways across the state.
Small dogs and children do fit in with the size of their natural diet. ”
“You’re making bears and coyotes look good,” she told him dryly.
He shrugged. “We do have bears and coyotes here, too. It just depends on where you are, because it’s a big, long peninsula with different environments.
And our creatures—they don’t prowl in the city too often, though I did see an alligator once in Miami Springs.
He was just wandering along and seemed to be waiting for the light to turn so he could move across the street at the crosswalk.
The creature didn’t hurt anyone, and animal control came and carried him back deep into the Everglades.
Florida crocodiles are considered ‘threatened’ right now, though nationally, the American crocodile is on the endangered list. And, of course, the Florida panther, too, is in danger of becoming extinct. ”
“I’m really hoping not to be near enough to worry about a creature being an alligator or crocodile or even a panther, other than at a zoo. Nor would I go anywhere close, I promise! And up here—”
He laughed. “We’re pretty far north and while they can be here, they just aren’t that often.
And the crocs need saltwater or brackish, at the least. I think it’s okay.
But it’s the same anywhere—find out what can be dangerous in any area and make sure you don’t go about tormenting whatever the creature may be.
For sane people, it’s simple. Rule number one—don’t walk a small poodle by a canal or a lake.
Anyway, this killer—serial killer—had started kidnapping women from areas near the great wilderness off the Tamiami Trail out of western Broward County.
He kept them for a few days before making them disappear into discarded and rusting oil tanks.
But right before we found him, he was apparently stuffing remains into a barrel that was too close to a mama alligator’s nest. When we found him—well, what remained of him—there was nothing left for the state to need to resolve regarding the man—except, of course, DNA and dental identification to make sure the killer himself was gone. ”
“Because there you have it,” she said.
“What? I have it? I have what?”
“A consensus on life in general. With creatures, if we are careful and attentive, we can be safe. Unless the creatures are of the human variety—sly, manipulative, and one of the only creatures in existence ever to kill for the fun of it,” she said.
He shrugged. “Or for financial or other gain,” he said. “Now, as to what we’re facing now …”
“Vendettas? Personal gains?”
“Maybe both,” Grant said thoughtfully. “Someone who feels they were wronged and others have been wronged as well. Hey, if you’re learning how to get revenge for whatever slights you feel you’ve faced … well, you could make a business out of it, too.”
“And where do the curse tablets fit in?” Shelly asked. “A real hang-up? A deep belief? Or something fun to throw out there to confuse law enforcement?”
“Or that same someone is a history buff and, as you suggest, really believes the tablets help carry out the deed?” he offered.
“Crazier things have existed,” she murmured. “So, for now …”
“We’ll take a leisurely drive to the house on Aviles,” he told her.
“Check if Angela has come up with anything—on anything! Find out how the dead man we thought to be George Maynard at first wound up being left in his stead. I can tell you right now, whether we do or don’t prove that the trio just now were the same people who were working George over in the cabin, they’re not going to give us anything but fairy tales.
But we’ll take our turn with them, and then we’ll see if we’re going to be able to speak to George at the hospital.
That will give forensics time to see if they can come up with anything. ”
“Okay, but why do you think—”
“Because I already saw an innocent man kill himself because he was so afraid of what might happen if he didn’t confess—and do so convincingly.”
Shelly nodded. She knew that what had happened had bothered him greatly. They were back to the fact that it was difficult to be human and set a wall between emotions and logic so that they could solve a case rather than just mourn the events within it.
It seemed that in a way, at least, he read her mind. “Okay, this has been one hell of a day—long, long, long. There’s food at our little house, and our rooms are there, too. Dinner and sleep sound really good.”
“They do. But I do need to check in with Angela, bring her up to speed, and see if she has anything for us.”
In the car, she put through a call to Angela on speakerphone and told her about everything that had happened.
“Curse tablets! You never know what is going to creep up from the past. I guess that—Grant, you’ve been on a hunt for these ‘curse tablet’ sites already.
The internet is truly a rather amazing place, light and dark.
Do you know how many sites have information on curse tablets, dedicated followers of ‘history,’ and more? ” Angela asked.
Grant nodded and grinned, his eyes on the road.
“Yeah, I followed a lot of them,” he said. “Thing is, it’s sometimes very difficult to tell the difference between those who are a little intrigued crazy and those who might be … lethally crazy.”