Last Valentine's Day Part Two

Two weeks have passed, since Jack murdered Kathy, and to drown out this memory, he was drinking himself into oblivion. “Pour me another one, Moe. I’m celebrating.” It was a lie, but Jack was the only one who knew this.

Paranoia had a way of eating at you, and Jack was no exception. Though everyone was convinced Kathy drove off with a secret lover, Jack was constantly looking behind his back. What if someone discovered the body? At the time he committed the crime, he felt confident all his bases were covered. No motive, no body, and no witnesses. But now, the blizzard that had covered his tracks was history, and the snow if left has begun to recede. Fear began to eat his resolve, and he was powerless to stop it. Did I leave any evidence at the cabin? What about at the gravesite? Did the dirt settle down, leaving an unexplained indentation on the ground?

Until Detective McClay and came by his house to recover hair strands from Kathy’s hairbrush, he wasn’t worried. “We need to collect DNA to see if any Jane Does, we have, are your missing wife,” was his excuse, but the look in McClay’s eyes told Jack he had other thoughts.

He’s thinks I have something to do with her disappearance and what’s worse, now he has a sample of her DNA. If by some chance the body was discovered, it would be easily identified and then my life would be placed under the police’s scrutinizing microscope. The gorilla on his back was getting heavier by the second.

The more he thought about it, the more he doubted himself. All the careful planning wasn’t near enough. The murder he thought he got away with had turned into a gorilla on his back, and it continued to grow.

As Jack was about to down his fifth gin and tonic, an uninvited guest sat next to him. “I’ve been looking for you, buddy. Where’ve you been keeping yourself?”

Jack didn’t immediately recognize the voice, but he could never forget his face. “What do you want, Nick?”

“Me?” Nick laughed. “I want five-thousand dollars.”

Tipping his glass towards him and taking a sip, Jack replied, “Yeah, don’t we all.”

Nick signaled the bartender and a moment later Moe served him a beer. He took a sip and turn his attention back to Jack. “You remember that day you paid me a hundred dollars to take your wife to that shack in the middle of nowhere? I do.” He took another sip of beer. “I wonder what the police would do if I told them that tidbit of information.”

 “And why should they believe you?” Jack asked.

“Who knows? Maybe they won’t. But I bet they’ll checkout the cabin and who knows what’ll happen after that.”

The gorilla began stomping Jack in the ground. Did I leave any evidence in the fireplace? What about fingerprints? Will they wander around the area and discover the grave? He felt there was no other choice. “Five thousand?”

Nick smiled. “And you’ll never hear from me again.”

The way Nick answered was less than reassuring. “Give me a day to collect the money and I’ll meet you at the cabin.”

“3 p.m. Don’t be late.” Leaving Jack to stir in his own juices, Nick finished his beer and walked out.

Where is this going to end? There’s no reason for him to stop at five-thousand dollars, but what can I do? It seemed hopeless. He ordered another drink and downed it immediately. No. There must be something. Every trap has an escape. Jack ordered another drink.

***

Nick couldn’t believe his luck. In just a few minutes, I’ll be getting more than I make in a month and who knows what’ll happen after that. It was nearly three o’clock and he was still ten minutes away. He smiled to himself. Let him wait. It’ll remind him who’s in charge.

With that, he eased off the accelerator and took his time driving to the cabin. Maybe I can buy a boat. Always wanted one and now I can get it. And that trip to Bangkok is now possible. Once there, I can make all my fantasies come true. No limits or boundaries, anything was possible.

The turn into the driveway appeared over the horizon. 3:05 p.m. had struck, and it was time for business.

As it was two weeks before, he found Jack waiting by the door of the cabin. But this time, he wasn’t extending his embracing arms. No surprise there. Closing the car door behind him, he advanced towards his newfound fortune.

Jack guided his hands towards the door. “Let’s go inside and get this over with.” A moment later, they were sitting at the table facing across from each other.

“So, you got the money?” Nick began.

“Did I have a choice?” countered Jack. “What could I do after you threatened me like that?”

Nick shrugged his shoulders. “You were so drunk yesterday, I wanted to make sure you were listening to me.”

“Well, I’m here, so I guess I was.” Then, Jack pulled a hefty envelope out of his pocket. “Here you go and if you want to harass an innocent man again, make sure it isn’t me.”

“Innocent or not, that’s not for me to decide. Hand over the cash.”

For a moment, Jack withheld the envelope. “What I don’t understand, Nick, is why you would kill my wife?”

Nick was taken back. “I’m not sure what you’re talking about. Yeah, I drove her out here, but I didn’t kill her.”

For a moment, a cloud of silence held over the air. Then Jack handed the envelope to Nick. “Here you go.”

As soon as Nick took the money, there was a crash at the door. Three armed police officers charged in shouting, “Police! Put your hands up Nick. You’re under arrest.”

Completely shocked, Nick threw his hands up and shouted, “What’s this about? I didn’t do anything.”

As Nick was being handcuffed, a plainclothes detective approached him. “I’m Detective McClay. Yesterday, Jack approached us saying you were trying to blackmail him. We did a background check on you and found the make and model of your car matched a description of the car that picked up Jack’s wife on the night of her disappearance.” Pointing to a hidden camera above the fireplace, he continued. “We also have you on video confessing you drove her out here.”

Nick was speechless, but Lt. McClay wasn’t. “Nick Amberly, you’re under arrest for extortion and the kidnapping of Kathy Lockhart. You have the right to remain silent…

***

Four days after Nick’s arrest, Kathy’s body was discovered. Soon after, the coroner reported the cause of death as asphyxiation due to being buried alive, the media went into a frenzy. They scoured the neighborhood finding anyone remotely connected to Nick and stuck a camera in their face. Whether it was truth or intimidation, no had a good word to say about him. When it came to painting a dark picture of Nick, the media earned an “A”.

It was during this media blitz when a reporter interviewed a local neighbor and learned, not only did she witness Kathy entering a vehicle and she just happened to write down the license number of the car. It turned out to be the final nail driven in Nick’s coffin, when the police discovered the car was registered to him.

For three months, the town sat on the edge of their seats, waiting, and watching the news for any updates. Finally, their prayers were answered. Regularly scheduled programs were interrupted, for the County District Attorney’s news briefing concerning the alleged series of events.

“On the morning February 14^th, Jack Lockhart texted his wife, Kathy Lockhart that an Uber driver would pick her up at their house at 6 p.m. and drive her to Cattlemen’s Restaurant where they would celebrate Valentine’s Day. Jack waited in front of the restaurant for the Uber to arrive, but it never came. Jack returned home and waited for her to return. During this time, Kathy, thinking an Uber pulled up for her, actually entered the vehicle of Nick Amberly. He drove her to the outskirts of town, where he robbed, brutally attacked, and buried her alive. In addition to the extortion and kidnapping charges, the charge of murder in the first degree will be added.”

Exhaling a sigh of relief, Jack turned off the television. It’s over. The press and public opinion have already condemned him, and a jury has every reason find him guilty. The evidence, circumstantial or not, was stacked against him. Jack lifted a bottle of beer and toasted the blank screen. I should thank you, Nick. If you hadn’t tried to blackmail me, they might have found out the truth. Thanks to your greed and stupidity, you have set me free. He tapped the bottle against the television. To your future, in prison. He took a gulp of beer and belched. May you rot in hell.

A clatter from the kitchen drew his attention from the TV. “Hey Deb, you okay in there? Can I help you with anything?”

“Well,” replied Deb, “If you really want to help, you could make an honest woman out of me.”

Taking her in his arms, Jack replied, “Well, I’ve got nothing planned for the next couple days. Why don’t we fly to Vegas and remedy the situation?”

Deb’s heart jumped for joy. “I’ve been waiting to hear you say that for the longest time and now that you have, I can hardly believe it. Oh, Jack, I love you, so much! I hope you never grow tired of me.”

“I hope I don’t either, my love. I hope I don’t.”