Here We Rest Part 2

A Southern Crime Drama

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^{If you have not read Here We Rest Part 1, please go do so before continuing!}

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Growing up in the rural south, a floating carcass was perhaps not the most unsettling thing I’ve ever seen, but it certainly would be for the children. Randall had a stillness about him that I’d never seen him wear. We were not blood, but that changes nothing. Randall is as much family to me as anyone with the last name Crosslin ever was. When I was a teenager and needed to get away from everything going on at home, Randall and Martha’s door was always open to me. Randall was a tough man, but a fair man. He also had a great sense of humor which juxtaposed comically with his tough military exterior. When you’ve watched your best friends die face down in the mud amidst the roar of enemy artillery, I reckon it makes life’s normal woes seem like child’s play in comparison. I never saw a situation get the better of him in the 30 some odd years I’ve known him, but today was different. Seeing Sheriff Steven’s body sway back and forth in the wake, bloated and stinking of death caused Randall to take a rare long beat before speaking, and when he finally did I wish he hadn’t

“You need to make the call, Sonny Boy”

I knew he was right but that changed nothing as far as my feelings were concerned. I had spent the better part of the week trying to see how much liquor could kill a man so I could hover just below that threshold. I’m an emotional wreck even without punishing my body, so standing there having not had a sip of water in as long as I could remember, I was numb. Well, no, that’s not true. I was very much in pain. I would’ve killed for numb actually. But I certainly couldn’t think clear enough to make a weighted decision. In that moment the only things I knew was that I still loved Sheila, and that the distance between us was my fault. I had been wanting to reach out to her for so long. To lie to her and tell her I’d changed. To tell her that things would be different. To ask if she’d come back in my life and make me whole once more.

But now, instead, I’d have to call and tell her that her daddy was dead.

I knew what I was supposed to do, but I couldn’t bring myself to do it. “Randall, we better call the police first. I’ll holler at her afterwards but I don’t wanna be accused of failing to report this shit in time”

Randall looked at me funny “well he’ll be just as dead when you get off the phone with her, but knock yourself out, Sonny Boy”

As I went to walk up the bank to get the telephone, I heard a loud boat chopping thru the water. As I turned and looked, I noticed a coast guard flag. I reckoned that meant I could stay put. Perhaps someone else had called it in before he washed up towards us. The uniformed fella in the passenger seat hollered at us over a bullhorn “STEP AWAY FROM THE BODY THIS INSTANT!”

I thought to myself “What the hell did they think we were about to do, field dress the dead sumbitch and cook him for dinner? I mean I know you ain’t supposed to contaminate a crime scene but it doesn’t take a detective to figure out that this isnt where the murder happened. Damn, is that what I think happened? A murder?”

Of course that’s what happened. Sheriff Steve was a lifelong fisherman, a star athlete, and a very cautious and safety prone man. There is no way you could convince me he just fell in the water and died. It may not have been murder 1, hell it may even have been an accident, but one thing is for sure: this was someone other than Sherriff Stevens doing.

The coast guard feller spoke once again “terribly sorry to alarm you folks, just didn’t want you too close to the body in case it explodes. They do that sometimes ya know? Gasses in your body break down after death and you can go up like a hot fart outta nowhere!”

I suppose that is true. I certainly didn’t major in anything that gave me an argument against it, but it was a rather odd thing to say over the body of a dead man.

“Ok” I said “but I don’t think he’s been dead that long”

“Medical examiner are we?” He said. “Nope. Just watch a lot of procedurals”

Without saying another word the coast guard boat inched as close as it could without grounding itself and then used what looked like a pool cleaner to drag the body closer and then eventually on deck.

“Alright guys. Be safe!” The one said as they speeded away.

“Are yall gonna send someone to get our statement?” Randall screamed. But they just kept on driving.

I was stunned. Almost no sooner than we had discovered the dead body, it was scooped up and heading the other way. No interview, no police tape, no sirens. To say I was in shock would be an understatement. While I was in this disillusioned state, however, I somehow mustered the courage to pick up the phone. She may not love me anymore, but the news should at least come from someone she knows.

As the phone rang I thought about what I might say. I thought about our wedding. I thought about the years I’d thrown away. But mostly I thought about how horrible it was that I was about to hurt her worse than I ever have.

When she answered the phone I went numb. You don’t ever consider that you’ll miss someone’s voice, but god damn it I did. Her innocent alto almost whispering “hello” sent chills down my spine. How could I have fucked this up? Why can’t I just be normal?”

“Hello?” She said again “Steve, are you there??”

“I’m here. I. Uh. Hey Sheila.”

“Steve what do you want?”

“I have to tell you something. Are you sitting down?”

“I am actually. I’m sitting down to lunch”

“Ok well if you’re with someone you might want to excuse yourself, because this is gonna come as a shock”

“Steve, you are scaring me”

I was scaring myself too. The butterflies in my stomach were laying eggs. “Sheila. Your dad is dead”

There was a long pause. I didn’t think I could handle hearing her cry. Looking back, I wish to god she hadve, because what happened instead is something that I’ll never get over.

“Steve I don’t know whether to laugh or throw my phone. Are you drinking again? What the fuck is your problem? Is this your idea of a joke?”

I knew it would be difficult, but I didn’t think I’d be called a liar. “Sheila I don’t wanna be doing this, but I thought you’d wanna hear it from someone you knew. Your daddy is dead”

“Steve” Sheila said, in a stern tone “that is impossible”

“I assure you it’s not. I just saw him. They took him on down the lake in a coast guard boat. I’m sure they’ll call you soon I just…”

“Steve. I’m sitting here with my father right now”

I went numb once more

To be continued

More later

Corey

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