• Chapter 3

    Deputy Linkson had made his announcement, he looked at Ron, “Do you want to go with me? You could actually help me on this one!”
    Due to the fact that there was not much to look at around here, other than his past that he can’t take back and below freezing temperatures. There was not anything else to do, “Sure, I’ll go with you.” Even though he felt some odd feeling that he should stay with the two or three people.
    When the mission was fully briefed, everybody got in their vehicles and went off. The flashing lights on the vehicles were not apparent, either were the horns.

    After driving about fifteen minutes, they finally reached County Road 650 and turned right. Heading down into Pine Grove, not many lights were seen in the houses. Before entering Pine Grove, there were no houses going down the steep, curvy hill. Both sides of the roads were guarded by little hills, at least fifteen feet high. Most of the people were sleeping comfortably in their houses, considering it’s the usual time to sleep. Ron wasn’t tired though, he didn’t want to blink his eyes, and missing something right at the moment was not acceptable. Whatever seemed suspicious, it had to be mentioned. Though on a night like tonight, everything to Ron was different; yet, nothing seemed to change?

    This, he thought, was just the beginning of it. He was right too, what was yet to come, he had never expected.
    It’s amazing how everything yesterday felt so normal. Normal family, normal place to live, normal food to eat, normal way to drive; now there is no such thing as normal; as Ron thought.
    What is normal? Ron wondered, looking out the window of the cruiser onto the side of the road. There was not much to see except for the leaves on the hills to both the left and the right. The trees above the road looked like they were soon to fall, though rarely has this occasion occurred in the area.
    Slowing down to a stop, they came to the intersection at County Road 522. It was a stop sign that was present. Either you had to turn left or right, neither left or right was anything clearly viewable other than a house or two to the left, though no lights were visible inside of them. Straight ahead was a hill about a hundred feet away, trees lined up the hill onto the top, the moon shined through the empty branches through the woods. To the right, in the day; you could see nothing but a wide field used for planting and harvesting vegetables and fruits. To the left, two or three houses could be seen, then the road took a sharp turn to the right, after you drove for about another four-hundred yards, there was a turn off to the left, Private Drive 910. Ron does not know where that road leads to, he hasn’t been out in this area for a very long time.
    A sudden move was felt, turning to the left onto the road. Why in the hell is he taking me out here? Ron questioned himself, there is no apparent reason why they would be going out this far. I haven’t been out this way in years! I wish I stayed back at the site. Right now was not the time to play games.

    “You’re quiet tonight!” Trying to start a conversation, though there was no much to talk about with all that has happened and no reasonable ways to conclude their wonders. He didn’t expect much reply.
    “Yeah, little tired.” He really wasn’t tired though, he didn’t want to talk. “Where are we going?”
    “I know you wanted to know the answer to that question, I’m taking you out to a friend of mine’s. He lives out on 274, a little ways down this road on the left.” Linkson knew where he was going, he’s traveled these roads for many of years.
    After three hours of what the hell was going, not much has been accomplished. “Why are we going out here?” As long as this is not some sick joke that could be made, he didn’t have that much concern. “I have no clue why we’d be going out here!” Nobody has answered a question today for him; he has to find out on his own.

    “There used to be a guy out here, Steve Hamilton, name sound familiar?”
    The name did sound utterly familiar, Ron realized the name. Steve Hamilton had been friends with Ron during high school. They weren’t best friends, though there was a good friendship between the two. “Yeah, I remember him. We used to be friends in high school. After that, we split our ways and never seen him since.”
    The news was not surprising to the deputy. He knew the story before it was written, “Well, he knows some things that you don’t. I think you might want to talk to him, this would be useful.”
    This was a moment of confusion for Ron, what else is there to know? “Um, ok? What is there out there that I do not know about? What does he know that I am not aware of? I am pretty sure that I know all that needs to be known.”

    With a laugh of sarcasm, the deputy said “Well, no less than four hours ago did you know that your wife and two kids was dead. What tells you that you know everything?” Like the deputy has said before, can’t start a fire without something to burn.
    Ron thought about it, “You’re right; though I doubt that Steve will have anything new.”
    Knowing the answers to a test before the test is made, Linkson new what would be said. “Well, you better get ready for kicking some a**, because you are going to do something you have never done before.” All of it was planned out without Ron’s permission. What is said and done, is said and done.
    Ron instantly snapped back, “What in the hell are you going to do to me?!” He didn’t like the way this sounded.
    “No, it isn’t what we’re doing to you. It’s what we are doing to him!”
    Is this going to happen? Ron questioned himself, Am I seriously going to do this! Ron was never the man to fight, No, I can’t do this! “You’ll take him down, why in the hell are we taking him in?”
    The cruiser slowed down and took a left onto a wet gravel road, a couple of mud puddles were present. Not much was viewable during the night, the air outside seemed to be getting colder.
    “Look, I know you’re not the man to fight.” Mike said, “Trust me though, when you see what I am going to show you. You will want to ******** kill him!”
    What in the hell is he talking about? “So, you’re telling me that he knows something about what just happened and he has not said a thing to any of us?!” Ron was demanding for some answers, and he will not back down until he gets what he wants. “I don’t want to ******** around with someone who knows who killed my family, so you better make sure that I don’t give him too much!”
    “Hang on their soldier!” The deputy laughed, “He doesn’t know who killed him, but he does know some things we don’t know! Some things that I believe will be very useful. Thing is, we just need him to talk.”
    The deputy liked to take things slowly rather than face-paced because he believes that more things can get accomplished if you take your time doing what needs to be done, no questions asked.
    The deputy slowed his cruiser down and turned off all lights. Not one damn thing could be seen on the road. Very few dash-lights could be seen.
    In a very low-quiet pitched voice, the deputy said. “Remember when we used to go hunting? Sometimes we’d sit there and wait for the deer to come to us? Then there were the other times where we’d go to it. Well, that’s what we’re going to do right now. I need you to not say anything when we get in his house; nothing about the murder or anything. Act like we’re on a friendly visit.” And with that, he smiled and looked off in the distance.

    ‘A friendly visit’ Ron wondered, who in the hell is going to have ‘a friendly visit’ at this time of day?
    “Ok… There is one thing I want you to know before you do this.” Mike explained, “This is the thing that you must know before you try and act ‘friendly’ to him.” He explained why it is important they take Steve in, without a lot of fighting between them. Too much fighting tonight would make Ron fall over the edge, and right now is not the time for more than just one murder investigation that had relations between one another.

    Ron paused, looking at the deputy with concern. He tried to rebel but when he opened his mouth, all he could say was, “Are you serious?”