The Silent Scream of the Straw Man Read online

  “I’m curious, Dev. How did Hell Night or whatever it is called get started in the first place? Why weren’t kids satisfied with trick or treating on Halloween?”

  Dev replied, “It’s really an old custom started in relation to the origins of Halloween, which by the way, is a Celtic tradition. For centuries, it was believed that spirits would roam the night before the Celtic New Year of November first, playing tricks and vandalizing. The tradition was carried to America by the Irish and Scottish immigrants who held fast to their superstitions, rituals and beliefs. Halloween spread through the American culture with variations, but remained a holiday rooted in devious activity, until candy was introduced in the early twentieth century to curb the amount of vandalism that went on.

  “Unfortunately, this did not completely dispel the desire for mischief-making, so Mischief Night or Hell Night reemerged on the night before Halloween. This revival of the old tradition typically started for purposes unique to each region, for example; adolescent unrest, an excuse to raise a ruckus, schemes of retaliation, misguided attention or thrill seeking. You are right, Jeff. The same could happen in Serena if the scarecrow frenzy continues to mount.”

  “Dev, do you have time to ride over to Danny Foster’s with me? We had the right house and I learned that his mother, Jeanette Foster, works the night shift at Mission Hospital.”

  Jeannette Foster was still in her robe and half-asleep when she answered the door. She invited them in, apologizing for her appearance and the messy living room. The room was indeed untidy, but obvious attempts had been made to make it look homey and comfortable. After introducing Dev, Farley began his inquiry the same way he had with Mrs. Williams.

  She listened with no indication of alarm and then answered, “Chief Farley, I can tell you with certainty that my Danny is not involved. He is the new kid at school and we are just getting acquainted with folks, which is hard with me working three or four nights a week, doing twelve-hour shifts. Danny helps me by being a good boy and doing his homework and chores on the nights I work. I’m trying to get on the day shift and then he won’t be left alone so much. But he just turned fifteen, so I don’t feel that it’s wrong for him to have responsibility. He’s a quiet boy and has never been a problem. If anything, I wish he was more outgoing.”

  “Has he made any close friends that you know of?” Farley asked.

  “There is a boy he studies with sometimes, but I haven’t met him. His name is Tom, no Trent, I think. He doesn’t come around here. I don’t allow Danny to have friends visit when I’m at work. Things would be so much easier if his father showed an interest, but he doesn’t and what can I do? Danny’s never been interested in sports, but loves TV and his laptop. I always call to make sure he is bed by ten. He’s a good boy, Chief Farley. It’s only a matter of time before he has more friends and I’ll be home nights. So you see, he doesn’t run with a gang or cause any trouble for anyone.”

  “Mrs. Foster, do you mind if we have a look in his room?”

  “Well, I haven’t had time to do my housework today. It’s kind of embarrassing, but it’s right in there. It doesn’t always look like this. I’ve had a rough week. Thank heavens I don’t have to work on Halloween. Although I don’t think kids come out this way for trick or treating.”

  The room was the exact opposite of Trent Williams’ room, cluttered and colorful, decorated with a department store type collection of matching curtains, comforter, and pillows; a teen theme probably chosen by his mother. The bed was unmade and a pile of clothes lay on the floor beside it, but otherwise the room was organized and showed signs of his personality. He had at one time built model airplanes and seemed to have an interest in art or drawing. There were sketchpads and art supplies, but no evidence of his artwork. There was a small bookcase with a paperback collection of Edgar Rice Burroughs novels, most notably, the Tarzan of the Apes series. There were no magazines, but a shelf above the bookcase seemed oddly bare. There was no evidence of anything connected to the scarecrow.

  Farley thanked Mrs. Foster for her time and let her know he’d be returning to question Danny, with her approval. She had no objection except to say she had total faith in Danny’s innocence.

  On the drive back to town, Dev commented, “Danny Foster might indeed be a good lad, but he has the factor of time unaccounted for during the twilight hours of evening. Don’t you agree?”

  “Yes. I do, my friend. Yes I do.”

  CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

  ONE DAY IN THE DOLLAR Store. Danny had been looking at comic books and noticed Trent purchasing a Batman DVD, sporting a Spiderman wristband. Danny caught Trent’s attention, too, and the conversation that followed began a friendship that was a revelation to Danny, and an opportunity for Trent.

  Danny had been happy at first and admired his new friend tremendously. They’d made a pact to share their passion and build a collection they would stash in a secret place they could access together or separately. Trent’s interests were much darker than Danny’s, which had been limited to superheroes with flawed personalities. Trent introduced Danny to the world of horror comics. Danny, a year younger than Trent, was not as thrilled by the content, but developed an aberrant fascination, a combination of aversion and attraction. He thought Trent more sophisticated and smart and followed his lead because it led him out of his shell into an adventurous world as exciting as the books he’d read as a child.

  He’d been elated when they found the hideout and a place for their stash of horror comics and meetings. Trent had been careful from the beginning, making sure they were not seen coming and going at the same time, mapping out routes to and from the shed, back and forth around town, and up and down over the ridge to Danny’s house. Danny had just been happy to have a friend. He’d believed all the caution and deception were part of the fantasy they enjoyed, like a video game or a secret society with rules and signals and procedures invented to keep others out. The Scarecrow Murder was the catalyst Trent had been waiting for. He’d associated it with their horror comic book hero, Scarecrow, and had convinced Danny the headlines were a call to action, a chance to bring fantasy to life. Danny hadn’t understood but acted as though he had. When they’d started gathering the materials for the scarecrow disguise, Danny had tried to think of it as a Halloween costume, drawing designs to make it look as authentic as possible. Trent had praised his artistic skills, sparking his enthusiasm. He’d devised a method of weaving the straw in sections and attaching it to the cloth with cross-stitching that would not come apart easily. He’d replicated the burlap face in every detail with hand sewn features, which brought its expression to life. And even then, upon completion, he hadn’t believed Trent would follow through with his plan. But he had.

  Danny wished he could make it all go away. He felt terrified and alone, more alone than before knowing Trent. They’d met briefly in the restroom at school that morning. Trent had told him about being questioned. He’d laughed and said Chief Farley would probably have someone watching his house tonight, so there had to be a change in plans.

  Trent would not be able to meet him at the shed to help him dress. He’d have to do it alone. The target would remain the same, but would be an easy one and close to home. Trent would keep the police distracted by staying home, the perfect alibi.

  Danny felt sick inside. If his mother found out, it would kill her. How had he gotten in so deep? He couldn’t back out now. He couldn’t let his friend down, even if Trent was crazy and getting more so with each outing. He couldn’t eat, even though his mother had left his favorite taco dinner. He dreaded what he had to do. What made it worse was that he knew the target. Sarah Ferguson had been nice to him on the first day of school. She’d said hello when no one else had.

  How had Trent found out about Sarah’s violin lessons at Miss Walker’s house? How did he know the exact time she’d leave for the short walk to her house? It would still be daylight. He’d said they’d be expecting another sighting after dark.

  The Walker house wa
s on Danny’s side of town. He was supposed to retrieve the disguise from the shed and dress at home, and then cross over the ridge to where it opens out right above Miss Walker’s house. He was supposed to be there at exactly five-thirty, to watch out for Miss Walker and wait for Sarah to be alone. He wouldn’t have to come down the embankment to the road, just appear above from behind a bush and hold out his arms to her.

  Danny followed the instructions to the letter. He felt like a zombie going through the motions. He’d made it to the hiding place and stood waiting for the door to open and the girl to appear. He swore in that moment he would never do anything like this again and felt as if in a trance when she came out carrying a small purse and her violin case. Miss Walker waved goodbye to her from the door and then closed it. He moved forward, and she heard the rustle of the bushes. He leaned toward her and raised his arms. She stared at him and dropped her violin case. She didn’t scream and didn’t seem to be able to move. And then she fell into a heap and lay there.

  He wanted to run to her but could not. He could not help her or save her without being arrested. Miss Walker did not come back to the door. There had been no sound. He turned and ran, with the intention to run home and change into his clothes and hurry back. When he reached the house, he knew he hadn’t been seen and was free and clear, but had to go back. Then he heard the sirens and knew they were for Sarah. He quickly changed, bagged the disguise, and ran all the way to the shed, where he sat and cried in shame and disgust.

  Deputy Purdy got the call and was the first on the scene with the Serena Rescue Squad. Miss Walker had called 911. Sarah’s parents were called to the scene. They explained about Sarah’s heart murmur, that she was prone to minor seizures which caused her to lose consciousness. Before Sarah was taken to the hospital, she regained consciousness and described what she had seen. Deputy Purdy called Farley right away and immediately drove to the Williams residence, where Trent’s alibi was confirmed.

  Farley drove straight to Danny Foster’s house and, again, found no one at home. He decided to wait before calling Danny’s mother at the hospital. Within a half an hour, Danny appeared, coming from the direction of Dollar Store. Danny’s eyes looked a little red, and he appeared to be nervous, but insisted that he had come home from school and gone back out to the Dollar Store for a video, but couldn’t find the one he wanted. Farley was treading a fine line questioning Danny without his mother present, even though he had her permission. He wasn’t sure about this kid, but had little doubt about Trent Williams, despite his alibi. He told Danny he would be contacting his mother to arrange to talk to him again in her presence. The boy looked stricken. If he was in cahoots with Trent Williams, Farley had just given him a reason to be scared. If he wasn’t, he had nothing to fear.

  Farley drove back to town feeling frustrated. Then Joyce Crenshaw called to tell him she’d been keeping an eye on Zack and could only report that he’d been working all day on and near the compound. They’d been shooting a scene in the backwoods where McCabe had kept his still, and had used Tanner in some of the background shots. She’d observed his return to the set twice, once to pick up the lunches for the crew he was working with, and another time near the parking lot, where he appeared to be checking out a vehicle. Farley asked if there was an additional site for the stunt vehicles. She said there was, but wasn’t sure of its location, would find out and call him back. He said he’d drive out tomorrow to check it out.

  Buddy Larson had been watching Tanner, but made no report about it. He was far too cagey, mountain bred through and through. Hollywood to him had been just another territory to conquer. He’d used his wits and wiles, his good-ole-boy charm, engaging humor, and underlying grit and determination; a genetic trait from some long-ago ancestor he supposed. There had been no evidence of it in his parentage. His talent had been borne of pain and hardship, pushed deep into the center of his being, stirring only at night when the dreams came alive or in characters he portrayed that everyone hailed as acting.

  He understood why Megan had been so shaken during their first scenes together. He had frightened her and knew why. He’d made the effort to calm her after her breakdown so she wouldn’t give him away, reveal the truth she saw in his eyes. Now he knew she wouldn’t have done that. She would have shouldered the blame for her failure, because she was like him. Since that day, their work together had brought them closer and his feelings for her were what he thought love must be like, real paternal love. He felt pride in her resurgence, and her ability to withstand the force of his personality when in character.

  In between takes he watched over her as if she were a child, and he could tell she enjoyed it, as if she had not had anyone care about her in that way before. It was in those watchful moments that he began to notice her occasional jerking sidelong glances, as if on the alert for something unexpected, like a rabbit might do when sensing danger. He couldn’t be sure because it was so fleeting, two to three seconds of reaction that came and went like an automatic response, one without observable cause. Then he widened his scope from a narrow focus on her to movement around her, like he would if hunting in the forest. Twice the same man had been in range during one of her reactions and he’d wondered, Why is an extra hanging around the set anyway?

  CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN

  THE NEXT MORNING, FARLEY LISTENED while Aura Lee railed on about what she had been through the day before.

  “I’m glad you’re early again, Chief. I hope you’re planning to work in your office all morning because, I can tell you, I cannot face another day like yesterday. I had one call after another about that scarecrow maniac and it’s causing more upset than the man who was found murdered. Some folks are saying it’s that man come alive in the form of a scarecrow because he died tied to one and his spirit is upset because you haven’t solved the case. Course I don’t think that for a second.

  “I had one call saying we should call in the sheriff’s department. I tried to tell them that we can’t be calling them to help arrest some kid dressing up like a scarecrow, that it would be embarrassing for you. You do have a suspect, don’t you Chief? That’s what Deputy Purdy said. Mary Jane Becker said it’s impossible for a teenager to be seen in so many places at one time and around every nook and cranny, so it must be a fiend with supernatural powers. Miss Bentley said she heard that the scarecrow appeared and disappeared into thin air high in the night sky at a second story window. And Sadie Beaumont said he’s been peeping in her window almost every night. Course no one pays any attention to Sadie the way she undresses with the shades up at all hours of the day and night.

  “There will be uproar today after what happened to Sarah Ferguson yesterday, I can tell you that. The poor child was scared nearly to death and in broad daylight. They’ll probably say we should call off the Halloween Stroll. That would be like calling off Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade because of terrorist attacks, I say. That is just not the way we do it in the USA! What do you think Chief? Do you think we should call it off?”

  Farley didn’t have time to reply.

  “The business owners are against calling it off. They think it would result in loss of sales. The shops are all decorated and they’re thinking that a lot more folks are going to come to town because of all the excitement. Hilda Pace said she’s had requests for scarecrow costumes at her store. She said no one thinks the real scarecrow will show up at the stroll. What do you think?

  “I say we should go on about our business as usual and Halloween should put an end to all this commotion. No one is going to be interested in scarecrows after Halloween. Even the Ghost of Christmas Past wouldn’t be coming out the day after Christmas. As for the murder, that’s another story. I think we ought to invite the movie folks to the stroll to get people’s mind off the scarecrow and the murder. Not that they would agree to come, them being used to Hollywood parties and all. My cousin says they are almost done filming and will be gone in another two weeks. A little hometown stroll might be a pleasant change for them and give
people something else to get hysterical about.”

  The ringing phone was the only thing that stopped her. Farley felt like he’d been run over by a freight train carrying words. Sifting through her dialogue for bits of valuable information was not an easy task, but she did have her finger on the pulse of the town. He also had to admit she had one good point. The end of Halloween should put an end to the scarecrow craze. But until then, the person responsible for starting it had to be stopped.

  Aura Lee had mercifully not warned him about Hell Night. Having no experience with it, the prospect hadn’t entered her realm of foreboding. Obviously the same held true for the townsfolk, because it hadn’t been mentioned in their avalanche of dire warnings. His concern, based on his sense of probabilities, had been shared with Dev, Deputy Purdy, and the sheriff, as a precaution. With Purdy patrolling in town, and the sheriff’s deputies patrolling the roads leading to town, they might be able to prevent additional mischief and disorder. Farley had been reluctant to call for assistance, but decided it was necessary under the circumstances.

  While Aura Lee was on the phone, Farley poured himself a cup of coffee from the office coffeemaker. He was about to take a sip when the Mayor came charging in.

  “Chief Farley, we need to talk. Can I see you privately in your office?”

  Farley prepared himself for a barrage of criticism and an attempt to put pressure on him to do more than he was doing, so his defenses went up, unnecessarily.