Chapter 4 Echoes of Denton's Secrets

She returned to the hotel, and Ariel waited on asofa in the lobby, looking nervous and peeved, with her fingers drumming on her purse.

"It's about time you showed up! Where have you been? I think I've died a few times, thinking of you stranded in horrible situations where you shouldn't be. You wouldn't

answer the phone! Did I make a mistake in bringing you along?"

"I'm sorry. I've been out touring Denton and in ajam, and I was so busy surviving I neglected to call you. Sorry."

"Surviving? Was someone trying to kill you? Why? What did you do?"

"Nothing! Let's goto your car, and you can ask questions there."

"Never mind. Let'sgo."

At Ariel'scar, shock tookover at the sight of the driver'swindow. "What the hell is that?"

"Falcon blood and maybe some poop. I don't knowhow fast he was going when he hit me, but I'm grateful that the window didn't shatter. If it had, he'd have taken my

head off! No doubt about that."

"And where did that happen?"

"In the cemetery where I found Cherie's grave. I tidied it up a bit, and I guess I upset someone or something. The falcon killed a crow and then attacked me. And I chose to

get out of there pronto."

"And Cherie is who?"

"Oh, my great-grandmother, from Denton no less. Had that incorrect when I denied it for so long. I just took a chance she would be there, and the office confirmed it and

told me where to look."

"Did they warn you against falcon attacks?"

Robin grimaced and turned her face away. "Uh, no, but she warned me togo home and forget about her, even if she was a relative."

"And, of course, you didn't." Ariel sighed and hugged her. "I'm sorry I got angry with you. I know you'retrying to do right, but sometimes, sweetheart, you need to let things go. You know where she's buried, so let your quest stop there concerning her. Do you

think you can do that?"

"Well, I'll try. That scared me."

"Excellent. Do you need to freshen up, relax, or lay down a spell? What's your immediate need?"

"I need food. I'mhungry."

"When are you not? Oh, when you're sleeping. Okay, let's find a car washand a place to eat. From the looks of Denton, that will be the sushi bar here at the hotel."

*

They finished their evening tasks and relaxed in their room when Robin received a call from Roxana.

"Do you have any plans tonight? If not, I'll beat your door in about four minutes or less."

"You're in the hotel now?"

"Of course, you're not hard to find since you're from Seaford and have no clue about relatives here. Is it okay to come up?"

"You'renothere yet?"

Robin opened the door for her. "Uh, this is asurprise. I expected someone younger, not middle-aged."

"You can send me away."

"No, that was a compliment. Your voice sounds young and strong on the phone. Come in. This is my partner, Ariel Wright. Ariel, Roxana Perkins. Have a seat. Do you want something to drink?"

"No thanks. Maybe later. You look a little ragged. Your voice sounded it on the phone. So, I take it you had an experience at Cherie'sgrave?"

"Experience? While awake, I called it a nightmare, so I apologize for not listening to your advice. Have you seen it? I mean her grave."

"I sawit once. Were you hurt or scared?"

"I was frightened. I can handle a lot of fear, but not that much in a short time."

"What happened?"

"I took a bunch of dried flower stems from the tombstone, and a falcon killed a crow and then attacked me. I got inside the car and out of danger, but it killed itself on the

window trying to get me."

Roxana shook her head. "Itold you to let it go, didn't I? You're lucky. Did it cure you about returning for more pain?"

"I'm not sure of that part yet. I'm still considering my options."

"Oh, just wonderful news!" Ariel said. "What will it take to get the point across? Will an armor legripped from the socket be a strong enough message?"

Ariel'scaring input touched Robin's heart, but she ignored it to gather more information.

"What happened to you, Roxana? You did get hurt, didn'tyou?"

"I got hurt, bigtime. My brother Robert, his friend Jeremy, and I went to the

cemetery at night two weeks before Halloween. Before we went, we shared some

marijuana and some rum and cola drinks. We were high, crazy, and stupid even togo,

but we thought it a grand idea. We walked through the graves and played tag and hide

and seek. We lay on a few graves, and then we reached Cherie's plot, and our fun

upgraded to a nightmare. We began to challenge each other to do different things on the grave.

"I challenged Robert to lie down and pretend he was having sex with her in the

coffin. So, he did that and moaned and groaned, and we all laughed. But, hey, he gother dead cherry.

"Then Jeremy challenged me to pee on the grave. I didn't want to, but with some coercion, I did. That was a big mistake, but I did. I was nearly naked, and Jeremy went crazy then. He wrestled the rest of my clothes off and slapped me until I stopped

fighting and let him have me on the grave. I don't know what Robert did during that time. He was quiet, and I know he never attempted to stop what happened tome.

"Jeremy finished what he had to do, and I just lay there and cried for a few minutes, looking for Robert but not finding him. Finally, I pushed myself up to a sitting position and chose to clear Jeremy's mess, and he sat a few feet away, just watching me with a

dazed look in his eyes. I found my panties and wiped myself, and things went to hell swiftly.

"It was like one hand; an enormous hand grabbed my chest and knocked me back

onto the grave. A secondhand jammed inside of my vagina, and I screamed something

fierce. Jeremy turned and gagged, and from somewhere, Robert called for God to stop it!

Nothing stopped it. It felt like my insides were ripped asunder, and I blacked out from the intense pain.

"When I became aware again, police and ambulance lights flashed, and three

helicopters landed. Jeremy was bent over her tombstone without his pants. Maybe a four-inch tree or bigger shoved inside him, limbs and all. Blood and intestines were splayed all around him, and both arms lay crossed on the ground near his feet.

"Forme, my uterus was gone and laying on the ground ten feet from me. Robert was never found. However,a visible trail of blood led to the entrance where we parked, and then it disappeared. The car was smashed. It looked like a car crusher got hold of it and destroyed it.

"I was air evacuated to Baltimore to their shock trauma center. I was in ICU for

twelve days, but I recovered. It took fourteen months to rehab myself and let the ripped muscles heal, and the damaged nerves learned to work and allow me to walk again.

"Poor Jeremy hung there for six days until the authorities contracted out of state

because none of the local morgues or morticians would touch him before maggots set in. It was a huge disaster for what was supposed to be a fun and adventuresome night."

Ariel was on her feet and waving at Robin. "Do you think you can do something against that? Just stop and give it up!"

Again, she ignored Ariel's frightened plea. "What's your personal opinion on what happened to Robert?"

"I think he was inside the car, but the police chose to call their big-rig haulers and

deliver it to We-Chip Auto Destroyers in Pennsylvania. It sat there for two months,

untouched, and afterward, it was ground up and sold for salvage. And noone checked to see if he was there. They just hauled it and let it be destroyed."

Robin closed her eyes and could still sense Ariel begging her to stop and walk away.

"That'sa probable theory. Of course, it'shard to dispose of a body without atrace, but that would work fine.

"Now for another query, Roxana. This might make you think a bit, but who lives in the house at the back of the cemetery? I noticed a house when I turned around there

today. I thought it was empty, but smoke rose from the round chimney. Do you have a clue on that?"

"That'san easy one, honey. The man is Clarence Hunter Lowbottom. It'sa strange name and goes with a strange man, but he'sa godsend for the cemetery board of

trustees. He performs maintenance on the graves, for which a cleaning fee is applied toward the funeral cost. If not, he cuts the grass once every month and removes bad flowers and vases atleast every two weeks to keep the place looking nice."

"Except for Cherie's grave. The flowers there looked to be a hundred years old."

"Well, he might avoid that one for a reason."

"Do you think he would talk tome?"

Ariel interrupted with a shout. "Oh, give it a break already! Why should you risk any more fear or damage to yourself? Please let it go, Robin!"

Robin still looked for an answer from Roxana. "Do you think he would talk with me?"

"Yes, I believe he would. I would say he's lonesome because people believe he's

strange, but he's not. He's different and doesn't fit in well, but he'skind and

hardworking. Park in the turnaround again and walk to the hedge. Look close to the line, and you'll find a small zig-zag maze inside. That will open into his front yard."

Ariel screamed in frustration.

"Will you please stop helping her? Can't you tellshe'll not back down on this? If something happens to her, can I sue you for helping her? The whole situation is so stupid it's unbelievable! Gah! Both of you, stop!"

She stood and grabbed her door card from the nightstand under the silent gaze of the women.

"I'm out of here for a bit. I need some fresh air. Call me when your new friend is gone!"

Roxana pointed to her with a thumb. "Are the two of you lovers?" she asked lowly.

"No, we're just very close."

"Go ahead! Trivialize everything I say. I'm not important! We're not important. Call me when she'sgone!"

With that, she slammed the door.

Robin shrugged. "Sorry about that, Roxana. She's been hypersensitive for a day or

so. I've asked if she's pregnant, and she gets snippy. It could be along-term PMS. I don't know."

"Don't worry about it. She'll live through it. If I can live through anon-surgical hysterectomy, she'll live through your investigations."

"I believe. Why do you think Clarence will be helpful tome in what I want?"

"He's Cherie's former spouse, now a widower. Let him tell you, and you can figure it out."

"Is Lowbottom his real name?"

"Yes, and it's not because his assis low to the ground or his legs are short. He comes from along line of them, but they all live and die within ten miles of this area. They

don't like traveling at all. And if they can find away to get you to shop for them, they get excited and do backflips. They're homeboys in a real sense of the word."

*

Roxana left by giving up her personal cellphone number, and Robin called Ariel back to the room.

"Aww, man. You've been crying over that?"

"Yes, I guess I have. Maybe Iloveyou too much. Maybe I want to be your lover. You always end up with losers and miserable slobs. I'm not any of that. Maybe I care too

much. Maybe I should ice my heart a little and never care what happens to you, but I can't do it."

"I'msorry."

"You're a fine person and deserve a lot of peace in your life. I guess the real culprit is you take too many risks. It appears you don'tcare what happens to you or how your

death would affect people who care about you. You need to start loving yourself. That might make a difference in your behavior."

"You're right, of course. I do take risks when other sane people stop and walk away. It's just that I've discovered Cherie, and if she's put a blight on the family name, I want to clean it up if I can. But, unfortunately, not all actions, words, and thoughts are

chiseled in stone for future generations to discover and then accept as okay."

"You're right also."

"Get ready for bed, and I'll give you a Robin Red Breast massage that will knock you out in the end."

*

The following day, Robin called Ariel when she felt safe and parked in the turnaround in the cemetery.

"Good morning, sexy sleepy voice. Are you still in bed? It's time to wake up and tackle the day. Time to causeslot machine bandits to cower in fear because you will lighten their load."

"Mmm, yeah. Wonder if you can have one delivered by Room Service to play in bed? Man, I enjoyed that. And I'm talking about the massage and the sleep afterward. Thanks for your love and kindness."

"You're welcome. It's been a few years since I saw you almost naked. Am I blind, or are you more curvaceous than before?"

"How about you have been blind while my body and mind have matured over the

last two to three years. You just failed to notice it. Your mind is so often locked on some mission that will lead to your or our greatness."

"Well, all I can say is, Wow! You're beautiful."

"Thanks. You'renothere; are you in the cemetery? Are you using my car again?

Don't return it with any blood this time. Have you found the zigzag entrance yet? Have you been attacked by anything yet?"

"I'm here, but all is calm and peaceful. I just found the entrance, so I'm going to stop now."

"That's what you said last night, and I told you not to, but like always, you didn't listen. Come home safe, okay?"

*

Robin returned the phone to her belt holder, glanced at the gravesites one last time, and stepped into the entrance of the thick hedge and a peaceful world. She could hearno birds, insects,or dry twigs crunching beneath her feet but smelled the leaves being

disturbed and nothing else. It struck her as an alien world and unwelcomed like the day before.

"Get over it already. I need to find this Clarence Lowbottom and learn his part in this mystery."

She made four right turns, five left turns, and a half-circle to the right side, and then the path straightened to take her to an opening she could see in the distance. She

thought it along distance, but soon she found herself in a considerable round area with a small house needing repairs, ashed, a small barn, and untamed wheat and soybean

crops or forests for miles in all directions west, north, and south. Behind her, to the east, was the hedge as far as could be seen in either direction. She ignored everything and

devoted her attention to the man who satin a rocking chair on the house porch. She

knew he stopped rocking when she stepped from the hedge and scrutinized her even if he did not move. So, she stopped a few feet from the porch and assumed a similar

stance.

He wore a white, long-sleeved shirt and denim bibbed overalls. He had no cap or hat, and the top of his head was bald, surrounded by a circle of white and black hair. Below his pant legs, ankle work boots in dire need of polish completed his wardrobe.

He moved and stood akimbo without warning as his eyes pierced her scornfully.

"Can't you read no trespassing signs? How about the ones that say stay out?"

She was shocked athis sudden move but maintained her quiet position.

"Well, since you have demonstrated that you can'tread, do you understand common English, like leave before I shoot you? How about that verbal sign?"

She shook her head but did not move. "I'm looking for Clarence Lowbottom. Is that you?"

"That's obvious since I'm the man who lives here, and noone comes here unless

they're looking forme. And furthermore, you don't have to introduce yourself. Your

stupid face reeks of Kirby. Without your mouth saying it, your face says, 'I'ma Kirby.

I'ma Kirby. I'm a Kirby.' Look around you. Take a vote. See how many plants, animals, birds, and humans care if you're a Kirby who has arrived from the Hades side of the

world to bug me! Who is your mother? Or are you too stupid to know?"

The dissertation shocked her. "Uh, she's Anita Smallwood, who married Daniel Kirby."

"Anita, huh? Then you must be Robin Jacqui Kirby. I hope you turnout smarter than her. I guess she learned how to have sex and deliver a child. What are you doing here in Denton? Did Delaware get tired of you and spit you out like sour milk?"

"Uh, wow! Are you always this rude?"

"I am when people encroach on my territory and think it's just peachy keen and

nothing bad will happen to them. When did I last come to your house and want to visit you?"

"Uh, never."

"Then why can't you return the favor? And can't you start one sentence without 'uh'? You sound like ascratchy record. Uh, uh, uh, uh!"

"Yes, I can talk plainly, but I'm just shocked. People have told me you are pleasant, but I don't see this greeting as anything close to their description."

"I'mas friendly as I can be. Friends don't kill without cause, so you're still alive, and I'm welcoming. What do you want? Tell me and then get lost, Kirby Girl."

"I want some conversation. I'm doing some research on my ancestors and Cherie Pandora Waterman. I found her on the internet site, and yesterday, I found her grave."

"So, that was you who killed the falcon."

"I didn't kill him. I minded my own business, and he went into an attack against me."

"Falcons don't attack humans without just cause. You did something to make him angry and want to kill you. What was it? What did you do? Confess instead of looking stupid and guilty."

"All I did was take the dried flower stems from Cherie's tombstone and put them in the trash. They looked too tacky laying there under a rock. I keep my mom'sand dad's graves clean and respectful, and I wanted to do the same for her."

"Then that's why he wanted to kill you. It might have been better if you had let him do that yesterday. It wouldn't have hurt for long and maybe a lot less than it will later."

"That'scrazy!"

"Not as crazy as touching something that you don't understand. The plants were put there for a reason. They were meant to stay there until they disintegrated and turned to powder. And silly ass, you just had to touch it and screw it up beyond all imagination! Be gone before I shoot your dumb ass!"

"Tell me who I can talk with about her and what happened, and I'll go. Just make sure it'ssomeone who's not angry for no reason."

"You area mindless, stupid Kirby bitch! The plants placed there were hemp, milk

thistle, and sage. They were held there by a sandstone to prevent wind from removing

them. They interfered, preventing her spirit from returning and causing havoc in this

community! She was a witch of the highest order possible! She offered to pay people in Denton $2.5 million in advance of her death to remove them if they were put on her

tombstone! No one took her upon that offer because they knew what she was and didn't want her to return. Now you've done it without understanding and opened the door to

hell that should have been left closed!"

"Well, maybe it would help to not keep that a secret! Did you ever think of that?"

"Yes! And there are too many busybody people in the world for that to work. So, you did it by accident! Others would have done it just to see if it was true! And guess what,

Kirby Girl, the result is the same!"

"Well, I'm sorry! Ijust wanted to help her!"

"She's dead! How is a spiffy grave going to help? What will it help, her reputation? Will it fill her heart with joy? No! It will make her happy because now she can screw

with people again. That was one of her favorite pastimes!"

"How? If she's dead, how?"

"She'll be back before sunrise tomorrow. It will start with five tornados followed by a hurricane."

"The forecast calls for nice weather, not even rain."

"Then, after the first tornado hits, make sure you come and tell me it never

happened. Lie your way out of it if you have the nerve to try! Goodbye, Robin Kirby!"

"What can I do? If I did it, can I correct it?"

He paused, and his evil, penetrating gaze made her feel sick.

"You'renamed after a bird. Birds fear cats. Lose your fear of pussy and comeback in the morning."

"Hey! That's not fair! And it's not right!"

"You wish to tell me what you accomplished in the cemetery is fair to the whole

community of Denton? When the death toll goes up, remember this: Kirby Girl, you

asked what could be done to stop it. That's the first. Do it or suffer their wrath because I'll tell the villagers who did it and why! I refuse to take the blame for it!"

She turned her back to him and screamed. "Fuck!"

"That's what most people call it. Do you hate it? So did Cherie. She put curses on

more than one and screwed up their lives. Overcome your fear. It will serve to add a bit of armor to your war chest. You started the war; you must finish it. Try to look stupid

and innocent and walk away if you don't want to. Just understand that you'll never leave Denton until you win or you'reburied beside her. You don't want to hear or believe that? Stop by the Court House and check her will. You're in there, Kirby Girl. I'ma Kirby. I'm a Kirby. I'm a dumb-ass Kirby training to change my own diaper. Oops! It wasn't quite

fast enough that time. See you tomorrow or in the Obituary later this week."

She found the path in record time, and the return trip went smoothly but was

depressing. She satin the car momentarily, enjoying the cool air from the vents and pondering the moves that would take her deeper into danger rather than get her out.

"What's that expression? 'You can'twin for losing.' That's me. I'm a Kirby Girl, and I lose everywhere I turn. So, stop turning, dummy. Stand firm, but don't look pretty. Look mean as tarantula piss and determined to win something in your gutless life."

She paused before Cherie'sgrave. "I was going to talk with you, but why? I'll pay the price to get where I want to be. However, if you can find away to get the $2.5 million to me that you promised anyone else, I'd appreciate that. I have a suspicion I'mgoing to

earn it anyway. Toodles from lots of poodles, great-grandmother."