Blood Red Sundown: Evil Begins (14 page)

STEPHANIE FINISHED HER
rounds early to begin the search with her real estate agent. After viewing three
houses and none matching her need they agreed to meet again the next day. She was
definitely disappointed, but convinced herself she was doing fine where she was
and the best way to forget the day was to spend the evening at the beach watching
the sunset with a nice Chardonnay.

Managing a quick change of clothes, she packed her bag
with a bottle of wine and cheese and crackers and felt perfectly at peace as she
drove to the coast. It was still early and she was relieved there was no one around
as she pulled off to the area that was open enough to park.

Grabbing her bag of goodies and her towel, she walked
down to the beach slowly admiring the panorama of sky and water before her. After
spreading her beach towel she sat and stared at the rolling waves, relishing in
its beauty as she watched the sun begin to slowly disappear below the horizon. The
realization that it would be much more meaningful if she were sharing it with someone
else swept over her.

A movement caught her eye. A man was walking on the beach
and as he approached with the low setting sun to his back he appeared as a gray
shadow preventing her from seeing his face clearly. She felt a pang of uneasiness
as he continued walking in her direction. When he was directly in front of her blanket
he stopped and looked at her not moving, just staring.

“Nice night,” he finally said. “It looks like you’ve
been enjoying the magnificent sunset.”

His voice had a dreadful finality to it. She tried to
speak, but her defense system had completely shut down and fear had taken over.
She managed to regain her thoughts and lied to him that she was expecting a friend
any minute to enjoy it with her. He smiled and said, “I know you’re lying, look
around.” And he continued to stare and she knew he had seen through her frail defense.

He nodded, “Well, enjoy the night,” and then turned and
walked back down the beach. She had never felt so alone. She heard a car door close
and felt safer knowing William had arrived. Grabbing a cup, she poured two glasses
of wine and awaited his approach. When she sensed he was near, she raised the cup,
turned and stared into the face of Lenny boy.

OPENING A TALL
beer,
Anne picked up the Radford file and began to reread each item for anything that
might prove—or disprove—the senator’s guilt or innocence. There were photos, newspaper
clippings, and assorted notes. A newspaper article caught her eye. It was headlined
with, “Radford Divorce Final.” The black and white photo was of Senator Radford
and Beth Radford walking out of the courthouse.

She opened her purse and took out a magnifying glass.
Laying it over the photo in the article, she searched the face of the woman. An
expression of pain was obvious to anyone who looked closely. As she moved over to
the senator’s face, she was stunned. He was almost smiling. No, not almost, he was
actually grinning. Maybe Lon is right about this guy lacking in feelings or emotion.

Another intriguing photo caught her attention. It was
of Senator Radford and a very attractive woman. The senator was undeniably pointing
and screaming at the cameraman. He does have anger in him, she thought. Turning
the photo over, she read the hand written inscription in very large letters, [MOMMY
WINS AGAIN]. She realized this woman was his mother.

“What does it mean, and who wrote it? It had to have
been a cop.”

There were several pictures of the couple when they were
first married and his career was beginning. A picture of Beth, the mother, and the
senator caught her eye. You could sense by the body language of the mother and the
senator that they considered Beth, his wife, a tag along. The senator was holding
the arm of the mother and they were smiling and waving to someone in the room while
Beth, trailed behind, was staring at them. Turning the photo over, she read, again
the hand written notation. [William Radford celebrates after winning election.]

Anne closed the file cover, “Beth, I can’t wait to hear
your version of your marriage to this strange man.”

The phone rang at that moment causing her to jump. It
was Lon giving her the time he would be there in the morning. She wanted to discuss
her new feelings toward the senator with him, but thought better of it. You’ll have
plenty of time on the plane to Nevada to consider admitting he might be right about
the senator.

“Let me have one more for the road, Johnny, and then
I need to get out of here and look at the back of my eyelids.”

Terry remained deep in thought as the glass was set in
front of him and sat and stared at it using his finger to stir the ice.

“You look like a guy missing someone, Johnny offered.”

“Oh, I think you may be right and you can throw in the
problems with my business and you have the picture of my life right now. I’m not
sure why I have become so enamored with this woman cop.”

There was no response from Johnny who walked to the other
end of the bar.

You do like her flashed through his mind and he wondered
how she would react if he knocked on her door tonight? You’ll never know Terry,
because you’re going home and forgetting about her until she returns from Nevada.
You have other pressing needs closing in around you that require your immediate
attention. He finished his drink, said goodnight to Johnny and walked out into the
magical night he loved. Now he thought, make the most of it.

LEN SAW THE
fear on
her face as he neared her blanket.

“Why are you here Lenny or I mean Len?”

“Relax Doc. I just want a few minutes to plead my case.
I followed you here to see if we could somehow work out the strained relation between
us at work and see if we can become friends. A definite dislike for me is very evident
from you at the hospital and because I can be a jerk I can understand somewhat.
But we have to work together and I’d like you to give me a second chance. I like
the way you care for your patients and I think we could be great friends.”

“Thank you for the compliment, Len and based on your
statement, I’ll try to be a little more sensitive to your feelings in the future.
For now would you like to sit and have a little wine and enjoy the view?”

“No thanks to the wine Doc, I’m more of a beer kind of
guy, but I would like to sit with you for a while.”

Stephanie found after they had conversed on various subjects
that he wasn’t as scary as she had first perceived him. He definitely was not spit
and polish, but there was a down home edge she found to be charming. She knew the
hospital relationship would be much more to her liking.

“Don’t you worry about being out here all alone Doc?
You know, with all these women getting knocked off all around the area I would think
you would be a little on edge being here in this isolated place.”

“You know I think about it, but I refuse to live my life
around his actions. If I do, he wins and the way I figure it this guy probably enjoys
winning.”

“How do you know that, he asked with a more intensity?”

She picked up on his agitated tone immediately and added
that she was merely guessing, and that he was probably right. She should be more
careful being alone and she appreciated his concern for her safety.

Darkness was fast descending and they agreed it was time
to gather up her various items and head to the cars. They walked slowly up the hill
and not a word was said between them.

“See you at work, Doc.”

“I look forward to it, Len, and thanks for keeping me
company tonight. Now you know where to find me.”

As the words left her mouth she remembered the note,
“I know where you go.”

THE CAPTAIN OF
the plane
announced in a very pleasant tone that they were on final approach to Reno’s Tahoe
International Airport.

“We’re finally going to be alone, partner and when I
think about that hotel room and that king size bed just waiting for the two of us
I get chills.”

She smiled at his comment but did not turn to him and
continued looking out the window at the fast approaching ground pretending to ignore
his comment. The flight overall had been very smooth and they would soon be on the
ground in Reno. After securing their rental car they left the airport and stopped
for a quick lunch at a fast food outfit with girls on roller skates, Lon’s choice
of course, and then headed for the Grand Sierra Resort and Casino.

“I’m pleased to announce that I’m a new man now, partner.
The flight was good and this seems like a very nice facility. I’m off my soapbox
and back to my happy to be here mood.”

“Thank you for small favors,” she replied as they entered
the room. She looked at him and he was smiling as she turned and saw the two queen
size beds.

“Just kidding about the bed situation; I wanted to give
you something to dream about.”

“You’re one sick puppy, partner. I’m taking the bed nearest
to the bathroom and you can have the remote.”

The TV was turned on and they stretched out on their
respective beds and watched a rerun of Family Feud. Lon fell asleep immediately.

Anne woke up first and showered and came out wearing
the hotel robe and a towel around her head and Lon now awake made a comment about
her outfit which she quickly dismissed as trite.

“I contacted Beth Radford while you were sleeping Lon
and we’re meeting her at her house at ten o’ clock in the morning. I have directions.”

“Nice work partner. That means we are free until the
morning. Let’s check out the bar and make dinner plans.”

“You go on down. I’ll get dressed and meet you.”

“I guess that means I can’t watch.”

“Dream on moron,” she said.

At the bar, Lon ordered a round of beers and an order
of Nachos supreme for the two of them. Anne arrived a few minutes later, and after
one bite quickly took a sip of beer; “they’re too hot for me.”

He found it amusing and ate a nacho with a red jalapeno
pepper looking directly in her eyes as he chewed the morsel and swallowed.

“You’re disgusting. On the serious side for a minute
Lon, what do you expect tomorrow? Will she be a willing participant or protective
of her past?”

“I’m not sure how she is going to react to our questioning
her relationship with the senator. But, I do think having a member of the female
gender along to question her will definitely be a plus. What I mean is that
there’s a good chance she will assume, as a woman, you will be more sympathetic.”

“I don’t know if that’s true nor not, but I did gain
info on her from the file last night, and I’m very curious to hear about their relationship
while they were married. I think she was like an uninvited guest in the house.”

“What do you mean?”

“She didn’t seem to be a happy housewife to me.”

“What in the world could you have learned from the Senator’s
file that would make you say that Anne?”

“I sensed complete insensitivity on the part of the senator
toward her from his statements in the newspaper clippings and photos of them together
that definitely showed a standoff between him, his mother, and Beth Radford.”

“You got all that from the file?”

“Yes, and now I’m anxious to know if I’m right; but right
now I want another beer before dinner.”

They picked out a steak buffet and all you can eat salad
bar, with homemade bread and a desert tray loaded with every pastry a person could
think of. It was a man’s dream and a woman’s worst nightmare.

“Let’s hit the casino and try our luck, Anne.”

“I’ll watch. I work too hard for my money to lose it
in the slots.”

“Come on Anne loosen up a little. Tomorrow we can get
serious and earn our money, tonight it’s spend a little of our expense account.
Here’s twenty dollars, try your luck. They entered the casino and the glitz and
glitter was amazing.

A very attractive young lady, practically topless carrying
a tray offered them a free drink which they both accepted and Lon placed a tip on
the tray.

He watched her walk away then turned back to Anne smiling.

“You are a pig, Lon.”

“Don’t get on me for looking, or we’re going to have
a rocky relationship. I’ll see you in the room later. ”

Anne left the casino and decided to take in the excitement
that radiated everywhere she looked. A topless show was in full swing which did
not appeal to her. She watched two security guards drag an obviously intoxicated
man out of the show. A woman, followed behind pleading for them to leave him alone,
she could handle him.

Forget it, not your concern, she thought and went back
to the casino to search for someone carrying free drinks she had always heard about.
For some reason a slot machine caught her interest.

“Do I dare,” she wondered.

She touched the twenty dollar bill in her pocket, and
walked to the machine. Red White and Blue, I can do this for the good old USA she
reasoned. She heard the sound she had been waiting for; free coffee and drinks.
A very attractive young man of maybe twenty-five, offered her a choice of drinks.
He stared directly into her eyes and smiled. Taking the drink from the tray, she
returned his smile and without thinking, placed the twenty on the tray.

He beamed at her generosity and walked on. She looked
at her hand and couldn’t believe what she had done.

“A guy smiles at you and you melt. You have no right
to harp on your partner. You just gave twenty dollars away to a kid in tight pants
who smiled at you. Get up to your room before you wind up in trouble.”