Over Her Dead Body (15 page)

April stood there with a vacant look. She was running back every memory she ever had of the two of them together looking for any signs, any clues that Michael had ever had a child. She couldn’t find any. She nodded her head vacantly at the detective and turned around and disappeared into her house.

The detective climbed into his car and made a phone call. “You guys in position? Ok, she’ll be going to town in one of two ways. I want both directions covered. Stay back far enough that she doesn’t know she’s being followed. I had a GPS placed under her car in case we lose her. She claims to be meeting her sister for lunch but it will more likely be him. Keep your eyes peeled for anything suspicious.”

Chapter 20

April had lost it. She cried. She paced the floor. She cried some more. She even smashed the picture of her and Michael together screaming “liar!”April went outside and jumped in her car. Her hands were trembling as she tried several times to get the key into the ignition. She banged her head on the wheel and sobb
ed. “Why…why…Michael?
How could you do this to me? How could you do this to
us
?” April sat there for a moment with her head on the wheel. When she had finally begun to calm down and her heaving subsided, she placed the key into the ignition and started the car. She had promised her sister to meet for lunch at the diner and she had promised Michael to meet him at two. How could she do it? How was she supposed to look him in the face knowing that he had had children and not told her? Would she see the kind wonderful man that she married or would she see a murderer and a liar? She couldn’t do it. She just couldn’t. All she wanted to do was run away. She didn’t even want to meet with her sister. She was embarrassed, humiliated, and violated. On some level she wanted to keep on driving right out of Angel Falls and never look back. She gave the thought some consideration. She used her sleeve to wipe her cheeks dry. April turned on the radio and tried to lose herself in the music. Every song seemed to bring her back. She listened to Adele belt out “Rolling in the Deep” as she headed into town.
“There’s a fire burning in my heart, reaching a fever pitch and it’s bringing me out the dark…The scars of your love remind me of us, they keep me thinking that we almost had it all…Rolling in the deep.”
I’m rolling in the deep alright.
April thought as she drove into town.

April’s sister Becca was sitting at a far table on the right. She smiled and waved. Becca was about 5’6, nearly the same height as April. She normally had brown hair as well but had dyed it blonde. Her hair was long and slightly curly and hung down to her sh
oulders
on each side. She was gorgeous no matter what her hair color was. She was wearing a green shirt and skinny tight jeans. She looked good. April plopped down on the other side of the table. She felt horrible. Her eyes were all puffy again. She had wiped all her makeup off. She sat for a moment looking at her sister. She was sitting there looking so pretty. So happy. Not a care in the world. The thought made tears well up in April’s eyes and they began to fall down her cheeks.

“Oh…honey, don’t do that.” Becca said as she got up and came around and sat next to her sister. She put her arm around her and pulled her close. April put her head on her sister’s chest and sobbed. Becca just patted her shoulder and pulled her close. “I know. I know honey. It’ll be ok.” Angel Falls was a small town and the news that Michael Bander had escaped police custody and was wanted for murder had spread fast. The diner was mostly empty but the few people scattered about all seemed to be staring in April’s direction. A waitress approached the table, but spoke quietly.

“Can I get you something to drink?”

“Two iced teas please.” Becca said. The waitress nodded and disappeared. Becca pulled her sister back a little. She grabbed a napkin and dotted her face. “How did you get away from the news reporters?” She asked.

“I…I didn’t. They followed me for a while but then some car cut them off and they stopped.”

“Oh, you poor thing. This is terrible. How could this possibly happen? Michael just doesn’t seem like the killing type.” Becca said.

“He’s not…er…I didn’t think he was. But…but…oh I don’t know what to believe. Nothing makes sense anymore.”

Becca brushed back a strand of hair behind her sister’s ear. “Has he contacted you?” She asked.

April nodded. “Ya, I’m supposed to meet him at two.”

“What? You can’t do that. He’s a fugitive. They’ll arrest you. They’re probably following you anyway.”

“I don’t know what to do. I don’t want to believe he did it, but…but…Becca, they said it was his daughter!”

Becca’s eyes got huge. “The girl they found?”

“Yes.” April was crying again. “They did a DNA test. They said it was 99.9% positive that it was
his
daughter. And
he
is the one found digging her up. What am I suppose to believe? What would you do?”

“Wha…has he ever mentioned a daughter before?” The waitress came and dropped off two teas. She opened her mouth to ask about food and Becca shook her head. “Just give us a few minutes please.” The waitress nodded and moved on.

“No, he’s never mentioned anyone before.”

“Well, you
can’t
meet with him. What if he kills you?” Becca said wild eyed.

April shook her head. “He wouldn’t do that. He wouldn’t.” Becca sat back in deep thought. April took a sip of her tea. “They said there was another.”

Becca looked at her. “Another? Another what?”

“The detective said he had another kid. That the girl in the woods was a twin and that Michael matched the description the other girl had given of her killer.”

Becca’s expression turned to shock. “That does it. You are staying with me. No if’s ands or butts. Got it?” April nodded and wiped at her face with a napkin.

“I just don’t think I can meet with him. I wouldn’t know what to say. The detective thinks he may be after the other girl. What should I do?”

“You need to turn him in.” Becca said. “If he kills someone else and you don’t, then you’re as responsible as he is.”

April took another sip of tea and set the glass down and looked at her sister. “I know, but what if he’s innocent? What if he didn’t do it? I’ll be betraying my husband.”

Becca flipped her hair back over her shoulder. “Listen sis, I know you don’t want to do that, but if he’s innocent then he can sort it out in
court. Let’s look at the facts: o
ne, he dug up the girl.” Becca stuck out her finger as she listed it off. “
T
wo, the dead body was
his
daughter that he never told you about.” She stuck out another finger. “And three, he escaped from police custody. Now why would he run if he was innocent?”April nodded. It was a good point. “Look, after we’re done eating, I’ll call this detective you’ve been talking to and tell him what’s going on. You head out to my place and I’ll handle this so you won’t have any involvement.”

April didn’t know what to do. She nodded her head solemnly and looked down at her lap lost in thought.

Chapter 21

Michael had gone to the back of the loft to change. He had found a box marked Halloween costumes and that got him to thinking about what he was wearing. He would stand out like a sore thumb. There were several boxes that were marked clothes. After going through three boxes, Michael had settled on a pair of overalls, a hat, and a long sleeve shirt. It would be the least inconspicuous. He’d look like a farmer.

Michael was hungry but he didn’t want to risk any public places where police officers may cross paths with him by coincidence. He had seen them at fast food places, diners, and gas stations. In the end, he settled for Walgreens drug store. He kept his head down through the store and even at the checkout. He purchased a pack of doughnuts, a small chocolate milk, a small notebook, and a pen. He headed down to the park and walked a path along the river to a small grassy clearing. He sat down and pulled out a white powdered doughnut.

Michael looked out across the river and imagined the times he and April had met here with a picnic lunch. It seemed like so long ago. It was
as
if the last day had propelled him two years away from her. He felt different. He felt older somehow. He pulled out his notebook and pen and began to make notes. He wrote the word
'
Maria
'
. He remembered the name in the back of his mind. He felt like it might have been the name of the girl buried out in the woods. He wrote
'
female
'
next to her name and underneath it, he wrote ‘orange nails’.

Was that all he knew? Maria, female, orange nails? It didn’t seem like very much to go on. How had he found her? He couldn’t have known she was there. Had she called out to him somehow from some other world? Michael didn’t believe in ghosts or an afterlife for that matter. It just didn’t make sense. Michael stared out across the river. A turtle was near shore and poked its head out of the water. It stared at Michael for a few seconds and then disappeared under the dark water.
How am I going to sort this out?
He wondered. He couldn’t go back. He knew that much. Not unless he found out what happened to this girl and cleared his name. Michael wasn’t sure that that was going to be possible. Sometimes, not even detectives can figure
these things
out even with a team of CSI and all the equipment in the world. Michael didn’t have any equipment and he was on the run. How could he prove he didn’t kill the girl when all he had to go on was Maria, female,
and orange nails? Michael lay
down in the grass and looked up at the sky.
What is the next step?
He wondered. He tried and tried, but the answer just wouldn’t come.
April will be here soon. Maybe she’ll know what do.
Michael let himself drift off to sleep.

Chapter 22

Detective James got the call from his guys. They had followed April to the diner down town. The news van was in pursuit so they had to cut them off to let her get away. She had met with another girl presumably a friend or a relative perhaps. The detective gave the order for them to split up so each unit could follow one of the girls. April had left in her car but apparently the other girl had remained in the diner. The detective was on his way there but still five minutes out. He had a feeling that April would try and contact her husband somehow. He had expected her to do so directly, but going through another person made sense as well. It sounded like Michael might show up at the diner any minute and he wanted to make sure that he was there when he did. The car suddenly filled with the sounds of Son
n
y and Cher singing “I got you babe”. The detective reached down and grabbed his cell phone and flipped it open. “Detective James speaking.”

“Detective James?” A female voice came through on the other end.

“This is he. What can I do for you?” He answered. Usually the calls coming in were from officers, CSI, or the D.A. He didn’t recognize the voice.

“My name is Becca. I’m April Bander’s sister.” The girl said

The detective pulled off to the side of the road. He grabbed a pen and pulled his notebook from his inner jacket pocket. “Yes Becca, what can I do for you?”

“My sister wanted me to call you. Michael wanted her to meet him by the park in just a little bit but she doesn’t want to go. I don’t want my sister in any danger. Can you pick him up?” Becca’s concern and love for her sister radiated through the phone.

The detective hesitated for a moment. This could be a diversion to get them off her trail so that she could have the meeting. He decided it was best to keep his men following April. “Do you know where and when they are supposed to meet?” The detective asked. He decided he might be able to keep both girls within sight and if Becca was telling the truth, collar Michael in the process.

“They have a special place by the river near the park. She was supposed to meet him there at two.”

“And where is she now?”

“I sent her back to my place. I told her I would meet with him and I still want to do that before you arrest him.”

“Mrs…”

“Becca.” She interrupted

“Becca. Michael Bander is wanted on murder charges. I’m sure you know that.”

“Mmmhhm.” She agreed. “What’s your point
D
etective?”

“My point is that I don’t think it would be a good idea to put you in harm’s way. You point out the spot and we can pick him up.” The detective didn’t want it to end in a hostage situation.

“No deal. I promised my sister I would see him. I want to look in his eyes. I want to tell him to leave her alone. You want Michael; I’ll lead you to him.”

There was another silence while the detective ran through the possibilities. On one hand, having her lead them to him increased the odds of catching him. But on the other hand, it increased the odds that something would go wrong. “Alright. Fine. You wear a vest and get no closer than fifteen feet. Deal?”

“Deal.” She said.

They agreed to meet at the diner in five minutes. The detective wrote down her information and shut the phone and put the car in drive.