Wrongful Kiss Chapter 17 : Carl Has A Head Ache September 15th 2011
Carl walked out of the tree line onto the grass beside the street. There was no side walk here. No side walk had been needed those many years ago when this road had gone from being a dirt road to being a paved road.
Years later after three new lanes had been added, the county still did not believe they needed side walks. At the time the county wanted to stop the big city of Atlanta from sending those poor people up here. If they could not afford a car, they were not welcome.
The road had five lanes here now at this point. They also had a County bus system. But they still had no side walk.
On the other side of the street there was a side walk. That side of the street had business. On this side was a large patch of trees.
Carl stood there looking at the store across from him. He could see the signs that said beer. There were many of them, and all of them seamed to be reaching out to Carl to come get a beer.
Carl did not want a beer. He wanted a drink, a man’s drink. He would settle for a beer.
Not one person saw Carl as he stood there. Homeless people were not common in this area, but there were a few. And this was close enough to Down Town Atlanta that the people driving by paid no attention any more to a man that looked like he had just rolled around in a mud puddle.
Carl’s face was dirty. He had rooted around on the ground for a day and two nights. His clothes were dirty and torn and stained with something that looked like blood. It was blood, Carl hoped, other wise Carl had messed his self.
Carl did not know if the blood was his or Martin’s or someone else’s. He thought it might be Martins because he remembered hitting Martin. But he also remembered Martin had hit him.
Carl also had a head ache. No not a head ache; that would have been good. Carl thought that the pain in his head was more like a war battle between two armies. And both sides were winning, because he was losing.
Carl looked at the store and seen a sign. It read coldest beer in town. The brand was not what he liked, but Carl knew the sign was right, and he knew that it would make his head stop hurting.
Carl wanted a beer, a tomato juice, some head ache powders, and a raw egg. He knew this would make the head ache go away. This was his cure for a hang over and it always worked. He was hoping it worked this time.
Carl stepped out into the street as the cars started to stop. The traffic light at the far corner had turned red and cars had started stopping already. He was just going to speed up their action by stepping out in front of them.
It was not because he wanted to be hit or didn’t know better, it was just that his damn head hurt so bad he needed to help the drivers slow down.
Carl had thought about the fact that he did not have any money. He was not going to be able to pay for what he wanted. So he was just going to take it. Not steal it, because he knew he could not do that. No he was just going to take what he wanted and then wait for the store clerk to call the police.
Carl needed to talk to the police anyway. And he didn’t have the money for a phone call. Not only that, but there was not a phone around.
Public phones were almost a thing of the past. Everyone now had a cell phone. Carl had one. Only he did not have it with him. Because of his food stamps that he received every month, he also qualified for a government cell phone.
The phone came with 250 free minutes each month. And he could get 500 extra minutes for five dollars a month. But Carl never did. He never made phone calls. He never used the minutes. He just took the phone because his case worker told him he had to.
The government was good to him. The government thought Carl was crazy. And they may have been right. He did not care what they thought. They left him alone.
Carl’s phone was something he really did not care about. He had never taken it out of his storage room sense the first day he received it. He wished he had it now.
But it really did not matter. In fact it would have been a problem if he had the phone. He would have called the cops already and he would still need his beer. So he would still have to steal the beer.
No, not steal, he was just borrowing the beer till this was all worked out and then he would come back and pay for it.
Carl was now in the fourth lane over from the side of the street he had entered from; only one more lane to go; he heard a horn blowing. Carl looked up to see a tractor trailer coming at him.
Carl stopped dead in his tracts as the truck rushed pass him in the fifth lane. The truck had made a turn at the light in Carl’s direction. The driver had not seen Carl until he stepped out into the forth lane. By that time the truck was going too fast to stop and would have hit Carl if Carl had stepped into the fifth lane.
Carl was shaken. Someone was yelling at him, calling him a fool. Two people grabbed his arms and pulled him out of the street onto the side walk.
“Are you okay?’ asked a beautiful lady. She looked to be about Carl’s age. She was dressed in white and Carl thought she must be a nurse.
The man was dressed in a suit and looked to be some kind of professional.
“you almost got yourself killed old man” Said the professional looking man leading Carl over to the front of the store and helping him to set on the curb.
“I need help.” Carl said. “He needs help. He’s dead.”
“Who’s dead?” asked the nurse.
“What are you talking about?” said the man.
“Someone killed that boy.” Carl said this showing bewilderment in his eyes. “He is going to kill Kelly too.”
“Who’s Kelly? The man asked. “Who’s going to kill her?
“We better call the police.” The woman said.
“I need a beer.” Carl said. He tried to stand but the man held him down.
“Hold still pop.” He said.
Carl pushed the man back. He stood up. “Call the cops, but I need a beer first.” Carl walked into the store. The man and woman followed.
Carl went to the aisle that held the cold food. There he opened a dozen eggs and got two out. He placed them into his shirt pocket. Then he reached in and got two cans of V8 juice. Next he went to the medicine aisle and got a six pack of head ache powders.
Carl then walked to the front of the store and picked up two lose 16 oz cans of Ice House beer. Looking at the clerk behind the counter he said,
“I will come back and pay for this when I get back. Please call the police for me.” Carl walked out the door.
The clerk did not do anything. The professional man was standing at the counter with the dozen eggs that Carl had opened.
“I have him covered.” The man said. He paid for everything Carl had taken. “Don’t worry about the police, she is calling them now.”
The nurse lady was standing at the door waiting on the man and watching Carl.
Out side Carl stopped beside the front wall of the store where a display of propane gas containers set. There he placed his two beers and v8 juice.
Carl then opened the six-pack of head ache powders and took three of them. He then washed them down with a v8 juice.
“Didn’t work” Carl said to no one as he ripped the v8 can in half then bent the edges down outward.
The man and woman thought he was talking to them as they walked up to him.
“What didn’t work?” asked the woman.
“Damn head ache is still here. Carl replied. He took out one of the eggs and cracked it. He dropped the egg into it and then did the same to the second egg. Then he set the can of eggs down and picked up a can of beer.
Carl then opened the can of beer then picked up the eggs in the ripped apart v8 can and holding it in one hand and the beer in the other he drink first the eggs and then the beer. This took all of about a minute.
Carl set both cans on top of the display and looked around.
“Damn I wish I had a smoke.” He said.
The man laughed.
“You must have a really big hang over pop.” The man said as he reached into his pocket and pulled out a pack of Marlboro’s. “Keep them.” He said as he handed them to Carl.
“I need a light.”
The man handed Carl a light.
Carl then opened the second beer and started drinking it.
“Do you feel any better?” the man said.
“Much better” replied Carl. “Do you think maybe I could get another one before the cops get here?”
The woman laughed as she turned toward the store.
“This ones on me.” She said
Carl spent the next ten minutes finishing off the six-pack of Ice House the lady had given him. Then the police pulled up.
At first the police were not very nice. They had another damn drunk to deal with and it was still early in the day. And it was only Thursday.
“Getting an early start, Carl.” asked one of the cops.
He knew Carl from around the neighbor hood. He had never known Carl to put on a public display like this before, but then every drunk had their day.
The cops thought that Carl had lost it at first when he told them about Martin. But then the first cop knew that Carl was not known to be a trouble maker. It would not hurt to check out his story.
The cop and the professional looking man lead Carl back across the street and into the woods and to the camp site Carl had told them about.
At first the cop thought he was going to be sick. The boy’s body did not bother the professional man. He had seen worse in pictures he had taken in Iraq and Afghanistan. He was a photographer for the local news paper.
The professional looking man had been on his way to a meeting. He was trying to buy a house. He had not thought to bring his camera with him today. But he did have his cell phone and was sending as many pictures as he could before the cops found out who he was and made him leave.
Dan Johnson was more than mad when he arrived at Carl’s Camp. Half the force had been there before him alone with most of the local news reporters.
The two detectives Dan did not like from the day before had first received the call and then because of the boy’s missing heart had called Dan. They were so relived when Dan said this was his case also.
“Where is he now?’ Dan asked.
“The cops that first responded sent him to the hospital. They have a guard on him.” Mark Punch said.
“Why was he sent to the hospital? What was wrong with him?” Dan asked.
“He had a bad cut on his head. Someone had hit him, maybe with one of the broken bottles here. His neck was also bruised like someone had tried to choke him.”
“Do you think he was telling the truth? Dan asked.
“Sounds like it. Mark said.
Sarah walked over.
“They are ready to take the body down now Dan. They wanted to know if it was okay?” she said.
Dan looked around the camp. He looked over toward the boy hanging between the trees, then back to the imprint on the ground where Carl had said he had been laying.
Dan also looked at the foot prints in the camp. No one had thought to make a model of any of them before everyone and his mother had started walking around the camp.
“Damn” Dan said to his self in a low voice.
“Tell them to take him away.”
Sarah turned and walked back over to two men standing next to the body. Then they started to remove the body from the rope holding him to the tree.
“This does not make sense Mark. If this is the same guy then why is he changing his victims?”
“Maybe the kid saw something?” Mark said.
“Maybe but what, I need to talk to this homeless guy. What was his name again?” Dan asked.
“His name was…” Mark started to look through his notes. “Carl Price.”
That name rang a bell for Dan. He had heard the name before.
“I know that name from somewhere.” Dan said.
“Yes, I am sure you do. He was part of a bank robbery about seventeen years ago.” Sarah said this as she rejoined the two detectives. She had over heard the name.
“He was also named in that report that we were looking through last night. He was a friend of your friend.” Sarah did not add anymore to the statement.
Dan thought about what she had said. He remembered now. There was a kid there when he had separated Thomas and Kelly, a young boy that was living with Thomas at the time.
“I remember now.” Dan said. “I need to see this kid. Or man, or what ever he is.”
Dan looked down the hall toward where Mark was.
Mark was standing there with two reporters. Dan had told him to give them something, but just enough to make them happy and keep them on his side.
The reporters already had Carl’s name, and most of his story. Hell there had been one there when Carl first started telling the story.
Just my luck Dan thought. The first time anyone has seen the dam killer and the first person to talk to him was a damn reporter. Why could a cop not have found him first?
Dan turned to look back into the room where Carl was laying. He was not that badly hurt but the doctors wanted to keep him for a few days.
Carl looked clean now. A nurse had washed him. Dan thought Carl would have loved that. It was probably the closes he had come to sex most of his life.
The thought of Carl having sex and reproducing made Dan have a bad feeling in his stomach. The sight of Sarah setting beside the bed Carl was in, holding his hand did not help.
“Are you okay?” She asked him.
“I am okay.” Carl said. He let her hold his hand. But he was not holding hers back. He knew she cared nothing about him. No one did except little Tasha and maybe Kelly just a little.
“Carl, are you sure about what you said Martin told you. About him watching your friend, what was her name, Kelly?” Sarah asked.
Carl was sure. But he knew he was walking on thin ice. If they did not take him serious they might try to pin the murder of Martin on him. Or worse, they might not help Kelly.
“Are you going to save her?” Carl asked. “He could already be there.”
“Don’t worry we have some officers already watching her. She will be fine.” Sarah was lying. Dan had not sent anyone to watch Kelly. Dan had let Sarah call her father and report this break in the case to him, but Turner James had told them to stay away from the Kelly girl and he would deal with it.
Sarah now wondered if the Kelly girl was going to be okay, or was she going to be bait. She thought that Kelly was going to be bait.
“Carl, I need to ask you something. I need you to think really hard for me. It is very important.” Sarah was getting ready to ask Carl a questing Dan wanted to know.
Dan had set this up so that Carl would be caught off guard when the questing was asked. Dan wanted to see Carl’s reaction.
“Carl, did you know this man that killed Martin. Had you seen him before?”
Carl’s eyes blinked. Why would she ask him that? He did not know anyone that would kill people. Carl did not hang out with people like that.
“No I never saw him before.”
“Carl, you said you didn’t get a good look at him. Maybe you did know him but it did not register. Think real hard.” Sarah was getting ready to spring the name on Carl.
“I have never seen him before.” Carl said.
“Carl was it Thomas?” Sarah asked. “Thomas Saratoga?”
Carl didn’t say anything. His jaw dropped open. His mind flashed back to the event when he seen Martin killed. He was seeing the man. It was not his friend.
“Are you crazy?” Carl said. “You must be crazy to say that.”
Sarah didn’t say anything. She did not move. She was surprised when Carl pulled his hand away from her.
“Get out.” Carl said. “Get out of my fucking room.” Carl was now trying to set up.
“Take it easy.” Dan said as he walked into the room. “She just asked you a questing.”
Carl looked at the man. His face was familiar. Carl had thought this when he had first seen the detective but had let it pass. He didn’t want to remember any cops. Carl knew him from somewhere, and now he remembered. This man was there when Thomas and Kelly had been taken apart. This man was the reason Thomas had left. This cop’s mother had given Thomas the note. And now this cop was here to frame him, and also maybe to kill Kelly.
“I know you now. You are that liar that hurt Kelly way back then. You are the one that broke her heart.” Carl was now trying to get out of bed.
Anyone that tried to hurt Kelly was going to pay.
Sarah had stood up and was trying to push Carl back into the bed.
Carl was a drunk, a sick man, and a bum. But he also lived a hard life on the street. He was not a weakling.
“Get your hands off me.” Carl screamed as he came out of the other side of the bed. He pulled some cords lose from a machine on the wall. An alarm went off.
Dan did not move. Sarah jumped back as Carl swing his arm backward in her direction in order to make her let go of him.
Dan started to pull his gun but was shoved aside as two men in white coats entered the room.
“”Get out.” said one of the men to the cops.
The other man held his hands up to Carl.
“It’s okay Mr. Price. They are leaving.” He looked at Dan.
Dan just stood there for a second looking at Carl. Then he turned to Sarah and said “Lets Go.”
Sarah tried to say good bye to Carl as she was leaving but Carl just cursed her.
Sarah seen that the two men were able to get Carl to set back down on the bed as she was leaving the room. She knew he was okay. But she could see the hate in his eyes for her. She wondered why he was so mad.
“What do you thinks set him off so bad?” asked Sarah.
“That is a good questing.” Dan said. He was thinking back. He had never really had any contact with this man. But he knew that Carl had been there at almost every turn when he was trying to put Thomas away.
“Maybe he is working with Thomas in this. Maybe the two of them are killing the girls together.” Sarah said.
“Don’t think so.” Dan said. “While you were in there I got a call. I put out a search for Thomas Saratoga yesterday. I was just informed that he is in a little place called Brownsville Texas and has not left the place in five or ten years. There is a report waiting on my desk now.”
“That does not mean he is not behind all this. He could be paying someone to do the job for him.”
“True, but then why go to all this trouble and draw so much attention to his self. No, Thomas Saratoga is not our man. But he is connected in this someway. I just don’t know how yet.”
Sarah shook her head yes. This was a mess she thought. A man was killing girls. That man had now killed a young boy. And that man was now tied to a witness that seen him and knew a girl that her father was told was going to be killed.
“Hell this is so damn confusing.” Sarah said. “We have a killer tied to a witness that knows a girl that my father is worried about being killed.”
The two detectives looked at each other.
“Let’s go get Mark and then find some food. Then we will go back to the office and work it out. Dan said.
“Good ideal. What about Carl?’ Sarah asked.
“Make sure that the cops know that they are not to leave him unattended. I don’t want anyone getting in there.”
“Cool and what about Mark? If he is going to help us he is going to need to know everything.” Sarah was looking at Mark as he was walking down the hall toward them.
“I am going to tell him everything.” Dan said.
Dan was setting at his desk. The three cops had not gone to eat but had stopped for take out.
Now, back at the office, Dan had set here with Mark and Sarah and had spelled out the entire story for Mark. All Mark could say was “Wow.”
After they had finished eating Sarah had left for the bath room to refresh her self after a hard day in the field. She thought it might be a long night again. That was okay with her as long as Dan joined her on the sofa again.
“So you were thinking this man Thomas was the killer but now you don’t think he is.” Mark asked.
“That’s right. Dan said.
“And you don’t think he has anything to do with this at all.”
“I am not sure, but no, more than likely he does not.”
Mark was holding his hands in front of him, all the fingers touching except the middle finger of each hand which were moving freely in a wild dance with each other.
“And you think that the killer is now after this girl” Mark asked.
“Yes.” Dan said.
“Do you think she was the main victim all alone?” asked Mark.
“I am not sure. She matches the description of the first three victims. But then if she was, then why kill them. After all, the more he kills the better chance of getting caught.” Dan was in thought as he talked. Reasoning out the ideals for his self as well as Mark.
“No, I think that some where alone the way he just found this Kelly girl and now he is driven to kill her. But what he did not know was that there was more to her than just some whore on the street. And now he has a can of worms opened and does not know how to close it.”
“How so” asked Mark.
“Well, Carl said that the Martin kid had warned him that the killer was watching the Kelly girl. Then the next day the killer was there with the kid and killed him. I think the kid tried to get in good with the killed but it back flipped on him. It cost him his life.”
Dan then reached for the folder on his desk that said Thomas Saratoga. He picked it up and pitched it onto the desk in front of Mark.
“I also know that Chief James has information about someone trying to kill this same Kelly girl but yet he wants it handled under the table for some unknown reason.”
The two cops were both deep in thought and did not realize the office door was open or that Sarah James had just walked up.
“I also know that This Thomas and Kelly couple were part of the Heaven family way back when I was working on that case. Chief Turner James was there then also and he was the one that took me off the case.”
Mark looked at Dan; a questing in his eyes that he did not want to ask.
“That’s right Mark. I think the chief of detectives is also a member of the family.”
There was a knock at the door. Dan looked up to see Sarah standing there. She had not said anything. Dan knew she had heard him. He had not yet spoken to her about his ideal. He was still unsure about what to say to her.
“You have a call.” She said to Dan.
Dan just looked at her.
“Tell them to call back. I am busy right now.”
“No, you will want to talk to this one.” Sarah smiled.
Mark turned to look at Sarah. “Who is it?”
“It is a Ms. Kelly Ann Addison.” Sarah said. She turned and left the room. She had a call to make. She was going to call her father.
Dan looked at Mark, and Mark shook his head.
“It just keeps getting better.”
The phone call ended. Dan set there. He was lost. He was unsure what the next course of action would be. He was surprised when Sarah walked into the office and said that the three of them were wanted down town at her father’s office now.
