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  First published in SynergEbooks, 2005

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  Cause for Murder

  by Betty Sullivan La Pierre

  Copyright 2005 by Betty Sullivan La Pierre

  All Rights Reserved

  Published by SynergEbooks

  www.synergebooks.com

  Cover art by Paul Mosgrove

  To Josh, Nikki & Grant

  My precious grandchildren.

  Thanks for all your help:

  Anne, Selma, Nancy, Patti & Helen

  CHAPTER ONE

  Hawkman sat in the living room in one of the swivel chairs overlooking Copco Lake. His legs were stretched out on the ottoman as he tried to read the paper, but Jennifer kept running the vacuum around him, making him move. “Honey, for crying out loud, it's only Sam, not the president coming home. Like most kids, he won't hang around long enough to notice whether the place is clean or not."

  She shut off the noise maker and put a hand on her hip. “Hawkman, if it weren't for women, men would live in pigsties. And not only that, there wouldn't be any birthday celebrations, no Easter bunny, no tooth fairies and probably no Christmas if it were left up to the male population."

  He looked at her with furrowed brows. “What brought that on? I didn't say anything about holidays. I just wanted to read the morning paper in peace."

  She waved her hand and flipped on the vacuum. Hawkman finally exited to the deck. He'd no more gotten comfortable on a lounge chair than Pretty Girl let out several loud squawks from the aviary.

  Hawkman glanced at the falcon. “Good Lord, what's with you females today? Can't a man have a little peace and quiet?"

  The bird finally fluffed her wings and settled on the perch. Hawkman continued to read the local news, and spotted an article about a Mr. Burke Parker from Yreka found dead in a motel room. An autopsy would be performed.

  The name rang a bell and Hawkman rubbed his chin. Reading down a few paragraphs, he spotted the list of survivors and it brought the name into focus. Parker's daughter, Maryann, was one of Sam's high school classmates and they now attended the same university. He raised his gaze to the lake and speculated on why Parker would be in a motel room. If he remembered correctly, they had a home in Yreka and he'd not heard mention of the Parkers separating. He scratched his sideburn. Have to ask Jennifer about that one. She knew more about Sam's friends than he did and might have heard some scuttlebutt.

  When Hawkman didn't hear the vacuum for several minutes, he took a chance, ventured inside and sat down in his chair. Jennifer marched from the back of the house, rearranging strands of hair that had slipped out of her pony tail.

  He smiled. “You sure look cute when you're frustrated."

  She shot him a grim stare. “Hawkman, don't mess with me right now. I'm not in the mood to fool with your remarks. I'm worried about Sam. He should have called by now."

  He put up his hands in defense. “Okay. I'll be good. Did he say he'd call?"

  Her shoulders slumped. “Well, no, but he should."

  "Come on, honey. He's a grown man. Men don't call their moms every time they head home."

  "That's why I bought him the cell phone, so he'd keep in touch."

  "Maybe he's got a buddy with him. But if it bothers you, call him."

  "I tried. But I can't seem to get through. I keep reaching his voice mail."

  "Maybe he lost it, or packed it away."

  She threw up her hands in disgust. “You're probably right. Kids drive you nuts."

  "Now, getting off that subject, can I ask you a question?"

  She nodded.

  "I read in the paper where a Burke Parker from Yreka died. The survivors listed are Lillian Parker and his daughter, Maryann. Do you know his wife and didn't Sam go to school with the girl?"

  Jennifer flopped down on the couch and wrinkled her forehead. “That's sad. I don't think I ever met Burke and Lilly personally, but I do remember seeing Maryann at the high school on a few occasions. A beautiful girl, but very quiet and reserved. I believe Sam took her out a couple of times. I recall a big stink arose about Lilly and Burke last summer."

  "Oh yeah, what about?"

  "I gathered he drank a lot and they fought constantly. I heard he came home one night roaring drunk, staggered into Maryann's room and tried to rape her. When she let out a terrifying scream, her mother came running with a gun in her hand. Lilly chased Burke outside and shot at him, wounding him in the leg.” She shrugged. “Of course, it's all gossip, so who knows the truth."

  Hawkman flipped open the paper to the article and handed it to her. “Well, there might be some veracity to it. Your story certainly explains why they found his body in a motel and not at home."

  Jennifer read the article and shook her head. “Poor Maryann. That's all she needs to have happen now. At least school is out for the summer. It will give her time to recover from the loss of her father."

  * * * *

  Sam packed what he needed and said goodbye to Dan, the fellow who'd sublet his apartment for the next three months. Sam decided he didn't want to go to summer school this year. After three years of college and constant studying, he needed a rest. Jennifer and Hawkman agreed. A few months at home sounded great. His last chance to relax before he conquered the world.

  He loaded his stuff into the Toyota pickup his parents had given him as a reward for making the Dean's Honor Roll last year. The thought of fishing and riding his motorcycle in the hills around Copco Lake, with the wind whipping through his hair, made him feel good all over.

  He'd contacted Richard, his close friend, at his university to find out when he'd be home. Even though they were the same age, Richard had just finished his sophomore year. Being deaf made it difficult for him to carry a full load. And his Uncle Joe didn't want him to get burned out on school, so he wouldn't allow him to attend the summer sessions. Even though Richard had a scholarship, he insisted on working for his spending money while he had this time off. Sam admired the guy's stamina and liked him a lot. He hoped they'd be able to get together and do some bike riding.

  As he covered and tied down his belongings in the pickup bed, he spotted a figure approaching out of the corner of his eye. He recognized the female before she got close enough to speak. Her tall frame, skin tight Levi's, and cowboy boots with little conchos tied to the pull tabs gave her away. She lived in the next door apartment complex. How he wished he'd left fifteen minutes earlier. This woman had a big attitude problem.

  She strolled up beside him and placed a hand on his shoulder. “Hi, Sam, when are you leaving?"

  "In just a few minutes."

  "Can I hitch a ride? I'll pay for half the gas."

  "Sure, Maryann. But there's no charge. I don't think an extra person will make much difference in the mileage."

  "Thanks. Let me grab my bag and I'll be right out."

  When she got out of ear shot, Sam sighed. Maryann was quite pretty, sported a great figure and must have American Indian blood in her veins, as she had high cheek bones, olive skin and long black hair accenting dark brown eyes. But she had a negative approach about life and never appeared happy. He just didn't care to be around her.

  They'd gone through high school together and dated a couple of times. He
felt sorry for the girl as her family didn't have much money; only meager funds her grandmother had left for college expenses. Maryann worked at the university cafeteria and took any extra jobs she could find to supplement the school cost. He had to admire her. At least, she didn't have a lazy bone in her body. And to top it off, she had brains and made excellent grades. He resigned himself to the fact it might be nice to have company on the long ride home, and since she lived in Yreka, it wouldn't be out of his way to drop her off.

  CHAPTER TWO

  Sam tucked Maryann's suitcase under the tarp in the pickup bed and strapped it down. She climbed into the truck without so much as a nod. He jumped into the driver's side, put the key in the ignition and buckled his seat belt. Then he sat there without starting the engine. Finally, Maryann glanced at him.

  "What are we waiting for?” she asked.

  "You haven't fastened your seat belt."

  She rolled her eyes and buckled up. “You're one of those."

  "I guess so,” Sam said, turning the key.

  He pulled into a gas station and filled the tank, then headed for US-101 toward the Redwood Hwy. Maryann hadn't said a word. Sam shot a look her way, but her long black hair hung over her shoulder to her waist, and concealed most of her face as she stared out the side window.

  "How'd school go this year?” he asked.

  "Okay."

  He exhaled loudly. “I hoped you'd be some company on this trip home. But appears you're going to remain silent the whole two hundred miles."

  She ducked her head. “Sorry, I received some bad news, so I guess I'm not in the mood for chatter."

  "You want to talk about it?” he asked.

  "My dad died."

  Sam gulped and glanced at her. “Oh my God. That's horrible."

  Maryann shrugged. “Don't worry. You don't have to comfort me. We weren't close. In fact, I didn't even like the man."

  He felt lost for words and fixed his gaze on the road ahead . “I see."

  "My so-called father was an alcoholic. Whenever he came home drunk, he found some reason to beat my Mom. I could hardly wait to get out of there. Many times I begged her to divorce him, but she didn't believe in it, and tolerated his behavior. On several occasions she ran him out of the house, threatened to kill him if he ever laid another hand on me. The only thing that kept her from moving away was the support money he gave her every month so we'd have food on the table."

  Sam cleared his throat. “Uh, had he always been mean?"

  "No, not until I got old enough for him to see that I wasn't his daughter. He had red hair, freckles and blue eyes. Mom has pale blue eyes and used to have blond hair before she dyed it.” She held out a long strand of her black hair, then let it drop to her chest. “As you can see, I definitely came from a different blood line. I'm half American Indian."

  Sam's mouth felt parched, so he picked up the bottle of water from the tray between the seats and took a big swig. “There could have been Indian blood in your folks’ genes."

  She shook her head. “Nope. Both their ancestors migrated to this country. But my Mom told me about her Indian boyfriend, and how she'd fallen in love with him years ago. She knew her folks would never accept a man from another race, and I think it scared her to imagine living in a culture she knew nothing about. Even after she married Burke, she'd sneak off and meet her lover at the river. Thus, here I am."

  Sam thought back on his life, and remembered at ten years old, the pain he felt when his folks were killed. But once Jennifer and Hawkman adopted him, things couldn't have been better. Losing his parents seemed like only a bad dream now. The other tragic event in his life had been losing Herman, his faithful dog, who died of old age. He couldn't imagine the horror Maryann described. “Sounds like you've had an interesting life."

  She let out a disgusted laugh. “Yeah, really exciting if that's what you call getting raped by your so called “father” at twelve and being scared to death most of the nights. I used to lie in bed and cringe at the thought of Burke coming home from a drinking binge."

  Sam noticed her eyes glistened with moisture, but no tears fell. He couldn't tell from her expression whether she felt rage or wanted to cry. “I'm sorry, sounds like you've had a rough go."

  "Yeah, but I'll survive.” She snickered. “Maybe one day I'll be rich and famous."

  "I hope for your sake, those dreams come true."

  "Thanks."

  * * * *

  Maryann turned her gaze toward the side window. Sam's blue eyes caused butterflies to flit about in her stomach. And the way his ash-blond hair casually fell over his forehead gave her goose bumps. More than one girl had vied for his attention as he strolled through the campus grounds at Humboldt. So far no one had succeeded in capturing it.

  She'd fallen for Sam Casey in high school and even though he'd been intrigued with her at first, it only lasted a couple of dates. But she'd vowed then and there, no one else could have him. Unfortunately, she hadn't made much headway on this trip. Her short life history didn't appear to sit well in his mind. He gave her the impression of being very naive about what went on in true life. Well, she'd have to change his way of thinking this summer. School could wait until fall. She had better things to do with her time than study.

  When Sam's voice brought her out of the deep fog, she jerked her head around. “I didn't catch what you said. Guess I drifted into another world."

  Sam chuckled. “You hungry? I could use a bite to eat."

  "Sure."

  "Hope you like hamburgers. There's a little place up the road that makes great ones. I always stop on my way home."

  "I'll eat anything."

  They pulled into the small parking lot and went inside. As they carried their food to a corner table, three fire trucks sped by with their sirens wailing. A few minutes later, several patrons came in speaking loudly about the fire a mile up the road and how they'd all been turned back.

  Sam got the attention of a young man. “Excuse me. Did you say there's a fire up the way?"

  "Yeah. It's not bad yet, but the smoke is so thick you can't see the road ahead, so they're turning everyone around and not letting them through."

  "Oh, great,” Sam said. “Did they give you any idea when they might open it to traffic?"

  The fellow shook his head. “No, but I think, unless the wind comes up, they'll have it out within an hour or so."

  Sam nodded. “Thanks."

  They finished their hamburgers and tossed the debris into the trash container. Back outside, they stood by the truck and watched the sun being blotted out by the smoke darkening the sky.

  "Sure doesn't look good,” Sam said, looking skyward. “Wonder if we should wait it out, or take the long way around, which would mean going back toward school and picking up 299 to Interstate 5. It will add a few hours to the drive."

  "It's up to you. You're the driver."

  "Your Mom expecting you at any certain time?"

  Maryann shook her head. “She doesn't even know I'm coming."

  "Oh.” Sam opened the driver's side door and reached under the seat for his cell phone. “Well, I better give Jennifer a call. She'll be worried if I don't show up before dark.” He glanced at the screen. “Uh oh, I've already missed two calls. Hell, I've got a ‘low battery’ message. I've got to charge this thing. Then let's hope I can get a signal in these hills. If not, would you search around and see if you can spot a pay phone.” He hopped inside the cab, removed the charger from the glove compartment, and plugged it into the lighter. He had to start the truck and hated to burn the high priced octane, but decided it'd be worth it.

  Maryann smiled to herself as she walked toward the side of the building in search of a telephone booth. At least she'd have Sam to herself a while longer.

  CHAPTER THREE

  Hawkman needed to get out of Jennifer's way since she appeared edgy over not hearing from Sam, so he decided to go mow the lawn. He felt concern, but realized with Sam coming over Highway 96, he might not be ab
le to get a good signal for his cell.

  After he finished, he stored the mower in the garage and brushed off the loose grass from his boots. When he entered the house, he noticed Jennifer had moved to the computer and sat staring at the screen with a frown.

  "Something wrong?” he asked.

  "No. I'm just having trouble focusing because I can't get Sam off my mind. He should be home any moment."

  "Now, honey, you know kids. Time means nothing to them. Remember his last trip? He should have headed back to school early afternoon, but hung around here until dark. A long drive at night doesn't seem to bother young people. Who knows, he might not have even left yet. He could be saying goodbye to all his buddies for the summer and they're jawing the hours away."

  She let out a sigh. “You're right. But I can't reach him on the cell and that bothers me."

  "If he's driving on that mountainous road, there's a possibility he can't get a good signal. Give him time."

  Hawkman crossed the room and turned on the television. A bevy of flames leaped across the screen. The newscaster reported a forest fire in their local area and because of low visibility due to the smoke covering State Highway 96, traffic had been turned back in both directions. The fire had been contained and the road would probably reopen in the next two hours.

  "Ah, ha. Here's the problem,” Hawkman said, pointing at the screen. “Sam can't get through. He'll have to either wait it out or turn around and go the long way. Since kids don't normally listen to the news or weather, he probably didn't know a thing about this fire until he got there."

  Jennifer left the computer and stood beside Hawkman as they viewed the scene. “Oh, my word. Well, I guess I better give him a couple more hours before I panic."

  Hawkman put his arm around her shoulders. “I think that's a good idea."

  About that time, the phone rang and she raced to the counter. “Hello."

  "Hi, Jennifer. This is Sam. Sorry I didn't call sooner. My cell phone is charged to the max, but I can't get a signal. I'm calling from a pay phone. Don't have a lot of change, so can't stay on but a couple of minutes. We ran into some difficulty and won't be home for awhile. They've shut Hwy. 96 down because of a smoky fire. We're almost to Happy Camp so I think we'll just wait it out since we're halfway home."