The Maine Events, Rodney Riesel [best books to read in your 20s TXT] 📗

Sands Road, hit his lights, and floored it.

“Where's he going?” Allen asked.

“Where are you going?” Tucker shot back.

“Following you, to hear what's going on.”

“Why don't you just run along up to your room, and let—”

“Knock it off, Tuck,” Rose scolded. “What's going on?”

“We have a body,” Tucker replied. “In the woods behind theelementary school. Some guy was riding his mountain bike out there and cameacross the body.”

“Jesus Christ,” said Rose.

“Is it Jacob … or Oliver?” Allen asked.

“Don't know yet, the body was pretty beat up. The coronerand the state's CSI team are on their way. They've detained the guy whodiscovered the body.”

“Lacey!” Rose shouted to the female officer who had beenwith Tess.

“Yeah, Sarge?” She hurried over to the three men.

“We've got a body,” Rose quietly told her.

“Shit.”

“I want you to go back inside and stay with the Palmers.When they ask why, tell them we went to check on a lead. No mention of thebody.”

“Roger that, Sarge.” Lacie turned and jogged back into thePalmers, room.

“Come on,” said Rose. “The two of you can ride with me.”

“He's coming with us?” Tucker asked, nodding his headin Allen's direction.

“Don't worry, Tucker,” Allen said. “I'll be gone in a fewdays and things will be back to normal.”

Tucker grinned condescendingly. “Fuck you, Crane.”

“Your place or mine?” Allen turned toward the motel andhollered, “Donnie!”

“Yeah?”

“Frankie's in the Jeep. Can you grab him and bring him up tomy room? The key's under the mat.”

“Sure thing!” Donnie hollered back.

Rose and Tucker climbed into the front seat of Rose's CrownVic, and Allen jumped into the back seat.

“Can we turn on the siren?” Allen asked, just to annoyTucker.

“Shut your mouth,” Tucker shot back.

“Let's try to be a little more professional, Tuck,” saidRose. He hit the gas and sped out of the parking lot.

“Sorry, Sarge, but the guy just irritates me.”

“I think what irritates you is that he's dating your oldgirlfriend,” Rose said.

“Not anymore,” Tucker said.

“What's that supposed to mean?” Allen asked.

“Yeah,” Rose said, “what's that supposed to mean?”

“Nothing.”

“Did you say something to Mya?” Allen asked.

“It's none of your business what goes on between me andMya,” Tucker shot back.

Allen decided this was a conversation for another time, andclosed his mouth.

Rose hung a left off Ridge Road onto the driveway that ledup to the Coastal Ridge Elementary School. Tucker pointed to a dirt road, andRose turned left. The dirt road led through the woods and around to the rear ofthe school, there sat a few old trucks, some construction equipment, and an oldschool bus. There were a few outbuildings and shipping containers that werebeing used for storage. Rose continued on around a corner, between a stack ofcement blocks and a pile of dirt. Three police cruisers, an ambulance, and astation wagon from the County Coroner's Office sat near a trailhead that ledinto the woods. Parked on the trail, four or five feet past the tree line, wasa white van. In black letters on the side of the van marked York County Crime Scene Unit.

Rose brought his vehicle to a stop near the ambulance andthe three men climbed out. A man standing near the woods saw Rose and startedwalking toward them.

“What do we got, Bart?” Rose asked.

“A male victim between eleven and fourteen years of age.Massive head injuries. No sign of sexual assault. Coroner puts time of deathbetween eight and eleven Friday night.”

“Any identification on the boy?” Rose asked.

“None. Something curious though.”

“what's that?”

“He was wearing only one sneaker.”

Rose sighed. “Let's have a look.”

Bart led the way. Allen didn't move.

“Come on,” Rose said.

“I-I don't want to.”

“You know the kid,” Rose insisted. “Come have a look and seeif it's one of the boys.”

Allen took a deep breath. “Okay.”

The four men walked down the dirt path past the CSI van.They followed Bart another twenty-five yards and stopped. The dead boy layunder a blue plastic tarp. Several officers carefully navigated the area insearch of clues.

Rose bent over and lifted the corner of the tarp.

Allen turned and hurried to the other side of the trail. Heleaned against a pine tree, and threw up whatever was left in his stomach fromlunch. He heaved a couple more times but nothing came up. Allen was gratefulthe call came before he'd eaten the pork roast.

“You okay?” Rose asked.

Allen nodded. “Yeah. Hold on.” He wiped his mouth with theback of his hand.

“Is it the Palmer boy?” Rose asked.

Allen shook his head. “No. It's Oliver Dutcher.”

Chapter Twenty-Two

By Monday afternoon Oliver's body had been released to thefuneral home. The autopsy showed that besides the head trauma, Oliver also hada broken left arm, a dislocated shoulder, and a broken ankle, as well asinternal injuries. According to the coroner, whatever had happened to Oliverhappened somewhere else, and his body was later dumped behind the elementaryschool.

Even in their shock and disbelief, the community of Yorkrallied around the Dutcher family. Overnight, a makeshift memorial of flowers,stuffed animals, balloons, personal notes and signs, and photos sprang up atthe elementary school, and grew daily. All over town Oliver was remembered as abright, athletic kid, full of boyish mischief. His friends recalled he'd been amaster at Fortnite and Minecraft; they'd miss his popular YouTube gamingchannel on which, with snarky humor, he shared tips. Oliver had loved his momand dad, doted on his pet box turtle, and adored his little brother.

Now a pall hung over the friendly tourist town; carefreechildren, formerly allowed to roam, were kept on a short tether.

The authorities labeled Jacob's disappearance an abduction,and he was believed to be in imminent danger. An AMBER alert had been issued byState Police and the Maine Association of Broadcasters. Additionally, flierswith a photograph and description of Jacob had been nailed, taped, and stapledto almost every sign, bulletin board, store window, and telephone pole in thearea. The reward for any information leading to Jacob's whereabouts and returnhad grown to over ten thousand dollars—five thousand of that being Allen's.Volunteers from neighboring towns had organized search groups to comb thetrails and vast acres of forest land. A special tip hotline had also been setup. A few sightings had been reported. A woman