Archive for February, 2009
Monday Update…Cerberus Bay episode 4 Cont some more
Writing a more fleshed out mystery instead of a puzzle is obviously taking longer than i expected, and i appreciate your patience. I’m gonna go ahead and assume the best but if you’re stomping around the house wondering what is going to happen next i’ll take that as positive to. Anyway i want to do it justice and not deliver some half baked story just so you will have something to read. I’d love to write Cerberus bay all week but i only give myself one day for it. the rest go to writing and editing my other books and other assorted business activities. So here is the next chunk, hope you enjoy it.
Cerberus Bay
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The address for zookeeper Ben Pool took them to a home that looked like it was built to appear bigger than it was. It carried the earmarks of grand architecture displayed in such diminutive fashion that it looked more like an over sized dollhouse. Detective Tarman pulled into the narrow drive that had just enough room to keep his rear bumper out of the street. Hades scrutinized his surroundings as he followed the detective down a short brick walk up to a screen door. Tarman’s finger drifted to the doorbell and gave it a single push. The muted chime rang out inside the home and Hades cringed.
“Couldn’t you just knock?”
“Screen doors muffle the sound of my fist.” Said the detective, “I don’t like to wonder if I’ve been heard and I don’t like opening the screen door to knock on the real one.”
Hades had to snicker, “Feel like you’re almost breaking and entering?”
“Something like that.” When he finished speaking, the door behind the door opened and a petite young woman who looked hand picked by fate to fit in her house answered,
“Can I help you?”
Detective Tarman flipped open his badge and ID, “I’m Detective Tarman with the CBPD, and this is…this is.” Gesturing to Hades, Tarman tried to think of something that would roll naturally of the tongue to identify his cohort but failed, instead he moved on like a skipping dvd,
“We are here to talk to Ben Pool about the missing Nemean lion, is he at home?”
The woman nodded, but made no move to open the screen door, “Yes…yes he is.”
Detective Tarman waited for a moment, when nothing happened on her end he persisted, “May we speak with him?”
Like someone startled awake, she snapped to attention and reached for the screen door, “Of course, I’m sorry. He told me the police would probably be coming over, but even with his warning I’ve been a little distracted. Something about being investigated makes me nervous.”
“You’re not being investigated.” Said the Detective as he and Hades were led through the home’s halls. Hades imagined they were air conditioning vents.
“I know, I know, but you know, he is my husband and being married, together, it feels like what happens to him happens to me. I think it’s actually worse this way, when something happens to someone you’re connected with, but not directly to you, it’s like it still happens to you, but not in such a way that you can really do much about it, but you still have to deal with it, you know?” Her lungs must have reminded her of the need to breath cause she paused.
“Part of having a family.” said the detective, taking advantage of her silence. She smiled nervously, like she was relieved to hear someone understood. The hallway opened up into a living room large enough for a couch, a table, a TV, and a lamp. Sitting on the couch was Ben Pool. A giant compared to his wife, he was easily taller than the detective and was built like he should be wrestling lions instead of taking care of them. Seeing his wife enter the room, Ben Pool stood and extended his hand, “I’m Ben Pool, and this is my wife Diane. I assume you’re with the police?”
The detective nodded and shook his hand. Expecting to be crushed, Tarman was surprised by the tentative grip of the larger man whose hands felt accustomed to dealing gently with the world.
“I understand you are the zookeeper responsible for the Nemean Lion.” said the Detective taking a seat in a chair Diane Pool had moved from the kitchen. Ben sat back down on the couch, wringing his hands as he spoke, “I suppose so.”
“You suppose?”
Ben gave the detective an apologetic look, “I mean I am, but I’m not really qualified. Up until last year I was an assistant zookeeper. Management likes to have more educated people handling the high profile exhibits. They were helping me get my last two years of school when…” Ben dropped his eyes and his wife reached over and squeezed his hand.
“There was an accident.” She said. Her words helped get Ben going again and he took over, “Jeremy Fenmire got attacked.”
“He was the zookeeper before you.” asked Detective Tarman.
Ben nodded, “Made it six years with the Nemean Lion, but one thing we all get taught is that no matter how long an animal has been in captivity or how well you think you know it, it’s still a wild animal.”
The detective continued to take notes, “How bad was it?”
“Bad. Aside from serious scrapes and punctures, you know the kind of thing you’d expect from being mauled, he ended up getting paralyzed from the waste down.”
Ben’s composure started to waver again, “I was there when it happened. I’ve never been so scared. You watch TV or go to a zoo and see all kinds of ferocious animals in action, but the Nemean Lion is different. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a more intimidating creature, if I hadn’t tranq’d it hard, Jeremy would have been killed.”
“So then you got promoted?” asked the detective.
Ben Pool nodded, “Yeah. I’d been assisting the longest and no other qualified zookeepers were in line for the job.”
“Why not?”
Ben worked up a chuckle, “It might be the most popular exhibit for customers, but even the most hardcore animal lovers among us get uncomfortable around that lion. When I say Jeremy made it six years that’s saying a lot. Everyone else I know of got transferred due to job stress. I can’t say I blame them.”
“So how do you handle it?”
Ben took a deep breath, “I take extra precautions on site. I also rehearse my day each morning with Diane, it helps me think. She also gives me great massages and we take yoga classes. I’m always looking for new ways to help keep me level headed. The energy I project when working with the animals is crucial, can’t be to on edge.”
The detective made a few more notes and decided to switch topics, “Did you attend the employee dinner the night the lion went missing?”
“Yes, my wife and I both.”
“We believe the lion was stolen during or sometime soon after the party. Remember anything unusual happening? Anyone out of sorts or out of place?”
Ben grinned and shook his head, embarrassed, “Actually no, I don’t remember much of anything besides arriving.”
“You were drunk?” clarified the detective.
Ben shrugged, “I don’t know, I don’t remember getting drunk.”
“Fancy that…” thought the detective. “What do you remember?”
Ben sank back into the couch and thought about it, “The whole thing started at six so we arrived shortly after that, must have been quarter after. Diane and I found a table with Jeremy.”
Detective Tarman stopped him, “Jeremy Fenmire? The man the lion attacked?”
“Yea that’s right.” Confirmed Ben, “His wife works in the reptile house, they both used to come as employees, now he comes as her husband. Anyway, we sat with them. Dinner started at seven, by then I think I’d had one drink, maybe two, but after dinner got going things started to get all fuzzy. I don’t even know if I remember finishing dinner. I must have passed out sometime after that because my next coherent memory is of waking up in the van sometime in the middle of the night.”
Diane Pool intercepted the detective’s curious look, “I couldn’t get him out of the car by myself so I brought a blanket out and sat with him until he woke up.”
“How did you get him in to begin with?” asked Tarman.
“One of the security guards attending helped me get him into the passenger seat before Ben passed out completely. I was fine so I drove home.”
“That sort of thing happen often?” asked the detective, turning his focus back to Ben.
The big man shook his head, “No, I never have to much to drink at company get togethers, one of the people working the bar must have messed up the alcohol proportions for my drinks or something.”
“Or something.” thought the detective flipping a page in his notebook, “Just one more question, what time did you end up leaving?”
“Around eight.” answered Diane.
“Thank you…” said the detective, scribbling the last of his thoughts. Hades had spent the entire conversation staring idly about the room and took Tarman’s words as the cue to leave. After parting pleasantries, both men went back to the Detective’s car. As they sat down, one was frowning, the other staring into space.
“What did you think?” asked Tarman finally.
Hades’ head tilted from side to side as he tossed the information around,
“Still thinking about it…”
Frustrated, Detective Tarman threw his car into reverse, “Be sure to let me know if something comes to you.”
“Some food might help.” Offered Hades as they sped onto the highway.