Читать книгу Hell's Roundabout - Benjamin Vance - Страница 10

Monday came too early for Army, but he slept well and felt refreshed and cleaner than usual after his shower. Charley was all questions about who his Dad was talking to so long on the phone the night before. Army evaded his questions for the most part and dropped him off at school a bit early so he could be sure to get first look at the DNA fax from Les Gilbert.

He quickly found the fax on his desk with a note from Beth that Les Gilbert wanted Army to have it. It was Aunt/Uncle tested and was better than 85% positive the lady killed in the accident was the only aunt of Mr. John Gilbertson. Therefore, she was most likely Mrs. Lois Peterson. Despite all he’d witnessed over the last two or more weeks, Army dropped the report on his desk and sat back to look at it from a distance, psychologically isolating himself from the impossibility of the facts represented before him on one thin sheet of paper.

He had to make another trip to New York and he would have to make it quickly, because Thanksgiving was fast approaching and he really did not want to take Charley into the cold of the Northeast; not about to leave him during the Holiday Season. He leaned forward, wrote a succinct note to the Sheriff, dropped it in the middle of his boss’ desk and strode out to his cruiser to start the day of law enforcement.

He couldn’t leave the specter behind and waited anxiously all day for the call from the Sheriff he knew would come. It didn’t happen though, and when he reported in for end-of-shift, he found Andy Shepard hadn’t been in all day thanks to a county meeting which Army hadn’t been privy to. At around 8:00 p.m. he got a call and found the Sheriff was burning some midnight oil. He started before Army could say hello, “Army, this is the most bizarre thing I’ve ever seen, heard of, or suspected. I say God bless DNA results, but these are just so out there it makes me want to go somewhere remote and pull up the road leading in. Do you have any more ideas or plans regarding this weird crap?”

“Yeah Boss, I think I do. I’ve been looking at data on geology and I’d like to check out the New York State Geological Survey in Albany to see if anyone there can give me a good briefing on local geology and perhaps if I find the right person a look back historically at any problems with the mine. You know … maybe someone retired who won’t be afraid to talk, or perhaps someone who’ll just educate me on the minerals located around the mine. All I have so far is hearsay, and getting the DNA results back sort of did it for me. I know I can find someone to give me some facts, even though those facts may not lead to any specific cause and effect.”

“Well, leave Charley with someone you trust and get back there as soon as you can. Keep me informed. Don’t forget U.C. Davis, I know they deal with some geologic stuff around here. We’ve seen some of their interns in bars from time to time and had to warn ‘em once, so … .”

“Sheriff … I need to ask you a favor. I recently left him with a very nice and pretty lady I know, and although it went well, her daughter is getting older and I would rather not have Charley alone with her if you know what I mean. Also, I don’t want the lady getting ideas about her and me.”

“Is it Sonora Stottlemeyer and Lucy?”

“Yeah, it is, Sheriff.”

“Well, I can understand that. Sonora is sure a looker though, and you could do a lot worse. How old is Lucy now anyway? You know I had a crush on Sonora years ago; don’t tell anyone, but I still do, kind of. I’m too old for that though, but I can understand how you feel about your wife, ‘cause I still feel that way about my Mary; don’t know if I’ll ever get married again. Allie still misses her Mother a lot too; every day. Yeah, you don’t have to ask, we’ll watch Charley for you. Just let me know when you’re leaving.”

Army had a long talk with his son regarding why he was going and when he’d be back. He wanted Charley to know exactly what the urgency was and that he could only get the answers needed by talking directly with the folks who had those answers. He always tried to convince his son the best way to talk to people was to look them in the eye. That way you get more truth and less veiled promises and “unavailables”. He thought Charley understood, but he still felt guilty about going.

By design, his plane landed early morning in Albany and he’d registered at his motel and turned off I-87 toward Star Lake by early afternoon. His sense of urgency was confounding, but he was determined to see the hill one more time, before he met a man with the New York Geologic Survey the next day. However, the closer he got to Star Lake the less he thought about the hill and the more he thought about a woman who lived near there. Army was a man on a calling, but what seemed to be calling him well before he reached his destination was the aura of Chiara Logan.

He pulled over at a wide spot in the road to get a handle on his situation. He decided to call Chiara, let her know he was in town for a few hours and ask her to have lunch before he headed back to Albany, but he couldn’t speed dial her number for some reason. He smiled pensively at his own rare sophomoric indecision, placed the cell phone on the passenger seat, looked at it still smiling and then drove decisively to Chiara’s place. He saw her car under the little carport attached to the guest house at the Peterson home and his heart started beating like a schoolboy’s. Still absently amused at his own situation he got out and shut his SUV‘s door a bit too hard. Chiara’s face immediately appeared at a window and she looked at the winter-dressed man somewhat quizzically until she realized who the man was. He watched her expression change from benign curiosity to something like explosive elation.

Her face left the window and the curtains had hardly reclosed when her front door flew open. A bare-footed Chiara met him on the snowy front step with a look of welcomed inevitability on her face and then flew at him with arms and body. He accepted her encirclement as though they’d embraced as lovers over an entire lifetime. He effortlessly picked her up to get her feet off of the ice and reluctantly placed her down gingerly on warm carpet while closing the door with his left foot. Their faces no more than inches apart, he whispered, “I missed you so much.”

She grinned wider with tears filling her eyes and said, “I missed you too and it scares me … but I don’t care.” Then she reached for his face with her lips slightly open and he kissed her … and kissed her. Their passions met equally and eagerly for the first time, and she introduced him to her infinite tenderness and to her unashamed body, and she revived parts of him long buried.

He knew there’d be an empty motel room in Albany that night, but he asked if she would like to accompany him to the State Geologic Survey Offices the following day. She accepted and they decided to make a day of it in Albany, even in the snow. Perhaps some actual museums could be experienced if they were so inclined. He’d reserved the motel for four days so there was a world of possibilities open to them.

They left early to be in Albany by 11:00 a.m., but as it happened they were barely on time. Dr. Langford Dean was the man who promised Army an audience. They met; he introduced Ms. Logan as a dear friend of Mrs. Peterson and initially asked questions only about the geologic structure of the area around Star Lake. Dr. Langford was courteous, helpful and very knowledgeable. He told them about the myriad minerals discovered around the mine area and some of the strange and unusually wonderful minerals in the Adirondacks, themselves.

He actually escorted them around the Geologic Survey mineral collection, emphasizing the ones from the area around the mine. Some were rare, some were plentiful, and some unusual to the untrained. The most unusual were the huge deposits of Hematite and Magnetite in the area. Once Dr. Dean finished with his heady description of New York minerals, Army told him the rest of the story.

He looked at the couple like they had three heads, but only for a moment. Apparently the good Doctor had heard some of the legends about the Peterson Mine while on field trips. He asked Army to go over the information again and listened more carefully the second time. He rubbed his chin, looked at the ceiling a moment and asked if either one knew essentials about the Earth’s magnetic core. When they shook their heads he smiled broadly and began his lesson, emphasizing effusively with his hands and shaggy eyebrows.

He said, “Basically, the Earth’s mantle provides us with a magnificent magnetic core that protects us from the ravages of our own sun. Especially during solar storms, our magnetosphere provides a shield around the Earth, mainly on the side facing the sun. The result of this wonderful magnetic shield is manifested visually in the Aurora Borealis in the Northern Hemisphere in the winter and the Aurora Australis in the Southern Hemisphere in their winter.

“During solar flares and storms, similar to what we’ve had lately, huge amounts of solar energy are flung at Earth’s magnetic field. The field is compressed on the sun side and elongated on the dark side. The plasma energy from the sun builds up on the dark side and is discharged in magnetic storms which cause the aurora and other phenomena. Sometimes the energy is given off in bursts and knocks out communications at various parts of the world, usually at night and usually during solar flares.

“Some think these solar storms or flares cause powerful inductions of electromagnetic currents near the Earth’s surface. In 1989 a plasma storm knocked out the power grid in Quebec and caused aurora as far south as Texas. The phenomena have been known to cause telegraph operators to get shocked, transformers to explode, navigation equipment to get ruined and many satellites to be damaged. However, sometimes during these storms nothing much happens at all.”

Army asked, “Theoretically, what would happen during one of these magnetic storms if lightning occurred at the very spot Earth’s energy was being dissipated?”

“Well, heck, it’s just theory, but lightning is a formidable source in itself, so I would suppose anything could happen. More than likely, the person or thing would just be burned up or melted or exploded. You know anything is possible I guess. Did you know the magnetic North Pole has been moving during the last 150 years? It’s now out in the Arctic Ocean and moving toward Siberia at a pretty fast geologic rate. That movement alone could significantly affect the magnetosphere and what happens, where.”

“Wow, Doc, do you think the Magnetite or other minerals in the area of the mine could induce a stronger effect?”

“I … guess it’s possible; perhaps intensifying or focusing the phenomenon, but like I said anything is possible during a solar flare and perhaps it’s just the time of night or time of year, you know.”

Army asked, “Chiara, do you have anything to add?”

She said, “Well, do the ghost lights have any real significance? You know they don’t happen all the time.”

Dr. Dean responded positively, “Yes Chiara they might. If only one could monitor the lights and storms and correlate with solar flares and time of year, but I’m afraid there are just too many variables and too few unfortunate occurrences to really get a positive spin on this. I find it hard to believe the unfortunate older lady got caught up in some freak of nature and was expelled from the side of a hill in California. You might want to contact a geologist in your area to determine the geologic nature of the hill you referred to Mr. Lennox.”

“Thanks Doctor Dean, I will, and I’ve already established a contact at U.C. Davis.”

“Oh wonderful, can you tell me the Doctor’s name?”

“Yeah, it’s sort of a different name … Dr. Cherish Spring Templeton; think that’s right.”

Dr. Dean got a big grin on his face and said, “Well of course it’s right. She’s the daughter of George Templeton, a great geologist who worked for the U.S.G.S. out of San Francisco I think. He died in a cave-in about 7 years ago. He was a super fella, always a bunch of laughs at conferences and knew his geology, absolutely. I miss him. His daughter’s name reflects his penchant for the unorthodox though. He was thoroughly convinced the moon causes most Earthquakes and did a lot of research trying to prove it; another case of too many variables.”

***

They talked little on the way to the motel, but one of the few things Chiara said was, “Cherish Spring; I could name a daughter that. I think it’s better than Mary or Joan or Chiara.”

“Yeah, I agree, with the exception of Chiara” and he turned to her and smiled into her eyes.

Then looking ahead into traffic again he said, “Can we skip the museums and the motel and go to your home tonight? Would you mind me staying at your place? I’d sure feel more comfortable there, unless you want me to drop you off and come back here … ?”

Without looking at him she reached for his hand, brought it to her mouth, kissed the back of it and said, “I would just as soon you stay with me permanently, but I know you have responsibilities at home and I’m afraid Charley wouldn’t understand at all; my stealing his father. No, I want you to stay with me every minute of every day, and make me laugh like you do and warm me and carry me inside when I get cold, and care for me when I’m sick and listen to me whine without reason and put up with me when I have those bad days when my pottery wheel gets unbalanced like I am.”

His mind was a whirl of counter intuitive emotions and contradictions. There was no way on Earth he could be in love with the woman on such short notice, but obviously there was something between them; something bigger than both and it wouldn’t be denied. He looked at her briefly and took her hand, “Why don’t I get my stuff out of the motel and that way I won’t have to pay for tomorrow and won’t have to hurry so much getting to the airport on Thursday?”

“Sounds okay to me, but it sure would be a shame, paying for your room today and not even messing up the bed.” She turned to look at him with a little flush to her cheeks and found him smiling.