Twenty-one Year Rule Read online

  Bash grinned, “Charlie’s a girl?”

  “Yep,” Josh chuckled. “Kilo’s a hunter. Randy’s spent a lot of time and effort training Kilo as a police dog. If he’d had Kilo with him yesterday, Randy wouldn’t be in the hospital right now.”

  “What happened?” Bash asked.

  Josh’s face turned dark as he fought the anger that threatened. “There were three guys in the car Randy pulled over and they jumped him when he was handcuffing the driver. If Kilo were there, the other two never would have gotten out of the car. It was bad timing for Kilo’s surgery.”

  “Who were the guys?” Bash asked softly staring out the windshield.

  “Drug dealers,” Josh answered pulling into the Veterinarian’s office parking lot.

  The Vet’s office was a standalone brick building just off the main road. A large privacy fence surrounded the yard behind it. The yard contained a small stable and a large grassy area.

  Heading inside Bash took a seat while Josh spoke to the young woman at the front desk. It wasn’t long before the Vet’s assistant brought out a large white malamute. Kilo trotted to Josh without hesitation. Josh knelt to greet him.

  Bash hesitated wondering if Kilo would smell the pot on his clothing. Would he react? Josh rose and took Kilo’s leash from the attendant, then headed across the room toward Bash. Noting the concerned expression on Bash’s face, Josh grinned and held out his hand. “Shake my hand Bash,” Josh instructed. “Kilo will understand you are a friend, and you’ll be fine.”

  Accepting Josh’s hand, Bash shook it gently keeping his eyes on Kilo. The dog was huge! Bash shook his head and asked, “How many people has he killed?”

  Josh laughed and handed Bash the leash. “Why don’t you take him? The two of you need to get to know each other.”

  **********

  Randy was relatively pain free as long as he didn’t move, sneeze, cough or try to scratch his nose. He broke into a weak smile as his eyes landed on Amy. She lay curled into a ball asleep in the small reclining chair next to his bed.

  His room overflowed with plants and flowers from all over the state. Randy’s eyes focused on a bird of paradise arrangement and his thoughts went to the youth that died. His first instinct was to get angry; angry at the system, angry with the kids parents, but mostly angry with himself. He shouldn’t have let it happen.

  Amy’s eyes fluttered open. She yawned and stretched then winced clutching her breasts with both hands. “Ouch! Someone should let new mothers know the hazards of breast-feeding. My boobs have turned to stone and are crying out for Emma!”

  Randy chuckled despite the pain. “I’d offer you a pain pill, but the nurse has them all.”

  Amy chuckled, walking to his side to kiss him “they wouldn’t help anyway. Do you need anything?”

  Randy glanced toward the window next to his bed. “I need to get out of here.”

  Amy flashed him a pouty frown, “The doctor said a couple of days. Maybe tomorrow if we’re lucky.”

  Randy’s Deputy, Ed, walked in the room and removed his hat. He smiled at Amy and used his hat to cover his portly belly that stuck out over his belt. Amy smiled back at the balding older man with a kind face. He spoke softly moving toward the bed, “Morning Amy, Randy. I thought I’d drop by and see how you were doing and give you a quick update on the attack.”

  Randy pushed the arrow on the control panel that raised the head of the bed and said, “Ed, I’m doing fine. Thank you for taking charge last night and reaching out to Josh for me.”

  “No problem, boss.” Ed answered stopping at the foot of the bed. “Is there anything you need? Anything I can do for you?”

  Randy could see the concern in Ed’s eyes. Ed was past retirement age, but just couldn’t bring himself to sit around in an empty house after his wife had passed away. “I’m good Ed. Let’s hear the report.”

  Ed glanced at Amy then took a deep breath as his face lost all expression. “I’ve been in contact with the State Police. The two perpetrators Chet Salvir, age twenty-one and David Walker, age twenty are en route to the county jail today to await trial. There were booked for possession, intent to sell, and assault on a police officer. The drugs were verified as Meth. The fatality at the scene was Joel Juarez, age twenty-one.” He stopped and glanced at Amy before continuing. “I’m sure Internal Affairs will drop by to see you soon to discuss the shooting, but it’s pretty cut and dry.”

  He hesitated again, glancing at Amy.

  Randy frowned, “Ed, Amy can hear whatever you’ve got to say. I don’t keep anything from her.”

  Ed turned toward Amy and continued, “Amy, you grew up in Cleveland. Is that correct?”

  Amy sat down on the edge of Randy’s bed and answered, “Yes, Ed. I didn’t leave Ohio until after college.”

  Ed nodded and asked, “Your brother, Bash, spent time in detention in Cleveland as well?”

  “Bash?” Amy frowned, “Yes, he was released there when he turned 18.”

  Randy reached out and took hold of Amy’s hand. Ed wouldn’t be asking about Bash without a reason. He didn’t like where this was going.

  Ed avoided Randy’s inquisitive stare and continued, “Do you know where Bash is presently?”

  Amy rose from the bed and stared at Ed then turned to look at Randy. “What’s going on?”

  Randy kept hold of Amy’s hand and said, “Ed, you need to get to the point.”

  Ed swallowed hard and added, “Bash’s fingerprints were found on the plastic bags containing the Meth. I’m sorry Amy, but I need to know if you have seen or spoken to Bash in the last ten days.”

  Amy’s face turned white as she turned toward her husband. “Beth and I picked up Bash in Ogden yesterday. He called me when he got into town. It was a surprise. He wanted to see Emma and meet you. He was with me last night during the attack. He didn’t have anything to do with that.”

  Randy pulled Amy closer and nodded. Bash was in town. His mind raced. Bash was in town. Bash was staying at his house with his wife and baby. Bash knew the youths that attacked him. Bash knew youths that tried to kill him. Randy looked at Ed and said, “Give us a moment Ed.”

  Ed walked slowly from the room as Amy slid onto the bed next to Randy. He gingerly wrapped his bandaged arm around her as she snuggled against him. “I’m sorry,” She said, “I know I should have called you as soon as he contacted me, but I wanted to introduce the two of you face to face. I wanted you to forget about his past and meet the boy I know and love. Bash isn't involved in this Randy. There has to be some mistake. If he were in that car then it’s probably because he was hitchhiking, and they gave him a ride.”

  Randy smiled at her innocence and said softly, “Honey, the meth was in the trunk.”

  Amy’s eyes filled with tears. “Randy, you can’t arrest him He just finished his parole. He’s finally free. He’s not a criminal.”

  Randy kissed her cheek. His heart ached for her, and his head was spinning from the pain. His arms were starting to throb. The painkillers were wearing off. He was exhausted and wanted to give in to a desperate need for healing sleep. “Amy, Ed needs to talk to Bash and get his story. Let’s find out what happened before we draw any conclusions. Where is Bash now?”

  “He’s with Josh,” Beth’s voice answered from the doorway.

  They looked up as Beth crossed the room pushing a stroller before her. “He and Josh are picking up Kilo and then heading to our house to let Charlie out.”

  Amy bolted upright and rushed around the bed to the stroller. Beth noticed the tears in Amy’s eyes and flashed Randy a questioning gaze.

  **********

  Bash couldn’t believe Josh’s lake house was actually larger than Amy’s. It was a two story log cabin with 3-car garage. The house sat on a three acre lot. The trees were so thick you could barely see the house next door. Bash climbed out of the truck and followed Kilo and Josh to the front door.

  “Come on inside, Bash.” Josh called to him as he unlocked the door and allowed
Kilo to trot inside the house.

  Once inside Bash walked slowly across the large living room and into the kitchen. He found a similar wall of windows across the back as Amy’s with full view of the lake, with a large deck, in-ground pool and a dock leading down to the lake.

  Kilo bounced around the room chasing a large golden retriever that pounced on him several times, clearly overjoyed to see him. Josh opened the backdoor and the dogs shot outside. Bash walked up to the wall of windows and gazed at the scattering of tiny sails from the boats on the lake.

  He asked, “Are you rich?”

  Josh flashed a quick grin and said, “I do okay.”

  Bash smiled at him and added, “What is your job?”

  Opening the back door, Josh headed out to the deck. “I’m in construction.”

  Bash laughed and followed him, “Man, you are construction.”

  Chuckling, Josh added, “I work hard for my money. The only way to be successful is a little sweat, a lot of effort and a ton of dedication.”

  Josh turned and stared intently at Bash as he gazed out at the lake. Moving to stand next to Bash, he pointed to a large white sail with a diagonal blue stripe and said, “That’s Cal Monroe. He’s a local rancher, cattle mostly. I rebuilt his barn after it burned a few years ago. He called me the next year and had me build his six thousand square foot lake house.”

  Bash smiled and turned to face him. “That’s huge.”

  “Yes it is,” Josh added, “Are you looking for work?”

  “I don’t know.” Bash admitted, “I haven’t really thought about it.”

  “Are you here to stay or just passing through?” Josh held his gaze.

  “I don’t know.” Bash shrugged his shoulders then turned and headed down the deck stairs to look for the dogs.

  “You sure don’t know much,” Josh muttered and headed after him. Before he reached the top step, his phone rang. He pulled it out of his back pocket. It was the hospital.

  Josh answered it quickly, “Josh Miller,”

  Randy’s voice replied, “Josh, can you bring Bash by the hospital when you are done with the dogs? I know it’s out of your way, but I need to talk to him.”

  Josh knew this call was coming. Randy wasn’t one to let a sleeping dog lie and Bash was a concerning part of Amy’s past. “You sure you’re up to it?” Josh asked glancing down at Bash as he walked past the pool toward the dock.

  “It can’t wait.” Randy replied.

  Randy’s tone was off, and it wasn’t due to the meds. Josh walked to the rail and watched Kilo and Charlie head after Bash. “What’s up Randy?”

  Randy sighed and added, “Looks like Bash knows the youths that attacked me.”

  Josh’s heart sank. “I’ve spent some time with him, Randy. I don’t think he’s a bad kid.”

  “I hope your right,” Randy answered softly, “Either way, he’s got some explaining to do. Amy and Beth left to get some lunch. Let me know when you’re on your way, and I’ll get Beth to take Amy home so Bash and I can talk alone. I want to talk to him before the State Police do. They tend to toss kids like him in jail and ask questions later. I want to spare Amy that if I can.”

  Moving toward the steps Josh added, “Give me a couple of hours.”

  Bash stood at the end of the dock watching the boats rush across the lake. The dock sat inside a large cove with just enough protection from the wind to give the water a smooth, glassy surface. Kilo padded up next to Bash and nudged his hand. Bash knelt down and scratched Kilo’s ears. Charlie appeared instantly and pushed in between them. Bash grinned and said, “Jealous?” He scratched Charlie’s ears and rose.

  As he rose as a red speedboat entered the cove pulling a skier behind it. They followed the waterline keeping a safe distance from stumps and debris, but far enough from the main channel to enjoy the glassy surface of the water.

  The skier, a young girl in a yellow life vest dropped a ski and began to slalom. She easily jumped over the wake and spun to face backward as she zipped past him. Bash couldn’t help but smile when she waved at him. She was a pretty blonde with shapely legs and a large smile.

  Charlie and Kilo dashed back down the dock as Josh walked across the grass toward them. Josh motioned toward the large blue speedboat parked at the dock and said, “Let’s take her out for a spin.”

  Charlie and Kilo didn’t hesitate. They jumped into the boat as soon as Josh headed toward it. Josh laughed and untied the line, tossing it into the boat. “Get in.” He called to Bash, who eagerly headed toward him.

  The engine was louder than Bash expected, and its power was more than he hoped. They roared out of the cove into the open water and headed for the dam.

  **********

  The school bus doors opened. Jake glanced around for Molly. She was already on her feet headed for the door. He punched his friend Dillon in the arm and said, “Let’s go.”

  Dillon glanced up at his tall, dark haired friend then grabbed his backpack from the floor and headed after him down the aisle. They pushed and shoved each other until they jumped down the bus steps. Molly frowned back at them and said, “Stay away from me.”

  Jake laughed and shoved Dillon toward her. “Come on Molly, you know you can take him.”

  Molly flicked her long, brown hair over she shoulder and smiled, “I know, but I want to get home. Dad said we could swim in the pool this afternoon, and Alice is coming over.”

  Dillon laughed and challenged, “Awesome; we can have a belly flop contest!”

  Molly spun to face him, her big blue eyes flashed with challenge, “Oh no! You are not invited! You splash too much! It’s girl’s day at the pool.”

  Their house was a short distance down the road. Jake could see his dad’s truck in the driveway. He rolled his eyes at Molly’s remark and said, “Molly, it’s the last day of school, a half day. There’s no way you can call girls day today.”

  Molly scowled at him, “You two can go swim off the dock.”

  Jake locked eyes with Dillon at her remark. In a flash, the two sprinted toward the house. Molly chased after the boys screaming in rage.

  As Jake and Dillon reached the driveway, the roar of a boat engine came from behind the house. The boys exchanged glances and bolted for the backyard. Molly wasn’t far behind. She tossed her backpack on the grass near the front porch and ran after the boys.

  Bash jumped from the boat and tied the line to the dock as Josh shut it down. Charlie and Kilo bounded off the boat and dashed up the dock. Jake and Dillon appeared around the corner of the house, heading right for the dogs. They boys roughhoused with the dogs as they headed toward the dock.

  “Dad,” Jake called trotting down the sloping yard to the end of the dock, “Are we taking the boat out? Can we go waterskiing?”

  Josh smiled at the boys glancing past them at Molly as she rounded the corner of the house. “Not right now Jake. I have to head to Ogden. We can take it out after dinner.”

  Jake’s smile vanished. He stared suspiciously at Bash. Josh caught his eye and turned toward Bash. “Bash, this is my son Jake and his friend Dillon.” At that moment, Molly dashed past Jake and jumped into her father’s arms, “And my daughter Molly.” Josh added with a chuckle. “This is Bash; he’s your Aunt Amy’s brother.”

  Molly jumped down from her embrace and smiled at Bash, “Uncle Bash!”

  Bash shook his head and said, “Call me Bash.”

  Jake bit his lower lip and turned to his dad, asking, “Can we at least swim in the pool until you get back?”

  Moving past them toward the house Josh answered, “You know the rules Jake, no swimming unless an adult is home.”

  “Aw man!” Jake moaned following him, “Dad, it’s the last day of school. It’s summer vacation! Are you telling me we can’t swim during the day the entire summer?”

  Molly pushed past Jake and ran to take hold of her father’s hand, “Don’t be a dope Jake. Beth is almost always home.”

  Moving after them, Jake added, “Can I go
to Dillon’s house then?”

  “No,” Josh answered casually, stopping to wait for him. “I need you to watch Molly. However, Dillon is welcome to stay as long as his mom knows there is no adult home. I’ll leave Kilo here with you. Charlie could use the playtime.”

  Bash stood watching the kids as they chased after Josh and climbed the steps up to the deck. His thoughts flashed with memories. Memories of a time when his dad acted as if he cared; fleeting memories that were few and dim. He stared down at the wooden slats of the dock.

  “Bash,” Josh called to him from the deck. “Let’s get going.”

  Glancing up, Bash took in the entire scene, the house, the pool, the kids, the dog. Was this what Amy wanted? The Brady Bunch revisited? Bash shook his head, not him. He wanted freedom and the open road. Josh was right; he needed a job. He’d get a job, buy a motorcycle, and hit the open road. This family crap was not for him.

  Chapter Four

  It wasn’t easy getting Amy to go home. Randy insisted she needed to rest and to spend some time with Emma. Luckily Beth caught on to the tension in the air and pointed out that Josh planned to stop by later. Randy turned off the TV and raised the head of his bed so he would have a full view of Bash when they arrived.

  If Bash were dealing drugs, there would be hell to pay for all of them. If this was the path Bash chose for himself, he never should have come back into Amy’s life. Amy thought of Bash as her savior, her protector. He could do no wrong in her eyes. Randy never tried to change her perception; even after he researched their father’s death and Bash’s trial.

  Bash was a kid destined for trouble. He’d run wild from age ten, getting into trouble everywhere he went. His juvenile file was sealed, but his parole officer was a loose-lipped ass. He couldn’t wait to tell Randy about Bash’s history of shoplifting and petty theft. He was a classic case. His mother was sick for years. His dad was an abusive alcoholic. The poor kid never had a chance. However, somewhere deep down inside of Bash was the kid Amy remembered. If Randy could bring that kid to the surface, maybe Bash had a chance.