A Dark and Stormy Night

People joke that those families are so; intermixed, intermarried, hell even inbred that no one can dig out all the connections. My mind is still spinning, Lane, Spalding, Hansen. Spalding, lane, Hansen, Jole...OH FUCK!! I'm dead...Officer David fucking Spalding is going to put a bullet in my head the first chance he gets.

But I've figured this connection out. If he doesn't shoot me, this might be the ace in the hole that I need, Jolene.

"Hey kid, get your ass over here I need to take your statement."

Spalding walks about twenty feet away from everyone else and away from the vehicles' lights. Points to a spot on the ground in front of him. I really don't want to go over there, the spot he's pointing to is somewhat behind the EMT's van and in the dark. But I'll have too, but I don't go to exactly where he pointed. But stay back enough from the van to see and be seen by the EMT's and the other police officer.

"Right here kid, get on your knees right here." But I don't move; that forced him to come to me. In a salto-whisper. "Alright you little pecker head tell me what the fuck happened here, and what the fuck did you do to Jimmy?"

Office Spalding is leaning right down into my face; and his gun is half out of its holster. Hand still on it and finger on the trigger. I'm trying to think of what I can tell him that won't piss him off? I also won't hang my ass out so he can say that I had some part in this attack. Most of all I don't want to get shot!

So I decide to tell him the absolute minimum necessary, and nothing but the truth.

"The girl that's stabbed is my friend Kelly; she sent a text to my phone calling for help. That text said she was at this pond. So I ran to help her, I live just over that fence line there. When I got here I found her stabbed and laying there in the grass. I put my handkerchief on her neck wound. While I was bent over Jimmy tried to hit me with a club of some kind. So I hit him back, I thought that I just knocked him out. So I went back to helping Kelly. I called 911 gave them my address and told them that she was here by this pond. Then the EMT's got here, then you drove up, and that's where we're at."

Watching him I can see that he's getting more pissed off as I talk. Plus his gun isn't going back into its holster and his finger is playing in and out of the trigger guard. I know that I can't get any more scared then I'm right now. But I have to think fast, I hope that he remembers that his Papa isn't chief of police anymore. If Papa Spalding was still Chief of Police I think that I'd already be dead. When he starts watching the EMT's, a plan slips into my mind.

"Terry, I don't feel so good. Terry I think that I'm going to pass out."

When I see Terry look over at me, I sink off my knees to one hip and arm. Then slide on down to where I'm lying on my back. Now Officer Spalding will have to shoot me in front of a witness when I'm lying on the ground. Surely no way possible to be shot resisting arrest or running away. An 'ah fuck' comes from under Spalding's breath.

Terry comes jogging over to us and kneels down at my side, officer Spalding turns and several steps away then starts talking on a cell phone, I try, but I just can't hear him. I look up at Terry...

"Terry, you got to help me, that prick Spalding is going to shoot me if he has a chance. Look at his gun he's already got it half out of its holster. The dead kid Jimmy is some kind of shirttail relative of his. Maybe even closer, and you know how those clan families are if you hurt one of them. Look at him Terry; he's not talking on a police radio through police channels. He's on a cell phone talking to someone off the record."

"Shit kid, I know that Spalding is a 'know it all prick and asshole', but to shoot someone in front of witnesses. Nah, I just don't see it."

"Maybe not, but what if I'm right? All I'm asking for is help in delaying him until the ambulance from Saint Clair gets here, and they should be almost here by now anyway. Then he can't take me to the police station by himself, Officer Ridge will be able to come along with his partner. Plus I want Officer Ridge to be the one to find two pieces of evidence, because if Spalding gets them first they might disappear."

"I know maybe I'm wrong, but what will it hurt to humor me? The police with still get the evidence anyway.

Right around Kelly's head in the grass is her phone; I used it to call 911. It'll also have the text message on it that Kelly used to bring me here."

"When Officer Spalding brought me over here I saw a knife in the grass about ten feet along the way that we walked here on. If it's the knife that Jimmy used it's got his finger prints on it. That might be the only thing that proves he stabbed Kelly. If Officer Spalding can make it disappear, and Kelly dies, then they can say that I stabbed Kelly and killed Jimmy so he couldn't tell on me."

"What are you doing smoking dope kid? Cops are going to frame you for murder, maybe shoot you in cold blood? Get real kid!"

"Maybe Terry, but what will it hurt doing it my way? Officer Ridge finds the evidence and it still gets to the police station. I ride to the station with two police in the car instead of one, maybe just 15 minutes later. Because we both know that they're going to take me downtown for questioning. So what could it possibility harm to do it my way? When all you're doing is humoring a kid who had to try and hold his friends life blood in with his hands."

"Nice try on the guilt card there kid. But yeah you're right it'll hurt nothing to do it your way. Plus Spalding's a dick, let Glen get the brownie points for finding the evidence."

"Thanks Terry, that takes a load off my mind. Now we just need to get that evidence in Officer Ridges' hands."

"OK kid, I'll get it done."

"Think about one more thing Terry. Why am I out here in the dark away from the lights, 30 plus feet away from everyone else? Kneeling in only a pair of jeans to answer questions to a police officer. Who's carrying a gun half drawn, a can of mace, a taser, a baton, and handcuffs, with his finger on the trigger? Still think I'm smoking dope?"

"Nah, I kind of see your point kid." He stands and in a louder voice. "I'll get you something to help you feel better. Keep down and wait right here, I'll be right back."

He heads off at a fast walk back toward Kelly. Only to jerk to a stop looking down into the grass.

"Hey Joe, hold that pad for Glen and send him over here."

Joe and Glen switch, then Terry's pointing out the knife to Glen. Who does a fast jog over to the black and white's trunk. Comes back with a camera, some large baggies and a small numbered white flag on a stiff heavy wire. He pushes the wire into the ground close to the knife. Steps back from everything to get a picture of the whole scene; Joe and Kelly, and Terry standing over the flag. Then standing over the knife and flag, he takes another. Only to kneel and take a close-up of the flag and knife.

Picking it up and inserting it into one of the larger baggies, he writes on the bag. With the flag still in the ground, Terry goes back to Kelly and Glen to the black and white. Glen's still at the trunk when Terry calls him back and points out the phone that they've been almost walking on. Glen's back to the black and White's trunk for another flag and another set of photos.

Officer Spalding has been facing me for a little bit now. He's watching Glen run back and forth gathering baggies and flags. I can hear his litany of swear words but I can't make out anything else.

Spalding starts stepping toward me and I hear...

"Well you better *** *** get control *** before **** does. I'll *** *** of *** things ** my end."

He's almost standing on top of me, when I see the look on his face. Satisfied, ready, and I'm cursing myself for this stupid plan that left me lying on my back on the ground. That half out pistol comes all the way out and I'm looking at the big black hole of it, pointed at my face. Just as my muscles bunch and I'm ready to make a last ditch, Hail Mary fling at...

"What are you going to do Dave?"

Spalding and I both jerk toward the voice; to see both Glen and Terry standing not ten feet away, watching us. I don't think Spaulding can see it, but I see the baggie with Kelly's phone in it held in front of Glen's waist. Just behind it is Glen's revolver, drawn and in his hand. The tension dumped out of my body so fast that I almost wet myself.

"I'm just covering this little cocksucker so he doesn't get away."

"Why is he going to run away Dave?"

"I think that he's the one who did all this shit."

"Really Dave, so he stabbed the girl, hit and killed the boy. Then called 911 and tried to stop the bleeding while waiting here for us to arrive?"

"Yeah, that's what he did."

"Well did you read him his rights and arrest him Dave?"

"No, not yet."

"Then he really shouldn't be under active armed guard yet, should he? Plus you know that I'm going to have to fill out a drawn weapon report, don't you Dave?"

"No one fills out those fuckin' things."

"We have to since Chief Jansen took over."

"Yeah, stupid dick head. But he's not around for a while; he's at the state capital for a week long set of meetings. Probably for a bunch of chicken shit 'feel good' programs we'll have to go to meetings on, stupid dick head.

Finally that pistol returns to Officer Spalding's holster and he snaps the locking strap closed.

"Well you watch the little cocksucker then, and if he even twitches and tries to get away 'you' shoot the little bastard. But he's going downtown and we'll meet...ah...ah, someone who'll get to the bottom of this. Then they'll put the little bastard in prison like he deserves."

Well wow, I never thought that he'd come right out and say what he meant to do. But he's really pissed off. Still is when he turns and stalks off. I wonder who we'll meet when we get downtown? Terry comes over and gives me a hand up.

"Well kid I guess I owe you an apology, you weren't smoking dope. That was scary as hell; I really thought he might shoot you, fuck! It's really not your night, is it? What the hell? Hey Glen come over and look at this."

Terry's looking at the back of my shoulder where'd I felt Jimmy hit me when he swung that club at me.

"Yeah that's going to leave a big bruise, and there's bark and shit in it too. What happened here kid?"

"When he tried to hit me with that club thing I ducked and moved that must be where it hit me. It really didn't hurt until just now when you pointed it out."

"Maybe you better get a picture of it Glen. I got the feeling that this kid's going to need all the help that he can get."

"Yeah, you're probably right, hey that's an idea. I'm not going to get a chance to do anything while Dave's watching me. When we leave here, why don't you give Curtis at the Daily News a call and let him know what's going on. Tell him that I said that it would be good for him to be at the police station tonight. Stay right here kid I'll get pictures of that shoulder. Why don't you give Terry your name kid."

"My names Kevin Palmer, Kelly's is Kelly Franks. The dead kid is named Jimmy Hansen. Terry can you call my folks and let them know where I'm going to be and what happened. My Dad's name is David Palmer and we live in that house right over there. But they're not home right now. They'll be back early tomorrow morning."

"Yeah sure kid."

He'd no more than gotten the pictures when Terry called out for him to bring the camera back toward where Kelly was. I stayed close to Glen; I didn't want Officer Spalding to get any ideas.

"Look at this piece of branch here Glen. It's got some of the bark knocked off and a little bit of skin, blood and fabric on it too."

Right behind where Jimmy was lying was about a three foot piece of tree branch. Now I know what the 'club like object' was, it was about three inches thick too. About the size of a baseball bat, with just the thick end all the way. If that had hit my head solidly it'd been lights out for sure, maybe even permanently.

"Hey Joe, how's Kelly doing?" I was hoping her care hadn't got lost in the drama.

"I think that she's doing better. Her face is getting more color in it, and her body is getting warmer. I put a clear Tagaderm sheet over her chest wound so she's breathing easier. She's got a cut here between her breasts; it looks like someone cut her bra apart there. It was bleeding some so I covered it with gauze. Her jeans were open and pulled down some too, so I've got her covered with this blanket. Both for modesty and warmth. But I'm feeling better about her chances of getting through this."

"GREAT, I was really worried when I first found her. With all the blood around her and all that got on me, she couldn't have had much left in her. That you guys got here so fast and got blood in her. You saved her life!"

"No kid, you're the one who really saved her. A nicked Carotid artery like she has bleeds out pretty fast. You must have gotten to her right after it happened. Plus you must have scared him off of her, who knows what else he might have done to her. No kid, you're the one who saved her life."

"Here Terry hold my camera for a bit, I need to get another marker then take a whole bunch of pictures..."

I think that we all heard it at the same time. A far off siren headed this way. Thank god, it must be the Saint Clair ambulance. More relief settles into me, I might make it out of this field alive yet. I've heard the saying, 'no good deed goes unpunished', well Kelly's alive and that's a huge good deed, and somehow I think the punishment has just started. The part of my brain that believes in hunches has been ticking over at high speed.

"Come on Officer Ridge let's get this little cocksucker down to the station so he can be met by Detective...ah detectives and questioned about how he did all this shit. Here cocksucker, turn around and put your hands behind your back."

Spalding roughly grabbed my shoulder and twisted me around. Grabbed and jerked my hands behind my back. I could feel the handcuffs he had clenched in his hand.

"Hold on Off..icer Spal...ding he has not been arrested nor charged with a crime. So it's against procedure and civil rights laws to handcuff him. Or do you think that a half naked seventeen year old boy is a 'direct and imminent threat to us or other people's safety'. Furthermore because he hasn't been charged or arrested, it's his voluntary choice to go downtown for questioning. Have you even asked him?"

"Mr. Palmer, will you voluntarily go to the police station with me and Officer Spalding, to answer questions and give a statement about tonight's events?"

Here is where I made my big screw-up of the night. In my youth and naivety I didn't recognize that Officer Ridge was trying to give me an out. Trying to give me time to marshal help and advice, to clean up, to get my parents involved, and maybe even get a lawyer. I was just happy to have the possibility of getting to the police station alive. I knew that I'd have to go to the police station and answer questions. In my relief I thought 'why not' get it over with as fast as we can.

I'm not sure that Officer Spalding would have let me get away from him either. But I made the choice to go with them. Like a lot of other things that happen from small decisions that cause large consequences. This one did too, and for a lot of people. But none of us could have known that.

"Sure I'll go, might as well get it over with." And the die was cast.

"Well I've got to get this tree limb tagged and put into evidence, plus a few more pictures. Then we'll get you into the car. Maybe the ambulance will get here and you can see your friend on her way."

The look of demonic hatred was back on Spalding's' face. I think that he was biting his tongue so hard that blood would soon leak from his mouth. But he didn't say anything, just spun on his heel and headed for the black and white.

Officer Ridge got the limb bagged and tagged, and any pictures he wanted. He delayed long enough that I got to see Kelly put into the ambulance. She never regained consciousness, even in all the moving around they did to get her on to the gurney and into the back of the ambulance. But I watched it drive away under full lights and siren. A brown van drove up too; it had Coroner in big letters on its side.

The ride to the station was quiet; I rode in the back of course. But the divider was up and I couldn't hear what they said to each other, but it wasn't friendly and it wasn't much.

They both stayed by me as we entered the police station. When we were at the Duty Sergeants' desk, Glen leaned over to whisper in my ear.

"I think that you'll be OK in here. So I'm going to get this evidence into check-in and to the lab right away."

I hear the Duty Sgt. Tell Spalding to use room three. So I followed him through an area with desks to a short hallway and a door marked interrogation 3. Just inside the room I had to bite back a laugh. It was like every interrogation room shown on any cop show I'd ever seen. Heavy table bolted to the floor with a steel ring in its top. One chair on that side and two on the other.

Of course it had the huge mirror looking at the side with one chair. Which if you were above the age of five, you knew was a one way glass into the room on the other side. I also spotted two black glass half domes in the ceiling, so they also had it wired for video and sound. Actually I liked seeing that, only if they really used it.

Spalding doesn't say anything to me; he just pushes me into the chair and goes out the door. Two men come in fifteen minutes later. They're not in uniform so they must be detectives. Even without him telling me his name yet. I can see one of them is a Spalding just by his features.

"Hello, this is Detective Bert Samuels and I'm Detective Benjamin Spalding. Can you give us your full name and address?"

"Kevin David Palmer, I live at 1641 Rawlings Lane. I go to Mountain Central high school and I'm 17 years old. My parents are Marge and David Palmer. My dad's a Builder/Contractor for Straight Line Construction. My mom teaches second grade at Mountain View grade school."

"High school kid, huh, not 18 yet. How close are you to being eighteen?"

"Five months Sir, February 12."

"I imagine that the other two kids are about the same age as you are right?"

"Yes sir, both of them go to the same school and some of the same classes as I do."

"Friends of yours?"

"Kelly was, Jimmy not so much."

"Why is that?"

"Jimmy and I just never got along. We even had different groups of friends."

"Ever get in any fights before?"

"No sir, I'm a pretty easy going guy. I haven't fought with anyone in school, not since I moved here in the 5th grade."

"Known the other two that long too?"

"Yeah, I've known Kelly that long; I didn't meet Jimmy until we got into high school. I think that he went to Mountain Home grade school."

"So if you didn't know Jimmy that well why'd you call him a little pervert?"

"Because of the way he was around Kelly all the time, and the things that he said to her."

"What kind of things did you hear him say?"

"Well it started early freshman year, mostly then he'd just ask her out. You could tell right away that he had a thing for her. But she didn't want anything to do with him. Then he started really pushing her to go out with him. She kept saying 'no' to him, but he just kept pushing. He started telling her that he'd take her out to all these fancy places, places that high school kids can't afford to go."

"When that didn't work he started saying nasty things to her. He'd tell her how big his dick was, how he could go all night long. How bad he wanted to fuck her, all the orgasms he'd make her have. I think that somewhere along here is the first time she slapped him."