Conversations

Caleb spied Lucius through the coffee shop window. He was sitting on the booth-side of a table, back straight, his face tilted forward, staring at the laptop screen.

Entering the Panera, Caleb first stepped toward the counter to get in line to order coffee behind a woman in green scrubs. He glanced over his shoulder to try and catch Lucius's eye. Lucius, his eyes glued to the screen of his laptop, didn't notice.

Caleb paid the barista and carried his coffee to the service station to add cream. Lucius acknowledged Caleb with a brief smile as Caleb placed his briefcase on the floor beside the chair across from Lucius and sat.

"Sorry I'm late," Caleb said. His chair scraped the floor loudly as he scooted it back to stand and remove his coat. He draped it over the back of the chair and sat back down.

Lucius glanced at the clock on the wall. He made a dismissive wave with his left hand. "You aren't late. I was just reading something I think you'll find interesting."

"Okay. I'm always up for something interesting." Caleb leaned over to his briefcase to pull his laptop from the side pocket. He had it up and running in no time. Lucius turned his laptop so Caleb could see the URL.

Caleb entered it in his address bar and studied the screen for a minute before asking, "A map of the river?"

"You don't recognize the name? Yonkipin Lake? It was on the news lately. Big clickbait on the internet -- Two Bodies Found at Yonkipin Lake."

Caleb nodded. "I know nothing about Yonkipin Lake, except it's a gated community and you have to go through a giant steel drainage pipe under the railroad tracks to get to the entrance. But, sure, I remember seeing a local news report. Is it someone we know?"

"No. Nothing like that. And I wouldn't expect you to know what I'm leading to. But there are some odd connections between this (pointing to the laptop) and something that happened about ten years ago." Lucius paused.

Caleb's brows rose slightly. "Okay. I'll bite. How is this (pointing to the laptop) and something that happened ten years ago connected?"

Lucius leaned forward on his elbows and pointed to the ceiling. "We have to look at the first one first." Caleb nodded, and Lucius mirrored him. They were on the same page.

"About ten years ago, there were these four high school friends who hung out together all the time. Not just at school. All the time. These guys were truly best friends. Or, at least, they were deeply connected. Their families were even best friends, I bet.

"Not that unusual in a fairly small community. They may have all gone to the same church, same schools, definitely the same high school. The four friends were two girls and two boys."

"What were their names?" Caleb asked.

"I didn't know. I mean, I didn't realize until that Two Bodies Found at Yonkipin Lake article hit the internet. The two found a couple of days ago were high school kids named Roger Pinkerton and Heather Carls.

"Here's where it gets interesting. There were also two bodies found about ten years ago in the same place on Yonkipin Lake, a boy and a girl, both in high school."

Caleb held a hand up palm out and exclaimed, "Shut the fuck up. You aren't going to tell me the two dead kids from back then were named Roger Pinkerton and Heather Carls, too, are you?"

"No. Their names were Robert Hill and Crissy Taylor."

Caleb's ready-to-be-shocked expression melted.

"But, Robert Hill and Crissy Taylor had two best friends named Alan Pinkerton and Melissa Carls."

Caleb blinked two or three times rapidly as he stared at nothing in particular.

"Pinkerton and Carls are the last names of the newest victims."

"I get that. That is a little weird," Caleb said.

"A little weird? Shit like this doesn't happen on chance. You haven't heard anything yet.

"We know the couple a decade ago -- Robert Hill and Crissy Taylor -- were best friends with Alan Pinkerton and Melissa Carls."

"Wait. How do we know that?"

"Before I explain that, just realize that in order for this to be a truly odd tale of abject horror and surprise you'd want our latest dead couple to have had best friends, too. Wouldn't you?"

"Abject horror and surprise is our goal."

Lucius smiled. "Perhaps it's a coincidence. But Roger Pinkerton and Heather Carls had very special best friends. James Hill and Vanessa Taylor. The same--"

"--last names as the dead kids a decade ago. Wait a minute. I need to draw this -- diagram this. Where's a piece of paper?"

Lucius pulled a folded sheet of typing paper from his top pocket, slowly unfolded it, flattened it, oriented it to face Caleb, and slid it to him.

Caleb stared at the paper a second, then laughed. "Brilliant minds--"

"--think alike."

"A diagram." Caleb used his finger to track the flowchart-slash-organizational chart.

"The recently deceased Pinkerton and Carls were best friends with a Hill and a Taylor.

"The past deceased Hill and Taylor were best friends with a Pinkerton and a Carls."

"What's the first...hm, question that comes to your mind?" Lucius asked.

Caleb's head shook back and forth slowly. "Are they all related? I mean, are all the Pinkertons related and all the Carls related and --"

"--Yes."

"Yes?"

"Yes. They are all related." Lucius stabbed a finger at the diagram he'd drawn.

"Alan Pinkerton was the younger brother of Roger Pinkerton.

"Melissa Carls was the younger sister to Heather Carls.

"Robert Hill was adopted. But his father was James Hill's father.

"And, Crissy Taylor was the younger sister of Vanessa Taylor."

Caleb half laughed. "This is crazy. You're making this up." The look on Lucius's face said otherwise.

"So...Is this some kind of a game or a cult? I mean, that's kind of a bizarre thought. There has to be a reason behind these -- coincidences? But it seems too bizarre to be coincidence. I mean, one name alike or two, maybe even two of the kids being related. But every cross set of friends related?"

"And in each, one set survived the other set." Lucius's pronunciation of "survived" left a heavy sense of unspoken meaning lingering in the air.

"You think...one set murdered the other set?"

Lucius shrugged. "A working hypothesis might be: Last week James Hill and Vanessa Taylor murdered Roger Pinkerton and Heather Carls at Yonkipin Lake--"

"--Because--" Caleb broke in. "Ten years ago, Alan Pinkerton and Melissa Carls murdered Robert Hill and Crissy Taylor and left their bodies at Yonkipin Lake.

"Unbelievable," Caleb said and repeated six or seven times, finally followed by, "Wait.

"How do I know any of this is even true. I'm just sitting here listening to you talk and nodding like an idiot. You haven't shown me anything."

"Fair enough," Lucius said as he leaned over to feel around in his backpack. I told you we know Robert Hill and Crissy Taylor were best friends with Alan Pinkerton and Melissa Carls. I'm about to get to how we do know that." He sat forward and laid a printout of a newspaper article dated November 2011 for Caleb to read. The headline read: Local Teens Found at Yonkipin Lake Identified. In the third paragraph, Caleb found the names -- Robert Hill and Crissy Taylor.

He then gave Caleb a print-out of the news article about the bodies found just the other day, giving the names Roger Pinkerton and Heather Carls as the victims."

"Strange. But how do you know James Hill and Vanessa Taylor were friends with Roger Pinkerton and Heather Carls, much less best friends?"

Lucius produced a photocopy of a page obviously from a yearbook, last year's yearbook, in fact, from the local high school. It contained a picture of two couples with their arms around each other smiling. The caption read Still Friends After All These Years, followed by their names, left to right: Roger Pinkerton, Heather Carls, James Hill, and Vanessa Taylor.

"Do you have--"

"A yearbook from ten years ago to prove Alan Pinkerton, Melissa Carls, Robert Hill, and Crissy Taylor were friends like this? Not yet. But--"

"--What?" Caleb's "what" conveyed give-it-to-me-now-I-need-it intensity that pleased Lucius.

Lucius handed over another photocopy. It was an obituary honoring Alan Pinkerton and Melissa Carls. Caleb scanned it until he came across the paragraph that read:

Robert and Crissy's best friends since grade school, Alan Pinkerton and Melissa Carls, presented heartfelt eulogies.

Caleb realized his jaw had dropped. Literally. "What is happening about this? I mean. What do I mean? Other people have seen this, right?"

Lucius shrugged. "I've been watching for reports updating news on it, but so far -- nothing. Want to hear what I'm thinking?"

"I can imagine. You want to dress up as Sherlock Holmes with me as your Watson and interview suspects."

"That would be fun, but no. A letter. I think we should write a letter detailing what we know and what we suspect and take it to the DA."

Caleb said it before he realized how stupid he sounded. He'd known Lucius long enough to know he wasn't kidding. Hell, if anything, Lucius already had the letter finalized and ready to mail certified, restricted delivery, and return receipt requested. But he said it.

"You've got to be kidding."

"In fact, I have the letter here. I was hoping you'd go over it, check the grammar, spelling, do that Flesch-Kincaid thing with it and help me finish it."

Caleb held out his hand. Lucius grinned and pulled an envelope from his backpack, and handed it over. Caleb pulled a three-page letter from the envelope, looked at each page quickly in turn, then returned to the first page to begin reading. He looked at his watch. "Are we going to do this now?"

"Absolutely. I want to get it into the mail today. I was thinking of couriering it, though."

"You mean dropping it off yourself."

"Probably. This afternoon. Unless you find something. But we can make changes right here, right now, tell my printer at home to print off a copy, and we can go by and pick it up on our way to City Hall. What do you think?"

Caleb shook his head, staring at the page in his hand. "Let me read."

~~~

Caleb found a couple of grammar hiccups. But overall, it was technically nearly flawless -- typical Lucius work.

Caleb found the logic of the piece undeniable on one level. On another, adding how serious an accusation it is, the reasoning might seem reckless. There was information so far undisclosed, such as the cause of death for Alan Pinkerton and Melissa Carls. He mentioned this to Lucius.

"I'm betting it's the same as for Robert Hill and Crissy Taylor." He handed Caleb a copy of the newspaper article from 2011, pointing to a line. "Overdose."

"But why? Why would they commit suicide -- or be murdered. I mean, really. There are a number of scenarios that could lead to an overdose. Still, you've got to wonder if there has been an investigation--"

"--If for no other reason than all of these -- coincidences."

Caleb nodded.

"Mainly, I think, if the DA hasn't already considered all of this, of course, I think that if the assumptions are true -- big if -- but if they are, then it ought to at least be looked at."

Lucius's eyes twinkled. "Do you think we should write a paragraph or section to extrapolate a theory?"

"Theory? Do we have a theory?"

"Our hypothesis. That James Hill and Vanessa Taylor murdered Roger Pinkerton and Heather Carls in revenge for the deaths of their siblings ten years earlier, Robert Hill and Crissy Taylor, murdered by Alan Pinkerton and Melissa Carls."

Caleb shrugged. "We'll put it in the form of a question. Kind of a 'What if' thing."

~~~

About a week after Lucius delivered the letter to the DA's office -- Caleb received a call from his office, so he didn't accompany Lucius -- Caleb entered the Panera. He saw Lucius was already seated at their booth. There was a man in a suit sitting across from him Caleb didn't recognize. Caleb quickly got his usual coffee and joined them.

"Caleb, this--" Lucius said. The man at the table stood, extended his hand, and introduced himself as Assistant District Attorney Stephen Hill. Caleb shook the proffered hand and glanced at Lucius, who gave a quick eyebrow flash.

"Assistant DA...Hill? Is that correct? Hill? Nice to meet you."

"Stephen, please."

"DA Stephen -- Stephen -- read our letter. He has some insight he wants to share," Lucius explained.

"Really?" Caleb set his briefcase on the floor and pulled a chair up to the table to see both Lucius -- to his left -- and Stephen on his right.

"District Attorney Mallard gave it to me to handle."

"Handle?"

Stephen had thick black eyebrows, dark eyes, and a piercing stare. When he spoke to you, he never looked away until he finished with you. Caleb could imagine he put many a defendant ill-at-ease on the witness stand.

Stephen's stare shifted from Lucius to Caleb. "I am the cousin of James Hill. He was--"

"--Friends with Roger Pinkerton and Heather Carls. We know." Not one to tiptoe around a topic. "How did they die, Stephen? Pinkerton and Carls, that is?"

"DA Mallard has asked me to relay to you both that your letter was appreciated. Realizing the connections between the people is impressive." He leaned forward. "In fact, how would you like to come work for the DA's Office as investigators?"

In response, and simultaneously, Lucius said, "No, thank you," and Caleb said, "Sure." Lucius and Caleb exchanged frowns.

"I'm kidding," Stephen said. His dark stare bounced between Lucius and Caleb as he spoke what came off as a prepared speech.

"This is a very difficult time for James and Vanessa, not to mention the Pinkerton and Carls families. I'm sure you appreciate that." Lucius and Caleb both nodded. Both were thinking: of course, it's a difficult time, regardless of the facts of the matter.

"The families -- all of the families -- involved have been friends for many years. Their children grew up together, they have dated each other. They loved -- love -- each other.

"To cut to the chase, what do you plan to do with the information you gave to the DA?"

"Information?" Lucius asked. Do you mean information like "facts," "knowledge," "evidence?"

"It's not evidence." Stephens's stare took on a twist as ominous as a cat doing airplane ears and psycho eyes.

"We were thinking about writing an article for --"

"--No articles. Listen carefully. If you were to publish that -- what did you call it? (He knew very well what they had called it.) Your hypothesis, you can expect all four families to sue you for defamation, including libel and slander."

"Slander?" Caleb asked. "You're the first person we've spoken to about this."

Stephen glossed over that little fact. "It will not go well for you."

Lucius leaned back in the booth and crossed his legs. "So you're saying there is absolutely no way our hypothesis holds water?"

Stephen smiled. "That's correct. Good way to put it. It holds no water at all."

The mention of water shifted Lucius's thoughts to Yonkipin Lake. What happened on those two nights at Yonkipin Lake.

What about with your -- would Robert Hill also have been your cousin?"

"Yes."

"What was the situation with his and -- what was her name?"

"Crissy Taylor," Lucius offered.

"Of course. What was their situation, Stephen?"

Stephen expelled a controlled breath between clenched teeth. "Robert and Crissy committed suicide. They were young and thought they were in love and their parents -- on both sides -- objected."

"Did Alan and Melissa date each other, too?" Caleb asked.

There was no immediate response from Stephen. What he did was stand up. He seemed to relish Lucius and Caleb having to crane their necks to look up at him. He was pretty tall.

"Play any basketball, Stephen?" Lucius asked.

"I think you should call me Assistant DA Hill from now on. I've told you what I came to say. If you publish anything like what you gave to the DA, you will be making a bad mistake. Am I clear?"

Lucius and Caleb looked at each other as if comparing notes. Before they had a chance to say anything, though, Stephen turned and left.

"I thought that was clear," Lucius said. "Did you think that was clear, Caleb?"

"Very clear, except..."

"What?" Lucius had a sly grin on his face.

"It sounded clear that there is more than meets the eye in the deaths of Roger Pinkerton, Heather Carls, Robert Hill, and Crissy Taylor."

"I think so, too."

They were silent for several minutes. Then, Caleb took his laptop from his briefcase and opened it on the table. Lucius also opened his computer.

"Do you really think writing an article about these deaths would lead to a defamation suit?" Caleb asked.

"Well, Stephen said if we published our hypothesis. I actually agree with him. A conclusion like that would be an accusation we might not be able to prove. We won't do that."

"So, we're writing this?"

"Hell, yes, we're writing this."

"We need to find out everything we can about the Hills, the Pinkertons, the Carls, and the Taylors -- all of them."

"And, what happened at Yonkipin Lake -- both times. That's going to take some more conversations," Lucius pondered.

"And more coffee. You want a refill?"

Lucius nodded. "This will be fun."