Bro would not worry any longer about the out of control fern growing up the dead tree out in the empty piece of property next to his clinic in Oilpaugh. He knew at some time fern would come up from the ground and invade the small landscaped outdoor waiting area he kept for his patients. Soon enough he saw a small sprout of fern over by the far edge. So one cooler Sunday Bro gathered a rake, a shovel, and several trimming tools and a good amount of drinking water. It might be a hot day. The fern grows up from the ground and hides the tree.

First to pull the fern down from the tree and then cut it lose from the stems growing up from the ground.  Only then could you get down to the root clusters and dig them out. This would cut off the long roots that grow along under the ground looking for other trees and bushes to climb up on. So Bro reached as high as he could with the rake, and this is pretty high with Bro reaching, and hooked the rake into the fern. He pulled and it took all his strength to get some of the fern loose and pulled away from the rest.

Pull by pull, and bottles of water later, Bro was able to get enough of the fern loose where he could pull it down and along the ground. He cut the roots and pulled the vines away from the dead tree. There was still fern left to pull down. As he cleared most the fern away he could see a lot of debris, trash, leaves from the dead tree heaped beneath the fern. The cut root stems were standing up through the debris. The clutter would have to be removed before Bro could dig down to the roots of the fern.

Bro does not shock. As a Veterinarian he had seen animal remains in most places and all possible conditions through his work as a forensic authority for the Coronary Office. But still. At first it was the rats. Bro danced away as they ran by. Then some bones, with some flesh left on. Fragments of clothing. Human? Then the snake coming out of a hole. The ‘hole’ is the eye socket of a skull. Human. Bro thought to himself ‘this is not how I wanted to spend a Sunday!’ A case here. Ugly. Bro hoped this one wouldn’t land on Frank and Sam.    

***

Now Sam and I know why there were so many smirks and exchanges of looks when we walked into Sheriff’s office this morning. Sheriff sent word late yesterday that he wanted to see me at 9:00. I did not have to wait at all outside the door, much less the usual twenty minutes or more like the other times. Sheriff was all smiles and with great enthusiasm told me of the case. Called me by my first name. The part everyone enjoyed the most is where Sheriff said I have to go to the morgue and examine the remains to begin my investigation. At least Sam would get to wait outside in the truck.  

When I walk into the morgue Ed the Coroner was having mid morning ‘nutrition,’ donuts and a quart of beer, seated at his desk over by the autopsy tables. Some remains, I bet the ones I came to see, were covered on the table next to his desk. “Frank good to see you. Have to keep my strength up. Where is  Sam? I might find a bone for him.” “Thanks Ed, Sam wanted to wait out in the truck.” “About the subject you came to see, he’s dead Frank.” “An old joke Ed, but you know how to bring it off better than any other Coroner I know.”

There was a snake in a cage next to Ed’s desk. “I get to keep the snake Frank. One of the advantages of this job.” “Do I ask the snake for the victim’s name?” Ed pulled the covering back from the remains on the table, with a look of amusement at my reaction. I have learned to look but not see and will spare a description of what I could see, if I wanted to, which I didn’t. “Meet a Mr. Rex Merdd.” I can only say “What do you know so far?” “We identified the body from papers and jewelry with the scraps of clothing.”

“As of now he is not on any missing person list. Here sometimes we see missing persons that no one misses very much. There was a struggle. Violent. Some of his finger nails are completely broken off. Some fingers on both hands are broken. Several of his teeth are broken top and bottom like great force closed the mouth. One hell of a fight. There is a wallet and a money belt. Not a lot of money but plenty enough to take. So no robbery. No forensic evidence of another person involved. And no clothing that wasn’t his. Who was he fighting?”

“Thank you Ed. That is what we have to find out. If anything else turns up in your examination let me knew”  “You know I will Frank. You never have to ask me that.” I know Ed, sorry.”  “How’s Lonestar? He helps me out here sometimes during the busy times, after Wedding parties, Tent Revivals, gatherings of that nature.” “Sheriff allows me to deputize Lonestar. We are going to have to talk with a lot of different people for this case.”  “Lonestar’s the kind of guy if he asks you a question you want to answer.” “You are right about that Ed.”

***

I was able to talk with Lonestar later that same day. He has been working as a hairdresser. Rusti invested in a beauty parlor and Lonestar was helping until she could hire licensed professionals. During his time there the parlor found its customers. Rusti and Lonestar were talking when Sam and I walked in. I waved at them as we went over to our favorite booth. In a little while Lonestar walked over and slid in. “Bro told me about the case. He said he’s sorry it landed on you.”  “I can add one Deputy. We hope you can help us.”

“Yes I will Frank. Rusti hired some kids just out of school. Good kids. I helped interview them. The ladies are fun. I can go back from time to time to help again. Right now I would like to get back outdoors. What do we know so far?”

“Nobody could find evidence of a violent attack by anyone, but we can’t believe there was none. Alcohol likely had been a part. The City Police found an almost empty bottle of spirits with his prints. The large-sized bottle.” “I found out about those once Frank.” “The gentleman in question was a high-ranking executive at The Valley Land Company. Lonestar, you worked at Valley Land?” “I spent some summers checking the accuracy of land survey readings, not all but some selected with a random number table.” “Lonestar the last anyone at Valley Land saw him was three or four week ago.”

“We are going to be talking with the people there. And with his friends outside of work.” “Frank I will go there by myself first do some unofficial questions of my old coworkers, see if I can learn anything ‘off the record’ so to speak.” “Exactly. Find out if anything dramatic or unusual happened about that time. While you are there I will find out what Merdd did and who saw him on that last day that led him to the fern. I will start with the Sheriff and Police reports for the several weeks around the time that he disappeared.”

***

Before I could get started doing much Sheriff called me back to his office. “Frank, Pastors in some of the churches over by the county line are preaching that Merdd was attacked by demons. We have no evidence of an attacker so it must have been demons because demons do not leave any part of themselves for humans to see. No telling what all people will do if they think demons are running around loose. Frank. The Department has plenty other problems. We need to announce ‘persons of interest’ soon. Frank.” “We have already started investigating  Sir” “Well don’t let me keep you. Frank.”

I began with the Police blotters for the time. That is the first thing I have to do. One of the other first things I have to do is go visit the fern where the body was found. With Sam. Bro met me there and said he hadn’t disturbed the site since he found the body. Sam sniffed as if it was smells he hadn’t encountered before, and they were. He centered on a piece of stained cloth. It was caked with chunks of blood and flesh. I picked it up with the tip of my hunting knife and placed in an evidence bag.

Then to the original other first thing. I looked through the calls and complaints and arrests of the Police and Sheriff departments for a three week span. All the possible time range that could include the day Merdd ended up in the fern. The only report that might help was from Settlement. Several there called the Sheriff to report a ‘crazy man’ who went through the camp pushing over shelters, attacking inhabitants, screaming they were ‘losers’ and that he was ‘not going to end up back there.’ The man used his head, as well as fists and feet to attack anything near himself.

  The inhabitants were successful in working together to chase him off. He was bloody and stumbling, fell several times, and took the road that went towards Oilpaugh. Some said he was carrying a bottle of spirits. We will have to go to Settlement to question people there. That will be later. Important now to hear what Lonestar learned at Valley Land. Police Chief says people are calling in with reports of demons if their trash can gets tipped over. If they get a flat tire. If the cat gets sick. Some neighborhoods have organized demon patrols. Are attacking some of the homeless people, thinking they are demons. Not what we need.

***

   ‘Is he really dead?  Are you sure? How do we know?’ That is what Lonestar said was the first thing his contacts at Valley Land asked him. “There is a lot of fear and hesitation to talk, even from people I knew from my times there. After they were assured that he was dead they said Merdd really turned mean after he stopped drinking a few years earlier. And any people who would want to get back at him lined up will go on down around the block. A long block. Otherwise I don’t think all his friends taken together will take up much of our time.”

“Frank we will have to go out there again. Several said Merdd took most of his anger out on one person, a guy named Freddy or the like, an Engineer they think. The best person, the one who will know the most, is the top Executive Secretary Mary Fuss. I met her when I was there. It was smart to know Mary. Mary likes to talk, and listen. We have to tell her what we know.  She has been there 30 years and has spent 29 of those on the phone with the other secretaries. Frank you always want to be on good terms with the secretaries.”

Mary did not like being away from the telephone. We met at a place in town with outside tables, and found one off by itself. Mary has an expressive face and large eyes that dart about. After I introduced myself I told her that we would be discussing details of the case that are not widely known and must be kept confidential. Her eyes light up. Then, looking left and right before I spoke lowering my voice. I told her we were investigated this case as a crime. Her eyes dart about. I told her about the discovery of the body, vividly.

Lonestar smiled at her. “Mary this is important and what you say to us stays here.” I added that any detail she could remember, no matter how small, could be of help to us. She wanted to talk and she wanted to be coaxed. Lonestar added “Mary what should we know?” She looked down, then said “he was brought up in Settlement. He would not allow any mention of the place. Once he said it should be destroyed.” “Some said he once was a drinker. Have you heard this?” I asked. “Yes” she answered. “He quit completely years ago and since took out his anger on the employees under him.”  

Then Mary seemed especially angry. Merdd had a ‘special assistant,’ a man quite hated, named Peep. He carried a notebook he was always writing in. He would peek around corners and make notes about employees. He would walk down the hall stopping to look in the small windows in the office doors. He would make a note if the secretary in the office did not appear to be working.  If he saw a laborer seated to catch his breath Peep would sneak up behind them and say ‘don’t get too comfortable there.’ And then make a note. Merdd used Peep’s notes to stop employees from getting raises for the new year.

Lonestar then asked her how can we talk to this man Peep. Mary answered that he disappeared at the same time as Merdd.

“Did the Company do anything to reign Merdd in?” “No” she answered. “The Board tolerated the high turnover in employees because it saved them money to always pay entry level salaries. Merdd got a lot out of newer workers trying to prove themselves.” He would have an assembly, all employees. He accused former employees: ‘too many forgot that we are in the land business. And the water business. To get as much land as we can,  To control water. To get as much as we can for the water that is used on the land. We do not do Social Work. We do not do welfare.’ And so on.

“And” she added “profits kept going up.” “Do you know of any former employees that would get revenge on him? We need names here.” “You have your pick” she answered. “just use all their names, past and present.” Then she seemed to think of something, to be hesitant to continue.” “What is it Mary?” Lonestar asked. Mary answered. “He couldn’t get Teddy to leave, no matter what he did. Then when he did leave, just after was the last time we saw Merdd.” Then she added  “Oh yes, did he ever leave!” After a pause, Lonestar said “Mary, tell us about Teddy.”

***

Teddy, full name Teddy Floe. He is a Water Engineer educated to the highest level at Institute with study at several similar universities. He spent his childhood at different times in Old World where he learned some of the ancient languages. His job with the Valley Land Company is the water allocation and distribution for current and new lands acquired. Teddy is a master of writing proposals that request water from the State and National government agencies that controlled water supply. Teddy publishes papers in learned journals of water and land studies. It seem the better he does his job the more he becomes the focus of Merdds’ rage.

Mary told us Merdd told the Office Secretary in Floe’s department to destroy any notes or letters she received that praised Teddy in any way. ‘I get the praise’ he muttered. And we were able to verify some incredible stories Mary told us by questioning people in the community.

On a rare weekend free Teddy took his wife out to dinner. Just after they ordered a waiter came up to Teddy and said he had a phone call. After he left the table Merdd came from around the corner and sat in Teddy’s seat. He had a stack of folders with him. When Teddy came back to the table Merdd said he was sorry to intrude but that he had some urgent questions about some of the proposals Teddy wrote. He started to ask banal questions about sentences as Teddy stood there. A kind waiter brought Teddy a chair. When he sat down Merdd said ‘don’t get to comfortable there. We have work to do.’

Some diners at nearby table were getting angry. Teddy patiently answered the questions. A couple dinners got up and complained to the head waiter. One asked ‘who do you think you are?’ There were angry looks. Merdd got up with a smirk and flushed face. It looked like some dinners might attack him. Teddy got up and walked with Merdd out. Teddy’s wife had tears running down her cheek. When he got back Teddy put his forehead against her’s and said something that soothed her. The head waiter brought a champaign bucket to the table, on the house. The dinners surrounding them stood up and applauded. Teddy’s wife looked at the bucket and smiled.

 We found out about a similar story from several of Teddy’s neighbors. Mary said Teddy took only one vacation during the five years he was there. He and Family planned a car trip up the coast to Rain North. The Family loaded the car mostly the night before and just as the sun was coming up they all got in the car and started backing out the driveway. Right before the car got to the street Merdd drove up and blocked the way. One neighbor said Merdd was waiting down at the end of the street for several hours waiting for Teddy to try to leave.

Merdd got out of his car holding a stack of reports. Neighbors heard some of what he said ‘just a few questions. won’t take long’ and the like. Merdd  questioned Teddy at length. Would not look directly at him, look off to the edge of his shoulder. Would not listen to any answer. When Teddy’s wife started to get the kids out of the car to wait back at the house Merdd ran over to her holding his arms out at full length waving his hands back and forth saying he was almost finished. He went back to questioning. Several times he stopped and turned and walked back towards his car.

Then back to Teddy and the neighbors heard ‘one more thing.’  Teddy’s wife would get out of the car again and start to get the kids out. Merdd again arms straight out and hand waving back and forth insisting that he was almost finished. That he was sorry but it was important. The neighbors watching this were outraged. One went in his house and came back out with a hunting rifle. Suddenly Merdd walked back to his car, slammed the door and took off. One neighbor told us he asked Teddy why he put up with such. Teddy said nothing negative. He answered about managing land and water.

***

The Sheriff had me in again this morning. The County honchos have had him in. The Mayor lives in the City Police Chief’s office. Enterprising types are casting silver coins into bullets and selling the loads for hundreds each. Buyers are waiting. ‘Citizen’ groups are patrolling carrying sharp wooden stakes and large hammers. Nobody should be out at night, especially if they seem like anyone’s idea of a demon. Rusti says business in  the evenings has fallen off, except for the Regulars. When the bus comes at night a lot of the passengers don’t get off to go into Rusti’s. She makes sure all customers have rides home.

Lonestar and I kept up our investigation of Merdd’s last hours in between the times we questioned witnesses and put together the narrative of all that happened at the company. There we learned that in fact he had been brought up in Settlement, of which he was most ashamed. And confirmed that he had once been a serious alcoholic and, to his credit people thought, he quit drinking altogether. I brought the evidence I had kept in a bag from the crime site and let Sam smell it. Then Lonestar and I followed Sam as he started to trace the path Merdd took from Settlement that last evening.   

It would be a pretty good walk from Settlement to the empty lot next to Bro’s clinic, but could be done over one night. The route followed a little used road lined with neglected bushes and trees. There was way more debris and trash than we could have examined. Sam kept us on the route. After little more than an hour Lonestar stopped us and picked up a small piece of debris that looked like orange wrapping paper. He asked us to wait and went back along the route. About twenty minutes he came back with a similar piece of paper. He put them both in an evidence bag.

I thought Sheriff wants ‘people of interest’, not paper, but did not say anything. Just as I had that thought Lonestar picked another piece of the orange paper. And a few more before we reached the lot where the fern hid the body. We took another look around, trying to look at everything without any thought of what we were looking for. Except for another piece of the orange paper we found nothing else out, except we know the path taken. And we knew it was a  path that might give us other witnesses to that evening. So next we interview several of the ‘officers’ of the ‘Guild.’

This being The Open Skies Guild, the organization that officially doesn’t exist of homeless people. If you ask a homeless person to help you get in touch with the Guild Master you will be told he doesn’t exist, and then you might be asked, ‘why do you want to talk with him?’

“We need to talk to the Guild Master. Some of the churches think demons disguise as homeless people. You better help us.” It didn’t take long after Lonestar talked to some homeless before we were approached by several of the ‘open skies’ community. We do not know which one was the ‘Guild Master.’ That was not important. They remember Merdd on the path we traced. He started a number of fights, screaming at the homeless that he was not going to be one of them. The homeless fought back. They told us ‘he hurt some of us, but we picked up what ever we could to swing at him and get him to move on.’

So Merdd suffered more injury along his journey to the fern. ‘Tearing at his face. Gnashing his teeth until they broke. Screaming at the sky. Crawling on the ground.’ This is how some homeless described how they saw him that night. This is enough to explain his end for us. But maybe not enough yet to satisfy the public or Sheriff. No ‘person of interest.’ We looked for all the possible, none there. The only thing left is when Teddy left the Company. Is this part of the story then? We remember that Mary said  ‘Oh yes, did he ever leave!’ Now we go back to see Mary.

***

‘It was the Awards Ceremony we have every five years. It is a solemn event attended by all employees.’ We met with Mary and several other department secretaries in Merdd’s former office. The other secretaries all dressed and talked like Mary. They all were happy that Lonestar was there. They told us the ceremony is to honor the employee what did most for the company since the last ceremony. All agreed that Teddy would certainly get the award. When the night came Teddy and his wife arrived. The wife was all dressed up and was carrying a gift wrapped box in a large shopping bag.’

“You could see some ribbon showing at the top of the bag” one of the secretaries said. They agreed it must have been a present she would give Teddy when he won the award. Lonestar gave me a look. When all employees arrived and were seated Merdd came to the microphone at the stage. He was holding a piece of paper and a shiny metal trophy with a marble base. And he had his special assistant Peep with him “We wondered why Peep was up there. Then we found out.” Mary continued. “Merdd asked Teddy to come to the stage. Teddy whispered something in his wife’s ear as he got up from their table.”

As Teddy stepped up on the stage Merdd seeming very pleased handed the sheet of paper and the trophy and said to the assembly “In recognition of all he has done for the Company we ask Teddy to present tonight’s award.” The audience was stunned as Teddy read the proclamation praising Peep for his service. He then graciously handed Peep the trophy. Peep could not look him in the eye. There was dead silence in the room. “I look over at Teddy’s wife and she had a slight smile on her face. Then things changed. Teddy stayed in front of the microphone. Teddy’s wife walked up to the stage and handed Peep the shopping bag.”  

Then Teddy spoke along these lines. ‘He thanked “Mr. Merdd,” and Peep, for the leadership and mentoring and support they provided him these last five years. And for the challenging projects they gave him. Which all makes the moment “bittersweet” as with great reluctance he is announcing that, sadly, he is leaving the Company.’ Gasps from the assembly. ‘It is a difficult choice, and I am humbled that the Company made it possible for me to move on to, for me, a higher opportunity. I am going to work in land management for the National Government. The Bureau of Land Administration. There I will be responsible for water allocation compliance for our Southern District of The Valley.’

‘Merdd’s face turned purple. The assembly let out a deafening shriek and stood up cheering and applauding. Merdd stumbled quickly towards the side door, Peep holding the trophy and shopping bag ran after him, calling for him to “wait for me.” That was the last anyone there saw either of them.’

***

Several evenings later Lonestar and I sat in a booth at Rusti’s. Bro and Rusti joined us. Sam had a saucer of beer. Lonestar had coffee. The news since was that the City Police found the remains of Peep in Merdd’ garage. The trophy was lying next to him, the marble base bloodied. The shopping bag was partially under him and empty except for a few pieces of orange wrapping paper. No one in town patrolled with silver bullets and sharpened wooden stakes any longer. Passengers get off the bus now and come in. The customers are back. Rusti asked us what did we think of it all.

END

A Possible Epilogue

“A wise man once told me to understand ‘Do you fight with your head or with your heart.’” Lonestar took a sip of coffee and continued “sometimes you don’t have time to think so its all heart. Well, you always have to think some, but times come with you can’t use your heart at all. One of the secretaries said she once told Teddy that it enraged Merdd that Teddy did not get angry or hurt at anything Merdd did to him. Teddy smiled and mouthed silently ‘I know.’"

We talked about ‘persons of interest,’ or the lack. It is bad not to have one. The closest would have been Teddy. “No evidence” Lanestar said. “Just some wrapping paper all along the path. Put that in the trash. A shame the way people littler.” I continued ‘It can be worse to name someone. Could Teddy keep that new job if named? Bro asked “what was in the shopping bag? That’s the key to this story.’ We looked at each other. All could figure out what the wrapping paper wrapped. And what was in the shopping bag. We left the conclusion unsaid. 

“That’s what caused him to destroy himself – the same demons that caused him to try to destroy Teddy.”

“Merdd fought his final battle with his heart then?” Rusti asked?