"Life seems to be a series of valleys and hills, much like the land where I live. Coming out of the depths from Jacob's leaving, I now find myself on a new pinnacle. Annabelle is pregnant! I'm going to be a grandfather. And dear Lord, Jacob will be a father. If only I could reach him. I've sent letters to the regimental headquarters, begging them to pass along the news. I even enlisted one of the local boys who just signed up to take a message along with him, in case he encounters Jacob, or someone who will have the means to reach him. He must know this news. It could make all the difference; it could be the one shining hope that brings him home to us and away from the madness of war..."
--excerpt from the private journal of Ephraim Barton
Smoky Hills Part 26
Wake Up Calls
"Trowa--wake up!"
The auburn-haired man blinked and sat up sharply, wincing at the stiffness in his back from sleeping in a leaning position.
Brilliant sunlight was streaming in the open door, and Heero was standing there with his arms folded across his chest and an exasperated expression on his face. "What are you still doing out here?"
"I--fell asleep?" Trowa guessed. He rubbed at his eyes. "I was talking to Leon, and I guess I must've dozed off."
"Well, get your ass up and into the shower, Doctor Dolittle. The cops called and they want us to stop down at the staging area and answer a few questions for the forensic guys. They asked me to bring the property map, too, so we can mark the location with sight lines and stuff for the report."
"Complicated," Trowa said with a yawn.
Heero gave a short nod. "Wufei used to go on and on about the details of investigations--how the climate affected remains. He was particularly fussy about acidic soil and the rate of decomposition it caused."
"At least he's not one of those bug guys. Y'know--the ones who are into determining how long someone's been dead based on how old the maggots are?"
Heero grimaced slightly. "He is, when it's a fresh corpse--or relatively fresh. In this case, bugs wouldn't do him any good, so I won't have to listen to any dissertations about what kind of flies they are and where they're commonly found." He shook his head. "Almost makes me glad we've got so little evidence--less for him to do. Once he determines time and cause of death, along with a positive age and sex, there won't be a lot he can add to the investigation."
"Fine by me," Trowa said with a barely perceptible narrowing of his eyes. He'd never been overly fond of Wufei, and even less so after the man had dumped his brother. "I'd just as soon not end up owing him anything."
"You don't. He examined the bone because I asked."
"He examined it because he likes being able to demonstrate his knowledge of forensic pathology."
"That too," Heero admitted. "But no matter how things ended between us, I am grateful he's willing to help."
"Least he could do," Trowa muttered, standing and stretching this way and that, loosening his stiff limbs. "Do I have time for coffee before we head down to see the cops?"
"Of course. I made a fresh pot before I went looking for you and realized you'd been silly enough to hang out here until you dozed off."
"Leon is very good company," Trowa smirked, winking conspiratorially at the big lion, who was gnawing lazily on the chunk of meat Heero had thrown into the cage the previous night.
"I'm sure he is. Let's go."
They headed inside and Trowa snagged a cup of coffee which he took to the shower with him, claiming his need for hot water to ease his aches was every bit as urgent as the need for caffeine.
He wasn't lying, either, as the steaming shower loosened up muscles weary from the previous day's hike, as well as stiff from sleeping in a sitting position.
"I will never do that again," he swore to himself, as he dried himself off and went to get dressed.
He downed his daily pain pills with the remains of his coffee and walked slowly down the stairs to find Heero waiting by the door.
"Here."
He accepted what Heero held out, grinning in delight when he realized it was an omelet between two slices of toast, wrapped in a paper towel to make it portable. "Hey, thanks!"
"I had mine earlier," his roommate replied, picking up two travel mugs. "I've got coffee to go, so you have something to wash it down with in the car."
"If we weren't related, I'd marry you," Trowa smirked.
Heero snorted and shook his head. "What makes you think I'd agree to that?"
"Because you love me so much."
"Yeah? Well, by that standard, maybe I ought to marry Thor. I love him, too. And he's way less trouble than you are."
"He found a skeleton, Yuy," Trowa objected, as they headed out the door and down the steps. "How can he be less trouble than me?"
"He doesn't talk."
"Oh, ouch."
"And he's never ordered magazine subscriptions in my name."
Trowa was forced to shrug and give an acknowledging duck of his head, as they climbed into the car. "Okay--maybe he's got an edge there. But then again, I've never chewed up your favorite pair of slippers."
"No, but you left them where he could, after using them to sneak out to the kitchen for a midnight snack."
"You knew about that?"
"I'm fairly observant," came the dry response. "I was a cop, you know." Heero paused as he said it. "By the way--since we're on the subject, I'd rather not explain my background to the local police. They seem to think I'm connected to the Forensic Institute, and for now I'd like to keep it that way. Let them think they're running the investigation; and maybe I'll nudge them in the right direction, if I think they're as clueless as they act."
"Why not just pull rank?"
Heero started up the car and put it into drive, heading down the long lane towards the main road. "First off, I'm supposed to be on leave. Une could reactivate me; but then I'd have to return to Sanc as soon as I'm done with the investigation here."
"She can't just put you back on active duty for a week or two?"
Heero shrugged. "I'm not sure exactly what she can do. But I suspect that leading an investigation here would indicate I was sufficiently recovered to return to duty back in Sanc."
"Not necessarily. Working on a cold case like this is a far cry from an active homicide investigation in a big city." Trowa's brow furrowed. "It's not likely you'll need to carry a gun here and risk having to use it."
Heero flinched visibly at his words.
"Sorry."
"Don't be. You're right. Working a cold case involves digging through files and interviewing people. The odds of ending up in a running gun battle trying to stop a serial killer are very small." He drew a deep breath. "I just don't know if Une would see it that way, or just assume that my ability to work a case means I'd be able to work any case."
Trowa nodded. "I see your point. So, for the time being, we don't mention to the local cops that you're ten times the detective any six of them could ever be." He grinned cheekily. "At what point might that change?"
"If they don't conduct a thorough, logical investigation, I might feel compelled to step in," Heero admitted. "But I really would just as soon let them try their hand. It's not like the case is going anywhere. And maybe they have a better knowledge of the situation, being that they're from around here. They could know something I don't--about vagrants in the area, or hunting incidents--something that happened some years ago, which could tie into the case. May as well let them exhaust their resources first."
Trowa snickered a bit nastily. "From what I know of them, I don't think they understand the meaning of 'exhausted.' Didn't you say the guy was watching a ball game the day you took the bone in?"
"Yes," Heero said rather sharply. "And while I realize there's a lot of down time in a small police station, I think the officer could have put his time to slightly better use."
"Like maybe studying the difference between human bones and cow bones?"
"Exactly."
They were at the access road by then, and Trowa busied himself finishing his breakfast, while Heero searched for a place to park that would put them as close as possible to the people they were supposed to meet.
"I don't want you walking any further than necessary," he explained, as he pulled the car between two police cruisers and over a few bushes to reach the side of the forensic van.
"Love you, too," Trowa purred, making a fake kiss in the air. He let himself out while Heero was shutting down the vehicle and grabbing the map off the seat.
"Let's go," Heero suggested, walking around to his side. "Chang's assistant should be nearby." He headed for one of the crew members, who was pouring coffee from a portable setup next to the van. "Excuse me. Where could I find Doctor Long?"
The man looked up and grinned. "You mean 'Digger?' He's right around the corner." He gestured with his cup towards the far side of the van.
Heero nodded and went around the vehicle, spotting the tall, lanky Doctor "Digger" Long bending over a table on which photographs were neatly arranged.
"Still working for Chang, are you?" he asked with a smile.
Long straightened up and turned, grinning in response. "Yeah, I am. Long time no see, Yuy."
"Not all that long," Heero said as they shook hands.
The other man's face sobered. "Heard what happened, with the kid an' all. Sorry about that."
Heero stiffened, but kept his expression under control. "Me, too."
He seemed frozen after that, unsure of how to proceed, so Trowa hastily stepped up beside him. "Hey, I'm Heero's brother, Trowa. Nice to meet you, Doctor--?"
"Just call me Digger. Everyone else does," replied the man, shaking the proffered hand.
"Digger," Trowa acknowledged. "Because you dig up the bodies?"
"I generally am the one who oversees excavation of the remains," he agreed. "I make sure we document each step of the way, so the data can be preserved for analysis."
"Bet you're glad to get one that's not fresh and smelly," Trowa joked, still trying to give Heero a chance to recover from the man's careless mention of the incident that precipitated his needing stress leave.
"Yes, and no," Long admitted. "Easier to do the recovery--but we've got a lot less information for my boss." He dared a glance at Heero, who was regaining his composure quickly. "You know how Chang likes his information."
"Plentiful and uncompromised," Heero said with a faint smile, echoing a familiar phrase. "Well--he won't get that here. This scene's probably been compromised by several years' worth of foot traffic and animal activity. And all you can take him is some dried old bones." He managed a malicious smirk. "He won't love you for that."
"Ah well," sighed Long. "I'm used to disappointing him. We've had quite a few old cases in recent months."
"Really?" Heero perked up, wondering if there could be a connection--maybe a series of crimes just coming to light. "Any similar to this one?"
Long shook his head. "Naw. Sorry, but you've got a unique case here." He gestured them to join him at the table. "We've got pictures of the skeleton before we began the removal process. Might wanna check them out first."
Heero leaned over the table, studying the photographs, and focusing on the ones that showed the arrangement of the bones in the ground. It immediately gave him a rough idea of the victim's height, though he knew that Chang's lab would have it pinpointed within hours. "You think your team will be able to come up with a good description?"
"Absolutely. We'll have age, sex, height and weight confirmed within twenty-four hours. Cause of death might take a bit longer. I mean, there was considerable damage to the skull, so head trauma is a likely conclusion. But there's also the chance it was post mortem damage, and that there'll be signs of gunshot or knife wounds on other bones."
"You didn't find any bullets?"
"None." The guy gave a shake of his head. "No clothes, either."
Heero looked sharply at him, his thoughts immediately turning towards a potential sex crime. "None at all?"
"Nope. Not even a belt buckle or button. Guy hadda be dumped there stark naked."
"Shit."
"Helluva thing," agreed the other man.
Heero looked at the other pictures of the clearing, trying to picture how a murderer might have chosen where to hide the body. But so much depended on knowing if the victim had been killed in close proximity to the dump site.
If he had been, someone could have dragged him to his current resting place. But if not, he'd have had to be transported to the location.
Heero rubbed his temple restlessly, scowling at the complete lack of clues.
"I take it you never had a cold case before," guessed Chang's assistant.
Heero shook his head. "I handled on-going cases back in Sanc. They had a separate department for the really old crimes they discovered. Most of what I know about investigating a case this old, I learned from Chang."
"He knows his stuff," the man agreed. "We collect up the data, and he puts it all together. He's pretty amazing at assembling the pieces into some sort of picture."
"Yeah--he was good at jigsaw puzzles, too," Heero said with a smirk. "Comes from those keen observational skills of his." He looked up at Long. "Tell him I said thanks for sending the whole crew out for this. I appreciate all the effort for a case that might be impossible to solve."
"Nothing's impossible," Long assured him. "Given enough time and patience."
"Now you sound like your boss," Heero joked.
"Or a fortune cookie!" Trowa piped up, glad the mood had lightened. He gave a rather sardonic grin. "But then, I always did think Wufei sounded a bit didactic."
"Oh, say that to his face," Long suggested with a wince.
"Any time," came the unrepentant reply.
"Um, to get back to the subject at hand," Heero nudged. "Didn't you want a look at the property map, Digger?"
"Ah, yes." Doctor Long looked at one of his crewmen. "Could you send for the police chief? He asked to be in on the briefing--something about making sure to keep the location under wraps."
Heero shared a smirk with Trowa, having given the police chief a lengthy lecture the night of their discovery. He was hoping the man had enough control over his officers and the volunteers on the scene to keep the information confidential--but he wasn't particularly convinced. He had a feeling they'd still have problems with trespassers, as word slowly leaked out in the small town. But they could deal with that if and when it happened.
Heck, maybe the farm's reputation would help on that score. Hilde had said that the owners used to be antisocial and reclusive--so maybe that, coupled with the discovery of a dead body, would ward off some of the less adventurous types.
And if that wasn't enough of a deterrent, Heero thought that perhaps he and two large, fearsome-looking wolfhounds could ward off the rest.
~*~
Duo and Quatre had been up since just before dawn, packing their gear and heading for high ground to watch the sunrise.
They were treated to the kind of view described in Ephraim Barton's journal--the hills swathed in morning mist that rose over the treetops like smoke as the sun warmed the air, and then gradually dissipated as the heat of the day settled in.
"It's pretty up here," Quatre said quietly from his position on a handy boulder.
"Yeah," Duo acknowledged, shading his eyes with one hand as he let his gaze sweep across the valley, taking in the green treetops and the sparkling blue of the reservoir. "Hey--c'mere and look."
Quatre walked up beside him, and looked where Duo pointed.
"Over that way you can see the overlook, kinda. Y'know, the one near the spillway? I took you there for a picnic once."
Quatre nodded. "Beech Bluff, you mean?"
"Yep. See there where the hill slopes down towards the dam? The bluff is just to the left."
"Not sure I can see what you're talking about," Quatre said apologetically, trying to discern the shape of the ledge through the green foliage.
"There's trees over it right now," Duo told him, only able to spot the landmark himself because he knew it so well. "But in the winter the rocks are easy to spot." His expression turned a bit wistful. "Solo an' I spent a lot of time up there."
Quatre smiled a bit slyly. "Looking for privacy, were you?"
"Yeah," Duo admitted.
"Y'know, there are laws about public indecency," Quatre teased.
Duo ducked his head, hiding a blush. "'S not like we did anything that crazy," he mumbled.
Quatre gave him a sidelong look.
"No, really," he asserted, looking up defensively. "Hell, Quat, aside from some heavy petting, an' maybe a blow job or two--"
"Most people would consider that public indecency if you did it on a public overlook."
"Public is a relative term," Duo pointed out. "Hardly anybody ever went up there. And even if they did, it's not like we were stark naked and fucking, or anything--there or anywhere else, for that matter."
There was a long pause, and then, "Never?"
Duo hunched his shoulders uncomfortably. "No," he muttered, getting up and going over to pick up his backpack and gear.
His boss looked at him in surprise, somehow having assumed from the way Duo talked about his former boyfriend that they'd at least had sex. "You didn't?"
"No!" Duo repeated with a scowl. "Get your stuff and let's get moving. If you want to eat lunch by Chapman Falls, we'll have to cover a lot of ground before noon."
Quatre followed his lead, loading up his gear and setting off behind the braided man as he started to hike down the rugged trail that was the second leg of their journey. But he spent the next twenty minutes or more trying to wrap his head around the new information about his long-time friend.
"You and Solo really never--?"
"Are you still on that subject?" Duo asked with a huff.
"Well--yes. I just always assumed you'd-- I mean, he'd--" Quatre threw his hands up in exasperation. "Well why didn't you?"
Duo stopped in the middle of the path, turning a glare to his friend. "If I tell you, will you fucking shut up about it?"
A slow smile spread across Quatre's face. "Are you embarrassed to admit you're a virgin?" he asked in amazement.
The hint of pink on Duo's cheeks gave away the answer, even as he shook his head and tried to shrug indifferently, turning away and resuming his walk.
"You are!" Quatre crowed, jogging to catch up. "Jeeze, Duo. Don't be. I think that's cool."
"You do?"
"Yes. It's actually kind of sweet that you two were waiting--"
Duo glanced over his shoulder and rolled his eyes. "'S not like that," he insisted. "We didn't talk about waiting or anything. It just kind of happened. I mean, shit. I was fifteen when he took off. And since he was eighteen, he coulda gotten in a lot of trouble."
"Trouble?"
"Statutory rape," Duo clarified. "One time Howard walked in on us makin' out in Solo's room over the store, and I thought he was gonna blow a gasket. He lectured us on how young we were, and what could happen if anyone found out--" He shook his head. "I dunno about Solo, but he sure scared the shit outta me."
They'd stolen away up to Solo's apartment during Duo's lunch break at the convenience store, seeking a bit of privacy, and one thing had led to another.
Kissing had led to touching--touching to stripping off shirts and stroking--stroking to fumbling at buttons and zippers and moving on to a more intense petting session. And they'd completely forgotten they left the door at the top of the stairs unlocked.
"What the fuck?" came a sharp exclamation from the doorway.
Solo scrambled hastily back, disentangling himself from Duo's arms, and Duo scooted right up against the headboard, eyes wide and startled.
"Howard?" Solo asked, looking halfway flustered and halfway pissed.
But the anger in the older man's eyes made him opt for an apologetic approach. "It's not what you think!"
Howard raised an eyebrow, his gaze sweeping over the two boys; their flushed faces, bare chests, and unbuttoned jeans.
"Okay--maybe it is," Solo conceded.
"It doesn't matter what I think!" Howard blurted. "It's the kind of trouble you two could get into if anyone else found out about--this!" He gestured to their compromising position.
"Nothing happened, Howie," Duo assured him. "And besides, Solo's my boyfriend. It's not like people don't know we're a couple. We were just--fooling around a little."
"And where do you think 'fooling around' leads?" Howard asked scathingly. But his wrath seemed mainly directed at Solo. "You're eighteen, kid. He's fifteen. Ever heard of statutory rape?"
"Whoa!" Duo yelped, pushing away from the headboard and throwing his arms around Solo from behind. "Don't even go there, Howard. Solo didn't do nothin' I didn't want him to. There's no 'rape' involved--even if we did go that far--"
"There is if he's of age and you're not," Howard corrected him. "Solo could go to jail, Duo. Is that what you want?"
Duo turned wide eyes to his boyfriend. "Is he right?"
Solo shrugged uneasily, not quite looking back at Duo. "Maybe technically. But there'd have to be someone to make the accusation. An' it's not like Father Maxwell's gonna find out and blow the whistle on us."
"Could Howard?"
Solo glared hard at the old man. "I s'pose he could, if he actually caught us in the act."
Howard glared back. "You know I wouldn't do that to either of you. But I expect you to be the mature one, Solo. You're the one who'd take the consequences, legally. But emotionally, it'd be Duo. He's the one at risk here. He's not old enough for what you're starting."
It was Duo's turn to glare. "I am so!" he snapped. "Jesus, Howie--y'know how many kids in school are having sex at my age? Lots of 'em."
"And they aren't ready for it either," Howard said firmly. "But at least they're with someone just as young and immature as they are--not someone older and more worldly."
"Worldly?" Solo echoed in disbelief. "Where d'you think I've been, old man? And what do you think I've been doing? I'm from Smoky Hills as much as Duo is, and we've grown up together. Why should I be any more 'worldly' than he is?"
"Because lately you've hung with a different crowd," Howard pointed out. "Those guys from the garage and the lumber mill that hang out at the State Line Bar are way the heck older than both of you. I guarantee you've heard and seen things Duo's clueless about, haven't you?"
Solo shrugged, looking vaguely uncomfortable. "What are you saying, Howard? You think I've been sleeping around, while Duo's back at the orphanage doing his math homework? That's what you make it sound like."
"And am I wrong?"
"Yeah, you're wrong!" Solo growled, even as Duo snuggled a little closer and shot a stubborn look at Howard. "I'm with Duo. I'm not out fucking someone else. I don't want anyone else!"
"But what you want from Duo may be more than he's ready for," Howard pointed out with a bit less vehemence. His expression softened, and he frowned in concern. "Think about that, why don't you? Think about Duo." He shook his head. "I don't wanna find you in the position I just did until he's at least in his senior year--or at all, truth be told. Don't you think you can wait that long--long enough for him to mature emotionally, so he'll be ready for the same things you are?"
Solo scowled, but gave a short nod of his head. "Of course I can wait. I'm not trying to pressure Duo into anything." He glanced aside at the sparkling indigo eyes, and the teasing smirk on those kissable lips. "If anything--he started it this time."
"Yeah I did," Duo breathed in his ear, resisting the urge to nibble on it, because he knew that would just set Howard off even more. The braided boy looked over his boyfriend's shoulder at the whiskered shop owner. "It's nice of you to worry, Howie. But don't just blame Solo for something that takes two of us, y'know?"
Howard put his hands on his hips in the classic gesture of sternness. "Fine then. I'll blame ya both." He shook a finger in warning. "I don't want to catch you two at this again, do you hear me? Or I will tell Father Maxwell. And I'll let him decide how he wants to handle it. He may not be as open-minded as an old man like me." His grey eyes narrowed as he stared back at Duo. "Keep that in mind. If you want to risk Solo gettin' arrested, just keep this up. But if you don't--the two of you better take a step back and slow down a bit, before the wrong person sees you doing more than a little public hand-holding."
"Yeah, Howie, we will," Solo said quickly, before Duo could argue. "We'll take it easy. Promise."
"You damn well better mean that," Howard warned. "And by the way, Duo, you're supposed to be downstairs stocking that milk cooler, aren't you?"
"I'm on my lunch break--" Duo protested.
"Which ended five minutes ago," Howard pointed out, tapping his watch. "Why d'you think I came up here looking for you?" He shook his head. "Got more of an eyeful than an old heart like mine can take, though. So get your ass downstairs and back to work, you mouthy little whelp!"
Duo hastily grabbed his shirt off the floor and threw it on, leaning to drop an apologetic kiss on Solo's lips. "See ya after my shift ends," he promised, before dashing out the door, buttoning his shirt as he went.
Howard paused for a last, stern look at Solo. "Go slow with him," he cautioned. "You know he's just a kid--a real sweet kid. Don't ruin what you have by rushing him."
Solo sighed and nodded, acknowledging that Howard was right. "I won't," he said firmly. "He does mean the world to me, Howard. I promise you that."
"Then act like it, okay? Work on building a life together before you jump straight into sex. It'll be better for both of you."
"Yeah," Solo admitted. "I s'pose it will. Thanks for the advice, Howie--and for caring about Duo."
"I care about you both," Howard corrected him sharply. "Don't forget that, either!"
"I won't," Solo told him, finally mustering a genuine smile. "Thanks for that, too."
Duo hadn't been there for the tail end of the conversation, but Solo had filled him in about it later--causing a whole new round of blushing as he recalled the embarrassment of having Howard walk in on the two of them.
"Maybe that's a good thing," Quatre said carefully, breaking into his wandering thoughts. "I mean, if you'd gone ahead and--done it--and then Solo left, wouldn't it have been worse?"
"I dunno," Duo shrugged. "Sometimes I wonder if that's why he left--'cause he got tired of waiting for me."
"If that's the case," Quatre said fiercely, "then he didn't deserve you!"
"Yeah, right," scoffed the braided man.
"No, seriously!" Quatre burst out indignantly. "If he wasn't willing to wait until you were old enough, both legally and emotionally, then he wasn't much of a boyfriend, was he?"
"He was a great boyfriend," Duo said stubbornly. "We were together from the time we were kids, Quat. He was my best friend before he was my boyfriend. And afterwards, too." He looked up with a defiant expression. "He talked about us being together forever. And he meant it; I know he did."
"Then why'd he leave?"
Duo walked for a moment in silence, obviously contemplating the question. And just about the time Quatre was sure he wasn't going to reply, he did.
"I wish I knew," he said softly.
TBC...
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