Murderous Lawmen

People cheered when the 'donut' was performed and the red team watched almost in bewilderment.

But the honeymoon was over forty-four seconds into the game when the red team intercepted a sloppy pass and from forty-five yards out the red striker shot for goal and caught the blue goalie napping. The crowd, excited by such early action, cheered as the ball slammed in to the back of the net.

Half-time was called with the red team taking seven shots, two being stopped, one going in and the others going wide. The blue team had one penalty shot and the goalie practically had time to do her nails as the miss-kick rolled straight to her, slowly, to be picked up and booted downfield.

Ash grinned at his players as they bit into their quarters of oranges as if they were tasting lemons.

"Right you are only two down. Great work. The other team must be really worried."

The girls looked at him stoically.

"Right this is where we attack. As soon as we gain possession I want the ball to out to Janice. Dribble down right up to their winger Janice and then step left, taking care to keep the ball in play. She looks a weak link and will have anticipated you would go to her other side. You then put a high kick in front of Sandra who will be barreling down center field and Sandra you will have noticed the tendency of their goalie."

"I shoot to her left."

"Spot on."

"Okay that's all. Some of you need to tighten your defense and Shona and Eileen at times you leave a gap by both going for the same attacker. Watch what you are doing and only one of you commit. Right have a natter while I relax."

Ash grinned when he heard Michelle say, "Isn't he supposed to be bawling us out?" and then Ellen say, "No dummy. Half of you would cry. He's expecting you guys to play soccer as if you mean it and you know that and he's told us to thump those bitches in the closing minutes."

"Thanks Ellen," Sandra said. "Time's almost up. Go out and keep alert and play with precision. I'm sorry I fucked up that penalty shot; it won't happen again."

The blues trapped the first pass by the reds right on start-up that was misdirected and the ball went across-field to Janice who only just managed to keep the pass in play. It went like clockwork and thirty-eight seconds into the second half Sandra rammed the ball into red's goal and many in the crowd went wild.

Unfortunately less than a minute later the red team conducted a melee in front of blue's goal and a cross kick went out to the right wing and was returned as a high kick and was headed into the net.

That took the score to 3-1 to the reds.

Thereafter the blues defended well and kept the reds scoreless and with seven minutes to go Sandra calmly slotted a penalty kick at the place where the goalie had been standing before lunging to the right.

Down only 2-3, the blues heard the senior team's coach screaming at her girls. They looked at their coach who was talking to his girlfriend Clara and then he waved.

"Listen up you lot," Sandra said. "So far in the second half all our attacks have been down the wings. This time when I get the ball Ellen and I will drive hard down center field with short passes to you Ellen and Ellen you take the shot because they'll be expecting me to take it."

"Oh god, it will be my moment of infamy if I miss. Okay."

"Cross me when I pass you the ball and they'll know that's not your good side."

"And if you are wrong and they close in on me?

"Put up a header to Linda waiting near the left post."

"A header... me?" said Linda. "You know I'm the shortest and weakest attack player in the team."

"Yeah funny that," Sandra said. "And those in the red team will have figured that out. Our coach says to beat a stronger team we need to be foxy. Well this is being foxy. You can do it; just don't panic."

With three minutes to go Sandra seized the opportunity to attack forty yards out centerfield and Linda ran into position and they were off and the tactic had the reds scrambling. The header went to Linda and it was as if time stood still for the blues. The kick was a little too high but somehow Linda leaped high enough to allow her head to graze the ball late.

It hit the left post and deflected into the goal beating the goalie's outstretched hand.

Half the blue team did a donut with others scramble back ready to defend the onslaught.

The game finished 3-all, the elite players running at the social players to congratulate them.

Their coach rushed over and kissed Ash and was heard to say, "Thank Christ your girls didn't beat my girls."

They then went out to congratulate the players. When the blue team went to their dressing room they had to pass through two lines of players from the teams they'd played against outside of college. That was a huge moment for the underdogs. The blue's manager, Diane Fields, who'd been standing alongside Clara and Ash and hugged and kissed him when Linda headed in the goal to draw the game, came out of the dressing room and said, "The girls are ready for you coach."

He went into the room and was mobbed and a number of the girls pulled up their tops and were braless and wobbled their tits at him.

"Put them away girls but thank you. That's an impressive display. You all did tremendously as a team and Sandra all credit for you in coming up with that brilliant final attack. I have faith in you and recognized you were a leader and rather a sly bitch. Brilliantly done and worked with Ellen and Linda who helped make it work. God Linda, I couldn't believe how you got up that high."

"I was motivated by the thought if I failed Sandra would plant her boot up my butt."

The excited females screamed with laughter.

Two days later, there was a meeting of the two coaches, plus head coach Willy and the college's chief administrator of sport and fitness. It was decided that next academic year women's soccer would be combined into one unit of three divisions. The premier team would play in the intercollegiate league, the senior team would play in the district Senior A-League and the social soccer teams would play each other and friendly exchange visit matches would be organized with junior teams from nearby. Ash was promoted to assistant chief coach for women's soccer and would coach the A-League and the social teams.

CHAPTER 4

Bevan Copeland called Ash to advise that a cold case homicide squad would investigate the death of his parents.

"Oh great Bevan, and thanks."

"The authority for the investigation has come from very senior level. Doubt raised over the claim of the stolen shotgun would have been the principle trigger, I feel, and also the suspicion that the local and State investigations may have been inclined to give too much weight to the credibility of the sheriff and his deputy testimonies."

"Well I think those are reasonable assumptions. As you know, I remained suspicious all along."

"Quite and this is a case that needs to be solved but I prefer not to say why."

"So what now?"

"The investigation will begin at the scene so sit tight. You will be interviewed in due course, extensively I would think because this will be an excruciatingly thorough investigation. You better be absolutely clean."

"Yes indeed. Well that's what I wanted, a thorough and trustworthy investigation. I'm truly thankful Bevan."

"Thanks and I hope you get closure out of this. I expect we'll meet again because my niece says you two are going seriously. I called her first and she'll be waiting to hear from you."

Ash called Clara and said, "A victory, at least tentatively, for the little guy and my poor unfortunate parents."

"Indeed. Why Uncle Bevan called me first I have no idea. Perhaps it was because I initiated the meeting."

"It doesn't matter. My big hope now is the new investigation will turn up vital evidence."

"Well here's hoping. Do you want to come over and tell my parents? There are unaware of this initiative."

"Yes and thanks, I'm on my way."

One Saturday morning five weeks later Ash received a call at 7:00 a.m. from a Mr Gulliver who identified himself as a member of the three-person cold case squad investigating the murders of Ash's parents.

"I'm parked outside fifty feet away from the entrance to your college residence. Is that where you are now?"

"Yes."

"Is it convenient to come out now to my black Ford Explorer. I need to stop somewhere for breakfast and we are due at a hotel where you will be extensively interviewed by the panel. This could take from two to four hours."

"That's fine. Give me ten minutes to shave and change into street clothes."

Ash walked up to the driver's window ready to ask for ID but Agent Gulliver held a badge up to the window and Ash recognized it.

"The meeting will be at the Hotel Royale so could you direct me to a café nearby."

Agent Gulliver paid for Ash's breakfast and coffee.

As they sat he said, "I'm Gary Gulliver. The head of the team is Christine Oliver and the third member is John Knox. The interview will be recorded and you will be requested to speak the truth at all times and to make it quite clear when you are theorizing. We are interested in your theories and to learn the basis of any such conjecture. That's all I can tell you at this point."

At the hotel the over-weight and hard-eyed Christine Oliver was straight into it as she introduced the third member of the team. Ash wondered if she saw him as lean and handsome with the look of a lying assassin. He told them to call him Ash.

"Ash this is a formal interview and we will call you Ash to avoid any confusion with the name of your late father. Please address us as Mrs Oliver, Mr Knox and Mr Gulliver."

Ash was asked to identify himself and he produced his passport and three other forms of identity, having anticipated being asked that question. He was advised his whereabouts at the time the neighbor heard the gunshots had been confirmed as being 178 miles away at a rally conducted by the Greendale Car Club. The investigating team had obtained a time stamped photo of his car finishing and then another photo, not time stamped but confirmed it had been taken minutes later of him and his co-driver Lance Warren taken leaning against the car within five minutes of them crossing the finishing line.

To the question had he either directly or indirectly organized the shooting of his parents Ash said no, definitely no.

"Do you find that question offensive?"

"Not particularly because I know it had to be asked."

Another hour of questioning and comment followed and the inquiry stopped for a coffee break.

Mrs Oliver's first question after the break was who did Ash suspect of killing his parents and he said he believed they were killed by Sheriff Bates and his nephew deputy Frank Lynch when the sheriff accompanied by his trusted deputy went to Ash's parents' ranch where the sheriff wished to beat up his father to get even. He then filled in details.

He then added, "Are you aware that Deputy Lynch is Sheriff Bates' older brother's son?"

"Yes and confirmed," Mrs Oliver said. "That relationship was established by the first and second enquiries."

"That's good. Now this is something I've since discovered. The neighbor who reportedly raised the alarm after hearing shots at my parents' ranch house, Tom Herbert, is the brother of the Sheriff Bates' late mother and that means he's the uncle of the sheriff. In my view that gives further credence to my theory of the visit going horribly wrong ending in two shootings, the first possibly being accidental."

The three agents looked at one another and then made notes.

"I have no proof of this of course. My theory is that mom produced a .32 handgun when the shouting became threatening and possibly Deputy Lynch moved in to disarm my mother and in the struggle the gun went off and she was shot through the side of her throat, or rather her neck. Dad roared and lunged at the sheriff who swung up his shotgun and blasted dad in the chest."

"Those two lawmen panicked and cleared off taking both guns of course. My theory is they went to the sheriff's uncle who lived next-door and told him what had happened. As a result of that Tom Herbert told them they had to get rid of the incriminating weapons and to drive off a little way and he'd call the department saying he was concerned about hearing gunshots over at the Burton's ranch house and the call would go out to the nearest unit and that of course would be Sheriff Bates and his deputy Frank Lynch. This is all conjecture but I say it fits."

"Okay, we have heard your side of things," Mrs Oliver said. "Is there anything more you wish to say?"

"No apart from my thanks for this cold case inquiry and that I wish it success to bring the killers of my parents to justice."

"Anything else?"

"No."

Mrs Oliver said, "Ash do you promise to keep the details of this interview with you confidential and particularly what we are about to discuss."

"Yes of course. We don't want the media becoming involved and raising false trails."

"Was the early allegation that you may have hired an assassin correct or false?"

"False, absolutely. I believe it was a heartless prefabrication, a total slur and I deny the allegation emphatically. Consider this, would a professional assassin use a shotgun and even more laughable and .32 handgun what is on the verge of being a toy gun although, admittedly, at close range it can kill. Any guy paid to kill someone would surely use a high-power and short-barreled rifle, but then I'm no expert on the modus operandi of assassins."

The three agents were making notes again.

"Ash we visited the former Burton farm where the new owners Harry and Ellen Smith had only recently moved in. Mr Smith said you had explained your theory about the killings to him shortly after the inquest decision was released and he said he found it plausible. What do you say to that?"

"Harry has been around for a long time and is rather wise. That's all I can say. He had been managing the property for me since I left the district to come here and everything went fine and he and his wife recently purchased the property from me."

"Could Harry have shot your parents to get his hands on their land?"

"No Mrs Oliver. Harry and my father were more than friends, they were buddies and I've known Harry all my life and say emphatically he doesn't have a greedy or treacherous bone in his body."

"He told us you suggested he manage the ranch and refer to your late father's diaries he'd find in the house. It would have a year's work plan and record would have been achieved and that information would provide a useful guide. He found diaries that were useful but not the current year's diary."

"Jesus, dad would have recorded the punch-up he had with the sheriff. Sheriff Bates would have taken the diary when they went to investigate the report of gunfire possibly suspecting my father might have noted details of that fight and that could be regarded as suspicious behavior of the sheriff with his shotgun also missing. Omigod, that's it. This should nail the slippery bastard."

Mrs Oliver said, "Yes it could providing we find the diary and find the missing shotgun. One never knows."

"One last question Ash, where do you think that missing diary and missing shotgun are? The pellets removed from your father's body tested as regular issue buckshot and Sheriff Bates' department used regular issue. If we can locate the missing shotgun containing the second cartridge there's a real chance that forensic examination can establish whether that gun was used to kill your father."

"Alas Mrs Oliver I have no idea. The guns and diary could have been dumped in a river or lake or tossed into a ravine or buried. Who knows?"

"Well that ends this interview," Mrs Oliver said, announcing the time, date, place and details of the person being interviewed and the nature of the enquiry. Agent Knox then turned off the digital recorder and the backup recorder.

"Right Ash," Mrs Oliver said. "Where do you think the emphasis of our investigation should focus?"

"Is this on the record?"

"No absolutely not. I feel this is your enquiry, not ours."

"Go get them Mrs Oliver and thanks for those kind words. I suggest you fall on sly old Tom Herbert like a ton of bricks. In my view he's the weak link and will crack first, believing he's not really implicated."

"Thank you Ash. You may be pleased to know that Sheriff Bates thinks this is a cold case enquiry and wasn't told representations were made on your behalf to have it launched. Moreover, no one else will be told that somehow you got to our Director's ear. Take Ash back to his college Gary."

Gary and Ash were waiting for the elevator when Ash had a sudden thought.

"I need to go back to tell Mrs Oliver something."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes it could be vital."

Mrs Oliver asked what he wished to say.

"There's a disused well on Tom Herbert ranch behind the barn nearest the house. I remember when I was about twelve he showed it to me, removing the steel plate from over it and he dropped a rock down and we heard nothing, no splash but of course it could have dropped into wet mud. He told me it was a dry well and was one mile deep."

"One mile?"

"That's how some guys lie to kids to impress them. The diary and the two guns might be down that well if the sheriff asked his uncle where they could safely dump the weapons."

Mrs Oliver said flatly, "And they returned with the diary and dumped that?"

"Possibly."

"Well that sounds plausible Ash but don't hold your breath. We'll organize a specialist team with the right equipment to take a look while we have Mr Herbert in for questioning. I understand he lives alone. The well will have been dug by hand I suppose if it's that old?"

"Yes. From memory it was 3 to 3½ ft. wide at the wellhead. Remember there could be recent fingerprints on the steel cover."

"Not your prints I'd hope."

"No Mrs Oliver," Ash smiled, "and not from eleven to twelve years ago. Tom would have got me clear before pulling off the cover."

* * *

Ash told Clara when they were driving to downtown to see a movie that he'd met the investigation team and had been at an interviewed that lasted almost two hours.

"But I've been asked to talk to no one about the enquiry and agreed to that. This is for your ears only but I feel confident the team is very thorough and it has narrowed its focus."

"Well I think after what you told me they should concentrate on that old guy on the neighboring ranch who called about hearing gunshot. I think it's very suspicious that he made the call and yet saw no one arrive or leave your parents' ranch. If he heard gunshots surely he would have heard a vehicle arrive or depart?"

"Yeah well I gave a similar line to the investigators saying I felt Tom Herbert knows a lot more than he's letting on, but enough of this. We now just have to wait. How's pussy?"

"What?" Clara asked and then saw his leer and said, "God you are disgusting."

But that didn't stop her snuggling up as close to him as she could get with the center console and higher storage bin presenting a barrier between them.

Eight days later Ash had just left a college café and was heading to the gym when Mrs Oliver called him.

"Ash Burton speaking."

"Ash this is Christine Oliver. I'm calling from outside the college's main gates. I need to speak to you privately."

"Okay park where you are and I'll come down."

Ash wondered if she intended arresting him to answer lies conjured up by the sheriff and kin. But perhaps it was about a breakthrough? He hoped so. This had dragged on for far too long.

Mrs Oliver had parked in an open area. Ash flashed his lights and as he walked across Mrs Oliver reached across and opened the passenger door of her green coupe.

He slid in beside her and asked, "Do we kiss?"