Return To Point Hollow Ch. 02

"Interesting." I said. "Anything else, anyone?"

Teddy Parker said "Just these tidbits, sir. Irene Ward is the third cousin of Marie Ward Arruzio and Cherie Ward. Same great-grandparents. Their fathers were first cousins, and their grandfathers were brothers." (Author's note: 'Case of the Murdered Lovers' for Marie Ward Arruzio; 'The Eightfold Fence', Ch. 02. and 'Reichenbach' for Cherie Ward.) "Also, Stephen Wilson was Dr. Mickelson's student. And Aaron Bennett had been before his DUIs and changes of major."

"Good." I said. "Okay, Detective Warner, you are unleashed. What do you have?"

Joanne said brightly "I've been researching the history of Point Hollow. First, the Town was incorporated in 1840, and was a frontier town known mostly for farms and the railroad junction. The University was chartered and started in 1867, and the Town and County grew a good bit after that."

Joanne: "The Point Hollow property was land-granted to a man named Lysander Westbrook in 1850. He planted the orchids and groves of trees, and farmed the land. Yes, he had slaves, who were freed after the Civil War ended, and every one of them left. Now that is interesting because many freed slaves, especially in the South, stayed on the properties where they'd been slaves and worked the farms as employees, sometimes as indentured servants. So for all of the freed slaves to leave suggests bad or harsh management, or some other reason to get out of there."

"And in light of the later spooky things going on there," I said, "maybe there were indeed 'other' reasons for everyone leaving. Sorry to interrupt; keep going."

"Yes, sir." said Joanne. "Anyway, the farm kept going, and it's possible that University students stayed there as boarders during the summers and farmed the land. But over time, especially after 1882, according to old tax records, the land stopped producing good crops, and the groves stopped producing good fruit. But the Westbrooks somehow held on to the property, having other businesses like the Dry Goods store in Town... right where this Police Headquarters is now."

"Still, that was a long trip from Point Hollow to Town or to the University in those days." said Detective Sergeant Roy McGhillie. "They didn't have cars like we have today."

"True." said Joanne. "Anyway, the Town Archives are pretty good and go all the way back to the incorporation of the Town, and the records have been preserved on microfiche and now on data servers. In 1957, Thomas Westbrook died, leaving no male heirs. So the property went to his eldest daughter, Beverly Westbrook Bonniker. Her son was the man who owned The Cabin, Commander Troy, and he also owned Point Hollow. After he died, several claims were made on the estate, including by this man, Dr. Charles Westbrook."

A photo of Dr. Charles Westbrook was displayed on the projector screen, and it caused an instant sensation. "Mamma mia!" I exclaimed out loud among many gasps in the room.

The man on the screen looked just like Pastor Raymond Kyle Westboro, the Consultant of Crime!

Joanne said "That was my first reaction, too, sir. But when I put up this photo of Pastor Westboro, you can see that they look similar, but not exactly alike." Indeed, when the two photos were put side-by-side, one could tell that Pastor Westboro's very pronounced beak nose, prominent forehead, and (to me) sinister eyes and disposition were not exactly matched by Charles Westbrook's less pronounced nose, slightly 'softer' features... but there could be no doubt...

"Wow." I said. "They're related."

"Yes sir." said Joanne. "I traced the family lines all the way back to Lysander Westbrook. Thomas Westbrook, who died in 1957, was born in 1897. Thomas's mother died in 1900. Thomas inherited Point Hollow upon his father's death in 1950, and he, Thomas, had been a respected person in the County, and a County Councilman for years."

"But here's the 'strangeness', sir." said Joanne, obviously addressing me in particular. "The desk person at the Town Archives is a woman named Joan Davis, probably no relation to Jerome Davis here."

"Maybe our family was her family's slaves in the past." said Jerome.

"May be." Joanne said. "All I know is that the Intendent, Adele Peabody, is Mrs. Davis's niece. And Mrs. Davis said her mother knew a woman that had claimed to be a descendent of the Westbrooks. That woman's family Bible was bequeathed to the Town, and was still in the Archives. And in the middle of the Bible were the family's births and deaths. One of the births in 1904 was 'John Westboro, née Westbrook."

Joanne: "Mrs. Davis said her mother's story was that John Westboro was the illegitimate child of Thomas Westbrook and a young woman who was possibly a maid at Point Hollow. The woman and her son were sent away, which was all too common in those times. So I got into the Census reports, and John Westboro first appears in the 1930 census, having a wife and two sons, and living in Coltrane County. Those sons begat sons, one each. One of those sons died ingloriously in a helicopter crash at Cemetery Hill a few years ago." That would be Pastor Raymond Westboro, I mused to myself. John Westboro must've been the Consultant of Crime's grandfather.

"So like Ishmael and his mother were sent away by Abraham..." I said out loud, "... John Westbrook was sent away, and we ultimately got the Consultant of Crime as a result. If memory serves me correctly, Pastor Westboro made a claim on the Point Hollow estate, didn't he?"

"Yes sir." said Joanne. "And First Baptist Church renewed the claim as Pastor Westboro's formal heir. It's still in legal limbo."

Joanne continued: "Anyway, the other grandson of John Westboro, Charles, legally changed his name to 'Westbrook', got his doctorate in Psychology from the University of Missouri, and worked in St. Louis for years."

"St. Louis." I said. "Hmmm, that's where Angela Harlan came to our Town & County from..." I went into a reverie, but it was short-lived.

"Commander Troy," said Commander Ross, a bit shakily, "you took a photo of that painting in the Point Hollow house, didn't you?"

My eyes widened as I realized why Cindy was asking. "Yes. Yes I did. Here, let me send that to you, Joanne. Put it up with these other photos." Joanne did so, and everyone gasped. The girl in the painting was obviously closely related to Dr. Charles Westbrook.

"Yep, she's related." I said. "Good observation, Commander Ross. Very good." I explained to everyone else about the painting that had mysteriously appeared over the fireplace at the Point Hollow house. "So now we have to discover who she is, and what her relationship to all this is."

Then I said "Joanne, this was outstanding work, really outstanding---"

"I'm sure this is all very interesting to some of you," Savannah Fineman's voice cut in, "but shouldn't we be focusing on the mass murder?" The air in the suddenly silent room seemed to become thick with tension.

"That is exactly what we are doing." I replied.

"Mizzz Fineman," said the Chief, "if you are bored, no one is keeping you here. You are free to goooo at any timmmmme." Savannah looked angry, but stayed in her seat.

"O-kayyy." I said. "Again, Joanne, outstanding report. And all of you have done a great job gathering this data. So, who wants to wrap up?"

"I will, sir." said Captain Tanya Perlman. "We now know what killed those six people and affected the twelve others. We also know that there were at least 25 people at the site at the time, and that seven are still unknown and at large."

Tanya said "I would think that this Dr. Charles Westbrook needs to be found and interviewed. I also would like the pastor of the 'World Outreach Church' that Lawrence Evans attended, a 'Brother Terence Ballard', to be found and interviewed. The 'World Outreach Church' is in the City. And we'll have to talk to Dr. Mickelson at the University."

"I'll handle that personally." I said. "Commander Ross, are you busy?"

"Always, Commander Troy." said the Green Crowbar. "But I'll go with you, anyway."

Part 8 - Practical vs. Supernatural

As we drove to the University in my Police SUV, I said, as if answering a question, "Oh, I think we've made excellent progress today. Don't you?"

"Stop reading my mind." Cindy said with a wan smile. "Yes, I was wondering if we're really any farther along to solving this case. It seems we've just created more questions."

"And that's how cases often go." I said. "You know that. So what's bothering you?"

Cindy said "That painting at Point Hollow. It would seem to have absolutely no bearing on the case, but I can't shake the feeling that it's very important."

"I think you're right." I said. "Despite what the brilliant ADA Fineman said, that historical information, and that painting, are very, very important parts of this story, if I don't miss my guess."

"And you never do." said Cindy, right on cue. Then she said "By the way, after this I'm going to have to begin recusing myself from your investigations. Because of the new Charter, this just became an Election year, even though it's an off-year, and that means we have to have the Budget submitted and passed by the Town Assembly before Election Day. I'm about to be swamped."

"Roger that." I said. "Just slip a pay raise into the Police Commander's position."

We drove up to the back loading dock and parked in the 'Authorized Vehicles Only' space. I'd never been towed nor told to move my vehicle if I parked there, and expected it would be no different this time. We got out and went inside, and up to Dr. Mickelson's office. His assistant said he was in his lab. We went there.


Dr. Mickelson was elderly. It seemed that his beard had become more gray than the last time I saw him, and he seemed a step slower. His eyes were still bright and peering, though.

When he looked up and saw us, those eyes wilted considerably. "Ah, I thought you would be coming here." he said. "At least you came personally, Commander Troy. Stephen Wilson? Aaron Bennett?"

"Yes sir." I said. "This is my Police partner, Commander Cindy Ross. Commander Ross, Dr. Mickelson, holder of the Biology School's Gregor Mendel Chair of Genetics."

"Very nice to meet you, young lady." said Dr. Mickelson as he shook Cindy's hand. "How do pretty girls like you become Police Officers, anyway?"

"Brains as well as beauty, Doctor." I said. Cindy blushed a bit.

"Yes, I can see that." said Dr. Mickelson. "Medal of Valor, too. So! Let's go sit down in the classroom next door." We made our way down to a classroom that had tables and chairs. We brought chairs into a circle and sat down.

"Yes, I heard about Stephen and Aaron." said Dr. Mickelson. "Stephen was one of my two remaining students. He had a lot of promise, but his grades started slipping last year. And Aaron Bennett, he was a pre-Med student, and pretty typical of them... arrogant, competitive to the nth degree. Then he got busted for DUI, and then got busted again. The first time, a mistake. The second time... a cry for help. And that cry for help went largely unanswered. Aaron changed majors, then went to Chemistry instead of Biochemistry again. He's been drifting ever since."

"You said Stephen Wilson had been slipping, too?" I asked. "Any idea why?"

"I'm not really sure why." said Dr. Mickelson. "He was a good student in all his classes to begin with. Then last year he did very well working with me, but he paid no attention to his other classes. Failed one, got a 'D' in another. I told him he was devoting too much time to our work, as if he were a grad student, and that he needed to pass those other classes."

"What work was he doing with you?" I asked. "Sigma radiation? Titanium-44?"

"Harumph!" huffed Dr. Mickelson. "Titanium-44. The new darling of the Astronomers. Mind you, I have nothing against them, and Dr. Steele is doing brilliant work with her theories. But when my own students dropped our studies of Sigma radiation and started looking for Titanium-44 at Point Hollow, that was too much."

"Why would they look for Ti-44 at Point Hollow?" I asked, genuinely curious and genuinely not understanding.

"As you know," said Dr. Mickelson, "we found some Astatine at Point Hollow, and we speculated that it might be a byproduct of ion engines that would be used for interstellar travel. Well, when these guys heard of Titanium-44, they thought it might be used to make antimatter for some kind of warp drive engine, also necessary for interstellar travel. But no Titanium-44 or anything suggesting it was ever found at Point Hollow."

I nodded. "And Stephen and Aaron were both pursuing that?"

Dr. Mickelson looked up at me and said "No. At least not officially. Behind my back, maybe."

I looked over at Cindy, who asked "Doctor, did Stephen and Aaron visit Point Hollow frequently?"

"Stephen did, with me." said Dr. Mickelson. "We'd go out there once every two weeks or so, take soil samples. Your Police Officers know us very well, and have always been cooperative and let us in. I think Stephen and Aaron went at other times, as well."

Cindy said "When was the first time each student visited there?"

Dr. Mickelson said "Stephen started going about a year ago, and when Aaron... it was further back."

Cindy said "Did Stephen start having his problems with his other classes at the time he went to Point Hollow for the first time? And maybe Aaron got his two DUIs right after his first visit to Point Hollow?"

That seemed to strike Dr. Mickelson hard. "You know, young lady... that might just be... yes, now that you mention it, it was right about the same time. But you don't think Point Hollow is the reason, do you? It hasn't affected me in all these years I've been going there."

"Me neither." I said. "But the legend of the place may affect some more than others. Doctor, do you know a Dr. Charles Westbrook?"

"That old quack?" snorted Dr. Mickelson. "He came to see me a while back... not very long after you arrested Estes for murder." (Author's note: 'Point Hollow', Ch. 05.) "He wanted to know about the legend of Point Hollow, and the evil things that allegedly happened there. There was something... not right... about him."

"Thank you very much for your time, Doctor." I said. Cindy and I made our goodbyes and left.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * *

"Speaking of something not right." Cindy said as we got into my Police SUV and buckled up. "Something's not right about Dr. Mickelson, either."

"He looks like he's in very poor health." I said. "I also happen to know that he's just about done here. He's losing his students, and one of his last two just died. His papers aren't being accepted for publication anymore; no one cares about Sigma radiation... except Slender Man enthusiasts, of which I am decidedly not one."

"That's because you whipped the Slender Man's slender ass." Cindy replied. "I saw it myself." (Author's note: 'Return of the Slender Man', Ch. 02-03.)

"Somehow, my back doesn't feel like I won that one." I replied. "But I lived to tell the tale. Anyway, I could see that Dr. Mickelson was frustrated about the Titanium-44 thing. His students were migrating to studying that instead of his stuff. And Dr. Charles Westbrook is known to Dr. Mickelson. And that was a good observation you had about those students's problems beginning after they visited Point Hollow for the first time."

"Yeah." said Cindy. "Don, you may think this is weird, but I think what's going on isn't a practical matter, or the Rovers BAU unit, or testing some kind of drugs. I really think something wicked is going on at Point Hollow, something abnormal..."

"Something supernatural?" I asked. When Cindy just looked over at me, I said "You may be right; some things happening there ain't normal. But six people were murdered while 12 others survived. And I want to know the practical reason why those six were chosen for death...

* * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Meanwhile...

Senior Detectives Theo Washington and Teddy Parker arrived at the large metal building that was the World Outreach Church. Going inside, they saw the rich maroon red of the carpet on the floor and the pulpit, nearly 1000 chairs, and the two television monitors on either side that showed the words of the hymn being sung as well as testimonials from new members telling their stories of being saved.

"Can I help you gentlemen?" asked a young black woman who had appeared out of a side door.

"We're looking for Brother Terence Ballard." said Teddy Parker.

"Brother Ballard is a busy man." the woman said. "Would you like to make an appointment?--- oh." she said as Theo exhibited his TCPD badge. "Come this way, please."

She led them through the side door and into the office areas, and to the office of Brother Terence Ballard. "Reverend," she said, "the Police are here to see you."

"Come in, then." said Terence Ballard. He was in his early 30s at the most, black, relatively short, especially compared to Theo. He was handsome, clean cut with only a pencil mustache, and wearing a well-fitting suit and tie. "How can I help you gentlemen?"

"We're here about a former member of your church." said Theo. "A Lawrence Evans?"

"Oh yes." said Ballard. "He left the Church some four months ago. Is he in trouble?"

"No sir." said Teddy Parker. "You may have heard of the mass casualty event in our home Town & County---"

"Oh no." moaned Ballard. "Is he...?"

"No sir," said Theo, "he survived. He's recovering well in the hospital." Ballard looked very relieved. Theo said "Can you tell us more about him? And why he left your church?"

"I don't really know." said Ballard. "He was a very devoted member of the church. My secretary that brought you here, Jolene? She was his fiancée. He seemed very happy."

Theo said "How active in the church was he? Did he speak or give sermons?"

Terence Ballard replied "He was becoming one of the young leaders. Let me tell you how these large megachurches work. Dr. Charles Stanley was the pioneer, and showed us the way. Everything is based upon small groups. Members are encouraged to find and join a small group that interests them, and the groups meet for Bible studies and Sunday School classes, they often socialize during the week. Lawrence and Jolene were part of a young singles group, then they began dating and moved to a young couples group. Lawrence sometimes led the lessons in those groups, and was under consideration for church-wide duties and possible election as a Deacon."

"Anything happen that made him change?" asked Parker.

"About six months ago," said Ballard, "Lawrence began asking me about The Revelation... the Bible book Revelations. About the Second Coming, and the End of Days. We had a few discussions about it, and he said he was looking up stuff on the Internet about it. About a week before he stopped coming to the Church, he asked me a lot about the demons in the Revelations, and I told him honestly that I didn't know all that much about them."

"And then he didn't show up for Sunday services, and sometime that week Jolene told me he'd broken off their engagement." said Ballard. "I never heard from him again. Jolene may have, but I don't want to speak for her."

"And no reason at all for him dropping off the map like that?" asked Teddy Parker. "Did he start hanging out with bad people? Influenced by another church?"

"Not that I know of." said Ballard, his eyes skirting around a bit. "Again, Jolene might know more than I do about that."

"Thank you for your time, Reverend." said Theo. "Would it be okay if we talk to Jolene for a few minutes?" Brother Ballard nodded his assent.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * *

"We were very happy," said Jolene. She was very pretty, and her hair was combed long and straight down her back. Her body was like a model's, tall and thin, but Theo observed the beginnings of a 'baby bump'.