Hidden Memories

By Glenda Parker

Running from an abusive relationship Jeanie Wilson hides in rural Nebraska. Out for a jog she witnesses a murder. Afraid for her life she runs. Talking to the 911 operator, she trips and falls into a tree trunk. Severe head trauma causes memory loss. Sheriff Michael Brown rescues her and sends a deputy to the hospital to guard her. Jeanie’s picture runs in local papers and is picked up by national coverage. Her hiding place revealed now two killers are after her…one she knows and fears…one she can’t remember but both are trying to kill her.

Sheriff Michael Brown finds Jeanie at the base of a tree. He’s drawn to this beautiful woman and is determined to keep her safe. Michael must protect his witness from the attacks of the enemies and find the man responsible for the crimes spree in his county. Can he trust a woman after his heart has been broken? Could God have a plan for them?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Lulu.com
• Release date: Sep 23, 2014
• ISBN: 9781312488656

Book preview

Hidden Memories

HIDDEN MEMORIES

By

Glenda Parker

A Pine Ridge Investigation

First Edition

Copyright  August 2014 Glenda Parker

All rights reserved

ISBN: 978-1-312-48865-6

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Common Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported

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DEDICATION

I dedicate this book this book to my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ

Who brought me through the storms of life

Who loved me unconditionally

I dedicate this book to my friends and family who made this book possible

Jeremiah 29:11 For I know the thoughts that I think towards you, says the

Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.

New King James

CHAPTER ONE

Jeanie Wilson collapsed on a fallen tree trunk in the middle of the woods behind her house. She had just finished her morning run. She pulled a bottle of water from her backpack and took a long drink. She glanced around as she dropped her backpack in front of the log. As she drew the bottle to her lips again an angry shout shattered the serenity of the woods. Loud angry voices filled the morning air. Dropping the bottle, she jumped off the log as she slid behind a tree to listen. She’d never heard a human sound in the woods before.

Jeanie slipped quietly around the bushes. Two men were arguing. The man with his back to her was the shorter of the two. The other looked vaguely familiar. Tension in the air was so thick you could almost touch it.

The man with his back to her shouted. What ya thinkin, he took a step forward. I do what you say, all the dirty work. He pulled out a knife. I know things. He thrust the knife at him. You think I’m dumb. I’m smart enough. He laughed. You give me my money or I go to the Feds. I have stuff that will put you away for life.

How dare you. You think you can threaten me? The other man yelled. He took a threatening step forward, "Who do you think you are? I have a good thing going here. All I have to do is look under a rock and I can find three or four people

to replace you." He drew his Glock and pulled the trigger before the other man could respond.

The bullet pierced the man’s chest. Jeanie watched in horror as the man’s body jerked. His body seemed to stand still for a moment in time. Blood flowed from the wound in his back. Jeanie watched as his body slid to the ground. The shooter walked over to the crumpled body and turned him over with his foot. He laughed as he shot him between the eyes.

Jeanie forced a scream down. She covered her mouth with both hands.       She closed her eyes as terror filled her. So much blood could anyone live through that? Turning she ran as fear pushed her body forward. Hoping she was far     enough away, she pulled out her cell phone and dialed 911.  

911, what’s the nature of your emergency? The dispatcher asked calmly.

Out of breath she stopped for a moment trying to get enough air to       answer.  I just saw a man murdered! She gasped. A man just shot him        twice! She struggled to breathe and hoped the operator could understand her.

Calm down, who is this and where are you? The dispatcher asked.

My name is Jeanie Wilson. I’m in the woods behind my house. She

gasped. I live at 1428 North Q Street. Please send me help. There is a path.   Taking a quick breath, it’s behind my back yard.  Just follow the path. Please hurry. I don’t know if he saw me. He could be right behind me. Taking a quick look behind her she started running again.

"I have all your information in the system. The sheriff is on his way. I

need you to stay on the line with me until he gets there. Okay?"

The woods closed in on her. Panic rose in her throat. Her foot struck a    fallen tree limb. She fell head first into the base of a tree. Blinding white-hot-pain filled her head and shot through her whole body. Total darkness engulfed her.

The shooter stood over the motionless body, he shook his head. How     could anybody be that stupid? He brought a knife to a gun fight. He laughed.    Spike had tried to blackmail him. He knew where Spike lived and hung out.          The evidence shouldn’t be that hard to find, if it even existed. Mistakes like           this must never happen again. 

Grabbing Spike’s feet he drug his body to a shallow gulley and then

quickly covered it with dead leaves and tree limbs. The body shouldn’t be discovered before the animals took care of it. He couldn’t remember seeing     anyone out in these secluded woods. He didn’t know who owned it now that the Johnsons had moved away.

Circling around the area he headed in the opposite direction he’d entered from, just in case someone could have seen him walk into the woods. He scanned the perimeter.  

That fool might have left something incriminating lying around out here.  Spike had already been here when he arrived. How long he didn’t know. There

might be something left behind that could lead him to this so-called evidence. He would need to return and pick up his casings too. His gun was unregistered so they couldn’t trace it back to him but no use leaving a trail.

Starting down the path, he hadn’t gone far when he discovered a bottle         of water lying on a log. The half empty bottle felt cold to the touch. Someone        had dropped it there very recently. Did someone see what happened?  A witness would cause him to lose everything.

Putting the bottle back on the log he turned to follow the trail and tripped over a small backpack.  

Starting down the path he could hear the far-a-way whine of a police siren. Someone must have called the police. The siren came closer. He needed to find them.

Sliding through the trees he slipped into the dense brush glad for the      khakis he wore. Quietly he crept forward through the thick foliage, trying to    remain hidden from sight. The need to find them drove him on. Easing through      the woods he saw her. A woman lying face down under a tree. She must have   fallen.  Dead he hoped.  No, she moved. He needed to finish this before help   arrived.

Swinging up his gun, he aimed, and pulled the trigger, a snake slithered    over his foot distracting his aim and the shot went wild. Turning he shot the snake, the girl flinched at the sound and tried to turn over. He crouched quietly and watched as she struggled to turn over. Aiming his gun he waited as she sat up. As   he pulled the trigger she bent over to vomit. The bullet pierced her shoulder instead of her heart. Heavy footsteps came running down the path. Without a chance to aim he took a quick shot as a man broke through the trees. The bullet barely missed the head of the newcomer as it struck a tree. Leaning his head against the tree in front   of him, he holstered his gun, it was the sheriff of all people. Probably a good thing he missed him. Had to get out of here. Getting caught wasn’t an option.

Running back to the log he grabbed the backpack, no time for the shell casings but he would watch and see what was going on. Knowing these woods, he could hide in here a week and they wouldn’t find him.

A gun shot? Suddenly terror filled her woods. Lying face down in the dirt she tried to roll over but excruciating pain filled her. By the time she laid on her back she felt like she had ran a marathon. What was wrong with her?

She reached up and felt a lump the size of a grapefruit on her temple. The skin wasn’t broken. That was a good sign, wasn’t it? How could a head swell that much? She tried to sit up but only managed to lean helplessly against the tree. It    felt like her life was slowly seeping out of her body like the blood flowing from     her shoulder.

Her cell phone lay about ten feet in front of her but it might as well been     on the moon. She could hear a woman’s voice yelling from her phone. She tried      to scream to get help but no sound came forth. The silence of the woods was    broken by heavy footsteps and another gunshot filling her with terror. She slipped back into unconsciousness.

Sheriff Michael Brown arrived at Jeanie Wilson’s home before anyone else. It was a cute little cottage on the out skirts of town. He searched the area as he waited for back up. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary but he had an unusual sense of urgency. When one of his deputies arrived,  the sheriff left him at the house to guide the EMTs.

Michael had seen Jeanie around town. It was after all, a small town. Everyone knew everything about everyone. Anyone that beautiful was bound          to be noticed and talked about. He’d hoped to meet her, but under different circumstances. Not that he was looking for romance or anything. He had more     than his share of problems in that arena.

Michael heard gun fire before he entered the woods. Pulling his gun he

broke into a run. Just as he turned the corner, another shot rang out. The bullet

came so close he felt the stir of air as it struck a tree beside his head. Ducking

down he saw her leaning against an old tree, she was so still, her face so pale.

Was he too late?  He threw his body over Jeanie’s to protect her from the gun

shots.

Rustling brush came from deeper in the woods. Was the shooter fleeing?  After what seemed like hours of silence, Michael sat up, watching carefully as he moved. She was unconscious, her shoulder had been pierced by a bullet, and there was to be a large contusion on her temple. She had lost a lot of blood. There didn’t seem to be any other injuries. Opening her sweatshirt he checked her wound. The bullet had gone clear through. Pulling out his handkerchief, he stuffed it under her tank top trying to cover both sides of the wound to slow the flow of blood. It was totally inadequate.

He could hear Maggie Wallace, his dispatcher, screaming through the phone. It took him a moment to find the cell.

Maggie, I’m here. I found her, he told her as he scanned the area trying to keep low. She’s been shot in the shoulder, she has a serious head injury, and she’s unconscious. The EMTs should be right behind me. Where were they? Needing to track down this animal before he shot anyone else was a priority; but leaving Jeanie here alone was unacceptable. His blood boiled as he looked down at this innocent woman. Someone had just tried to kill her. He shuddered at the thought. Send   Sikes to the west side of the woods. Have him check for a vehicle parked over   there. Maybe we can get lucky and reach him before he can reach it. He needs to seal off the entrance. I don’t want anyone coming in or going out of this area. Call Casey and have him meet the ambulance at the hospital. She’s not to be left alone. We have no idea who is after her or what she has seen. Casey needs to keep everyone but staff away from her. Michael closed her phone and slipped it in        his pocket.

Jeanie, can you hear me? He touched her face as he tried to get her to respond. Such A beautiful woman. The perfect oval face, a small nose with just a few freckles sprinkled over it, long lashes fanning over her cheeks, a low forehead, and soft brown beautifully shaped brows. Her features were not necessarily what you would consider classically beautiful but they were lovely.  Just touching her face caused his heart to leap in his chest. Her skin was as soft and smooth as satin. His reaction to her caught him completely off guard. He had never responded to a woman this way not even Dana. The attraction terrified him. 

Jeanie, I need you to wake up now. Can you hear me? Running his    fingers through her short blond curls a zing of attraction flowed through him as       he pulled away.

Jeanie moaned softly.

No, don’t try to move. He whispered softly. Just open your eyes. Look    at me. I’m Sheriff Michael Brown. I’m here to help you. His reaction to her was difficult to understand. A need to protect her was so strong it overpowered him.     He didn’t even know this woman but his heart didn’t seem to understand that.

Movement appeared to bring her severe pain. A moan slipped from her      lips as she tried to open her eyes. The light seemed to blind her. Michael leaned   over to shield her eyes as much as he could. Finally they opened. The most   beautiful sight he had ever seen. A ring of midnight blue surrounded the outside edge, the center a pale baby blue. They were so incredible he could get lost in    them. The combination of her eyes and her pale blond curls took his breath away. His heart   felt like it would pound right out of his chest. He needed to get a grip    on his emotions. She needed help.

Jeanie, can you tell me what happened? Michael asked softly. Who chased you? He tried to control his anger at the thought. Do you know who did this to you? Growling he lost the fight.

Running. Jeanie managed breathlessly. Afraid. Someone chasing me. Her eyes didn’t focus properly. One pupil was totally dilated while the other   seemed responsive. Call for help. Fell. Her voice was soft and slightly slurred. She tried to lift up her head but was unable to.  Nausea took over and she rolled   over to vomit again.

Head feels funny. Arm is hot, won’t move. Jeanie’s voice sounded so weak. 

Confusion filled Jeanie, she looked into the warmest brown eyes she had ever seen. They were filled with compassion. Michael seemed genuinely    concerned. The fear slowly began to subside. She felt safe. Don’t worry about anything, he said reassuringly. I have help on the way. He stroked her cheek filling her with comfort. Right now, I just need you to hold still until the EMTs    get here. I can   hear them coming.  It won’t be long now. They will have you safe and snug in the hospital before you know it.  Michael stood slowly as the EMTs came around the bend. 

Jeanie hadn’t realized he was touching her face until he removed his hand,   a sense of loss filled her as she slipped back into the darkness.

Michael stood and faced the EMTs as they rounded the corner. Hurry   guys, she’s over here.

Michael looked back at the dense woods that had hid the assailant     moments ago. Was he still back there watching them? If he was in camouflage        he would be hard to detect.

The EMTs moved in to take over her care. They put on a neck brace to     hold her head still, checked her pupils, wrapped her shoulder, and took all of her vital signs. 

Michael answered their questions as best he could. Unable to share much with them but pointing out where she had vomited, knowing that could  be an important sign. Jeanie kept fading in and out as they tried to evaluate her.

The EMTs packaged her for transport. Michael had a hard time watching   her go but needed to find the shooter.

Daniel Moore, Chief Deputy and his best friend led the EMTs to the victim but stood back surveying the area as he waited for them to finish their assessment.

Moore, come with me, he turned to his deputy as the EMTs took Jeanie and left. There was someone shooting at Jeanie when I arrived. A bullet whizzed by me as I turned that corner. Maggie said she saw a murder. Let’s see what we can find.

Michael picked up his gun and then led the way down the path. They had walked about a quarter of a mile when they found a half-empty bottle sitting on a log.

Someone must’ve recently stopped here. Michael pulled his camera out  and snapped a picture. He put on a pair of gloves and picked up the bottle of water sitting on the log. It’s still cool.  He put it into an evidence bag he pulled out of   his pocket.

It looks like someone jumped off the log, he said as he looked down at    the ground. The foot prints are small. They could be the girl’s. We need to cast them and check them with her shoes at the hospital. He speculated. He knelt down before the log. He was careful not to disturb the soft dirt. He snapped more pictures then added, It looks like she might have jumped off, see how the foot prints are deeper here? Look at this, something was leaning against the log. See that indentation? It looks like there might have been a backpack or something. He looked around. Would she have a backpack if she was here to jog? If she did   where is it? Michael asked, If not, what is it? Then he stood and followed the footprint on the ground.

There are some larger prints crossing hers. Michael pointed out. They look like they’re men’s boots. He took more pictures. Did he follow her or just come upon her things? He ran all kinds of scenarios through his mind. He was shooting at her so he must think she saw something. Michael said as he followed the trail.

It’s a good thing you came when you did. A few minutes later and we would be investigating her murder. Daniel said as he laid his hand on Michael’s shoulder.

I’m glad we got to her before he could finish the job. She’s still alive. I hope we can keep her that way.

She is a beauty, Daniel grinned.

Moore, this is an investigation nothing more. Remember that. Michael snapped.

Sheriff, she is still a beautiful woman and it’s time you start noticing      facts like that. Dana was a long time ago and she was not worth giving up your future. Daniel patted his shoulder and walked away.

Michael shook his head in discouragement. Just hearing Dana’s name brought the whole thing back to his remembrance. Pushing it back into the     recesses of his mind, he would deal with it later.

A clap of thunder sounded. Michael looked up. Dark clouds swirled overhead. When had that happened? It had been beautiful earlier. Nebraska was   like that though. The late summer sky looked like it could storm at any moment.   The air felt heavy with rain and the wind was picking up. You could smell the rain in the air. This summer had been abnormally dry, a draught they called it. They needed the rain but it wouldn’t help them with evidence gathering.

Spotting something shiny off to one side of the path, he forced his mind   back on the investigation. He snapped off a picture and then walked over to the object. He picked up a 9mm shell casing that lay in the grass. He glanced at Daniel to make sure he was documenting all of the evidence.

Sheriff, look over here. Daniel called. I found blood and lots of it.     These look like drag marks. Daniel followed the trail of blood mixed with leaves and grass to a small gulley. The body wasn’t hard to find.

Michael walked over to join him. They brushed the leaves off of the face   and looked into cold vacant eyes. A bullet had pierced his skull right between the eyes.

Maggie, we need the coroner out here. Michael announced into his radio. Just tell him to follow the path behind Jeanie’s house. Call Grand Island and give them a heads up. We’ll be sending them the evidence. We need it ASAP. Send Phelps out to seal off the entrance to the woods. I don’t want anyone but the   coroner coming in. Michael signed off.  

Pine Ridge was too small to have the necessary equipment to investigate crimes of this magnitude. The sheriff’s department and the police force could   handle the petty misdemeanors of small town life but this one needed to be     handled differently. There could be no mistakes.

He must not have known she saw him when he hid the body or he would have done a better job of hiding it. Daniel said as he examined the area.

There is no way to tell if he heard her or not.  He might have hurried just    so he could go after her. Michael speculated.

You might be right. Daniel shivered as he looked  around. Do you feel that? I swear someone out there is watching us. Something is making my skin crawl. 

I feel it too.  I could feel him watching since I rounded the bend and found Jeanie. Michael agreed as he examined the ground. He’s probably watching us waiting to see what we’re going to do next. He stood and looked around to see if   he could see anything out of the ordinary." Why would the shooter stay? Why not run?

Michael walked back to where the shooting must have taken place.Look     at this foot print. He pointed out. It’s going on the top of the others. You can see both men came from the west, but this one is going the other way. So he might have heard something after all. Michael looked over at Daniel. Go get the case out of the trunk. We need to bag as much of this evidence as we can before the storm   hits. Michael tossed the keys to Daniel. He continued his examination of the trail documenting as he went.

Judging by the cigarette butts one of the men stood here quite awhile. Thrusting his hand in his pocket again he was glad for his habit of carrying   evidence bags with him. You never knew when you might need them. DNA       could help them find the shooter if he was in the system.

A loud clap of thunder sounded and a bolt of lightning lit up the sky as Daniel hurried back and set the evidence case at Michael’s feet. Michael put the bags they collected inside. Taking more pictures, they carefully documented everything as they went. The coroner soon came up the trail with one of his        men.

Hey Reid, Don, how are you guys doing? Michael called to them.      Sorry to bring you all the way out here. The body is over here. Michael turned and led   the way to the gulley. 

The four of them worked slowly and carefully to uncover the body. When the leaves and twigs were removed, a thin layer of silt covered it. There was a    bullet hole in the chest and one in the center of the forehead. The body was still warm.

It looks like either bullet would have been fatal. Reid reported as he checked the liver temperature by inserting the thermometer into the side. In         this heat it will be hard to give you an exact time of death. I’d estimate sometime     in the last two hours.

That collaborates the time the witness called in the murder. Michael said.

It looks like an execution or a professional hit. Hopefully the autopsy will provide more information, Reid said as they put the body into a black body bag   and they lifted it onto the gurney. He promised to send his report as soon as possible.

Michael and Daniel scouted the area for more evidence as dark clouds    rolled in the sky. There were several more footprints, two distinct sets of prints.   One set, not as large as Daniel’s size nine, looked like a work boot, much like the one the victim was wearing. The second set, the one they had seen earlier, was about the size of Michael’s size twelve’s.

Look at this left shoe. Michael said as he pointed out the print. Do you see that wear pattern? I’ve never seen one quite like this. Let’s cast it and see if it will help us find this guy. Cast the other set also and we’ll check with the lab to make sure which set belonged to the victim.

The print really is unusual. Look at this one. Daniel pointed. I think it’s the sharpest one. I’ll cast it. Daniel mixed the quick drying plaster and poured it into the print.

While Daniel cast the boot prints, Michael walked back toward the log and the area around it searching the ground to make sure they hadn’t missed anything.  How quickly things could happen to change a person’s life. He wondered if she    had a purse or the backpack as he snapped pictures of the print. If she did was there any personal information in it? Could he know who she is now? Does he know where she lives or where she works? Will she be in more danger when she gets out of the hospital?

The shooter watched as the two men worked. What was the sheriff doing now? They had taken all kinds of pictures. The sheriff was such a fool. He thought   he was some great detective. Did they really think the water was his? Had he touched the bottle? Man, he couldn’t remember but he didn’t think so, in fact he   was sure he hadn’t. There would be no DNA but he wished he’d picked up his casings. Why not just shoot both of them right now and walk away. That would bring in the Feds. Would that take care of his problem or make it worse? He     aimed his gun and pulled the trigger, might as well have some fun. He laughed as the sheriff and his deputy dove for cover.

Michael could feel eyes watching him. It didn’t make sense for the shooter   to stay and