51: The Beginning Chapter 2 Part 3

Lindsay’s heart was racing. She had not realized how completely terrified she was. She was thinking about that last call and, at the same time, trying to push it out of her head so she could focus on this one. She still had times when things would flood back about that night and almost overwhelm her. It took weeks, even months, before she could block out what she could remember of it. Now, here she was, right back in the same area where it had happened before, with the same type of call as before.

Truthfully, Lindsay was not only dreading this call but also the drive with Deputy Andy Baxter. It would take well over half an hour just to reach the area. That did not account for the additional time required to find the address of the call. It was going to feel like hours. That was not going to help with anything. She hoped and prayed that he would at least be able to answer her when she spoke to him.

“Andy, do we have any more information about the call?” she asked.

“No, ma’am, not yet,” he answered. “I keep trying to call the homeowner, but there is no answer. Dispatch doesn’t have any additional info, either.”

“This is not the kind of call I like,” she said.

“Ma’am, you seem a little bothered by this call. Are you OK?” Andy asked.

“I’m fine, Andy. I just hate these calls. Going in with no information in a remote area makes them the most dangerous. Never let your guard down on these. Never! Very bad things can happen very quickly,” she said.

“Ma’am?”

“Yes, Andy.”

“Isn’t a call like this why you were fired? Weren’t you accused of falsifying your report?”

“Yes, and I can tell you I did not falsify my report. Everything I put in it was true. People just didn’t believe it,” she told him.

“Andy, please try to focus on this call right now. Pay attention to everything you see, smell, hear, feel, and taste. I mean it. This call may seem like nothing, but it isn’t,” Lindsay said, trying to make it clear how dangerous it could be.

Andy again checked the GPS and the written address he had been given.

“Ma’am, I think the address is right up here on the left,” Andy advised.

Lindsay turned off the patrol car’s light bar and sirens. She slowly pulled the car into the end of the driveway. As soon as the headlights hit the front of the house, they saw someone step onto the front porch. 

It was an older woman with gray hair and thick glasses. She was walking to the edge of the porch and looking down both sides of her house as if she expected something to be there. 

Lindsay looked at Andy and said, “Looks like we are at the right house. Let’s go see what is going on.” She radioed dispatch to let them know they were on scene and then got out of the car.

A strong smell hit them the moment they stepped out of the car. Lindsay knew that smell, and it was not a good sign. It was hard to explain. It smelled musky, like an animal, but also like garbage and mold. Lindsay looked at Andy. He was looking at her wide-eyed. Andy was scared. He now understood what she had meant when she said to pay attention to everything.

“Ma’am, I’m Sheriff Gold,” she said as she neared the porch. “This is Deputy Baxter. We received a call about a disturbance at this address. Are you alright?”

The woman on the porch did not answer. She just kept looking off into the woods surrounding the house.

“Ma’am, are you all right?” Lindsay asked.

This time, the woman looked at them and replied, “I don’t know. It sounded like something was trying to get in, then there was a big noise, and then my phone went dead.”

“OK. Let’s go inside and make sure you are safe. Then Deputy Baxter and I will come back out to see what we can find.”

As they walked inside, Lindsay could tell that the odor was beginning to fade. She had smelled that before and had hoped she would never smell it again. Lindsay went in last, looking around the yard with her flashlight. She was relieved she did not see any reflection of eyes. Most likely, whatever had been there had already left. 

As they stepped into the house, they were in the living room, and the woman immediately collapsed onto the couch and let out a deep breath.

“Ma’am, can you tell me your name?” Lindsay asked as she kneeled next to the couch. 

Lindsay was hoping the woman would not need an ambulance. She had been keeping a hand clutched over her heart and hoping it was not because she was having a heart attack.

“Oh, I’m so sorry. My name is Rita Johnson. I’m sorry I called you, but I didn’t know what else to do. I was in here reading before I went to bed, and I smelled something awful. I got up thinking it was some stray that I could chase off, but it wasn’t. It was big. I think it was a person, but it didn’t sound like a person. Oh, you must think I’m crazy. But whatever it was, it did something to my phone. I was giving the dispatcher my name and address, and then my phone went dead. I am sorry I scared everyone, but I have never seen anything like this,” she gushed so fast that Lindsay and Andy could barely understand her.

Lindsay smiled and said, “You don’t need to apologize. That is what we are here for. Deputy Baxter and I will look around to ensure that whatever was here is gone. I promise we will be right back.”

Lindsay stood up and motioned for Andy to follow her. As they stepped outside, they only smelled the night air. The strange smell was gone. They both pulled out their flashlights and began checking the area beside the house. They continued to inspect the woods, looking for the reflection of eyes. As they reached the back of the house, they saw that leaves had been pushed into piles, and bushes next to the house had been bent over and broken. It was apparent that something had been there.

“Hey, Andy,” Lindsay said. “Take a look at this.”

He stepped closer and looked at where she was shining her flashlight. It was the phone box, and it was destroyed. It had been ripped apart as if it had been made of cardboard. There were no tool marks and no footprints anywhere nearby. There was no sign that anyone had been there except that the phone box was now in pieces.

“What did that, and why?” Andy asked, his voice filled with confusion.

“I don’t know, but I don’t think Ms. Johnson should stay out here overnight if she doesn’t have a phone. A person did not do this; whatever it was, it was massive and powerful. The only animal in this area that I can think of that could even do this would be a bear, but I have never seen one do anything like this before. Let’s go back in and talk to her so she knows what is going on.”

They finished walking around the house without seeing anything else out of the ordinary. When they returned inside, they saw Ms. Johnson sitting right where they had left her, reading her book.

“Did you find anything?” Ms. Johnson asked.

“Yes, ma’am, we did. Something destroyed your phone box at the back of your house, so you won’t be able to call anyone until it gets fixed. Do you have a cell phone that gets a signal out here, or is there someone you could stay with for the night? I don’t like the thought of you being out here by yourself with no phone if anything were to happen,” Lindsay explained.

“Please call me Rita. I have a cell phone that works, so I can call if I need help. Thank you both for your help. I’m so sorry I bothered you both this late at night,” Ms. Johnson said sweetly. She almost sounded as if she were embarrassed for calling them. “I should be fine as long as that, whatever it is, is gone. Even if it comes back, I have a couple of guns, and I used to be a crack shot back in my day, believe it or not.”

“OK, if you are sure you will be all right. Would you like us to check your doors and windows before we go, just to make sure everything is safe for you?” Lindsay asked.

“No, that’s fine. I locked everything before this happened.”

“We do need to ask you just a couple of questions so we can make sure all of our paperwork gets done, and I would like your cell phone number so I can call and check on you in the morning just to see how the night goes.”

Rita was happy to give Lindsay all the information she needed. Before they left, Lindsay left her cell phone number with Rita and told her to call anytime she needed anything, even if it was not police-related. Andy just stood and watched everything that happened between Lindsay and Rita as if he was mentally taking notes, trying to remember every word and action. 

As they stepped outside onto the porch, Lindsay looked up and saw that the rain had stopped and the sky had cleared. There would still be fog, but that was normal. She stepped off the porch, followed closely by Andy. She reached into her pocket and pulled out the keys.

“Here you go,” she said, handing Andy the keys. “Your turn to drive; this time, it isn’t an emergency.”

He looked at her as he took the keys. 

“Ma’am, are you sure?” he asked.

“Of course, I’m sure. I need to go back to the office anyway. I drove my personal car to the office and back home today. This will give me a chance to pick up my patrol car. You need to familiarize yourself with the roads in this part of the county. There is no better time to learn than now. Just don’t get us lost,” she said with a huge smile. “And quit calling me ma’am! Call me Sheriff or Lindsay, but please stop calling me 'Ma'am.' It makes me feel old.”