A Casual Weekend Thing by A J Thomas

Author:A J Thomas [Thomas, A J]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: A.J. Thomas Books, LLC
Published: 2019-10-08T23:00:00+00:00

Yellow and blue wildflowers were blooming under the forest canopy, and Doug could smell the wild strawberries just beginning to blossom. This was normally his favorite time of year to be up in the mountains. He felt guilty for enjoying the sights and sounds of the forest while they walked. The three men trudging up the trail behind him were serious and quiet. Doug had contacted two members of the county search-and-rescue team and had them come down to close off the trailhead. Then he’d called the two FBI agents, who had agreed to show up without requiring any real explanation. He was grateful for that, but also suspicious. They showed up with cameras, evidence bags, gloves, and expressions so grim they looked like they were about to try to sort out a mass grave. If the looks on their faces hadn’t matched Christopher’s expression so well, Doug would have thought it funny. When Christopher had explained his brother’s suicide note, their expressions had only hardened.

“Do you have any idea what we’re looking for?” Agent Shaffer asked, breaking the silence for the first time since they began hiking.

“No,” Christopher admitted. “Anything that’s out of place.”

“You don’t have any idea what he wanted you to see?” asked Agent Belkamp.

Doug glanced back at both of the FBI agents curiously. They had taken a copy of the suicide note when they made copies of the will, but they hadn’t asked about it.

“I have no idea. The local authorities didn’t find anything, so anything he left isn’t going to be obvious.”

“But you think that you can find it?”

“I don’t know. I think Peter believed I would be able to. I know what you’re getting at, though. If I see anything weird, I’m stepping back. I’ve never been up here before, and the last thing in the world I want to do is fuck up your investigation.”

“The fact that you’re the one who called us already makes anything we find suspect,” Agent Belkamp said calmly.

“I’m aware of that. Would you prefer to go back down and forget about it? It might be nothing. It might be Peter being a psychotic bastard. It might be me being paranoid and reading too much into the note. And too much into the smell. And too much into that kid’s expression. And too much into basic human behavioral patterns.”

“Thank you, I get it.” Agent Belkamp rolled his eyes.

Christopher followed behind Doug, but Doug kept glancing back to check on him. He was unbearably still, compared to the way he normally acted. The first part of the hike was a steep climb, so Doug kept checking on the men behind him. When he saw that Agent Shaffer had fallen behind about fifteen feet and was having trouble catching his breath, he slowed their pace down. When they reached the top of the first bluff, Doug stopped to give Agent Shaffer time to catch up.

“Wow,” said Agent Belkamp. “Quite the view up here.”

“It really is,” Christopher agreed.

“It’s one of the more popular spots in Elkin.

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