But Not Fortuitous by BJ Bourg

Author:BJ Bourg [Bourg, BJ]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Death Shadow Press, LLC
Published: 2020-08-26T16:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 24

“His name is Bud Walker and he’s from Salt Lake City,” I said, reading from the driver’s license. I placed it on the table so Amy could see it. I leaned back in my chair. “What in the hell is a man from Utah doing buried in the swamps of Louisiana? Isn’t that like a twenty-seven-hour drive from here?”

“I don’t know. I’ve never been there.” Amy pulled the faded driver’s license close to her face. “He looks like a porn star from the seventies.” She turned the license and pointed to the wooly bear caterpillar on the man’s upper lip. “That hairstyle was big back then, but thank God it’s out of style. I’d never kiss a man with a mustache.”

I ignored most of what she said. Instead, I was racking my brains trying to figure out how this man could’ve gotten into those woods. I reached for the license and she handed it back. I had to squint to see Bud Walker’s date of birth. I wrote it in my notes and snatched up my phone to call Dr. Wong’s cell. She answered right away.

“Hey, Clint, do you have another body for me?”

“No, but we might’ve identified the skeletal remains.”

“Oh, yeah?”

I explained how we’d found the wallet and I gave her the man’s name, date of birth, and address. “Do you have any contacts in the Salt Lake City area?”

“I actually do.”

“Do you think you can call them and have them research their medical records to see if he’s ever been treated there?”

“Absolutely,” she said. “In addition to the screws in his jaw, I found evidence of an old break in his left fibula and he’s also had some dental work. Now, I have to warn you, retention policies differ from place to place. If they’ve retained his medical records from thirty years ago and can put their hands on it, we should be able to match him up. If not…”

I hesitated. “What do you think the chances are of that happening?”

“If he was treated in a major city like Salt Lake, the chances are good. Most large hospitals retain their records longer than is required by law and they have teams of employees whose job it is to scan old medical records into their system.”

I smiled. Finally, some good news. I thanked her and stood to my feet. Achilles’ ears perked up.

“Stay with Aunt Amy,” I said to him. “I’ve got to run this fellow.”

As I was walking out the door, Amy began explaining to Achilles what a pornstache was.

“Don’t corrupt my dog,” I called over my shoulder as I walked to the dispatcher’s station, but I knew it was probably too late.

Lindsey had already left for the day. Karla McBride had relieved Lindsey and she was just getting off the phone. She looked up and smiled as I approached.

I handed her my notebook and pointed to Bud Walker’s name and date of birth. “Can you run this guy through NCIC and see what you can find on him? He’s from Salt Lake City, Utah.

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