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“Why did you decide to kill Grant instead of me?”
“There’s a pretty simple answer for that, Jeff. Eddie had talked to Grant, and he agreed to bail him out of the casino debt. If Grant were alive, Eddie wouldn’t need money, and my plan would go up in smoke. I knew you, on the other hand, didn’t have that kind of money to bail Eddie out. The fact you’re not as well off as Grant saved your life and made him the obvious choice.”
Hearing Cyrus’s admission again stoked a wave of anger in Jeff unlike he’d ever experienced. His eyes glanced over at that ax near Cyrus. He actually considered using it on the old farmer and avenging his brother. It wouldn’t take much to overpower Cyrus and end him. He wouldn’t need the police, and nobody would know who did it. Fortunately, the values instilled by his father overrode his anger. His emotions cooled enough to stick with the original plan.
“Cyrus, I can see you think you had your reasons, but I’ll never forgive you for killing my brother. You can rot in hell!”
“I don’t expect your forgiveness, Jeff, nor do I expect Eddie to forgive me either. Eddie was like a second son to me at times. I had to protect my family at all costs. I’m sorry that in doing so, it devastated yours. But, like I said, my family comes first, and that will never change. Like most farmers, I never carried much insurance. Martha’s medical bills fighting cancer have been extraordinary. Also, how much more money would be needed to cover them going forward? I also had no intention of being flat broke with no inheritance to leave for Vince and his family.”
“You know I’m gonna take this to the police, Cyrus. You’re heading to jail for a very long time. You’re dead to me!”
“I have a ton of guilt, Jeff, but no regrets. I’d do it again if I thought it necessary to protect Martha and the rest of the family. Do what you need to do with the police. Tell them I’ll be right here on the farm waiting for them when they come. I don’t plan on going anywhere.”
Jeff felt anger and sadness as he exited the barn walking back toward his car. He pulled away from Cyrus’s farm and headed for the Sheriff’s office in Granite Cove. Cyrus had confirmed the whole plot, but surprisingly Jeff did not feel closure. He drove slowly through the falling snow toward the police station to report what Cyrus did.
Cyrus walked slowly back to his house, surprised that he felt relieved that he no longer had to hide what he’d done. He entered Martha’s bedroom and dismissed the hospice volunteer tending to her medications. Martha rested quietly with an IV drip of pain medication in her wrist. “Go home, Tami. You’ve been a godsend to us. I want to spend some time with Martha alone because I know she has very little time left. Get some rest. We will never forget you.”
Tami left the room and drove away as Cyrus sat beside Martha holding her hand. By now, she was mostly unconscious. The heavy dosage of pain medication kept her as comfortable as possible. Cyrus spoke about all the extraordinary times they’d had in a wonderful life. He softly recalled everything they’d experienced together in their lives, even though he wasn’t sure Martha could hear him.
***
Jeff arrived at the police station, and the dispatcher called Deputy Stassin to return. Stassin burst into the station ten minutes later. “What’s up, Jeff? Do you have something on Grant’s death for me?”
“I do, deputy. I’m about to tell you who killed Grant and how they did it.” Stassin pulled up a chair and listened intently, not asking questions until Jeff finished. Then, as Stassin asked questions, he realized Jeff had answers for every single one. Boy, he sure had been off track with his suspicion of Eddie, Sarah, and even Chet. Cyrus was the last person he ever would have suspected. Since Jeff had just left Cyrus an hour ago, all Stassin had to do would be to go pick up Cyrus, question him, and get his signed statement. Finally, the case would be closed, and the pressure relieved on the department. Stassin excused himself briefly, leaving Jeff alone in the interview room.
“Hey, Chief, got a minute? I’ve got some great news you’re gonna want to hear right away.” The chief motioned Stassin into his office and shut the door behind him.
“So what’s the good news?”
“Sheriff, I’ve solved the Grant Koehler murder. Let me tell you all the details.” Stassin proceeded to update the sheriff about the scheme, conveniently omitting the details about who had uncovered the critical evidence. When they finished, the sheriff shook his hand in congratulations and told his secretary to be ready to call a press conference later that day once they had Cyrus’s signed statement.
Stassin returned to the interview room where Jeff waited. Deputy Stassin beamed a big smile after receiving accolades from the Sheriff. “Jeff, thanks for your help. I’m heading out to Campbell’s farm to arrest Cyrus now. I couldn’t have solved this without you. I’ll also need the original copy of the video you took of Cyrus touching the flask at your camp.” Stassin hurried out of the station and proceeded to the farm with his lights flashing. He wanted this to be over as soon as possible. He looked forward to the press conference and the publicity the arrest would garner. Sheriff Stassin started to sound really good to him.
After about a half hour of talking to Martha, Cyrus left her room and went into his bedroom. First, he wrote a detailed note explaining how and why he killed Grant Koehler. He wrote out all the details of his plan, making it clear that nobody else knew anything about it. He left the note on the kitchen table. Next, he returned to the bedroom and extracted a plastic bag from a shoe box in the back corner of his closet. A small test tube of clear liquid and a syringe sat in the shoe box. He returned to Martha’s bedside, bent down, and gave her a final kiss. Then he slowly poured the clear substance into her IV. Cyrus then sat down and held her hand until she painlessly expired from the cicutoxin about five minutes later. Cyrus remembered her wish that he help her pass when the pain got too intense, and her demise became inevitable. Like all the promises Cyrus made during his life to his family, he kept that promise.
Cyrus grabbed a fifth of J&B Scotch, opened the back door, and started walking down the trail toward Pineview Valley. The snow had continued all morning, and now eight inches had accumulated on the ground. Without a jacket, the falling snow quickly saturated his flannel shirt. Cyrus walked slowly and steadily along the path he’d traveled since he was a young boy. He arrived at Pineview Valley and sat down on the old bench his father had built more than 50 years ago. Cyrus took a swig of the warming scotch and prepared himself for the end. He immediately felt the freezing cold’s sharp bite, prompting him to quickly chug nearly half the bottle of scotch. His mind wandered to all the good times he had in his life and the knowledge that he always did what he thought best for his family. He knew he was an imperfect man who did some terrible things in his life. But as the cold engulfed him and he finished his bottle of scotch, he felt comforted by the thought that he soon would again be with his beloved Martha. The wind continued to blow, and the snow continued to fall as Cyrus closed his eyes for the last time. Thoughts of the sessions at Pineview Valley with his father and the many wonderful memories of his beloved Martha filled his head as he slowly slipped away into a deep and final sleep.
Chapter thirty-six
By the time Stassin arrived at the farm, the deadly deeds were already done. Cyrus had left the door open for the police. Stassin entered the house and called out to any occupants. He noticed the note on the table, just as Cyrus had left it. He read it before proceeding to the bedroom where Martha lay deceased. He called dispatch for backup, and an EMS unit arrived 30 minutes later. Four more deputies were now on site, and they immediately started the search for Cyrus. Since his truck remained parked out front, they suspected he must be somewhere on the property. First, they searched the barn and then fanned out to cover the remainder of the farm. They considered calling in tracking dogs, but the snow would hinder their effectiveness. Three hours later, when the search party finally reached the very back corner of the property, one of the deputies finally found Cyrus. He died from exposure while still upright on the bench his father built. His eyes were closed in an endless sleep, but his face showed a trace of a smile like somebody who died in peace.
After they secured the scene and removed the bodies, Stassin returned to the station and huddled with the Sheriff to decide the next steps. The sheriff decided to go ahead with the news conference. An hour later, in the press room of the police station, Sheriff Johnson stood in front of the room and announced the case closed. Johnson introduced Deputy Stassin as the law enforcement officer who cracked the case. Stassin answered questions for an hour from a hungry press corps desperately seeking information on the murder. Stassin happily accepted congratulations from the Sheriff and members of the press. He graciously mentioned that he had some assistance during his investigation from a member of the public. To protect that person’s privacy, it would be inappropriate to name them or divulge the nature of their assistance at this time. Finally, the press was satisfied, and Stassin posed for pictures for the local newspapers before ending the press conference.
Jeff made all the obligatory calls to Eddie, Sarah, Mooch, Frenchie, Elk, and Carrie to inform them of the news. He conveniently left Chet off the list, figuring he could find out on his own. By the time the calls were completed, Jeff felt exhausted. The snowstorm still raged, and he appreciated the fact that he had nowhere he had to be. Finally, after 9 pm, following about nine inches of snow, old man Winter finally released his icy grip.
Epilogue
Stanky exited his old log shack and headed toward the large woodshed filled with enough dry oak and maple to get him through the entire winter. Inside on the dirt floor was a large box with a false floor. Stanky opened the box, extracted the two chainsaws, and gently pulled up the wood concealing the false bottom. Once completed, he looked down into a 4ft x 2ft wooden box where several rifles lay nestled in a blanket. Stanky knew the one he wanted and grabbed the Remington 30.06 rifle with the 3-10 x 40 scope. Stanky laughed out loud, thinking about his meeting with Jeff weeks earlier. Stupid Koehler actually believed Stanky didn’t have a 30-06 rifle. He thought that just because his rifle had been confiscated following his poaching conviction, Stanky couldn’t possibly have another one. Were people so dumb that they thought a resourceful guy like Stanky couldn’t easily acquire another rifle? He bought this one from a guy he met at the Coyote Grill. He paid $200 cash without paperwork ever being exchanged. Stanky was headed out to hunt tonight because he knew deer regularly moved following a snowstorm. The fact he had no license and deer season had closed did not concern him in the least. With only two conservation officers to police the entire county, he liked his odds. By the next evening, he expected to eat fresh venison backstraps for dinner.
Stanky loaded the gun and grabbed his light for “shining” deer before setting out on foot for a spot on the state land near his property. He was an expert shot. That skill came from living off the land for most of his life. He had heard they got old man Campbell for Grant Koehler’s murder. It served him right because Grant was the prick that turned him in to the law. Grant was just lucky Stanky was not in the mood for murder when he pinched off that shot into the tree, just above his head, during the October bow season. If I wanted him dead, he would be dead, he thought. He’s lucky I just decided to give him a little scare.
***
The meeting that Chet and Tim Starks had at the Coyote Grill proved to be very productive. They agreed to a follow-up meeting where they spent most of their time discussing their new business venture. The more they talked, the more they realized their businesses complimented each other. Chet’s “Uber for the Elderly” would entail numerous trips out of state. Tim Starks planned to expand his illicit weed endeavor. They concluded that combining the two businesses could be the start of a beautiful partnership. Unbeknownst to the guys, Maggie O’Shea heard the whole conversation and thought it sounded so good she too, might be able to get a piece of the action.
***
Jeff endeavored to get his life back together after solving his brother’s murder. He was initially surprised when he heard both Cyrus and Martha were dead. The more he thought about it, however, the less surprised he became. Cyrus’s life was over, and leaving the farm and Martha was unthinkable. Cyrus decided to go out on his own terms, consistent with the way he lived his entire life. Superior Oil ultimately lost the lawsuit as expected. Jeff and Eddie both received $250K per the terms of their settlement. This money allowed Eddie to repay the Casino and have a nice chunk left over. Jeff had no intention of taking any bets on whether Eddie would finally save some of the money or use it all to stake his next casino bender. Jeff and Eddie signed a new lease with Liberty Oil, while Superior Oil lost nearly 75% of its leases in the county.
