exactly what you found,”
Lucy said.
“It was when his parents and I were cleaning
out his apartment. His lease was up, and they told us to come get
the stuff or they’d put it on the curb. I was working in his
bedroom, and I went to pack up his autographed basketball. It’s in
a Plexiglas display case and it felt way too heavy. Basketballs are
full of air, but it shifted in the box funny. I opened up the case,
took out the ball and found a slit had been cut into one of the
back seams. I pulled it open and couldn’t believe what I
found.”
“What was it?” Vivian asked.
“A passport with his picture but under
another name, Paul Vaughn. Money from different countries, all in
South America. A lot of money, based on the currency exchange.”
“How much?” Kate asked.
“Close to $50,000.”
“Holy cow,” Kate said. “It’s times like this
I wish I could have a glass of wine.”
“Did you tell the police?” Vivian asked.
“No, I didn’t know what to do. I was so
freaked out I hid everything at my house. I have crazy scenarios
running through my head. Is he a spy? A criminal? I feel deceived.”
Wendy blew her nose again. “Maybe he wanted to start another life
somewhere? Maybe his name isn’t even Jake.”
“We’ll help you sort it out,” Kate said. “Are
you sure it’s real money?”
“Yes, I went to the main branch of my bank
and got some to compare it to. It’s definitely real.” She paused.
“There’s something else. I found another cellphone.”
Austin jumped up and started barking. Vivian
didn’t hear anything at first, but a few seconds later she heard
the buzz of engines. Soon after, two people in tan uniforms on dirt
bikes raced up the mountainside in their direction.
They pulled to a stop 10 yards away, and the
shorter of the two took off her helmet, revealing a French braid.
“I’m officer Cheri Stokola with the Essex County Sheriff’s
Department. You the ones who called about a bone?”
“That’s us.” Vivian introduced herself and
the girls, then pointed to the jawbone on the ground. “We haven’t
touched it since Austin dropped it.”
Austin barked in confirmation.
The other deputy walked up and Stokola
introduced him as Brad Young. He looked down at the jaw. “Yep,
that’s human.” He reached for his walkie-talkie. “This is Deputy
Young, we’re going to need the coroner.”
Vivian’s heart sank at Young’s request for
the coroner, even though she knew that would, and should, happen. A
gust of wind swirled around her, sending chills through her
body.
Stokola removed her sunglasses, showing off
inquisitive green eyes. A few freckles accented her face. She
pulled a pen and a notebook out of a leather bag on her bike. “Can
you tell us what happened?”
Lucy and Vivian gave her a brief explanation
of playing fetch with Austin and him returning with the jaw, and
then Lucy said, “Wendy and I followed Austin up the mountain where
he started digging frantically at the base of a tree. We think
that’s where he got the jaw. We can show you.”
The deputies looked at one another. Young
said, “I think it’s best we wait for the coroner and crime scene
techs to show up. They get pretty pissed when it comes to people
trampling their scenes.”
“I’ve got to pee,” Kate said and started to
stand up. “I’ll go down that way, so as to not trample anything.”
She pointed in the opposite direction from where Wendy and Lucy had
gone.
“I doubt you’ll be here much longer, but I do
need to get everyone’s contact information before you take off,”
Young said, helping Kate to her feet. She quickly gave it to him.
“The coroner is usually pretty quick, so be on the lookout. He’s a
maniac on a bike.”
“Thank you,” Kate said.
“Vivian can give you my info,” Lucy called to
Young. “I’m going with Kate. Buddy system.” The two headed
downhill. “We’ll be back.”
Wendy gave Young her contact information,
then Vivian gave him hers and
Lucy said.
“It was when his parents and I were cleaning
out his apartment. His lease was up, and they told us to come get
the stuff or they’d put it on the curb. I was working in his
bedroom, and I went to pack up his autographed basketball. It’s in
a Plexiglas display case and it felt way too heavy. Basketballs are
full of air, but it shifted in the box funny. I opened up the case,
took out the ball and found a slit had been cut into one of the
back seams. I pulled it open and couldn’t believe what I
found.”
“What was it?” Vivian asked.
“A passport with his picture but under
another name, Paul Vaughn. Money from different countries, all in
South America. A lot of money, based on the currency exchange.”
“How much?” Kate asked.
“Close to $50,000.”
“Holy cow,” Kate said. “It’s times like this
I wish I could have a glass of wine.”
“Did you tell the police?” Vivian asked.
“No, I didn’t know what to do. I was so
freaked out I hid everything at my house. I have crazy scenarios
running through my head. Is he a spy? A criminal? I feel deceived.”
Wendy blew her nose again. “Maybe he wanted to start another life
somewhere? Maybe his name isn’t even Jake.”
“We’ll help you sort it out,” Kate said. “Are
you sure it’s real money?”
“Yes, I went to the main branch of my bank
and got some to compare it to. It’s definitely real.” She paused.
“There’s something else. I found another cellphone.”
Austin jumped up and started barking. Vivian
didn’t hear anything at first, but a few seconds later she heard
the buzz of engines. Soon after, two people in tan uniforms on dirt
bikes raced up the mountainside in their direction.
They pulled to a stop 10 yards away, and the
shorter of the two took off her helmet, revealing a French braid.
“I’m officer Cheri Stokola with the Essex County Sheriff’s
Department. You the ones who called about a bone?”
“That’s us.” Vivian introduced herself and
the girls, then pointed to the jawbone on the ground. “We haven’t
touched it since Austin dropped it.”
Austin barked in confirmation.
The other deputy walked up and Stokola
introduced him as Brad Young. He looked down at the jaw. “Yep,
that’s human.” He reached for his walkie-talkie. “This is Deputy
Young, we’re going to need the coroner.”
Vivian’s heart sank at Young’s request for
the coroner, even though she knew that would, and should, happen. A
gust of wind swirled around her, sending chills through her
body.
Stokola removed her sunglasses, showing off
inquisitive green eyes. A few freckles accented her face. She
pulled a pen and a notebook out of a leather bag on her bike. “Can
you tell us what happened?”
Lucy and Vivian gave her a brief explanation
of playing fetch with Austin and him returning with the jaw, and
then Lucy said, “Wendy and I followed Austin up the mountain where
he started digging frantically at the base of a tree. We think
that’s where he got the jaw. We can show you.”
The deputies looked at one another. Young
said, “I think it’s best we wait for the coroner and crime scene
techs to show up. They get pretty pissed when it comes to people
trampling their scenes.”
“I’ve got to pee,” Kate said and started to
stand up. “I’ll go down that way, so as to not trample anything.”
She pointed in the opposite direction from where Wendy and Lucy had
gone.
“I doubt you’ll be here much longer, but I do
need to get everyone’s contact information before you take off,”
Young said, helping Kate to her feet. She quickly gave it to him.
“The coroner is usually pretty quick, so be on the lookout. He’s a
maniac on a bike.”
“Thank you,” Kate said.
“Vivian can give you my info,” Lucy called to
Young. “I’m going with Kate. Buddy system.” The two headed
downhill. “We’ll be back.”
Wendy gave Young her contact information,
then Vivian gave him hers and
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