Eligible Snapdragon

[Bob Zombie]

Day 1

I was done.

Finished... spent. Running on empty.

Tired of the force, tired of throwing pennies in the ocean.

Tired of putting away unsavory denizens from the seedy underbelly of the island, only to watch them back out by mid afternoon.

So I wrote my resignation. Visions came to me as I put my pen to paper... victims, those that had no voice but me. They called to me again and again. But I ignored them... and shrugged my shoulder.

Writing viciously, I made it quick, to the point. No sense in writing War and Peace.

Signing my name, I laid down. Closed my eyes. Tried breathing exercises.

The visions came back. As they always do.

I ignored them... or tried to. But they kept calling to me... begging me for help... calling, calling, CALLING...

*breeeng!*

Dang... at some point I must have closed my eyes. In my clothes... shoes... fully dressed on my bed again. You get used to it on this job.

Shaking the visions from my sleep, I answered the phone. It was my soon to be former boss. Captain Winters.

I didn't care for pleasantries. So all I said was "yeah."

"Jack... bad news. It's happened again. *sigh*... I'm sorry Jack. He's back, there's no doubt about it."

The anger started rising in my gut. "What??? How can you be sure?"

"I'm sending you a picture Jack... you can see for yourself. "

I hung up. And my phone dinged.

It was him. Definitely.

Again.

Snapdragon.

 

[Bob Zombie]

Day 2

Rain. So much rain.

Foxton in the spring can give England a run for its money. Misery on a beach paradise... a paradise run by the Sandy Crew headed by the boat delinquent, Kapp'n. I headed to Nook's Cranny, a semi-legitimate establishment doing "import/export" of everything from antique furniture sets to place settings... to tools. Perfect implements to create, and bury, victims.

The crime techs were wrapping up and leaving, and with a wave to their lead I surveyed the crime scene.

With no one around, I had time for contemplation. The victim had been left by the refuse bin and boxes beside the store. The message Snapdragon left was there... for me. Always me, taunting my inability to catch him. "Hi J", smeared in mud. Not even using my full name this time. Familiarity breeds contempt, as they say. Well... this time, he would be mine.

The rain had prevented the blood from drying. Poor soul. Nothing stays dry here, least of all the dreams of the residents.

Heading inside the store, the Dynamic Duo immediately launched into the same, daily, annoying sales pitch... but with a grunt and a hard look in my eye, they stopped.

Addressing the closest one, I cut to the chase. "I assume you know why I'm here, Timmy."

"Oh... that unpleasantness in the alley. Obviously nothing to do with us or our humble establishment. Just some beach vagrant caught at the wrong time."

"Cut the rubbish Timmy! I know what you deal in here, and who your boss really is. No one comes by late at night, and the crime was right outside your side window. What did you hear?"

"I'm afraid we heard nothing. And saw even less. Aaaaaand as you obviously have an issue with your blood pressure... you will have to speak to our lawyer before ever stepping foot in here again."

Heading back out into the rain, I needed to clear my mind. See the scene from a new perspective. I walked across the short bridge to the east of the store and saw a bench on the opposite bank to the crime scene. With a clear, unobstructed view.

Approaching the bench, I saw something white on the ground. Stepping closer, I could see a white tulip... and my heart skipped a beat.

Could it be...? Was she here?

 

[Bob Zombie]

Day 3

Another heavy thunderstorm invades my senses.

A fitful night of half-sleep behind me, the last 24 hours I've had to juggle two searches... during the day, churning the evidence from Snapdragon's latest crime. Not much was found. Yet another sign of a sick and calculated mind.

And now in the evening I've spent the last several hours looking for the sign. Any sign. Evidence that she was here... as I suspected when I gazed upon the tulip the previous night. From beach to beach, north to south I searched.

And then I saw it. The clue I've been looking for. A plucked white tulip near the airport. And my heart... broke.

In a daze I walked to the island's museum... normally a refuge from the turmoil of the nefarious elements of this island.

Tonight, I suspected that it would be scene for a meeting of hearts lost in time.

Typing a text to a number long remembered, I hit send right as a streak of lightning lit up the facade of the house of art, biology and history.

If she was on this island, I knew I had minutes at most. With purpose I made my way to the art wing.

Tonight it was calm... peaceful even. While many pieces were missing, either sold to keep the lights on or back with the museum's shady benefactors in the city on the mainland, it was still by far the cleanest, purest place left on the island.

And tonight, I had a place to get to in this house of knowledge.

Vermeer. Her favorite work.

With my head hanging low, I sat down. And let the exhaustion take my head.

And then I heard it... footsteps behind me. And the voice.. the voice that can cut through me like a cold wind, or a hot sword of passion.

"Jack."

 

[Bob Zombie]

Day 4

Early morning. Memories, thoughts, and dreams swirl together in that haze before waking. My mind drifts to the previous night... and for a brief moment, I'm happy. Content.

But as it always does, reality breaks in. I remember our conversation the previous night, and the reason I texted her in the first place.

She may be a witness. What did she see...?

But for now... I want to pretend that we could have been something... more than I am on my own. And I remember how she liked her eggs.

If only I could just turn off my brain for 2 minutes.

We make small talk, but my thoughts continue to drift back to the latest crime... to Snapdragon, my elusive white whale.

Gently I broach the subject of a couple nights ago. She lightly says she visted Foxton to catch up with a few of her friends here, but saw nothing that evening. Once the reason for my questions become clear, she expresses shock and dismay at how close she was to seeing a murder. She only left the tulip I found as one of the petals was damaged... and something tugs at my memory. I remember the love and care she showed her tulips... and how they had to be perfect.

A day in a spring many years ago invades my thoughts... two people exploring feelings, and each other, in a field of whites and reds.

I break off the questions and we agree to take a quick stroll... but only for a short while as she must depart for the mainland.

Time seems to swim... and fly much to fast.

After a stroll that is hours long and much too short, we find our way to the museum, where we inevitably make our way to the girl.

"You know Jack, I just thought of something... we passed Michelangelo's David. He did another piece in 1530 that may have started as David but finished as the Greek God of the Sun."

Confusion leads to shock. Thoughts join from many arrows to one thought... could he be behind this...? And if so... why?

After another few minutes we make our way to the airport but my mind is already racing... putting together the pieces. We say our goodbyes.

Tomorrow I'm heading to the mainland. To confront Apollo.

 

[Bob Zombie]

Day 5

I hate flying. Especially in the morning sun.

But there was no choice, this was the next flight available. At least there is sun on the mainland...

I had spent the previous evening looking at case notes from all of Snapdragon's victims and realized that the pieces fit. Apollo's "business interests" intersected at least four of the victims nicely. And I'm not one to believe in coincidence.

Time to confront the Sun God in his ivory tower.

We landed and taxied to the dingy, rundown seaport on the mainland. I stepped onto the dock, the sun attempting to pierce my brain... at least today my sunglasses would have a function besides hiding my insomnia eyes.

Walking briskly through the tiny terminal, I stepped to the curb and hailed a cab to the financial district. The city on the mainland is a massive hive of life, heaving 24/7 with a cacophony of noise and activity.

I despise this place.

Luckily the city is laid out with the wealthy and powerful in huge monuments of glass and steel right next to the ocean, so the trip was a quick one. Arriving at 1 Eagle Parkway, I made my way through the checkpoints and took the express elevator to the 89th floor.

I had called ahead. He was expecting me.

The doors to the elevator opened to a wide reception area. Real solid wood paneling, parquet floors polished so bright and clear you could see the reflection of the ceiling. Bookshelves filled with old tomes of financial knowledge. And a camera pointed right at me.

And a hard-nosed executive assistant maintaining a lock on who gets through... and who gets blocked. With an icy glare she just pointed me to the waiting sofa. She knew who I was.

Time to prepare... it was showtime.

 

[Bob Zombie]

Day 5 - Part Two

Yesterday time flowed like a raging river.

Today... it's more like that sad tiny stream on Foxton. Listless and lifeless.

Six tortuous hours slid by with nothing but an occasional clack on the assistant's keyboard or click of a mouse. I had long since stopped game planning the coming interrogation. Now I just wanted to get up and stretch... but every time I so much as twitched a finger, the assistant would snap her fingers and point.

At the couch. My new prison.

All prison sentences end eventually, and after the clock dinged past 5:00pm, a voice finally called over the intercom and my guard flicked a well practiced wrist towards the door. The opportunity to move my legs was invitation enough.

And my word, what a view this office had. Floor to ceiling windows gave the city a veneer it rarely had... beauty.

And Apollo was standing in the middle of the office, like a corporate titan from the robber baron days.

"Jack, my old friend. How's your mother these days? Gosh, it feels like ages since we've seen each other!"

"The only times we see each other, Apollo, is on opposite sides of a courtroom. And one day I'll make sure you don't leave it."

"Tsk, tsk Jack... such harsh words for a pleasant evening. Can I offer you a refreshment?"

"No time. Where were you four nights ago?"

Apollo shrugged and went back to his desk. Sitting with a sigh, he said "why, here of course... I had the board meeting to chair. Quarterly reporting coming up, you know. Great numbers to convey... I think this year will set record profits."

"Anyone that can vouch for that?"

Apollo laughed a great belly laugh. "Only about a hundred people! Why are you here, Jack? Anything to do with that unpleasantness on your backwater island?"

Anger was rising in my belly. "Don't ever forget you came from that backwater! And don't be coy with me... every dirty, back alley transaction on Foxton is done with your sanction... nah, your blessing! You may pretend to rake legitimate profits here, but we both know your REAL earnings are still there!"

Apollo straightened in his plush leather executive chair. "I don't care about that pithy little island, Jack. The only person who works for me that even still cares to visit Foxton is Kapp'n." A weird look crossed his face as his gears turned. "In fact... he's been there for the last week. As far as I know, of course."

Our fencing match lasted for a few more minutes but I couldn't corner him. Eventually I realized my time in the city was up... my return flight was coming fast.

While the return flight at night was uneventful, boring even, my mind was still churning. Snapdragon was as elusive as ever... and even I had to admit that it was unlikely to be Apollo.
Walking through my front door at last, I plopped down on my sofa with a scowl on my face.

At least I had a new lead. The modern day pirate of Foxton.

Kapp'n.

 

[Bob Zombie]

Day 6

Stale cupcakes.

K.K.'s pinnacle of artistic mastery.

Someone a lot smarter than me once said that "without music, life would be a mistake." My basement, my room of meditation and music, is my usual refuge from the grit and grime of the streets of Foxton. To forget about the "mistakes" that people do to each other every day... usually on purpose.

But not tonight... as the track continues to turn and repeat, all I can do is worry about the plan I've formulated today. It will have to go perfectly, quietly, and with way too many moving parts.

The clock chimed 8pm. Time to put on a wetsuit.

The rain, my island's constant companion, was pounding on the short path to the beach. My senses were heightened... looking for anyone that could be monitoring my jaunt. But the citizens here hate the rain too. Comfortable that there was not another soul in sight, I slid into the warm waters and quietly made my way to the east part of the island. Towards the dock. But not to confront Kapp'n directly... oh no, not this time.

He's always been so elusive. Hard to pin down on the crimes I already knew about. And if he was Snapdragon, I wanted to nail him with finality. I needed evidence. So I'm going to track him. I would have loved to bug his boat too, but Captain Winters denied my request.

I'd have to do this old school and actually follow him.

I kept time with the waves, swimming around the southeast corner of the island until I could hear the rumble of a small boat. Bobbing slightly out to sea, I listened for any sign of life. I couldn't tell if he was in the boat or just catching another snooze. With short, quiet strokes I rounded the dock and drifted slowly to within touching distance of his boat. Suddenly I heard a low whistle... freezing with anticipation, I listened carefully, acting like just another hole in the ocean. But he wasn't paying attention. I heard him sigh and shift in his tiny dinghy, boredom making him a slightly easier mark tonight.

He didn't look over the edge of the boat. At the avenging angel coming for him. Coming to put a tracker on his craft.

I pressed firmly on the device to make sure it was affixed to the boat. Seemed solid, ready for action. I drifted away to inspect my handcraft when suddenly his phone squawked to life. I couldn't make out the voice on the other line, but they sounded stressed. Angry even.

Kapp'n shifted in his boat and grabbed the handle for his engine. With a voice like gravel he responded back. "Yeah, yeah... I'm on it. Keep your emotions in check little one."

I had little time to think about who could possibly be on the other line when he revved the engine and raced away from the dock, spraying me with seawater, engine oil, algae, and kelp.

Man I hate seaweed.

 

[Bob Zombie]

Day 6 - Part Two

I'm a great swimmer.

Growing up on an island, you take to the water early.

Unfortunately for Kapp'n, I'm even better in a row boat. And I keep one handy for exercise.

I tracked him to a small islet a little over a mile to the east of Foxton. A collection of rocks, sand, and palm trees, normally this island's only residents are bugs and seabirds. I had no time to ponder why he would be coming here at night, I needed to stealthily get close to him and find out why he had to race away from the dock at Foxton. Arriving in a western bay not long after he had docked at the southern part of the island, I slid back into the ocean to get as close as I could. I timed my strokes with the ocean's waves, trying to keep my noise down.

Didn't need my quarry hearing me coming for him.

After what seemed like a lifetime, I finally got closer to Kapp'n. He was on the phone while shifting boxes into his boat. He sounded aggravated, but I still couldn't make out what he was saying. I spotted some rocks right next to his boat. I'd have to keep my head above water to hear him... even with the rain it seemed risky. But as the old saying goes... nothing ventured, nothing gained. I carefully dived and swam the distance as far as I could underwater. Reaching the rocks, I carefully brought my eyes above water. Kapp'n was luckily turned away from me.

He was aggravated. And arguing heatedly. With Timmy. Curious indeed.

"Listen, Timmy, I told you. I count ten packages. T, E, N. Ten. How many times do you need me to repeat that?"

After some time when Timmy was obviously arguing the point at the other end of the line, Kapp'n huffed again. "Look here, little one. I can't tell you why the number is off! It's likely that our connection has been using our couriers to skim a little for himself. Now that I have to do this on my own, in the middle of the night no less, the ruse has been found. You should ask him!"

Another pause. "Well, that's not my problem! I told the Boss that I don't like doing this myself. I need to have my thumb on the pulse of the island. I shouldn't even be out here! I keep track of all the fingers in all of our unofficial pies, but I shouldn't be the one doing the dang cooking!"

Timmy was obviously trying to calm Kapp'n down now. Kapp'n exhaled loudly and sat down in his boat. "I hear you, I know this isn't a great situation for you or your brother either. Someone killed our best courier, right in your alley. And on top of that, they took our packages. I tell you, I've urged Apollo to find out who's been killing our team over the last couple of years. We're up to four lost now. They were all a good crew too. I know the police calls whoever this wacko is Snapdragon... I just call them a pain the bum."

Confusion rained down on my head.

A curtain lifted... Kapp'n wasn't Snapdragon. Involved to the hilt in shadiness, absolutely. But not the killer.

I'd have to start over. Time to go back to the evidence we already had.

I wasted no time in quietly getting back to my own boat and rowing back to Foxton. Dragging the boat up the sand, I saw a fire someone had left burning a short distance down the beach. Wearily I trudged over, and plopped down on the bench. The fire spit and sizzled in the rain. I was too dispirited to care about sitting out in the open storm.

A sigh escaped my lips. Tomorrow was going to involve a lot of reading.

And a lot of coffee.

 

[Bob Zombie]

Day 7

Square one.

After a fitful night of sleep with my subconscious trying to piece together the puzzle of this case, I stumbled out of bed at the crack of dawn. Shaved. Showered. Dressed in the same clothes as yesterday.

Headed to The Roost.

I never could get a clear answer from Brewster as to his backstory. All I knew is that he desired a quieter life than the city. And that he loved making coffee and getting philosophical. He was usually the only resident on this island that I cared to talk to and get to know... well, as far I could with an aloof barista that only talked when I ordered a coffee.

And I'd need a couple of cups before tackling the day.

Walking through the door, I could see that the café had started slowly this morning. Just fine by me... I don't need to have a million conversations going on around me. As always, Brewster was wiping down a mug.

"Morning Brewster."

Brewster turned his stately head. "Oh Jack, pleasant to see you this morning. The usual?"

I nodded my head. "Yep. I need two fast ones today, one after the other if you could please."

"Coming right up. Pot is fresh... beans ground just this morning."

I sat down across from Brewster at the counter. The fresh smell of coffee permeated the air. I was waking up just being in here. Brewster poured the cup and pushed it across the table. I nodded my thanks and took a deep breath.

My head was clearing of the sleepy fog of the dawn.

I sipped once. Twice. And even though it was steaming hot, I started drinking it down. It really was delicious.

I sighed with pleasure. "Thanks Brewster, I definitely need caffeine this morning. I have a lot to do today, and I feel that too much time has slipped away already."

Brewster glanced up from polishing a saucer. "I'm glad to be of service, Jack. And the journey of a thousand miles begins with one step... and you've taken a few just to come in here this morning."

Something in what he said made my feet twitch... as if I needed to keep this journey going. To not get bogged down. Waste time.

I drank the rest of my first cup down and stood up. "Would you mind if I had the second to go?"

"Not at all Jack, it will be just a second."

While he poured the second into a to-go cup, I dropped more than enough for the two cups plus tip. I grabbed the cup and walked briskly out into the morning. It was sunny. Nice change of pace... except something told me I'd be inside all day.

I walked faster.

I opened the door to the precinct and made my way to the bullpen. Someone was already talking to Sgt. T-Bone... another sob story. Likely at the hands of Apollo's shadow men. Wish I could help, but no time. I grabbed the Snapdragon files, and sat down at my computer.

First things first though... I logged into the system and filed a report about the previous evening's escapade with Kapp'n. While I may not have the time to do something about it, Det. Whitney in the Contraband department certainly could. His days were numbered, and I may just be able to finally put him away.

That task finished, I began to go back over all of the case files for Snapdragon. Six victims, spread all over the island. No real rhyme or reason to them at first glance, but with the lead about the four couriers from Kapp'n I may be able to tie at least some of them together.

And again... time started slipping away while I read file after file after file. After file. And scanned picture after picture. Nothing seemed to connect besides the fact some may have worked in the underworld of Foxton. Different ages, even different attitudes. Some of them were residents, some were not. Some were found in the day, some not. Some indoors, some outdoors. The only connection was the modus operandi of the killing stroke. Unique... and as we have been keeping all information under wraps, not a chance of a copycat.

I began to feel defeated again.

More hours slid by. After about 5pm, many of the others left. Happy hour somewhere. They didn't bother to try to invite me anymore to social events. For one thing, I didn't like to be around people. For another, I'm too distracted by my casework. Not a delight at parties.

Alone in the empty bullpen, more hours slid by and I finished rereading the entire set of files. Some of them twice. Some thrice. Nothing. Nada. Zilch.

Looking at the clock through foggy eyes, I saw the time. 10pm... and nothing to show for it. I'd have to do it again the next morning... bang my head against the case files until something stuck together. Before heading home for another night of fitful half-sleep, I decided to go back to the audio/visual processing room. Take a look at some CCTV from the scenes, see if anything stuck out different from the crime scene pictures.

But not the last scene. The one before that. The victim was found in front of the Able Sisters shop. Shut them down for a good month afterward. No one wanted a cheap hat where someone lost their life.

I scanned the video. Played the entire day's worth of video around the crime itself. Forward and backward. No detail of what actually happened... the video was on a 30 second delay. One frame nothing... the next, a horrifying scene.

Nothing. Horror. Nothing. Horror.

Wait... what was that...? In the corner of the video. On the walkway. In the distance...

And then I saw it. Unmistakable. How on earth could I have missed that before?

I had someone to talk to... first thing.

 

[Bob Zombie]

Day 8

"First thing" became first thing at night.

I should have guessed my report on Kapp'n would cause a stir.

The day was taken up by first arguing with Captain Winters, back and forth, on what I saw and heard the night I tracked Kapp'n. It was next taken up by arguing with Tom Nook, part-time district attorney for Foxton, as the implications for his two nephews could be termed dire. Throughout the day I filed evidence, gave statements, fought nepotism, and prepped the arresting team... and watched the minutes ticking by.

By the time I could refocus on the Snapdragon case it was already half past too late. Dreary from a day of overusing both my voice and my brain, I made my way to the south end of the island to catch a last hop over to Harvey's island.

Now Harvey's Island is, well... it's an interesting place. The rules on partaking in the more obscure natural "substances" are to encourage and enjoy... to a point. It was a peaceful place, the antithesis of Foxton, with a fully functioning co-op of traders from all over the local sea. Sometimes these poor souls would attempt to ply their wares on Foxton, to limited success.

I was here to talk to Leif, the expert on all things green and growing from the ground.

He had a smile on his face, as he always does.

"Mr. Leif, I was hoping to have a word."

Leif turned his head very slowly in my direction. "Aw Jack, it's been a very long while. How are those hibiscus shrubs I sold you many moons ago?"

I could only shake my head. "Unfortunately a few local street 'toughs' used them for batting practice and to store empty bottles and contraband. I had to remove them ages ago."

Leif shook his head slowly. "Such unkindness to plants. All they need is sun, water, and love... and they become something so much more. What can I do for you?"

I took out my phone with a cropped, still picture from the video I watched last night. "Do you recognize that object, Leif?"

He deliberated for a few seconds. "It would appear to be a flower seed bag, next to... is that a cut flower? Hard to tell in that picture."

I nodded briskly. "Yes, a snapdragon, to be exact. Do you recognize the bag?"

He deliberated for a few more moments. "Ah, the lovely Antirrhinum. Hmmm... that definitely is one of my seed bags. The picture is too grainy and pixelated to see exactly which one it could be. Rose? Windflower? Tulip? Hard to tell. Do you have a clearer picture?"

I shook my head. "Unfortunately, I do not. Do you sell snapdragon seeds?"

He slowly widened his eyes. "Snapdragons? No, not at this time... I rarely get asked about them. In fact, only one person ever asked about them, many months ago."

I was immediately interested. "Wait, someone asked about them? You mean, asked if you had seeds for them to plant?"

Leif looked up in the sky to catch the memory. "Yes, many months ago... they were asking if I had any snapdragon seeds. I told them that I did not... they seemed disappointed, so I told them they could try another vendor on the mainland, perhaps. I didn't have a name or a business that may have them, so I have no idea if they were successful of not."

"Do you have a description of this person?"

Leif shook his head so very slowly. "No... they were dressed in a long coat with a weird mask on their face, I couldn't even tell if they had hair. I wouldn't even be able to say if they were a man or a woman or a cat, as they talked barely above a whisper and in a lower register. And so very average height. So very strange that person was."

I put my phone away. "Is there anything else you can say about this person?

He thought for several seconds. "Hmmmm... I can't think of anything. Sorry I couldn't be more helpful, Jack."

I shook his hand. "Actually, Leif, you've been very helpful. More helpful than you think."

His grin took time to build, but it certainly was bright in the night air. "Oh, I'm so very glad to hear that, Jack."

I walked back towards the plane with many thoughts in my head. I knew what my next destination was going to be.

I needed to find out everything I could about snapdragons, and why Snapdragon would use them at the crime scenes.

After a somewhat choppy flight back to Foxton, I headed straight for the library wing of the museum. Open 24 hours to all island residents... and luckily Blathers keeps out the riffraff, so it's clean. Quiet. I walked to non-fiction... reference... botany... floriculture. I skimmed the titles as quick as I could and saw a book and a small reference guide on Snapdragons side-by-side. A small amount of literature, not nearly as much as the neighboring, numerous books on the massive orchid family or roses.

I churned through the book and guide as quick as I could. Lots in there around how to grow them, where they grow. How much food and water. Best type of soil. What to avoid in terms of sunlight.

Plenty on the mythology of snapdragons as well.

Apparently, they were used to symbolize the grace of a woman... and charm. They could also signify deceit, or deviousness. Neither of those seemed to fit the crimes.

Then I read that they could be used as a ward against evil... and to give to someone who is overcoming a "challenge."

Could it be that Snapdragon is leaving them at each scene as a ward against the underbelly of the island? Plenty of the victims certainly came from the shadows. Could Snapdragon be attempting to help the island overcome the challenge of its criminal elements?

The more I thought about it, the more it made sense to me. It was becoming more and more likely that Snapdragon was committing the crimes as a vigilante... an avenging angel. Trying to ward off evil on Foxton. Everyone knows there was more than enough here to go around.

I heard the ding of the clock to midnight. I'd done it again... let time get away from me.

I quickly scanned my card to check out the books and walked home. My mind was humming... trying to put the pieces of this wide puzzle together. I sensed that I was getting close, but that there was something else I was missing. Something I couldn't see.

I hoped another night of rest would do it.

Turning the key in my door and walking in, I tossed the books onto the couch in my living room. Walked straight to the bedroom. Gave a long stretch to all of my aching muscles and tendons after yet another long day.

What I needed was someone who also knew flowers, but the closest I could come was her. I would text her. In the morning. It was in the wee hours after all.

My phone dinged.

Beat me to the punch. She was thinking of stopping by Foxton tomorrow, on her way to another friend. Asked if I'd be free.

The memory of our recent night together brought a smile to my lips as I responded.

"For you, I can be."

 

[Bob Zombie]

Day 9

Butterflies.

Standing outside the rundown airport of Foxton, my stomach feels like it's on a spin cycle. After another long day of viewing the evidence from every direction I could think of to find the last thread in the Snapdragon case, I needed the time to reset my brain. And with her imminent arrival back on Foxton, I'm a tattered tangle of nerves.

Have you ever met that person that can make you feel utterly empty when they're gone? And when they come back to you, you feel complete... wanted... alive. And yet... this person is ethereal. In the back of your mind you know that soon they will leave again, the music will stop, the party will end, and you'll have to go back to existing until their essence, their breeze, wisps back into your life again.

That's what she is to me. Snapdragon may be my white whale, but she is my siren... I can hear her call as I blindly smash my ship upon her rocks.

You see, our history was one of lost opportunity and long distance longing. She grew up here, with me, but left as soon as she could. Started anew in the city, and from there to her own island adventures. She's seen the world. I've heard her talk about far, mystic lands like everyday places. Normal places.

Not like Foxton.

The door to the airport opened, and she walked into the night air like an apparition of beauty.

"Hello, Jack."

Her plans to visit a friend are flexible. We have time tonight. I want to talk about flowers with her at some point, see if she knows anything that may help point me in the right direction... but to be near her pulls me into a time warp.

We walk. Talk about everything. Past, present, future.

We sit by the beach, and watch the waves destroy and create lines on the beach continuously.

And time slides away as we move closer together.

Hours went by. And while it was exceedingly late, we were not quite ready to go back to my place. We stopped at The Roost. It was probably too late for coffee, but we didn't care. We were lost in the haze of togetherness. And sitting across from her, for a moment life made sense. As we quietly rested our hands close enough to touch our fingertips together, I realized I could be happy.

Brewster brought our coffees to us as I heard a faint chime from the wall behind me. The clock had ticked over midnight. Ten days since the latest victim. I was going to have buckle down, find that last piece. I could almost feel it... I was going to solve it soon.

Tomorrow. Not tonight.

After a few more minutes of contented silence, she sighed. "We'll have to go back to yours soon, I have to go to Harvey's early in the morning. Redd has a piece on reserve for me, supposedly a rather rare statue. He mentioned you stopped by the island yesterday."

My mind came back to the present. "Huh? Oh, yes, I was stopping by to talk to Leif, hoping he could help me."

She smiled. "Ah Leif, such a helpful sloth. I've bought from him myself, when I need just another package of white tulip seeds. It's a shame though, he has such a basic inventory. He needs to branch out more. I'd like to see him start offering a wider variety of flowers, shrubs and trees. Like maybe willows, or real lavender, or antirrhinum."

I froze. It was the way she said it. Antirrhinum. Snapdragon. Intimate, almost wistful. And like a cascading waterfall, everything started falling into place. She knew Foxton intimately. She knew all about the underworld of the island. Those that worked in the shadows. Motive. And the crimes. Times, places. She can come and go easily. She fit. She fit all of it. I tried to stay cool, not move... but it was obvious that something in my eyes gave it away. She slowly put her coffee mug back on the saucer. Shaking her head, she gave me the smile of a monster.

With a voice I've never heard her use before, she cut right through my soul.

"Oh dear, that was rather unfortunate. I can see that our game has come to an end."

 

[Bob Zombie]

Day 10 - Just After Midnight

Silence.

Silence has a sound, if you can hear it. Right now I can hear the sounds of my heartbeats as I look across the table at someone I've known almost my whole life, but never really knew at all.

She shifted slightly in the booth and I could sense that she held something in her left hand. "If you move, I will kill you."

"I will arrest you."

She smiled slightly. "Seems we are at an impasse then. I will not be taken, you must know this. And I do imagine you'd be hard to kill."

"Why?"

"Why won't I be arrested? Ha! I have no desire to rot away on this island. I left for a reason."

"No... why did you do it?"

The question seemed to make her slightly uncomfortable. "That should be obvious. Someone had to do something. And send a message. We cannot allow our island to be the cesspool it's always been. Heck, even you joined the force to try and make a difference. How's that working out for you Jack? Feel like you've made that difference?"

"This isn't about me. This about you. How can you take a life? There is no crime that can justify killing in revenge."

She smiled that half smile I used to love about her. Now it held only malice. "Easy. The first one was in the heat of anger. Watching one of Apollo's street toughs fob products onto the residents of the island, feeding off the hopelessness that some have. So I caught them by surprise. I just happened to have a fresh snapdragon with me, so I thought I should, well... 'arrange' my victim. Make them look cleaner than the island really is. Cleaner than they could ever be."

I blinked my eyes to stop the moisture from falling out. "But it's still a person. You don't know why they work for Apollo. If we don't work to improve the island from within, it will never get better."

Brewster started heading our direction to see if we needed another cup. His movement momentarily distracted me. I tried to shake my head fiercely to ward him off, to no avail.

In the corner of my eye I could see her sneer. "Ha! Everyone has to be accountable for their actions, Jack. Even me."

With a movement so sudden and quick, she sprang from the booth and tripped Brewster just as he was reaching us. He fell flat into my arms as I struggled to get up. In a tangle of arms and wings, I turned my head just in time to see her sprint out the door.

Brewster's eyes were as big as the moon. "Coo... what on earth was that about?"

I disentangled myself from his wings and started for the door. "Sorry Brewster, I have to go. That woman must be stopped. Call emergency services as quick as you can!"

Through the museum's front door, I ran out into the night air. Turned every direction. No sign. No sound.

Silence.

I called the station on my phone. "Sgt. T-Bone, quickly. Shut the airport. Send a patrol over to the dock. Post badges on the four corners of the island. No one enters, no one leaves Foxton. No one so much as swims in the ocean. Do it now!"

I hung up the phone.

Silence. I hate silence.

Day 10 - Mid-Afternoon

She was a ghost.

The argument in the station bullpen was getting more heated by the second. We had scoured the island and could find no trace of her. We were regrouping our thoughts to pick a new path forward.

Detective Audie was the angriest of them all.

"Don't even pretend that this isn't a shock to me as well, Fang! You couldn't do anything in your undercover unit for years, we're only in this situation because someone got exceedingly angry about your inability to do your job!"

Fang wasn't taking that statement lightly. "Dang it, Audie! You know as well as I do how hard it's been to get any charges to stick to anyone! Don't you dare blame vigilantism on my unit!"

I sighed. "Folks, it's pointless to argue with each other. It's no one's fault."

I'm not sure if they bought it, but at least the arguing stopped. Everyone started going back to desks to work the phones. Draw more lines on the chalkboard. Put heads together and try to make two plus two equal four.

I was exhausted. I hadn't slept in over 24 hours. My eyes felt like sand. I started to think that I'd never find her unless she wanted me to.

My phone dinged. My heart raced. I didn't even have look at my screen to know who it was.

It was her.

"Meet me at the site for the new house on the hill."

Day 10 - Nightfall in the Storm

The lightning lit up the path.

Someone was brave enough to build a new house on this island. I'm not sure if their realtor told them the truth about this island. I doubt it. Otherwise this would still be a trash heap and a run down diner. The storm was making the mud at the construction site a thick paste.

I was soaked and shivering to the bone.

And in the middle of a freshly dug hole for foundation pillars, she was there. Waiting for me in front of a huge excavator. Holding a remote in her left hand.

Another crash of thunder.

"Hello, Jack. Pleasant weather isn't it?"

I could only shake my head with sadness. "Come with me. It's over now."

She laughed heartily. "Surrender? Surrender! Not a chance! I go down and on trial, and all that will happen is a long, drawn out affair. Someone will make a movie. Another person will write books, maybe many of them. And it will just bring more shame onto the citizens of this backwater island. No, Jack, that's not for me. So here's what I'm going to do. I know I have to be punished. But I refuse to let anyone else punish me."

I was desperately looking for a quick way down. I wasn't sure what that remote in her hand could do, but if she ran I'd have to dive down the cliff, try to sprint to tackle her. Hope that when she pressed the button that it didn't blow up something nearby. "What do you mean you won't let anyone else punish you?"

She smiled up at me. I didn't realize it... but it was for the last time.

"Only me, Jack. Only I will decide my fate. If you look on the couch in your basement, your retreat from the world, you'll find more details on what really goes on here. What I did was evil. I know that. But the ones I punished needed to pay the price. And so do I."

Her last statement clicked in my mind. Too late, I committed to getting to her before she could do anything. I dove off the cliff, hoping to land close enough to stop her.

But I was too late.

With her arms stretched wide, she clicked the button on her controller.

The excavator began to move. Slowly it pitched forward, crumbling the side of the hole into nothing.

My heart crumbled with it.

Epilogue - Many Months Later

Have you ever heard the sound of the forest after a snowfall?

It sounds quiet. Clean... pure. Untouched by people.

You could almost fool yourself into thinking about a new beginning. Almost.

In her own way, she actually did bring about change on the island. She had built a huge set of files on the underworld of the island. A huge dossier she built during her the commission of her own crimes. It may have been tainted by the source of who created it, but it was still useful to the authorities.

Many months after her death, the trials of Apollo, Timmy, and Tommy are reaching a conclusion. Kapp'n turned witness and gave all of the most damaging details to the new DA, Whitney. Dates, contacts, products, warehouses. Corrupt officials in their pocket. All of it corroborated by her photos and videos. Most television pundits agree that they will serve at least some time, likely plenty. Their criminal networks are in shambles.

Tom Nook had to resign his position after some of these details got out. It's touch and go if he'll be charged as well. He was never directly involved, but Timmy and Tommy were allowed to operate with almost impunity.

Some of the residents have taken to heart the chance for a fresh beginning on this island. Most of the graffiti is gone. A few of the buildings have new paint. We have a new boat captain, Redd, who decided to give up the slightly shady art dealing on the island and take people on tours. The airport even looks cleaner too.

And then there is me.

Right now I'm looking at a grave. Her grave. No one else will ever come here, but I owe her. I'm staying on the force. I tore up the resignation letter after her death. I feel I still have a debt to pay here. I can help Foxton be what it should be. A paradise in the sand and the breeze.

And all of it, the good and the bad, will stay with me.

If only I could find my heart.