It was 7:30 that evening.
Kent was getting concerned he had not heard from the State Trooper detective. But he was happy that Andrew's surveillance of Rock's home showed he had not left the house. Kent figured that his daddy might have taken a nap to sleep off the whiskey he probably drank all day.
Kent's iPhone rang. "Deputy Riley," he quickly answered the call.
"Deputy Riley. I'm Detective Jan Morris with the Tennessee Highway Patrol's Criminal Investigation Division. Sorry, I didn't call sooner, but I had to stop to handle a car accident that happened on Stinson Road. I should be at your station within the hour," said Detective Morris.
"Great Detective Morris. I have the search warrant ready, and my other deputy sent me a message that my daddy is still home," said Kent.
"Good, I'll see you soon," Detective Morris replied, then disconnected her end of the call.
Kent felt better after receiving that call.
He got up from his desk and headed over to the coffee pot. He poured his fourth of coffee.
Back at Ernie's home, he and Jodi just finished making a large spaghetti with meatballs and garlic bread dinner.
"This reminds me of those nights back in the late sixties. Tiffany would help me make spaghetti dinner on Saturday nights. We gave Kathy a break from cooking," said Ernie while his eyes welled up a little thinking of his daughter.
Jodi smiled, and her eyes started to well up a bit as that gave her a warm déjà vu feeling.
"Let's get the table ready, our guests will be here any minute," said Ernie while he carried the large bowl of spaghetti with meatballs into the dining room.
He placed it in the middle of his dining room table. He had not used this table for eating after Kathy died.
Jodi got six plates out of the cupboard and headed into the dining room.
While Ernie and Jodi got the dining room table ready, Donovan drove George's car with Betsy and Bernie inside over to Ernie's home.
Back at the police station, Kent waited for Detective Morris to arrive. He started to pace near his desk and was getting antsy and nervous that Rock might get rid of the evidence.
Over in Rock's garage, he was still on the floor by the rear of his patrol car passed out.
Over at Andrew's parents home, he ate a microwavable Fried Chicken dinner while he spied on Rock's garage from the living room window. He just sent Kent a text message that he saw no activity at Rock's home.
Back at Ernie's home, they all sat down for a night spaghetti dinner with some red wine.
It was now 8:15 p.m.
Donovan and Jodi took care of cleaning off the dining room table and washing the dishes. Ernie did not have a dishwasher since it broke two years ago. He decided since he's alone, he did not want the expense of a new one. So he just washed his few dishes by hand.
Detective Morris drove her black unmarked Chrysler Charger down Haneyville Road and just went past the Motel 6.
Back at Andrew's parents home, he sat in that chair peeking out the living room curtains drinking some coffee. This was his third cup. He just sent Kent a text message that he had not seen any activity at Rock's home.
Back in Rock's garage, he stirred on the floor and became conscious. He sat up and looked around the dark garage in a bit of a daze. It took a few seconds for him to remember what had happened. He cringed as he had a pounding headache and goose egg on the back of his head.
He got up and fumbled his way to the wall by the kitchen door. He felt around the wall then found the light switch. He flipped on the light to the garage.
He looked by the attic stairs and saw the wooden chest upside down on the floor. Howie and Tiffany's clothes were dumped on the floor.
He walked over and turned the chest right side up. He picked up Howie and Tiffany's clothes up and dumped them back into the chest.
He reached inside the chest and removed his old Army Colt 45.
He removed the magazine clip from the handle.
He counted three bullets remained in the clip.
He put the clip back in the Colt 45 and dumped it back in the chest.
He looked at his watch and saw it was 8:25. He picked up the wooden chest. He walked it over and set it down in the trunk of his patrol car.
He walked over to his workbench and grabbed the new shovel he bought at Sears the other day.
He rushed over and placed it in the trunk of his car.
He rushed back over to the workbench and opened up a drawer under the top of the bench. He removed a black ski mask then slammed the drawer shut.
He rushed over to another part of the wall and grabbed the coveralls he wore the other night when he paid Charlie a visit in the woods.
He rushed back to the trunk of his car and dropped the ski mask and coveralls inside. He slammed the trunk closed.
Rock rushed over to the kitchen door then went back inside his house.
Once Rock got inside his house, he rushed through the kitchen and headed down the hallway.
He went into the bedroom and popped four Excedrin extra strength pain pills.
He rushed out of his kitchen and headed back down the hallway.
He rushed into his kitchen and over to the Jack Daniels bottle on the kitchen counter. He opened up the bottle and took a healthy swig.
Then he rushed out of his home, got inside his car, and drove out of his garage.
Over at Ernie's home, Donovan and Jodi left through the front door and headed down the sidewalk for their evening stroll.
They strolled down on Addison Avenue, holding hands and loved the fresh evening air.
Then Rock's patrol car rolled up and stopped. Rock's driver's door flew opened, and Rock stepped outside.
Donovan and Jodi stopped dead in their tracks.
"We're doing nothing wrong, Sheriff," said Donovan.
"Is it against the law to walk on the sidewalk in this town?" asked Jodi, and she started to get concerned.
"No, but I have a suspicion that you're trying to escape walking around this late at night," said Rock while he placed his hand on his revolver that was in his holster.
"We're not trying to escape," said Donovan.
"We're just taking a stroll," added Jodi.
"I don't believe you. Because there's a trail that goes deep into the woods just off Addison," Rock said and pointed north on Addison. "You could have a friend waiting in the woods in a car."
"We're not trying to run," said Donovan.
Rock removed his revolver and pointed it at Donovan and Jodi. "Place your hands behind your heads."
Donovan and Jodi obeyed and silently prayed that someone in one of the homes was peeking out their living room windows.
Donovan's silent prayer worked, as the folks across the street and the folks at the house were this event was going down peeked out their living room curtains.
While Rock handcuffed Donovan's left wrist to Jodi's right wrist, they could smell the strong odor of whiskey on his breath. They both had the same lousy déjà vu feeling.
"If you let us go, I promise we'll leave town, and you'll never hear from us again," said Donovan while he walked them to his patrol car.
Rock frisked all their pants pockets and removed Donovan and Jodi's cell phones. He shoved them in his pants pocket then he placed them in the rear seat of his patrol car.
Rock got behind his wheel and drove off down the street.
Back at Andrew's parents home, he got back to his chair in the living room from taking a bathroom break.
He sat down in his chair and peeked out the living room window curtains.
His eyes widen in shock the second he saw Rock's garage door wide open. He saw that Rock's patrol car was gone. "Shit!" he yelled out and jumped up out of the chair.
He peeked out the living room window and could not see Rock's patrol car anywhere down the street.
"Shit!" Andrew yelled out while he made a beeline out of the living room.
He ran into the kitchen then went into the garage from the kitchen door.
A little while later, the garage door to Andrew's parents opened.
Andrew backed his Ford Escape out and down the driveway.
The garage door closed while Andrew backed down onto the street.
He raced his Escape down Addison Avenue. "Fuck!" he yelled out for screwing up his surveillance assignment.
At the same moment back at the police station, Detective Morris just entered through the front doors.
Kent stood up from his desk the second he saw Detective Morris. He was immediately smitten, and his heart raced a little at the sight of this beautiful woman in uniform. She was about the same age as Kent with blonde hair, blue eyes, and pouty lips.
"I'm Detective Morris," she said while she went to the counter.
"Ah, I'm, ah, Deputy, ah, Kent Riley," he stuttered, and he suddenly felt like a school kid trying to get a date from the girl of his dreams.
"Pleasure to meet you, deputy," said Detective Morris and there was something about Kent she liked, but knew he had to be on a professional on this visit.
They shook hands and stared at each other for a few seconds. Then Kent's eyes widened when he remembered why she came to Haneyville. "Oh yeah, the warrant," he said then turned around and rushed back to his desk.
He grabbed the search warrant then rushed back to the counter. He handed Jan the warrant.
She looked it over. "Let's go," she said.
Kent rushed around the counter, and he opened one of the doors for Jan.
She smiled at him for being a gentleman while she stepped outside the station.
Once they got outside the station, they got inside her Charger.
When Kent closed the passenger door of the Charger, his iPhone rang. He saw that Andrew was calling. "Hey," he answered the call.
Detective Morris started up her patrol car then let the engine idle while Kent talked on his iPhone.
"I fucked up. I went to take a piss and came back. Your daddy left his house. I'm driving south on Addison and can't see his patrol car anywhere. I'm sorry man," blurted out Andrew from the iPhone.
"Ah man," cried out Kent then he paused to calm down.
Detective Morris looked at Kent and knew something was going wrong.
"Okay, drive around and let me know if you see where he's heading," he said into his iPhone.
"Okay," replied Andrew then disconnected his end of the call.
"We got a little situation. Daddy took off in his patrol car," he told Detective Morris.
"Do you know where he's heading?"
"Deputy Barker is out looking for him. He'll call when he spots daddy's patrol car."
Kent's iPhone rang again. "Yeah, Andrew," he answered.
"It's not Andrew, it's Bernie Hollister. Listen, I just got word from some neighbors down the street that your daddy just arrested Donovan Kirby and Jodi Lauder then placed them in the back of his patrol car. What is going on, deputy?" said Bernie from the iPhone, and he sounded pissed.
"Well, I found evidence in daddy's home that he killed those two teens. I believe he has the evidence in his patrol car and might dump it or bury it somewhere. We can only guess why he took those reporters," replied Kent.
"Shit!" cursed Bernie from the iPhone.
"I have a detective from state trooper's office here with me and a search warrant. I'm ready to arrest my daddy for murder," said Kent into his iPhone.
"Well deputy, you better not hope he gets arrested for five murders," said Bernie then he disconnected his end of the call.
"Looks like daddy took those two reporters hostage according to their attorney," said Kent and he looked worried while he thought where his daddy might be heading. Then his eyes widened with a hunch. "Okay, pull right out of the parking lot and head west on Wildwood Avenue. Then at the end of Wildwood, turn left and head south on Thorndale Avenue. We'll park and wait at Haneyville Road. If my hunch is right, daddy is probably heading west," said Kent.
"Okay," replied Detective Morris while she put her Charger in gear then backed out of the parking spot.
Rock just turned his patrol car off Addison and headed west on Haneyville Road.
"Please don't do this, sheriff," pleaded Donovan.
"Shut the fuck up," said Rock while he grabbed the flask of whiskey out of his glove box. He opened up the flask and took a drink of whiskey. While he drank his whiskey, he had thoughts about raping Tiffany in the woods in front of Donovan. Those thoughts started to give him an erection knowing she would be powerless under his forced control.
Back down by Haneyville Road and Addison Avenue, sat Andrew's Escape. He looked up and down Haneyville Road then he saw the overhead lights of Rock's patrol car heading east. It was stopped at the traffic light for the entrance into the shopping mall.
Detective Morris pulled her Charger off the side of Thorndale Avenue just before the stop sign for Haneyville Road. They waited.
Kent's iPhone rang. "Yeah," he answered the call.
"Your daddy's heading west on Haneyville Road," said Andrew from the iPhone and he sounded excited while he raced his Escape down the road.
"Okay, keep a safe distance. We're waiting by Thorndale and Haneyville Road."
"Got it," replied Andrew from the iPhone.
"He's coming our way," said Kent while he disconnected the call.
They waited and watched the traffic go east and west down Haneyville Road.
Kent's cell phone rang. "Yeah," he answered the call.
"I'm two cars behind him, and I can see two people in the backseat," said Andrew.
"Yeah, he kidnapped those two reporters," replied Kent.
Back in Andrew's Escape, he drove west on Haneyville Road, and after hearing the news about the reporters, he unclipped the strap holding his revolver in the holster. He was ready for some police action.
Back in at Haneyville Road and Thorndale Avenue, Detective Morris and Kent waited in her Charger with the engine idling and were ready to spring into action.
"I see his patrol car," Kent said while he looked to his left.
Detective Morris looked to her left and car Rock's patrol car heading west. She put her car into drive and waited.
In the backseat, Donovan and Jodi had another strange déjà vu feelings, but this time they feared for their lives.
"Please stop this. I can imagine someone in your neighborhood saw you take us away," said Donovan.
"Just drop us off, and we'll tell them that you just gave us a ride," pleaded Jodi.
"You two fuckers just had to come up to my town and fuck things up for me. You just couldn't leave well enough alone. Now I'm being investigated. I can read between the lines," yelled out Rock while his anger was hitting high gear, and he was not thinking straight.
"Please," pleaded Jodi while her eyes welled up.
Rock looked down the street and saw the black Charger parked along Thorndale Avenue facing south. "Fuck!" he yelled out and had a bad feeling about this, as he had a strong hunch that was an unmarked car. He accelerated his patrol car and whipped into the other lane to get around a slower-moving pickup in front of him.
Donovan and Jodi quickly buckled their seat belts.
Back in the Charger, Detective Morris and Kent noticed Rock's patrol car picked up speed.
"He's running," said Detective Morris while she flicked on her blue lights hidden in the front grill of her car and the siren.
She whipped her Charger out onto Haneyville Road in front of Andrew's Escape.
Andrew slammed on his brakes and fishtailed all over the road with his tires screeching. He sighed a sigh of relief that he did not smack into the rear of the Detective's Charger.
Rock weaved around traffic while he raced his patrol car down Haneyville Road.
"Fuck!" he yelled out when he checked the rearview mirror and saw the Detective's Charger weaving around traffic after him with her lights and siren blaring.
Andrew weaved around traffic flashing his headlights and blowing his horn. His heart was pounding with excitement on being on an actual car chase with a murder suspect. He saw it in the movies, and now he was living the thrill of the hunt.
Rock's patrol car sped down Haneyville Road at 80 mph with the Detective's Charger hot on his tail.
Andrew's Escape sped down Haneyville Road at 80 mph hot on the rear of the Detective's Charger.
All the cars on the east and westbound lanes of Haneyville Road pulled off to the side the second they spotted the case.
They stood out of their cars and watched the three vehicles whiz past them. For them, this was a treat as something this exciting hardly ever happened in Haneyville.
The three cars raced down Haneyville Road with traffic scattering for a safe haven.
Rock slowed down his patrol car then made a screeching right turn on Stinson Road.
He floored it and raced north on Stinson.
Detective Morris slowed her Charger down then she made a screeching right turn onto Stinson Road.
Andrew slowed his Escape down and made a screeching right turn onto Stinson Road. But his turn was a little too fast, and his tires on his passenger side left the road a little.
Rock raced his patrol car down Stinson and hoped he could outrun the Detective's Charger and make it to the Kentucky state line.
Since Stinson got a little curvy, Rock had to slow his car down to 70 mph, as did the Detective's Charger and Andrew's Escape.
"Sheriff, pull your car over," said Detective Morris from her car speaker.
"Fuck you," yelled back Rock from his car speaker.
"Well, I guess he thinks he's going to run to Kentucky," said Detective Morris.
Kent grabbed the microphone. "Daddy, pull the car over. This is stupid," he said into the microphone.
"Just let me go," Rock replied from his car speaker.
Rock raced down Stinson Road and headed over the bridge over Lake Haney.
The Detective's Charger raced over the bridge.
Andrew's Escape raced over the bridge.
Then Stinson Road curved through some woods, and Detective Morris slowed her Charger down even slower.
Then Rock's patrol car started to gain some ground on the Charger.
While he raced down Stinson, Rock glanced in his rearview mirror and saw that he gained some ground on the Trooper's Charger. He chuckled. Then he turned his eyes back on the road. "Shit!" he yelled out the second he saw a deer slowly walking across the road. He slammed on his brakes.
Rock's patrol car swerved all over the road then it skidded to the side of the road, and then the front passenger side smacked into a tree close to the side of the road.
Detective Morris slammed on the brakes of her Charger. Her car fishtailed, and her rear tires screeched and smoked. The Charger came to a stop in the middle of the road.
Andrew slammed on the brakes on his Escape. His SUV fishtailed, and his rear tires screeched and smoked. His Escape came to screeching stop inches from the Detective's Charger.
The driver's door creaked opened, and Rock fell out in pain. He hit the ground. His right knee was in pain from smacking into the dashboard.
He painfully got up and hobbled to the front of his patrol car.
"Stop Sheriff Riley," Detective Morris yelled out with her revolver in hand.
Rock looked and saw Detective Morris, Kent, and Andrew standing by the Charger with their revolvers drawn. He whipped out his pistol and fired off a shot.
The bullet hit Andrew in his left thigh, dropping him to the pavement in pain.
Detective Morris and Kent took cover behind the front of her Charger.
They looked over the car and saw Rock hobbling off into the woods.
"I'll get daddy. You take care of my deputy and then help those two reporters," Kent said then he got up and ran toward Rock's upside patrol car.
Detective Morris ran over to Rock's patrol car and saw that Donovan and Jodi were banged up and the injuries were not serious.
Rock hobbled into the woods the best he could where he hoped he could lose them.
Kent ran off into the woods after Rock, but once he got in there, he could not locate him.
Then he heard someone fall and moan out in pain.
He ran off in that direction.
After running twenty feet into the woods, he saw Rock attempting to hide behind a tree.
"Stop daddy. Come in, and we can settle this mess," Kent yelled out.
"No!" Rock yelled back from the woods then he fired off a shot.
The bullet missed Kent by a few feet and hit an oak tree.
"You're stupid daddy," Kent said while he moved from tree to tree to get closer to Rock.
"Just let me go, son. Everything will be better if you just let me go," yelled Rock while he tried to run through the woods.
Kent ran between the trees and saw Rock while he hobbled between some other trees.
Rock tripped over a dead tree branch. "Fuck!" he yelled after falling face-first in the dirt.
"Stay right where you are daddy," yelled out Kent.
Rock painfully stood up, turned around and saw Kent in position with his revolver drawn. "I'm your daddy, you have to let me go," said Rock with the warmest smile he could muster up with his pain.
"I can't do that daddy," Kent said while he inched closer to Rock.
Rock whipped out his revolver and fired off a shot at the exact moment pain shot through his knee.
The bullet missed Kent's head by six inches. Kent reacted by returning fire with his revolver.
The bullet hit Rock in his right shoulder, and he flew backward slamming onto the ground.
Kent rushed over and kicked Rock's revolver out of his hand. He turned Rock over on his back, causing him to cry out in pain. Kent immediately placed Rock's hands behind his back even though it was painful. He handcuffed his daddy.
"You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law. You have the right to an attorney. If you cannot afford an attorney, one will be appointed for you. Do you both understand these rights?"
Rock nodded in pain that he understood his rights.
Kent brought Rock up on his feet then he walked him through the woods back to the cars.
A little while later down on Stinson Road, Rock sat secured in the back of Detective Morris' Charger.
Three ambulances from the Haneyville Hospital had previously parked by the cars.
Donovan, Jodi, and Andrew were now treated by the EMTs at the ambulances. One of them previously checked out Rock in the back of the Charger.
While this was going on, Detective Morris and Kent opened up the trunk of Rock's patrol car.
Kent opened up the wooden trunk and showed Detective Morris the evidence.
They took the trunk and placed it in the trunk of her Charger for later processing as evidence.
While the EMTs continued to check out Donovan, Jodi, an Andrew, Trooper, and Morris started some idle chat.
Rock still sat in the backseat of the Charger and could not believe his world came crashing down this week.