The Death of 1977 (Book 3)

February

"And you say this is where the fire started?" Roy Brickman observed as he stood and studied the burned top of Linus' bureau.

The man scaled his right hand against the scarred wood grain while trying to figure out inside his own head just what sort of incident could have taken place inside his friend's apartment.

"Yep, that's it." Linus, still wearing his sling around his left arm, and clothed in a pair of blue jeans and a sweater came back into the living room with two unopened cans of Lowenbrau in hand.

Roy took the beer and popped open the cap. Linus responded in kind before leaning against his recliner and sipping ever so slowly. Roy took a couple of drags before strolling about the small apartment. "I know you quit smoking years ago, but do you think perhaps you may have left a lighter on the dresser by accident?"

Turning around with a haughty grin, Linus replied, "Roy, it was the fur, plain and simple."

Roy quit walking and faced Linus. "You say fur, but I just don't see fur igniting into flames."

"Yeah, isn't that funny?" Linus callously remarked before sitting himself down in his recliner.

Roy sat himself down on the couch adjacent from Linus and sipped some more on his beer. For a while both men just sat and brooded in complete silence. The fizz from the beer inside the individual cans was the only sounds that were being made. That, along with frequent sighing every so often.

Roy sat and studied Linus who refused to make eye contact with his Captain. He would just sit and caress the tip of his can while his blank eyes were steadily fixated on the dingy carpet. Roy was staring at Linus Bruin, but it was a completely different version of the man; a version that made no sense whatsoever. He could have used and thought of every cliché imaginable to describe the man, from 'empty shell' to 'soulless', but something was terribly amiss with Linus, and Roy felt completely helpless.

"Shirley wanted me to give you her best." Roy suddenly spoke up.

Grinning somewhat, Linus replied in a melancholy mood, "Bless her heart. I actually yelled at her the other day inside Cummins' house. I meant to apologize to her for that."

"Well, you know her; she tends to look the other way in such matters."

"Yeah...yeah she does." Linus drifted away.

Roy watched the man trail off once more before he sat back in his seat and cantankerously grunted, "You know, this is bullshit."

Linus abruptly awoke and asked, "How's that?"

Placing his can down onto the table next to him, Roy firmly stated, "I didn't come over here to sit and listen to the winter wind blow. You and I need to get this out in the open right now."

Linus sat his can down onto the floor before rubbing his broken arm and rolling his eyes. The man kept trying to evade Roy's eyes, but no matter what, Roy was just as persistent.

"Now, you may have dodged O'Dea, but I need to know what exactly happened so we can put an end to this nightmare once and for all." Roy nearly shot up from out of his seat. "I was thinking about calling in a few favors, just like the last time, but unless you give me something tangible to work with involving this incident then my efforts won't be worth a damn."

Linus sat and rubbed his hands together as though they were agitating him. "Do you know that it took hours for me to finally get that man's blood off of my hands and nails? He muttered.

Roy was caught off guard momentarily, as if he too were mesmerized with Linus' hands. "What exactly did O'Dea say to you?"

Sighing, Linus responded, "Do you recall last year when—

"Nope, nope," Roy cut right in. "We're not playing 'Time Machine' here. You're going to face a grand jury!" He raised his voice. "A grand jury that is only going to see you as the bad guy! I need to know what happened inside that house, and I need to know right now!"

"Roy—

"Forget about it, Linus!" Roy got up and began walking back and forth across the carpet. "Why can't you just come right out and say what went on?"

"Because I'm not going to my grave with everyone thinking that I've lost my mind." Linus simply blurted out."

pacing at that instant before staring hard down at Linus. His reaction to the

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?"

there are certain occurrences in our lives that...that we hoped to God we'd never

"Are you talking about that Charles Manson, bigamist cult you and Fitzpatrick

want to know what happened inside that house, and why I had to put that man down? Then here it is. What I experienced back in Cummins' house, and then the Sanders'

prelude to what," Roy

Linus himself got up and wandered over to the window. "I knew full well that that entire day was leading to something. But deep down, I never wanted to admit it out loud. Even on my way over to apprehend Mercer

the window while blindly telling his ill-fated story. Something wanted him to keep on telling his tale, while something else inside of him wanted to walk out the door and never see

there inside that car, but I kept on going. I kept on going up the porch steps, inside that

all, there was not a single pause or stutter in his speech. But when Linus just suddenly stopped, that was when Roy found it difficult to keep his own body from trembling. Linus was at the very foot of revelation, and yet, both men seemed apprehensive to continue

body in arms. God, please be with her and that child." Linus

"You're skipping a

Fitz. Don't even blame Isaac Mercer. That poor, ungodly kid." Linus' voice softened. "I remember his father walking in and holding

so wretched, Linus?

still and quiet for almost an entire minute before he said, "No...he

"All I'm hearing from you is what you remember about a guy that nearly killed his fiancée, son and yourself. I'm hearing how sorry you felt for that guy. Hell, if I

head, Linus firmly remarked, "Leave her alone! If you cherish

a huge

I used to think

at him. At that very second Roy saw something that he himself had never seen before. It just flashed into his sight like

dammed." He muttered with a dry throat. "You don't wanna be saved.

Linus never replied. Nor did he even budge, and that response alone gave Roy the visceral impression that something very vital was

mention his father. That next day he and I sat down and talked. He, much like yourself, just wasn't

"Go home, Roy." Linus eventually

one time had all but been exhausted. Without another word spoken the man walked over, grabbed his trench coat from off the coat hanger and proceeded to open the

said aloud

stood and studied Linus for about four seconds before the television that was sitting in the middle of the living room floor suddenly came on without

took a slight step backwards and eyed the contraption that was showing 'The Texas Chainsaw Massacre.' Linus remained at the window

off and on all by

his unease at that stage. Everything had just come to a complete standstill

always starts and stops at that one particular

the killer snatched his victim just before slamming the steel, sliding door shut. Roy was stunned into stillness

Brickman snapped back to the present while seated comfortably in his wonky wooden chair that overlooked the overcast Downtown Cypress scenery. The last thing that sat and festered inside Roy's memory was Linus' backside that was staring right back at him as he walked out the man's door. He couldn't even recall Linus' face without looking at an old picture;

"Captain," Shirley Donaldson knocked on and

to face both his perfectly clean desk and a blushing Donaldson. "Well, Donaldson, I

"No, sir, not yet," Shirley humbly grinned. "I, uh,

Growing a smile, Roy replied, "Well, as you can

can see that." Shirley remarked while gazing around the office's bare walls. "Well, sir, I just wanted to give you

Roy glanced up at her before taking the box and opening it to discover a lone silver

the bullet out and strangely examining it,

bullet. It's was first made way back in 1881. And every person that ever owned it has never had to use it. So I'm giving it to you, sir. It's given me good luck throughout the years, and hopefully it'll

front to back the man stared at

smiling, Roy said, "I don't quite know what to say, but...thank

welcome." Shirley kept on beaming. "Just don't use it in one

Roy subtly joined in on the humor before getting up out of his chair and putting