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."

that instant before staring hard down at Linus. His reaction to the man's words would have suggested that the wind had just been sucked right out

"What the hell is that supposed to

in our lives that...that we hoped to God we'd never even seen to

"Are you talking about that Charles Manson,

man down? Then here it is. What I experienced back in Cummins' house, and then the Sanders' home was only a

"A prelude to what," Roy stood

something. But deep down, I never wanted to admit it out loud.

at that point. He just stood and watched as Linus stared out 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

up to the house, I wanted to just sit there inside that car, but I kept on going. I kept on

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

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

"You're skipping a part, Linus. What

kid." Linus' voice softened. "I

so wretched, Linus? After all, he did

Linus remained still and quiet for almost an entire

his fiancée, son and yourself. I'm hearing how sorry you felt

"Leave her alone! If you cherish me, then

right then and heaved a huge sigh before

"You know, I used

and focused solely on Linus' back which was still pointed at him. At that very second Roy saw something that he himself had never seen before. It just flashed into

"I'll be dammed." He muttered with a dry throat. "You don't

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

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

"Go home, Roy." Linus eventually

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 front

down there at the station." Linus said aloud with his face still out

Roy 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

and eyed the contraption that was showing 'The Texas Chainsaw Massacre.' Linus remained at the window completely oblivious to the

With his face still pointed out the window, Linus said, "Don't be alarmed. It's been coming off and on all

Roy had not one word to express his unease at that

at that one particular scene as well."

back at the television right when the killer snatched his victim just before slamming the steel, sliding door shut. Roy was stunned into stillness as the scene vanished right before the television

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; just his backside that wouldn't turn

Shirley Donaldson knocked on and carefully opened the office Captain's

Gradually, Roy swung around to face both his perfectly clean desk and a blushing Donaldson. "Well, Donaldson, I figured you would be home by now."

"No, sir, not yet," Shirley humbly grinned. "I, uh, I just stopped by to

Roy replied, "Well, as you can see, I'm all packed up

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

and watched as the woman placed a small box down onto his desk. Roy glanced

Taking the bullet out and strangely examining it, Roy questioned, "What

a giddy little girl, Shirley rocked back and forth in place. "I remember when I graduated from the academy; my father gave me that 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

exploded into full red at that very moment. From front to

Still smiling, Roy said, "I don't quite know what to say,

don't

humor before getting up out