red moon over west virginia - 4. the listener

by jeremy witherington

part 4 of 36

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pete pickering was an easygoing man. he just was. it was his nature. when he retired after working thirty-two years for the power company, he enjoyed just driving around in his pickup truck, enjoying the scenery and sometime picking up hitchhikers, whom he enjoyed talking to and listening to their stories, if they cared to share them. there had been a number of mysterious disappearances in the area, and sheriff jeanie bapworth suspected pete of being a serial killer and causing most or all of the disappearances. but she could not get any evidence on him. when jeanie unveiled her suspicions to the district attorney, maria theresa, maria was not impressed. so the only thing you have against poor pete is that he drives around in his truck? maria asked. well, the killer would have to drive around, wouldn’t he? jeanie retorted. no doubt, but i can not very well ask judge john calhoun for a warrant to search his premises on such a flimsy basis as that. with that, the subject was closed so far as maria theresa was concerned. but jeanie was more determined than ever to get the goods on pete. jeanie would have liked to go out and stand on the windy highway and wait for pete to pick her up and see what he was up to. but this did not seem like a feasible proposition as pete would surely recognize her. jeanie accepted the fact that she, jeanie, was not a master of disguise, and even if she tried it and pete seemed to not see through her, how was she to know but that he really did? it was a conundrum, all right. she would have to find some other way. next