The Ghost of Dome Rock Road

The Sheriff Loses His Grip

Fred Koontz pulled up to the La Paz County Regional Hospital just outside the Emergency Room entrance. He turned the engine off when his cell phone rang. Before he left the house this morning, they had a major blow-up with his wife. Fred figured Judy was calling to make up. This would have been Judy's typical modus operandi - but not today. This morning was different. 'Hell! Judy was different now,' Fred thought. She had a different look in her eyes. She was clear-headed and determined - not mousy and withdrawn. Fred wondered if she might be having an affair... Christ! she was on the phone all the friggin time. Judy met a lady named Betty at one of those' 12-step' meetings. She was always on the phone with Betty, sometimes for hours.

The fight this morning started when Fred went into a rant about a credit card bill. Judy has been driving all over western Arizona - doing '12-Step work.' At least that's what Judy called it. Fred blew up when he saw $400 worth of gas purchases on the credit card. He had laid into Judy heavy. His vitriol today surpassed the time Judy wrecked her brand-new Caddy. She'd only had the new Caddy for a couple of weeks when she smashed into a stop sign, then a concrete bench at a bus stop - out of her mind on Oxy. Today, he slapped Judy hard before hitting her with a barrage of expletives. Judy held her own and warned Fred. "There's going to be consequences."

"Ok, Judy, make it quick! I'm in the middle of something." "It's over, Fred!" "What's over?" Fred asked. "Us! That's what's. I'm done! I'm tired of pretending there's anything worth saving in our marriage," Judy said as she struggled to keep her voice from quivering. Fred picked up on the hesitation in her voice. "Look, Judy, I know I can be a real prick sometimes, but you know how I am with money. I said some things this morning I probably shouldn't have said." Without hesitating, Judy said, "You just don't get it, do you darling." "This is not about your fucking rant this morning! Look, Fred, I've discovered a part of myself that I thought was gone forever. I was lost at the bottom of a pill bottle. I'm just not going to lay down and let you walk all over me anymore."

Fred felt the back of his neck stiffen. It was like someone cranked up a blowtorch right behind his head. A thud of pain shot across his temples as his anger began to boil over. He tried to hold it down. "You fucking bitch! Where do you get off telling me we're through? We're through when I fucking say we're through! I'll rain a shit-storm down on you-" the call disconnected. Fred dropped the cellphone on the passenger seat when a text popped up on the phone. It was Judy, "I won't be here when you come home." Fred thought, 'I don't have time for this shit.'

His mind was racing with anger. He took a couple of deep breaths, trying to calm himself down.

Fred needed to have his wits about him right now. He watched the video Arty sent him. Fred's worried Damian's poking around could cause him real trouble. He came to the hospital under the façade he was visiting a fellow peace officer. Fred's a master at hiding a bad motive underneath a good one. What he really wanted was to evaluate the severity of Damian's injuries. 'Is this guy even going to survive?' Fred asked himself. Fred's determined to explain to Damian why he'd be making a big mistake if he thought he could take him down.

Fred walked into the ER and headed to the nurse's station. "Hi, Sheriff!" Connie, the perky redhead behind the counter, greeted him. "Hi, Miss Williams," said Koontz. "Where's the trooper they brought in?" "Oh, they moved him to ICU overnight, Sheriff. He's burned pretty bad. I think they're trying to stabilize him before they move him to the Burn Center in Phoenix. He someone ya know, Sheriff?" "No. Not really. Just paying a professional courtesy," Koontz replied. "He's not supposed to have any visitors, Sheriff, but I'm sure it'll be ok for you to pop in real quick," the nurse said. "Maybe some words of encouragement will do him good," said another nurse standing behind Connie.

Koontz headed down a hallway when he ran into a doc he knew. "Hi, Fred! You hear to see the trooper?" the doc asked. "Yeah. How's he doing, Mel?" Koontz asked. "Well, he's one lucky guy. He has third-degree burns on his back and his right arm. First and second degrees burns other places, but miraculously, no other serious injuries. The paramedics that brought him in said that he saved a woman's life." "Really!" Fred exclaimed. "I haven't talked to anyone about the accident yet," the sheriff said. "Yeah, I guess the trooper pushed the woman to the ground and covered her as a giant fireball engulfed them," the doctor said.

The stiffness returned to Fred's neck. The trooper would likely survive. Not only that, but he's going to be a local hero. There's no room in Fred's mind for two local heroes. "Thanks, Mel. I'll look in on him and wish him well," Koontz said. "Awesome, Sheriff. I'm sure he'll appreciate that. He should be awake. I was just checking on him." Fred headed down the hallway to the ICU and the big double doors that separate the unit from the rest of the hospital. As he walked into the unit, he stopped by the nurse's station. "Trooper Fernandez?" Fred asked. The nurse didn't speak but pointed to Room 103. "Thanks," said Fred. Damian was lying on his side facing away from the door and didn't see the sheriff enter the room. Fred approached the bed when Damian realized someone had entered the room. "Is that you, Doc?" Damian asked. "No, trooper, it's Fred Koontz from the La Paz County Sheriff's Office." Fred noticed Damian's body suddenly stiffen. Damian turned his head slightly and spotted Sheriff Koontz standing at the foot of his bed.

"How ya holding up?" Fred asked. "Ah... about as good as one could expect, given the circumstances," Damian replied. "If there's anything I can get you, just let me know, trooper." "It's Damian, Sheriff. Do you remember me? We met a while ago out on I-10. That head-on crash scene." "Oh yeah! I remember you now. You're that new guy working out of the Yuma office, right?" Fred said, trying to pretend he just remembered who Damian was. "Well, I'm not new to the Highway Patrol, but I am new to the Accident Investigation Team," Damian replied. "Oh yeah, that's right - crash investigations. How's that going?" Fred asked. He looked down and saw that both of Damian's legs were partially covered lightly with bandages. His legs elevated slightly above his head, and he could see large open blisters - puss oozing out slowly. "It's going ok," Damian responded hesitantly.

"How about that Dome Rock Road investigation? The one you just mentioned. How's that one going?" Fred asked. Damian sensed the sheriff was fishing. "Sheriff, you know I can comment about an ongoing investigation." Koontz's eyes scanned the door and then down the hallway. He turned back to Damian. He placed his right hand firmly on the middle of a bandage on Damian's left leg. He started squeezing. Fresh blood began seeping through the dressing.

"Cut the crap, kid! We both know you're on some kind of vendetta to get me!" Fred said, trying to keep his voice from being heard outside the room. Expecting a cry of pain from Damian, Fred is surprised when the young man just smiles. "What's the matter, Sheriff? You don't have anything to hide, do you?" Damian responded sarcastically. "Oh, and you're gonna need to press a lot harder than that if you expect to elicit a pain response from me. The docs have me so full of Demerol right now I can barely feel myself breathe." Fred removed his hand, scanned the door again, then turned back to Damian and leaned forward. "Look here, junior G-man! I've been doing this job since you were sucking on your momma's titty. If you think you're gonna bring me down with some nonsense that Jankins woman is feeding you, you are sadly mistaken." Damian's eyes widen. He's momentarily at a loss for words. 'What does the sheriff know?' Damian thought. "Look, kid. One! You're overstepping the scope of your investigation - big-time. And two! Eileen Jankins is a floozy. No one, I mean NO ONE! - is going to take her seriously."

"Sheriff, I think I need to rest now. It would be best if you left," Damian said as he pushed the call button for the nurse's station. "Yes, Mr. Fernandez. What do you need?" a nurse spoke from a speaker on the wall. "Nurse, I think the bandage on my leg needs changing," Damian responded. "We'll be right in." "Remember, I warned you, kid! I'm going to your boss. I'll let him know you're on some kind of stupid witch hunt when you should just be doing your job!" "Give it your best shot, Sheriff," Damian quipped. Koontz stormed out of the room, almost knocking over the nurse who had come to replace Damian's bandage. "Geez! What's his problem?" the nurse growled. "Oh, he's got his balls in a vise, and they're about to get squeezed," Damian crowed cynically. The nurse gave Damian a strange look.