Mystery at Devil's Elbow

JD picked up his radio from the desk and gave directions to the deputies in the two cars in route to the farm. JD then took Lisa in his car out to Z Highway.

“Sheriff, this Haney,” the deputy said over the radio.

“Go ahead, Haney.”

“We’ve got the older suspect in custody, Sheriff.”

“What about the younger man?”

“He ran, Sheriff. Two deputies are chasing him now.”

“What about the boy?”

“We haven’t found the boy yet, Sheriff. We’re still searching.”

“I’ll be there in two minutes.”

“Roger that.”

JD pulled the car over and down through the ditch near a collapsed building. He left the car lights on and immediately ran towards what appeared to be a collapsed barn.

“I need the boy to cry out, Lisa. We need to know where he is.”

“He’s afraid.”

“Calm him, Lisa. I need him to yell out so we can hear him.”

“He can’t. He’s too frightened.”

“No, Lisa. You have to make him cry out.”

“I can’t, Sheriff.”

“You must!”

Lisa fell to her knees and put her hands over her face. Suddenly a scream rang out from under what looked like a collapsed shed. JD ran with is light pointing out in front as he followed the beam to the location and began pulling up boards.

“Send an ambulance to the scene now,” JD called out as he began to pull boards.

“Lisa went over and began helping JD pull boards off the pile. Suddenly, there was a concrete base. JD started to pull boards more furiously. Then Lisa cried out that she had found a metal door.

“Don’t open it.”

“But he’s afraid.”

“Don’t open that door, Lisa.”

JD walked up to the door. He pulled out his gun, reached down, and pulled the door open. All he could see was darkness.

“Say something, Andy,” said JD.

Throaty, faint cries came from the hole.

“Is that you, Andy?”

Still no response, except for the crying.

“Ask him to come up, Lisa.”

Lisa looked down into the opening. With a calm voice, she said. “It’s me, Andy. You can come out now.”

Now a rustling sound came from the hole. JD’s flashlight illuminated a small boy climbing up the wooden steps.

As he neared the top, JD pulled him up and over the metal door to safety. Lisa ran to the boy’s side to comfort him.

JD shone his light into the hole as he stepped downward. He found no one else in the space.

“Are you okay, Andy?” asked Lisa.

All the boy could do was cry. An ambulance pulled up, and the medical technicians darted over to Andy to begin treating him. Sheriff Carson turned and gave Lisa a big hug.

“You saved that boy’s life.”

“No, you could’ve done it without me, Sheriff.”

“No, we couldn’t have.”

“You won’t tell anybody what I did here, will you Sheriff?”

“No, Lisa. People would think I was nuts if I did.”

Deputies Haney and Bishop returned with the younger suspect in handcuffs and placed him in the second patrol car. Both drove their cars back to the jail.

JD pulled out his radio.

“Evidence team, this is Sheriff Carson. The site is cleared, ready for you to begin work.”

“Roger that, Sheriff. On our way.”

“Lisa, I could use a big glass of sweet tea and some cookies.”

“Me too, Sheriff.”

“Let’s go to your house and see what your Mom’s got left over.”

“Sounds good to me, Sheriff. She always has something.”