Chapter Eleven - Part One: Spiritual Justice?

CHAPTER ELEVEN

Seaside, OR

October 6, 2018

           

I was sitting in the attic of the Bridge Tender Tavern and the home of the Seaside Agency.  Totally stunned.  Barely able to speak.  Chief had already left.  It was once again just Madam, Charlie and me.  I looked at both of them.  Charlie didn’t appear to be in much better shape than me.  He was extremely pale, and kept rubbing his chin.

“Charlie,” asked Madam.  “Are you OK?  You’re not looking well.”

“I’m fine, Madam,” he answered.  “Even though you and I have worked together several times, this is the first time I’ve laid eyes on an elemental spirit.  I guess I wasn’t as educated in all of this as I thought.  Chief was one thing, but Sasquatch was a whole different ballgame.  Man!”

“What about you, Susie?” he asked, putting his hand on my shoulder.  Thank God for Charlie.  Somehow, he gave me the courage to keep going through this ghastly process.  I didn’t know if it was his touch or his voice, but there just seemed to be something so familiar and soothing about him.

“OK,” I said.  “There’s something that I really don’t understand.  Call me daft.  Call me stupid.  It doesn’t matter.  Madam, I need to know what you mean by ‘Spiritual Justice’.  What happened to the murderer seemed pretty extreme.  Going to jail for life would have been one thing, but being imprisoned in a dark, cold hidden cave would be way beyond cruel and unusual punishment.  Chief must have really hated the man!”

“No, that’s where you’re wrong,” said Madam.  “Spiritual Justice doesn’t involve love or hate.  It has nothing to do with prejudice or opinion.  Spiritual Justice goes to the very core of why a person made the choice that he or she has made.  The laws of the living, at least in this country, are based on presumption of innocence.  A person is only found guilty of a crime if the evidence shows that the suspected criminal did commit that crime beyond a shadow of a doubt.  And that’s determined by a committee of people who have no knowledge beforehand of the suspect’s innocence or guilt, much less his or her history or motivation.”

“Spiritual Justice is based on truth.  Spirits have no need to determine innocence or guilt.  They simply know.  They’re a part of the universe that understands human frailty.  They also understand right and wrong.  They know why things happen.  They know why a person does what they do.  There’s no hiding anything from a spirit.  The term ‘Great Spirit’ didn’t come about because it’s a catchy name.  God truly is the Great Spirit, and all spirits of the light are his agents.”

“Chief did what was right for the murderer, given the truth.  The court’s occasional misperception of what may be cruel or unusual punishment is based on ignorance of the truth.  It’s not a bad thing.  It’s not the legal system’s fault.  Most people want to believe the best about others.  They would likely feel different if they knew the now non-existent spirit of the murderer, though.  The girl who was killed in 1973 was not his first victim.  There were many before that.  So let’s acknowledge the human condition that wishes to “reasonably” punish a murderer, and celebrate the Spiritual Justice with which Chief dispensed of him.”

“Does that help?” asked Madam.

I just stared.  This was going to take more brain power than I currently had.

“No.  Don’t use your brain for this one.  Use your heart.  That’s where the soul resides.  Don’t think about this.  Instead, feel it,” suggested Madam.

That was easier said than done, I thought.  Madam shook her head ‘yes’.  I needed to sort this out.  My heart still hurt.  It was hard to feel anything beyond that.  Megan was still missing.  I didn’t know where she was or what was happening to her.  Riley didn’t even have the advantage of being able to talk with Charlie or Madam.  She was stuck here, probably blaming herself for not keeping a closer eye on her sister.  The tears started to well up in my eyes.  Tears for the pain that both of my daughters were likely going through.  Tears for the pain that I had caused during my drunken years.  Tears for their having grown up without a stable parent in their life. 

When I looked at Charlie, I noticed that he actually had tears in his eyes, too.  I didn’t ask him what was causing those tears.  It just made sense to sit with all of this and let each person have their own feelings without being questioned.

“Do you think we can take a break?” I asked both of them.  “I really need to talk with Riley to make sure that she’s alright.”

“Sounds like a good idea,” added Charlie.

“Certainly,” said Madam.  “I can use a little time to recharge my own batteries.”  I was really starting to like her.  If she was alive, I think we’d be great friends.

“Oh, no,” she said.  “If you had known me when I was alive, I’m not sure what you would have thought of me.  But that doesn’t matter.  We can be friends as soon as this mystery is solved.  Right now, you’re a client, so I have to keep some distance.  I hope you understand.”

“Of course,” I remarked.  “Let’s just get this mystery solved as quickly as possible.  Charlie, I’m going to try to meet up with Riley.  Would you like to come along?  I know that she wants to talk with you.”

“I can’t tell you how pleased that would make me,” he said.

Just then my phone rang.  “Mom?  Are you still cavorting with the people at the Seaside Agency?  I’m going nuts here.  I mean, there’s only so many times I can watch people walk by on the Prom before it  starts to make me stir crazy.  Do they have any new information yet?”

“Riley,” I said.  “I was just about to call you.  We’re going to take a break.  Would you like to come and meet Charlie?  What?  No, Madam has some other work to do.  Why don’t you come down to the Pig ‘N Pancake on Broadway?  We can have a cup of coffee and talk there.  Right.  We’ll meet you in about fifteen minutes.”

I turned to Charlie.  “Alright then.  I’m anxious to introduce you to my oldest daughter.”

“And I’m anxious to meet her,” he replied.

Fifteen minutes later we were sitting at a table in the Pig ‘N Pancake, a favorite breakfast spot in Seaside.  In walked Riley, looking concerned.  “What’s going on out there?” she inquired.

“Where?” we both asked.

“In the alley up the street.  I guess it’s nothing if you two haven’t heard about it yet.  Hi, by the way.  My name is Riley.  You must be the detective,” she said as she held out her hand to shake Charlie’s hand.

“Yes, yes I am.  I’ll lay claim to that title, although I’m now retired,” he answered.

“Why are you doing this job for Mom and me?” asked Riley.  What do you charge?  Have you made any headway in finding my sister yet?”

“Riley,” he said.  “Are you always this wound up?”

“Excuse me?” she snapped at him briskly.  “My sister disappeared last evening and hasn’t been seen since.  You’re introduced to my alcoholic mother in a bar, and pitch this idea to her about you and someone called ‘Madam’ doing an investigation.  You didn’t bother telling her how much it would cost.  And you think I’m too ‘wound up’?  I don’t think so!”

“Hold on there, young lady,” I shot back at her.  “You’re too old to be acting like a spoiled brat, and you’ve got no right referring to me in public as an alcoholic.  That’s way out of line!  Now why don’t we step back and start over?”

“Riley, this is Charlie,” I said.  “Charlie, this is Riley.  Now let’s go to opposite corners of the ring before we come out swinging.”

Riley apologized, looking a bit sheepish.  “I’m sorry.  I do tend to get wound up when I can’t control a situation, and this one has gotten way beyond me.”

Charlie chuckled.  “Riley, it’s very nice to meet you.  Your mother’s told me all about you and Megan.  I feel as though I already know you both.  I’m sorry about the circumstances under which we’re meeting, but believe that we can solve this case together.  It doesn’t sound like a random crime to me.  My hunch is that your sister was whisked away by her boyfriend, Nick Benson.”

“That’s exactly what I’ve been thinking, too!” exclaimed Riley.  “Mom probably already told you about the phone call between the two of them before we went out to dinner last night.  I think Nick was pissed off that Megan came here without him, and got somebody to pick her up right off the street.  He beats her, you know.”

“What?!?” I wailed.  “He beats Megan?  I’ve never seen a bruise on her.  Did she tell you that?”

“No, she’d never admit it,” said Riley.  I saw the bruise on her foot.  That only way she could have gotten that kind of bruise on the top of her foot is if he stomped on her, or dropped something extremely heavy on her foot.  She also refused to take her shirt off when we went swimming in the hotel pool.  It’s a good bet that she was trying to hide bruises that she probably has on her chest and arms.  This guy is a real douchebag, pardon my French.”

“I’m sorry to say that it’s not unusual for abused women to hide their injuries,” said Charlie.  “They’re usually afraid that things will get even worse if other people find out about the abuse.  It’s called ‘Battered Wife Syndrome.’  Try not to blame Megan for hiding it from you.  It’s part of the syndrome, and it’s not her fault.   Unfortunately, though, she’s been manipulated into believing that it really is her fault.  When we get her back to you, there are programs that we can put her in contact with that can help her overcome the psychological harm that’s been done by her relationship with this Nick person.”  Charlie was starting to sound like an angry father.  “Don’t worry,” he remarked with a furrowed brow.  “We’re going to find him.  And we’re going to find her.”

“And,” he continued, “I’m not charging your mother anything for assisting with this investigation.  This is my way of giving back to people who need my help.  Madam is the same way.  We don’t advertise because we’re very selective about which cases to accept.  We only get involved when we believe there is Spiritual Justice within reach,” he said winking at me.

“Interesting term,” said Riley.  “Thank you for the explanation, but do let me warn you.  If you screw us over in any way, I’ll hunt you down like a dog.  I didn’t spend time in the military for nothing,” she said pointedly.

“Understood,” chuckled Charlie.  “I wouldn’t expect anything different.   I respect your candor.”

“Are we good then?” I asked.  “Charlie and I need to get back to the agency to interview another detective.  I’ll call you as soon as we’re done, Riley.”

And back we went.