Kim's Story: Murder in the Everglades

PROLOGUE

In The Beginning.....................

Was it a nightmare that awakened her with a start? She opened her eyes to darkness. Only slivers of moonlight filtered through the lacy curtains of her second-story bedroom window forming pattern pictures on the wall next to her bed. An owl hooted from the magnolia tree just outside, interrupting the amorous chirping of the Everglade geckos.

Alien sounds had infiltrated her unconsciousness: muffled thumps and thuds had brought her crashing to reality. With a fear that washed over her like a tidal wave coming ashore, ten-year-old Kim Alexander scooted deep under her covers. Perspiration seeped from her scalp, dampening her auburn locks. She wanted the comfort of her parents; to know they were here for her, to protect her from the wicked dreams, to shield her from herself. But fear kept her frozen beneath the sheets where the silence became suffocating.

Now, something new demanded her attention. This time it wasn’t a dream. The stillness was broken by footsteps, barely audible, as they moved down the hallway toward her bedroom. She pulled the sheet from her head and peeked in the direction of the door. The soft glow of the hallway nightlight flowed beneath it as she watched a shadow pass, return and hesitate on the other side. The pause was long enough for Kim to leap from her four-poster bed into the safety of the built-in storage area beneath her bay window. The lid with its heavy padding and gingham cover settled over her like a camouflaged haven when the bedroom door exploded inward.

Dead quiet reigned momentarily as Kim pictured the intruder trying to establish her whereabouts. She lay motionless, afraid to move an eyelash, or draw in more than short breaths lest he detect the expansion and contraction of her lungs. She knew if he didn’t hear her, he probably would never find her.

Forcing herself to crack one eye open, she pressed it against a tiny slit between the boards of her hiding place, below the gingham frill. She saw movement in the filtered moonlit interior of the bedroom.

Then the rampage began. Drawers opened and slammed shut. Treasures on top of her dresser crashed to the floor. Inside the closet, hangers, shoes and boxes from the shelves banged and clattered across the room. Glass shattered. There was rage in the way her desk chair hurtled through space, and the table lamp smashed against a wall.

A massive thud above her shook her refuge when the intruder leaped on the window seat. Had he sensed her hiding place? She could only pray he hadn’t. She jammed a fist into her mouth to squelch the sobs she felt rising in her throat. She heard him tugging and ripping at the screen. Did he think she had escaped through the window and onto the magnolia tree?

Where were her parents and why weren’t they coming for her? She wanted to scream to let them know something was terribly wrong, but quickly dismissed this foolish thought knowing it would reveal her hiding place. She squeezed her eyes shut, praying this was all a part of the cruel dream that had broken her sleep.

Kim sucked in tiny breaths, fearing another explosion of violence. It came all too soon. Now she heard the curtain rods being yanked out of the wall, material being slashed. He sprang to the floor again, this time savagely attacking the bed. Wood splintered as the madness gained momentum.

When the furor finally subsided, silence became master.

Still fighting her terror, Kim lay in her fetal position, trying to quell the violence that continued to shake her body. Where did this madman go? Could he be lurking behind a closed door waiting for her to reveal her hiding place? Too afraid to abandon her shelter until she knew for certain he had left, she could only wait for her parents to come to her rescue. They would discover the invasion and devastation and call the police to find this monster.

At last sleep overtook her as exhaustion claimed its victory.

Sunlight crept through a crack in the boards of her hiding place. Outside mockingbirds welcomed another beautiful day in the heart of the Florida Everglades. As Kim slowly became aware of her environment, fear again flooded her every sense.

Once more chills spread through her body like an evil plague. She was still alone. Her parents had not come to her rescue. She peered through the cracks of the storage chest but saw nothing but remnants of what had once been her cherished bedroom possessions. Everything she could see had been destroyed. Other than the songs of nature slipping through her window, the place was as quiet as death itself.

She closed her eyes, tried to think what to do next. Should she make a dash to her parents’ bedroom and take a chance that this monster was not hiding behind a closed door waiting for her?

Questions nagged at her subconscious. Where were her parents anyway? Had they not heard the frightening disturbance in the middle of the night? Even in a house so huge and rambling as this one, they couldn’t have slept so soundly.

Mother and Daddy’s bedroom lay at the opposite end of the long, second floor hallway. Walls, closets, and two guest bedrooms occupied the space between. Could that have possibly been enough to muffle the devastating disturbance?

She imagined Daddy already gone to work and Mother sitting at the kitchen table drinking coffee and reading the Miami Herald. She had no idea of the time since her clock lay smashed on the bedroom floor.

Quietly she crawled out of the window seat, cautious to skirt the broken glass and splintered wood. Peeking around the open hall door, she made certain no one lingered there. Dead silence and emptiness greeted her. Could someone be hiding in one of the doorways? One foot followed by the other, she tiptoed down the corridor, past the two guest bedrooms, past the large linen closet, and hesitated by her parents’ bedroom door, still closed.

They must be asleep because her mother always left the door open after they were up and she had made the bed. Kim tapped lightly, but there was no response. She twisted the knob, and the door swung open. A ghastly sight met her face on.

The same devastation that had befallen her own room awaited her here with one exception; blood covered much of the bed and floor. As the acrid metallic stench of it assailed her nostrils, she reeled backwards, groping for support from the door frame. Clasping her free hand over her mouth, vomit erupted through her fingers.

Her mother lay still on her side of the bed, eyes open and unblinking, Daddy on the floor in the middle of the room lying in a red pool.

She screamed. Screamed again and again. The sound of her own hysteria propelled her down the corridor to the curving stairway that led to the main floor. She felt herself trembling, stumbling down the steps and grabbing at the railing to stop her fall. This time she reached the bottom where instinct guided her to the hall phone. She dialed 911.

Even before it all happened, Kim felt she should have been forewarned. Her sleep that terrifying night had been fitful as she tossed and turned trying to find a comfortable position in the four-poster bed her grandfather had built for her. When sleep finally came, it distressed her with a repetitious dream that someone pursued her, stealing her away to a frightening and unfamiliar place.

The unsolved murder of her parents was a memory that periodically burst from the misty depths of her mind and rattled her sense of being as Kim Alexander grew from a curly headed ten-year old to a responsible young adult. The nightmare lingered in her memory like a scab over proud flesh. When it surfaced, it was clear and undiluted, a picture burned into her soul with indelible ink, one that would direct her life toward a sworn commitment: to bring the responsible party or parties to justice.

Kim’s only living relative became her new guardian. Her mother’s unmarried sister, Patricia Sanderson, lived and worked in the northwestern part of the country. Seattle, Washington, was as far away from her place of birth as one could physically get and still be in the continental United States. This city her aunt had made home and established her career after graduating from Miami University. Patricia’s substantial salary afforded her the privilege of hiring a full time housekeeper to ease the burden of her new position as a substitute parent.

Kim struggled with the loss of family, friends and climate as she and her aunt slowly adjusted to their new lives together. While Kim threw herself into her schooling, Patricia had acquired more than a niece to raise: she’d been left with the responsibility of Kim’s inheritance from her grandfather, Margaret and Patricia’s father.

In his will, George Sanderson had left his entire fortune, which included a successful air boat business and the family estate, nicknamed SandHill, after part of his last name and Sofia’s maiden name, Hill, to his only grandchild, Kim. With the stipulation that her parents, Margaret and Charles Alexander, would operate the SawGrass Boat Tours and live in the home until Kim came of age, George felt assured his assets would be safe.

By appointing a longtime employee of the Sanderson business as new manager, Patricia felt reassured that the place would still flourish. She hired a reliable garden service to maintain the grounds around the estate, and the Glade City police were commissioned to keep check on the state of the property to avoid vandalism.

This situation stood for fifteen long years, waiting for the rightful owner to grow to adulthood and take charge of her inheritance with its accompanying responsibilities.

Chapter One:

The once handsome three-story Sanderson estate stagnated for nearly fifteen years near the back roads of the Everglades on the outskirts of Glade City, Florida. Boarded up and sealed off from the public by an eight-foot chain link fence, the only thing that kept the home and grounds from being swallowed by the sub-tropical overgrowth was the staff of gardeners hired by Patricia Sanderson. What once had been a proud homestead now clearly begged for someone to love and care for it again.

Surrounded by ten acres of south Florida real estate which embraced an area adjacent to the mangrove wilderness, the estate home designed by George Sanderson had been constructed after he and Sofia were first married. Planning on having at least a half dozen children, the couple settled for the two they had been blessed with, since Sofia’s health had precluded having more. Here the couple raised their two daughters while George established an air boat tour business in Glade City.

The estate, tagged as SandHill, became the best known and most talked about landmark of the Everglades, featuring an enormous entryway with a winding staircase and a crystal chandelier from Italy which hung from the center of the third floor ceiling. The spacious first floor’s kitchen and butler’s pantry covered the rear of the main floor, while a generous living/sitting room focused on a baby grand piano. George had designed a sizable library with an attached, private office. A powder room, plus a full sized bathroom, strategically placed, completed that floor.

The second floor consisted of an immense master bedroom, its private sitting room and bath area, and a room size closet with sliding glass windows. Storage rooms were located at both ends of the hallway, along with a roomy guest quarters with private bathroom, which later became young Kim’s bedroom. Two more guest rooms lay between.

The top floor housed the bedrooms assigned to the two daughters, plus a number of rooms which could have been turned into more bedrooms when necessary, but were left as storage areas for the time being.

The exterior of the estate had been left entirely to the discretion of Sofia who designed it to emulate a beautiful tropical garden to be viewed with pleasure from the full wraparound porch of the home.

Glade City, not more than a spot on the map in those days, still attracted plenty of visitors. George and Sofia, like the tourists who answered the call of the Everglades, loved the proximity to nature. Sofia never tired of the variety of birds abounding there. Herons, egrets, anhinga, and an occasional American bald eagle often graced the gardens surrounding the home. They were not far from the Cypress swamps that, from time to time, rewarded them with glimpses of alligators, bobcats, black bears, raccoons and Florida panthers. Not a welcome sight was the possibility of encountering a deadly coral snake, a predator to be reckoned with and feared.

Kim Alexander parked her airport rental car in front of the fence surrounding the Sanderson estate and slipped her five-foot-six inch frame from under the wheel. When she stepped out onto the gravel pathway, her heart thumped as she viewed the property through the metal links. Fifteen years had changed a lot of things. Boards covered the windows like blindfolds. She could still see Grandfather’s old cane back chair on the porch, a treasure with which he could never part. A small child’s rocking chair stood beside it.

As though it were yesterday, Kim could still visualize her grandfather sitting on that chair carving a pumpkin for her the Halloween before she started school in Miami. Come sit beside me, sweetheart, and I’ll show you how this is done. Put the seeds in that pan on the floor, he instructed. When we finish we’ll find one of Grandma’s candles and put it inside the hollow. After that I’ll take you fishing.

Can I have my very own pole, Grandfather?

You can have anything you want, my little one.

Would the halls still echo with his exuberant personality?

All the memories of her life here in the Everglades and those very special ones of her grandfather would remain forever in the recesses of her mind and always be a part of whom she had become.

Perspiration trickled down Kim’s neck as the heat of the Florida Everglades cruised through her veins, reminding her that she was back in the semi-tropics and no longer in cool Seattle. Removing some tissues from her handbag inside the vehicle, she wiped away the dampness and twisted her auburn curls into a small ponytail, fastening it with a clip high on her head.

The time had come to prove she could overcome the fear that plagued her whenever she remembered the night her life changed in a matter of moments. Unanswered questions stoked a determination to unravel mysteries long a part of her psyche.

With sweaty hands she played with the keys she’d brought with her. One would open the gate, the other, the front door of the house. Excitement momentarily masked the memories she had never been able to erase.

May I help you, young lady?

Kim spun around. The voice from behind startled her, shaking her from an intense concentration. Her eyes focused on a brown-uniformed policeman. Two sharp pleats ran down the front of his short-sleeved shirt and through one pocket that displayed a shining badge. He held his hat under his left arm, staring at Kim with unsmiling, piercing blue eyes.

I’m Kim Alexander, Officer. I inherited this place from my grandfather, George Sanderson, she replied. Feeling intimidated, she reached back into the rental vehicle for her purse and papers she’d brought with her from her aunt’s lawyer. I just arrived from Seattle and wanted to see how everything looked.

I need to see your ID, ma’am. He extended his hand. Your driver’s license, please.

Kim opened her purse, withdrew the wallet with the license and handed it to the officer.

Thank you, ma’am. He carefully examined it, and then handed it back to Kim. So, you’re Margaret and Charles Alexander’s daughter.

You knew them?

Of them, he corrected. I was a rookie back then when they lived here. He studied her face. His pale eyes, intense and unwavering, revealed a hint of arrogance. I’m Officer Grey, ma’am. This place is on my beat, and we check it regularly, a request from Miss Patricia Sanderson of Seattle.

My aunt, Kim replied as she replaced the driver’s license into her wallet. She’s been in charge of this property until now.

"Just doing my job, ma’am. Can never be too careful these days, you know. A lot of folks around would be happy to take advantage of a ... situation.

I see your home address is also Seattle. You live with your aunt?

Past tense. I did live with her. However, I’m back here now on a permanent basis.

Well, welcome to our fair city. His eyes softened somewhat as he added, If I can be of service to you in any way, just call the station, and they’ll forward a message.

Replacing his hat on his head, he turned and retraced his steps to the squad car. When he reached the door, he looked back at Kim. Come to the station at your earliest convenience, Miss Alexander. We’ll confirm the details so no one will be bothering you again on this same issue.

I intend to, Officer Grey. I have a letter with me from our lawyer making everything official. And, no doubt my aunt has or will be calling to advise the proper authorities of my arrival.

After the squad car left, Kim took her cell phone from her pocket, brought up the address book, found the number and pressed the send button.

An answering machine picked up. This is Gloria. Please leave a message.

Chapter Two:

At least a full hour remained before Gloria would be home from the real estate office where she worked. Kim knew her best friend in the world wanted to accompany her on her first inspection of the estate and its property, and she welcomed the thought of having a buddy along to help fight off the demons that played in her mind. Visiting the police station in the meantime with the legal papers on the property should satisfy the authorities.

She cruised down Lincoln Avenue, the main street in town, past the Glade City Motel, a number of fast food restaurants that had sprung up since she’d left, a Wal-Mart, another recent addition, and on past a number of small shops she couldn’t remember existing before. The town had definitely changed in the years of her absence.

Kim recalled the police station had been on the north side of town, somewhere along the main drag. She couldn’t miss it, she thought. But somehow she had.

Guess this calls for a cup of coffee and some local information, she murmured aloud as she pulled into a small strip mall with a variety of stores, a restaurant and an ice cream shop.

After she slid into a booth of the Glade City Family Restaurant, a waitress came for her order.

Just a cup of coffee, please, no cream. I need the caffeine.

No problem, sweetie. Anything else I can get you? The waitress’s short, dark brown hair framed tanned skin deeply lined from an over abundance of Florida sun.

There is one thing, if you don’t mind? I’m looking for the police station. I used to know where it was when I lived here as a child.

Well, welcome back ta Glade City, darlin’. My name is Marsha, and I understand why you can’t find it. They tore down the old station house a few years back. The TropiCal Hotel’s on that spot now. She tucked a pencil back over her ear. The city had a brand new buildin’ put up ’bout two years ago on a much larger chunk of property. Guess the big wigs was bustin’ their socks tryin’ ta figger out where ta put all their ‘hard earned’ tax money. They decided they needed a bigger place ’cause they wanted to combine City Hall, the police station, the courtrooms, and new jail quarters. Now it sits on a whole city block. So, go back two blocks, turn left and you’ll see it on the corner of Palm Drive and Everglade Road. Can’t miss it. She gave a toothy grin. It’s the million-dollar pride of our fair city.

Well, thanks so much for your directions, Marsha, and I’m also happy to meet you.

Kim finished her coffee while thinking about the friendliness of her waitress. What a difference there is in people from a small town and those who have been used to living in a large city like Seattle, she thought. You wouldn’t find that down home earthiness in most city people. Not like this, anyway. A smile worked its way across her lips as she headed out to locate the new police headquarters.

When she found the new station house, she understood why the waitress had called it the million-dollar pride of Glade City. It looked more like it should belong in the city of Seattle than here in the Florida Everglades. The three-story edifice consisted of a glassy blue exterior that mirrored and reflected the sun, which probably helped keep the building cooler.

To gain entry to the building, Kim had to go through security similar to that in the airports. Quite up-to-date and modern, she reflected.

Police headquarters occupied the front portion of the main level. The rear half housed the jail. City offices inhabited the second floor while courtrooms filled the top floor.

A female officer at a desk directed her to the proper authority. The officer in charge of Security Patrol was a big man, six-foot something and weighed in the 300-pound range. A plaque said he was Sgt. Ben Nelson. His prominent desk occupied one complete end of the large entry area.

Help you, ma’am?

Yes, sir. I’m Kim Alexander from Seattle, ... formerly of Glade City. She reached into her handbag and withdrew an envelope. My grandfather, George Sanderson, willed me his estate. Kim handed him the legal papers from her lawyer in Seattle. I need to notify the proper authorities so they know I’ll be working on the place as soon as I can hire a cleanup crew. My aunt, Patricia Sanderson, has been the party in charge until I could assume control.

The officer took the document. See some ID, ma’am?

Kim’s handed over her driver’s license while he thumbed through the four sheets of legalese.

I’ve been on the force for twenty years, ma’am, he said, looking up at her through thick lenses. I remember your mother and father lived here and ran the Glade City Air Boat Tours ... until ... He let his words slide away quietly, picked up a can of pop he had setting on his desk and took a big swallow. So, your grandfather was the original owner of the estate? I just assumed it always belonged to your parents. Not that it’s any of my business, ma’am. Guess it don’t make much difference at this point, anyways.

The deeds for both the estate and the business are in my name. Kim fidgeted with her shoulder strap as Officer Nelson finished scanning the papers. I have them with me if you need to see them.

No problem, Ms. Alexander. This letter from the lawyer is sufficient. I’ll see the force is aware of the changes. Will you still be wantin’ the place patrolled ... like your aunt was havin’ done?

Yes, please, for now, Sergeant, until I’m able to hire some help to clean the place. I’m not certain what sort of time schedule will be involved here, but I’ll be sure to notify the station when I find out.

Officer Nelson copied the papers and handed them back to Kim. Thank you, ma’am. ’Preciate your coming in.

Chapter Three:

By the time Kim finished at the police station and returned to her rental vehicle, it was well after five o’clock. Before she turned the ignition, she took out a hand drawn map Gloria had sent her. Finding her place would be easy with Gloria’s detailed instructions. As she studied it again to refresh her memory, a tap on her window startled her.

Finding everything you need, ma’am? Officer Grey bent over and peered inside her vehicle.

She rolled down the window. That’s the second time today you startled me, Officer.

Sorry. Just thought if I could be of some assistance ... He grinned and Kim felt her cheeks heat up. His smile illuminated a handsome face. With his eyes focused on her hand-drawn map, he said, Why don’t you tell me who you’re trying to find, and I can lead you there? His expression seemed much softer now. After all, that’s my job ... to assist the residents and any newcomers to our town.

I think I’ll be okay, Officer Grey. My friend has drawn me a very thorough map, so it should be no problem.

He reached through the open window to take the map from her hand, but Kim held it tightly. If you’re quite certain, ma’am. It’s just what being a police officer is all about. May I just have a look?

Reluctantly Kim allowed him to take the piece of paper. He studied it for a moment. It would appear that your friend is quite good at drawing directions. It looks accurate.

I’m sure I’ll be fine, but I thank you very much anyway.

Kim started the car and watched in the rear view mirror as the policeman stood there focused on her departure. She thought afterward she should have accepted his offer, but his scrutiny left her feeling self-conscious.

When she pulled up in Gloria’s driveway, the front door flew open and her friend came bursting out before Kim could turn off the engine.

I thought work would never end today. I couldn’t think of anything but you. It’s so good to have you back. She opened the car door and grabbed Kim, giving her a lung-crushing hug. I’m never going to let you leave Glade City again, Ms. Kim Alexander. Several tears of joy slid down her cheeks as she brushed a golden curl from her brow.

I hope I never have to go away again, Gloria. This day has been a long time coming. And here you are in a brand new home of your own.

Well, I’ve been in it almost a year now, and I love it here.

Gloria was just as pretty as Kim remembered her when they played together as little girls. The blonde ringlets, now stylishly shorter, framed a pert, attractive face with a turned up nose and blue eyes. Snapshots she had sent over the years did not do justice to the young woman who had wrested her from the car and squeezed the breath out of her.

I’ve never known an afternoon that dragged so, Gloria said breathlessly. Let me help you with your things, and we can get started with our catching up. I’ve made a big chicken salad, and iced tea is ready.

I’ve seen the estate, Gloria, Kim said, as she opened the trunk, from the outside only. It looks pretty lonely and unkempt ... timeworn, to be exact. The two of them started to pull out suitcases and boxes. I packed all the rest of my worldly belongings for Aunt Patricia to send when she knows I’ve settled.

Don’t worry about the estate house, honey. You’ll have that taken care of before you know it. She hit a button on the garage remote in her hand. Let’s go in this way. Easier access to the bedrooms. I’ve made room in the garage for you to park after we get you unpacked.

Gloria’s home reflected the modern construction of Florida living: pale green stucco-covered cement block, topped with a gray concrete tile roof and built to resist the possibility of extreme wind velocity. Young, colorful blooming plants followed the perimeter of the building: hibiscus blossomed near the porch area while a tiny Bougainvillea with rust-colored blooms climbed a trellis next to the garage door. Several groupings of pigmy date palms lent a tropical finish to the front lawn.

Inside, the place was a compliment to her friend, with feminine touches everywhere. The guest bedroom was a pale pink with white eyelet curtains and bedspread. The girls opened Kim’s suitcases, hung up skirts, slacks and blouses in a small walk-in closet and put lingerie and personals into dresser drawers.

Come on, honey, I’m starving. Gloria grabbed Kim’s arm and marched her into the kitchen nook where she had set the table for supper.

While they ate and later cleaned up, the two women talked as though they hadn’t had any communication since their childhood separation, though letters and phone calls had kept them in constant touch. But being physically together again brought up endless questions and answers. Before they knew it, it was two o’ clock in the morning.

Gloria, I’m so sorry. I’ve kept you up way past your bedtime. Work tomorrow as usual? You’ll be dead tired.

Not to worry, honey. I’m taking tomorrow off. I wouldn’t be able to concentrate on work, anyway. Gloria reached over and squeezed Kim’s arm. It’s hard to believe we’re finally going to live in the same town again after all these years. Best of all, you’ll be staying here with me until you finish work at SandHill. So, what’s the plan of attack for tomorrow?

I have the keys, Kim said. We can go there in the morning and have a good look around. I’ll make notes and you can help me find the right people to do the cleanup work. But first ... . She hesitated for a moment, concentrating.

What? Gloria prompted.

It’s just this old thing of mine. The unsolved, the unexplained, uncalled for...

Don’t say another word, Gloria interrupted. "I know what you mean. I’m here to help you all I can, friend. We’ll go over the