Night Of The Zombie Chapter 7

Night Of The Zombie

Chapter 7

I found Zach in Lee’s office, a trailer parked at the far end of the “tent city” just off Main St. They seemed to be arguing but I couldn’t hear the words. I knocked on the door and the voices became silent.

Zach answered. Come in Justin, he said.

I climbed the wooden steps and went into the small trailer. There was a small desk along the far wall and a few filing cabinets. A plush chair that has seen better days was against another wall. Lee was seated at the desk. Justin, you heard the news?

Yeah, I said. And it really sucks.

You got that right, Lee said.

Lee here tells me you want to fight the Chief on this. I admire your dedication, buddy, but I think it's over, Zach said. I really wanted this film to succeed. It's probably going to end my filmmaking career—in L.A. anyway, he said ruefully. Maybe I can help some people with their home movies.

What were you guys arguing about, I asked. If you don't mind my asking.

Zach and Lee exchanged glances. Nothing, Lee said finally. It's not important. Anyway, we're off to tell the crew to pack their bags. We're pulling out tomorrow morning.

Unless I can find the culprit tonight? I asked. Look, guys, just give me a few more hours. I'm going home to do some research. I find that calms my crazy brain and maybe I can find out something to take to Rose. Maybe he'll change his mind if I can give him a name.

Zach seemed to ponder this a moment. OK, Justin, see what you can find. I'm not ready to retire from the movie business just yet, he added with a grin.

Lee was grinning as well. I like your loyalty, he remarked. I'm trusting you to find something and save Zach's career—and mine. I was looking forward to working with this guy on more movies. He's an awesome director—very talented. It would be a shame to let something like this end that relationship.

Zach nodded, wiping a tear from his eye. Yeah, was all he said.

I returned to my SUV. Van and Raj had left earlier and were probably at Van's place watching a movie—a zombie movie most likely to get pointers in case they happened to be cast in any more zombie movies in the future.

I drove home. Kimmy was there. She rushed up when I came in the door with a pad and paper. Can I have your autograph? She asked, batting her eyelids.

I just shook my head and passed her into the kitchen. I grabbed some dinner, a casserole that Mom had made. I heated it up in the microwave and took it up to my room, where I booted up my laptop on my desk.

First I did a search for Zach Bristow to see if I could learn anything about his career in L.A. His very short career so far. His first movie “Zombie Cheerleaders” had been a major flop last year. I never even heard of it. It had been in limited release in the U.S. and didn't even recover it's budget back. This movie was not the first one that that had happened to. Many movies flopped nowadays. I heard someone say one time that for every 20 movies, most flop but for the movie companies, one solid blockbuster can make up for all those flops.

Lee Landers was the producer and I recognized many of the names as the crew for the current movie. Nothing unusual there. So they liked to work together.

I moved on to Lee, again nothing really out of the ordinary, just that he had been arrested a few years ago, in L.A., for a robbery. That must have been the incident Canning had mentioned earlier. It had happened before he went to film school, and he had indeed cleaned up his act since that time.

Was I on to something here? Could Lee be involved in the sabotage. I hardly thought so. He and Zach were good buddies.

I searched for news articles about the robbery, but it was so obscure and a number of years ago, that I couldn’t find anything on it. I would have to try “Bessie” to see if I could find anything on the incident. Bessie was our supercomputer down at Dad’s lab, in downtown Port Salser. Dad had opened the lab a while back to help with his cases and to aid the local police.

I went on checking some of the crew starting with Mandy. She had gone to college to study artistic design and Special Effects Make-Up Artistry. I checked her Facebook page as well. Nothing unusual.

I checked the guy with the Mohawk, Glenn. I found out his last name was Newbury. He was from Vancouver and had moved to L.A. as a teen to try his hand as a make-up artist first working in his aunt's salon in Richmond, B.C.  I also checked out Charles and Randall, the guy with the hippie beard. Nothing.

OK, this was going nowhere. I shut down my computer and took my dirty dish back down to the kitchen and washed it and put it on the drying rack. Kimmy was in her room doing homework. Dad must be down at his office at the lab and Mom was working late. It was now 7. The film crew would most likely be packing up and getting ready to leave tomorrow. It made me sick that Zach had to give up his movie because of some stupid—but dangerous, pranks. I had to find out who was behind it and why.

I pulled on my high tops and after leaving Kimmy a note, I headed out to my SUV. Now that the movie was stopping production, the threats would probably stop now as well.

I drove downtown and noticed that they were already dismantling the tents. I spotted Zach and Lee supervising but didn’t stop. I didn’t have anything to tell them—yet. I drove past feeling sick that I hadn’t found out anything yet. But I would keep trying.

I parked outside the lab, which was a few blocks away from the “tent city”. I went inside and saw that Dad was in his office. I related what had happened at the movie shoot and how they were dismantling the tents right now.

Yes, I know, he said grimly. Chief Rose came by earlier to tell me. And to make sure our agreement was still in effect.

How I wouldn’t interfere with the police?, I muttered. Yeah, I’m keeping the agreement.

I know this is hard, Justin, but he’ll soften up once he realizes we mean no harm.

Yeah, sure, I said, dejectedly.

Don’t let it get you down—about Zach I mean. He’ll make other movies, Dad said.

It just bugs me we never found out who was responsible for the fire, the theft of the make up and masks, the notes and the carbon monoxide incident.

The police will find them, Dad said. I nodded and then left.

 I went back to the computer lab and booted up “Bessie”. She was so large it took up a large part of the computer lab room. It had links to most police databases in North America, so I was confident I would find something.

I was about to do my search when I heard Dad talking to someone. A few moments later he came to the door—with Chief Rose in tow.

The Chief just nodded. I hope you’re doing your homework, he said with a bit of a sneer. I hope you’re not working on the Zach Bristow case. There’s nothing else you can do. We’re looking into the incidents. Anyway, they’ll be gone by morning. Good riddance, I say.

Yeah, I’m doing homework, I said, turning back to the screen.

Why are you using that computer, Chief Rose said, coming into the room. Dad followed him. It’s kind of a powerful computer for looking up provincial flowers, don’t you think?

But I want to know if these provincial flowers committed a crime, I said with a smirk of my own.

Your son has a smart mouth, Rose said to Dad.

I think Justin is just frustrated that his friend has to give up his movie because of threats and sabotage. It’s not fair, you have to admit. But he shouldn’t take it out on you, though.

Was there a reason for your visit? Chief, I asked turning back to him.

Just wanted to talk to you, he said. I wanted to re-iterate your non involvement in local police matters. I came by and spoke to your dad earlier, but I want a commitment from you. If I find you’re meddling there will be serious consequences.

I understand, Chief, I said with a fake smile. Now if you’ll excuse me I need to find out the provincial flower of B.C., I added, turning back to the computer. Luckily I hadn’t brought up anything related to the case on the screen, but as soon as this lug left the room I was going to start. I wasn’t scared of him.

I could feel his pudgy eyes boring into me but he soon left the room. Dad escorted him out then returned a few minutes later.

Justin, he admonished. You shouldn’t disrespect authority like that. Rose is the Chief whether we like it or not. I know he’s a bit of a jerk, but he does have authority nonetheless.

Good, Dad, I’ve got it. Thanks. I’ll do better.

He wasn’t convinced but he left it alone.

I opened up the police database for the U.S. and started my search, first checking Zach but found nothing on him. Which was a good sign. I liked Zach and considered him a friend. That’s why this whole sabotage business really bugged me. I really wanted to help him.

Lee Landers was another story. His arrest was 5 years ago in Vancouver. He had tried to rob a convenience store in the downtown core. The clerk tried to overpower Lee, but Lee had hit him with can. The boy wasn’t seriously hurt. So that wasn’t too serious.

Wait.

I looked at the youth’s name who was the clerk. It was Simon Rose.

OK. Now I was getting somewhere. Was this Simon Rose related to Reginald Rose? Chief Rose? I didn’t think Rose had any children—thank goodness for small wonders.

I did a check on Rose and he did not have any children, but he did have a nephew Simon Rose  but there was nothing on him listed currently. His name was mentioned in Lee’s robbery case but after that he seemed to disappear.

He didn’t die of his injuries, did he? I hardly thought so. I tried to find anything kind of official records on Simon Rose but there were no school records or employee records—or death notices.

Then I had a chilling thought. I did a search on hospitals and other type of medical facilities and hit pay dirt a few minutes later.

Simon Rose was a patient at a hospice on Vancouver Island. He had severe brain damage and was non responsive—basically in a vegetative state.

How hard had Lee hit him during the robbery? Surely not enough to cause this. I searched for anything else I could find. Should I try to contact the hospice? I was taking a risk that Rose might find out. I decided to make the call but not really expecting the hospice to give me much. But I had to try.

I did a search and soon found it and dialed the number. It was only around the dinner hour there when I called and asked if Simon Rose was a patient.

Who is this? A stern female voice.

I’m a family friend. A friend of his uncle Reg, I said, heart pounding in my chest.

The woman gave a small snort, like she didn’t believe me. She must have known Chief Rose, then.

I’ll have to clear it with the family, she said finally. What’s your name and number?

I hung up without giving any information. So that wasn’t very productive. But at least I knew Simon Rose was still there.

I did another news story search and a few minutes later I hit on some more information. A traffic report that occurred about a year after the robbery in Richmond, B.C. listed a Simon Rose as severely hurt in the accident. He was alone and had driven off the road and gone down a steep embankment in the B.C. mountains where he was trapped for hours. When he was rescued it was discovered he had suffered massive brain injuries in the accident.

I went to click on another search when suddenly the lights and the computer screen flickered and went out!