Gone at Zero Hundred 00:00 Read online

  “I wouldn’t be doing my job if I didn’t at least try, now would I?” she said, clearly irritated with me. “Why are you always so relentless?”

  I squealed in frustration like I always do, when I know I’m not winning the argument.

  Then, she finally let out a heavy sigh. “Okay,” she said with resignation. “Tell me about the graduation party. Who’s throwing it? Who are you going with? And who is supervising?”

  “A.J. Barnett is throwing the party. I told you last week. And I’ll be with Jaden and Cody.” I put my hands on my hip, and stared at her. “Anna, I’m eighteen-years-old. I shouldn’t have to ask permission to go to a party, anyway.”

  “One, A.J. Barnett is twenty-eight-years-old, and suffering from his time in Iraq. He shouldn’t be hanging out with high school kids. Two, as long as you’re under my roof you’ll abide by my rules. Three, Cody is too much of a flirt himself. He needs his own supervision. So, I prefer you didn’t go.”

  “That was four…”

  “What?”

  “Four. It was four reasons. A.J’s twenty-eight. He shouldn’t be hanging out…”

  “You’re always such a smart ass, too. No wonder you had so much trouble with your teachers.”

  “I must take after my father,” I said in a flippant manner. “You know, the man I never met.”

  She stepped into the vehicle and rolled down the window as she cranked over the engine. “And don’t call me, Anna. You may be graduating tonight, but I will always be your mom.”

  “Y’know, as late as you get home every night, I could just sneak off and go. You wouldn’t even know.” I felt guilty the minute I said it, but I couldn’t help myself.

  She leveled me with a look. “You’ve been sneaking off since you were five-years-old. Trust me, I’ll know…”

  I threw my hands up in the air. “Sometimes, life sucks!” I yelled as she pulled out of the driveway.

  She leaned out of the car window. “Sometimes it does!” She responded right back at me, and she sped off down the road.

  FOUR

  SUTTER BEACH, California, where I was born and raised, had a small town feel, but it was surrounded by big-city-style destinations and the Pacific Ocean. A Navy facility and training base sat at the harbor playing host to the recently restored battleship and submarine museums that floated nearby. As you drove out of the firehouse garage, you wound up on Sailor’s Way, which would take you over a two-mile-long stretch of sandy-white beaches, the seedy section of the harbor, and then streets lined with old-town antique shops and cafés. During the day Sutter Beach was a charming beach locale and popular tourist destination. When the sun went down, it was like walking into Gotham City, and the crazy miscreants came out. I’m not sure why, but the criminal element seemed to be attracted to waterfront locations.

  I drove my lemon-yellow pickup down the palm-tree lined streets, and headed toward Sutter Beach Café. I had an hour to find a parking space, stand in line to get my usual chocolate mint Frappe and schmooze with my friends; then get to school in time for the practice session. Class of 2012 would say its final farewell to Sutter Beach High later that night.

  I whipped the pickup into an empty spot at the curb, stepped out, dropped two quarters into the meter and rushed into the café. The strong smell of coffee and the chatter of customers met me at the door. It was booming with activity. Flat screen TV’s hanging from the walls were turned on. Locals and tourists filled the booths and cluttered the bar as the wait-staff hustled to keep up.

  “Hey Syd,” a male voice boomed from a far corner. Two of my pals, Jaden White and Cody Beck, sat in a booth with a group of cheerleaders from our school. Jaden was the star who led Sutter Beach High School’s hockey team to the championship two years in a row and ended up All-State. Now, NHL teams had scouts pursuing him for the future.

  I walked over to the table. “Hey guys.” Cody and I tapped fists, something we’ve done since I was eight-years-old. I wasn’t pals with the cheerleaders, so I just nodded to be polite. Cody was a wannabe filmmaker, but helped me and my mom part-time at McSwain Investigations. Most of all, he was known as a wisenheimer and flirt. The cheerleaders and ‘it’ girls of Sutter Beach usually hung on his every word.

  Always the gentleman, Jaden stood up to offer me a seat. “Wanna join us?” He towered over me at six-foot-four and well-muscled arms. Poor guy was already huge his freshman year of high-school, only he still carried some of his childhood flab around the middle. That changed when the coach put him on a rigorous fitness regimen. He started lifting weights and never stopped, probably a good thing too, because he was a human garbage disposal who ate everything in sight. You’d panic if you ran into him in a dark alley, until you got a glimpse of the cute dimples when he smiled. I know, hard to equate cute with a big guy. But it’s true.

  “No thanks,” I said. “I have to get my usual before our final meet and greet in the gymnasium.”

  He sat back down. “So, are you going to A.J.’s party after we put in the obligatory appearance with the family after graduation?”

  I shrugged. “My mom’s not too hip on the idea. You know her and her rules.”

  “You kiddin’, you can’t go?” Cody said, looking bummed. “Your mom loves me. Want me to come over and sweet talk her?”

  “She may love you, but trust you, not on your life. You’re the flirt she constantly warns me about…” I followed it with a teasing smile.

  Cody and I have been pals since, like, forever. But lately, my mom had been keeping a close eye on our friendship. She got it in her head that Cody was interested in something other than being buddies, to which I always laughed, hysterically. When you compared me, always in tattered Levi’s and boots, to the eye candy consistently hanging on his arm, you’d think it was a hoot, too.

  “Syd, I’m hurt.” He draped his arms around the cheerleaders sitting on both sides of him, pretty much proving my point, and ultimately, putting huge smiles on their faces. “Your virtue is safe with me.”

  Jaden rolled his eyes. “Dude, that’s because her mother could hurt you. Really hurt you.” He turned toward me. “Maybe she’ll come around.”

  I shrugged. “Maybe.”

  “No way,” Cody said. “That’s not like you.”

  “What?”

  “To give up that easy.”

  “Who said I was giving up?”

  “Hah, I knew it! So c’mon, spill it.”

  “No way, it’ll jinx it.”

  Jaden glanced at Cody. “Well, if she can’t go, we could just go over and hang with her. Maybe play a little street hockey and hit the Redbox for some movies. Do one of our all-night action marathons.”

  “Abso-friggin-no-way,” Cody said, aghast at the thought. “You get enough of hockey every day. If I have to miss out on my graduation party, then we’d have to do something off the charts.”

  Jaden smirked. “You did not just say abso-friggin.”

  “Is that even a word?” I added.

  Cody shrugged.

  “What do you consider off the charts?” I said, although I had a pretty good idea.

  Cody rubbed his temples, a clear sign he was thinking and scheming. Then, a wise-ass grin spread across his face. “I can film some new scenes and finish up that trailer for my YouTube channel. Yeah, now that I think about it, let’s scrap the party altogether. Everybody will just wind up shit-faced from too much celebrating, and the cops will be out doing random checks. We can avoid all that. It’ll be sweet.”

  The cheerleader to the right of Cody made a pouty face. She obviously didn’t want them to miss the party.

  Jaden and I looked at each other, and shook our heads. Cody thrived on using us as his acting pigeons. He started his own YouTube channel and posted trailers up for comments. In his spare time, he hoped to complete a short film to send out to festivals for recognition. He worked with my mom to help pay for the equipment, and his rent. Even though he used a digital camera, he still liked to have all the top-notch equipm
ent; tri-pods, lighting, storyboard software, a green screen and of course, his editing programs.

  The cheerleaders started whispering to each other.

  “This’ll be great. Jaden, you can bring the ninja equipment, since you have all the ski masks and Under Armour gear from hockey. Syd, you’re in charge of the rope and rock-climbing gear, and those paintball guns we used in the obstacle tournament. You still have those, don’t you? Then, we’ll use the Firehouse as the location. No permit needed…Yep. It’ll be off the charts.”

  “Hold on, paintball guns?” I said. “My mom would have a major cow if she found paint splatters on the property. The punishment would be worse than if I defied her and went to the party.”

  “They can just be for show. I can film the two of you flying down a zip line off the roof, armed with weapons, like we planned in the winter. We could do a few sniper scenes.”

  “But no shooting…”

  Cody shrugged. “Maybe a little fight scene on the ground.”

  “Forget it,” I said.

  He laughed. “Alright, the fight scene can be choreographed kickboxing moves.”

  “Oh, that sounds cool,” one of the cheerleaders piped in with a sing-song voice.

  “Do you need extras?” the cheerleader to Cody’s right asked, as she brushed her fingertips down his arm in a flirting manner. “We’re on the gymnastic team. We know some really hot moves.”

  The other cheerleaders bobbed their heads up and down, all eager to ditch the party just to hang out with Jaden and Cody.

  “What about it, Cody?” I said “Do you need extras?” I said it in a sarcastic voice mocking the cheerleaders. I know. I was being petty. So shoot me.

  “Not a bad idea,” Cody said, more excited about the prospect of filming than the attention he was getting from a bunch of chicks. “The more babes, the better hits on YouTube.”

  “Yeah, I’m sure that’s the motive.” I glanced at Jaden and grinned.

  “Suu-weet! Yep, we should just nix the party. This new plan is much better.”

  “Only if mom is okay with it,” I said. “Last thing I needed to do was piss her off.” I know I spout off a lot, like I did that morning at home. But, when it came down to it, I have been trying really hard not to defy her. Okay, so that was an exaggeration, but I try not to push things too far. She could easily toss my little behind out on the street.

  “Do you do everything your mom tells you?” The cheerleader sitting next to Cody asked. “I mean, how old are you, anyway?”

  Cody gave the cheerleaders a patronizing look. “Hon, her mom carries a gun, a real gun.”

  What could I say to top that, even though I really wanted to pop her? “Later,” I said.

  “Give us a shout out later, Syd,” Jaden said.

  As I walked away, I couldn’t help but notice the cheerleaders didn’t look too happy with the attention Jaden and Cody were giving me. Too bad. The three of us grew up together. Sure, we spat like brothers and sisters. But, when it came down to it, we were pretty much inseparable.

  FIVE

  I STEPPED to the back of a line of customers waiting to place an order. While I waited, I did a little people-watching. It was something my mom taught me how to do. She said, in order to be a good investigator, you should always pay attention to the physique and mannerisms of your subject. In case you ever need to describe them later, or pick them out of a crowd. What was their nationality? Do they have any distinguishing marks, or tattoos? Do they make unusual gestures? It was actually kind of fun, and a good way to pass the time.

  Like for instance, the cheerleader just to Cody’s right. She was a blonde—but not a real one. Her makeup was airbrushed on to hide all of her flaws. The pearly-white teeth were porcelain veneers, and the smile and giggle that seemed to come so easily to her, were only for Jaden and Cody’s benefit. I’m not jealous…really. I just have little patience for girls who put on all that phoniness for the attention of a guy.

  No, really. I’m not jealous.

  When it was almost my turn, I heard a commotion from the far corner where a group was crowding around one of the big TV’s.

  “Hey Syd, isn’t that your mom, there on the news?” Cody yelled a minute later.

  I inwardly groaned. In the last two years my mom was constantly seen on the news for a law enforcement matter she got involved with. While doing surveillance on a city employee accused of gambling while on the tax-payer’s dime, she stumbled onto evidence of another crime. When she delved deeper, it resulted in the arrest of three high-profile individuals alleged to be stealing from various pension funds for the city. It was huge. A lot of employees almost lost their retirement.

  So, what news-worthy action was she involved with this time?

  With dozens of curious eyes on me, I glanced toward one of the TV’s. On the screen, at least a dozen patrol cars were positioned in front of a middle-class home with their cherry tops flashing. Uniformed officers were crouched behind the doors of their cars with their weapons drawn. A local reporter - tuned into law enforcement scanners - already had a camera on site, and was filming the scene as it played out.

  My mom and Sutter Beach Detective, Ace Carter, stood on the front porch with their guns aimed at the bare chest of a muscular man wearing gym shorts and Nike running shoes as he opened the door.

  Carter yelled, “Marty Cole, we have a warrant for your arrest.”

  Cole darted an angry look toward Anna, the person responsible for him being arrested.

  “You know the position,” Carter continued. “Down on the pavement. Lock your hands behind your head.”

  Cole glanced around at all the armed officers; then reluctantly did as he was told. Anna kept her gun aimed at him, while Carter read him his Miranda rights and cuffed his wrists behind his back. While the cameras rolled, Carter hauled him to his feet and paraded him toward his police-issued Dodge Charger parked on the street. He opened the back-passenger door, lowered the prisoner into the back seat, and shut the door. Before he stepped into the car, he gave a mock salute toward Anna.

  The ticker tape on the bottom of the TV read: In an unusual turn of events, Investigator Anna McSwain assists law enforcement personnel in the arrest of Marty Cole, an officer with the Sutter Beach Vice Unit. Cole is another individual alleged to be involved in the pension fund scam that McSwain uncovered earlier this year.

  Anna slipped her weapon back in its holster, and started down the path toward her own SUV, when…

  POP – POP – POP – POP…

  A sniper opened fire, and a round of bullets ripped into her chest. She stumbled and faltered; then fell like a dead weight to the ground.

  It was immediate pandemonium at the scene. “Shots fired! Shots fired!” an officer screamed at the top of his lungs. “Officers take cover.” Uniformed officers took up defensive positions and scanned the area for the shooter.

  Detective Carter bolted out of the Dodge and raced toward Anna, at the same time he tried to stay out of the line of fire. “We’ve got shots fired!” he yelled into his radio. “We need medical here, now!” He knelt down next to Anna, and checked her pulse. “McSwain, don’t you dare die on me!” A few seconds later, he said in a somber voice, “Cancel the medical. She’s gone.”

  There was a commotion with the camera; then a male reporter stepped in front of it and started to speak. “What started as a simple arrest here in Sutter Beach has turned deadly. Channel 12 News regrets to inform you, Anna McSwain, of McSwain Investigations, has been fatally shot by an unidentified shooter…”

  Carter shot up from where he was, as if just realized the entire thing was filmed. “Give me that god-damn camera. She has a daughter for Christ-sakes.”

  Then, the screen went blank.

  ***

  Back inside Sutter Beach Café, my eyes were wide. I was in a state of shock, too horrified to move. “No, no no…!” I screamed, over and over again, not understanding or comprehending what the hell just happened.

  Jaden and Co
dy were both at my side with their arms around me, holding me up and giving me support. Everyone in the café was staring. The mouths of the cheerleaders were open wide. I could feel the weight of everyone’s pity. My body started to shake uncontrollably. I waited and watched, willing the reporter to come back on and admit there had been a mistake. But he didn’t, and reality hit me in the gut with a powerful force.

  I just saw my mom murdered.

  My mom was dead!

  SIX

  THE NEXT several hours were a blur. I have no idea how I got home. I guess Jaden and Cody were responsible for that. I sat in a stunned stupor as uniformed officers and higher ups within the Sutter Beach Police Department, dropped by the firehouse to offer their assistance. Detective Carter informed me they would take care of all the arrangements. A friend to law enforcement had been struck down, so they wanted me to know I didn’t have to worry about anything. My mind was in such a fog, all I could do was nod in agreement. I had no idea what to do, anyway.

  Then, there was all the food. Well-wishers came out in droves and dropped off casseroles and meat platters. Since my mom’s murder was televised on Channel 12 news, word quickly spread throughout the state that an investigator and single mother, had been slain. I was bombarded with emails and phone calls from people I didn’t even know. There were some negative and threatening emails, as well. There were a few cops who were not too happy about my mom’s accusations toward Marty Cole, a police officer. Cops usually stick together. Carter told me just to ignore them, and took them into his possession as part of the investigation. He said he wouldn’t have been able to get a warrant, if the evidence my mom collected wasn’t solid. Of course, the reporters were also hounding me. They wanted to hear from the daughter of the slain woman.

  Like hell.

  Jaden and Cody stayed by my side until it was time for them to receive their diplomas. They tried to convince me to go, reminding me that life had to go on, but I couldn’t. What was the point? My mom had always joked that the whole purpose of the graduation ceremony was so she could publicly rejoice in the fact that I made it through the four years of education - I was a lousy student. With her gone, it felt meaningless. I didn’t deserve to graduate. All I kept thinking about was; I didn’t get a chance to apologize for my obnoxious behavior that morning. My mom’s last moments with me, I was a royal pain in the ass. How could I live with myself after that?