Cobb Mt Mystery: Konocti Caves Part 5

As the weeks pa.s.sed more boys from Jimmy's past started joining the ranks of 'Cobb's Kids'. First was Timmy, followed by Denny, Joey, Marty and finally Jon.

With each little face that Jimmy recognized he felt more and more guilt. It couldn't be a coincidence that they were all from the list in his notebook. Although he had been careful to keep his notebook with the list of names hidden, somehow he knew that Melbourne must have gotten his hands on it. After Joey arrived, he decided to leave it in his desk at school. But after the fourth boy from his list became a 'Cobb's Kid' Jimmy hid the notebook under a rock on the playground. Jimmy hated that the boys were in this situation because of his notebook. And yet, he couldn't throw the notebook away. He still felt that somehow he had to keep his promise of help to all of the boys on his list. He had promised them that he would keep in touch and find them someday. How could he do that if he didn't keep the notebook?

He thought again of the boys who had joined him in the cave, and got a pain in his stomach.

The guilt that they shared his destiny was heavy on Jimmy's young shoulders- which were starting to stoop under the weight of guilt, along with working like a man all night long.

The only good thing was, that Jimmy finally had friends. If you could call them that. When they looked at him, Jimmy couldn't help but think they were blaming him for their situation.

"And why not?" Jimmy thought to himself, "Would they have been 'chosen' by Melbourne if it weren't for my list?" Although they stuck together on the playground and rode to and from school in the dark suburban and even slept huddled together in the attic, they never spoke about the cave. Never! They had each been warned and threatened in one way or another to never mention the cave.

Although Jimmy was happy to see his friend Timmy again, something was different. Something more than his voice. Sure they were both older but Timmy had changed. At first Jimmy thought it was because of the cave, and that Timmy blamed him for being brought to that horrible place; but as time pa.s.sed Jimmy saw that Timmy had hardened. His years in the foster system had been even more difficult than Jimmy's. He wouldn't talk about it, but Jimmy knew bad things had happened to him. It changed him- and not for the better.

The caring boy that had joined Jimmy comforting the younger kids that night in the gymnasium was gone. He had been replaced by a mean self serving bully.

On the playground when they played dodge ball Timmy would laugh and joke with the other Cobb Kids, and acted like he was their friend, but still, Jimmy worried because Timmy deliberately aimed for the faces of the smaller ones with the ball.

"Hey Timmy, knock it off!" Jimmy had told him the third time it happened. He stood toe to toe with clinched fists to the much taller Timmy letting him know that he would not allow him to bully their foster brothers. Timmy backed down, but Jimmy never trusted him after that and kept an eye on him.

On more than a few occasions he caught Timmy intimidating and taking food off the younger kid's plates in the attic. "I can't help it," he would say, "I'm bigger and I need more food than them."

Jimmy also noted that Timmy went out of his way to walk next to Melbourne as they walked to and from the cave.

"Why is he doing that?" Jon whispered one night when Timmy had struck up a conversation with Melbourne on the way back to the pickup after a night in the cave.

"He's trying to get on his good side." Jimmy whispered back in disgust. The thought of kissing up to the enemy turned his stomach.

"Shut up!" The Henchman growled as his rifle b.u.t.t landed across Jimmy's backside.

It was just as well, Jimmy didn't want to talk. He was deep in thought. He had seen something tonight as they left the cave, that he had not noticed before. He needed quiet to figure out what it meant. Maybe it was just his imagination. But if it wasn't ... it would mean that Melbourne was lying about the cave. He had to find out.

Kat sat at her desk staring at the file on her desk. It was unsettling.

Even though Wendy Jones, the social worker a.s.signed to Little Jimmy kept a.s.suring Kat that she had checked on him on several occasions and that he was fine Kat wasn't so sure. She had heard from Joyce Williams, another social worker in that department, and whose child attended the same school as Jimmy, that he was a trouble maker and a gang member. Joyce and Kat had been friends a long time, and so Kat felt comfortable discussing Jimmy with her.

"That just doesn't sound like the Jimmy I know," she had told her friend. "Sure he 'gets into a lot of trouble' but that is not the same thing as a being a 'trouble maker'. Jimmy is mischievous and inquisitive, and certainly impulsive. But he is a good boy and has always been very likable."

But as Kat read the files from Jimmy's new school it became apparent that Little Jimmy was changing. He had gotten into over ten fights in the short time in this school. And his grades were very bad- even geography which Jimmy had always loved. And one other thing was especially worrisome. It seemed as though Jimmy was the ringleader of a gang made up of other foster boys. Kat decided to take a ride to the school and see if she could talk to him.

Kat needed an excuse for showing up at Jimmy's school, since she did not work for that department. She reached for the phone and dialed Joyce's extension, who reluctantly agreed to let her take a 'forgotten lunch' to her daughter.

"I just don't want to get in the middle of this! If Wendy gets wind that you pulled Jimmy's file..." her friend had worried. They both had noticed that although Wendy was the new one in the office, she had some sort of 'pull' from some unknown source in administration, and they didn't want to get on her bad side.

"Don't worry, that is not going to happen. I'm putting the file back right now."

An hour later she was on Highway One Seventy-Five and slowly approaching Cobb Elementary School.

Kat walked briskly across the school parking lot and poked her head in the office and told the receptionist her purpose for being there, and tried to hurry about her business. But the receptionist stopped her.

"I'm sorry, but you'll have to sign in- regulations." The woman behind the counter said in a monotone. Kat had hoped she could avoid leaving any evidence of her visit, and scribbled what she hoped would be an illegible signature quickly while the recep-tionist was on the phone, and then hurried out the door towards room ten.

As she pulled the door handle, she took a deep breath before walking pur-posefully through the door. Kat stood in the doorway looking over the children's faces pretending to look for her friend's daughter, when in reality she was sitting in the desk closest to the door. Kat was really searching for Jimmy's familiar face, but was shocked when she realized he was the skinny little boy with sunken eyes next to her friend's daughter.

"h.e.l.lo Jimmy!" Kat said with real surprise. "How have you been?" she asked to the blank stare that was Jimmy's face. "He's angry," she thought to herself. "He thinks we've abandoned him. Worrying that she was staying too long and that too much focus on Jimmy would cause the teacher to mention it to Wendy Jones, Kat gave the bag lunch she had picked up on her way out of town to the surprised little girl.

"But I didn't..."

"That's okay, Honey, it was no trouble." Kat cut her off and quickly exited, leaning on the closed door a moment before heading to her car. She felt like crying, partly because of the shock of Jimmy's appearance; and partly because she hadn't realized just how much she had missed him. She longed to return to the room and take Jimmy with her. Kat knew that was impossible, but even though the plan to adopt him had fallen through, she still felt very maternal towards the child. She really did love him.

Anger filled her and she blurted out, "Ron had no right to throw in the towel without speaking to me first. Little Jimmy was to be my child too!" Kat ran to the parking lot and got into her car and drove off fighting back tears. As soon as she was out of sight from the school she pulled over.

"Get a grip, Kat!" she scolded herself. "You need to put things in perspective. The important thing right now, is not that you lost a son, but that something is very wrong in that child's life that's is causing him to loose weight and sleep." She reached for her cell phone and first called Ron and asked him to meet her in Cobb at the Mountain High Coffee and Books; and then called her job to say she was not feeling well and needed to take the rest of the day off.

Kat pulled up in front of the coffee shop in a little strip mall that was nestled in the lovely high valley town of Cobb near the school. She sat at one of the bistro tables in front of the place. Any other day she would enjoy the serenity of the area. It was a favorite place to have a great cup of coffee and home made treats while breathing in the fresh Cobb Mountain air.

But not today. Today Kat was filled with unsettling fears for Little Jimmy, and anxiously waited for her husband. After a few moments, to pa.s.s the time she went in and ordered coffee for herself and Ron. She returned to the table and waited until finally the patrol car pulled up and Ron got out and rushed to her side. She had not told him what was wrong, but he knew by her voice that it was serious. Kat related to Ron about the files she had snuck from Wendy Jones' office and then how she dropped into the school and saw Jimmy.

"I'm telling you, Ron it was heartbreaking to see him that way!" Kat said to her ashen faced husband. "He looks so pathetic and lost. He's lost so much weight and I've never seen such dark circles around a child's eyes. And they are so sunk in... he looks like...." Kat lowered her voice to a whisper, "like he's dying!" She looked up to the sky and raised her voice, "I can't believe no one has noticed. That no one cares."

"But you noticed, Kat and we both care." Ron said patting his young wife's hand trying to comfort her. "We care and we will find out why this is happening to Little Jimmy. We won't turn our backs on him. We'll do something... whatever it takes, we'll do it!"

It wasn't empty promises. Ron meant every word. He cared for Jimmy as much as Kat did. Even more.

Besides loving Little Jimmy, Ron felt to blame for his predicament. He knew that if he hadn't started getting cold feet about the adoption that perhaps things would be different for Jimmy. Sure, he couldn't have prevented his and Kat's illnesses; but he could have reached out and stayed in touch with Jimmy. He knew he had to make it up to him somehow.

Ron also knew that Melbourne would have all his bases covered and barnstorming him would just backfire so he resisted the urge to drive directly to the school. He needed to act quickly for Jimmy's sake; but also prudently to have any results. He needed a plan.

Ron pulled out his cell phone and called Jack. Jack was a private detective, who volunteered at the retreat down the road here on Cobb Mountain between cases. He was someone who owed Ron a favor. But he was more than that. He was a trusted friend. Someone he could count on to go the extra mile when needed.

After leaving a voicemail for Jack, Ron hung up and put his hand over Kat's again where it was still laying limp and helpless on the little bistro table.

While trying to comfort his wife, he thought of a way he could run into Little Jimmy. There was an upcoming fundraiser at CMAS and he knew Melbourne would be there. And probably so would Jimmy.

When Ron pulled his patrol car into the museum parking lot he could tell by the number of cars that the fund raiser was in full swing. It stuck in his craw that it was on the agenda for Melbourne to be honored. Just how many times does the man need to be thanked for putting back into the community? He tried to keep his displeasure off his face when he walked past the big suburban parked at the entry; with Mel-bourne's chauffer waiting in the driver's seat.

As Ron walked through the doors he waved at his sister-in-law Angel. He was glad she was volunteering at the museum. Keeping it in the family so to speak. This children's museum would always have a special place in Ron's heart. As he walked through the halls and exhibits he was reminded of the times that he volunteered here. And the first time he rescued Little Jimmy from getting in trouble with his foster mom. Ron couldn't help chuckling. He was sure a handful.

Ron checked all Jimmy's favorite exhibits- the ecology, insects, Pomo Village and of course the volcano was the first place he looked. He thought for sure that would be where he would find him. But Ron couldn't find him. Ron turned to retrace his steps and saw Angel watching him. He walked over to her and asked if she had seen Jimmy. "I figured he would be hanging out at the Konocti exhibit but he's not there."

"He's hiding from you," Angel said flatly, without holding any punches. She walked up closer to Ron and murmured, "He's avoiding you. So, did you guys have a fight or what?" When Ron just shook his head, she said, "No?... well then he is keeping something from you. You need to get him to tell you what it is." She had noticed the big change in Jimmy. Not just his thin pale appearance, but also she saw absolutely no joy in his visit to the museum today, which was so out of character for him. When Little Jimmy roamed the halls of CMAS he usually couldn't contain his enthusiasm.

Wanting to change the subject Ron tried to joke, it off. "When did you get so smart?"

Angel's flippant response was, "Inst.i.tute of common sense- I'd recommend you apply, but you have to pa.s.s the entrance exam." Ron usually enjoyed this type of friendly banter with his witty sister-in-law. But today it hit a nerve. He watched her pony tail swing from side to side as she headed across the room to a.s.sist a tiny child trying to climb the steps to the top of the volcano.

Finally Ron saw Jimmy and cornered him before he could take off, "Hey little buddy! I was hoping to find you here. I've been wanting to talk to you." Jimmy froze. His new family of foster brothers sensed his uneasiness and stepped between him and Ron. Ron saw the situation was not going to lend itself to 'a one on one' with Jimmy, and so he tried engaging the other foster boys into a conversation about the volcano exhibit.

"Did Jimmy tell you about our adventure on the real Mt. Konocti?" This had the opposite reaction that Ron had expected. Instead of inciting excitement and questions they withdrew. Before he knew it the group of boys, including Jimmy was down the hall and disappeared around the corner; leaving Ron to wonder what had just happened.

CHAPTER EIGHT.

The Black Abyss Riding to the cave with the knit hat pulled over his face Jimmy thought about what he had noticed previously. "What did it mean?" he frowned under his knit hat. He just didn't know. The vehicle came to the familiar halt and The Henchman got out. "There must be a gate here," Jimmy thought as the man returned and the suburban bounced up the mountain. He didn't remember a gate when he and Ron came up here. The road didn't feel the same either, somehow. The thought of Ron made Jimmy both angry and sad. "This is all his fault," the boy thought to himself again.

As the line of boys led by Melbourne and followed by The Henchman made their way up the mountain, a full moon shined brightly making the trek a bit easier. Jimmy was eager to get to the cave for a change. He wanted to check out his theory- to see if he was right.

"Even if I am- so what?" Jimmy asked himself, "What difference will it make?" But still that old curiosity that had gotten him into so many jams in the past, was rearing its head urging Little Jimmy to explore the cave and find out if he was right. At his first opportunity Jimmy sc.r.a.ped the side of the cave and shining his light on it, knew he was right. Sandstone. Why did he not notice that before? This was not a volcanic cave. It couldn't be. Okay. But what did it mean? The young boy wasn't sure, but he knew it was important. And he knew he had to find out. When the others were distracted Jimmy edged his way further into the cave, turning one corner after another; carefully keeping count of how many corners he had turned.

Jimmy came to a Y and paused. He could see that one direction was so low that he would have to crawl, so he chose the other way. He held his rope tightly. The boys all had ropes clipped to their belts to help find their way back to the mouth of the cave. He reached up and turned off the light on his hardhat, and turned around. He couldn't see the lights from the others. Evidently no one had missed him yet. He wasn't surprised. They were occupied.

Jimmy turned around and turned his light back on and resumed his exploration but came to a halt when the feel of floor beneath his feet changed. It was no longer the hard rock he had been accustomed to all these many months. It was soft and loose. He looked down and shined the light on the floor and saw that he was only about a foot to where the floor gave way to a huge gaping black hole. It must be the hole Melbourne always threatened to throw them down! Gasping and not daring to get closer he backed out with one hand on the wall of the cave, he didn't want to shine the light fearing that it may alert one of the others to come looking for him, so he continued to back out.

He was taking a big chance and didn't want to involve his foster brothers. Not only that, Jimmy also didn't want them to know about the abyss he had just found. They were all afraid enough. But with the knowledge that the hole was real, and that Melbourne could at any time carry out his threats would possibly be too much for the kids to take.

Finally he was back at the Y and had regained his confidence and enthusiasm about exploring the cave; without hesitating Jimmy headed in the other direction of the Y, soon it became necessary to drop to his knees because the ceiling became too low to walk quickly. His callused knees had become used to it. Much of the cave was like this. Taking a deep breath and drawing a map in his mind he turned off his light and checked for lights from the others. They were still out of sight. "Good," he thought and turned back around. He was about to turn on his light when something up ahead caught his attention. He froze. Was someone there? Had one of the others come looking for him? Was it one of the men? Or was it someone else all together? Jimmy didn't know, but he knew he had to find out.

Shortly before dawn as usual the men signaled for the boys to come out of the cave, following the ropes they brought in with them.

"Where's Jimmy?" Melbourne's angry baritone voice demanded loudly. He would tolerate no lingering in the cave. "Jimmy get out here!" he bellowed again before turning his angry voice towards the boys. "Where is he?" he demanded again. Not knowing what to do Timmy looked into the dark cave and shouted "Jimmy!"

"Jimmy!" the other boys chimed in, scared of doing nothing. And scared that Jimmy wasn't coming out of the cave. Melbourne ordered the boys back into the cave; and they called for Jimmy repeatedly. The children were panicking. They knew that it would not go well for them if they couldn't find him. They also knew that it would mean that Jimmy was either lost or hurt.

The thought of Jimmy being gone terrified the young boys. In spite of Jimmy's small stature, he had been the only source of security for the boys since coming to the Melbourne's foster home. Since becoming one of Cobb's Kids.

After a few moments Melbourne sent his henchman into the cave to join the search while he paced around the pickup until finally The Henchman came out carrying Jimmy's rope with the opened dangling belt. The boys followed and a couple of them were crying. The look on his henchman's face told Melbourne all he needed to know.

"Shut up! You sniveling brats! It's your fault for not keeping your eyes on him. You know he wanders off- the little trouble maker! Serves him right!" Then glancing up towards the sky he yelled, "Get in the truck!"

And then to his henchman he said, "It's almost daylight! We better get the brats off the ridge before they..." he lowered his voice and mumbled something more before sneering at his henchman who hated kids, "I've got that early morning meeting so you'll have to watch the kids." Then he added, "Call the school and tell them they've got a case of lice and keep them home for the day. I don't want the teachers asking about Jimmy. I'll come up with something by Monday."

The two men got in the vehicle, making sure the boys all had the knit hats over their faces before driving off.

Monday came around and the five remaining Cobb Kids went to school. The boys were sternly instructed to not mention Jimmy. And not to answer any questions about him, except that he was sick. After all the threats they had received over the week end they didn't have to be reminded what would happen to them if they slipped up.

Melbourne had already left a message on the schools voicemail not to expect Jimmy for a few days because he had come down with the flu.

So life continued as before for the boys except that now they were five instead of six. And now there was no one to protect the younger ones from Timmy. The younger boys braced themselves to be bullied by the men by night and by Timmy by day.

However the young foster boys noticed that a change had come over Timmy since Jimmy's disappearance. He no longer picked on them. He no longer stole their food. He even had stepped into Jimmy's place as protector at school. The boys truly had become brothers. Not just foster brothers anymore. Their plight had united them. The boys although growing closer to each other, were also growing more and more hopeless and depressed. The cave though always unpleasant and frightening, was now terrifying to the boys. The thought of Little Jimmy lying at the bottom of the dark hole filled them with something akin to hysteria.

Ron stopped by the school hoping to get a chance to talk to Jimmy, and during some small talk with Mr. Olsen he found out that Jimmy was home sick.

"He'll probably be out for awhile since he has a bad case of the flu," the principle said. "I've been expecting the other boys to come down with it, but so far they all seem okay."

Ron left the school with a bad feeling in his gut. "Something's wrong," he muttered as he got into his squad car.

Two weeks pa.s.sed uneventfully for the Cobb Kids, and then one morning Melbourne gathered the foster boys around the large dining table and said, "I have some bad news boys. I'm afraid Little Jimmy has run away." The boys sat not blinking, unsure of what was happening. The cruel man fixed his eyes on first one boy, then the next before continuing, "Yes, it's sad but true. He's gone. I don't think he's coming back... I know you're sad. I know you will miss him." Melbourne said dryly, "Your teachers will no doubt try to give you sympathy over this. But of course you will tell them that I am helping you cope... with this unfortunate situation." He stared coldly at the boys for a few moments and then asked, "Do any of you have any idea where he could be?" The boys' eyes widened but they said nothing. "No? Well then!" the evil man said, while brushing his palms together as if washing his hands of the situation, "I guess you better get off to school before you're late." He stood up and marched out of the room.

Rumors of Jimmy's disappearance beat the boys to school and the kids gathered around them hammering them with questions and demanding to know all that they knew.

"Leave us alone!" Timmy shouted. "We don't know anything!," He stood tall and erect between the younger foster boys and the local kids and for the first time the local boys realized just how much bigger Timmy was than them. Backing off grumbling the boys relented, but Timmy knew they wouldn't give up so easily. He wondered what Jimmy would do in this case. The sadness that filled Timmy at the thought of his friend and brother, caused him to return to his normal slouch.

Ron was the first to arrive at the school requesting to speak to the boys. "I'm sorry," Mr. Olsen said as he walked him back to his car. "I'm afraid Mr. Melbourne has forbid any questioning. He is adamant that his boys are traumatized enough by Jimmy's disappearance, and does not want them subjected to any more stress." As Ron climbed into his sheriff cruiser, the principle added, "You know I'm not surprised by this. Jimmy has been troubled ever since coming to this school. I think he's been worried about his former foster mother, although he only spoke about her once. He didn't talk much at all. He sure fought a lot though. Mr. Melbourne has put up with a lot. He's a very patient and good man." And as though just remembering he added, "Oh! Mr. Melbourne said he would be happy to answer any questions. I believe he is at his home, he said he had already made a report at your station."

As urgent as it was for Ron to interview Melbourne, he felt torn. He needed to get to Kat. He knew that by now the rumors would be flying around her office and she would be devastated. He wanted to be with her- to comfort her. But he also knew that with each pa.s.sing moment the trail to Jimmy would get colder. Again he was filled with uncertainty. What should he do first? His cell phone rang ending his dilemma.

"Ron, you have to find him!" Kat cried. "Please find him. He's sick and he needs our help. Find him! Please Ron, before something horrible happens to him," she sobbed. Ron promised he would and turned his cruiser towards Cobb's Kids Foster Home.

Ron was met at the door by Mr. Melbourne. "Come in. I've been expecting you. I'm sorry, my wife is upstairs lying down. She's very distraught over this as you can imagine," the man said showing Ron to the living room. "But I'll answer any question that I can." He sat down and put his head in his hands. "Why didn't I see this coming? I've been so blind." Then looking up but not directly at Ron, he continued, "I knew he was upset and it's been extremely difficult for him, since coming here. He was so traumatized from finding his former foster mother collapsed at the bottom of the stairs, as you can imagine. And he was extremely worried about her. But after I told him that she was home and would recover, he seemed much better. And especially when more boys joined him here- he was beginning to be very happy." The man stopped talking and looked at Ron, who clearly was not buying this dramatic display of grief and worry. "But I guess you see this all the time," Melbourne said. "I mean it's not unusual for a foster child to run away, is it? I guess we shouldn't be surprised either," William Melbourne put his head back in his hands and moaned, "Where could he be? I wish I knew where to start looking!" This last bit of drama evoked a look of disgust on the officer's face, which he tried to hide by turning his head to look towards the stairs.

"Can I see his room, please?" Ron asked coldly. Without hesitation, Mr. Melbourne took Ron upstairs and opened the door to the room where Jimmy had spent only one night. Ron walked in and looking around he was silent.

Melbourne was the first to speak, "Little Jimmy loved his room... my wife worked so hard to get this room ready for him before his arrival as a surprise for him..." The man seemed prepared and started showing artwork and school papers, saying that Jimmy was very proud of his work. Ron remained silent, letting the man ramble until finally he stopped talking too. Now it was Ron's turn to talk.

"Nice mural. Who painted it?" he asked, looking directly at the muralist's signature. This question seemed to catch the man off guard.

"Uhh.. my wife hired a local muralist who paints Konocti murals... we... ahh... we knew Jimmy loved volcanoes." The man replied nervously.

"How long had you antic.i.p.ated Jimmy's arrival?" Melbourne looked as though he had just realized that he had committed a blunder.

"Uhhh.... Well of course we met Little Jimmy a while back and took a liking to him... and we had hoped...."

"When did you last see the boy?" Ron interrupted noting that Melbourne's jaw relaxed a little.

"Last night when he came up for bed," the man replied and the nervousness was gone.

"He obviously had that answer prepared," Ron thought.

"Can I see the clothes hamper?" Ron asked, and Melbourne froze.

"Excuse me?" he stammered.

Ron stated flatly, "I'd like to see the clothes he wore yesterday."

"What?... uh... well... I'm not sure. I think my wife may have washed..." then regaining his composure "Yes, I'm sure that she did the laundry last night before going to bed."

"Can you show me the pajama's he slept in?" Ron asked in a very non condemning tone.

Again the man was taken aback- this time he paled and stammered... " I ... uh.. I .. Let me see... and started looking around the room frantically."

"How was the boy feeling last night?" Ron asked.

"He seemed okay..." the man replied, regaining his composure and color.