It was around noon when I began to see signs of a town. An old, weathered windmill creaked and groaned in the calm gusts of wind. Along the sides of the road were old fences and even older barns. Everything looked like it was falling apart. Their roofs were gone, and the walls looked like they would fall over at any moment.
Just off the road was a dilapidated sign that said, ‘Welcome to Judgment, Home of The Watchtower’.
A chill ran down my spine at the sight of the sign. I couldn’t help but find myself staring idly at the massive stone column that rose above the town like an altar to an ancient deity.
“That thing must be The Watchtower,” I said.
“I suppose it is.”
His tone was absent of emotion, and I wondered what he was thinking. Was he worried for his sister?
“Hopefully we can find Lu right away, I…don’t want to stay here longer than I have to.”
“I agree. It’s…strange out here,” Varo said.
As we drove into Judgment, it became increasingly clear that there was not much to the town. There was a main street that had a dozen or so buildings lining it. Among the shops was a general store, a bar, a cafe, and a rather decrepit building that said ‘tourist info’ across the top of it.
Everything in the town was constructed from sun-bleached wood and didn’t appear to have been updated anytime recently. Even the cars parked along the street were from no later than the eighties. The town was dusty, and sand had blown across much of the road, making it look more ghostly than necessary.
I would have considered it to be abandoned if I hadn’t seen a handful of people walking around. They all had big smiles on their faces. One man even waved at us as we drove through.
I glanced at Varo, wondering if he found this town to be as odd as I was finding it to be. His expression was unreadable, but his hands still held the wheel in a death-grip.
“How do they live like this?” I said.
I might’ve spent the better part of my life moving around the country, often living in less-than-ideal situations. But this felt barren.
“I don’t know,” Varo said. “Look there,” he pointed to a building at the end of town, a large garage, constructed of rusted metal siding.
The garage door hadn’t been open in ages. What had once been a deep shade of red was now faded to a sickly shade of pink. Letters across the top of it read, ‘Judgment Auto and Towing’.
“We should start there,” I said. “We need to find out if someone picked up Lu.”
Varo nodded and parked my car beside the entrance to the garage. I opened my door and stepped out into the gusty desert town. I looked around, wondering why the hell anyone would live out here. It looked more like the set of a Clint Eastwood movie than a real town.
Above me, The Watchtower loomed like an old god. Its white, dusty surface looked pale compared to its surroundings. Once again, a strange feeling settled itself in my gut. Deep down, I felt the desire to run and never look back.
I shouldn’t have come here.
The realization confused me. I had no reason to fear or even dislike Judgment. It was just some tiny town in the middle of nowhere. I was here for a job. I was here to help Varo. But the thought had lodged itself deep into my subconscious.
I shouldn’t have come here.
Beside me, Varo seemed disinterested in the strange town and even The Watchtower. In fact, he seemed to be purposefully avoiding looking at it. Instead, his attention was on the auto shop. Perhaps, he didn’t feel the darkness I was feeling in the pit of my stomach.
As I followed Varo into the shop, I found myself in a small office, separated from the rest of the garage. A middle-aged man sat at the desk, glancing between us with unabashed curiosity.
He wore a greasy pair of coveralls and a wide-brimmed hat that covered most of his graying hair. His eyes were steady, watching us as if we were a genuine surprise.
I suppose we were. In a small town like Judgment, it was impossibly obvious that we were not from here. I wondered if it was the kind of town that took well to travelers or the kind that preferred to keep to itself.
“Welcome,” the mechanic said as he cleared his throat. “How can I help y’all out today?”
“We’re looking for a woman named Lu,” I said. “According to my information, she called this company right before her phone died. I suspect she might have had car troubles.”
“A girl named Lu, huh?”
“Luciana,” Varo clarified.
The man stood and began to rummage through a collection of papers on his desk. I noticed that the nametag on his dirty, blue coveralls simply said ‘Coyote’.
“Yeah,” he said as he held a piece of paper in front of his face. “Luciana Delgado.”
“That’s her,” I said. “Do you know if she’s still here?”
Coyote chuckled. “Well, I don’t see where else she’d be. Her car isn’t fixed yet and it takes several days of walkin’ to reach the next town.”
“Thanks,” I said. “I don’t suppose you have any idea where she is?”
Coyote pointed a weathered finger at the door, in the direction of the main street. “Probably down at the Cozy Snake. Don’t know where else she’d find a room.”
I let out a breath of relief and glanced at Varo. I was surprised to find that there were no signs of relief across his face. In fact, he looked more tense than ever.
“Thanks,” I said to Coyote.
I walked outside with Varo, surprised by his lack of enthusiasm. We had done it. His sister was safe in a motel only a few blocks from us. Why did he look like he was marching to his death?
“Well,” I said with a grin. “We did it. Lu is alright.”
Varo forced a smile. “Thank you, Harper,” he said.
I smiled as I walked down the street towards the motel. Despite whatever complicated emotions Varo was experiencing, I felt accomplished.
The Cozy Snake, a small, run-down motel. It had only a dozen rooms, one of which was being rented by Lu. After a brief talk with the woman at the front desk, Varo made his way to room number seven. He knocked on the door until it was answered by a petite, dark-haired woman with an assortment of piercings on her ears and nose.
Lu’s features softened the moment she saw Varo. The young woman threw her arms around him and let out a loud sob.
“I’m so sorry,” she said quietly between sobs. “I didn’t think…I’m sorry…I didn’t mean-”
“It’s alright,” he said gently.
The emotional scene made me suddenly aware of my lack of purpose at that moment. I waited uncomfortably as Varo attempted to console his sister.
“How the hell did you find me?” Lu finally asked as she pulled away from him.
“This is Harper,” he said with a gesture to me. “She’s a private investigator. I…I thought it was weird when I didn’t hear back from you after that fight with mom.”
Lu hesitated slightly as she flicked a piece of her shoulder-length hair out of her face. Her dark eyes found mine, and she quickly looked away.
“Thanks for coming to get me,” she said quietly.
Her disposition had changed so suddenly, I felt like I had missed an important piece of the conversation.
“Always,” Varo said.
There was an odd pause of silence that I felt needed to be interrupted. So, I said, “It sounds like your car is still getting worked on. I’ll book myself a room here for the night, but since…we found you, I suppose I’ll be leaving in the morning.”
Varo glanced at me and back towards his sister. He pulled out a well-worn leather wallet and handed it to me.
“It’s on me. I promised I’d pay, remember?”
“Right,” I grabbed the wallet. “Thanks.”
I left the Delgado siblings alone in front of door number seven and walked to the front desk. I got the feeling that the two of them had personal matters to discuss. Since I had successfully fulfilled my end of the bargain and I had no problem letting Varo pay for my room.
The front desk was run by a mousy woman named Alma. She was likely about ten years my senior with ash-blonde hair and eyes that never quite met mine.
“Hey,” I said as friendly as I could. “I’m back. I was hoping to get a room for the night.”
“Just one night?” Alma seemed mystified by this.
I nodded. “Yup, I’ve got a long way to go tomorrow, so just tonight.”
Alma nodded and wrote something down in a notebook. It seemed the motel was void of all technology. There wasn’t even a card reader in sight. I opened Varo’s wallet, hoping he had cash on him.
“That’ll be seventy dollars,” she said.
To my luck and mild shock, there was nothing in Varo’s wallet but three hundred-dollar bills. I handed one of the bills to Alma, still gazing at the wallet in amusement. There were no credit cards, gift cards, or even a driver’s license. I found it curious, but nothing more.
Alma handed me back the change as well as an old key. I thanked her and walked outside towards my car to gather my things. I grabbed the overnight bag I had packed and gazed out at the town around me.
A handful of people loitered in front of the bar. A man with a cigarette spoke loudly about having to work on a Saturday. The men around validated his frustration with a groan. Beside the man with a cigarette was Coyote, the mechanic. He wasn’t engaging in the conversation, however. Instead, he was staring at me.
I was about to walk to my room at the motel when I noticed Coyote shift and begin to walk across the street towards me. I let out a long sigh. He better not be a creep, was all I could think.
“Y’know, I never caught your name, miss,” he said in a slow, casual manner.
“I’m Harper,” I said, extending my hand.
Coyote shook it. “They call me Coyote.” He pointed to his nametag.
“That’s quite the name.”
He laughed and said, “Yeah, and I almost deserve it.”
“How is Lu’s car coming along?”
“Waitin’ on the parts.” He paused. “Say, you don’t have a moment to speak in private, do you?”
A wave of uncertainty passed over me. “I…I just got a room, but I’m sorry it’s been a long day. I need a moment to relax and-”
“If you were any kind of smart, you’d get in that car and leave this godforsaken town.” There was ice in his words.
“I’m sorry, what?” I was too baffled by his sudden change in tone to fully comprehend what he was saying to me.
“Get in that car and go,” his voice was low but sharp.
“I just got a room. Besides, I plan to leave tomorrow.”
“It’ll be too late by then.”
“I-”
“Leave the young lady alone,” a man joked as he slung an arm around Coyote’s shoulders.
Coyote looked irritated but made no attempt to get away from the other man.
“Ophelia, I was beginning to think you actually did it,” the stranger addressed me.
He was an odd-looking man with sunken-in eyes and pale hair. It was almost impossible to tell his age, but from the way he carried himself.
“What?” I asked, confused by the strange remark.
“This is Harper, Leon,” Coyote said with a groan. “She’s not from around here.”
“Oh,” a strange look crossed his face as if he was realizing something for the first time. “I see. It’s nice to meet you, Harper. If you need anything, don’t hesitate to ask.”
“Thanks,” I said, taking a step away.
“Just consider what I said,” Coyote said quietly before following Leon back to the bar.
He gave me one last glance before he walked up the steps towards the bar. The man who waited for him clapped him on the back and said something I couldn’t hear.
Leon was staring at me from his spot beside Coyote. There was something about him that made my skin turn clammy. I tried to ignore the feeling as I turned around.
What the hell did Coyote mean? Why did he tell me to leave?
I walked to my room, number six, and opened the door. I dropped my things on the ground and collapsed onto the bed. It was a shitty little motel, with a musty smell and stains on the carpet.
All the decor was patterned with faded pink paisley and roses. The curtains, bedsheets, and upholstery rivaled a grandmother’s bedroom. Even the walls were what used to be a shade of baby pink. With time (and possibly some cigarette smoke), the walls were a sad shade of brown.
Despite the general filth of the room, lying down on a bed felt incredible. Before I had time to consider what Coyote had said to me, a knock came to my door. I stood up and opened it. Varo stood outside with his hands buried deep in his pockets.
“What did that old man say to you?”
I shrugged. “He told me I should leave…I don’t know, he was just drunk, maybe he’s not in the mood for tourists.”
“Maybe,” Varo hesitated for a moment. “Do you have my wallet?”
“Oh,” I had nearly forgotten about that. I handed him the wallet back. He was about to leave when I asked, “Isn’t it a little odd to only be carrying cash around with you?”
He shrugged. “I don’t need anything else.”
“A driver’s license would come in handy,” I joked.
“Don’t have one.”
Before I could say anything, he walked away and disappeared into Lu’s room. I let him drive my car, and that bastard doesn’t even have a license, was all I could think.
Read Chapter Four
This is a page turner….