the first-born. This decision haunted me now, knowing full well there would be no little offspring to enjoy into old age.
As I approached the dining room, I saw a beautiful sight, there sat Heinz, the brownish-black German Pointer. Though I did not really know the dog at all, having only met him the day of the accident, for some reason we had bonded. Dogs, I am told have a natural affinity for making the right choices with people. Before I got to the door, Heinz was up, barking and pawing at my leg and hip. I knelt beside his husky, athletic body and scratched his noble head. “Were have you been big fellow?” He licked my face and hands as I continued the soothing recognition of him.
“Let’s go get some warm milk and biscuits.” But, Heinz was having none of it. He was a dog on a mission…he would bark and leap toward the river. He had something on his mind and he was trying to communicate it to me. He ran down the road and then returned…it was obvious he wanted me to follow him. I forgot the coffee and my headache and headed toward the river behind the hunting dog.
It was a good two miles to the riverbank and Heinz had run all the way. He had not broken a sweat, wasn’t even breathing hard… but I was a wheezing wreck from too many whiskies and cigars. When I arrived Heinz was standing, pointing, at a huge fallen ash with the main part of the trunk and its branches actually in the river as the cold icy water gathered around it. The trunk of the tree was a good five feet in circumference and at least fifty feet tall. Its large branches spread out into the river creating a natural habitat for marine life and small animals.
The dog jumped easily onto the fallen trunk, which remained partially rooted to the riverbank. There was no way I could climb onto the trunk without the aid of a stepladder. I had every hope ... my attention to the dog’s insistence on following him would be sufficient and placate him. I called to him to come to me. He did so immediately! I knelt beside him and rubbed his head and reassured him, “there now big fellow…I see you have spotted something here I am unable to see, so let me get help from those who have been trained in this type exercise…do you understand what I am saying Heinz?” He barked and licked my hand.
I never liked dogs, cats or any animal except for horses, but this dog was growing on me.
I walked away toward the lodge, calling to the dog and snapping my fingers. Smartest damn dog, he knew exactly what I was trying to communicate. We walked back to the lodge were I found an attendant sipping coffee, which smelled freshly brewed. There were cups so I helped myself. “Good morning, I am…
“Yes sir Colonel, we all know who you are…what can I help you with this morning, aside from the coffee!” He smiled gesturing to the cup in my hand.
“This is Heinz, the dog who was in the boat with the guide, who has been missing for several days. I just saw him at the dining room and he was so insistent for me to follow him to the riverbank about two miles from here were a giant ash has fallen into the river. There is something down there, I am certain because this dog is so smart and sensitive. I believe it warrants a call to the sheriff’s office to bring a diver out here in a wet suit to go into the icy water and check it out.
“Got you Colonel, I’m on it this moment…you go have some breakfast and I’ll come get you when they arrive.”
“At this moment I need to make a collect call on your land line, if you have an extra phone?”
“Well, I’m not supposed to but, if you don’t say anything I’ll let you in the manager’s office and you can use his phone in private.”
“Scout’s honor and from a Colonel.” I smiled and handed the boy a sawbuck, which he fetched like a hungry dog. Though it was still early, I thought the incident important enough to inform my attorney and bring him up to date on the return of the dog Heinz and the possible discovery of Seg’s body…moreover I wanted to share my dream with Max. Just what the lawyer needed at eight in the morning, a crazy client who wanted to share a dream.
At any rate, it was good news to find a hard working lawyer doing something besides picking a client’s wallet.
“Good morning Brandon, I hope you are not calling from jail?”
“You, sir, are an ugly man.”
“Then, did you sleep well?”
“Fell off the wagon Max, but I wasn’t hit by the wheel, and you’ll be pleased to know I didn’t leave my room. However, there are a couple of developments here ... I thought you should know. First, the dog Heinz has returned seems he has been guarding a large ash tree, which has fallen into the river. The dog was frantic for me to follow him; were he showed me the tree and Heinz was so insistent ... made me confident something was down there. I now have the office calling the sheriff to come out to investigate.”
“Good.” The lawyer said but I noted a concern in his voice in only a word.
“Is there a problem?”
“Probably not, just the mind of a quirky lawyer considering all the traps.”
As Max continued, I glanced around the top of the manager’s desk which I suspect is something everyone does in a strange office…a natural tendency to snoop. To my surprise, there on top of a stack of folders was a file containing my name in bold letters, and it was underlined. I opened it and there was a memorandum regarding the events surrounding the accident, which I read as my attorney continued talking into the phone.
“What traps?” I asked.
“Well, someone with an evil intent might wonder how all the experts missed the body and you found it…did you know where it was? Did you move it? Brandon you must start thinking like the other side. This is no game, this is not about justice…this is about big business. It is about convicting the first person to come along, who happens to be a Colonel in the United States Army, to fill a quota for next year’s budget and for this year’s bonus…you know how it works.”
“Not at the sake of taking an innocent person’s freedom for god’s sake.”
“All right Brandon, there it is…maybe nothing, maybe something…but you have to know ... you have hired a wart as a lawyer, as well as your friend.”
“A wart?”
“A worry wart who knows all the tricks and this case is further complicated by this fact. You are currently under the authority of another government. So I caution you, walk softly…now what else is there?”
“I had a dream last night…I believe it contained a message from the spiritual world.”
“Come on Brandon, I love you but I have work to do trying to save your ass.”
“I know it sounds crazy Max, but please hear me out on this one, and I promise never to bring you another bizarre twist.”
“Ok shoot, it’s your retainer and it is clicking away.”
“I dreamt ... we are into this trial and the young sheriff’s deputy who questioned me and investigated the scene is on the stand and the prosecuting attorney asked him why he had submitted a report recommending that I be bound over to the Grand Jury for murder.
The deputy responded that he had not made such a recommendation, in point of fact he said that his report was just the opposite, he stated ... he had found nothing to indicate that a crime had been committed and he had found my statement very credible.”
“This
