Retribution

His back killing him, Joe Garner looked over at the small redbud tree in its plastic pot with contempt as it waited for him to finish the hole he was digging in the backyard. He could feel the blisters forming as the shovel pierced another inch into the dense soil, but then something in the hole caught his eye. He’d encountered roots and small pebbles, but this looked different. Bending down for a closer examination, Joe squinted, trying to make sense of something completely out of context. He was looking at a woman’s finger.

Two hours later, there was a backhoe in the yard, several uniformed officers and a young detective named Conrad, who was overseeing the excavation. Joe and Ellen watched from the back porch as the machine spewed black smoke and groaned while clawing slowly into the Garner’s lawn.  Soon, the cops waived off the bucket and entered the large gash in the yard to examine the body. Detective Conrad climbed out of the hole and approached Joe and Ellen holding out his phone. He showed them a photo of the victim’s face.

“Either of you recognize her?” he asked.

“No,” responded Ellen quickly. “I’ve never seen her before.”

“Mr. Garner?”

“I don’t know who that is,” he said, his neck now crimson red.

An ambulance took the body away and the uniformed cops left a short time later. A grim Detective Conrad sat at the kitchen table with Joe and Ellen sipping a Sprite.

“How long did you say you’ve lived here?” he asked.

“Twelve years,” replied Joe.

“I’m not an expert, but the body doesn’t look like it’s been in the ground anywhere near that amount of time.”

Joe scowled. “Are you implying something, Detective?”

“No Sir,” he responded, looking down at his hands. “I just have to go where the evidence leads me. We won’t know anything until the coroner examines the body.  Are you okay, Mr. Garner? You look pale.”

Joe tried to turn his fear into anger. “The dead body of a woman was taken out of the ground in my backyard. No, I’m not okay.”

After a few more questions, Detective Conrad left and the mood in the house was murky and uncertain.  

Deep into the night, Ellen bolted upright in bed. Joe was yelling from downstairs. She entered the dark living room and found her husband standing in the shadows.

“What’s wrong?” asked Ellen, putting her hands on his shoulders.

“There was a woman…just outside the window…looking in at me.”

Ellen hurried out the front door and returned after a beat.

“There’s no one out there now.”

“It was the woman from our yard,” said Joe.

“Don’t be ridiculous. Come back to bed.”

On two more occasions, Joe claimed to see the phantom woman standing outside looking in. After the latest incident, his body trembled in Ellen’s arms as he tried to keep himself from totally falling apart. He let out a sigh and then confessed that he knew the woman dug up in their yard, and that they had an affair, but he swore he didn’t kill and bury her.

“I know you didn’t,” whispered Ellen, letting go of Joe and giving him an icy glare. “But I can’t speak for the police….”