It's Only a Paper Moon
Title: It's Only a Paper Moon, Part III
Warning: R-rated for language and violence
Summary: Dean and Sam head to Washington to tackle a case where a ghost is blamed for multiple deaths. However, once they discover what the entity is, they realize they have no way of stopping the tortured soul from continuing its murderous rampage. Becoming more and more desperate as the body count rises, the Winchesters delve into forgotten family history to discover a murderous tragedy that has yet to see the end.
The last thing Sam wanted was to report complete failure, but after spending the entire morning combing and re-combing through various property and city tax records, he had to admit defeat. Sam trudged back to the motel, wondering what he could have overlooked.
Nothing, he admitted to himself. This was probably the most thorough research I’ve ever done, and there’s nothing I’ve missed. I’m sure of it.
Sam wondered how he’d convince Dean of that: his brother had unreasonable expectations of Sam's talents in research, and in moments like these Sam wanted nothing more than shove his laptop into a garbage disposal. He opened the motel door and found his brother hunched over his cell, humming tunelessly. Dean looked up and motioned for Sam to join him.
“I see,” Dean said. “You sure about that? Not that I’m doubting the records…”
Sam frowned, sitting down on a chair. Dean rolled his finger next to his ear, the universal gesture for the ‘endless conversation’.
“Okay, thanks.” Dean hung up. “Well, that was interesting.”
“What was that about?” Sam asked, genuinely curious.
“I contacted Veterans Affairs,” Dean explained. “I got to wondering why our gravity-obsessed Casper wasn’t drafted.”
“I thought he was crippled,” Sam said.
Dean shook his head. “No, that’s not always enough. There’s no automatic pass because you got a busted leg. They could still draft you, just that you might never see battle time.”
“Is that what happened?”
“No, Montgomery Catskill actually volunteered,” Dean said. “And was denied. Turns out his handicap wasn’t something that could be looked over.”
“Wait a minute, he wanted to go to war?” Sam shook his head. “He had to have known it would be dangerous for someone like him.”
“No shit,” Dean said. “But he tried to enlist, twice. Once right after Pearl Harbor, second time in September of 1943.”
“Brave or stupid,” Sam said. “Maybe a little of both.”
“Takes all kinds,” Dean agreed. “But they were pretty desperate those days. They would’ve taken him if they could.”
“You think that might have something to do with what’s happening now?”
Dean looked down at his notepad. “I don’t know, but I gotta tell you unless you found something that puts a whole different spin on this case…”
“Nothing,” Sam confessed with a sigh. “Nothing spectacular about the man’s life save for that outburst with the monument.”
“Dude lives quietly, never gets into any trouble, and then suddenly goes ballistic? Gotta wonder what triggered him.”
“You’re thinking it’s something more than just old anger simmering?”
“Yeah,” Dean answered. “I’m thinking it’s something else. I’m thinking it has something to do with his buddy.”
“The one that got shafted?” Sam asked. “Okay, I’ll buy that, but what happened to Inoue wasn’t so unusual, unfortunately.”
“Then something made it unusual, even for someone like Montgomery who lived through it. And who survived it.”
“Maybe we’re looking at the wrong person?” Sam offered. “Maybe we should be looking at Thomas Inoue instead.”
“I’m game,” Dean said. “So, how do we do that?”
“That’s going to be a lot more difficult,” Sam said with a deep sigh. “There might be records about his family while they lived in Nevin, but how he died? That's going to be near impossible to find out.”
“Look, maybe I can take a look-see at the Catskill place. See if they got anything.”
Sam couldn’t stop himself from tensing up. He knew Dean spotted his discomfort immediately, but Sam couldn’t tell him not to do it. It made sense for one of them to at least check out the place.
“Dude, I have to,” Dean said, his voice commanding yet apologetic.
“Yeah, okay.” Sam briskly rubbed his face. “Just that I like to know you have backup.”
“It’ll be easy,” Dean said. “So, tonight?”
“All right,” Sam said reluctantly. He honestly loathed the idea of Dean going in alone. But what really bothered him was the fact that he might now be a liability to his brother. It demeaned all he had done in the last few years; the struggles and the countless battles, only to have it all taken away because of something that wasn’t his fault.
Sam felt a small slap on the back of his neck. He looked up to see Dean smiling at him. And for a moment Sam felt like a boy again, the one blessed with a big brother who was more like a god than a boy.
“It’s a simple in-n-out,” Dean said in a comforting tone. “Don’t sweat it.”
“Okay,” Sam said hoarsely.
He took a deep breath and wiped his face, surprised to find it dry. They went to the town hall and managed to get maps of the Catskill property and made copies when the front-desk clerk went out for coffee. Upon returning to the hotel, they immediately pored over the maps and updated them with what they knew. Sam noticed an oblong shape to the northwest of the house. It was located next to federally-protected land.
“Has to be military,” Dean said.
“Probably,” Sam agreed.
“What do you think it is?”
“I don’t know - maybe private family burial ground?” Sam paused. “Oh wait.”
Dean turned to find Sam fiddling with his laptop. “What?”
“Gotta love Google,” Sam said with a big smile. He pulled up the satellite map of the Catskill property.
Dean looked at the screen. “Looks like a … garden?”
“No, a copse.” Sam peered closer. “And not like the rest of the trees in the area.”
“A grove,” Dean said. “Maybe an apple orchard?”
“I’m hoping not.” Sam grimaced. He had yet to see one since Indiana and not quell down the desire to light a match.
“Okay, one mystery at a time,” Dean said. “Let’s get this show started.”
Sam nodded in agreement and began methodically planning out the best way for Dean to break in. He may not be able to stand by his brother’s side, but he could make sure Dean had the best chance of getting in and out safe.
Dean gave the two dogs a final hug and whispered, “Tae care, Max, and be a good girl, Holly.”
They gave him a face full of licks before trotting off into the night. Dean loved dogs - even guard dogs. They, in turn, seemed to genuinely enjoy his company. The kitchen door wasn’t even locked so Dean had no problem getting in. The first thing he did was figure out where Joshua was sleeping. The man was upstairs, in the master bedroom above the kitchen.
Dean went back down and located the office. It didn’t take much for him to realize that the room only held information pertinent to the business. He then found another that passed as the library. Making sure Joshua was still asleep he rummaged through the room and found a shelf full of family albums. Dean cautiously flipped through them; the fifth was most telling.
There were dozens of photographs of the Catskill family along with their neighbors, the Inoues. They told a story of a happy group of people. Thomas looked like he was proud to call Montgomery his best friend, and the two boys, despite their age difference, were obviously close. Every picture had them with their arms carelessly slung around each other’s shoulders, holding numerous athletic trophies and hard-won prizes from local waters.
Dean put away the album and looked at an oversized bureau sitting against the left wall. It was obviously not used often as dust completely coated the top. He slid open the drawers and found boxes stashed in haphazardly. But he found one drawer half-empty.
Dean began mentally humming.
Somebody took something, Dean concluded as he saw a dusty outline of a container the size of a man’s shoebox. Recently. He searched the room for the missing box but found nothing of similar size.
“Damn it,” he hissed softly. Feeling frustrated, he looked at the photographs on the walls. They were pictures of the Catskill family after the war. They newlyweds looked happy enough, but the photos were so few that Dean couldn’t be sure what the family dynamic was. He then remembered something.
The photos taken with the Inoue family were in the midst of flowering trees that presented a beautiful backdrop. These were taken in front of the house, nowhere as lovingly portrayed as the older ones.
Dean felt an idea flutter at the edge of his mind but couldn’t grasp it. Instead of forcing it, he let it fade. He knew whatever that brush of thought was, will return in due time. Dean took four pictures of the Inoues before leaving the house.
He found Sam sitting in the Impala. It still shocked him to see how big his little brother had gotten since their father's death.
“Dean!” Sam said, relief coloring his voice and face. “Jesus, you took forever!”
“That’s because I got bupkus,” Dean answered, slamming the car door shut. “Goddamn it.”
“So I’m guessing you didn’t find a smoking gun?”
“No,” Dean replied and gave the stack of pictures to Sam. “Just these.”
Sam clicked on his flashlight to study them. “The Inoues.”
“Yep, happy looking bunch,” Dean supplied. “At least until the shit hit the fan.” He pointed to the flowering trees. “What are those?”
“Sakura trees,” Sam answered promptly. “They have huge cultural significance for the Japanese and Japanese Americans.”
“Do you remember the cluster of trees you found on Google?”
“Yeah,” Sam paused for a moment. “You think they're the same?”
“The Inoues are tied to this somehow,” Dean said. “Maybe we can find something in the grove.”
“And this time I can keep you company,” Sam said, his tone tinged with satisfaction.
“Let’s get going. Dawn's in less than two hours.”
The walk didn’t take long and the grove wasn’t hard to spot. Dean was surprised to see how well-kept the trees were. They were pruned regularly and the ground was clear of most debris.
“Wow,” Dean whispered, looking around. Even in moonlight the trees were gorgeous to look at. “Damn, they’re beautiful.”
“This is wrong,” Sam said, pulling down a thin branch to sniff the flowers.
“How?”
“They flower during spring, early spring. Just when the season gets warm,” Sam explained as he rubbed few petals between his fingers. He wanted to make sure they were genuine.
“It’s August,” Dean said. “Maybe the weather has something to do with it?”
“If that’s the case, other trees should have the same problem,” Sam said. “But they’re not. Dean, it’s just this grove.”
Dean sighed. “Well, fuck it. I guess it’s just too much to ask for something to go right. ‘Cause as far as clues go? Flowering trees kinda suck.”
“Maybe, but we now know for sure the Inoues have something to do with what’s been happening around here.”
Dean cocked his head and sucked in his bottom lip. Sam knew his brother well enough to know that was his thoughtful look.
“Okay, maybe we can see from that angle since this one’s all played out.” Dean absently kicked a rock and shook his head. “You know how hard this is going to be?”
Sam nodded. “Finding out anything about what happened to the Inoues is going to be next to impossible. If this town’s got half a brain, they would’ve destroyed or deliberately misplaced any record of what they did to them.”
“Yeah…” Dean frowned, raising a cautionary finger.
Sam heard the footsteps then. The two silently hid in the darkness offered by the trees. Joshua came to view, wielding an axe and a chainsaw. The young man was shoeless and still in his pajamas. He looked around, wild-eyed and completely disoriented.
Muttering softly, Joshua started swinging at a tree. It wasn’t long before he started screaming on top of his lungs. “Die! Just fucking die already!”
Dean gaped in shock as the man hacked at the tree to no avail. Joshua swung harder, but the tree stood unmolested.
Sam tugged at his brother’s shirt before standing up. “Joshua, that won’t help you.”
The young man whirled around and swung the axe into the night air, howling like a tortured animal.
“Calm down, Joshua!” Dean commanded, sounding unnervingly like his father. “Put that axe down! Jesus, what do you think you’re gonna do?”
“Why … what are you two doing here?” Joshua asked, slowly lowering his arms.
“We’re here because of your grandfather,” Sam said in a gentle tone. “I’m guessing that’s why you’re here, too.”
“What do you know about him?” Joshua asked. Then his face smoothed from confusion to anger. “You fucks aren’t from the CDC!”
“No, we’re not,” Dean said. “You know what’s been happening on the bridge, don’t you? And who’s causing it.”
“I don’t have a fucking clue what you psychos are talking about,” Joshua said, backing out of the grove. “And if you don’t leave, I’m going to call the police!”
“Do that,” Dean said. “And you’ll end up dealing with Montgomery Catskill all by yourself.”
“How long have you been trying to trying to take down these trees?” Sam asked.
Joshua looked around, tears falling softly. “This was grandpa’s favorite place. He came here almost every day, even during winter, and took care of them. We came with him sometimes, but … not for long.”
“Why?” Sam asked.
“Because he … he just wasn’t the kind of person you'd want to spend a rainy day with.” Joshua sat on the ground. “He was pretty depressed most of the time. My mom thought it was because of his physical handicap. It got worse as he grew older, so by the end it was ugly.”
“But he came down here, though, every damn day,” Dean said. “Didn’t you think it was weird?”
“No,” Joshua said. “He’s been doing it his entire life. We never questioned why.”
Dean helped Joshua get to his feet. “Does your mother know? Did she ever ask?”
“No, never,” Joshua answered. “And I’d remember if she did. My sister and I were always curious.”
“When did this happen?” Sam asked. “The flowers, I mean.”
“About two months ago. They bloomed in mid-April, as usual. Then they bloomed again in June. We asked around but nobody had any answers.”
“How about your mother?” Dean asked.
“She had the stroke by then,” Joshua answered. “This all slipped my mind until…”
“The accidents started at the bridge?” Dean supplied.
“No, my grandfather started appearing in the house.” Joshua bit back a sob. “I thought I was going to drop dead from a heart attack when I first saw him. But I realized he wasn’t seeing me … and after a while, I started following him. He came back here, always. It took me a little while to figure out the ghost on the bridge was my grandfather.”
“You have no idea why he’s here,” Sam said.
“None,” Joshua said, “not a clue. I tried chopping these trees. Hell, I even tried burning them, but they won’t catch on fire. I used gasoline, even lighter fluid. Fuck, I'd use napalm if I could get my hands on some.
"I just don’t know what to do anymore. I can’t stand it.”
“Why don’t you move, then?” Dean asked.
Joshua shook his head. “Then my sister, Joanie, would ask and move in, and I can’t do that to her.”
“Look, maybe we can find something in your house.”
Joshua looked at them. “Who are you?”
“We heard about what's been happening on the bridge," Sam answered. "We go after things like your grandfather’s ghost. Put them to rest … to let them go of this life.”
Joshua’s bottom lip trembled as he asked, “How?”
“To find out what’s holding him here,” Sam answered. “Help him resolve it and move on. Joshua, whatever it is - it’s big, very big. And quite ugly. We think it has something to do with the Inoues.”
“Okay,” Joshua said. “I know something about them.”
“Why don’t we take it indoors,” Dean offered. “You look like you could use a break.”
Joshua nodded wordlessly and led them back to the house. He started making coffee and puttering around the small kitchen. Dean and Sam, by quiet agreement, took seats around the small dining table.
Looking at Joshua under the kitchen lights, Sam couldn't believe how he could've missed it the first time. From the way his shirt was hanging on him, Joshua had lost a lot of weight, quickly. And from his sunken cheeks, Sam guessed it was through stress and unchecked fear.
Joshua sat down, his face made more haggard by the pendant lamp. “The Inoues were good people. There was flooding right after they bought the neighboring property. They were fine because their house was on a hill. Ours wasn't. Anyway, they just showed up at the front door with shovels, offering to help.
"Grandpa told me they stayed for two days straight.”
“Sound like the best kind of neighbors,” Sam said gently.
“They were. When the parents died … my family took it very hard. They wanted to take in Thomas but he was old enough to live on his own. Poor kid, it wasn’t six months after his parents died that the war broke out.”
“And all hell broke loose,” Dean added.
“My granddad was livid and terrified,” Joshua said. “He and Tommy were best friends. Less than a week after Pearl Harbor, he found out that the town formed a ‘morality’ club. The first thing these so-called 'lambs of decency' did was to go around chopping down cherry trees, no matter where they were.”
“Even on private land?” Sam already knew the answer, but he wanted Joshua to keep talking; not taking any time to pause and think about what he was revealing to complete strangers.
“Didn’t matter. Thomas had bought cherry trees in memory of his parents and stored them in his greenhouse. My granddad helped him move them here and plant them. He figured nobody would come looking for cherry trees on his property.”
“Where were his parents?” Dean gave a puzzled glance at Sam.
“His birth mother around the time he was born. His father died of TB, and his stepmother couldn’t handle living out in the boonies so she moved back East. It was basically him and two hired help running the place. Back then you didn’t have to earn a degree in animal husbandry to run a clinic, even if the practice was focused on livestock.”
“What happened then?” Sam prodded.
“My grandfather tried to protect Thomas, but the government took him away only weeks after Pearl Harbor. My mother told me that he managed to sell his place to granddad right before, thinking he was going to buy it back when everything was over, but … he never came back.
“I don’t think my grandfather ever got over losing his buddy like that.” Joshua sighed into his mug. “He never made any more real friends after that. Acquaintances, yeah - he was nice enough guy, but someone like Thomas Inoue? Never.”
“So he took care of the trees for his buddy?” Dean frowned. “Man, that’s some devotion, there.”
“No, not really,” Joshua answered. “When they were just kids, my granddad nearly drowned. He managed to row out into choppy waters, in spite of being told by his father not to do it. And fell out of the boat; would’ve drowned if Thomas wasn’t nearby.”
“Inoue had to have been a strong swimmer,” Sam added.
“He was more than good. Their school won state championship two years in a row when Thomas made varsity.”
“So, your grandfather owed him his life but was unable to save his best friend,” Sam said. “That wouldn’t explain why his spirit keeps appearing on the bridge. Do you have any idea about that?”
Joshua shook his head. “None, my granddad hated the thing. He thought it was nothing but one gigantic eyesore. My sister and I had a running joke when the second one went up: that it was a good thing he died before it was done. Otherwise, he might just move out of state altogether to avoid them.”
“So he had no ties to the bridge that you know of?” Sam couldn’t let go of the idea. There had to be a reason Montgomery’s ghost was haunting the goddamn thing.
“None,” Joshua answered. “I’ve been ransacking my brain but I can’t remember a damn thing.”
Dean looked slightly shifty before he said, “I was wondering ... do you know anything about the bureau in the library?”
Joshua closed his eyes and sighed. “You broke in?”
“Yeah, I did,” Dean admitted cautiously. “The bottom drawer - there’s a box missing. Do you know where it might be?”
“Let me check,” Joshua said. He walked out of the kitchen.
Sam heard him rustle about but refrained from saying anything. His attention was riveted to the table and the matching chairs. He lightly traced the grain with his fingers, admiring the handiwork.
“Dude, what are you? An editor for Home Journal?” Dean teased mercilessly.
“No,” Sam flushed heatedly. “This table reminds me of something, but I can’t remember what.”
“Well, tuck in your inner girl,” Dean said.
“Dean, shut up,” Sam said wearily.
Dean gave a wicked grin that died the moment he heard Joshua’s footsteps.
The haggard man slumped into his seat. “It was one of those wooden boxes with some kind of mother-of-pearl inlay. I think it belonged to my mom,” he said. “I don’t remember much about it. The last time I saw it was years ago.”
“Do you know who could’ve taken it?”
“Either mom or Joanie.” Joshua paused for a moment. “No, that can’t be right.”
“What can’t be right?” Sam echoed.
“Joanie hadn’t been back here since Mom got sick,” Joshua explained. “At least not that I know of. And I don’t think she even knows about the bureau. I guess it had to be Mom.”
Dean leaned forward intently. “Is there any way we could go to her place and look for it?”
“Why do you think it’s so important?” Joshua asked.
“I’m not sure why,” Dean confessed, looking flummoxed by the question.
“To tell the truth, this case isn't run-of-the-mill for us,” Sam said. “We usually dig up history and put facts together from various sources before making our move.”
“But the history involved in this one,” Dean paused for a moment. “Well, it’s sticky, and I don’t think it's going to be easy for us to find the entire truth.”
“You’re talking about the Inoues,” Joshua said.
“Do you know of anyone who’ll talk to us about what happened back then?” Sam asked.
Joshua looked at Sam, his face alight with hope. “Yeah, actually I do. Mrs. Watanabe. She lived around here during that time. She was younger than granddad but just by few years. She lives in Gig Harbor now.”
“Thank Christ,” Dean said. “Got her phone number by chance?”
“Do you one better,” Joshua said. “I have her address. She sends us Christmas card every year.”
Sam smiled when he saw the small cottage, complete with white picket fence. However, the similarity to a fairytale ended there. There were no rose bushes or any other flowers, only a single miniature Japanese maple tree. But, somehow, it was enough.
Dean took a deep breath. “Man, she made pie.”
Sam looked at his brother. “What?”
“Cherry pie,” Dean said in a honeyed tone. “Damn, I’m gonna marry that woman.”
“I can’t believe you can smell food this far from the house.”
“Shut up and straighten out your hair. You look like an extra from a Mad Max movie.”
Without thinking Sam’s hands shot up towards his head. It wasn’t until Dean started snickering that Sam realized he’d been had.
“Fuck you,” Sam hissed.
Dean shook his head and wagged a cautionary finger as they stood in front of the door. Sam knocked softly. Dean took another, deeper sniff and made happy noises.
“Jesus,” Sam muttered and then plastered a smile on his face when the door opened.
A woman half his height peered up from behind a screen door.
“Can I help you boys?”
“Um, yes,” Sam said. “I'm Sam and this is my brother, Dean. We're friends of the Catskills?”
“Oh, yes, Josh told me you’d be dropping by.” She stepped aside. “Come in.”
“Thank you, Mrs. Watanabe,” Sam said as he followed her into the house.
“Please sit,” Mrs. Watanabe said. “And call me Claire.”
“Is that pie I’m smelling?” Dean asked, face shining hopefully like a seven-year-old on his birthday.
Claire peered over her glasses. Sam realized she might be old, but that didn’t mean she was in any way slow. Her face crinkled into a smile. “Yes, cherry. Would you like a slice?”
“Please,” Dean said, his voice ringing with unbridled joy.
Claire’s smile grew into a chuckle. “Two slices, maybe four since you children are still growing.”
With that smartass remark, Claire disappeared into the kitchen. Sam buried his face in his hands so he didn’t see Dean when he stood up. However, he did hear his brother stomping around the room.
“Wow, she was a babe,” Dean said, finally getting his brother to rise above his mortification.
Sam took the picture frame and looked at the single figure. The face had aged, but he immediately recognized the woman. Claire was beyond gorgeous; he thought she could easily be a candidate for beauty pageants. Wryly, he realized a woman with the last name like Watanabe there were only so many beauty contests she could have entered during her heydays.
Dean took back the frame and placed it back on the mantle. Claire came into the room, holding an overloaded tray. Sam immediately took it from her and set it down on the coffee table. Claire gave a grateful smile in return. After the first bite of the pie Sam had to admit he wholeheartedly supported Dean’s enthusiasm for the dessert. It was probably the best cherry pie he’d ever had. And from the noises Dean was making, he’d probably agree.
“So, how can I help?” Claire asked.
“We need to know everything about the Inoues,” Sam said.
Claire flinched. “I’m sorry, but I … don’t remember much about those days. They weren’t the happiest so I’m not exactly mourning about the loss.
“Why is this all coming up now?” Claire’s teacup trembled slightly as she brought it to her lips.
“Because whatever happened back then isn’t over. Not by a long shot,” Dean said.
Claire sat back and enfolded herself into the chair. She was small but now she was almost child-sized.
“You do know something, don’t you?” Dean asked.
Claire took off her glasses and gave a single nod. “It was so very ugly.”
“What happened, Claire?” Sam asked, using the softest voice in his arsenal.
“I was in the same grade as Thomas and we were friends. Because of the way the school district was set up, Montgomery was in a different building. So, Thomas and I spent a lot of time together. I had such a crush on Tommy. Most of the girls did, and I’m not just talking about the Japanese girls either.”
“We saw pictures of him,” Dean said. “He was a handsome kid.”
“But he was too shy to notice,” Claire said with a smile. “And he was too involved with sports and school to notice. Or at least that was what I thought.”
Claire finally looked up from her teacup and gave a fretful glance at her guests.
“Jesus,” Dean whispered, gaping at Claire. “How the fuck did we miss that?!”
Sam looked at his brother. “What?”
“Tommy and Montgomery were more than just friends, weren’t they?” Dean wasn’t really asking Claire, as much as he was looking for confirmation.
Claire nodded. “It had been going on for some time. I don’t know how long, but by the time Tommy was sixteen, he was long gone for Monty.”
Sam felt like an idiot. He was also completely thrown back by this new revelation as it put an entirely new spin on the investigation.
“Did anybody know?” Sam asked.
Claire nodded. “Only a handful. They were careful, so careful.”
“But not careful enough,” Dean supplied. “Who else knew?”
“Monty’s stepmother, Diane, found out by accident. Tommy told me she caught them making out. He was so scared but she didn’t say anything to anyone so he thought they were safe. And she lived most of the time back with her folks in Connecticut, so he wasn’t worried.” Claire finished her tea. “But he should’ve been.”
“She did something?” Dean asked.
“After the war broke out, she called a friend of hers … I don’t know exactly who, but she reported Tommy as a hostile.”
“Wait a minute - are you telling us Diane got him shipped off?” Sam was genuinely horrified by the idea that the woman would do such a thing to a kid who had saved her stepson’s life.
“Yes, that’s exactly what I’m saying,” Claire said. “Tommy was taken away a lot earlier than the rest of us, by months. We couldn’t figure out why. It wasn’t until after the war Monty found out. He wanted to kill her, I think. Diane had the good sense to stay away from here after that.”
“I’m guessing she’s not buried here,” Dean said.
Claire looked at Dean with genuine distaste. “Of course not. Why would you want to know such a thing?”
“Thought Montgomery might have forgiven her down the road,” Sam said quickly.
“Never,” Claire said with conviction. “He died hating her. He never once invited her over when he got married or had Michael. I don’t think he ever sent her a picture of his family. As far as he was concerned, Diane died the moment she betrayed Tommy.”
“Man,” Dean sighed as he sat back into the chair. “I’m guessing Montgomery never recovered from the loss.”
“No,” Claire admitted. “He was a good husband to Paula, and I never heard rumors of him tomcatting behind her back with men or women, so I think he just stopped … wanting after Tommy. And after Michael was born, he pretty much devoted his life to him and the veterinary practice.”
“You know about his protests?”
Claire gave a smile. “Oh yes. He made news, even in Gig Harbor. That was when I realized he was still in love with Tommy. Even after so many years.”
“Is there anything else you can tell us?” Dean asked. “Anything at all?”
“Not really,” Claire said. “That’s all I know about the Inoues.”
“Thank you for talking to us,” Sam said as he stood up. “You answered a lot of questions.”
“I’m glad to help the Catskills. They are good people.”
Dean and Sam walked back to the car in thoughtful silence.
“Wow,” Dean said as they started to drive back to Tacoma. “Man, didn’t see that one coming.”
“Completely blindsided,” Sam agreed. “But that would answer why Montgomery Catskill can’t let go of this life. He’s probably blaming himself for what his stepmother had done to Tommy.”
“I can’t even begin to count all the ways that story sucks,” Dean said. “Why would she do such a thing?”
“Because she was a true believer, Dean,” Sam answered. “Because she honestly thought Tommy was a danger not only to her stepson but to the American way of life.”
“And a kid dies in Italy somewhere, trying to win back what she stole from him.” Dean slammed his hands against the steering wheel. “I know life isn’t fair but that’s just wrong.”
“Still doesn’t explain the bridge,” Sam said. “Him haunting the house and the grove? Makes perfect sense, but why does he keep appearing on the bridge?”
“I knew you were going to say that.”
“We have to figure that part of the puzzle, Dean. We have no choice.”
“Yeah, yeah, I know. But until then?”
“We stake out the bridge, I guess.”
“That’s gonna suck extra hard,” Dean said. “It’s supposed to rain tonight.”
Sam groaned. Of course.
This isn’t rain, Sam thought darkly. It’s a fucking hurricane.
They had no choice but to guard the bridge, which meant leaving the relative warmth and dryness of the Impala for torrential downpour. Even with hats, they were soaked to the skin in moments.
“Jesus Christ!” Dean hollered to be heard. “What the hell?”
“Dean, it’s almost four. The cops are gone and the ghost hasn’t shown up. I think…”
Dean shook his head mulishly. “No, we have to wait until sunrise. We have to be sure.”
“Dude!” Sam hollered in desperation. “We’re both gonna die of pneumonia if we stay put. C’mon! Let’s go back to the hotel, get some shut-eye before meeting up with Josh!”
Dean sighed. He looked at his younger brother soaked to the bone and violently shivering. “Okay, let’s go!”
Sam started running down the walkway towards the parking lot when a pair of headlights appeared in front of him. Then, just as suddenly, they disappeared. He slowed down, trying to see where the headlights went.
“Sam!” Dean screamed on top his lungs, running to catch up to his brother.
The same moment Sam heard his brother yell for him, he saw why the headlights were gone. The truck had completely flipped on its side and was quickly sliding the entire width of the bridge.
“Holy…” He didn’t have a chance to finish the sentence.
Dean grabbed him and yanked him aside. The two scrambled onto the railing and crawled up, using the cables.
They dangled from high enough to see the truck scraping by, leaving huge drag marks on the concrete.
Dean looked in awe and horror as the sixteen-wheeler slowly came to a standstill.
They climbed down quickly and ran to the truck.
Sam saw the driver flailing helplessly, entangled in his seatbelt. “You okay there?!”
“Get me the fuck out of here!” was the panicky reply.
Dean shattered the front window shield and crawled into the cab. He cut off the seatbelt and helped the frightened man get out of the truck.
“Jesus Christ,” the driver said as he patted down his body. “Oh my God, I can’t believe I’m alive.”
“What happened?” Dean asked then looked up as the storm suddenly let up.
The trucker wiped his face. “I was almost at the midpoint of the bridge when I saw this kid jump…”
Sam closed his eyes and sighed. “And you tried to stop.”
“Hell no,” the man said. “I heard about what’s been happening here so I hit the gas. And that’s when I flipped. It … it felt like something grabbed the truck and tossed it like it was some fucking toy!”
Sam traded knowing looks with Dean. After making sure the driver was fine, they contacted the police and left. The last thing they needed was to be interviewed by the local authorities.
After long, hot showers and fortifying themselves with breakfast, the two brothers returned to Joshua’s house. They found the man sitting on the front steps, sipping the largest mug of coffee Sam had ever seen.
“Hi,” Dean said.
“I just heard about what happened on the bridge,” Joshua said. “I’m guessing you two were the men who saved the driver?”
“Yeah,” Dean said as he sat down next to Joshua. “Not that we did anything. It was pretty much a done deal by the time we came along.”
“If what the driver said is true then ignoring my granddad’s spirit won’t help,” Joshua said.
“Something like that,” Sam agreed.
Joshua sighed and stood up. “I got extra keys to mom’s townhouse. We can go now. Maybe we can find something and get this over with before any more people die.”
Sam and Dean wordlessly stood up, both praying that Joshua was right and that they would stop Montgomery Catskill’s ghost from claiming any more lives.
Part II * Part IV
Warning: R-rated for language and violence
Summary: Dean and Sam head to Washington to tackle a case where a ghost is blamed for multiple deaths. However, once they discover what the entity is, they realize they have no way of stopping the tortured soul from continuing its murderous rampage. Becoming more and more desperate as the body count rises, the Winchesters delve into forgotten family history to discover a murderous tragedy that has yet to see the end.
The last thing Sam wanted was to report complete failure, but after spending the entire morning combing and re-combing through various property and city tax records, he had to admit defeat. Sam trudged back to the motel, wondering what he could have overlooked.
Nothing, he admitted to himself. This was probably the most thorough research I’ve ever done, and there’s nothing I’ve missed. I’m sure of it.
Sam wondered how he’d convince Dean of that: his brother had unreasonable expectations of Sam's talents in research, and in moments like these Sam wanted nothing more than shove his laptop into a garbage disposal. He opened the motel door and found his brother hunched over his cell, humming tunelessly. Dean looked up and motioned for Sam to join him.
“I see,” Dean said. “You sure about that? Not that I’m doubting the records…”
Sam frowned, sitting down on a chair. Dean rolled his finger next to his ear, the universal gesture for the ‘endless conversation’.
“Okay, thanks.” Dean hung up. “Well, that was interesting.”
“What was that about?” Sam asked, genuinely curious.
“I contacted Veterans Affairs,” Dean explained. “I got to wondering why our gravity-obsessed Casper wasn’t drafted.”
“I thought he was crippled,” Sam said.
Dean shook his head. “No, that’s not always enough. There’s no automatic pass because you got a busted leg. They could still draft you, just that you might never see battle time.”
“Is that what happened?”
“No, Montgomery Catskill actually volunteered,” Dean said. “And was denied. Turns out his handicap wasn’t something that could be looked over.”
“Wait a minute, he wanted to go to war?” Sam shook his head. “He had to have known it would be dangerous for someone like him.”
“No shit,” Dean said. “But he tried to enlist, twice. Once right after Pearl Harbor, second time in September of 1943.”
“Brave or stupid,” Sam said. “Maybe a little of both.”
“Takes all kinds,” Dean agreed. “But they were pretty desperate those days. They would’ve taken him if they could.”
“You think that might have something to do with what’s happening now?”
Dean looked down at his notepad. “I don’t know, but I gotta tell you unless you found something that puts a whole different spin on this case…”
“Nothing,” Sam confessed with a sigh. “Nothing spectacular about the man’s life save for that outburst with the monument.”
“Dude lives quietly, never gets into any trouble, and then suddenly goes ballistic? Gotta wonder what triggered him.”
“You’re thinking it’s something more than just old anger simmering?”
“Yeah,” Dean answered. “I’m thinking it’s something else. I’m thinking it has something to do with his buddy.”
“The one that got shafted?” Sam asked. “Okay, I’ll buy that, but what happened to Inoue wasn’t so unusual, unfortunately.”
“Then something made it unusual, even for someone like Montgomery who lived through it. And who survived it.”
“Maybe we’re looking at the wrong person?” Sam offered. “Maybe we should be looking at Thomas Inoue instead.”
“I’m game,” Dean said. “So, how do we do that?”
“That’s going to be a lot more difficult,” Sam said with a deep sigh. “There might be records about his family while they lived in Nevin, but how he died? That's going to be near impossible to find out.”
“Look, maybe I can take a look-see at the Catskill place. See if they got anything.”
Sam couldn’t stop himself from tensing up. He knew Dean spotted his discomfort immediately, but Sam couldn’t tell him not to do it. It made sense for one of them to at least check out the place.
“Dude, I have to,” Dean said, his voice commanding yet apologetic.
“Yeah, okay.” Sam briskly rubbed his face. “Just that I like to know you have backup.”
“It’ll be easy,” Dean said. “So, tonight?”
“All right,” Sam said reluctantly. He honestly loathed the idea of Dean going in alone. But what really bothered him was the fact that he might now be a liability to his brother. It demeaned all he had done in the last few years; the struggles and the countless battles, only to have it all taken away because of something that wasn’t his fault.
Sam felt a small slap on the back of his neck. He looked up to see Dean smiling at him. And for a moment Sam felt like a boy again, the one blessed with a big brother who was more like a god than a boy.
“It’s a simple in-n-out,” Dean said in a comforting tone. “Don’t sweat it.”
“Okay,” Sam said hoarsely.
He took a deep breath and wiped his face, surprised to find it dry. They went to the town hall and managed to get maps of the Catskill property and made copies when the front-desk clerk went out for coffee. Upon returning to the hotel, they immediately pored over the maps and updated them with what they knew. Sam noticed an oblong shape to the northwest of the house. It was located next to federally-protected land.
“Has to be military,” Dean said.
“Probably,” Sam agreed.
“What do you think it is?”
“I don’t know - maybe private family burial ground?” Sam paused. “Oh wait.”
Dean turned to find Sam fiddling with his laptop. “What?”
“Gotta love Google,” Sam said with a big smile. He pulled up the satellite map of the Catskill property.
Dean looked at the screen. “Looks like a … garden?”
“No, a copse.” Sam peered closer. “And not like the rest of the trees in the area.”
“A grove,” Dean said. “Maybe an apple orchard?”
“I’m hoping not.” Sam grimaced. He had yet to see one since Indiana and not quell down the desire to light a match.
“Okay, one mystery at a time,” Dean said. “Let’s get this show started.”
Sam nodded in agreement and began methodically planning out the best way for Dean to break in. He may not be able to stand by his brother’s side, but he could make sure Dean had the best chance of getting in and out safe.
Dean gave the two dogs a final hug and whispered, “Tae care, Max, and be a good girl, Holly.”
They gave him a face full of licks before trotting off into the night. Dean loved dogs - even guard dogs. They, in turn, seemed to genuinely enjoy his company. The kitchen door wasn’t even locked so Dean had no problem getting in. The first thing he did was figure out where Joshua was sleeping. The man was upstairs, in the master bedroom above the kitchen.
Dean went back down and located the office. It didn’t take much for him to realize that the room only held information pertinent to the business. He then found another that passed as the library. Making sure Joshua was still asleep he rummaged through the room and found a shelf full of family albums. Dean cautiously flipped through them; the fifth was most telling.
There were dozens of photographs of the Catskill family along with their neighbors, the Inoues. They told a story of a happy group of people. Thomas looked like he was proud to call Montgomery his best friend, and the two boys, despite their age difference, were obviously close. Every picture had them with their arms carelessly slung around each other’s shoulders, holding numerous athletic trophies and hard-won prizes from local waters.
Dean put away the album and looked at an oversized bureau sitting against the left wall. It was obviously not used often as dust completely coated the top. He slid open the drawers and found boxes stashed in haphazardly. But he found one drawer half-empty.
Dean began mentally humming.
Somebody took something, Dean concluded as he saw a dusty outline of a container the size of a man’s shoebox. Recently. He searched the room for the missing box but found nothing of similar size.
“Damn it,” he hissed softly. Feeling frustrated, he looked at the photographs on the walls. They were pictures of the Catskill family after the war. They newlyweds looked happy enough, but the photos were so few that Dean couldn’t be sure what the family dynamic was. He then remembered something.
The photos taken with the Inoue family were in the midst of flowering trees that presented a beautiful backdrop. These were taken in front of the house, nowhere as lovingly portrayed as the older ones.
Dean felt an idea flutter at the edge of his mind but couldn’t grasp it. Instead of forcing it, he let it fade. He knew whatever that brush of thought was, will return in due time. Dean took four pictures of the Inoues before leaving the house.
He found Sam sitting in the Impala. It still shocked him to see how big his little brother had gotten since their father's death.
“Dean!” Sam said, relief coloring his voice and face. “Jesus, you took forever!”
“That’s because I got bupkus,” Dean answered, slamming the car door shut. “Goddamn it.”
“So I’m guessing you didn’t find a smoking gun?”
“No,” Dean replied and gave the stack of pictures to Sam. “Just these.”
Sam clicked on his flashlight to study them. “The Inoues.”
“Yep, happy looking bunch,” Dean supplied. “At least until the shit hit the fan.” He pointed to the flowering trees. “What are those?”
“Sakura trees,” Sam answered promptly. “They have huge cultural significance for the Japanese and Japanese Americans.”
“Do you remember the cluster of trees you found on Google?”
“Yeah,” Sam paused for a moment. “You think they're the same?”
“The Inoues are tied to this somehow,” Dean said. “Maybe we can find something in the grove.”
“And this time I can keep you company,” Sam said, his tone tinged with satisfaction.
“Let’s get going. Dawn's in less than two hours.”
The walk didn’t take long and the grove wasn’t hard to spot. Dean was surprised to see how well-kept the trees were. They were pruned regularly and the ground was clear of most debris.
“Wow,” Dean whispered, looking around. Even in moonlight the trees were gorgeous to look at. “Damn, they’re beautiful.”
“This is wrong,” Sam said, pulling down a thin branch to sniff the flowers.
“How?”
“They flower during spring, early spring. Just when the season gets warm,” Sam explained as he rubbed few petals between his fingers. He wanted to make sure they were genuine.
“It’s August,” Dean said. “Maybe the weather has something to do with it?”
“If that’s the case, other trees should have the same problem,” Sam said. “But they’re not. Dean, it’s just this grove.”
Dean sighed. “Well, fuck it. I guess it’s just too much to ask for something to go right. ‘Cause as far as clues go? Flowering trees kinda suck.”
“Maybe, but we now know for sure the Inoues have something to do with what’s been happening around here.”
Dean cocked his head and sucked in his bottom lip. Sam knew his brother well enough to know that was his thoughtful look.
“Okay, maybe we can see from that angle since this one’s all played out.” Dean absently kicked a rock and shook his head. “You know how hard this is going to be?”
Sam nodded. “Finding out anything about what happened to the Inoues is going to be next to impossible. If this town’s got half a brain, they would’ve destroyed or deliberately misplaced any record of what they did to them.”
“Yeah…” Dean frowned, raising a cautionary finger.
Sam heard the footsteps then. The two silently hid in the darkness offered by the trees. Joshua came to view, wielding an axe and a chainsaw. The young man was shoeless and still in his pajamas. He looked around, wild-eyed and completely disoriented.
Muttering softly, Joshua started swinging at a tree. It wasn’t long before he started screaming on top of his lungs. “Die! Just fucking die already!”
Dean gaped in shock as the man hacked at the tree to no avail. Joshua swung harder, but the tree stood unmolested.
Sam tugged at his brother’s shirt before standing up. “Joshua, that won’t help you.”
The young man whirled around and swung the axe into the night air, howling like a tortured animal.
“Calm down, Joshua!” Dean commanded, sounding unnervingly like his father. “Put that axe down! Jesus, what do you think you’re gonna do?”
“Why … what are you two doing here?” Joshua asked, slowly lowering his arms.
“We’re here because of your grandfather,” Sam said in a gentle tone. “I’m guessing that’s why you’re here, too.”
“What do you know about him?” Joshua asked. Then his face smoothed from confusion to anger. “You fucks aren’t from the CDC!”
“No, we’re not,” Dean said. “You know what’s been happening on the bridge, don’t you? And who’s causing it.”
“I don’t have a fucking clue what you psychos are talking about,” Joshua said, backing out of the grove. “And if you don’t leave, I’m going to call the police!”
“Do that,” Dean said. “And you’ll end up dealing with Montgomery Catskill all by yourself.”
“How long have you been trying to trying to take down these trees?” Sam asked.
Joshua looked around, tears falling softly. “This was grandpa’s favorite place. He came here almost every day, even during winter, and took care of them. We came with him sometimes, but … not for long.”
“Why?” Sam asked.
“Because he … he just wasn’t the kind of person you'd want to spend a rainy day with.” Joshua sat on the ground. “He was pretty depressed most of the time. My mom thought it was because of his physical handicap. It got worse as he grew older, so by the end it was ugly.”
“But he came down here, though, every damn day,” Dean said. “Didn’t you think it was weird?”
“No,” Joshua said. “He’s been doing it his entire life. We never questioned why.”
Dean helped Joshua get to his feet. “Does your mother know? Did she ever ask?”
“No, never,” Joshua answered. “And I’d remember if she did. My sister and I were always curious.”
“When did this happen?” Sam asked. “The flowers, I mean.”
“About two months ago. They bloomed in mid-April, as usual. Then they bloomed again in June. We asked around but nobody had any answers.”
“How about your mother?” Dean asked.
“She had the stroke by then,” Joshua answered. “This all slipped my mind until…”
“The accidents started at the bridge?” Dean supplied.
“No, my grandfather started appearing in the house.” Joshua bit back a sob. “I thought I was going to drop dead from a heart attack when I first saw him. But I realized he wasn’t seeing me … and after a while, I started following him. He came back here, always. It took me a little while to figure out the ghost on the bridge was my grandfather.”
“You have no idea why he’s here,” Sam said.
“None,” Joshua said, “not a clue. I tried chopping these trees. Hell, I even tried burning them, but they won’t catch on fire. I used gasoline, even lighter fluid. Fuck, I'd use napalm if I could get my hands on some.
"I just don’t know what to do anymore. I can’t stand it.”
“Why don’t you move, then?” Dean asked.
Joshua shook his head. “Then my sister, Joanie, would ask and move in, and I can’t do that to her.”
“Look, maybe we can find something in your house.”
Joshua looked at them. “Who are you?”
“We heard about what's been happening on the bridge," Sam answered. "We go after things like your grandfather’s ghost. Put them to rest … to let them go of this life.”
Joshua’s bottom lip trembled as he asked, “How?”
“To find out what’s holding him here,” Sam answered. “Help him resolve it and move on. Joshua, whatever it is - it’s big, very big. And quite ugly. We think it has something to do with the Inoues.”
“Okay,” Joshua said. “I know something about them.”
“Why don’t we take it indoors,” Dean offered. “You look like you could use a break.”
Joshua nodded wordlessly and led them back to the house. He started making coffee and puttering around the small kitchen. Dean and Sam, by quiet agreement, took seats around the small dining table.
Looking at Joshua under the kitchen lights, Sam couldn't believe how he could've missed it the first time. From the way his shirt was hanging on him, Joshua had lost a lot of weight, quickly. And from his sunken cheeks, Sam guessed it was through stress and unchecked fear.
Joshua sat down, his face made more haggard by the pendant lamp. “The Inoues were good people. There was flooding right after they bought the neighboring property. They were fine because their house was on a hill. Ours wasn't. Anyway, they just showed up at the front door with shovels, offering to help.
"Grandpa told me they stayed for two days straight.”
“Sound like the best kind of neighbors,” Sam said gently.
“They were. When the parents died … my family took it very hard. They wanted to take in Thomas but he was old enough to live on his own. Poor kid, it wasn’t six months after his parents died that the war broke out.”
“And all hell broke loose,” Dean added.
“My granddad was livid and terrified,” Joshua said. “He and Tommy were best friends. Less than a week after Pearl Harbor, he found out that the town formed a ‘morality’ club. The first thing these so-called 'lambs of decency' did was to go around chopping down cherry trees, no matter where they were.”
“Even on private land?” Sam already knew the answer, but he wanted Joshua to keep talking; not taking any time to pause and think about what he was revealing to complete strangers.
“Didn’t matter. Thomas had bought cherry trees in memory of his parents and stored them in his greenhouse. My granddad helped him move them here and plant them. He figured nobody would come looking for cherry trees on his property.”
“Where were his parents?” Dean gave a puzzled glance at Sam.
“His birth mother around the time he was born. His father died of TB, and his stepmother couldn’t handle living out in the boonies so she moved back East. It was basically him and two hired help running the place. Back then you didn’t have to earn a degree in animal husbandry to run a clinic, even if the practice was focused on livestock.”
“What happened then?” Sam prodded.
“My grandfather tried to protect Thomas, but the government took him away only weeks after Pearl Harbor. My mother told me that he managed to sell his place to granddad right before, thinking he was going to buy it back when everything was over, but … he never came back.
“I don’t think my grandfather ever got over losing his buddy like that.” Joshua sighed into his mug. “He never made any more real friends after that. Acquaintances, yeah - he was nice enough guy, but someone like Thomas Inoue? Never.”
“So he took care of the trees for his buddy?” Dean frowned. “Man, that’s some devotion, there.”
“No, not really,” Joshua answered. “When they were just kids, my granddad nearly drowned. He managed to row out into choppy waters, in spite of being told by his father not to do it. And fell out of the boat; would’ve drowned if Thomas wasn’t nearby.”
“Inoue had to have been a strong swimmer,” Sam added.
“He was more than good. Their school won state championship two years in a row when Thomas made varsity.”
“So, your grandfather owed him his life but was unable to save his best friend,” Sam said. “That wouldn’t explain why his spirit keeps appearing on the bridge. Do you have any idea about that?”
Joshua shook his head. “None, my granddad hated the thing. He thought it was nothing but one gigantic eyesore. My sister and I had a running joke when the second one went up: that it was a good thing he died before it was done. Otherwise, he might just move out of state altogether to avoid them.”
“So he had no ties to the bridge that you know of?” Sam couldn’t let go of the idea. There had to be a reason Montgomery’s ghost was haunting the goddamn thing.
“None,” Joshua answered. “I’ve been ransacking my brain but I can’t remember a damn thing.”
Dean looked slightly shifty before he said, “I was wondering ... do you know anything about the bureau in the library?”
Joshua closed his eyes and sighed. “You broke in?”
“Yeah, I did,” Dean admitted cautiously. “The bottom drawer - there’s a box missing. Do you know where it might be?”
“Let me check,” Joshua said. He walked out of the kitchen.
Sam heard him rustle about but refrained from saying anything. His attention was riveted to the table and the matching chairs. He lightly traced the grain with his fingers, admiring the handiwork.
“Dude, what are you? An editor for Home Journal?” Dean teased mercilessly.
“No,” Sam flushed heatedly. “This table reminds me of something, but I can’t remember what.”
“Well, tuck in your inner girl,” Dean said.
“Dean, shut up,” Sam said wearily.
Dean gave a wicked grin that died the moment he heard Joshua’s footsteps.
The haggard man slumped into his seat. “It was one of those wooden boxes with some kind of mother-of-pearl inlay. I think it belonged to my mom,” he said. “I don’t remember much about it. The last time I saw it was years ago.”
“Do you know who could’ve taken it?”
“Either mom or Joanie.” Joshua paused for a moment. “No, that can’t be right.”
“What can’t be right?” Sam echoed.
“Joanie hadn’t been back here since Mom got sick,” Joshua explained. “At least not that I know of. And I don’t think she even knows about the bureau. I guess it had to be Mom.”
Dean leaned forward intently. “Is there any way we could go to her place and look for it?”
“Why do you think it’s so important?” Joshua asked.
“I’m not sure why,” Dean confessed, looking flummoxed by the question.
“To tell the truth, this case isn't run-of-the-mill for us,” Sam said. “We usually dig up history and put facts together from various sources before making our move.”
“But the history involved in this one,” Dean paused for a moment. “Well, it’s sticky, and I don’t think it's going to be easy for us to find the entire truth.”
“You’re talking about the Inoues,” Joshua said.
“Do you know of anyone who’ll talk to us about what happened back then?” Sam asked.
Joshua looked at Sam, his face alight with hope. “Yeah, actually I do. Mrs. Watanabe. She lived around here during that time. She was younger than granddad but just by few years. She lives in Gig Harbor now.”
“Thank Christ,” Dean said. “Got her phone number by chance?”
“Do you one better,” Joshua said. “I have her address. She sends us Christmas card every year.”
Sam smiled when he saw the small cottage, complete with white picket fence. However, the similarity to a fairytale ended there. There were no rose bushes or any other flowers, only a single miniature Japanese maple tree. But, somehow, it was enough.
Dean took a deep breath. “Man, she made pie.”
Sam looked at his brother. “What?”
“Cherry pie,” Dean said in a honeyed tone. “Damn, I’m gonna marry that woman.”
“I can’t believe you can smell food this far from the house.”
“Shut up and straighten out your hair. You look like an extra from a Mad Max movie.”
Without thinking Sam’s hands shot up towards his head. It wasn’t until Dean started snickering that Sam realized he’d been had.
“Fuck you,” Sam hissed.
Dean shook his head and wagged a cautionary finger as they stood in front of the door. Sam knocked softly. Dean took another, deeper sniff and made happy noises.
“Jesus,” Sam muttered and then plastered a smile on his face when the door opened.
A woman half his height peered up from behind a screen door.
“Can I help you boys?”
“Um, yes,” Sam said. “I'm Sam and this is my brother, Dean. We're friends of the Catskills?”
“Oh, yes, Josh told me you’d be dropping by.” She stepped aside. “Come in.”
“Thank you, Mrs. Watanabe,” Sam said as he followed her into the house.
“Please sit,” Mrs. Watanabe said. “And call me Claire.”
“Is that pie I’m smelling?” Dean asked, face shining hopefully like a seven-year-old on his birthday.
Claire peered over her glasses. Sam realized she might be old, but that didn’t mean she was in any way slow. Her face crinkled into a smile. “Yes, cherry. Would you like a slice?”
“Please,” Dean said, his voice ringing with unbridled joy.
Claire’s smile grew into a chuckle. “Two slices, maybe four since you children are still growing.”
With that smartass remark, Claire disappeared into the kitchen. Sam buried his face in his hands so he didn’t see Dean when he stood up. However, he did hear his brother stomping around the room.
“Wow, she was a babe,” Dean said, finally getting his brother to rise above his mortification.
Sam took the picture frame and looked at the single figure. The face had aged, but he immediately recognized the woman. Claire was beyond gorgeous; he thought she could easily be a candidate for beauty pageants. Wryly, he realized a woman with the last name like Watanabe there were only so many beauty contests she could have entered during her heydays.
Dean took back the frame and placed it back on the mantle. Claire came into the room, holding an overloaded tray. Sam immediately took it from her and set it down on the coffee table. Claire gave a grateful smile in return. After the first bite of the pie Sam had to admit he wholeheartedly supported Dean’s enthusiasm for the dessert. It was probably the best cherry pie he’d ever had. And from the noises Dean was making, he’d probably agree.
“So, how can I help?” Claire asked.
“We need to know everything about the Inoues,” Sam said.
Claire flinched. “I’m sorry, but I … don’t remember much about those days. They weren’t the happiest so I’m not exactly mourning about the loss.
“Why is this all coming up now?” Claire’s teacup trembled slightly as she brought it to her lips.
“Because whatever happened back then isn’t over. Not by a long shot,” Dean said.
Claire sat back and enfolded herself into the chair. She was small but now she was almost child-sized.
“You do know something, don’t you?” Dean asked.
Claire took off her glasses and gave a single nod. “It was so very ugly.”
“What happened, Claire?” Sam asked, using the softest voice in his arsenal.
“I was in the same grade as Thomas and we were friends. Because of the way the school district was set up, Montgomery was in a different building. So, Thomas and I spent a lot of time together. I had such a crush on Tommy. Most of the girls did, and I’m not just talking about the Japanese girls either.”
“We saw pictures of him,” Dean said. “He was a handsome kid.”
“But he was too shy to notice,” Claire said with a smile. “And he was too involved with sports and school to notice. Or at least that was what I thought.”
Claire finally looked up from her teacup and gave a fretful glance at her guests.
“Jesus,” Dean whispered, gaping at Claire. “How the fuck did we miss that?!”
Sam looked at his brother. “What?”
“Tommy and Montgomery were more than just friends, weren’t they?” Dean wasn’t really asking Claire, as much as he was looking for confirmation.
Claire nodded. “It had been going on for some time. I don’t know how long, but by the time Tommy was sixteen, he was long gone for Monty.”
Sam felt like an idiot. He was also completely thrown back by this new revelation as it put an entirely new spin on the investigation.
“Did anybody know?” Sam asked.
Claire nodded. “Only a handful. They were careful, so careful.”
“But not careful enough,” Dean supplied. “Who else knew?”
“Monty’s stepmother, Diane, found out by accident. Tommy told me she caught them making out. He was so scared but she didn’t say anything to anyone so he thought they were safe. And she lived most of the time back with her folks in Connecticut, so he wasn’t worried.” Claire finished her tea. “But he should’ve been.”
“She did something?” Dean asked.
“After the war broke out, she called a friend of hers … I don’t know exactly who, but she reported Tommy as a hostile.”
“Wait a minute - are you telling us Diane got him shipped off?” Sam was genuinely horrified by the idea that the woman would do such a thing to a kid who had saved her stepson’s life.
“Yes, that’s exactly what I’m saying,” Claire said. “Tommy was taken away a lot earlier than the rest of us, by months. We couldn’t figure out why. It wasn’t until after the war Monty found out. He wanted to kill her, I think. Diane had the good sense to stay away from here after that.”
“I’m guessing she’s not buried here,” Dean said.
Claire looked at Dean with genuine distaste. “Of course not. Why would you want to know such a thing?”
“Thought Montgomery might have forgiven her down the road,” Sam said quickly.
“Never,” Claire said with conviction. “He died hating her. He never once invited her over when he got married or had Michael. I don’t think he ever sent her a picture of his family. As far as he was concerned, Diane died the moment she betrayed Tommy.”
“Man,” Dean sighed as he sat back into the chair. “I’m guessing Montgomery never recovered from the loss.”
“No,” Claire admitted. “He was a good husband to Paula, and I never heard rumors of him tomcatting behind her back with men or women, so I think he just stopped … wanting after Tommy. And after Michael was born, he pretty much devoted his life to him and the veterinary practice.”
“You know about his protests?”
Claire gave a smile. “Oh yes. He made news, even in Gig Harbor. That was when I realized he was still in love with Tommy. Even after so many years.”
“Is there anything else you can tell us?” Dean asked. “Anything at all?”
“Not really,” Claire said. “That’s all I know about the Inoues.”
“Thank you for talking to us,” Sam said as he stood up. “You answered a lot of questions.”
“I’m glad to help the Catskills. They are good people.”
Dean and Sam walked back to the car in thoughtful silence.
“Wow,” Dean said as they started to drive back to Tacoma. “Man, didn’t see that one coming.”
“Completely blindsided,” Sam agreed. “But that would answer why Montgomery Catskill can’t let go of this life. He’s probably blaming himself for what his stepmother had done to Tommy.”
“I can’t even begin to count all the ways that story sucks,” Dean said. “Why would she do such a thing?”
“Because she was a true believer, Dean,” Sam answered. “Because she honestly thought Tommy was a danger not only to her stepson but to the American way of life.”
“And a kid dies in Italy somewhere, trying to win back what she stole from him.” Dean slammed his hands against the steering wheel. “I know life isn’t fair but that’s just wrong.”
“Still doesn’t explain the bridge,” Sam said. “Him haunting the house and the grove? Makes perfect sense, but why does he keep appearing on the bridge?”
“I knew you were going to say that.”
“We have to figure that part of the puzzle, Dean. We have no choice.”
“Yeah, yeah, I know. But until then?”
“We stake out the bridge, I guess.”
“That’s gonna suck extra hard,” Dean said. “It’s supposed to rain tonight.”
Sam groaned. Of course.
This isn’t rain, Sam thought darkly. It’s a fucking hurricane.
They had no choice but to guard the bridge, which meant leaving the relative warmth and dryness of the Impala for torrential downpour. Even with hats, they were soaked to the skin in moments.
“Jesus Christ!” Dean hollered to be heard. “What the hell?”
“Dean, it’s almost four. The cops are gone and the ghost hasn’t shown up. I think…”
Dean shook his head mulishly. “No, we have to wait until sunrise. We have to be sure.”
“Dude!” Sam hollered in desperation. “We’re both gonna die of pneumonia if we stay put. C’mon! Let’s go back to the hotel, get some shut-eye before meeting up with Josh!”
Dean sighed. He looked at his younger brother soaked to the bone and violently shivering. “Okay, let’s go!”
Sam started running down the walkway towards the parking lot when a pair of headlights appeared in front of him. Then, just as suddenly, they disappeared. He slowed down, trying to see where the headlights went.
“Sam!” Dean screamed on top his lungs, running to catch up to his brother.
The same moment Sam heard his brother yell for him, he saw why the headlights were gone. The truck had completely flipped on its side and was quickly sliding the entire width of the bridge.
“Holy…” He didn’t have a chance to finish the sentence.
Dean grabbed him and yanked him aside. The two scrambled onto the railing and crawled up, using the cables.
They dangled from high enough to see the truck scraping by, leaving huge drag marks on the concrete.
Dean looked in awe and horror as the sixteen-wheeler slowly came to a standstill.
They climbed down quickly and ran to the truck.
Sam saw the driver flailing helplessly, entangled in his seatbelt. “You okay there?!”
“Get me the fuck out of here!” was the panicky reply.
Dean shattered the front window shield and crawled into the cab. He cut off the seatbelt and helped the frightened man get out of the truck.
“Jesus Christ,” the driver said as he patted down his body. “Oh my God, I can’t believe I’m alive.”
“What happened?” Dean asked then looked up as the storm suddenly let up.
The trucker wiped his face. “I was almost at the midpoint of the bridge when I saw this kid jump…”
Sam closed his eyes and sighed. “And you tried to stop.”
“Hell no,” the man said. “I heard about what’s been happening here so I hit the gas. And that’s when I flipped. It … it felt like something grabbed the truck and tossed it like it was some fucking toy!”
Sam traded knowing looks with Dean. After making sure the driver was fine, they contacted the police and left. The last thing they needed was to be interviewed by the local authorities.
After long, hot showers and fortifying themselves with breakfast, the two brothers returned to Joshua’s house. They found the man sitting on the front steps, sipping the largest mug of coffee Sam had ever seen.
“Hi,” Dean said.
“I just heard about what happened on the bridge,” Joshua said. “I’m guessing you two were the men who saved the driver?”
“Yeah,” Dean said as he sat down next to Joshua. “Not that we did anything. It was pretty much a done deal by the time we came along.”
“If what the driver said is true then ignoring my granddad’s spirit won’t help,” Joshua said.
“Something like that,” Sam agreed.
Joshua sighed and stood up. “I got extra keys to mom’s townhouse. We can go now. Maybe we can find something and get this over with before any more people die.”
Sam and Dean wordlessly stood up, both praying that Joshua was right and that they would stop Montgomery Catskill’s ghost from claiming any more lives.
Part II * Part IV