How Now Purple Cow

by Marja McGraw

  “We all are,” Chris, Sr. said. “Obviously, whatever’s in those cows is important, and I’m assuming the information could be a matter of national security, even after all these years. I’m nothing, if not patriotic. I’ll do my part.” With that said, he clamped his lips together and said no more.

  Chris had a look of pride on his face when he approached his father and put his hand on his shoulder, squeezing gently. “Dad, you’re an amazing man.”

  Chris, Sr’s. clamped lips turned into his unusual tight little smile.

  “Okay, people,” James said, “we’ve got to trap Grigori and take him down. In the process, we’ve got to figure out who the leak is at the agency and take that person down, too. We’ve been going about this all wrong. We’ve been going public, but now we need to… When I say ‘we,’ I mean me and Rick. I don’t want Piper in the middle of this. We need to make one elderly spy show his face, and not when he’s in a car. We don’t want him to be able to drive away. Our work is cut out for us. We’ve got to catch a spy.”

  Rick grinned. “It’s been a while, but I can still take care of myself. Age doesn’t matter. I just have to be sneakier rather than take someone on physically.”

  “I’m sure you’ll do just fine.” Constance truly surprised me. Her face told me she was totally enamored of this man, even though she’d just met him.

  “What do you want us to do?” Chris asked. “You name it; we’ll do it – within reason.”

  We gathered at the dining table and talked for about half an hour before there was a knock at the door. Judith excused herself and looked through the peephole. She opened the door.

  “Yes, Randy? Do you need something?”

  “No, Ma’am. I’m heading home, but I thought I should talk to you first. I thought I should let you know there was an old man out here a few minutes ago asking questions about you and your company. His questions seemed kind of personal, so I decided I’d better tell you.”

  Chris heard the conversation and hurried to the door, not wanting to miss a chance to question Randy. “What did he look like, and what kinds of questions did he ask.”

  Judith opened the door wider. “Come on inside and talk to us. I’ll get you a glass of lemonade. I know you’ve been working hard.”

  Randy nodded and stepped inside, looking around. “Nice place you’ve got here.”

  Chris led him to the dining table.

  James stood and offered Randy his seat. “You’ve been working a lot harder than I have, young man.”

  “It’s been a long time since anyone called me a young man.”

  Piper leaned forward with her elbows on the table. “What did the man look like?”

  “More importantly, what kind of questions did he ask you?” James rested one hand on the table.

  Randy thought for a moment. “As far as his looks, he was kind of odd. His nose was crooked, like it had been broken.”

  Rick looked downward. I could see him fighting a smile.

  Randy continued. “He’s put some kind of dark color on his hair and it didn’t look right because of his age. If I guessed, I’d say he’s around eighty or so.”

  I remembered someone saying all of his surgeries had made him look younger than his years.

  He glanced at Rick. “He had a scar down the side of his face, kind of like yours. Only his was close to his hairline and it wasn’t as obvious. The dark hair made it stand out a little. Oh, and he had an accent. Not a strong one, but an accent.”

  James stood straighter.

  “Could it have been a Russian accent?”

  “I think so. And he was kind of a pushy guy.”

  Chapter Thirty

  James had his stogie out in a flash. I wondered if it helped him think. “What about the questions he asked?”

  Randy shrugged. “I don’t know if I can remember all of them. Let’s see. He wanted to know all of your names. I said I didn’t know them.”

  “I’m Carol.”

  “I’m Coral.”

  Piper held up her index finger. “Hush. Not now.”

  Randy smiled at the two women. “Twins. I noticed that right away. Do you two live around here? I’m looking for more jobs.”

  “No, we – “

  Piper cut Coral off and narrowed her eyes at the woman. “I said hush.”

  Coral looked crestfallen. I had a feeling being hushed made her feel left out.

  Rick leaned forward and looked deeply into Randy’s eyes. “What else did he ask?”

  “He wanted to know if you all spent a lot of time here. I said I didn’t know, that I’d just started working on the yard.”

  Judith glanced around the table. “He’s only worked here for a couple of days.”

  Chris, Sr. put his finger to his lips. “Zip it,” he said softly.

  My mother-in-law gave him a look that said he’d better zip it.

  He didn’t see the look.

  Randy raised his eyebrows before offering more information. “He wanted to know if I knew where all of you lived. See what I mean? His questions seemed too personal.”

  “Anything else?” Chris asked.

  “He asked an odd question. He said he knew a writer used to live here and he’d heard the house was riddled with hiding places. He wanted to know if I was familiar with the inside of this house. Are there hiding places? I told him I didn’t know and said he should probably be moving along.”

  “There are no secrets in this house,” Judith said.

  I thought she spoke a little too quickly to be believed.

  “Anyway, that’s it. He left after he talked to me.”

  Piper, James and Rick sat quietly, not commenting.

  Randy took a long drink of lemonade and stood. “Guess I’d better get home. I want to wrap my wife’s presents and get them hidden. Her birthday is in a couple of days.”

  “Will you be here tomorrow?” I asked. “We’d like to send her a birthday card.”

  Randy smiled. “What a nice gesture. She’ll appreciate that. Yes, I’ll be here tomorrow morning.”

  “Good. We’ll see you then.”

  He smiled and left. I watched out the window while he loaded his equipment into his truck and drove away.

  Everyone was quiet until he was gone.

  Piper turned to the twins. “Never, and I mean never, offer information to someone you don’t know. Some people who come across as good aren’t at all what you think they are. You have to learn to be close-mouthed.”

  “Got it,” Coral said. “I should have thought of that. But Randy really does seem to be a nice guy.”

  “He probably is, but you can’t take chances.”

  Chris tucked his upper lip under. “Grigori has to be the stupidest spy on the face of the earth to walk up to the yard man and start asking personal questions.”

  Piper winked at him. “Or maybe he’s just getting too old to do a good job. He’s got to be in his early nineties now. He’s losing his touch. He was a superb spy in the day, not to mention an assassin.” She looked into Chris’s eyes. “On second thought, I like your idea. He’s stupid.”

  “I hope so,” I said. “He’ll be easier to catch.”

  James sat in the chair Randy had vacated. “I think it’s time we tell you what’s going on so you realize just how important all of this is.”

  He had everyone’s attention.

  “You’ve heard of microdots, right?” He didn’t wait for replies. “The purple cow has a microdot inside. It contains two lists of operatives, both domestic and foreign. You might think that doesn’t matter now, but some youngsters had joined the agency and they’re still involved with the agency. The Russians, along with others, wanted to know who was on that list. I was supposed to pass it on to another agent the day of the fire. Some of the names belong to people who are now VIPs. If they were outted, the consequences would be disastrous.”

  Piper nodded. “Just because this list is old doesn’t mean it’s not important anymore. James was right when he said
there were important people who need to remain, shall we say, incognito. We don’t matter anymore, but they do.”

  “Some of those people have lived double lives,” James said. “Some of them are thought to be dead, but they aren’t. They’re still in the field, using aliases. They’re doing important work, especially in today’s world. Like I said, some of them are important in the grand scheme of things now.”

  Rick looked at each of us. “There’s one more thing about the microdot. Like I said, the second list contains the names of foreign agents. Russia wouldn’t like those names to come out. They don’t know which of their operatives were included on that particular list.”

  I tipped my head and looked down the table at James. “So all these years you thought the lists had been destroyed?”

  “Yes. After the fire I went back to the building as soon as possible. When I didn’t find the purple cows, I thought they’d been destroyed. I never would have thought Marguerite would have taken them.”

  He glanced at the twins and quickly turned to Piper.

  She sighed and looked at the twins, too. “Ladies, I wish I didn’t have to tell you this, but your father worked for the agency. I’m not sure your mother ever knew it. Didn’t you ever wonder why he took such long trips out of town?”

  Carol and Coral looked at each other in wonder. Or was it shock. I thought it might be shock.

  “Not really,” Carol said. “It was a way of life for us. Our father had a job that required him to go to meetings in other states. That was one of reasons Mother had so much time to write.”

  Coral spoke softly. “Daddy was a spy? I can hardly believe it. Mom really didn’t know about it?”

  Piper shook her head. “No, she didn’t, or at least I don’t think she did. I’ll bet she wondered about him sometimes. Who knows? Maybe I’m wrong. Maybe she knew all about his – ”

  “Your father was one of the best,” James interrupted. “His day job did take him out of town, and it opened doors for him. No one suspected him of anything.”

  Judith listened closely. “What kind of work did your father do?”

  “We thought he was a banker.” Coral was upset.

  We could see it on her face.

  Suddenly her look of shock turned to one of pride. She turned to her sister. They stood and hugged each other, leaving me in a state of shock. Would wonders never cease?

  I glanced at Chris. “It’s getting late. We need to go home and feed the dogs.”

  Judith studied me for a moment. “Is there any chance I could talk you and Chris into spending the night here? And maybe bring the dogs along?”

  Piper nodded. “That’s an excellent idea. Safety in numbers. And, Judith, I’m so sorry. This is our fault.”

  James shoved his cigar in his mouth and spoke around it. “Yeah. That Rusky knows there’s something in the house. He just doesn’t know what it is. If he thought we were just visiting friends, he wouldn’t be following us and asking so many questions. Randy is all right, keeping his mouth shut like he did.”

  I stood and headed for the living room, ready to go home and take care of the dogs.

  Chris followed behind me and spoke softly. “Pamela, I think we need to be on the lookout tonight. The second guy might not be an old man and we need to protect my parents.”

  I nodded. My in-laws were approaching us and I didn’t want them to hear anything that might frighten them.

  Judith grabbed Chris’s arm. “Thank you, Junior. I think it’s time to start worrying. I never could have imagined myself involved with spies.”

  Chris turned and hugged his mother. “Nothing will happen to you or Dad as long as I’m around.”

  I knew just how he felt.

  We left while the others continued to talk. Home represented quiet and safety to me. I couldn’t wait to get my hands on Sherlock and Watson and give them some lovin’.

  I guess they felt the same way because when we arrived home they did a Happy Dance and leaped for joy – or so it appeared to me. Wishful thinking? No, they were glad to see us.

  They ate their dinner and settled in the living room while Chris and I packed overnight bags.

  Setting mine by the door, I found a container and filled it with enough kibble for two meals, just in case. You never wanted to be caught short on dog food.

  Chris sat at the kitchen table and watched, not saying anything.

  Sherlock and Watson heard the sound of the dog food bag opening and came running. I tossed them each a dog cookie. Sherlock took his and headed for the living room. Watson settled on the kitchen floor.

  The phone rang and Chris got up to answer it. Knowing Sherlock’s reaction to ringing phones, I moved out of the way. Not one to let me down, the dog came running and slid across the tile and into the wall.

  Chris shook his head and answered the phone while Watson stared at her brother like he had a screw loose. He’d slid into the wall so many times that he probably did.

  “That was Mother. She said not to stop and eat out. She’ll have dinner ready for us.”

  We loaded our bags and the dogs in the Jeep and headed back to my in-laws’ house.

  Chris had been very quiet since we left their house to come home. “Pamela, you may not like this, but right now I wish I had a gat.”

  I didn’t know how to respond.

  Chapter Thirty-one

  Chris glanced at me and back at the road. “I mean it, angel. I’d feel a lot safer if I had a gat.”

  “I understand, sweetie, but I don’t want Mikey around a gun. Plus, this is a temporary situation.”

  “I’m going to stop at the sporting goods store on our way to Ma’s house.”

  “To pick up some pepper spray?” I was hopeful that he wanted something simpler than a gun.

  “Maybe. Or maybe a stun gun.”

  I kept my mouth closed. I knew nothing I could say at the moment would dissuade him.

  “One of these days I’m going to invest in a gun. You and Ace will go to the range with me and learn gun safety. No matter what else, I’ll learn to shoot. Our lives have been put in danger one too many times.”

  “Yes, dear.” We’d definitely discuss this at a later time. Besides, maybe he’d change his mind.

  I waited in the car with the dogs while he was on his mission at the sporting goods store. I used the cell phone to call my mother and give her Judith’s phone number, telling her if she needed anything to call me there. She didn’t sound too happy and I figured she realized we were up to something.

  Chris returned with a bag and I didn’t question him about its contents. I wasn’t sure I wanted to know what he’d bought.

  He glanced at me before handing me the bag. “The sales clerk showed me how to use it. Just set the bag on the floor.”

  Something in his tone told me there would be no discussion – at least for now.

  We drove to his mother’s house and I was surprised to see the twins’ cars still parked across the street. Apparently they’d decided to eat with us.

  We parked in my in-laws’ garage and entered through the back door. Chris’s father was in the kitchen, standing at the sink and staring out the window. He didn’t look happy. I nudged Chris and he joined his father and stared out the window with him.

  I walked through the house to the living room. “We’re back. Shouldn’t the back door be locked?”

  “The twins just got here and I haven’t had time to lock it.” Judith stood at the bottom of the stairs holding a suitcase.

  I tried to squint and roll my eyes at the same time, but I wasn’t too successful. Suitcases? Twins? Uh oh. I understood why Chris, Sr. was staring out the window.

  “Carol and Coral are staying here tonight, too.” Judith gave me a look that almost dared me to say something.

  The twins, on the other hand, happily ran over and gave me a group hug.

  “We just had to be a part of all of this. It’s going to be so much fun staying in our old rooms, just like when we were kids.”
Carol was ecstatic about the arrangements.

  Coral simply grinned.

  “Well, isn’t this something? My, my.” I didn’t know what else to say.

  “It gets better,” Judith said. “Constance and Rick are staying with Piper and James tonight. They figure they’re better off together.”

  “Constance and Rick? Staying together tonight? Really?”

  “The Hathaways assured us that there are three bedrooms in the house,” Chris, Sr. said, walking up behind me.

  “Yep. They’ve apparently got all the bases covered. Uh huh.” I shook my head. “Let’s get real for a minute. If anyone’s in danger, it’s us. The Rooskie, as James calls him, knows that whatever he’s after is here, in this house.”

  “How would he know that?” Carol asked.

  “He’s a spy. I’m sure he’s got his ways.” I knew he’d been watching the house and seen that we all spent a lot of time here. He had to recognize that we were somehow involved. “If I were him, I’d be pretty suspicious. And remember, he asked Randy about hiding places in the house.”

  “Oh, yeah.” Carol looked satisfied with my answer.

  Chris excused himself and let the dogs in through the back door.

  They came running into the living room. As soon as Watson saw Coral, the dog threw herself on the floor and rolled over on her back, ready for some belly scratching.

  Coral laughed and got down on her knees to accommodate the dog.

  Sherlock took one look and threw himself on the floor in front of Carol who, not to be outdone by her sister, got down on her knees and began scratching him.

  Chris, Sr. stepped in front of the dogs and women. “Ladies, I heard your comment about having fun, sleeping in your old rooms. I want you to understand that this isn’t a game. We have a spy who was an assassin watching us. He wants something from this house, and we know what it is.”

  The twins stood, with some grunting and groaning, and listened to him, looking very somber.

  After a moment the dogs gave up and rolled over onto their bellies.