by Marja McGraw
“Details, ladies. Were the masks actually clown masks?” Redding asked.
“No,” Mom said. “They were more like ski masks.”
“But we’re referring to the men as clowns. They made us feel like they didn’t know what they were doing,” Aunt Martha added.
“They managed to take you two, didn’t they?” Joe said.
My mother nodded her head slowly. “Well, yes, but – “
“And were they sweet and kind to you?” he asked.
“Well, no, but – “
“Try not to think of them as clowns,” he concluded.
“Continue with your story,” Redding said.
“Martha kept her mouth running while I listened to what they were saying. I scooted closer to the front of the van while she had them distracted. I didn’t hear all of it, but maybe enough to make some sense,” Mom said.
I hugged her again.
“What did you hear them say?” Redding asked.
“They said something about Bill and how angry he was. They had to speak up because of my sister talking so loud.”
“Did you hear a last name?” Redding asked.
“No. Just the name Bill.”
“Anything else?” The Detective was leaning forward.
“They said they had to find the wife or their boss was
going to be furious. Of course, I’m paraphrasing here,” my mother said. “I don’t use the kind of language they were using.”
“Is that it?”
“There’s more. I heard them mention a trip to the forest, and I was afraid that’s where they were taking me and my sister. I was afraid they wanted to make us join the dead guy.”
Aunt Martha sucked in her breath. “You didn’t tell me that part!”
“I didn’t want to scare you. Things were bad enough to begin with, and that’s when you started singing. You were already afraid.”
“Of course she was afraid,” I said. “You’d just been kidnapped, for crying out loud.”
“Tell us how you really got away,” Joe said.
Aunt Martha looked embarrassed. “We didn’t talk them to death, like we told Sandi.”
“One of them got a call on his cell phone and with us yapping, he couldn’t hear,” my mother said. “So they pulled over to the side of the road and he got out of the van.”
“He looked upset,” my aunt added.
“He motioned to the driver to get out and join him.” My mother had a faraway look in her eyes and I had a feeling she was reliving those moments in her mind’s eye.
Aunt Martha picked up the story. “They were so intent on whatever was going on that Livvie and I…”
“…climbed into the front seat, the driver’s side, and jumped out of the van,” mother finished.
Redding was looking back and forth from my mother to my aunt.
“They do that a lot,” I said. “Finish each other’s sentences, that is.”
“We ran,” Aunt Martha said.
“We were still in town and there were places to hide.
We chose a car dealer with lots of cars to hide behind.”
“They didn’t look for us, so my assumption is that whoever called them called the whole thing off.”
“They didn’t look for you?” Pete sounded surprised.
“Well, they did a cursory search,” my mother said, “but we kept moving from car to car.”
“So they left.” My aunt looked quite pleased with herself. “They seemed to be in quite a hurry, too.”
Everyone was quiet while Redding sat and thought things over. He pointed at Aunt Martha. “The man who took off his mask, what did he look like? Describe him for me.”
“He had dark hair and a receding hairline. His eyes were big and hazel…”
“…and there was a scar under his left… No, make that his right ear. Since we saw him in the mirror, I have to reverse things,” mother finished.
Aunt Martha looked surprised. “I guess you really did see him.”
“Would I lie?”
“You saw them out of the van,” Redding said. “What about height, weight and build?”
Aunt Martha thought about that. “One was around six feet tall and muscular. I’m not good at guessing weight, but he wasn’t skinny or overweight. The other one was just a little shorter, maybe a couple of inches, and stocky. He didn’t look as muscular.”
“What now?” Mom asked. “Do you want us to look at mug shots?”
“Of course, he does,” my aunt said. “Why would you even ask that?”
“You’re getting cranky, Martha. Would you like to borrow my hormone pills?” Mother was obviously feeling insulted.
Redding stood and turned to Joe, ignoring the two women for the moment. “Would you drive over to the B&B
and check on Ms. Pitts and her child?”
“On it,” Joe replied.
The expression on Redding’s face told me he was still thinking things over. “On second thought, pick them up and take them to the station with you. I’ll be there soon.”
“What are you thinking?” Pete asked, turning to Redding.
“I think maybe they found out where Ms. Pitts is staying. I’m not going to play around with this anymore. I’m moving her to Vancouver for her safety.”
“That’s a good idea,” my mother said, nodding her head.
“Excellent thought.” My aunt agreed with Mom.
“Ohhhh,” Felicity said, groaning and looking up at Stanley. “I think you’d better take me to the hospital.”
“Seriously?”
“Yes, and I mean now. These cramps are getting worse.”
Redding seemed to do more thinking and came to a quick decision. “Come with me. We’ll get there faster in my unit.”
He took a moment to call Joe and let him know what was going on.
“Take Ms. Pitts to Vancouver instead of staying in Battle Ground. I’ll clear it with your shift supervisor.”
Stanley left us to pick up a few of Felicity’s things from the guesthouse. While he was gone Redding made a couple of phone calls.
“Okay, we’re all set as soon as Mr. Hawks returns. Let’s get you out to the car, little lady.” He took Felicity’s hand and helped her up.
“I sure don’t feel very little right… Ohhhhh.” She looked pale after another pain.
“Pete and I will meet you at the hospital,” I said.
Redding walked out to the car with Felicity, Stanley
came running through the house with an overnight bag for his wife, and my mother and aunt were already loading themselves into our Jeep.
“It’s been an interesting night,” Pete said. “Let’s not do this again.”
Chapter Twenty-seven
Pete’s comment about an interesting night made me think about everything that had happened. I found myself making a mental list while we drove to the hospital.
“A little sleep might help after what we’ve all been through, but somehow I don’t see any in the near future,” I said.
We would have followed Redding, but we couldn’t legally drive as fast as he could. Felicity must have been having a lot of pain because he progressed from driving just a little fast to roaring through the streets. Maybe I’m exaggerating a little, but that’s the way it felt.
I heard my mother talking in the back seat. “From here on out, Felicity is our main concern.”
“Of course,” Aunt Martha said. “I don’t think those bozos will be back, anyway. They’ve got other things to worry about besides us – like their boss, whoever he is.”
“No more working on this case,” Mom said.
“No. It’s all about Felicity.” Aunt Martha sounded tired.
“We have to look at mug shots though. I wonder if they still use books of photos or if we’ll be looking at a computer
screen.”
“Oh, I’d guess it’ll all be on a computer. Isn’t everything on a computer now?”
That was the last I heard for a while. I glanced back and
they were both sound asleep.
Speaking softly, I said, “Pete, maybe we should check on Mateo while we’re at the hospital.”
“I’m sure Redding will do that.”
“You’re right. My mother was right, too. It’s all about Felicity now.”
It was a relatively short drive to the hospital, and when we arrived I turned around in my seat and said, loudly, “Up and at ‘em.”
My mother and aunt jumped.
“Sandra, that was uncalled for,” Mom said, scolding me. “You could have given your aunt a heart attack.”
“Or you a stroke,” Aunt Martha said, pinching my mother’s arm.
I grinned at them. “I’m so glad you two are safe. I may never let you out of my sight again.”
Pete cleared his throat, making a point.
“At least until you go home to your husbands,” I added.
My husband climbed out of the car and circled it, opening each of our doors as he went. “Let’s go see how the Hawks are doing.”
Before we could climb out, it started pouring rain – in the blink of an eye. We each slammed our car door, and Pete ran around to the driver’s side and jumped in. He drove us to the front of the Emergency Room and let us out before re-parking the car.
“Thank you, Pete,” Aunt Martha said.
“Yes, thank you, son,” Mother added.
He shook his head and headed back to the parking lot.
“Our little Felicity. About to become a mother,” Mom
said.
“She’s so darned cute,” Aunt Martha said, “although she looks like she’s about to burst.”
“Hang on,” I said, “we don’t know if it’s really time or not. She’s not due for another three weeks.”
My aunt sniffed. “She looks like she was due three weeks ago.”
“I wonder if they made a mistake with her due date,” my mother said. “She’s awfully, uh, large. That’s going to be a big baby.”
“Not necessarily,” I said. “She’s so tiny that the baby probably looks bigger than he or she really is.”
My aunt raised her eyebrows at me as though to say, a lot you know.
“How many children have you had?” my mother asked.
I walked past them. “That’s a subject not open for discussion.”
We found Redding waiting for us in the Emergency Room. “I’m glad you’re here,” he said. “They’ve taken Mrs. Hawks back for an examination. She was in a lot of pain. Her husband is with her. I’m going to check on Delgado.”
“Who?” my aunt asked.
“Mateo,” I said.
“Oh.”
Redding left us to entertain ourselves while we waited.
“I wonder what’s taking so long,” my mother said. “And where’s Pete?”
“He said he was going to grab something to eat and bring coffee back for us,” I replied.
“We need to check on Felicity.” My aunt stood, ready to barge back to the exam rooms.
“Wait,” I said. “I’ll do it, if they’ll let me back there.”
I started to walk away, but my mother grabbed the back of my shirt. “I’ll check on her, if you don’t mind.” She sounded testy and I decided it would be a good idea to let her take charge. This is a woman who once stopped a mugger with a swing of her purse, not someone to mess around with.
Mother approached the Admittance window and started talking to the clerk.
The clerk shook her head, indicating Mom couldn’t go back.
Mother would have none of it and started talking faster, or so I thought, and her hands were flying with each word.
“It’s kind of interesting to watch her, don’t you think?” My aunt was grinning. “She was always a better nag than me.”
I nodded. “It’s sort of like watching a mime. I wish I could hear what she’s saying.”
The clerk shook her head again, and Mother’s hands moved faster.
“Want to place a bet about whether they let her back there or not?” My aunt had a sly grin on her face.
“No bet,” I said. “We both know she’ll get her way.”
The clerk held up her index finger, effectively putting my mother’s nagging on hold, before disappearing.
Mom turned and grinned, waving her fingers at us.
Aunt Martha laughed. “She’s funny sometimes. Don’t tell her I said this, but I adore my sister, even if she does make me batty.”
“Yeah, well, don’t repeat this either, but she feels the same way about you.”
The clerk returned and pointed toward the doors leading back to the exam rooms. Mother approached the door and we heard a buzzer go off, unlocking it. She disappeared through the doors and we continued waiting.
Pete finally arrived bearing coffee and donuts. “Where’s your mother?”
“Where else? She bullied her way back to check on Felicity,” I said.
He nodded. “I’m not surprised. I ran into Redding. He was on his way up to see Mateo. He wants to talk to your mother and aunt again, after they’ve had some rest.”
“Why?” Aunt Martha asked.
Pete shrugged. “How should I know? Maybe he figures the two of you will remember more after you’ve had some sleep. That’s what I’d be thinking if I were in his shoes.”
“Griz told me you were aces as a copper. If your hands weren’t tied as a civilian, I’ll bet you could solve this in nothing flat. In fact, I think you should.”
Pete smiled politely. “Don’t place that bet. I’ve been away from the Department for a long time, not to mention that I don’t have any pull here in Washington.”
There was a television in the waiting room. Pete turned it on and started watching the early morning local news.
There was a story about a big wreck on the I-205. It had happened only an hour earlier. The newscaster commented that a van was seen swerving back and forth and other drivers had steered clear of it. Drunk driver?
Aunt Martha pointed at the TV and poked my arm. “Sandi! That’s the van.” She stood and moved closer to the screen. “That’s it! That’s it!”
We couldn’t see it clearly partly due to the camera angle and partly due to the damage to the vehicle, but it did look like a beige van, and it had a black stripe down the side.
“I’m telling you, that’s the van.” My aunt folded her arms across her chest.
“We believe you,” I said. “What do you want us to do?”
“Go find that Detective. He needs to look into this. Now. I wonder if there were any survivors.”
Pete stood and headed for the elevators, saying, “I’ll go upstairs and see if he’s still here.”
Before the elevator arrived, my mother came tearing through the doors. She looked flustered, and maybe a little
frightened. “Go find Detective Redding.”
“That’s where Pete’s heading,” I said. “What’s wrong?”
“What’s wrong?” She repeated my question.
Pete saw us talking and walked back to join us, having seen how excited my mother was.
“Yes, Livvie, what’s wrong? Is Felicity having her baby? We’ve got info on the van which should take precedence over whatever you’re babbling about,” Aunt Martha said. “Why do you want the Detective to come down here?”
“Because I think one of those two guys that kidnapped us is in the E.R. That’s what’s wrong.”
Aunt Martha looked excited. “Is it the one who took off his mask?”
“No. The other one.”
“Then how do you know it’s him? We never saw his face.”
“Same build and he looks about the right height. Oh, and he’s wearing the same clothes! I heard one of the EMTs talking to a cop about an accident, and he mentioned a van. Does that put a hem in your skirt?”
My aunt spoke very calmly. She had a smug look on her face. “Why, yes, it does. Oh, and Livvie, we just saw the wrecked van on the news. That’s why we wanted Pete to find the Detective.”
“Was th
ere only one victim brought in?” I asked.
“Yes,” Mother said, “and here’s the kicker. He’d been shot.”
“That would explain why he drove like he was drunk,” Aunt Martha said.
Chapter Twenty-eight
“I’ll go find Redding,” Pete said. He turned and hurried back to the elevators.
“I remembered something when I saw the victim,” Mom said. “Martha, did you notice, and think back now, that he had a scar on the back of his hand? I noticed it when he lifted his hand to try to shut us up.”
My aunt closed her eyes and put her head back. “Now that you mention it, yes, I remember. It looked like a half moon.”
“That’s it!” my mother said. “I didn’t even have to describe it to you.” She looked quite pleased with herself. “So, we may not have seen his face, but we saw an identifying mark. Between the tan van and the half-moon scar, I know this is one of the two men.”
“Beige van,” my aunt corrected.
“Whatever.”
“What are we going to do now? Someone needs to go back to the exam room and ask some questions.” Aunt Martha turned away from us, toward the exam room door.
“Hold your horses,” I said. “You’re not going back there. Besides, I thought it was all about Felicity now.”
“Oh, right. How’s she doing?” She glanced at her sister.
“She’s calmed down quite a bit,” Mom said, “and the doctor thinks it was a false alarm. They want to keep her here overnight, though, to run some tests and make sure everything is okay.”
The door opened and Stanley walked out, looking pale. “I have news. The doctor stated that it appears all is not as it should be. The… Oh, dear, I don’t know about these things. He said the afterbirth is breaking away from the wall, although I don’t quite understand that. It appears they’re going to have to induce labor.” He started to shake. “It looks like we’ll have our child later this morning.”
My mother and aunt threw themselves at him and they had a group hug. If possible, Stanley appeared even paler.
“I have other news, too, although it’s not good,” he said.
“Oh, no. What’s wrong with Felicity?” my mother asked.
“It’s not her. The man you were so interested in? He passed on before they could help him.”
