by Dave Cravens
Glory gulped again.
“Oh, she’s just messing with you, Glory,” said Valerie as she descended the stairs, a picture of elegance in a bright blue dress with her hair immaculately crafted. Valerie never greeted visitors without being fully composed for the day. “How are you?”
“I’m good,” Glory couldn’t hide his smile. “It’s always a good day when you call.”
Parker’s ear burned at the tone of Glory’s voice. Are you flirting with my mom?
Valerie handed Glory the blue plastic bags full of cameras and accepted a gentle kiss on the cheek.
Parker’s jaw dropped.
“Where would you like these installed?” asked Glory.
“What would you recommend?” Valerie replied with a subtle toss of her hair.
“I’ve got a few ideas,” Parker interjected. She snatched the bag of cameras from Glory as if to snap him out of her mother’s spell.
Glory blinked. “Oh! Right!”
“Follow me,” Parker ordered, before flashing her mother a look.
54.
An hour later…
four security cameras were installed and positioned to cover each side of the house, along with a new front doorbell with a concealed fish eye camera. “Anytime anyone comes to the front door, you and Valerie’s phones will be notified.” Glory explained as he went through the final setup of Parker’s phone app in the kitchen.
“What about the other cameras?” asked Parker. She took her phone from Glory to play with the live views of each camera. Never one for instructions, Parker preferred to just start pressing buttons to see what happened. Parker cycled through each camera. Glory had perfectly framed the front driveway, both side alleys and the backyard. No one could occupy any space surrounding the house without the cameras picking them up. Even now, Parker watched a live video feed of Drew and Ally kicking a ball to each other in the grassy area next to the pool.
“All cameras will behave the same way,” said Glory. “But you might want to play with the schedule and sensitivity settings. Otherwise, your kids will be setting them off all the time.”
Parker’s phone buzzed. A notification popped up.
Motion detected in the backyard.
“Like that,” added Glory. “But honestly, the ones I’d pay most attention to is your front door and your garage side alley.”
“Why the garage alley?”
Glory clicked Parker’s phone app to view the alley full of three garbage cans and the side door leading to Valerie’s garage. “Your fence is high and private enough on that side that your neighbors can’t see anyone coming in and out of the side door. Somebody who wants to break into your place can work on that door without drawing too much attention. Once they’re in the garage, they have access to your whole house. These cameras will keep the riff raff away. But if a pro really wants in, they’re going to get in. At least you’ll catch them on video and hopefully help the sheriff track him down.”
Parker couldn’t help but to notice Glory looked a little different in the kitchen’s light. More mature? “How do you know so much about all this?”
“My house used to get broken into all the time,” Glory shrugged. “I got tired of it.” His eyes dropped to the floor as if feeling the weight of an old memory. After a moment, he looked up, and the light in his eyes returned when he noticed the web of yarn connecting Ally’s drawings on Parker’s suspects wall. “Oh, wow, what is all that?”
“Oh—that? It’s nothing.” Just the manifestation of my obsessive need to find a killer. “I need to reorganize it.”
Glory’s eyes scanned every inch of the wall. He squinted to try and make sense of the names and the scribbles. “The Twitchy-Eye Lady? The Hapless Sheriff? The Silver Fox? Are these cartoon characters?”
“It’s just how I organize my thoughts.”
“What is a Creep-a-zoid?”
Parker blushed. That was my code name for you, Glory, before I got to know you a little better. “Nothing important.” Parker became anxious to change the subject. “Say, Glory, since you know so much about security stuff, do you have any ideas how someone might’ve stolen my Highlander without setting off the alarm?”
Glory couldn’t take his eyes off the wall. “How new was your car? Did it have keyless entry? Or was it an old beater?”
“Only a few years old. Keyless entry.”
“Well, you used to be able to buy these things called ‘amplifiers’ online. They’re banned now. Harder to find. But they’d unlock a car, no problem.”
“How?”
“Any car with a keyless entry has a sensor that calls out to the keys. If the keys are in range of the sensor, say a few feet, they call back, the car will unlock when you put your hand on the door handle. What amplifiers do, is magnify that signal, so your car keys don’t have to be right next to the car. They can be like, fifty feet away or so, and the door will trigger.”
Parker’s stomach sank. “Fifty feet would include most of this house!”
“Right. So, while you’re sleeping at night, some kid with an amplifier can be trying all the cars parked on the street or driveways to see what opens up. Most people don’t keep their keys in places that would block the signal, like a refrigerator, or a microwave. It’s crazy easy to break into a car if you have something like that.”
Parker shook her head. “But my car wasn’t just broken into, it was taken. Wouldn’t the minute someone drove it out of the fifty-foot radius, the car would sense the key was missing and shut down?”
Glory scratched behind his ear. “Errrrr, right. So, there must be a way around that. I don’t know. Everything electronic can be hacked if you have enough time to work on it. You know – computers. Nerds. Zeroes. Ones.”
“Got it, thanks.” Obviously, Parker had found the limit to Glory’s knowledge on the subject.
Just then, Valerie glided into the kitchen with a check in hand. “Sorry I had to step away, Glory! I hope this covers everything!”
Glory’s eyes brightened as he received the check from Valerie. He smiled when he looked at it. “Wow, Valerie, you’re always so generous. This is too much! You know you qualify for my special discount, right?”
“Don’t worry about that,” Valerie patted Glory’s hand. “Just keep taking good care of us, okay?”
“You know I will.”
Parker suddenly felt last night’s dinner in the back of her throat.
“Bye now!” Glory disappeared out the front door and headed toward his Trans-Am.
“Holy fuck, Mom! Flirt much?” Parker scoffed at her mother.
Valerie grinned at her daughter. “Says the woman with no pants.”
Parker pulled down on her over-sized t-shirt again. “I rolled out of bed to answer the door while you were still getting ready!” Parker’s eyes widened. “You were getting ready, because you knew he was coming!”
“Of course, I did. I’m the one who called him.”
“And you look fabulous!”
“I always look fabulous.” Valerie turned up her nose. “Parker, are you implying I have some romantic interest in Glory?”
“Do you?”
Valerie smiled. “Now, Parker, you know full well that I’ve enjoyed many gifted lovers of the years.”
“Oh hell,” Parker closed her eyes. Valerie always had an incredible knack for making her daughter regret asking certain questions.
“I’m a woman, still very much in her sexual prime.”
“Stop.”
“And I won’t apologize for any of my previous conquests.”
“God no--Mom!”
“So be careful not to venture into the land of ‘None of Your Business.”
“Message received!” Parker saluted her mother while staring at the floor. “Just stop talking about it!”
Valerie patted her daughter’s cheek. “You have a much greater mystery to solve.”
55.
“I’m fine.”
Maddy grumbled again from under her bed’s c
omforter.
Parker crossed the maze of dirty clothes strewn about her daughter’s bedroom wooden floor to reach the window. She yanked a string that pulled up the blinders with a loud flapping noise. The bright Saturday sun blasted into the room and seemed to cause Maddy to writhe in pain as though she were either hungover or was transforming into a vampire.
I would take either of those possibilities over the current truth.
“It’s noon,” said Parker. “You need to get up and eat something.”
“I’m not hungry.”
“Get up,” Parker snapped her fingers. “You can sulk downstairs if you want, but you’re not going to hide in here all day. We need to talk about what happened.”
“Why?” Maddy moaned.
“Because—” Parker balked. Good question. She mashed her tongue against the back of her teeth as she went through every School House Rock episode in memory to see if they had ever covered anything close to this. They had not. “Because, that was some messed up shit you saw yesterday. And when you see messed shit like that it helps to talk about it.” I’m pretty sure that’s a direct quote from Blossom.
Maddy threw her comforter off her head and sat up straight in her bed. “Fine,” she snapped. “Let’s talk about it!”
“Great!” Parker threw open her arms and outstretched them to Maddy. I wasn’t expecting her to give in so quickly. “Okay!” Parked swallowed. “Do—you have any questions?”
Maddy squirmed in her seat.
Parker tried softening her tone. “You can ask me anything, Maddy.”
“Anything?” Maddy folded her arms.
“Anything.”
“And you’re not going to give me some stupid watered down ‘kid answer’ to try and make me feel better? You’ll tell me the truth?”
“As ugly as it gets.”
Maddy took a deep breath. “Did you do it?”
Parker glowered at her daughter. “You had better know that answer already.”
“I’m just making sure!”
“Don’t squander this opportunity.”
“Alright,” Maddy stiffened her posture. Her eyes darted off to the side to contemplate her next move. They slowly rolled back to her mother. “Are you glad she’s dead?”
“Of course not!” Parker instinctively shot back.
It was Maddy’s turn to glare at her mother and challenge the quickness of her answer.
Parker sighed. “Alright, the truth is I don’t know how I feel about it. It’s no secret that Heller and I didn’t get along. A part of me, the bad part of me, is relieved I don’t have to deal with her anymore. But I wouldn’t wish what happened to her on anyone.”
Maddy swallowed. “What did happen to her?”
It hadn’t occurred to Parker that Maddy didn’t have a chance to process the crime scene with any clarity. “It appears Vice Principal Heller was shot in the head at close range.”
“No, I mean, why did it happen to her?”
“That’s a great question.” Parker bowed her head. “I don’t know.”
Maddy’s eyes welled up. “But you want to find out, don’t you?”
Parker raised her head to lock eyes with her daughter. “It’s not a matter of wanting, Maddy.”
“Why can’t you just leave it alone? Let the police investigate!”
“Heller was found dead in the back of my car.”
“I know, I was there!” Maddy burst into tears and buried her hands in her face.
“Maddy, look at me,” Parker grabbed her blubbering daughter by the arms. “Look at me! Maddy? Look- -at-ME.”
Maddy took a deep, erratic breath in an effort to calm down. She stared at her mother through bloodshot eyes.
When Parker stared back, she found her own mind laser focused. “Listen to me. Murders are either crimes of passion, committed in the heat of the moment, or they are methodically thought out to achieve a result. I believe whoever did this had a plan. They’re after something. Maybe Heller was simply in the way.” Parker blinked, astonished at her own words. Was Heller in the way?
Maddy used the inside of her palm to rub the tears from her cheeks. “How do we know if the killer got what he was after?”
Parker eased her grip on her daughter’s arms and began to massage them up and down. “Another great question – except never assume it’s a ‘he’ unless you have evidence that suggests it.”
Maddy rolled her eyes. “How do we know, Mom?”
“We don’t. All we can do is wait, investigate, observe and look for some kind of break in patterns.”
“Patterns?”
“We are creatures of habit, Maddy. Everyone has some kind of daily routine that gets disrupted now and then by major events in their life. Murder certainly ranks up there, but there are more common ones like getting married or—” Parker felt her stomach tighten as Kurt’s face flashed at the forefront of her memory. His mangled corpse from the car accident followed. “—a death in the family. Getting fired. Packing up everything you own to move across country and live with your mom. Starting a new job or—” she looked a Maddy. Her lips quivered. Shit. “—a new school.” Parker held her forehead, trying to hold back a crushing wave of emptiness. She couldn’t help but to tremble at the taste of her own despair.
Parker suddenly felt Maddy’s thin arms wrap around her, pulling her close for a hug. The two of them cried together, sharing their grief and loss for perhaps the first time since Kurt had died. Parker marveled at the whirlwind of emotions stirring inside her. Heller’s murder had somehow brought them back together, at least for this moment.
As the tension slowly began to fade, Maddy chose to ask one last question of her mother. “This isn’t over, is it?”
Parker sighed. She knew what Maddy was really asking. The killer was still out there. And something told them both that he or she wasn’t finished. Parker swallowed. “Not by a long shot, kiddo.”
56.
Dear Oak Creek Parents,
Last Friday, a terrible tragedy befell our school with the death of our beloved Vice Principal, Karen Heller. Highly respected among both staff and students, Karen was seen as a relentless champion for Oak Creek Elementary. The absence of her tireless energy, consummate professionalism, and undying dedication will be felt throughout the school and community for years to come. On Monday, we will be flying the American Flag at half-staff in her honor and starting the day by observing a moment of silence to reflect on our loss. I encourage you to speak with your children, so they understand the gravity of what is happening and are respectful. Details of Karen’s funeral will be forthcoming for those who wish to attend. Kenneth Heller, who is understandably devastated by the loss of his wife, has asked that any flowers, memorials and tributes be sent to the school’s front office so as not to be overwhelmed. We will collect everything and deliver them to Mr. Heller.
Finally, many of you have reached out to our front office with questions regarding the circumstances of Karen’s sudden passing. The local Sheriff’s department has issued the following statement:
“Karen Heller was found deceased on school grounds last Friday by a local family. The death is being investigated as a matter of due course, and additional details will follow. We ask that the public refrain from any wild speculation or judgment while evidence and facts are collected. We also ask that the privacy of the family who discovered Heller be respected, as it is important to afford them space during this very confusing and difficult time. Remember that our community remains among the safest in the nation and there is no reason to panic. But should you see any suspicious activity report it immediately.”
In closing, I want to echo the Sheriff’s sentiments and assure you that your children are safe and secure at Oak Creek. If you have any questions or want to speak with me directly, feel free to schedule an appointment.
Principal Mendez
Oak Creek Elementary
Parker winced when she reread Mendez’s email on her phone. “That’s a huge collection of wor
ds that say practically nothing,” she declared.
“Here,” said Julie as she set two freshly Man-Child brewed drinks down on the small circular table at The Bean. “The barista says he added two shots of intrigue to your white mocha, whatever that means.”
Parker looked over her shoulder to the Man-Child, whose man bun seemed larger today. Man-Child nodded to her with a smile. “It means he still gets me.” Parker looked back to the email on her phone. Mendez’s note read more like a public relations memo than anything else. “At least Mendez didn’t throw my family under the bus and call us out by name.”
“She didn’t have to,” replied Julie stirring some sugar and cream into her mug. “Everybody in town knows Heller’s body was stuffed in the back of your car.” The comment earned a few uneasy stares from nearby patrons, to which Julie boldly added “Well, it’s true!” as if to pre-empt any questions or comments from them.
“Yes, I can’t imagine how word is spreading so fast,” Parker sighed. “I’m just going to keep pretending like asking for your help was a good idea.” Though Parker had to admit, she needed the distraction.
Monday school drop-off had proven to be more awkward than usual. Maddy wasn’t her usual flavor of pre-teen angst, having reverted back to her more recent somber “I’m fine” routine. Drew obsessively asked as to whether the new security cameras had caught Heller’s ghost lurking about their house and Parker couldn’t figure out if she was actually hearing people whisper “#MurderMom” as she walked her kids to school. Parker had decided to invite Julie to coffee at the last minute to vent. Luckily, Julie was all too eager to help a friend in need, even if it meant skipping pre-lunch yoga, and especially if it meant getting the inside scoop.
“So!” Julie smiled as she took a long, gleeful sip. “What could you possibly want to talk to me about?”
Parker retrieved a thin set of stapled pages from her purse and pushed them over to Julie. “I copied this in the PTA office this morning. It’s a roster of all current members. I think whoever was involved with Heller’s murder was at our meeting. I’d like you to look at that list and see if any names jump out.”
