Dagger in the Dahlias

by Dale Mayer

  Mugs barked and kept up a snuffling sound as he went through the bushes toward the path. Thaddeus took several steps closer to her, and she wasn’t sure if that meant he was nervous or if he thought they were going into the water. Goliath appeared to have absolutely no issues either way as he raced ahead of Mugs, who wanted to run after the cat.

  Pulled along by the basset hound, Doreen ran onto the path and took a right. “Well, this is definitely a different way to go home.” She looked back but saw no sign of Thaddeus, so she tugged on Mugs’s leash to slow him down while calling for the bird. Thaddeus came around the corner, then flew up, missing her shoulder and smacking into her head. She cried out and caught him before he fell. “Okay, you’re staying with me, big guy. So no more freak-outs. Okay?”

  “Okay, okay,” Thaddeus shrieked, then snuggled in against her chest.

  She continued homeward, marveling at the shadows lengthening around her. The moon was rising, but still enough sunlight remained to see. She wasn’t scared in the dark, but it was hard to see the path. Definitely rockier than she was used to on her side—as if not many people ever walked here, which also made sense because she’d not seen many people come down the creek past her place either.

  Finally she came to her little bridge, maybe twenty feet long, and her house was easily visible on the other side. She had left lights on inside, and something about it was almost fairy-tale-ish. “No, maybe more gingerbread-house-y,” she said, chuckling.

  And then she froze, sure she saw a shadow cross the window. Inside.

  Her heart raced as she had forgotten to set the alarms before she’d come out with the animals.

  With her companions in tow, she ran across the bridge, sneaked up the side of her fence, around to the front, and froze again. Mack’s car was in her driveway. She groaned, picked up the phone, and called him.

  His voice was irate when he answered. “Where are you?” he snapped.

  “Maybe the question should be, where are you?” she said drily as she opened the front door. She could see him in the kitchen. Mugs barked, racing ahead to greet him.

  He spun and put away his phone, bending to pet Mugs. “I was trying to get you on the phone for the last hour, and you wouldn’t answer. I came over here to make sure you were okay and found the place empty and the alarms not set,” he said accusingly. “You didn’t even lock the front or the back doors.”

  She transferred Thaddeus to the kitchen table. He squawked in protest, then tilted his head and said, “Mack is here. Mack is here.”

  “Yes, he is,” she said. She checked her phone, and, sure enough, the ringer was turned off.

  She groaned. “I came down the creek and saw a shadow inside. I thought you were somebody after my antiques.” She waggled her phone. “And the sound was off.”

  “I could have been an intruder,” he said in a stern tone. “What’s the point of setting up a security system if you don’t use it?”

  She raised both hands in frustration. “Okay, okay, okay. It was a foolish thing to do. Nan sounded pretty lonely, so I grabbed the animals and went to visit her.”

  He frowned. “So then why did you come from the far end of the creek?”

  She wrinkled her nose at him. “You saw me, did you?”

  “No,” he said, but then he shrugged. “Well, I might have caught you coming around the corner.”

  She glared at him. “You saw me coming into the backyard anyway, and you still had to ask where I was, huh?”

  He gave her a sheepish grin. “I wondered if you’d tell me the truth.”

  She rolled her eyes at him. “Of course I told you the truth. What’s the point in lying?”

  “I’ll give you that.” He chuckled. “In your case, you’re not a great liar anyway.”

  “No, I’m not. But I’m not a terrible one either,” she snapped. She walked in and checked the clock. “I didn’t realize it was so late. I was hoping for a cup of tea before bed, but the caffeine might keep me up.”

  “So have something herbal,” he suggested. “Particularly if you have something to help you fall asleep.”

  “Such as?” She walked to the drawer of teas. “Look at them all here. I have no clue what any of them do.”

  “If it says Sleepytime,” he said drily, “I’m pretty sure it’s not meant to give you energy during the day.”

  “Ha, ha.” She picked up several more. “Chamomile, yarrow root, and dandelion. Are we seriously thinking dandelion leaves are crushed up in these packets?” She opened one of the little yellow boxes that had a picture of dandelions all over it, pulling out the little tea bags.

  “Yes,” he said. “I wouldn’t be at all surprised.”

  She shook her head. “The only one I would count on as safe to drink in the evening is Sleepytime.”

  “Which wouldn’t be a bad idea,” he suggested. “You will be sleeping on the floor tonight, and that’ll feel very different. You might need something extra to help you.”

  “That’s a good idea,” she admitted. She walked to the sink, filled the teakettle, and turned it on. Then she leaned against the counter. “Do you want a cup?”

  “No,” he said. “Now that I know you’re safe, I’ll go home.” He walked toward the front door.

  “Wait.” She stopped him. “What were you calling me about earlier?”

  He hesitated a moment. “It’s really nothing.” He continued to walk toward the front door.

  “Well, if it was enough to call me,” she said, trailing behind him, “it’s enough to tell me now.”

  “It’s the cold case you’re working on,” he said. “Two friends of his were killed in a car accident driving his car.”

  “Yes,” she said. “I know that. What we don’t know is how they got his car.”

  He looked at her. “According to one of the kids’ fathers, his son bought it off of Johnny.”

  “Did that make sense at the time?” she asked. “Did he have money to do something like that twenty-nine years ago?”

  “The dad said he paid a couple hundred bucks. He’d been saving up for it.”

  She shook her head. “Well, he might have been saving up for it, but no way Johnny would have accepted that money.”

  At the doorway Mack turned to her. “How do you know that?”

  “Because Penny was just saying how George and Johnny spent hours working on that thing. Sure Johnny wanted another rig. He wanted a muscle car, whatever the hell that is,” she said with a wave of her hand. “But the thing is, the two brothers souped up that car, and it was worth a lot more.”

  “This was twenty-nine years ago,” Mack reminded her. “A couple hundred dollars bought a lot more back then.”

  “But they had put serious money into it,” she argued. “According to Penny, they did an awful lot of aftermarket upgrades. I mean, like a hot rod for the kid.”

  Mack crossed his arms over his chest and leaned against the door. “And that can cost a bundle,” he admitted. “How badly did Johnny want another vehicle?”

  “Pretty badly. But what he wanted was out of his price range,” she said, “and I doubt that a couple hundred bucks for his car would have done the job. Plus it didn’t begin to pay George back for the money he put into the car either. Plus he didn’t want Johnny to sell the car. Feel free to contact Penny and ask her yourself.”

  “No,” he said. “But, if you want to ask her what the vehicle might have been worth back then, it wouldn’t hurt to find out. Although I doubt its value had a financial aspect for the two men who worked on it so much.”

  “Good point.” She looked up at the clock. “I’ll think about asking her but I’m too tired to do that now though. She did say thousands of dollars in those upgrades so a couple hundred bucks doesn’t make sense. I’ll feed the animals, then maybe have a hot bath before I settle in for an early night.”

  He nodded. “Exactly. Get to bed and get some rest.”

  “Right. Tomorrow is a whole new day,” she said with yet another heavy
groan.

  “What’s wrong with tomorrow?” he asked.

  “Tomorrow is Friday,” she said. “I’m still waiting for that phone call from Christie’s, but I will head to your mother’s and spend a few hours weeding, as planned.”

  “Right, a phone call about the antiques. I keep forgetting.” He looked around the living room, shook his head, and said, “I can’t imagine what this place will look like when those huge pieces are gone.”

  “I know,” she said. “But I’m still looking for paperwork that Nan says she had. Apparently what I found wasn’t it.”

  “I’m not sure what you’re looking for,” he said, “but it’s hard to find anything in here.”

  “I know,” she said with a sigh. “And one of these days I’ll venture into the garage. I did open the inside door to the laundry room finally, but then I had a hell of a time closing it. The garage is stuffed.” She just shook her head. “I don’t know what Nan was thinking.”

  “I would guess that, like a lot of older people,” he said quietly, “she found it hard to let go of things.”

  Doreen smiled. “That could very well be. It was really nice to see her today. I would hate to lose her anytime soon.”

  “I’d hate that too,” Mack said. He opened the door and stepped out on the front step. “And what are you doing as soon as I leave?”

  She frowned at him. “Taking a cup of tea upstairs.”

  He banged his head lightly on the doorframe. “No. You’ll lock this door and set the alarms.”

  “Well, I meant that too.” She shooed him away. “Go, go, go, go. The sooner you leave, the sooner I can go to bed.”

  He snorted. “Now, if you had somebody you were going with, that would make sense. Otherwise, I don’t know.” With that cryptic remark, he turned and walked to his car.

  She closed the door lightly behind him, reset the alarm, and checked the back door. She fed the animals, while snacking on cheese and crackers. With the animals in tow, she picked up her tea, shut off all the lights, and walked up the stairs.

  She could only hope everything went well with this antique stuff. She wanted it all gone, safe and sound, as soon as possible.

  She walked into her bedroom and turned on the light. Everything looked the same, except for her bed on the floor. That was just a shame. She set down her tea and walked into the bathroom. It still amazed her that such a lovely bathroom was the only thing Nan had renovated in the house. She’d yet to mention it. Every time Doreen was with Nan, Doreen also forgot to bring it up. She needed a list for all the things she wanted to ask her grandmother.

  Deciding a hot shower would be better than a bath, she got in under the spray. While stepping out, drying herself, she heard a commotion in the bedroom. She grabbed her robe, threw it on, and stepped out of the bathroom. And glared. “What are you doing, Mugs?”

  Mugs was at the closet doors, barking like a crazy man. She frowned and thought about it. Mack had been here, but who was to say somebody hadn’t come inside ahead of Mack?

  Both doors to the closet were closed, but she tested them just the same, then tied the doorknobs together with a pair of nylon stockings, and stepped back into her bathroom. She pulled out her phone and called Mack. As soon as he answered, she said, “Was anybody in the house when you arrived?”

  “Of course not,” he said. “You were out.”

  “Would you mind coming back then?” she asked in the hushed whisper. “And fast.”

  Chapter 10

  Thursday Evening …

  Doreen quickly redressed in the same clothes she’d worn earlier, pulled her hair into a ponytail, making sure it was out of the way. She had no weapons, nothing that would do the job against a possible intruder. And since Mugs had entered the bedroom, he hadn’t stopped barking. She knew she would have to make her way downstairs in order to let Mack in and to disengage the security system, but she didn’t want to do it too soon. She had no idea if anybody was in the closet, but no way would she open it without Mack here to take a look with her.

  She waited ten minutes. When she heard a vehicle, she crept to the hallway. Mugs still barked away at the closet. She ran down the stairs, entered her security code, and unlocked the front door. “Upstairs. I need you upstairs.” And she bolted up the staircase, Mack behind her.

  He grabbed her by the shoulders. “What’s the matter?” he whispered.

  She tried to explain, but it was garbled, as she was afraid the scenario had changed while she’d been gone. Thankfully Mugs still stood at the closet doors, barking like a crazy dog. Goliath sat right beside him. Not to be outdone, Thaddeus perched on a newel post of the bed, overseeing the pair on the floor.

  Mack strode toward the closet door, raised an eyebrow at her over the nylons.

  She shrugged. “I didn’t know what else to do.”

  He untied the nylons and opened both doors. He saw nothing at first. But Mugs dove under the clothes and growled.

  Yelps sounded from inside, and somebody yelled, “Get him off me. Get him off me.”

  Mack dove into the closet, bringing out her intruder and tossing him to the floor, where Mack pinned him down.

  “Well, well, well,” she said, recognizing the intruder she had caught in her house just last week, taking her fireplace poker after him until Mack arrived and took him to jail, only to run into the same damn intruder on the loose again in the grocery store parking lot soon afterward. Sometimes the judicial system sucked. “So you are a Peeping Tom, just like I told you before, stealing into women’s bedrooms at night too.”

  The man turned away, his astonished expression taking over his face. “No way,” he argued. “You’re not putting that on me. I’m only here because”—he waved at Mack—“he was coming inside, so I ran up here to hide. I’m not a Peeping Tom. No way.”

  “His name is Darth McLeod. And he’s supposed to be locked up. I’ll have fun finding out why you are loose once more.” Mack pulled him to his feet. “You won’t be getting out on bail this time. No matter how good a lawyer you have.” He proceeded to march her intruder down the stairs.

  Darth McLeod. Well, that was a name to commit to memory. Hopefully she’d seen the last of him now. She followed them down and blocked the front door. “Check his pockets first,” she said. “For all I know, while you and I weren’t here, he made five trips out of the house with my stuff.”

  Darth sneered. “You don’t even know what you’ve got here,” he snapped. “There’s a bloody fortune for the taking.”

  “No, there isn’t. It’s mine. You’re not taking anything. And I might not know everything yet,” she said, “but I’m learning.”

  Mack searched his pockets and pulled out a list. He held it up to her and said, “Does this make any sense to you?”

  She frowned. “Snow globe, blue china vase, silver tea set.” There were a few other items. She pulled out her phone and took a picture of the list, then returned it to Mack. “Thanks very much for letting me know what might be worth something,” she told Darth.

  He just glared at her. Nothing else was in the other pocket, so Mack led him outside. She shut the door keeping the animals inside.

  “Should you drive him to the station on your own?” she asked.

  Mack shook his head. “I sent a text for backup.”

  And, sure enough, an RCMP vehicle came around the cul-de-sac and up to her driveway. Two men got out.

  “Hi, Chester,” she said, recognizing one of the men.

  Chester gave her a sheepish grin. “I see you can’t stay out of trouble, can you?”

  “Not my fault you guys let this jerk out of jail. You should add Peeping Tom and stealing underwear to his list of crimes.”

  “I didn’t steal any underwear from you,” the intruder bellowed. “That’s gross.”

  “You were in my closet and looking in my underwear drawer,” she said, pointing to the open dresser drawer. “So, as far as I’m concerned, you’re after women’s lingerie too.” She gave him a fat sm
ile. “Let’s see what the other prisoners think of that.”

  The two uniformed men roughly grabbed her intruder and forced him into the back of their car. With a wave to her and Mack, they took off with the prisoner.

  She smirked at Darth as she waved goodbye; then she turned to Mack. “Now please don’t let him out again.”

  “No,” Mack said. “I’ll talk to the prosecutor about him staying in jail until his court date.”

  “Good idea,” she said. “We also need to figure out where his vehicle is and make sure he hasn’t been hauling stuff out of my house.”

  Mack pulled out his phone. “I’ll get a run on his vehicle in the meantime.” He looked around the cul-de-sac. “Do you recognize all these vehicles?”

  She looked around. “All but that truck down there.”

  Together they walked in the dark to the truck. It was an older model. Mack took a picture of the license plate. Then he bent down, brushed off some of the mud on the plate, took more pictures, and called it in. “Looks like it’s his,” he said, after ending his call.

  “Can we search his vehicle?”

  “He was caught in the act of a felony,” Mack said, “so, yes, I can.” With his phone flashlight turned on, he found several bags in the back of the truck bed as well as a box. He opened the box and pulled out a large snow globe.

  “Wow! That’s beautiful.” The bottom of the snow globe had Nan’s name written on it. “That dirty, rotten little thief,” she said, stamping her foot. “Can I take this back up to the house?”

  “No, I’m afraid not yet,” he said. “We’ll have to keep all this as evidence.”

  “How will I know what’s mine?” she asked.

  They went through the rest of the box and found a blue china vase with a lot of Bubble Wrap around it.

  “That was on the front room mantel,” Doreen said in a daze. “I have the pictures at home to prove it.”