by Maris Soule
We were concentrating on Jason, so I’m not sure when Howard left, but by the time Jason cried himself out, Howard was gone. Hand-in-hand, Ginny, Jason, and I walked back to the road and our parked cars. The act of walking, of moving away from the school building seemed to help Jason, and by the time we reached the main road, he was asking questions. Did we know if Mrs. Singer was all right? Was his dad still at the school? Was Danny dead?
The only one I could answer was about his dad. “He left with Mr. Hart.”
At Ginny’s car, I gave her a hug. “I can’t tell you how much I appreciate you being here. Do you still have time to meet with your client?”
“Are you kidding? They can wait. I’m hoping you’ll invite me back to the house.” She ruffled Jason’s hair. “If I come home with you, kiddo, will you tell us what happened?”
He nodded, and she looked at me.
“Of course you’re invited.”
“In that case, I’ll be there in five.”
Chapter Thirty-Five
It was mid-morning, but Ginny grabbed a beer from the fridge while I made tea for me and poured a glass of orange juice for Jason. We all went into the living room, and, as if sensing Jason’s emotional needs, Baraka sat next to him. At first Jason said nothing, simply drank his juice and petted Baraka’s head. Ginny was the one who spoke first. “That had to be scary,” she said.
Jason nodded but still said nothing, his expression way too serious for a seven-year-old. In less than a year, he’d experienced an explosion that killed his mother and now a shooting that might have killed his principal, or him. The one thing I remembered the counselor we’d taken Jason to see last fall saying was get him to talk about it. So, I tried. “Tell us what happened.”
Jason looked at me. “Danny shot Mrs. Singer.”
“I know. Where were you when he shot her?”
“In her office. Next to her. She said, as soon as Danny came, she would take us to class. We were waiting for him.”
“And when he showed up . . .” Ginny prompted.
“She pushed me back,” he said, his attention switching to Ginny. “Pushed me real hard, and I fell down. And then I heard lots of banging, like when Dad shoots his gun.” Jason’s voice began to quaver. “And . . . and she fell down.”
“What did you do then?” I asked as calmly as I could.
“I got up,” he said. “Mrs. Singer told me to lock the door and to do it quick, so I did. Then she told me to get behind her desk.”
“Thank goodness you did,” Ginny said.
“I asked her what I should do next,” Jason said, “but she didn’t say anything, so I called 9-1-1, like they do on TV, and asked the lady who answered what I should do.”
“That was very smart of you,” I said.
He smiled. “That’s what Dad said, too.”
I’d forgotten that Wade had already seen and talked to Jason.
“What did the lady who answered tell you to do?” Ginny asked.
“She told me I needed to stop the bleeding. But I couldn’t. I tried. Really, I tried.” His eyes teared up again. “I did everything the lady on the phone said to do. I grabbed the sweater from the back of Mrs. Singer’s chair and pressed it against the place where blood was coming out, but the blood kept coming.”
I scooted over next to him and slid an arm around his small shoulders. “You did everything exactly right.”
“But it didn’t stop the bleeding.”
The way he looked at me, tears swimming in his eyes, broke my heart. I prayed Sandy Singer lived, for Jason’s sake as well as hers.
My cell phone rang, startling me. I ignored it. Jason needed my attention. It rang again. “Aren’t you going to answer it?” he asked. “Maybe it’s the hospital.”
I got up and found my purse and phone, and, in a way, Jason was right. “It’s Howard,” I said.
Howard started speaking the moment I answered. “She’s out of surgery and in recovery. They won’t let me see her. Just family. But the doctor said she’ll be fine.”
I put the phone on speaker mode and had Howard repeat the message so Jason and Ginny could hear, and then I asked, “What about Danny? Is he there or at the other hospital?”
“He’s here,” Howard said. “I talked to his mother. She blames her husband for all of this. She said last night he started drinking and had his gun out. He kept ranting about teaching Wade a lesson, that no one respected him or Danny. She’s sure her husband didn’t lock the gun up before going to bed, and she’s not surprised Danny took the gun to school and started shooting. He’s talked about it. She said she’s told her husband they needed to get Danny help, that they should take him to a psychologist, but that he just poo-pooed the idea.”
Both Ginny and I shook our heads in dismay.
“What I don’t understand,” I said, “Is how Danny could shoot with a broken finger. Last time I saw him, his hand was all wrapped up.”
“April mentioned that,” Howard said. “When I was talking to her earlier today. She said yesterday his hand and wrist were swaddled with an elastic wrap, but when she saw Danny this morning, all he had was a splint on his middle finger. No wrapping. And he was holding the gun with both hands.”
Jason nodded and said, “He wasn’t shooting very straight.”
“You breaking his finger probably saved a lot of lives,” Ginny said.
“Yeah, but he wouldn’t have been mad at me if I hadn’t broken it.”
“Danny was mad at everyone, according to his mother,” Howard said through the phone. “In her opinion, it was just a matter of time before this happened. She said, once Danny gets out of the hospital, she is taking him to therapy. And, she is leaving her husband.”
Jason’s demeanor changed after Howard’s call. Suddenly he was hungry. While I fixed him something to eat, Ginny called the client she’d been scheduled to meet that morning. “They still want to meet,” she said when she came into the kitchen. “Can you handle this alone?”
I assured her I could, and she took off. After he’d eaten, Jason turned on the TV, and I tried calling Anna again.
Again, no answer. I was getting worried.
Jason and I watched the noon news. One of the parents had sent in a video of all the cars parked on the side of the road in front of the school. I saw me standing talking to the deputy. I looked like a blimp. Jason was disappointed the pictures taken in front of and inside the school didn’t show him, although his name was mentioned.
And then, that was it. The weather was next, followed by a report about a new store opening. By the end of the news program, Jason was curled up on the couch, asleep, Baraka stretched out on the floor in front, guarding him. I seriously considered lying down for a nap, but not knowing what had happened to Anna had me calling Connie again.
“Nothing,” she said. “I have no idea what’s happened to her. She isn’t in either hospital. I even stopped by her place. She’s not there. Do you think she might be with a client?”
“If so, why doesn’t she answer her phone? Why didn’t she go to that meeting last night?” There were too many unanswered questions.
“I’m on my way over to see Sarah,” Connie said. “She called me just a bit ago. She’s home with the baby, and I think the reality of being a mother and being responsible for another life just hit her. I’ll be at her place for a while, so if you hear anything about Anna, call me, okay?”
“Will do,” I promised and hung up.
I was about to call the Homes4Homeless number to see if Laura had heard anything about Anna when Baraka started barking, and I realized a blue Ford had pulled into the yard. “Who’s here?” Jason asked from the couch.
“Howard.”
I had the backdoor open by the time Howard reached the top step. “How’s Jason doing?” he asked as he came into the kitchen.
I didn’t have to answer. Jason came through the doorway asking questions. “Is she gonna live? Did they have to give her more blood? I tried to stop the blood, really I
did.”
“She’s going to be fine,” Howard assured him. “And she thanks you for saving her life.”
“Really?” Jason beamed and came closer.
“I was able to see her for just a few minutes,” Howard said. “She did lose a lot of blood, but the doctors said it could have been worse if you hadn’t used that sweater and pushed against the wound. I’m proud of you.”
“Maybe I’ll be a doctor when I grow up,” Jason said, sounding sure of himself.
“You’d be a good one,” Howard said, then looked at me. “I saw your husband. He stopped by the hospital to check on Sandy and also to talk to the boy’s mother. Daniel Hart won’t be going home for a while. Besides hitting that deputy, seems he has a felony conviction and wasn’t even allowed to own a gun.”
“Is Danny gonna be all right?” Jason asked.
Howard sighed and patted Jason’s shoulder. “He’ll live, but I don’t know what his face will look like. He’s going to have a scar—” Howard traced a line across his face. “And he’s lost an eye. What a shame.”
“I hope his mother can get him help,” I said. If she didn’t, I had a feeling the boy would grow up as mean as his father.
“Well, I need to be heading home. I’ve got a friend visiting, and we’re working on a project, but I wanted to let you know what was up.” Howard stepped toward the door, then paused. “Wade said to let you know he’d be heading home soon. Seems he has one more matter to take care of.” Howard grinned. “Good thing you grabbed him when you did.”
His last statement had me puzzled, but he didn’t elaborate. One hour later, I had my answer.
Chapter Thirty-Six
The first thing Wade did when he came into the house was pick up his son and give him a hug. A long hug. Too long, according to Jason who began to wiggle in his dad’s arms. “I’m okay, Dad,” he said. “I’m okay.”
Wade finally set him back on his feet. “Yes, you are.” He tousled Jason’s hair. “Now, go upstairs. I want to talk to P.J., in private.”
“Oh oh.” Jason looked at me. “You musta done something bad. That’s what Daddy always said to Mommy when she did something bad.”
I looked at Wade, but he said nothing, simply motioned for his son to scoot. Once Jason was upstairs, Wade took my hand and led me into the living room. “Sit,” he ordered and motioned at a spot on the couch.
I sat, and he sat beside me. I still had no idea what was up, but I knew from the big sigh he gave that he was upset. Finally, he took my right hand in his and said, “When were you going to tell me?”
“Tell you what?”
“That she was harassing you. That she cornered you in the grocery store.”
“Oh.” Now I understood. “You mean Marge. I didn’t say anything because it wasn’t that big a deal.”
“What about running you off the road. I think that qualifies as a big deal.”
That surprised me. “She was the one?”
“I suspected as much Sunday. When I was at her place, I noticed red paint on her right front fender. I hoped it wasn’t her, but today when I confronted her, she confessed.” Wade shook his head. “She told me she was just trying to scare you, that she didn’t mean for you to go into the ditch. As if saying that made everything all right. As if . . .” Wade expelled a long breath. “My god, P.J., you should have told me that she has been watching you. Stalking you.”
“I didn’t realize she was.” But now it seemed reasonable.
“Howard said he’s seen a silver Honda car go by here several times over the last few weeks.”
“I didn’t notice. Really. I’ve been so busy getting those taxes finished for my clients, I haven’t had time to look outside, much less keep track of cars going by.”
“So, you had no idea?”
“I remember Howard saying something about a car going by, but last week was the first time I really noticed something strange.”
Wade said nothing, but the way he looked at me, I knew he wanted me to explain.
“There was a car parked by the side of the road, up toward Howard’s place. I saw it when I let Baraka out. I couldn’t figure out why it was there, and when it left, it went by here really slowly then sped up. That bothered me a little.”
“But not enough to mention it to me.”
“Other things were going on, Wade. I forgot about it. After all, it simply could have been someone having car trouble.”
Wade shook his head, and I realized I should have mentioned it, especially since the house had been broken into a couple times.
“What about yesterday?”
“What about it?”
“One of the clerks at the grocery store told me what she’d seen and heard. She said Marge had you cornered over in the vegetable section.”
I smiled, remembering. “She made me buy a head of cauliflower instead of a box of mac and cheese.”
He frowned. “Cauliflower?”
“It’s not important.” I took Wade’s hand in both of mine and brought his fingertips to my lips. “Honey, she upset me, but only because she sounded so desperate. What does upset me is she was waiting for me last Wednesday night, that she caused me to go off the road. Our baby could have been hurt by what she did.” The more I thought about it, the angrier I got. “What are we going to do about her?”
“In a way, that’s up to you.” He paused to kiss me. “She did confess to running you off the road, and we have witnesses of her harassing you and stalking you. If you want, we can press charges. Otherwise, I want her served with a restraining order. I don’t want her anywhere near you or me.”
“A restraining order sounds good.”
Wade nodded. “After the talk she and I had today, I don’t think she has any delusions of romantic feelings on my part, and I’ve told the sheriff I don’t want her assigned to any investigations I’m on.”
“Will she lose her job?”
“I don’t know, and I don’t care.”
I snuggled close to him. “I don’t think we need to press charges, not unless she breaks the restraining order. Okay?”
He agreed, and I felt it was time to tell him my concerns. As concisely as I could, I explained what was going on with Anna. “She planned on showing the other members of the board the doctored bank statements last night during their regular board meeting, but she didn’t show up. I had an email from her earlier yesterday afternoon. She said Madeline Welkum wanted to see her before the meeting. Anna said she’d let me know how the meeting went. She didn’t mention anything about having labor pains. Connie hasn’t heard from her, and she checked to see if Anna had been admitted to either of the hospitals. She hasn’t been. Connie also checked Anna’s house. She’s not there. Anna’s not answering her phone. So, where is she? What happened to her between when she sent that email yesterday to now?”
“Where was she the last time you knew?”
“At the charity house. Laura, the receptionist, saw her there Monday afternoon. Anna told Laura she would leave her a note and let her know how the meeting went.”
“And what time was that?”
“I’m not sure.” I tried to remember what Laura had said. “Maybe five o’clock. Sometime around then.”
“And this Laura hasn’t heard anything from her?”
“No.” I leaned back against the couch, exhausted from worry. “I know this sounds crazy, Wade, but I feel she needs my help.”
I felt him tense. “How can you help her?”
“I don’t know.” I turned my head so I could look at him. His body language relayed his feelings about me getting involved in other people’s problems, yet I couldn’t stop myself. “I just feel I need to go to the last place where she was seen, to the Homes4Homeless office.”
He started to say something, but I stopped him. “Don’t tell me to let law enforcement take care of this. There’s no evidence of a crime. There’s nothing you or Kalamazoo’s Safety Officers could do.”
“Or you.”
“
I want to go.”
Chapter Thirty-Seven
An hour later, Jason, Wade, and I were in his Jeep headed for Kalamazoo. Wade had finally agreed that it wouldn’t hurt to at least stop by the charity’s offices and see if I could learn anything about Anna. After that, the three of us would go out to dinner.
First thing I noticed when we pulled up in front of the charity office was Anna’s car wasn’t one of the two in the parking lot. “Looks like she isn’t here,” I said, “but maybe someone has heard from her.”
Wade pulled into the lot and parked next to the walkway that led to the building. “Do you want me to come in with you?”
I considered the idea for a moment, then shook my head. “No, let me go in and see what’s up. I shouldn’t be long.”
I slid out of the Jeep, but before I closed the door, he said, “If you’re not out in ten minutes, we’re coming in. I know how you women start gabbing, and Jason and I are getting hungry. Right, partner?”
“Right,” Jason agreed from the backseat.
I wasn’t particularly hungry, but I also didn’t plan on “gabbing” with anyone. “I’ll make it quick,” I assured my two males.
Quick, however, was not a word that described a nine-months-pregnant woman. It had only been a little over a week since I’d last gone up the steps to the front porch, but I was panting by the time I reached the decking. I paused for a moment to catch my breath and mentally plan what I would say once inside. Although it was past five o’clock and the office was technically closed, the two cars in the lot gave me hope that someone would come to the door when I knocked.
Turned out I didn’t need to worry. The front door wasn’t locked. I opened it and walked inside.
Laura wasn’t at the receptionist desk, but the door behind her was open and I could hear a shredder running in one of the back offices. “Hello!” I called out. “Anyone here?”
The shredder stopped and a moment later a woman I’d never seen before stepped out of Jewel’s office. Her shoulder-length black hair was a tangled mess, and she had dark smudges of mascara under her eyes. Her face had a sallow, unhealthy look, and the magenta wool turtleneck and gray slacks she had on clung to her thin body. From her looks, I assumed she was one of the homeless the charity was helping.
