Criminally Spun Out: Book 5 of the Fiber Maven's Mysteries

by J. Traveler Pelton

  “Is Annie going to be ok?”

  “We sure hope so. Thanks for being observant.”

  Brad entered the back office and spoke to the researcher. In short order, she had pulled up all older SUV’s, gold colored or brown, with license plates beginning in 43J. There were none locally, but one had been reported as missing in Columbus about six weeks ago. In the statement of the man who had made the report, he couldn’t remember if he had told a lady he was with if he had given it to her or he had left it somewhere or it had actually disappeared. His name was Charles Alimani and now he was serving time for drug possession. The case, understandably, was on a back burner. He put through a call and reported it had been used in a breaking and entering case here and that was added, the case bumped up and an alert out to watch for it.

  Brad checked the case file and found out where the old shack was located. He picked up Rutherford and a couple of the babies’ shirts from home and headed out.

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  Annie stirred. Her eyes fluttered and her pulse went up. The watching nurse spoke to Casey.

  “Mrs. Malcom, talk to Annie. She’s starting to pull out of the coma and talking to her will give her an anchor to come back up and grab.”

  “Annie, Annie, wake up, this is Mom. I need you Annie. Come back to me.” Annie stirred as if fighting to wake up, she started to breathe faster and deeper and she made a grumbling noise in her throat.

  “That’s it, honey, fight back! Push your eyes open, you’re in the hospital, don’t worry about dreams, you’re here, I’m here, you wake up.” Casey squeezed Annie’s hand.

  Her head started to move back and forth and she took several deep breaths. Suddenly her eyes opened, and she gasped. “Mom, Mom? The babies? Where am I?’

  “That’s enough, young lady,” said the nurse. “Here, take two deep breaths and swallow a gulp of this. You’ve been unconscious for five days. Take it slow.” She held a straw up to Annie’s mouth and Annie took a couple small sips.

  “Mom, the babies. Last thing I remember I had set up the table to change Enya and Kai. I heard the door upstairs so I knew Alan might be coming down and I wanted to get them changed before he got there, so I unhooked the seats from the stroller and sat it on the end of the table, and started to unhook Kai, who was fussing, and I heard a noise and thought someone was coming from the class, so I turned. There wasn’t anyone there, but I turned back and I felt a crash and I don’t remember anything else until now. Are the babies safe?”

  “Don’t worry about the babies,” said the nurse. “You just sip a little water and rest. You’ve got quite the concussion.”

  Casey spoke to Annie. “Annie, did you see anyone, anyone at all?”

  “What happened?”

  “Annie, the babies have been kidnapped. They hit you with something and knocked you out. The police are looking for the babies, but had Alan not come down when he did, you could have died there on the floor.”

  Annie’s eyes were wide open now. “Kidnapped. MY little sibs?”

  “We’ve got the FBI and the sheriff and Brad all out doing their best, but we hoped you’d seen someone or something.”

  “I just heard a shuffling noise. I saw,” her forehead wrinkled. “Man! Thinking hurts!”

  “You ought not be trying too hard,” cautioned the nurse. “You can’t get excited right now, you’re still quite fragile.”

  “I just saw a hand in a glove, a white glove. It was a glimpse, that’s all. She had long sleeves. And then my head got hit. Mom, we have to find the babies.”

  “We are finding the babies. I’ll let Brad know what you saw and he’ll add it to the other facts and we will find the babies.”

  “Mom, I’m so sorry. If I’d been more alert, I could have maybe stopped this but I was thinking about a bunch of stupid stuff and I just wanted to get the diaper changed and get back to talk to Andy.”

  “You couldn’t have stopped a determined kidnapper, and you would have been killed and I’d be mourning three children instead of two. You have to rest now; your brain needs rest.”

  “My head hurts.”

  The nurse spoke, “I can give you something for that, but we want you to drink some juice. You’re on clear liquids for now and you need to slowly wake up the rest of your body. So just apple juice or jello for now. Doctor will be here shortly.” She left the room to call in her report to the physician, Dr. Michaels.

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  “Now, now, baby, that’s ok, stop crying, I’m getting your bottle warm,” crooned the older lady. She brought over a bottle of formula and was dismayed when the little boy spat it out. “Why won’t you settle down like your sister? Tommy, you’ll never grow big and strong that way. See dear little Sheila? She ate her bottle and she’s asleep. Do you have a dirty diaper? Is your tummy bothering you?” She patted the little boy on the back as he struggled and fought her embrace.

  “Now, you just need to stop that noise. You’ll wake the neighbors,” she said sternly. “You’ll wake your sister. If you would just take your medicine, you’d sleep so much better.” She tried to put a dropperful of Benadryl into the child’s mouth, but he spat it out and continued his tantrum.

  “All right then, I guess I have to put you back in the closet so you won’t wake sissy.” She moved over to the closet which was standing open, a baby gate across the front and blankets on the floor. “Maybe you’ll be hungry when you get up.” She turned off the light and shut the door to the baby’s crying. He got louder for a few minutes and then the noise subsided.

  The older woman smiled to herself. “It’s so good to have you both back,” she murmured. “You’ve been gone so long. I should have realized the government had taken you away. I didn’t think for a moment you were dead. That was all nonsense. But we’re together as a family again, Jim will be home soon, and he’ll just love that you’re back.” She looked at a picture of her husband that sat on top of a small spinet organ. “Doesn't he look fine in that uniform. He’s going to be so surprised at how big you’ve gotten. Oh, I have my hair appointment. I’ll just be sure to lock the door. Getting my hair cut won’t take long and the babies will just sleep like angels until I get back. I’ve got their bottles set up in the fridge and I’ve got their new outfits laid out for after their baths. I do wish Tommy would get used to the house. It’s hard to know what those government agents did to him while he was gone.” Putting on her sweater and locking her front door, she started down the front walk.

  “Good day, Mrs. Bayou. How are you this fine fall morning?” she greeted.

  “I’m just fine and on my way to the shoe store. You weren’t at the last class and I worried you might be ill?”

  “Oh, no, just busy. I’m on my way to have my hair done, and then I have a full afternoon. I have to admit I haven’t been sleeping as well as I usually do but that will adjust soon.”

  “You’re an inspiration!” smiled Betsy. “Always with something to keep you running along. If I ever make it to retirement, I hope I’m at least half as busy. And you garden was lovely this summer: I see you've got it all cut back for winter now.”

  “Oh, yes, otherwise my mums won’t come back next year. Well, good day.”

  “You, too, dear.”

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  Brad walked around the small house with his dog Rutherford. The cottage sat back from the road and the description he was given by the Columbus detective about it being a shack didn’t fit; had there not been crime scene tape across the front, he’d have thought they’d gone to the wrong address. He moved up closer and walked around the building. It needed paint; it hadn’t been lived in for years and the grass was high, but it was structurally sound. Rutherford dashed around, back and forth, front and back and side yards, looking for a scent. He came back to Brad. The back door was unlocked and they went in, saw the evidence of the investigation, and continued to snoop.

  They went upstairs and, except for a lot of dust and evidence of mice, it was pretty
much the same. There had at one time been pictures on the walls and full closets, but except for a few hangers, there was nothing here. He went back downstairs and walked around, the dog shadowing him, nose to ground. It didn’t appear as if this place had been entered for years. He went back outside to the back porch, closed the door and jumped when someone said his name.

  “Officer Malcom?” said a deep voice. He turned. Rutherford started to growl, but his tail began to wag, and he sat down.

  “Aaron! What are you doing here?”

  “I thought I was apprehending a burglar,” he teased. “Bishop asked us to keep an eye out on the old place here. Lots of police here early this week, and now yourself, but no one has found anything. I am so sorry about the kinner.”

  “I appreciate it. Did Amish used to live here?”

  “Nay, a widow lady lived here, bereft and sad for many years alone until church folk came and moved her into town. Our women used to bring her a basket of food every couple of weeks. The widow would grow flowers and make arrangements of dried flowers she sold at the old craft store. My wife sees her occasionally in town and she looks a lot better now that she’s in among her own folk and not alone.”

  “I see. So, no one has been here in years?”

  “Not until the police all showed up. And yourself. We have you in prayer and hope the kinner are found.”

  “If you see or hear anything,” began Brad.

  “I’ll call the sheriff’s office but this must be a dead end. The lady lives in town who used to be here. Her husband got killed in Vietnam, I think it was. Our Hannah sees her in the yarn shop. She’s quiet but always seems to be busy on a project. I think she plays organ.”

  Brad came off the porch. “Thank you for your time,” he said, looking back at the house. “It’s actually not a bad little house.”

  “Nay, it isn’t, but the widow won’t sell it. Said she might need it someday.”

  “I suppose that’s possible.”

  Aaron inclined his head and turned to walk away.

  Brad walked back to his car and turned back to look again. “Can’t help but think there is something here I am not seeing, Rutherford. This used to be owned by Alice and Jim Stoneman. I think I’ll find out where she moved to. Let’s go, boy.” The dog jumped into the back seat and lay on the bench. He whined. He held the babies’ shirts between his paws protectively.

  “I know, old man. I miss them too.”

  Chapter Twenty-Eight

  Brad came back to the office with Rutherford. He sat down by Erik.

  “Checked out the cottage. Any idea about where the lady who owns it lives? Named Stoneman?”

  “Name does not strike a bell. Let me look it up. The car the suspect was driving was possibly stolen.”

  “Marvelous.”

  “It will show up. How’s Annie?”

  Brad’s phone went off. “That’s Casey. Give me a second. We’ll both know.”

  He answered his phone. “Hey. What? She is? Great! Did she say anything” White glove and verified it was a woman. Nothing else? Fine. We’re making headway. Keep up your courage. While she’s napping, you nap, everything is fine here, I’ll be over tonight. Love you, too.”

  He hung up the phone just as Thom came in. “Brad, got something you need to look at. I think I found out how the babies got smuggled out.”

  “What?”

  “Come on over to the hobby store. I didn’t touch anything.” Rutherford and Brad trotted beside a visibly upset Thom and made it the two blocks down in record time. Thom led him to the back storage room.

  “I don’t know why I didn’t think about this when all those lab guys were here. You remember when the mess with quilts happened and someone had busted in back here? I locked it up tight except for deliveries. Well, I came down to meet a truck coming in with Christmas stock and found the door jimmied.”

  “What?” asked Brad. Rutherford was at the door, scratching and pushing.

  “Back! Now! Sit! Stay,” barked Brad. he went to the door. It pushed open easily. Rutherford whined. “Rutherford is confirming for me the babies were here,” he commented. “Looks like they came back here, unlocked it from inside, and came back maybe later that night. Any women in your shop the day of the kidnapping?”

  “Several came in to get their husbands and leave.”

  Brad released Rutherford to go outside to check for smells. He ran back and forth, stopped and picked up something. He brought it back to Brad and sat. Brad drew a deep breath.

  “It’s Enya’s pacifier. See, at the baby shower, someone had personalized a set for them both. It says Enya,” his voice got husky. “I’m calling in the lab guys. Would you go shut down the store after they get here?”

  “Closed sign is already up.”

  Brad made the call and in short order the lab truck and four techs showed up and started going over the basement.

  “Looks like they were loaded up in back and the car drove off. Are there security cameras back here?”

  “Yes, and I pulled the tape from that night but the light was out back here for some reason and it’s pretty dark. The shop ladies were all parked over here and entered the shop for class over there. I pulled the tape for the one from the store as well. Hope it helps.”

  Brad nodded to him. He and Rutherford left the store to the lab techs and walked back to station.

  The dispatcher looked up. “Found out that 12 years ago, the women of first church rescued a widow lady from loneliness and moved her into one of the Carmichael’s rentals next to Betsy Bayou and her husband. Only one who remembers would be Sophia, I think and maybe Rosemary. They’ve retired from the First Church ladies’ group, but bet they’d recall something like that.”

  “Looks like that’s my next interview.”

  Erik came in and listened. “Maybe I’ll come along. Those women have a way of worming out of someone more info than they give. I want them to realize who’s interviewing whom.”

  Brad nodded with a small smile.

  Chapter Twenty-Nine

  David and Emory sat next to each other with the police sketch artist working on a picture of the lady at the door.

  “She had that funny blue hair old ladies get,” he said. “It was short and curly. I wasn’t close enough to see her eyes.”

  “She had on an old lady dress and it was burgundy, and she had on white gloves,” Emory stated. “I thought she was one of the church ladies coming to see Mrs. A. She had a big purse. Oh, and a hat, sort of small and tilted on her head.”

  “Yeah, that’s right,” said David.

  “But we need more details about her face. Was it round or long or skinny or fat?”

  “She was skinny,” said Emory. “I saw her just a minute before she got in the car, I ran in behind David and Mrs. Atherton and when he took off out the door running for the cops and she turned and looked at us.”

  “She had glasses,” said David. “I saw them as I ran after her and I turned to get Brad. I’d forgot he wasn’t here.”

  Emory nodded. “She did and there were two car seats in the back seat but no babies in them. Her face was sort of thin, and she had wrinkles around her mouth like a puppet, down from her mouth and it was thin too and she had on purply red lipstick. She was sort of hunched over. I just got a glimpse. I don’t know what color her eyes were. She was frowning. And her nose wasn’t that long.”

  David said. “She had a black dot in front of her ear, like a freckle, not a tattoo or anything cool.” He squinched up his eyes and thought. “That’s all I can remember. Her eyes were kinda tilted. That’s all. Is it enough?”

  “Let’s see. Emory, you got a glimpse of her as she was pulling out and while she was walking to her car getting in. You saw her closer up as you were running past, but you both have good memories.” The artist kept tweaking. “Is this anything like her?”

  Both children looked at the sketch. “I think it’s close. Her glasses were sort of not round, more rectangles. Her face was sort of set i
n a frown like smiling was hard.” The artist tweaked a couple more things and finally the children agreed it was close to what they remembered. He sent the picture scan to the computer and made copies to hand out.

  “You kids can run home now.” said Sheriff Black. “Thanks for your hard work.”

  “Is Brad here?”

  “No, he isn’t., He’s out looking.”

  “We can look,” started David.

  “No, you can go back to the parsonage and stay with your mom. She’s pretty shook up. We’re trying to analyze the whiteboard but she had gloves on so won’t be any fingerprints. You need to help your mom see if she took anything. Now get along and don’t dawdle.”

  David and Emory walked out of the station, none too happy, and turned their steps towards the parsonage.

  “All the cool lab guys are gone now,” he grumbled.

  “Yeah, bummer. It was cool working with the sketch artist though. Wonder if I could do that?”

  “Maybe.” They walked in silence a few minutes. “I wonder where Brad’s looking?”

  “I don’t know. I don’t know him very well. Is he actually a good cop?”

  “Sure enough. He’s great, comes to school lunch almost every day and visits and if you got a problem, he’s there and can help. His wife is a shrink.”

  “You kidding. The babies belonged to a shrink?”

  “Yeah, but Casey’s cool. She protects people and stuff. We have got to help get those babies back. I mean, babies are basically worthless but they are sort of cute.”

  “Babies aren’t worthless. They grow up to be real people.”

  “Yeah, but they’re pretty stinky till they know how to use a john.”

  “You think that old lady is the only kidnapper?”

  “I don’t know. She seemed sort of mean, you know. And I bet she was strong enough to carry the car seats.”

  “She left the babies’ car seats outside. They found them. She has her own.”