by Marja McGraw
Crash!
Bubba went flying down the front steps, urfing his little heart out. I’d never heard a dog make that sound. And it wasn’t easy for a dog his size to move that fast either.
The noise had come from upstairs, but it didn’t scare me. It did, however, make me wonder how someone had found their way into the house. I’d latched the attic window.
“Enough is enough.” I ran up the stairs, ready to put an end to the nonsense. Trying to take them two at a time, I discovered that my legs weren’t long enough to do that, which only made me angrier.
Throwing open the attic door, I spied Miss Kitty frantically searching for a way out. The window was still closed. How had she gotten in? Well, I’d solve that puzzle later.
I set the eggs down and tried to pick her up, but she wasn’t having it. She hissed at me.
“Now, Miss Kitty, you know me. It’s time to go home.” I talked softly and tried to calm her. She hissed at me again. “Okay, we’ll do this your way.”
I unlatched the attic window, and after a few hard thumps with the heel of my hand, it opened. The cat climbed out with a last hiss, directed at me. Pulling hard on the window, I shut and relatched it. With the eggs in hand, I left the attic and met Bubba on the front steps.
“You big baby. All this fuss over a little kitty cat? You should be ashamed of yourself.”
He grinned at me and wagged his tail, having no clue what I was saying.
We headed for Dolly’s house. “Dolly?” I called from the front door.
“Come on in. We’re in the kitchen.”
“Dolly, we have to talk about Miss Kitty. She was in my attic. A few minutes ago I found her up there again. She wouldn’t let me pick her up, so I shooed her out the window.”
“I’ve tried to keep her inside, but every so often she sneaks past me when I open the door.” Dolly sounded apologetic.
She opened her back door, and in walked Miss Kitty, looking quite self-satisfied. That is, until she saw Bubba. She arched her back and hissed at him. He ignored her and slowly approached her, sniffing. Her scent didn’t seem to bother him, which surprised me. He sat down without moving any nearer. She watched him closely, not trusting him.
It looked like a standoff. Bubba slid his rump an inch toward the cat. She hissed and he sat still. He moved another inch, and she quit hissing, watching him intently. She waited him out as long as she could, finally giving in and approaching him. He didn’t move while she checked him out. She took a little swipe with her claws. He still didn’t move. She checked him out a little closer, and sat down, watching him suspiciously. He leaned way down and sniffed her. She looked tense, but she didn’t run away.
They both stood up and moved off in opposite directions.
Chrissy laughed. “I’ve never seen anything like that before.”
“They’re getting to know each other,” Tammi explained. “They’re gonna be real friends pretty soon, Mommy.”
“So, Dolly, it was Miss Kitty, all along.” I felt better now that I could explain what was going on.
“Sandi, dear, I don’t want to tell you how to do your business, you being a private dick and all – ”
“Grandma!” Chrissy glanced at Tammi. “She’s a private investigator. The other word means something else nowadays. You’ve been watching too many old movies.”
“Oh my, you’re right. I’d better be careful.” Her squeaky little voice made the whole conversation too funny.
I cleared my throat before I could say anything, not wanting to laugh. “What were you going to say, Dolly?”
“Well, two things come to mind, if you don’t mind me sticking my nose in.”
“Go ahead.” I was curious what she was thinking. Obviously, she was onto something that I hadn’t thought about.
“Well, first, that one time when you heard the noises you called me, and Miss Kitty was here, not up in your attic. And second, Bubba isn’t afraid of Miss Kitty. Remember, he was afraid to go up to the attic. So I’d tend to think you still might have a problem.”
Oh great! She was right. “Dolly, maybe I should hand my license over to you.”
She grinned. “Well, it’s something I thought of.”
“What’s this all about?” Chrissy asked.
“Oh, it seems everyone thinks I have a ghost or something in my attic. We keep hearing noises, like crashes and babies crying, and someone shredded a couple of antique dresses, and the big wienie dog is afraid to go up there.”
We all turned to look at him. Bubba had fallen asleep on the rug in front of Dolly’s sink. He was down for his early morning nap, one of many, and couldn’t have cared less about the attic at that moment. There were no noises in Dolly’s house, so he felt comfy.
“I guess I’ll have to start back at square one.” I wasn’t happy about the turn of events.
I turned to Chrissy. “How are you this morning?”
“I didn’t sleep much last night, but I still feel better than I have in days. Only now I’m not too excited about going back to that old house. Maybe I won’t try to buy it after all.” She looked pale and tired. A few days with Dolly babying her and Tammi might be exactly what she needed.
“You stay here as long as you want.” Dolly patted her granddaughter’s back. “I’ve always got room for my babies. I love having you two here. We’ll have so much fun, won’t we? And I’ll fix you some of your favorite dinners.”
Chrissy reached back and patted Dolly’s arm.
“Well, since I know you two are in good hands, I’m going home. I have a couple of things to take care of, and then I’ll be heading out to Covina to see if they’ve learned anything new.”
The first thing I wanted to do was call Pete to find out what was going on. Since he hadn’t called back, I was beginning to worry. Huh. Maybe this was an example of why he worried about me.
“Anyway, I’ll check in with you this evening.”
“Sandi, do you think the police might honestly think I did it?” No wonder Chrissy looked so tired. She’d probably worried about that all night.
“No, Chrissy, I don’t think they’re looking at you too hard. If they were, they probably would have made you stay in Covina instead of letting you come here.”
Dolly smiled at her granddaughter. “Now, Chrissy, you know Sandi’s right. Don’t you worry about it.”
“Okay, I’ll see you this evening. If you need me for anything, Chrissy, your grandmother has my cell phone number.”
I nudged Bubba with my toe and he opened one eye. “Let’s go.” He opened the other eye and looked around before standing up and following me home.
“Maybe you can stay with Tammi while I make my trip to Covina this afternoon. Dolly will probably baby you, too.”
I left the dog in the backyard and dialed Pete’s number. It rang twice before it was answered.
“Hello?”
Sounded like Stanley to me. “Stan? Is that you?”
“Sandi?”
“Yeah. Where’s Pete?”
“He’s right here. We’re driving on one of those curvy mountain roads, so I told him I’d answer. The roads are a little slick because the snow’s been melting. I don’t want him to concentrate on anything but getting around the curves.” Stanley sounded odd. I had no doubt that the tic in his right eye was busily bouncing around.
“Ah. Does mountain driving bother you?”
“Yeesssssss,” he hissed. “It’s the wet conditions. I just know we’re going off one of these roads. It’s only a matter of time.”
I could hear Pete laughing in the background. “Stanley, will you quit worrying? We’re not going over any cliff.”
“He’s right, Stan. Pete’s a good driver. Now, tell me what’s going on.”
“Well, they keep a pot of coffee going in the office at the motel where we were staying, so I walked up there to ask if they had tea, too. I’ll be darned if that black truck we’ve been looking for wasn’t parked at the motel. There was a gentleman in the truc
k, and he was preparing to leave.
“So I ran to Pete’s room to wake him up. We didn’t want to lose this person again. We almost did though. Lose him again, I mean. Anyway, Pete dressed in one heck of a hurry, and we jumped into the Jeep he rented and followed the black truck.”
“So you’re following him right now?” I asked.
“Yes, and I sure would like to know where he’s going. He’s on this dangerous mountain road, and he’s driving awfully fast. Of course, Pete is trying to keep him in sight without being too obvious.”
Two lone cars on a mountain road. How could you not be conspicuous?
“Well, like I said, don’t worry about Pete’s driving, Stan. Remember, he was a cop and he knows what he’s doing. He’s had lots of experience. And, if you’re in a Jeep, it’s probably a four-wheel drive.” Stan’s voice tended to rise when he was frightened. He sounded like a soprano at the moment.
“My goodness, Sandi, the man in the truck drives like he thinks he’s invincible. He’s moving so fast. You should see the way he takes these curves.”
“Ask Pete to call me back as soon as you two learn anything, okay?” I knew Pete was a good driver, but I’d still feel better when they were off that road. Pete’s experience was on the streets of Los Angeles, not on wet mountain roads. Stanley’s fear was unsettling to me.
“Okay, Sandi, I’ll… Whhooooaaaa!”
“Stan?” Nothing. “Stan? Are you there?”
Chapter Thirty-five
“Stanley! Answer me!”
The phone was dead. I was shaking as I redialed Pete’s number. Oh, God, please don’t let them be at the bottom of one of those cliffs, I begged.
It sounded like someone answered the phone, but all I could hear was static. Stupid cell phone, anyway. I hung up and dialed again, only to hear a busy signal.
Please, please, please, I begged again.
I dialed the number one last time.
“Hello?” Stanley’s voice sounded shaky.
“Stanley, what happened?”
“I’ll have Pete call you back. The black truck was going too fast and he slid into a tree. I’ve got to call for help.” He hung up.
Thank you, I said, turning my head upward. At least I knew Pete and Stanley were okay. I made a quick request for the life of the guy driving the truck, too.
I was still shaking. They’re okay, I thought to myself. Calm down. Pete will call as soon as he can.
I shoved the cell phone in my pocket and walked around the kitchen a few times before wandering outside to pace the boundaries of the back yard. Bubba seemed to think I was playing, and he began dogging my steps.
“Quit that. I’m not playing.” He hung his head and I could see I’d hurt his feelings. “Okay, we’ll play. Maybe it’ll take my mind off Pete and Stanley. Wait here.”
I made a quick trip into the house and found a ball I’d bought him the day I shopped for his food, realizing as I plucked it off the shelf that I’d meant to keep him all along.
Returning to the back yard, I threw the ball. Bubba turned in the direction I’d thrown it. He didn’t move.
“Go get the ball.”
He sat down and didn’t move. I shrugged my shoulders and walked across the yard, retrieving the ball. Throwing it back in his direction, it rolled against the bottom step and bounced off, coming to a stop. He still didn’t move.
I walked back and picked up the ball. “If I throw this again, are you going to chase it?” He grinned his silly grin at me. “You’re not going after it, are you?”
I sat down on the step and waited for the cell phone to ring. I set the ball on the ground next to my foot. Maybe Bubba didn’t know how to play. I was about to pick up the ball and go back into the house when that mangy mutt picked it up in his teeth and ran with it.
“What the…?”
He stopped and dropped the ball. I stood up and began walking in his direction, and he picked it up and ran with it again. A dog playing Keep Away?
“Okay, now I know you’re a little boy in a dog’s body.” He’d made me smile and forget my problems for a brief moment.
The cell phone rang and I fumbled for it in my pocket.
“Pete?” I knew it had to be him.
“Sandi, we’re okay.”
“Thank God! What happened?”
“The guy in the black truck lost control and slid into a pine tree. He’s out cold, but he’s alive. I did what I could for him while we wait for the paramedics.”
“So now what?” I asked.
“Now we wait for help and follow them to the hospital. As soon as this guy comes to, I’ll ask some questions. There was a hand-drawn map on his front seat with directions to Jack Gless’s cabin. This guy is involved in one way or another.”
“You think he’s the killer?”
“Probably. I know the map doesn’t convict him, but why else would he have that particular map and directions? I’ll get to the bottom of this as soon as he can talk.”
“What about – ”
“Gotta go, Sandi. I hear sirens.”
“Let me know what happens.” My questions could wait.
We hung up, and I turned to Bubba. “Okay, pal, Pete and Stanley are okay. When they come home, you and Pete are going to get along. Period, end of story. Got that?”
My canine cutie dropped the ball at my feet and lumbered off to find his favorite comfy spot under the barbeque table.
“Sorry,” I called to him, “but that’s the way it is.”
He licked his paw and ignored me.
I pursed my lips, shrugged and returned to the house. They’d work it out. It might take some time, but Pete and Bubba would find a way. I was sure that Stanley, at least, was finally warming up to the dog.
I cleaned the breakfast dishes and picked up a few things around the house. I vacuumed and dusted. The physical activity calmed me.
I finished cleaning and sat down at the kitchen table with a cup of hot tea and a pad of paper, needing to see things in black and white in order to make some sense of Frendd’s death. I could only come up with four names to list, and I tried to think of motives to go with the names.
Since the body was found at Chrissy’s house, I listed her first. Motive? She was afraid of Frendd and he’d threatened her daughter by leaving the child’s bracelet as a gift. Self-defense? Even though the first blow had been to the back of his head, I couldn’t help but put it in that category.
The second name on my list was Todd Paley. He was the victim’s stepbrother, and although he’d been protecting him, there may have been some animosity there. Frendd was probably jeopardizing Paley’s job and lifestyle. Paley could have felt that Frendd and his father were cut from the same cloth, which would certainly cause bad feelings between the two.
Next I added Ted to the list. Ted was basically a nerd, according to Dolly. He wouldn’t like what was happening to Chrissy, and he’d want to put a stop to it, but he might not feel up to the task. Frendd had been hit from behind before the second blow to the temple. A coward might use the sneak attack method, and I believed Ted was possibly in that category. I was making an assumption, but it felt right.
The last name on the list was Chrissy’s neighbor, Doug Wilson. He didn’t seem to be a likely candidate, but he had been involved. And he’d told me he was afraid that Frendd would come after his wife. He was also watching Chrissy’s house a good deal of the time, and he might have seen Frendd climb down into the basement.
Was I forgetting anyone? I honestly didn’t think Andy Payne would have anything to do with it. He was across the street at the school, but he hadn’t even known what was going on. And he had no personal interest in Chrissy and her daughter.
The only other people involved were me and Dolly, and I knew we hadn’t been a part of his death dance.
My list wasn’t helping. I needed to talk with everyone. I planned on starting with Doug, but since I had several hours before he’d be home, I decided to try to reach Ted first.
I’d also look into trying to get in touch with Todd Paley. Now there was someone I really wanted to talk to.
Deciding there was no time like the present to get started, I picked up the phone and called Covina Police Department and asked if they could get a message to Lieutenant Johnson. I was told that he was at the station, although on his own time.
My call was transferred to his extension. “Johnson here.”
“Lieutenant, this is Sandi Webster.” I said it tentatively, not sure what type of reception I’d receive. He had to be upset about Paley. I wondered if his being at the station had anything to do with the previous night’s activities.
“Ms. Webster. I’ve been expecting to hear from you. How’s Mrs. Knight doing?”
“She’s shaken, but she’ll be okay. Her biggest worry is whether your investigators are looking at her as a suspect. Are they?”
“Technically, yes. But I talked to Detective Chase this morning, and he’s not taking too close of a look at her.”
“I’m embarrassed to admit I never asked for the details about finding his body. Guess I’ll need to talk to Mrs. Knight about that.”
“I can tell you this much. Mrs. Knight called us because the lights were on in her basement again. Officer Paley responded and found the body there. From what I hear, it sounds like you probably know the rest of the story.”
“Pretty much, although I do have a few questions. But Chrissy will be able to answer those for me. Actually, the reason I called you, Lieutenant, is that I’d like to talk with Officer Paley. I know that you can’t give me his telephone number, but would you give him a message for me? Ask him to call me?”
“This is an open investigation, Ms. Webster. He won’t be able to tell you much.”
“I understand that, but I think there are a few things he could clear up for me without saying anything he isn’t supposed to. Would you give him the message for me? Please?”
He was quiet for a moment, and I didn’t push him while he thought. “Okay, I’ll talk to him, but I won’t guarantee you’ll hear from him. What’s your number again?”
“Fair enough.” I gave him my cell phone number and added that Paley could leave a message if I didn’t answer. I thanked him, very sincerely, for helping me.
