Claws of Justice

by Emmie Lyn

  I shuddered to think of the consequences for Hitch if he got caught right now. Having the tree would be a double whammy against him in the eyes of the law—revenge for being shot and possession of a valuable item. Some people killed for far less than that.

  Fortunately, I was distracted from those thoughts when Tilly yelled, “I need some help in here!”

  What now? Gina and I raced into the kitchen to find Charlotte half off the chair, limp in Tilly’s arms.

  I quickly supported her dead weight to free Tilly’s arms. She took Charlotte’s pulse. “Slow and weak.”

  For Gina’s sake she said, “I was a nurse in one of my previous lives.” Tilly liked to refer to the variety of adventures she’d lived through as previous lives. I guess she thought it sounded theatrical.

  Charlotte’s eyes fluttered, all color drained from her face except for the slash of pink lipstick. She looked at all of us hovering around her. “What happened? I remember feeling a bit dizzy and then everything went black.”

  “You fainted, dear,” Tilly explained. She turned her sometimes harsh voice to a tone of kindness and patience. “Has that happened before?”

  “Yes. Did I eat anything yet?”

  I glanced at the untouched glazed donut on the table in front of her. Tilly’s chatter had probably distracted her from eating.

  Gina crouched next to Charlotte, taking her grandmother’s hands in hers. “I’m so sorry grandma. I shouldn’t have left you alone, but I didn’t know the line would be so long when I went to get you some orange juice.” She smacked the side of her head. “And, I left it in my car. I’ll go get it. That will make you perk right up.”

  Tilly hovered, fanning Charlotte’s face with her hand. “She’s right, Charlotte. Some juice will take care of that dizziness. Do you think you can sit up now?”

  “I’ll try.”

  Tilly and I managed to straighten Charlotte on her chair. Jasper rested her head on Charlotte’s lap and as she revived, she rewarded my sweet Newfie with gentle strokes on her head.

  When Hitch walked in, he took one look at us supporting Charlotte and assessed the situation. “Sunny, a minute?”

  I followed him into the other room. “You know she can’t stay here alone. Is Gina going to be able to stay with her all the time?”

  I shrugged. How would I know? “I think she’s making it up as she goes. She’s doing her best, but I doubt she had a clue what it meant to bring Charlotte home with her.” I felt a stone drop in my stomach. “I guess we’ll have to help.”

  Hitch gave me a grim smile. “Exactly. Charlotte should go home with Tilly. She has the nursing background and can stay with her until this mess is resolved. Do you think she’ll agree to do that?”

  “Tilly or Charlotte?” I asked.

  “Tilly. I suspect that Charlotte will do whatever Gina tells her to do.” He looked around. “Where is she anyway?”

  “She went to her car to get orange juice.”

  He walked right up to the front window. “I don’t see her.” In a couple strides, Hitch was out the door, checking Gina’s car, and then the street. He slammed a fist into the palm of his other hand.

  I ran outside. “What happened?”

  “I’m not sure, but Gina’s gone. I heard a vehicle’s tires squeal around the corner at the end of the street when I came outside, but I didn’t see it.”

  “You think someone kidnapped her?”

  “That makes about as much sense as anything else that’s happened recently, Sunny. And, if that is what happened, it has to be Conrad. He’s the only one who knows that Gina has the bonsai tree. Maybe he was in the process of looking in her car, then he panicked, and grabbed her instead when she came outside.”

  Was this tree worth one life and now, maybe another?

  27

  I slid my phone out of my pocket.

  “What are you doing?” Hitch asked.

  “Calling the police. This is out of control.”

  “You’re right. I just wish they’d send someone besides Officer Walker. I can’t stand that guy.”

  Hitch had a point, but I couldn’t control who arrived after I dialed 9-1-1. I told the dispatcher my location and that Gina Pitman might have been kidnapped.

  Sirens sounded almost as soon as I hit end on the emergency call. Of course, it was Officer Mick Walker who pulled to a stop in front of Gina’s house.

  Hitch rolled his eyes at me, then walked inside. Leaving me to explain the situation to Mick was the smart decision.

  Mick hauled himself out of his SUV and walked up to me with his usual arrogant stride. “I hope this is a real emergency, Sunny,” he said, smirking as he looked from me to the house, “and not some game you and Hitchner are playing.” His insulting tone suggested the worst about me.

  “Do you consider kidnapping to be a real emergency, Mick? Because if not,” I flicked my hands shooing him back to his car, “leave right now and send someone more responsible. Please.”

  The please was an afterthought, but he wasn’t the only one who could play the snark game.

  He pulled his lips across his teeth, as if he was biting his tongue on a comeback. “Kidnapping is a serious crime,” he said. “Are you sure?”

  I glanced at Gina’s car. The bottle of orange juice, still on the passenger seat. “The bottom line, Mick. Gina went outside to get her orange juice. Car’s here, orange juice is here. Gina’s gone missing. Her grandmother is inside, and she needs constant care. Gina came out to get that bottle of orange juice for her grandmother who just had fainting spell and within minutes… no trace of her. Gone. Vanished into thin air. I don’t know how else to explain it.” Explaining the situation to Mick made the whole event more real. And scary.

  “Did you see any suspicious person hanging around?”

  “No.”

  “Any suspicious vehicle? Maybe, a van?”

  “No.”

  “Maybe she decided to take a walk.”

  “Seriously?” Gina thought someone was trying to kill her, but I couldn’t tell that to Mick without explaining why.

  I couldn’t help it, Mick’s tone of voice made me snappish. “I doubt she’d feel like meandering around town just for the fun of it with her grandmother needing so much care,” I said matching him scowl for scowl.

  Okay, Mick had to ask those questions. But my patience, thin before he’d arrived, reached my limit.

  Mick walked away, talking into his radio. I tuned him out. I could only hope they’d figure out how to find someone who’d disappeared without a trace. I walked around Gina’s yard, thinking and kicking the dirt absent mindedly. Was there anyone besides Conrad who might want Gina out of the picture? Maxine? Or, was it possible that Gina just took off because this was all more than she could handle? She couldn’t get far on foot, though. And, the bonsai tree.

  I grabbed the orange juice from her car and went inside. All of this would be hard, no impossible, for Charlotte to understand. But that’s who needed our attention first.

  “Are you feeling a little better now, Charlotte?” I heard Tilly ask when I got inside. They sat next to each other on the couch with Jasper’s head resting on Charlotte’s lap.

  “Yes. Is that girl still here?” She looked around. “Where is she?”

  “She had an errand to run, but she asked me to bring in your orange juice. Would you like a glass?” I held up the bottle, got a puzzled look from Tilly, but a nod from Charlotte.

  “That would be very nice, dear. Thank you.”

  I was happy to see that Jasper was enjoying the constant ear massage.

  “Where’s Hitch?” I asked Tilly wondering how he could disappear in this small house.

  “He came inside without saying one word. I helped Charlotte to the bathroom, and then I heard the back door close. She stood up and pulled me away from Charlotte. “What’s going on? Where is Gina? And, did I hear a siren pull up?”

  Charlotte seemed content sitting with Jasper, so I nodded for Tilly to follow me to
the kitchen. “Gina’s missing,” I said urgently as soon as we reached the other room. “I called 9-1-1, and Mick is outside calling for backup I guess. Hopefully, the police will be able to find her.”

  “Is this Mick’s lucky day?” Tilly asked with more than a touch of sarcasm. “I’m not sure that guy can find his gun when it’s in its holster strapped around his waist.”

  “Well, I had to do something. This is completely out of control. I wish I knew what Hitch is planning to do. I don’t want him to get into trouble.”

  Then I had a sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach. “Did he go upstairs?” I asked Tilly.

  I didn’t wait for an answer. I shoved the orange juice into her hand and darted for the stairs. I tripped in my haste to get to the top but managed to keep from falling. One door was half open, so I looked inside I checked the only other room, just to be sure. A tiny piece of evergreen lay on the floor along with some scattered dirt, but the bonsai tree was gone.

  Great. Hitch took the tree. Why would he do that?

  I raced back downstairs. “Let’s get Charlotte in Gina’s car and drive her to your house. Quick,” I said to Tilly. “If I can find the keys.”

  Tilly, for once acted instead of spending any time questioning me. “Shall we go for a ride, Charlotte? Gina will come later.”

  Well, that was probably a lie, but Charlotte’s memory was such that she might not remember.

  Tilly, stronger than her slight build suggested, looped her arm around Charlotte’s waist and steadied her as they walked to the door. “You know, I have my special car outside. It’s lime green and shaped like a bug. Want to ride in that today?”

  “Oh. That sounds like fun, I love green.”

  Charlotte was a sweetie. I could see why Gina was so concerned about her and it made less sense that she’d walk away and leave her grandmother after just moving her into her house. I’d only just met her, and I wanted to do everything possible to help her. I stopped hunting for Gina’s car keys.

  Jasper walked out first. Mick was near the road talking with other police officers. Good, maybe they’d find Gina while Tilly and I took care of Charlotte. The only problem was that their vehicles had us blocked in.

  “Get Charlotte in the car. I’ll talk to Mick about moving out of the way,” I told Tilly.

  “No, you get her in. I’ll talk to Mick,” Tilly said. “I know exactly what will get them to move.” She grinned her Tilly-loves-this-game grin and walked toward Mick.

  “Mick, honey?” She raised her hand and waved to get his attention. I pretended I wasn’t watching, but I managed to keep an eye on the activity while I helped Charlotte get in the car.

  “We have to take Charlotte to her doctor. Could you move out of the way?”

  Mick looked at Tilly, then at Charlotte and me. “Who’s Charlotte?”

  “Gina’s grandma. She just moved in and, you know, she has a bit of a memory problem. With my nursing background, Gina asked me to keep an eye on her and, well,” Tilly lowered her voice, but I could still just make out her words, “she’s having some incontinence problems.”

  Mick held both hands up.

  “You know,” Tilly continued anyways, “wetting her pants? I think she might have a urinary infection. The sooner it’s treated, the better.”

  Mick blushed and motioned for one of the other officers to get his car out of the driveway.

  I couldn’t help but snicker at his embarrassment from Tilly’s information overload.

  Mick looked at Hitch’s truck and asked Tilly, “Is anyone inside the house?”

  “Oh, I don’t think so, but the front door’s unlocked if you need to go check. Maybe there are clues to help you find Gina. Poor Charlotte keeps asking for her granddaughter.”

  Tilly tut-tutted and patted Mick’s arm. “I know you’ll do everything possible.” She turned away from him but stopped.

  I held my breath. She’d been perfect, and this was the time to just leave before she blew her act wide open.

  She fluttered her eyelashes like a caricature of a ditzy blonde. “Did you find that missing banana tree yet?”

  Oh, Tilly, you never cease to crack me up. I bent over to buckle Charlotte’s seat belt and hide my laughter, watching the show out of the corner of my eye.

  Mick’s forehead wrinkled in confusion. “What banana tree? Oh… you mean the bonsai tree. Uh, no, not yet. Maxine is about to have a nervous breakdown over it as a matter of fact.”

  He leaned closer to Tilly and dropped his voice. “She told me what the plant is worth, and I almost fell over from the shock. It’s still insured, she told me. So, if it doesn’t turn up, and with Harry dead, someone gets that huge payoff.”

  “Who’s the beneficiary?” I heard Tilly ask, ditching her senile old lady act, but Mick didn’t seem to notice.

  “Bene-who? Oh, I don’t know.” He laughed. “Knowing Maxine, she probably twisted Harry’s arm to make her the beneficiary before—”

  “She killed him?” Tilly said finishing that sentence without a blink of an eye.

  He had to be the most oblivious person I knew. No, make that, oblivious, mean, and without a shred of empathy, which made for one rotten combination in my opinion.

  I bet Maxine was about to have a nervous breakdown. I’d like to get a look at that insurance policy.

  28

  Tilly got behind the wheel of her Volkswagen and slammed the door. It wasn’t hard to tell she was royally ticked off. I thought she knew better by now than to let clueless Mick Walker get under her skin. Although, eventually he had that effect on everyone. Me, included.

  “Did you hear what he said?” she asked me. If Tilly had the ability, daggers would be shooting from her eyes straight to Mick’s heart.

  “Yes, but let’s get to your house,” I said, hoping she wouldn’t start ranting about the missing bonsai tree in front of Charlotte.

  Jasper leaned through the two bucket seats and licked her cheek.

  “Where did you say we’re going?” Charlotte asked, absently patting Jasper. I eased her back next to me where I was squished on the back seat.

  “For a little drive.” Tilly patted Charlotte’s leg. Thankfully, she had returned to the present moment. I relaxed next to Jasper while Tilly chattered away to Charlotte.

  “How’d you like to stop for lunch at my house? Does that sound like fun? I have a great big cat named, Pinky, and Sunny will make us something delicious to eat.”

  “I love cats,” Charlotte said. “And tuna fish. Could we have tuna sandwiches?”

  Tilly glanced at me in the rearview mirror with her eyebrows raised. I doubted she had any in her cupboard.

  “Sure, I can handle that,” I said. “Tuna fish sandwiches with a pickle and iced tea, a meal fit for three charming ladies.”

  Charlotte clapped her hands. “I love an adventure, girls. I can’t wait.”

  And I loved guests who were easy to please.

  Tilly swerved around the corner at the end of Gina’s street, reminding me that I’d vowed never to ride with her again. I sighed. Nothing to be done now except hope she stayed focused and didn’t hit anything.

  “Hey! There’s Hitch.” I tapped Tilly’s shoulder. “Pull over. I’ll walk with him and meet you at your house.”

  I should have said to slow down, first. We ended up with the passenger side tires over the curb, but thankfully, we were in one piece. Tilly opened her door so Jasper and I could squeeze out. I wasn’t sure if it was a mistake to leave Tilly alone with Charlotte, but I had to find out what Hitch was up to.

  “I was hoping you might find me,” he said, waiting for me to catch up to him and draping his arm around my shoulders in a comforting gesture. Jasper plodded along behind us, not bothering to even check any hidden scents. She was ready to be home, too.

  “Where’s the banana tree?” I asked.

  “Huh?” He stopped and looked at me like maybe I’d transformed into a new person since he’d last seen me. “Banana tree? Are we playing eye
spy or something?”

  I told him about Tilly’s conversation with Mick, which got a big snort from Hitch. “That’s one of her better word slip-ups. And, to answer your question, it’s hidden, but I don’t want to leave it where it is for long. I didn’t have many choices since I left on foot in a hurry. It’s awkward to carry.”

  I had to speed up to match my steps with Hitch’s long stride. “Why did you take it to begin with? Do you realize what kind of trouble you’d be in if Mick found you with that tree?”

  Actually, I liked going out for a stroll with Jasper and Hitch. I just wished we weren’t on the hunt for a killer. As Hitch kept reminding me. “Of course, I do, Sunny, but until I know if Gina is safe, that bonsai tree will remain in hiding. Don’t worry, no one will find it.”

  “Mick told Tilly that the insurance policy is still in effect, and if the bonsai tree doesn’t turn up, someone will get a big payment. He even suggested that Maxine twisted Harry’s arm to make her the beneficiary. He thought it was funny.”

  Hitch started walking faster, the urgency of our mission propelling him on. “That’s what Maxine said? I don’t see how that’s possible. The bonsai tree is a living plant. Why would anyone insure it without safeguards in place, forcing the owner to do everything possible to keep it secure?”

  Did I have to be an insurance expert to figure this out? “Like hiring a round-the-clock security guard?”

  “Exactly. And Harry kept records of the temperature and humidity that he sent daily to the insurance company. Plus, the policy cost a fortune to begin with. I never thought of this before, but maybe Harry shot me to make the whole break-in look more realistic. Except that Conrad bolted without the tree. Harry should have prepared him better.” He picked up the pace again. I was getting a little out of breath, but he didn’t notice. He said, “We’ve got to get to your house, get your car, and pick up the tree.”

  “And then what, Hitch? Turn it over to the police and say, yeah, well, we’ve known where it was ever since Gina dropped it off at Sunny’s house but… but, what? Why didn’t we just turn it in when we had the chance?”