The Hammett Hex

by Victoria Abbott

  Who would want to bug our conversation? Why? Did Gram have a secret that was putting all of us in danger? What could it possibly be?

  I had not the slightest idea where that danger was coming from. But I couldn’t believe it was some old photo album.

  I sat on the end of the bed and Asta climbed onto my lap. I missed Walter at that moment more than ever, but this shy little creature had already wormed her way into my heart. Apparently it was mutual. I sure felt loved.

  Officer Martinez said, “Well, if you think of anything else, let us know.”

  I said, “You’re not leaving. You can’t leave us alone in this house with the back door useless.”

  She said, “You’ll be talking to detectives soon. Another team of evidence techs has just arrived too. Once they’re finished, you can get the door fixed. I’ll see if my colleague needs help in the search.” Her tone implied that Nordstrom would need help. “Sorry I got called away before. I feel bad. We won’t leave you until the door is settled. Like I said, if you think of anything else. This time I’ll give you my card with my cell and my e-mail so you can get in touch if anything new happens.”

  Oh sure. Like you could stop an attack with a card.

  CHAPTER FOURTEEN

  Follow the money.

  —The Kelly Rules

  AFTER OFFICER MARTINEZ went off to investigate, I said to Gram, “I don’t think you should stay here. It’s obviously not safe.”

  “Don’t be silly.”

  “No, really. You’ll be safer with us. We’ll take you to our hotel. We have a suite. Tons of room and Asta can come too. If they let Zoya out of the hospital, does she have anywhere to go?”

  “Zoya? No. I told you she’s alone in the world. Tragic life.”

  “Right. Well, there will be room for her too.” There were two queen-size beds in Tyler’s room and a king-size bed in mine, plus the pull-out sofa in the living room area. We could house a convention in that suite.

  “Don’t be silly. What about my birds? We’ll all be more relaxed here.”

  Relaxed? After the day we’d had? Of course, we’d have no choice but to stay in the house with her. We could hardly leave her alone with her birds unless we hired a security company. Although that was starting to seem like a good idea even if we did stay.

  I said, “Well, we’ll stay too, of course. But I think we need to improve our defenses.”

  Tyler would be a good defense. What was taking so long? As he wasn’t answering his cell phone, I needed to do something. I hurried downstairs and asked Officer Martinez for the names of reputable alarm companies.

  “We’re not really allowed to give out—”

  “Of course,” I said, barely managing not to roll my eyes. “I should have realized. Do you have an alarm system?” She looked like the type who had everything together.

  “Yes.”

  “What kind?”

  With the name of her alarm company at hand, I headed back upstairs and I took the liberty of calling to have a system installed. Despite the time of night, I did reach a human being. The alarm company said they would try to get an emergency installation for us first thing in the morning. Fingers crossed.

  Next I asked Gram if she had a handyman and was relieved to learn that she did.

  “Now why didn’t I think of that?” she said. “You must call Gus and the boys.”

  I called and explained about the back door and the police. Gus earned my gratitude by saying, “I’m coming now. I’ll keep an eye on things for Mrs. Jean. What kinda crazy world is this?”

  I thanked him profusely. I felt a little bit better about this whole crazy situation thanks to Officer Martinez and Gus. But where was Smiley?

  Gram patted her hair. “That Gus,” she murmured, “he’s such a flirt.”

  “How about a nice cup of hot chocolate before bed? Or herbal tea?” I said.

  She chose the herbal tea.

  I had one too. Who knew what else was in store that night?

  Gram said, “With Gus on the job, we can all relax. Smart girl, you thinking of calling him.”

  “Thank you, but really you gave me his name and I just—”

  “Smart girl,” she repeated.

  I was happy to help her out. She didn’t seem to need all that much taking care of. I headed downstairs with Asta at my heels. Apparently we were now bonded.

  A banging at the front door brought Officer Martinez to the front of the house. She looked down at the wizened little man in the overalls in front of her. The badge sewn on his shirt pocket said, “GUS.”

  “I’m Gus,” he boomed at her. How could such a small man have such a big boom? “You Jordan? How is—”

  She arched one perfectly groomed eyebrow. “I’m Officer Martinez.”

  “I’m Jordan,” I said, hurrying up behind. “She’s pretty good, considering. Thanks for coming, Gus. I know she really appreciates it. I’m not sure when the police are going to be finished with the crime scene. I think they’re treating it seriously because of the violent home invasion.”

  Martinez gave me a dismissive look. “We take all crime seriously.”

  “No question.”

  “Who’s gonna do such a crazy thing to a nice old lady like Mrs. Jean? Guess I better see the damage,” Gus said.

  “Won’t be long before you can have access,” the officer said.

  I was glad Gram hadn’t heard him call her a nice old lady. It must have been a one-sided flirtation. I said, “It’s the garden door in the kitchen. The glass was broken and it looks like it was kicked off the hinges.”

  Gus said, “Hoh boy,” and shook his small bald head. As he was shaking, a pair of crime scene techs headed out. “All yours now,” one of them said.

  I turned to Martinez. “That was pretty fast.”

  She said, “They made it a priority because of the age of the victim. And the fact there was an earlier attack with an injury too.”

  “Oh. I’m glad they could do that.” I wondered if some of that priority was because Tyler was also a police officer.

  Gus said, “I know that door. I installed it. Thought it was good enough. I’ll get a better one, that no tank could get through.”

  “I’ll go with you. Mrs. Huddy wants me to bring her an herbal tea.”

  Gus laughed. “Oh yeah, usually gotta have her G and T, that one.”

  And off we went. Gus took some measurements and shook his wizened head. “Gonna be a lot of work. I think we’ll just have to board it up tonight and get a new door tomorrow. And a lock. We need it kick-proof. Crazy crazy.”

  “Do you have to go and get some plywood?” I wasn’t happy about being alone here. What if those men were right outside watching until the police left?

  “Donchu worry nothin’. My boys will get it. Gus ain’t goin nowhere.”

  That was remarkably reassuring considering he was less than five feet tall and sixty if he was a day. Something told me that Gus had been able to look after himself and others all his life. He bellowed something into his phone before turning to me and grinning. The conversation was all Greek to me.

  I waited for the kettle to boil, while Gus paced and muttered. “Who would do this crazy thing?” he said to me. I had the feeling that he might have been talking about payback in his conversation with himself. Maybe the snapping of arms and legs, but that might have been just an impression.

  “I stay here. You don worry, Jordan,” he said. “My boys is coming soon.”

  I made my way back to the front stairs and spoke once again to Officer Martinez. “Thank you.”

  She said, “Someone will be watching the house.”

  “That was what we thought before. I saw the guy and—”

  She looked me in the eye. “You didn’t hear it from me, but it looks like you were right. No one was assigned here to look at this h
ouse. No car. No officer. Nothing and no one.”

  “But I saw him.”

  “Maybe. I don’t know what’s going on. You were under a lot of stress. Lot of traumatic events.”

  “But not crazy out of my mind. I wasn’t traumatized or injured. I’m pretty tough.” Of course, I was wearing a black and white polka dot baby doll dress in not so tough chiffon. “The neighbor across the street was there. She clearly saw that cop too. He was in uniform.”

  “Huh. It doesn’t jive with what I’ve been told. We need to talk to her anyway about the two guys who broke in. She seems to be out a lot.”

  “Right. She’s always trotting around with her baby, but she’ll be back soon. She comes and goes. My point is if he wasn’t a cop officially doing a lousy job guarding this house, then he must have been part of the whole thing. Maybe he was disguised as a cop and keeping an eye out for the guy who kicked the door in. Maybe he was the getaway car.”

  She just had to say “huh” again. “More likely he wanted to get in on the action and prevent more trouble.”

  I said, “But he didn’t prevent anything. Someone kicked in the door! Broke the window!”

  “And no one hurt. Nothing taken. You even got the dog back.”

  “I suppose, but—”

  She leaned in and lowered her voice. “I’m telling you that officer was probably just some lazy old hack ten days from retirement, looking to park and relax a bit. Trust me, some of them get like that. I say get out and give some new blood a chance.”

  I almost said “huh” myself.

  She said, “I’ll see what else I can find out, who it might have been to put your mind at ease. Meantime, I’m staying around until the detectives show up. For all our sakes, I hope it’s before tomorrow.”

  I was starting to like Officer Martinez. Although her partner seemed to have vanished, I was glad she’d be staying. She was all business, a compact figure, no more than five four. Now that I had time to actually notice her, I liked her sleek black hair in the businesslike bun, glowing skin and those beautifully sculpted eyebrows. She was one tough cookie and yet very appealing.

  Her laugh was low and pleasant. “Don’t worry about it. You take the Queen Bee her tea and I’ll keep an eye on things and that includes this Gus guy.”

  Just as I was pondering this second surprising side of Officer Martinez, Gus bombed through the front door, leading a charge of three large, burly men who looked just like Gus except about sixty percent bigger. Each of the big guys was carrying a sheet of plywood, which looked to be about three-quarter-inch thick. I knew from the last time that Uncle Mick’s place was shot up by the cops that a sheet of three-quarter-inch plywood weighs about seventy-five pounds. None of them was even breathing heavily. In fact, they all gave the impression that bullets would bounce off them. All three gave Officer Martinez the eye. Apparently, I was not their type. Asta expressed her outrage by hiding under the hall console table and yapping insults.

  As they marched by, I swear Officer Martinez rolled her eyes, but she also had a vivid red spot on each cheek.

  Gus called out, “Gonna be completely safe in ten minutes and then good as new with a special door tomorrow. You tell Mrs. Jean.”

  “I will.” I ascended the stairs thinking Gram’s kitchen would be “good as new” if new meant the back of your house was boarded up with three sheets of three-quarter-inch plywood.

  “Gus is here,” I said, delivering the tea. I thought it might have gotten cool. I was going to have to learn to speed up.

  She reached for the cup with a gleam in her eye and said, “Gus is the best.”

  “It looks like his three sons are here too.”

  She said, “You mean three of his sons.”

  “Oh. How many does he have?”

  She took a first sip. “No idea. An endless source. Small but mighty, our Gus.”

  I said, “They’re putting up plywood in the back.”

  “I think I hear that. Whatever you can say about Gus’s boys, they’re not shy and quiet.”

  “Well, it should be safe. And Officer Martinez is waiting for the detectives to get here and maybe stay longer. We should be fine until Tyler gets home.”

  I sat down on the chair by the bed. Asta leapt onto the bed, managed to dodge Gram and climbed onto my lap. She was just like Walter only so much lighter. Walter was a little pudge pot. Asta was a bit too skinny.

  “She likes you,” Gram said. “That’s good.”

  And she doesn’t like you that much, I thought. Why is that, I wonder?

  “I’m sorry about your house,” I said. “It’s so beautiful and now all this damage.”

  She shrugged. “It’s only stuff, my dear. You realize that if you’ve lost two husbands, although that does make me sound remarkably absentminded.”

  I laughed in spite of myself.

  Gram continued, “All kidding aside, at least the birds are safe. And Zoya wasn’t killed.”

  “And Asta’s all right.”

  “What? Oh yes. Right, of course. Poor Asta, quite a bad day for her.”

  Asta managed a peevish little yip.

  “Ridiculous creatures, pugs,” Gram said.

  “But they’re . . .” I paused. I wanted to say beautiful, but of course they weren’t beautiful. “Adorable.”

  “Mmm.”

  “And we’ll fix it all up too,” I said. “Tyler’s brilliant at cleanup and renos. It’s a hobby for him. He’s renovating his new house.”

  “Is he? Well, someday this will all be yours.” She gave a grand gesture around the huge bedroom, indicating the elaborate crown molding where the walls met the ceiling, the turret window and the deep bay window with its wooden window seat, and panels of stained glass on the top. I followed her hand, taking in the rich Persian carpet and the oil paintings on the walls.

  “What? You mean it will all be Tyler’s.”

  “Aren’t you part of the package, pet? You seem perfect for each other.”

  I smiled. How could she know that? She hadn’t seen him since he was a child and she knew nothing at all about me.

  Perhaps she read my mind. “Well, you seem to be. Why don’t you tell me about yourself?”

  I hesitated because, of course, much of me is not public knowledge and I’d like it to stay that way. Still, I could leave out large chunks. She was an old lady and she’d had a rough day. No need to worry.

  “I’m from Harrison Falls, New York, which is where I first met Tyler. He was on the police force and I had just started working for Vera Van Alst, a wealthy book collector.”

  “You never left your hometown?” she asked. It was probably my imagination that her eyes glittered.

  “Sure, I went off to college. I still plan to go back to complete grad school. I’m just building up my funds again.”

  She sipped pensively. “So are you and my boy planning to marry soon?”

  CHAPTER FIFTEEN

  You always need friends. You just don’t always know who they are.

  —The Kelly Rules

  WE HAD NEVER talked about getting married. The fiancée thing was just to give me a bit of status. What did I know about marriage? “My parents died when I was very young. My uncles raised me, so it’s not like I had a model of a happy marriage, although I am sure my parents were very happy.” Of course, I had no idea if they had been or not, and anything my uncles said must be taken with an entire shaker of salt.

  “And you’ll want children?” Have I mentioned that her eyes glittered?

  “Maybe someday. I like them, but I still have a lot to do, finish my education . . .” And figure out if Smiley and I can make a go of it.

  “There’s nothing like little ones,” she said.

  I realized that her eyes weren’t glittering. Those were tears. “First they’re beautiful little blond creatures singing and da
ncing and blowing kisses, and then in what seems like no time, they’re happy to never see you again.”

  I stared at her. There was pain in her voice.

  She said, “And they’ll take people you love with them.”

  “Tyler?” I said.

  “It didn’t matter what I said or did, my son couldn’t forgive me for getting married again.”

  I tried diplomacy. “Unfair, but perhaps he was thinking about his father’s memory.”

  Diplomacy didn’t get me far.

  She snorted and the herbal tea swirled in the china cup. “If he was, it was the first time he ever did. He was thinking of the money, more like it. Money was always so important to him and his wife. But money isn’t everything, you know. Do you think it was at all fair to that child to be cut off from me?”

  “Do you mean that the reason you couldn’t see Tyler was because of money?” I suppose that my tone showed that I found this hard to believe. Which I did.

  “That’s exactly what I mean. And in case you think I imagined it or attributed motives to Tyler’s parents, my son told me that to my face. If I married William, I wouldn’t see Tyler again.”

  I gasped. But I still wondered if it was true. What kind of person would say such a thing?

  She said, “He was convinced that William was after my money. Such hogwash. I had my late husband’s insurance and the proceeds from the sale of the house and a bit of savings and family heirlooms, that was all. Small potatoes. He said William would clean me out and leave me high and dry. He even asked if I wanted to end up begging on the street. How’s that for confidence in your mother?”

  “Whoa.”

  “Whoa indeed. Of course, I didn’t believe him for a minute. Tyler’s father was always a bit of a brat, you know. And Tyler and I were so close that I couldn’t believe he’d do that to his son.”

  “But he did?”

  “They did. My daughter-in-law may have been the motivating force, who knows. But my letters were always marked ‘Return to sender.’ The telephone was never answered. Nothing.”