“I can’t take it, the Royals scored again! This game is really getting good. Matt Harvey is not on it tonight though. I suppose it’s not a good plan to listen to it while I’m driving?”
“I can’t believe you even asked, Mike. Move it.”
“Yes, dear. Yeah, I wonder what your two buddies are up to. No, I don’t miss hearing from them, but silence from those two kind of makes me nervous.” Mike opened the driver’s side while I went around the back and let the puppies out. While walking the little ones, I checked in with Adelaide to let her know Mike and I were fine. I apologized profusely for not having called in earlier. She had been watching the Mets game as well but wasn’t sure she could stay awake for the entire game. I promised I would stop over for an early breakfast and a walk in the woods with her, Chloe and the boys. I complimented her on her texting skills before saying goodnight.
“Did you lie to Adelaide?” Mike asked.
“I beg your pardon.” I buckled my seatbelt.
“You told her she has the texting skills of a teenager, didn’t you?”
“Do you have a listening device on my phone?” I asked.
“What if I do?”
“I’m going to report you to Reggie when I see him,” I said.
“He probably planted one on you a long time ago.” Mike glanced at me.
“Eyes on the road while I call Annie.” I pointed ahead.
I checked in with Annie to let her know our whereabouts. She was busily scribing an update for the morning edition of the Soundview Times, including the latest on the railway bombing. I told her we’d found the cameras. Annie had a way of making me forget I was speaking to a journalist, until Mike grabbed my phone.
“Why does that happen?” I asked.
“You fall for it every time.” Mike handed my phone back to me. “Annie’s a slick one.”
My phone barked.
Mike said, “I’ll bet it’s Annie wondering if I snatched your phone when you were in the middle of giving her inside info.”
I looked at the caller ID and of course Mike was correct, it was Annie. No doubt she wanted to include the juicy bit about our recovering the hidden cameras in her article. More than likely she wanted to know if either Cho or Viktor had been captured in any of the photos.
“Are you gonna answer the barking, it’s disturbing the puppies. Look at ‘em, they’re trying to figure out where it’s comin’ from.” Mike took the phone out of my hand, pressed the answer key and said, “Annie, you know better than to ask this stuff before we hand it over to Grady. Laura can get into a lot of trouble. Meet us over at the station and if Grady wants to tell you anything, he will.” Mike put it on speaker.
“Mike, please play nicely with the press,” Annie said.
“I can almost see you smiling, Annie, almost. But I’ll bet you’re sticking your tongue out at me, ‘cause you know I’m not giving you what you’re looking for,” Mike replied.
“Annie, we can’t give you the information. I shouldn’t have even told you we found the cameras. As a favor to me, please keep it out of the article update until you’ve spoken to Grady. He’ll give you the okay and most likely give you what you need before the deadline. Mike and I will be back in twenty minutes, you can wait.”
We both heard a long sigh and then nothing.
Mike whispered, “What does silence mean?”
“She’s thinking it over,” I whispered back.
“You do know even though you’re both whispering I can still hear you, right?” Annie said.
“I forgot, you can hear through walls,” I said with a laugh.
“The two of you! Annie, please wait. We’re almost there,” Mike said.
“Fine, if I’ve waited this long a few more minutes won’t kill the story. Ah, I see you now,” Annie replied.
“I’m turning the game on. What, the Mets are ahead! I can’t believe it! Laura, you go talk to Grady, I’m not moving, my Mets are winning. My Mets are winning!” Mike jumped up and down in the seat.
“Mike, get out of the car, they’ll still be winning once we get inside. I promise.”
Grady ran out the side door of the building, yelling, “Mike, can you believe it, the Mets are winning!”
Annie stood there, recorder in hand, staring at me and said, “You really think I’m going to get a statement now?”
“Um, give them a minute to calm down, then Grady will be happy to talk to you,” I said.
“Laura, this is the World Series and the Mets are ahead in Game One. I don’t think they’re going to calm down any time soon,” Annie said.
Mike had gotten out of the car, he and Grady were doing that guy back slapping, the radio was blaring, and more guys were running outside. Chaos reigned.
“It’s freezing out here, you’d think they’d have the sense to go inside where it’s warm and watch the game on TV,” I said.
“I don’t understand boys,” Annie said. “Maybe if we go inside, they’ll follow us? I’m going in and make some coffee. If they see a journalist going into their clubhouse, it might get them moving,” Annie said with a chuckle.
I followed Annie into the station. We made some coffee, turned on the TV, opened the windows and turned up the volume. It took a few minutes, but eventually they trickled in and we proceeded to stay up way too late for what turned into the longest game in World Series history. It was the most rollercoaster game of emotions interrupted briefly by a short statement from Grady so Annie could submit her updated article in a timely manner. In the end, we were all disappointed but had to admit the Royals had played a fine game. It was an excellent distraction sorely needed by us all.
Chapter 11
I dragged myself into the office the next morning, only to be greeted by a demolition crew tearing down the wall between our existing office and the one next door. A larger space was a terrific idea, but listening to the smashing of wallboard on less than my normal eight hours of sleep was not good. Couple it with being awakened numerous times by restless puppies, and the Mets losing, the day wasn’t off to a great beginning.
Mike had his head on his folded arms, resting on his desk and managed to raise one hand in greeting followed by a grunt. He then pointed to the coffee pot. I bent down and unclipped the leashes from both Kai and Koa. Kai ran over and tried to jump onto Mike’s lap, while Koa attempted to jump on his back. Neither of them let up until he acknowledged their presence, got on the floor, petted them and played with them both.
“Now I need help getting up from the floor.” Mike extended his arm and Koa grabbed onto it. “No, I’m not a chew toy! Laura, get your puppy away from me, he’s killing me.” Mike laughed while he rolled around on the floor with the puppies.
I smiled while I made a pot of coffee and was interrupted by a knock on the door.
“You forgot, didn’t you?” asked Adelaide, standing in the doorway, wearing her winter coat, even though the temperature had gone back into the fifties. She held Chloe’s leash in one hand and pushed her eyeglasses back on her nose with the other. “A person could starve waiting for you for a meal. It’s a good thing I came over here. Are you going to invite me in, or stare at me as if I’m a ghost? Or has that cat got your tongue again? And what in heaven’s name are you doing to this place? Never mind, why Mike’s on the floor? Okay, I’ll let myself in and thank you for the coffee. Please put some milk in it and don’t stir it, you know I like watching it swirl. I’m going to sit at your desk, if it’s alright with you.”
I added some milk and put the mug in front of Adelaide. “I’m so sorry, I was up and down with the puppies and it was after getting home very late.”
“The two of you have been so involved you’ve forgotten appointments with me and neglected to call me back when you’re supposed to. Laura, this is the first time you’ve missed breakfast with me and Chloe.”
I looked at Mike. “Adelaide’s right, we get caught up in a case and we forget to make time for ourselves. Granted, we were watching the game last night, b
ut still we need to back up a little. I’m sorry, I really am.” I got up, walked over and gave her a big hug. “I promise to be more attentive. At least I won’t be rude and not show up when I say I’m going to be there. It’s not like me at all.”
While pouring myself a cup of coffee, a text came in from Annie. She wanted to know if I could give her any more info on the photos we’d found on the Mouse Trap Trail cameras. I texted back I hadn’t heard from Grady but I’d let her know when I did.
“Well, are we going to sit here all day listening to hammering, clanging and banging, or are we going to restart the day with a decent meal?” Adelaide raised an eyebrow.
Mike jumped up, leashed the puppies, grabbed his coat, looked at me and said, “Laura, you heard her, move it!”
“Right, I’m moving, going, whatever it is, I’m doing it,” I answered.
I started to close the door, but one of the workers walked through the opening and said, “Hey, don’t worry about it, we’ll take care of it. The lady with the cane sure has you two trained,” he said with a laugh and went back to whacking the wall.
My phone chimed with an e-mail from Cho. It simply said: “Bridge.” It chimed again with an incoming e-mail from Viktor that read: “Soon.”
I ran to the car and showed my phone to Mike. He took it and forwarded the e-mails to Grady and waited for a response. Grady texted back a simple: “thanks buddy.”
“What should we do?” I asked.
“We go to breakfast, and if Grady needs us to do anything, he knows how to reach us. Listen, Laura, we’re no good to him if we don’t take care of ourselves. I guarantee you he had something to eat this morning. Adelaide’s right on one score, we need to be on top of things or these cases will literally eat us alive. I’ve seen it happen when I was on the job and it’s not good. We want to be at this a long time, so develop good habits early on and they’ll serve you well especially when you need ‘em. Enough lecturing, get in so we can chow down.” Mike patted his stomach.
We walked into the diner and Annie greeted us at the counter. “Ah, the family’s all here. Great, now I can get the real story.” She looked back and forth between Mike and me.
“Not until we’ve been fortified, and I mean by a stack, eggs and possibly a steak. Okay, maybe I’ll go with home fries and save the steak for lunch.” Mike rubbed his belly again.
“O’Malley, your arteries are going to clog if you don’t watch what you eat,” Annie said.
“Annie, your concern is touching, but stay away from me until I’ve had my nourishment. I’ve got a personal guard. Adelaide, get her with the cane.” Mike slid into a booth and I seated myself next to him.
“You, back to the counter, I’m keeping the peace here.” Adelaide glared at Annie. “My people need to eat.” Adelaide held up her cane.
“I’m retreating. I’ll text you, best friend.” Annie tiptoed away.
“Feel free, everyone else does.” I grinned, sipping some coffee the waiter had set down.
My phone chimed.
Mike leaned over to read my phone while Adelaide reached across the table in an attempt to take my phone.
“Adelaide, if you need something, I’m happy to pass it to you.” Mike held up the salt shaker.
“I take milk in my coffee, you nermnert! Who in their right mind puts salt in their coffee?” Adelaide narrowed her brow.
Mike and I both laughed, and I asked, “What did you just call him?”
“I called him a nermnert, it suits him. My Henry made it up and it’s a fine word I intend to resurrect in his honor.” Adelaide raised her coffee cup followed by a sip. “Can’t you leave your electronic devices on vibrate, or off while we’re eating?”
“I’d love too,” I responded, “but if Grady needs us for anything, we have to leave them on. By the way, it was Annie texting, wondering if it was okay if she joined us. She’s feeling lonely sitting at the counter.”
Adelaide nearly choked on her coffee. “She’s sitting right over there and she texted you?”
“You did raise your cane.” Mike smiled.
“You silly people. Do I have to go over and get her, or are you going to text her and tell her it’s safe to join her family,” Adelaide said as our waiter brought our food over and put an extra place setting next to Adelaide for Annie along with her breakfast.
“Thank you, Adelaide.” Annie curtsied and sat down.
“No journalism questions, got it, dearie?” Adelaide glanced at Annie from the corner of her eye.
“Scout’s honor, cross my heart.” Annie crossed her heart.
“You were a scout?” Adelaide inquired.
“Until my enrollment was no longer required,” Annie answered.
“That’s a roundabout way of saying you were tossed out on your ear, right?” Adelaide asked.
Annie shivered and said, “It sounds so harsh when you put it in those terms.”
The waiter was clearing our dishes, another was refilling our coffee mugs when a hush descended over the restaurant. One of the owners turned the volume up on the TV behind the counter, where Annie had been sitting. A local newscaster was reporting on an explosion, which had occurred within minutes on a bridge overpass on I-95 a few miles from where we currently were. He said there was no information from the authorities as to the number of casualties, but he would keep the public updated as this was a major story affecting our entire area.
“Mildly put, and there go our phones,” Mike said as all our phones chimed, including Adelaide’s, who was on the town emergency alert system.
Chapter 12
We hurried out to our cars as police cruisers, fire trucks and ambulances screamed by with their lights flashing and sirens blaring. Traffic in both directions parted like the waters of the Sound. We heard another explosion, and ran back inside to see if they had immediate coverage on TV.
One of Annie’s fellow journalists, a new guy to the station, by the name of Ron Hanrahan had been on location for the explosion only a few moments earlier with his cameraman. They hadn’t captured it on film, but they were in place for this one. He had simply swung the camera around, to give the audience a reference point, when the tracks blew. His footage showed pieces of the Railway Bridge being flung into the air much like you’d toss toy tracks around.
“Who wants to guess where those bridges are?” Mike asked.
“Crosby’s going to be very unhappy, since they’re right where he keeps his boat on the Norwalk River,” Adelaide said.
I stared at her. “You’re kidding, right?”
“You know how much he loves to fish, it unwinds him,” she responded.
“Adelaide, this isn’t only about Crosby!” Annie flung her arms in the air.
“Careful young lady, getting your blood pressure into an uproar isn’t good for you. Just lightening the mood. It’s a terrible thing, but the Army Corps of Engineers will figure something out. I got your goat, didn’t I.” Adelaide winked and ambled off to the restroom.
Mike laughed and said, “I think you both got got.”
“She’s one of the most irascible people I’ve ever met in my entire life. Makes me want to shake her.” Annie started coughing. “And to top it off, I got scooped by the new guy who’s nearly an intern, on the biggest story ever. Okay, not bigger than the serial killer we had last year, but still. He doesn’t have any idea it involves North Korea and Russia,” She added.
Mike put his hand on her shoulder, and quietly said, “Annie, please calm down. What you happen to know is strictly confidential and not for the public. Please keep it in mind. If I have to, I’ll get you to sign one of those…,” He snapped his fingers.
“Non-disclosure agreements,” I said.
“Yeah. Thanks, Laura.”
I nodded.
“As for Adelaide, she intentionally got your goat, and she got you real good,” Mike said with a laugh and continued, “she’s got it down to an art form, as someone I know likes to say. Besides, I think you’re madder about being be
aten to the story than anything else. The guy was already there and it happened. Who knew?”
“I had the inconclusive texts from Cho and Viktor. They both indicated bridges, but neither of them said when or where. I suppose they’re turning this into a guessing game,” I said.
“Since they’re encrypted, it’s not like we can e-mail ‘em back and ask when the next one’s going to be,” Mike said.
“You both are right, especially you Mike. I’m mostly mad I wasn’t there, even though I know it’s not practical for me to cover every single story. Matter of fact, it’s physically impossible.” Annie rubbed her forehead for a minute prior to going on. “Much as it goes against my grain to divulge the truth, I won’t say word one about the North Korean guy.”
“What about the Russian?” Mike asked.
Annie shuffled her feet, “You’re killing me here! Okay, him either.” She pointed her finger right at Mike’s nose and said, “You owe me for my silence, pal.”
“No I don’t. Pat yourself on the back for doing the right thing. After you’re done doing your coverage thing, take your dog Casey for a long walk with the puppies. All of you need it. Well, after we do some work,” Mike said answering a call from Grady.
Mike wandered off for a few minutes to speak with Grady, while Annie gave me a hug and sped off to fulfill her reporter duties. I was left standing there with the other customers, watching the news coverage of the explosion, over and over again, until it was burned into my memory. I wished both Adelaide and Mike would hurry up before they felt compelled to show it again. I walked back to see if our booth had been taken and it had. I stared at my feet.
“You can’t polish hiking shoes,” Adelaide said.
“I can try,” I replied.
“The news getting to you?” Adelaide asked.
“I’m tired of watching the bridges blow up. You can watch it just so many times. It’s going to be on the news for days. I wish I knew why they keep e-mailing me. There’s got to be a reason, and there’s definitely something I’m missing. I must have met these two, but where?” I placed my hands on my hips.
Case of the Mouse Trap Legend Page 5
