Miss Pettybone's First Case

by Melissa Rees

  "Shut up, old woman," Wagner snapped, glaring down at Mildred, then noticed Otis's stricken face.

  “Sorry Otis. I agree there is no need to yell at the poor old lady." Wagner apologized, staring down at Louise and Mildred.

  "Thank you." Otis said looking down at the small gun, he held in his hand. He wished he were home in bed. As a rule, he and Aaron were always in bed by ten o’clock reading. He was almost finished reading the Da Vinci Code. It was such a compelling book. He had enjoyed immensely. He wished he was reading it now.

  Wagner glanced at his partner and grinned. "I guessed rather well, didn't I Otis?"

  He turned to address himself to Lynn and Miss Pettybone. "You see my friend here thought you ladies would go straight to the police. But me, I kind of thought your friends would come first."

  "So now what?" Miss Pettybone inquired.

  "Now, unfortunately for you ladies, you're about to have a tragic accident aboard a boat."

  "An accident." Otis said faintly.

  "Why?" Miss Pettybone asked. "I mean, since you say we're about to die. I want to know why you killed Warren Jones."

  "Because he was a dirty blackmailer, that's why," Wagner snapped.

  "Blackmailing you both for what reason?" Miss Pettybone asked, noticing how hard Keel's hands were shaking.

  "You really want to know, don't you, Miss Pettybone?" Wagner mocked. "I don't suppose it can hurt to tell you. Warren became a greedy son of a bitch and instead of accepting some money and going away, he just kept bleeding us dry."

  "What was he blackmailing you about?" Lynn asked her voice shaky.

  "I wondered if you had a voice," Wagner sneered, glancing at Lynn.

  Miss Pettybone narrowed her eyes and stared at Wagner.

  "My partner and I were able to convince some of the people we met on the show that their possessions were worthless. I mean, we were careful. We didn't lie to everyone. Just some of the more naive. When they went home, we paid Warren to break in and steal their antiquities. Then we sold them for a great deal of money. Unfortunately, Warren Jones overheard us talking to an overseas buyer and discovered how much money we were actually making, and well, the rest is history. Much like you ladies are going to be."

  "So you're prepared to kill four women for money," Miss Pettybone snapped.

  "Well, I wouldn't kill four women for nothing," Wagner laughed.

  Wagner turned to Keel. “I’m going to get the boat. You keep an eye on the ladies."

  Otis Keel moaned. "No Aaron. We are not going to kill any one. Let's just leave. We have the tickets. Let's tie them up and leave."

  Wagner walked over to Otis and bellowed. "Otis, you have to wake up and realize that these women are a danger to us. They have to die so we can live. And live well, my Dear. You are the one that wanted to retire in France. Living in France takes money, sweetheart. And we are not leaving everything we own and take off. You will cover them until I get back." He ordered.

  Keel clutched his gun and watched Wagner walked out the door.

  "You realize even though we didn't go to the police, we left a letter at Mildred's hotel to be read if she didn't show up within the next twenty-four hours," Miss Pettybone said calmly, making sure Wagner was gone.

  "I don't think so," Keel said, his voice shaky.

  "I don't lie." Miss Pettybone said, watching Keel.

  Lynn glanced over and watched as her friend dug cautiously in her pants pocket. She realized her friend was looking for the mace they had bought earlier that day.

  "I lie," Lynn offered, trying to get Keel's attention.

  Keel glanced nervously over at Lynn.

  "I lie all the time," She told him. "Mostly I lie about money. For example, when my husband asks me how much something cost, I lie."

  Confused, Keel frowned at Lynn.

  "And one time I had an affair with his brother and I lied about that," Lynn continued.

  Miss Pettybone scooted closer to Keel and was about to fling herself at him, when she heard the door squeak open.

  Eli Rawls walked slowly into the room, his gun drawn. He raised his eyebrows in Keel's direction.

  "Drop the gun, Otis."

  Keel flung himself around in the direction of Eli's voice. "What are you doing here, Eli?"

  "I came to rescue fair maidens." Eli said pointing his gun at Keel's chest.

  "This isn't the way it looks," Keel said, his gun pointed shakily at Eli.

  "Oh, I'm well aware what this is about. You see Crane and Hopkins knew you two were up to something. They just didn't know what. So they enlisted me to find out."

  "Crane and Hopkins knew? That can't be true." Keel muttered, wiping sweat with a trembling hand.

  "There were rumors, whispers. Crane and Hopkins knew you two were into something. They just didn't know what it was. Fortunately, Aaron has a distinctive voice, so I heard all about you boy's escapades."

  "That's not true. You are lying. They couldn't have known. We were so careful."

  "Everyone is lying but you and Wagner. Right, Otis? Oh, excuse my manners, Mrs. Cooper, I suppose I should include you in the lying. From what I overheard, you tell some whoppers."

  Eli glanced over at Miss Pettybone and winked. "How are you doing tonight, Miss Pettybone?"

  "So you weren't involved with Keel and Wagner?" she asked, watching him.

  "No. Is that what you thought?"

  "Yes."

  "I see we need to talk." He said, before turning to gaze at the frightened man standing in front of him. "But right now I want you to drop that gun, Otis."

  Keel shook his head slowly and turned the gun on Miss Pettybone. "I can't go to jail, Eli. I’ll shoot her, I swear it."

  Eli watched Keel thoughtfully. "I don't think you will. In fact, I doubt you had anything to do with killing Warren. I'm sure Wagner engineered that."

  Keel grasped at the straw Eli was holding out. "You're right, I didn't kill Warren. Aaron did. I wanted to keep paying him."

  "So, you can get off with a much lighter sentence because you haven’t killed anyone," Eli pointed out.

  "You're right, you're right," Keel sobbed, tears falling down his cheeks dropping off his chin onto his white shirt. "He's changed so much, Eli. I didn't know what to do. I kept asking him to stop but he wouldn't.”

  "Put your gun on the floor, Otis," Eli coaxed.

  Keel bent down to place his gun on the floor, then straightened, just as Wagner came charging through the door, his gun aimed at Keel.

  "You bastard!" Wagner screamed. "After everything we've gone through, after all we've shared, you would sell me out."

  Keel caught the bullet in his chest and dropped slowly to the floor, blood seeping out of the upper part of his chest, spreading slowly over his sweat stained white shirt.

  Miss Pettybone watched horrified as Wagner swung the gun in Eli's direction. Eli pulled the trigger of his own gun and Wagner went down, his gun thrown from his hand by the impact of the bullet.

  Eli walked over beside Wagner and kicked the gun away. Bending down, he felt for a pulse. Not finding one, he shook his head at Miss Pettybone. Bending to check Otis, he shook his head again.

  He hurried over beside Louise and Mildred and stooped, then felt for Louise's pulse.

  He glanced up at Miss Pettybone and said, "She has a heartbeat but it's weak."

  Miss Pettybone rushed over and knelt beside Louise. She began untying the ropes, checking Louise.

  "She's dying, isn't she?" Mildred screamed. "Isn't she?"

  Lynn ran over and gathered Mildred in her arms, rocking her gently. "She'll be all right, Mildred." Lynn gently laid her hand on Mildred's head pressing it against her chest.

  Looking up, Lynn met Miss Pettybone’s eyes and bit her lip to keep from crying.

  Miss Pettybone stood up and looked at Eli. "How did you find us?"

  "Lynne's husband called the police. Your sheriff called the police. All of a sudden, everyone was looking for Keel and Wagner. The police called my
cousin. He called me. My cousin told me they had a warehouse down here. I took a chance and headed this way. I called the police when I saw Wagner's truck outside. They should be here soon."

  Miss Pettybone walked over beside Eli. “I’m sorry, I'm sorry I didn't trust you."

  "That's alright, Miss Pettybone. Given your disposition, I would have been surprised had you felt any other way.

  "What now?"

  "The police should be here any minute. Right now, I need you to explain how you and Lynn got involved with these two."

  Miss Pettybone pushed her hair back with shaky hands and said. "The man they murdered lived on my postal route. I am the one who discovered him. So Lynn and I thought it would be exciting to investigate who killed him."

  "Kind of a Sherlock Holmes endeavor?"

  She bent her head, feeling foolish. "Kind of."

  "The sheriff in your town is stupid? You don't have other policemen in your state that you could have confided in?"

  "Of course, we have good policemen in our state. And Dwight's not stupid." She added, feeling she should defend him.

  "Then why would you two risk your life tracking murderers?"

  "I guess it seemed like a good idea at the time." She muttered, unable to explain to Eli how much she wanted a change in her life. "What happens now?"

  "Now, Miss Pettybone we spend the rest of the night with Savannah's finest."

  Chapter 48

  Miss Pettybone stepped outside the police station the next morning and gazed around. The sun was shinning and a light breeze wafted over her. Savannah was a beautiful city but she doubted she would be eager to return any time soon.

  The night before had seemed to go on forever. The police's insistent questioning, the skeptical glances were all quite overwhelming. But it probably would have been much worst if Eli had not been there.

  She paused on the top step as she waited for Eli to join her. He had asked her to wait for him and so, of course, manners demanded that she would.

  She wondered what etiquette there were to thank someone who had saved your life.

  Although she had been prepared to leap on Keel, she was grateful that Eli had come when he had. Even though she figured Keel for a weak man emotionally, he still had a man's physical strength.

  She walked over to the end of the steps and sat down. She was exhausted. Resting her head on her knees, she closed her eyes and thought about her friends. The police had allowed Mildred and Lynn to stay with Louise at the hospital the night before. Lynn had objected about staying with Mildred but not strongly. Miss Pettybone reckoned that her friend had enough of excitement for the day.

  When Miss Pettybone had called her around two o'clock, Lynn said that it was still touch and go for Louise. The doctors had said that Louise had suffered a severe mental shock and at her age sometimes that was all it took. She said Mildred had not left her side. And although Lynn reported that she saw Mildred pat the doctor on his behind. She could tell her heart wasn't in it.

  "So, Miss Pettybone, are you ready to go back to Shadowleaf and get some sleep? Or have you decided sleeping on the steps will do?"

  Miss Pettybone raised a tired face and looked at her rescuer. "I would like to go by the hospital and check on my friends."

  "We can certainly do that." Eli agreed.

  Miss Pettybone looked down at the concrete step. "Eli, I don't know how to thank you for saving our lives. I don't know what to say."

  Eli sat down beside Miss Pettybone and laced his fingers through Miss Pettybone’s.

  "I think that after saving your life I should at least be allowed to call you by your first name. Don't you?"

  Miss Pettybone nodded. Holding hands, right out in the open, was something she hadn't a lot of practice with.

  "So, let's talk about this relationship that we have. Just knowing you the short time that I have, I know you to be an honorable person. And although I have my faults, I also try hard to be an honorable person. So, I am attracted to you. I have been since I saw you in my club. I may be wrong but I feel you are a bit attracted to me. Am I wrong?"

  Miss Pettybone stared at their hands and shook her head slowly.

  "Neither one of us is spring chickens, Loraine and we both know that good relationships don’t happen overnight. What I'm saying, I guess, is that I checked the mileage between Beatty, Mississippi and Savannah and it's not far. We can take things slowly and see where they end up. If that's alright with you."

  Miss Pettybone raised her head and met Eli's kind eyes with bewildered ones of her own.

  ***

  Miss Pettybone hopped out of a cab and then turned to look at Eli. "You don't have to come up, if you don't have time."

  "I’ll tell you what, Loraine. You go check on your friends and Ill go get my car. I hate to leave it sitting down at the warehouse too long unattended."

  She nodded and turned to go. Catching her arm, he said softly. "She'll be alright. This is an excellent hospital. I’ll be back as soon as I can, okay?"

  Miss Pettybone tilted her chin in his direction and walked up the steps and into the hospital. Finding Louise's room, she stepped in to find that everyone was sleeping. Louise was hooked up with an IV and her breathing seemed normal.

  Lynn and Mildred were asleep on chairs that were pushed up to the bed. She walked over to shake Lynn, then whispered. "Lynn, wake up."

  Lynn raised tired eyes up and smiled. "How did it go at the police station? Are we in trouble?"

  "I think everything went well. Eli helped a lot. How’s Louise?"

  "She's resting better. So what now?"

  "Eli thought you and Mildred might want to go back to Shadowleaf and get some sleep."

  "I don't know about Mildred but I'm ready to leave."

  Miss Pettybone walked over to Mildred. Mildred's face was clean of makeup and dark shadows circled her eyes. In the bright morning sunlight, Mildred looked every bit of her sixty-something years.

  Miss Pettybone bent down to shake her and saw Mildred's eyes pop open in fright.

  "It’s alright, Mildred. It’s just me."

  Mildred looked at Louise. "We thought we were going to lose her last night."

  "Lynn said she is doing better." She said, trying to comfort Mildred.

  "I hope so." Mildred said, glancing at her best friend.

  "Mildred, Lynn and I are going to get some rest. Do you want to come?"

  "No, I’ll stay here in case Louise should wake up." Mildred said, looking exhausted.

  "Are you sure? Because, we can have the hospital call us when she wakes up."

  "No, you and Lynn go ahead. I’ll rest later.

  Miss Pettybone frowned uncertainly at Mildred. She felt awful. It was her fault Louise was hurt. It was her fault that everyone had been put in danger.

  "Come on." Lynn urged, tapping her friend's shoulder. ���I need a bath and a bed, in that order."

  Chapter 49

  Miss Pettybone pushed herself out of bed and walked to the window, then looked out. There had been a violent thunderstorm the night before but the sun was shinning now with the promise of a beautiful day.

  Louise, God bless her soul, was going to be all right. After leaving the hospital and returning to Shadowleaf, Miss Pettybone could hardly think by the time she crawled into bed.

  She sat down and made herself comfortable in an easy chair that sat beside the window. Her thoughts focused on the last two weeks.

  She and Lynn had started off seeking Warren Jones murderers, not realizing what that actually entailed. She had thought that events would transpire the way they did in the mystery novels. And although she had felt a thrill when she read frightening passages in books, it really didn't compete with the real thing.

  She would probably only admit it to Lynn but she had enjoyed the hunt. The seeking of clues, the traveling from New York to Savannah had been fun.

  But the last part, the last part had not been so much fun. Desperate men were capable of great atrocities she had always he
ard and now knew that to be true.

  Although, she really couldn't help feeling sorry for Otis. He hadn't wanted any of this to happen.

  She sat calmly and thought about love. It was a strange emotion. It caused nice ordinary people to go against every principal they believed in. To follow blindly committing crimes and great sins against fellow human beings that they never even would have thought of, in the ordinary circle of their every day existence. Some men and women held on to that desperate emotion until there was no way back. As Otis had.

  Of course, love had capacity to raise people above and beyond many things, she reminded herself. Men and women of 9/11 had shone out of the darkness like a beacon of light. Frail and unsteady but strong enough to risk their lives on the strength of love of country and fellow human beings. It was cliché but love really did make the world go round.

  When she had thought Louise would not make it last night, she had been devastated. Racked with guilt, she had sworn off chasing murderers. As the night progressed and Louise improved, she had heaved a big sigh of relief.

  But today, with Louise better and the sun shinning, Miss Pettybone felt differently.

  When she heard a soft knock on her door, she jumped up and opened the door to Lynn.

  "Good morning," Lynn said, walking into the bedroom.

  "Good morning."

  "Are you ready for breakfast?"

  “I’m thirsty. How about you?"

  “I’m starving. I called the hospital this morning and Louise is sitting up and telling anyone who will listen about her adventures with murderers. Mildred said she is having a blast being the center of attention."

  "That's good."

  Lynn glanced at her friend. "And one of the first things Mildred asked was about my affair with Edgar's brother."

  "Oh." Miss Pettybone said smiling. "It’s a good thing for you Edgar don’t have a brother."

  "No kidding." Lynn laughed. "Edgar's is going to meet us at the airport."

  Miss Pettybone looked horrified at her friend.