Partners: Beyond The Shadows

by Kira Chase

  George pushed his chair back and placed his hands on his desk, then hefted himself to his feet. “How big is the addition?”

  “What?” Johanna asked, puzzled.

  “The new addition you two are putting on the house.”

  Frankie was relieved to change the subject. All this talk about Carson Fellows, and what he'd almost done to her, caused an uneasiness to settle into her bones. She hoped she could keep it locked inside. She didn't want Johanna to know how terrified she really was. Johanna was frightened enough for the both of them and she knew Johanna would lose it if she knew Frankie's fear. She tried to calm herself as she looked at George. He knew she loved talking about anything to do with the house.

  “We're adding two more rooms. We were going to put only one new bedroom in since we already have a guest room, but decided to add the other room for more storage space. One of these years we're going to clear some more land, too.” She smiled broadly. “We have a lot of plans and someday will have it exactly like we want it.”

  “You two have quite a showplace.” He nodded in Johanna's direction. “Still planning that humongous vegetable garden?”

  Johanna grinned. “Yes, I am, hopefully in a couple of years. Right now I only have the small one, but I intend to grow every kind of vegetable I can think of and then do a lot of canning.” She nudged Frankie. “She's rubbed off on me.”

  He laughed. “Actually, you're probably having the last laugh on everyone, Frankie. I hear you're saving a fortune with those solar panels and all the other energy saving things you've installed.”

  “I am. The money we save enables us to do more projects. You should think about installing some on your house, George. If you need any tips…all you have to do is ask.”

  “I just might do that.” He rose.

  She became serious. “I want to thank you, George, for being so patient with my mother. She does have a habit of digressing.”

  “Don't we all at times. Actually, she filled in a lot of blanks, at least for me, about the family dynamics back then of both the Fellows’ and Akrons.” He walked them to the door. “Remember, what I said. Stick together. Don't let her out of your sight, Johanna.” As an afterthought he added, “I couldn't handle it if anything happened to either of you.” He quickly looked away as they exited.

  Chapter 6

  Johanna patted Frankie's hand and then started her car. “We'll start taking one car to the office from now on like George suggested. We can switch cars every day.”

  “I know what George suggested.” Frankie frowned. “No, Johanna. Why should we inconvenience ourselves? There are times one of us needs to run an errand or something. How many times have I delivered a summons or made an inquiry while you stayed at the office and cleaned up paperwork?”

  “It's not forever,” Johanna reminded her. “Just until Fellows is caught.”

  “I'll be damned if I'll let Carson Fellows destroy my life. Besides, if he wants me he'll find a way to get me. And when he does, I'll be waiting for him and I intend to make sure he's sorry he was ever born.”

  Johanna pulled out into traffic. She knew there was no sense trying to make her point. Frankie was stubborn. She glanced over at her. The jut of Frankie's jaw told her that the topic was closed. It wasn't, but for now, Johanna would let it go. “You don't remember the Akrons at all?”

  “Not really.” She adjusted the window visor. “I wonder what color my mother's hair is. I should have asked her if she's dyed it lately or is still letting it go natural.”

  Johanna laughed. “You think of the damnedest things.”

  Frankie shrugged as she turned her head to look at a small dog running too close to the side of the road. “Hey, I can't help it. It just popped into my head.”

  Johanna reached over, grabbed Frankie's hand, and held it while she slowed to let the dog cross the road, its leash trailing behind it. “I hope the owner finds the poor thing. Maybe I should stop.” Johanna slowed to a crawl and pulled to the right.

  “Too late,” Frankie said pointing in the direction of the dog that was now racing across a grassy field on the other side of the road. “Hold on.” She craned her neck as she watched the dog. “There's a guy chasing him.” She laughed. “Looks like the guy has the leash.”

  “Okay, now I feel better.” She smiled as she checked the traffic and pulled back into her lane. “Where we headed first? Want to go to the office and finish up the paperwork? Then do these later?”

  Frankie's lips drew taut. “I hate this, Johanna. It's going to slow us down having to do everything together. It'll make our workdays twice as long. Why should we have to disrupt our lives?”

  Johanna smiled quickly at Frankie. So much for topic closed. “It won't be forever, sweetie. They'll get him.” She lifted an eyebrow. “So where we headed?” She glanced at Frankie. “I feel better now that George talked to us. Imagine if he hadn't known what was going on. Like it or not, Frankie, we're sticking together.”

  Frankie scowled. “Let's get the summonses delivered first. Then we'll knock off the paperwork.” Frankie scanned the summonses. “I suppose we should hit Vickers Street first. We've got a summons notice for a Bella Reynolds…shouldn't be too difficult.”

  “You never know. Sometimes the routine ones cause the most trouble.” Johanna chewed her bottom lip as she drove through the busy traffic. “Maybe we should update our home security system.”

  “Come on, babe. Our security system is state of the art. I don't know how much more secure we can make it. Besides, I doubt Fellows will even show up here in Charlestown. He'll be caught before he has a chance. You said so yourself.”

  “I said they'd get him. We don't know when or where.” Johanna glanced at Frankie. “Until then I'm sticking to you like glue.” She couldn't shake her nervousness. Every car that pulled up in the lane next to them made her hands tremble on the steering wheel. He could be in Charlestown right now just waiting and watching—looking for the perfect opportunity to make his move. She stole another glance at Frankie who had grown unusually quiet. Frankie was staring out of the passenger window. Johanna wondered what she was thinking. Surely she was frightened out of her mind. She had to be. She was only putting on a brave front for Johanna's sake. But then Frankie was a risk taker and if Fellows was spotted in Charlestown and Frankie got wind of it, she knew that nothing would stop Frankie from hunting him down.

  Johanna would have to be extra vigilant where Frankie was concerned. George's guarantee to protect Frankie gave her cold comfort. He couldn't protect her twenty-four hours a day. She wished he could. In fact, if she got wind that Fellows was coming closer she'd make that suggestion herself to George.

  As she made the turn onto Vickers Street, Frankie pointed to a small well-kept ranch house. “This is it.” The lawn was freshly mowed and a patch of flowers bordered the sidewalk leading to the front door.

  Johanna pulled up in front of the house and turned off the engine. “Ready?”

  Frankie nodded as she stepped out of the car. “Let's do it.”

  They walked slowly to the front door. Frankie pressed the buzzer. She gave Johanna's arm a quick squeeze as they waited for the owner to answer.

  The door slowly opened revealing a chain lock. “Can I help you?” a soft voice asked.

  Johanna's heart sank when she saw the wispy white hair and the pale complexion. The thin woman had the bluest eyes Johanna had ever seen.

  “Are you Bella Reynolds?” Johanna asked quietly.

  “Yes, I am. If you're selling something, I'm sorry, dear, but I can't afford anything right now. If you're collecting for a charity I might be able to scrounge up a couple of dollars.”

  Johanna hated having to serve a summons on this sweet old lady, but knew she had to. The woman had obviously done something or else she wouldn't be being served. She couldn't let her emotions stop her from doing what she was paid to do. But looking at this frail elderly woman made her hate this part of the job. “No, we're not selling anything or collecting
for a charity. But we do have something for you.”

  The woman slid the lock off the door. Frankie handed her the summons and they turned to leave. The sounds of soft sobbing made them stop in their tracks.

  “I hate this, Frankie,” Johanna whispered. “She looks like she's about ninety years old. I can't just leave her like this. Maybe there's something we can do.”

  Frankie cleared her throat. “You're right. Maybe we can call a family member or friend.”

  “Mrs. Reynolds, can we call someone for you?” Johanna looked into the elderly woman's grief stricken face. “Do you have family in Charlestown?”

  With tear filled eyes, the elderly woman looked at them. “My family's all gone now. I buried my husband several months ago.”

  “Do you have any friends we can call?” Frankie asked.

  “My neighbor Mary runs errands for me and looks in on me a couple of times a day. She's been like a daughter to me. My late husband Mel and I lived here for over sixty years. Mary was just a newlywed when she moved in forty years ago. She's the daughter I never had.”

  “Where does she live?” Johanna asked.

  “Across the street.”

  “Let me go talk to her.”

  Frankie stayed on the stoop chatting about the weather and flowers as she waited for Johanna to return. Ten minutes later Johanna joined her followed by a slightly overweight salt and pepper haired woman.

  “We'll get it straightened out, Bella. It's all a big misunderstanding.” Mary smiled at Johanna and Frankie. “As I was telling this nice woman, we are still in the process of getting Mel's paperwork sorted out.” She glanced at the summons. “Overdue taxes. This bill was paid a couple of months ago. You have nothing to worry about, Bella. I'll make a couple of phone calls.”

  “Will I have to go to court?” the elderly woman asked worriedly.

  Before Johanna could say a word, the woman's friend jumped in. “No, we'll get it straightened out.” She rolled her eyes heavenward. “The paperwork is ridiculous. We're in the process of getting everything switched to Bella's name.” She patted Bella's hand. “Everything is fine. You'll see. In fact, we'll gather the documents and receipt, drive down to city hall right now, and get it all straightened out in person. Afterwards we'll go out for an early lunch.”

  The elderly woman's face lit up as she hugged her friend.

  Johanna smiled. “Good luck with everything.” She was grateful that Bella had such a kind caring friend like Mary looking out for her. There were still some decent people left in this world who cared about others without expecting anything in return.

  “Thank you,” Bella replied.

  “I hope the rest of these are as easy as this one was to serve,” Frankie said as they settled themselves back into the car.

  “Me, too.” Johanna sighed. “I felt sorry for Bella. There's no compassion in the world today where city hall is concerned. Her neighbor told me she'd found the delinquent tax bill and had made the payment immediately including the late charges and interest. Bella's husband had suddenly passed away from a massive heart attack a week before the bill was due. Bella thought it had been paid so she'd ignored the notices. Money is no object. She has plenty of that. Mary's teaching her how to take care of her finances.” She let her breath out in a huff. “Probably a computer glitch is all…didn't record the payment. Thank God she has someone like Mary to watch out for her.”

  “I agree. Once something gets erroneously put into the computer, it's almost impossible to get it out.”

  Johanna tossed her head. “I'd love to place a call and have a real human pick up the phone like they used to. I hate all this automated garbage.”

  Frankie laughed. “I love technology, but it has its place. I want a human being on the end of the line when I make a call. You know how much I hate it when I have to listen to those recorded voices wasting my time. Punch this number, punch that number. I stay on the line forever until I reach a real live human being. So much for saving me time.”

  Johanna lifted an eyebrow. “I think we'd better change the subject before you go on a rant,” she teased.

  “Ah, you know me well.” Frankie grinned as she glanced at the next summons. “Well, this one looks interesting. 510 Willow Place. Hank Jones.”

  Johanna screwed up her face. “I know that one won't be pleasant.” She drove slowly through town, and then turned toward the railroad tracks. “But it's not the worst neighborhood in the city.”

  “A few years ago, some of these neighborhoods were finally cleaning up, but then the economy took a nosedive and unfortunately fixing up your home wasn't the top priority when there were mouths to feed. People lost hope. If only things could turn around for some of these people. They need something to believe in again. But as each day passes with no change, they lose the little hope they've been clinging to.”

  “I'm afraid it's only going to get a lot worse before it gets better for some of them. It makes me grateful for what we have.” Johanna maneuvered the car around a group of teenagers playing ball in the middle of the street. She tapped the horn gently. One of the boys looked at her and laughed as he gave her the finger. “No respect today, Frankie. What's happening to the world?”

  “Like I said, once the hope is gone it usually doesn't take too long for pride to follow. The attitude seems to be no matter how hard I try nothing changes so why not join them. But my optimistic nature still believes that things will change before it's too late.” She straightened her shoulders. “There's always someone who finds the strength and courage to battle their way out and do something positive with their life. Hopefully not all of these kids will be lost to gangs and violence.”

  Johanna grinned. “That's what I love about you. Always trying to look on the bright side.”

  “Not always possible, but I still believe that good will eventually triumph over evil. Even if it seems impossible at times.”

  Johanna scanned the numbers on the dilapidated buildings. “There it is.” She screwed up her face as she observed the crumbled pavement in front of the tall three-story building. She turned her head to examine the street. Two men in their late twenties, she assumed, stood in a narrow alleyway between the house and the one next to it. Their eyes swept over the car and they turned and watched as Johanna parked. They kept their eyes on her as she opened her car door.

  She took a deep breath as she looked at Frankie. “Ready?”

  Frankie touched her shoulder holster, which was securely hidden under her jacket. “Ready.”

  They hadn't had to use their guns in a long time and Johanna hoped to keep it that way. She'd tucked her own gun into her pocket instead of securing it in her shoulder holster. Ever since the meeting with George, she couldn't shake the apprehension that had seeped into her bones. Carson Fellows was out there somewhere. Maybe he was even here right now crouching behind a tree or shrub waiting to pounce when they least suspected it. Frankie's life was in danger and all either of them could do was keep their guard up at all times until this monster was caught. She saw Frankie's nervousness no matter how much Frankie tried to hide it. Until Fellows was caught and behind bars, she wouldn't be able to relax.

  “Let's just serve it and get the hell out of here,” Johanna said. “This place gives me the creeps.”

  They stepped out of the car and walked to the front of the building. The men's eyes followed them. A few women and a couple of elderly men sat on stoops across the street watching them as they slowly climbed the steps. A woman wearing a shabby housedress and smoking a cigarette leaned against the doorjamb from the building next door, eying them curiously.

  “Thank God it's on the first floor,” Johanna said breathing a sigh of relief.

  Frankie looked on the outside of the building for an intercom and buzzer containing the list of tenants occupying the apartments inside. “I guess they don't secure the main door.” She pushed open the heavy blue door. It squeaked on its hinges.

  The inside was cleaner than Johanna had expected. The
floor was covered in faded, marred yellow linoleum, but there was no sign of littered bottles or garbage. The faint scent of pine filled her nostrils. At least some of the tenants hadn't given up hope. The walls were painted yellow to match the linoleum, she surmised, and to brighten the entryway. Even though the paint had faded, the walls were free of the usual graffiti. On closer inspection, Johanna realized that they'd been freshly scrubbed with faint traces of scribbles barely visible.

  “First apartment on the left,” Frankie said. She held the summons behind her back while Johanna rapped on the door.

  A pot-bellied man immediately opened the door. His sleeveless tee-shirt was tucked into a pair of khaki walking shorts. A small tuft of black hair stood up on top of his otherwise bald head. “Yeah?” he grunted as he gave them a quick once over and then glanced over his shoulder.

  Johanna assumed they'd disturbed his program as a television blared in the background and the man's attention seemed focused on the screen. “We're looking for a Harry Jones.”

  “What do you want him for?” He whipped his head quickly back around and squinted at her.

  “Is he here?” Frankie asked.

  “Never heard of him,” the man said. He started to close the door.

  “Who's at the door, Harry?” a pleasant sounding woman asked as she joined the man.

  “Not now, Carol,” he said through gritted teeth as he made an effort to shut the door.

  Frankie quickly held a hand against the door. “Mrs. Jones? We'd like to speak to Harry Jones.”

  She lifted an eyebrow and then smiled. “You're talking to him. This is Harry.” She poked her husband in the ribs. “What's going on, Harry?”

  Frankie swiftly placed the summons into the man's hands. “This is for you. Have a nice day.”