by Patricia Fry
“Yes, whenever you and Iris are. You’re giving us a ride, right?”
“Uh-huh. What about Arthur and Ruth?”
“Well, I’m wondering that myself. Do you think they’d be better off in Hammond until things cool down here?”
“Probably. Ask them…that is, if you don’t mind having company again.”
“Yeah, they’re becoming a habit, that’s for sure. A nice habit,” she said, smiling at Arthur and Lily at play.
“Have you all eaten, yet?” Craig asked.
“No.”
“What do you say we meet you at that diner on the highway for breakfast and discuss strategy?”
****
“It’s been an intense week for all of you,” Craig said that morning over breakfast.
“Not for Lily and me,” Iris said, smiling at the baby. “We’ve had a marvelous time.”
Craig grinned at his wife, then continued. “Arthur, Ruth, how do you feel about returning to Hammond with Savannah?”
The two of them looked at each other and then at Savannah. Ruth said, “Artie?”
He nodded. “I’d like that.” He looked at Ruth. “I love our place here, Ruthie, but I feel so…vulnerable right now. I’d like to spend a few more days in Hammond, if it’s okay with you, Savannah.”
When Savannah nodded and smiled, Ruth said, “Okay, let’s go home and pack. We can leave this afternoon. I have some errands to tend to before we go.”
“Savannah, do you and Lily want to ride home with us?” Iris asked. “We’re heading out after breakfast, right, Craig?”
He nodded.
“I think I’ll take you up on the offer,” she said. “Okay with you, Ruth?”
“Sure.” She took hold of Lily’s hand. “We’ll miss this little one, though. She’s a good traveler.”
“Like Koko,” Savannah said. “It’s unusual that she would take to the car so well, since she was introduced to automobiles so recently.”
“Yeah, she’s adaptable and she’s attached to me,” Arthur said. “She’ll go where I go.”
“How long have you had Koko?” Savannah asked. She tilted her head. “In fact, I’ve been meaning to ask where all of your cats came from.”
Arthur and Ruth exchanged looks. He grinned. “Well, some of them were already my cats—mine and Karen’s. Rupert kept them in the cat room near our rooms on the second floor, you know. We could visit them and they could visit us. There were dozens of cats. My mother would adopt cats from pet stores and rescue facilities. She loved to buy cats at cat shows. Sometimes, she’d bring home a whole box of kittens that kids were giving away in front of a grocery store.” He paused. “After my…accident, my mother’s husband turned them all loose.” He took in a deep breath. “When I was brought back to the mansion and started living in my new quarters, Ruthie went out at night, captured some of our pets, and brought them back to me. My mother sneaked a few in, too. I caught a couple myself when I was able to go out into the swamp at night.” He glanced at Ruth. “Ruthie brought me Koko and Klem from a pet store. They were kittens at the time. I named the little girl Koko and called her Karen for a while, as you know.”
“How old is Koko now?” Savannah asked. “She seems like a young cat—say barely two years?”
“Good guess, Savannah. She turned two on what would have been Karen’s fifteenth birthday.”
****
After eating, the group left the restaurant and walked toward their cars—Craig and Arthur trailing behind the three women. Savannah carried Lily. Iris was telling the other women about a new consignment shop that had opened in town, when they suddenly heard the roar of a car engine. They looked up in time to see a black sedan racing toward them through the parking lot. Craig immediately went into action. He grabbed Arthur’s arm and yanked him toward a row of parked cars, pushing him between two of them. Savannah darted behind a car, but Iris and Ruth weren’t as quick. The car raced past so close that Ruth lost her footing and fell onto the pavement. At the same time, they heard a pop. “Get down!” Craig shouted, reaching out to give Ruth a hand. He glanced up and saw Iris standing near a Jeep, looking around as if confused. “Get down!” he shouted again.
Just then, another shot rang out and Craig dove for cover next to Arthur. “Dammit!” he said under his breath.
“Were those gunshots?” Savannah asked, her voice trembling as she crouched out of sight behind a parked van.
“Sure were,” Craig said, peering out from between the van and a sedan, making sure the speeding car was gone. He stood, holding his upper arm with his hand and then turned toward the others. “Are you okay, son?”
“I’m all right,” Arthur said, remaining in a crouched position.
“Are you ladies okay?” Craig asked, his voice higher than usual.
“Yes,” Ruth said, quietly.
“Just a skinned knee—and a scuffed shoe,” Iris said. “Damn, my new shoes—scuffed.” She glanced up at her husband. “Craig! My God!” she screamed. “You’ve been shot!”
“I’m okay.”
Just then Lily began to fuss.
“The baby—is she okay?” Arthur asked, walking up to her and checking her out. He ran his hand down one of Lily’s arms. “She’s okay, huh?”
Savannah held her close and nodded. “We’re fine.” She turned to Craig. “What just happened? Were you really shot?”
He shrugged. “Just grazed.”
“We’ll get a second opinion on that, babe. Get in the car,” Iris said. “I’m driving you to the hospital.”
“Stop it,” he insisted, raising his voice. “I’m okay.” He took his phone out of his pocket and made a call. “I’d like to report a drive-by shooting behind the Farmington Diner at Bradley and Sixth.” He paused before saying, “One minor injury. It was a black Toyota or Honda sedan, tinted windows, California license with the letters PDQ—I didn’t get the numbers…heading at a high rate of speed on…” Craig walked out to look at the street sign “…Barber Way. Thank you.”
It took authorities just minutes to arrive. While the others were being questioned, a medic checked Craig’s wound and agreed that the bullet had just grazed his arm. Craig refused to go in the ambulance, so the medic treated him on the spot. He also checked Ruth for any injuries and bandaged Iris’s scraped knee.
“Do you think you were targeted?” one policeman asked Craig.
The detective looked at Arthur. “I’m afraid they may have been after the boy.” When the officer appeared confused, Craig explained, “He’s Arthur Spence—heir to the Peyton fortune. His stepfather was just released from custody. He was originally arrested for possible involvement in attempting to murder the boy.”
“Oh yeah, I’m familiar with the case.” The officer peered at Arthur, who was leaning up against Ruth’s car in the parking lot, talking quietly with Savannah. “So, Detective Sledge, you think this shooting was related?”
“Well, officer, you tell me,” Craig challenged, as the paramedic bandaged his wound. “Do you typically have this sort of activity in this neighborhood?”
“Oh yes, I’m afraid we do, sir. Gangs and taggers are quite active here.”
“Well then, I guess it could have been random. But why would someone shoot into a group including women—one with a baby in her arms, for God’s sake?”
“You’re a cop. You know that we deal with a whole lot of crimes that don’t make any sense.” The policeman paused, then added, “It could have been an initiation—shoot someone randomly—you get extra points for women and children. Who knows how those knuckleheads think?”
“I hear ya,” Craig said. He shook his head. “I sure wouldn’t trade the relatively trivial things we deal with up north for your beat here in the big city. I can only imagine the nasty stuff you deal with.”
Just then another officer approached them. “They think they found the shooter’s car, abandoned. It was stolen. We’ve impounded it to see if we can find any prints or other
evidence.”
The officer let out a sigh. “Thanks.” He then addressed Craig. “Another case where the perp is swallowed up by the city.”
Once the police and paramedics had left the scene, Craig asked Ruth, “Could you pack up Arthur’s things for him?”
She looked from Arthur to Craig. “Yes, I guess. Why?”
“I’d like to get him out of town ASAP.” He glanced at Savannah and Lily and addressed Ruth again. “I want you to head out within, say, an hour.”
“But I have some errands I must do,” Ruth complained.
Savannah sighed deeply. “I’m packed. I can help pack for Arthur.” She turned to Ruth. “Can we run your errands on the way back to your house?”
She nodded.
“Just do what is absolutely necessary,” he instructed. “The sooner you get on the road, the better.” He fidgeted with something in his jacket pocket for a moment and then said, “We have to check out of our motel, then we’ll head out. Let me know when you’re ready to leave your place, will ya?”
Savannah and Ruth both nodded.
“Don’t forget Koko,” Arthur said.
“Sure, Artie. That’s one of my stops this morning—food for Koko.”
“Does she have enough to get through the day?” Craig asked.
Ruth nodded.
“Then wait to get the food in Hammond. What else were you going to do this morning?”
“Um, withdraw some money, pick up some things from the cleaners…”
“Ruth, please think about what’s really necessary, will you?” Craig said. “Can you make a withdrawal somewhere outside the city? Do you really need those clothes from the cleaners today?”
Ruth thought about it for a moment and said, “No. All of that can wait. We’ll go right home and pack.”
“Good,” Craig said, relaxing a little in his demeanor. “Now call me when you’re ready to leave.” He looked at Iris. “Do you want to ride with the women?”
She glanced at Savannah, then back at Craig. “Yeah, why don’t I go with them?” She kissed Craig on the cheek and said, “Come on gals, let’s get outta here.”
****
“Someone’s been here,” Ruth said quietly as she pulled into her driveway.
Savannah sat rigid. “How do you know?”
“I left the blinds open when we left.”
“Are you sure?”
“Positive.”
“Is that your cat?” Iris asked, hesitantly.
“Where?” Ruth looked in the direction Iris pointed. “Koko!” she nearly shouted. “What are you doing? How…?” She turned to the others and whispered, “Someone has been here and they let her out.” She opened the car door and attempted to lure the Siamese toward her. Almost immediately, the cat walked to the car and jumped in through the open driver’s side door.
Meow! Meow!
“She’s trying to tell you something,” Savannah said, taking the baby out of the car seat and scrunching down in the seat a little with her. “Do you think whoever it was is still here?”
“I don’t know.”
“I’m calling Craig,” Iris said, punching a quick-dial button. “Craig, the cat’s out and Ruth is positive someone has been in her house. We’re still out front in the car with the cat. We don’t know what to do.”
“God,” Craig muttered. “Stay put!” he shouted. “I mean stay in the car—all of you. We’re minutes away. We’ll be right there.”
“Craig’s on his way,” Iris reported. “He says to stay in the car—and boy, does he mean it.”
“I could hear him from here,” Savannah said, laughing softly, but rather hysterically.
“What’s that?” Ruth said.
“What?” Savannah looked where Ruth was pointing.
“I thought I saw someone moving through the trees.”
Iris dialed her husband again. “Craig, he may be gone. Ruth just saw someone running away.”
“Let me talk to her.”
“Hello,” Ruth said into the phone.
“Did you get a good look at him?”
“No. He was too far away. But it looked like he was limping. It was a small man, or a woman, maybe. Not a big person, but he was running funny. He wore a helmet—motorcycle helmet.”
“As I told Iris, we’re on our way. Stay put until I get there. It sounds like he’s gone, but…”
“Wait!” Ruth said. “Did either of you hear that?” She turned the key in the ignition and lowered her window.
“Oh yes, a motorcycle off in the distance—is that what you mean?” Savannah asked.
Ruth spoke into the phone again. “Detective Craig, we just heard a motorcycle taking off from the other side of the trees. It’s probably the person I just saw.”
“What road is he on? Maybe I can spot him on my way in.”
“Peterson—it sounded like he was going south.”
“I see Peterson coming up. Wait, here comes a dude on a bike. He’s wearing a silver helmet—sound familiar?”
“Yes! Silver. That could be him.”
“Okay,” Craig said into the phone, “I’m going to hang up and call for a squad car. The last thing I need is to get involved in a high-speed chase. We’ll be at your place in a few minutes.”
****
After Craig arrived at Ruth’s home and took a look around, he determined that everything was in order and no one was inside. He questioned Ruth. “Now, the backdoor was standing open: was it locked when you left?”
She nodded. “Yes. Everything was locked.”
Craig prodded. “Do you leave an extra key outside somewhere? Have you lost a key recently?”
Just then, Arthur walked into the kitchen carrying Koko. “Ruthie, did you remember to lock your bedroom window? I know you like to leave it open during the day.”
She slapped her forehead. “No, I do not remember locking it. Yes, darn it, I may have forgotten to do that.”
“Where’s that window?” Craig asked.
Arthur pointed. “I’ll show you.”
When the two of them returned, Craig said, “Yup, that looks like our point of entry. Is anything missing, Ruth?”
I don’t think so.” Suddenly, she said, “Wait! What’s this?” She walked toward the kitchen counter.
“What?” Craig asked.
“The filtered-water pitcher. It’s only half full.”
“So?” Craig asked, appearing confused.
“I filled it this morning before we left.”
“Savannah, Arthur,” Craig called, “did either of you drink from this pitcher at any time today?”
Savannah shook her head, saying, “I didn’t. I grabbed bottles of water for each of us before we left. But no, I didn’t even notice the water pitcher. Arthur?”
“No. Not me.”
Ruth looked around and noticed that a cupboard was open and a glass was sitting on the counter. When she started to reach out to take a closer look at the pitcher, Craig stopped her. “No, don’t touch it. There could be prints on it.” He cleared his throat. “Or…it could be contaminated.”
Suddenly, Savannah’s eyes welled with tears. “Oh no,” she said.
“What is it?” Ruth asked.
“I was going to use the filtered water to make Lily her bottles for the trip home,” she said quietly.
Iris put her arm around Savannah. “Oh, honey. Thank God that didn’t happen.” She leaned in and kissed Lily on the cheek as the baby rested in her mother’s arms.
Craig walked out onto the porch to make a phone call. When he returned, he said, “They’re sending someone out to take fingerprints and to check that water. Ruth, is anything else out of place?” He watched as she walked through the house looking in every direction.
“I don’t notice anything,” she said. She turned to Savannah and Arthur. “We should get things packed up…”
“No. You don’t want to disturb any evidence. Let’s just wait on the por
ch for the officers, shall we?”
Just then the baby began to fuss.
“Craig I have to feed her,” Savannah said.
“Can you make her bottle with bottled water?”
Savannah nodded. She took a bottle out of the diaper bag.
“Wait,” Craig said, “let me make sure the cap hasn’t been tampered with.”
“This is one of the bottles we took with us this morning,” she said. “I took a swig out of it—that’s all.”
Craig nodded. “Okay, use that water.”
****
By the time the authorities arrived, Lily was asleep in her portable crib. Craig shadowed Officer Barry Noren as he checked out the point of entry. Officer Cliff Stevenson questioned the three women. After a while, Craig and Officer Noren joined the others. Craig said, “As we figured, it looks like he came in through that open window. We found the screen tossed behind a shrub.”
The officer then explained, “It appears that he didn’t take anything. Once inside, he closed those blinds so that if you returned home, you would not see him in here. But why he took a drink of your water before he left, is a puzzle.”
“Maybe I can shed some light,” Craig said. “He may have wanted to harm the occupants—most likely, Arthur Spence. So he waited in here, as you said. He got thirsty and helped himself to the water and, when he saw Ruth pull up with a car full of women and no sign of the boy, he decided to split.” Craig cocked his head and said, “If he contaminated that water, he might have poured some out in order to make the poison cocktail stronger.”
“So you think he wanted to beat me up or…kill me?” Arthur asked.
“I’m afraid that’s not outside the realm of possibilities, guy.” When he saw the look of fright on Arthur’s face, he added, “Or it could have been one of those photo-hounds hoping to get an up-close-and-personal picture.”
Officer Noren looked at the boy. “I recommend you find another place to stay until things…calm down.”
“Just what we plan to do,” Craig said. “Can they finish packing now?” he asked.
Officer Stevenson nodded. “We’ve dusted for prints. I’d like to get prints from all of you, too.”
Arthur frowned at Craig. “They suspect one of us?” he asked.
