by Patricia Fry
“Just wondering. Would you object if I did a little snooping in the accident report?” he asked.
“No, I guess not. Are you thinking there could have been…someone could have…?”
Craig thinned his lips and winked at the boy. “You never know.”
Arthur spoke softly, “I used to wonder about that, but then I figured it was my way of justifying what had happened—that someone did this to him, not that he was negligent.” Arthur turned toward Craig. “Want to hear something strange? I don’t know if it was a dream or real. I remember my mother saying to me once, ‘You were supposed to be in that car.’ I didn’t think much about that statement then, except to think that she must be awfully happy that Karen and I were not in the car with him that day.” He thought for a moment. “But she might have meant something else.” He sighed deeply. “Oh, I have such a big imagination. I need to stop thinking so much.”
****
Two days later, the doorbell rang at the Ivey house. “Craig,” Savannah said, upon answering the door. “Nice to see you. Is Iris with you?” she asked, peering behind him.
“No, this is official business.”
“Gosh, you look serious—are we under arrest?”
He chuckled. “No. Can I speak with Arthur and Ruth?”
“Sure, they’re in the kitchen feeding the baby. Come on in.”
After exchanging greetings, Craig said, “Arthur, I have something to tell you. Savannah, you can stay if you want.”
“Sit here at the table with us, Craig,” Savannah suggested. “Can I get you something to drink?”
“Just water. Thanks.”
Once everyone was seated, Craig said to Arthur. “They’re considering opening the case concerning your father’s accident.”
“What?” he said, stunned at the announcement.
“I drove down to Frisco this morning and they let me examine the accident report. It’s a thick file with some obvious holes. They found a bottle of whiskey in the car with the body and the smell of alcohol was strong. But no alcohol was found in your father’s system. There was an autopsy, but it wasn’t filed in the accident report. I found it at the coroner’s office. Also, they noted a car malfunction that could have caused the car to careen off the road. The car had new tires put on a few days before, so it was thought that the tire came off because the mechanic didn’t tighten the nuts. But there was a statement from the Spence’s driver saying he always double-checked things like that before releasing one of the cars from the mechanic.”
“The driver wasn’t with my dad that day, was he?” Arthur asked.
Ruth shook her head slowly and said, “No, Mr. Spence was driving himself that day and you children were supposed to be with him. He was going to pick you up from school and take you over the pass to visit his mother. She called him at the office that day and said she had a cold, so not to bring you children. Your father called me and asked me to pick you up.”
“They went to school that young?” Savannah asked.
“Well, it was a preschool and kindergarten program for privileged children—a private program they went to for a short while.”
Arthur turned pale. His voice cracked when he asked, “So someone wanted Karen and me dead even then? Who, Ruthie? Who could it be?” he asked, tears welling up in his eyes.
“We may get to the bottom of it soon,” Craig said. “In light of what happened seven years ago and the close calls you’ve had recently, Bob Walker, the San Francisco Chief of Police, is interested in opening that old case. At least there will be a new investigation.”
“So you don’t think it’s paparazzi hassling Arthur?” Savannah asked.
Craig cleared his throat. “That’s what we want to know. Are these threats and attacks coming from the photo-hounds or someone else? Are they somehow related to his father’s accident and what happened to the children seven years ago? Is someone being paid to harm the boy? We have to find out, and soon.”
Savannah reached over and patted Arthur’s arm as she held the baby. Then Lily reached out her chubby hands to Arthur. He took her in his lap and held her close. “Karen, sweet Karen,” he murmured.
****
The Ivey household was quiet that evening. After dinner, both Arthur and Ruth went to their rooms. By nine thirty, everyone had turned in. It was close to midnight when Savannah thought she heard the baby whimpering. When she checked on her, she found her sound asleep. However, she’d kicked her blanket off, as she often did. Savannah smiled, pulled the blanket up over her, and kissed the baby on the cheek. Before walking out of the room, she noticed Buffy and stopped to scratch her under the chin. Then, using the dim light from the nightlights placed strategically throughout the downstairs, she made her way into the kitchen for a drink of iced lemon-water. “Hi Walter,” she said, running her hand along the cat’s rich, black fur as he rubbed against her ankles.
Savannah finished her glass of water and headed back to bed. When she reached the living room, however, she froze in her tracks. She suddenly realized that she wasn’t alone. “Michael?” she called quietly. But it wasn’t Michael. There was a stranger in their home.
Savannah stood in stark terror, watching the unimaginable unfold before her eyes. Who is he and what does he want? She saw the glint of something in his hand and felt her heart lurch.
“It isn’t you I want,” he said, in an eerily distorted voice. “Where is he?” he demanded.
“Who?” she asked, purposely stalling—her thoughts spinning out of control.
The masked figure moved slowly toward her in the near darkness. “You know damn well who—that sniveling kid.” He motioned toward the staircase. “Is he up there…or down this hallway?”
Savannah knew better than to react, but how would she keep the intruder at bay? If only Michael would wake up and come looking for me. As far as he and our guests know, they’re safe in our home, she thought.
“Where is he? Tell me…or I’ll go room by room, killing everyone I find,” he threatened. He glanced around the living room, then focused again on Savannah. “Maybe I’ll start with the youngest—where’s your daughter? Up there?” He took a step toward the staircase, watching for Savannah’s reaction, when suddenly, something flew through the air from behind him and landed hard on his shoulders. He cried out in pain. “Get that thing off me!” he screeched as he spun around, trying to dislodge the creature. “Get it off me! Get it off me!” he shouted.
Before Savannah could decide what to do, she heard something hit the area rug, bounce, and slide across the wood floor. Was that a knife? My gosh, he dropped his knife. I must grab it before he does, she thought. However, she wasn’t quick enough. She didn’t even know where it was. Her heart sunk when she saw him shake himself loose from his attacker and lunge for the weapon; but someone had beaten him to it. There, sprawled atop the object was Rags, who emitted the deepest throaty growl Savannah had ever heard come from him.
The intruder, blood running from claw marks on his neck, stared down at the snarling beast. He moved closer and threatened, “I’ll kill that mangy thing!”
Savannah could see that the large grey-and-white cat had the upper paw; however, she was concerned about the Siamese cat who had been tossed halfway across the room. She glanced in Koko’s direction. Miraculously, she had recovered and was heading for the man again. Just as he prepared to kick Rags, the spunky Siamese leaped, claws unsheathed, grabbing his leg, causing him to fall hard against a side table and sprawl out on the floor.
While he clumsily scrambled to his feet, Savannah saw her chance. She rushed toward Rags, who along with Koko quickly scampered to the other side of the room, and she grabbed the weapon. But when she realized what she held in her hands, her jaw dropped. A gun…a small shiny pistol.
“Michael! Michael!!” she screamed, holding the weapon toward the intruder menacingly and wondering how her husband could sleep through her nightmare. She hoped against hope that it was merely a nightmare.
“
Stay there, Savannah!” Michael shouted upon entering the living room carrying a baseball bat. To the masked intruder, he snarled, “Who the hell are you and what do you want?”
The stranger, spotting the bat, began to retreat. He backed toward the front door slowly, holding his hands out in front of himself in a defensive manner. “I’m at the wrong house, man,” the mechanical voice said. “Let me go; I won’t bother you again.” When the man turned and reached for the doorknob, Michael dropped the bat and grabbed him by one arm. “Stop it, you’re hurting me,” the smaller man said as Michael held him in a choke hold and twisted his arm behind his back.
“Savannah, call the sheriff!” Michael shouted. He then demanded of the intruder, “Just settle down. You’re not going anywhere.”
After she made the call, Savannah collapsed into the nearest chair. When she realized she still held the gun in her hand, she felt an emotional lump develop in her throat.
The trespasser, in the meantime, had squirmed away from Michael and rushed to the front door. He pulled on the door handle. Locked. Frantic now, he turned and pushed Michael, who lost his balance and hit the wall. Michael picked up the bat and headed for the man again, but the stranger was able to open the door and race out into the darkness with Michael running bare-footed after him.
“Michael,” Savannah screamed from the porch, “come back!”
He knew it was no use. He’d lost sight of the man in the darkness and his feet hurt like heck from trying to run across the gravel driveway. “Are you okay?” he asked when Savannah rushed into his arms.
“Just scared,” she said. “He threatened…” she sobbed. “…he said he would…”
“It’s okay, honey. You’re okay,” Michael said, running his hand gently over her hair. He held her to him and kissed her head as she wept into his shoulder. “Come on, let’s get you inside.” Suddenly he stopped. “What was that?” he asked. “Sounded like a car door.” That’s when he saw a sleek black car driving slowly out of the long driveway. Once it reached the highway, the lights came on and it raced off, heading west.
“Did you call the sheriff?” Michael asked, walking with Savannah back into the house.
She nodded and quickly disappeared down the hallway.
“Who was that, Michael?” Arthur asked as he and Ruth cautiously descended the stairs. “I saw you holding him down—how’d he get away?”
Before he could respond, Savannah emerged from the hallway with Lily wrapped in a blanket. She took a ragged breath and said, “Someone broke into the house and your cat…”
“Koko? Where is she?” Arthur asked in a panic.
Savannah glanced around the room. “I don’t know—they were both right here.”
Just then they heard sirens. Michael called out to Arthur. “Let them in, will you? I’d better see if that creep left any doors or windows open.” He returned shortly saying, “He broke a window and came in through the laundry room. I closed that door for now. Where are the cats?” he asked his eyes darting around the room and up the stairs.
“Oh, here they are,” Savannah said. “They just came out from behind the sofa.”
“Koko,” Arthur said, rushing to pick her up.
“Wait,” Savannah said. “The guy was slashed up pretty good; we should probably see what’s under her claws—get some DNA for the investigators.”
“The cats attacked the intruder?” Deputy Mullins asked, as he and Sheriff Jim stepped inside. “Now that’s a first. Have you seen that before?” he asked Jim
“Yes, I’m afraid I have—with that big cat over there,” he pointed. “He’s like a Rottweiler when it comes to protecting his family.”
“Speaking of dogs,” Michael said, looking around. “Where’s Lexie?”
Savannah wiped at her eyes. “Outside in her pen. You know, I heard her barking a little—just figured the raccoon family was walking through the yard again.”
“I think I’ll bring her in after I clip the cats’ claws,” Michael said.
“I can’t believe Koko attacked the guy,” Arthur said, his eyes wide.
“She sure did—Koko came from nowhere, landed on his shoulders, and clawed the heck out of his neck. The intruder dropped his weapon and Rags laid on top of it and clawed the guy’s arm when he attempted to get it from him. He was about to kick Rags when Koko latched onto his leg. It was surreal,” she said, shaking her head in disbelief.
“Wow, Koko,” Arthur said. “I didn’t know you had it in you. What a girl!”
Just then Craig arrived. “Trouble tonight, huh?”
Savannah nodded.
“Is everyone all right?” He saw Savannah sitting in the overstuffed chair holding the sleeping baby. “Lily?”
“She’s okay,” Savannah said, holding her close.
Craig looked around. “He got away, huh?”
“Yes,” Michael said, “in a dark-colored sedan. Looked new.”
“How’d he get in?” Jim asked.
“I’ll show you once I finish getting these claw clippings,” Michael offered, holding Koko on his lap with one paw in his hand.
“So what was the weapon?” Craig asked.
Savannah pointed to the small gun she’d placed on a side table. “My fingerprints are on it, I’m afraid,” she said. She chuckled, “So are Rags’s paw prints.”
Craig looked at Savannah and grimaced. “Oh hon, how awful for you. How’d you get hold of it?”
“He dropped it when Koko attacked him, and I picked it up. I…” she took a deep breath, trying to hold back the tears that were coming to the surface. “I took it away from Rags and aimed it at the guy, then Michael woke up.”
“Can you describe him?” Craig asked, pulling his notepad out of his pocket.
Savannah nodded. “He was a little shorter than you, Craig—I think slight-built. He was dressed all in black—a black tee shirt, I think. He wore black gloves and had a mask over his face.” She thought for a moment and said, “There was something strange about his voice.”
“Yes, it was distorted,” Michael said, “as if by some mechanical means. There was no way you could recognize it, even if you knew the guy.”
Savannah thought for a moment and said, “And Craig, as we told the officers, he has gashes on his neck and one arm—let’s see, the right arm. You should be able to get his DNA from the cats’ claw clippings.”
While Craig questioned the Iveys, the sheriff and his deputy snooped around outside, examining tire tracks and searching for clues that might have been dropped between the house and where the getaway car had been parked. They also checked for clues around the broken window in the laundry room. After a while, the officers returned to the living room and reported, “Don’t see anything out of the ordinary. We’ve taken the liberty of calling for a couple officers to watch the place overnight. We’ll be back after sun-up and see if we missed anything.”
“Thanks for coming out Jim and Deputy Mullens,” Michael said as he ushered them out the door. “And thank you for the manpower.” He glanced at Savannah. “I think we’ll sleep better knowing we’re not alone out here tonight.”
At about the same time, Craig decided to leave, saying, “If you think of anything else—anything at all—call me, will you?”
“You know we will,” Savannah said. “Thanks, Craig.”
He nodded and left through the front door.
The mood was glum and the room silent until Michael said, “What do ya say we go back to bed?”
Savannah nodded.
Michael stared at his wife, who was still holding their sleeping baby. “I’ll set up her portable crib in our room.”
Savannah smiled weakly. “I was going to suggest that.”
“I know,” he said. “’Night guys,” he called to Arthur and Ruth. “Will you be okay?”
“Yes,” Ruth said, patting Arthur on the back. “After all, we’ll be under guard all night. Couldn’t feel safer,” she said, trying to lighten the mood.
Once they were alone in their bedroom, Lily tucked into her portable crib, Michael turned to Savannah and said, “I’m calling a security service tomorrow. We’re having a system installed.”
Chapter 7
You’re quiet today, Arthur; didn’t get enough sleep?” Michael asked the next morning at breakfast.
“Not really.”
“Not hungry, Artie? You usually love Savannah’s waffles with plum sauce.”
“Oh, I don’t know; I just feel things closing in on me. I’d like to go away to an island by myself for a while.”
Savannah chuckled. “I guess you could do that with the money you have.”
He stared at Savannah. “I guess I could. It’s hard to think that I have the freedom to go wherever I want and the money to do it. It’s a concept I just haven’t adopted yet.” He looked down into his cocoa and stirred it mindlessly.
“Arthur, I fed Peaches early this morning; how would you like to take her out for a ride?” Savannah suggested.
His face lit up. “Really? Boy, I’d like that. I’d like it a lot. Thank you.” He quickly lifted himself from his chair and headed toward the staircase. “I’ll put on my riding boots and grab a windbreaker and hat. Thanks Savannah,” he called.
She smiled broadly. “You’re welcome.”
****
When Arthur returned from a two-hour ride, he joined Savannah, Ruth, and Lily on the porch. “That was great. Thanks again, Savannah. I really enjoyed it and I feel much better.” He sat looking out over the orchard for a while, then said, “I have something to tell you.”
Ruth glanced up. “Oh?”
“Can I get you something to eat first?” Savannah offered.
“Where’s Dr. Mike?” he asked.
“It’s a work day, Arthur.”
“Oh. Well, I could use a drink of water. I’ll fix myself a sandwich in a minute, if that’s okay,” he said.
“Sure—you two chipped in on all those groceries; just help yourself.” Savannah retrieved a bottle of water for Arthur and brought out the lemonade pitcher. She poured a little lemonade into her glass and offered more to Ruth. She sprinkled a few baby treats on Lily’s jumper chair tray and then sat down. “What is it, Arthur?”
