by Rose Pressey
I stood there for several more seconds, scanning the area and looking for any sign of someone. When I saw nothing, I turned around and headed for my car. The next thing I knew someone had grabbed me from behind.
I tumbled backward as the person tried to pull me. Was this dirtbag trying to get me in their vehicle? How far away was the car though? I hadn’t seen one in the parking lot. It had been only my car. I couldn’t get a look at the person who was attacking me, but based on the size, I felt like it was probably a woman. She had no idea who she was messing with. I’d known somebody had been back there. I should have gone with my gut instinct and not trusted that everything would be okay. Now I found myself in a pickle.
I positioned my arms so that I could break her hold around me. She was pretty strong, but I had special skills that I’d learned just for this situation. I wouldn’t be in this business if I didn’t take measures in order to protect myself. I just had to make sure she didn’t get the gun from my side or draw one of her own. I couldn’t believe I had been attacked. The nerve!
I maneuvered my arms to the right position, and now I had her where I wanted her. I yanked my arms down and she had no control. She had to let me go. I spun around and grabbed for my gun. She took off running down the side of the other building. I stood there breathing heavily as I aimed the gun. It was like I was frozen on the spot.
I hadn’t gotten a good look at her since she had moved so quickly. I knew that she had dark hair, about shoulder length. She was probably about five foot six inches tall and one hundred twenty pounds. That was just my guess, but it was all I had to go on other than that she was wearing dark clothing. She obviously wanted to blend in with the night. Her plan to attack me hadn’t gone so well though.
After I finally got my heartbeat to a normal rhythm, I put the gun back and got into my car. I locked the doors. The last thing I wanted was another battle tonight. One was enough. I wasn’t sure if I wanted to tell Jake about this right away or just wait. He had enough to deal with investigating the murder. Why had this woman attacked me though?
Chapter 6
I made it back to my place with no further incidents— no attackers and no reporters. After I got out of the car, I locked the door and headed across the street to the apartment building. I was still shaken up, but I had to push this to the back of my mind and focus on Morty. Though I would be more vigilant about my surroundings.
My apartment building was a small complex, only a few buildings with a courtyard in the middle and a fantastic pool. I loved to take a dip in in the mornings or sometimes late in the evenings. Most of the time I had the pool all to myself.
Walking past the palm trees, I headed toward my tiny apartment. A strange feeling came over me that someone watched my every move. I looked around the courtyard, but it appeared I was all alone out here. Maybe it was one of the crazy neighbors spying from inside their apartment. There was no way the attacker had come to my apartment building, right? What was I thinking? Yes, it was totally possible the attacker had followed me. However, I chose to believe the attack had just been random and I assumed my uneasy feeling was just leftover stress from the attack.
When I stepped inside my cramped space, I released a deep breath. Home at last. It was just one room with a bed and a small kitchen area, but it was home. Against the wall near the door was a desk and chair where I had my computer. A little air conditioner rested in the window by the bed. Usually it didn’t work. Even with all those flaws, I still liked to think of the space as cozy, even if it was small.
I’d spend many nights at that desk searching on my computer for any clue that would help me solve my father’s murder. He’d been a police officer in Kentucky. He’d been ambushed one night and his killer had never been captured. I’d made it my life’s mission to find his killer. A prisoner had said he had info for me, but when I suggested coming for a visit, he backed out. No one wanted to talk about what had happened. I suppose they were afraid of retaliation. Nevertheless, I wouldn’t give up.
I’d just plopped down on the bed hoping to take a fifteen-minute nap when my phone rang. It was Dorothy’s number.
“Is everything all right?” I asked.
“Everything is definitely not all right,” she said with a trembling voice.
“Are you crying?” I asked.
“I’m so upset, Maggie, I don’t know what to do.”
“What happened?” I pressed. “Take a deep breath and tell me.”
My heart was breaking hearing her like this. I’d never heard her so upset.
“The police arrested Morty.”
“What?” I said way louder than I had anticipated. “Did you have a car accident? Are you all right?”
“It wasn’t a car accident. They arrested him for murder,” she said.
“You’ve got to be kidding me.” I jumped up from the bed.
Suddenly it felt as if the room was growing even smaller and I hadn’t thought that was possible. How could the police possibly arrest Morty for murder? And why hadn’t Jake called me and let me know before this actually happened?
“I’ll be over there right away, Dorothy. You just stay put.” I shoved my feet into my flip flops.
“You don’t even know where I am,” she said through a sniffle.
“Oh, I guess I assumed you were at Morty’s. You’re not there?”
Just then a knock sounded at my door.
“Hold on, Dorothy, I have to get the door.”
I crossed the room, which only took like two steps. When I opened the door, Dorothy was standing right in front of me with the phone still up to her ear.
“Dorothy, what are you doing here?”
“I came to get you,” she said.
As I gave her a big hug, I was pretty sure she used my shirt as a Kleenex.
“It’s okay, Dorothy,” I said, patting her back. “We’ll figure this out. We know he didn’t do it.”
“Are you sure?” she said through another even louder sniffle.
Sure he didn’t do it or sure we’d get him out of jail? “Absolutely, I’m positive we’ll get him out of jail,” I said, releasing her from the embrace. “Right now, I’m going to call Jake and we’ll get this all straightened out.” I pulled out my phone.
“I sure hope he can get it straightened out,” she said with one more snort .
As we stood there by the door, I hit redial for Jake’s number. Thank goodness he picked up immediately.
“What is going on?” The agitation in my voice was evident.
“Maggie, I was just getting ready to call you. I just found out.”
“Why would they do such a thing? That’s like arresting a puppy for licking your face. Morty is a sweet little old man.”
Jake chuckled a little bit, but I knew he was trying to remain serious. “I don’t know, Maggie. My boss is the one who is convinced that Morty did this. I tried to talk to him and tell him there was no evidence to arrest Morty. Don’t worry, Maggie. We’ll get it all straightened out.”
That was what I’d told Dorothy. I knew that meant Jake had no idea what the true outcome would be.
“I certainly hope so. This is going to be traumatizing for Morty and Dorothy.”
“How is she holding up?” Jake asked.
Dorothy had managed to find a remnant of a tissue in her purse and was wiping her red nose with it. With all the peppermint candies in her bag she didn’t have a package of tissue? I’d thought she had everything but the kitchen sink in there.
“I think we’re going to need a whole lot of peppermint candy,” I said. “Do you know how we can get Morty out of jail right away?”
“Right away?” he asked as if I’d asked the craziest of questions. “We’ll have to wait for a judge to set bail, and considering it’s murder, I’m guessing it’s not going to be cheap.”
“Right,” I said around a sigh. “But maybe they’ll realize that Morty wouldn’t be exactly a flight risk.”
“Perhaps,” Jake said. “I’ll se
e what I can do and keep in touch. I guess we’re going to have to pass on that dinner.”
“It’s totally worth it if it means getting Morty out of jail.”
“I’ll call you soon,” he said.
We ended the call, and honestly, I didn’t even want to look at Dorothy because I didn’t have good news. What would I do with her now? I took her purse and pulled out a peppermint candy and handed it to her.
“I don’t even feel like a peppermint,” she said with a wave of her hand.
Oh, my gosh. This was the saddest thing ever. Dorothy didn’t want a candy? I was pretty sure I’d never seen her refuse candy. Next she’d give up knitting and refuse a crossword puzzle.
“How about I drive you home?” I asked.
“I suppose it’s the only thing I can do, if they’re not going to let him out.” She waved the crumbled tissue through the air.
“I feel as if I’ve let you both down by not being able to get him out of there,” I said.
“I’m sure he understands at the moment that you can’t do anything. But we’ll be there for him as soon as we can, and we’ll get him out.”
“Maybe I need to find the killer right away so that we can speed this up. The faster the killer is found, the faster Morty gets out of the slammer.”
“Do you really think you can do that?” she asked.
“Dorothy, I’m a private investigator, it’s my job. It’s what I do. And you have to admit I’ve been pretty good at finding some killers.”
“Well, with some of it you got lucky, but sure.”
“Thanks for the vote of confidence, Dorothy. I’ll take that as a compliment since you’re under a lot of stress at the moment.”
“Whatever you say, dear.”
“We’ll leave your car here, Dorothy, and I’ll drive you home. In the morning, I’ll come pick you up and we’ll go see what we can find out. We’ll hire a lawyer and get Morty out of jail. And while we’re at it, I’ll be trying to figure out who murdered Jessica Combs.”
“Thank you, Maggie. What would I do without you,” Dorothy said around a sigh.
“We have each other.” I squeezed her again.
I looped my arm through hers and guided her down the path toward my car. At least she managed to hold back the tears during the drive. If she cried, then I’d cry. I wouldn’t have been able to drive if my eyes were full of tears. I would have been a worse driver than Morty. A short time later, I pulled up in front of Dorothy’s place.
“I’ll walk you inside,” I said.
“Oh, good, because I made cookies for you earlier and forgot to give them to you.” Dorothy unlocked her front door.
Chapter 7
I followed Dorothy inside her place. It was a one-story patio-style home with two bedrooms and one bathroom. Dorothy had what I liked to call the Golden Girls style of décor—peach and turquoise colors along with brass gold accents and palm frond plants. It definitely had that Miami vibe. I walked with Dorothy through the small living room area toward the kitchen. When she stopped abruptly, I almost stumbled into her back.
“What’s wrong, Dorothy?” I asked as I regained my balance.
“The back door is open,” she whispered.
“What?” I asked, peeking around Dorothy for a look. “Stay here, Dorothy. I’ll go check it out.”
Dorothy stayed in the same spot as I stepped around her and moved down the hallway toward the back door that led into the back yard. Maybe Dorothy had just left the back door open. At least that was what I told myself to make me feel better. In reality, I always had some bad thought that a burglar had gotten into the house. I glanced back to see if Dorothy had moved. She was frozen on the spot. She must be scared if she was staying there and not trying to help me.
When I reached the door, I paused. I didn’t want to just jump outside and have the person attack me if they were waiting right there. I was getting ahead of myself though. I had to remain positive and just assume that the door had been left open. That was the most likely scenario. I pushed my shoulders back and braced myself for the worst, just in case. On the count of three, I peeked around the side of the open door to the left and to the right, but I saw no one. Now I released a deep breath.
“It’s all clear, Dorothy,” I said as I stepped back inside and closed the door.
I locked the door and checked to make sure that it was secure. Dorothy still stood in the same spot as if she was petrified. I moved back to her, taking her by the arm and guiding her toward the kitchen.
“How about we have some fresh lemonade,” I said.
Dorothy always had lemonade and sweet tea. Bless her heart, she’d been through so much. I couldn’t blame her for being at her wits’ end. Dorothy must still be in shock because she didn’t even answer me.
“Did you leave the door open?” I asked as I reached in the refrigerator and grabbed the pitcher of lemonade.
“I don’t think so,” Dorothy said. “I never leave that door open. That’s why I’m so scared.”
I grabbed a glass from the cabinet and turned around to face her. “Are you sure you didn’t leave it open?”
“I know I didn’t, Maggie. I’ve never left that door unlocked and open.”
“Maybe the lock wasn’t secure and the wind blew it open,” I said.
She glanced out the window. “There’s no wind today.”
There could have been earlier, and we wouldn’t have paid attention. I wouldn’t push the issue.
I poured the lemonade into the glass. “How about I check the rest of the house just to make sure that it’s all secure?”
“And make sure nobody’s here?” she asked and then took a drink.
“Absolutely,” I said.
I moved from room to room checking the house, even looking under the beds and in the closets. I checked behind the palm tree print shower curtain and checked the cabinet under the bathroom sink. No one could hide there unless it was a leprechaun. Dorothy had finished her glass of lemonade when I reached the kitchen.
“Nothing there,” I said.
She released a deep breath. “Well, I guess it was just the wind.”
I hoped she didn’t stew about this too much. She had enough to worry about with Morty.
“Absolutely, that’s all it was,” I said. “Think nothing more about it.”
Just then a knock came at the door. Dorothy and I both tensed up. She almost dropped the glass. I placed the glass on the counter and then headed over to the door with Dorothy right behind me. You’d think a simple knock at the door wouldn’t be so terrifying. But after all the strange things lately, it was no wonder that we felt this way.
After glancing through the peephole, I asked, “Do you recognize this woman, Dorothy?”
First, I’d noticed the cap of gray tight curls. Then my focus shifted to the thick eyeglasses sitting askew on the woman’s thin face. The petite and slender woman frowned, almost as if she knew I watched her from the tiny hole in the door. She wore a peach-colored track suit, as if she’d just finished her morning calisthenics. Except it wasn’t morning.
Dorothy pressed her face against the door, and then said, “That’s my neighbor.”
“Oh, well, I suppose that’s all right then,” I said with a nervous laugh.
Dorothy stepped around me and opened the door. “Hi, Lorelei,” she said. “Would you like to come inside for lemonade?” Dorothy was trying to put on a brave face.
“Oh, dear, I just heard what happened.” Lorelei touched Dorothy’s arm.
Dorothy’s eyes widened. “What do you mean?”
“They arrested Morty for murder. It’s okay, Dot. Sometimes you never really know someone. Just be thankful it wasn’t you he killed.”
“How did you hear about that?” Dorothy asked in a loud voice.
“It was on the twelve o’clock news. It was right there with his picture. When did he get that brown spot on his face?” Lorelei asked.
Oh, dear. I knew Dorothy didn’t want to discuss this
right now.
“It was all a misunderstanding,” Dorothy said. “We’ll be getting him out soon.”
Lorelei’s eyes widened. “Oh, well, that’s good. Did they find the real killer?”
“Not yet,” I chimed in. “But we’re working on that. I’m a private investigator. As you probably know, Dorothy works for me.”
“Yes, I’m aware. Dorothy tells everyone. I suppose maybe that’s why the detective was over here at your door, Dorothy.”
“There was a detective at the door?” I asked.
“Yes, he was here not long ago.” Lorelei waved her hand.
That was interesting. Had Jake come by here looking for me? I would have to ask him.
“Did you speak with the detective?” I asked.
“Yes, he asked me when Dorothy would be home. I told him that I wasn’t sure, but it shouldn’t be long. Of course, this was before I knew what happened to Morty.”
“What did this detective look like?” I asked.
“Oh, he was probably fifty-five with graying hair.”
That wasn’t Jake. Was it Jake’s boss? Why would he be here to talk to Dorothy? Unless he was trying to get more information from her to use against Morty. Well, I wasn’t going to let that happen.
“Are you sure this man was a detective?” I asked.
“Well, yes, he said he was.”
For some reason, I was suspicious because that didn’t exactly match any description of the detectives I knew were working this case.
“Did he give you his name at all?” I asked.
“No, I suppose he didn’t,” Lorelei said.
“He didn’t show you a badge?” I pressed.
“No, but he was wearing a shirt and tie.”
Lots of people wore shirts and ties. He could be with the water department for all I knew.
