Grumpy, Sam and Sammy: A Murder Mystery and Thriller

by Anthony Newman

  “Rick said, “This is one of the best jobs that we have ever done thanks to Mary’s idea.”

  Mary looked at the closed door and said, "Bill can you hide the door so no one will spot it, but we can easily open it?”

  Grumpy thought for a minute, went to the door, opened and closed it several times.

  "I’ll bolt a set of shelves to it and no one will ever know that there is a door behind the shelves."

  The crew left and they locked up and went to bed thoroughly exhausted. Grumpy locked all the doors, set the alarms and turned in for the night.

  Mary worked on the storm shelter most of the day after church. She put some fold up chairs and a blowup mattress along with a ton of food and water on shelves supplied by Grumpy from the barn.

  “Mary, I’ll order some survival food and equipment on the internet and we will have a proper storm shelter with supplies in case the house gets blown away.”

  “Do you think that we are carrying this too far?”

  “No, Mary. I have a bad feeling about Jack Collins, Sr. not liking us attacking his good name in the state of Kentucky. A reporter was shoved off a cliff a couple of years ago and a lot of people think she was killed for looking into Collins Industries.”

  “Bill, I want something bigger than that little .380 and I want you to teach me all about the shotgun and that Bushmaster in the living room closet.”

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  Chapter 22

  Bill and Mary took Sam to CHFS to let her meet with her caseworker on Monday morning and so they could meet with Greg. Sammy could now be trusted in the house alone so they left the TV on to keep him company and headed into town.

  “Mom how many times do I have to go see the caseworker? I am trying to be good and just want to get back in school with my friends.”

  “I don’t know, but the visits drop off to once a month when they see that you are progressing along well and don’t need to be checked on as much.”

  “I know that I have been a pain in the butt, but I promise that I will do better. With Jack dead, I finally feel safe for the first time in over a year.”

  “They are going to ask you how you feel about what happened over the past few days. Do you think that you can talk about the kidnapping and Jack’s death?”

  “I don’t want to think about all of it, but I’ll answer their questions if it gets them off my ass.”

  “Samantha!”

  “Sorry Mom, I have been bad much longer than good. My Mom wouldn’t have said anything about most cuss words.”

  “I know that you will slip up, but try harder.”

  “Okay.”

  Grumpy laughed and said, “That will be a quarter.”

  Sam replied, “Got me. Just remember that I have ears also.”

  Mary asked, but they just laughed and didn’t answer.

  They arrived at the office and had to wait for twenty minutes past their appointment time before the caseworker came to get Sam. They were escorted to Greg’s office a few minutes later.

  Greg saw that both Mary and Bill had slings on their arms and scratches and bruises on their faces.

  “Hello Mary and Bill, lesser people would have tucked their tails and ran away from this poor child. How are you both doing and how is little Sammy?”

  Mary shook his hand and said, “We are all battered and bruised, but are all well otherwise. The slings come off in a few weeks. I won’t kid you Greg; this has been a very tough week, but if we can help Sam have a good life, then it will be worth all of the trouble.”

  Grumpy chimed in with, “That dog is a hero. He saved Sam’s and my life more than once. I am almost convinced that he is an angel sent by God to watch over Sam. He tore into Collins several times over the past few weeks and put his life on the line to save ours.”

  “You are right, that does sound heroic. I’m glad that both of you are committed to seeing this through because the pregnancy complicates the issue.”

  Grumpy replied, “Tell us what y’all think and recommend should be our plan to help Sam through this? We will also talk with our pastor and pray a lot.”

  “Well there is no simple answer. She is a ward of the state and won’t be able to abort the fetus. She will be given a chance to keep it, but if she resists, the baby will be placed in a foster home and then put out for adoption. It depends on her frame of mind concerning the baby’s father and how the baby was conceived. She may even be hostile towards the baby.”

  “What is the first step?”

  “That’s being done right now. Her caseworker and a psychologist are evaluating her as we speak. They need another hour or so and I can give you a better idea of how we will proceed. Why don’t y’all go see your Pastor and then come back here?”

  ***

  “Mary and Bill it’s good to see you up and walking. You two and Sam have been in my prayers since I visited you in the hospital. What can I do for you?”

  “John, how much do you know about Sam and her background?”

  “Mary, I know the short story about her parents, home life and that Collins probably abused her. I know what has been on the news concerning the kidnapping and the rescue. I was going to reach out to you to see if I can help both of you deal with the difficult situations. I feel so sorry that poor girl had to shoot Collins. Tell me what I need to know to help you.”

  Grumpy jumped in, “Well, we just found out that Sam is about eight weeks pregnant and we think the father is Collins. We need guidance on how to help Sam and her baby.”

  “This happens more times than anyone would like to know. An abusive father, stepfather or mother’s boyfriend impregnates a minor. What happens to the baby depends on the person who has custody and their beliefs. I will never accept abortion as a solution, but I don’t make these decisions. What would you like to do?”

  Mary answered, “Since it never happened is not in the cards, I guess that we would like for Sam to love the baby and want to raise it with our help.”

  The pastor looked over to Bill and said, “What do you think about helping raise a baby?”

  “I won’t lie to you. If you suggested this six months ago, I’d give you a cussing. Now that we have Sam and care for her and Sammy so much, I want to do the right thing by her and the baby. We have money, a nice house and most important we have the love and guidance that they both will need.”

  “Bill, I’m glad that you said that, because you understand that a good home with love is most of what a child needs. Bill, you didn’t mention God. Do you still blame him for Ann and Johnny’s deaths?”

  “Pastor, I have come to believe that God doesn’t interfere with all of man’s actions on earth and that while we are not to blame for Ann’s death, we could have done more for her before she made that decision. Believe it or not, that little dog has helped me more than anything else in getting my faith back. I swear that he is an angel sent by God to watch over Sam. He has saved both our lives more than once.”

  He proceeded to fill the Pastor in on Sammy’s heroics and the talks that Sammy and he have.

  “Bill, you just said that you talk with the dog. Does he reply?”

  “No John, I’m not crazy. You would have to be there to understand. An issue comes up and the next thing I know, I’m talking with Sammy and feel like a hand is guiding me to the right solution. No he doesn’t speak in English to me, but I get what he is saying.”

  “Well we all know that God works in mysterious ways so I’m not going to argue with you. The important thing is that you are growing closer to God and can be a good influence on Sam. I want to meet Sammy when you have the time.”

  ***

  Mary hadn’t said a word on the drive back to the CHFS office, but finally had to say, “So you think that God is talking to you through Sammy? I think that is strange, but wonderful. You and Sammy are my heroes.”

  “Are you making fun of me?”

  “No I am serious. You are a work in progress and we both had strayed away from
God over the past few years. I am thankful for anything that helps renew our faith. We will need it to meet these tests that have been thrown at us.”

  They arrived at the CHFS, parked the truck and went into Greg’s office.

  “First I want to thank you for the fantastic progress that Sam has achieved in such a short time. The psychologist does not agree with all of your methods, but can’t argue with the results. She is worried about Sam’s safety because you are teaching Sam how to shoot and does not like her being around guns. How do you respond?

  “Has the psychologist ever heard of the 2nd Amendment? My Dad taught me how to shoot and more importantly gun safety before I was ten years old. My guns are locked away when not in use and are no danger to Sam. For Pete’s sake, her training saved my life. I know that you should never count on a 15 year old to shoot someone, but the fact is that she handled herself very well and saved my life. I know that anyone who takes a life, even for a good reason bears scars that can’t be undone, but life goes on and you deal with it the best that you can.”

  “Calm down, I happen to agree with you and think that Sam is in good hands. I would like for you to lay low on training Sam on guns for a while.”

  “I will.”

  “Now, the good news. Sam is in a remarkably good frame of mind considering what she has gone through. The psychologist asked Sam about her thoughts on getting married, raising children and making a home for them. Her answers were very mature concerning having children, but still has some animosity towards men in general. She has improved greatly, which I think is due to the role model that you are setting for her. This tells us that she doesn’t fear having children or hold a preconceived poor opinion of them.”

  “Sod she won’t flip out when she hears about the baby?.”

  “The truth is that we don’t have a clue how she will actually behave, but our best bet is that she will deal with this without falling apart. As feisty as she is, she might want to dig him up and shoot him again. The one thing that we must mandate is that she be told about the situation here in front of the psychologist and me.”

  Mary replied, “We are all here so I think we should tell her today. Are there any suggestions on how to break the news?”

  “Just tell her the facts and tell her that you will both be with her through the experience. If she is adamant on giving the baby away or demands an abortion, the psychologist and I will take over the discussion. Keep it gentle and as positive as possible.”

  Grumpy added, “Let’s wait until after lunch because I want Sammy with her to give her comfort. I know it sounds crazy, but that dog is her best friend and she will want him present.”

  “Bill, normally I would take exception to a dog being in the room, but it can’t hurt and may keep her calm. After lunch it is.”

  They went home for lunch and let Sam play with Sammy in the backyard while Mary prepared their meal. Sammy would stand on his back legs and lay his head on Grumpy’s leg until Grumpy gave in and gave him a piece of his sandwich.

  “I hope he doesn’t gain 20 pounds begging like that. He will look like a bowling ball with legs.”

  This made Sam laugh and Sammy jumped into her lap and sat down. He kept looking at her plate to no avail.

  Sam said, “Sammy, I am already gaining enough weight for two people, we don’t need a fat dog also.”

  Mary choked on her food and had to clear her throat.

  Mary looked at Sam, laughed and said, “Sam, you have filled out nicely. You actually have boobs to fill out those bras that I bought you.”

  Sam turned red in the face and replied, “Mom, not in front of Dad!”

  “I’m sorry, but you were so malnourished that we are just now seeing the real Sam. Your body just needed some food to fill out naturally. You didn’t want to be a stick the rest of your life, did you?”

  Sam ate two sandwiches, a bag of chips, five cookies and a coke for lunch. Mary thought that Sam might be having twins at this rate.

  “I’m sorry Sam, but we have to go back to talk with your caseworker to get an action plan for your next six months. The good news is that they want to meet the heroic Sammy.”

  “They will like Sammy, I’m sure.”

  They had an uneventful drive back to the CHDS office and were ushered straight into a conference room. The psychologist, Anna, was a young lady who was about 30 and she welcomed them into the room with a warm handshake and a smile. Greg picked Sammy up and held him while Anna petted him.

  “Sam, we are so pleased to finally meet this fellow that we’ve heard so much about. Not many dogs are heroes and get on national TV.”

  “Anna, he’s the best. I don’t know what I’d do without him.”

  “Well then, we must take good care of him. Do you feed and clean up after him?”

  “Yeah, he’s like a baby. It’s work, but I don’t really care.”

  “Sam that is very mature thinking for such a young lady. So Sammy is much like your baby and you want the best for him for the rest of his life.”

  “Yes I found him when he was just a few weeks old and had to protect him from Jack and feed him. I hid him and gave him my food to keep him alive. He has saved my life several times since then, he loves me very much.”

  As if on cue, Sammy started licking Sam on the face and wagging his bushy tail.

  Anna smiled and said, “I do believe he knows what we are talking about. Now enough about Sammy. Mary has something to tell you.”

  Mary cleared her throat and said, “Sam you have been gaining weight, very moody and sick every morning. Do those symptoms mean anything to you from what you have learned in health class?”

  “It sounds like pregnancy, but that can’t be it. You’ve got to be kidding.”

  Mary bent towards her and wrapped her arms around Sam just as Sam broke down into tears.

  Mary said, “Darling, you are pregnant. We will be with you throughout this and afterwards. We will help you take care of and raise your baby. We love you and will love your baby also.”

  Sam was crying and Sammy was licking her face while Mary held her in her arms.

  “This is so unfair. As if Jack hasn’t stolen enough from me.”

  Sam cried for a minute and looked at Sammy, “Sammy boy, what do I do?”

  Sammy was sitting in her lap, stood up on his hind legs and raised his paws to be picked up. She picked him up and cradled him in her arms.

  She kissed him on the snout and said, “You’ll still love my baby, even if it’s dad was a bastard, right?”

  Again, Sammy licked her on the face and settled down onto her lap.

  Grumpy spoke, “Sam, just as though you had no choice who your parents are, this baby didn’t get to pick his father. You will be a great Mom and Sammy will love the baby just as much as he loves you. Sammy will be very protective of the baby just as he is protective of you. We will be there for you, Sammy and the baby.”

  She leaned over, gave Grumpy a hug and a kiss on the cheek and said, “I guess angels don’t have to have wings.”

  Grumpy said, “Sam, I think it’s time to go home.”

  Sam sighed, God I hope this baby doesn’t turn out to be like Jack.”

  “Sam, a baby is like a lump of clay. He or she, will grow up to be the person that you three show them to be. Babies soak up their surroundings. If you are mean, they will be mean. If you are loving and kind, they will also be loving and kind. You can’t make them tall or run fast, but you can be a good role model and educate them to be good caring people.”

  “Mom and Dad, let’s go home.”

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  Chapter 23

  “Ray, our surveillance so far indicates that Bill Jones was just blowing off steam and will go away now that Collins Jr. is dead. The KSP officer, Joe Richards, is another matter. He will be trouble. He was a good friend of the sheriff's and won’t go away. He has made several inquiries to friends in Frankfort about your boss and is pressing for an investigation. He even lea
ked info to a Republican Senator to try to get him involved.”

  “How worried should we be about Richards?”

  “He doesn’t have any solid proof or the shit would be hitting the fan. We must stop him from digging or he might stumble on to something.”

  “We have enough bodies lying around and don’t need more eyes on this. Discredit him or blackmail him and make him go away. Look into his personal life. Does he drink too much? Have a woman on the side? You know the drill."

  George put his partner tailing Richards while he performed an internet search on the KSP Sargent. He found numerous articles singing his praise for saving lives and making arrests, but not a single negative. He made a call to a friend in Frankfort and asked if he could get a copy of a State Police personnel file. The answer was ‘How much are you willing to pay?’

  He paid $5,ooo for a copy of the file and again found nothing useful. This guy was squeaky clean on paper, but had to have enemies and crossed the line somewhere in his career. They just had to keep digging.

  She saw Sgt. Richards get in his patrol car and leave the KSP Headquarters in a hurry. She waited and followed at a distance. He drove into town and through several subdivisions until he stopped at a bar on 2nd Street. He got out of the car and walked into an alley. She saw a guy walk up to him that looked like a street gang member. They spoke for a several minutes and while he was distracted, she placed a tracking device under his car. In a few minutes, Richards got back in the car and drove off heading north towards Louisville. She followed, but this time she could watch the GPS unit and track him without being spotted.