by Ann Mullen
I surveyed the room. The place looked like a cyclone had hit it. Framed photos of Roy and his wife lay scattered and broken. A photo album of their wedding lay torn and shredded in front of the coffee table. Muddy shoe prints covered the battered sofa as well as the big comfortable chair next to it. The lamp on the end table had been knocked over and the shade crushed.
I looked to my left and saw the kitchen. Slowly, I walked into the room. Dirty dishes filled the sink. The countertop looked like an ad for Trash Unlimited. Everywhere you looked there were empty takeout cartons and pizza boxes. Beer and soda cans had been tossed in a heap in the middle of the floor. I spotted a cockroach the size of a rat running up the wall. The odor was obnoxious. I grabbed my mouth as if to heave, and fled the room.
“It’s nasty in there, and it smells awful.”
Billy was standing by the sofa holding a photo. “We’re taking this one with us. I have a feeling it might help us along the way.”
“What is it?” I asked. I walked over and looked at the picture. “Looks like a bunch of people at a party.”
“It might give us an idea of who Roy and Mary socialized with. The date on the back says December 2003. I’m willing to bet it’s a picture from last year’s FOP Christmas party. See...” He pointed to a girl and two guys in uniform standing in the background. The rest were dressed in party attire.
I took the picture and looked closely. Roy and Mary were right in the middle of the crowd holding up their glasses as was everyone else around them. Standing to the right of Mary was a handsome man dressed in a very expensive suit. His arm appeared to be around her waist, and his eyes were glued to her. “Look at this guy. There’s something funny about the way he’s looking at her. I’d say he’s got lust in his heart.”
“What?” Billy took the photo from me. “How can you tell?”
“I’m a woman; I know these things. And that’s not all I know. Look around. From what I’ve learned in my class about crime scenes, this looks like the act of a jealous rampage. Someone came in here and went berserk. The killer stomped all over the furniture with his or her muddy shoes, and then smashed every picture in sight. Nothing else of value was destroyed. Look at that CD collection. There’s not one of them out of place. What about all those little knickknacks on the table over there? They’re all still in place.”
“I see what you mean,” Billy said, then grabbed me by the arm. “Let’s go upstairs and have a quick look around. Then we’re getting out of here.”
“Shouldn’t we call the police?”
“And tell them what? The guy’s dead.”
I had to agree with Billy. Roy Keen had taken his last breath.
There was nothing out of kilter upstairs. One of the two rooms was filled with boxes and junk stacked floor to ceiling high. The other room had a double bed, dresser and nightstand. Clothes were flung everywhere. The bedspread lay on the floor. The sheets were filthy.
“Wow! These were some funky people. It smells like sweat in here.”
Billy cocked his head and said, “Do you hear that?”
“I don’t hear anything.”
He grabbed me by the sleeve of my coat and said, “Let’s get out of here!”
We both turned and ran downstairs toward the front door.
“What about him?” I asked. “We can’t just leave him.”
“Oh, yes we can,” Billy said as he pushed me outside. “He’s dead. Let the police handle this one.”
We were in Billy’s truck, flying down the driveway when I heard the sirens in the background. “It’s the cops,” I screamed. “Do you think they’re coming here?”
“I’d bet money on it.”
Billy got to the end of the driveway and made a right-hand turn, in the opposite direction of the sirens. We were barely around the bend when I caught a glimpse of the flashing blue lights.
“Whew, that was close,” I said and wiped my forehead in jest. “Do you think they saw us?”
“I sure hope not. It could compound our little problem.”
A mile past the scene of Roy’s murder, we found a road that led us out of our mess. I finally caught my breath when we came up on Rt. 29.
“Thank God!” I sank back against the seat. “I need a cigarette.” I dug in my purse on the floor, and pulled out a pack of Salem’s. “Want one?”
He glanced at the pack of smokes. “When did you start smoking menthol cigarettes?”
“I’ve always smoked menthol, unless I’m bumming.”
“I’ll pass.” He slid his hand up under his jacket and removed a pack of Marlboros. “If you’re going to smoke, this is the way to go.” He lit up.
“You’re a real man Billy Blackhawk!” I laughed.
The clock on Billy’s dash registered 11:06. It was almost noon, and time for Mom’s Thanksgiving meal. We had to get our butts in gear. I looked at Billy just about the time he glanced at the clock.
We puffed on our smokes all the way to Mom’s house. I don’t know who was more shaken from our encounter at Roy’s, but neither one of us could seem to get enough nicotine into our bodies.
Cole’s Jeep was parked beside the garage.
“Tell me it isn’t so!” I cried.
“What did you expect? He’s your boyfriend.”
“Not anymore,” I said. I turned to Billy and put my hand on his. I lifted my face, leaned over and touched my lips to his. “Things are different.”
Why did I do that? Maybe I was hurting inside and Billy was just there. I hurt and I needed comfort, and Billy was so good at comforting me.
Billy could see right through me. He knew I was teetering on the edge, yet he didn’t say a word. He didn’t accuse me of using him as a shield to block out my feelings for Cole, or of using him as a cover-up for the fact that I was now without a boyfriend. Instead, he stroked the side of my face and whispered, “I know you’re hurting, and I want you to know, I’m here for you.” He reached over and engulfed me in his strong arms. His lips were on mine.
Life definitely had taken a turn.
Athena and Thor burst out the front door of the house, yelping and howling as always. It didn’t matter if there was a leaf falling off a tree or if a burglar was trying to break into the house, they barked at everything. Within seconds they were upon us. Thor scratched at my door while Athena tried to jump through Billy’s half-opened window.
“I think they’re glad to see us. I didn’t realize how much I’d missed these mutts until now. They do grow on you.”
“Yeah, I know what you mean.” He pulled the mirror down from the visor and fiddled with his hair. “Tonight, they’ll be home where they belong. I was thinking about going to the pound sometime later and finding a dog for your mama. What do you think?”
“I think you’re out of your mind. Never give someone a pet without talking to them first unless you want to end up being the new owner. I don’t want to add to my brood. Forget it!”
“Yes, dear, whatever you say.”
We scrambled out of the truck, trying to avoid the dogs and their muddy paws, and hustled up to the porch.
The front door opened and Cole appeared. Claire was standing beside him. Both of them had a smile on their face. They looked very happy.
“Oh, Jesse.” Claire reached out to me. “I’m glad you’re here. Mom was afraid you weren’t going to make it. She was worried.”
“Why?” I asked. I leered at Cole and smiled sweetly at my sister. I wanted to choke them both. This was not right... any fool could see that. But I couldn’t be mad at Claire. She was just a babe in the woods. She was too dumb to see what was happening and too heartbroken over that stupid Carl to know the difference. I blamed Cole. His head was so far up his butt that he didn’t know what time of day it was. If he thought for one minute that I bought that ridiculous story about keeping his distance during this investigation, he had another thought coming. He was nothing short of a weasel. I was finished with him. But oh, how he still made me yearn for his touch... his kiss
.
I made myself snap out of it. I had too much pride to get immersed in his games. I wanted a real life, and I could see that wasn’t going to happen with him. He was not able to deal with a person like me. He needed someone different... someone who would give him more than I could, or would. Claire was the perfect choice. She was exactly what he needed. They would make a fine couple. A weight had been lifted from my shoulders the instant I seriously thought about the two of them together. Suddenly, I was no longer jealous. But in the back of my mind, I remembered the anger that had surfaced when Cole accused me of seeing someone else. That side of him was not pleasant. It was scary. Since that scene, I had a lingering question in the back of my head. Does he have abusive tendencies? Has he ever hit a woman? I couldn’t imagine Cole doing something so horrible. I put the whole thing out of my head.
Claire reached up on her tiptoes and gave Billy a big hug. “I’m glad you’re here. Mom promises a wonderful dinner and a few surprises. This ought to be interesting.”
Cole brought up the rear.
“Happy Thanksgiving!” Mom greeted us. “I’ve fixed everything you could possibly want to eat. Come on in and take off your coats.”
She was clad in her favorite apron for the occasion—a colorful fall picture of a turkey standing in a barnyard with its feathers spread. The house was decorated with the colors of the season: yellow, orange, tan and brown. Mom always has been one for celebrating the moment. Around our house, holidays were a time of joy, family unity, and massive appreciation. It didn’t matter if it was Christmas, Thanksgiving, a birthday, or the Fourth of July, everybody got together and celebrated their appreciation of life. I credit Mom for making sure we all lived up to this arrangement, and now even with Dad gone, she was still keeping us together.
We gathered together in the dining room and kitchen area. Claire was busy getting Benny and Carrie situated in their seats. Carrie had almost outgrown her high chair while her brother, Benny, had progressed to a real person’s chair. Kids—they grow up so fast. Cole carried food to the table, and Billy made himself useful by stoking the fire in the fireplace. I stood next to Mom, dishing out hot peas into a Pyrex dish, wondering what she had in store for us. It was her way. She loved surprises.
“It’s time to eat,” Mom announced.
Everybody sat down.
Mom put her elbows on the table, pressed her hands together and said, “Oh, Lord, let us be blessed for what we are about to receive. Amen.”
Forks and spoons rattled as we filled our plates with the tantalizing food. Mom had outdone herself. The food was magnificent. The turkey was done to perfection, and the ham was sweet and tasty. The table overflowed with vegetables, rolls, and casserole dishes that made you want to eat everything in sight. Desserts lined the kitchen counter.
“This is wonderful,” Billy raved, shoving spoonful after spoonful into his mouth. “I love this stuffing.”
I chuckled out loud and said, “Oh, Billy, you love food, period.”
“That’s right, I do.” He stuffed another chunk of ham into his mouth. “A woman who can cook like this is to be cherished.” He raised his glass of wine. “Here’s a toast to you, Minnie, for bringing us all together. You are truly a work of art. I salute you!”
“Here, here!” I clicked Billy’s glass, and then turned to Mom. “Thank you for being the wonderful person that you are. I love you.”
“We all love you,” Billy added.
Mom had a tear in her eye as she raised her head to look at us. “Thank you. Y’all are so sweet.” She placed the linen napkin she was holding in her lap. “I have a few things to say.”
The room fell silent.
Athena and Thor, who had been licking our ankles and drooling all over our clothes, meandered over to the fireplace and stretched out on the floor. Their boredom showed.
“Jack and Dennis couldn’t make it for Thanksgiving because Dennis has a virus. He’s very sick. They both send their blessings and said they would see us at Christmas. They wish us the best.”
I felt a little sick to my stomach. I looked around the table to check the reaction on everyone’s face and then locked eyes with Billy. He knew exactly what was going through my mind.
“What kind of virus?” I asked.
“Just some kind of bug,” Mom replied, not batting an eyelid. “It’s not AIDS, if that’s what you’re worried about.”
“Well, I’ll be dammed!”
“You most certainly will if you keep using that kind of language at my table, Missy.”
“I’m sorry, Mom. You caught me off guard. I didn’t think you knew anything about AIDS.”
“Oh, I know a lot. You might be surprised young lady. For instance, I know there’s some weird things going on with everyone at this table, but for now we’re going to let it rest. I need to talk about money.”
Money was not a subject we had broached. I was doing all right, Claire received plenty from Carl, and we all knew Dad had taken care of Mom in his will. Was she getting ready to reveal that she was broke? I couldn’t believe that was what she was about to tell us.
“As you well know, your father was a very conservative man. He planned everything out right down to the smallest detail. In the many years he spent in the Navy, he saved and invested just about every extra dime he ever made. He wanted to see to it that we were provided for when he died. We’ve lived a good life thanks to him. Now it’s time to give you what he wanted you to have.” She reached into her apron pocket and removed three envelopes. She gave one to me and one to Claire. The third one which was obviously meant for Jack, she lay on the table. “It’s a share of the money we put away over the years.”
I was stunned. I knew Dad had always talked about his plan for our future, but parents do stuff like that. They make plans, but most of the time, it never worked out the way they wanted it to. I was floored when I opened the envelope. I looked at Claire and gasped.
“Mom,” I said, holding the check in my hands. “This isn’t right. I can’t take this. It’s your money and you should have it.”
“Honey,” she said, “this is what your father wanted. It’s your money. It’s what he worked for his whole life. One day when the time was right, we were going to give it to you, but we never got around to it. I want you to take this money and use it wisely.”
I handed the check to Billy.
He took one look at it and replied, “This check is for thirty-five thousand dollars! `Ge ya, will you marry me?” He leaned over and waved the check in my face. “You know, I always did find you attractive!”
“Get a life!” I hissed, smiled, and then kissed him on the cheek.
A shocked look came over Cole’s face.
I had forgotten all about the fact that he and I were supposed to be boyfriend and girlfriend, and the kiss I gave Billy proved it. It surely didn’t go unnoticed by Claire or Mom.
“If this is what you and Dad wanted, then so be it. Thank you very much.” I folded the check and stuffed it in my pocket.
The next hour was filled with food and pleasant conversation, until Cole got a call on his cell phone.
“I’m sorry. I have to leave. Roy Keen has been murdered.”
“Isn’t that the husband of the dead woman who was in my backyard?” Mom asked.
“Yes, I’m afraid it is.”
Billy and I stared at each other.
“Cole,” Billy said. He stood and took him by the arm. “I think Jesse and I need to tell you something before you leave.”
I got up from the table and excused myself.
“We were at Roy’s house before we came here. He had been shot, and died a few minutes after we got there.”
“What!” Cole screamed. “I don’t want to hear it! Jesse, tell me it’s not true! What else have you been involved in that I need to know about?”
“I’m sorry, Cole.”
“Why didn’t you report it to the police?”
“That’s what we’re doing,” I hissed. “We’re te
lling you.”
“What on earth were you doing at his house?” he yelled at me. “Have you lost your mind? Don’t you realize you’re a suspect in one murder? Are you trying for two? The only reason you haven’t been arrested yet is because Sheriff Hudson doesn’t think you’re guilty. He’s been holding off because Roy Keen was at the top of the list, until now. I have a feeling that’s about to change.”
Mom walked up to Cole and said, “That man called here early this morning looking for Jesse. That’s probably why they went to see him.”
Cole seemed to calm down a little. “What did he want with Jesse?”
“He just said he had to talk to her,” Mom replied. “He sounded angry, Cole. He scared me, and I was afraid for Jesse. I called her immediately. When I couldn’t reach her, I called Billy. They were together.”
The look on Cole’s face was one of revelation. It was as if a light had just clicked on over his head and he realized that his suspicions of Billy and me were true.
I didn’t make excuses, nor did I try to explain why Billy and I were together at that time of morning. It was none of his business.
“It’s like this,” Billy said. “Jesse and I got there about ten o’clock. The front door was open. We heard a moan so we went in. Roy Keen lay on the floor bleeding. Two minutes later, he was dead. We panicked and left. I know we should have reported it, but all we wanted to do was get out of there. He was dead.”
“You fled the scene of a crime!” Cole jabbed his finger into Billy’s chest. “How stupid can you be? This is capital murder we’re talking about, pal. Don’t you realize that? Mary Keen was killed during the commission of a felony. With Roy being murdered, you can bet the bank they’re going to tie these two together. You tell me that not only were you there, but you fled the scene. I don’t believe it!”
I was furious. I jumped right in Cole’s face. “First off, Billy’s not stupid, and second, I don’t like your tone of voice. How were we to know that somebody had just put a bullet in his chest? He called here and scared my mama. Do you think I was just going to let it slide?”
