Fatal Catch
Page 15
“The name Henry McDougall sounds familiar. I know I’ve heard the name somewhere before,” Mama tells Rhonda.
“The name probably sounds familiar because Henry drowned close to your house. He had gone fishing and never returned. He was missing three days before some kids found his body. They ruled his death suspicious. His death is still being investigated!”
“What are the police investigating Henry’s death for, Rhonda? I need to know!”
“They think Henry was confronted by someone. There seemed to have been a struggle. They found Henry’s tackle box open and the tackle was scattered all over the bottom of his boat. One of his fishing poles had been broken. If it had been someone planning to steal those items, they wouldn’t have broken the poles they would have taken them. They found Henry’s blood on one of the oars. The contusion on the right side of Henry’s head looked like it might have come from being struck with that oar. His death wasn’t an accident. He couldn’t have fallen on that oar!”
“What are you trying to tell me?”
“I think Frank—”
“Katie, Missy and I found a man dead while fishing! Do you think the woman Mama is talking to knew him?”
“Billie, be quiet or I’m going to send you to your room!”
“I know Frank has a temper, but I’m not sure he would go that far!”
“You said you have children. Think about them. You need to be careful. Frank is dangerous. You or your kids could be next. I didn’t know Frank was living with you until the other day when he let it slip. I felt it was my duty to find where you live and warn you!”
Mama is quiet for a few minutes. I’ve never known her to be without words. She takes a puff on her cigarette and looks into Frank’s ex-wife’s eyes. “This is too much for me to take all in. I’ll need a while to digest this information!”
“Do you know where Frank has been staying lately?”
“No. I told him to move out a couple of nights ago. He said he stayed with Sam DelRosa.”
“He came to my house drunk. I didn’t want to let him in, but he still had a key. He tried to—”
Katie covers Billie’s ears.
“He told me to remember what he said; he said that there would be hell to pay if he ever saw me with another man in his house. Then he took the pearl ring you are wearing off my finger. He said I was lucky he didn’t cut my finger off to get the ring! Then he passed out on my couch next to the phone.”
“What color of lipstick do you wear, Rhonda?”
“Shimmering Pink, why?”
“I found pink lipstick on Frank’s shirt when I did his laundry. But, Rhonda that still doesn’t mean Frank killed Henry!”
Frank’s ex-wife wipes away tears. “Just think about what I’ve told you. I don’t want Frank to kill anyone else!”
Rhonda leaves Mama sitting in her chair and lets herself out. She doesn’t move for quite some time. She just sits quietly; turning the pearl ring on her finger.
“Katie, why does that woman think Frank killed someone?” Billie asks.
She turns in my direction. “I don’t know. You know how you exaggerate when you tell Mama stories. I think the woman was exaggerating about old Frank!”
• • •
Charlie comes over and takes us all for a ride in his Chevy. Katie hasn’t seen much of him lately. His family always takes their summer vacations in Florida. They have a lot of family that live there.
Sandy seems to have missed Charlie, too. She just keeps licking his face and sniffing his head. Her little tail is wagging almost off her body. He must have missed her. He asks Sandy, “You want to go for a ride, girl?”
Sandy wags her little tail as she licks Charlie’s hand.
Charlie takes us all to Candy’s General Store to get ice cream cones. We eat them on the picnic table behind the store. I share mine with Sandy. Katie and Charlie missed each other so much they just keep holding hands and looking at each other smiling. I’m not ever going to like boys like that!
Charlie is really nice to me and Billie today. He isn’t even pulling any pranks on us.
It is sure nice to get away from our house for a little while. We don’t even have to worry about old Frank. Sandy doesn’t have to worry about him either.
After we eat our ice cream, we head back home and play Monopoly with Charlie. I usually don’t like Monopoly, but today playing the game makes me feel safe. It takes a long time to get a winner, and that means Charlie is at our house to protect us from Frank.
Charlie even stays for supper. We heat up the left-over goulash. Katie opens up a jar of Mama’s canned green beans and a jar of her applesauce. They even make a can of biscuits in our oven. He tells her that her cooking is just as good as his Mama’s. This makes Katie feel so happy she just gave him a kiss right in front of Billie and me. I almost feel like Mama is home cooking for one of our uncles.
I don’t even have to help wash dishes. Charlie volunteers to help Katie. They stay in the kitchen talking and singing to the radio having a good ole time. I don’t think Katie ever had so much fun doing dishes before.
One time, Frank told Charlie he knew what was going on between him and Katie. Charlie told Frank there was nothing going on between them except for an occasional kiss. He has more respect for Katie than that. Frank just winked at him and said, “I bet!” Charlie told Katie what Frank said to him. He told her to watch out for Frank; something with him doesn’t seem right. Katie told me what both of them said. And I think Charlie is right!
Charlie leaves around ten. He doesn’t want Frank mad at him for staying so late. He frightens him, too!
• • •
When Mama comes home around two in the morning, she isn’t herself. She asks if Frank is home yet. We tell her, no. We haven’t seen him all day or night. She tells us she is tired and going to bed. Then she looks at Billie, and tells him to sleep with Sandy tonight. She needs her bed all to herself.
Chapter Eighteen
The sun is shining and there is a breeze coming in our kitchen window. Mama makes us all French toast and pork sausage patties for breakfast. She even heats up our pure maple syrup. We drink orange juice while Mama sips on her black coffee. She sits at the kitchen table until her ash tray is full of cigarette butts. There isn’t any country western music playing in our kitchen on her radio today. She isn’t singing like usual. Sandy isn’t howling to the music. Mama just sits in her kitchen chair, quiet. Not even answering us if we ask her questions.
After breakfast, Mama tells us to gather up all our throw rugs so they can be washed. First we hang them out on the clothesline and beat them with our broom to get some of the dirt out. Then she washes them in our old wringer washer. It is a great day to hang out rugs on our clothesline with the warmth of the sun and gentle breeze. Katie and I are just glad we aren’t hanging out any uncle’s boxer shorts. With no clothes being washed, we won’t even have ironing.
• • •
Mama looks tired. I don’t think she got much sleep. Her eyes are swollen and blood shot. Maybe she is worried about Aunt May. She has been meeting Aunt May a lot lately by herself. We haven’t even got to go over to Aunt May’s to play with Bobby and Rita lately. There sure must be something important going on. We usually get to see our cousins at least once a week.
After laundry, Mama takes a long bath, curls her hair with bobby pins, and paints her nails. She is still really quiet.
“Kids, Aunt May wants to talk to me again today. I’m going to fry us all up some chicken and make some potato salad. While I’m finishing getting ready, you can pack a picnic basket for me and Aunt May. Save yourself some of the food for supper. You can eat your chicken cold later. Don’t wait up for me tonight. Aunt May and I might even fish until the sun comes up. If Frank happens to come back, just tell him they called me into work tonight and I’ll be late.”
“Okay Mama, but we haven’t gotten to see Bobby or Rita for a while. Next time you and Aunt May need to talk, can we come with?” Katie as
ks.
“We’ll see. Maybe Aunt May won’t need to talk to me after tonight. Let’s hope so anyway. Make sure you go to bed early. Don’t let anyone come over while I’m gone!”
“I promise we’ll be good while you’re gone, Mama!” Katie tells her.
“I love you and I’ll see you in the morning. You kids listen to Katie now and do what she tells you!”
“We will,” we both say, not happy with the idea Katie is babysitting us again.
• • •
It was more fun at the river when Katie went to the neighbor boy’s trailer and listened to music. At least there she left us alone, and we didn’t have anyone bossing us around. And we had someone to play with. Today is going to be very boring with nothing to do. Katie will probably call Charlie on the phone and giggle the whole time. Billie will go out and play with his army men. I guess I will have to sneak into the study and find my Hardy Boys, The House on the Cliff, book to read. Old Frank told us we couldn’t go into the study anymore with his stuff being in there. My books are in there and they belong to me not him.
The study is a disaster. Frank’s stuff is all over the floor. His clothes are thrown on his cot and my book shelf is a mess. I sure hope he moves out soon before he ruins everything in the study. Mama worked too hard for Frank not to take better care of it.
When I reach for my book, something rolls out from behind it. It looks like Daddy’s wedding ring. I look inside the ring to be sure it isn’t Frank’s. Mama said Uncle Riley didn’t find it at Daddy’s accident site. I looked inside the ring to see if the inscription Mama had the jeweler engrave was on the inside. Sure enough. The writing says, “Love always, Dot.” Maybe Uncle Riley found the ring and Mama dropped it when she was decorating. I’ll have to remember to ask her tomorrow.
• • •
We eat supper around six. Mama’s fried chicken is just as good cold as it is hot. It is sure nice of her to fix us some food for supper before she went fishing with Aunt May. Old Frank isn’t home to bother us so we really are enjoying our food for a change.
Billie eats three pieces of chicken all by himself. I don’t know where such a skinny little boy puts all that food. I suspect some of the food went under the table to Sandy. She sure is sticking to Billie’s side. She knows better than to beg from me. I want to eat all my chicken myself. And Katie won’t give any animals any of her food. Fried chicken is one of the only meats she likes to eat.
“Missy, after dishes are done, do you want to go outside and pretend we are walking on a tight rope at the circus?” Billie asks.
“Sure, but we can’t put the rope up too high. I don’t want to break my leg or get injured again while Mama is gone. She will really be mad at us if she has to have someone go and find her before she is finished fishing. And Aunt May might be mad if she doesn’t get to finish talking to Mama. After all, Mama said this might be the last time they have to meet in private.”
Billie and I tie a rope between two trees. We both have to pull the rope as tight as we can so we can walk across it. We saw it done at a circus once. There was even a lady at the circus that had a beard just like a man’s.
“Missy, are you going to wear shoes or go barefoot?”
“I’m going barefoot, silly. You know I can’t even take one step with my shoes on!”
“I’m going to go barefoot, too!”
Billie always copies me.
We get two of Mama’s ladders to put up next to each end of where the rope is tied to the trees. Then we get our pillows from our bedrooms, a couple of old quilts and place them underneath the rope. This is our net. Maybe the pillows will help keep us from breaking our necks. Once we master this height, Billie and I can raise our rope up higher. Maybe we can even reach the top of the tree.
“I want to go first!” Billie exclaims excited.
“Okay, but you better take it slow.” Billie starts walking across the rope and begins giggling. “You’re not going to cross this rope laughing, Billie!”
Billie giggles more than most girls I know. Maybe he laughs to hide how sad he really is without Mama being home much. His eyes always look sad, but he still giggles.
“Look, I’m almost across!” Billie says, laughing as he falls off the rope.
“See, I told you to stop giggling. You might have made it all the way across on your first try.”
“You probably won’t make it as far as I did without giggling!”
“I’m going to make it across on my first try. You just watch and see. I don’t have Bobby here to help you shake my rope!”
Sandy starts barking at me. Even she doesn’t think I will make it across. I will show them both I can make it on the first try. I climb up the ladder, put one foot on the rope, and grab a tree branch with my right hand. The rope feels sturdy enough. I let go of the branch and take one step, hanging onto the rope with my toes. Then I take another step, still keeping my balance.
“Missy, likes boys…Missy, likes boys….” Billie taunts me.
Even Sandy starts barking, agreeing with Billie.
“I do not like boys and you know it, Billie Canfield. Take that back!”
Just as I start to take another step, Sandy begins growling. I turn to look. Frank is headed straight for Billie and me. I lose my balance and over I go, landing on the pillows we placed under the rope.
“Does your Mama know you have your pillows and blankets outside on this dirty, dusty ground?”
“No, but I don’t think she will care,” I remark.
“Don’t get smart with me, Missy Canfield! Where is your mother? Her car’s not in the garage.”
“I don’t know. You’ll have to ask Katie.”
“Where is Katie?”
“I think she’s inside painting her nails.”
Sandy growls louder the closer Frank gets to Billie and me. She even shows him her pretty white teeth.
“You kids better get hold of your mangy mutt.” Frank says, showing his teeth too as he turns to walk toward the house.
“Come on, Billie. Get your stuff. We better go inside and help Katie with Frank. He looks a bit strange. And, Billie, don’t say a word about Mama fishing. You might make Frank crazier than he already is.”
“I promise, Missy. I won’t say a word this time. I don’t want to get Mama into trouble, but what about Sandy?”
Billie wraps his arms around his dog and gives her a big hug. “We don’t want him to kick you again, girl. Do we, Sandy?”
As we approach the house, we hear Frank yelling at Katie. He wants to know where his supper is and why we didn’t save him any fried chicken. “Your Mama knows fried chicken is my favorite, and you kids should know it by now, too!”
Katie tries telling him she didn’t know he was coming back home or she would have saved him some, but he won’t listen.
“Where is Dot, Katie? She isn’t supposed to work tonight. It is her night off. Why isn’t she home?” He screams at her as he slams the refrigerator door.
We see Katie trembling. “Mama got called into work. Someone called in sick and they are short on help. She told us not to wait up for her. She will be working late tonight. You know she needs all the money she can get, Frank!”
I wanted to tell him that if he paid Mama rent, she wouldn’t be so broke.
“Are you sure that’s where she really is, Katie? You kids better not be covering up for her!”
“Billie, is Katie telling the truth?”
“I think so. Mama told me she was going to work and that I’d better listen to what Katie says. She also told me not to stay up late!”
“You better be telling me the truth, Billie!”
“I am, I promise!” Billie says.
I think this is the first time Billie ever told a lie without giggling. Mama will be proud of him when she finds out how he tried protecting her. Later, Billie tells us he crossed his fingers behind his back. I’ll have to make sure his hands aren’t behind his back when I ask him if he is lying or not from now on.
Katie gives Billie a kiss on the cheek. “I’m proud of you for not telling Frank where Mama really is!”
“He sure is mad. Do you think he’s going to go to Victory Bar & Grill and look for Mama?” I ask.
“I don’t know, but I hope not. He’s already mad enough. Maybe he’ll go stay with Sammy and not come back home tonight.”
“I hope so. Mama already looks worried and she said Frank frightens her, too.” I’m worried about what old Frank might do to her if he finds out she isn’t really at work. I know one thing, we best keep Sandy in Billie’s room tonight or Frank might take his anger out on her.
Frank doesn’t come home all night. For that matter, neither does Mama, which is unusual for her. We sure hope Frank didn’t find her fishing and make good on his threats. I’ll have to wait until another day to ask her about Daddy’s ring.
Chapter Nineteen
When we wake up in the morning, Mama isn’t in her bed. Her bed is still made, there are no wrinkles in her covers, and she is nowhere in the house. She hasn’t left us any notes, and she hasn’t even called.
Frank hasn’t been home all night either. There are no new cigarette butts in the ash tray in the study, and the toilet lid in the bathroom is still down. We sure hope he didn’t find Mama and start a fight. Maybe they are both in jail.
We try calling Aunt May, but no one answers the phone at her house. Maybe Mama and Aunt May are catching so many fish they don’t want to stop fishing. But, Mama is supposed to work at the Dixon Inn today. She never misses work; she needs the money too much. Maybe they gave her the day off and she forgot to tell us.
Sometimes Mama has car trouble. Maybe her car broke down and she had to walk home. I sure hope nothing happened to her and she isn’t in the hospital. The memory of Daddy’s death is still fresh in my mind.