Black Butterfly

by Marja McGraw

  Chris held his hand out again. “Okay, cookie, the cars are parked out front. Let’s hit the bricks and go home.”

  She smiled at him while he pulled her to her feet. “You’re quite a character, Chris. No wonder I like you. You keep things lively.”

  They left and I glanced toward the stage. My mother-in-law was so engrossed in singing that she hadn’t noticed what was happening. She and Lila had switched to Chattanooga Choo Choo and I noticed a lot of foot tapping going on around the restaurant. A young couple stepped onto the small dance floor and surprised me when they started swing dancing.

  While I was watching, I turned my head toward the bar. The gangster-looking guy had disappeared. I hadn’t seen him leave. Men’s Room? I watched Daniel clear away the man’s glass. How could I have missed him leaving? Maybe he slipped out while I was at Mary’s table.

  Mikey returned after about half an hour. “I played ball with Sherlock and Watson, but you know how Watson always steals the ball from Sherlock. A couple of customers watched over the fence and they were laughing at us.” He grinned. “We entertained them.”

  “I’m sure you did.”

  The front door opened and Mikey said, “That’s them.”

  A couple I’d never seen before walked in, smiling. Watching my son and the dogs had apparently appealed to them.

  I glanced at my watch. Chris and his father should be back shortly. It wasn’t all that far to our house.

  Time passed, customers came and went, and I glanced at my watch again. Chris, Jr. and Chris, Sr. should have been back.

  The band took a break and Judith approached me at the Reservation Desk.

  “Where’s Junior? Have you seen his father?”

  Before I could answer the door opened and the two men walked in.

  “Junior, where have you two been?” Judith asked.

  “We gave a ride home to a neighbor,” Junior said, sounding sullen. His annoyance at the nickname came across loud and clear.

  “I’m hungry.” Judith grabbed her husband’s arm and pulled him toward their table.

  “Where have you been, Bogey Man?” I asked.

  The use of my nickname for him seemed to calm him.

  He glanced at Mikey. “Ace, would you run to the kitchen and tell Chef Luis that I’d like a hamburger?”

  “Sure, Dad.”

  I raised my eyebrow in question. “Chris?”

  He waited until our son was out of ear shot. “Someone had been in Mary’s house. Dad and I gave it the once over to make sure no goons were hiding in the shadows. We made sure she locked up tight and here we are.”

  “You searched her yard, too?”

  “Of course. I suggested she stay at a motel for the night, but she wasn’t having it. She said she’d keep her roscoe by her side for the night.”

  “Mary has a gun?” I was shocked.

  There were sides to my elderly neighbor that I’d never seen before. I wasn’t sure if I wanted to see them now.

  Chapter Seven

  “Did you see the guy who was sitting at the bar?” I asked.

  “What guy?” Apparently Chris hadn’t seen him because I thought his suit and hat would have left an impression.

  “He was dressed like a gangster. Big guy, kinda handsome, but hard looking. He had on a fedora, like you wear.”

  “I got a glimpse of a man in a hat, but I was busy looking for my father.”

  “He was watching Mary, or at least it seemed like it. I bumped into him when he first got here, and – “

  “And you think he’s the one who was in Mary’s house?”

  “Well, no, not really. I don’t think he had time to go there and break into her house. I got a funny feeling about him though, and I can’t explain it.”

  Chris generally trusted my instincts. He nodded. “I’ll keep my peepers open and see if he’s still here.”

  Mikey returned shortly and told his father that his hamburger was ready. Chris left us to pick up his food and eat in my office. If I knew him, he’d bring the dogs in and give them some treats, like a bite of burger.

  I suddenly felt like the worst mother in the world. “Son, when are you going to eat?”

  “I’m eating with Grandma and Grandpa tonight.”

  I glanced up and saw Judith waving at him. When he looked at her, she pointed at the table, letting him know his food had arrived.

  The rest of the evening was business as usual.

  We never saw the man in the suit and fedora again that night.

  The last customer left around ten o’clock. Chris and I locked up, cleaned up, and loaded Mikey and the dogs in the car. All three were asleep within moments.

  “Chris, let’s drive past Mary’s and check on her. Since there was an intruder, why didn’t she call the police?”

  “Whoever was in her house didn’t break in. Apparently they found a key she hides in the yard. She said several things were out of place, but it didn’t look like anything was gone. She’s a gutsy old cupcake, and she said as long as she had her gat with her, no one would bother her.”

  “Yes, but whoever was there might use the key again.” I thought Mary was being maybe a little too gutsy.

  “We found the key on the floor. Apparently, whoever was there dropped it. And the duchess won’t be leaving the key outside anymore.”

  He reached into his pocket and pulled something out, handing it to me.

  “She asked if we’d mind keeping her extra key. I said sure thing.”

  I shoved the key into a pocket in my purse.

  We drove past Mary’s house and everything looked quiet.

  “I don’t see any cars that I don’t recognize,” I said.

  Chris nodded, sweeping his gaze around the neighborhood.

  We pulled into the driveway and Chris walked Mikey into the house. He’d become too big to carry. I followed behind with the dogs, leaving them in the backyard to take care of any doggie business they might have.

  With Mikey safely tucked into bed, I let the dogs inside.

  ~ * ~

  I arose early the next morning, feeling unusually refreshed.

  Mary was uppermost on my mind. I wanted to check on her before I made breakfast and got ready for church.

  I knew she’d be awake because she’d mentioned that she generally wakes up around three in the morning, turns on a lamp and lies down on the couch. Period. When I asked her why she didn’t turn on the television or the radio, she said she was afraid she’d disturb the neighbors. Uh huh. She could blow the TV up and Seth, her neighbor on the right, wouldn’t hear a thing. He could barely hear even with his hearing aid on, and he took it off at night.

  I remembered the house on her other side was vacant and listed for sale.

  After brushing my teeth and taking a shower, I slipped on some jeans and a shirt and headed for her house.

  She opened the door before I could knock.

  “Good morning, Pamela. Are you here to check up on me?”

  “Of course.” I smiled at her. “Chris told me about your surprise visitor last night. We drove by on the way home to check on you.”

  “Thank you, but I had my gun at the ready. I’ll be fine. I just wish I knew what was going on. Well, according to those notes someone thinks I’m Meredith. Are they in for a surprise!”

  “That reminds me. Do you still have the notes? I’d like to show them to Chris.”

  “I never was the brains in my family. I don’t remember where I put them. Sorry. Would you like to come inside?”

  “Oh, thank you, but I’ve got to go home and fix breakfast before we go to church. I just wanted to make sure you were okay.”

  “I’m fine. I’m keeping the doors and deadbolt locked from now on though. I can’t imagine why someone would come in here and root through my things. Nothing was taken, but Chris probably told you that.”

  “He did.”

  “I asked him to give you my extra key.”

  “He gave it to me. I’ll keep it in the k
itchen drawer and let Chris and Mikey know where it is in case you ever need it.” I hoped I’d remember to take it out of my purse.

  “While you’re at church I’ll think on it and see if I can remember exactly where I put those three notes.” Mary stepped out on the porch and carefully studied the neighborhood.

  “There aren’t any strange cars lurking around,” I said, smiling at her.

  “It never hurts to be careful.”

  I gave her a hug. “I’ll check back in with you after church. You know, you’re always welcome to go to church with us if you want to.”

  She hugged me back and reentered her house without a word, locking the door behind her.

  When I walked into our kitchen, I found Chris scrambling eggs and frying bacon, and Mikey was making toast.

  I gave them each a hug. “You two are turning into quite the chefs.”

  “We thought we’d help out,” Mikey said.

  I stood next to my husband. “Are you going to church with us today?”

  He attended with us once in a while, but not very often. The Church Ladies always ganged up on him, but they’re another story. The four women adored him and he knew it, but sometimes he just wasn’t in the mood for their attention.

  “No. I’m going to go down and talk to Mary. I want to know more about her cousin.”

  “Her cousin?” Mikey asked. “You mean Meredith?”

  My head whipped around. “Mikey! How do you know about Meredith?”

  He grinned, looking crafty. “I can’t help overhearing things, whether I want to or not.”

  Chris laughed. “Sometimes you’re a pistol, Ace, but in this case you need to cool your heels. I don’t want you involved in this.”

  “This what?” he asked, trying to sound innocent.

  “Nevermind,” I said. “Did you feed the dogs yet?”

  He nodded, but he still had that look on his face.

  We ate quickly after which Mikey and I went to our rooms to change clothes for church.

  Chris waved at us as I pulled out of the driveway, but he didn’t go back inside. I knew he’d be heading for Mary’s house before we even turned the corner.

  Jasmine, Lila and May, three of the Church Ladies met us in the parking lot as I pulled in. The fourth Lady was Addie, who attended a different church. The three women chattered all at once, but this time they didn’t want me to join any causes or solve any cases.

  I breathed a sigh of relief.

  Mikey took hold of Lila’s hand. “You were smashing last night, my deah,” he said, dramatically. Again, he’d been watching too many old movies.

  Lila giggled like a school girl and walked into the church with my son. “Thank you,” she said.

  Jasmine and May each took hold of one of my arms.

  “Any new cases?” Jasmine asked.

  Mentally, I rolled my eyes. “Not a one.” If they knew about Mary, they’d be all over it, asking questions, wanting to meet her and offering advice. Of course, they’d pray for her and her cousin, too.

  Jasmine sniffed. “Well, let us know if you ever need any help. We helped you before, when Addie went missing, and we can do it again.”

  “Oh, yes, you were right by our sides, every step of the way.” Like shadows, they followed our steps very carefully and managed to get in the way. I put my hands on each one of their backs and moved them forward. I loved these women like aunts, regardless of how annoying they could be sometimes.

  We had a guest pastor, Pastor Aames, who spoke about unity and forgiveness. He spoke from the heart and delivered a message that seemed to speak to everyone in attendance.

  Before I left, I told him how much I’d gleaned from his teachings.

  After church Lila approached me. “Would it be okay if Mikey went out to lunch with us?”

  I glanced at my son. He loved the attention these women bestowed on him.

  “Of course.”

  “We’ll bring him home,” May said. “It’s not out of the way.”

  I gave Mikey a hug and he headed for Jasmine’s car, where he held the doors open for the ladies. He turned from the car and gave me a thumbs up signal.

  My little man.

  I drove home feeling uplifted and happy, wondering if Chris has found out anymore from Mary.

  I couldn’t figure it out, but I was absolutely sure she wasn’t telling us everything. If anyone could get it out of her, it would be Chris.

  Chapter Eight

  Chris wasn’t home, which surprised me. His car wasn’t in the garage, and he hadn’t mentioned any errands he was going to run.

  I took my purse and Bible into the house and hurried upstairs after letting the dogs in, wondering where my husband had gone.

  Sherlock scoured the kitchen floor for crumbs from breakfast while Watson followed me up the stairs. She lay down in the doorway and waited patiently while I changed clothes.

  I heard one of the doors open and close and hurried back downstairs to see what my husband had been up to.

  He stood in front of the coffee pot, pouring himself a cup of coffee and looking discombobulated.

  “You look upset,” I said. “What’s up?”

  He rolled his upper lip under, as was his habit when trying to emulate Humphrey Bogart, and looked into my eyes.

  “I was on Mary’s porch when a car pulled up and a goon climbed out. He saw me and got back in the car and took off. I ran home and got the Chevy to follow him, but he gave me the slip. He had dark, kinda curly hair and he was tall. He was what women would call a looker, but like you said last night, he had a hard look. I think it must have been the goon from the restaurant.”

  “Ya think? What kind of car was he driving?” What difference did it make? I just wanted details.

  “A new black Mercedes. It looked like it was custom built. The guy has moola, that’s for sure.”

  “I wonder what he wants with Mary. He could have spoken to her last night, but all he did was watch her.” I thought about it for a moment. “You know, now that I think about it, I remember him pulling a wallet out of his pocket and taking something out. I didn’t think about it at the time, but he kept glancing between whatever he pulled out and Mary. I’ll bet it was a photo. There was so much going on around me that it didn’t sink in at the time.”

  Chris scrunched his lips together and narrowed his eyes, thinking. “Okay, this sap is too young to have been involved with Meredith. Why would he be looking for her? And why would he think Mary is Meredith?”

  “Mary showed me a picture. She and her cousin looked a lot alike, except Mary was blonde and Meredith had dark hair. Even with age, Mary hasn’t changed all that much. You could still pick her out of a lineup. Did you learn anything more when you spoke to her?”

  “Not really.”

  “I have a feeling she isn’t telling us everything.”

  “Why is that?” Chris asked.

  “Last night I asked her a few questions while she was eating, and she avoided answering me. She seemed to kind of lose her appetite and not long after she wanted to go home.”

  “Maybe you leaned on her too hard.”

  “No, I didn’t ask anything she wouldn’t have expected. You know me, Chris, I’m always gentle with people.”

  “Yeah, there is that.” He looked thoughtful again. “I’m going to do some research into Meredith and see if I can find anything. Do you know what her last name is?”

  “Now that you ask, no. Mary never mentioned her surname. I’ll find out though. I promise you. My curiosity is over the top right now. I can’t understand why Mary would ask for our help if she’s not going to level with us.”

  “It’s just a hunch, but I think you’d better walk softly around her for now. Worm the information out of her without pushing. You know how to do that. You do it to me all the time.”

  “Chris – ”

  “Yeah, yeah. I know. You’d never do anything like that.”

  He glanced around.

  “Where’s Ace?”
>
  “He went out to lunch with the Church Ladies. They’ll bring him home in a bit.”

  “The Church Ladies? Oh. Yeah. I’ve got a couple of errands to run.”

  I grinned. “You big pansy.”

  “I’m not a sissy, just looking out for myself. You know how they are.”

  “I also know that they’ve endeared themselves to you, no matter how much you complain.”

  “You’re right. I have to admit it.” His shoulders drooped. “I’ll stay home.”

  I glanced at the clock. “While we’re waiting, I’ll fix us lunch. How about soup and a sandwich?”

  “Works for me.”

  I busied myself in the kitchen while Chris took the dogs outside. While the soup warmed on the stove, I got out the bread and some leftover roast beef for sandwiches. Adding mayonnaise, mustard and tomatoes, I set the sandwiches aside and stirred the chicken noodle soup.

  Chris walked in with the dogs following him.

  “Now I know what they mean when they talk about ‘dogging someone’s steps.’ For some reason the dogs seem needier than usual.”

  He walked out to the living room and the dogs followed, practically on his heels.

  Before I could call him for lunch, the phone rang.

  “Chris,” I called, “would you get that? I’m washing my hands.”

  My husband headed for the kitchen, and as usual, Sherlock raced him to the phone, sliding into the wall. I wondered if we’d ever figure out why he did that.

  Chris laughed, rubbed the dog’s head and answered the phone.

  “Yeah?”

  Mr. Personality. He listened for a minute.

  “Where are you?” He waited for the answer. “Be right there.”

  He hung up.

  “Who was that?” I asked. “Lunch is ready, you know.”

  “I’ll just be a few minutes. That was Mikey. He says he has another mystery for us.”

  “What? He went out to lunch with the Church Ladies. Where is he?”

  The Bogey Man sighed and pinched his lips together again before answering me. “They’re all at the vacant house next door to Mary’s.”

  “I’m coming with you.” From the sound of it, this didn’t bode well. Mikey and the Church Ladies at a vacant house? With a mystery?