1 Take the Monkeys and Run

by Karen Cantwell

  “Oh! Mrs. Pettingford,” he intercepted her search. “Can I talk to you for a minute?” He pulled her to the front of the hotel. The automatic doors opened, letting them out then closed again behind them. I could see them through the glass doors talking outside, and every once in a while, my mom would nod and look my way. She had her normal serious look plastered on her face as she looked down from her superior height to Colt, who stood a good four inches shorter than her. I looked at my watch. I was worried about time. We only had so much available to us. It was a good opportunity to text Roz and let her know we’d arrived. I had just sent my message when I heard a familiar male voice behind me.

  “Hello, there.” I spun around, coming face to face with none other than Officer Brad. I smiled immediately, because his handsome face elicited an instinctual response. He wasn’t decked out in his usual policeman’s garb—instead, he sported khaki Dockers, brown loafers, and a blue-and-white-striped long-sleeved dress shirt without a tie. Easy on the eyes without a doubt. But the coincidence wasn’t lost on me. I was beginning to feel like he was following me.

  “Wow!” Did I really say that? Wow? I stumbled on, hoping to cover over the seriously stupid interjection. “I mean, well—well, imagine meeting you here.” Hmm, smooth and original. I trudged on, sure I could come out of this conversation looking like only half an idiot rather than completely idiotic. “No uniform—you’re not on duty today?”

  He smiled. I had never seen him give a full-on smile before. It was a VERY nice smile.

  “Sort of,” he said and then leaned in for a whisper near my ear. “Hotel security. Moonlighting.” And he put his index finger to his lips, indicating that I was supposed to keep this fact quiet. Having Officer Brad whisper in my ear had a hypnotic effect on me, almost causing me to forget I had a mission to accomplish, and that my mother and Colt were outside, possibly cooking up some scheme that would interfere entirely.

  The automatic glass doors swooshed open once again. I looked up just in time to catch a smile cross my mother’s face as she reentered the hotel lobby. I realized, however, that she wasn’t looking at me. She put her hands to her chest and called out in happy recognition. “Eric!” She was gushing like a sappy teenager. Eric? Where did I know that name? Suddenly I realized she was walking toward Officer Brad! Aha! That was his name—Eric. Still couldn’t remember his last name, though. How in the world did he know my mother? By the time I could construct an audible question, she had her long arms around him hugging him. Officer Brad was a tall man himself, so she actually didn’t smother him with her show of affection. He returned the hug and salutation. “Hello, Diane.”

  “Barbara, Eric is the officer who pulled you over yesterday,” she said.

  “Yes, I know. But you didn’t seem to recognize him then. How do you two know each other?” I asked in awe.

  “Tae Kwon Do,” she said, as if that answered everything.

  “We met last night—I’m a new evening class instructor there,” Officer Brad added.

  “We sparred,” my mother gushed like a schoolgirl.

  I cringed at the image.

  She patted him on the upper arm. “He’s quite good.” He blushed and smiled shyly.

  “Boy,” I said. “Tae Kwon Do instructor. You do a little of everything, don’t you?”

  He seemed interested in changing the subject. “So,” he said to me, “are you staying here?”

  My mother decided to answer for me before I could even open my mouth. “She is—her heat is out. It’s a shame. A darned shame. You know we called my repairman, Jerry, but he didn’t answer. I will keep trying for you. In the meantime, you just stay right here and enjoy the warm room and time with your girls. Mother will take care of everything.” She was patting me and rubbing me on the back alternately with a maternal tone that was completely unnatural for her. I desperately wanted to know what Colt had said to her. I looked at him questioningly, but he only shrugged, as if he were innocent. He did help by breaking up the happy reunion and moving things along.

  “Well, Curly,” he said, “the girls look like they’re getting antsy—maybe we should get you to your room and get you settled. What floor are you on?”

  I looked at the information brochure with the cards keys in my hand. “Third floor. Room 312,” I said. Colt took control of the suitcases while I rounded up the girls.

  “Goodbye, Mom,” I said as we moved toward the elevator. She waved, but was engrossed in her own conversation with Officer Brad. I didn’t want to seem rude, not bidding him farewell. “Good-bye . . . uh . . . um . .” I couldn’t remember his last name, and I surely couldn’t call him Officer Brad to his face, and calling him Eric seemed too familiar. I was at a loss—didn’t know what to call him. He helped me out. “Eric.” He said smiling again. “Eric.” I repeated. “Nice seeing you again.” We piled into the elevator and as the doors closed, I caught sight of Eric and my mother in a more serious conversation, with her pointing in my direction. I got the distinct impression that I was the topic of their conversation. I looked at Colt. “That was weird.”

  “What?”

  “That policeman—he’s everywhere I go these days.”

  Colt just shrugged, saying not a word, and with the girls there, I couldn’t force the issue.

  The five of us hauled the two suitcases and varied and sundry personal pillows, bed blankies and ragged sleep-time stuffed animals into room 312—a spacious, tastefully decorated suite-style hotel room with a kitchenette and the much-anticipated thirty-two-inch plasma TV in a comfortable living area. A small balcony was accessible from the sliding glass door in one of the two bedrooms. It would work. If all went as planned, the girls would be munching on pizza in a couple of hours while I was on the phone in the other room learning from Roz what Colt was up to.

  Bethany and Amber were jumping and giggling on the twin beds in the second bedroom and Callie was talking on her cell. Colt gave the room a visual once-over and approved. He talked in hushed tones so the girls wouldn’t hear. “This is good. You’ll be safe here. Remember: Stay put and stay uninvolved. UNINVOLVED—do you hear me? Things will settle down in a couple of days, and then you can go home. I’ll call you to see how things are going,” he said, playing with one of my curls and smiling.

  Callie, who had finished her call, spied the intimate scene and wasn’t happy. “She’s married, you know. In case you forgot,” she sneered from across the room. Devil girl was back.

  I gave Colt a sideways look, showing him I was onto his game. “How do you know things will ‘settle down’ as you say? You seem very confident. Like you know something I don’t.” I may not have known what his game was, but I was onto it all the same.

  “Listen to me, Curly,” he said, putting his hands on my shoulder and looking me straight in the eye like an overprotective father. “Stay put. Just stay here and stay safe. I’m going to get on a plane now and leave you here. Be good.” Wow. Mr. Immature was talking to me as if I was a child. What a turn of events.

  “Promise me?” he asked.

  Well, I didn’t want to make promises. I had a plan, and my plan didn’t involve staying put.

  “Curly,” he pressed on. “Promise me.”

  Fine. I crossed my fingers behind my back. “Promise,” I said.

  He opened the door to leave. “I’ll call a taxi from the reception desk,” he said, holding the door open. We locked eyes for a good long time before he pulled lovingly on another curl, wrapping it around his index finger. “Do you ever think about what would have happened if we hadn’t broken up all those years ago?” Holy cow. This wasn’t the first time Colt had asked me that question. The answer, silently, was “yes.”

  The answer I had to give him was, “I’m married now. I love my husband. I can’t answer that question for you.”

  “Yeah,” he said, “that’s what you always say.” He kissed me on the cheek and opened the door to leave. I watched him get in the elevator and then scooted across the room toward the sliding glass
door to peek out. Luckily, I had a good view of the parking lot to the side of the building as well as a partial view of the circular drive that served as a drop-off and entrance to the lobby. I scoured the parking lot and spotted Roz’s forest green Sienna. She had backed it into a parking spot and was positioned just right to see Colt exit the building. Perfect.

  I went out onto the balcony and was hit immediately by a strong, warm wind. Damn! My whole our-heat-is-out lie required freezing weather to be believable. How would I explain this to the girls? I made a mental note to watch the Weather Channel next time before telling a lie.

  The sky had filled with more gray clouds—darker gray now. Twisting my body as best as I could around the far side of balcony wall, I tried to determine if I would be able see Colt come out as well, but with only a partial view, I wasn’t sure I would be so lucky. I was looking for the top of Colt’s head. Sure enough, within just seconds, a shock of blond hair appeared. Definitely Colt. This was good. Things were going as planned. Next, I thought I might see a taxi. I moved my eyes in all directions, finally landing them on something I wasn’t expecting at all—a black Camry pulling into the circular driveway. Wait a minute! That looked like Howard’s car. My cell phone rang. It was Roz. “Is that Howard?” I asked immediately as I answered.

  “Yes!” she screamed. “Can you see?”

  “Not now—he pulled out of view.”

  “Colt just got in the car.”

  “You’ve got to be kidding me. What are they up to?”

  “Do I still follow?” she asked.

  “Of course! Go! Keep in touch,” I said, trying to keep my voice down so the girls wouldn’t hear me out on the balcony. Howard’s car pulled out of the circular drive, his indicator blinking for a right hand turn, which would put them heading south on Herndon Parkway.

  We really didn’t expect this change of events. We thought we’d be following a shifty Colt, not Colt and Howard together. Roz pulled slowly from of her parking space and followed them out. She was smart enough to keep a decent distance between them. Then my eyes landed on something I had failed to see before. A black Lincoln Town Car. Black tinted windows. The car followed out right on Roz’s tail. It was a convoy for crying out loud.

  Another strong gust knocked over a small round table on the balcony. The sky darkened ominously. I began to quake in my shoes, fearful that I had just succeeded in getting Roz whacked.

  Chapter Fourteen

  I HAD TO THINK FAST. I ran back into the hotel room and grabbed my purse, coat and keys. I thought better about the coat—too warm for that now—and threw it down. I scrambled in my purse, looking for the Bluetooth headset. I’d need it now for sure. Not finding it quickly, I began to panic. I’d almost given up my search when my fingers grabbed hold of something possibly the right size and shape. I pulled it out. Aha! Got it.

  Luckily, all three girls had found a show they could agree on and were motionless and mesmerized in front of the plasma TV. Think! What to do? They would have to stay alone in the hotel room if I went out chasing after Roz. Callie was old enough, she babysat the younger girls all the time. I must have looked like Ginger Rogers dancing around the room, trying to decide what to do. Okay—Ginger Rogers on drugs—still, there was the dancing. My eyes landed on the mini-bar refrigerator near the bathroom. Suddenly, I knew what to do.

  I snapped my fingers at Callie to get her attention. “Sweetie, I forgot something at home. I have to go back. If I’m longer than an hour, grab what you want from the mini-bar.” I pointed to the refrigerator. “See that? Keep it as healthy as you can, though, please?” She nodded as if she heard and understood, then turned her eyes back to the enticing plasma screen. I was giving it a fifty/fifty chance that she’d actually heard every word I said. “Callie! Listen to me! This is important.” She turned her eyes back to me with her practiced teen I’m-not-stupid-Mom eye-roll and follow-up glare.

  “Keep the door locked. I’m serious! Keep it locked. Don’t open it for anyone. Do you understand? I’ve got my cell—call me if you need me. If you need help immediately, call down to the hotel security guard. Kiss, Kiss. I love you!” And I blew them kisses while running out into the hallway. Deep down, despite her need to appear tough, Callie was a good kid, and smart, to boot. I trusted her to keep that door shut and locked.

  An exit sign hovered over a door at the end of the hallway. I found that it led to a stairwell. I took the stairs three at a time, finally exiting through a door into the parking lot. I had no plan other than to see if I could catch up with Roz and stop a possible murder. Thank goodness I had her on speed dial. I punched the “2” on my cell while running to my car and simultaneously snapping the new Bluetooth over my ear. Turned out to be a handier gadget than I’d anticipated. She picked up right away. “Yeah?” she answered.

  “Are you still behind them?” I asked, buckling up and turning my engine over at the same time.

  “Yeah. It’s pretty easy.”

  “Where are you?” I asked.

  “We’re on Fairfax County Parkway—they’re turning onto Red Cedar—it looks like they’re heading back to White Willow,” she said. My car started and I peeled out of my space, almost hitting some old man in a long boat of a car. He stopped his car, laid on his horn and gave me the finger. Pretty vulgar for a man who looked a hundred years old.

  “Okay!” I screamed at the old man. “I’m sorry! Move it! Move it!”

  “What?” I heard Roz ask in my ear. The Bluetooth was working perfectly.

  “Nothing. Listen—we have a complication. You’ve got a bogey on your tail,” I said.

  “A what?”

  So, sue me, I love Top Gun. I just prayed that this didn’t end like when Goose died and Tom Cruise felt all guilty because he’d killed his best friend, even though it wasn’t really his fault and everyone said it wasn’t, but he still blamed himself and quit Top Gun school. I really, really hoped this wouldn’t end like that.

  “You’re being followed!” I screamed. “Look in your rearview mirror—is there a black Lincoln Town Car behind you?”

  “No . . . I don’t think so . . . OH NO! There it is! Is that who I think it is?” She sounded like she was hyperventilating.

  “I don’t know for sure, but the car looks the same,” I said. “Just keep driving. Nothing can happen to you if you keep moving.” Theoretically. I picked up my speed, trying to catch up to Roz and her pursuer. “Are you on Red Cedar now?” I asked.

  “Yes, but their turn indicator is on. They’re turning onto Thin Branches Road, so I was wrong—they’re not going back to White Willow.” She was silent for a moment. “We’re on Thin Branches now. Barb! The black car is still behind me! They are following me! I’m scared.”

  “It’s okay. Don’t worry. I must be close to you. I should hang up and call the police, don’t you think?”

  “Yes. No! No! Don’t hang up! I’m freaking here!”

  I had just turned onto Thin Branches myself and spotted the Town Car. Thin Branches is a low-trafficked, two-lane road that starts at Red Cedar and winds its way through Rustic Woods, ending at Rustic Woods Parkway. The sun had long gone behind storm clouds and evening twilight was setting in, so I was having trouble seeing the black car easily. Since environmentally-friendly Rustic Woods doesn’t allow street lights, my job was especially difficult. Eventually, I caught up and I could see both the black Lincoln and Roz’s van ahead of it. The three of us were lined up at a four-way stop. I saw that there was a car in front of Roz at the stop sign, but I couldn’t tell whether it was the Camry or not. If it was, this could be our saving grace. I was figuring that Roz could get their attention somehow—honk, flash her lights, rear-end them if necessary—and hopefully we’d be able to scare off her pursuers.

  “Roz, is that Howard in front of you?”

  “No! Some jerk pulled out in front of me and now he’s stalled! Howard and Colt are long gone.” She honked her horn. “Oh, no! Maybe I shouldn’t have done that,” she said. The driver’s side d
oor of the stalled car opened. A man got out and threw up his arms at Roz as if to say there was nothing he could do. He started to signal to her with a wave that she should go around him, but then a car coming from the opposite direction got in her way. Just as that car passed, the Town Car jumped forward and rear-ended Roz hard. I heard her scream into the phone. “Barb! Call the police!”

  Just then, another call came in on my cell—Callie’s phone. I didn’t intend to answer, but somehow the call came through anyway, and I heard Callie on the other end. “Mom?”

  I was breathing hard and watching the man, Roz and the Town Car, and assessing my options while trying to answer Callie. Talk about multi-tasking. “Yeah, honey, this isn’t . . .”

  “Grandma is here.”

  “What?”

  “Grandma. She wants to . . . ”

  I was too busy watching the man with the stalled car to hear what Callie was saying. Obviously angry, he yelled an obscenity and started back toward the Town Car.

  Oh no, don’t do that, I thought. No stupid man! No! Turn around! Too late. The Town Car’s passenger side door swung open fast and before you could say “Fuhgeddaboudit,” a gunshot was fired and the man went down.

  I screamed. I thought I heard a scream from Roz’s van. I could hear Callie screaming in my ear, “Mom! What’s wrong?” Then another shot and a loud pop. Before I could make sense of what was happening, the face of Elvis the Mafia Man loomed large in my passenger door window. Knowing my cell phone would be my savior if I got thrown in a trunk and driven to the river, I quick snapped it closed and hit the mute button on the side, ensuring silence if another call came in. Silence in my Bluetooth. Simultaneously, I was trying to lock my doors and make an attempt at slipping the phone into my jeans pocket. It was all too much to do at once, and I failed at getting the car door closed or hiding the cell. Instead, the door was ripped open and I was being pulled out by my hair. Elvis ripped the cell phone out of my hands and shoved it into his coat pocket. Instinctively, I reached up while being dragged and grabbed the Bluetooth, clutching it in one hand while trying to grab my kidnapper with the other.