Russell left his tripod, and stepped over to talk to Chief London, who had gotten out of his cruiser, and was talking on his cell. Russell waited for the chief to end the call before he spoke, “Helluva scene. Do you think it’s the copycat arsonist?”
“What are you doing here?” the chief asked suspiciously.
“Chief, when I found out the reception at the armory had been cancelled, I was on my way home,” he explained. “When I saw the barn burning, I stopped by to see if anyone needed help. I was the one who made the 911 call.”
Two EMTs walked by, and headed toward the Taurus. One of them called out, “Chief, over here.”
The chief hurriedly surveyed the situation, and said to the reporter, “Stand back.” He stooped down to examine the woman lying on her stomach. “Is she dead?” he asked the first EMT.
The EMT nodded. “She was shot in the back.” He turned the woman over, and pointed out the large, crimson stain on the front of her blouse.
Russell spotted a pearl-handled pistol lying in a patch of dandelions. He was reaching down to pick it up, when the chief ordered, “Don’t touch that.”
“I was just going to call it to your attention,” the reporter answered.
Lying next to the pistol was the woman’s purse. The chief searched inside for identification, and pulled out her driver’s license. “It’s Ava Franklin,” he said.
Russell tried to lunge forward to the victim, but the chief caught him by the arm.
“Not so fast,” he said. “Do you know this woman?”
“She’s my friend,” Russell said, covering his face with his hands. “No, not Ava,” he sobbed.
“What do you want me to do?” the EMT asked.
“Carefully stand back, and try not to disturb any evidence.”
Official Troy arrived on the scene, and picked up the gun with a stick. “Chief, it doesn’t appear to have been fired. It looks like she was taking the gun out of her purse when she got shot.”
The chief made a loud announcement to the growing crowd of emergency personnel and law enforcement agents. “This is a crime scene. Whoever shot this woman may be nearby. Use extreme caution.”
“Why would anyone kill Ava?” Russell yelled over the din of emergency crew working the scene.
The chief faced Russell, and put his hand on his shoulder. “I’m sorry for your loss, but this is a crime scene now, and we’ll treat it as such.”
“I’ve known Ava for a long time, and I didn’t know she owned a gun, or how to use one.”
“We’ll get to the bottom of this, but for right now, I want you to go home.”
“I beg to differ. I’m a reporter. I have a right to be here.”
“I’m not asking you to go home, I’m tellin’ ya. Don’t leave your house. I’ll stop by later. We need to have a little talk about the fire at the pink mansion.”
The reporter turned on his heel. “I’m going. You just find the bastard who did this.”
***
When the bullets stopped flying, Scout trotted back to the scene, but found her human gone. Two men lay on the ground: the one who had helped them, and the other who had tried to kill them. A big, hairy man who looked like a Sasquatch stood nearby. Scout didn’t like the looks of him. The Siamese gave the large man a wide berth, and crept back into the weeds. Following the edge of the path to its origin, Scout heard loud sirens, and saw the flashing lights of emergency vehicles. She hid behind a rotted stump, and watched a family of raccoons scamper down the path. They had been frightened by the loud sounds.
After they passed, she trotted to the opening in the trees. Her Siamese eyes were excellent at seeing in the dark. She scanned the area, but didn’t see Katherine. She stood up on her hind legs and sniffed, pulling her lips back in the flehmen response. Her sense of smell was even greater than her vision. No Katherine.
Scout became very agitated, and pranced back-and-forth. “Waugh,” she cried loudly, her voice echoing deep into the woods. “Waugh,” she cried again, and this time she was heard — not by her person, but by a very large crow that flew overhead.
***
Back at the mansion, fifteen minutes earlier, Chief London had taken Jake aside, and said that dispatch had received a call from Stevie Sanders. He explained, “There’s a fire at Stevie’s great-grandfather’s farm. He said Katherine was with him.”
Jake’s face went from shock to relief to confusion, “Why would Katz be with him? Is she okay?”
“Yes, but I’m headin’ there now. You can come too, if you promise not to get in the way.”
“Can I ride with you?”
“No, not in the cruiser. Hey, Deputy Cokenberger,” he called, gesturing at Daryl. “Would you please take Jake to Clint Sanders’ old place? Stevie Sanders said Katz is there, and she’s safe.”
At the mention of Stevie Sanders’ name, Daryl fired a suspicious look at the chief, then answered, “Yes, Sir, will do.” Then, both Daryl and Jake sprinted for the classic Dodge Impala. Daryl fired up the motor, and the two sped to the old Sanders farmstead.
Before the ambulance took Jacky to the City Hospital, the chief questioned him. Jacky confessed to accidentally setting the fire, and the chief believed him. However, that revelation didn’t eliminate Jacky as a suspect in the killing of the judge.
The chief wasn’t finished with Jacky. He just wanted the man to get medical attention, and to sober up.
After the EMTs left, James drove Mum and Colleen into the city, following the ambulance to the hospital.
Jake was relieved they were gone. He didn’t want any drama when the police found Katz. Mum was getting on his nerves with her histrionics. So was Colleen. He knew how close mother and daughter were to his new wife, but didn’t want to deal with them right now, or with the drunken brother.
He thought in disgust, Who flies from New York City to attend a friend’s wedding, then ends up getting drunk every day and missing it? It makes no sense. Wait until Katz finds out Jacky set the fire. I’m bankin’ that friendship is over.
Chapter Twenty
When Katherine heard the police and emergency vehicle sirens, she slowed her pace, and tread carefully. The flip flops offered minimal protection against sharp rocks lining the path. Her feet were killing her. She wanted to collapse in the weeds, and just sit it out until the EMTs found her, but thought otherwise when she saw the misty shape of a teenaged girl hovering close by.
The ghost was wildly gesturing for Katherine to keep going.
Katherine nodded, and resumed walking. When she turned, the spirit had vanished into the moonlit night.
Katherine was starting to lose her fear of the ghost. The spirit had warned her several times. She had to find out why.
Katherine found the group of dead trees, and walked out onto the field. She waved Ted’s flashlight at the crowd gathered around the barn, and several EMTs saw her. When Katherine saw the men running toward her, she sat down, bowed her head, and cried. Sobbing, with tears streaming down her face, she didn’t see Jake coming up fast in front of her.
“Katz,” he said softly, joining her on the ground. He took her in his arms, and held her. His heart was beating fast. “Katz, are you hurt?”
Katherine held onto him tight. “Jake,” she stuttered. “Scout’s missing. She saved me, and now she’s gone.” Her voice choked, and she couldn’t speak.
The couple embraced for a moment, then heard the loud voice of one of the EMTs. “Ma’am, are you injured?”
“No, but follow that path,” she said pointing her flashlight in the direction she’d just left. “Stevie Sanders has been shot, as well as Paul Taylor.”
Chief London and several officers rushed over with guns drawn. The chief said to the EMTs. “Stand down, until my men clear the area.” The officers went into the woods.
The EMTs waited.
The chief asked, “Katz, did Stevie Sanders kidnap you?”
“No, he saved me. Paul Taylor shot Stevie in the hand, and in the shoulder, then I
used Stevie’s gun, and shot Paul in the arm.”
The chief tugged at his beard, “Start from the beginning. And make it quick, and to the point.”
Katherine spoke rapidly. “Paul Taylor chloroformed me outside my house, drove me out to the middle of nowhere, and dumped me in a storm cellar. My cat, Scout, got there somehow, and managed to get me out.” She paused, waiting for the chief to scoff at that notion, but when he didn’t, she continued, “I grabbed my cat and ran to the highway. Stevie was driving by, and I flagged him down.”
“That was convenient,” the chief muttered.
“He was taking me home when Paul Taylor and some woman drove us off the road.”
“Was the woman Ava Franklin?”
“The realtor?” Katherine asked incredulously. “I can’t be sure. The woman was behind the wheel, wearing sunglasses. Why do you ask?”
The chief gestured with his head toward what was left of the barn. “I just found Ava Franklin shot in the chest. She’s dead, and someone shot her.”
Katherine covered her face in horror. She closed her eyes, and thought Stevie killed her in self defense.
“Does that mean you saw who killed her?” the chief asked.
Katherine shook her head. “I was hiding behind that big rock over there.” She beamed her flashlight in that direction. “I heard gun shots, but it was so dark, I didn’t see anything.”
The chief’s cell rang, and he stopped to take the call. Speaking for just a second, he hung up, and said loudly to the EMTs, “All clear.” Then to Katherine, “Okay, I’ll get your statement later.” He walked into the woods, and disappeared behind the clump of trees.
Jake asked, “Katz, where are your shoes?”
“I couldn’t run in them, so I got rid of them. I think I stepped on a piece of glass.”
Katherine tossed off the flip flops, and Jake examined her feet. “Your right foot is bleeding. I’ll get one of the EMTs to take a look at it.” He started to walk away.
“Jake, wait. Stevie got shot saving me. Hold me for a minute. I’m so glad you’re here. I love you so much.”
“I love you, too, Sweet Pea,” he comforted.
“We’ve got to find Scout, and then go home.”
“We’ll talk about that later,” he said dodging Katherine’s comment about returning home.
“Why can’t we talk about it now?” Katherine asked suspiciously. “What’s going on? That crazy man who kidnapped me, Paul Taylor, said there was an explosion at the pink mansion, and that Judge Hartman was dead. Now tell me true.”
Jake took a deep breath. “There was an explosion in your basement — ”
Katherine gasped. “Oh, no.”
“The fire has been contained.”
“I know that Judge Hartman is dead, but was anyone else hurt? Are the cats okay?”
“The fire wiped out the mechanical room, your classroom, and my new office. There’s smoke damage everywhere else.”
“Jake, the cats? You didn’t answer the question.”
“Lilac, Abby, and Iris are fine; Elsa took them to the Foursquare.”
“Did you say the Foursquare? It’s haunted.” Katherine was visibly getting very upset. “Is Elsa with them?”
“Yes, she is. You never told me it was haunted —”
Katherine interrupted, “Where’s Colleen and Mum? Why didn’t they take the cats to the bungalow?”
Jake took another deep breath. “Katz, Jacky came to the wedding late. He was in the explosion. He’s okay, but he broke his leg. Mum and Colleen are with him at the hospital in the city. I didn’t think to get the keys to the bungalow.”
“Wait, go back to the cats. You didn’t mention Abra. Is she okay?”
“Abra smelled the chloroform rag. She’s at Dr. Sonny’s, under observation. He said he thought she’d be just fine, and could come home tomorrow.”
“What else are you not telling me? This is a nightmare!” she said, alarmed.
“Judge Hartman’s death may be a homicide.”
***
A slender black-and-tan dog with cropped ears chased Scout out of the woods, into a field of tall, dying sunflowers. Although the sunflowers were planted close together, Scout was able to dart back-and-forth between the narrow rows, with the dog in hot pursuit. When she reached a clearing, Scout ran to a Shagbark Hickory tree, and easily scaled ten feet. On the way up, her collar tugged, and pulled her backward. The handle of Stevie’s makeshift leash had stuck on a jagged piece of bark, which prevented the Siamese from climbing any farther.
“Waugh,” she cried in frustration. She tugged again, but her action only made the collar tighter.
Below, the angry dog paced excitedly, looking for an avenue up the tree. He barked in a threatening, low-pitched voice. Scout hissed and bared her teeth. The dog circled the tree, and jumped to climb it, but fell back several times before he abandoned the idea.
In the night sky, a large, black crow circled the scene, and recognized the distress call from the Siamese. The bird cawed out an alarm to members of her flock, who swooped in to help. The continuous cawing of the crows was loud, but the dog wasn’t afraid of the birds. He continued snarling, and flashing his teeth.
The crows descended on the dog. They swooped and dove, and fluttered their wings. Two of the birds landed on the dog’s back, and hung on with their talons. The dog yelped, and flung them off, but his efforts only annoyed the crows, who cried for other birds to join in the mob scene. The dog ran at breakneck speed across the sunflower field with the angry crows chasing him. He wasn’t safe until he’d cleared the doggie door, and was inside with his family.
When the dog left, Scout carefully unhitched her claws from the tree’s trunk, one paw at a time, and tried to climb down. But the bark she was clinging tore loose, and fell to the ground. She clung on for another second, and attempted to regain her footing, but the tree’s bark wouldn’t hold her. Scout dropped, and now dangled in the air below the nylon leash, which was still snagged by the bark farther up the trunk. She cried weakly, as the collar remained tight around her neck.
The large crow dove in, and tried to grab the leash with her powerful black beak, but the weight of the cat was too heavy. Scout wasn’t afraid of the bird. Instinctively, she knew the crow was helping her. And she remembered the crow from the cabin in the woods two months ago; that crow was the pet of the scarred man.
The crow found the area where the leash was jammed, and feverishly pecked at the site, until the bark shirred off. Scout fell to the ground, landed on her feet, and immediately resumed trying to get the collar off.
The crow swooped down and landed close to the Siamese. Scout lay on her side, and the bird hopped on the leash. With her talons and beak, she worked at loosening the knot that attached the collar to the leash.
When the leash was untied, Scout started wriggling, and pushed the collar with her front paws and one back leg until it finally passed over her head. She licked her paw, ran it over her neck to soothe the pain, then took a deep breath, and cried, “Ma-waugh” in relief.
“Caw! Caw!” the crow squawked. The bird snatched the collar, and rejoined her flock in the sky.
With the threat of the dog gone, Scout backtracked through the sunflower field. She had to return to where the two men were injured, lying on the ground. Once there, she’d pick up the path, and search for her person. Being outside wasn’t what she’d thought it was cracked up to be. She wanted to be home with Abra and the other cats.
***
Russell Krow parked in front of the yellow brick Foursquare. Minutes earlier, he had texted Elsa and asked her if she wanted to go for a drink. She declined, and said she was taking care of Katz’s cats at the house next door to the mansion.
He checked his look in the mirror, then got out of the car. He double-checked to make sure the doors were locked, because the last thing he wanted was for some Erie hick to steal his brand new vehicle.
Elsa turned on the porch light, and met him at the door. “
Hi,” she said. “I just heard from Jake. Katz is fine. Isn’t that super news?”
“Yes, that’s great,” he said. “I know you’ve probably got your hands full cat sitting, but could you do me a favor?”
“Sure, what?” she asked, opening the door, and stepping out onto the porch.
“Do you have the key to the pink house? I lost something of great sentimental value, and I think it dropped out of my pocket when I was taking pics of the wedding.”
Elsa shook her head. “The fire chief has declared the house off-limits.”
“I know that, precious angel,” he said with a voice dripping in honey. “If I wait for the chief to lift the ban, my stuff may be stolen.”
Elsa suddenly turned off to Prince Charming, and asked suspiciously. “What is it you lost?”
Russell saw the look, and said, “Okay, I’ll come clean. I’ve lost my USB flash drive. It’s got Katz’s and Jake’s wedding pics on it. If I don’t find it, my ass is grass.”
Elsa wrinkled her nose. “Oh, that’s not so good.”
“So, could you do me a big, big favor? Have dinner with me this weekend?” he asked, changing gears.
Elsa knew a con when she saw one. “Actually, Russell, I don’t have the key. You’ll have to ask Jake for it.”
A flicker of anger flashed across Russell’s face, then he composed himself. “Okay, no problem. Listen, you better get inside. It’s getting cold out here.”
Elsa stepped back in, and hurriedly locked the door. She then walked to the back of the house where Iris, Lilac, and Abby were sleeping on towels. She sat down on the floor next to them, and texted Jake. “Russell Krow needs key to mansion. Lost something.”
Jake got the text while Katherine was being examined by an EMT. He texted back, “What?”
Elsa answered immediately. “A computer thingy with your wedding pics on it.”
“I’ll call him tomorrow. Katz and I are coming to the Foursquare as soon as we find Scout. Explain later.”
The EMT walked away, and Katherine asked, “Who just texted?”
“Russell Krow wants the key to the mansion so he can go in and look for a USB flash drive.”
The Cats that Stalked a Ghost Page 11
