The Traveling Corpse

by Double Edge Press

  He’s locking the door now. He’s gone now. Didn’t say good-bye. At least, he won’t hurt me anymore. He’s not all bad; he didn’t kill me. I’m safe, but I’m scared. How long will I have to be locked in here before somebody finds me?

  She began to feel disorientated. She couldn’t remember what day it was. She shook her head to clear it. They play Bingo on Tuesday nights. They’ll have to open this closet to get the supplies sometime Tuesday afternoon. What day is today? I can’t remember. He hit me so hard. I guess he knocked my brain loose. Come on, Annie, think. What did you do today? Did I play Bridge? I don’t think so. Wait! I went to Barb’s house. Yes, I went there to play Bridge, but for some reason we didn’t play. We always play Bridge on Monday afternoons; so today must be Monday. Then, this is Monday night. I’ll probably have to stay tied up like this overnight. I can do that. Then maybe another six hours and I’ll be rescued. Persevere. I may be old, but I can persevere. Thank-you, Lord, for helping me think this out. Now, please let me just go to sleep. That will pass the time the fastest and easiest.

  Exhausted, Annie made herself relax. She began saying the names of meds over and over; it was her way of trying to go to sleep. Instead of counting sheep, she named meds. A is for Aspirin. B is for Benedryl. C is for Calamine. D is for Diuretics. E is for Ephedrine. F is for Folic Acid…. Finally, her headed nodded and fell forward in blessed sleep until a leg cramp snapped her awake to suffer through a muscle spasm.

  * * *

  Art dropped off two other men shufflers before stopping at Brad’s. The house was dark. “Looks like Barb must be over at my house. She promised to keep an eye on Annie while

  I was gone. Do you want to get out here or ride home with me?”

  A few minutes later, Brad was glad he decided to go on with Art. As they approached Art’s street, they saw lights blazing from an ambulance turning out of the street, and they saw a Sheriff’s car parked in his driveway.

  “Something’s happened to Annie,” Art shouted and quickly drove over the inverted “C” curb and onto his front yard. The two men opened their doors and slammed them shut behind them in unison, as they hurried toward Sgt. Menendez. “Annie?” Art pointed to the receding ambulance,

  Menendez answered, “That was Kitty, Karl’s wife, not your Annie.”

  Barb flung herself into Brad’s strong arms and wailed, “We don’t know where Annie is. She’s disappeared, and my golf cart has been stolen. Karl’s probably taken it and Annie.”

  Two deputies stepped out of a newly arrived squad car. Before going to them, Menendez turned to Barb and suggested, “You fill them in. I’ve got to start the search for Annie.” She left Art with his mouth open.

  With confidence, Maria Menendez headed the rescue operation until a detective could come and take over the investigation. She directed one of the officers to position his car so his headlights would shine between the two houses. As she suspected, the dry grass was flattened in two tracks the width of a golf cart’s tires. She interrupted Barb’s telling Art and Brad what had happened to ask, “Any ideas on where Karl—or whoever—would go with Annie?”

  “His house,” suggested Art, “but that’s so obvious.”

  “Maybe Jiggs’s house?” Brad offered. “He might have a key to it since he was keeping it up for the realty company.”

  “I need addresses,” the sergeant said.

  Art started running towards his patio door, calling back, “Come on in here. I’ll get the BradLee address book.” Menendez motioned to a deputy to follow Art inside.

  Neighbors, hearing the commotion in this usually quiet neighborhood, poured outside—some wearing bathrobes. Menendez speaking through a bull horn, ordered them back. “We’ve got a crime scene here folks. I need you to stay away. If you want to help us find a missing person, you don’t want to destroy any evidence.”

  There was a buzz of shocked, but subdued voices, questioning? Missing? Who? In quiet BradLee?

  The pretty sergeant continued, “Stop! Do not come on the property. It would be helpful if you’d stay across the street until we have time to check out this area.”

  “I can help,” Brad offered. The curious neighbors respected Brad, and they willingly congregated across the street where he promised to tell them what few details he knew. He checked with the sergeant, “Okay to tell them about Annie’s disappearance and Kitty’s going off in the ambulance?”

  She nodded a yes, saying, “They’ll cooperate better if you give them some information. Don’t say anything more than you have too. And thanks.”

  The competent sergeant used Art’s house phone to call for more back-up help. She smiled when her partner, Joe Juarez showed up. “Glad you’re here to take over because I need to get to the hospital to talk with Karl’s wife.” She filled Joe in on the operation so far, then took a moment to reassure Art, “We’ll find your Annie. If Karl took your wife, I don’t think he’ll kill her; probably just needs someone to blame for his dire situation. Art, I know you want to do some active looking for Annie, but we need you to stay at the house.” She turned to Barb, “Will you come to the hospital with me to see Kitty? She’s probably aching all over and scared silly about now. Having a woman she knows and trusts could be a big help for me when I interview her.”

  “If you think so, I’ll gladly go with you. Just let me tell Brad.”

  * * *

  Kitty was in the Emergency Room lying on a cot in a curtained-off cubicle when Barb and Maria arrived. They were told, “She’s waiting to go to surgery to have her arm set, but you can talk to her.”

  When Kitty saw Barb and the officer, she was so relieved that words tumbled out of her, “I’m so sorry. Is Annie all right? He took her, didn’t he?

  “We think he took my golf cart—used it to take Annie someplace. Any idea where’d he go in a golf cart?” Barb asked.

  “It’s all my fault,” Kitty wailed. “I should never have gone to Annie’s house. I didn’t dream Karl would find me. I’ll never forgive myself if he hurt her. It’s okay if he hurts me; I’m his wife, but he shouldn’t hurt another woman… .”

  Barb bent over the battered woman to comfort her, “There, there, Kitty. Everything will be all right. You’ve been hurt; we’ve got to get you well.” She straightened up and waved toward the officer, “This is Sgt. Maria Menendez from the Sheriff’s Department. She’s been working with us on the mystery, and she’s wonderful! Will you answer some of her questions?”

  “I don’t know if I know anything, but I’ll try,” Kitty answered.

  Barb stepped away, and Maria took her place. “May I call you Kitty?”

  Kitty nodded.

  “Can you tell me what happened earlier tonight?” There was a long pause. The officer gently urged, “Anything you can tell me may be helpful. You want to help Annie, don’t you?”

  Kitty cast her eyes down and finally said, “I’m so ashamed.”

  “Ashamed of what?”

  “Mostly myself, but I’m ashamed of Karl. He started drinking again. He’s been sober for almost ten years. I told him I’d move to Florida like he wanted to if he’d join AA. He’s nicer to me when he’s sober.”

  “Why are you ashamed of yourself?”

  “If I had obeyed my husband, I wouldn’t have made him mad, and then he wouldn’t have hurt me and Annie.”

  Barb and Maria exchanged sorry glances over Kitty’s head. They were filled with amazement and distress at Kitty’s words, but the deputy didn’t let it show in her voice when she asked, “Why was your husband upset with you?”

  Kitty swallowed, “Annie told me once that wives don’t have to do everything their husbands order—that women have the right to think for themselves.”

  “And, what did you think?”

  “I decided that I didn’t want to move out of BradLee like Karl said I had to. I’d packed up all our clothes like he said. Karl told me we were going to go to a safe place. I didn’t know why we needed to go to a safe place; I felt safe in our home.”


  Kitty paused. Maria encouraged her to go on, “And?”

  “It was real early this morning. It wasn’t light yet. Karl told me we were leaving and to get in the van; so I did. He didn’t tell me where we were going, but I could see that we were headed towards the interstate. When I told him I was hungry, he stopped at a Hardee’s and got biscuits and coffee at the drive-through.”

  Barb said, “They do make good homemade biscuits. Where did you go after you ate?”

  “We ate in the parking lot. When we finished, I told him I was going to use the restroom. I picked up our trash and took it with me. I wasn’t gone long, but all the time I was away I kept thinking about Annie and what she told me—about my not having to do everything Karl said. I kept thinking and thinking about it. When I got back, he started up the engine and turned the car back towards BradLee. He had a look on his face that told me to leave him alone. So I didn’t ask any questions. I did what he said.”

  Barb thought to herself: Thank goodness, Brad never treats me like that. Of course, I’d never let him treat me like that—not in this day and age. Then she asked, “Where did you go?

  “When we got near BradLee, he turned and got on the by-pass. I thought that was strange because we never go that way to get to our house. That’s the long way around. I just kept my mouth shut and let him drive. I was surprised when he turned right onto a dirt road. You know, we’ve got lots of them right on the edge of town. He drove real slow— lots of tree roots that made it bumpy. We passed some trashy houses, then drove across what looked like old pasture land. He stopped by a dilapidated little barn—all weathered. There were lots of big old trees with moss hanging down. He parked the van under an open shed at one end of the building so it was—” Kitty suddenly stopped talking.

  The sergeant, anxious to learn where she could find Karl, asked, “Were you close to BradLee?”

  Kitty grimaced in pain and shrieked, “Eee-oh-oh-ugh!” and squeezed her folded arms across her abdomen.

  Barb fled from the curtained cubicle, calling, “Nurse! Nurse!”

  The medical team went into action, and Maria and Barb found two uncomfortable straight chairs nearby. Maria drummed her fingers on her thigh. After a while, Barb spoke, “Maria, do you think Kitty’s having a heart attack?”

  “I don’t think it’s her heart. She was grabbing her stomach. Seems more like a gall bladder attack or kidney stones to me.”

  “Do you think we brought it on asking her all those questions?”

  “Stress can do a lot of damage, but I got the impression that she wanted to tell somebody her sad story—that it was a relief for her.”

  “You mean, like, maybe confession is good for the soul?”

  “Something like that.”

  Barb replied, “Kitty never had many friends. I don’t think she has a close girl friend that she could confide in. Karl didn’t seem to want her to get too involved in any of the clubs in BradLee where she’d make friends. Annie got to know her at Hobby Club. That’s about the only club Kitty joined. Oh, yes, she does play golf in the Women’s League. She also does a lot of gardening—keeps her yard beautiful. It is a showplace. But you garden by yourself.” Barb yawned. “What do we do now? It’s bedtime for me, but how can I go to bed until Annie’s found?”

  The officer stood. “It’ll be a long time before I can go to bed. The first hours after an abduction are the most crucial.” She picked up her hat. “Looks like it’ll be awhile before Kitty can talk again, plus she has to have her arm set. Guess we might as well leave; I’ll come back later.” Maria spoke to the nurse at the desk before she and Barb pushed open the swinging doors and left the inner sanctum of the ER.

  They were walking across the parking lot towards the squad car when they heard a voice behind them calling, “Officer! Officer! Wait, please wait.”

  The two women turned and saw an aide dressed in hospital blues hurrying toward them. The tubby young man was puffing with exertion when he managed to gasp, “You need… to come… back inside. The patient says … she won’t go to surgery … ‘til she tells you something.”

  “This may be our break,” Maria beamed.

  Barb followed her into the ER where an LPN said, “The pain subsided quickly. She has a history of gall stones; that may be the diagnosis. When she saw you leaving, she put up one fit until we promised to bring you back. Had to tie her down to keep her from chasing after you!”

  “Thank you for listening to her request, nurse. She may give us some valuable information on a kidnapping case.”

  The nurse’s eyes widened in surprise.

  Kitty started crying with relief when Maria and Barb pulled the curtains aside and came to her bedside. “I’m so sorry. I got one of my gall stone attacks—got to have it operated on—but need to set my arm first. That awful pain seemed to jerk my memory. Remembered what I need to tell you.”

  Menendez leaned close to Kitty’s face, “What do you remember?”

  “I walked on the south side of that pitiful old barn. There was maybe some 50 or 60 yards of stubby grassland and then a wire fence with a sorry-looking wooden gate.”

  “Did you recognize any landmarks?”

  It was a golf course on the other side of the fence. I was pretty sure it was the fifth hole of the Gold. I could see houses on the far side, and they looked like they were manufactured homes like we have in BradLee.”

  Maria started to put on her hat to leave after thanking Kitty. “You’ve been a great help, Kitty. I’ll get right on it.”

  Kitty stopped her. “Don’t leave; there’s more. Karl made me help him carry some of the suitcases inside. It was kindda nasty in there—all dusty and dirty. Sometimes I could hear rats running on the boards overhead. I knew I was not going to stay in that cobwebby barn any longer than I had to, but Karl was watching me real close. I had to spend the whole day in there. It was horrible. Lots of old worn out stuff piled in the corners. There was a stack of old rubber tires near the small side door. Actually, there were some antiques too. I spotted a Hoosier cupboard, one of those old oak kitchen free-standing baker’s cabinets with a porcelain working surface. I’d love to have that. It’s a collector’s prize. But that’s all I want from there!

  “We had some soda and snacks with us. Nothing else to eat. Finally, Karl fell asleep just after it got dark, maybe about five-thirty or so. I waited until he started snoring, then I got up. But when I tried to open the side door, it squeaked and woke him up. I told him I was just going outside to wet. He ordered me not to be long and lay back down. I stood outside the barn until I heard him start to snore again. Then I had to walk careful-like to find the fence. It was so dark out. No moon yet. I had to feel my way. I climbed over the fence and made my way towards the lighted houses.”

  Barb asked, “Weren’t you scared?”

  “I was more scared of Karl than I was of the dark. I didn’t have a plan. I just wanted to get away from Karl. When I finally got to a street, I knew where I was. Annie’s house wasn’t too far away; so that seemed the best place to go for help. She’s always been kind to me.”

  Barb agreed, “Annie’s a sweetheart. We’ve got to find her.”

  Maria asked, “What happened when you got to Andersen’s?”

  “Nobody was home. The screen door to the patio was unlocked so I went in to wait. Guess I fell asleep on her chaise lounge. I was so tired. Next thing I knew Karl was jerking me up. He reeked of liquor; so I knew I was in for a beating. He was so mad. I begged and pleaded, but he wouldn’t stop hitting me. If I dared to scream, he hit me harder. Then he started raving about what he’d do to … he didn’t call her Annie. He kept calling her a Bitch and kept blaming her for all of his troubles.”

  She looked at the sergeant, “M’am, I don’t even know what trouble Karl’s in. I only know he lost his good friend, Jiggs. What have they done?”

  “That’s a long story, Kitty,” the officer said. “We’ll tell you after we find Annie. Is there any more you need to tell me?”
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br />   “Karl kept saying he was going to put Annie away. He wanted her to suffer like he was.”

  “Did he say where he was going to put her? Give any clues?”

  “Not really. He just said it was somewhere dark. I want you to find Annie. I really do. But, please don’t be too hard on Karl. He’s really a good man. It’s just when he starts to drink that he gets so mean. Most of the time he’s been a good husband. Provided well for me and our children.” She began to cry.

  Barb kissed Kitty’s bruised flat cheek and smoothed her gray hair. “Thank you for your help. You need to rest now. Do what the doctors tell you. We’ve got to go look for Annie. I promise to come back to see you soon, and I’ll get you some help. Go to sleep now.”

  The two women, one young and the other old, left the hospital together and got in the green and white car. Maria slowed down on the by-pass as she drove near the area north of BradLee. She pointed to a dirt road not far from a street lamp and spoke to Barb, “That’s probably the road Karl used to get to that old barn. We’ll check it out, but first I need to drop you off. Do you want to go to your house or to Andersen’s?”

  “I think Brad will stay with Art; so take me to Andersen’s. Thanks. Kitty gave you some good tips on Karl’s where-a-bouts. Hope you can find him real soon.”

  “Unless he does something cagey, we should pick him up without too much trouble. I want help, though, don’t want to try to capture him by myself.”

  “Good thinking. He’s drunk; so he’s probably not thinking too clearly—or, at least, not logically.” She shifted in her seat before asking, “Where do you suppose he’s got Annie?” She answered her own question by saying, “Kitty said, ‘Someplace that’s dark.’ Wherever that is! You might want to check with the head of the grounds committee to see if there’s any digging being done anyplace on the park grounds. Brad might know the answer, or he’ll know whom to ask.”