Mellow Yellow, Dead Red

by Sylvia Rochester

  “Congratulations,” Susan said, slipping the medal over Tarzan’s head. “There’s water and cold drinks at the concession stand.”

  Susan continued to remind others about refreshments as they crossed the line. Soon the woods grew quiet, and everyone’s buddy was accounted for...except for one.

  “A. K. was right behind me,” Sheila said, “but she got slower and slower. She told me to go ahead, that she’d get there in due time. I’d better go back and look for her.”

  Susan didn’t want to sound upset, but she was. Sheila should never have left her. All sorts of things crossed Susan’s mind. Maybe she turned an ankle. Worse yet, God forbid, she fell in the swamp.

  “That’s okay. You go get something to drink. Wesley and I will fetch slowpoke. You’ll have to take over for me here. Tarzan won the first place, and I hung the medal around his neck. Introduce him to the crowd and assure them that everything is okay, except that our illustrious organizer is still on the trail. Tell them they’re not to worry, that Detective Grissom and I are on our way to round up Miss Speedy.”

  “You got it, boss.”

  “I don’t know what made A. K. think she could go the distance,” Susan said as she and Wesley started down the trail. “She’s not exactly the athletic type.”

  He gave Susan a gentle nudge. “Maybe the boogie man got her.”

  “Not funny. I just hope she isn’t hurt. Aside from this, what do you think about the fun run?”

  “Looks like everyone’s having a good time.”

  “Yeah, and they really outdid themselves with the costumes. By the way, what’d you think about the Indian standing next to you at the entrance?”

  “Indian? I saw lots of costumes, but don’t remember an Indian.”

  “That’s strange. I can’t imagine how you missed him.”

  Wesley shrugged and took her hand. “This is a spooky place at night.”

  Susan agreed. Away from the noise of the crowd, the sounds of night grew louder and louder. Frogs croaked, crickets played a tune on their hind legs, and mosquitos whined about her ears. It was a chorus not for the light of heart. When an owl, hidden high in the trees, screeched like a woman screaming, she jumped. “If A. K. is hearing all this, she’s probably scared out of her wits.”

  Besides the sounds, the pungent odor of decay hung in the air. Stumbling in the dark, she kicked fallen limbs and smashed others. No telling what she had released—Beetles? Spiders? Centipedes? Snakes? She turned loose of Wesley’s hand and brushed her stockings.

  After several minutes of walking and still no A. K. in sight, Susan turned to Wesley. “You’d think my partner could have made it at least this far.” She called out A. K.’s name, but no response. As they rounded a curve, strands of moss dangled from a low-hanging limb. Like long, twisted fingers, it reached out as if to grab those passing beneath.

  As she passed under the moss, she heard, from the black waters of the swamp, a deep grunting sound. “Did you hear that?” Her first thought was that it could be a wild boar. They were vicious and quick to attack. But then she heard more grunting, followed by the thrashing of water. Shivers skittered down her spine. She recognized without a doubt that sound. “Gator!”

  When more thrashing followed, Susan lunged forward. “A. K.,” she cried, her voice cracking.

  “Where do you think you’re going?” Wesley grabbed her arm and stopped Susan in her tracks.

  “A. K. might be out there. We need—”

  Another deep and threatening grunt made her knees go weak. The creature was close...too close. Susan stumbled backward, pulling Wesley with her. She gripped his forearm so tight, her nails dug into his skin.

  The big beast broke the surface a few feet away, its mouth opened. Its long row of teeth gleamed in the moonlight—teeth that held something in its vice-like jaws. Susan strained to make out what it had captured, but all she could see was a flash of yellow. Then the gator disappeared beneath the water.

  “Did you see that?” Susan’s asked, her voice at a feverish pitch and her lips quivering. “It had something in its mouth.”

  “Yeah, it definitely caught something, probably a small animal.”

  “Wearing yellow?”

  Chapter 4

  Susan shouted again for A. K.

  From down the trail, a bedraggled cavewoman hobbled into sight. “What’s going on?”

  Susan broke into a run and grabbed her friend in a bear hug. “Thank goodness you’re okay.”

  “Easy there, kiddo.” A. K. peeled her friend’s arms from around her and stepped back. She dangled a sandal from her fingers. “Never should have worn these. I broke the dang strap on the first lap. What was all that splashing?”

  “You heard it, too?” Susan pointed to an area in the swamp where the moon had painted the surface with a pale, yellow streak. “It was a gator, and it had something in its mouth.”

  “It’s gone now,” Wesley said. “I’m thinking someone probably dumped garbage, and the gator picked up the scent. While scavenging for a meal, it must have snagged a piece of cloth.”

  “If there’s an alligator out there, why are we standing here?” A. K. asked. “This narrow path offers little room for escape—one side has water; the other side has woods.” A. K. clutched the sandal to her heart.

  “You’re right,” Susan said. “Let’s get out of here. We need to get back to the festivities.”

  Wesley nodded. “We can’t be sure what we saw in the dark. Charlie and I will check out this site in the morning. In the meantime, let’s not say anything. I don’t want people stomping around here.”

  “By the way, where is Charlie?” Susan asked. “I thought for sure he’d join us.”

  Wesley’s lips drew tight, and he shook his head. “He had a date.”

  Susan could tell from his terse response that he wasn’t too happy with his partner. Soon, the three arrived back at the park amid cheers from the crowd.

  Susan picked up the mike and pointed to A. K. “Ladies and gentlemen, I give you Speedy Gonzales.”

  Above the roar of laughter, A. K. held up her broken sandal. “Equipment failure,” she shouted.

  Tarzan held out his medal. “Maybe next year.”

  “You’re on, and I won’t be wearing sandals. Thanks again, everyone, for turning out and supporting the food pantry. Where are you, Myrtle?” Myrtle raised her hand, and A. K. continued, saying, “Come by the Purple Pickle tomorrow. We’ll take the donations to the food pantry.”

  The participants began walking to the parking lot, all except Kara and Edward. They made their way over to A. K. and handed her a bulging envelope. “For the pantry,” Edward said.

  “Hey, do I still get my reading?” she asked Kara.

  “Sure. The concession stand’s empty. Let’s go over there.”

  “Looks like the run was a big success,” Edward said to Susan. “Kara and I really enjoyed being here. I’m glad we got to help, and she picked up quite a few new customers. Next year, I might even give the run a try.”

  Wesley put his arm around Susan’s shoulder. “Guess you were right, hon. Looks like this might become an annual event.”

  When A. K. returned from her reading, she was all smiles.

  “Looks like you heard good news,” Susan said. “Care to share?”

  Kara glanced at A. K. and shook her head.

  “If I tell, it might not come true,” A. K. said. “I can’t take that chance.”

  Susan cocked her head to one side. “Girlfriend, do you know the odds of you keeping a secret?”

  “Not this time. You’re going to have to beat it out of me,” A. K. said.

  “Looks like we’re the only ones left,” Susan said, taking Wesley’s hand. “Guess we’d better close it down.”

  Saturday morning, Susan headed straight for the Purple Pickle to see how much money they had raised.

  A. K. was busy totaling up the receipts. She gave a big grin as she slipped the cash and checks into a large manila envelope.
“For sure, no one will go hungry this Thanksgiving. I’ll deposit everything into our account and write the pantry a check. That way we’ll have a record for the bookkeeper.”

  “So, what’s the total?”

  “Give me a minute to finishing writing the check.”

  The bell over the door jingled, and Myrtle entered the store. “Am I too early?”

  “Right on time,” A. K. said. She signed the check, slipped it into a separate envelope and handed it to Myrtle. “I think you should present the donation to the pantry.”

  “How’d we do?” Myrtle asked.

  “A little over eight thousand dollars.”

  Myrtle’s jaw dropped. “That’s wonderful, but we didn’t have that many runners.”

  “You’re right. But several of the merchants stepped up and made hefty donations.”

  “I knew you could do it,” Susan said.

  Sheila and Debbie arrived, still talking about the fun they’d had last night.

  “Glad you two enjoyed it,” Susan said then she turned to A. K. “I’m taking Sheila with me to help with my sale.”

  A. K. nodded. “Myrtle, you ready? Debbie, hold down the fort till I get back.”

  Susan snickered as she and Sheila walked to the Bawdy Boutique.

  “What’s so funny?” Sheila asked.

  “Myrtle’s in for the ride of her life. I’d give anything to see her face.”

  When they entered the boutique, Melanie was arranging the display window.

  “I’m ready for another fun run,” she said. “My kids had a blast.”

  “I’m sorry I didn’t get to spend time with any of you,” Susan said, “but it was one thing after another.”

  “Hey, what happened to Charlie Morgan?” Sheila asked. “Debbie and I were bummed when he didn’t show.”

  “I think he had made other plans.” From Wesley’s previous comments, Susan assumed Charlie was still checking out the local watering holes.

  “What’s the plan for today?” Sheila asked.

  “The usual—sell, sell, sell.”

  About noon, Wesley and Charlie stopped by the boutique. Looking at them side-by-side, Susan couldn’t help but remember Wesley’s remark that Charlie made him feel like an old man. Yes, there was about a seven or eight year gap, but Wesley definitely didn’t look like an old man. His sandy hair, hazel eyes, and muscular build made him ruggedly handsome—a definite one-up on Charlie in her estimation. While Charlie, with his black hair, blue eyes, and boyish face might turn on Debbie and Sheila, he did absolutely nothing for her.

  As if on cue, Sheila sidled over to Charlie. “I missed seeing you last night.”

  “I really wanted to go, but I had already made plans. But I’m free tonight? You like pizza?”

  “You bet.”

  “Give me your number. I’ll pick you up about seven.”

  Sheila scribbled her address and phone number on a sales slip. “No need to call. I’ll be ready.”

  “I’ll leave you two to visit,” Wesley said to Charlie. “I have something I’d like to discuss with Susan.” He took Susan by the arm and led her to the rear of the store where he lowered his voice. “I wish he’d see more girls like Sheila or Debbie. Maybe he wouldn’t be so hung over in the morning. Not that he’s drinking too much. It’s the late hours he’s keeping.

  “But that’s not what I want to talk about. Charlie and I checked out the park this morning. All we found were an empty beer can and a Styrofoam lid. I didn’t even see any marks where the critter might have entered or exited the swamp. I called Wildlife and Fisheries, though. They said they’re going to try and locate the gator.”

  “You didn’t see any yellow material?”

  “No. And the more I think about it, I can’t swear that’s what I saw. Maybe the moon gave whatever he had in his mouth a yellowish tint.”

  Susan shook her head. “I know what I saw, and the moon had nothing to do with it.”

  “Look, I have to get back to the office. I’ll let you know if I hear anything from Wildlife and Fisheries.”

  Susan had just finished waiting on a customer when A. K. returned from her trip to the food pantry.

  “You should have come with us. The manager was beside himself. It was really quite touching.”

  “And how did Myrtle handle your driving?”

  A. K. laughed. “She left as soon as we returned. I think she had to rush home and change her drawers.”

  “You are so bad.”

  “Anything happen while I was gone?”

  “Wesley and Charlie stopped by. They took another look around the park but didn’t find anything. Wildlife authorities are supposed to check it out. Now he’s waffling on what he saw last night, especially when it comes to the yellow material. Not me. I know what I saw, and whatever the gator had in its mouth, it came wrapped in a yellow cloth.”

  A. K. shook her head. “Every time you talk like that, I know where you’re going. Please let the authorities do their job.”

  “Of course, I will. In the meantime, what could it hurt if we took a look?”

  “I was afraid that was what you were going to say.”

  “I won’t be satisfied until I check it out for myself, but if you don’t want to go, I’ll understand.”

  “You know I wouldn’t think of letting you go by yourself. Just promise me it’s to the park then back here.”

  “I knew I could count on you.”

  Susan and A. K. informed their employees that they would be gone for a short while.

  “I’ll drive,” Susan said.

  “Oh, no, maybe I should pack a lunch.”

  “Look, I know I don’t drive fast like you, but at least, you won’t soil your panties.”

  They arrived at the park and pulled alongside a white van with “Kinder-Kare” emblazoned on the side. Two women and ten little munchkins huddled near the beginning of the jogging trail. One of the women held up a paper cup with a cypress seedling. “Does everyone have a tree?” The little ones answered in unison that they did. “Stay in line and follow me. We’ll plant our trees along the banks of the swamp.”

  Susan’s heart thudded in her chest. Talk about a smorgasbord for the alligator. But since Wesley and Charlie hadn’t seen anything, it was probably best not to scare them. She grabbed A. K.’s arm. “We’re not going their way. It was near the end of the jogging trail where we spotted the gator. This shouldn’t take long.”

  “How can you be sure where it happened?” A. K. asked after they had traveled several hundred feet down the path.

  “I remember a tree with moss so long it almost touched the ground. It looked like something out of a horror movie, gave me the willies. There it is.” She pointed to a massive oak. “The splashing was a few feet past that tree, about ten feet out from the bank.”

  “What are we looking for?”

  “Anything that’s out of the ordinary, especially anything yellow.”

  After walking up and down the trail for several minutes, Susan heaved an exasperated sigh. “Wesley was right. There’s nothing here to see.” With her hands on her hips, Susan gazed across the swamp. “Maybe someone should look over there. I’ll call Wesley and see if he intends to do that.”

  “Now you’re talking. Let’s get out of here. I feel like mold is seeping into my pores.”

  They drove back to the boutique in silence.

  “I’d better check in with my girls,” A. K. said, when they arrived. “First, I want to grab a diet drink from the fridge.”

  Before A. K. could leave, Susan had Wesley on the phone. She decided not to mention their trip to the park. A. K. waved goodbye, but Susan motioned for her to stay.

  “I can’t get that gator out of my mind,” Susan said to Wesley, “and I have a bad feeling about what it had in its mouth. Don’t you think it might be prudent to see if there’s anything on the other side of the swamp?”

  Wesley grunted. “Maybe, but I can’t get away right now. I’m tied up with an investigation.
A man was shot while hunting. Charlie and I are trying to determine if it was accidental.”

  “Oh, that’s terrible. I won’t take any more of your time. Call me when you’re free.”

  Susan turned her attention to A. K. “He’s investigating a shooting. Let me check something before you leave.” She swiveled in her chair and pulled up the Internet.

  “Okay, where’s this going?”

  “I want to look at a map of those woods, see if the other side of the swamp is near a road. Ah, look here.” She zoomed in on a Google Earth map of the area. “The road that runs down the back side of the woods is Caney Road. It should put us pretty close to where we want to be.”

  “We? You promised we’d just go to the park and back.”

  “Yes, but we didn’t find anything, and I can’t shake the feeling that something terrible has happened.”

  “That’s not the same as having one of your visions. You didn’t. Did you?”

  “Maybe I had a vision and didn’t know it. Something is eating at me about that night, and I can’t turn it loose.”

  A. K.’s mouth turned downward, and she frowned. “I hope I don’t regret this. What’s your plan?”

  Susan printed a copy of the map. “We’ll have to head toward Hammond then turn off to the right to pick up Caney Road.” She followed the road with her finger. “I’d say this is where we should enter the woods. Total distance looks to be about six miles from here.”

  “Wesley’s going to explode when he finds out what we’re doing.”

  “I’ll handle Wesley. Let’s go home and change clothes. Make sure you wear long pants and sleeves. A hat wouldn’t be a bad idea, either.”

  “We’re not going on safari.”

  “Tell that to the ticks, mosquitoes, and snakes.”

  A. K. hugged herself. “One more crack like that, and you’re gonna’ lose me.”

  Susan explained to Melanie and Sheila that something had come up, and she was going to have to rely on them to run the shop. They assured her it wouldn’t be a problem.

  Once at home, Susan wasted no time changing. She slipped into a pair of warm ups, a long-sleeved pullover, and a baseball cap—all black. Giving Marmalade a pat on the head, she hurried outside to wait for A. K.