by Marja McGraw
“I know.”
“Well, stop it.”
“I will – one day. When the revolution comes, I won’t be able to buy them anyway. I’ve stockpiled some though, because they’ll be a valuable commodity for trading. Smokes and booze.”
My aunt threw up her hands. “Revolution? You’re impossible. Don’t you have to answer to anyone?”
“Nope.”
“What about Andrew?”
He turned and narrowed his eyes at her. “He minds his own business.”
She looked surprised. People didn’t generally talk back to her.
“Okay, let’s head out.” Griz picked up a few wrappers and headed for the motorhome, with Bubba and Clem following.
My aunt waved me aside with a funny little grin on her face. “He’s kind of cute, isn’t he?” She headed for the motorhome.
“What did your aunt say?” Pete asked, coming back to the car bearing some trash.
“Not much.”
“Then close your mouth before you catch a fly.”
I closed my mouth, but opened it again to say, “She thinks Griz is cute. Can you believe that?” I voiced my earlier thought. “I think she’s met her match, and I think she likes it.”
“She gives it out and he gives it back.” Pete smiled at me. “Kind of like us.”
I glanced at the sky. “There’s not much daylight left.”
“Then we’d better hurry.”
We saw a stone wall entrance to a property ahead. Pete slowed down, thinking that was where we’d make our turn, but Griz kept going.
I glanced at it as we passed. There was an entrance, but there was nothing to enter. It looked like someone had meant to build something and didn’t do it for some reason. Instead, past the stones walls there was nothing but brush and trees.
~ * ~
About an hour later, Griz stopped the motorhome.
It was pitch black out and if it hadn’t been for our car lights, I wouldn’t have seen the motorhome.
Pete pulled up behind his friend and turned off the lights. We climbed out of the car and waited.
I saw a flashlight coming toward us, but it veered off and suddenly there were spotlights shining on us.
Griz climbed out of the motorhome and yelled. “Turn ‘em off, Draper. It’s just me and the cavalry.”
The lights went out and we were standing in the dark again.
I couldn’t see a house, or a mansion, but instinctively I knew we’d arrived at our destination.
“Say, Griz, what were those stone walls we saw on our way out here,” Pete asked.
“They’re sort of a red herring. It looks like someone got ready to build and then pulled out. It was Trap’s idea. Anyone seeing those entry walls would think there’s nothing else around here. We call it the Entrance to Nowhere, but I think I already mentioned that to you.” He chuckled at his own little joke.
I looked around but it was too dark to see anything. “This looks like a second entrance to nowhere,” I said. “Where the heck are we?”
Lights went on inside the mansion and on the porch, and I understood why no one knew it was here. It was surrounded by trees and bushes – big trees and bushes. I couldn’t wait to see it in the daylight. There was no walkway, just dirt and gravel.
It sure didn’t look like a mansion.
Of course, someone knew the place was here or Andrew Trapper wouldn’t be missing.
“Bring your stuff and come inside. We need to turn off the outside light,” Griz said.
He helped Aunt Martha out of the motorhome before opening the door for the dogs.
Bubba made a beeline for a tree, but Clem headed for the house, stopping briefly on her way to sniff a familiar bush. This was her home, after all.
We entered the house while Griz carried in my aunt’s luggage. She’d brought everything with her, leaving nothing at my house.
The porch light went out and I entered the house, standing almost toe to toe with a serious looking young man who was holding a very large rifle. Thankfully, he wasn’t pointing it at anyone. He was tall and muscular and had a military haircut. His hair was so blond that he almost looked bald. There were tattoos on the front and right side of his neck, but I couldn’t see what they were because he wore his shirt buttoned all the way up. The scowl on his square-jawed face and a scar that ran from his ear to his chin made him kind of scary looking. At second glance, I realized he wasn’t as young as I thought.
Griz dropped my aunt’s suitcases on the floor. “This is Scott Draper. Scott, this is the cavalry.”
He pointed at each one of us and gave our names.
“Would you take this fine lady’s luggage up to one of the guest rooms?”
Draper never said a word, but he nodded and picked up the suitcases, taking them upstairs.
My aunt followed.
“This is a beautiful house,” I said, “but I sure wouldn’t call it a mansion.”
“That’s just what we call it. When you take a tour and see how big it is, you’ll understand.”
“Who decorated this place? Someone had to come up here to do all of this.” It was opulent. The furnishings, drapes, paintings and decorations were expensive and tasteful.
“Trap did it himself. Like I told you, he’s fastidious about everything in his life, including his home.”
“It’s weird, but even with all of these expensive pieces, it still feels homey.”
“He’s a complicated man.”
Bubba sat down in front of me and grinned. He put his huge paw on top of my foot and exerted pressure.
“Time for dinner.” He always let me know when he was hungry.
“I’ll get the dog food out of the car,” Pete said.
When Pete returned, Griz said, “Dinner.”
The dogs knew that word and followed the two men to the rear of the house.
Aunt Martha descended the stairs with stars in her eyes. “You should see my room. I’ve never seen anything like it. I feel like a movie star.”
Draper still stood by the front door, caressing his big gun. He almost, but not quite, smiled. It was more like his lip twitched.
Pete and Griz returned, talking in low voices.
Griz saw my aunt and took hold of her hand. “Come with me. We’re heading for the kitchen.”
“Good. I’m starving,” she said.
“Good. You’re about to become our chief cook and bottle washer.”
She pulled her hand back. “I beg your pardon? I am not!”
“If you want to eat, you are.”
She huffed and turned to me. “Come along, Sandra. I’ll need your help.”
“I’m sorry, but no.”
“No?”
“We have work to do. A man is missing.”
“But I need – “
I said one word. “Andrew.”
“Oh.” She turned and followed Griz toward the kitchen.
Chapter Seven
Griz returned from the kitchen with bottled water for each of us and we sat down in the living room.
I could hear the banging of pots and pans coming from the back of the house. It seemed my aunt knew how to throw a tantrum. I hoped she was a good cook and didn’t take out her anger on us and our taste buds.
The bear of a man turned to Draper. “Anything new since I last spoke to you?”
“No. Someone drove up this way earlier, but they turned off down the road.”
Okay, this was another surprise. Draper had a very high-pitched voice that didn’t suit his appearance. I took a sip of my water, not wanting to react. Swallowing helped.
“How do you know someone was headed this way?” Pete asked.
“We have cameras installed around the property. They got out of their car before turning off, looking around like they were lost.”
Griz gave us an explanation. “We built a rugged looking trail that leads away from the mansion. To drive up here you follow a trail that’s covered with rocks to hide it.”
; “Mr. Trapper really likes his privacy, doesn’t he?” The precautions taken almost seemed like overkill.
“Trap’s kind of paranoid,” Draper said. “We are, too, so it doesn’t matter. I like it this way.”
I finally got a glimpse of Draper’s tattoos. The one on the front of his neck was a bulldog, and he had an American eagle covering the right side.
He saw me looking and self-consciously reached up and touched it. “Long story,” he said.
“I’m sorry. I wasn’t staring. I just wanted to see what they were.”
He nodded.
I wanted to find out anything and everything we could about Trap’s disappearance. There was no point in continuing to call him Mr. Trapper.
“Do either of you have any idea what that note you found meant?” I asked.
Griz shrugged. “It said they need him more than we do. That means it has something to do with computers or computer programs. Trap is a genius. I’d be willing to wager they want to use his expertise to build something dangerous. You know how the world is nowadays. If anything can be done with a computer, everybody’s in, good or bad.”
Pete tipped his head to the side. “Among his holdings, he owns a cybersecurity company. Could this have something to do with his company?”
Griz rubbed his knee. “More than likely. If someone wanted a surefire way to get past security, Trap’s the one to give them the answers. He knows cybersecurity like the rest of us know the alphabet. He may be eccentric, but he’s a genius.”
We heard another pot clank in the kitchen.
“Draper, would you go check on that woman before she tears the place apart? I’m getting hungry.”
Scott nodded and left the room.
“I thought I’d fill you in while he’s out of the room. The short story is that Draper was a soldier, stationed in the Middle East. A sniper set off a bomb and started picking off the troops. A piece of shrapnel hit Draper in the neck, but before he collapsed he picked off the sniper and saved six other soldiers who’d also been injured. It affected his vocal chords. The tattoos are to cover his scars.”
Some private eye I am. I didn’t even notice the scars, only the tattoos.
Draper returned and Griz changed the subject. “What’d she say about dinner?”
“Soon. She’s calming down – says cooking does that for her.”
“Has anyone threatened Trap?” Pete asked, bringing us back to our mission.
“Not that we know of,” Griz replied. “There have been some hang-up phone calls, but hardly anyone has the number here. The Caller ID showed a seventeen digit number, which is something scammers use to throw people off.”
“So maybe the caller was making sure he was here,” I said. “I wonder if they can do something like reverse tracking to find where the phone is located.”
“Maybe,” Griz replied, “but I’m not knowledgeable enough to know something like that. I guess in today’s world anything is possible.”
He pulled a pack of cigarettes out of his pocket.
“I’m going to take a break and go outside for a smoke.”
“We’ll go with you.” Pete glanced at Draper and they all headed for the front door.
“I guess I’ll go check on my aunt.”
I heard Griz’s low, rumbling chuckle.
I felt like I was taking my life in my hands when I entered the kitchen. “How are you doing?” I asked.
“Fine,” she snapped at me.
“I’m sorry I couldn’t help you, Aunt Martha, but we’ve got to find Trap, and we’ve got to do it soon.”
Without preamble, and changing the subject, she pinned me with her eyes. “Am I getting fat?”
Think fast, I thought. Is there a right answer?
“Why, no, ma’am. You’re rounded in all the right places.”
Mentally, I smacked my forehead. Why on earth had I put it that way?
“And just what does that mean, Sandra?”
“It means you’re not some scrawny old lady, but rounded in all the right places, like I said.”
“Old lady?”
What could I do to make this right?
“I didn’t mean that the way it sounded. Really. You’re not an old lady, but you are over sixty. And you’re not fat, by any means. You’re perfect just the way you are. And when Griz said you could lose a couple of pounds, he was just teasing. Pete’s said the same thing to me a few times. I mean…” I let my voice trail off. The more I said, the tighter the noose felt around my neck.
“Oh, Sandra, you’re just too funny.” My aunt actually started to laugh, so I laughed with her, although my laugh was nervous.
There was an island in the large kitchen with chairs pushed up to it.
“Come sit down, Aunt Martha, and I’ll fix us some tea.” I patted the seat of one of the chairs.
“Don’t you want to know what we’re having for dinner?” she asked.
I patted the chair again and she finally sat down while I started heating water and looking for tea bags.
“Yes, please.”
“I’ve got macaroni and cheese baking in the oven, and I’ll be adding green beans.”
“Green beans in the macaroni and cheese?”
“No, you silly girl. They’re on a baking sheet on the sink. You sprinkle them with olive oil, a little garlic and salt and pepper. Then you roll them around to cover them, on the baking sheet, and bake them. We’re having fresh fruit, too.” She glanced at a wall clock. “I’ll be putting the beans in the oven in a few minutes.”
“Sounds delicious.” I wasn’t about to tell her I don’t like green beans.
I found the tea bags and mugs, and poured hot water in the cups.
“What are the chances that you’ll find Andrew?” she asked.
“I have no idea. The first thing we’ve got to do is figure out who might have taken him, and to know that, we need to know why they took him.”
“I can’t wait to see that boy again. He was always my favorite student. I can still picture him using his hand signals when he turned his bicycle out of the school parking lot. Oh, I’d almost forgotten. At Christmas he’d wear a green bowtie one day and a red one the next. He was eccentric even then, but loveable. The other children just didn’t understand him like I did.”
“What were his parents like?” I asked.
“I never met them. They never attended Parent/Teacher Conferences or any school events. They were like shadows; only there peripherally.”
“Maybe they were as eccentric as he was.”
“It wouldn’t surprise me. No one ever laid eyes on them, although I did speak to them on the telephone a couple of times.”
I thought about it for a moment. “In all the articles I’ve ever read about Trap, I’ve never seen any mention of his parents, or any other relatives, now that I think about it.”
“I believe he was an only child.”
I’d never had a normal conversation with my aunt before, and I was enjoying our time together, but it was cut short too soon.
We heard the men talking and coming closer.
My aunt jumped up and banged a pot on the sink, apparently for effect. She glanced at me and smiled before clamping her lips together and glaring at the three men when they walked in.
The dogs had been sitting in the kitchen, watching my aunt, but when she banged the pot they both made themselves scarce.
“When’s dinner, woman?” Griz asked.
She shoved the tray with green beans into the oven. “When I call you and not before. Chief cook and bottle washer, my patootie. Now get out of my kitchen!”
They left, but not before I heard that now familiar deep, rumbling chuckle.
“I’ve mellowed with age,” she said, watching me intently.
I couldn’t help laughing. “So I just heard.”
“I think you and I are going to get along fine. Why don’t you go find out what they’re talking about while I cut up the watermelon and cantaloupe? And don’t forget to r
emind them that you’re the boss.”
I saluted her and left the kitchen.
Did I just happen to catch her in a good mood or had she really calmed down over the years? I know that both of her daughters married and moved to other states, but I didn’t know if they were trying to get away from her or if it was just life that took them away.
I decided I still needed to tread softly around her until I had more of a feel for what she was really like. According to my mother – her sister – she was still a hard woman.
In the living room, I heard Pete saying, “We’re dealing with some experts here. I wouldn’t be surprised to find out they’re ex-military, too.”
“Fill me in,” I said. “What’s happened now?”
Draper looked angry. “They left another note, on Griz’s windshield. We never heard or saw a thing. I think your husband is right. They’re military or ex-military.”
“Or maybe just really, really sneaky?” Aunt Martha said, her voice coming from behind us. She hurried over and sat down on an easy chair.
I glanced out the window.
It was so dark, with only a sliver of moon showing.
Chapter Eight
When I turned and looked at my aunt, she had a scowl on her face.
“Why haven’t you reported Andrew’s disappearance to the authorities, like the police department or the FBI, or someone?”
Griz scowled back at her. “Trap hired us for our skills. I’m a retired cop and Draper is ex-military.”
She pursed her lips. “And your skills are doing a fat lot of good right now, aren’t they?”
The big man stood up and walked to the chair she sat in, where he stood and looked down at her with his arms folded across his chest. It would have been intimidating to anyone other than my aunt.
Griz spoke in a no-nonsense tone of voice. “You know Trap is an oddball. He wouldn’t hire us unless we signed an agreement. No authorities except as a last resort. We haven’t reached that point yet.”
“Oh. Well, dinner’s ready. Come and get it before it gets cold.” She stood and walked away with her head held high.
Bubba and Clementine followed when they heard dinner mentioned.
Pete and I glanced at each other. Griz and Aunt Martha were turning out to be an interesting pair.
