by Terri Reid
“But I’m the chief of police,” he argued.
“Then you should know better,” Rosie said. “One bag of candy in the bowl, two shopping bags full of candy near the front closet ready for replenishment.”
“And I still get to decorate the front porch, right?” he asked.
“Yes,” Kate smiled. “Mary told us about the things you bought at the Halloween store. Clifford is jealous.”
Bradley smiled. “Have him come over. He can help me set it up,” he said. “I downloaded some special effects sounds, and I’m going to play them through Bluetooth speakers hidden under the coffins. I can’t wait to scare people.”
He paused and turned to Kate. “Um, when are your boys planning on stopping by?”
“Do you really want to start a war with the Brennan clan?” she asked. “They play for keeps.”
“You’re right,” he agreed. “I want them on my side. Have them come over with Clifford, and they can help us set things up.”
Rosie shook her head. “Just make sure you don’t get all wrapped up in Halloween and forget what you’re supposed to do for the shower,” she cautioned.
“I promise, I won’t,” he said. “Besides, Mary is going to be so surprised. You two have outdone yourselves. She doesn’t suspect a thing.”
“That’s the best part of a surprise shower,” Rosie said. “The surprise.”
“Now, the only thing that concerns me is this case she’s working on,” Kate said.
“Why does it concern you?” Bradley asked, suddenly tense.
“Well, I just want to be sure she’s not going to be called away at the last minute and miss her own shower,” Kate said.
“Oh, that,” Bradley said, exhaling softly. “If she doesn’t have it taken care of by the end of the week, I’ll insist she take a break on Halloween night. Besides, with all of her family here, I’m sure that’s what she’s planning on doing anyway.”
“Good,” Rosie said with a satisfied sigh. “It all sounds like it’s going to be perfect.”
“Yes, it does,” Kate said. “At this point, nothing could go wrong.”
“Yeah, just remind me to knock on wood,” Bradley said. “Just to be safe.”
Chapter Thirty-six
Plywood scarecrows were propped up against streetlights and parking signs, signaling the celebration of fall in downtown Freeport. In the late evening hours, when the shops were closed and the traffic non-existent, the friendly figures transformed from harbingers of the harvest to dark specters lurking near shadowed signposts. But tonight, the wooden mannequins were actually treacherous because they hid within their number a true menace of the night seeking to silence a threat.
The soldier slipped from the alleyway and pressed a camouflaged jacket against the brick façade of the nearby building. The target was less than a click away, alone and unaware in her office. Shifting slightly, an object slipped from the sleeve of the jacket downwards. The cold steel of the knife felt familiar in the soldier’s hand. It would only take a moment, and then the threat would be eliminated.
Taking a steadying breath, the shadowed figure turned and dashed up the side street, ducking for cover at the entrances of the closed downtown shops. A cursory glance down the street showed the only building with the glow of light from a street-level office was only half a block away. That had to be the target.
The soldier slipped to the next darkened entrance and waited. It wouldn’t be long now. She would walk out of her office and turn to lock the door. That’s when the attack would happen. It would be quick and professional. She would not suffer.
A car pulled down the street, and the soldier pushed back into the far corners of the entranceway, melting into the shadows. But instead of continuing down the block, the car pulled up in front of the target’s office and beeped his horn.
“Hey, girlie,” Stanley called, stepping out of his giant Buick. “Don’t you know it’s time for you to get yourself home?”
“Stanley, I was just leaving,” Mary replied, walking out of her office and locking the door. “What are you doing out so late?”
“I just felt like I needed a ride in the night air,” he replied.
Laughing, she walked over to his car. “Hmmmm, now why don’t I believe that?” she asked.
He reached into his car and pulled out a container from the local ice cream shop. “Well, if you must know, I’m afraid I’ve developed a hankering for pumpkin pie shakes. But they had a two fer one deal, and you know how I can’t pass up a deal,” he confessed. “So iffen you want to stay on my good side, you’ll take the one I bought for you and destroy the evidence.”
“Pumpkin pie,” she moaned. “Stanley, I ate banana cream pie at lunch.”
“Well, it ain’t lunch now,” he said. “It’s practically the next day, so it don’t count.”
She grinned at him and took the offered shake. “Well, who am I to argue with that kind of logic?” she asked, tasting the delicious treat. “Oh, Stanley, this is really good.”
“Well, don’t stand out on the street drinking it,” he said, glancing down the street. “You never know when Rosie’s going to drive by, and she’ll chew my hide for eating sweets this late at night.”
Mary opened her car door, put her purse and briefcase in the passenger’s side and slipped behind the steering wheel. “Thank you, Stanley,” she said. “I was actually getting hungry. You saved my life.”
Stanley waved at her and slipped into his own car. “Anytime, girlie,” he called. “You have a good night.”
The soldier watched in irate silence as Mary drove away into the night. “Next time,” the low voice throbbed with fury. “Next time you won’t be so lucky.”
Chapter Thirty-seven
Bradley stood on the front porch watching for Mary to drive up. He didn’t want it to look like he was worried about her, but after the other night, he was. Looking up into the night sky he stared at the nearly full moon and the almost starless sky. Only the brightest stars could be seen when the moon was that bright.
“The other ones are there,” Mike said, appearing next to him. “You just can’t see them.”
“So, you read minds now, too?” Bradley replied, still looking up to the sky and not giving Mike the satisfaction of knowing he’d startled him.
“Yeah, only simple ones,” Mike teased. “They’re easy.”
Bradley chuckled. “So, what wise philosophical statement do you have for me tonight?” he asked, only half-joking. “That sometimes I don’t see all the blessings I have because worry overshadows them? Or maybe I don’t see the good in people because one bad trait blinds me to the others? Or perhaps I don’t see all the tiny miracles that happen throughout my day because life overshadows them?”
Mike shrugged. “No, I was commenting on the stars,” he said.
Bradley turned his head, looked at Mike and grinned. “You can be such an ass,” he said.
“That’s ass-angel to you,” Mike countered, grinning back. “She’s fine. Stanley stopped by with a pumpkin shake at just the right moment.”
Bradley started to smile, then stopped and met Mike’s eyes. “There was a potential wrong moment, then,” he stated.
Mike nodded. “Yeah, there was.”
“And did you have anything to do with Stanley’s sudden urge for late night ice cream?” Bradley asked.
Once again, Mike shrugged. “Hey, I told you. I’m not supposed to interfere,” he said. “But, you know, stuff happens.”
“Thank you,” Bradley said with sigh. “For not interfering in your own unique way.”
“No problem,” Mike replied. “But keep an eye on her. There’s a troubled soul involved in this one.”
“Who…” Bradley began, but before he could ask the question, Mike had already faded away. He sighed again. “Yeah, I know. You can’t interfere.”
Mary’s car pulled up into the driveway, and Bradley jogged down the stairs towards the car. He was at her door before she was able to open it. “Hey,” he said, open
ing the door for her and helping her out.
“Hey,” she replied.
He covered her mouth with a kiss and held her in his arms, giving himself a moment to stop worrying about what Mike mentioned. Finally he released her. “Pumpkin?” he asked.
She grinned and reached back into the car for a half-filled container. “Stanley decided that neither of us could do without a pumpkin shake tonight,” she explained. “But he bought a large. Who in the world can finish an entire large?”
“So what you’re saying is that you’re going to share?” Bradley asked hopefully.
She nodded and handed him the cup. “Yes, I am pumpkined-out.”
He bent over to grab her purse and briefcase, handed them to her, then loosely placed his arm over her shoulders and walked her back to the house. “So, how was working late?” he asked, sipping on the shake.
“It was an interesting combination of paranormal and good, old-fashioned gossip,” she said. “I started reading the journal and letters. Kristen was there for a while, but the memories were too much for her.”
“Find anything interesting?” he asked.
“Well, first, Polo is filled with interesting people according to Kristen, and she has definite views on just about everyone,” Mary said with a soft laugh. “She’s one of those people that you want to have as a friend, because as an enemy, she would be ferocious.”
“Could that have gotten her killed?” he asked, opening the front door for her.
Mary shook her head as she placed her purse and briefcase down. “No, I think it was unrequited love,” she said. “She has a number of love letters, even after she was engaged to Danny, trying to convince her that Danny wasn’t the one for her.”
They walked over to the couch and sat down. Mary propped her feet up on the ottoman and snuggled against Bradley. He put his arm around her shoulders and asked, “Was Mitch one of them?”
Mary nodded. “Yeah, Mitch and Victor,” she said. “Kristen said Viv had a twin brother, so that must have been Vic.”
“Viv, the waitress we had today?” he asked. “The one who said they all still hang around together.”
“Yes,” Mary said. “Kristen didn’t say a great deal about her, but Kristen actually seemed like she would have been interested in Mitch if things had been different.”
“I wonder if he felt that way, too, and decided to force the issue,” Bradley mused, sucking the last drops from the bottom of the cup and making a terrible noise.
Mary grinned up at him. “Are you done?” she asked.
He smiled at her. “I suppose it would be fairly gauche if I took the top off and licked the rest off the sides?” he asked.
She nodded. “Yes. Yes, it would,” she said and chuckled softly. “So, how was Clarissa tonight?”
“She was great,” he said, leaning into her contentedly. “She was working on her school project.”
“Oh, what’s it on?” Mary asked.
He shook his head. “Nope, it’s top secret,” he said. “She wants to surprise you when you come to her class on Friday.”
“Well, I can’t wait to be surprised,” Mary said, and then she yawned widely.
Leaning over, Bradley placed a kiss on her forehead. “Well, first sleep and then surprise, okay?” he said, standing up and offering her his hands.
She let him pull her out of the couch and then wrapped her arms around his waist, laying her head on his chest. “Thanks for being my partner today,” she murmured.
He hugged her and placed his head on hers. “Cutest partner I ever had,” he said. “I think we make a good team.”
She smiled up at him. “I totally agree.”
Chapter Thirty-eight
Mary hung up the phone and smiled as Bradley walked into her office the next morning. “Good morning,” she said. “Perfect timing.”
“Good, I have news for you,” he said, sliding into the chair across from her desk. “I was able to get hold of the military discharge reports for Mitch Howse.”
“And?” Mary asked.
“He got home about two weeks before Kristen’s death,” he replied. “It sounds like he might have been injured, but nothing that would have prevented him from attacking Kristen.”
“Well, I just got off the phone with Daniel Toba, Kristen’s old fiancé,” she explained. “He’s willing to meet with me…”
Bradley frowned at her. “Mary…”
“Here in Freeport, in my office, in the middle of the day,” she finished quickly. “Okay?”
The frown turned into a slightly abashed smile. “Yeah, okay,” he said. “That was nice of him.”
“Well, when I explained what happened to Andrew, he decided he wanted to cooperate in every way possible,” she said.
“Great,” Bradley said. “If you need me to come over and sit in, just call.”
“I will,” she said, leaning back in her chair and tucking her hands behind her head. “And now we have to discuss something really serious.”
“Yes?” he asked.
“Your Halloween costume,” she said. “What are you going to wear?”
“Costume?” he asked. “Mary, I’m not going anywhere. Your family is coming over to tell stories. I’ll be answering the door and giving children candy. I think a t-shirt and jeans are a perfect costume.”
“Bradley, it’s only once a year,” she said. “How often do you get to wear a costume?”
“I wear a costume every day,” he replied.
She shook her head. “No, that’s a uniform, not a costume,” she said. “You need a costume.”
“How about one of those t-shirts that say, “This is my…”
“A costume,” she interrupted her tone brooking no argument.
“What are you going to be wearing?” Bradley demanded.
“Rosie is getting a costume for me,” she replied. “I’m going to be a gypsy.”
He paused and a smile grew on his face. “With one of those elasticy kind of necklines that slip down over your shoulders?”
“Could be,” she said with a returning smile.
He sighed. “Okay, Rosie did mention something about a matching costume for me,” he admitted. “But it was a little silly – calf-high pants and a vest. That was it, not even a shirt.”
“You as a gypsy,” Mary said, picturing the outfit he described on her hunky husband. “Yeah, that could be nice.”
“Okay, I’ll wear the vest as long as you wear the nibble and nudge blouse,” he said.
“Nibble and nudge?” she asked, raising her eyebrows.
He actually blushed and shrugged awkwardly. “Yeah, you know, you nibble on the exposed skin and then you kind of, um, nudge the material down.”
She laughed out loud. “Bradley Alden!” she said in mock censure.
“Yes, Mary Alden?” he asked, smiling at her.
She sighed. “I can’t wait until Halloween.”
He nodded. “Yeah, my feelings about Halloween just went up a couple of notches.”
Chapter Thirty-nine
Danny looks just like his photos on his social media page, Mary thought as he entered her office later that morning.
“Hi, I’m Daniel,” he said, looking a little confused. “Are you Mary O’Reilly?”
Mary walked over and shook his hand. “Yes, I am,” she said. “Why?”
He shrugged. “I don’t know,” he said. “I guess I didn’t expect a private investigator to be, you know, pregnant.”
“Oh,” she replied, looking down at her stomach. “Well, I guess it happens to the best of us.” She looked up with a smile and met his eyes. “But don’t worry, I can still think rationally. At least for a couple more weeks.”
Looking more than a little confused, he shook his head. “So, you do want to interview me, right?” he asked.
“Okay, so he was never the sharpest knife in the drawer,” Kristen said, appearing next to him. “But he looked really good in a uniform.”
“I do want to interview you,�
�� she paused. “Daniel?”
“Danny, please, everyone calls me Danny.”
“Okay, Danny, have a seat,” Mary said, motioning to a chair on the other side of her desk. “Would you like something to drink? Water? A soda?”
“No, I’m good,” he replied, slipping into the chair. “I just want to know what’s going on. I mean Kristy died a long time ago.”
“Kristen,” Kristen corrected. “I hated Kristy.”
“I know it was a long time ago,” Mary said. “But new information has come to light that makes it seem like it might not have been the accident everyone assumed it was.”
He leaned forward. “Are you saying she was murdered?” he asked.
“Would it have mattered?’ Kristen asked. “Would you have maybe put your marriage to Janice off another month or so?”
Mary took a deep breath and smiled at Danny. “Well, we don’t know exactly what happened,” Mary said. “But we know that she wasn’t alone when she died.”
“Oh, that’s good,” he said, nodding his head. “I mean, I’ve heard that people don’t like to be alone when they die.”
“No,” Mary said, shaking her head. “I mean someone might have pushed her down the stairs.”
“Oh, well, that’s not good,” he said.
“Okay, he wasn’t even close to being a sharp knife,” Kristen said with an exaggerated sigh. “He was more like a spoon.”
“So, what we’re trying to do is piece together what happened around the time of her death,” Mary said.
“Well, I was still in Nam when she died,” he replied, starting to stand up. “So, I don’t know how much help I can be.”
“And we’re done,” Kristen added.
Mary reached over and placed her hand on his arm. “Well, actually I think you could have more information than you realize.”
“Oh, yeah? How?” he asked, sitting back down.
“When you finally arrived home, did you notice anyone acting differently towards you?” Mary asked.
“Different?”
“Sometimes guilt can be manifested in a variety of ways. For example, someone who might have once been a mutual friend could avoid you if they felt guilty. And, on the other hand, someone you barely knew could suddenly try and act like your best friend. Any of those changes in personality could be a clue.”
