The Thomas Girls: Book 4 of the Adelaide Henson Mystery Series

by William Cain

  When one minute is over, Addie leaves the rear of the school, heading west to round it. Juvieux heads to the wagon to coordinate.

  Shortly, she’s in front of the elementary school. Crossing the street, Addie casually walks to the front door of the home Madison and Reggi are in. She takes a deep breath and prays this goes well. At the door, she knocks as a neighbor might. Not too loud and not too soft. The porch lamp is on. She knows she can be easily seen.

  Inside, Madison and her grandmother are speaking to each other. Greg is in the kitchen, where Reggi has sent him to make tea, to get him out of the way.

  Madison looks into her grandmother’s eyes and takes her hands. “I’m sorry, Grandmother. I have to end this. I’m calling Aunt Addie. We need her help and I have to believe that she will help. I’m so sorry.”

  Reggi squeezes her hands, “I am also. I am. I’ll go back to Woodside. I think I need to anyway. I can’t make it on the outside, Madison. I’m slipping. You’ve seen it. I know you have.”

  Madison begins to cry. Reggi sits beside her, closely, and puts her arm around her shoulders. Madison reaches for her and they hold each other.

  “I don’t want you to go back,” Madison says, beginning to sob.

  “I know you don’t. But it’s best. I was improving there. I stopped talking to imaginary people. That was big, for me,” Reggi admits.

  Madison looks at her, and stops crying. “You never told me that,” her voice trailing off.

  “It was a recent development. Who knows if it was a big step or not? Like I told you a long time ago, what I have isn’t like having a cold. Nobody really knows how to fix it.”

  Reggi looks into Madison’s eyes, “I shouldn’t be on the outside anymore. If you think Addie can stop this person, then you reach out to her. Do it before it’s too late.”

  Madison nods, her tears drying on her cheeks.

  Greg enters the room with a tray of cups beside a pot, along with cookies. The girls clam up. He won’t like what they plan to do. When he sees their long faces, and gauges their reactions, he knows something is amiss.

  Before he can ask why their change in mood, there is a knock at the door. Madison stands and goes to a window close to the porch. She parts the curtains. The visitor notices the movement and turns.

  Addie sees Madison, and Madison sees her. She waves. Madison waves back weakly. She’s thunderstruck. It’s a message from the almighty. Is she seeing things? Is this real? She rubs her eyes. Addie waves to her again, patiently waiting for the front door to be opened. She points to it, and mouths the words, “Open the door,” her eyes wide, smiling broadly.

  Madison turns to Greg and Reggi, telling them just one thing, “You are not going to fucking believe who this is.”

  Madison turns to head for the front door as Greg watches her go. He’s confused. So is Reggi, who now stands to see just what the hell is going on. When she parts the curtain, Addie turns to wave to her also, and Reggi raises her hand to her mouth, “Oh my. What the …?”

  Greg needs to know, “Who is it? What’s going on?”

  “It’s my daughter-in-law, Addie.” She tells him softly while continuing to stare at Addie.

  Greg stands quickly, knocking the tray over loudly. “Captain Henson?” he screeches. This is horrible news. The worst. To him. He can’t be discovered here. He knows it. He calls out to Madison, who is now not walking, but running for the door, “Don’t answer that door Madison!”

  But she’s not stopping. Greg’s powerless and he needs to act quickly. He makes a decision. Survival. Running for the sliders in the rear of the home, he’s making a break for it. Speaking into his wrist radio, he tells his operatives to prepare to leave, right now. Just as he opens the slider and steps through it, the front door opens. He expects to hear a gunshot when Addie sees him leaving, and he desperately decides which side of the house to go to in order to reach his operatives.

  That’s when he sees her. He stops. Incredulous.

  A short, young woman stands between himself and freedom.

  Inside, Madison is hugging her aunt as tightly as she can. Addie’s eyes are bulging as Madison squeezes her. Addie’s in disbelief with this new development. Addie expected her to make a run for it. Instead, here she is, overjoyed to see her.

  Madison begins to weep, kissing her aunt on the cheek, holding her close. More than just a little happy to see her aunt, Addie is as surprised as she’ll ever be, and returns Madison’s embrace. Together, the two of them are as they were months ago before all this began. The two women like each other. Deep down, it’s always been there.

  Madison is going on about how happy she is to have her there, gibbering on about things and not making sense. All the while, they stand in the open doorway. Madison won’t let go of her aunt, yapping about a dream come true, crying happily. Smiling and crying, laughing and shrieking.

  That’s how Reggi finds them when she slowly enters the hallway. She’s cautious, unsure as to how Addie will react when she sees her.

  Calmer now, Addie and Madison close the front door to the outside world, both looking at Reggi. Madison also wonders what her aunt’s next words or actions will be. She’s hesitant, but Addie knows what the situation calls for. It’s time. The end is near. Reggi continues to stare at the two of them, and they return her gaze in this defining moment.

  Reggi speaks, “Hello Adelaide.”

  Addie motions for Reggi to come closer and the three meet each other in the middle, stop, and embrace.

  It’s over. They are family.

  Out back, it’s a whole different story. Greg, confronted by a petite woman, is as concerned as he would be eating a ham sandwich. He doesn’t know who she is, but he thinks she’s a cop. She’ll try and stop him. That’s her job. His only concern, though, is which way to go. He’ll just push this pipsqueak to the ground and that’ll be the last of it.

  He begins toward his left, deciding that’s the quickest way out and away from Captain Henson. As he does, the woman approaches him. She doesn’t even tell him to stop, which is odd to him. When she gets close enough, his plan is to pinch her head in his massive right hand and twist while pushing her down.

  Agatha uses his strength against him and falls into her crouch, on all fours, sweeping the rear of his lead leg as she does. When he hits the unforgiving patio stone floor, the wind is knocked from him. He quickly regains his footing and looks at the woman. A girl really. Her hands are at her sides, calmly standing there. She’s barely six feet away, her gaze fixated on him.

  When he lunges for her, she squats and swiftly jumps directly into his chest, using her shoulder as a weapon, breaking a rib or two, and deftly steps away, out of reach. That hurt, it’s very clear. Now, Greg is scared and he wonders where his operatives are. He looks around, wildly. No operatives. The girl is standing ten feet away. This time there will be no mistake. He will take this seriously.

  Then the girl does something he doesn’t expect. She takes off her shoes. One, two, and then, holding one of them, she runs for him, throwing her second shoe into his face. In a defensive posture, he holds his arms up. She jumps and lands feet first into his knee, disabling him, causing him to fall.

  He rises to his knees and finds her only four feet away. She leans to her side, extending then pulling her right leg back. It’s cocked and it’s too late to stop, as it snaps forward and then backward, causing his head to snap backward, then forward. Agatha can hear it crack as she does so.

  Greg, still on his knees, leans forward, groggily. He tumbles flat, onto his face, his hands unmoving, unable to break his fall.

  He begins to groan, but doesn’t try to stand again. Agatha’s ready for more. She’s over him and poised to deliver. Her leg is held high, prepared to drive the breath out of him once more, a final blow.

  Then, she looks up to the sliders. Addie is there, a faint smile crossing her face. Their eyes meet. Addie looks at the man known to her as Greg, lying face down, motionless. Her eyes return to Agatha.
/>   “He’s done, dear. Why don’t you put your shoes back on and come in?”

  As Agatha follows her orders, two SLO officers from the task force enter the backyard from the side gate. When they see the aftermath, and turn Greg over, their solitary reaction is,

  “Holy shit.”

  26

  My best successes came on the heels of failures. Barbara Corcoran

  Now that Addie knows the killer is nearby, her first and foremost objective is to keep a low profile. She asks David to go with Agatha, inside, while she speaks with the remaining members of the task force. Juvieux will let Agatha take the lead since she knows the two women. What they’re about to do is sensitive. But Addie’s right. The only way to catch the killer is to employ Reggi as bait. So far, the killer doesn’t know about the task force’s presence. That’s what they’re counting on. The element of surprise is on their side.

  Outside, in the back of the house, Addie addresses the group. Standing with them, in cuffs, are Greg and his two operatives. He’s badly beaten and in need of medical attention, while his two men wear nasty scowls after having been subdued by the Tyler, Texas contingent of the task force. The three of them are looking at jail time.

  “Take the perps through the back yard of the home behind us. We’ve alerted the neighbor. The person responsible for the deaths and attacks is at large and unknown. The home the women are in should look like it does on any other night. Quiet. Our wagon and squad cars have been moved from behind the school and have been taken back to the stationhouse. An unmarked bus will be picking you up on the street there,” she tells them, pointing past the neighbor’s home.

  “Our job isn’t done. We will try and catch the killer. For that, the task force remains intact. This is its mission now. Return to the stationhouse, book these three, prepare your reports, and await further instructions.”

  The group files out, into the darkness. They’re lost from view as they head to the street behind them where a bus is waiting, and they’re off. Addie turns to head inside, her wheels spinning. She needs to have Reggi on board with her plan. When Addie heard from SLO P.D. about the attack on Jimmy, she understood why Madison was so relieved to see her. Had she been in her shoes, Addie would have felt the same. This person nearly killed Jimmy. That was the intent. He’s a very lucky and resourceful man, this boyfriend of hers.

  Addie decides to meet Jimmy soon so she can use his account of the attack. Any information is useful in a case like this. Looking through the sliders at the two women, she feels somewhat underhanded in what she is about to do. She’s going to use Jimmy’s beating, turning it into an aggravated attempted murder to emotionally charge the women. That’s when Reggi will take Addie’s subtle hints and will hopefully suggest that she, herself will help catch the killer. The task force will have to shadow her to keep her safe. It can be done, but it’s not easy. Nothing ever is.

  Opening the sliders, Addie steps in and walks to the kitchen. In here, they can’t be seen by prying eyes. It is paramount things appear normal. She stops at the entryway. When she looks down, she sees what she expects. Agatha had brought them from New York. Their equipment is better than her small city of Asheville can afford. Addie’s relieved the two women have their backs to her as she studies the ankle bracelets Reggi and Madison are now wearing. They don’t know it yet, but Addie has plans for them.

  When Agatha looks up, she sees Addie and pulls a chair for her. Now seated between David and Agatha, Addie looks to Madison first. “I was told by the stationhouse here that Jimmy was attacked. With a bat.”

  Madison sighs deeply, trying to keep her emotions in check. Crying won’t help. “Yes, he was. I haven’t spoken to him yet. The nurse told me he was sedated. I don’t know if the attacker was trying to kill him or not.”

  She releases a rush of air, “But, I think so. I think he was going to be killed,” and her bottom lip begins to quiver.

  “This is the same man from Tyler, Texas?”

  “Yes.”

  Addie studies Madison for a moment, while Reggi is looking on. Women know things that men miss - minor adjustments that amount to a great deal. Addie knows something. Reggi does, too. Agatha can predict the next question from Addie. It’s a statement. Nothing more and nothing less.

  “You’re in love with Jimmy.”

  “Yes.”

  Addie is surprised by the next turn of events. Madison is no longer trembling. She’s staring right into Addie’s eyes. That look means one thing. Anger. Even David is unsure as to how deep her hatred is for the killer, but Madison makes it very clear.

  There’s an edge to Madison’s voice. A determination not heard before, but it’s there and it’s pronounced. “I will beat this attacker, this killer. I will kill this person. It’s the end of the road and I will have my way. I almost lost Jimmy. Nothing will stop me.”

  Addie needs to control this situation. She wants to arrest the killer. Death is not in her list of choices. Still, it could come to pass. Serial killers are very unpredictable and most do die before or during their arrest. Some even get away. The BTK murderer in the Midwest raised a family after his rash of killings, holding a city job. Decades later, his son ratted him out in the belief he was involved when he started binding, torturing and killing again. Hence, he was known as the BTK killer.

  Addie startles herself when she replies to Madison. “Good. We want to catch the killer, too.” She doesn’t know exactly where that came from. However, seeing she has Madison and Reggi’s full attention, she is encouraged to use it. She adds, “We need to bring this person in, ladies. It’ll be difficult to do and the killer may just disappear after we take you back to Asheville, Madison. For you, Reggi, it’s Queens. Woodside Psychiatric.”

  Reggi cringes at the mention of the psych ward she escaped from. Still, she knows what she needs. “I’m ready, Adelaide. I was telling Madison that even though I didn’t like it, they were helping me. My life was getting better. The food wasn’t that great, and my days may be lived out there. But I think I need it. I’m ready to go back.”

  Before Addie can reply, Reggi asks, “Can I make a suggestion?”

  This is the moment, putting Addie on the edge. Reggi’s next words will reveal the success or failure of the mission – to catch a killer. “Sure, Reggi. What is it?”

  “I’m not trying to stave off my return to Woodside. I’m not trying to be self-serving.”

  “Yes?” Addie asks.

  Reggi knows what Addie wants. She’s no idiot even though she has been known to talk to imaginary people. What Addie wants is what Reggi wants. It’s what everyone wants. “See this?” She holds out her leg, the bracelet visible beneath her pants leg. It’s activated, dimly blinking. “Agatha asked Madison and me to put it on. We aren’t going anywhere. As for this person killing and terrorizing our friends, there’s only one thing they want - violence. I want this to stop. Now. So, let’s do it again. Let’s lure the killer.”

  There, she said it. Addie and Reggi look at each other, silently triumphant. After a brief moment, Addie asks, “What do you suggest we do?”

  Reggi sits back and withdraws her leg, “I’m not the cop here. I’ll do whatever you want me to do.”

  Perfect.

  27

  Mistakes are the price of an interesting life. Sophia Loren

  Greg stews morosely while his two men are on their feet, next to an attorney assigned to represent them. He doesn’t bother the Underground to find representation for them, it’s too embarrassing. They’ll make bail and be back on the streets before five tonight. Spending the night in jail was punishment enough. He suspects Captain Henson held their arraignment off as long as could be, either to tick him off or keep him and his men out of her way. For all he knows, Madison is on her way to Asheville or New York, under arrest for helping the old lady escape in the first place.

  The two men learn their fate as the judge pronounces the setting of their bail and date for preliminary hearings. As they shuffle away, Greg hears
his name called. He stands, meeting his court-appointed attorney after his cuffs are removed. He’s been charged with aiding and abetting, and resisting arrest after trying to muscle his way past that puny officer. In retrospect, he should have handled that better. He must be slipping, he feels, as she got the best of him. He needs to hit the gym.

  Looking around the courtroom, with all the officers ready to testify and all the jailed suspects awaiting arraignment, he is just bored. Bored with it all. It plainly shows on his face, his eyes drooping, and he can’t stop yawning. The judge looks up from the papers she’s been reading, presumably those related to Greg’s case. He’s sure there’s no mention of a secret network, since Henson and her FBI friend want to simply state facts as a case against him.

  The look on the judge’s face is severe, lending credence to what he’s already been thinking. She doesn’t like him. This is going to be a bad day for Greg. Grimly, he’ll muddle through, but it’s not like he ran over her dog or anything. Little town people don’t like domestic disturbances in their little town, which is what all the attitude is coming from, including that of the judge. It’s best he throw himself before her, ingratiatingly begging for leniency. Maybe that’ll work, and if not, he’ll make bail anyway, leaving this dumpy little courtroom and this dumpy little town behind.

  The man representing him has his say, making his point while the District Attorney, a boy almost, fresh from law school, insists on remand due to the escapee Greg is charged with helping. The woman’s a murderer, with a trail of dead bodies left behind. This he can’t deny. The judge considers this along with Greg’s arrest record. It’s devoid of infractions, clean. Even if the judge wants to keep him in lock-up, she can’t. He’s a first offender. What she can do is set the bail high, which would normally be out of reach for the average Joe.

  Not to be surprised, the bail is over one million. Expressionless, he’s led away. The judge’s smug look tells him she’s convinced he won’t be able to make it. Well, she’d be wrong. One little call, and I’m out, Greg confidently thinks. His access to his family’s vast fortune will make this day just one more blip on the radar. When the judge finds out he and his men are out, he’s sure her jaw will drop. Greg isn’t one to be denied. He’ll show her.