“I won’t mommy. I will look both ways,” Kat said as she stopped at the curb and looked in both directions before going to Dave’s driver side door.
“Hi Grandpa, I can help,” Kat said as she hugged Dave then held her hand out for a bag.
“Hey little Kat, you sure are getting big,” Dave said as he hugged Kat and gave her the small bag.
“No, Grandpa, I can carry the big one, I promise I won’t drop it,” Kat said as Becky watched.
“Oh, I’m sorry I should have known such a big girl can carry more,” Dave said as he gave her the bigger bag and then grabbed a travel bag.
“What’s that?” Becky asked, looking at the bag.
“Just a little surprise, I’m not trying to stay.”
“I didn’t mean that; I was just asking.”
“I know it’s ok.”
“Come on, Grandpa, let’s eat,” Little Kat said, pulling on Dave’s hand.
“Yes, let’s eat.”
“Be careful, Kat, don’t drop the bag.”
“I won’t mommy,” little Kat said as she scampered into the house with the big bag of food.
When Dave and Becky got inside, Kat had the bucket of chicken out of the bag and sitting on the table and was in the kitchen getting silver wear and cups.
“See, I didn’t drop it,” Kat said as she brought in three cups and forks.
“No, you didn’t. You did good,” Dave said, smiling and setting the smaller bags on the table.
“I want to hurry up and eat. So I can have cake,” little Kat said, smiling.
Dave and Becky laughed as Kat looked at them and smiled.
“Yes, you can have cake after you eat,” Becky said, getting the containers out of the bags.
“I am so glad you came over today Grandpa, and not just for the cake,” little Kat said as she smiled, showing her missing tooth in the front of her mouth.
“I’m glad I came over too, and not just because I brought cake to make you smile.”
Dave, Becky, and little Kat enjoyed dinner and little Kat was quite the chatterbox going on about this and that in school and how her teacher told her that her coloring of the pony was the prettiest in the class, but not to tell the other kids so they wouldn’t feel bad. Little Kat even put her hand on her hip sitting at the dinner table to help emphasize one of her stories as she ate a second piece of cake. Dave was having a great time, and for a while, he had forgotten this could be his last time seeing his daughter and granddaughter, but Becky’s curiosity about the bag he brought in had gotten the best of her, and she asked him about the bag.
“Dad, I know you said it’s a surprise but what’s in the bag?”
“Kat, let me talk to your mom for a minute.”
“Oh okay, you guys want to do some grown-up talk, I will go play with my game for a little bit,” little Kat said as she scampered off to her room.
“Thank you, dear,” Becky said, making sure Little Kat was gone.
Dave had the same idea Becky did, and he made sure little Kat was gone before he started to talk to Becky, and he could tell Becky was a little apprehensive as to what was in the bag. Becky didn’t know what Dave did, but she had an idea that whatever he did was not legal. He reached over and grabbed the bag that had been sitting in the chair next to him and put it on the table and put it in front of Becky.
“Before you open that bag, I’m letting you know that there will be no arguing and that this is yours and Kat’s,” Dave said.
“I don’t know if I can give you my word.”
“Do me this favor please.”
Becky could hear in her Dad’s voice; he was desperate but trying to sound calm. Becky had never seen her Dad like this, so she agreed.
“Okay, you have my word.”
“One more thing, no questions. I promise you this is okay, but I can’t tell you everything right now,” Dave said as he put his hand on top of the bag, stopping Becky from taking the bag.
Becky nodded her head to show her silent agreement, and he smiled and took his hand off the top of the bag and nudged the bag toward Becky. Becky looked at him to make sure it was okay to open the bag; he nodded his approval as Becky started to open the bag.
“Oh my God! Where did you get all this money from?”
Becky didn’t mean to be so loud, but she was truly shocked at all the money in the bag. Becky was so loud that Dave jumped a little at her reaction and little Kat came back in the room to make sure everything was alright.
“Are you okay, Mommy? You didn’t fall, did you? Or drop something?” Little Kat asked as she looked around the room.
“No, I’m fine. I thought I saw a bug, but it was just a piece of food on the floor, everything is fine.”
“Oh, okay, Mommy. I’ll be back later Grandpa,” little Kat said as she waved to Dave and went back to her room.
“Remember, no questions, and it’s yours.”
“This is a lot of money, Dad,” Becky said, opening the bag and looking at all the money inside of it.
“Fifty-thousand dollars, use it to catch up on bills and put money away for little Kat.”
“Do I put it in the bank? Is that okay?”
“No, that will have to wait for now, so put it somewhere safe and use it to pay things off.”
“Okay.”
“Do you have a safe place for the money?”
“I don’t know, my closet, I guess.”
“Let me look at your closet.”
Becky stood up, and Dave followed her to her room. Becky opened the closet door, and everything was neat and in place, just like he taught her to keep her things. Dave saw where he could make a small hidden compartment, but it would take a full day to make it. Dave was thinking about all he needed to get the job done, and he could spend more time with Becky and Kat. Dave told Becky that he could get it done, and it would take a day to get everything done.
“Okay, when do you want to start?”
“I can start tomorrow if that’s alright,” Dave said as he started to get up and then cough uncontrollably.
“Dad, are you alright?” Becky said as she came over to him and rubbed his back.
“I’ll be fine, just give me a minute.”
“Are you okay? Seriously Dad.”
“I’ve been battling a cold and infection, nothing too serious,” he said, and he smiled at Becky to show her he was okay.
Becky knew that with everything going on, her Dad must be sicker than he was letting on, but he didn’t want to say anything more than he did so she let him end the conversation. He didn’t tell Becky he was sick, he wanted to try to win her over with his sincerity, not pity for a dying man. Becky decided to have her dad stay over for the night; she had a bad feeling that her time with her Dad was coming to an end. Becky’s revelation made her feel sad, but she decided to focus on her time now and let her Dad tell her what was going on with him when he chose to.
“Hey, Kat, come here, please.”
“Yes, Mommy?” Little Kat said as she appeared with a stuffed bear in her right hand.
“What do you think about Grandpa staying the night?” Becky asked little Kat.
He was shocked but touched, he knew this was Becky’s way to make sure he couldn’t say no, and that meant she wanted him to stay.
“Grandpa, are you gonna stay? Please,” little Kat asked as she hugged Dave.
“Yes, I will stay,” Dave said, hugging little Kat.
The rest of the evening, Dave, Becky, and little Kat sat around and talked and played games. Dave, as well as Becky and Kat, were having a great time. Becky made up the couch for her Dad, and he was glad to be sleeping on the couch, he would let tomorrow take care of itself and enjoy the time he had now.
Chapter 12
Time
The next morning Dave was up early, not because he was an early riser but because little Kat came in and woke him up. Dave was glad to see little Kat and know that this had not all been just a dream.
“C’mon Grandpa get up. Y
ou have to wash your face and brush your teeth before you eat,” little Kat said.
“Good morning, Dad, did you sleep, ok?” Becky asked as she poked her head around the corner.
“I slept like a log; this couch is very comfortable.”
“Grandpa you snore,” little Kat said, and she giggled.
“Kat that isn’t nice,” Becky said, trying not to laugh.
“I just wanted him to know, so if he does a sleepover at a friend’s house, he can tell them,” little Kat said, looking very serious.
“I put a towel and toothbrush in the bathroom for you. Dad, breakfast will be done in a few,” Becky said, leaving the living room and heading toward the kitchen.
Dave cleaned himself up and got ready to eat breakfast with his girls and start his day.
“Hurry up Grandpa, we’re having pancakes,” little Kat said, almost running in place from excitement.
“I’m almost done,” Dave said as he finished washing his face.
“Okay Grandpa, I’ll tell Mommy you are almost ready.”
Dave, Becky, and little Kat had a great time eating breakfast, and then they all planned to go to the hardware store, of course little Kat didn’t know what the trip was for, she was just happy to be going on an outing. Dave had already planned to stop by his house and change into some clean clothes and then stop by the ice cream shop not far from his house as a surprise for little Kat. His plan worked out perfectly, and the rest of the day went just as planned, even Becky was surprised and got a sundae. When Dave, Becky, and little Kat finally got back to the house, little Kat insisted on helping to take in the bags. He started to put everything in order so he could begin the work on the secret spot in Becky’s bedroom. Becky knew little Kat would be going in and out of the bedroom, so she told little Kat that Grandpa didn’t need to be distracted from the work he had to do and she was going to close her bedroom door to help him work without being disturbed. Becky could tell little Kat’s mind was working on figuring out how to get into her Mom’s room, so she waited to see what little Kat would say.
“Well, can I check on Grandpa? What if he needs a cookie or something?” Little Kat said while putting her hand on her hip to help show her level of concern.
Becky almost laughed out loud because little Kat looked so cute trying to be grown up and concerned, but she held her laughter in and let little Kat know that she could check on Grandpa.
“Yes, you can check on Grandpa, but not too much or he won’t get his work done.”
“Okay Mommy, I won’t check on Grandpa too much.”
Becky decided to keep little Kat occupied for a little while by watching some television.
“Do you want to watch the dinosaur movie? I will make popcorn.”
“Let me get my movie buddy,” little Kat said as she ran off to grab her stuffed lion.
Dave was listening to Becky, and little Kat go back and forth about him, and he was very happy that such a fuss was made about him, he acted as if he was too pre-occupied to be paying attention to what they were saying while he went through the bags getting everything situated. He started to feel an overwhelming sadness as he remembered that these would be some of his last moments he would spend with his girls. He decided to focus on getting the job done and not to give any thought to what the future would bring. He finally got everything in order and started to work on the secret spot while Becky and little Kat ate popcorn and watched a movie in the living room. He snuck over to the living room and looked at them enjoying the movie and wiped the tears from his eyes he could no longer hold back. He knew he was lucky to have this time with them and his last act would set them up for a good life he thought as he backed up quietly, so he didn’t let them know he was watching them. He worked for almost two hours; then he heard a knock on the door and little Kat’s voice.
“Hey Grandpa, I brought you some milk and cookies.”
“Okay little Kat, give me just a minute,” he said as he closed the closet door so little Kat couldn’t see his work.
He opened the door, and little Kat looked around the room to see what was going on. He took a cookie and the glass of milk and walked out of the bedroom to the kitchen so he could sit down and eat.
“If you don’t want all the cookies, I will eat some with you,” little Kat said as she followed her Grandpa down the hallway.
“Sure, little Kat, I only want one or two.”
Little Kat wasted no time scarfing down the extra cookies while Dave watched. Little Kat had explained it was for the best because Mommy gets upset if you touch the cookies and then try to put them back.
“Don’t worry Grandpa, I’ll make sure Mommy doesn’t get mad, I will get rid of these extra cookies for you,” little Kat said, putting a cookie in her mouth.
“Well thank you, I don’t want to get into any trouble.”
Dave and little Kat talked and ate cookies while Becky slept on the living room couch. He knew that Becky was trying to figure things out about him and was probably drained mentally. He heard Becky come down the hallway, even though he knew she was trying to be quiet. He saw Becky look in on him and little Kat, but she just stood on the other side of the wall listening. Little Kat was a true chatterbox, going on and on and he just enjoyed listening to her talk, Becky finally came out from her hiding spot acting as if she just woke up and walked into the room.
“Hey little Kat, look who’s up,” Dave said as he pointed to the doorway.
“Mommy! Mommy!” Little Kat said as she jumped up and down.
“So, what have you two been up to?” Becky asked as she looked at the plate with cookie crumbs on it.
“I took care of Grandpa, he was hungry, so I fed him.”
“Yes, little Kat took great care of me, but I better get back to work,” he said, standing up and stretching.
“Well, I am going to start dinner, so be ready to eat in a little bit.”
“No, here take this and go get us some food from the place that has the meatloaf and ham,” he said, handing Becky a wad of cash.
“Okay, but it doesn’t cost that much, and I have money.”
He just waved his hand and walked back toward Becky’s room. He had a few thousand dollars that he kept on him, but he didn’t need it anymore. Dave had money put away, but his medical bills had drained him, and now he wanted to make sure that Becky and little Kat would get all he had before he went on his final mission for the Senator. Dave gave no more thought to the Senator or his soon to be last mission; he just started to work on the secret spot in Becky’s closet as he heard Becky and little Kat leave to get the food. When Becky and little Kat got back, he was almost done with the work he was doing. Making the secret spot hadn’t taken as long as he thought it would.
“Grandpa, we’re back! Get ready to eat.”
“Okay, I’ll be out in just a few minutes.”
He could hear little Kat and Becky getting the food out of the bags while he finished putting a few touches on the secret spot. He knew Becky wouldn’t need it long, just for now to keep the money hidden and safe. When the real money came in, she could put it all in the bank. He looked at his work one more time before he got ready to eat and thought he did a pretty good job; most people would never know the spot was there and once Becky put her clothes and shoes back in place it would be very hard to find. He started to get up when he started to feel sick and light-headed, it was a reminder to him that the cancer was eating through him and his time was short, very short. He didn’t have much time to dwell on his health as he heard little Kat running down the hallway, the sound of her little feet hitting the floor getting closer to the bedroom door.
“Grandpa, are you almost ready? It’s time to eat; our plates are made and everything.”
“I’m almost ready, two minutes and I’ll be out, you can look at the clock and time me,” Dave said while he tried to compose himself.
“Okay Grandpa,” little Kat said, and she went running down the hallway to look at the clock on the microwave.
> He stood up slowly and steadied himself; he took a deep breath, then he turned the doorknob, and he opened the door. He walked down the hallway to the kitchen, and as he got closer to the kitchen, he could smell the food, the delicious odors wafting through the air. Little Kat was looking at the clock on the microwave so intensely that she never saw him come into the kitchen. He wanted to laugh, but he was enjoying the moment and knew little Kat would be surprised to see him when she turned around. The clock finally hit the point where little Kat could tell Grandpa he was late and she was so excited to do so; she ran past him sitting at the table and down the hallway. He could hear little Kat running around the house looking for him, but he remained quiet until she came back into the kitchen looking around and saw him. He knew his time was short, but this time was precious, and he decided to enjoy it, the little time he had left. He burst out laughing as little Kat stood there looking like a joke had been played on her. While Becky and Dave laughed at little Kat, a more serious matter was getting ready to be discussed elsewhere.
Chapter 13
Wait, I Need More Sugar
“Hey Cap, can we talk to you for a few minutes?” Sam asked the Captain as she and Hutch entered his office.
“Sure, but give me a second, I was just going to get a fresh cup of coffee,” the Captain said as he got up from behind his desk and grabbed his cup looking inside of it and picking out an old coffee granule.
Sam and Hutch moved out of the Captain’s way as he left his office and went over to the coffee maker and rinsed his cup out in the sink and then poured himself a new cup. The Captain grabbed two empty sugar containers and turned them upside down over his cup to make sure they were empty before he found one that had sugar in it. The Captain turned the sugar container upside down and let the sugar flow freely into his cup for about five seconds while Sam and Hutch looked at each other in a bit of bewilderment and horror. The Captain added a little creamer, grabbed a plastic spoon, and began to stir his coffee as he started to walk back toward his office.
“You sure you got enough sugar,” Sam asked, being a smart ass.
Death of the C C K Killer Page 12
