Kicked the Bucket

by CeeCee James

  “No, not at all,” he answered “You just make these little humming noises as you eat. It’s cute.”

  Our easy conversation ended as the waitress brought the check and a couple of fortune cookies. I reached into my wallet for my card.

  “No, I’ve got this,” AJ said, setting his card into the tray.

  “Are you sure?”

  “Absolutely. Lunch was my idea.”

  There was an awkward pause as I tried to figure out what this meant.

  “I mean—” he started to say. A squeal from tires outside cut him off. “What was that?” he asked, turning toward the window to look out at the road. “Huh, some truck.”

  “Somebody’s in a hurry to get somewhere,” I answered. “What’s your cookie say?”

  “A wise man says never let someone else determine your fate.”

  “Oh, good one,” I said. My fortune was half falling out of the cookie. As I pulled it out, I realized it was handwritten. “That’s strange.”

  “What?”

  I silently read it and then handed it over.

  His eyes scanned it quickly. “Red on yellow killed a fellow.” He turned it over. “Did someone just write this? Weird?” He waved down the waitress and held it up. “Do you guys usually give homemade ones?”

  “Oh, a joke from our dishwasher maybe. Sure. This happens all the time.” She grinned then. “It’s fun! Keeps things unexpected.”

  AJ handed it back to me with a weirded-out shrug. Okay then. Unexpected it was, but the fortune also seemed to put a damper on things.

  “I better get home. Emma’s out of school, soon.”

  “Yeah, I get it.” We said goodbye, suddenly awkward as heck, and headed to our vehicles. I didn’t realize I still had the fortune in my hand until I was half-way home.

  Chapter 10

  I made it home just in time to swap the washer and dryer and change out of my good clothes. I heard the bus rumbling down the street as I was pulling on my work jeans so I hurried to shimmy the zipper closed. On my way out of the room, something caught my eye. Stuck in the frame of my mirror was a picture of me in the barn. It was a crazy side shot—luckily my good side—and I had a smile on my face and the sun shining through the loft, landing on top of my head, making me look like I had a halo. I flipped the photo over to read, “Goodbyes are hard.” Aww, that was sweet. Tilly must have snapped this of me to let me know she was going to miss me.

  The brakes on the bus hissed outside the driveway. I flung the picture on top of the dresser, scooped up my keys, and ran down the stairs. Jasper joined me in excitement and, together, we walked out to meet her.

  Emma bounded down the bus stairs, and I sprung my surprise plans on her.

  “Come on. Let’s go to the park.”

  I didn’t need to tell Emma twice. She ran to the car, backpack bouncing, with Jasper hot on her heels. When she opened the door, he squeezed in ahead of her.

  “Jasper!” she squealed. “You’re in my seat!” She disappeared inside with one loud cry. “Move over, watermelon butt!”

  Well, why not. I went inside for Jasper’s leash and to lock the front door. A warning honk squeaked from the porch swing.

  “Have at it, George,” I told the gander. “Guard our house and keep it safe.”

  George ruffled his wings before urgently pressing a feather back in place with his beak. He looked just like a cat who was trying to put on a show of ignoring a cajoling owner.

  Whatever. I jogged down the steps and to the car.

  “You buckled?” I asked as I climbed in.

  “Yep!” Emma stuck her tongue at me through her tooth gap. Jasper smiled at me too, and I laughed at how similar they were.

  “You have a good day?” Her braids had come undone and hung in crimped curls.

  “The best! I won second place for my hair!” She giggled and showed me a paper with a colored red ribbon. From her backpack, she pulled out three black licorice straws. From that point on she talked my ear off in breathless giggles all about her day while Jasper nosed through her bag to see if there was any lunch that might have been forgotten.

  Traffic was light this afternoon. I adjusted my rearview to see her and smile. As my eyes dropped back to the road, I slammed on my brakes, and Emma squealed. A silverish-colored truck had pulled out in front of me from a blind driveway. I swallowed hard, shaken.

  “You okay?” I asked.

  “Yeah!”

  The truck in front of me was in no hurry. Even as I slowed down, I swear, he slowed down even more. I glanced at the speedometer and saw we were doing twenty-five. There was quite a gap between us, however, I didn’t want to shorten it. Something about the truck reminded me of the one earlier but I couldn’t be sure. All I knew was that my senses were prickly alert.

  Just as suddenly, the truck pulled over to the side of the road. My mouth went dry. I was going to have to pass it. I squeezed the steering wheel, my palms sweaty.

  I instinctively called out, “Hey Emma, could you duck down please?”

  “What?”

  “Duck down!”

  I can’t say what spurred me to ask her that, but thankfully, she did it. I stomped on the gas as I passed it, in a hurry to get the truck behind me. I glanced in the rearview mirror. He didn’t pull back on the road. I didn’t let that defer me from keeping the lead foot on the gas pedal.

  Finally, we turned. I checked behind us a few times and was relieved to see the truck never appeared again. Slowly, I rolled my shoulders and relaxed. Soon we were chattering and laughing again.

  The city park was filled with kids hanging off the jungle gym and sailing to the moon on the swings. Emma hopped out while I corralled Jasper with my knee to snap his leash on.

  “Be a gentleman,” I warned as he hopped out, his ears perked.

  He was a good boy and walked next to me, panting in interest at all the kids. We walked over to a series of benches filled with moms until I found an empty one. I sat down and watched Emma talk to a boy. She laughed as the two of them climbed up the jungle gym to join another group of kids.

  One of the moms called over to me. “Such a great afternoon. Which one is yours?”

  “Oh.” I laughed. “I’m here with my friend’s daughter. That one right there.”

  The mom shielded her eyes to look. “Is that Emma?”

  I was surprised. “Yeah. You know her?”

  “My son is in her class. That’s Billy. She’s playing with him.”

  I nodded, not really knowing how to respond. What do other moms say at moments like this? Should I say that he seems like a nice freckly-faced boy? I like his Minion shirt?

  Luckily I was spared needing to answer as Emma ran over. “Chelsea, can I get my backpack out of the car?”

  I gave her permission and then stood to watch her. She scampered like a chipmunk to the car and soon returned with the pack. As she ran back, she unzipped and pulled out a water bottle. After a long guzzle, she flung it down next to me on the bench and then ran back to the play equipment.

  After a while, the sun started to dip toward the horizon and moms gathered their kids for dinner. The parking lot slowly emptied out. Finally, it was just a couple families left. I found Emma on the swing, pumping her legs and singing at the top of her lungs.

  “Come on, lady!” I called. “Let’s go grab some dinner.”

  “Just a few more minutes, Chelsea!” she called.

  I was beginning to get cold. I rubbed my arms and tried to be patient.

  Jasper jerked the leash to its full length. It wasn’t his happy stance. He was alert, muscles stiffened, and staring. I glanced in that direction and saw a squirrel chittering from some bushes on the other side of the park fence.

  “No squirrel pie for you,” I told him and then yelled at Emma again, “Come on! I mean it!”

  “Please?” she pleaded, not slowing down. If anything, she pumped harder.

  “If you aren’t down by the time I count to three, it’s goat stall duty for you
. One—”

  She leaped off with the grace of a sugar glider and landed on her feet, making me cut off counting with a sharp intake of breath.

  “You okay?” I asked.

  “Of course!” she answered and ran to the car. She was already buckled in to her seat by the time I walked Jasper over there. I’d barely opened the back door to let him in when she started her next negotiation. “What’s for dinner? Pizza?”

  “Chicken nuggets.”

  I grabbed my keys from my purse. I hadn’t even had a chance to stick them in the ignition when my cell chimed with a text. It was from Steve, Emma’s dad.—I’m back early! Can we move our pick up time to tonight instead of tomorrow?

  I texted back. —Sure. I’ll let her know.

  “Guess what? I guess you’ll be having dinner at your dad’s. He’s home early and wants you to come over now.”

  She bounced up and down with excitement which made me happy as well.

  We swung by the house, which was on the way, so that she could get her stuffed bunny and favorite pj’s.

  I dropped Jasper inside. “Guard the house for me, buddy. I’ll be back soon.”

  Soon we were back in the car, with Jasper watching us, pouting, from the living room window. We finished the drive to Steve’s house with Emma telling me all the ways she was hungry, so it was a shock when I pulled into his driveway and she suddenly became silent.

  “What’s the matter?” I asked, eyeing her in the mirror.

  She shot me a guilty look. “My backpack! I left it at the park.”

  My eyes fluttered closed. If there was one thing I hated, it was having to back track. “Don’t worry. I’ll go get it. You hop out and have a good time.”

  Right then the front door opened and Steve came out on the porch. Emma ran toward him while I waved through the windshield. They were hugging as I backed out of the driveway.

  It was dark by the time I arrived at the park. The swings looked lonely as they hung unattended. A sign on a faded pole in the front stated the park hours, which had ended twenty minutes ago. Gray light filtered through the trees and the baseball fence.

  I was flooded with the certainty that the backpack wasn’t there. Someone would have taken it.

  Still, I was here. I might as well check to be sure. I climbed out, feeling very alone. It was quiet outside, so quiet that I was hesitant in slamming my car door. I pressed it shut and glanced around at the surrounding area.

  No one was here.

  Let’s get this done then. I lifted my chin and walked toward the benches. I knew it was a lost cause, but at least I could say that I’d done—

  Wait! There it was! Emma’s backpack was waiting where she’d left it. Relieved, I trotted toward it. I realized as I got closer that it was unzipped.

  Something bright yellow was poking from the top.

  Chapter 11

  Let me tell you, I was happy to see that backpack. Logically, I knew it wasn’t my fault, but I still hadn’t looked forward to explaining to Steve why Emma didn’t have it.

  My hand had slid through the fabric hoop by the time my brain registered what the yellow item was. A chrysanthemum. A different color, but similar to the one from the daisy chain earlier.

  I jerked my hand away like it was a coiled snake about to strike. I spun around. Was someone here watching me? Had Emma had the flower with her all along?

  Crickets chirped from the tall grass that wove through the chain-linked fence. I flung the flower on the ground and hurried to the car. In a heartbeat, I’d flung it into the back seat and slammed the door.

  The breeze pricked at the baby hairs along my scalp line. I scanned the surroundings again. The park equipment was nothing but shadows behind the backdrop of the setting sun.

  My skin crawled. I jerked open the driver’s door and dropped into the seat. Shaking, I pulled out my keys. The courage from the adrenaline rush was fading. Peering through the windshield, I locked the doors.

  Out of the corner of my eye something flashed. A bat swooped between the trees. I needed to get out of here. I shifted the gear into reverse and backed out of the stall, making the tires squeal.

  Okay, was I overreacting? What’s going on with this flower? I squirmed uncomfortably in the seat, feeling like a trapped animal. But who was hunting me?

  I needed to talk to someone, that’s what. I nervously thought of calling Tilly. I hadn’t heard from her all day. She was still in the air, most likely. And I could imagine how well that conversation would go when the creepy thing had to do with Emma’s backpack. My mom crossed my mind briefly, but I ruled her out for the same reason.

  Licking my bottom lip, I picked up my phone and pushed the button. “Call AJ.”

  The phone rang while I glanced in the mirror. A pair of headlights made me jump, but they turned at the next intersection.

  “Hello?”

  “Hey AJ, Do you have a second?”

  “Of course.”

  “Okay, I just had something strange happen, and I wanted to bounce it off of you. I’m not sure if I’m overreacting or what. So, I just picked up Emma’s backpack from the park—she’d forgotten it earlier—and you’ll never guess what was inside.”

  “What?”

  “One of those flowers from earlier. Remember the one you warned me about in the feed bucket? A chrysanthemum.”

  “Seriously? How?”

  “I’m not sure. I suppose Emma might have brought it with her. The thing is… you don’t think it’s someone else, do you? Like following me?” As soon as the words left my mouth I felt foolish. He was going to think I was ridiculous.

  “Chelsea, that freaks me out. That would mean someone is stalking you. I definitely think you should be using caution. You want me to meet you at your house? Make sure everything is safe?”

  “Trust me, I’m being cautious right now. I’m glad you don’t think I’m crazy. I’ll get to the bottom of where that flower came from, but right now, I think I’m okay. Besides, I have Jasper to protect me, and he barks at literally any movement, including sky raisins.”

  “Sky raisins?”

  “Flies. But I will be calling Officer Orville and let him know just as soon as I get off the phone with you.”

  “Yeah, well, there’s one more thing you might want to keep in mind.”

  “What’s that?”

  “In European countries that’s the flower usually used on graves. It’s not a romantic gesture at all.”

  “How do you know that?”

  “I spent some time in Poland with some friends. We stayed at his parents and they used to put those on his grandmother’s grave. The whole graveyard was decorated with them.”

  I rubbed the goosebumps on my arm. “You’re freaking me out.”

  “You’re freaking me out!” he shot back just as emphatic.

  “Well, let me call Officer Orville and see what he says.”

  We hung up and I put in a call to the police officer. I was surprised when he answered. In fact I stuttered for a second, having already been prepared to leave a message.

  “Orville here.”

  “Hi, sir. It’s Chelsea Lawson from—”

  “I know who you are.”

  “Oh. Well, I had something weird happen and I thought maybe I’d let you know about it.” The conviction I’d built talking with AJ drained away and this was already feeling like a bad idea.

  “What is it?” he gruffly answered.

  Quickly, I filled him in about the flowers I’d found that morning in the barn and the single blossom in Emma’s backpack.

  He sighed heavily. I cringed, waiting for him to blow my theory out of the water. Instead, he surprised me. “You know what this means?”

  “No. What”

  “That someone may have followed you and stuck that into her backpack.”

  I gasped in horror.

  “Even worse. It could mean that he stayed there, waiting to see if you’d come back. He may have watched you take it.”

  �
�What do I do? I left the flower there. Should I go back for it? Can you get fingerprints off of it or the backpack?”

  “I’ll look into it. Hopefully there are cameras in the area that might have caught it happening.” He sighed again. “This week has been crazy. I’m stretched thin and can’t be everywhere at once.”

  “Maybe your partner can do it.”

  “Unfortunately, Nelson is out with the flu. Literally left your house puking, and I haven’t seen him since. Give me the address again.”

  I told him where the park was.

  “All right. I’ll let you know if we find anything. Listen, I don’t want to freak you out, that’s not my intention. I want to give you a heads up though. For now, keep any eye out for anything or anyone unusual. Someone died on your property, someone connected to you, however sparsely. If you hear or see anything else, call me. Call the emergency hotline. Don’t hesitate. It’s better to be overly concerned, in this case.”

  I agreed to everything he’d said, and we hung up. I readjusted the rearview mirror. There was no one behind me. That should have relieved me. But I couldn’t get rid of the tickle, traipsing like ants along the back of my neck, that someone was following me.

  Chapter 12

  The first thing I noticed when I pulled into the driveway was that the house was pitch black. I kicked myself for forgetting to leave the porch light on when I’d left earlier.

  I parked the car and slowly climbed out. Every one of my senses was on high alert. I listened for a moment, hoping to hear Jasper bark to welcome me.

  It was quiet besides the soft rustle of the wind and the frogs chirping their love song down by the pond.

  Right. Can’t stand out here forever. I tip-toed down the path and edged one hesitant foot at a time on the stairs while I dug for my keys. At least the door was locked and the dog inside.