by Marja McGraw
“Go get Pete,” I yelled, not caring which woman alerted him. “I think we might have trouble.”
Chapter Seventeen
Pete and Stanley both ran to the front of the house with my mother coming down from the porch and following close behind them.
Bubba had started barking when I yelled for someone to find Pete. Apparently all the confusion got to Clementine because she started howling.
“Hush!” I spoke loudly, but it took a second hush before the dogs paid me any attention.
“What’s going on?” Pete asked.
“A beige van drove by very slowly. They seemed to be watching the house,” I said.
“Is that all? It may have been someone sightseeing,” Stanley said. “This is an interesting vintage farmhouse.”
“Not likely, Stan. You know this road goes a long way before there’s a turnoff, and they disappeared by the time I ran down the driveway.”
“Oh.”
Pete had already started the walk down the driveway, and Stanley hurried to catch up to him.
“Nothing,” Pete called back. He was looking right and left, and right again.
Either they’d gotten away or they were still hiding in someone’s driveway.
Felicity walked around the house from the back. “What’s happening?”
Stanley hurried to her side. “Sweetness, you should be resting in the house.”
“Resting, my patootie. I’m missing everything. Besides, I need some exercise. You go rest and let me know when you’ve had enough.”
Stanley dropped his head.
Felicity frowned. “Oh, Stan, I’m sorry. I know you mean well. I just can’t sit around anymore. I don’t want to be babied.” Her frown deepened. “I need a life again.”
Stanley continued to stare at the ground. I thought he might be afraid to say anything for fear of setting his wife off again.
Felicity grabbed his hand and placed it on her belly. “The baby’s kicking. Can you feel it?”
Stanley grinned. “This child is going to be strong. What a kick!”
He turned to Pete, who’d rejoined us.
“Would you like to feel my child’s rambunctious energy?”
“Uh, no. That’s okay.” He glanced at Felicity. “On second thought, I’d kind of get a kick out of a kick.”
Grinning, Felicity took hold of Pete’s hand and placed it next to Stanley’s.
The baby kicked and Pete flinched. “A real powerhouse, that one.” He stepped back.
“Okay, everyone, why don’t we get back to the van,” I said. “Don’t forget that Zasu and Sophie are in the house.”
While I spoke my mother and aunt approached Felicity to feel the kicking.
I glanced up and saw the van racing down the road in the opposite direction, leaving – at least for the moment. Running to the road, I tried to get a license plate number, but they were too far away.
Turning, I walked right into Pete. It was like walking into a brick wall. He’d followed me, and he grabbed my shoulders so I wouldn’t fall. Once he knew I was okay, he pulled out his cell phone and called the police department, looking for Joe. He had to leave a message.
Within five minutes, Joe pulled into the driveway. “Got your message. What’s this about a beige van?”
Pete explained and Joe left to look for the vehicle, assuring us he’d call Redding to let him know what was going on.
“You know we may have to move Zasu, don’t you?” he asked.
“I realize that. I just don’t know where else she could go,” I said.
“I’m sure the police have a safe house or someplace for her,” Felicity said, “but I’d sure like her to stay here. I guess that’s pretty selfish on my part.”
“Not really.”
At the sound of Zasu’s voice, we all turned toward the porch. “Honestly, I’d rather stay here. I feel safe with you guys.”
“Then we’ll all take care of you and the baby,” Mother said.
“Mother – “
“Now, Sandra, we can work this out. Those goons don’t know if she’s staying here or not. Right?”
“They probably know,” I replied.
Aunt Martha stepped forward and looked up at Zasu. “Here’s the thing. From now on you have to stay away from the front of the house. You can go out in back, and you can visit Felicity, but we don’t want anyone to see you. Isn’t that right, Sandi?”
She turned a look on me that could freeze boiling
water. The dreaded, “There will be no discussion” look. The “I’ve made up my mind and there’s no changing it” look.
To make matters worse, my mother stepped to my aunt’s side and gave me the ol’, “I’m your mother and I make the rules” look. She folded her arms across her chest and tipped her head back, just a bit. She tried to look down her nose at me, but she was too short.
I turned to Pete for help, but he and Stanley had their backs to me and were directing their attention to a solitary tree. Chickens!
I sighed, loudly.
“Sandra?” My mother sounded threatening.
I wished I could take my sigh back.
They had the upper hand this time because Zasu wanted to stay, and they knew it. Zasu stepped back inside the house.
“Okay, but there have to be rules,” I said. “My rules. We – “
“We know,” my aunt said, “and we already laid them. At no time will Zasu make herself or the baby visible to the outside world. Those are the rules in a nutshell.”
Pete’s cell phone rang. When he hung up he said it was Joe and he’d put the word out to keep an eye open for the van. The only thing distinguishable about it was a black stripe down the side, but at least that was something.
My cell phone rang.
It was Detective Redding. “I had a call from Officer Fleming. He told me about the van and I think we’d better move Ms. Pitts and her baby to another location.”
“Hold on for just a moment,” I said, handing the phone to my aunt.
My mother might crack under pressure. Aunt Martha wouldn’t. She took the phone and walked away from the rest of us to talk to Redding.
She returned with a smile on her face. “Zasu will be
staying here. I made sure of it.” She handed the phone back to me.
I took my phone, walked up the porch steps and into the house, making my way to the kitchen where I poured myself a tall glass of water and gulped it down. I couldn’t think of any other way to keep my cool.
Zasu followed me into the kitchen.
I heard the front door open and close, and Felicity joined us. “You have some interesting relatives,” she said. “They never get boring.”
“You can say that again,” Zasu said.
I glanced from one to the other. “I have this sneaking feeling that they’re going to try to solve this on their own, regardless of what I say. We have no idea who killed James Kennedy, or why, but those two women will be hot on the trail of the unknown, and they may have to pay a price.”
“Can’t they just leave it up to the police?” Zasu asked.
“Sandi’s mother and aunt?” Felicity was grinning, and yet she looked worried. “They have no clue about how to mind their own business. Maybe I need to go outside and remind them they came here to take care of me.”
“Good idea,” I said. “They haven’t spent much time with you so lay it on thick.”
She turned on her heel and waddled toward the living room. It seemed like my little bitty friend was becoming larger every day.
“Do you think they’ll listen to her?” Zasu asked.
“I doubt it. They’re on a mission to protect you and Sophie and to find a killer.” I closed my eyes for just a moment. “Or in this case it might be killers, plural.”
“Maybe I should leave. I don’t want to, but…”
“Stay here,” I said. “My mother and aunt will just follow you if you leave. I know them all too well.”
“I can’t explain it,
but those two old women – “
“Don’t let them hear you call them old,” I interrupted.
She nodded. “Anyway, I can’t explain it, but they make me feel safe.”
I almost laughed. They’d always been there when I needed them, but they also put me in harm’s way on more than one occasion.
“They make me feel safe, too,” I said, lying through my teeth. Well, they had their moments, but overall… “We’ll all keep you safe,” I said.
“What about Mateo?” she asked.
“The police are watching over him. He’ll be fine.” I crossed my fingers and hoped for the best, including a little prayer for these young people.
“I really like your friend, Felicity. If anything happens to me and Mateo, I’d like her to take Sophie. I don’t have any family that I trust, you know.”
I took a deep breath. “Nothing’s going to happen to you. Don’t even think about that.”
“I wonder what’s taking Felicity so long,” Zasu said. “I thought she’d be right back, with your mother and aunt.”
“I don’t know. She’s probably having to do some fast talking, and I’ll bet she’s trying to make them feel guilty. Ha! By the time she walks away, she’ll be the one feeling guilty. They’re what I call Guilt Experts.”
The front door opened and closed and Felicity slowly entered the kitchen.
“Well?” Something about the look on her face put me off.
“I almost didn’t come back inside,” she said. “When I got out there, they’d already taken off in your mother’s car. Pete tried to stop them, but they’d locked the doors. Your mother rolled the window down just a crack and told Pete they were going to look for the van or a black SUV.
“Stan tried to stand in front of her car so they couldn’t leave, but your mom nudged him with the front bumper.”
I couldn’t decide if I should laugh, cry or scream.
Instead, I ran outside and jumped into the Jeep. Pete was already behind the wheel.
Chapter Eighteen
“Sometimes I have trouble believing that you and your relatives are actually from the same family,” Pete said. “Between them and some of your ancestors, it doesn’t make sense. You’re so normal.”
By referencing my ancestors, Pete reminded me of my great-great-great-grandfather who’d been accused of murder around the turn-of-the-century, but that’s a long story I didn’t want to think about.
“I have my moments, too,” I said. “We’re from the same gene pool.”
“I guess you do, don’t you?”
I didn’t reply, deciding it was better to keep my thoughts to myself rather than start an argument.
Pete drove all over town looking for any one of three cars; my mother’s, the van or the black SUV. No luck. There were too many places to look, and if my mother had found the van or SUV, she probably followed it back to Vancouver. Nothing she did would surprise me.
We drove home, only stopping at a deli to pick up a few things. Lo and behold, my mother’s car sat in the driveway when we pulled in.
No one was on the porch or in the house, so we walked back to the guest house. We could hear laughter inside.
I opened the door and stomped inside. “Mother, where have you two been? We’ve been driving around, looking all over town for you. I’m not very happy with you right now.”
She laughed. “I told you that’s how she’d react.” Her gaze fell over the entire group of people.
Everyone stopped laughing, having seen the look on my face – a look of disgust.
My aunt spoke up. “We didn’t find either car, so we stopped at the store and bought some goodies for Felicity. From here on out she shouldn’t have to watch her diet, so we thought sweets might help her feel better. You know, comfort food.”
I glanced at Felicity who was taking a bite out of a large glazed donut. She stopped mid-bite and set it on the table.
“It’s okay,” I said. “I’m glad they thought of you – for once.”
Felicity picked up the donut. “Sandi, you’re starting to sound like me and your mother – no offense, Livvie – with our hormone problems.”
“I don’t have hormone problems,” I snapped. “However, I do want my mother and aunt to start using their common sense. We don’t know who murdered that poor man and since they took him out to the forest and did him in there, I have to think they had a plan. I don’t think it was spur of the moment.”
I glanced at my mother.
“You and your sister could become part of that plan if you don’t wise up and stop sticking your noses into this mess.”
“She’s right,” Aunt Martha said. “We’d better start being more careful and cunning.”
I turned and stomped back out of the house. Pete followed me.
“They’re not going to listen to a thing I say.”
“No they’re not, babe. You might as well get used to it.”
“We don’t even have any suspects, Pete, unless you count the two men who’ve been buzzing our neighborhood and Zasu’s house.”
“I’ll talk to Redding and see if there’s anything new.”
“Thank you,” I said. “We always have suspects to look at. I don’t like this.”
My mother and aunt walked around the side of the house.
“We’re heading back to the B&B,” Mother said.
“I thought we were all going to have dinner together.” I couldn’t help it. I wanted them under my watchful eyes.
“We’ll be back soon. Martha wants to call Griz and I need to call Frank. We’re going to change clothes. Can we do anything to help get dinner ready when we get back?”
“Thanks, but no. And don’t tell your husbands what’s been going on. You’ll worry them needlessly.”
The two women left and I walked inside and started dinner. Actually, I didn’t have much to do. I’d put a pork roast in the crock pot earlier and we were having pulled pork sandwiches. I’d taken the easy way out and bought some potato salad and cole slaw at a deli, so there wasn’t much left to do. I’d butter some buns and toast them before serving everyone.
My relatives returned and Felicity and Stanley joined us, with Zasu. She brought the highchair to the table and we all settled in for a quiet meal. We’d try to get away from thoughts of danger and murder at least during dinner.
We gave the baby some dry cereal to eat and play with, and she seemed as happy as a little clam.
Unfortunately, halfway through the meal my cell phone rang. Caller ID said Unknown Caller.
“Hello?” I said.
“We’ve been watching you and we’ve got your mother.” The male voice sounded threatening, which didn’t surprise me considering what he’d said.
I glanced across the dinner table at my mother.
“No you don’t.” I put my index finger to my lips to hush everyone.
“She’s right here, and if you don’t do what we ask, we’ll hurt her. Understand?”
“I don’t know who you’ve got, but it isn’t my mother.” I began to feel a little frantic. Who could they possibly have taken?
Of course, the people at the table could only hear my side of the conversation.
“What’s going on?” I heard my aunt whisper. “What about Livvie?”
“What do you want from me?” I asked.
“We’ll exchange your mother for the wife of that witness in the hospital.” He seemed to think he had the upper hand, but I wasn’t sure… I didn’t know what to think.
“First of all, you don’t have my mother. I’m looking at her sweet face right now. Secondly, Mateo isn’t married. He has a girlfriend, but I don’t know where she is. The police probably have her stashed somewhere.”
“Hold on,” he said.
It was quiet for a moment.
“Say something to your mother.” He was obviously talking to whoever he’d snatched.
It was quiet again, and then a female voice yelled, “Help!”
“You have fifteen min
utes to make up your mind or your mother will pay for it.”
“Pay for what?” I asked, but he’d hung up.
“What was that about?” Pete asked.
“That was one of the bad guys. They think they’ve kidnapped my mother and they want to trade her for Zasu.”
I glanced at my mother.
She pursed her lips. “They certainly do not have me.”
Aunt Martha suddenly stood up and she looked startled. “Hold the boat,” she said. “When we left the B&B, Gloria’s husband said she’d gone for a walk and he was annoyed because she hadn’t come back. He was just starting dinner for the other guests.”
“That’s right,” my mother said. She sounded slightly panic stricken. “Oh, no! They must have nabbed Gloria, thinking it was me.”
“Don’t get excited yet,” Pete said. “I’ll call Phil and see if she ever came home.” He took his phone into the other room where he could hear because everyone had started talking at once.
“I’ve only got fifteen minutes to figure this out,” I said, shushing them. “He’s going to call back and if I don’t comply, he says he’s going to hurt Gloria.”
Zasu looked like she was ready to cry. “Are you going to give me to them?”
“Of course not, dear,” Mother said, “but we’ll figure something out. Just leave it to Pete and Sandi.”
I wished I had as much confidence as my mother. “How could they have known about us and my mother?”
“I can figure that one out,” Stanley said. “They got your license plate number, found out who you are and looked you up on the Internet. You only saw one of the two men in the SUV, so the other one may have been near you at some point and you’d have no idea who he was. All he had to do was hear you call your mother Mom, and apparently that set everything in motion. I believe the van never really left. I think they watched your mother’s car leave and end up at the bed and breakfast.”
Felicity smiled at her husband. “You’re so smart.”
“I guess that makes sense,” my aunt said. “But wouldn’t he have seen Livvie? If he has the wrong woman,
he’d know it.”
“Not if he heard me speak of my mother when she wasn’t with me. Pete and I stopped at the store and picked up some things from the deli. As I recall, we were talking about my mother and aunt.” I closed my eyes and tried to remember if anyone seemed too interested in us, but we’d been in a hurry. I hadn’t been paying attention.