by Marja McGraw
“Hey!” I hollered. I was too late. He was gone, and it had suddenly dawned on me that he hadn’t taken the vodka bottle to check for prints.
I tried to take a close look at the back yard, but it was too dark out. The bum could easily be hiding in the fruit trees; I’d never be able to see him without a flashlight, and maybe not then. The porch light didn’t reach out far enough. All it did was make me a good target.
Shaking my head, I returned to the back door and let myself in. I locked it behind me, taking note that the lock was pretty flimsy. It didn’t matter that much though, because it would be an easy matter to cut the screens on the windows and come in that way since it was an open porch with no panes of glass. I was glad to see there was a good lock on the door between the kitchen and the porch.
We spent the rest of the evening visiting with Chrissy and Tammi, and I felt like part of the little family. It felt good. Tammi showed me her new doll, and we played a word game she enjoyed. Chrissy shared the chocolate cake Dolly had bought. It didn’t taste like homemade, but it was good. Chocolate holds a special place in my heart.
Dolly and I left around nine-thirty. I retrieved the flashlight from my glove compartment before leaving and checked the yard as well as I could. I did notice a patrol car drive by slowly. Maybe Officer Paley was doing his job for a change.
Dolly fell asleep during the drive home, which gave me time to think things over.
I made two decisions. I was going to return to Covina and talk to Lieutenant Johnson again. He’d struck me as a professional and a nice guy. I was also going to spend the night at Chrissy’s house. I’d park across the street at the school so my car wouldn’t be in her driveway, and I’d wait inside her house. I knew the bum would be back.
I had a new resolve. I wasn’t going to let anything happen to Dolly’s small family.
Chapter Eighteen
Dolly awoke as I drifted onto the off ramp, heading for home.
“I’m sorry, Sandi. I didn’t mean to fall asleep on you. I should have kept you company.”
“It’s okay, Dolly. It gave me time to think. I’m going to make arrangements to spend the night at Chrissy’s house. Hopefully the bum will show up while I’m there.” I didn’t want to mention how much he concerned me. She was worried enough without my help. She knew how dangerous he was, and there was no point in talking about it. I didn’t think she wanted to voice the thought either. That would make it too real.
“I was right about Ned the Nerd, wasn’t I?” Dolly had a twinkle in her eyes. We’d arrived home, and I saw the sparkle as she opened the car door and the inside light came on.
“Now, Dolly, give the guy a chance. Maybe he did have to get back to work.”
“Wanna make a bet? He was afraid.” Any warmth she might have felt for him appeared to be gone.
I knew better and grinned at her. “No bets.” I watched Dolly until she was safely in her house.
Turning to go inside my own home, I found Bubba waiting for me on the porch.
“Uh oh. I forgot about you. I’ll bet you’re ready for dinner.” He appeared to be a patient dog, and he turned with his nose to the front door. Glancing over his shoulder, he grinned at me, with his tail swinging wildly. The word dinner must have set off an internal alarm.
“Don’t worry, Bubba, I won’t forget about you again. I just need to get into a routine – fthat is, until I find you a new home.” I was already getting used to having the big woofer around, and I knew that was a mistake.
He followed me into the house and waited in the kitchen while I put my backpack away. I fixed his dinner, giving him a little extra to make up for being late, and set the dish on the floor. I watched as he inhaled his food, which added to the guilt I was already feeling. Shaking my head, I resolved to be a better doggie person.
The phone rang, and I left the room to answer it while Bubba finished licking the edges of his dish. He didn’t want to miss a morsel.
It was Pete. “Hi, Sandi. How’s everything going?”
“I’m fine. I just got back from Covina. I’ve got a few things to talk to you about, but first I want to hear what’s going on in Tahoe.”
“Not much. The local cops have done just about everything they can for the time being. I’m going to start nosing around and see if I can come up with anything. There are a few other cabins up there, but they’re not too close to Jack’s place. I’m going talk to the people who live in them anyway. You never know if they could’ve seen something or not.” Pete was a good investigator. He wouldn’t leave any rock unturned.
“I hope you find something. Wish I could fly up and help you out.”
“I know you do. Thanks. I can’t get rid of this feeling that Jack had something to do with it, but he was in his office when I called him. And he did sound like the grieving husband when he found out about his wife’s death.
“On the other side of the coin, you’d think his reaction would have been a mixed bag since the wife’s boyfriend was there and killed, too.” Pete was doing what I do. He was talking it out and working it out. I had no doubt that he’d find the answer. Unfortunately, I didn’t have any pearls of wisdom to offer.
“If there’s anything I can do, let me know.”
“Nah, just having you listen to me helps. I’ll get a handle on it.”
“Pete, let me tell you what’s going on with Dolly’s granddaughter. Maybe you’ll have some input for me.” So I explained everything about the bum and the cop.
“I don’t like the fact that he was in her basement,” Pete said. “It sounds like it’s escalating, and that young lady might be in trouble sooner than she thinks.”
“I couldn’t agree more. So, I’ve decided I’m going to spend the night there and confront this guy.” I should know by now when to keep my big trap shut.
“You’re what? I don’t think so. This guy sounds dangerous to me. You let the cops handle it.”
“That’s the problem, Pete. They’re not handling it. At least, Paley isn’t. She needs help, and she needs it now.”
“Can’t she and her daughter stay with Dolly for a while? Can’t they get away from the house?”
“What good would that do?” I asked. “As soon as she comes home, he’ll start right in again. And if she’s gone for a few days, that might make him angry. No, I’ve got to do this my way. And I’m going to stop and talk to Lieutenant Johnson at Covina P.D. tomorrow afternoon. Maybe he can figure out why Paley is dragging his feet on this thing.”
“You do that. You talk to the lieutenant. And let him handle it. That’s his job.”
“And my job is to keep Chrissy and Tammi safe. That’s what Dolly hired me to do.” I could feel my shoulders tightening. I should have known Pete would react this way. He was too protective sometimes. Well, I had a job to do, and I was going to do it. I always landed on my feet. And he knew it. I’m a good investigator.
I could hear Pete sigh before he spoke. “Will you do me at least one favor?”
“What’s that?”
“Take Stan with you. There’s safety in numbers, and if this guy sees you and Stan, maybe he’ll back off.”
“Well, there’s one problem with that. I plan to sneak into Chrissy’s house so the bum doesn’t know I’m there. The idea is to stop him. He won’t show up if he knows I’m there.”
Pete’s sigh turned into a huge deep breath. “Guess I can’t stop you, huh?”
“No.”
“Be careful then. The bum is a problem, and from what you’ve told me, so is the cop. Something’s outta whack there.” This was the Pete I knew and loved. He’d gone from trying to tell me what to do, to knowing I’d do what I needed to and asking me to watch out for myself.
“Thanks, Pete.”
“For what?”
“For trusting me. And I’ll think about taking Stan with me.”
“I’ll check back with you tomorrow night. Get a good night’s sleep, honey. Sounds like you’re going to need a clear head tomorrow.”
“I’ll call you, because tomorrow night I’ll be staying with Chrissy. I love you, Pete.”
“I know you do.” That’s it? I tell him I love him and he can’t say it back? I sighed. This was typical of Pete.
“I’ll let you know what happens,” I said. It didn’t matter. I knew he loved me.
I turned on the TV and sat down on the couch, ready to relax for a few minutes before going to bed. I was too wound up to think about sleep.
Bubba approached me very casually, but with his size, casual didn’t work very well.
“I like you, Bubba.” He grinned at me as though in understanding. “Whatever am I going to do with you? I can’t keep you, you know.”
The dog sat and watched me before lying down on the carpet next to my feet. I turned my attention to the TV and began channel surfing, looking for an old movie. I have a real affinity for old mystery movies, favoring the humorous ones. The Mad Miss Manton with Barbara Stanwyck and Henry Fonda was on. It was a thirties vintage murder mystery, light and fun.
I was so involved in the movie that it took a moment before I realized something was happening.
Chapter Nineteen
A noise came from overhead. Bubba sat up straight and turned towards the stairs.
“Now what?” I wondered out loud.
I dragged myself off the couch and headed for the stairs, with Bubba right on my heels. He sniffed the air and hunched his back, as he’d done before, and turned toward the kitchen.
“Look, pal, if you’re gonna stay here, then you’re going to have to grow a spine. None of this running off stuff, you understand? You’re supposed to protect your owner.” Uh oh. I’d called myself his owner. Could I take that back? Did I want to take it back?
The dog looked in the general direction of the kitchen again, but he didn’t run away. I mentally crossed my fingers.
I heard the noise again, but it was softer than before. I couldn’t quite make out what it sounded like.
I started up the steps. “You coming with me?” I glanced back at Bubba. He followed me, reluctantly at first, but then with more determination.
I stopped every so often and listened. The noise would stop each time I placed my foot on a creaky stair step. It would begin again as I paused and listened. Reaching the second level, I could hear that it sounded like scratching on the upstairs floor.
Behind me, Bubba made a small urf noise. I glanced back at him, and he wasn’t smiling. If a dog could frown, then that’s what he was doing.
I stopped trying to listen and hurried up the stairs, with the dog on my heels every step of the way. I couldn’t help but worry he might trip me.
Throwing open the attic door, I said, “Aha!” threateningly to the air. There was no one there to catch in the act of doing anything. Guess I scared Bubba, because tail between his legs and ears back, he turned around and fled down the stairs, urfing all the way.
Sighing had become a habit for me, and this occasion was no exception. Taking in the scene in front of me, I saw old period clothing that had been packed in a box lying on the floor. Some of pieces had long tears in them, which hadn’t been the case when I packed them. Who would do such a thing? Certainly not the ghost that Stanley and Bubba thought haunted the old house. A chill ran down my back. Who could have been in the attic? I knew who’d been in Chrissy’s basement, but my attic was another story. I didn’t have a clue.
Picking up clothing while crossing the room, I checked the window. It was still resting against the sill, but not closed all the way. I had to replace the latch on it, and soon. I couldn’t keep putting it off. Isn’t it interesting how I could see the problems in other people’s homes, but not my own?
Tossing the clothes into the box they’d been packed in, I knew I’d have to return to go through them. Some of the dresses were pretty old, and I’d hoped to save them. I wasn’t one to wear costumes, but if the need ever arose I could dress as a lady of the 1800s. Or a flapper from the 1920s.
Boxes in the old attic had contained a wide variety of period clothing. There was also the issue that vintage clothing was in demand. It was quite collectable, and I might even decide to donate the dresses to a museum. Fortunately, only a few pieces had actually been damaged.
I checked for cat hair, but there wasn’t enough light to see if I’d had another feline visitor.
That’s when I heard Stanley’s baby crying. I stopped dead in my tracks, listening hard. It sounded like it was coming from inside the walls. It couldn’t be. It positively could not be coming from the walls. I don’t believe in ghosts, but I couldn’t come up with a logical explanation to save my soul. As abruptly as the crying began, it stopped. I waited, but it didn’t repeat.
It was time to panic. “I’m coming, Bubba!” I hollered. I flew down the steps, just as the huge canine coward had done only minutes earlier. Maybe he was a big chicken, but at least he was my big chicken. He was waiting for me at the bottom of the stairs.
“I don’t know what it was, but we’ll figure it out. Not to worry, pal.” I knew there had to be something I was missing, and that thought helped ease my nervousness. I refused to be scared away from my own home. If I could handle that drunken bum in Covina, I could surely face whatever – uh, whoever – was messing up my attic. And I was ready to face the bum.
I made my way to the kitchen, Bubba on my heels again, and braced myself with a glass of water. Crazy Larry’s Bar was looking better and better by the moment. No, drinking alcohol wasn’t going to solve anything. I gulped the water.
The dog kept watching me, as though he expected something from me. I didn’t know what it could be, so I patted the top of his head and told him he was a good boy. It seemed like the thing to do.
We retreated to the living room to regroup. I sat down on the couch again, noticing with disappointment that the movie was over. It might have distracted me. I looked for another, but ended up turning on the late news.
Bubba placed his bear-sized paw on the couch. The next thing I knew, he was climbing up onto the cushion.
“What are you doing?” He grinned, and that’s when I realized he was going to try to lie down in my lap. “You’re not a lap dog. Now get down before – ” The rest of my words were lost in his fur.
“Oh, good grief,” I mumbled, pushing him away. “You’re not a puppy and you’re too big for my lap. Now get down this instant.” I was trying hard to sound authoritative, and it seemed to be working. He backed up and climbed off the couch.
And then he grinned at me. It was all too much. What began as a chuckle escalated into a giggle, and Bubba’s pinkish nose wiggled at the sound. The next thing I knew, I had tears running down my face caused by unbridled laughter. The harder I laughed, the more excited the dog became. I slid off the couch and onto the floor, throwing my arms around him and hugging for all I was worth.
The fear I’d felt when I was in the attic dissipated, and all was right with the world. Bubba was staying. As though he’d read my mind, he lowered his head and rested it on my shoulder. We stayed like that for a moment before I let go of him. He immediately rolled over on his back and waited for me to scratch his belly. He trusted me enough to make himself vulnerable by exposing his underside.
“Aw, you big sweetie pie.” I glanced at the clock and saw it was eleven. I’d felt so up and down over the past several hours that I was tired.
I turned my head toward the stairs. “I’m not going up alone tonight. You come sleep by my bed. Keep me safe. Just don’t get used to sleeping up there.”
Pulling myself up, I turned off the downstairs lights, making sure the doors were locked while I made the rounds. I saw Bubba at the bottom of the steps, sniffing the air again. Apparently the apparition wasn’t around, because he tentatively climbed up the first step before stopping to wait for me.
“Pete’s not going to be happy about our arrangement, but he’ll adjust.”
Bubba’s tail smacked my leg as it swung back and forth.
I’d
picked up his blanket when I turned off the kitchen light, and now dropped it at the foot of the bed when we entered the bedroom. After turning in a circle a couple of times, he settled down and began to doze.
I’d seen dogs turn like that before. I drifted off wondering what it meant.
Early the next morning I awoke to find Bubba staring at me. He was so close that I could feel his warm breath on my face.
“What?” I was still a bit groggy, coming up from a deep sleep.
My new roomie pranced around and I realized he needed to go outside to take care of business.
“Okay.” I shoved my feet into a pair of slippers and followed him down the stairs, after spending a moment listening for noises. The house was quiet.
I opened the back door and the dog just about knocked me over in his effort to pass me. Shaking my head, I returned to my bedroom. The still warm bed looked so inviting, but I fought the urge and headed for a hot shower instead.
Back downstairs, I let Bubba in and fed him. He was definitely a two-meal-a-day animal.
The phone rang. I glanced at the clock. I’d slept later than usual, and it was already nine.
“Hello?”
“Sandi, it’s Dolly.” I had no problem recognizing her high-pitched little voice.
“Good morning,” I said, smiling to myself. “How are you today?”
“I’m fine. Sandi, have you come up with any ideas about how to help Chrissy? That copper sure doesn’t seem too interested in her problems.”
Knowing Dolly, I had a feeling she’d been up all night worrying. I was almost surprised that she hadn’t called earlier.
Chapter Twenty
I could hear the concern in Dolly’s voice. Actually, it was a lot more than mere concern.
“As a matter of fact, I’ve decided to go out there and spend the night with her since Officer Paley isn’t doing his job. I think I mentioned that to you last night. Hopefully, the bum will show up and I can confront him. Maybe get rid of him.” Big talk. I had no idea how to get rid of him. “I’m going to park at the school so he doesn’t know I’m there.”