I didn’t bother to respond. He just wasn’t worth my time, though I really didn’t have anything else to do except try and come to grips with my anger toward Merlene. Aside from those crooks out there, I blamed her for everything I was going through and for what happened to Nilla — and that right there was close to unforgivable. I didn’t care as much what anyone did to me compared to how they treated my dog. Did Merlene set this whole thing up to rob me of my money? Was she a part of this despicable scheme? The Merlene I knew for all these years – who was practically like a sister to me? It was difficult to fathom, but I was wise enough to know, not an impossibility. This sort of back-stabbing was an age-old problem. I struggled to resist the thought that her betrayal might even cost me my life.
Heavy rain pounded the ground that night. Quite understandably, with all things considered, I barely slept. The house was completely quiet and my only company were my thoughts. I wondered how things would turn out the next day and if I were to survive, how I would handle knowing I'd practically given away a huge chunk of my financial security to two guys who refused to go out there and make an honest living. Donnie would turn over in his grave if such an atrocity occurred. Right now, I couldn’t see any way out of it. Having been locked away in that bedroom didn’t make it easy for an escape. I thought about the double window on the southern side. There must be some way I could climb through and get help. Wherever we were was far from anywhere I was familiar with, but if I was able to make it out to the main road, maybe someone might find it in their heart to help me. I was willing to take a chance. After all, there was no better time than now while those two were asleep.
I got up and tip-toed over to the double-hung window on the southern end of the room, then tucked the lopsided curtain aside. Since the base of the window was approximately four feet from the floor I knew I’d need support to get over the sill. I quickly realized none of that was possible. I tried with all my might to slide the window up, but it wouldn’t budge; the catch was obviously jammed. I then headed over to the window on the western side.
“This has to work,” I told myself. But within seconds, my hopes were dashed. It had the same issue as the other window. I sauntered back to the bed and sat down, feeling foolish for thinking those guys would’ve conveniently left a window open for their captive to climb through. A million thoughts were racing through my mind, but none with the answer as to how I was going to get the hell out of that house.
11
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“Arise and shine, sleepy head!” Jake appeared in the doorway of the bedroom.
I’d barely slept a wink all night, so I clearly heard when he’d unlocked the door.
“Is it morning?” I used both hands as support and eased my way up, feeling slightly heavy from exhaustion.
“Seven o’clock sharp. Do what you need to do in the bathroom, and we’ll be on our way.”
“I thought we were meeting Mickey at ten,” I said.
“We are, but we have a stop to make first.”
Sal walked up behind him. “Just got the call,” he said. “Told him we’ll be there in an hour.”
“Perfect,” Jake replied. “Let’s get this show on the road!” There he went rubbing those hands again. I’d come to hate that.
They skipped breakfast and hurried me out of the house and into the car. But not before they’d collected a few guns from the pantry in the other bedroom — two handguns and two rifles to be exact. I kept my cool as I saw them bring their weapons to the car.
The drive over that gravel road was rougher the second time around. Sal had just left and was already driving like a maniac.
Jake sat in the backseat with me; his arm stretched across my shoulders. Those guys knew absolutely nothing about proper hygiene. Nothing! This, in itself, was torture enough! Good thing the scent under his arm wasn’t too unbearable. Sitting there with me, he was clearly ensuring that there was no way their meal ticket would get away from them. We made our way out of that district and headed south, moving farther away from my side of town.
Jake looked at me as I sat there quietly. “Nervous, huh?”
“Me?” I replied. “Don’t know what the word means.”
“I’d be nervous for sure…” Sal started from the front seat “…if your guy doesn’t show up on time with that cash.”
“Don’t scare, Lucille,” Jake said. “I’m sure the great Mickey will be there just like he said he would. I doubt he'd let his client down.”
I knew what they were doing. They were doing it from the beginning – playing “good guy, bad guy”.
“Whatever you choose to believe is fine with me,” I said. “You guys will get the money and you’d better keep your word about letting me go. I don’t play around in life and neither will I in death.”
Jake chuckled and I noticed the grin on Sal's face. They obviously thought I was kidding, but I was as serious as a heart attack.
“Are you threatening to come back and haunt us if we killed you?” The smile on Jake’s face was sickening.
“Read through the lines. I didn’t stutter.”
He removed his arm from across my shoulders. Seemed like he suddenly got an uneasy feeling about the topic.
“You sure are a clown, lady,” Sal said. “I don’t think any man could’ve understood what went on inside that head of yours.”
“Donnie did. That’s for sure. No other man matters.”
“Not until…”
“Sal!” Jake interjected. He had a sterner expression now. “Just drive, will ya?”
Sal obeyed like a good minion would.
Maybe Jake was suddenly feeling edgy. I’d heard criminals are often nervous in these types of situations, yet that fear - be it slight or immense never seems to deter them.
We drove for approximately a half hour before Sal pulled up in front of a house that resembled a little barn. The huge property was enclosed on three sides by an old rusty fence which cried out for attention.
The front door creaked open and a rugged-looking man with a long beard and pot belly stepped onto the porch. His face was void of expression. I noticed the little rectangular box in his left hand. Sal got out of the vehicle and approached the guy. Very little was said while Sal handed him some rolled up cash and the man surrendered the box. As Sal walked back to the car, the man nodded to Jake who silently nodded back. I could tell those guys were up to no good and as Sal returned and gave the box to Jake, my inner vision penetrated the cardboard enclosure and exposed its contents. Just as I suspected, it was ammunition they went to pick up.
I couldn’t imagine why they thought they needed all those guns to begin with. Did they anticipate a shoot-out or something or did they plan to kill both Mickey and me, and whomever they figured might get in their way after the cash was turned over?
I had a bad feeling that this thing could turn out to be a disaster.
12
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The drive toward our destination was about to be a lengthy one. They’d gone so far out for extra ammunition.
“What time is it?” I asked Jake. I was eager for this ordeal to be over with.
He’d been glancing at his watch all along. “Ten past nine,” he said. “We’ve got plenty of time.”
“Ten o’clock can’t come fast enough,” I replied.
His face softened for a moment. “Hanging out with Sal and me couldn’t have been that bad. Was it, Lucille? Didn’t we feed you and give you shelter for the night? We could’ve starved you and kept you overnight in the special dungeon we’ve built. Show some gratitude, huh?”
“I didn’t need your food or shelter,” I replied. “I was fine where I was before you kidnapped me.”
“We know y’all always fine in that big, fancy neighborhood of yours,” Sal couldn’t seem to resist chiming in.
“For your information, we have our share of problems like everyone else does. We’re not exempt. We just choose to live on the good side of the law. Maybe
you young men need to seriously consider doing the same thing. It doesn’t matter which side of the track you live on. It’s how you live. This life of crime isn’t going to always work for you. Believe me.”
“Enough of the lecturing!” Jake demanded. “Heard it before and it doesn’t make any difference.”
“Why doesn’t it?” I asked.
I felt his reluctance to answer. “Look, lady... I’ve been there and done that. Worked my butt off as a carpenter for twelve years while I was married to the love of my life.”
He must’ve been referring to the lovely lady I saw in the photograph at the house.
“When she got sick with cancer,” he sighed, “I couldn’t bring in enough cash to get her better healthcare, so she ended up in the stinking hospital where those so-called professionals don’t give a damn about the people they’re supposed to take care of. Couldn’t tell you how many times I met her in soiled diapers that had probably been on her for hours. I had to change them myself. Once I was there I didn’t let those nurses do it because if they were looking after her, they could’ve done it before I got there. She died in that place. Maybe if I had the cash to put her in a private hospital she might’ve survived.”
I could see the pain in his eyes as he spoke.
“After she died, I changed my life. I realized being on the ‘good side of the law’, as you say, brings nothing but heartache and pain. I’m never going back there. My goal is to make sure I never again be in a position where I can’t help someone I love.”
I was shocked by his revelation and deeply touched. It made me realize how wrong it is to judge a book by its cover; that everyone we see has a story—depth that we may never ever get to see or understand. By the same token, I felt he could’ve continued on in the right direction like his wife might’ve preferred for him, in spite of everything.
“I’m very sorry about your wife,” I told him. “What was her name?”
“Helen.”
“Was she a good woman?”
“The best,” he said. “The kindest human being I’d ever met. I was a bad boy when we first got together. Was into all kinds of stuff, but she changed me. She was the only woman who could.”
“Sounds like she was really special,” I said. “But I must tell you, Jake, the road you’re on is a self-destructive one. You can’t possibly be honoring Helen’s memory like this.”
He was quiet.
“She would not approve of what you’re doing. You must know that.”
“I don’t wanna talk about it anymore,” he finally said.
“Think about what I’m saying…”
“I said shut your mouth!” he growled. “You don’t know her and you don’t know me.”
“I was wondering when you were gonna put an end to that crap talk,” Sal told him.
“You shut up too, Sal and focus on the road!” he snapped.
I wasn’t about to cross over that boundary line at this point. It was obvious Jake was in no mood for it.
We soon arrived at our destination and Sal pulled up under the Pulia Bridge. The area hadn’t changed much since I’d last seen it on the news. The concrete pavement below the bridge was cracked in many places now which gave room for tall weeds to grow through. On the northern side of the bridge was a pond afar off where, when I was a child visiting my grandma who lived not too far from this area, I used to come and catch tadpoles with a couple of school friends. They were good old, peaceful days, and being there again brought back cherished memories. The Pulia Bridge had made it on the news many years back when the body of a missing teen was found under the bridge. Apparently, she’d been abducted, raped and stabbed to death, and a homeless man came across the body weeks later. At that time, the bridge had only been abandoned for about two years.
Jake instructed Sal to turn the car around, so we’d be facing the entrance way and to keep an eye out for anything suspicious. Every couple of minutes, Jake checked his watch. As time was winding down, he seemed even more restless. Sal was clearly a bit on edge as well. Jake had started placing ammunition in the guns while we were on our way there and they both slid the last few bullets inside the chamber of the handguns while we waited.
Beads of sweat started to form on Jake’s forehead, though the weather was quite cool. I could see how uncomfortable he was, yet determined to follow through with their plan.
“In just a few short minutes, we’ll be flushed.” Sal grinned nervously.
“You got it, partner. All thanks to Lucille here,” Jake replied.
“Well, if you’re thanking anybody, you’d better thank Donnie,” I said.
“Who?” Jake grimaced.
“My dead husband whose insurance money you’re stealing from me.”
Jake laughed, wiping the sweat from his forehead with the back of his hand. “I’m sure Donnie understands.”
“I’m sure he does,” I responded evenly.
“There, he is!” Sal pointed as Mickey’s Silverado slowly approached us, head on.
“Do you see anyone with him?” Jake craned his neck.
“Looks like he’s alone,” Sal replied.
Jake seemed relieved. I doubt he thought Mickey alone was any threat to them. He was a sharp lawyer, but wasn’t known to be physically confrontational.
“Stay here,” Jake told me as he climbed out of the car.
Immediately, Sal turned around and pointed his handgun directly at my face.
“I have this gun in my hand. One false move,” he said, “and you’re dead.”
Why did I believe him? Only because I knew he’d take extreme pleasure in shooting me after what I’d done to him. I’m sure what he’d done to Nilla was totally irrelevant in his mind. Narcissistic thinking for sure. I didn’t expect much better from the guy.
I saw Mickey reach over to the front passenger seat of his vehicle and retrieve the briefcase, before heading out to meet Jake who was almost upon him.
Jake was toting his handgun. “Nice of you to show up and on time,” he said.
Mickey appeared to have the world on his shoulders. He was not as dapper as he usually was and the protruding veins in his forehead revealed his stress.
“I’m not handing anything over until I see Lucille,” he bravely said.
Jake nodded. “A deal is a deal. Sal! Bring her out!” he yelled.
As usual, Sal did what he was told, keeping the muzzle of the gun pressed against my back as we approached Jake.
“Lucille, are you all right?” Mickey asked with genuine concern in his voice.
“I’m in one piece, Mickey,” I replied. “These guys were no match for me.”
Jake looked at me in disbelief. “You can’t help yourself, can you?”
“No, she can’t,” Mickey announced, much to my surprise. “Here’s the cash; you can check it.” He handed Jake the briefcase. “Now, let her go.”
Jake’s eyes canvassed the area and Sal was keeping a good look out too. Jake unbuckled the briefcase and stacks of hundred dollar bills wrapped in narrow paper bands flashed before him. Keeping me within his grip, Sal caught a glimpse, and a hearty smile stretched across their faces. Jake picked up one of the stacks and flipped through the bills without loosing the band. “This is what I’m talking about!” He turned to Sal while keeping his weapon on Mickey. “Let her go.”
Sal gave me a slight nudge. “You’d better come get her if you want her,” he told Mickey, who immediately came and got me. We walked hurriedly over to his vehicle; he opened the passenger side door and helped me in.
Jake and Sal started back toward their car as Mickey headed around his truck to the driver's side.
“Thanks, Lucille!” Jake stopped for a moment and said. “It was nice knowing you.” Then he hurried into the front passenger seat as Sal revved up the engine.
The men took off at full speed and I breathed a deep sigh of relief.
“Are you sure you’re all right, Lucille?” Mickey touched my shoulder.
Somewhat in a daze,
I replied, “I can’t believe I'm actually sitting here with you.”
“I’m so glad you are!” He started the truck and pulled off. “Who are those creeps anyway and how did you get mixed up with them?”
“Just two bozos with a whole heap of problems.” I went on to explain how the three of us met.
“Merlene was involved in this, you say?”
“Well, I don’t know to what extent,” I said. “I just know she ran her mouth about the money Donnie left me.”
“It’s a shame, after all you did for her son.”
“I’d say. Anyway, I'll be getting to the bottom of it. Because of her, I'm out a half a million dollars. I could wring her neck.”
We were finally on the highway, which was an immediate right turn we would’ve had to make after leaving the vicinity of the bridge.
“Luck would have it, you won’t have to kiss that money goodbye after all.” Mickey smiled while looking straight ahead.
“What do you mean?”
There, about a hundred yards ahead of us, I saw the reason for his sudden glee. Jake and Sal's green sedan were surrounded by police cars and the two were being held up outside their car with numerous guns now pointed in their direction. One officer was carrying the briefcase with the money in it to a squad car. My heart leapt with joy; the relief was indescribable. It even brought me to silent tears. Mickey explained everything I could clearly see in front of me. I wanted to abruptly stop him and reveal that I could see exactly what he could, but I didn’t. It was the first time in a long time I'd shed any tears of joy.
He slowed down and spoke briefly with an officer. He told him he'd be bringing me down to the station to render a statement.
“Why didn’t you get the money back?” I asked him as we drove off. “Do they need to keep it a while for evidence or something?”
“Those guys never had your money, Lucille,” Mickey said.
“What?”
Lucille Pfiffer Mystery Series Box Set Page 17