“Yep. Doing it again.” Merlene sighed.
“You settle down now, Nilla,” I demanded. “You know you have no business coming in front here like a tourist wanting to see the sights and scenes. I’m no hill. You sit down and act all girly like dainty girls do.”
Most people would’ve thought I was just wasting my breath because the dog couldn’t understand a word I was saying, but Nilla was smart as a whip. She got down from the back of my seat and sat down like she’s supposed to. I took Pet Training 101 in the school of Donnie and Lucille Pfiffer many years ago. Nilla was sharp enough to know if she didn’t listen to my wise words, those treats she loved so much weren’t going to find their way to her anytime soon.
“This damn traffic!” Merlene yelled.
“You know what’s worse than crawling along the highway like snails?” I asked.
“What’s worse, Lucille?”
“Having to do so because of idiot drivers like this guy right here in front of us who’s obviously on his cell phone.”
“How can you see that if he’s in front of us with dark tints on his windows?”
“How? How?” Seriously, I don’t know how I ever got linked up with an occasional air-head like Merlene. If she didn’t add some type of value to my life, I would’ve shut the door in her face a long time ago and sent her home to keep poking her nose around David’s love life.
“Oh, I forgot you don’t use those eyes,” she said.
“I’m truly not surprised.”
“That inner sight of yours has been hanging around longer than usual, huh?”
“I’m not complaining. I told you I believe Sir Clement has something to do with it. He knows I’m serious about his case.”
Traffic was flowing better now and we were well on our way.
“He’s surely lucky to have you,” she said.
I couldn’t believe my ears. She must’ve bit her tongue with that compliment.
“Are you okay, Merlene?” I asked.
“Sure. Why do you ask?”
“I do believe that’s the first time you actually complimented me in years—if ever.”
“Stop that!” She slammed brakes suddenly after the car in front of us stopped abruptly.
“He’s on that damn cell phone again!” I told her. “Make sure the coast is clear on the left and try and pull alongside him.”
“Why?”
“I’ve got something to say to this guy.”
Merlene soon made it over to the left lane and we were driving alongside that sharply dressed, executive-looking young man who was clearly texting as he was driving. The dimwit boldly had the phone at the top of his steering wheel, clearly not giving a rat’s behind who saw him.
“Hey, Mister!” I shouted.
He glanced my way.
“Get off that bloody cell phone before you kill someone!”
“Shut up, old lady!” he fired back, giving me the middle finger.
“Oh, my!” Merlene cracked up. “He surely told you!”
If I was younger, I would’ve been a bit embarrassed, but I think when I turned sixty all shame went out the door.
“Keep up with him!” I told her. She pressed down on the accelerator since he’d sped up a bit.
“Listen, you punk! Say that to my face! And that middle finger you stuck up, I’d take it and stick it up your...”
Merlene sped all the way up, causing me to jerk forward. We left that no-manners brat behind.
“What did you do that for?” I asked her.
“If I mind you, Lucille, you’ll get us killed. You can’t just go around saying anything to people out there these days. You don’t know who they are or what they’re capable of.”
“And he doesn’t know who I am or what I’m capable of. I meant every word I said.”
“That’s what frightens me. You’re picking a fight, but we don’t know if that guy’s got a gun in the car. You just can’t be taking those chances, Lucille. Try to tame that tongue of yours.”
I settled back in my seat. “Yeah, I’ll do that.”
“Fine.”
“The minute you start taming yours.”
* * * *
We arrived at Brittany’s school ten minutes prior to when her class was to begin. Merlene held Nilla’s leash as I got busy using my cane to supposedly assist with where I was going. I was really getting tired of the entire charade Merlene still insisted was necessary. I’d thought of bringing my hotshot lawyer Mickey Carey into the scenario, but my pride often prevented that although I knew Mickey would’ve had all the answers as far as the law was concerned. One phone call might’ve ended the whole farce, but I just wasn’t ready. Guess, I’d just as well continue doing things Merlene’s way for a while longer.
We walked up the hallway of Block A where Brittany’s class was supposed to be. I heard the bell ring and students flooded the corridor heading in opposite directions.
“Miss Lucille!” I recognized the voice behind me as Brittany’s. She hugged me...again. “I’m so glad you came!”
“You thought I wasn’t going to?” I asked.
She hesitated for a moment. Guess she was up all night praying the crotchety old lady would actually keep her word. But when did I ever not keep my word?
“Nilla!” She went over to her and obviously thought it best to change the subject.
“My class is right here.”
“I know. That’s why we’re standing here,” I replied. “Go ahead, child. I’ll be right outside this door patiently waiting for you to hand my dog back to me.”
She grinned.
I really wonder why some people didn’t take me seriously. It’s not like I said it with a smile or anything.
“You have fifteen minutes,” I stressed.
“Yes, Miss Lucille; we won’t be long.”
“And remember what I said about not having those kids all over her!”
“Okay. Don’t worry.”
“Would you give the girl a break?” Merlene said. “It’s not like she’s gonna kidnap Nilla.”
“Merlene, you have one child. His name’s David, not Vanilla.”
Guess I told her because she quickly let the subject die.
The second bell rang just as all the students had cleared out of the hallway. I remembered that routine when I was school. The bells were different back then. They were those old-fashioned hand bells the Principal would shake to summon the kids to their class, unlike the automatic ones used today.
A few minutes later, a dark-haired, slender lady wearing bifocals walked out of Brittany’s class and approached me.
“Mrs. Pfiffer?” she said.
“Yes,” I answered, wondering what she wanted.
“Your grand-daughter told me you were kind enough to be taking that cute little puppy of hers to the vet this morning and I just thought how special it was for a grandparent to take such an interest in the family’s beloved pet.”
Brittany was obviously becoming a professional liar. Never mind the fact that I told her to pretend that I was her grandma.
I smiled innocently. “Thank you. I try.”
Merlene cleared her throat as it seemed like something had gotten stuck in it. I knew she wanted to laugh. Maybe I was standing there looking a bit too innocent. I think Merlene was just jealous though. I naturally looked like a sweet little grandma while she didn’t. Only goodness knows if she’d ever be a real grandma since David couldn’t seem to find the right girl.
“I hate to know that you two are standing up out here. Would you like to come in? I can have one of the boys grab a couple of chairs from another room.”
“Thanks, but that won’t be necessary,” I said. “We really must be going in just a bit.”
“I understand.” She smiled. “I’ll send Brittany out ASAP. She’s almost done.”
“Fantastic!” I returned the smile.
Brittany emerged approximately five minutes later and handed Nilla to Merlene.
“I’m all done, Miss
Lucille,” she spoke quietly. “Thanks again for coming. You saved the day.”
“Just plan ahead next time,” I replied. “Hope you get an A.”
“How could she not with this sweet little cutie poo in the mix?” Merlene commented.
“Thank you, both.” Brittany said before heading back to class.
When we got to the car, Merlene sighed. “So, we’re going to drop Nilla home, then go on that illegal mission you’ve signed me up for, huh?”
“No.”
“No? We’re not doing it anymore?”
“Yes, we are, but Nilla’s coming with us,” I said.
She was obviously shocked.
“You mean… you’re bringing Vanilla along while we break into Luke Tucker’s house?”
“Precisely.”
“Why on earth would you do such a dumb thing, Lucille?”
“It’s not a dumb thing, Merlene. Nilla is sharp enough to keep an eye out while we go in search of whatever it is we’ll be looking for,” I explained.
She sighed heavily...again.
“Have it your way. Do you even know what we’d be looking for?”
“I have no clue. Hopefully, the risk won’t be in vain.”
3
_________________
Anyone with the slightest common sense would have figured it was probably nonsensical of me to take along Nilla to an apparent break-in. But those who knew what type of dog she was would’ve also known she’s wiser than most humans and despite her little size, she wasn’t afraid of anyone. She had a keen sense of hearing like most dogs do and would’ve been able to alert us if anything unexpected occurred. If there was anyone I trusted to watch my back, it was Nilla and she knew she could count on me to do the same for her.
We pulled a few yards down from Luke Tucker’s front gate, parking quietly under a large dogwood tree. The tree leaves, scattered about the ground, reminded me of when I was a child. In the neighborhood where I grew up, several dogwood trees lined the streets.
“Did you bring the masks?” Merlene asked after switching off the engine.
“What masks?” I was puzzled.
“The ones most burglars use.”
I studied her for a moment. “Are you serious?”
“Of course not! I just think this whole thing is highly unnecessary. I can’t believe I let you talk me into this, Lucille. All my life, I’ve had a perfect record. Now, keeping company with you is likely to change that.”
“Think positively, Merlene. No one’s going to jail here. That’s why we’ve got Nilla.”
“What on earth is Nilla gonna do?”
“You know she’s the look-out girl. If we get wind of any unexpected visitors, we’ll escape through the back door. I’ve got it all figured out.”
But I didn’t have it all figured out. I just hoped we’d be lucky enough to get in there and out without leaving empty-handed.
“What about the alarm?” she asked.
“What alarm?”
“Suppose he’s got an alarm? I think he does, considering the size of this house.”
“The size of this house has nothing to do with having an alarm. Most houses around here don’t, simply because it’s a generally safe neighborhood,” I said.
“But suppose he’s got an alarm, Lucille? Then what?”
I really wished she’d have brought these questions to surface before we got there. At least, I would’ve had time to think.
“If, by chance, he’s got an alarm, we’ll have to find a way to disable it or if push came to shove, we’d have to leave.” I hated the thought of the latter. We needed to get in there. I just felt that if Sir Clement’s family had any knowledge of what really happened to him, the answer might be found in his old house, now his grand-nephew’s house.
“Okay, but what about the front gate?” Merlene asked. “Luke leaves that locked while he’s away.”
“How many more questions are you going to come up with, Merlene? We need to get the hell out of this hot car and then we’ll see about the gate. And for goodness’ sake, get this window fixed on my side! I felt like I was baking in here since your air-conditioning obviously needs gassing up.”
She gave me a reprimanding look. “Really, Lucille? That’s what you’re gonna gripe and complain about at a time like this? A window that can’t go down? Air-conditioning? You’re impossible!”
“Look who’s talking! Anyway, enough of this. Let’s just go. Shall we?”
Our street was quiet that time of morning. I could hear the crickets around the trees and I hoped they were cheering us on in our illegal pursuit. It was a Friday and I suspected mostly everyone had gone off to work, which made snooping around much easier for us, especially if we were faced with the challenge of getting inside that gate. It was my biggest concern because there was no way Merlene and I could climb over it. Maybe fifty years earlier I stood the chance.
I held Nilla, as I could clearly see in my mind’s eye where we were headed, as well as the leaves, pebbles and dust that covered the ground. We hurried to the point of entry and to my shock, on the other side of the gate stood Sir Clement. He was facing us, and oddly, the chain was unlocked. I breathed a sigh of relief as Merlene quickly removed the chain and opened the bronze iron gate.
Having mixed feelings about his presence there, I was sure he had something to do with that chain being unlocked. I could only assume it meant we were on the right track. Why couldn’t he be like other ghosts that spoke? That’s what bothered me the most about him. I doubt he was mute while alive.
“So, you’re not going to make it easy for me?” I asked as I approached him.
Just what I expected. Nothing. Absolutely nothing.
“Who are you talking to?” Merlene spoke quietly after shutting the gate behind us.
“Need you ask?” I replied.
Her eyes widened. “He’s here?”
“Well, it used to be his house long before he took the bullet. He’d sold it to his brother Alfred after he’d built another a few miles away.”
We hurried along and noticed Luke’s white Cadillac parked in the driveway. I knew, without a doubt, that he was not at home. If he was, the front gate would’ve been closed but the chain wouldn’t have been on it. It was common knowledge in our neighborhood that whenever he traveled, he caught a cab to the airport, leaving his vehicle parked in the yard and the gate chained and locked. For our sake, I guess it was good to be observant although some people might call it being nosy.
Luke’s property was huge with a nicely-manicured landscape, both in front and behind the house. Very old trees stood in the yard a good distance away from the house and an array of flowering plants and healthy green foliage added to the beauty. Further back was a concrete shed with white-framed impact-resistant windows matching those of the main house, only smaller. I figured it was Luke’s storage unit for gardening equipment and the like.
Nowhere in front of the home did we notice any security signs, so our guess was that Luke was perhaps a cheapskate or just didn’t feel the need to invest in an alarm system. Either way, we weren’t complaining. The coast was clear, so with Merlene leading the way, we went around to the side door which was out of any neighbor’s possible view. That was Merlene’s suggestion. Sounded like she might’ve had experience in this sort of thing. That son-of-a-gun!
She tried the latch and it wouldn’t budge.
“Shoots!” I said.
She looked at me. “So, you thought getting in this place was gonna be easy? What world do you live in?”
She pulled some sort of tool out of her pants pocket, pushed it into the lock and after a few light shoves—voila!
“Where did you get that from and how did you know how to use it?” I asked.
“It’s a new device they’re selling down at the hardware store, handy for being able to get inside your home if you were mistakenly locked out. That way, you won’t have to call a locksmith. I knew you were coming empty-handed, but I wasn’t about to tresp
ass on this guy’s property without being prepared, at least to get in the door.”
“So, they’re selling tools at the hardware store to make it easier for criminals to break into people’s houses?”
“I wouldn’t say that based on how the tool’s advertised, but I guess you’re right. It only works for certain types of deadlocks though.”
She turned the latch and we entered the house through the kitchen. Luke’s place was immaculate—adorned with eye-catching antique furnishings, as well as a winding bronze staircase. I don’t recall seeing any so beautiful before and wondered how a fairly young man in his late forties could live in such a dazzling abode all alone. Rumor had it that he might have had a girlfriend in England where he often traveled, but if so, I’d never spotted anyone on his property other than the gardeners or the mail man.
I put Nilla down and she raced off to the southern side of the house presumably to explore.
“So, where do we start?” Merlene asked.
“She went south, so we’ll go north,” I said.
I allowed my inner vision to lead me directly into what I assumed was the master bedroom. It was upstairs on the second floor, but in my mind’s eye, I could see a filing cabinet too, but wasn’t sure where that was.
This time, I took the lead as Merlene followed. I sensed her uneasiness. After all, we both knew what could happen if we were caught in Luke Tucker’s house.
“Hurry up, old woman!” she snarled. “We don’t have all day!”
I paid her no mind.
When we stepped onto the landing, I could see the hallway lined on both sides of the wall with photographs of the Tucker family which spanned generations. One of them was of Sir Clement in his finest days and obviously at the height of his lucrative career. He was dressed in what appeared to be a black, silk suit with black and white Oxford shoes well known for their heel and top-stitch detailing. I must say the man was a real looker and I’d heard the ladies were crazy about him.
We passed a couple of rooms on each side of the hallway, but I knew the master bedroom was at the very end, primarily because that’s where Sir Clement stood, poised as ever.
Lucille Pfiffer Mystery Series Box Set Page 21