by Marja McGraw
“I have no idea what we can use for a signal. If I yell, it’ll scare her off. It’s too bad we didn’t bring those walkie talkies with us. They would have come in handy.”
Stanley snapped his fingers. “Wait here.” He ran out of the house like the tarantulas were after him, or the snake.
I waited. And waited. What on earth could he be doing?
He returned in a few minutes with his hands behind his back and grinning like the Cheshire cat.
“No,” I said. “It can’t be.”
“Yes, indeed, I brought the walkie talkies with us. I have no idea why, but it seemed like the prudent thing to do. I guess because I’d heard how spacious the property is. I placed them in the glove box and quickly forgot about them.”
He continued to grin and I joined him.
“I never would have thought of bringing them along.” I reached out and he handed me one of the little black contraptions.
“The next time you see the woman, call me on the walkie talkie and I’ll get here as fast as I can. We’re in like Flynn, as the saying goes.”
“Stan, Micah was right. You’re the man. You come through for me at the darnedest times.”
“These might come in handy for other things, too. You never know when we might need them. For instance, your mother won’t have to yell across the property when a meal is ready for consumption.”
“That’s true, but she’ll have to come to me because I’m not letting this little sweetie out of my possession.”
We heard my mother and Felicity talking as they entered the house, and they sounded like they’d had a good time.
“I’ve got some great neighbors,” my mother said. “They’re older people, but they’re sweethearts. They were thrilled to pieces to find out their new neighbor is younger than they are. I guess they’ll be calling on us for help with things, but that’s okay. Shirley and Jeff Shaw said Tyler’s been helping them when they need things done. Now they won’t feel like such a burden when they need something. At least that’s what they said. And I sure wouldn’t think of them as a burden. They were delightful.” My mother sounded pretty wound up.
“Jeff sure has a great sense of humor,” Felicity said. “He about had us rolling on the floor. Shirley just looks at him. I guess she’s used to him, but we’re a new audience.”
“I’m glad you had so much fun and I’d like to meet them, but did they have any new information?” I asked.
Felicity sobered up quickly. “Not really. They had neighborhood barbeques and things like that from time to time, but their property used to be a chicken farm. They had other animals, too, and they were busy most of the time. All they knew about the murders was what we’ve already heard.”
“That’s it? It’s not helpful,” I said. I’d hoped we’d learn more.
My mother held up her hand as though silencing us. “There was one other thing. Shirley said she had a feeling that Harry didn’t treat his family well. I asked what she meant and she beat around the bush.
“So I asked her if she’d ever noticed bruises on the mother or daughter. Her cheeks turned bright pink and then she told me that, yes, she’d seen bruises on both of them, but just on their arms. She said it looked like Harry had grabbed them and squeezed. She felt bad because she thought she should have told someone.”
“Did her husband add any information to her revelation?” Stanley appeared to be quite interested.
Felicity tipped her head back and thought about the conversation. “No. He was surprised and chastised Shirley for not mentioning it to him at the time. He said he’d have ‘run ol’ Harry ragged’ for mistreating the woman and their child. Shirley added something about not being sure he’d actually done anything to his daughter. Her bruises could have just been from playing outside.”
“It sounds like you had quite a visit. Stanley and I have some news, too.” I held out the page of pictures Racheal made for me along with the photo I’d found under the window. “Take a look.”
My mother and friend studied the pictures.
My mother’s head snapped up like she’d heard a gunshot. “Don’t tell me this is the blonde you’ve been seeing.” She sounded almost hopeful.
“I can’t say for sure. There’s a definite resemblance, but I’ve only seen my stalker from the back, from a distance, and when I was half asleep.”
Felicity started to laugh. “Your stalker?”
I shrugged. “I don’t know what else to call her. I’m the only one she shows herself to, and she shows up when I least expect her. What would you call her?”
“I have no idea. I guess that’s as good of a name as anything I could come up with right now.”
“Let’s go eat lunch and we’ll talk about it more while we eat.” My mother waved her hand at us and walked toward the stairs.
We followed like a herd of hungry wildebeests and chatted along the way. Felicity said Shirley put her hand on Jeff’s arm while he was talking and he said, “I told you not to touch me” and kept talking. She chuckled about it and said it was obviously a joke and Shirley just ignored him.
She put her hand on Stanley’s back and he said, “I thought I told you not to touch me.”
His comment turned Fel’s chuckle into a laugh. “That’s the idea.”
I tried to help my mother fix some sandwiches, but she waved me off and told me to go sit down.
“What? Two women in the kitchen is one too many?” I asked.
She waved her hand at me again and I sat down with Felicity and Stanley.
“It sure is quiet around here without Bubba walking underfoot and woofing.” I was glad he’d gone with Pete and Frank. He needed a day off, too.
“Let me take another look at those pictures,” Felicity said. “Where’d you put them, Livvie?”
“On the sink. Here, Sandi.” She reached toward me with the pictures in hand.
I stood and took them from her, handing them in turn to Fel. She studied the photographs closely with Stanley looking at them with her.
“She definitely doesn’t look like a happy woman,” she said. “Their daughter doesn’t appear to be happy either. It really makes me appreciate my own childhood. My adoptive parents treated me with love and kindness.”
“It makes you wonder what’s wrong with some people, doesn’t it?” I asked. “I remember working on a case where people’s actions stemmed from abuse. It broke my heart.”
“As I recall, didn’t someone say Francine died in the middle of the night?” Stanley asked.
“Yes. Harry told the neighbors she got sick and he had to drive her to the hospital. No one ever saw her again.”
“Interesting.” My mother set a glass of iced tea and a paper plate with a sandwich in front of me. “Maybe we should be looking into what happened to Francine instead of the four murders.”
I took a bite of my sandwich. “Then again, you’d think if something bad happened to her, somehow the neighbors or Barbara would have known about it.”
Of course, their daughter may have gone off to college by then.
“I have a feeling we’re letting our imaginations run away with us,” my mother said. “Think about it. Her ghost wouldn’t come back and follow you around, now would she? What could you do?”
“Set the record straight?” I asked. “No, I think you’re right. We’re so used to odd cases that we’re reading something into this that isn’t there.”
Chapter Thirty-five
We discussed the idea of something sinister happening to Francine and finally came to the conclusion that the four murders were kicking our brains into overdrive.
“Aren’t we the ones,” my mother said. “Give us a couple of oddball possibilities and we try to turn them into something. Silly us.”
Stanley swallowed a bite of sandwich and choked. After drinking some tea he spoke up. “I think we’ve become suspicious people because of the nature of our jobs. I don’t know if that’s good or not.”
I studied him for a moment. “
I think you’re right. As private investigators we tend to be suspicious. If you think about it, we’ve learned a lot about people’s facial expressions and the way they posture. We have some idea if they’re lying or covering something up. At least we generally know when to ask more questions and be more watchful.”
“Do you want to do this for the rest of your life?” Felicity asked. “I mean, is being distrustful a fun way to live?”
“Not really, but I think Pete and Stanley and I have learned to balance reality with wishful thinking. Do I want to do this for the rest of my life? I don’t know. I sure don’t want to go back to a regular nine-to-five job. I like being my own boss. I guess only time will tell.”
My mother smiled. “Maybe someday you’ll find another buried treasure.”
“Yeah, like that’s going to happen. Although, one can always hope. I’ve heard there’s plenty of treasure buried in the Ozarks. Maybe I’ll take a vacation there some day.”
“Maybe we’ll all go with you,” my mother said.
I sighed. It was fun to dream about that kind of adventure.
“So, back to our discussion about Francine. If Harry did her in, I think we would have found her body by now with all the digging we’ve been doing. The boys broke up and dug out that cement slab in the yard, and it didn’t seem to have any real purpose, other than it covered up a lot of trash. And look at all the work they’ve done in and around the stable. We’ve done so much around the house that I think we’d have found something out of the ordinary by now. Remember, too, the block wall and stains turned out to be nothing.”
“You’re right, sweetie.” My mother ate the last bite of her sandwich and stood, taking both of our paper plates to the trash. “We’re out in the middle of the desert, so to speak, in an area with not much going on. It’s quiet all the time. It’s given us too much time to let our imaginations work overtime. The only crimes committed here were the four murders, even if one may have been self-defense. Let’s forget this nonsense and concentrate on doing as much as we can to the house before you leave.”
“You’re right, Livvie.” Felicity stood and carried her own plate to the trash. “Tomorrow we’ll get back to work. In fact, I think I’ll do a few things this afternoon. Why don’t you and I make a list of what needs to be done and what we can do before we leave? I mean, I know we can’t do everything, but we can sure get a start on putting this house in order.”
“Good idea.”
I took Stanley’s paper plate to the trash can. “You two go ahead and start your project. I’ll wash the glasses.”
Felicity kissed Stanley’s cheek and told him she’d make up for not spending the day with him that evening.
His eyes widened and he grinned from ear to ear.
Our day off wasn’t quite the way it should be. Instead of Pete and me spending time together, and Stanley and Fel doing something, we were paired off wrong. Oh, well, it didn’t matter. It wouldn’t be too long before we went on our honeymoon. In the meantime we were each doing something we enjoyed.
“So what’s next?” I asked, turning to Stanley.
He still had a smile on his face and there was a faraway look in his eyes. He shook his head, clearing away whatever thoughts he was having. “That’s an excellent question. Why don’t we sit outside since the weather is nice and we can discuss the issue?”
“I’m surprised you want to sit outside with the bugs and snakes.”
“Oh, there’s been so much activity around here. I’m sure we’ve scared most of the, uh, animals and bugs away. I’ve come to a decision. I’m determined not to let them bother me.”
“Well, good for you. Let’s go outside right now.”
I poured us each more iced tea and we left by the sliding glass door, strolling around the house and out to the motorhome. We sat down at the outdoor table and relaxed.
“You know,” I said, “we really should spend the rest of the day unwinding. It’s been a busy week, beginning with our weddings.”
“No wonder I’ve been so tired.” Stanley stretched and leaned back against the table. “It really doesn’t seem like we’ve had any quiet time except when we sleep. I have to admit all the hustle and bustle has invigorated me though. I feel like a new man.”
“You are. You’re a new man embarking on a new life with an adorable wife.” I looked off into the distance, realizing I was speaking for myself, too. “I hope Pete and Frank don’t spend all day out there.”
“No more lollygagging,” he said. “We can rest and relax, but I believe we should put our plan together while we do so. If we can face the blonde, we can find out what her agenda is and put it all behind us. We can finally discover what she looks like and who she is.”
“You’re absolutely right. Your idea to use the walkie talkies was inspired, too. Be on your toes and ready for a call from me at all times.”
“I’ll try to keep track of you so I have a general idea of your whereabouts each day in order to be Johnny-on-the-spot. Should I tell Pete what we’re doing?”
“I’ll tell him tonight,” I replied. “Even though you’re helping me, I don’t want to put you in an uncomfortable position. I think Pete will understand. Maybe he’ll even help us.”
“He may decide we’re handling this correctly.”
“I’m sure he will. And thanks again, Stan.”
He nodded. “I’m going to try to start talking less formally, too. I should be just one of the guys.”
“How about just being yourself? That works.”
“Maybe I can combine the old me and the new me into something completely different.”
He looked past me with an expression of disconcertion on his face.
“Stan? What’s wrong?”
He narrowed his eyes and stared off into the distance. “Either my eyes are playing tricks or I just saw your blonde stalker.”
“What?” My head whipped around so fast it almost made me dizzy.
I followed the direction of his intense gaze. I couldn’t see anything.
“Where did you see her?”
“It looked like she was entering the house through the front door.” He jumped up and headed toward the house.
I followed him.
“Be quiet and don’t let her know we’re coming,” I whispered.
He nodded, slowing down and taking soft steps. I followed his example and tread softly.
We reached the front of the house and saw the screen door was ajar. We quietly climbed the steps and stopped. We couldn’t peek inside because it was a security screen.
I reached forward and wrapped my fingers around the edge of the screen door, pulling it open and trying to be quiet. It screeched.
How could she have gone in without causing the same noise? I crossed my eyes and quickly pulled it open.
We stepped inside and scanned the living room. No blonde. I pointed toward the family room and motioned Stanley to check it out.
While he headed in that direction, I ran to the stairs. The basement door was open. I grabbed a flashlight we’d taken to leaving by the stairs so I could see into the dark corners of the rooms.
I moved to the top step and stood quietly, listening for any telltale noises. Nothing. I descended a few more steps and cocked my head, listening again. Still nothing. Taking the last couple of steps quietly, I stopped at the bottom and heard what I really didn’t want to hear. The door to the garage clicked behind someone as they left the basement.
I ran across the room to the door and threw it open, only to find absolutely nothing. She’d disappeared again, but she’d had plenty of time. And do ghosts use doors, or do they walk through them? Once again I reminded myself that I don’t believe in apparitions.
I had a sudden silly thought about a ghost trying to grip a door handle and her hand sliding right through it.
Chapter Thirty-six
The sound of footsteps on the stairs reached me and I turned to find Stanley joining me.
“She was here,” I said.<
br />
He raised his eyebrows. “She was? How can you tell?” His gaze travelled around the basement.
“I heard the door leading to the garage close. She left as soon as I reached the bottom of the stairs. I can’t believe whoever this is can be so crafty. She manages to be seen when she wants to be and still she manages to disappear. It’s really frustrating.”
“Well, at least now you have a witness. I didn’t get a good look at her, but at least I saw her.”
“Yeah. You saw her. Now everyone will have to believe me. I’d be willing to bet they’ll all help now. She’s not going to have a chance to get away next time.” His observation had brightened my mood tremendously. “Let’s go take a look at the screen door and try to figure out how she entered the house without making a lot of noise.”
“That’s an excellent… Good idea, Sandi.”
I took one last look around the basement before we ascended the stairs, but nothing seemed out of order and there was, of course, no blonde hiding in the shadows.
My question about the screen door was answered by my mother who opened the right side of the door instead of the left before we reached it. It didn’t make a sound.
“What are you two up to?” she asked.
“Sandi’s right about the blonde. She does exist,” Stanley said. “I saw her. We tried to catch her, but to no avail.”
“She went down to the basement and left by the door leading to the garage,” I said. “She’s slippery, I’ll give her that.”
“You saw her, Stanley?” My mother pursed her lips and shook her head. “I just don’t get it. Why haven’t any of the rest of us seen her?”
I almost laughed because she sounded like she felt left out.
“I believe my sighting was accidental. I’m not even sure she intended to show herself to Sandi this time.”
“He’s right,” I said. “She probably didn’t see us sitting by the motorhome. I can’t imagine what she wanted in the house though. And what led her to visit the basement? You know, we found the photo in the upstairs bedroom. Maybe I should go downstairs and take a second look. Maybe she left another clue down there.”