by Sharon Kleve
“Thank you, juror fifteen.” Everyone cracked a smile, even Mr. Miley.
Ms. Gordon spoke up, “I’d like to dismiss this juror, Your Honor.”
Before the judge could speak the lady said, “Fine by me. I’ve got better things to do with my time than waste it on Dick.”
The bailiff retrieved her walker, with florescent green tennis balls for wheels. She shuffled down the aisle toward the door as she grumbled, “Worthless little shit.”
We all snickered.
Mr. Miley and Ms. Gordon continued to ask questions. A few more jurors were dismissed. None of the questions pertained to me. I zoned out and wondered if Celeste’s plane landed yet. Would she drive straight to the station and ask Steve out for lunch? No, she’d probably go straight to her hotel, take a shower, put on fresh clothes, and then pay him a visit. On my first break, I wanted to call Steve and see if he’d heard from his ex yet.
“Is anyone related to or acquainted with a law enforcement officer?” Ms. Gordon asked.
Steve warned me that some attorneys wouldn’t want to keep me because of my relationship to a cop. A couple jurors raised their hands and explained their situation. I had time to decide how important jury duty was for me. Should I lie and maybe stay on the jury to do my civic duty and convict the bastard, or tell the truth and potentially get dismissed?
The judge cleared her throat again and said, “Jurors, you may take a ten minute break. The attorneys for both sides will finish up their questioning when you return.”
I’d gotten a short reprieve and needed to make up my mind, which made me think of Steve. I popped two Hershey’s Kisses and dialed his cell. His phone rang several times before the line was picked up.
“Hello,” a female voice answered.
I looked down at the screen. Did I have the wrong number? “Uh, hello,” I said, “I’m calling for Steve Spears.”
“He’s in the restroom. Can I have him call you back?” she asked.
Steve never let his cell out of his sight. How did this woman get his phone?
“No, I’ll call him on my next break or see him at home,” I said hesitantly.
“Oh, is this Corny?” the woman asked.
“Yes, I’m Corny Myers,” I mimicked her crisp, professional voice.
“This is Special Agent Celeste Williams. I assume he’s mentioned our past relationship.”
“Yes. Steve mentioned you were teaching the class he’s attending next week. He’s excited about the new drug detection program,” I replied.
“You do know that if I hadn’t put in a good word for Steve, he wouldn’t have been invited to attend the seminar, even though he’s talented?”
Was that a sexual innuendo?
“I know he appreciates the opportunity,” I replied. I wish she’d hang up already; I’d been nice long enough. But she continued on.
“I’m going to be reassigned back to the Seattle FBI office. I’m looking forward to Steve helping me get reacquainted with things again.”
“Really…?”
“Yes, really… Oh, I’m curious. Your name is very unusual. Is that some kind of nickname?”
When people say something’s unusual, in that tone of voice, they’re making fun of you.
“Corny is short for Cornelia. I’m named after my great-grandfather, Cornelius.”
“Cornelia?” She laughed. “How quaint.”
“I’ll talk to Steve later.” I was about to hang up when she continued.
“Corny, the class I’m teaching is intensive and I’ve told Steve to expect long hours.”
“Yeah, I know. Steve told me. We’ve already discussed this. He’s a professional; he’ll do what’s required of him.”
“Good. I heard you recently moved in with him. We lived together for over a year. If I hadn’t relocated… well, you never know what might’ve happened.”
“Well, nice talking to you… gotta go.” I hung up. I wouldn’t get catty, even if she did. I felt drained; I couldn’t believe Steve and Celeste had lunch together.
Screw jury duty, Steve needed me…
I settled back in my seat and watched Dick poke his attorney in the arm several times, but she ignored him.
Not getting a response from her, he crossed his arms over his chest, slumped in his chair and yelled, “I’m not guilty!” Then pounded his fist on the table.
“Mr. Dickers, please refrain from further outbursts,” the judge said in a stern voice.
Dick poked his attorney harder this time. She said, “Ouch!” and rubbed her arm. She scooted her chair a couple inches away from her client.
The judge smacked her gavel and said, “That’s enough, Mr. Dickers. Ms. Gordon, do you wish for your client to be put in restraints?”
Dick didn’t like that ide
a. He jumped up from his seat and began to strangle Ms. Gordon.
The judge banged her gavel and yelled, “Order in the court, order in the court!”
The two hundred and fifty plus pound bailiff grabbed Dick by the back of his jumpsuit and pulled him away from Ms. Gordon. Dick was taken away bloody and in more trouble than when he arrived.
“Ms. Gordon, do you need medical attention?” the judge asked in a concern voice.
“No, I’m okay,” she replied while she stroked her throat with her fingertips.
She’d have a nasty bruise on her neck by the end of the day.
“Ms. Gordon and Mr. Miley, do either of you have anything else to say before I dismiss the jurors?”
“No, Your Honor. Thank you for your time,” Mr. Miley said.
“No, Your Honor.” She looked to be on the verge of tears.
The judge smacked her gavel once, which got our attention and said, “Jurors, you’re dismissed.”
The day’s weather changed from a torrential downpour to drizzle with sun breaks. Instead of my umbrella, I put on my sunglasses and raised my face to the warm sunlight. You never knew what kind of weather March would bring in Seattle; snow could fall from the sky at any moment.
I wasn’t in a big hurry to get back to work. Maybe a new blouse would brighten my spirits. Nordstrom was three blocks away and I knew the ‘Semi Annual Sale’ was in progress.
I turned the corner of Third and Pike, while I contemplated whether I looked better in solids or prints, when I recognized a couple familiar voices. I ducked back around the corner before Steve and Celeste saw me, but close enough to hear what they talked about.
“Oh Steve, I’m glad to be back in Seattle. The sun’s out and I can clearly see Mount Rainier. What could be better?” Celeste asked.
I personally thought, Celeste back in D.C. could be better, but no one asked me. Celeste leaned in and kissed Steve on the cheek. I wondered if Steve would mind if I scrubbed his cheek with Soft Scrub.
“Yeah, I agree. Seattle’s a great place to live,” Steve replied.
He didn’t look thrilled, but he didn’t turn away either.
“Hey Steve, you are looking great these days,” she purred.
This time Steve took a step away from Celeste.
“Bye, Celeste.”
Celeste turned and walked back into the restaurant, with a triumphant smile on her face. I waited until Steve headed back towards the cop shop before I relaxed my fist. My nails left indentations in my palm.
There was no way I could wait until I got home to hear an explanation for what I witnessed. I dialed Steve again as I fastened my seatbelt. His cell went immediately to voicemail.
“Hi, Steve. I’m heading back to the office. Call me when you can, please.”
CHAPTER SIX
After my stress-filled morning, I needed a luscious, raspberry-filled cupcake from the Mighty-O Cupcake Shop. I also wanted a nap, but I needed to put in a few hours of work first. When I was a teenager, I splurged on a cupcake a day. After my body learned the word metabolism I had to slow down on the sugar—which depressed me. I created a technique to cut down on a few calories and still eat my favorite food. The technique r
equired clean, dry fingers and a delicate grip. Hold the cupcake gently around the base, and grasp the frosting-coated top, with index finger and thumb. Twist the top to the right, a quarter turn—while holding the bottom in place. Throw away the bottom and you’ve reduced your calories by two thirds. The tops are the best part anyway.
I purchased a half a dozen cupcakes and ate two before I reached the parking lot of Green Hornet Investigations. I couldn’t get the picture of Steve and Celeste out of my mind. Did she really think she could swoop in and steal Steve away from me? If so, she had another think coming.
I pushed open the door to my business and instead of a bell that chimed or a buzz, the coo-coo of mourning doves sounded. Brenda wasn’t at the front desk, but she hurried out of the conference room, and straightened her shirt and blouse. John followed shortly after.
“Hi guys,” I said.
“Hi, Corny. I’ve got to get going. See you tonight, Brenda,” John said as the coo-coo of the door announced his departure.
I left Brenda to get her thoughts collected. She giggled and peeked her head around my office door; she reminded me of a much larger Pete.
“John stopped by to see how my first day was going. We stepped into the conference room for a quick kiss, which might’ve lasted a couple minutes. I promise, cross my heart, that’s all we were doing, and I could hear the door and phone at all times,” Brenda insisted.
“I believe you. Anything new and exciting happen while I was gone today?”
“Yeah. Halo got a phone call from Uncle Chuck. She ran out the door saying, ‘Uncle Chuck can’t find Fifi. He thinks she’s been stolen by the mob.’”
“Uh-oh. The whole mob thing doesn’t sound good. Can you get Halo on the phone for me please?”
“I’ve tried, but she’s not answering.” Brenda twisted a lock of her hair around her finger, a sure sign she was nervous.
“Keep trying,” I said.
“I will. I didn’t expect you back today. What happened? Did you get dismissed or did you tell them, ‘hang ‘em high’?” Brenda asked.
“I didn’t have to; the guy was guilty as sin. He blew a circuit and attacked his lawyer. We were dismissed.”
“I wish I’d been there to watch,” Brenda said.
Crap, I want another cupcake. But, I had Halo’s safety to worry about. My cell rang, and Steve was on the line. I wasn’t sure how to broach the subject of his lunch date.
“Hi, Steve. Thanks for calling me back.”
“Hi honey. What happened today? When did you talk to Celeste? She called me and said she was upset over a phone call. Why would you call her?” he asked.
This wasn’t how I pictured the conversation. That sounded like I’d done something wrong.
“My jury service is over. Let’s talk about Celeste. She’s a real piece of work, is all I have to say. She answered your phone when I called today. Since when do you let people answer your phone?” I wasn’t ready to talk about what I saw yet.
“Celeste answered my phone? When I got up to go to the bathroom, she insisted she needed to make an important phone call and that her phone was dead. I’ll have to ask her why she answered my phone. Funny… she made it sound as though you called her.”
“She said you two were having lunch together.”
“I stopped by Henry’s for a burger to-go, and she was eating all by herself. She asked me to stay and eat with her. No big deal.”
“Tell me what she said happened during our phone call.”
“You two had a disagreement and that you were childish, rude, and unprofessional. She used other descriptive words, which I won’t repeat.”
“Steve, Celeste is wacko. That’s not how the conversation went. She implied she wanted you back and made fun of my name. Celeste is trying to sabotage our relationship.”
“Corny, we’ll talk more tonight. I can’t deal with this right now,” Steve said and sounded frustrated.
“Fine. I might be a little late tonight. I need to find Halo and rescue Uncle Chuck’s dog from the mob.”
“No! You stay away from the mob. Remember what happened last time you tangled with them? Bad headache, colorful bruises, and a night stay at the hospital.”
“Gotta go… Bye bye.” I heard him swear before I hung up. My heart hurt. Did Steve believe Celeste instead of me?
CHAPTER SEVEN
Uncle Chuck’s prize Pekingese was gone. Hmm… Uncle Chuck was a lousy gambler and borrowed money, on a regular basis, from the wrong people. Oh boy, I needed to find Halo before she got herself hurt. First stop, Uncle Chuck’s retirement home.
This was my lucky day; Halo’s Volkswagen Beetle sat front and center in the parking lot of the Mira Retirement Community. Her car was a bright pink orb in a lot filled with bland Cadillacs and Lincolns.
I inquired as to Uncle Chuck’s whereabouts from a kind, elderly woman at the front desk. She wrung her hands as she talked to me.
“Chuck is beside himself. I sure hope Halo can find poor Fifi. Chuck’s pretty melodramatic, but I’m really worried about his state of mind. He told me he didn’t want to go on without his sweet baby,” she said.
“Halo works for me and between the two of us, we’ll find his dog. I promise.”
“That’s wonderful. He’s a good man, but don’t you fall for any of his shenanigans,” she said.
“I won’t.”
“Okay now, head down the hall to the community room, which is on the left. He likes to have company when he’s miserable.”
He was surrounded by all his cronies and Halo. She looked distraught. I guess pet retrieval wasn’t as easy as she thought.
“Hi, Uncle Chuck.” I gave him a big hug and kiss.
“Corny, I’m glad you’re here. My sweet baby is gone.”
“I know. We’ll find her. I would’ve been here sooner, if I’d known the whole situation, with all the players.”
“Corny, you make finding critters seem easy. I thought I could get Fifi back all by myself. I went to Vinnie’s house. The big bruisers at the gate wouldn’t give her to me. They scared me and then they asked what my name is. Was that okay that I told them?”
Uh-oh.
“In this kind of a situation, I’d say no. Did you tell them anything else about yourself?”
“Where I work, is all. They laughed at me. Do people laugh at you?”
“People laugh at me all the time; don’t let that get you down. Uncle Chuck, tell me what you know and don’t leave anything out.”
“On a few occasions—not many mind you—I’ve been unlucky at the tables and borrowed money from a loan shark named, Vinnie. He’s been cordial enough, but this time he wanted collateral for the loan. I was feeling lucky and in a moment of complete insanity I agreed to let him hold Fifi. Why-oh-why did I do such a thing?”
“Do you have the money to pay Vinnie back?”
“Yes! I pay on time; otherwise nasty beasts knock on your door. I even added the appropriate interest, but he won’t take my money. He wants to keep my precious Fifi. He’s fallen in love with my darling baby. He bought her a solid gold food bowl, with her initials engraved on the side, a gold and diamond encrusted collar and a cashmere-lined dog bed. What if she’s gotten used to the life of luxury and doesn’t want to come back to me?”
He sniffed and dabbed his eyes with his monogrammed handkerchief. I was told to look out for melodrama and his shenanigans. I believe I’ve witnessed both.
“Calm down… I’m sure she misses you as much as you miss her. But, here’s the deal... if we can get your dog back, you have to promise to never, ever gamble again. Agreed?”
Halo bobbed her head and shook her finger at her Uncle. I guess she agreed with me.
“The money’s in my room. This place is guarded like Fort Knox. Most of the residents are either ex-cops or retired thieves. Nobody messes with our property.”
****
Vinnie’s home was located in a wealthy neighborhood. The house was surrounded by a mammoth iron fence. We
parked down the street, alongside his property. I drove my Mini Cooper because I wasn’t sure what kind of speed you could get out of an old Volkswagen Bug. We climbed onto the roof of my car to see into the backyard, which was visible over a low hedge. In all likelihood they’d let the little dog out to do her business on the lush lawn.
“Hey, Corny. Do you have an umbrella in your car?” Halo asked.
“Yeah, why?”
“Hello… don’t you feel the mist coming down? The angry skies could open up at any moment and drench us.”
“Strange, I can’t feel the mist on my head.”
Halo squinted and leaned forward. “Dude, you have some kind of protective force field over your hair. How cool! Where can I get one?”
My hand was halfway to my head when I remembered Alessandro warning. Don’t touch your head when wet. I’d have to live with a shellac helmet until I could get home and wash my hair.
“The force field is a bonus for doing a great job. I’ll give you the potion when we get Fifi back.”
“Groovy,” Halo said.
I’d be happy to get rid of the shellac. We sat like gargoyles on the roof of my car for two hours. I was about to give up when Fifi trotted out of the house. She looked terrified to do her business. She shook and paced. I found Fifi easy to get a psychic connection with.
“Hi Fifi. Are you oaky?”
No, please get me out of here. This place is scary, Fifi replied.
I tossed the envelope filled with money and the note over the fence. The envelope bounced off Fifi’s little head.
Hey, that hurt. Fifi shook her head.
“Sorry, sorry. Here, give the envelope and note to Vinnie and leave through the front fence. We’ll meet you there.”