Death Comes in Threes

by Marja McGraw

  I heard static before my mother replied. “We’re fine, just watching your house. I’m in front and Felicity is at the rear window. I’m assuming David hasn’t shown his ugly face yet.”

  “Not yet.” I smiled to myself because David was a very handsome man, but in my mother’s eyes he was as ugly as sin. Beauty is only skin deep – David was living proof. He was a handsome bad man – an evil man.

  My mother made a comment and I immediately forgot about David’s appearance. “I don’t know how you and Pete watch people for long periods of time. Even though I’m nervous this is making me sleepy.”

  “We’ve been on alert for days. The stress is probably making you tired. And believe me, Mom, when we’re on a surveillance we get sleepy, too. Try drinking a glass of cold water.”

  “I will. Do we need to have radio silence again?”

  “Yes, Mother, we need radio silence again. I’ll let you know if I hear anything. Then you’ll need to stay alert.”

  “Can we just leave the radio on without talking?”

  “No, Mother. I don’t want to worry about static alerting David to what we’re doing.”

  “Ooookay.” She dragged the one word out like a pouting child.

  Glancing down the hall again, I was both glad and unhappy that things were still quiet. I just wanted to get the whole business over with, and time continued to drag. I sighed deeply, more because I needed the air than out of frustration. I’d been breathing shallowly and quietly for too long.

  I wish you were here, Pete, I thought to myself. I don’t know if I can do this or not. I’m trying, but I don’t feel very brave right now. Am I doing the right thing? Probably not, but I don’t know how else I can handle this. Even the police can’t find David.

  “I’m doing the only thing I know to do,” I whispered to no one.

  David was playing a game by taking his sweet time. He wanted me anxious enough to miss something important. I wouldn’t let that happen. I’d remain calm no matter what happened. I had to focus on sounds coming from outside. I had to focus on David coming after me.

  I reminded myself that Hernandez and another cop were hiding out across the street, also watching the house.

  I thought back to my phone conversation with David. What had he told me to do? Would it make a difference in the outcome?

  I realized my knee was bouncing and I forced myself to stop moving. Be calm and focus, I thought. I shifted around in my chair before pushing it back and standing. Reaching behind me, I made sure my gun was still where I’d placed it. Of course it was. Where else would it be? Glancing into the hallway, I checked the window again. I knew David would find it and open it sooner or later.

  My watch indicated it was after nine o’clock. Time had stopped dragging. My heart did a little jump when a breeze rumpled the curtains at the window and I patted my chest before I sat down on the chair again. It must be a stiff breeze because the window wasn’t opened more than a quarter inch or so.

  Thoughts came and went. My upcoming wedding was enough to keep me alert. What would Pete ever do without me? He’d move on with his life – that’s what he’d do.

  The phone rang and my skin tingled as though I’d had an electric shock. I stood up and answered the office extension. Somehow I knew it would be David.

  Taking a deep breath, I said, “Yes?”

  “Are you ready yet, Sandi?” He spoke softly, caressing me with his words like a lover, and yet the malice in his voice was almost palpable.

  “I’m ready. Why don’t you quit playing games and come get me? Let’s just get this over with so I can go on with my life.”

  David chuckled. “Okay, but how can you get on with a life that’s just about to end?”

  He hung up and I closed my eyes for a moment. This is it. He’s on his way.

  I picked up the walkie talkie to call my mother, but the phone rang again before I could push the button. I set the walkie talkie on the chair in the doorway.

  “David, quit – ”

  “Sandi, this is Rick. We were able to track Smith. Where’s Dolly?”

  My throat felt like it was going to close and I swallowed several times.

  “Did you hear what I said?”

  “Yes. Dolly is staying with her granddaughter for a few days.” My mind was spinning. I knew Rick was going to say David was next door, and so were my mother and Felicity!

  “Smith is at Dolly’s house. Get out of there. A sniper shot up a fast food place by the freeway and then he began shooting out tires on the freeway. There are fatalities and I can’t get to your place fast enough. Hernandez and Marks are on a call about a mile away. Get out!” Frustration and anger filled his words.

  “Marks?” He must have been the other officer who was watching my house. “My mother and Felicity are at Dolly’s house.” My voice cracked and fear almost paralyzed me.

  “Get them out of there!” Rick was yelling.

  “Yes.” I hung up on him. Would they be any safer at my house? Safety in numbers – I had to get them out of Dolly’s house.

  I leaned over the chair to pick up the walkie talkie and glanced down the hallway at the same time. Something under the window caught my eye. Looking both ways before stepping into the hall, I waited and listened, studying the floor under the window. What was it? There was a dark spot on the floor.

  Hearing and seeing nothing, I crept toward the window, trying to see what looked out of place.

  It was a wet footprint.

  But it’s not raining outside, I thought to myself. The window was standing open and the curtains were pulled aside. I looked out the window and realized the automatic sprinklers had come one.

  David! He was in the house.

  I swung around, reaching back for the gun in my waistband, and came up against David’s chest. He grabbed my arms and I couldn’t reach the weapon.

  “So,” he said. “Here we are again. Just you and me, Sandi, like old times. Huh?”

  “If you’ve done anything to my mother or my friend, I’ll – ”

  “You’ll what? You’re not in control here. I am. I told you to get rid of them, so it’s your fault. If you’d listened to me…” He stopped talking, apparently getting a grip. “And now it’s time to make you pay for all the misery you caused me.”

  “I – ”

  Before I could get another word out, David put his hands around my neck and squeezed.

  Dolly’s voice flashed through my mind. “Right arm over…”

  I lifted my right hand and reached over, grabbing his left arm, and brought my own left arm up as hard and as fast as I could.

  He lost his hold on my neck. It worked!

  I bent my left arm as it rose and brought it down and back, jamming my elbow into his belly. He grunted before reaching for me again.

  I took a step back and reached for my gun.

  He stepped forward and I brought my knee up, catching him in the family jewels. He doubled over and I found my gun. Backing up, I found myself against the wall and open window.

  With some effort, David stood up and took another step toward me. His breathing wasn’t as ragged as I thought it should be.

  I held my gun up and ready. “David, don’t do this. I don’t want to shoot you, but I will.”

  He didn’t believe me. He smiled and reached for the gun.

  I fired.

  David fell. Blood oozed from a wound in his side.

  My ears rang and I shook. I couldn’t move. I was frozen in time. My legs felt weak when I finally tried to move past David.

  I didn’t see his movement until he kicked his foot and caught my knee. I went down and dropped my gun. I could see it, but I couldn’t get to it. My knee throbbed.

  David stood, towering over me, with blood soaking his shirt. His anger was indescribable, his face contorted.

  I was done. My life was about to end. I remembered another time when he’s stood over me, ready to kill me, but Pete had been there to take care of him.

  “
Pete,” I said softly. I closed my eyes, ready for whatever David had in store. I opened them again, anger taking over.

  He reached for the gun.

  “No!” I yelled. “I’m not giving up this easily, you son-of-a-bitch.” I scrambled up to my knees, but the pain sent me back to the floor. I still had one good leg and I started kicking at him.

  David managed to pick up my gun. He aimed it between my eyes. “Stop kicking me!”

  “Please, don’t do this, David. It’s not too late to stop.” I threw one last kick, but it missed the mark.

  “Yeah, it is.” David steadied his aim.

  I held up my hand as though I could fend off a bullet.

  A grunt and a blast came from behind me and David fell to his knees, dropping my gun. I grabbed the weapon and held it to my chest.

  It was deathly quiet except for the sound of someone climbing through the window. Another gun dropped to the floor. I snatched it up and felt warmth coming from it.

  Was it over? Was it really over?

  Someone was banging on the front door and Bubba was barking. I couldn’t do anything but lie on the floor, staring at David. I believed he was dead. I was sure of it.

  Death comes in threes, and thankfully I wasn’t the third statistic. David had killed a college student and a prison guard, and now someone had killed him.

  It was a just ending for David Smith.

  The pounding on the front door stopped abruptly and I could hear sirens in the distance, along with Bubba’s barking sounding closer. I heard someone drop from the window to the floor and I turned to find a pair of athletic shoes next to me. Looking up I found they belonged to my new best friend in the whole world. Stanley stood shivering and shaking. His eyes were wide and his face was pale. His arms were crossed and his hands were tucked between his sides and arms as though he was trying to warm them.

  Although his voice quivered, he spoke up. “I did it, Sandi. I saved you.”

  “You did, Stan.” I held up my hand. “Help me up.”

  It took a moment before he could move, but he finally reached out and helped me stand. I put all of my weight on one leg.

  “What’s wrong with your leg?” Stanley pointed at me.

  “David kicked my knee.”

  “Think it’s broken?”

  “No.”

  Mindless chatter. Neither one of us knew what to say.

  Chapter Thirty-three

  “Do you think he’s dead?” Stanley wouldn’t look at David.

  “Yeah, I do, but I’ll make sure.”

  I limped over to David’s side and felt for a pulse while remaining watchful. Nothing. His shirt was soaked with blood. His eyes stared straight up toward the ceiling.

  Stanley looked at me, but still wouldn’t look at David. His eyebrows raised in a question.

  I nodded, confirming David’s death.

  “Would one of you go open the front door before I have a coronary?” My mother stood at the open window, crying.

  “David didn’t hurt you or Felicity.” Relief flooded through me.

  “No. How could he have hurt us?” Felicity asked.

  “He was hiding at Dolly’s house,” I replied.

  “No! We never heard a thing until the first gunshot. Bubba didn’t react to him either. Well, he was kind of antsy, but he didn’t seem to…” My mother was crying harder.

  “Maybe he left the house when you crept inside,” I suggested. “I guess we’ll never know. And as long as you’re okay, I don’t much care.”

  I took a long steadying breath and listened as the sirens stopped at my house. Pounding at the front door started again.

  “Stan, would you let them in?” I knew I couldn’t ask him to stay with the body.

  He sidestepped past David and headed for the living room. Within moments he returned with Hernandez and someone whom I assumed was Officer Marks.

  “Your mother is waiting out on the porch,” Hernandez said, looking at David and shaking his head. He checked for a pulse as I had and clicked the mic on his shoulder, calling for the Crime Scene Investigators.

  I limped outside and met my mother, Felicity and Stanley on the porch. My mother threw her arms around me in a grip so tight I could hardly breathe.

  ~*~

  It had been a long night and an even longer morning, but everything was finally sorted out. Rick had finally shown up, but since he’d been stuck on the freeway, a different detective had already started the investigation. The detective was a woman, and she put us at ease as much as she could. Rick had discussed the case with her and she knew the gist of what was going on. As it turned out, she was a friend of some people I knew who owned a restaurant, and thanks to them my reputation had preceded me.

  Once she knew what had happened, she treated Stanley kindly, and that put her in good stead with me. He asked her to dispose of his gun when the police were through with it – he didn’t ever want to hold a gun in his hands again. I wasn’t surprised. After all, this was Stanley, a mild-mannered man who wouldn’t hurt a fly. Well, apparently he would if that fly threatened someone dear to him.

  Stanley had to go downtown to police headquarters, but they didn’t hold him. After all, he’d saved my life when David tried to take it.

  Upon his return he and Felicity left and went to his apartment for some quiet time. Before they left Felicity kept touching him, seeming to search for any injuries he might have sustained. She found none.

  I suggested he talk to a counselor about what had happened. I knew it was going to be a long road for him to travel, and I wanted him to have some expert help.

  My mother and I were finally alone.

  “Sandi, I just don’t know if I can stand you being a private investigator anymore. It seemed like fun for a while, but this was too much. That horrible man almost killed my baby.” Her eyes filled with tears but she took a deep breath and fought off crying. “I’ve cried so much over the past few days that I think I’m finally out of tears.” She chuckled nervously.

  I patted her hand. “It’s okay, Mother. I understand. I need to do some soul-searching myself. But you have to remember, this wasn’t a typical situation. This wasn’t something I go through on a daily basis, you know.”

  “Oh, really? It’s starting to seem like it’s almost daily. I mean, Sandi, you’ve been involved in more than one murder. I have a feeling Pete isn’t going to be too happy, either.”

  “I sure wish either he or Frank would call soon. I’m beginning to worry about them.” I wanted Pete to come home as soon as possible. I needed him. I had a feeling my mother needed Frank’s calm presence, too. And I needed to redirect my mother’s thoughts.

  She was the voice of reason this time. “It’s only been a few days, sweetie, and you’ve had enough to worry about while they were gone. Let it go. They’re having a good time and they’ll call us as soon as they’re back within range.”

  Rick said they had everything they needed and I wouldn’t have to wait to try to return the house to normal, so I called a crime scene cleaning company and made arrangements for them to come out in the afternoon to clean my hallway. I was truly glad there were such companies because I didn’t want to clean up David’s blood.

  It turned out Stanley shot David right through the heart. I thought it might have been a lucky shot, but Stanley swore he’d aimed and hit his mark. It was going to take him some time to recover. In his wildest dreams, Stanley never would have guessed that someday he’d have to take the life of another human being.

  “Mother, let’s go over to Dolly’s house and get some rest. I really don’t want to stay here right now. In fact, I just might put this house up for sale. Too many things have happened here.”

  “Why don’t you and Pete move to Arizona and lease this house out? Don’t let it go yet. After all, it did belong to your great-great-great-grandparents. I’d kind of like to keep it in the family. Hey, here’s an idea. You and Pete can buy a second home in Arizona and divide your time between the two houses.�
�

  “Like we could afford to do that.” The economy was bad, business was slowing down and I wasn’t sure about anything at the moment. I needed to get some rest instead of talking about selling my home. I might feel different after Pete came home. I’d wait before making any decisions.

  “It’s just a thought.” My mother smiled at me, but she looked weak and tired.

  “Let’s go over to Dolly’s. I’ve got to come back for the cleaning people this afternoon. Besides, now that I know David was hiding at her house, I want to look things over. I don’t want Dolly to come home to any surprises.”

  “Was he at her house the whole time?”

  “As near as the police can figure it out, he was moving from house to house. The reason he always knew what was going on here was because he chose two-story houses where he could keep an eye on me from the upstairs windows. He must have moved into Dolly’s house as soon as she left. Her leaving left him with the opportunity of a lifetime. He could see almost everything that was happening over here.”

  “I’m surprised Bubba didn’t catch on. He’s usually so tuned in to everything that happens around here.”

  “Think about it, Mother. Bubba has been acting out of sorts. We simply didn’t pick up on it because there was so much going on.”

  She nodded before reaching down to pat Bubba’s head.

  We trudged over to Dolly’s house, for that was all we could do – trudge, I mean. My knee still hurt and I was limping, although only slightly. Rick had tried to talk me into going to the hospital, but I’d refused. I knew I’d be fine.

  I searched the house and found where David had hidden upstairs. He couldn’t have been there for too long because all we found were the remains of one meal and a few personal items in a backpack. I’d turn those over to the police. I was surprised they hadn’t searched Dolly’s house, but they must have had their reasons.

  After cleaning up the remains of his food I went downstairs where I found my mother asleep on the couch. I took up residence on Dolly’s recliner and soon fell into a deep slumber.

  I awoke to my mother shaking my arm. “Sandi, it’s three o’clock. Those cleaning people will be here in half an hour. You’d better wake up.”