Case of the Mouse Trap Legend

by Jean Marie Wiesen

  “Bon appetite, fellas, these are only the appetizers,” Adelaide said.

  “Absolute perfection, and right in time for the start of the game. You’re the most wonderful hostess,” Reggie said.

  “Flattery will get you everywhere.” Adelaide sat in her favorite chair, while Mike poured her a cup of coffee with a bit of milk. Adelaide peeked at him over the rim of her glasses, he put the spoon down remembering how she liked to watch the milk swirl. She smiled at him and glanced around the room, sighed and sat back in her chair sipping her coffee. She peeked down at the puppies who were now curled up with her Chloe, looked over at me, sitting next to Kai and raised her cup to me in a toast. I raised my cider mug back. The game was in full swing and the Mets were losing badly to the Royals, but it didn’t matter, I was with most of my family. The only one missing was Annie. She must have been held up on location with the wrap for the evening news on the bridge explosion. I was distracted from watching the game, conjuring up all kinds of reactions from Annie when she would first lay eyes on Kai after all the years which had passed since the three of us had been together in high school. Kai, Matt and I had spent a brief period together when Kai had initially joined the FBI and he had been assigned to an abduction unit. He’d taught us everything he’d learned in Quantico, but had disappeared after 9/11. Now, he was back.

  Chapter 18

  Mike picked up a squeaky toy and tossed it at the TV screen, then said, “Sorry Kai and Koa, didn’t mean to throw one of your toys.”

  Kai raised his hand and said, “Hey, I understand, it’s okay.”

  “I’m talking to the puppies, Rookie, unless you play with squeaky toys.” Mike stared at Kai.

  “Rookie, can you not discuss your private life when I’m upset over the second loss of my team?” Crosby asked.

  Kai turned to me and said, “Laura is there any way you can rename the puppy?”

  I smiled and responded with a definitive: “No.”

  Adelaide stood up, clapped her hands and said, “Dinner will be served as soon as Annie arrives and there will be no arguing at the dinner table.”

  Crosby put his sandwich down, wiped his mouth and said, “I thought this was dinner.”

  Reggie laughed. “You haven’t been here in a while.”

  “I’ve never been here,” Greg said, also setting his sandwich aside.

  “No worries, I didn’t make too much pasta or too much salad,” Adelaide answered from the kitchen.

  “Get the wheelbarrow from the barn and I’ll roll you to your car. Or, you can take a hike to the orchard and see if you can outrun shotgun guy.” Mike roared with laughter.

  “We’re not having dinner for at least a couple of hours, so go take a walk and see the view as Mike suggested. Besides, we have to wait for Annie,” Adelaide agreed. She added, “Take your gun in case you run across a bear or bobcat.”

  Greg spit out his cider and asked, “You’re kidding, right?”

  “Greg, you got nothing to worry about, Crosby’s a sharpshooter; he’s got your back.” Mike grinned.

  “You guys are making me feel oh so safe. I think I’ll stay put,” Greg said, wiping up the spilled cider before pouring another mugful.

  Adelaide peeked out the window, glanced at me and said, “Laura someone else has just arrived. I have a feeling they’re going to be in for a big surprise.”

  I jumped up and ran for the door, opening it as fast as I could, and grabbed Annie by the shoulders. Her pup Casey darted by me to greet everyone while I informed her who was inside. With no hesitation, Annie ran past me, almost as quickly as Casey and tackled Kai, much the same as we used to do in high school. Kai nearly back-flipped his way out of her grasp, but Annie was too fast for him.

  “Most human greetings are either a hug or a handshake,” Reggie said.

  “I’ve never seen Annie so animated, even when she’s running down a story. Except when she’s trying to get around the police tape,” Mike said.

  “No one’s taking pictures of this?” Adelaide asked.

  “I’m disappointed the rookie’s losing to a reporter.” Greg feigned being upset.

  All the puppies piled onto Annie and Kai, including Chloe. It turned into a wrestling match.

  “Laura, get your camera phone and video this, I demand it.” Adelaide was enjoying being entertained.

  “I’m on it, Adelaide,” I said, pulling my phone out of my back pocket. I wasn’t the only one taping this for posterity; the guys were too, only for different reasons. Poor Kai was never going to hear the end of this, nothing like being taken down by a reporter and a pack of pups. What a way to get your career rolling with the FBI.

  Adelaide was still laughing when she said, “I guess this means nobody is going for a walk?”

  “Too much to catch up on, and too many questions need answering. I can’t believe no one told me Kai was here.” Annie surveyed the room.

  “Oh sure, we’re gonna text you while you’re on location doing your reporting thing and tell you your old high school friend is here. I don’t think so,” Mike said.

  “Don’t look at me, you’re not supposed to read personal texts while you’re working,” I said.

  “How would anyone know what I’m reading? I’m always holding my phone when I’m on-camera. You can text me, especially if it’s an emergency. It’s how I get my stories,” Annie said.

  “If I’d texted you Kai was here, you would have freaked out and started screaming, on-camera.” I grinned.

  Annie sighed while sitting up and agreed, “You’re probably right.” She stared at Kai and said, “I still can’t believe you’re really here. What do you think of Puppy Kai?”

  “I can’t get used to the idea of having a puppy named after me. It’s making for great and easy punch lines for everyone which sort of eases the tension with this case we’re working.” Kai shrugged.

  “You’re a good rookie.” Reggie patted Kai on the head as he stood up.

  “Do I get a biscuit for being good?” Kai asked.

  Reggie flipped him a piece of cheese.

  “Reminds me, I haven’t checked my phone to see if forensics came back with anything on the photograph,” Greg said.

  “What reminded you, the cheese or the comment about being a good rookie?” Reggie asked.

  “Ha, ha. Neither. Kai mentioning the case did. What do you know—I had my phone turned off during the game. The photo with the writing Jelly had is a match. It’s from Kim Jong Un after all, and damn it, I said it in front of a reporter.” Greg slapped himself on the side of his head.

  Annie crossed her heart and said, “I’m officially off the clock so whatever I hear is off the record and it’s a promise.”

  All of us stared at her, but Mike was the first to speak, “I didn’t think reporters were ever off the clock—comment number one. Secondly, who are you and what have you done with Annie Tyler? Or are you practicing New Year’s resolutions to see which one’s work?”

  “Truth is, I was tired of being left out of so many conversations on the last case, but mostly what hurt was the fact you didn’t trust me. I can’t live without my family trusting me, and you’re my family, not just friends. I don’t want to be an outsider because I’m a reporter, especially with Kai being here. I’ve known him and Laura since we were kids.” Annie had taken her time as she had spoken and had looked each of us straight in the eye, including Greg.

  Greg fumbled with his phone while observing the fire for a few moments before replying to Annie. He turned to face her, cleared his throat, took a sip of tea and said, “I’m not going to ask you to swear an official oath or make you an honorary officer since there is no such thing, but I am going to request your word of honor. I will hold you to it and the conditions are quite simple; nothing you hear may be revealed unless you have my express permission to do so. If you violate your word, your presence is no longer welcome and I don’t care if we are meeting here at Adelaide’s. Are we clear?”

  “One hundred percent crys
tal clear; you have my word Greg,” Annie said.

  “Good, because I might find leaking particular things to you and only you could prove useful in capturing these three. Are you up for it?” Greg asked.

  Annie smiled and replied, “I find it intriguing.”

  Greg nodded. “Had a feeling you might.”

  “I’m glad it’s settled, I don’t care for being nervous,” Adelaide said.

  “Wait until you hear about the Stealth Bomber,” I said.

  “I know more about the B2 Spirit Stealth than you’ll ever know, dearie.” Adelaide stood up to pour more coffee, sat back down, gazed around the room and taking note of all the eyes on her prior to resuming, “My departed Henry’s grandfather went to school with Jack Northrop, the man who designed and built the Stealth Bomber out in Santa Barbara. I have loads of photo albums of them in school and afterwards working at Lockheed, in the machine shop. I also have clippings Henry saved when Jack launched Northrop.”

  We sat there, with our mouths wide open, while the fire roared—transfixed by this woman’s knowledge.

  Chapter 19

  We stared into the fire and drank cider while Adelaide went into the other room to retrieve her old photos. Mike and the guys brooded over the Mets having been trounced by the Royals, five to three, while Annie mumbled about what a great novel this would be; the story of how Jack Northrop’s B 2 Spirit became the center of international intrigue.

  Annie held up her hand, and remarked, “Only musing Greg, don’t worry about a thing.”

  Adelaide called from the other room, “Laura, please come in here, there are more books than I thought.”

  “Wow, you weren’t kidding when you said Henry saved a lot of articles and photos.” I ran my hand over the smoothed, worn tan leather album sitting on top of a stack on Adelaide’s desk. I eyed the shelves in her closet and noted several more albums along with a few boxes.

  Adelaide caught my eye and answered my question, “Yes, those boxes have more of the same, along with a few special items, letters and the like and other mementos you’ll appreciate.”

  I walked out with the first box and set it on the table. Adelaide opened it and laid the first album on the table for all to see. “Go ahead and enjoy some history while I bring out some more.” She smiled and went back in her room.

  “Sounds like Mike whistling. I think he likes the photos,” Adelaide said as I followed her out with additional albums.

  “I can’t believe these photos, Adelaide, they’re absolutely amazing. Okay, I’m not sure there are words to describe this, they’re out of this world!” Mike couldn’t stop shaking his head.

  “This is a real honest to goodness treasure trove,” Greg said, “And to think it’s in your closet, well it’s incredible.”

  “Believe me, there are many duplicates and other originals in Aeronautical Museums in California and at Northrop Grumman, too,” Adelaide said. “Oh, and of course at the Air Force Academy and Air Force Bases around the world, especially Edwards and Whiteman where the B 2 is kept nowadays.”

  Greg thought for a moment and asked, “Right, so if they’re at Edwards and Whiteman, why are Cho, Jelly and Viktor in Connecticut?”

  “That, my friend is the question we need to answer,” Reggie said as he flipped through an album on his lap. “Maybe we’ll find something if we dig through the past.”

  Greg took a deep breath and said, “We do need to learn as much as we can about this plane, and we also need to call the Air Force and let them in on what we’ve discovered.”

  “I have contacts.” Reggie put the album down and pulled out his phone.

  “Probably has ‘em on speed dial, right next to the Joint Chiefs,” Mike said with a chuckle.

  “Next to the Secretary of the Navy, O’Malley.” Reggie tapped Mike on the shoulder.

  “My mistake,” Mike said with a laugh.

  “This might sound like a real stretch, but what are the outside chances the Thunderbirds are planning a late fall show in the area and the B 2 is a surprise?” Crosby asked.

  Reggie hung up the phone and glared at Crosby, then asked, “How did you know that? About the Thunderbirds and the B 2, how the hell could you possibly know when I was only informed of it a few seconds ago by the Air Force?” Reggie pocketed his phone and put his hands on his hips, remained standing and continued to stare at Crosby who was seated.

  “Theory, Reggie, theory.” Crosby grinned and took another sip of cider. “But thanks for the confirmation.”

  Mike laughed and said, “We feel your pain, Reggie, Crosby’s theories can be aggravating to listen to while he draws them out, but he’s never wrong. Not ever. Interesting when you think about it, with all the warm weather we’ve been having, I guess the Air Force decided to extend their schedule and send the Thunderbirds here. Throwing in the B 2 Spirit is fantastic, because it never happens, far as I know. The B 2 flies over the Rose Bowl Parade every single year right before it starts, and the Rose Bowl Game as the National Anthem is sung and it drives the crowd absolutely wild.”

  Greg rubbed his head with both hands, looked at Reggie and asked, “I don’t suppose the Secretary had any ideas how our trio knew about the Thunderbirds’ schedule?”

  “None. And yes, I did ask if they were aware of any hacking of their systems lately. He nearly hung up on me, thinking I was insulting him until I explained who these individuals were and the relationship to Kim Jong Un. He said he’d heard about the explosions on the news but had no idea about who the suspects were.” Reggie turned to Annie and said, “Thank you for keeping your word.”

  “I can be good.” Annie smiled.

  Crosby glanced around the room, sat back in his chair and said, “I’d love to hear about the Stealth since it would give us a clearer picture of what we’re up against and why these kids want it, although I’ve an idea.”

  Grady groaned. “Theories, someone needs to stoke the fire and put on a pot of strong coffee if we’re going to play theory trivia Crosby style.”

  “I’m letting all the pups out before this gets started.” I got up, went to the door and put my coat on with the canine army following behind. “Kai, would you care to join us?” I asked.

  “Kai is toilet trained. If he goes with you, you’ll be gone forever. Kai, sit.” Reggie pointed to the couch. Kai sat.

  I walked back in with all the pups, hung up my coat and asked, “Is it remotely possible our friends have a contact inside the Air Force? And before you go ballistic on me, think Eric Snowden. They don’t have to be enlisted, they could be an outside contractor exactly like Snowden, hired to do whatever.”

  Greg looked at Reggie who stared at him and responded, “Why are you looking at me, I didn’t hire Snowden, the Spooks did. I wouldn’t have gone near the guy, he’s not FBI material. But Laura brings up an interesting angle. I guess the fresh air did her some good.”

  “It usually gets my thoughts going,” I said.

  “I do my best thinking in the shower,” Mike said, reaching for more tea.

  Grady held up his hand, “I honestly don’t want to hear where everyone gets their best thinking done, okay.”

  Crosby snapped his fingers, “I thought this was a get close, sharing moment.”

  Adelaide adjusted her glasses and poked Crosby with her cane. “Listen up, Dive Boy, we have things to learn here. Laura could be on to something, there could be more of them on the Air Force bases we don’t know about.

  “Reggie, is there a way you can find out if there have been any new hires lately, especially international ones, specifically North Korean or Russian? Or is that considered profiling?” Adelaide inquired.

  “Under the circumstances, with Cho, Jelly and Viktor as our main suspects, I’d say not. I’d also say it’s a good place to start,” Reggie replied as he pulled his phone out again.

  While he was on the phone with his Air Force contacts, Adelaide resumed her tales, as she recalled Henry Sr. and Jack’s early days in Santa Barbara, where they were sc
hoolmates in Santa Barbara High School, Class of 1913. Upon graduation, they both took jobs with the Lockheed brothers on the machine shop floor of their aviation company. The brother’s original name was: Loughead, but due to people having difficulty with the pronunciation and spelling, they changed it to: Lockheed, early on. Reggie informed his contact he’d call back when he realized the import of the story Adelaide was telling.

  The guys, Annie and I grouped around, flipping through the albums. We gawked at the old photos and newspaper clippings, while hanging on Adelaide’s every word. We understood the privilege of viewing and holding the original photos of the birth of American Avionics. We did so with reverence.

  “Jack was quite a handsome man.” Annie grinned.

  Adelaide raised one eyebrow. “What about Henry Sr., young lady?”

  “They were both a couple of lookers, and I love how they dressed,” Annie said.

  “Neat and pressed wherever they went.” Adelaide straightened her shoulders. She asked, “Would you like to hear how Jack came up with the design of the B 2 Spirit?”

  “Isn’t it a state secret?” Reggie asked.

  “No, and you won’t find the answer on the internet. Henry Sr. told Henry Jr. and me and it’s quite the tale.”

  Annie pulled out her pen and notebook and Adelaide shook her finger and said, “No notetaking, dearie. If you can’t recall things, I’ll go over it with you at a later time. Right now I want you to relish the moment.”

  Annie nodded obediently and slid her things into her backpack, including her recorder.

  Adelaide took a sip of tea, cleared her throat and told us of a young Jack Northrop who was fascinated by flight from an early age. He was determined to design what he termed a flying wing, something most deemed impossible but for him was more than a dream; it would become a reality. He was a man with only a high school education, but he possessed great insight and understood the mechanism of flight. He could see it in his mind’s eye and translate it onto draftsman’s paper. Needing to get the lift right, he would sit on the bluff overlooking the Santa Barbara beach for hours at a time, with a variety of paper designs folded in his single wing fashion and fly them, one by one with the wind. He persisted with the folds until he eventually found the proper lift and the single wing paper plane effortlessly flew. Jack had discovered his design. Now the work would begin in earnest.