Mixed Signals

by Jane Tesh

  She let us in. “Are you guys okay?”

  I ran past her. “Our thief’s in the tunnel, and we’re going to catch him.”

  “Oh, my God, David, don’t go down there! He could have a gun.”

  “We’ll be careful.”

  She didn’t like the idea, but Camden and I went back, pressed the secret panel, and hopped into the tunnel.

  Camden hurried along behind me. “Do we have a plan?”

  “Let’s ask him if he’s the thief or the Avenger.”

  We waited under the shoe store until we heard Tor’s footsteps. When he came around the corner of the tunnel, I turned my flashlight on in his face and said, “Hi.”

  Tor screamed like a girl and fell on his rear. “Don’t kill me! Don’t kill me!”

  Camden stepped forward. “Take it easy, Tor. It’s just us. What are you doing down here?”

  Tor fought back hysterics. “What are you doing down here? Nobody’s supposed to be down here! Nobody knows about this tunnel.”

  “Obviously you know about it,” I said. “Care to tell us how you know?”

  Camden pulled him up. “We’re not going to hurt you. We just want to know what’s going on.”

  Some people should not wear Spandex. The tight red and yellow outfit emphasized Tor’s bandy legs and less than manly chest. Besides the yellow tights and red cape, he had on a red mask that hung off one ear. He caught his breath and blinked in the light from my flashlight. “I’m not here to steal anything, if that’s what you’re thinking.”

  I couldn’t believe this guy was our superhero. “Are we in the presence of the Parkland Avenger?”

  Tor shook with anger. “So what? Anything wrong with that? Somebody’s got to do something about crime in this town.”

  “You found Jared’s map in his comics.” That’s why he’d been so casual about it earlier.

  “Nothing wrong with that, either. He left those comics to me.”

  “So you’ve been lurking under the city, hoping to foil the criminals’ evil plans? You’ve been doing pretty good so far.”

  Tor had been putting up a brave front, but his courage was leaking fast. “You can’t prove anything! No one will believe you. No one can stop the Avenger!” He turned and ran back up the tunnel.

  Camden and I waited. After about five minutes, a rumpled and dirty Tor came back. He glared at us. “Let me the hell out of here.”

  I blocked his way. “We want the full story first.”

  “You can’t keep me down here.”

  “So leave.”

  I knew he couldn’t get past me. Defeated, he slumped against the wall.

  “I’m trying to do my civic duty.”

  “Since when?”

  “I’m not just a comics dealer. I care about this city.”

  “By running around in red and yellow undies?”

  He folded his arms. “I don’t have to answer to you.”

  “Okay, we’ll go call the cops. You can answer to them.”

  As Camden and I turned to go, Tor caught Camden’s arm. “Wait, wait. Cam, don’t let him call the police. They’ll kill me.”

  “Then stop fooling around and level with us.”

  He gulped a couple of times. “I was trying to impress Wendy.”

  Now things were making sense. I’d like to impress Wendy myself. “Did it work?”

  He shot me a dark look. “Not yet.”

  “From the beginning, please.”

  “Okay, okay.” He folded his arms again and leaned back against the tunnel wall. “She’s always going on and on about how tough she is and how men today can’t measure up to the heroes in comic books. When I heard about the theft at the jewelry store, I thought I’d see what I could find out. The map wasn’t much help with that, but after the music store was robbed, I realized these tunnels connected. Maybe the thief left his dough down here, so I came to look. I was down here when the thief went into the antique store. I scared him off.”

  “Did you get a good look at him?”

  “No, he rushed by. He was a blur.”

  “Now that he knows you know about the tunnels, why would he come back? Why did you come back?”

  He returned to Avenger mode. “This is part of my nightly patrol.”

  “How does Brooke Verner fit into this?”

  He answered way too quickly. “I don’t know a Brooke Verner.”

  “Sure you do. Tall blonde with an attitude. She was in your shop the other day, arguing with Wendy. Said she was in to do some research on superheroes. I think she stopped by to give you your next assignment.”

  “Oh, no. This is all my idea. I’m getting all the credit.”

  Camden wasn’t convinced, either. “So you took Jared’s map?”

  “Hell, no, man! I told you I found it in those comics he gave me.”

  I wondered how much Tor was involved. “Did you know Jared stole the map from the museum?”

  “Yeah, I knew that. He was afraid if anyone found it, he’d be hauled back to jail.”

  “Who else knew about the map?”

  “Me and Alycia and Bert. He’s the one who thought up the robbery in the first place.”

  “How did Bert know about the map?”

  Tor shrugged.

  “And nobody thought to ask someone at the library to make a copy?”

  Tor looked confused. “There’s one at the library?”

  “How do you think we found out about your secret tunnel?”

  Tor looked at us nervously. “I’ve told you everything. You aren’t going to turn me in, are you? I haven’t done anything wrong. Who knows what the thief would’ve gotten away with if I hadn’t been here?”

  “You haven’t told us everything. Where’s Bert now?”

  “He had some mental problems, and his father sent him off to a sanitarium somewhere. Now are you going to turn me in or not?”

  “I’m not going to turn you in, but I think it’s time for you to hang up your cape.”

  “Why should I?”

  Camden tried another tact. “It’s really too dangerous, Tor. That thief you surprised could’ve killed you.”

  I had to add, “And there’s no way in hell you’re ever going impress a woman like Wendy.”

  I think he would’ve taken a swing at me if he’d had the nerve. “What do you know about it, smartass?”

  “I know if she gets a look at you in that getup, she’ll never stop laughing.”

  He looked uncertain. “I have a duty to the city.”

  I thought of something else. “How does five thousand dollars sound to you?”

  “Five thousand dollars?”

  “Half the reward Winthrop’s offering for getting the Avenger off the streets. You go home and forget this nonsense, I’ll split it with you. What’s Brooke paying you?”

  “Two hundred a—” He choked on the next words.

  I knew it. Brooke, you’re one hell of a liar. “Five thousand and you quit risking your neck and the wrath of the Parkland Police Department.”

  He wavered. “You’ll let me out of here, no more questions?”

  “I might have a few more questions, but they can wait.”

  He tried to save what face he had left. “This really was my idea. That Verner woman took advantage of the situation.”

  “Yeah, you’re a real pushover. Do you meet her at the paper, or does she always come to the store?”

  He wasn’t saying anything else about Brooke. “Let me out of here.”

  Camden and I went up to the music store first and distracted Carlene so Tor could slip out her front door. I thanked Carlene for her assistance.

  She glanced worriedly toward the back of the store. “What about the thi
ef?”

  “False alarm. We blocked the tunnel, though, so he can’t get in.”

  To make her feel safer, before we left, we blocked the tunnel on this side, too, and nailed some boards over it. Once in the car, Camden said, “We’ve got to talk to Alycia.”

  “Yep, I think she’s the key to all this. And the mysterious Bert.” I started the car and pulled out into traffic. “Can you believe that guy, running around like an idiot?”

  “I have to say his outfit wasn’t very flattering.”

  “I’m curious to hear what Brooke has to say.”

  ***

  Brooke wasn’t at the house when we got there. I expected Mom to be at the door ready to grill us on our nightly activities, but apparently she had gone to bed. I wanted to talk to Kary, but she’d gone to bed, too.

  I flopped down in the blue armchair. “It’s late. Brooke’s still out stirring up trouble.”

  Camden sat down on the sofa and picked up the remote. “When she came in late the other night, she looked a bit rumpled, as I recall.”

  “You get that way leaping from rooftops. What’s on?”

  He turned the TV on to channel sixteen. “Looks like ‘Mothra.’”

  “Excellent choice. Why couldn’t Parkland have a giant screaming moth instead of a dorky superhero?”

  “All we have to do is find two tiny Japanese girls who know all the words to the ‘Mothra’ song.”

  Halfway through “Mothra,” Camden fell asleep. I stayed up and watched the rest of the movie. There was no sign of Brooke, so I finally dragged myself up the stairs to bed. It was one of those nights when my mind wouldn’t shut off and go to sleep. I listened to the New Black Eagles. I reviewed everything I knew so far about the case. I fantasized about Kary walking down the aisle in a wedding dress, to which my tired brain added a leopard print veil. But my thoughts kept drifting to Jared’s sad little album filled with pictures of his imaginary family. At least I’d had loving parents, even if one was currently driving me crazy, and my new Grace Street family was a fine support system. But Jared had nothing, and it looked as if he’d died for nothing, too.

  Chapter Seventeen

  “But Who May Abide the Day of His Coming?”

  Sunday morning, Brooke still wasn’t home. Camden and I saw no reason to tell Mom or Kary about our underground adventure. They fussed a little bit about Camden going out when he wasn’t feeling well, and he told them in all honesty that Ellin had been with him. For part of the evening, anyway.

  Mom was pleased with Victory Holiness Church and chatted with everyone as if she’d been a member there for years. She and Kary must have done some more shopping because she was all decked out in a Christmas red pants suit with a leopard print belt, and Kary had on a tight black skirt and fancy green blouse. Several leopard patterned bracelets dangled from her wrist.

  Attack of the Jungle Women. I had to stop thinking like that.

  While Mom was admiring the candles and holly in the windows and talking to the family sitting behind us, I had a chance to ask Kary about her evening.

  “Camden said you went over to Lily’s. How’s she doing?”

  “Fine. She says to tell you hi.”

  Even though I knew this was foolish, I had to make the attempt. “You two talk about fashion?” As if Lily would ever be remotely fashionable.

  “No. I was interested in the Superhero group that meets at her house.”

  Oh, my God. “You can’t seriously be considering—”

  Kary cut her eyes at me as if to say, stop right there. “I believe we’ve been through this.”

  “Yes, but—”

  “Shh.”

  The service started and I had to shut up. We sang Christmas hymns and heard a Christmas-themed message, and Camden sang a solo about the Baby Jesus, and I didn’t hear a word. Through it all, I was thinking, she can’t possibly be planning to join the SHS.

  After church and during lunch, Kary’s warning glances kept me from bringing up the subject. Ellin stopped by to invite Mom and Kary to see an exhibit of Egyptian artifacts in the museum in Charlotte. Ellin was taking a film crew to do a feature on curses of the pharaohs.

  “Afterwards, we can hit the malls,” she said.

  Despite Camden’s objections, Mom was washing the lunch dishes. “That sounds wonderful. I have a few last minute Christmas gifts to buy.”

  “Ellin, I would love to go, but I have something I need to do today,” Kary said.

  “Maybe next time.”

  She went upstairs before I could say anything, but then, what could I say? No, don’t do it? I won’t let you? I forbid it? That would go over really well. Besides, I didn’t know exactly what she was planning to do.

  Camden took his usual seat on the sofa in the island. Ellin tugged off her blue coat and put it over the armchair. “I wish you’d come with us, Cam. You might get some interesting vibrations from the artifacts.”

  “Thanks, but I’m not in the mood to fight the Christmas crowds at the mall.”

  “You just don’t want to go to Charlotte.”

  “Not really.” He picked up a stack of Christmas cards that had toppled off the coffee table. “You’re still planning to spend Christmas Eve with us, aren’t you?”

  “I don’t know.”

  “You said your family opens gifts Christmas morning.”

  “With Kary and Randall and Sophia here, you’re going to have your own family.”

  “But that includes you.”

  She didn’t sit down. I paused at my office door. Here it comes: The Big Talk. “I care about you, Cam, I really do, but I have serious concerns about our future.”

  He looked up at her. “Our future looks great.”

  “Don’t give me that. I know you can’t see your own future.”

  “Well, what can I do to make it better?”

  “I just wish you had more ambition. Are you always going to be happy selling clothes at Tamara’s, or making bookshelves, or riding around with Randall, doing all sorts of stupid things?”

  He straightened the stack of Christmas cards. “It’s a little late for me to become a doctor or a lawyer. Hell, I never finished high school. It was hard to concentrate on Algebra Two or American History with the entire student body’s hormonal thoughts racing through my head.”

  Now’s the time for sympathy and understanding, Ellin. She remained behind the armchair.

  “Well, there’s a simple solution. You could always get your GED. You could always come back to the Psychic Service. I could get you a good job there. Everyone’s always asking about you.”

  “I’m having enough trouble keeping my mind straight right now.”

  “Why don’t you come talk about that on the show? Don’t you think our viewers would eat that up? ‘The Inner Thoughts of a Murderer.’ It sounds sensational.”

  He looked at her, genuinely puzzled. “Ellie, don’t you get it? It’s not something I can turn off and on, and when it happens, it’s awful. I usually fall over or scream and cry and black out. You want me to do that on TV?”

  Finally she came around to him, but she didn’t sit down. “I’d be there. Aren’t you always saying I’m like some kind of eraser for the bad thoughts?” Her tone was just this side of pissed. “I’ll hold your hand.”

  “You think that’s the only reason I want you around?”

  She didn’t answer his question. “Would you please consider coming back to the service? It would solve a lot of problems.”

  “Ellie.” He got up and took her in his arms. “I love you. The fact that you can help erase the visions is a bonus. If you want a future with me, then we’ll have one, no matter what.”

  I’m not sure what she would’ve said or done at this point, because Mom came around the corner from the kitchen, drying h
er hands on her apron.

  “All set! Let’s go!”

  Ellin pulled free and put on her coat. “We’ll probably be late getting back.”

  “We need to finish this conversation,” he said.

  “Just think about what I said.”

  We saw the ladies out. As Ellin’s car drove away, Camden sighed and sat back down. “I’ll never figure her out.”

  “Don’t even try.”

  The phone rang. “It’s for Sophia,” Camden said.

  I went to the kitchen and answered the phone. “302 Grace, David Randall speaking.”

  “David, what a pleasure to hear your voice.”

  I’d know that milksop tone anywhere. “Hello, Grady.”

  “I know you’re enjoying having your mother visit you for the holidays. I’m calling to wish her a Merry Christmas. Is she there?”

  Hearing this guy’s voice made me cringe. “She just left with some friends to go shopping in Charlotte. I’ll tell her you called.”

  “That would be very nice, thank you. And how have you been? Are you still in the detective business?”

  “Yes.”

  “It’s doing well, I hope? Nothing too dangerous? Your mother worries about you.”

  “It’s doing fine. In fact, I’m working on an important case right now, so I have to say good-bye.”

  “Well, it’s been a pleasure talking to you. When are you coming to visit us in Florida?”

  “Maybe next month. It depends on my work load.”

  “You know you’re welcome any time.”

  “Thanks. Good-bye.” I hung up and glared at the phone. “Visit us,” my ass. Where did he get off saying “us,” like he and Mom were a couple? “Come on, Camden. I need to read some comics.”

  ***

  Wendy Riskin was in Comics World, giving Tor a hard time about something called “Free World Two Thousand.” She must have already made her musical selection because a jarring bass thundered from the speakers. She beamed at us, and Tor’s eyes pleaded, don’t tell!

  “Hi, Tor,” I said. “Thought we’d hang out a while this morning.”

  “Sure, sure.”

  Wendy draped herself around Camden. “I’ll hang out around you. We can read the newest ‘Ghost Vixen.’”