“And what did I tell you about picking up your feet when you walk?” Aunt May carried on, not letting up on her.
“Whew, chile,” Gertrude mumbled under her breath. She is really tap dancing on my nerves today. Of course, she’d never in a million years say that out loud. Gertrude had the utmost respect for her elders. It was one of the characteristics that made her Aunt May’s favorite. “Thank you for reminding me, Aunt May,” she called out so that her aunt could hear her from the kitchen.
Defused for the moment, Aunt May shifted around in her recliner in front of the television, switching on the news.
Gertrude stood over the kettle of water she’d placed on the stove. Her mind focused on one thing . . . Ronald. She thought about how gorgeous his skin looked when the moon shone into his bedroom window, causing the glow about his cheek. She’d enjoyed their time together watching movies and relaxing in bed. Most guys would have made a move on her, but not Ronald. He was a true gentleman. In recent days, he had proved to Gertrude that chivalry was indeed alive and well.
Out of nowhere, the wall phone in the kitchen buzzed, startling her from her thoughts. The pleasant grin on her face dropped as if she knew the news on the other end would leave a dark cloud looming over their day. She certainly didn’t want Aunt May to be the one to answer it, so she rushed over to the phone, being sure to pick up her feet along the way.
“Hello.” She pressed the cordless phone to her ear.
“Gertrude, have you seen or talked to Tiffany?” Brenda blurted on the other end of the receiver.
Gertrude could hear the subtle panic in her voice. She’d seen last night what Aunt May was watching on the news. The melee Tiffany and her newfound friends had caused was the evening newsbreak. Brenda thought maybe she’d be hiding at Gertrude’s. No one would ever think to look there.
“I haven’t seen her since you guys did my makeover on Saturday.”
“Oh my God. Gertrude, we need to talk. Not on the phone, though. In private,” Brenda implored.
“You’re welcome to come over here. Aunt May won’t bother us. She’s not really in the mood to talk anyway. Mrs. Peggy is still missing.”
“I’ll be there in about thirty minutes.”
“Drive safe,” Gertrude responded before ending the call.
She leaned back against the wall, hanging the receiver up overhead. Gertrude couldn’t help pondering where the hell everyone had disappeared to.
* * *
Meanwhile, the liquor store owner, a short, chubby Middle Eastern fellow, had forbidden Wilson to leave. He wouldn’t have the “all clear” to go until they reviewed the store cameras in efforts of finding the identities of the vandals who’d ransacked his establishment. He’d worked hard to earn money to purchase him a convenience store in the United States. There was no way Nadi Salem would let anyone get away with desecrating his legacy.
“What are you doing here all day, man? Reading magazines while my store is being torn apart?” Nadi interrogated as he leaned over Wilson’s shoulder.
Wilson lent him no response but continued to fast-forward the VCR’s cassette tape to the day and time in question.
“Here it is. This is when he comes in.” Wilson pressed play.
The video’s resolution was awful. On top of that, the tape glitched every fifteen seconds or so. They could tell Ronald was wearing a blue jogging suit, but his face was unrecognizable. Nadi noticed that the unknown vandal in the blue sweat suit had confronted the other two amid their five-finger discount shopping spree.
“Wait a minute. Go back. Rewind the tape to when the baseball cap-wearing misfits walked in.”
Wilson complied with his boss’s request, rewinding, then restarting the video when Tiffany and her companion arrived. The two of them watched as the couple entered the store and began filling the bookbags over their shoulders.
Nadi stood upright as the enlightenment provided by the glitchy video set in. “The guy in the blue wasn’t stealing.”
“Yeah, he was trying to apprehend a pair of thieves,” Wilson chimed in.
Chapter 31
Family Ties
Fifteen minutes later, Brenda was tearing up the porch steps at Gertrude’s, having sped up the highway the entire ride there. She pounded at the screen door before ringing the doorbell more than a few times.
Within seconds, the door flew open. “Girl, pick one. You know Aunt May is in here watching her shows.” When Gertrude answered, Brenda panted, pacing the porch in deep contemplation.
“Is everything okay?” Gertrude frowned upon noticing the worry plaguing her friend.
Instantly, Brenda’s eyes welled with tears. “I wish I could say it was, but I can’t. I don’t know where Tiffany is, and I’m afraid wherever she is, she’s in big trouble.”
“Come inside and tell me what’s going on. Maybe I can help.”
Brenda entered the house. “I don’t know if anyone can help at this point,” she cried.
Gertrude rubbed her hand across her friend’s back, attempting to ease the turmoil boiling inside. “Please, don’t cry. Just calm down. Let’s go to the kitchen, so we don’t disturb Aunt May. She’s not in a very good mood today, either. Her friend Peggy is still missing in action.”
“That seems to be the theme, lately,” Brenda sourly remarked as she followed Gertrude to the kitchen.
“Have a seat and tell me what’s really going on.”
“I don’t even know where to start.” Brenda took a seat at the table.
“Start from the beginning. I’ll make you a cup of coffee.”
“I don’t even know if I should drink coffee as amped up as I am right now.”
“How about some tea? I can even put a shot of auntie’s whiskey in it.” Gertrude pulled the bottle of bourbon from the cupboard showing it off.
“Yes, please. Maybe a shot will calm my nerves.”
“What is it that’s got you all panicked anyway?”
“It’s Tiffany. Ever since she met that guy a couple of weeks back, she’s been gradually changing. A few days ago, she moved out, claiming not to need me. Tiffany swears she can make it on her own, but ever since she’s been with him, she’s been hanging around with his group of hooligan friends we had lunch with. That’s why she was so hungry the other day. I don’t think she’s spending her money on the right things. Hell, I can’t even verify she’s still working. The temp service she works for sends her on different jobs, so I have no idea what location she’s working at. I can’t call her because they don’t have a phone at his house—if he even has a house. She’s probably been lying to me about that too. I just don’t know what to do or how to talk some sense into her.”
“So, you’re worried because you haven’t talked to her since yesterday, and you think she’s with her boyfriend? There’s got to be more than that bothering you. You were practically in tears when I opened the door,” Gertrude responded, sensing there was something Brenda was leaving out.
Brenda let out a long sigh. “Did you see the news this morning?”
“I didn’t. Why? What’s going on?”
“A group of hooligans ransacked the mall yesterday.”
Gertrude took in a deep breath. “I know. I saw them when I was there. I couldn’t believe it. And I thought Chicago was bad. . . .”
“Tiffany was with that group. I saw her with my own eyes.”
“No way. Tiffany wouldn’t do something like that,” Gertrude protested.
“I used to think so, but after seeing it, there’s no way I can deny it.”
“Oh my God. She’s going to get in so much trouble. Maybe that’s why you can’t find her. She’s hiding from the police.”
“I have to find her, Gertrude. I need to make sure my cousin is okay. I promised always to protect her. She’s like a sister to me.”
Gertrude brought over the cup of tea, setting it down on the table in front of Brenda. “Do you know where the boyfriend hangs out?”
“There was this one house I
dropped her off at one time. I think I have the address written down on a piece of paper somewhere in my car.”
“Well, we definitely shouldn’t go alone. Would you mind if I asked Ronald to come with us for protection?”
Brenda’s eyes lit up with hope. “Do you think he’d be willing to?”
“I’m sure he wouldn’t have a problem. Let me make Aunt May’s cup of coffee. Then we can both go next door and ask.”
“Thank you, Gertrude. I really appreciate your help. Lord knows I can’t do this alone.”
“You don’t have to thank me. That’s what friends are for.”
Chapter 32
Lover and a Fighter
Next door, Ronald tossed and turned in bed, attempting to wake himself from the dream he’d found himself trapped inside.
* * *
Young Ronald stood at the corner, the sun beaming down on him and his sister, Cecelia.
“Where are you going? You know we’re not allowed to go around the corner alone.”
“I’m never alone, dear brother. You just stay here in case Mom comes outside looking for us.”
“If Dad finds out, you’re going to get in big trouble,” he yelled in a last-ditch effort to keep her from going.
He had tried, even though he knew his words alone couldn’t stop her. Cecelia was always a curious child who explored where she chose.
Her brother watched her drift across the street, then around the corner, only this time, his dream took him along with her. For the first time, Ronald could see where Cecilia had run off to that day she’d left him standing guard.
Cecelia skipped down Dwyer Street on her way to the corner store. She had saved up five cents for some penny candy, which she preferred not to share with her brother. Usually, they wouldn’t leave each other’s side, but there were times Cecilia wanted to be on her own due to her brother’s Goody Two-shoes’ nature. If he had known about her finding the nickel in the couch and deciding not to tell their parents, Ronald would surely have spilled the beans. So, Cecelia saw no other choice than to go at it alone.
* * *
“Slow down there, little girl. Where are you rushing off to?” the man with the white hair and hole in his throat remarked as he lounged on his porch swing.
Cecilia stopped in her tracks—the sound of his voice causing her pause. She turned to him in wonderment. “Why does your voice sound like that?”
“It’s cancer,” he replied as he lit his cigarette to take a drag.
“Are you going to die?” Cecelia asked innocently.
The stranger twisted the edges of his mustache, flashing her a sly grin as a cloud of smoke escaped his mouth and stoma. “We all die, little girl. Eventually, we’re all called back to the station.”
“You mean heaven?” Cecilia asked as her arm had begun to quiver.
“Wherever your station is, little girl. Why is your arm twitching like that?”
“I’m not sure. It only does it sometimes. My momma always says it’s just my nerves acting up.”
“Would you like some candy? I have some in the house there by the door. My grandchildren left it here, and I don’t eat candy much. I like a different kind of sweets.”
Cecilia practically cringed at his words. “I really shouldn’t take candy from strangers,” she rebutted.
“But I’m no stranger. I’m your neighbor. Besides, it’s right there on the dining room table. As soon as you step inside, you’ll see it. Go on. Step inside. It’s right therefor the taking,” he coaxed.
Something about him told Cecilia not to trust him. She was on her way to the store to buy her own candy anyway. There was no need to eat his grandkids’ so-called stash. “Thanks for the offer, but no thanks.” Cecilia waved, then hurriedly went on her way.
The convenience store was at the end of the block, only about ten houses down. She made it there in less than five minutes, purchased her five tootsie rolls, and was on her way back in a flash. Yet, by the time she was halfway up the block, she had consumed every sweet morsel and still wasn’t satisfied. Her little eyes scanned the block, noticing her new neighbor friend had walked up the street to talk to the couple who lived on the opposite corner. He’d left his front door open, which, back in those days, people tended to do. All I have to do is slip inside and grab it from the table, just like he said. Cecelia mulled over the thought for a few seconds before she decided to go inside.
She climbed up the side of the porch, then hopped over the railing, making her way to his door behind the cover of his tall hedges. Once she ducked inside, the aroma of cotton candy permeated her nostrils. “Yummy.” She rubbed her tummy, imagining how delicious the smell would taste on her tongue.
Albeit the lights were out. Rays of sun beamed in through spaces in the open vertical blinds showing her the way forward. Cecelia’s stone-gray eyes scanned her surroundings. She had never been in a neighbor’s house before. The layout was much different than theirs. Brown shag carpeting covered the floors from the living room through the dining room and then up the hall into other bedrooms. The couch was void of plastic, unlike the one in her parents’ living room. Cecilia ran her hand across the row of bobblehead sports celebrities that decorated the bookshelf. Then there it was in all its glory—an entire sandwich bag of tootsie rolls. Just as her hand moved to grab the bag, his shadow loomed over her.
“Go on, take them.”
Cecelia turned to face him—her arm vibrating so constantly she had to grab hold of it. “You can have every one of them. All you have to do is do me a favor.”
“You didn’t ask for a favor when you offered them before.”
“That was before you broke into my house. I was not home, yet you waltzed right in. In fact, as I came inside, you were stealing. You could get into big trouble for that. Stealing could land you in jail. Juvenile for little girls . . . So, do we have a deal?” He extended his hand for what he assumed in his wicked mind to be a fair shake. Instead, she stomped down hard on his foot, then took off deeper into the residence. He almost snagged her by one of her suspenders until it snapped loose, giving her the opportunity she needed to slip away. Much like her parents’ home, a door led to the basement just off the kitchen. She tackled the stairs running as fast as she possibly could to get away from his long strides.
The panicked little girl reached the bottom of the stairs, searching frantically for the back door. “I know it’s here. It has to be.” She nearly burst into tears. But there was no time to stand there crying. Cecilia knew it because the smaller his shadow got as he barreled down the stairs toward her, the closer he got to her. It was either face him or the unknown. She darted left into the big, open space, headed for the furnace. The little girl was desperate to find anywhere she could hide and have time to think of a way out.
“Daddy, please, come save me,” she cried quietly, tears drenching her face.
Suddenly, the lights went out. Fortunately, her body was small enough to squeeze between the back wall and the furnace. She figured if she could barely squeeze through herself, there was no way he would get to her. Cecelia tried her best to calm her breathing. She didn’t want him to hear her hiding there.
With her arm clutched tightly, the little girl squeezed her eyes shut. If I don’t see him, I won’t panic, she told herself. The hand that reached in, lifting Cecilia off her feet, then snatching her from the crevice, had done so with so much force, it nearly snapped her neck.
Ronald’s view into his sister’s experience began to fade further away, back up the basement stairs, through the kitchen and dining room, then out the front door. All the while, all he could hear were his sister’s screams.
* * *
He woke from the nightmare, eyes wild, forehead drenched with sweat. Was it real? Ronald asked himself. Had Tom Swine sexually abused Cecilia?
Chapter 33
The Hero
The doorbell chimed, interrupting his train of thought. That’s probably Gertrude, he presumed. Ronald hopped right out of bed, head
ed to the front door.
Brenda turned away when he answered in his white boxer shorts, too bashful to take it all in. Gertrude snickered, “Were you expecting me?” she smiled.
“Actually, I figured it was you. No one else visits me.” Ronald held open the screen door. “Come on inside. I’ll go put some pants on.”
He ducked back off into his bedroom, reemerging cloaked in a navy-blue jogging suit. “You can look now,” he said to Brenda, who had lowered her head when he came into the room.
She picked up her head to greet him properly. “Hey, Ronald.”
“Hey. So, what are you ladies up to?”
“We were wondering if you could go with us to see if Tiffany is at her boyfriend’s house,” Gertrude spoke up, getting it over with.
“You ladies need security?”
“Yeah, sort of.” Gertrude nodded in affirmation of its truth.
“No problem. When will you require my services?”
“Now,” Brenda finally chimed in.
“Now?” Ronald quickly gave it some thought. He had intended to find out where the remainder of the miscreant pack lived, either way. Brenda was about to serve them up on a silver platter. “Okay. Let me get myself together. You know, wash the cold out my eyes. . . .”
* * *
Other than the humming sound of her tires running across the road as they sped up the freeway, it was all but silent during the ride there, each of them allowing their thoughts to occupy them. Brenda worried her cousin had done something to destroy her reputation irrevocably. What would that mean for the rest of Tiffany’s life? she thought. She had seen the struggles of criminals attempting to reform their lives after, unfortunately, falling into the trap of committing illegal activities. Much of the time, it was easy money that enticed them. Brenda never thought her cousin Tiffany would ever succumb to this. She gripped the steering wheel tighter as she fought back the tears.
Deadliest Intuition Page 15