by Kaye George
“What happened? Do you know?”
He looked up, startled before his eyes filled with recognition. “Oh. I know you. You were at another crime scene. The window break at—” he flipped through his pages “—Bella’s Baskets, right?”
She nodded. “Yes, my shop is next to that one. Was a rock thrown through this one, too?”
“I can’t comment at this time.”
“Why not? You didn’t see a rock, I guess? Looks like a lot of wine was taken. I suppose the thieves can resell that easily enough. Not like those plastic candies.”
He frowned, puzzled.
“That’s what was stolen at Yolanda’s. At Bella’s Baskets.”
“It was?” He scanned his notes. “I wasn’t informed.”
Tally wondered if she was supposed to tell people what was stolen. “I may be mistaken. I assumed, so don’t quote me on that.”
“I assure you I won’t.” He sounded so earnest, like he would quote her on other subjects. Were all the Crime Fritzers so earnest and meticulous? She pictured meetings of the group where they sat in a circle and took turns standing, reading from their notes and reporting every detail of what happened on their watch.
“Good.” She hunched up her shoulders and squeezed her way out of the crowd.
Maybe there actually was a crime wave going on. There was one today, anyway. The Crime Fritzers were on the case, at least on the Main Street case, not the East Schubert Street case. If they actually had stepped up the patrols, it didn’t seem to be working to prevent burglaries. Should she be more careful with her own home and her own store? What would she do if Tally’s Olde Tyme Sweets got robbed? She had insurance for that, but it would be traumatic, nevertheless. For her and for the others who worked there. It was good anyway that the places getting robbed seemed to get hit only when no one was there. There didn’t seem to be a danger to any people, just to their property. And to Walter, who had been there. Just what Detective Rogers warned them about.
She could ask Dorella what was going on. Ira might be telling her more than he was willing to tell Tally right now. On the other hand, the police weren’t sharing information with the watch group. Detective Jackson Rogers considered them a nuisance, and Ira hadn’t known much about Yolanda’s incident, or the present one, either. She could try to get some idea from Jackson of what was going on, if she should be worried or not.
For now, she was determined to carry out her original intent. To enjoy her day off and window-shop to her heart’s content.
6
Yolanda woke early on Monday, her day off. Her first thought was of spending the day with Kevin. Then she remembered—Kevin was spending his day off working in his vineyard. The picturesque region around Fredericksburg, known as the Texas Hill Country, held an abundance of vineyards, many with tasting rooms. The town itself boasted about the wineries and the local wines they produced, enticing visitors to try them, even giving organized wine tours.
Kevin liked to get hands-on regularly in his own vineyard to keep track of how his vines were doing and also how his workers were faring. She and Kevin had been spending time together whenever they could, ever since he assured her that his divorce was finally imminent, but she was on her own today.
It was too early to call Tally. She liked to sleep in on her days off. Instead, Yolanda decided to do something for herself. She enjoyed getting in her car, a small, sporty Nissan, and exploring obscure country roads. After a quick bowl of cereal with a sliced banana, she poured coffee into her go-cup and took off. Maybe north today, she thought. She had been too busy to do a random drive like this for a long time, so any direction would do.
To the annoyance of the other drivers, she poked along, enjoying the breeze coming through her open windows and tangling her already unruly long curls. She had thrown on a bright-pink peasant blouse with ruffled sleeves and collar, which the wind played with, too, flipping the collar up onto her face. She laughed at that.
The fresh, pollen-laden air started to affect her sinuses after a short distance, though, and she rolled the windows partway up, reluctant to shut the warm breeze out entirely.
She passed a place where the shoulder was torn up. There were deep, wide tire tracks in the dirt, tracks that had to have been made by a large truck. She wondered if this was where the wreck that Raul’s cousin had been in happened, the one that got him fired from the company whose truck he drove to Dallas for deliveries. He’d been driving a large truck, a semi, when he fell asleep at the wheel.
After a few more miles, she saw a sign that hadn’t been there the last time she came this way. It proclaimed that Gordon Warehouses was located down the next road to the right. A few more company names were below that one on the sign. Yolanda thought they were probably businesses that used the warehouses for storage. One was Planet Earth Plastics.
Yolanda would be the first to admit that she didn’t keep up with local news, but she was, nevertheless, surprised that a big new enterprise was located right outside her town and she hadn’t heard of it.
Curious, she turned down the dirt road, quickly rolling up her windows against the dust her tires kicked up. Soon, after a fairly intense sneezing fit from the dust, she came upon a drab metal prefab warehouse building, about as big as two or three large barns. A paved parking lot held a couple dozen cars and, on one side, two large trucks stood at loading bays whose doors were closed. Everything appeared gray, neutral, and there were no people around. One of the trucks backed up to the loading dock had a dent in the front grille. Probably not enough to affect its drivability. Was this the truck from the wreck? Raul’s cousin Mateo must work for this company.
She pulled into the parking lot and turned around. As she was driving away, pieces of the puzzle began to fall into place in her mind. She took one more glance at the sign again and noticed the Planet Earth Plastics name again.
It wasn’t until she was back on the highway again that she put the whole picture together and realized this might be the warehouse where their molded candies had been stored. And was it the company Raul’s cousin Mateo had worked for? Had she heard Raul, or someone, mention the name? She tried to dredge that up. Then she realized she could picture the box they had been packed in when they arrived. Yes, the box proclaimed to be Planet Earth Plastics. There was a motto on the carton that said something about saving the planet. She should probably remember the company better, but she hadn’t ordered the products. Just received and displayed them. And had them stolen.
She drove on, away from town, until she was almost to Kevin’s vineyard. Not wanting to bother him there, she turned around before she reached it, and came back. When she got into Fredericksburg, she would call Tally and see if she wanted to have lunch.
* * * *
Thet Thura hadn’t found his jewels yet. Walter didn’t know anything about them. But he must know someone who did. The man was there when they had been stolen from Bella’s Baskets.
Arlen Snead said he wanted to take a ride around town, had some business to attend to, so he took off in the van from the aquarium shop that he had driven up from Dallas.
Thet’s uncle called from Myanmar asking him when he was going to recover them. The phone call made Thet sweat, even though the temperatures in this part of Texas were much cooler than those in Myanmar, where he had been only a few days ago. When U Win demanded results, he got them. If he didn’t, that was very bad news for the person who disappointed him. Thet knew that at least two of his cousins, who had disappeared after letting their uncle down, were no longer among the living. No one would ever find their bodies, but Thet knew what had happened to them, anyway.
The last thing he wanted was to disappoint U Win. The next to the last thing was to face him right now, before he had any answers. Nevertheless, the man had told him that he was on his way to the States. Thet imagined him shutting off the phone and stepping onto a plane immediately. He had to find the ja
de.
He would go visit Walter Wright again as soon as he could. He called Arlen, wanting him to come along, but there was no answer. So Thet left his motel room and headed to the newspaper stand that sat in the lobby. He put coins in the slot and bought one, hoping there was something in it that would help him.
Thet perched on a plastic couch to thumb through the paper. His concentration in reading the strange language was broken by an argument at the desk.
“That doesn’t do any good. I turned it up. It’s still too hot in my room.” The young man’s voice was strident.
A calmer voice answered. “I can’t get anyone to fix it right this minute. Give me an hour and I’ll have someone look into it. I’m sure we can cool your room down.”
Thet looked up and the angry young man turned from the desk and went to the elevators. He was on crutches. Perhaps he was the person Mateo had asked to help with the hijacking. That person had gotten his leg broken and this young man was on crutches. What was he doing here? In this motel? Surely he lived somewhere close by. Was he hiding? Why would that be?
Thet narrowed his eyes in anger. He realized that the man on crutches might have the contraband. He might have taken it from Bella’s Baskets. Thet needed to find out what room he was staying in. Could the jade be this close to him?
* * * *
Tally grabbed a salad at a small café with outdoor seating. She was having such a restful day off, away from the recent troubles, emptying her mind—or trying to. It was lovely sitting under the awning in the shade, watching the noisy crowds amble past. Some were laden with purchases, she was happy to see. If people bought from one store, they were likely to buy from the others, she figured. The local businesses all rose or fell together. She took a bite of her salad. It was cool and crisp and the dressing just tangy enough, served on the side so she could avoid drowning her salad. The croutons were even delectable, small and herbed to perfection.
As she was finishing, spearing the last crisp morsels of lettuce, Mrs. Gerg walked by. Tally called to her, asking if she wanted to join her. She could always get another glass of iced tea to stay and keep her company. She had the whole day off.
“Oh, Tally, I can’t today. I’m getting lunch for my dear Walter and bringing it back.”
Her dear Walter? “Is he still staying with you today?”
“Oh my, yes. He can’t be alone yet. He has so much trouble getting around, doing things, you know.”
Tally nodded. He did have a broken leg, or foot, or something. Even though it didn’t seem to impede his movement much. “He doesn’t have family to take care of him?”
Mrs. Gerg ducked her head and giggled. “He much prefers my company.”
“What about his friends?”
“Friends?”
“You know, those two guys who came over when I was there. Tut—no, it’s Thet, right? Did you ever learn the name of the other one, the tall guy with the cowboy hat?”
“He’s Arlen Snead, Walter said. They’re from out of town. I don’t think they’re friends of Walter’s, more like acquaintances. They do some sort of business together. I think.”
“What business is Walter in?” Tally asked.
That question flustered Mrs. Gerg. Candy. “I don’t really know. He doesn’t talk about it. I didn’t know him very well before Crime Watch. Isn’t it nice we got assigned to do our routes together? He just has to not go alone and on foot anymore.”
“How much longer will you need to tend him, do you think? Could he go to a rehab place?” Poor Mrs. Gerg, being tied down by an invalid she didn’t know anything about and wasn’t even related to.
She stared at Tally. “Oh my, no. I wouldn’t want that. I like having…a man in the house. Especially this one.”
“Are you…?” Tally wasn’t sure how to phrase it, but Mrs. Gerg’s bright eyes made her look like a teenager with a crush. Definitely not like an older woman tied down by an unwelcome disabled guest.
Mrs. Gerg leaned over the short railing and spoke softly. “Tally, I think I’m growing very fond of him. And him of me, of course. I wouldn’t mind if he moved in.” She nearly simpered.
“Mrs. Gerg, be careful.” Tally was alarmed. “Do you know enough about him?”
She turned her head and cut her eyes, giving Tally a knowing look. “I know all I need to know.”
“Have the other men been back?” Tally had gotten a bad feeling about them, even beyond what was warranted by Thet’s rudeness, barging in like he did. It was suspicious he had wanted to talk about crime watch, but not in front of another crime watch member.
“No, no. The one called, though. He was being so brave, Walter was.”
“Brave? When?”
“When that thief beat him up with his crutches.”
“Was he the person who apprehended our thief? Tried to, I mean?”
Mrs. Gerg gave a sorrowful sigh. “Yes, he was trying to catch him. He’s a hero, really.”
A foolish one, Tally thought. Patrolling alone and on foot, which they had been advised not to do by the police. She wished she knew more about the mysterious men on Mrs. Gerg’s porch, too. Something about them put her on alert the minute she saw them. Maybe she could learn more about them from Walter.
Watching Mrs. Gerg cross the patio and enter the café to order, Tally thought to herself, That woman is smitten. It was cute, but Tally couldn’t help but be uneasy about it. Older women made such easy targets. Age seemed to project vulnerability. And too many people in the world took advantage of it.
That evening, she would be spending even more time with older women, as she was paying her more-or-less weekly call on the local nursing home, Setting Sun Home. She had started visiting there from a sense of obligation a few months ago and now continued because of several factors.
The first, a selfish reason, was that these visits made her feel good about herself, like she was doing a good thing. Many of the residents had outlived their friends and families and they had no one left who either could or wanted to come see them. Her heart always felt warmer after she’d been there, helping out.
The second reason was that the staff let her know, every time she showed up, that they appreciated her help as a volunteer. There was always plenty for her to do and much of it lightened the burden of those who worked there. So she felt welcome by the staff every time she went.
Thirdly, she knew that the residents counted on her stopping to chat, to read to them, to make them more comfortable by shifting their weight or their pillows when they couldn’t do it for themselves. She also fed them in the dining room when she was there at their dinnertime, and helped walk or wheel them to and from the meal. That made her feel needed, on top of all the other good feelings.
She couldn’t quit coming to Setting Sun now, even if she wanted to. She left the place this day, as always, with a feeling of a job well done and a sense of accomplishment.
Later, before she climbed into bed, Tally stuck her phone onto the charger. The screen brightened and that’s when she saw she’d missed a couple of calls from Yolanda. She must have not heard her phone while she was making her way through the ever-increasing crowds on her shopping spree. She had netted a new pair of sandals and two sleeveless tops, so it had been a good day. Of course, she had tried on a dozen pair of shoes and two dozen tops that she didn’t buy, but she always considered it a success when she came home with anything.
She called Yolanda, hoping it wasn’t too late.
“Did you see my texts?” Yolanda asked, yawning. “I just took an antihistamine. I’m conking out.”
No, she hadn’t seen those texts, either. She might as well have left her phone at home. “What did I miss?”
“Only the opportunity to have lunch with me, you poor thing.”
“Oh, sorry, Yo. I would have liked that. I was just messing around, shopping.”
They
discussed, in detail, what Tally had purchased. She could hear Yolanda yawning.
“You’re falling asleep in my ear.”
“I’ll tell you about my drive when I can hold my head up and my eyes open,” Yolanda said.
Then Tally conked out, too, wanting a full night’s sleep before her workday tomorrow.
* * * *
Thet, with the help of Arlen, had partly accomplished what he needed to do. Now he needed a place to hide the treasure so it wouldn’t be found until he could bring it to Dallas. He thought of the accommodating Walter Wright, crippled and on crutches, and of the old woman he was staying with. They were two people he could easily manage. He and Arlen called on them again around noon.
* * * *
Jackson Rogers called Tally midmorning and asked if she wanted dinner with him after work. Of course she did. What a silly question.
However, after she happily spent the day in an extra-sunny mood, looking forward to seeing him, he called again, midafternoon. She knew before he began speaking to her that it was probably bad news for their dinner. That was the nature of his job.
“Sorry Tally, gotta work a homicide. I won’t be able to get away for dinner.”
“Someone was murdered!?” Tally shuddered. So many bad things seemed to be piling up in Fredericksburg. “Who was it?”
“You know I can’t talk about this. Yet. But it’s no one you would know.”
That was a relief. It was probably crazy, but her first panicked thought had been for Mrs. Gerg. It seemed so strange that Walter Wright had moved in with her. Tally knew nothing about him and didn’t think Mrs. Gerg did, either. The whole situation gave her a bad feeling. She might as well mention it to Jackson. He might tell her something reassuring.
“You know, I’m a little worried about Mrs. Gerg.” He probably couldn’t do anything about it, but she had to try. “Do you know anything about the man who’s staying with her? He’s her crime watch partner. He’s also the person who got beat up in front of Yolanda’s.”