Murder and Mayhem

by Hamilton, B L

  As they drove into the town of Port Jervis, they were confronted by a large banner strung high above the main street.

  “It looks like we’re just in time for the motorbike show tomorrow. Is that good timing or what?” Danny chuckled.

  “I’m sure you had this planned all along.”

  “No. Honestly. I had no idea the motorbike show was on.”

  “Yeah, well, tell that to someone who believes you ‘cause this chick ain’t buying them goods.”

  When they entered the hotel foyer, the woman behind the desk looked up. She was tall and imposing, her features, striking; her high cheekbones and mahogany hair plaited in cornrows bespoke her Maasai heritage.

  “Can I help you?” she asked in a rich cultured voice.

  “I sure hope so. We’re after a room for the night,” Danny said.

  “Do you have a reservation?”

  Danny shook his head, fearing the worst. “No, sorry, we don’t.”

  Her ebony eyes smiled. “Let me see what I can do for you,” she said and checked the computer. “You’re in luck. I’ve got a couple of queen rooms available. Do you prefer smoking or Non?”

  “That’s great. Non smoking, thanks.” Danny agreed to the price and handed over his credit card. But as his details were entered into the computer it flagged his name.

  The fine-boned features of the woman broke into a broad smile. “Welcome back, Mr. Richards. Are you here for the bike show?”

  He looked over at Nicola who was feigning interest in the display of postcards on the stand beside the front desk, and said, “No.”

  “Then I’ll give you a room upstairs at the end of the hall away from the bikers. They can be a pretty rowdy bunch but it should be nice and quiet back there.” She processed the transaction and handed back his card. “If you have any problems you just let me know.”

  “You’ve been here before?” Nicola said as they walked down the long corridor to the room on the left at the end, opposite the stairwell.

  “So the lady said.”

  “Another motorbike festival, no doubt?”

  “Not that I recall,” Danny said and closed the subject.

  *****

  I noticed the look on my sister’s face, and grinned.

  “Perplexing?”

  “Textbook enigmatic wouldn’t you say?”

  “Possibly!”

  “Oh definitely! But I’m not even going to ask.”

  I shrugged. “Suit yourself.”

  *****

  “You’re going to go, aren’t you?” Nicola asked as she searched through her bag for a pair of earrings she was particularly fond of. “Ah-huh, there you are you slippery little suckers.” She untangled the earrings from a silk scarf in the bottom of her bag. As she slipped them onto her ears, she looked at Danny standing by the window, studying the bikes in the parking lot below. She could almost read his mind as he feasted his eyes on the smorgasbord of chrome and leather and steel, and saw his fingers twitch.

  Danny watched the owners of the bikes adjusting, polishing, checking the prized machines engines the same way he always did. His fingers itched to feel the cold leather and polished chrome of the handlebars, the hard seat that, over time, had molded to the shape of his backside–the vibration of the engine throbbing against his thighs. As he watched the rhythm of a cloth move over the frame he could almost taste the metallic smell of the polish, breathe in the oily fumes of the exhaust.

  He raised his hands in a gesture of surrender as he turned around, and smiled. “No, I’m not. You and I are going to have a nice dinner away from here, and move on to dessert, later.” He ran his fingers through his hair, and grinned. “Get a move on woman. I’m starving.”

  * * *

  They drove five miles west to a Perkins Restaurant on 84 where a recently vacated booth by a window was hastily cleared and wiped clean. The hostess handed them menus while clean placemats, napkins and utensils were placed on the table in front of them along with tall glasses of iced water with straws hygienically encased in tissue-paper. Nicola took a long sip and perused the menu.

  The waitress materialized with steaming cups of coffee and as she headed to the kitchen with their order, she glanced at her watch.

  “I’ll be back in a minute,” Nicola said as she slid from the booth and headed for the restroom.

  *

  He watched as she maneuvered her way around people and tables, her slender legs encased in body-hugging jeans that showed the outline of her well-shaped rump; the fitted top that showed just enough cleavage to turn men’s heads.

  The way she swaggers when she walks she knows every red-blooded male in the room is watching, stripping her naked with their eyes. These bitches are all the same- they open their legs to any man who fancies them.

  He gritted his teeth, his venom palpable.

  *

  Nicola pushed past chairs and people, looking around, searching, scrutinizing the faces of other diners. Even though she had nothing to base her fears on, she had an overwhelming sense of something menacing. When she sat down, she shivered.

  “Are you cold?” Danny asked. Neither had brought a jacket from the car and the air-conditioning, turned up to cope with the crowd of people, was cool.

  “No. I just had the strangest feeling that I was being watched,” she said.

  Danny’s eyes scanned the room trying to find the reason for her unease. The row of booths that lined the walls were separated by high backs, so he couldn’t see who was sitting in most of them- but the ones he could see gave him no cause for alarm.

  “Do you want me to take a walk around the restaurant and have a look?” he said and rose too his feet.

  Nicola grabbed hold of his hand and pulled him back down. “How would you know what to look for?”

  Danny nodded. “You’re probably right. In a room full of people how would you know who the bad guys were?” Then added, “Did you see a blue car in the parking lot like the one you saw before?”

  “No, I checked on our way in. And, I’ve been watching cars arrive and leave.”

  “Did you see anyone who seemed the least bit suspicious?”

  “No. They’re mainly all families and couples and groups of teenagers. There are a couple of people sitting alone at the counter, but they seem pretty innocuous.”

  The waitress placed their meal on the table and they lapsed into an uneasy silence as they concentrated on their food. When the dishes were cleared and their cups filled with fresh coffee, Danny took the opportunity to excuse himself and headed off in the direction of the restroom. He wandered down one side of the room, casually glancing at diners as he passed. On the way back, he walked around the other side, weaving around tables, scanning faces.

  “Did you see anything?” Nicola asked when he slid into the seat opposite.

  Danny shook his head. “No. Not really. A couple of unsavory looking bikers in a booth at the back, but aside from that, I didn’t see anyone I could say caused me alarm.”

  When they left the restaurant, Danny stopped to inspect a couple of tricked up Harleys parked near the entrance. Through the window, the bikers, wearing T-shirts emblazoned with a club insignia, and red and white bandannas on their heads, sat watching, ready for action if uninvited flesh dared to touch sacred chrome.

  Later that night he lay awake waiting for his mind to empty of dreams that had no application to the waking day. Through the open window he could hear the cawing of seagull down by the dock, a radio playing a tune he felt he should know–but couldn’t remember. He looked at the figure sleeping soundly beside him, snoring softly through partially open lips, her face held the guile and innocence of a child. He brushed a lock of hair from her face, then leaned down and kissed her.

  ‘I love you, Nicola Madison,’ he whispered.

  TWENTY-EIGHT

  No sooner were we in the door than Chartreuse and Louanna came hurrying to meet us.

  “Hi girls, how are you doing today?” I asked.

  Cha
rtreuse was beaming like a Tom-cat on heat at a cat show when she said,” I’m doin’ real good, Bee.”

  “What’s all the excitement about?” Rosie asked.

  Louanna could hardly contain herself. “We’ve got some news for you, Hon!” She grabbed hold of Rosie’s arm and guided her down the room.

  Chartreuse and I followed them to where their bags were lying on a couple of chairs.

  “Would you mind moving,” she asked a man and a woman in the chairs beside theirs. The woman graciously moved further down the row. The man looked around, and stayed where he was. A woman on the other side offered her seat.

  “Sit yourself down, we got something to show you,” Chartreuse said.

  As I turned to sit down, I accidentally knocked the newspaper out of the hands of the man who a moment earlier, almost gave up his seat–but didn’t. The newspaper went sprawling across the floor, spilling pages in every direction.

  I got down on my hands and knees as I apologized and tried to assemble the pages in some sort of order while the man stood with his hands on his hips, glaring down at me. I smiled another apology and handed the jumbled pages back. “Sorry,” I said, again.

  He snatched the newspaper out of my hand and marched down the room to the empty chair beside Linda. He glared at me. I glared back. I said I was sorry, what more does he want…? Blood!

  As the man shook open the newspaper, he bumped Linda in the shoulder causing her to drop the magazine she was reading. When she reached down to pick up the magazine, she elbowed him so hard he almost fell off the chair. Whoops, sorry, her smile said, but he didn’t notice the grin on her face when she looked down the room to where I was sitting. You go girl, I thought.

  Chartreuse did some glaring of her own then her face broke into a broad grin as she turned and said, “We’ve got something to show you.”

  Louanna shuffled around inside her bag and removed a couple of photographs. When she handed one each to Rosie and me, she had a grin so wide she looked like she’d eaten the proverbial canary.

  I couldn’t bear to look at myself in live, living color wearing that outfit.

  “Whachoo think, Bee?” Chartreuse’s voice drifted in through my denial haze. I knew there was no getting around it. I steeled my resolve and looked at the picture, through squinty, half-open eyes, hoping it wouldn’t look too bad. “What is this?” I opened my eyes, moved the photograph closer then moved it away, holding it at arms length.

  “It’s an ultrasound, Bubbie,” Rosie said.

  I scrunched up my eyes and peered at the photograph. “Is this an ultrasound of your boob, Chartreuse?”

  “Hell, no. Look closer, Bee, it’s much mo’ better ‘n that.”

  “Much mo’ better,” Louanna agreed. She looked at her friend, and added, “Although that would be som’ um, wouldn’t it, Treuse?”

  “This is way better than that,” Chartreuse said, grinning.

  I scrutinized the scan, turning it this way and that.

  “This looks like an ultrasound of a…. fetus?” Rosie said as she looked over my shoulder at ultrasonic image in my hand and then scrutinized the copy she was holding. “Don’t you think so, Bee?”

  I looked closely and tried to make sense of the hazy lines. “Is that what this is?”

  Louanna, suddenly struck dumb, could only manage a nod, her eyes tearing up.

  “Are you going to have a baby?” I asked.

  Chartreuse grabbed hold of her sister and jumped up and down. “She sure is,” she squealed. When she realized what she was doing she stopped and gave her a gentle pat on the stomach. “Sorry Louanna, is you alright, girl?”

  Louanna brushed her hand away. “I’m fine, Treuse, Now don’t you go making a fuss, girl. It’s not like I hain’t had no babies before.”

  “This is great news. When is the baby due, Louanna?” I said.

  Her teeth sparkled, her cheeks bulged like a chipmunk storing acorns; the flesh of her neck jingled. “Babies!” Chartreuse corrected.

  “No!” I said. “Not twins!”

  Louanna nodded. “The doctor said she could hear two tiny heartbeats.”

  “Why, Louanna, that’s wonderful,” Rosie gave her a hug.

  I wrapped my arms around her and added my congratulations. “I’m so pleased for you and Shaylon.”

  “How far along are you?”

  “Nine weeks. They’re just little, itty bitty tings.” She ran her hand over her belly and said, “Didn’t you girls notice I bin puttin’ on weight?”

  I tried to keep a polite smile on my face.

  “Honey, you bin puttin’ on weight since you come fresh out of our momma’s belly,” Chartreuse joked, good humouredly.

  “Well, now I can tell everyone its jest baby fat.” Louanna reached into her bag and withdrew a large box of Krispy Kreme doughnuts and shoved them at me. “Here, Bee, have a doughnut.”

  As the box was half empty, I declined. “There’s only a couple left and since you’re eating for three, you’d better have them, Louanna.”

  “Don’t you worry yourself ‘bout that, I’s got me ‘nother box in my bag. I always carry a spare in case we’s run out.”

  I helped myself to a nice gooey chocolate one – and checked the box… for seconds. Eany, meany, miney…moe!

  Suddenly we heard a ruckus from the back of the room. I looked up and saw the unpleasant man who had been sitting beside Linda, sprawled the floor–newspaper pages, scattered in every directions.

  “Whoops, sorry! Me and my big feet!” I heard Grace say as she tucked her dainty size seven shoes back under the chair.

  As the man scooped up the newspaper pages, he glanced at me. I glared back and raised an arched eyebrow lest he should misinterpret my meaning– What? Not dead yet–it plainly said.

  *****

  The morning was wet with fog that swirled up from the river and hung wetly in the trees, and gathered like damp cotton around street and houses, and settled over a town that still slept. The occasional roar of an early morning rider echoed through empty streets and cavernous buildings along the waterfront.

  As the black SUV headed south on the narrow two-lane road that followed the river past cornfields and wheat fields, and dairy farms, the harsh headlights of a lone vehicle dogged them. When there was enough room, Danny moved over and allowed the pick-up of a local farm worker to pass. As he pulled back on the road, the headlights of the SUV outlined the silhouette of the driver wearing what looked like a cap on his head.

  On the edge of a small lake, deer stood in the shallows. Cranes and egrets extended their wings and lifted into the golden light as the sun came up and covered the land with the smell of a brand new day.

  “I always take the scenic route when I can. It’s so much nicer than traveling the highways,” Danny said.

  “So I’ve noticed. What exciting little adventure have you got planned today?”

  “I haven’t got anything planned other than meeting a guy in Pine Grove tonight.”

  “Pine Grove, where’s that?”

  “It’s about twenty-five miles north of Harrisburg–and less than an hour from Hershey’s Chocolate World. I thought tomorrow I’d take you to chocolate heaven and I’ll treat you to whatever your heart desires.”

  Nicola laughed. “When I wake up each morning I never know what to expect. It’s like going on a magical mystery tour. I thank you for the thought–but I’ll pass on the chocolate.”

  “I thought all red-blooded woman loved chocolate!”

  “What goes through the lips–stays on the hips.”

  At the East Stroud junction they turned west onto I-80, and at the I-81 crossroads turned south and drove through towns with strange sounding names: McAdoo, Frackville, Tamaqua and Quakake. And names filled with magic like Shenandoah and Deer Lake. Places that conjure up images of mountains and valleys, and forests and rivers, and images of bear, and deer, and cougar. And proud men who roamed this land for more than a thousand years.

  * * *

&nb
sp; Situated at the foot of the Blue Mountain Range, the town of Pine Grove is one of those names you’d have a hard time finding on the pages of the Rand McNally Road Atlas. Population at the 2000 census, 2154, the borough has only a total of 1.1 square miles of land. So, unless you lived within close proximity, the name would only merit a blank stare. Or, as in Danny’s case, if you were a collector of rare antique Harley Davidson motorcycle parts.

  As they approached the exit sign, Danny changed lanes and headed up the off-ramp, unsure what to expect by way of accommodation. They were pleasantly surprised when they turned east on Suedberg Road and saw the gleaming white façade of the Hampton Inn set back from the road, back-dropped by tall pine trees.

  “Looks like we might be in luck,” he said as he drove down the dusty unpaved driveway to the almost empty asphalt parking lot. When they opened the car doors the dusty air was filled with the resinous smell of pine trees, and constant hum of long-haul eighteen-wheelers on the freeway.

  A young woman with an enchanting smile and dimpled cheeks assured them there were rooms available as she took an imprint of Danny’s credit card and entered the details on the computer.

  While Danny attended to the paperwork, Nicola looked around. “This looks new,” she said.

  “It is new. It only opened in June,” the receptionist announced proudly.

  “Pine Grove seems like a small, quiet town. What’s in the area to justify the building of this magnificent hotel, Melissa?” Danny asked as he handed over the completed paperwork and noted the shiny new name tag pinned to her blouse just above the slight rise of her left breast.

  “Nothing,” Melissa replied with an indifferent shrug. “There’s absolutely nothing here!”