By Cat or By Crook

by Patricia Fry

  She smiled weakly at him. “My head hurts,” she said, lying back against her pillow and squeezing her eyes shut.

  “Want some water?” he asked, pouring from a small pitcher into a plastic glass and offering it to her with a straw.

  “I heard your phone,” she said after taking a few sips.

  “When?”

  “All night.”

  “Oh, babe, I’m sorry. I put it on vibrate so it wouldn’t bother you.”

  “I heard it vibrate,” she said, sounding groggy. She opened her eyes wide, “Did they catch that guy?”

  He thinned his lips and shook his head. “But we’ll get him. You can be sure of that.” He stepped aside. “Hello, Doc,” he greeted as a tall man in a white coat entered the room.

  “Good morning. How’s the patient?” he asked cheerfully.

  “You tell us,” Craig quipped. “She says her head hurts.”

  “I imagine so,” the doctor said as he began to examine Iris. He took a look at her chart. “But I don’t think there’s anything else we can do for you here.” He glanced at Craig, then spoke to Iris. “It appears that you’ll have good care at home. I trust the detective will keep you quiet for a few days.”

  Craig nodded. “Sure will, Doc.”

  “Okay, then I’ll sign the release papers. You can go either before or after breakfast. It’s up to you.”

  “What’s on the menu?” she asked.

  The doctor chuckled. “Good answer. That’s what I like to hear.” He thought for a moment and said, “I believe it’s scrambled eggs and ham with a side of applesauce.”

  Iris smiled. “I think I’ll dine in before checking out.” She winked at Craig. “My husband isn’t very good at stopping for food when we’re on the road and I don’t think I can make it all the way home.”

  “Good girl,” the doctor said, smiling. More seriously, he added, “Someone will come in before you’re discharged and go over my instructions with both of you. I suggest you see your family physician next week, unless you have any problems or questions before that.”

  “Okay,” Iris said. “Thank you, Doctor.”

  ****

  “Craig, stop!” Iris shouted shortly after he’d turned out of the hospital parking lot an hour and a half later.

  “What?” he asked, quickly pulling alongside the curb. “Are you sick?”

  She shook her head. “No. See that man?” she said, pointing. “That’s the guy who came out to the Kaiser place in a taxi.”

  When he noticed she was near hysterics, he started to ask, “Is he the one who…”

  “No. I don’t think so. But I’d sure like to know who he is, wouldn’t you? There’s something odd about him. With everything that’s been going on out there, he has me spooked.”

  Craig studied the old man. “Are you sure that’s the same guy?”

  “Yes,” she said. “He was wearing that same grey flat cap and windbreaker. That’s him, all right. Let’s go and ask him who he is.”

  Craig looked at the man, then back at his wife. “I think it’s more important to get you home,” he said, slowly pulling back out onto the roadway.

  “Craig!” she shouted. “He may know something about the body and the person who attacked me.” As the detective drove slowly, Iris said, “In fact, he might be one of the key players in all this.”

  “Key player?” Craig asked.

  “Yeah, a family member, or one of the original criminals.”

  Craig glanced back at the man and picked up his radio. “Hello dispatch, this is Detective Sledge. Would you have someone pick up an old, white-haired gent with a beard and an ornate black-and-gold cane, wearing one of those old-guy roadster caps?”

  “Flat-cap,” Iris insisted.

  “My wife says it’s a flat cap…grey. And he’s wearing a black windbreaker. He’s sitting on a bus bench just outside the Straley Hospital waiting for the…” he glanced around to get his bearings, “…it’ll be the south-running bus.” He paused and said, “What do I want with him?” He coughed and cleared his throat. “I want to know who he is and why he went out to the Kaiser place in a taxi on…what day was it, Iris?”

  “Wednesday. Late Wednesday.”

  “Late Wednesday. Report back to me before you let him go.”

  They’d driven a short distance when Craig got a call. “Sledge here.” After pausing, he said, “Oh really? Okay, thanks for the update. I’ll be at the station in an hour or so, depending on the traffic.”

  “News?” Iris asked after he ended the call.

  He nodded. “I guess someone from your work crew was a little confused about what to do when he arrived at the Kaiser place this morning. That was security calling.”

  “Security?” Iris asked, creasing her brow.

  “Yes, I sent a couple of guys out there to nose around last night and asked them to stay until further notice.”

  “So who came to work, I wonder,” she said. “Typically no one but me works on the weekend.”

  He studied Iris briefly, then said, “Well, one of them showed up with a pretty bad gash on the left side of his face.”

  She looked at him, her eyes wide. “Really? Who was it?”

  “A kid named William J. Kaiser.”

  Iris frowned. “Oh? I don’t know that name.”

  “I guess the workers call him Willie.”

  “Willie,” Iris said, breathlessly.

  “So you know him?”

  “I sure do,” Iris said, tightening her lips. “He’s been…sort of stalking me. He’s always showing up out at the place when there’s no good reason for him to be there.” She swooned a little and leaned back on the headrest. “Wait,” she said, staring at Craig. “What did you say his last name is?”

  “Kaiser. He’s the son of one of the owners.” He looked at her. “You didn’t know that?”

  “No,” she said emphatically. More quietly, she added, “I wonder if Melody does. Is he a plant or something? Why wasn’t I told of his identity?”

  Craig shrugged. “So do you think he’s the one you clobbered with that flashlight last night?”

  “Could be, I guess. After thinking about it, if I were to consider everyone I know from the Kaiser project, he’d be among my first suspects. Damn, fool kid,” she spat. “What’s his gig, anyway?”

  “Well, it appears there’s more to that place than the eerie skeletal remains of a stranger. I suspect someone believes there’s something of value or something incriminating hidden on the property.”

  Iris chuckled. “You sound like Maggie.”

  “How?” he asked, frowning.

  “Well, she thinks everything that happens around that place is suspicious. That would be her mantra: ‘Now is it something incriminating to a family member or something of value?’”

  He put his hand on hers. “According to some of the things Colbi and Damon have dug up, what Michael found in the wall, and the strange notations in that book Maggie discovered, it could be either one of those two things—or both.”

  Iris squinted in his direction. “How did you know about the research Colbi and Damon have been doing?”

  “Damon told me a little about it last night before he and Savannah left the hospital.”

  Iris rode quietly for a while, then said, “So Willie’s a plant? They brought him in to keep an eye on me? But why?”

  “To keep you from finding something they want or maybe hoping you’d lead them to whatever it is they’re looking for.” He glanced at her as he drove.

  “Do you think they’d try to kill me?” Iris asked, her voice a mere squeak.

  Craig shrugged and squeezed her hand.

  “Surely Melody isn’t involved in anything sordid.” Iris leaned her head back on the headrest. “She’s odd, but I don’t get the impression she has a hidden agenda. She and I seem to be pretty much on the same page with the renovation of the old place.” When Craig remained silent, she said, “So I guess that�
��s why I was discovering all those mounds all over the property. Willie and his dad were out there digging, trying to find the family secret.” She gazed at her husband. “What do you suppose they’re after? Do you think they even know?”

  “You may have found what they were looking for,” Craig said.

  “What?” she asked, obviously losing patience. “The skeleton? I don’t know why they would want to hurt me after the skeleton was found. What would be the point in that?”

  “Good question. No. I don’t think it has to do with the guy in the wall. The more I think about it, the more I believe it could have something to do with that rock Savannah and Maggie found.”

  Iris was stunned. “Oh? How did you know about that?”

  “How could I not know about, it the way Maggie was carrying on when I told her to leave the property Thursday evening?”

  After sitting quietly for a few miles, Iris asked, “So you think that rock is concealing some sort of secret?”

  “Seems like too much of a coincidence that you would be attacked only after the rock appeared.” When she remained quiet, he said, “After I sent you all home Thursday night, I poked around out there near the rock. Yeah, I believe it could be significant.”

  “You think so?” She faced Craig. “Hey, we’d better get someone out there to dig that thing up.”

  “Been there, did that,” Craig said, winking at his wife.

  “Really? What did you find?” she asked hesitantly.

  “Nothing yet.” Just then, Craig responded to another call. “Sledge here.” After pausing, he said, “Oh, really? Interesting.” He shot a quick look at Iris. “Thank you. Yes, hold onto him. I want to get a closer look at this gent. I’ll meet you at the station in an hour.”

  “Who was that?” Iris asked.

  Craig cleared his throat and glanced at her. “Deputy Ben. He had an officer in Straley pick up the old man and he’s transporting him to Hammond. Do you know who he is?”

  She shook her head.

  “Well, his ID says Francis Ogletree. But his cap and his jacket have the initials BKK in them.”

  Iris was silent for a moment, then she looked at Craig, her eyes wide. “Benjamin Kaiser?”

  He smiled and nodded. “Maybe.”

  “Holy cow,” she said. But wouldn’t he be about a hundred years old by now? The timing’s off, isn’t it?”

  He glanced at her. “He disappeared when? 1976?”

  Iris nodded. “Melody said she was in her early twenties then.”

  “So he might have been in his forties,” Craig figured. “If so, he could be around eighty or ninety now. That’s certainly a possibility.”

  “So, Craig, do you think he heard about the work being done at the place and showed up to keep his heirs from stumbling across any gruesome family secrets?”

  Craig shook his head. “It’s anyone’s guess.”

  At that, Iris began to cry.

  “What’s wrong, are you in pain?” he asked, concerned.

  She shook her head. “I just feel that great opportunity slipping out of my hands. I so wanted to make a success of the project, but everything seems to be against it. This has been an absolute fiasco from the start and now I imagine I’ll never be allowed to finish.”

  “Why not?” he asked gently.

  She looked at him and repeated, “Why not? Craig, where have you been? How can I possibly create a lovely bed-and-breakfast in a place that reeks of gangsters, disappearing people, bodies in the walls, and who knows what else? Every time we take care of one problem in that house, a worse one develops.”

  After being quiet for a while, Craig said, “Don’t you think the worst of the dirty secrets are out by now? The Kaisers probably want to move ahead with their plans. People soon forget. Besides, some people have a curiosity that will lure them to a place with a reputation. Don’t give up yet. Wait and see what the family wants to do.”

  “Yeah, I guess you’re right; we’ve probably aired pretty nearly all of the dirty laundry. What else could possibly get in the way of our progress?”

  “Is that your phone?” he asked.

  “Yeah, thanks for charging it for me. I’ve been out of the loop for too long.”

  “Not long enough to suit me,” he said under his breath.

  She smirked playfully in his direction and took the call. “Hello, this is Iris.”

  “Oh, Iris, it’s Melody. How are you, dear?”

  “I’m okay,” she said. “I’m so sorry, Melody. I didn’t mean to cause trouble on your property.”

  “Well, as I understand it, you did nothing wrong. I hear that my nephew has been arrested for attacking you. I had no idea he and my brother were scheming against me. I guess it’s my fault for not keeping a closer eye on things.” She spoke more quietly, “Iris, I don’t know what’s going on, but it appears that Melvin has something up his sleeve—something that could possibly cause my dream, and your dream, to fail.”

  Melody paused, then said, “My mother would not approve of what we’re doing at the old homestead. She told me many times that she wished the place had burned and, in her words, ‘All of the secrets with it.’” She chuckled. “And that isn’t the only thing Mother and I disagreed about. I don’t know why, but I could never please her—she didn’t approve of the men I dated, the businesses I affiliated myself with, even the clothes I wore. She became even more critical in her later years—so much so that I chose to disengage myself from her. Melvin was the one closest to our mother, and I imagine he is honoring her wishes by trying to keep me from opening the family home to the public. But he’s the one who has failed.” Melody sighed deeply before saying, “Iris, just know that he and his delinquent son will not be in your way for the duration of the project.”

  “You mean…” Iris started. “You plan to go ahead with the restoration?”

  “Absolutely,” Melody said. “We’ve come this far; there’s no reason to stop and every reason to continue.”

  “Oh, that’s good news,” Iris said. “Thank you for telling me. You can bet my recovery will be faster now that I know I’m still on task with the bed-and-breakfast.”

  “Yes, and from now on no bodies, no cats, and no menacing family members will get in the way of our forward motion. Melvin and Willie are officially banned from the grounds. With Scott out of the country, it will be just you and me.”

  “What about your father?” Iris asked.

  “What?” Melody whispered.

  “Um, first let me ask you, what are your father’s initials?”

  “Well, BK, Benjamin Kaiser, but he’s…”

  “Does he have a middle initial?” Iris asked.

  “Yes he did,” Melody said suspiciously. “K. It was actually BKK. But Iris, dear, this information is obsolete, you see. Father is dead. I have his death certificate. He disappeared, when I was still a young woman, without a trace, you see. After years without a sign of him, the courts deemed him deceased.”

  Iris spoke quietly, “Well, Melody, I’m pretty sure that your father came to visit the estate the other day. In fact, he’s at the sheriff’s office as we speak.” She glanced at the clock on the dash. “…or will be soon. He was picked up this morning in Straley.”

  “Impossible!” she spat. “He’s dead, I tell you.”

  “I guess it could be someone impersonating him, although he is not using the name, Benjamin Kaiser; he’s calling himself…what is it, Craig?”

  “Francis Ogletree. Why don’t you go down to the station and see if you can identify him?” She turned to Craig. “Can she do that?”

  He shrugged. “Sure, I guess.”

  “Yes, yes, I will. I’m just sure your people are wrong, Iris. But if it’s true,” she said rather breathlessly, “oh my, this will certainly change things.”

  ****

  “Home at last,” Iris said as Craig helped her step out of the car and into the house. “Did you tell the boys where I was? I didn’t get a chan
ce to call them.”

  “Yeah, I talked to Brett this morning before they left for school.” He chuckled. “They didn’t even miss you until they realized you weren’t there to fix breakfast.”

  “Darned spoiled boys,” Iris said, laughing.

  “There goes your phone.” He reached out and took it from her. “Now before you answer it, let’s get you settled in bed,” Craig said, leading her toward the hallway.

  “No bed,” she insisted, pulling away and heading for the sofa. “I’ll just lie here on the couch. Give me my phone,” she said, making herself comfortable against the cushions.

  Reluctantly, he handed her the phone, then said, “I’ll get your pillow and a blanket.”

  “Hi, Savannah,” Iris said into the phone. “How are you? Did you get any sleep last night?”

  Savannah chuckled. “Not much. How about you? How are you feeling? Are you still at the hospital?”

  “No, just got home. I’m a bit sore, but I don’t have a concussion and there were no muscles or tendons damaged. I’ll be pretty good in a few days. Thank you, by the way, for helping me out last night. Oh, Savannah, I was so frightened.”

  “I’ll bet you were. Are you going to think twice from now on before working at the Kaisers at night?” Savannah asked.

  “Oh, I doubt I’ll have any more trouble. We think we know who the attacker was. I’m pretty sure there’s no more danger out there.” She glanced at Craig, then said into the phone, “Hey, my husband is trying to tell me something.” When Iris returned to the phone, she announced, “They identified the skeleton.”

  “Anyone you know?”

  “Nope,” Iris said. “His name’s Wallace Mumford.”

  “Hmmm. Was he listed in that book my aunt’s been reading?”

  “I don’t know. I haven’t talked to her. But yeah, he might actually be.” Iris’s tone became more mysterious. “And there’s probably a line drawn through his name, too.”

  Both women laughed nervously.

  “And guess what else?” Iris said. “We think we know who that old guy in the cab is. Are you ready for this, Savannah?”