His heart beat faster when in the distance he spotted the old truck off to the side of the road. He could see his house now and pushed the accelerator, then came to a screeching stop alongside the vehicle. He jumped out of the car, rushed to the pickup's side and threw open the door. His pulse pounded as he found the cab empty except for a pair of old slippers resting on the passenger side floorboard.
He glanced toward his house, but knew in his heart someone had picked them up. Madux's mind raced as few people traveled this route, especially this time of the morning. His gaze shot up the road where he'd seen the surveillance cop. The car had disappeared.
CHAPTER FORTY-FOUR
Hawkman awoke to a dark dreary day. Gusty winds buffed against his vehicle as he drove into Yreka. Turning on his headlights, he flipped on the windshield wipers to the low setting as a fine mist covered the glass. A flash of light filled the sky, then the thunder rumbled. These storms played havoc with the forest and put many fire fighters on alert. A bolt of lightning could start a fire in the high mountains, which could develop into an inferno and devastate everything in its path as it roared through. No one in the area enjoyed these types of thunder storms, and they always kept a wary eye on the nearby hills.
He turned the corner toward the Parker place and as he approached the property he noticed a shadowy figure scurry from under the carport and disappear behind the house. Instead of stopping, Hawkman drove past the house, circled the block, then turned into the alley at the far end.
Coming to a halt near the mound of blankets still piled by the fence, he climbed out of his vehicle. He prepared himself for a confrontation and strolled cautiously toward the makeshift abode.
"Frank, wake up. It's time to talk again."
About that time Detective William's unmarked vehicle entered the alley and drew up next to Hawkman's 4X4. The mist had turned into a light rain as Williams walked up to the mound and pulled away the covers.
"Come on, Frank, I need to talk to you. I don't want to get soaked, so let's go down to the station."
The old fellow looked up at the men wide-eyed. “Why are you taking me in?"
"I'm not arresting you. I just want to get someplace dry,” Williams said, pulling the collar up on his coat. “Hurry up. Let's go."
The old fellow climbed out of his bedding, tenderly folded his prize blanket, slipped it into the plastic bag, and slapped on his ratty hat. He grabbed his walking stick resting against the fence and limped toward the car, grumbling. “A fellow can't even get a decent night's rest anymore."
Hawkman followed the detective's car to the station. The three men made a dash for the door as the rain developed into a downpour. Once inside, Hawkman removed his hat, shook off the moisture, then placed it back on his head. He trailed behind the two men as they made their way to Williams’ office. The detective had Frank take the chair in front of his desk. Hawkman grabbed an extra seat that rested against the wall and placed it in the middle of the room, so he could see both men's faces.
Frank placed the plastic bag on the floor and jostled his cane against the desk until it held firmly. Once settled into the chair, he thumbed toward Hawkman. “If this one eyed guy ain't a cop, what's he doing followin’ you around?"
"He's helping me out,” Williams stated, taking off his coat and flipping off the droplets of water before placing it over the back of his chair. He sat down, fished a recorder from the drawer and plunked it down on the desk. “Hope you don't mind if I record this conversation. Writing cramps my hand."
Frank squirmed in his seat and licked his lips as he stared at the small machine. “Not sure I like it one bit."
"Don't worry, nothing's going to be used against you. I just need information. Say your name first."
"Frank."
"You have a last name?"
"Smith."
"Okay, we'll go with that for now."
"How long have you been bedding down in that particular alley?"
Frank shrugged. “A long time. I don't give no one any trouble."
"I didn't say you did. I just ask, how long?"
"Close to a year."
"Did you make friends with the Parkers?"
Running his fingers over the edge of the desk, Frank glanced at Hawkman with narrowed eyes, then shifted his gaze to the detective. “Only with the missus. She's a generous and good woman."
"Did you know Burke Parker?"
Frank shook his head.
"The recorder doesn't work well on silence. It needs a voice to record."
"I never met the man."
"Did you know what he looked like?"
Frank stared at the detective, his eyes turning a strange color.
Williams cleared his throat and shot a look at Hawkman, then back at the vagabond. “You all right, Frank?"
The old man raked his hand over his long beard as he stared into space. “Yeah."
"Tell me about Burke Parker."
"He was a mean son-of-a-bitch. One night, I saw him hit Ms. Lilly several times. She kept whimpering and begging him to stop."
"Where were you when you saw this happening?"
"Checking the porch, where she usually left me something to eat."
"Did she do this every night?"
"Almost. She always left it on the far corner. I was never to bother the food on the steps. That was for her old man. And he'd get mighty mad if it wasn't there. Sometimes I'd hide in the carport and watch him drive up in his car. He'd stagger up the sidewalk and growl like a dog when he spotted the bag. Then, he'd snatch it up and usually he'd leave.” His eyes narrowed. “But one night Lilly didn't get home until late and she didn't have anything out there for him."
"What happened?"
"Parker pounded on the front door until she opened it a few inches and held the food bag out the crack. He knocked it out of her hand, and screamed at her for not having it ready, then he tried to grab her. I could tell he scared Lilly and she tried to push the door shut.” He shook his head and rubbed his mouth with his hand. “But she didn't have the strength and he forced it open. When he dashed inside, I could see him through the windows chasing her through the house. Finally, he caught her by the hair. She screamed.” Frank sucked in a breath and clenched his fist.
"Go on,” Williams coached.
"He hauled back his arm and slugged her as if he were fightin’ a man. Everything got mighty quiet. It scared me. I thought he'd killed her. But it wasn't long before he ran out the front door, grabbed his bag of food off the porch, jumped in his car and drove away.” He lifted his head and stared into space. “I hated that bastard."
"Why didn't you call the police?"
He abruptly guffawed. “How? I'm a street person. I don't carry no cell phone."
"What if he'd killed her?"
Frank held up his hand. “I ain't through yet. Even an old derelict like me knows better than to mess up any finger prints or evidence the police might need to get that son-of-a-bitch. So, I went around to the back door and found it unlocked. I opened it a few inches and called her name several times. I could hear her groaning, so I stepped inside. She lay on the floor in the living room, her face covered in blood.” He sniffed and wiped the back of his hand across his nose. “I've been in many a fight in my life, but never hit a woman. I couldn't believe this man could do such a horrible thing."
"So, what'd you do?"
"I didn't want to move her, so I grabbed a towel off the kitchen cabinet and wet it, then washed her face with cold water. She finally opened her eyes, and glanced around scared to death, but didn't say a word. Too afraid to talk, I guess” He chuckled. “I'd be afeared too, if I woke up to a mangy old man hovering over me. But then she recognized me, grabbed my arm and cried like a baby.” He shook his head. “Sliced through me like a knife. I asked if she wanted an ambulance or the police and she said no. So I helped her to the bathroom, then got some ice out of her freezer and made an ice pack with a plastic bag I found in the kitchen. She came out and slumped down at th
e kitchen table. Took the bag from me and held it to her face. That's the way I left her."
"When did all this happen?"
The old fellow scratched his beard and glanced toward the ceiling. “Hmm, must have been seven or eight months ago. Maybe longer, I really can't remember."
"Did Mr. Parker come back again?"
Frank frowned. “Every night. But she made sure his food and booze were out on the steps as soon as she got home, then she'd lock herself inside. But another night, he yelled and pounded on the wall until she opened the door. He pulled her outside on the porch, screaming she was a whore and he tried to slap her around a bit. I couldn't stand it any longer and banged him on the head with my cane from behind."
"What'd he do?"
Frank snickered and slapped a hand on the desk. “I'm a lot bigger man than Burke Parker and I look pretty mean. He almost fell off the porch trying to get away, but kept yelling, ‘Wild man, wild man, somebody call the police'. He run to his car and disappeared down the street."
"Did Lilly say anything?"
"She thanked me, then said to wait a few minutes and she'd get me something to eat. I told her not to worry, just go take care of her wounds. But she insisted and within a few minutes brought out several pieces of fried chicken in a bag. Such a kind lady. Thinks more of others than herself."
"Frank, Lilly and her daughter have disappeared. Did you see anything unusual at the house yesterday?"
He looked at the detective with a puzzled expression, then pointed at Hawkman. “He says she's a suspect. You're wrong. Lilly wouldn't hurt a fly."
"I'm asking if you saw anyone around the house yesterday?"
"Only the big Indian fellow. But he's a good man. Maybe he took Lilly and her daughter on a vacation."
"Did you see them leave together?"
Frank let out a groan. “Why do you want to find Lilly?."
Williams leaned back in his chair. “Unfortunately, Mr. Casey was right when he told you Lilly and her daughter are wanted for murder."
Frank jumped out of his chair shaking his head and pounding his fist on the desk. “No! No! Lilly didn't poison Burke Parker."
CHAPTER FORTY-FIVE
Frank grabbed his cane and wheeled it above his head. Hawkman leapt to his feet and grabbed him around the neck, knocking off the man's grimy hat. Williams, anticipating a hit, dropped to the floor, rolled out of reach, then came to his feet with his gun aimed at the vagabond's heart.
"Take it easy, Frank.” Hawkman said, yanking away the stick. The smell of greasy hair and dirty clothes swirled around his nose. “There's no reason for you to act this way."
Trying to pull Hawkman's arm from around his neck, he wheezed. “He acts like my Lilly killed that horrible man."
Hawkman tightened his grip. “We're only trying to get at the truth. Are you willing to sit down and talk? Or do you want us to call in the officers and take you to a cell."
Frank waved his hands in the air. “No, I'll talk."
Hawkman felt the tension leaving Frank's body and released his hold, then pushed him down into the chair. “No more shenanigans."
The detective sat back down and replaced his gun in the shoulder holster. At that moment, the phone rang. “Yeah,” Williams said in an agitated voice. He stiffened and glanced at Hawkman as he listened. “Have him stay with them. I'll get back to you later.” He then turned his attention to Frank. “Who told you Burke Parker was poisoned?"
"You did?"
"No, I never said a word about how Parker died."
He pointed at Hawkman. “He must have said something."
Hawkman shook his head. “You want to tell us about it, Frank?"
The old man bowed his head and his lips quivered. “The last time I saw that horrible man hit Lilly, I vowed he wouldn't do it again. I'd nosed around the house a couple of times, sort of straightening things up for the missus. She shore didn't have time to do any work outside. I used to be a gardener years ago and noticed an old bottle of paraquat in the carport cabinet. I knew the stuff was deadly. One night when I noticed Lilly had left food for her husband on the step, I just doctored it up a bit with the poison. And gave his booze a squirt or two. Figured that'd fix him up good."
* * * *
Maduk raced inside the hospital and straight to the information desk. After he explained his father had been brought into emergency, the nurse on duty nodded.
"Oh, yes,” she said. “He's being attended to at this moment.” She pointed down the hall. “The people who brought him here are in the first waiting room."
Madux hurried to the door and stepped inside. Lilly glanced up, let go of Maryann's hand and dashed into his arms with tears in her eyes.
"Oh Madux, I fear your father has had a heart attack."
He enfolded her in his arms and hugged her close. “He's a tough old guy, he'll be fine.” He then stepped over to the officer. “You can go, I'll handle the situation now. Thank you very much."
"Uh, I'm sorry sir, but my instructions are not to leave these two women."
Madux frowned. “Why?"
He shrugged. “I've just been told to not let them out of my sight."
"I don't understand. Have they done something wrong?"
"Those are my orders."
"It seems a bit unusual, but I guess you have to do what your superiors tell you.” In a sense, this relieved Maduk's mind. Obviously, there wasn't a warrant out for their arrest, or the officer would have already taken them in. He took Lilly by the elbow and ushered her to the corner of the room with Maryann in tow.
"What happened with Father?"
Lilly wiped the tears from her eyes with a tissue. “Early this morning, he cried out in pain. Maryann and I rushed to his side. He held his chest and said he felt like it had a fire inside. His coloring turned ashen and he seemed to have trouble breathing. I knew we needed to get him to a doctor immediately."
Maryann sighed. “We didn't know what to do, so I ran out to that old truck, discovered the keys inside and switched it on. The engine turned over and I figured if the gas gauge was correct, we had enough fuel to get into town. But we didn't get far before it conked out on us near the new house. I didn't know what we were going to do, as we hadn't passed or seen a car on the road, and houses are miles apart."
"So how'd you get here?” Madux asked.
She glanced toward the officer. “I spotted an automobile parked up the road and not knowing if it was even occupied, I waved frantically. The car soon pulled out onto the road and came toward us. When a uniformed cop stepped out, it scared me. I didn't know what to expect."
"Do you think he knew who you were?"
Maryann clenched her hands together. “I'm not sure. He helped us get Happy out of the truck and into his vehicle. On the way, he called into headquarters and described the situation, then eyed us pretty suspiciously. Then he slammed a red light on top and turned on his siren, I didn't know where we might end up."
Maduk put his arms around both women and gave them a squeeze. “You did the right thing. We'll work it out."
The officer's phone beeped and he stepped into the hallway, but watched the trio through the glass window as he talked. Soon, he poked his head inside.
"I've been relieved of my orders. I hope the old fellow's okay. Detective Williams says he'll be here shortly."
Just as the officer strolled out of sight, the doctor entered the waiting room. “I'm looking for the relatives of Happy Madukarahat."
Maduk stepped forward with Lilly and Maryann stood behind. “He's my father."
The doctor smiled. “I hope I pronounced your name right."
"You did fine. Is he okay?"
"Yes. I know you feared he'd had a heart attack, but we've done several tests and his heart is strong. After a bit of questioning, I've come to the conclusion he ate too much rabbit stew and suffered a good case of gastroesophageal reflux, a form of indigestion. We'll keep an eye on him for a few hours, but I'm pretty sure you'll be able to take him h
ome by evening. He's already responding well to medication."
Maduk smiled. “That's good news. Thank you, doctor."
"Check back about six tonight."
Lilly breathed a sigh of relief and tucked her hand into the curve of Madux's arm. “Thank goodness. He sure gave us a scare."
He patted her arm, clamped his jaw tight, and stared into space.
"What's the matter?” Lilly asked.
"I'm not sure what to do. Do we wait here for Detective Williams or do I get you and Maryann out of here?"
Lilly gazed up at the big man. “Madux, I don't want to run the rest of my life."
He looked into her face. “Tell me Lilly, did you kill Burke?"
She shook her head. “No.” Then she glanced at her daughter. “But I'm not going to let them take her away. She has a full life ahead."
Maryann jerked her head around. “Mother, I didn't poison Burke. I thought you did. That's why I wanted to save every bit of evidence of what that horrible man had done to you. He deserved to die and I didn't blame you at all."
Madux frowned. “I don't understand. The lab test showed his food and drink had paraquat in it. You two were the only ones giving him food, plus both your fingerprints were on the food containers. I took the paraquat bottle I found in the carport, wiped it clean and buried it.” He led the women to the chairs lining the wall. “Something has happened. The officer left and the detective wants to see us. Let's take the chance he has good news and wait here."
Within a few minutes, Detective Williams and Hawkman entered the waiting room.
"Is your father okay?” Williams asked.
"Yes, he's fine,” Madux said, studying the detective's expression. “Why did you want to see us?"
Williams pulled a chair from the wall and sat down facing the trio. Hawkman did the same.
"As you know, the three of you were the prime suspects in the murder of Burke Parker."
Madux nodded.
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