Deadly as the Driven Snow

by Agnes Alexander

  “There’s…”

  “This is all,” the one from the foot of the steps interrupted him. He seemed to be the leader. “There were only four of us.”

  They started to put the boys in the cars, when Jason paused. “You wouldn’t happen to be the S-Us, would you?”

  “That’s right,” the one who seemed to be in charge said.

  “I think there are six in the S-Us, Sheriff,” Charles said.

  “You’re right.” Jason nodded. “I’m going to check out the house.” He turned to look at Mom and me. He took off his coat and said as he put it around Mom’s shoulders, “You’re going to have to stay out here for a little while, Celia. I won’t be long.”

  When Allen and Charles had the prisoners secure in the back seats of their cars, they came back to the porch, both taking off their coats. Charles said, “Here, June. Take my coat.”

  “I’m fine, Charles.”

  “I insist,” he said. “Jason would have our heads if we let you stay out here and get cold. I’m going inside to see if I can help him, anyway.”

  “Thank you.” As soon as Charles was inside, I turned to Allen. “What in the world is an S-U?”

  He was putting his coat back on. “It’s a symbol this gang has been leaving when they break into a place. It stands for the Six-Unstoppables.” He chuckled. “Of course, it would be you who stops them.”

  I grinned at him.

  “I think I heard something about that on the news,” Mom said.

  “You probably have, Mrs. March. They’ve been operating all over the county. No set patterns. They’ve robbed places in town, out in the country and in populated areas. We knew they were a bunch of young guys, but we never thought they’d be this easy to catch.”

  I shook my head and changed the subject. “Allen, do you know my mother?”

  “I met her when we were in school. How are you, Mrs. March?”

  Before Mom could answer, Dad came driving up. He looked alarmed as he ran up to the porch. “What in the world is going on?”

  “Don’t get excited, Brad,” Mom said. “Everything is under control, thanks to your brave daughter, here, and the efficient Edison County Sheriff’s department.”

  “Why don’t we sit down?” I asked. “We have plenty of chairs and swings and such. There’s no need to keep standing.”

  “Let’s go in the house where it’s warm,” Dad said. “Then you can tell me all about this.”

  “We can’t go in yet, Dad,” I explained. “Jason and another deputy are in there searching for more members of this gang.”

  “That’s right, sir.” Allen stuck out his hand. “Mr. March, I’m Allen Ledbetter. I went to school with Jason and June.”

  “Hello, Deputy,” Dad said, taking a seat in one of the rocking chairs. “Maybe you can tell me what happened.”

  “All I can tell you is that when we arrived, your daughter was holding these suspects at gun point. All we had to do was put cuffs on them.” He looked at me. “She’ll have to tell you how she did it.”

  Dad turned to me.

  “It was no biggie. Mom was showing me something in your room when we heard a noise downstairs. Mom called nine-one-one and I got your gun and came down and held them at bay until the officers got here.”

  Before Dad could answer, the door opened. Jason and Charles came out with a sobbing, handcuffed boy, who couldn’t be more than fifteen. “Found him hiding in the bathroom,” Jason said. “He was huddled down behind the shower curtain crying.” To Charles, he said, “Put him in my car. I think yours and Allen’s are full.”

  “Wait a minute, Charles,” I said, standing and taking off his coat. “Thank you.”

  He nodded. “You’re welcome.”

  “We can get him in my car, Boss,” Allen said. “Charles and I can get them booked.”

  “That makes five…wonder where number six is?” Jason mused.

  I smiled. “You’ve already got him. They mentioned a ‘Gus’—the one I shot in the hand when he was breaking in.”

  At that moment, the TV crew van pulled into the driveway.

  I grabbed my husband’s arm. “I don’t want to talk to them, Jason.”

  “Okay. Go inside and I’ll handle it.”

  I was watching and listening at the window when Natalie Bennett and her cameraman came up to the porch. She stuck the microphone toward Jason. “Sheriff, on the scanner, we picked up about a break-in here this afternoon.”

  “There was. It happened a short time ago. But things are under control. The suspects have been apprehended, and the officers are moving them to the county jail for questioning as we speak.”

  The cameraman turned his camera and recorded Charles and Allen leaving in the patrol cars.

  “You must have been close by to get here in time to catch them red-handed, sir…”

  “Actually, the victims’ daughter was holding them at gunpoint when my men and I arrived.”

  She looked at Mom and Dad. “Then, you must be the Marches?”

  “Yes, dear, we are,” Mom said.

  “And where is your daughter now, Mr. March?”

  “As soon as everything was taken care of, she said she needed to go inside and lie down. She’s been fighting a headache all day and the incident really got to her,” Dad said.

  What a good liar my dad is. That must be who I get it from because Mom could never pull a lie like that off.

  “Do you think she’d come out and say a word or two to me?”

  Jason butted in. “I’m sure she’d be more than happy to talk with you later, Ms. Bennett. Why don’t you give her a call and set it up?”

  “I can do that. Would you tell me her name?”

  “Oh, I thought you knew,” Jason said. “Ms. Bennett these are my in-laws, Celia and Bradley March. The daughter they’re talking about is my wife, June.”

  Her mouth flew open and she stared at Jason. “I didn’t make the connection, and I knew your wife’s maiden name was March.”

  “I tell you what,” Jason said. “If you want to come back at six o’clock and do a live feed on the news, I’ll see if my wife will come out and speak with you. That should give her a couple of hours to sleep and that usually makes her headaches better.”

  “That’s a deal.” She turned to her cameraman. “Let’s pack it up. We’re coming back at six for a live feed.”

  He took the camera off his shoulder and headed for the truck.

  “Thank you, Sheriff. Would you tell June I’ll see her at six?” Jason nodded, and she followed her cameraman.

  I smiled to myself and turned from the window. My parents and my husband were people I could always count on to protect me.

  Chapter Thirteen

  Jason and I were in bed when the eleven o’clock news came on. He had his arms around me, and my head was snuggled under his chin. The break-in at Mom and Dad’s was the lead story. The announcer said, “The Edison County Sheriff’s department arrested five suspects in a break-in at the farm at Mr. and Mrs. Bradley March this afternoon, thus bringing down the curtain on the rein of break-ins committed by a group known as the S-Us, which stands for the Six-Unstoppables. We’re going to show you a repeat of a telecast which we featured on our six o’clock report.”

  The screen flashed to Natalie Bennett standing in front of the March farmhouse. She was saying, “I’m here in front of the home of Bradley and Celia March, whose home was invaded by the S-Us at approximately three o’clock this afternoon. The Six-Unstoppables were stopped by none other than Mrs. June Striker, the wife of Jason Striker, our County Sheriff.” She turned to me. “Mrs. Striker could you tell us what happened here this afternoon?”

  “My mother and I were upstairs in her room. We were going through some mementos when we heard the intruders downstairs. My father had gone to the feed and seed store to order some special seeds for planting this spring, so I knew Mom and I were in the house alone. My father keeps a gun in his closet. I got it and found the bullets. I asked Mom to call nine-
one-one and I crept downstairs to confront the intruders.”

  “Were they armed, Mrs. Striker?”

  “I didn’t see any weapons.”

  “Please go on with your story.”

  “That’s about it. I was holding the gun on three of the young men when the sheriff and two deputies arrived. Deputy Ledbetter arrested and cuffed the three, and Deputy Easton went around the house and caught one boy trying to slip out the back. I didn’t know there might be others, but when the sheriff saw we had four in custody, he and Deputy Easton search the house and found the fifth one. And the last member of their gang was previously in custody.”

  “And where was the fifth suspect hiding today, Mrs. Striker?”

  “In a bathtub behind the shower curtain.”

  “Were there any shots fired?”

  “No. No shots were fired, and nobody was hurt.”

  “Thank you, Mrs. Striker.” She turned to Mom and Dad. “Mrs. March, what did you think when your daughter grabbed that gun and went down to confront the intruders?”

  “June is a very capable person. You know she was a private investigator in Greensboro for several years before she came back to Edison. I was confident she knew what she was doing.”

  “And you, Mr. March. I bet you were surprised when you got home.”

  “I was, but when I saw everyone was okay, I didn’t feel anything except pride in my daughter.”

  Natalie turned to Jason. “Sheriff Striker, what has happened to the suspects you have in custody, and can you tell us who they are?”

  “We’re processing the young men, Ms. Bennett, and I’m not able to tell you their names at this time. All of them are juveniles, and their parents have been notified.”

  “Will they be prosecuted as juveniles, Sheriff?”

  “That will be up to the district attorney.”

  The picture switched back to the studio, and the announcer said, “As I said, that was an earlier report. Now, we will go live to Natalie Bennett at the Sheriff’s Department.”

  The picture switched again and the man at the desk said, “Can you tell us what’s happening now, Natalie?”

  “At this moment, everything is quiet here. Most of the parents have been in, and some, if not all, of the young men have been released into the custody of their parents, pending a court date at a later time.”

  “Have they released the names yet?”

  “No, and I don’t think they will. As the sheriff indicated earlier, it turns out that all of the young men are under eighteen and unless the DA decides to try them as adults, their names won’t be released to the press.”

  “Do you have any further comments from the sheriff or his wife?”

  “No. I haven’t talked with either of the since this afternoon.”

  “Thank you, Natalie.” When the picture again focused on the news desk, the announcer said to his partner, “Well, it looks like we may have to elect the sheriff’s wife as his assistant in the near future.”

  “That might work out well. They seem to make a good team.”

  “They sure do.” He took a deep breath and said, “Now, we’ll get a word from our weather team.”

  Jason snapped off the TV and pulled me closer to him. “Well, sheriff’s wife, I think we do make a good team, and I don’t necessarily mean in rounding up criminals. What do you think?”

  “The best team there is.” I put my arm around his waist.

  He kissed me. “I don’t know about you getting to be famous. I’m not sure I know how to handle a famous wife.”

  “I think you do pretty well in the handling department,” I whispered as he kissed me again.

  Chapter Fourteen

  The next day, I called Natalie and asked her if she would like to come to dinner on Saturday night. She accepted when I told her Charles would be here. I hung up and sat down at the table with the grocery ads to plan my menu for the night. The first thing I noticed was a special sale on oysters. Not being a fan, I started to skip over it, then I remembered how much Jason liked oyster stew. If I could find out how to make it, I would get some of the slimy things and make stew for his dinner tonight. I was reaching for the phone to call Mom when it rang.

  “Hi, honey,” Jason said after I answered. “I did as I was told. I asked Charles to dinner Saturday. He was surprised, but said yes, he’d love to come.”

  “Thank you, Jason. This is going to work out. You’ll see.” He didn’t say anything, and I added, “You’re not mad at me for arranging it, are you?”

  “Not at all. I’m just distracted. Allen brought some files and dropped the on my desk. We’re checking out your theory about someone who might have a grudge against the department.”

  “Has anything turned up?”

  “Not yet, but we’re looking.”

  “If I can help in anyway, you know I will.”

  “I’ll go through these files and I’ll pick your brain tonight.”

  I started to make a smart remark about him picking my brain, but decided he was too busy to play around this morning. “Okay, I’ll see you tonight. Love you.”

  “I love you, too.”

  We hung up and I called Mom. I didn’t get an answer, so I left a message on her answering machine and picked up my grocery list. I decided to go to the store this morning, so I could have an uninterrupted afternoon to clean and get ready for tomorrow night. I was almost to the supermarket when I realized I was passing the library. On impulse, I wheeled into the lot.

  “Hi, June,” my sister, May, said as I walked in. May, who is two years older than me, had been the head librarian at Edison County Library ever since her graduation from the University of North Carolina five years ago. Even though she married a wealthy man last summer, she still worked. She said she loved her job too much to quit. “What brings you here on such a cold morning?”

  “I was on my way to the grocery store and thought I’d pop in.” I looked at her. “Mom said you had some news for the family.”

  “So, you thought you’d stop by and worm it out of me?”

  “That was one reason. The other was to look up some old newspaper clippings. You do have them, don’t you?”

  “Of course.” She glanced around. The library was almost deserted. “I think Carole can handle things here. Why don’t I show you where to look up those files?”

  I followed her to a back room where the archives were kept. “Now that I’m here, why not tell me the news?”

  “I swear, June. You’re the nosiest sister I have.”

  “Of course. That’s what makes me a good detective.”

  “If you’re so good, I bet you can guess my news.” Her eyes twinkled.

  I cocked an eye at her. “When’s it due?”

  She shook her head. “Let’s just say I hope you’re around in September to help us celebrate.”

  “I’ll be here.” I laughed. “Not going to name it September, are you?”

  She laughed, too. “Would you believe Bert asked if I wanted to carry on the family tradition, so it’d feel part of the Calendar Clan?”

  “I hope you refused.”

  “Don’t worry. I did. I told him our child would feel like part of the family without that tradition.” She went to the files. “What newspapers did you want to see?”

  I knew she had told me all she was going to about her baby, so I answered her question. “I want to see the crime section for the county for the past five years or so.”

  She frowned. “You got a reason for this?”

  “I’m looking up something for Jason.”

  She nodded and gave me the files I wanted.

  May left me alone and in a few minutes, I was sitting in the little office going through the old newspapers on microfilm. I don’t know what I expected to find, but I thought I might run across something which wasn’t in any of the files they kept in the sheriff’s department.

  An hour later, I left with a stack of copies of arrests and crimes which had been committed in Edison County in th
e past five years and a promise to May that I’d be the most surprised family member when she announced her coming blessed event. I hadn’t felt I could spare the time to read everything I found today, so it was easier to make copies. I never dreamed so much went on in such a small corner of North Carolina.

  • ♥ •

  Beachum’s Market was crowded when I got there, and I ran into several people I recognized. I was bombarded with questions about the break-in at Mom and Dad’s as well as how it felt to be interviewed on television.

  I was on the last aisle and looking in the ice cream freezer when someone said, “Hello. Aren’t you June Striker?”

  Turning around, I saw a tall, willowy brunette. She was dressed in a severe business suit and had her hair pulled back in a tight bun. She had lovely aqua eyes, but they were camouflaged by dark-rimmed glasses. I couldn’t help thinking she could be pretty if she’d change the hairstyle and apply her makeup in a different way.

  “Yes,” I said. “I’m June.”

  She kind of smiled. “It’s been a long time since high school, but I thought I recognized you. I’m Gwyn Warrick, now Ledbetter, in case you don’t remember me.”

  “Of course, I remember you, Gwyn.” I hoped my smile covered my lie. “How are you?”

  “I’m kind of tired. I got off work early today, but getting groceries is something I hate to do. It’s such a hard job.”

  I wasn’t sure what she meant by that, because it didn’t look like she was working hard. There were only a few items in her cart. I wasn’t sure how to answer her, but I finally said, “I’m not really fond of grocery shopping myself, but it’s something we have to do weekly, isn’t it?”

  “Like we have to do everything else that keeps a household running.” Her voice was full of disgust. “Men are so inconsiderate. Allen doesn’t like to shop, so I get stuck with the job.” She cocked her head to the side. “I bet Jason doesn’t come shopping for you, either.”

  “Not always, but sometimes he’ll tag along just to get out of the house, and he always does the shopping when we’re going to cook out. He likes to pick out the meat he grills himself. Otherwise, I like to get my own supplies.”