by Marja McGraw
“Okay, we’ll be in touch with you, and if you think of anything else, call us.” I hung up and turned to Chris.
“How’s she feeling?” Chris asked.
“It finally dawned on her that she’d done something very stupid, and very dangerous. She’s tired and she’s frightened, as she should be. Other than that, I think she’s okay.”
“We should check back with her neighbor and find out if she’s seen the truck hanging around Addie’s house.”
“She said she already talked to Elsie, and she hasn’t seen anything.”
“Then it’s back to Florence’s house for a stakeout.”
“Chris,” I said, “we’ve got too much to do at the restaurant right now. I don’t see how we can fit all of this in.”
“Is there anything I can do to help?” Mikey’s hopeful voice came from the top of the stairs.
“You’re supposed to be in bed, Ace.”
“I was,” he called down the stairs. “I heard the phone ring and couldn’t get to sleep.”
“So you eavesdropped?” I asked.
“No. Well, yeah. I like to know what’s going on around here.”
“Back to bed, squirt,” I said. “And it’s rude to listen in on other people’s conversations. Don’t do it again.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
I could hear my son’s footsteps pounding across the floor upstairs. That was his way of letting us know that he didn’t like being left out.
I looked at Chris and he shrugged.
“Kids!”
~ ~ ~
Chris left to take Mikey to school the next morning, and I was cleaning up the breakfast dishes when the phone rang. Sherlock raced for the phone and slid into the wall, as usual. Would he ever learn? Watson sat back and watched his antics, licking her paw. I had a feeling that if I could read her mind, she’d be saying, What a doofus. I agreed with her.
“Hello,” I said, answering the phone.
“Is this Mrs. Cross?” The voice sounded familiar.
“Yes, this is Pamela,” I replied.
“Uh, this is Victor. Victor Rogers. Remember me?”
“Honestly, Victor, I won’t forget you anytime soon,” I replied. “What can I do for you?”
“I’ve been doing a lot of thinking, and if there’s any possibility that you and your husband are right about someone being after me, then I’d better take steps. I’m calling my retired police friend this morning. He’ll know what to do.”
“I think that’s an excellent idea. You really would be better off in the hands of someone who knows what they’re doing.”
“I also wondered if I could ask a favor?” Victor asked.
“What would that be?” I couldn’t imagine what he could want from virtual strangers if he had a friend who could help him.
“I know that my friend won’t be able to watch over me twenty-four hours a day, and I wondered if I could call on you and your husband to help out.”
I didn’t know what to say. “Victor, let me have your phone number. I’ll talk to Chris and call you back. He’s out of the house right now.”
Sherlock apparently decided it was time to play. He leaped onto my foot like it was a stuffed toy. “Stop that,” I ordered, trying to push all hundred and five pounds of him away.
“Excuse me?” Victor said.
“Sorry. I have a very playful dog underfoot right now.”
“Oh. I’ll bet you have one of those ankle-biters, don’t you?”
“Not exactly,” I said, trying to push a very determined Sherlock away from my foot again.
Victor gave me his phone number and I wrote it on a chalk board by the phone. “Please don’t wait too long. Now that I think I might be in danger, I want to take action right away.”
“I’ll call you back within the hour,” I said.
We hung up and I grabbed Sherlock’s collar. “What’s the matter with you, pal? You pick the darnedest times to want to play.”
He lunged for my foot again, and Watson came over to see if she could play, too.
“Outside! Both of you.” I herded them to the back door and let them outside, and they started barking. Then it struck me. I hadn’t fed them yet. No wonder they wanted my attention. I prepared their dishes and set them outside the back door and refilled their water dish. Labrador retrievers are known for their even tempers. The dogs ate with relish, tails wagging, without giving me a look of scorn. I chuckled to myself, wondering if I’d even recognize a dog’s dirty look.
Sitting down on the back porch while they ate, I waited for Chris to come home. I finally heard him pull into the driveway and walked through the house and to the front door to meet him.
“Everything okay with Mikey?” I asked.
“Sure. Why?”
“He seemed kind of quiet at breakfast. I wondered if he was upset about last night.”
“Ace wants to be a part of things. He can’t, and that frustrates him. I gave him a couple of tidbits that he can share with Danny today. Those kids love a good mystery.”
I nodded. “That they do. Victor called while you were gone.”
“What did he want? To tell us to get a life and leave him alone?”
“Not quite. He’s thought things over, and he’s asked for our help. He’s going to call his copper friend, and he wants us to help out. What do you think?”
“I think we’ll help out in any way we can.”
“I thought you’d say that. He gave me his number and I told him I’d call him back.”
I called Victor and explained that while we would help, we were only available in the morning because we had a business to run. Chris motioned for me to tell Victor to hold the line for a minute.
“Victor, hold on for a sec. Chris wants to tell me something.”
“We should have discussed this,” Chris said. “I can go over in the evening if you cover the restaurant. Maybe not every night, but at least part of the time.”
I turned back to the phone after pushing the speaker button. “Chris says he can help out in the evening, too. Exactly what do you want us to do? By the way, you’re on speaker phone now, so we can both hear you.”
“It may sound silly, but mostly just keep me company. I don’t want to be alone right now.”
“Don’t you think it might be wiser if you called the police?” I asked.
“I called my friend after I spoke to you and he’s on his way over. He said I shouldn’t worry too much; that this whole thing is probably a mistake. But after thinking everything over, I’m inclined to believe you and your husband. I don’t believe in coincidences, so I’m sure that address you and your husband found is mine. I still can’t think of anyone who might come after me though.”
“We’ll do everything we can to help,” Chris said. “Will you call us back after you talk to your friend?”
“I will. I see him pulling up to the curb right now, so I’ll get back to you later.”
We hung up and sat looking at each other.
Chris spoke first, after checking his watch. “It’s only nine o’clock. We’ve got some free time this morning. Why don’t we drive toward Victor’s part of town and keep an eye out for that black truck. If that goon is hanging around anywhere near Victor’s house, maybe we can spot him and follow him.”
“That’s not a bad idea. Besides, if we see the truck, then we’ll know what this John person is up to, which means Victor will be safe.”
We took my Jeep because it was better suited to surveillance – not so recognizable – and drove to the general vicinity of Victor’s place.
While driving past a large department store parking lot, I spotted the black Dodge dually with a white camper attached to it. “Chris! There it is.”
Chris pulled into the lot, leaving plenty of distance between the truck and us, and parked. We’d wait John out and follow him. He could lead us to some interesting places, or he could lead us on a wild goose chase.
Only time would tell.
Chap
ter Fifteen
We waited. And we waited. After over an hour, I walked into the mall and looked around for someone fitting John’s description. Chris sat in the Jeep and watched in case I missed him. Fortunately for me, it wasn’t a big mall. I walked in and out of every store, but no one fit John’s description. I returned to the car.
“Any action out here?” I asked.
“Not a thing, other than a mall cop who wanted to know why I was sitting here. I told him I was waiting for my wife, which is the truth. We chatted. He kept glancing over at the truck, so I finally asked him if there was something wrong. He said that he was keeping an eye on the truck because it had been parked there since yesterday.”
“Really! I wonder if John met someone here and left in the other vehicle. I’d think he’d be coming back soon, if that’s the case. Of course, he did drive by Victor’s house.”
Chris shrugged. I tend to roll my eyes, and Chris shrugs. We all have our little habits.
“I don’t know, but if he’s not back soon, we’re going to have to give it up for today. I have business to take care of at the restaurant.”
“I’ve got a few things to finish, too, like paying bills,” I said. Glancing at the truck I took note that Addie had been right about the ladder. I kind of hoped this guy was on it when it broke.
We waited for another half hour and left, driving by Victor’s house before heading for the restaurant. We didn’t see anything suspicious.
Arriving at Bogey Nights, we let ourselves in and began the process of making sure everything was in order. Our chef, Luis, was already in the kitchen setting ingredients out, ready to prepare a repast for the evening crowd. His sous chef would be in later. Our restaurant was actually rather exclusive, only opening for dinner, and of course, we had the cocktail lounge. Our prices were high, but people didn’t seem to mind paying for gourmet food and atmosphere, which included being around Chris and me. Our amateur detective status had helped the business.
“Chris, I’ve been thinking. Maybe we should start opening for lunch, too.”
“I’ve had the same thing on my mind, babe. We’d have to hire more help and give more hours to our staff, but I think we can do it. Luis and I were talking about it the other day. He can’t be here for both lunch and dinner, but he knows someone who’d probably be willing to take on the lunch crowd. I’ll talk to him about it.”
“And I’ll speak to Phyllis and Gloria to see if they want more hours. I’m pretty sure they’d be up for it. Gloria has been talking about taking on a second job.”
Chris walked back to the kitchen with me. He stopped to talk to Luis, and I kept walking. My office is located behind the kitchen.
I sat down at my desk, pulled the business checkbook out of a drawer, and began paying bills. I knew I should start doing this online, on the computer, but I was stubborn. I figured it was just a matter of time before someone figured out how to hack into everyone’s account. My suspicious mind was always working double time.
After finishing my paperwork, I leaned back and thought about Victor. At first he hadn’t seemed to believe us about someone being after him. Fortunately, he’d had second thoughts about it and he seemed to feel it would be best to be more alert and careful. I wondered why the killer hadn’t come after him yet. The only explanation I could think of was that since Addie had overheard him, he was taking his time and being more careful. He didn’t want to take unnecessary chances. I figured he’d let things die down and then give it his best shot – unless we could find him first.
Chris walked into the office. “I’ve been thinking about Victor.”
“Me, too.”
“I’m sorry we couldn’t wait for the goon to make an appearance. It bothers me that we know where his truck is, but we had to leave.”
“Chris, why don’t you drive back over there? I can cover things here. I feel like we’re being way too blasé about this. Not only is Victor in danger, but Addie’s in danger, too, and she probably feels like a prisoner in Jasmine’s house since she’s not comfortable going out in public.”
“Good idea,” he said. “If the truck is still there, I’ll wait. If it’s gone, I’ll head home and change into my work clothes and come back here.”
I chuckled. Chris’s work clothes consist of a forties-style suit with a vest, and sometimes a fedora. “Okay. If you don’t come back I’ll ask Phyllis to cover so I can go home and change.”
Chris glanced down at the floor and then back at me. “I think I’ll bring the dogs back with me. We’ve been hanging around Victor’s place a lot. This guy may have seen us, and he could come after you, as well as Victor and Addie.”
“I think that’s a stretch, but you never know. Mikey will be at Constance’s house, so we don’t have to worry about him. I think we’ve got it all covered.”
“I’ll stop by Victor’s and see what his friend said, too.” Chris leaned across the desk and gave me a kiss before leaving.
“Oh, what did Luis say?”
“He’ll call his friend, Nathaniel, this afternoon. He says Nate is a retired chef who’s bored and wants to go back to work.”
“Cool,” I said. “I had another thought, too. I think I’ll call Donna, the waitress at that coffee shop, and see if she might be available.”
“Good idea.”
Chris took off and I called Phyllis and Gloria at home. They both said they’d be happy to take on extra hours.
Next I called Donna.
“Oh, Mrs. Cross. I was just about to call you. The guy with the droopy mustache was in late yesterday afternoon. He was asking a lot of questions about Addie.”
I was surprised, and yet I wasn’t. He had to be worried about what Addie might know. “What did you tell him?”
“I told him I didn’t know who he was talking about. He pushed me about it, but I stuck to my story. I didn’t let him know that she comes in here a lot. The other ladies were in for lunch yesterday, but Addie wasn’t with them. They bought some food to take home for her. They told me she’s afraid to go anywhere because of that schmuck, and that really makes me mad. Did I do the right thing?”
“You did. I wish you’d have called us sooner, but no harm done.”
“I would have called but some things came up and… Well, I hate to say it, but I forgot in all the confusion.” Her next words sounded like she was close to tears. “The owners of this coffee shop are retiring and they’ve sold the place. It’s not going to be a coffee shop anymore and I’m out of a job in two weeks.”
“Great timing,” I said.
“What?”
“I’m calling to offer you a job. How about it? Would you come work for us at Bogey Nights? Of course, you’ll have to wear a period costume for the job. All of our waitresses dress like they did in the forties.”
“Oh, Mrs. Cross, you’re a lifesaver! I can’t thank you enough. I’m a single parent and I was really worried about what my son and I would do. My husband left right after my son was born. And I sew, so I can make some costumes for the job. This is going to be fun.”
“Please, call me Pamela. And you’ll be a lifesaver for us. We’re going to start opening for lunch soon.”
I told Donna that two weeks was perfect and she could move right from her old job to the new one. On a whim, I decided to have her work the dinner shift. Tips would be better, and I could relate to her as a single parent. I’d been there.
Most of our staff resembled past actors and actresses. Phyllis and Gloria resembled Marilyn Monroe and Myrna Loy. George Chandler looked very much like George Raft, and the female patrons loved him. Susan French didn’t resemble anyone in particular, but she looked great in her forties costumes, and she’d been wishing she could work an earlier shift. Donna would take over her spot and I’d move Susan to lunchtime. I’d still need to find at least one more for the noontime shift, but that shouldn’t be a problem.
Phyllis came in early so I could head home and change clothes, and Gloria came with her. Unfortunately, I’d for
gotten that Chris took the car. Gloria graciously offered to give me a ride home, and I took her up on it.
We pulled up to the curb and I saw that Chris was home, so Gloria headed back to the restaurant.
“Chris,” I called out, entering the house. “Where are you?”
“Upstairs, changing clothes.”
Climbing up the stairs, I met him at the top. “I didn’t expect you to be home so early. Was the truck gone?”
“No, it was still there. The mall cop recognized me and came over to flap his gums. He said he didn’t like the truck sitting there for so long, so he put a warning on the windshield. It told the owner to move it or it would be towed away.”
“I wonder what’s going on. Maybe John decided the truck was too visible and found something else to drive.”
Chris shrugged. “I told the mall cop you weren’t really shopping, and that we were watching the truck because it could be involved in a crime. He just assumed I was a copper. I gave him my cell phone number and he said he’d call me if there was any action with the truck.”
“I talked to Donna and offered her a job. It turns out she’s losing the job she has anyway, and she was thrilled.”
Chris looked at me. “Why is she losing her job? Something wrong there?”
I pulled a dress out of the closet and began changing. Chris whistled at me, and I grinned. “No. They’re closing down the coffee shop. Anyway, she said John was there yesterday asking a lot of questions about Addie.”
Chris looked worried. “What did she tell him?”
“Absolutely nothing. She acted like she didn’t know who Addie was.”
Chris smiled and the worry lines disappeared. “Let’s give her a raise.”
“I think it’s a good thing we had Addie stay with Jasmine. She’ll be safe there. I still think the police should be brought in on this though.”
“So do I, but we can’t force anyone to call them, and the only information you and I have is hearsay.”
We finished changing clothes, and I swept my hair up into a forties style. We took separate cars back to the restaurant, with the dogs riding in the Jeep with me, just in case something came up and one of us had to leave. I put them in their fenced area behind my office with their dinner and some water. Before they ate they ran around the perimeter to make sure no one had invaded their space. Satisfied, they ate their kibble while I went to work.