Arrest of the Heart

by Judy Kentrus

  “Great.” He silently recalled the washing machine disaster. Hopefully, Edie would forget about his psychedelic underwear. Before going to bed last night, he went on line and ordered new briefs and white T-shirts, requesting priority delivery.

  Jessie was cognizant of the curious eyes studying them and was about to suggest they head over to the Spoonful, when a chorus of screams drew her attention. Edie and two of her girlfriends came running into the hall, squealing at the top of their lungs. “Mommy, there are bats in the church.”

  It didn’t take very much for her daughter to get disheveled. The hair band was wrapped around a clump of hair and dangled from the side of her head. Jessie put it back in place. “You mean belfry?”

  “No! In the basement! They’re flying all over!”

  A moment later, a frantic Mr. B. came running into the room, flapping his arms, depicting flying mammals. His face was flushed and he was breathing heavy. “Oh, my God! Oh, my God! We’ve been invaded by vampire bats! They’re everywhere! We need nets! Call the fire department! Call the Vet! Call the National Guard!”

  “Bats! Bats!” The word echoed throughout the room. Some of the women rushed into the kitchen that was used to prepare the refreshments for the coffee hour and slammed the door. The men, pretending to be the braver of the species, turned to Jessie. After all, she was a cop. It was her job to handle a potentially dangerous state of affairs. Their taxes paid her salary.

  “All right, calm down. Everyone stay right here. I’ll take a look. Better yet, why don’t you all go home?” No one moved. “Damn busybodies,” Jessie muttered under her breath. She reached into the side pocket of her dress and called headquarters. “Patty, this is Sergeant Taylor. Have a unit respond to the parish hall of Trinity Church. I need them to keep everyone calm while I investigate a bat sighting.” There was a slight pause and Jessie repeated, “Yes, I said bats.”

  “What can I do?” her mother asked, refusing to let her daughter face this alone.

  “Apprise the officers of the situation and ask Lisa Kay to stand by. She’s the only animal control person we have in house.” She looked at Linc. “Care to join me on a bat hunt?”

  “Why not?”

  When Edie started to go with her, Jess scowled. “And just where do you think you’re going?”

  “With you!”

  “I think not. Stay with your grandmother.”

  “But, I have to show you!” Edie insisted.

  “I know the way.”

  “Not the first basement! The one where the bodies are buried.”

  “The sub-basement? No one is supposed to go down there, especially children.”

  “Mr. B. went down there because he said it smells real bad. We know he’s scared silly of ghosts, so we followed him. If he got shook up, we would take care of him. We’re not afraid of the little girl.”

  This was getting better and better, Jess told herself. “What little girl?”

  “The one who comes out of the brick wall and waves to us when we go to the basement. We named her Alice. It’s sad because she doesn’t have any shoes. She didn’t come out this time because the bats started flying over our heads, and we ran upstairs.”

  Jess was not ready to entertain the possibility of ghosts. Bats were enough. She gave her daughter the “look” that was second nature to all mothers. “We will discuss this further when we get home. And you will not go into the basement again!” Jessie turned to Linc. “I’ve got a bad feeling.”

  “Let’s not jump to any conclusions. Before we venture into the bat cave, I’ve got a millionth power emergency light in my truck.”

  “Always prepared,” she said, dreading what they might find.

  Well-worn wooden steps led to the first basement that was used primarily for storage. A separate iron door protected the brick-surfaced stairway to the sub level. Linc went first and shone his flashlight down the narrow, poorly lighted passage way.

  Jess shuddered. “I cannot believe my daughter comes down these steps. It’s like embarking into hell.”

  “The same thing crossed my mind. I wonder if we’ll see Alice.”

  “Don’t even suggest it! Let’s just find out about these so-called bats.”

  The temperature dropped dramatically. Skin chilling dampness fed the green moss buildup on some of the brick slabs. Jessie’s heels slid on the slick surface and she started to lose her balance. The passageway lacked a handrail, so she threw her arms around Linc’s neck to keep from falling. He braced himself on the lower step and turned his head to face her. “Is this a case of déjà vu, or is it your subtle way of asking for a kiss?”

  “I’d like nothing better than to enjoy one of your delicious kisses, but I’ll take a rain check. The stench is making me sick to my stomach.”

  “I’ll hold you to it.” The rancid odor of bat piss got stronger the closer they got to the sub-basement level. They heard chirping and nervously flapping wings before they reached the crypt room. A single light bulb protected by a wire cage shone in the eight-by-ten space. Elaborate iron breast plates, rusted from age, marked the graves of three former pastors.

  Jess wrapped her arms about her stomach. “I don’t blame Mr. B. for not wanting to come down here. It’s damn spooky.”

  Linc moved the beam of light in a search pattern, tracing where the hard packed dirt floor met the walls. Velvet-like green moss created intricate patterns between the layers of slate and rocks that formed the lower foundation of the church. The dozen or more bats clinging to the thick wooden rafters didn’t like the sweeping light beam and darted around the room.

  Jess pressed a finger against the bottom of her nose. “There’s something else here, other than bat piss. When I was a rookie, we had a call to investigate the disappearance of an elderly woman. The neighbors claimed they hadn’t seen her in a week and there was a terrible smell coming from her apartment. We had to break in, and I’ll never forget the sight or foul stench.”

  “Did you find her?”

  “Oh, yeah. She never threw anything away, including milk cartons, cereal boxes, take-out food containers, newspapers, you name it. The heat was turned off, and it was colder that a witch’s tit. To keep warm, she buried herself in the garbage. Don’t know what was worse, the smell, the flies or the maggots. It’s an odor you never forget.”

  “Here,” Linc said, passing her his white handkerchief. “Put this over your nose.”

  “Thanks, what are you going to use?”

  “My tie.”

  “You are such a boy scout,” she chuckled, and pressed the clean cloth to her face and breathed through her mouth. “This room is sealed as tight as a coffin, so how did the bats get in here?”

  “What did you just say?”

  “The room is sealed as tight as,” her voice tailed off. “No, you don’t think?”

  “Only one way to find out, so what’s your choice?” Linc aimed the light at each door. “One, two or three.”

  “I’m feeling lucky. Door three.”

  They approached the crypt marker with the name, The Right Reverend Alfred Huff, Born March 3, 1812, Died 1900. A dull brass plate had been engraved with his epitaph “Man’s no smarter than the man on higher; send him up a higher and a higher.”

  “Just my luck,” Jessie shuddered, “A minister philosopher.”

  Linc carefully ran the beam around all the doors. “They were sealed shut with mortar, but a lot has flaked off.” When he got to door three, it told a different story. “This one has been disturbed. Look at the white dig marks in the fanned framing bricks. Chunks of sealant are gone, and the rust on the hinges has flaked off.” He looked down at the floor directly under the doors. “They cleaned up after themselves, not wanting to draw attention to this particular crypt.”

  Jess was getting tired of breathing through her mouth and talking at the same time. “Try not to touch anything, just in case there are residual prints. Let’s take a few pictures, especially of those gouges. Too bad we don’t have something to
break open the door.”

  Linc reached in his pocket and pulled out a Leatherman tool. “Don’t leave home without it.”

  “You pry and I’ll pull, on three.”

  “One, two, three!”

  The aged hinges on the heavy door groaned in protest. The moment they got the crypt open, they gasped and ducked, surprised by a flurry of bats that flew out to join their friends.

  “You picked the right door,” he shouted above the screeching chant and the source of the nauseating smell.

  Chapter 12

  “Oh, my God!” Jessie’s heart was racing, not only from the surprise of the fleeing bats, but the source of the smell. Mayor Humperdinck was lying, head first, on top of the skeletal remains of the Right Reverend Huff. He was naked but for a pair of red ladies panties and a red thigh-high stocking, the probable mate to the one Linc had found along the river.

  “Oh, my God,” Jessie repeated, keeping the white handkerchief over half her face. Once they’d opened the door, the full force of the stomach-churning stench blanketed the room. “He had an ego as big as a hot air balloon, but I never thought him to be into women’s underwear. Now I understand why he never married.”

  Linc turned off his flashlight. The bats were becoming more restless from the bright light. “He probably didn’t want his wife borrowing his lingerie. If you tell anyone I said that, I’ll deny it. Okay, I’m getting serious. You will have to find out who has access to the church, other than Mr. B. or the rector.” Linc really needed to speak to Margaret, alone. Technically, she’d just become the mayor. “I’m glad we don’t have to deal with flies or maggots.”

  “I read bats eat bugs, so they probably fed on the mayor.” Jessie grimaced at the decaying body. “Poor sucker. I’ll contact the chief and he’ll notify the county medical examiner. First, I’ll call for a back-up unit to help maintain order upstairs.”

  “What are we going to do about the bats?” Linc ducked when one exercised his wings just above Linc’s head.

  “I’ll have Lisa Kay contact her heart throb, the bat man. She must have his card.”

  Linc kept it to himself that he, too, had Sam Morlock’s contact information.

  Both took deep, welcoming breaths of fresh air when they came upstairs. As ordered, two patrolmen were guarding the entrance to the basement.

  “Whew, Sergeant, what were you guys doing? Rolling in bat piss?” Patrolman Lynch asked, squeezing his nose.

  The comment was said in jest, but her skin felt like invisible crawly things were creeping up her arms, and who knew what the damn bats might have dropped in her hair.

  Jessie stared at the patrolman who came on the force two years ago after returning home from a four year stint in the Marines. He kept his blond hair military short and his uniform was always sharply pressed, his shoes shined. He was also a firearms expert. Tommy Lynch was smart, alert, and a good cop, but had a lot to learn. “Just so you don’t feel left out, you can go to the sub-basement and stand by our crime scene.”

  Lynch’s partner, Dixie Bell Grote was twenty-seven, attractive, and kept her dark brown hair in a short, casual cut. First impressions were that she was a fluffy airhead, with a softy first name. In her off hours, she gave Karate lessons to children and adults and had a strong, tight body that reflected regimented discipline.

  “What do you have, Sergeant?” Patrolman Grote asked.

  “Mayor Humperdinck’s body. No one, I mean no one, goes down those steps.” She pursed her lips at the sound of men’s voices exiting the parish hall, undoubtedly expecting a report. She still had to issue further instructions to Lynch and Grote.

  Linc read the irritation on her face and turned to the crowd gathering in the entry room off the parish hall. “Let’s go back inside. Sergeant Taylor will speak to you when she has finished giving instructions to her officers.”

  She drew Lynch and Grote to the side and kept her voice low. “The scene is a bit unusual, over and above the bats. If anyone approaches you with questions, your answer will be ‘no comment’ or ‘you’re not at liberty to discuss the case.’ If I find out either one of you leaked any information, you will be on permanent midnight stake out at Delancy’s bar writing down license plate numbers and giving Breathalyzer tests to every customer who can’t touch their nose with the tip of their finger.” When both winced, she knew her threat hit home. “Do either of you have any cream or something with a pleasant smell?”

  Dixie reached into her uniform pants pocket and withdrew a watermelon scented Chap Stick. “Will this do?”

  “Good. Both of you rub it under your nose to help block out the foul odor. Switch posts every fifteen minutes. Lynch, you will take the first watch. Oh, and Tommy, watch out for ghosts,” Jess added, before she winked.

  “Ghosts,” he blanched.

  “There isn’t anything to be afraid of. According to Edie, the resident poltergeist is a friendly little girl named Alice.”

  Jess contacted the chief. He was relieved they’d discovered the missing mayor and would make the necessary calls. When she entered the parish hall, the number of parishioners had doubled. Mrs. Schmidt sat at the piano next to the small stage and was playing show tunes. They were having a damn party!

  Edie ran over to her mother and crinkled her nose. “Mommy you smell like a skunk weed flower.” Jessie wanted to hug Edith, thinking about where her daughter had been, but held back, not wanting to transfer any rancid smells to her daughter’s clothes.

  When Margaret and four members of the town council approached Jessie, the music stopped and the room got uncommonly quiet. She was grateful Linc moved to stand to her right.

  Her mother stepped forward. “What can you tell us?”

  “We found Mayor Humperdinck’s body.”

  Shocked gasps filled the room at Jessie’s announcement. A number of women brought handkerchiefs to their eyes, and the men respectfully lowered their heads. It took all of thirty seconds for the expected buzz to start. By tomorrow, there would be a dozen different stories on how their beloved politician had met his end.

  “Can you give us any details?” Margaret asked.

  If they had been alone, Jessie would have told her mother what was going on, but that wasn’t the case. “No. It’s a closed crime scene.”

  Harvey Thornton, one of the oldest members of the town guard, stepped forward and took a commanding presence before Jessie. His face was beet red and the buttons on his vest were losing the battle to stay closed over his burgeoning stomach. His mousy brown toupee was listing to the side. “We have a right to know,” he loudly proclaimed, stiffening his back. The move made his stomach protrude even more. “You are a public servant, and I am ordering you to tell us what is going on!”

  Linc stepped forward and was sorely tempted to put a fist into the fat belly of the blustering blowhard. Jess darted a glance at her champion and lightly shook her head. She drew on every bit of patience in her body and took a stance, folding her hands in front of her waist. If anyone looked closely, her knuckles were white.

  “Mr. Thornton, you are correct. I am a public servant, responsible to the town council and the people of this community, who I am sworn to protect.” Jess tilted her head to the side and offered a facetious smile. “You forgot to mention that your taxes pay my salary. I have to follow orders, just like everyone else, so you will have to understand this is a closed crime scene. I’m sure Chief Charles will inform the powers that be, the results of the medical examiner’s findings when the report is completed. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I will see to my officers.” Jessie was shaking with fury and turned to leave the room, but stopped at the sound of her daughter’s voice.

  “You are not nice and shouldn’t have hollered at my mother! She is a police officer who puts her life on the line every day. Your mother should have taught you better manners. You are a bully!” Edie raised her leg and her shoe came down hard on the councilman’s foot. She ran over and hugged her mother, not caring that she smelled. Margaret moved to stand
beside her daughter, showing family unity.

  Before the blustering politician could say another word, Lincoln spoke up. “Ladies and gentleman, this would be a good time to end the coffee hour. The police have a job to do, and I’m sure you wouldn’t want to compromise their investigation into the death of Mayor Humperdinck.”

  When the crowd started to disburse, Lisa Kay approached Jessie, but kept her voice low. “Girl, if that was me, I would have ripped off his ratty hair rug and punched him in his big fat nose. I’m not going to ask about the case, but tell me about the bats. Do you think I should contact Sam Morlock? He won’t be available till this evening.”

  It was on the tip of Jessie’s tongue to ask if this guy was for real and not a vampire, but that would be ridiculous. “Give him a heads up. There are about 30 or 40 bats clinging to the rafters. That’s just a rough estimate. They are going to be more agitated when the county people show up.”

  “Sam and I will come back this evening to check on them. I’m on the vestry, so I have a key to get in the side door.”

  “Just out of curiosity, do any of the men on the town council hold positions on the church vestry?” Lincoln asked.

  “Yes. Six of them and all have access to the church. I’ll email you their names.”

  “Thanks, Lisa, I’ll be in touch,” Jessie said.

  Linc put his hand to Jessie’s elbow. “I don’t know about you, but I need some fresh air.”

  “Just for a few minutes. I have to check on my officers.”

  They exited the side entrance that emptied directly onto a small parking lot. “Thank you for what you did in there.” The light breeze made the skirt of her dress swirl around her legs, and it felt good.

  “I wanted to plant a fist in Thornton’s face. You were very diplomatic standing up to that big mouth. I hope you don’t plan to punish Edie for stomping on Thornton’s foot.”

  “I’m glad you didn’t punch him. He would have insisted you be arrested for assault, and no, I don’t plan to punish her. I will speak to her about maintaining self-control, but these were unusual circumstances.”