Samantha reached out to touch my arm and whispered, “Susan, it’s not over.” Her sadness was unmistakable. “This afternoon, Dick told Larry there were three more break-ins this week. One of the homeowners saw a blonde in a red muscle car.”
My jaw dropped open, and I felt a cold chill run up my spine.
Darby slipped his arm around my shoulder and said, “Listen, Susan, don’t freak out about this. You said Detective Bentley believes it’s not you, so let them do their work. You haven’t been out late any more, have you?”
“No,” I said emphatically. “Mick and I are in the apartment by 8:00 every evening, and we stay home. We haven’t gone out to dinner, run to the store, or even taken Joe out after 8:00. Nate’s been doing it.” Nate nodded his head as confirmation.
We could hear Mick bringing everyone toward the kitchen and broke up our huddle. Darby and I started moving food from the refrigerator to the table, and Samantha restocked the drinks.
Everyone loved the work Mick and the guys from Raines Construction had put into the apartment. It was pretty spectacular. The food Darby and I prepared turned out perfectly, and enjoyable rounds of charades took us deep into the night. Several times during the evening, I caught Mick looking at me with a look of intense happiness. Most of it was radiating from his sexy eyes, but his charming smile made me warm and tingly, too. Our first party in our new home was a huge success.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
“Mick, I’m running out of time to get a dress,” I whined to him over the phone. “I have to run over to the mall to shop for one, but I promise I’ll be home before 8:00. It won’t be dark when I leave, and I’ll ask Barry to walk out with me.”
“Ok,” he said hesitantly, “but please be careful. Pay close attention and watch your surroundings. Should I grab some Chinese on the way home?”
“Ooh, that sounds good,” I told him, “but make it Moo Goo Gai Pan for me. My stomach’s been topsy-turvy with everything that’s going on, and I don’t want any Hunan tonight.”
I hung up with Mick and left the apartment. I hated the thought of going to the mall and shopping in a rush, but we were leaving in a couple of days, and I didn’t know if I would have time to shop over the weekend. I had been busy with a training class in Chagrin Falls all week, and there simply hadn’t been enough time after work to go shopping and still be home by our self-imposed curfew of 8:00. Class had ended at 3:00 today, and I was now home by 5:00 and making the decision to run to the mall.
I glanced at the small Toyota parked beside the carport. It was my company vehicle, and I could take it since I wanted to stop at the Slimmers center before going shopping, but the thought only crossed my mind for a second. I always preferred to drive the Chevelle. It was more comfortable, and I felt safer in the larger car.
It took about twenty minutes to drive to the office building. The Slimmers center was on the first floor, and I could see they were busy as soon as I opened the door. The center was pleasant and inviting now that the remodeling was completed. The sleepier blue, mauve, and pink had been replaced with varying shades of red, orange, and bright yellow. The carpeting, wallpaper, and artwork made a striking change, and the center felt more vibrant and had a higher energy.
As I walked back toward my old office, several of the members stopped me along the way to say hello and ask how I was getting along in my new position. The counselors were happy to see me, too, and Angela rushed out from the office to give me a hug. She had done a great job keeping the numbers up, and the Carbide City center was still number one in the division.
“Hi, Susan! Come on back, and let me show you our numbers so far for the week,” she said excitedly. “I think we might have set a new record.”
I followed her into the office, and we spent the next half hour going over numbers, and the changes which helped to make those numbers happen. I was proud of her. One of the things adding to her week’s success was the implementation of an idea I had earlier in the year to keep existing members coming into the center on a regular basis and, consequently, buying more products. It worked so well, it was now an idea I could take to Corporate when I returned from New Orleans. Angela knew I would give her credit for testing the idea, and it would look good for both of us.
My Aunt Charlotte on my dad’s side, who was once a hippie and still had heavy hippie influences in her life, had once told me that the best way to advance in a company was to always be training your replacement. I had done just that, and Angela and I still made a great team, which brought considerable praise from our higher-ups. I also hoped to be able to garner another raise for her when I came back from vacation.
I sat down in the chair opposite her desk and asked, “How are you getting along with the extra security? You insist everyone walks out with a guard, right?” I had convinced Betsy Ann Tucker in Human Resources at the corporate level to hire two security guards to add to the three which were already provided by the owners of the building. With so many female clients in the center, plus an all female staff, the extra security was needed until the attacker could be caught.
“Everyone’s coming and going with no problems at all,” she said. “Dennis and Dale have been super nice with everyone, and the ladies love them. It’s going to be tough letting them go when this is all over. Dennis has even accepted the nickname “Chip” from some of the older ladies, so they can tell people they are being helped by Chip and Dale.
I smiled. The attacker looks like Napoleon Dynamite, and the security officers are chipmunks or strippers. What’s next?
Angela was quiet for a moment while she watched me pick up my purse and pull out my car keys as a gesture to let her know I was ready to leave.
“Susan, I hate to bring this up, but you aren’t just my mentor, you’re my friend,” she said somewhat emotionally.
“Angela, of course you’re my friend,” I told her sincerely. “What’s wrong?”
“My boyfriend, Brad, you know him right?” she asked, and I nodded a yes. “Well, he has a neighbor who’s a reporter for the Carbide City Courier. He’s been working on a story, and it’s breaking on Monday.” She was obviously distressed.
“What is it?” I asked. I suddenly had a sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach.
She closed her lips tight for a second and then said, “The police have been trying to keep a bunch of break-ins quiet. It’s not just one or two, it’s a lot of them, and his story names you as the prime suspect.”
I knew I was sitting there with my own lips clenched tight. I didn’t know what to say.
“Susan, people have come into the center talking about it. You’ve been seen driving away from the break-ins in your red car. Brad’s neighbor said he has a comment from a police officer that they’ve already questioned you, and your apartment’s been searched. Is that true?”
“Angela, it’s not really something I can talk about, but I promise you, it’s not me,” I told her with conviction. “I’ve talked with Detective Bentley, and you can be sure if he thought it was me, he wouldn’t be letting me go to New Orleans next week.”
“I was hoping you would say something like that,” she said with relief in her voice. “I knew in my heart it couldn’t possibly be you, but Brad made such a convincing argument.”
“Why isn’t the reporter writing about the man attacking all of these women? That’s the story he needs to be telling,” I said with irritation in my voice.
“He is,” she said. “It’s a huge story condemning the police department and their inability to catch the attacker, and it exposes the break-ins they’ve been trying to hide. He has a sketch of the attacker to include with the piece, and he’s found out there isn’t any particular type of woman who’s been attacked, but they’ve all been under 40 and exceptionally pretty. He said the police didn’t want to put out a story saying if you were old or ugly, it was safe for you to go to the mall.”
“I’m glad I’ll be leaving when the story comes out,” I told her. “Keep this to yourself, but if there ar
e break-ins and sightings of me and a car like mine while I’m gone, it will be proof positive that it’s not me.”
She nodded her head. We both stood from our chairs, and she leaned in first to give me a hug. “Call me anytime next week if you want to, Susan. If I hear anything else, I’ll let you know. But don’t feel like you have to call; we’ll have everything under control here.”
“I know you will, Angela” I told her affectionately. “You’re doing such a good job, and I appreciate how hard you work.”
We made our way back through the center and chatted with more members on the way out. It was unnecessary, but “Chip” and Dale both escorted me to my car. They appreciated the extra work I had been able to arrange for them.
Once again in my car, I realized it was darker outside than it should be, and a quick look around showed ominous clouds moving in from the southwest. I hadn’t heard about any storm warnings, so I could only hope it would pass through quickly, and I made the short drive to the mall.
All of the parking spots directly in front of the entrances were filled, so I parked off to the side of the food court entrance at the back of the mall. I didn’t see anyone coming or going as I rushed to the doors. Inside, I was disturbed at the lack of people in the food court. For a place usually bustling with activity, there were only three people seated at the tables, and no one was standing at any of the counters to order food.
I rapidly made my way to the mall’s anchor store, Nordstrom. I had already spent more time than anticipated with Angela at the center, and I didn’t want to be late getting home.
The shopping gods were with me as I walked out of the store with my purchases only thirty minutes later. There had been a fabulous display entitled, What to Wear to a Summer Wedding. One of the prominent dresses in the display was a pretty, pink, blue, and white dress in a cotton/silk blend. The colors were done in such a way as to create an abstract look. The dress came to just above the knee, the round neckline was gathered, and it had cute capsleeves. It was super soft, lightweight, and the material was pieced together to create layers from top to bottom. A belt of the same material was attached. It was feminine and airy and would be ideal for an outdoor wedding in the August heat. The perfect pair of shoes and a clutch purse had already been paired with the dress, and I bought them as well. The icing on the cake was that every piece was on sale at 50% off. It crossed my mind I would have gladly paid full price if they could only catch the crazy attacker.
As I made my way back through the food court, I was alarmed to look out the doors and see it was nearly pitch black outside. There was no rain yet, but something bad was coming, and the sun was obscured. I looked around for Barry, the security guard, and hoped to ask him about the weather as well as to ask him to walk me to my car. He was nowhere to be seen.
I walked closer to the exit to peer out the doors and was startled by a voice saying, “Hi, Susan. Nice weather, huh?”
It was Lugnut. He had been standing out of sight by the You Are Here sign. “Hi, Lugnut,” I addressed him with a sigh of relief. I didn’t realize how tightly I had been wound. “What’s up? This looks like tornado weather.”
“We’re under a watch. Conditions are right for one, and they’re encouraging everyone to be on the lookout.”
“Where’s Barry?” I asked. “I was going to ask him to walk me to my car.”
“Haven’t seen him,” he said. “Let me walk out with you, Susan. I’m leaving anyway, and I can make sure you get to your car ok.”
I nodded my head, and we walked out the doors together. As we neared my car, Barry came around the corner closest to the mall doors. He waved to us and continued on into the building. Large raindrops were just starting to come as I opened my car door.
“Thank you, Lugnut,” I told him. “I appreciate the escort.”
“That’s ok, Susan,” he said. “I’d want Mick to walk out with my wife. And Susan,” he hesitated for a moment before saying, “I’m sorry about harassing you about having an affair. It was out of line, and I apologize.”
“Thanks, Lugnut. I appreciate and accept the apology.” The rain was coming hard now and he was getting drenched outside my door. “I’ll see you at the club,” I called to him as I slammed the door shut and started the car to head for home. I was starved and would have to prepare Mick over dinner for the newspaper article that was coming out on Monday.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Saturday morning was hot and humid. The storm last night lasted for hours and brought massive amounts of rain. There were reports of considerable flooding in the neighborhoods on the south side of town.
I didn’t want to leave the air-conditioned comfort of the apartment, but I wanted to run to the deli and then to the market to be sure Mick had food for the coming week. We were headed to the club this afternoon to play racquetball with Samantha and Larry and would probably spend the early part of the evening playing cards.
Mick was working in his office. I stuck my head through the doorway to say good-bye and then ran down to the carport. I had no idea what the weather was going to be like in New Orleans next week, but it couldn’t be any worse than what Ohio liked to throw at us during the dog days of August.
Martin’s was first on my list, and it was only a few minutes before I was whipping into his parking lot. I thought the turn was faster than expected, and it actually surprised me. I had been making an effort to slow down in the lot and not startle the old man. My foot firmly on the brake, I turned the wheel to pull into my usual parking space in front of the window. My heart jumped, and I gasped. My foot was on the brake, but it was all the way to the floor. I pumped the brake rapidly to no effect, and the front end of the Chevelle crashed through the plate glass window and into a shelf of pastry products.
I was shocked and terrified at the same time. Did I hit anybody? Was anyone hurt? Or worse, dead? What if I killed someone? My mind started spinning, and I felt confused. My brakes didn’t work. Why didn’t my brakes work? The car had regular tune-ups and check-ups, and was always in perfect working order. And what was up with the glass from the window? It was all over the place and large, dangerous shards were hanging from the frame.
Martin stepped to the doorway of the store and yelled angrily, “Susan Hunter, you could have killed someone!”
I couldn’t help it. I could feel it coming. I was going to cry - hysterically. Before the gusher could come, I pulled out my phone and hurriedly punched Mick’s speed dial number.
“Hi, sweetheart. What’s up?” he asked cheerfully.
“Mick,” I squeaked out. Just hearing his voice caused a tight lump in my throat. I couldn’t speak because the tears were ready and threatening to take over my voice.
He knew right away something was terribly wrong. “Susan, what is it? Are you alright?” My words still wouldn’t come out. “Sweetheart, where are you? Talk to me!” I could hear the panic in his voice.
“At the deli. Please hurry,” I whispered. The tears started flowing, and I was sitting, sobbing in my car, when the first police cruiser arrived.
The next few hours were exasperating. I insisted the brakes didn’t work, and Martin kept telling the officers I was always flying up to the window, and I misjudged this time. I didn’t blame him for being angry, but he wouldn’t listen to anything I had to say. I overhead him telling Mick he would be calling my father tonight to tell him he had to come back to Ohio and take that blasted car away from me.
Our insurance agent had arrived quickly and was aghast the store didn’t have safety glass in the windows. Lugnut had been called to tow the car and take it to the garage. A reporter from the Carbide City Courier was on the scene almost immediately and had taken a lot of pictures. There was no expectation of privacy, so he could easily hear all of the arguing between me and Martin. A crowd had gathered, and when someone yelled, “Don’t you think you’ve done enough damage to this town, Susan Hunter?” Mick asked the officers to either move me inside or let me go. They had my statement, so they let me go.
Back home again, I rummaged in the hall closet for my grandmother’s afghan. I flopped down on the sofa and pulled the afghan over myself. I had a chill running through my body. I didn’t feel like crying any more. I was drained, and I didn’t want to think about anything. I closed my eyes and heard Mick talking softly in the distance. He had called Samantha to cancel racquetball for the afternoon. I must have dozed off for a few minutes because I next heard him talking to my dad.
“She’s ok, Earl. Tell Lilah not to worry. She’ll be there to meet you on Thursday, and I’ll see you both Friday night for dinner. … Ok, Earl, I’ll tell her. … You, too. … Bye.”
He came over to the sofa, sat down on the other end, and said, “I told Samantha if you were up to it, they could come over this evening to play cards. And your dad said to tell you he and your mom love you very much. I wanted to be sure he knew what happened before Martin called him with a twisted version.”
I sat up, moved next to him, and put my head on his shoulder. “Thank you,” I whispered. I looked up into his eyes and asked, “You do believe me, don’t you? About the brakes?”
“Susan, if you say they didn’t work, I believe you. The officers wouldn’t let me get in the car to even push on the pedal once,” he said shaking his head. He glanced at his watch. “What do you want to do? It’s still early. Do you want me to run you anywhere?”
“No,” I told him. “After what I heard in the crowd, I don’t think I should be going anywhere. Would you call Sam back for me? I don’t really want to talk with her right now, but why don’t you ask her and Larry to come for dinner, and we can play cards after. Cooking will take some time off my hands, and I think I’ll appreciate the company later.”
Mick nodded and pulled me up onto his lap with his arms around me. I put my head on his shoulder.
“Susan, I know something’s not right here, but I’m not sure what it is. Until whatever is happening here in Carbide City is resolved, I don’t want you going anywhere other than work without me. Got it?”
4 Big Easy Hunter Page 4