Bunny Elder Adventure Series: Four Complete Novels: Hollow, Vain Pursuits, Seadrift, ...and Something Blue

by J. B. Hawker

  “But, you said you like me. I don’t understand.”

  “Ellery, for one of the smartest women I know, you can be awfully thick. It is because I like you that I no longer want you to be my student. The university has certain regulations about teachers and the students in their classes fraternizing.”

  “Uh, you want to fraternize with me?”

  “Oh yes. I have wanted to do exactly that from the first week of classes. Don’t try to tell me you didn’t notice.”

  “I thought you were just being nice to me because we are both Aussies.”

  “Well. Now that you do know, what do you have to say?”

  Ellery swallowed twice and sat up straighter before framing her reply, then plunged right in, “Although I have enjoyed your classes very much, Professor Argyle, and learned a lot, I hope you won’t take this personally, but I think I will enroll in Dr. Hosking’s classes next semester, rather than yours.”

  “Well, I do take that personally. Very personally, indeed,” he replied with a broad grin while walking around the desk and taking Ellery into his arms for a gentle, but very thorough kiss.

  Bunny set the phone down after giving her niece directions, then put a pot of water on to boil for the pasta she was cooking for their late lunch. She was fixing her favorite whole wheat spaghetti topped with scrambled eggs and sautéed diced tomatoes, mushrooms, bell peppers, spinach and Italian green olives. It was a favorite meal of Bunny’s, served with sliced melon and lemon sorbet for dessert. Everything except the pasta was ready. She hoped Ellery would like it.

  Some people probably wouldn’t even try scrambled eggs with pasta. Bunny had discovered the unusual combination one night when the cupboard was practically bare. It was so tasty and simple that she fixed it often, adding whatever additions were on hand that struck her fancy.

  Bunny wasn’t a vegetarian, but she ate very little red meat, partly for health reasons, but mostly because it was just what she preferred. She tried to be health conscious, without being fanatical about it.

  “That was smashing, Aunt Bunny! I never had pasta with scrambled eggs, before. Thanks for going to so much trouble,” Ellery said while clearing the table after the meal.

  Bunny stuck another dish into the dishwasher and replied, “No trouble, at all. That is one of the easiest meals that I know.”

  “I really like your place. I never saw your cabin, but I can’t imagine it was as nice.”

  “It wasn’t. One of my new friends was saying that making me move was just part of God’s plan. It certainly has worked out for the best, although it was upsetting at the time.”

  “Why is it always so much easier to see God’s hand in things afterwards than while they are happening?” Ellery asked.

  “I think it is because we get so busy trying to stay in charge that we forget to trust God, even when we don’t understand what he is doing. But, that’s why it is called faith.”

  When the dishes were cleared away they went out onto the patio and sat in the sun on the two built-in redwood benches flanking the sliding doors. The sun was warm and the breeze off the ocean was delightfully cool.

  “So tell me; what was it that we needed to talk about, face to face? I’m all ears…well, ears and a face, but you get the picture,” Bunny joked.

  “I need your advice. Something has happened…I think it’s a good thing…a wonderful thing…but I’m not sure that I’m thinking clearly. I need wise counsel.”

  “What’s happened? Is it about a man?”

  “How did you know? That’s amazing.”

  “Well, I’m only a novice mind reader, so you will need to fill in just a few details for me.”

  “Umm, you know my decryption teacher who decoded your flash drive, Professor Argyle?”

  “You told me about him, yes.”

  “Well, I’ve had a sort of crush on him since the beginning of the semester,…but I know that’s common for students and, even though he’s been especially nice to me, and gives me looks with those dreamy gray eyes that make my toes curl, he is a lot older than I am, and he’s my teacher, so I figured he’s probably just being nice ‘cuz we both grew up in Australia, and I’ve been really careful not to get any romantic ideas or anything, but I just can’t help thinking about him and I wanted to come this weekend, so we could talk about it and you could help me get over this silly crush,” Ellery took a deep breath and went on, “but yesterday Gilles asked me to come to his office and when I went he told me not to take any more of his classes and…he kissed me!”

  “Oh, dear. Is he one of those professors who prey on vulnerable young coeds? How disappointing for you. Did you report him?”

  “No, you don’t understand. Before he kissed me he told me not to take any more of his classes. He doesn’t want to be my teacher anymore, so that we can, uh, fraternize.”

  “Just how much older is he? And what exactly do you mean by fraternize?” Bunny inquired suspiciously.

  “He just meant that the university has rules against relationships between teachers and students in their classes, to prevent problems about sexual harassment or favoritism in regard to grades and things. He wants us to be free to get to know each other on a personal level. And that’s not against the rules, as long as I’m not a student in his class.”

  “I see. How much older is he?”

  “About ten years. But he’s in very good shape for his age!”

  “I don’t quite know what to say, Ellery. Without knowing this man, I can’t tell if he is sincerely interested in you and has only the purist motives, or if he is just another lecherous man taking advantage of an attractive younger, less experienced woman.”

  “Gilles isn’t like that! He would never take advantage of me, Aunt Bunny. I just know it.”

  “I’m not sure I’m qualified to give relationship advice, dear, but I think the wisest thing would be to exercise caution and take things as slowly as possible. Get to know this man outside the classroom and find out if he sees you as an equal or always as the student. Does he know your views on premarital fraternization? Is he a believer?”

  “Gosh, I don’t know. I hadn’t thought about that. I don’t really know much about him, I guess. But, that is what dating is for, right?”

  “Exactly right. If you don’t rush things and always stay true to your beliefs, rather than denying, downplaying, or apologizing for them, you will learn about him and he will get to know you, too. If you decide to pursue this relationship, I would love to meet him. He’s obviously something special to have caught your eye.”

  “Thanks, Aunt Bunny. You’re right. We don’t need to rush into anything. I knew that talking with you would help. I was all mixed up in my head. Thanks for bringing me back to earth. Now, let’s go to the beach!”

  After exploring downtown Bannoch, tasting samples at the Big Wheel Cheese Factory and playing in the surf, Bunny took Ellery to meet Naidenne.

  Ellery admired the arts and crafts on display and bought one of Shirley’s bird house planters.

  “You will get to meet Shirley on Sunday. She sings in the choir, too. I’m really looking forward to singing with you, again, Ellery,” Bunny told her grandniece.

  “Hey, I’d like to hear you all singing together. Do you suppose lightning would strike if I came to church on Sunday, too?” Naidenne asked.

  “We’d love to have you come! Shall we have lunch together after?”

  “Let’s just play it by ear. I don’t know if I’ll be able to come, but I might. Just in case, what time does the show start?”

  “Worship begins at eleven o’clock, but come a little early if you want to get a good seat,” Bunny teased.

  At six o’clock Naidenne closed the office and the women enjoyed a leisurely dinner at the Boatworks. They were having such a good time that after the meal all three went to Bunny’s.

  Grgur saw Naidenne drive away from the townhouse around nine-thirty and supposed that Bunny was now alone.

  He waited patiently for the lights to
go out. It was easier to overpower someone who was asleep and completely off-guard. The female was too small to put up much of a fight, but he was not taking any risks, this time.

  Ljuto had taken their gun when he left, but Grgur preferred his trusty knife, anyway. It was just as deadly, even more intimidating to women, and it did its work silently. He sat in his car, stroking the blade against his thigh and anticipating the satisfaction of plunging it deeply into the heart of his prey.

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  If a thief is caught breaking in at night and is struck a fatal blow, the defender is not guilty of bloodshed – Exodus 22:2

  Bunny felt the floor getting harder beneath her hip as the air slowly seeped out of the inflatable mattress. She rolled over and banged her head on an apple crate, knocking over the daisies, and water poured out of the vase onto her pillow.

  She stifled a mild expletive and crawled off the deflating mattress, putting a hand on the stability ball while getting to her feet. The ball rolled, she lost her balance and collapsed onto the hard floor with a thump. What a night!

  Up in Bunny’s room, Ellery chatted on the phone with her professor for what seemed like hours before finally turning out the light, while Bunny struggled with the recalcitrant air mattress on the living room floor.

  Now that the light was out, so was all the air in the mattress and Bunny’s pillow was soaked.

  She was getting up from the floor more carefully, planning to clean up the spill and then to try sleeping on the love seat, when she heard a scraping noise out on the patio.

  Probably, just a feral cat, she reassured herself. Those poor neglected creatures were becoming a real problem. Too wild for pets, they still preferred to live in populated areas, breeding, fighting and being a general nuisance.

  With a damp dish towel in one hand and a clump of broken flowers in the other, Bunny had returned to the kitchen work area when she thought she heard the patio door sliding open. But that was impossible. She would have heard the security alarm...if she had remembered to set it.

  With all the excitement of Ellery’s visit, Bunny could not remember arming the system before going to bed.

  Was someone…maybe one of those horrible men…sneaking into her home? She could feel a lump of panic beginning to grow in her stomach.

  The silhouette of a man materialized against the moonlit patio door. In the dark kitchen Bunny froze.

  The intruder began to creep silently toward the stairs.

  Ellery was up those stairs! Bunny couldn’t let this man get to her niece.

  Her purse with her cell phone in it was on the nearby counter. Stealthily slipping the phone out, her fingers trembling, Bunny crouched low to shield the light from the phone’s display screen and tapped in the three digits for emergency services. When she heard the operator answer, she left the phone on and shouted, as loudly and forcefully as she could manage, “Intruder! Stop where you are! Get out of my house this minute! You are not wanted here! Leave now! I’m calling the police! I have a gun!”

  She prayed that the emergency operator was listening and got the message. Bunny’s cell phone had a GPS locator, so her address should show up automatically at the call center.

  Grgur furiously swung around and Bunny saw a glint of moonlight on metal; a knife!

  “Please God, protect me from that blade,” she prayed silently. Then an image flashed into her mind of the fishing knife in her purse. She fumbled it out of her bag, tearing off the tissue wrapping, and clasped it tightly in her fist as though clinging to a lifeline.

  Grgur growled something unintelligible and began moving toward her. Bunny scuttled backward, afraid to turn her back to him. He was almost within striking distance when she called out, “Reacher! Here boy, good dog, sic’em, Reacher! Attack!”

  Grgur twisted to look for the dog, ready to kill the beast that had defeated Ljuto. When he looked away Bunny kicked out as hard as she could and connected with his knee before losing her balance and falling to the floor. As he swung around with his knife still raised to strike, Grgur’s knee buckled and he crashed down on top of Bunny before she could roll away.

  Stunned, the Croatian criminal, over six feet tall and well-fed, covered the smaller woman with his body. There was a gurgling groan and a pool of dark blood spread beneath them.

  A siren began to wail in the distance, piercing the night as it quickly grew louder. Soon red and blue lights reflected off the walls and there was a loud knocking on the front door.

  The light came on at the top of the stairs and a sleep-tousled Ellery tiptoed down.

  “Aunt Bunny? I think someone’s at the door.”

  Reaching the foot of the stairs, Ellery switched on the foyer light, revealing the dark shape on the kitchen floor.

  The persistent knocking grew louder, and a voice rang out, “Sheriff! Open up!”

  Ellery unlocked the door just as Deputy Baughley was getting ready to kick it open. She stood with unfocused eyes, one hand over her mouth and the other pointing to the kitchen and the blood; its glossy redness almost matching the enamel on the newly painted furniture she had admired that afternoon.

  With a small moan, Ellery’s eyes rolled back and she slid to the floor.

  The impact of Grgur’s body on Bunny’s chest had knocked the breath out of her and his weight kept her pinned, immobile, to the floor. A sticky wetness flowed over her, pooling up beneath her body. She felt pain in her upper thigh and remembered the man’s knife. Was she bleeding to death here on her new kitchen floor?

  She heard the pounding on the door, Ellery’s voice and approaching footsteps, but she was too breathless and disoriented to respond. Perhaps this was one of those out-of-body experiences she’d read about.

  Just as she was anticipating the glowing radiance that was reported to accompany near-death experiences, a dazzling light shining in her eyes blinded her.

  She felt the weight lifting from her body and a calm, caring presence speaking directly to her.

  “Are you okay, Ma’am?” Deputy Baughley asked after rolling Grgur’s body off of Bunny.

  Nearly an hour later, Bunny huddled at her dining room table, shivering uncontrollably.

  “Can’t you let her rest, officer? You can see how traumatized my aunt is.”

  “Just a few more questions, and then we will leave you in peace.”

  Bunny had been photographed, and then her clothes had been taken and bagged as evidence before she was allowed to shower and wash off all the blood. Very little had been hers, fortunately. As he fell, Grgur had only managed a glancing blow to the top of her left shoulder, leaving a shallow gash that might not even require stitches, according to the EMT’s that attended to it.

  She sat now with her hair damp and her robe slipped off one shoulder, holding a wad of gauze against her wound. As soon as the authorities were through with her she would go to the ER to be checked out.

  During her shower Bunny had discovered a large bruise low on her right hip where the handle of her fishing knife had been driven into her by the weight of the man’s body as he fell onto its wickedly sharp blade. His wound was much more serious than Bunny’s. He was seriously dead.

  Bunny began to laugh hysterically, just as Scott walked into the room. He wrapped his arms around her and held her until she regained her composure.

  “There, there, dear. It’s all over. Everything’s all right, now,” Scott stroked her hair and murmured gently until she was herself, again.

  “When did you get here?” Bunny asked him.

  “I was called as soon as the dispatcher realized it was you at this address, shortly after the deputy radioed his report. I came as soon as I could. I only wish I’d been here to protect you…or that Reacher had.”

  “Oh, but Reacher did protect me, in a way. I pretended to sic the dog on the prowler, and it distracted him, then I kicked out and lost my balance and he lunged at me and we fell and…well, I guess I killed him,” she shrugged. “I’ve never done that before. Not even once. I
t feels very peculiar. And you know what’s funny? I killed him with that knife from the sea chest.”

  “Funny?”

  “Well, not humorous, but odd, maybe ironic is the word, although I’m never absolutely certain about that…anyway, funny because I found the sea chest and that made the men keep chasing me for that little flash drive thingy and then I killed one of them with the knife from the very same chest…But I only killed one of them…and now the deputy took the knife away. What will I do when the other one comes after me?”

  “Oh no, Aunt Bunny! The other man won’t bother you, now, surely, not after his partner is dead. Why, if he were still around he would have been here tonight, wouldn’t he?” Ellery reasoned.

  “Whether that’s true or not, Bunny doesn’t need to think she has to kill anyone else in order to be safe. We are all going to make sure of that. Aren’t we, deputy?”

  “That’s right, Pastor. We are going to have extra patrols around every night. And it would be a good idea to get a security system installed, Miz Elder.”

  “Oh, I already have a top of the line, state of the art security system, Deputy Baughley, but I’m afraid I forgot to turn it on tonight,” Bunny admitted, sheepishly.

  “I don’t suppose you will have any trouble remembering after this, then.”

  “No, I don’t suppose I’ll ever forget what happened tonight.”

  “Come and stay with me and Rosamund tonight, Bunny,” Scott urged.

  “Thank you, Scott. But, I think I will just stay here once I get back from the ER. It will be morning by then, anyway. Thank you so much for coming by.”

  She began to climb the stairs to get dressed and then paused, “Am I free to go, now, deputy?”

  “Yes, Ma’am. We are all finished up here. I’ll let you know if we need anything more. You aren’t planning to leave town anytime soon, are you?”

  “No, not anytime soon. Thank you,” she replied and went into her room.