Cassandra (Fells Point Private Investigator Series)

by Denise Irwin

  During the drive to the Delaware border, Leona apologized for her lack of hair cutting skills.

  “It’s just hair. It’ll grow back. In my opinion, you did a great job under the circumstance. I still think Sam’s going overboard with this case.”

  “I don’t. I’m amazed that you aren’t as concerned as he is. Trust me, Sam would not have requested all this security if he didn’t believe he needed to. He hates spending taxpayers’ dollars unless he has to.”

  “This is probably the most inappropriate time I could pick, but has Sam shared his family story?”

  “No, Sam doesn’t speak about them, so I don’t ask.”

  “Ask.”

  “Why, is there something I should know? He shared his personal stuff with you?”

  “He did share some, but I think somehow the stars lined up and he needed to get it off his chest. I’m sorry; I don’t mean to make it sound like he shared something with me personally that he hadn’t shared with you. It wasn’t that way at all. When things settle down, tell him I told you that it’s time for him to tell you his story. I should have kept my mouth shut. I don’t want you worrying about it. It’s just something you should know.”

  Leona watched the agents’ cars exit the highway in her review mirror when they reached the state line. “We’re on our own from here to Wilmington. Cassie, you need to put that hat back on. We’ll mail it back later.”

  Leona took the exit for Wilmington, after driving several blocks looking for a sign for the courthouse, she asked, “Cassie, can you keep an eye out for the Federal Courthouse? Sam said it wasn’t far from the exit.”

  “Yes Ma’am I can. Did he tell you the name of the street?”

  “I think he did. It was either Queen or King, something like that.”

  Cassie called off the cross streets, “Okay, let’s see, we just passed Wilson Street.” She sat quietly waiting to see the next street. “Here’s N. Lombard. It looks like we’re in a residential section. Can you pull over and let me take a look the map.

  Leona pulled the car to the side of the street while Cassie looked at the map. “Okay, I know where we are now, so let me see where we need to go. We’re on a one-way street, so let’s see what we have here.”

  Leona watched as Cassie’s finger traced the roads on the map. “I see North King, so I’m going to assume that’s what we’re looking for. Since we’re on a one-way, we’ll need to make a right on North Spruce and then a right onto Tenth Street. This insane, but It looks like we then take a right on North Walnut, then a left on East 12th. Once we’re on 12th, the next intersection is North King. We make a left there and the Courthouse shouldn’t far.”

  “I can’t remember all those turns, I’m gonna get us lost again.”

  Cassie giggled, “I’ll call them out.”

  When the car finally made its way to King Street, Cassie said, “The courthouse is just ahead on the left. Can you see it?”

  Leona let out a sigh of relief, “I see it.”

  When Leona parked the car in the spot marked “FBI” in front of the courthouse. Cassie got out of the front seat to put Bailey’s leash on, while Leona placed the key under the mat. The Agent told her before they left Philadelphia that he’d given her a spare key. Before she locked the doors, she asked, “Did you get your clothes bag?”

  “Yep, I’ve got it in my hands along with Bailey’s leash.”

  Leona locked and closed the door.

  Sam had his car waiting in front of the Federal Building in Wilmington. Cassie opened the door to the back seat. She threw her bag onto the floor behind the driver. She let Bailey enter the car first; she then climbed in and sat next to Bailey while Leona climbed into the front seat.

  “I take it the drive was uneventful?”

  “Yep, it was.”

  “Cassie, why the hell are you wearing a Boy Scout cap?”

  “Sam Marksman, are you mocking my son?”

  “No ma’am, I wouldn’t dare.”

  Sam glanced frequently at the car’s rear view mirror to make sure no one was following him. His goal was to not only be on the ready in case of trouble, but also blend in with the traffic patterns.

  At the Maryland border, Sam watched four cars exit off the highway. He checked his rearview and side mirrors every minute. The mob would use the same technique as the Bureau did by placing several non-descript cars on the highway to follow him. The cars would change positions frequently, but they would make sure he didn’t get too far ahead of them. He breathed a small sight of relief when he took the exit for I-695 and it didn’t appear that anyone else that met his mob criteria pulled off behind him. Sam did not drive directly to Sue Sampson’s house; he drove on I-695 to the Loch Raven Boulevard exit. He then took all back roads watching his mirrors continuously. It was a quiet tense ride.

  When he was sure no one was following them, he pulled into Sue’s driveway. Cassie laughed when Bailey started barking, “I guess we’re here.”

  Sue Sampson was in the kennel when she heard the car pull into her driveway. She came out to greet them. “Sam Marksman it’s just been too long.”

  “I couldn’t agree more. Sue, this is Agent Cassie Henson.”

  “Cassie, it’s a pleasure to meet you. Sam said you’d be staying with Neal and me. We’re happy to help out.”

  Sue’s heart went out to the young woman standing before her. Her emaciated body made Cassie look frail. She was wearing a long sleeved cotton shirt and Sue could see bandages around her wrists. It appeared to Sue that someone had hacked her hair off.

  Cassie assessed Sue, who stood about five-foot maybe eight inches tall. She wore her long thick blonde hair down her back through the opening in the back of a baseball cap. Sue was a buxom woman dressed in jeans and a flannel shirt. Sue looked like a woman comfortable in her own skin. Sue appeared to be quite capable of making her own life’s choices with or without advice. Cassie liked that confidence in women so in her opinion, they were going to get along quite well.

  “Sue, I want to thank you for taking this little orphaned girl in. It’s my opinion that Sam is being overly cautious, so I really appreciate the offer.”

  “He’s not usually off the mark. Sam, take that beast of yours into the play area then join us in the kitchen.”

  Sue had put on a fresh pot of coffee and had earlier in the morning baked a pan of sticky buns. As she poured coffee and plated the buns, she asked Cassie, “Tell me a little about yourself, Sam’s already told me the subject of why you’re staying here is taboo so tell me about the personal side of your life.”

  “There really isn’t much to tell if Sam’s nixed talking about why I’m here. I’m single; I have two older brothers and a younger sister. My parents died two years ago in a car accident. My siblings and I are close. That’s about it.”

  When Sue realized Leona sat quietly, with a faraway look on her face, listening to Sue and Cassie, she asked her, “So, Sam took you with him? I didn’t realize you went with him when he traveled.”

  “I don’t travel with him, but I insisted that I was going with him for this one.”

  “Ah, and I assume you can’t tell me about it.”

  Leona looked down at her hands. “I’m sorry for giving you so little information, but Sam doesn’t want you and Neal in danger.”

  They heard Sam come into the kitchen when he exclaimed, “Oh I see, Sue sends me to the doggie play ground and the three of you are eating sticky buns.”

  “Ah, the priority of men, Sam, there’s plenty more sitting on the kitchen counter. You know your way around my kitchen so go get your own buns. Pour yourself a cup of coffee while you’re up.”

  “Sue, tell me how you and Sam met.”

  “Oh Cassie, let me tell you the story. This woman overcharges me for keeping my dog in her kennel, and then she has the audacity to spoil him.”

  “Sam Marksman, you need to shut your trap. Cassie, before he met Leona, Sam brought Bailey to stay in my kennel when he was out of town. Now that
he’s in love I never see him or his mutt.”

  Cassie chuckled, “I guess that happens. I have to say I’m sorry that I ruined Sam and Leona’s wedding day.”

  There was a pregnant pause in the conversation. The only sound heard in the kitchen were the dogs barking in the kennel.

  “Sue, let me explain. Yes, Leona and I had planned to get married on the boat. We had very limited space, so we planned to hold a bigger party after the ‘I do ceremony’. We didn’t tell you because we wanted to surprise you.”

  Leona jumped in, “Sue, it’s getting too chilly to get married on the boat. We’ll let you know as soon as we find a place.”

  “You both know I’m not buying the shit you’re trying to sell me, right? You forgot to call Neal and me.” Sue put her hand up Sam tried to explain, “No, do not try to interrupt me. Here’s the new deal. Since Cassie’s been grounded for not playing fair in the sand box, the two of you will marry here at my house. Invite everyone you want. Just make sure Neal and I are on the freakin’ list.”

  Sam and Leona looked sheepishly at Sue. Leona confessed, “Sue it was my mistake, not Sam’s.”

  “While I appreciate you’re taking the blame, there isn’t any reason to run cover for this man. When do the two of you want to get yourselves hitched? I’ll start planning the wedding.”

  Sam answered her question, “We aren’t sure. I’m driving back early tomorrow morning to attend two arraignment hearings. As soon as I know the subsequent hearing dates, I can give you a better idea for dates.”

  “I can live with that. If you’re going back to wherever you came from for two arraignments. Is it safe to assume you got the bandit?”

  “It is safe to assume that my dear.”

  “That’s good. The two of you are staying for dinner, right?”

  Leona laughed, “You bet. I just need to call my mom and let her know that we’re home.”

  “Cassie, would you like to take a walk with me to the kennel and see my lay-out?”

  Cassie jumped at the chance, “I would enjoy that since I recently lost my dog.”

  “Ladies, you’re all going in different directions should I just sit here and eat all the buns?”

  Sue laughed, “Go take a nap.”

  Leona went onto the porch to call her mother. When Nancy answered her daughter’s call, Leona told her, “Mom, we’re home. We’re at Sue’s kennel. We’re gonna have dinner here and then we’ll drive to my house.”

  “So, are you ready to set a new wedding date? All the food we prepared is going to spoil if it’s not eaten quickly.”

  “No, we aren’t ready just yet so spread the word to everyone to eat their food. Sam’s leaving before the crack of dawn tomorrow morning. The situation is a bit confusing right now. Sue offered to have the wedding here at her house when we know what we’re doing.”

  “What’s the confusion?”

  “Ma, this is one of those times I can’t share much information with you.”

  Leona could tell her mother was perturbed with her by her voice, “Daughter, are you and Sam going to get married in this decade?”

  “Ma, don’t be so silly, yes and both of us hope it’s soon.”

  Sue walked Cassie to the kennel, “It’s not a large kennel, but I have space for about twenty dogs. Each dog has a six-foot run out of the back of the kennel. Let’s walk to the play area.”

  As they walked along a path that led to the dog ‘play area’, Cassie asked, “How long have you been in business?”

  “Let me think about that for a minute. Neal and I married in 1991, I can’t remember the date, but I’m sure it was in '91, gosh, it looks like my brain isn’t on duty today. I think it may have been sometime in the summer. This place was in foreclosure and it was falling apart, so I’m gonna say we’ve owned it for eight years. Neal was still in dental school. He graduated in 1995. That’s sounds right. We’ll ask him at dinner.”

  Cassie laughed, “I don’t need the details. Does it cost much to run a kennel?”

  “Not really, it’s the fact that we don’t always get the chance to travel that’s the downer. We take two weeks’ vacation every year and shut the kennel down. It’s hard to find someone to take care of the dogs while we’re gone. We hired a young college student a couple of years ago since we get no money when the kennel is empty. The place was a mess when we came home. I guess cleaning the dog shit in the runs was beneath her.”

  Cassie chortled, “I would have paid the owner for the opportunity to look after the dogs.”

  “Sam told me you’re a fellow dog lover?”

  “I sure am.”

  Sue saw that Cassie’s eyes were rimming with tears. “Do you have a dog?”

  “Not anymore. I had a Rottweiler. His name was Brutus. He was my Bureau partner. Brutus was shot trying to protect me.”

  “I know we’re not supposed to talk about the case, but I have to ask if he died on this case.”

  “Yes. Brutus was a trained guard dog. He was a kind, gentle dog unless he thought my life was in danger. I used to say, ‘Katie bar the door’ if he got himself riled up.”

  Sue reached out and took her hand. “Cassie I don’t know what to say other than I am, so sorry to hear that.”

  “There really isn’t much anyone can say. He was a good friend. Now show me the dog play area.”

  “Well, here it is. This is my dog play area. We have fenced in two acres. Neal found a spring with natural water so he dug the area out and created a pond for the dogs to swim when it’s hot.”

  “This is just amazing. The dogs don’t fight with one another?”

  Sue shrugged her right shoulder, “We’ve had a few scraps in the yard. We remand the aggressive dog to a smaller fenced-in area with a couple of dogs I trust until we get the dog to understand the meaning of socializing.”

  Cassie watched the dogs in the yard. Bailey was having the time of his life. A Toy Poodle was chasing him around the pond. “How do you socialize the dogs?”

  “The majority of my clients have been with me since the beginning, so I know the dogs well. When I take in an unsociable pup, I put the dog on a leash, and then walk the dog in the small fenced in area with dogs I trust running loose. If the dog behaves aggressively, I nudge the aggressor’s shoulder and give him a good ‘Shish’.”

  “Did you receive training?”

  “I sure did. I attended the Dog Academy of Trial by Fire.”

  Cassie was astonished, “You taught yourself?”

  “There isn’t an “S” etched into my chest for ‘Super Woman’. I called on a number of local trainers to help me understand how those mongrels think. Once I understood the dog pack mentality, I became the leader. You sound very interested. Are you considering starting a kennel?”

  Cassie hesitated, “I don’t know, but it sounds like you love your kennel.”

  “I love the way of life. There are drawbacks and there are pluses in every job. The kennel works well for Neal and me. Let’s head back to the kennel, I need to get the runs clean. If you want, run up to the house and make yourself comfortable. It won’t take me long.”

  “It’ll go twice as fast if I help.”

  Sue glanced at her sideways. “You don’t have to do that, you’re my guest.”

  “I’d love to help. I’m not your guest. The bureau will pay you for my stay, so consider me as an employee while I’m here.”

  “Then in that case, let’s get to it. You’ll get your first real taste of running a kennel. Let me rephrase that, you’ll get your first real smell of running a kennel.”

  Cassie laughed. “I’m game if you are okay with my help, even if it stinks.”

  Working together, the runs were clean in half the time it would have taken Sue working alone. Cassie went with Sue to round up the dogs. While Sue rounded the dogs up, she was astonished to see that each dog knew which kennel to enter.

  “Sue, tell me how you trained them to know which kennel to enter?”

  “There’s no training
involved. I put the dogs into the same kennel each time they stay here. The only problem we have is when two dogs show up that are accustomed to staying a particular kennel, there be a bit of territorial discussion. With a little encouragement, one of the dogs would give in to the dominant dog. It’s the pack thing. I try to let them work it out themselves. I step in if I think there’s going to be a war. Luckily, they usually don’t go that far.”

  Cassie was impressed. “That’s amazing.”

  “There were a few scary times when I first started. Okay, it looks like we’re done cleaning the kennels, so we just need to feed the dogs, and then it’s time for cocktails on the porch.”

  Cassie giggled, “I’ll need a shower first.”

  “Girlfriend, we’ll both need a shower first.”

  After they fed the dogs, Cassie thanked Sue for a wonderful afternoon.

  “Woman, you must be crazy if cleaning up dog shit constitutes a wonderful afternoon.”

  “It did today, so thank you.”

  “The sun is over the yardarm. Showers and then cocktails on the porch until Neal returns home from the office. The guest bedroom is the first door on the left at the top of the stairs. It has its own bathroom.”

  Sam and Leona were asleep on the sofa in the den. She let them sleep while she and Cassie showered. After her shower, Sue checked the slumbering couple again, and let them continue to sleep.

  Cassie poured herself a glass of wine and went to join Sue on the porch. The sun hung low in the sky leaving an afterglow of warmth in the air.

  “What does your husband do for a living?”

  “He’s a dentist. He wanted to be a professional football player, but he injured his back in college, so he ended up going to dental school. I hope he likes it. He says he does, but I sometimes wonder if he’s just bullshitting me. That’s him pulling into the driveway.”

  When Neal stepped onto the porch, Cassie had to tilt her head back to see his face. There was no doubt in her mind that he played defense. The man who introduced himself as Neal, Sue’s husband, was a huge man.