Maggie's Image (Maggie McGill Mysteries Book 1)

by Sharon Burch Toner

  The progress of the little band had become slower and slower as the night wore on. Brigitte had made a valiant effort to keep up with the group and they, in turn, had adjusted their pace to accommodate her. Their stops for rest had were coming more frequently and each one lasted longer. Now Brigitte had slowed noticeably and Andre was supporting her, half carrying her. Hadi signaled that they stop once again to rest.

  ***

  The telephone beside him beeped discreetly. Harry’s head jerked. He grabbed the phone before his eyes were open, “Yes?”

  “Harry, where are you? I’ve got something to tell you. I don’t want to say it on this phone.” The voice was tired, but held a note of excitement.

  “Yeah, Okay, Carlos. You at the office?” Harry asked. He looked around, surprised to see dawn approaching. The sky was becoming lighter by the moment.

  “Right. Harry, don’t get too excited. It’s not much, but might be something.”

  “Right now I’ll take anything. I’ll call you back soon.” Harry put the phone down, started his car, turned around and drove off in search of a phone booth.

  ***

  The morning gray brightened as the sun approached the horizon. From her rock Maggie looked around at her companions. Hadi looked scarcely the worse for his trip, almost as if he had been out for a Sunday stroll. The stress of his concern for Brigitte and the physical ordeal showed in Andre’s shadowed eyes and the slump of his shoulders. Allie, too, looked spent and tired. Even so, Maggie thought she looked beautiful with her blond hair in disarray and the color that exercise had brought to her face. Brigitte seemed to be completely exhausted. Her face was pale as she leaned against Andre’s shoulder with her eyes closed.

  Maggie met Hadi’s eyes. She wondered what he saw. There was silent acknowledgment of their situation in his look. He said, “We have come a very long way. It was a successful night. We even found a new friend.” He smiled at Dog. “We have earned food and rest.” So saying, he opened the pack he carried on his shoulder and passed around half sandwiches. Carefully, he cut two apples in half and passed these around also, bypassing himself. Loudly, he said, “Enchallah!”

  In unison the others echoed, “Enchallah!” And they ate.

  Hadi took the small thermos from the pack and slowly poured still hot coffee into the plastic cap. This he carried to Brigitte and held for her while she sipped it. When she had finished, he said, “There’s another cup of coffee left. Would anyone care for a few sips?”

  They looked at one another. Maggie shook her head and said, “I’m not a coffee drinker, Hadi. But thank you very much.”

  Allie said, “Why don’t we save what’s left. I feel much better after eating and I don’t think I need it right now. We may need it more later.”

  Andre held Brigitte and nodded his head in agreement. Brigitte seemed to have perked up. Food and the hot coffee clearly had improved her energy level.

  Allie unstrapped the canteen from her shoulder and passed it around the circle. They each sipped the water sparingly. Maggie considered the incongruity of their situation. They were in the midst of one of the largest cities in the world and yet they were in a wilderness.

  As they rested, the sun rose over the eastern horizon. Suddenly, Allie laughed out loud. Her laughter rang in the quiet morning air. Maggie looked at her in alarm. Whatever was so funny?

  She continued laughing, then picked up the little dog and laughed some more. “Look, Mom! Look! Look who he is. He’s a Jack Russell! Can you believe it? A Jack Russell!”

  Maggie looked at the little dog and joined her laughter. The others were puzzled by their merriment. After Allie explained her dream of God speaking to her, Andre and Brigitte joined them with chuckled with them. Hadi just smiled.

  ***

  It had been a long night for Ahmed. When the Hollywood house became unavailable he continued to direct the search from a small house in the Valley. The escape of all their prisoners was catastrophic. They must be found. He had expected they would be discovered on the road through the mountains. But now morning had arrived. He sat at a table alone, his head in his hands. One of the phones rang.

  “Yes?”

  The voice did not need to identify itself. “There is nothing. The prisoners have disappeared. There are more police up on the mountain. We had to leave. What next?”

  Ahmed reached for a large-scale map of the Griffith Park area. “If they still are out there, they may have gone even farther north. Let’s check out the north side of the park. It would not be a logical choice for them, but they have avoided the obvious so far.” He put the phone down, stood up and started pacing.

  ***

  Carlos picked up the phone on the first ring, “Yeah?”

  “What’s up?” Harry asked.

  “Well, I told you not to get excited. But it’s kind of interesting. Yesterday afternoon two bicyclists reported having their food and water stolen up on Mt. Lee. They’d hidden their bikes behind some rocks and walked across the road. They were gone about fifteen minutes. When they got back all their food and water were gone. They had money and cameras in their bags. But the only stuff taken was food and water. They said there was no sign of any other people up there during that time. Some cars, but no other cyclists.” Carlos’ voice was low and non-committal, but it held a hint of excitement.

  “This happened yesterday afternoon?” Harry questioned.

  “Yeah, about one o’clock, they said.”

  “Why did it take us this long to hear about it?”

  “They didn’t report it until they got home last night. Nobody thought much about it. I only just got it because someone I know over there knows we’re working the area right now,” Carlos explained.

  “Well, you’re right. On the face of it, it doesn’t sound like much. But it’s puzzling. Clearly, someone wanted food and water enough to steal it. It wasn’t an ordinary theft. The obvious stuff wasn’t taken. Do you think our ladies have taken up petty thievery? But if they made it to the road, why didn’t they just walk down and find help?” Harry puzzled.

  “That brings us to the next thing,” Carlos said. “There was an unusual amount of traffic up there last night. A patrol car stopped a vehicle that was driving slowly up and down with spotlights searching the sides of the road. Now get this. It was driven by a guy wearing a turban and his address was the same as the white house. And there was more than one car. They said there were looking for a valuable dog.”

  “Some dog!” Harry said. “But you know, this is good news. If they were looking, that means our ladies may be on the loose. Now, if those women made it that far and they couldn’t use the road, where do you suppose they went?”

  “There aren’t many easy choices up there. They might be hiding somewhere near the road. Maybe they took off overland again,” Carlos ventured.

  “What happened to the cars with the lights? I was up there early this morning and I didn’t see anything like that,” Harry said.

  “Well, that patrolman told them to go home and give the wildlife a chance!” Carlos chuckled.

  “Carlos, can we get some people up there to nose around the area where the bicyclists were robbed? See if we can find anything. I know it’s a long shot, but let’s try,” Harry said, feeling more hopeful than he had since Maggie’s call had been interrupted.

  “Okay, Harry. You got it,” said Carlos.

  Chapter Twelve

  They relaxed for an hour more, stretching out on the sandy ground, watching the sun rise higher in the sky. Maggie dozed for a few moments. With food and rest, their mood lightened. Daylight showed them to be within easy walking distance of civilization. It seemed as if their troubles were over. At last, Hadi’s “true oasis” was within sight. When she roused and stood up, Maggie had an impulse to run full tilt down the mountain into a house or business and ask for sanctuary.

  Hadi smiled and said, “Ah, dear ones, it does appear as if we have found what we have been seeking. But, let us proceed always with caution.
We now will be crossing a boundary, out of the wilderness that has been our safety, into civilization that can be a wilderness in itself. Let us go.” They rose and continued down the mountain, picking their way around scrub growth of sage and chaparral, their hearts light in spite of Hadi’s warning. In the distance, Maggie could see what appeared to be an open grassy area with trees. It looked like a park of some kind. All it lacked to be a true oasis was a fountain of water. They walked on, coming ever closer to their goal.

  Maggie narrowed her eyes and peered expectantly. “Oh, my God,” she gasped.

  Simultaneously Allie said, “Jeez!”

  “It’s a cemetery,” Andre muttered.

  “It must be Forest Lawn,” Allie said.

  As they came nearer the grave markers became clear. Sprinklers flowed. The fountains of their oasis. The grass was lush and neatly manicured. Dog danced at their feet, running ahead to check on Hadi’s leadership and then back to prance at Allie’s feet. After their adventure, crossing the enclosing fence was simple. They handed the little dog across. The moment he was on the bright green grass, he streaked off as fast as his short legs would carry him. Maggie watched him go and wondered if their brief and intense relationship was over. Was he deserting them?

  Once inside, they sat down in the soft green grass under the shade of a spreading gray-green olive tree. There was the very civilized smell of newly mown grass. In the distance they could hear the gentle putt-putt sound of sprinklers in motion. Hadi passed the canteen and each one drank thankfully. Maggie looked around at her companions. Each face showed the relief they were feeling. They had crossed the “desert.” They had found their oasis. Now, rescue was at hand. They had only to walk through the cemetery until they found help. Maggie was surprised that she was feeling somehow let down, almost sad. It was only then that she realized how much she valued the bond that had been created among these four people with whom she had shared the ordeal of imprisonment, danger and hardship.

  Maggie spoke, “You know, this whole thing is almost over. We’ll be rescued. The authorities will take over and we’ll be safe. Probably we’ll separate and we might not ever see each other again. I just want you to know that I feel close to each of you and I don’t want us to lose the bond that’s grown between us.” She stopped for a moment, looked down at the ground and frowned. Then she continued, “I’m not saying this very well. But in a funny sort of way, this has been a very special experience. I think what I’ll remember about this time is not so much the danger and the hardship, but rather how close I feel to each of you and how much I value the closeness.” She stopped, feeling a little embarrassed.

  There was a long silence. Andre broke the silence, “Oui, Maggie. I understand what you are saying. I, too, feel that. We are five separate people who have been put together by fate in this difficult situation. Now, it feels as if we have become a little family. Oui. It is good to be so.”

  Hadi glowed beneficently at them in the ensuing silence. He said, “It is true that we have become a family. It is true that we have experienced our oneness with one another. It is true that we also are one with Allah. This we have felt through our ordeal. We have felt our oneness with Allah and with all that is. It is good.”

  Allie said thoughtfully, “I guess if we’re one with one another then we never can be separated, even if we should not see one another again.”

  Hadi looked at her tenderly and said, “Yes, dear lady. That is so. And if that is so, then we do not need to grieve a separation. Is that not so?”

  Allie returned his look and nodded.

  They sat thoughtfully for a while. Then Hadi spoke again, “Our experience together has had many flavors. We have tasted despair, hardship, fatigue, pain, and fear. We also have tasted loyalty, truth, goodness, strength, understanding, and love. It is good to remember that the same experience has brought many things, things that we could call both good and bad. If we had not been brought together in this way, we would have missed the opportunity to taste these particular flavors.”

  Maggie’s heart felt very full and there was a tightness in her throat. For a moment she felt almost grateful for the last forty-eight hours. She looked around the circle and saw her feelings mirrored in the faces there. There was no need for words. They sat for a few more minutes and then slowly, helping one another to their feet, they rose and in a body, walked down the grassy slope, looking for the world they had left for a while.

  The sun was warm on her shoulders and Maggie thought that the sun was shining in her heart also. The cemetery was quiet, birds sang overhead, the sky was blue. It was a lovely morning. Maggie’s sore and aching muscles seemed to be complaining less. They came upon a paved road and started down it. As they reached the brow of a hill, they looked down on a gathering of people and cars. A funeral. Maggie wondered what the protocol of such a situation was. Simply to walk up in a body and announce their plight seemed intrusive and insensitive to the feelings of the mourners. Hadi must have had similar sensitivities because he motioned that they stand behind a large headstone and wait for the service to come to an end

  After checking out the course of the funeral, Allie plopped down on the grass and leaned against a headstone. The others followed her lead. The sun against the stone created a soothingly warm spot and Maggie felt her eyes closing. She was drifting down into a warm peaceful place, her body relaxing in soft little stages.

  The peace of her nap was shattered by furious barking and a hard, wet little body flinging itself across her body toward Allie. Maggie jerked herself awake, blinked her eyes and looked around. Her companions were in similar states of shock and surprise. Beyond them, around the curves of the drive, came a large black car. Maggie shook her head in disbelief. They couldn’t be here! Not here in this peaceful setting! Not when safety was so near. The occupants of the car must have seen them because it picked up speed and was racing toward them.

  Allie grabbed Maggie’s arm and shouted, “COME ON! Let’s get out of here.” Maggie started running as fast as her legs would go. Around her the others were also running. Running. Running between the headstones, down the hill toward the solemn ceremony. Below and ahead of them heads jerked up, staring in shock at the spectacle of the newcomers. They saw five disheveled and apparently deranged people shouting and running headlong toward them, accompanied by a compact, furiously barking dog.

  The mourners scattered as the runners approached. Below them, parked at the edge of the road were limos, cars, a florist’s van and the hearse.

  Maggie’s breath was coming in gasps. Could they make it before the black car caught them? Hurry. Faster, faster. It was a nightmare come true. Things seemed to be happening in slow motion. Her legs seemed to move so slowly. Around her the others were moving slowly, slowly. What about the car. Was it going slowly also?

  Allie noticing her mother’s distress, grabbed her hand and pulled her along. A quick glance showed her that Andre was pulling Brigitte in the same way. Hadi was moving very fast, but apparently effortlessly. They were approaching the open grave. The mourners now were running as well for their cars or simply to hide behind trees and stones. A dark green canvas canopy shaded the grave and the surrounding folding chairs. To the side stood the metal trolley that had carried the casket. It seemed that the little band was thinking as a group. Allie pushed her mother onto the trolley. Andre put Brigitte on the other side. The two women crouched on its steel rails while the other three pushed it pell-mell down the hill toward the vehicles.

  The black car had been unable to follow them directly because of the headstones. It was circling along the drive. It would be here any moment. To Maggie, clinging to the trolley as it bounced down the hill, it seemed as if they were flying. Cars lined the road in front of them. Hadi directed them between two parked cars heading toward the florist’s van. There was a crash! Maggie wasn’t sure what had happened. There was a flash of bright yellow. She and Brigitte and Andre were in a heap of bodies in the middle of the road. The trolley careened down
the road freed of its passengers. Allie was sprawled across an identified body in bright yellow running shorts. Hadi miraculously stayed upright and was pulling them to their feet.

  “Hurry. Hurry. Get up. Get up fast!” Hadi was urging.

  Somehow, they sorted themselves out and piled into the back of the flower van. Allie jumped into the driver’s seat, said a prayer of thanksgiving that the keys were in the ignition. The engine jumped to life and they pulled out into the road just as the black car rounded the curve behind them.

  Maggie looked out the back window to see outraged mourners racing down to the road, a wrathful van driver waving his arms, a shocked clergyman in black. The graveside was a shambles of overturned chairs and a lopsided canopy. To her dismay, the black car was much too near. Then the van swayed sharply and she was thrown across it into Andre’s arms. Dog yelped sharply as she stepped on his foot. She pulled herself up and looked back again. The black car had crashed into the abandoned trolley and its windshield had been shattered. A turbaned figure was pulling the twisted trolley away from the black car.

  “Did you see that, Allie?” Maggie shouted.

  “Yeah, hooray!” Allie answered.

  “Who exactly are you people? What are you doing? And where the hell are we going?” Asked a querulous voice from a dark corner of the van.

  Maggie’s head jerked up in surprise. She squinted into the corner toward the voice. Long tan legs unfolded under bright yellow shorts. Holding on to the sides of the jolting van, the bent legs moved forward to disclose the muscular upper torso of the unlucky runner. Short light brown wavy hair above a tanned chiseled face and brilliant blue eyes. Maggie gasped as she recognized the runner from the Malibu beach of a few days ago. “You! Who are you? And what are you doing here?”