by Marja McGraw
My first thought was I didn’t want him to know Mikey was outside. My second thought was I should have run without question when Chris yelled at me.
“Now!” Ryan waved the gun at me with more vigor. He sounded nervous.
“I – ”
“I want you in the kitchen with your husband right now,” Ryan said, leaving no room for argument.
He moved out of my way and I started to slip past him, but my brain finally kicked in. I swung around and slammed my fist down on his gun hand. He wasn’t expecting it. The
gun flew across the kitchen, landing in front of Mark. Mark?
“Oh, crap!” Ryan rubbed his wrist and looked crestfallen.
Mark stood by the kitchen counter and Chris was by the sink. There was an oversized candle sitting between the two men. They looked at each other and in the blink of an eye Mark lunged and grabbed the gun. Pointing it at Chris, he motioned him to join Ryan and me.
Talk about the old switcheroo. What was going on?
Chris walked to me and stood in front of me protectively. And then it struck me. I turned and narrowed my eyes at Mark. “It was you all along. You killed Kimberly. Why? For the treasure?”
“Shut up.” Mark’s eyes looked too intense and the corners of his mouth were drawn down. Somehow the neighbor who always minded his own business suddenly seemed evil. “I want you all in the kitchen. Get over by the sink.”
We did as he asked and he moved to the doorway. I guessed he thought no one could get away from him if we were stuck in the kitchen.
“Distract him,” Chris whispered.
I hoped he had a plan.
“Did you want her to show you where the treasure was and she wouldn’t help? Was that it? Or was she just in your way?” Talking would distract him if I could keep the comments flying.
“Both. Now shut up before I shoot you.”
“Excuse me,” I said, thinking of my son and with anger dripping from my words, “but you didn’t shoot Kimberly. You strangled her. Where did the gun come from all of a sudden?” Of course I knew it was Ryan’s, but I was still trying to distract him.
“I couldn’t have shot her because the whole neighborhood would have heard the noise. Besides, I don’t
own a gun.”
Ryan took a step forward. “I loved her. We were getting back together. You son-of-a – ”
Chris put a restraining hand on Ryan’s arm. He shrugged it off and stayed in place.
Mark lifted his shoulders. “Hey, man, it was business. This economy is killing me, and I knew there was something valuable in this house. Those ditzy twins didn’t need it.”
“The economy is hurting everyone. What makes you so special? Didn’t it bother you to take a woman’s life for a buck or two?” I asked.
“I told you to shut up! And, no, I didn’t mean to kill anyone. Things just got out of hand.” He ran his fingers through his hair and rubbed his eyes.
Chris took a step forward, but Mark saw him and lifted the gun, pointing it at him.
“If it hadn’t been for that old bat breaking in here the night Kimberly died – ”
“You mean the night you murdered Kimberly,” I interrupted.
“I told you to shut up!”
Chris took hold of my arm and squeezed. “Pamela, for crying out loud, will you be quiet before he shoots you?”
“You asked me to distract him,” I whispered.
Mark seemed to look right through us. “Just let me think for a minute.”
“What’s really going on here?” I spoke out of the corner of my mouth, watching Chris.
“He’s been searching for the treasure since he lost his job. He was looking again tonight when Ryan broke in and found him.”
Ryan was listening, and he nodded his assent. “It’s more than that though. I finally figured out he was the only one who could have killed Kimberly.”
“What’s the matter with you people? Don’t you
understand English? I said to be quiet or I’m going to begin shooting, and lady, you’ll be the first to go.” Mark’s eyes were mere slits. He gritted his teeth and I could see his jaw muscles working.
I saw a movement behind him, but I couldn’t see who it was. I held my breath when I recognized the boy-sized shoes.
Mark tensed, maybe feeling the presence behind him.
Chris stepped forward again, but this time I didn’t stop him.
“No!” I screamed. “Run Mikey!”
A young, shaky voice came from behind the figure that confronted us. “They call me Ace, and no one’s messin’ with my mom and dad! So put up your dukes, Buzzard Bait.” Mikey stood with his small fists clenched and up in the air.
Surprised at my words and then at the sound of Mikey’s voice, Mark turned to look behind him. Chris took advantage of the moment and leaped forward, punching our tormentor on the side of the head. Mikey kicked him in the back of his legs.
I ran forward with the intention of protecting my son.
Mark dropped to the floor with a thud. Chris must have hit just the right spot. The gun slid across the floor.
Mikey jumped on his back to hold him down.
Chris pulled Mikey up. “You’ve done enough, son. It’s going to be okay now.”
Before anyone could stop him, Ryan pulled Mark up and hit him in the face. We could hear the crunch as his nose broke. Mark fell back to the floor, holding his nose. Ryan reached for him, ready to hit him again, but Chris stepped in front of him. Ryan hesitated and stepped back.
“He deserved that.” Ryan was shaking.
“You bet he did.” Chris looked relieved when Ryan backed off.
Mikey pulled the cell phone out of his pocket and handed it to Chris before walking to me on shaky legs. He
took hold of my hand. “It’s okay, Mom. And don’t worry. I’m not going to cry. I’m eight now. Oh, and I already called the police.”
“It’s okay to cry, Mikey. It really is. Remember what your grandpa said? Men get scared sometimes.”
Chris picked up the gun and shoved it in the back of his slacks before he and Ryan pulled Mark to his feet. The man looked dazed and his face was bloody, but that was the least of his worries. I could hear sirens, and they didn’t sound too far away.
Mikey and I walked out to the dining room and sat down. We looked into each other’s eyes and began to cry. My son stood up and, reaching out, threw his arms around my neck. “I was so scared, Mom.”
“Me, too, Ace.” Chris walked out from the kitchen, and encircling both of us with his arms he made it a group hug. He looked at his son and a tear slowly made its way down his cheek. He’d been afraid for Mikey and me, not himself.
“You left Ryan alone with Mark? Is that a good idea?” I asked.
“Yeah, it is, and I hope he belts him again.”
Finally releasing each other when the coppers arrived on the scene, Chris went to the door and escorted them to the kitchen where Ryan seemed to have things under control. I saw Ben, and he nodded at me. “Are you okay, Mrs. Cross?”
“I am now.”
He followed Chris into the kitchen and took charge. After all, this was a crime he was already involved in, and the other coppers were new to the scene.
“Are you sure you want to be a private eye when you grow up?” I asked, reaching for Mikey’s hand.
“Oh, yeah. By that time I won’t get scared and I won’t cry anymore.”
“I see.” Another tear slid down my face.
I could hear everyone talking at once in the kitchen,
trying to tell their sides of the story.
My cell phone rang and Chris tossed it across the room to me. He was finally telling Ben what happened and he didn’t want interruptions, if I could go by the look on his face.
I answered the call.
“Yes, Judith. We’re still at Turnbal House and we’ll be home in a while. Chris caught Kimberly’s killer.”
I listened to Judith for a moment.
“We’re al
l okay, and we’ll tell you the whole story when we come home. In the meantime, you need to talk to tonight’s hero.”
I smiled at Mikey and handed him the phone before walking out on the front porch to take a deep breath. I held on to his hand and pulled him outside with me. He didn’t need to hear all the details being talked about in the kitchen.
While he talked to his grandmother, I looked around and thought about the house. I wondered if we’d ever know where the treasure was hidden. Or maybe there wasn’t really a treasure.
It started to rain and a car pulled up across the street. Now what? I looked closer and recognized the car.
Carol and Coral ran across the street. Carol held her purse over her head, trying to stay dry.
“What’s going on?” Coral asked.
“Why are the police here?” Carol wanted to know.
“Don’t tell me. There’s been another murder!” Coral was practically rubbing her hands together.
“Just the opposite. A murder was just solved. Come on. Let’s go next door and I’ll tell you all about it.”
Coral was pulling out the keys to Kimberly’s house before I finished my sentence.
I looked up and saw Ken and his mother standing in the rain, watching the house. Other neighbors were standing on their porches, watching and wondering why the coppers were out front.
Mikey closed the cell phone. “Nothing like solving a murder to bring out the folks, huh, Mom?”
He sounded more like his father every day.
Chapter Forty-two
That Sunday night was one I wouldn’t forget any time soon. It was the second time in his short life my eight-year-old son had been in danger when we were facing trouble. What kind of mother was I? This was a situation I had no control over, but that was no excuse. I voiced my thoughts to Chris the following morning.
“Pamela, we’ve never gone looking for trouble, you know that. It just seems to drop in our laps. All we can do is watch things more closely. Hopefully this is the end and we won’t be involved in anything in the future.” He cleared his throat, and I knew he was thinking of all the things that could have happened, both to us and to Mikey.
“Chris, my life was so ordinary before I met you. We’ve had a good time over the past couple of years, but this has to stop.”
Chris’s eyes widened and he blinked a couple of times. I knew what he was thinking. “Pamela, are you thinking about – ”
“No, no. I’m not leaving you. I just mean that we have to be more careful from now on. We’ve got to try to stay out of
things, whether they fall in our laps or not.”
Before we could discuss things further, the phone rang. I glanced around, watching for Sherlock before I remembered he was outside. Chris spoke to someone for a few minutes while uttering several uh huhs and ohs. He hung up and smiled at me. I didn’t see any sign of his Bogeyness, which was usually just under the surface.
Judith and Chris Sr. walked in from the backyard where they’d been playing with Mikey and the dogs. Judith was laughing.
“We just heard Mikey tell the dogs they should have been there last night to see him in action.”
I groaned.
“What’s wrong?” Judith sat down at the kitchen table across from me.
“She was just telling me that she feels like the world’s worst mother.” Chris stood behind me and put his hands on my shoulders.
“That’s not quite what I said, but close enough.”
“Oh, come on, Pamela. Don’t you think people thought I was the world’s worst mother the time Junior had to save me when I chained myself inside the public restroom at the park? Or what about the time he glued himself to the chair? And then there was the time he planted himself in front of the school bus to – ”
Chris’s grip tightened on my shoulders. “Not now, Mother.”
“Well, the point is… I’m not sure exactly what the point is, actually, except to say that you’re not a bad mother.” Judith sat back in her chair and folded her arms.
“No, you’re not.” Chris Sr. looked into my eyes. “All you were doing last night was picking up Judy’s purse. You had no way of knowing something would happen.”
I loved my in-laws. They cared about my little family.
Chris moved away from me and sat down on one of the
chairs. “Now, how would you all like to know about the treasure?”
“You know where it is?” I wondered who’d been on the phone.
“I not only know where it is, but I know what it is.” He leaned back in his chair and smiled at each of us in turn.
“Well, Junior, do you want a drum roll before you tell us?”After everything, Chris’s father wanted the facts, and he didn’t want to wait on his son.
“No, but you might want to call Mikey in. He’ll want to hear this, too.”
Chris Sr. walked to the back door and leaned out. “Ace! Treasure!”
That’s all he said, but it was enough to bring Mikey running. “What about the treasure? Did the coppers find it last night?”
“No, Ace, but I know what it is.” Chris appeared to be very proud of himself.
“Would you quit with the theatrics and tell us?” Judith sounded impatient.
“Remember those copies of Summer’s Ghost that you found in the basement?” Chris was grinning from ear to ear.
“Of course we do, Junior. I just finished reading my copy this morning. What about them?”
I looked at Judith. “Did you find some kind of clue to the treasure in the story?”
“No, at least I didn’t recognize anything as a clue. It was a good mystery though.”
We both turned to Chris.
“I called a rare book dealer a couple of days ago and told him about Summer’s Ghost. The fact that Marguerite seldom signed copies of her books is the first plus factor in this equation. Then comes the fact her publishing house burned down before the book was ever released. Now add that you have the only five copies known to exist, and you
have her handwritten notes.” Chris was ticking things off on his fingers as he spoke.
“And one copy is signed,” Judith added.
Chris relaxed his hand and let it drop to his side. “Yes. Only one copy is signed. So, a rare book signed by an extremely popular author who very rarely signed books equals big moolah. The dealer said the book could bring as much as two hundred thousand dollars from a book collector, and at auction it might bring even more.” He looked very proud of himself.
Judith stood up. “The clue to the treasure wasn’t in the book; it was the book itself. I’d better call the twins. I don’t think they’ll want me to keep it now that we know how valuable it is.”
“You have the signed copy, don’t you?” I asked.
She stopped and turned to me. “No. I thought you had it.”
Mikey stepped forward. “You left it in the basement at the house. I remember Mom saying something about not wanting to break it. How do you break a book?”
“Oh. Now I remember. We wrapped it up and set it back in the box. We were worried that if we read the signed copy we might break the spine.” I picked up my copy of the book and showed Mikey what I was talking about.
“Now what?” Chris Sr. wasn’t sure what to do next.
“Let me call the twins before we worry about what to do.” Judith picked up the phone and dialed. Interesting that she knew the number by heart. “And then we’ll go rescue the book.”
Judith called Coral. She and Carol were at Kimberly’s house watching the things that were going on in the neighborhood. Judith explained what Chris had found out. They said they’d given the signed book to her and they weren’t going back on their word. Coral reiterated her comment about having more money than God, and Carol
scolded her. They said considering everything that went on in Turnbal House, they felt like the treasure being a book titled Summer’s Ghost was rather appropriate.
~ * ~
On the Monday morning Mikey
went back to school, Constance came by for a visit. Chris was out running errands, and Judith and Chris Sr. were, as usual, working on Turnbal House. We were sitting at the kitchen table enjoying tea and cookies. Sherlock and Watson sat nearby, watching us and waiting for one of us to drop crumbs.
“So, what did Chris’s parents decide to do with Summer’s Ghost?” Constance wanted some updates. She’d left on vacation a few days after the big confrontation, and felt like she was out of the loop. In a way she was because it had been a month-long vacation, and she wanted details.
I was ready to tell all. “After a lot of discussion, Judith and Chris Sr. decided to put the book and handwritten notes up for auction. Chris and I went with them to watch, and it was pretty interesting. You’ll get a kick out of this; now Judith wants to learn to be an auctioneer.
“Anyway, Summer’s Ghost brought a lot more than they expected from an author named Magda Winthrop. You’ve read her books, I’m sure. She told us after the auction that Marguerite had changed her life, making her realize she could write what she wanted without sticking to the rules. She considered Marguerite her mentor. She said she met her once, and it was something she’d never forget.”
“I’ve read Magda’s books. Who hasn’t? How much did it sell for?”
I told her, but swore her to secrecy. Magda didn’t want anyone to know what she’d paid for the book. “And with the money, Chris’s parents will finish the work on Turnbal House, and they’re adding some upgrades. It’s going to be a gorgeous house. They’ll have enough left over to take them through retirement comfortably. Oh, did I tell you that Chris’s
Grandma Tillie is moving out here? Judith says if we think she’s eccentric, then we’ll have a blast with her mother.”
“Uh oh. That has an ominous sound to it.” Constance was smiling.
I laughed. “Yeah, Chris’s dad hardly said a word for about a week after Grandma Tillie agreed to move out here. He made a comment to the effect that he wasn’t sure how he’d deal with Judith’s mother living within spitting distance.”
“And what about Mikey? I’m sure he must have been traumatized after his experience at the house.”