The Super Spies and the Cat Lady Killer

by Lisa Orchard

  “Well, then we ran and hid in the basement.”

  “Why in the world would you girls hide in the basement?” Uncle Walt pulled his hands from his hair and flailed them wildly in the air.

  “I don’t know,” Sarah threw her hands up. “We just panicked.”

  “All right.” Standing, he patted Sarah’s arm. “I want you to tell your story to the police. Just tell the truth, and everything will be all right.” He walked toward the door.

  “Uncle Walt?”

  He stopped with his hand on the doorknob. “Yeah?”

  “I’m so glad you’re here. This is all kind of scary.”

  He pursed his lips. “I’m surprised to hear you say that, Sarah. Between my two nieces, you’re the brave one.”

  Sarah gazed down at her hands. “Well, I’ve never been handcuffed before.”

  He turned toward her, clenching his fists. “The police handcuffed you?”

  “Yeah.”

  “I don’t believe it,” he shook his head and frowned.

  “Yeah, I couldn’t believe it either. Especially after they searched us and didn’t find any weapons.”

  “They searched you?”

  “Yeah.”

  “That is no way to treat young girls.”

  “Tell me about it.”

  He shook his head. His face turned a frightening red color.

  “Are you all right? You look like you’re going to puke.”

  Her uncle took a few deep breaths and tried to smile at Sarah, but it looked more like a grimace. He pivoted and walked out the door, signaling for someone to come in. Officer Klonsky loomed in the doorway.

  Sarah’s heart skipped a beat when she compared her uncle to Klonsky. Uncle Walt seemed weak and shriveled.

  “Sarah’s ready to tell her story,” Uncle Walt said.

  “I’m ready to hear it.” Klonsky sat down across from Sarah. Another officer followed Klonsky and sat next to him. “This is Officer Wilson; he’s going to listen in.”

  Her uncle nodded. “Are these girls under arrest?”

  “No. It’s standard procedure for us to question anyone we find at a crime scene. Especially a homicide,” Wilson said.

  Sarah studied Klonsky as Officer Wilson answered her uncle’s questions. She shuddered as she remembered how his large, calloused hands searched her for weapons. Looking at his face, her heart skipped a beat. He wore a permanent scowl and his dark, probing eyes stared at her uncle and then Sarah as if he could read their minds. Warning lights went off in Sarah’s head, and goose bumps reappeared on her skin, only this time it wasn’t because of the air conditioning. A shiver ran down her spine, and she quickly turned her attention back to her uncle and Officer Wilson.

  “Then why were they searched and handcuffed?” Uncle Walt asked, keeping his temper in check, but Sarah could tell he was mad, because the little vein in his forehead was bulging.

  “Again, standard procedure. At the time, we had to make sure they didn’t have any weapons on them.”

  Her uncle sighed. “Okay, go ahead.”

  “Sarah, how do you know the deceased?” Klonsky leaned forward and stared into her eyes.

  She gulped. “Just from what kids have said about her around the neighborhood.”

  “Tell me how you happened to be in her basement.”

  Sarah repeated her story for the officer. He jotted down a few notes as she spoke, but he never interrupted her.

  “So, you girls just stumbled onto the body while you were pulling a prank?” Klonsky asked, with a sneer.

  “Yeah.”

  “You don’t expect us to believe that, do you?”

  Officer Wilson stared at Klonsky, shock etched on his face.

  “It’s the truth.” Sarah hid her trembling hands in her lap.

  Sarah’s uncle put his arm around her shoulders.

  “Did you have any kind of relationship with the deceased prior to being in her basement?”

  “No. Like I said, we only knew her from stories we heard around the neighborhood.”

  “Are you in the habit of harassing your neighbors?”

  “What kind of question is that?” her uncle demanded. “These girls don’t live here permanently, they’re from out of town. They don’t even know Mrs. Fedewa.”

  “Klonsky, just stick to the case,” Officer Wilson said.

  Klonsky ignored his partner and continued to stare at Sarah. “Answer the question.”

  Sarah gulped and shrank in her seat. She felt Klonsky’s piercing gaze. Dropping her eyes, she studied the floor. Slouching further down in her chair, Sarah knew she appeared guilty, but she didn’t care. Escape from those probing eyes was the only thing on her mind.

  “Come on, you’re acting like these girls are suspects,” Wilson said.

  “We found them at the crime scene,” Klonsky retorted. He didn’t take his eyes off Sarah.

  Wilson spun in his seat and stared at Klonsky. “Yes, but they didn’t have any weapons on them.”

  “One of the girls had blood on her.”

  “You can’t seriously believe these girls murdered Mrs. Fedewa,” Uncle Walt said.

  Sarah noticed her uncle sat straight up in his seat, his body rigid with anger.

  “Why not?”

  “Klonsky, the girl didn’t have enough blood on her to be considered a suspect.” Wilson shook his head. “You know that, you’ve been on the force for ten years.”

  He seemed disgusted with Klonsky’s belligerent attitude, and Sarah felt a glimmer of hope.

  “That’s right, ten years. You’re just a rookie.”

  “Even a rookie knows there wasn’t enough blood on her clothes. These girls are not suspects.” Officer Wilson made eye contact with her uncle and shook his head again.

  Sarah watched as Uncle Walt relaxed back in his chair, keeping his arm around her.

  “What stories have you heard about the deceased?” Klonsky asked, as he once again captured Sarah in his unwavering stare. She could tell he wanted to ask more forceful questions, but his partner’s presence kept him in check.

  “You know, she was a witch. All the kids were scared of her.”

  Klonsky shifted in his seat. “So, you were never involved in an altercation with the deceased?”

  “Altercation?” Sarah squirmed and chewed her thumbnail.

  “A fight, or a disagreement.”

  Sarah shook her head. “No.”

  “Why did you run into the basement when you saw us coming?”

  Sarah put her hand back in her lap. “We just got scared.”

  “Scared?”

  “Yeah, we heard the sirens, and they freaked us out, so we hid.”

  “You hid because you murdered her!” Klonsky attacked.

  “All right! That’s enough!” her uncle stood, and placed his hands square on the table between Klonsky and Sarah. His face inches from Klonsky’s.

  “Yeah, Klonsky, you’re out of line. Take a break. I’ll finish up the questions here.” Wilson placed his hands on Klonsky’s chest and pushed him back.

  Klonsky stood and glared at Sarah. “These girls murdered Mrs. Fedewa.”

  “I said out,” Wilson stood and pushed him toward the door. After Klonsky left, he shut the door and sat back down. “Sorry about that. He’s just a little riled up. Let’s finish these questions, and we’ll get you out of here.”

  “Okay,” Sarah said. She tried to smile but her lips wouldn’t work.

  “How did Lacey get blood on her?”

  “She tripped and fell, and put her hand in the blood, then wiped it on her shirt.”

  “That’s the only place you girls have blood on you?” Wilson asked.

  “Yeah, see?” Sarah stood and held out her hands, twirling slowly for the detective. “No blood.”

  Officer Wilson nodded.

  “Officer Wilson?” Sarah asked as she sat back down.

  “Yes.”

  She leaned forward. “I think the Cat Lady knew her killer.”

/>   “Why do you think that?”

  “Because, she had all these newspapers in her living room, and they were in neat piles.”

  “Yeah, that’s true. But I don’t see what that has to do with the crime.”

  “Don’t you think the place would be a mess if she were fighting for her life? I think she knew the killer and let him in.” Sarah sat up straight and squared her shoulders.

  Officer Wilson stared at her. “I’m impressed. You might be right. You’d make a good detective.”

  Sarah beamed at the compliment, her lips working this time. “Thank you.”

  “Well, you’re very observant. That’s a requirement to be a good detective.”

  Sarah felt her face flush. “I want to be a detective.”

  “Maybe you will.” He winked at her. “All right, I’m going to check on the other girls.” Wilson stood. He walked toward the door and then stopped with his hand on the doorknob. “By the way, are you Mr. Bennett, the science teacher?”

  “Yes I am.” Sarah’s uncle stood and held out his hand for Officer Wilson to shake.

  “My son had you for biology. He spoke very highly of you. He enjoyed your class.”

  “I’m glad to hear it. It’s always encouraging when a student gets something out of my class.”

  “I’ll go check on the other girls. I’ll be back in a few minutes.” Officer Wilson walked out the door.

  “Aunt June with Lacey?” Sarah asked, fidgeting in her chair.

  “Yeah.” Her uncle nodded. He squeezed her hand. “This is one heck of a way to spend your summer vacation.”

  “Tell me about it.” Sarah laughed, and some of the tension left her body. “Riding in a police car is not my idea of fun.”

  “This is almost over.”

  “Good.”

  Uncle Walt sighed and leaned back in his chair. He ran his hands through his hair in an attempt to tame it. “I’m glad I don’t have to call your dad and tell him you and Lacey were arrested.”

  Sarah chuckled. “I am too.” She knew her parents would be furious with her. “We don’t have to tell them about this do we?”

  Her uncle laughed, and Sarah saw his blue eyes twinkle with understanding.

  “We’ll see.”

  Sarah gave him a smile. She liked her Uncle Walt. He was easy going and didn’t have a huge hang-up about rules.

  They sat in silence waiting for Officer Wilson to come back.

  Sarah took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “How much longer is this going to take?” Her stomach gurgled with hunger, and she felt pressure from her bladder. I need to find a bathroom.

  “Not much longer.”

  “Uncle Walt?”

  “Hmmm?”

  “Have you ever seen a dead body before?”

  “Yes, at the funeral home when Grandpa Joe died.” He raised his eyebrow and studied her. “Why do you ask?”

  Sarah shrugged. “I just wondered.” She cupped her hands on the table and placed her chin in them.

  “Yeah?”

  “It was so gross. All that blood everywhere.”

  “Yes, I suppose it was. I’m sure Grandpa Joe didn’t look anything like the Cat Lady did.”

  “I feel sorry for her, you know, the Cat Lady.”

  “Yeah, I do too.” He paused, thinking. “Hey, when Lacey put her hand in the blood was it wet?”

  Sarah thought for a second. “Yeah, otherwise she wouldn’t have wiped it on her shirt. Why?”

  “I’m just thinking about the time of death, that’s all.”

  “What do you mean?” Sarah turned and gazed at her uncle.

  “Well, I was just wondering how long Mrs. Fedewa had been lying there. Since it’s hot and humid, it takes longer for the blood to dry. So she could’ve laid there for a couple of hours. So that would make her time of death early this morning.”

  “Hmmm…how do you know this?” Sarah asked, sitting up straight.

  “I was studying to be a doctor when I met your aunt. I knew I was going to marry her on our first date.” He paused and beamed at the memory. “After that, being a doctor just didn’t seem important anymore, so I became a teacher instead.”

  “Wow, I didn’t know that.”

  “Yeah, one of my classes was forensic science when I was pre-med. I’ve always been interested in that kind of thing.”

  “Oh.”

  “You girls probably found Mrs. Fedewa just hours after she was murdered.”

  Sarah stared at her uncle. “For real?”

  Uncle Walt nodded. “Yeah.”

  “You know, all the kids thought she was a witch.”

  “No kidding?”

  “Yeah, I mean, she was kind of weird.”

  “Weird is a far cry from being a witch, don’t you think?”

  Sarah rested her head on her clasped hands. “Yeah, I guess. I just can’t figure out why anyone would want to murder her.”

  “I don’t know either.”

  Sarah raised her head. “Do you think someone murdered her because they thought she was a witch?”

  Her uncle patted Sarah’s arm. “There’s more to Mrs. Fedewa than the crazy rumors you’ve heard around town.”

  “Like what?”

  “Well, she wasn’t always weird. In fact, she was one of the richest ladies in town.”

  “For real?” Sarah raised her eyebrows and gaped at her uncle. “Man, you should have seen her house. It was piled high with newspapers all over the place. Are you sure she was rich?”

  “Yep.”

  “You couldn’t tell by the way she lived. Why in the world would anyone want to live like that?”

  “A very good question.” He pursed his lips and tapped the end of Sarah’s nose.

  “It’s kind of freaky.”

  “I think this is a good opportunity for you.”

  “A good opportunity?”

  “Yes, to do some investigating.”

  “Yeah, but where do I start?”

  “I would start by finding out as much as I could about the Cat Lady,” her uncle cracked a smile. “You might be surprised by what you find.”

  Sarah gave her uncle a wide grin. “Okay.”

  “But use your head. I don’t want you kids taking unnecessary risks.”

  The door opened and Officer Wilson walked in, stopping any further conversation.

  “Well, it looks like your stories check out,” Wilson said.

  “What does that mean?” Uncle Walt asked.

  “All three girls told the same story. So we’re satisfied they’re telling the truth.”

  “Great, we can go, right?” Sarah tried to stand, but the skin on the back of her legs stuck to the chair.

  “Not exactly.”

  “What do you mean?” her uncle asked.

  “We have to get elimination prints from the girls.”

  “Elimination prints?”

  “We need to get their fingerprints, so we can eliminate them from any other prints we find at the crime scene.”

  Sarah finally detached herself from the chair. She could see the heat residue her legs had left. It was rapidly disappearing because of the chilled room.

  “Follow me please, and we can get this done quickly.” Officer Wilson opened the door and stepped out into the hall. He stopped and waited for Sarah and her uncle to follow him.

  After all three girls had been printed, everyone walked down the hall toward the lobby. Sarah felt almost giddy with relief until the group happened upon Klonsky and another officer talking. As they walked by, Sarah glanced up and caught the cop’s eye. He gave her a menacing stare.

  “There go the killers right there.” Klonsky pointed at the three girls.

  Klonsky’s words sent a chill down her spine. Didn’t the other officer just say we were free to go? Doesn’t that mean we’re in the clear? Why is this guy on our case? These questions paraded through Sarah’s mind, and her stomach churned. The strongest feeling came over her, the feeling this wasn’t over by a long shot.
She strained to hear the rest of the conversation.

  “You’re out of your mind, Klonsky.” the second officer shook his head.

  “Yeah, everything’s going like clockwork for those three, but I’m going to catch them.”

  Uncle Walt scowled at Klonsky. “Knock it off, or I’ll issue a complaint with your superior.”

  Klonsky glared at them, but kept his mouth shut. Sarah glanced down, refusing to meet his gaze. She chewed on her thumbnail as the group continued past the officers and out the door.

  Chapter Three

  Once outside, Sarah squinted against the brilliant sunlight. Tears welled in her eyes as she pulled on her uncle’s arm. “Uncle Walt?” Sarah blinked and wiped her eyes.

  “Yeah?”

  “What’s his problem?”

  “I’m not sure.” He glanced back at the police station.

  “It’s like he thinks we killed the Cat Lady.” Sarah stopped and stared at her uncle.

  He placed his hand on her shoulder and gave her a reassuring squeeze. “It doesn’t matter what he thinks, it only matters what he can prove. He has no evidence.”

  “I know, but….” Sarah gnawed on her thumbnail again.

  Her uncle put his arm all the way around her and squeezed again. “Don’t worry about him.”

  “But he’s a cop. He could do all sorts of things to make it look like it was us.” Sarah felt sick to her stomach.

  “Don’t worry. You’re innocent.”

  “Yeah,” Lacey piped up.

  “Yeah, true.” Sarah glanced over her shoulder, but she didn’t feel any better.

  “Don’t worry,” Uncle Walt said. “Harrisburg is a small town, it’s not like they can manufacture evidence against you. This isn’t a TV show.”

  Sarah faked a smile for her uncle’s benefit. “That’s true. I feel better now.”

  Uncle Walt cracked a wide grin and puffed up his chest.

  “Can we go to Hinkle’s?” Sarah asked.

  “Right now?” Uncle Walt pulled back and frowned.

  “Yeah.”

  “After the day you’ve had?”

  She nodded. “Yeah, I think a little ice cream would help.”

  “I guess it’s all right.” He looked to Aunt June for confirmation.

  Sarah glanced at her aunt and gave her a tentative smile. Aunt June resembled her mother so closely they could have been twins. They had the same blonde hair and green eyes. Both women shared the same worry line between their eyebrows. It was creased now because of their recent tangle with the law.