The Super Spies and the Cat Lady Killer

by Lisa Orchard

  Chapter Four

  The coast looks clear, Sarah thought to herself as she peered into the darkness. With one last glance at her slumbering sister, she crawled through her window, propping it open before leaping to the ground below. Crouching motionless, she listened for any noise that didn’t belong. Hearing only crickets and katydids playing their nightly music, she was satisfied everything was normal. She made her way to the willow tree.

  It was the perfect night to sneak out. Humidity hung in the air and Sarah could almost feel the moisture on her skin. The full moon illuminated the night sky and reminded her of a huge glow-in-the-dark Frisbee shining high from outer space, burning so bright, Sarah didn’t need a flashlight. She kept to the shadows as she made her way to the creek.

  The shrill yapping of a dog made Sarah jump. He seemed close, so she dove into a thicket by the side of the road. Seconds later, she heard the dog’s snuffling as it trotted by sniffing the ground, his dog tags jingling. Sarah’s heart pounded against her ribcage as she waited, listening for the running footsteps of the dog’s owner. When the night activity and her heart settled down, she continued her journey.

  Sarah sighed with relief when she reached the path leading to their meeting place. I made it. She quickened her pace hoping Jackie was already there. The willow tree stood like a beacon calling her home. The moon glimmered in the sky casting a magical glow around the hardwood. All of a sudden, Sarah saw a glimmer of light and her heart lurched in her chest. She stopped.

  Searching the darkness, another flash of light caught her attention, and then another. Sarah couldn’t figure out what she was witnessing. She spied another burst of light. It disappeared as quickly as it had illuminated. Standing still and watching, she noticed these tiny bursts of light everywhere. One flashed right in front of her face and she saw it was a bug, fireflies. Realizing she had never actually seen one, Sarah watched for a few minutes as at least fifty of them lit up the night. They have their own secret signal. I wonder what they’re saying to each other. Watching for a few more minutes, she drank in the magical glow of the moon and the tiny bursts of light. No longer afraid, she ran the rest of the way to the tree.

  “Whoo! Whoo!” Sarah cooed.

  “Whoo! Whoo!” Jackie responded.

  The pliable branches swallowed Sarah as she slipped through them toward the sound of Jackie’s voice.

  “You made it, girlfriend,” Jackie whispered.

  “Was there any doubt?”

  “Never.”

  The two girls laughed. Sarah put her finger to her lips, remembering it was the middle of the night, and they didn’t want to be discovered.

  “Our first sneaking out mission accomplished,” Sarah said in a low voice and held out her hand. “Give me some skin.” Jackie gave Sarah a high five.

  “My turn,” Jackie said. Sarah reciprocated.

  Sarah gazed at Jackie, as a smile spread over her face.

  Jackie giggled. “No one has a clue we’re here.”

  Sarah saw the mischievous light dancing in Jackie’s eyes. “You can say that again.”

  “No one has a clue we’re here.”

  The girls cracked up, reveling in the glory of their success.

  “I’m so glad I’m spending the summer here,” Sarah whispered. She put her hand in her pocket and pulled out some tootsie rolls. “Want some?”

  “Yeah, nothing like chocolate when you’re sneaking out.”

  “I’m sure I wouldn’t be sneaking out if I were back in Walker with my parents.”

  “Probably not.”

  “I thought small towns were boring, but it’s just the opposite.”

  “Stick with me, girlfriend, and you’ll always have fun.” Jackie gave Sarah a playful punch.

  Sarah snickered. “So true.”

  The girls stopped talking and chewed their candy. Sarah loved tootsie rolls. She stood gnawing, thinking back to when she had her first one. It had been her first time at the fair. Her father played some silly game and won the biggest tootsie roll Sarah had ever seen. From that day on, Sarah was hooked. Much to her father’s dismay, she devoured the whole thing.

  Closing her eyes, the midway came into view. A smile spread across her face as she remembered the fair. She envisioned the noisy rides and the carnies screaming to people walking by, enticing them to come and play their games. Sarah remembered the air around the fairgrounds smelled like a mixture of buttery popcorn and cotton candy.

  Without warning, Jackie grabbed Sarah’s arm, startling her. “Shh, I hear something.”

  “What?”

  “Probably just Lacey, trying to scare us.”

  Sarah shook her head. “I doubt it, she’s a big wimp. She wouldn’t walk down here by herself.”

  “Watch this,” Jackie giggled. She jumped out from the willow branches. “Blaaah!”

  Sarah stepped through the branches looking for the source of the sound. She didn’t see anything and only heard silence. All at once, the hair on the back of her neck stood up.

  “Don’t make any noise,” Sarah muttered, ducking behind the leafy curtain.

  Jackie gasped and scurried back behind the safety of the branches.

  Sarah whispered, “Do you hear anything?”

  Jackie shook her head, watching the darkness beyond the branches. Sarah searched the shadows with her.

  “Do you see anything?” Sarah whispered.

  Jackie nodded and pointed. Two figures emerged from the shadows and strolled into the moonlight’s path. They were walking along the bank of the stream. The first one towered over the second man and walked with a slight limp. A shorter figure followed the tall man like a baby duck following its mother. He wore a baseball cap, shielding his face.

  “Who in the world are those guys?” Sarah murmured.

  “This can’t be good,” Jackie whispered back.

  “You got that right.”

  Jackie grabbed Sarah’s arm. “Shh. They’re coming closer.”

  Sarah watched the two men strolling along the bank. They were so close she heard bits and pieces of their conversation.

  “No one knows it was us,” the guy with the limp said. He walked ahead of the man with the cap, his stride purposeful and confident.

  “They don’t right now, Lon, but once they start investigatin’, we could be goin’ to prison,” the man with the cap whined.

  “You know, if you would have gotten rid of this like I said, you wouldn’t be so uptight right now.”

  “Sorry, Lon. I screwed up.” The man with the cap hung his head.

  “Relax, everything else is going like clockwork.”

  ‘Like clockwork’ where have I heard those words before? Sarah wondered.

  “I hope you’re right.”

  “I am right,” Lon laughed. “I’m always right. You worry too much.”

  Sarah stared at Jackie, her heart pounding and her hands slick with sweat.

  “They’re talking about a crime!” Jackie whispered through clenched teeth.

  “Shh.” Sarah grabbed Jackie’s arm and squeezed.

  The two men skulked past the willow tree unaware they were being watched. Sarah held her breath. She knew one wrong move, and they would be discovered.

  “What are you going to do with that?” the man with the cap asked, pointing toward a bundle Lon held in his hands.

  “Get rid of it.”

  Sarah watched as the two thugs turned on the path and walked closer to the creek.

  “Are they talking about getting rid of evidence?” Sarah asked in a low voice.

  “I think so.”

  “Let’s follow them.”

  “Okay.”

  Sarah crept from beneath the safety of the willow and Jackie followed her. The girls crouched behind tall grass and shrubs, stalking the thugs silently. Barely breathing, Sarah focused on following the men. She realized her hands were wet and wiped them on her shorts.

  “They’re heading for the swimming hole,” Jackie muttered.

&n
bsp; Sarah nodded.

  Jackie had told Sarah about the swimming hole the first day they met. It was a part of the creek, where a pool of water formed before the stream split into two separate branches, and made its way around a tiny island. The water slowed here before it picked up its pace on the other side. Local teens came to the swimming hole to cool off on hot summer days.

  All of a sudden, Sarah stopped. Jackie collided with her and almost knocked her down.

  “What are you doing?” Jackie hissed.

  “Look.” Sarah pointed.

  The two men stood on the bank of the creek, talking and looking at the water. Jackie grabbed Sarah’s arm and pulled her down the path, intending to hide both girls behind a thicket. They made it several yards away before the girls stumbled and slipped in the wet mud. Landing in the water with a huge splash, Sarah’s heart jumped in her chest. There’s no way they didn’t hear us.

  “What was that noise?” the man with the cap asked.

  “I don’t know, but I’ll find out,” Lon said, his voice a low growl.

  Sarah reached for Jackie’s hand, but all she found was water. Jackie had disappeared.

  “Jackie, where are you?” she whispered.

  Dazed from the cold water, Sarah floundered against the current. She tried swimming toward a group of cattails, but only managed to make a great deal of noise. She frantically searched for her friend. Her heart thundered against her ribs. It felt like it would burst through the wall of her chest any moment.

  “There’s something in the water,” the man with the cap said.

  “Where?” Lon asked.

  “Over there.”

  Sarah submerged her body under the water. She kept her eyes and ears above the surface so she could see and hear what was happening. The water swirled around her pulling at her body, as the two men walked toward her. Panic gnawed at her self-control and her stomach twisted into a tight knot of fear.

  I’m a goner!

  Just then, she felt a strong grip around her arm. She pivoted and saw Jackie. Relief flooded through her body. Jackie was soaking wet, her curls matted to her skull.

  “Where have you been?” Sarah whispered.

  “Cat tails.” She pointed to the opposite bank.

  “We can’t go back there,” Sarah said as she cast a frantic glance over her shoulder. The men were twenty feet from the stream and trotting fast.

  “What’re we going to do?”

  Sarah motioned toward the creek and mouthed the word underwater.

  Jackie nodded.

  Taking a deep breath, Sarah plunged below the surface. She allowed the current to carry her downstream, knowing it was the only way to escape.

  The water transported Sarah to a shallow part of the creek. Gasping for air, she rose out of the water. She opened her eyes and saw Jackie. Another wave of relief flooded through her body and a giggle tickled her throat. Clamping her lips together, Sarah wiped water from her face and moved closer to her friend.

  “That was way too close for comfort.”

  “No doubt.” Jackie shook her curls sending drops of water everywhere.

  “Who were those men?”

  “I don’t know.”

  “I’ve heard the big one’s voice before. I just can’t place it.”

  “Me either.”

  “Shh, I think I hear them coming,” Sarah warned.

  Jackie grabbed Sarah’s arm, and pulled her toward a tree growing near the bank. The branches hung low over the water, offering cover. They ducked into them just in time. Sarah peeked between the branches and saw the shadowy figures of the men.

  “Lon, did you see anything?” the man with the cap asked.

  “No just some ripples in the water.”

  “Probably a deer.”

  “Let’s talk somewhere else, just in case,” Lon said, giving his companion a rough push forward.

  The thugs continued walking downstream. Sarah and Jackie hid in the water, too scared to follow them.

  “I can’t believe we overheard those men,” Sarah said, through quivering lips.

  “They were talking about getting rid of evidence.”

  Sarah furrowed her brow. “Where have we heard that voice?”

  “Do you think they have anything to do with the Cat Lady?”

  “It’s the only crime around here.”

  “This is huge.”

  Sarah grimaced. “We need some dry clothes before we go to the Cat Lady’s.”

  Jackie nodded, her lips pressed in a tight line.

  They climbed out of the water and walked toward the willow tree, clinging to each other for warmth.

  “We can sneak back to my house and get dry clothes,” Sarah said.

  “Your clothes won’t fit me,” Jackie protested.

  “So what, no one’s going to see you.”

  Jackie groaned. “Your clothes aren’t very fashionable.”

  A laugh burst through Sarah’s lips. “Don’t worry, you won’t be infected with my lack of style.”

  Sarah stopped at the willow tree and pulled her friend beneath the branches.

  “What?” Jackie asked.

  “I just want to make sure we’re not followed.”

  When Sarah felt safe, the girls made their way down the path. Once they hit the pavement, the teenagers abandoned the shadows for the light in the middle of the street. Sarah picked up her pace and trotted toward her home, Jackie matched her stride for stride.

  Out of the corner of her eye, Sarah saw a police car turn the corner and head in their direction. “Jackie, hide!”

  Jackie dove into some shrubbery growing alongside the road. Sarah was right behind her.

  Flashing lights illuminated the night sky. Sarah groaned. The last thing they needed was another trip to the police station. Forgetting her damp condition, Sarah focused on staying out of sight.

  “If they find us, we’re in deep trouble,” Jackie gulped.

  “They must’ve seen us walking in the road.”

  “I so don’t look good in orange.”

  Suddenly, a bright light shone in the shrubbery. Sarah grabbed Jackie’s arm and pulled her down.

  “Lie down on the ground,” Sarah whispered.

  The girls lay flat on the ground, their faces in the dirt. Sarah didn’t dare look up. Dank earth filled her nostrils, and she willed it to hide her. Her heart pounded against her ribs. She swore she could feel it vibrate the ground below her.

  The cop car stopped and two officers got out. They began searching on the other side of the road. Sarah listened to the cops talk as they searched.

  “Someone reported two kids walking in the street,” the first cop said.

  “Yeah, I thought I saw a couple of kids in the road, but they’re gone now.”

  “Let’s keep looking. They might be hiding somewhere.”

  Sarah heard the policemen rustling the bushes as they searched.

  “Let’s go!” Sarah urged in a hoarse whisper.

  “Right now?” Jackie’s eyes widened.

  “It’s now or never.”

  “Where are we going?’

  “The back side of Thompson’s garage,” Sarah whispered. “Just don’t make any noise. Back up slowly.”

  “Riiight.”

  The girls got up into a crouching position, and backed away from the cover of the bushes.

  Once they’d moved a safe distance, Sarah signaled to Jackie, and they broke into a sprint. They ran flat out until they’d turned the corner of Thompson’s garage. As soon as they were out of sight, they stopped, gasping for breath. Sarah went weak in the knees with relief. From the safety of the garage, she peeked out and watched the cops beating the bushes.

  “I can’t believe we made it,” Jackie whispered.

  “I’m so glad one of those cops wasn’t Klonsky,” Sarah gasped. She held her hands against her chest as if she were preventing her heart from bursting through. “That’s it!”

  “What’s it?”

  “Klonsky.”


  “What?”

  “The voice we heard down by the creek. It’s Klonsky.”

  “Are you sure?” Jackie asked.

  “I’m positive. Remember when we left the police station today? He said everything’s gone ‘like clockwork for those girls’.”

  Jackie grabbed Sarah’s arm and squeezed. “Yeah, he did say something like that.”

  “Just now, the guy down by the creek said the same thing.”

  “Holy crap!”

  Sarah and Jackie stared at each other.

  Shock and fear paraded across Jackie’s face. “That can only mean one thing— Klonsky’s involved in the Cat Lady murder.”

  “He could be the murderer.” Sarah slowly sank to the ground.

  Both girls sat by the side of the garage, stunned into silence. Sarah rested, wet with creek water and trembling with fear. At this moment, the uneasiness she felt about Klonsky exploded into full-blown panic. Her stomach twisted into a painful knot. The Super Spies were up against a formidable foe, not only a crooked cop, but a possible murderer as well.

  “Now I know why he acted the way he did,” Sarah said.

  Jackie nodded.

  “I can’t believe it—a cop involved in the Cat Lady murder.” Sarah rubbed her forehead with a trembling hand.

  “Yeah, but why would he want the Cat Lady dead?” Jackie asked.

  “I don’t know.”

  “And who’s the other guy with him? He must be involved too.”

  “You’re right about that,” Sarah groaned. “You know what this means, don’t you?”

  Jackie shook her head. “I’m afraid to ask.”

  “This means we’ve figured out why Klonsky is trying to frame us.”

  Jackie gulped and stared at Sarah, speechless.

  “Which means we’ve got to find some evidence linking him to the Cat Lady murder.” Sarah pulled a wet tootsie roll out of her pocket. She pulled off the wrapper with trembling hands and popped the candy into her mouth.

  Jackie watched her for a moment, and then found her voice. “How are we going to do that?”

  Sarah turned to her and saw her trembling lips and her wide, frightened eyes. “We have to get inside the Cat Lady’s house. The answer is there.” Sarah’s voice sounded stronger than she felt, but she had a feeling the house held the secrets they were seeking.