by Lisa Orchard
“Okay.” Scott licked his lips. “This all started when Lacey called me, asking if I had any info on the Cat Lady murder.”
Lacey blushed and stared at her hands.
“The Cat Lady?”
“Ahh…Mrs. Fedewa.”
“Okay, go on,” Detective Swift gestured with his hand.
“The reason Lacey called him is because we stumbled on the Cat-er-Mrs. Fedewa’s dead body,” Sarah said, unable to control herself.
“That must have been a big shock.”
“It was,” Lacey chimed in, crossing her arms over her chest.
Sarah rolled her eyes. “Then later that night we heard two men down by the creek. They were talking about covering up a crime and getting rid of evidence.”
“I see, and you think the two men were talking about the Fedewa murder?” Detective Swift reached for his glass and took another drink.
“They didn’t say that, but it’s the only crime in Harrisburg,” Sarah said.
“I see. Do you have any idea who these two men are?”
“We know one of them is Officer Klonsky.” Sarah balled up her fist and pounded her knee with it.
Detective Swift chuckled. “You think one of the murderers is a cop?”
“Yes, we do,” Sarah glared at the detective and squared her shoulders while sitting up straight in her seat.
“Sorry,” he said, trying to control his laughter. The detective scratched his cheek, deep in thought. “But why would Klonsky murder Mrs. Fedewa?”
“We haven’t figured that out yet,” Sarah said, relaxing back against the seat cushion.
The detective placed his glass back on the table. “Do you have any evidence he did it?”
“When we went back to the Cat Lady’s last night, we found this.” Sarah pulled out the balled up tissue and thrust it at the detective.
“What is it?”
“It’s some sort of lapel pin. It has blood on it, and we think the killer dropped it.”
Detective Swift carefully opened the tissue and stared at the pin. “Do you know what this is?”
Sarah shook her head.
“It’s a service pin. Patrolmen receive this after ten years of service. Where did you say you found this?” The detective leaned forward in his chair.
“In the Cat Lady’s bedroom,” Jackie said.
“How did you girls get in?”
“We climbed through a window.” Jackie gulped some of her lemonade.
“Did you see any yellow crime scene tape?”
“Yeah, we were careful. We didn’t rip it,” Sarah said.
“Do you girls know it’s against the law to remove evidence from a crime scene?” He gave Sarah a long level look and frowned.
“It’s against the law?” Lacey gulped.
“Yes it is. It’s called tampering with evidence.”
“Could we go to jail?” Lacey whimpered.
“That’s something for the chief to decide.”
“I so don’t look good in orange,” Jackie groaned.
“That’s the least of your worries.” Detective Swift eyed the girls with an angry glare. “We’re going have to report this to the police.”
“We were trying to help,” Sarah said.
Detective Swift shook his head. “This is a real mess.”
“Wait a minute,” Jackie frowned. “Lon Klonsky came back looking for it while we were there.”
“Are you sure it was Klonsky?”
“Yes,” Sarah said.
The detective stared at Sarah with a grim expression. He stood and walked into the kitchen. “I’m going to put this in a plastic bag.”
“We kept it safe,” Sarah said.
“I’m sure you did.” Detective Swift strolled back out onto the porch. “But we don’t want to contaminate it any further.” He sighed as he sat back down. “You kids should have never gone back into the Fedewa home.”
“We were looking for clues,” Sarah explained.
“You girls aren’t detectives, you’ve had no training. Do you realize you put your lives in danger?” Detective Swift gave Sarah a severe look.
Sarah stared down at her feet, unable to meet the Detective’s gaze.
“We need to get this down to the police station.”
“But, Klonsky’s a cop,” Sarah protested.
“You’re going to have to tell the chief what you’ve done,” the detective said, ignoring Sarah.
Sarah scowled at him. “We didn’t have a choice. Klonsky’s trying to blame us for the murder.”
“What?”
“That’s right,” Jackie nodded. “This cop is trying to frame us.”
“So you see?” Sarah leaned forward and made eye contact with the detective. “We didn’t have any other choice but to find the murderer on our own.”
Detective Swift leaned his elbows on his knees and put his face in his hands. “Are you sure about this?”
“Yes,” Sarah gave him and emphatic nod.
“We have to get this to the chief,” Detective Swift sighed.
“But Klonsky is the police,” Sarah argued.
“I know,” the retired detective sighed. “But what other choice do you kids have?”
Sarah opened her mouth to speak, but no words came out. The detective was right. They didn’t have any other choice. She could only hope the chief would believe their story.
“Right now?” Scott squirmed.
“Yes. Now.” The detective stood and walked toward the kitchen.
Sarah exhaled a heavy sigh, and then stood and followed him. The rest of the Super Spies fell into step behind her.
Climbing into the detective’s Chevy, Sarah sat in the backseat next to Jackie and Lacey. Scott sat in front. Sarah chewed her thumbnail and stared at the back of Detective Swift’s head, her mind going a million miles a minute. She felt the motion of the car as it backed up and then roared down the street.
On the way to the station questions paraded through Sarah’s mind like a worn-out song. Would the chief believe them? What would he do when he found out they trampled through his crime scene? She groaned as the enormity of her predicament finally hit her like a ton of bricks.
Detective Swift pulled into the parking lot and parked the car. Leaning over the backseat he handed Sarah the plastic bag containing Klonsky’s pin. “Take this to the chief, and tell him what you’ve done.”
“You’re not coming with us?” Scott asked, licking his lips.
“No, I think it would be better if they didn’t know I was involved. I’ll wait for you here.”
“Why?” Sarah asked, as alarm bells went off in her head.
“Just in case things don’t go well.”
“What do you mean?” Sarah leaned forward to get a better look at the investigator.
“Well, I think it’s better if Klonsky doesn’t find out you kids have talked to me.”
“Why is it better?”
He gave Sarah a patient smile. “Trust me, Sarah. I’m on your side. This is like playing poker. We’re not going to show Klonsky all your cards, okay?”
“All right,” Sarah said, grudgingly.
Trudging toward the station, Sarah chewed her thumbnail. She lagged behind the other Super Spies, thinking of a way out of their predicament.
Reaching the door, Scott pulled it open and walked into the reception area. The girls followed behind him. Sarah marched like she was on her way to the gallows. Each step felt heavier than the last. She turned her attention to an officer sitting at the front desk.
“Hello, kids. How can I help you?”
“Hi, Jim. We’re here to see my dad. Is he around?” Scott asked.
“Let me check.” The officer got on the phone and spoke into the receiver.
After a few minutes of conversation, he hung up the phone and said, “He’s in his office. You know the way.” He waved Scott down the hall.
“Thanks, Jim.”
“Hey, how’s your foot?”
“Better.”
“Glad to hear it.”
Scott turned the corner and started down a narrow, dimly lit hallway. Sarah and the rest of the Super Spies followed him. She felt the walls closing in on her and the hair on the back of her neck prickled. Her mouth was dry as cotton and her throat scratchy.
“Boy, I could sure use some water,” she whispered to Jackie.
“No doubt.”
Scott stopped in front of a door. He took a deep breath and then knocked.
From inside Sarah heard a voice yell, “Come in.”
Scott opened the door. “Hi, Dad.”
The Super Spies found the chief sitting at his desk, going through some files. He glanced at the teenagers. “Hi, son. What are you kids doing inside on such a beautiful day?”
“We have some things we need to tell you.” Scott gave his dad a hesitant smile.
“I’m pretty busy here, son. Can’t this wait until I get home tonight?”
“No, it can’t.”
“All right, I’m listening.” He frowned.
Scott stepped through the door, and the rest of the group followed him. He waited until everyone was inside and then closed the door.
Sarah glanced around the office—it was just as cluttered as the desk. There were a few boxes on the floor with case numbers written on the sides. Awards hung on the walls, along with pictures of the chief with various people in the community. Turning her attention to Scott, she noticed he fumbled with his crutches. He’s stalling.
“I’m not sure where to start,” Scott said with a sheepish look.
“How about at the beginning?” Chief Johnson said as he organized his desk.
“Okay.”
“This all started when we stumbled on Mrs. Fedewa’s dead body,” Sarah jumped in. Scott gave her a grateful smile.
“Go on,” the chief said.
Sarah told him the whole story. He listened attentively and didn’t interrupt once. She took a deep breath, and then told him about the pin they’d discovered in the Cat Lady’s bedroom.
“You mean to tell me you trespassed on my crime scene?” Chief Johnson asked with a grave expression.
Sarah winced. “We didn’t know it was against the law. We’re sorry.”
The chief stood and began pacing.
“This is the evidence we found.” Sarah held the plastic bag up for the Chief.
He grabbed the bag with an angry swipe. “Let me see that.”
He examined the pin through the plastic. “This is an officer’s service pin. It could have been dropped by an officer investigating the crime.” His face turned a dangerous shade of red.
“Yes, it could have been, but it wasn’t,” Sarah said in a voice that sounded braver than she felt.
“How do you know?”
“Because when we were there looking for clues, Klonsky came in looking for it,” Sarah said while pointing at the plastic bag.
“He’s investigating the murder. It’s his job to look for clues at the crime scene,” Chief Johnson scoffed.
“At night?”
The chief stopped, and studied Sarah. “Are you trying to tell me you think Klonsky murdered Mrs. Fedewa?”
“Yes.” Sarah held her breath, hoping for a pat on the back.
“You kids don’t know what you’ve done.” The Chief clenched his fists.
“What do you mean? We just solved the murder for you.”
“No, you didn’t.” The Chief shook his head and paced. “First of all, if this were evidence and you removed it from the crime scene, you would’ve created a chain of custody issue.”
“I don’t understand,” Sarah frowned. She stared at the rest of the Super Spies. They appeared confused, just like her.
“You kids aren’t police detectives. If this were evidence, which I highly doubt, you’ve opened the door for a defense attorney to exclude it from trial.”
“But,” Sarah sputtered.
“No buts. Never under any circumstances should you remove anything from a crime scene. It’s against the law.” The chief glared at Sarah. “You shouldn’t even be at a crime scene.”
“Klonsky murdered the Cat Lady, and he’s going to get away with it.” Sarah said as she glared back at the chief.
“Klonsky’s the lead detective on this case. He probably lost this when he was investigating the crime.”
“But we heard him down by the creek. He was talking about a crime,” Sarah argued.
The chief shook his head.
“He was getting rid of the murder weapon,” Jackie burst out.
“Did you actually see him with the murder weapon?” Chief Johnson asked.
“No, but I bet a million dollars that the knife we found in the creek is the knife that killed the Cat Lady,” Sarah said.
“Where is the knife?” Jackie asked.
The chief sighed. “I sent it to the State Police. They’re testing it to see if it was involved in some other crimes.”
“So, it was the weapon used to kill the Cat Lady, wasn’t it?” Sarah put her hands on her hips and stood in a defiant stance.
“Yes, it was.” The chief rubbed his eyes as if he were suddenly tired.
“Does Klonsky know you have the murder weapon?”
“No, I haven’t briefed him on that yet. I just found out this morning.”
“Don’t tell him,” Sarah implored.
“You kids are wrong. Klonsky has been on the force for ten years! He’s a highly decorated officer.”
“What if we’re right?” Sarah pleaded, her fists clenched into tight balls. “If we’re right and you ignore our evidence, you’ll be letting a killer go free.”
“You’re not right. There’s no way that Klonsky did this.”
“But what if I am right? Just think about it. Why would Klonsky investigate at night?”
“He may have been thinking about the case and decided to look at the crime scene again.”
“At night?” Sarah asked, putting her hands on her hips in exasperation.
“Yes, at night.”
Sarah sighed in frustration. She stood, pondering what the chief was telling her. “Would he go to the crime scene with someone who wasn’t a police officer?”
“What do you mean?”
“Yeah,” Jackie piped up. “He was at the crime scene with someone named D.W.”
The chief stared at the kids. “He let this person walk through the crime scene?”
Sarah nodded. “Yes, he did, and he wasn’t an officer.”
“Well, I’ll have to talk to him about that.” The chief moved back behind his desk. He tapped his fingers on the files and gazed out the window, deep in thought.
Sarah’s shoulders slumped in defeat. Tears of frustration filled her eyes. “He’s going to get away with murder!”
“No one’s getting away with anything.”
Sarah could no longer hold back her tears. Crying for the Cat Lady and little David Fedewa, she also cried for herself and her friends.
After a few minutes, Sarah felt arms around her. She knew it was Jackie, because she could smell her flowery perfume. Sarah snuffled and dried her eyes. Taking several ragged breaths, she cleared her throat. “Maybe you could keep the fact that you found the murder weapon a secret.”
“What?” Chief Johnson asked, turning to face the teens.
“If he’s innocent, then there’s no harm in keeping this information from him.”
He shook his head. “This isn’t a game.”
“I’m not playing games. Just think about it. What if Klonsky is the murderer? Are you going to let him get away with it?”
“Of course not,” the chief sputtered. “But there’s no way Klonsky did this.”
“You might be right, but what if you’re not? Just give us some time to prove our case.”
“I don’t want you kids anywhere near this investigation.” His face turned a deeper shade of red, and his eyes blazed with anger.
Sarah held up her hands in surrender. “We won’t go near t
he Cat Lady’s house. I promise.”
“That’s right.” The chief leaned on his desk and pointed a finger at Sarah. “You kids stay away from my crime scene.” His eyes blazed at Sarah again. “I could arrest you kids for what you’ve done! I should arrest you!”
“Please don’t,” Lacey pleaded.
“Why would you do that?” Sarah asked.
“Because you kids went through my crime scene and removed evidence from it. It’s against the law! You should be punished!”
“What about Klonsky?”
“What about him?” the chief asked with an angry wave of his hand.
“Are you going to tell him about the murder weapon?”
“I don’t want to hear any more about Klonsky. You kids get out of here, before I arrest you.”
“But, Dad,” Scott protested.
“Out!”
“Dad!”
“We’ll be talking at home, young man,” the chief said with a frosty glare.
The Super Spies scrambled out of the chief’s office and trudged down the long corridor.
Sarah’s shoulders sagged. “That didn’t go so well.”
“It sure didn’t.” Jackie frowned.
“Now, we are going to jail,” Lacey whimpered.
Sarah rolled her eyes. “If he were going to arrest us, he would have done it by now.”
Lacey let out a relieved sigh. “I hope you’re right.”
“You guys, we’ve got to do something.” Sarah frowned and bit her lip.
“We can’t let Klonsky get away with this!” Jackie said, raising her voice.
Just then Lon Klonsky loomed around the corner. He stood larger than life, glaring at the Super Spies as they met in the middle of the hall.
“What are you kids doing here?” He scowled.
“None of your beeswax.” Sarah crossed her arms over her chest and stood defiantly in the middle of the hall. Lacey clutched the back of her shirt and held on for dear life. Sarah felt her trembling like a leaf in the wind.
Klonsky glowered at Sarah. Looming above her, his face wore a ferocious sneer. He probed her with his eyes looking for weaknesses, Sarah was sure. They were still red from their battle with the perfume last night. A small scar ran from his eyebrow to the corner of his eye. It gave him a more sinister appearance. As if he needs any help in that department, Sarah thought wryly.
“Are you kids in trouble again?” Klonsky’s voice was an angry rumble.