by Lisa Orchard
Sarah heard Klonsky behind her, his footfalls hammering the earth, heavy and unrelenting. She imagined the land trembling every time one of his feet pounded the ground. Her heart raced. The creek was her only hope. If she made it to the water, she would escape. A relieved sob burst through her lips when she heard the bubbling waters of the stream. Lengthening her stride, she prepared to jump. I’m almost there.
All of a sudden, Sarah was yanked to the ground. Agony erupted around her head. Klonsky had grabbed her hair and pulled. She was airborne. Landing, she screamed in anguish as all of her weight came down on the pepper spray can in her pocket. Pain radiated from her head, but it was no match for the misery shooting down her leg.
Sarah moaned. Panting, she opened tear-filled eyes and saw Klonsky looming above her. She saw fire in his eyes, and anger radiated from every pore. He grabbed her by the arm and pulled her to a standing position.
“Don’t try that again,” he said in a menacing voice.
Sarah shrank away from him, her knees buckling from the pain. She almost went down, but Klonsky supported her by pulling her against him. Smelling his after-shave sickened her; it was a heavy musky scent.
She pushed away from him. “I can walk on my own.”
“Just don’t try anything funny,” he said with a sneer. “Remember, I have a gun.”
She took several unsteady steps. Her leg throbbed, and her head pounded. Sucking air through clenched teeth, Sarah willed herself not to puke.
“This way,” Lon commanded. He pushed her forward.
She stumbled. Righting herself, she took several deep breaths and swallowed the wave of saliva flooding her mouth. Nausea wormed its way up her throat again. Fighting it, she kept it down. She limped forward, searching for an escape route.
Out of the darkness, D.W. appeared with Scott in tow. “Lon, I gots this one, but the girl got away.”
Scott tottered forward. His injured foot hindered him, causing his capture.
Klonsky grumbled in frustration. “Let’s get these two back to the house.” He pushed Sarah and Scott ahead.
“What are we gonna do?” D.W. whimpered. “Those other two are going straight to da cops.”
“Stop your sniveling. I’ll think of something. Don’t forget I’m a cop.”
The criminals and the captives walked in silence. Sarah gazed down as she limped—praying Klonsky would stumble, or fall—anything that would allow her to get away.
“Lon, what are we gonna do?”
“Shut your pie hole. I’ll think of something.”
Klonsky’s mood darkened as they walked. He kept nudging Sarah from behind with the gun.
Sarah sighed and dared an angry glare at the crooked cop. Escape was not an option at this point. She searched the darkness looking for signs of Jackie and Lacey, hoping they were following close behind. Her efforts were not rewarded, and she knew their prospects were grim.
After what seemed like hours, they reached the Cat Lady’s house. Sarah stopped and stared at the infamous dwelling.
It stood dark and uninviting. The sagging porch seemed to match Klonsky’s sinister sneer. Sarah shivered as she stared at the dark windows; she felt like the house was alive and watching them. It seemed to be laughing at her predicament, and Sarah’s heart skipped a beat.
All the stories about the Cat Lady flew through her head. She wished they were true; then the Cat Lady’s spirit would swoop down and save them with her magical powers.
Sarah watched as Klonsky pulled something out of his pocket and walked up the steps. She realized it was a key when she heard the door unlock.
“Get in here,” he said, his voice nothing more than a growl.
Sarah and Scott hobbled up the front steps. Her heart raced as she tried to think of a get-away-plan.
“Hurry up!” Klonsky demanded as he pulled a flashlight from his back pocket and turned it on.
Picking up her pace, Sarah limped through the front door, and stopped. Scott followed behind her. Sarah noticed the usual cat smell in the air and quickly pulled the collar of her shirt over her nose and mouth.
“Where are we supposed to sit?” she asked.
She surveyed the room, looking at the stacks of newspapers. Tears of compassion for the Cat Lady filled her eyes, and she forgot about the pain in her leg. Sarah knew she would heal, but the Cat Lady never got that chance.
“Right here,” Lon said as he brought in two chairs from the kitchen. He dropped them right in front of the bloodstain, glaring at the teenagers.
Staring at the dark stain, Sarah fought back her tears as rage coursed through her body. She clenched her teeth and moved her chair away from the bloodstain. Scott followed suit. Sarah eased into her chair, struggling to keep her swirling emotions under control.
“He’s such a creep,” she whispered, feeling powerless. She was no match for Klonsky, and this made her even angrier.
Scott glanced around, and then gave Sarah a slight nod.
It was eerie sitting in the living room with the Cat Lady killers, and Sarah shivered in spite of the heat. She’d never been in this situation before, and it finally dawned on her she was in over her head. Sarah’s shoulders slumped as she realized even if she had been injury-free she would still have difficulty escaping.
The hammering in her head subsided, but her leg still throbbed. A groan burst through her lips as she moved it. Heat seemed to radiate from her injury and another wave of nausea engulfed her. Beads of sweat broke out on her forehead, but she managed to keep the nausea down. Sarah pressed her lips together, keeping any more sounds from escaping.
Wiping the sweat from her brow, Sarah peered at Klonsky from beneath her hand. He disappeared from view behind a stack of papers, but she could hear him pacing in front of the staircase leading to the second floor.
“Lon,” D.W. whimpered, walking over to where Lon marched.
“Shut up, and let me think.”
He continued pacing,growing more agitated with each step.
“Where’s the knife?” the crooked cop demanded, stopping with an abrupt turn and peering over a stack of papers.
“Relax, I’ve got it right here in my backpack,” Scott said.
“Give it to me.” He walked around the papers and stood in front of the teens with his hand out.
Scott reached into his backpack and pulled out the knife. It was bundled in a rag. Klonsky snatched it from Scott’s hand, and quickly opened the bundle to see for himself.
Scott and Sarah exchanged an apprehensive glance.
“All right.” Klonsky expelled a deep breath.
“What now, Lon?” D.W. asked.
“Shut up, and let me think.”
Sarah exhaled a deep sigh of relief. The substitute knife worked. It bought us some time. She sighed a second time, as the room grew silent and the tension thicker with each passing minute. Klonsky took up his pacing again, clenching and unclenching his hands.
Sarah tried to come up with a get-away plan, but the cop’s constant movement was driving her insane. Sweat formed on Sarah’s brow again. She didn’t want to draw Klonsky’s attention, so she let it run down her face. It dropped off the end of her chin onto her T-shirt.
She glanced at Scott. His face was shiny with sweat, and his eyes were wide with fear.
“What should we do?” Sarah whispered
“I don’t know,” Scott answered.
“Lon,” D.W. whined.
“I know, I know.”
“We gots the knife…let’s just get out of here.”
Leaving would be good. Sarah exchanged a glance with Scott and gave him a nudge.
“We can’t do that, these kids know too much.”
Those words shot sparks of anxiety through Sarah’s system. Her stomach clenched as a new fire of fear ignited. She squirmed in her seat. Scott put his hand on her arm and squeezed, telling her to be still.
“What do you mean?” D.W. asked.
“We’ll have to make it look like an accident.”
“What?” D.W. protested. “What about the other two kids?”
“We’ll be all right. I’m a cop. It’ll be my word against theirs.”
Sarah heard the arrogance in his voice, and the bile rose in her throat. What a total creep. She swallowed, refusing to puke.
“I don’t know,” D.W. wavered.
“Do you have a better plan?” Klonsky asked.
“No.”
“All right, then it’s settled. We’ll make it look like an accident.” The crooked cop strode around the stack of newspapers and stood before the teenagers, glaring at them.
Following, D.W. asked, “How are we gonna do that?”
Klonsky sighed. “I haven’t got that far yet.”
“Lon, they’s just kids.”
“I know, but they should’ve kept their noses out of my business.” He pivoted and walked back toward the kitchen.
Fear wrapped its fingers around Sarah’s throat, making it hard to breathe. Her heart pounded in her chest. The sound seemed deafening, and she couldn’t believe no one else heard it.
“We’ve got to do something,” she whispered to Scott.
“Pepper spray,” Scott whispered back.
Sarah let out a strangled sob. Pepper spray! She’d forgotten about the can in her pocket.
“Hey,” she called out. “What are you going to do with us?”
Sarah heard Klonsky’s heavy steps, and then he loomed over the stacks of paper glaring at the teens. “Shut your pie hole.”
He disappeared into the kitchen. Sarah could hear him rummaging around in the drawers.
“Make him come all the way in here,” Scott whispered.
Sarah nodded. She put her hand in her pocket and grasped the can of pepper spray.
“Why’d ya do it, Klonsky?” Sarah yelled out. Her voice sounded high and tinny. She cleared her throat and took several deep breaths. She could hear him coming into the living room. The house shook with his thundering steps. “Why’d you kill poor Mrs. Fedewa? What’d she ever do to you?”
Klonsky stood directly in front of her, glowering from above. She could hear D.W. shuffling into the room behind him.
“Lon, what’d she say?”
“Nothing.” He glared at Sarah. “Shut your pie hole.”
“Why’d you do it? Murder Mrs. Fedewa?”
“Lon…that lady…she has the same last name as me,” D.W. said.
D.W. is David Fedewa!
“Uh…uh…uh,” Lon stammered, turning toward his partner.
Now! Sarah made her move. She sprang from her seat, bringing the pepper spray forward as she stepped toward the crooked cop. At the sound of her movement, Lon spun toward Sarah, and she sprayed the pepper spray in his face.
Stumbling back, he fell to his knees. His hands balled into fists, and rubbed his swelling eyes. He coughed uncontrollably, and tears streamed down his cheeks.
“Lon, are ya all right?” D.W. wailed.
“I can’t see! Stop those kids!”
Screaming, Sarah rushed D.W., pushing him aside. He stumbled against a stack of newspapers. Scott lurched from his chair and slammed into D.W., knocking him to the floor. D.W. grabbed Scott’s injured foot.
Sarah grabbed Scott’s arm and tried to pull him toward the door.
“Stop them!” Klonsky bellowed.
“I gots his foot!” D.W. shrieked.
Scott pulled a can of pepper spray from his pocket and sprayed it in D.W.’s face. The criminal howled in pain and fell to the floor.
Sarah pulled Scott to the door. The teens burst through it, just as two police cruisers pulled up in front of the house.
“You kids get back behind the cruisers!” one officer yelled as he bolted toward the front door. Sarah and Scott hobbled behind the cruisers, both of them gasping for breath.
“I’m glad that’s over,” Sarah gulped. She clenched her hands to stop them from shaking. She took huge gulps of air and kneeled down on the ground, hoping she wouldn’t faint.
“Me too.” Scott’s voice sounded thin and far away.
“I didn’t know you had another can of pepper spray.”
“I brought two. I always have a backup, just in case,” Scott said with a weak smile and leaned against the cruiser.
“We didn’t get our confession, though.”
“Yeah.” Scott scuffed the pavement with his shoe. “I wonder how the cops knew we were here?”
“I’m guessing Jackie and Lacey had something to do with that.” Sarah stood and leaned against the cruiser next to Scott. She clasped her hands in front of her to stop the trembling.
“Where are they?”
Sarah and Scott searched the crowd forming around the cruisers. The flashing lights and sirens had disturbed their sleep, and they were gathered together, wearing pajamas and robes. She spotted Lacey and Jackie across the street behind the oak tree in front of the church. Smiling, she hobbled across the street with Scott behind her.
“Thanks for calling the cops,” Sarah said with a quivering lip.
“We called Detective Swift. He called the cops,” Jackie said. She gave Sarah a quick squeeze. Sarah gave her a grateful smile. Her body relaxed, and tears of relief welled up in her eyes.
Just then another police cruiser pulled up in front of the Cat Lady’s home. The door opened and out stepped Chief Johnson.
“There’s my dad,” Scott said, shoving his hands in his pockets.
“Yep. I bet we’re in a lot of trouble, aren’t we?” Sarah asked.
“You could say that.”
“Yeah, especially since our plan didn’t work.” Tears of frustration filled Sarah’s eyes. She wiped them away, and Jackie gave her another squeeze. Grateful for her support, Sarah leaned on Jackie and sighed. “I think I figured out who Klonsky’s sidekick is.”
Jackie twisted toward Sarah, her eyes widening. “Who is he?”
Before Sarah could reply Chief Johnson spotted them from across the street.
“You kids get over here!”
Sarah gulped. “Here we go.”
She reluctantly stepped out from behind the oak tree. The rest of the Super Spies followed her. They walked to the cruiser Chief Johnson had just exited.
“What do you kids think you’re doing?”
“Dad, just listen to us.”
Chief Johnson glared at each individual Super Spy. His blazing gaze rested on Sarah the longest. She squirmed and avoided eye contact.
“I certainly will. You kids are coming downtown and giving us statements.” His frosty tone contrasted with the fire blazing in his eyes.
“Chief Johnson, Lon Klonsky murdered the Cat Lady,” Sarah blurted out.
“Yeah, where’s your proof? Do you have a confession?” His sarcastic tone cut Sarah to the quick.
Her shoulders slumped. “No.”
“I didn’t think so. You kids certainly made a mess of things. Now get in the car, you’re going downtown.”
Just then, Klonsky and D.W. were led to another cruiser. The criminals wore handcuffs, and their eyes were swollen shut. Neither one could see. They stumbled down the stairs and would have fallen if not for the support of the officers.
“Chief? Are you there?” Klonsky asked.
Sarah noticed he resembled a schoolyard bully, rather than a raging hulk that committed a brutal murder.
“I’m here, Lon.”
“Chief, I’m innocent. I didn’t do anything.”
“That’s what all the criminals say.” Sarah spat the words at him, her body rigid with anger.
The chief turned toward the kids and gave Sarah a menacing look. “Get. In. The. Car.”
“Chief, tell them to take the cuffs off.”
Spinning back toward Klonsky, he said, “Can’t do that, Lon. You’re riding in the back. Consider this an education.”
Sarah and the Super Spies climbed into the back of the cruiser, and for the third time that treacherous summer, they were on their way to the police station.
Chapter Twelve
Sarah groaned as the cruiser pulled up to the station. She stared out at the parking lot and saw the lone parking light high on its pole. It cast an eerie shadow on the area below. Watching the bugs flit around the bulb, she compared herself to the insects, contemplating them as they flew close to the heat, and then fluttered away when it grew too hot. I feel like a moth attracted to a flame. Going after Klonsky was a risk, she knew, but staying quiet would have been worse. Weighing the consequences in her mind, Sarah knew without a doubt she made the right choice. Taking a deep breath and squaring her shoulders, she focused on the officer in the front seat.
She watched as he shut off the engine, and opened his door. “Okay, kids, out of the car.” He climbed out and opened the back door.
“Are you going to call our parents?” Jackie asked.
“Of course I am.”
Sarah sighed. “We’re in deep on this one.”
Jackie nodded. “Yep.”
“Come on kids, you know the routine,” the policeman said.
They followed him into the station and were once again escorted to separate interrogation rooms.
Sarah sat in the metal folding chair and let out a weary sigh. She remembered the frigid air from her first visit and welcomed the chill after the humid stuffiness of the Cat Lady’s house. At least in here, she could breathe. Waiting for her uncle, she knew this time he wouldn’t be so understanding.
The door opened, and Officer Wilson poked his head in. “Would you like something to drink before your parents get here?”
Sarah gave him a grateful smile and nodded. He left, and then returned a few seconds later with a soda.
Grabbing it, Sarah popped the top and guzzled. “Ahh, that hit the spot.” Her voice echoed in the empty room, emphasizing her aloneness. She felt small in a big world.
Another fifteen minutes went by before the door opened and Sarah’s uncle stormed in, his wispy hair standing on end. Chief Johnson and Officer Wilson followed him. Uh-oh. Sarah gulped as she realized she would be facing all three men at the same time.
“Uncle Walt,” Sarah faked a smile.
“What in the world have you girls gotten yourselves into?” he demanded.
Sarah groaned. “It’s a long story.”