“Where is your house?”
“Down the street; left at the T-junction.”
“Where are you all coming from?”
A few seconds passed and I wondered if I needed to interject, then Sam replied, “The basketball court.”
I really wasn’t sure that was the best answer, yet I had no idea what I would’ve said.
The next twenty seconds were practically the longest of my entire life. I shuddered at the thought of him getting out of that car and forcing us into the back seat. Carl and my folks flashed through my mind. The thought of my being prevented from helping them was devastating—not so much being stripped of my own freedom.
“Very well. Carry on then,” he said.
I breathed a huge sigh of relief.
As he drove off, I caught a glimpse of a large canine in police uniform. From what I could tell, there was no one else in the car.
“I nearly pissed my dang pants!” Rob exclaimed as we continued walking.
“That makes two of us,” I said.
“No—three,” Sam added, then she looked my way. “I wonder why he let us go.”
“Because we put on a great act, obviously!” Rob told her, smiling.
By now, the squad car had turned the bend at the end of the street.
“Okay, big guy. Calm down,” I said. “You wouldn’t wanna have survived that only to blow our cover now. You never know who’s watching.”
“Okay. You’re right,” he agreed.
“Do you think we were really that good?” Sam asked me.
“I guess so. Besides, we’ve had almost a week of practice. I gave her a long glance. “What are you thinking? Why else would he just drive off? I’m pretty sure if he suspected there was anything suspicious about us, he would’ve taken us in.”
“I don’t know. Just had a funny feeling about it. I’m still a bit shaken up by the whole deal.”
“He’s gone, so we’re safe,” I said. “Let’s just get to your house and hurry back.”
I’d missed being able to stroll through our neighborhood without fear of being noticed. Seemed like gone were the days when we went outside into the hot sun and busied ourselves doing mischievous things we later got punished for. I missed all the reprimanding from my mom, in particular, and from a few of the grumpy neighbors who seemed to get off on me being told a thing or two or getting a good whooping for allegedly doing wrong things. I missed my dad’s laid-back behavior about the whole thing until Mom got on him, telling him how he’d spoiled me and would later on regret it. I missed all that. I especially missed Mom’s home-cooked meals. My favorite was lasagna and curried steaks. I even missed Carl; he was an okay li’l brother.
I snapped out of my seemingly endless reveries when we got to Sam’s house. Looking on from the edge of the street, I had an eerie feeling inside. Although most of the homes these days were quiet, Sam’s house was unusually quiet. I wondered if the guys had the same feeling I did. I kind of got that impression from Rob—how he stood there a few moments just as I did before proceeding onto the lawn. Sam was already almost midway to the front porch.
She glanced behind. “Are you guys coming or are you gonna stay there?” she asked.
Rob and I looked at each other. “Well, are you comin’?” he asked me.
I nodded. “Uh-huh.”
Not a single person in the vicinity of Sam’s house was outside, neither were there any dogs. We had grown accustomed to at least seeing the canines out while the humans were off somewhere doing whatever, albeit in a dazed, somewhat robotic fashion. I wondered why that day was so different, simultaneously wondering if anything around our community would likely remain constant or the new norms will forever be changing. It was a worrying thought and one I shook out of my mind, at least temporarily, to focus on the task at hand.
On the porch, Sam knelt down slightly and retrieved a single key from under the light brown welcome mat. She then unlocked the door and went in. We stepped inside behind her.
“Close the door, Rob!” I said, as he was the last to enter.
“Kay, dude. Chill out,” he replied, aware of my agitation.
I admit, I was a bit on edge there which was unlike me, for the most part. Mom always said I took right after Dad, being laid-back and not allowing things to get me riled up like she often did. If I didn’t wash the dishes when she asked me to, I was “rude” or “disrespectful”. She came from the old school where kids jumped when their parents said the word; no questions asked and no back-sassing. Mom constantly told me and Carl that as if she grew up in the perfect era and kids from her generation turned out so wonderful. Her famous words were: “You kids today have it too good!” I wonder what she would’ve wanted. For us to grow up a square like she was? Anyway, I was good at letting her just run on until she realized we weren’t listening—at least, I wasn’t—then she’d find something else to do. She was such a special lady and I never imagined in a million years that I’d get tired of her scolding me. I had to get my family back even if I died trying.
My middle grade teacher used to say, “You don’t miss the water ‘til the well runs dry”. I’d never really grasped what that meant until I’d lost the people who loved me the most.
Sam called out to her folks as we proceeded to walk through the house. We could’ve heard a pin drop for how quiet in there was.
She checked all of the bedrooms, then went and opened the sliding door that led out back where their swimming pool was. The property was enclosed by a five-foot high white concrete wall, except for the front of the yard which was left wide open. We all stepped onto the back deck and looked around the large yard. Sam’s dad took special pride in their surroundings. He was in the yard doing something nearly every time I showed up at their house on weekends. The lawn was a brilliant shade of green and was always properly manicured; he personally saw to that. A variety of plants stood proudly throughout the yard, none more than four feet tall and all had their own red mulch surrounding them on the ground. There were a few small window boxes of flowering geraniums, mainly in the front part of the house, but a couple along the back as well.
The pool guy was there every weekend—yes, every single Saturday without fail, as Mr. Turner had educated himself about waterborne diseases and was a stickler for having a clean pool at all times. Furthermore, Sam said that was his oasis almost every evening after work, once the weather was good.
The spa connected to the pool was reserved for use only by the Turner family. Mr. Turner made that clear from the very first time I’d stepped foot in their backyard, but I didn’t mind, particularly since the pool wasn’t off limits to Sam’s friends. Sam, Rob, Jase and I had spent many hours in that pool and just being out there that day made me wonder if the four of us will ever share those moments again. Having Jase out of the picture felt weird, by far. Yep! That thought crossed my mind again—you don’t miss the water ‘til the well runs dry.
“Where the hell are they?” Sam cried, clearly worried.
“They probably just went out,” I said.
“You mean for a walk?” She arched her eyebrows. “Both of my folks’ cars are parked in the driveway and they don’t go for walks unless they drive to the park and walk there. And where’s Taylor? Certainly, she isn’t out walking!” she exclaimed. “The girl hates walking from her bed to the bathroom when she needs to!”
I went over to Sam and rested my hand on her shoulder. “Sam, let’s not let our minds wander off in the wrong direction. I know it looks strange, but considering the mental state they’re all in, there is a possibility that they could be doing things they wouldn’t normally do like going out for a walk around the neighborhood, for instance. How about we just wait here for a while until they come back?”
Rob came over. “Hewey’s right, Sam. We shouldn’t expect our folks to be acting the way they normally would have before all this crap happened. Nothin’s normal around here anymore.” He had a somber expression on his face.
Sam looked at bot
h of us, a slight frown on her flawless face. “I hope you’re right.” She sighed. “You know what? I don’t even see our dang cat! Maybe it went for a walk too, huh?” She called out to their cat, but it was nowhere in sight.
We sat out back with the sliding door ajar, just staring out at the pool and reflecting on how life was for each of us before we saw that thing hovering over our town. Rob had helped himself to some bread and jam a couple of times while we waited, and with Sam’s permission, he packed up some food in his bag for us to take back to the distillery. He’d even sat in the TV room for a while watching cable with the volume turned down low.
Sam’s house was cozy and always tidy. They had a housekeeper, Mary Lou, who’d been with them for more than a decade and came in once a week on Thursdays. She was in her fifties; had a multitude of health issues, but could still work like a horse. Sam’s folks had even paid for a surgery she got some years ago that her insurance didn’t cover much of. She was obviously more than a housekeeper to them, but a friend. She even had a certain level of authority over Sam and Taylor, I suppose since she was around them from they were very young. Sam had said that even though Mary Lou was the housekeeper, she made her and Taylor know that she expected the house to be clean whenever she came over. In other words, she wasn’t picking up after any nasty kids. I guess in the long run, that threat might’ve benefitted not just Mary Lou, but the girls too. Sam couldn’t stand disorder in any sense of the word, and of course, Taylor was a little princess in her head and princesses weren’t nasty.
Mary Lou didn’t play around. She even got on me once for not fixing a chair on the patio that I’d moved from one spot to the other. With a stern expression on her little round face, she said: “Young man, did you meet that chair like that?” I looked at the chair and back at her. “No, ma’am,” I replied. She puckered her lips and craned her neck. “Well, if you don’t want to go tumbling over the front lawn, you’d better fix it back how you met it!” She didn’t mince her words. Reminded me of Sam—and I truly liked that in a woman. I heard more than once that a lot of men can’t deal with strong women, but I wasn’t bound to be like a lot of men. I loved me a strong, bullheaded woman to keep the excitement in the relationship and to sort of keep me in line. Having a balance is good, especially since I knew I had the tendency to do some pretty stupid things at times.
“It’s been a whole hour and they’re not back yet!” Sam grumbled. “Where the hell could they have gone?”
Clueless at that point, I only sighed.
“How much longer are we supposed to just sit around? If, by chance, they went for a simple walk, they would’ve been back by now.” She got up the way a fifty-year-old would. “Let’s go inside. I’m tired of being out here.”
I followed her inside and locked the sliding door behind us. She sauntered over to the one of the living room windows where a gold valance hung. “Don’t you think it’s odd that no one around here is outside?” she asked.
I joined her over at the window. Rob was still in the TV room. “I thought you hadn’t noticed. Struck me as soon as I got here.” Then I had an idea. “How about Rob and I sneak over to a couple of the other houses and see if anyone’s inside. We can just peek through the windows? The ones that don’t have dogs, that is.”
“O...kay...” she gave me a curious look.
I knew what she was thinking.
“If other houses are empty, then I guess we can assume something’s up, huh?” she said.
“Maybe—provided their cars are also in their yards.”
I went over to Rob. “Let’s go, buddy.”
He seemed bothered by my presence. It was obvious that I was interrupting his program. “We’re leaving now?”
“Not for good. You and I are gonna walk calmly over to a couple of the neighbors’ houses and see if it looks like anyone’s home. Pay attention to the driveways—if there are any vehicles in the yard. Sam’s staying here ‘til we get back.” I revealed what we hoped to accomplish.
“And what if someone’s home and sees us walk into their yards?” he asked.
“Just act dumb. Say I’m sorry, wrong house, or something and leave.”
“Sounds like great advice to me.” He shook his head.
“You know how to act, Rob. I don’t have to spoon feed you anymore.”
He got up and we headed out.
3
_________________
I decided I’d take two houses on the same side as Sam’s while Rob took two across the street.
Will and Naomi Washington never owned a pet as long as I knew myself. They had four grown children, two of which were still at home living off of Mommy and Daddy. Manny Washington was almost thirty-five and his sister Beth was hitting forty. They looked just like they acted—lousy. None of them seemed to be able to keep a job, while the other two kids were off on their own acting like real adults. Word was the ones that didn’t live there treated Mr. and Mrs. Washington pretty good and helped out with the upkeep of the house since their folks were at an advanced age. I saw Mr. Washington pushing a lawn mower while Manny sat in a chair outside with his dirty feet up on the outdoor table. Beth stayed in pajamas every time I saw her around the house, while Mrs. Washington took care of things, such as cooking and cleaning. How fifty percent of those kids could’ve turned out one way and the other fifty percent turned out completely different boggled my mind. I figured though, that the Washingtons might’ve spoiled Manny and Beth, considering they were the youngest. Fortunately, for my brother, Carl, he wasn’t able to get away with much since our folks treated both of us pretty much the same. I couldn’t imagine any of us growing up only to turn out like the Washington simpletons—Manny and Beth.
Since I was in pretty good shape at that age, I simply jumped over a couple of fences to get to the Washingtons’ residence. They didn’t have a fence, but I made it through the Carlsons’ back yard to get there. I figured walking the front strip might’ve been too open, especially when moving from house to house. I’d told Rob we were to walk in the neighbors’ yards, but although I mostly “jumped” into them, I knew he couldn’t, so it doesn’t matter. The Carlsons were taken the same day my parents were, leaving behind their German Shepherd whose attention I was careful not to attract as I entered their yard. There was a fair amount of tall bushes at the back of each property on that side of the road, which was a good cover for me.
The Washingtons’ house was all white. Not as large as Sam’s, but just as nice. Thanks to Mr. and Mrs. Washington and their two responsible children. From the eastern side of the house, I noticed the blue Dodge Caravan on the driveway—the elderly couple’s only vehicle which Manny and Beth occasionally used as well. That residence had the same quiet, eerie feel that Sam’s house had just before we entered it. I think I knew the answer to whether or not anyone was at home before I even bothered to check. The windows at the back were widely ajar and through parted vertical blinds, I was able to get a good view inside. Right away, I figured I must’ve been looking in at Manny’s room. A guy’s clothes were strewn about the place and it looked as if a category five hurricane had barreled through. No one was in sight though. So, I moved on to another side of the house and was able to peek into a different window.
That room was the complete opposite of the first one I’d seen. I figured it was either old Mr. and Mrs. Washington’s or Beth’s. Maybe Beth paid more attention to her room than to her appearance. Was a crazy notion, but anything was possible. Everywhere was tidy and the space had a nice, cool air about it. The sheer, white curtains had certainly added to that feel. Like the first room, no one was in there either and I didn’t hear a sound. I surely hoped Rob was listening out for any movement inside the houses where he was supposed to go.
I went on each side of the house, looking in and glancing around every so often with hopes that none of the other neighbors were on to me. The end result was that no one appeared to be at home. If they were, they were probably hiding under the beds or in the closet b
ecause I surely didn’t see anyone.
Walking the front strip this time, I moved on to the Coopers’ little quaint dwelling that was situated in a cul-de-sac. The Coopers were a young couple that just tied the knot two years earlier. They had an infant son named Max whom they adored. From time to time, I’d see Sheila Cooper in the food store picking up things for the baby while Mr. Cooper stood nearby with Max strapped securely on his chest. They were decent people who seemed to actually like each other and I sort of admired them. When I didn’t see them at the store, one of them was outdoors pushing Max in his comfy looking stroller. Max was one of those smiling babies who wanted to go to everyone. Didn’t matter how the person looked or smelled. One time, he held out those little, chubby arms of his for Jase to pick him up and I was pretty sure Jase hadn’t showered or anything yet for the day or for a couple of days, for that matter. Yet, he still got the girls and even the cute babies running after him. I did once consider that maybe I needed to adopt his style since he obviously had it going on, but knowing Mom, I would’ve been chased out of the house if I decided to neglect proper hygiene. Jase knew he couldn’t come inside our house when Mom was there if he didn’t look halfway decent. But he was often there like it was his second home whenever “the cat was away”.
I did a careful look around the Coopers’ house and quickly arrived at the conclusion that they weren’t there. I couldn’t see inside some of the windows, but I was able to get a good view past a few. Just to make sure, I even knocked at their back door to see if anyone would answer. Nope. Not a word. They, too, were off somewhere and the question running through my mind right then was: Where were they and where were the Washingtons and Sam’s folks?
When I got back to Sam’s house, Rob was already there. He and Sam were sitting in the living room.
“Any luck?” Rob asked the moment I walked through the door.
The Hewey Spader Mystery Series (The Complete Trilogy * Books 1 -3 ) Page 8