EYEWITNESS 3

by Timms, Marc

  “Close, but not quite there,” she said finally. “I mean, you’ve got the right description, but none of them is the right man.”

  “Do you recognize any of them?” he asked. Dempsey made the question seem innocuous, but Johanna had to wonder what was behind it. Did he think she routinely hung out with criminals, or was there one man in the array that she might know?

  The easiest guess was that she wasn’t the only one who had heard the description of Thomas’s father was close to her description of the killer from the park. Therefore, Dempsey had put a photo of Thomas’s father in the lineup to see if she recognized him.

  “Are you asking me if I know Thomas’s father? I don’t,” she replied finally.

  He gave her a puzzled look. “You’re saying that you don’t know him, but you know he’s in the array? How does that work?”

  “You’re not the only one who can make some good deductions about the case,” she replied, giving him a smile.

  “That’s a damned good one,” he answered. “This one here is him.” He pointed to one of the photos. Try as she might, Johanna couldn’t see a resemblance between father and son. Frankly, if she’d been asked to vote, that photo was most like her killer, but still not near enough like him to not be a question anymore.

  “Is there anything else?” Johanna asked, not wanting to be stuck here any longer than needed.

  “Not now,” he replied. He slid a file folder over to Johanna. “This is an updated list of the noise complaints that involved dogs in the last three months. Just as you requested.”

  Johanna let her eyes scan the page, but nothing stood out to her. She would have to do some deep searching into the list to find what she was looking for. “Thanks.” She stood and walked to the door. “I’ll let you know if I find anything.”

  “Please do. This report doesn’t give you a right to go play Nancy Drew. It’s public record anyway,” he finished, as though that made it less important or exciting.

  Three hours later, Johanna had come across two names that had stood out in the search. The first was a low-rent apartment where two neighbors had complained about the same dog at other times in the past week, but nothing had happened before then. The second was a house in an upscale neighborhood where the next-door neighbor had called three times in the past week, saying that there had not been any problems until this week.

  However, now came the tricky part. Johanna would have to determine if either of these two residences were the new home of Penny, the canine heiress. Johanna couldn’t go marching up the door and ask, because more than likely, she would be recognized by the person who had taken the dog. She had met all of the family at this point, so she would be identified. That would mean that it would likely have to be Marnie, who wasn’t known to the perpetrator.

  The problem was that Marnie could recognize a Scottish terrier, but not Penny. She’d met the dog briefly, but they would need Lilly to distinguish Penny from all the other possible dogs. Granted that it was unlikely that both homes would have this particular breed, but it was possible.

  In the end, she decided to go with the most straightforward approach, which was to ask Marnie to go to the two homes and determine what type of dog they had. She could sit in the car and wait for the response. Then they could play it by ear. It was far too much to ask that they get this right on the first try, especially when the police had failed.

  Marnie had been ready to go at a moment’s notice. She was at Johanna’s apartment, waiting, before Johanna had finished getting ready. She had changed her appearance as much as she could, curling her hair into tight ringlets and changing the color of her eyeshadow and lipstick. The bright red now took the attention away from the rest of her face. Her mother would still recognize her, but perhaps an acquaintance would not.

  When Johanna came out to the car, Marnie whistled. “Look at you. I wouldn’t have recognized you.”

  “That’s the idea,” she said.

  They drove quickly to the low-rent apartment that Johanna had found in the complaints. The neighborhood was deserted, and only a few cars were parked on the street. Marnie pulled up in front of the building and looked around. Johanna could see no signs of a dog’s presence here. No toys, no bones, no cages, or leashes.

  “That doesn’t look good,” she said to her friend.

  Marnie got out and headed to the door. The bogus story would be about a cleaning service for clients with dogs. She knocked, and Johanna slumped down slightly in the seat. She didn’t want to be seen immediately in case a family member answered the door. She wanted time for the person to hear the spiel and bring the dog to the door before deciding what to do.

  Marnie had no sooner knocked on the door than a dog began to bark. The sound was loud and deep, not at all like she would have imagined Penny’s bark. A man came to the door, and behind him stood the largest dog she’d ever seen. The snout pushed out from behind the man, and Johanna was sure that it was about to bite Marnie, but instead, it licked her repeatedly on the hand and arm.

  The dog remained there for the entire time that they talked. Marnie took down the man’s address and phone number. Johanna knew this because she wrote on the fictitious paper on the clipboard she’d taken with her. After that, she petted the dog, which Johanna felt was above and beyond, and headed back to the car.

  “No go,” she said, as she climbed back into the driver’s seat. “Nice guy, with a huge dog, but no signs of a Scottish terrier.”

  They headed to the second house, which was across town from the first. Johanna remained lost in her thoughts, wondering what they might find at this next home. She began to lose hope that they’d ever find Penny, short of when the kidnappers disposed of her.

  They pulled into the neighborhood, and Marnie parked about fifty yards down the street from the home in question. They’d agreed on the location, not wanting the owners of the house to see Johanna, just in case they recognized her.

  Marnie took the clipboard and walked to the door. Perhaps because this was her second time doing this, or perhaps because the neighborhood was more middle class, Johanna felt more comfortable. She thought about that for a second, realizing that the upscale home would be less likely to cause suspicions. In her mind, that would be the better choice to hide a dog.

  Johanna didn’t have time to think much. She watched the door open, and a man began to talk to Marnie. While they spoke, a dog came to the door, just as one had at the last house. Except this dog was small, black, and had a white star on its chest.

  In a heartbeat, Marnie had reached down to pet the dog—and then she picked it up with both hands and ran towards the car.

  The man at the door did nothing for a second. He seemed as stunned as Johanna was at this moment. She assumed that the kidnapper would call the police. However, if this was Penny, would he risk the police being involved? He would have to admit that the dog was not his, and that would lead to a conversation about who owned the dog.

  Marnie was running at full speed, and Johanna noticed that her friend was wearing tennis shoes. Had this been her plan all along? Johanna would not put it past her friend.

  Marnie made it to the car, put Penny in the back seat, and then slid into the driver’s seat. She started the car in a second, and they were on their way.

  The man came back out again. He had not called the police, of that much Johanna was sure. He had a pistol in his hand. He aimed and shot once. The bullet punctured the metal on Johanna’s side of the car; however, it did not go all the way through. Apparently, it had hit something inside the vehicle.

  The car kept moving at an unbelievable pace. Marnie ran a stop sign as the man fired another shot at them. This one broke the mirror on Marnie’s door. The man was too good a shot for this to be a coincidence. The kidnapper had hired a pet sitter who had a weapon and knew how to use it expertly.

  They turned the corner, and Johanna drew a deep breath. They were out of immediate danger. The man could follow them, but it would be hard to drive and shoot
with much accuracy. She did wonder about Marnie’s plates. If the man had studied the plates, he would know Marnie’s name and address. This was the same fear Johanna had experienced when the man from the park had followed them at breakneck speed.

  As if she could read her mind, Marnie spoke. “Don’t worry, I borrowed the plates from the martial arts instructor three doors down. He said that he could take care of multiple people, given a chance—and he’s a huge pet lover. So he would not hold back since he’s heard what happened to Penny.”

  The Scottie heard her name and poked her head between the two front seats. She seemed to recognize the two women and was glad to see them. Marnie had brought some dog treats if they needed to lure the dog, but apparently, that was unnecessary.

  Marnie hit the dial button on the car’s steering wheel and asked for the police. “You do the talking,” she said, looking again in her rearview mirror. Nothing was behind them. Either the man had gone another way to cut them off, or he was not interested in following them.

  When an operator answered, Johanna, asked to speak to Detective Dempsey. She patched them through to the detective, who responded with, “Yeah?”

  Johanna took a deep breath and explained the situation to the detective.

  “Are you sure it’s the right dog?” he asked.

  She had checked the tags on the dog before calling, and she confirmed that Penny was in the backseat.

  “Good. I’d hate to think that you had perpetuated a canine kidnapping spree here.” He asked for the address, and Johanna read it off to him.

  “Thanks,” he said, “but you took an awful risk in doing this. That man could have killed you.”

  Johanna didn’t answer. He was right, but she knew that the dog had a limited amount of time to live before the kidnappers would turn killers. If they couldn’t get enough money from the ransom, which would be difficult, then killing the dog would invoke another clause of the will that would provide the family with a large influx of cash.

  “I’ll let you know what happens, or it will be on the news,” he said, and then he hung up.

  “So, what do we do now?” Marnie asked. “We could drop Penny off to Lilly, but there’s a chance that someone could steal her again. Any other ideas?”

  “She could stay with you,” Marnie said quietly. “They would have a hard time putting you together with my taking the dog.”

  “I have a no-pet clause in my lease,” Johanna lied. She already had houseguests, and now it seemed as though she might get a dog out of this as well.

  “Don’t look at me,” Marnie said. “I have two roommates, and they’d have a fit if I brought home a dog. One of them is allergic to animals.”

  Johanna wasn’t sure she believed this, but she had no proof of that concern. “Fine, I suppose we could keep her at my place for a few days.” On the bright side, she hoped this might move Carolyn out of her apartment faster. She would have to be careful about Carolyn, though. Suppose a member of the family was involved with the kidnapping. In that case, Carolyn could quickly tell the members of the family that Penny was with Johanna.

  “I’m still going to stop at Lilly’s first,” Marnie said. Johanna was surprised at how much her friend had taken charge of this operation. Marnie was making the decisions—apparently giving the matter a great deal of thought.

  When they got to Lilly’s house, Johanna was despondent to see Penny run over to Jessica’s home first. She was sure that the little dog missed her owner, even if she was happy enough with Lilly.

  Lilly came out to greet them, and Penny ran over to her immediately. After a few barks and jumps up on her leg, the women went inside.

  Penny got two dog biscuits and went to a corner to eat them in peace. “Where did you find her?” Lilly asked. Her face had brightened so much from the last time Johanna had seen her.

  Marnie broke in and explained the entire story. Johanna only had to add a few details to the story. Lilly looked shocked as the story progressed, and the tale turned to gunshots and running men.

  “Hopefully, the police will be able to pick them up in a few minutes,” Johanna said, trying to be calming.

  “But what if they come again?” Lilly asked. She wrung her hands, and Johanna was glad at that moment that they had a plan for taking care of the dog.

  She explained what Marnie had suggested, and Lilly began to collect the items that Johanna would need to care for the dog. She helped put all of them in Marnie’s car.

  Chapter 5

  Johanna had barely unlocked the front door when the phone rang. “It’s Dempsey,” the voice on the other end of the phone said.

  “Did you get him? Did he say who hired him?” Johanna asked quickly. She wanted the threat to them to be removed. She didn’t like the fact that a man with a gun was angry with them.

  “Nobody was there when we arrived. We had the sirens and lights going, so we were quick about getting there. The front door was wide open. It was obvious someone had been staying there. I had a team take a few prints. The guy we’re looking for is named Ryan Donley. He’s known for this type of work, keeping someone in seclusion for a bit. They just normally don’t have four legs.”

  “So what now? Can you tie him to any of the family members?” she asked.

  Dempsey laughed. “We might be able to, but it takes time. We’ll have a far easier time looking for a link between Donley and the family now that we know who he is. Before, it was like finding a needle in a haystack.”

  Johanna listened, but she could only think that every minute was time where that man could shoot them or try to take Penny again. “Is the house under surveillance?” she asked.

  “We’ve set up some cameras across the street, but to be honest, if Donley had the time to leave, I’d be willing to bet that he had time to call his coconspirator and let him—or her—know that the game was up.”

  “In the meantime, he’s on the loose, and he knows what we look like,” Johanna said, feeling a sense of dread. First, the person who had stolen her car knew where she lived. That had resulted in Thomas being run down by her car. Now the people who had kidnapped Penny were on the loose and knew where she lived as well.

  “You’re under surveillance as well,” Dempsey said. “For some reason, you’re a key player in this drama, whether you understand it or not. We need you alive and well until this is all sorted out.”

  Marnie came in at this point. “Where’s your rental? Did you turn it back in?”

  Johanna held out the phone, so Dempsey could hear. “While I have you on the phone, my rental car is missing. I’m guessing you haven’t started the surveillance yet?”

  “Not until you got home today. The surveillance should be there in about fifteen minutes,” Dempsey said, but his voice didn’t sound as assured as it had a minute ago. He sounded worried.

  “I’ll wait and have them call in the missing car then.”

  “Don’t wait. Tell me now. I’m ready when you are,” Dempsey said. The mere fact that he was a police detective, taking the details on a stolen car suggested that he was concerned with what would happen now.

  The last time her car was stolen, Thomas had ended up in the hospital. The question became, who was next? She thought of the people she’d met: Lilly, Carolyn, Deanna, and her children. And she hadn’t met Arthur. She wondered if he was behind the car thefts, given that he was not coming into the open. He had something to hide.

  Marnie had sat down to play on the floor with Penny, but Johanna could tell that she was still listening to the conversation. She didn’t add anything, but she took in every word.

  “So what now?” Johanna asked.

  “Stay in the house. Do not open the door to anyone except the officers. They’ll be in uniform, so you’ll know them when you see them. One of them is named Tingle. You can’t forget that.”

  Johanna heard the sound of tires squealing. For a moment, she thought she’d be sick. This was the scenario she had envisioned with Thomas—the sounds and then the thump. Sh
e ran to the window and looked out. Marnie was right behind her.

  Marnie looked at her friend with anxiety. “Where is Carolyn? Please tell me she’s in the guest room.”

  Johanna tried to breathe, but the air was caught in her lungs. She wanted to move, but she couldn’t.

  Now she could see the rental car at the entrance to the apartment complex. The inertia left her limbs as the car waited. Johanna found a vase that she’d never liked. It wasn’t much, but she had little chance of stopping this car.

  “What are you doing?” Marnie asked, leaning up against the window.

  “The only person who isn’t here is Carolyn, and I have a sick feeling that the driver is after her.” Johanna scanned the parking lot again, but saw no signs of her houseguest.

  Then it began. Carolyn stepped out of a strange car—one that she didn’t recognize. Was this other car a part of the scheme to run her down, or was this just good luck on the part of the bad guys? Johanna didn’t know, but she knew it would be a question she would need to answer.

  Carolyn started walking towards the building, and Marnie opened the window. They both began to yell at the woman below. However, she only waved at them and continued on her way to the building.

  The car revved its engine. The noise made Johanna sick to her stomach. She held on to the vase, waiting until it was close enough to hit the car—if the need should arise.

  She didn’t have to wait long. The car began to speed through the parking lot towards Carolyn. The woman had no time to stop and think. She stood there as if caught in the headlights.

  Johanna threw the vase with all of her might. It made contact with the car, but not enough to change its course. The vase shattered against the windshield on the passenger side, and the spiderweb of cracks slowly spread across the windshield. However, the driver’s side was still usable.

  The car gained speed, and Johanna turned her head. She couldn’t watch what came next. Marnie screeched as they both heard the thud. Johanna ran to the bathroom and vomited twice. The two deaths she had witnessed before had not affected her this way. She had not known either of those women, and they certainly hadn’t shared a living space with her.