Gone with the Wings

by Leena Clover

  I knocked on the door and peeped in. Dad looked up from a pile of papers.

  “What is it, Meera. I have to finish grading these papers.”

  “We need to talk. It is sort of urgent.”

  Tony and I trooped inside and sat in front of Dad.

  “Get on with it!” he sounded irritated.

  We told him about meeting Dicky Wilkes and then going out to search for the foreclosed house. He listened, looking quite grim.

  “For once, you have done something sensible, Meera. Thank God you didn't go into that house.”

  He looked at Tony.

  “I suppose I have you to thank for that.”

  “Hey!” I said. “Give me some credit.”

  “No. I'm sure you would've barged in if Tony hadn't been there.”

  I had to agree Dad was right. After all, that had been my first instinct.

  “We need to go to the cops now, Uncle Andy,” Tony pushed ahead.

  “Absolutely. I agree!” Dad said. “Let's do it in the morning. Let me grade my papers in peace now. Run along, kids.”

  We came out and I waved goodbye to Tony as he drove off.

  The next morning, I was dressed and waiting for Dad in the kitchen early. I wanted to catch him before he left so we could fix our plans.

  “Good Morning Meera!” Dad walked in and poured some cereal into a bowl.

  He added cold milk and scooped in fruit from a bowl of mixed fruit on the table.

  I let him take a couple of bites before I spoke.

  “Hey Dad! So when can we go to the cops and tell them about yesterday?”

  I braced myself for a tirade. Dad didn't like to be accosted at breakfast. To my surprise, he smiled.

  “We'll go as soon as we're done with breakfast. Let's just get it done.”

  I nodded.

  We walked out of the house and I went toward my car.

  “You can ride with me, Meera. Get a ride back home from someone.”

  I was glad of Dad’s offer. I was a bit nervous at the thought of reporting my findings. Who knew how the Sheriff would react?

  “I talked to the lawyer in Oklahoma City last night. He approves of going to the police with our findings. And he'll be on hand in case we need his help.”

  Dad brought me up to speed as he pulled onto the main road and headed toward the police station. I was relieved. I was also surprised Dad had done so much last night when he was supposedly busy grading. I looked out the window at the morning traffic. The leaves were turning and people had started dressing in layers. I had pulled on a cotton sweatshirt myself, proclaiming 'Pioneer is always first'. I put my hands in the front pocket to hide their slight tremor.

  Dad pulled up in front of the police station and patted my head.

  “Don't worry, Meera. It will be fine.”

  We walked in and ran into Stan Miller.

  “Good Morning Stan!” Dad greeted him.

  Stan nodded and looked at us wearily. Dad had talked with the Sheriff about Stan's high handedness and he seemed to be behaving himself this morning.

  “Just the man we are looking for,” Dad said to Stan. “Can we have a moment please?”

  Stan took us to a small conference room and shut the door.

  “What is this about?”

  I opened my mouth but Dad went ahead.

  “Meera has something to report. Why don't you bring in someone else here to listen as we speak, or type it or whatever it is you do? I want a witness here other than you.”

  Stan went out and got another deputy with him.

  “Go ahead… tell him everything, Meera,” Dad ordered.

  I started slowly at first then poured out how I had tried to find Jyothi. I skimmed over the earlier portion and focused on the empty house. I told them everything about the homeless looking man, the posh blond guy and their argument.

  Stan looked at me in disbelief.

  “You did all this? That's like interfering in police business.”

  Dad stepped in.

  “Wait a minute. First you harass her and call her a suspect. And now when we are handing you valuable information on a platter, you say she's interfering? I think it is time we went to the District Attorney with this.”

  Dad got up and punched some keys in his phone.

  “My lawyer is ready to take our statement to court. You can begin doing some real work when the court orders you to do it.”

  Stan stood up. His face was red, and his colleague looked uncomfortable. He spoke up.

  “There will be no need for that, Sir. We are thankful for the information you have given us. We'll look into it right away.”

  “When can I expect your update on this? And when will you clear my daughter?” Dad wanted to know.

  Stan puffed up.

  “We don't give reports to the public.”

  He looked at me accusingly.

  “You are still the last person the girl spoke with. And you threatened her. Maybe it was because she heard you threaten to kill Prudence.”

  My mouth dropped open in dismay.

  “What? What do you mean?” I exclaimed. “Are you trying to pin every crime around here on me?”

  I looked at Dad, terrified.

  Stan smirked and looked away.

  “If you want to say something, spell it out,” Dad glared.

  “That girl was the main witness who saw Meera threaten her. Now the girl’s missing. But plenty more people heard Meera wish Prue dead. And plenty of them heard her screaming at the girl Jyothi.”

  I stared at him in disbelief.

  “Plenty of people wished Prue were dead. Did you know Jyothi was one of them?”

  Now it was Stan’s turn to look shocked.

  “Prudence promised Jyothi financial aid. That’s why she chose to come to Pioneer. But then Prudence took away her aid leaving Jyothi high and dry.”

  “Why would Prue do that?” Stan demanded.

  “Did you know her at all?” I asked, surprised. “She was mean. Really Mean! She probably did it because she could.”

  “I don’t believe it,” Stan muttered.

  “You just don’t want to!” I attacked. “We all saw how she treated you at the Labor Day party. How could you not notice she was nasty?”

  Stan’s eyes watered suddenly. He looked away.

  “Prue was just misunderstood. She was good at heart.”

  “Go on believing that if it makes you happy,” I grimaced.

  Dad was getting impatient.

  “Let’s get to the point. Who’s spreading lies about my daughter? And you know they’ve been bickering since they were knee high, Stan. Why would she kill Prudence all of a sudden?”

  Stan had no answer for that.

  “I’ll tell you what,” Dad raised his voice. “You’re too close to this. You are letting your emotions take over. And maybe you are too lazy to do any actual investigation. You just want to tie this up quickly and Meera’s an easy target.”

  Stan mumbled something, getting uncomfortable.

  “How many other people have you interviewed? Have you asked Jon and Sylvie what actually happened at the diner?”

  Stan’s expression had turned sullen.

  “The diner scene you are talking about was sometime just before September end. Stan, you need to check on that house and the report we just gave. If it turns out anyone at that house saw Jyothi after the scene at the diner, then your case against me falls apart. Do you agree?” I tried to spell it out for Stan.

  He nodded reluctantly, trying to connect the dots in his head.

  “Why don't you do that? Follow up on the lead I gave? We can regroup once you know more.”

  Stan agreed to that, albeit grudgingly.

  “Say it, Stan!” Dad demanded.

  “Okay, Mr. Patel. I will follow the lead you gave me and check up on it. I will let you know when I have some more info.”

  We turned around and got into Dad's car. Without a word, he started driving toward school. We both
had to get to our jobs, after all.

  “Well, Meera! Hopefully the police will find something new at that place and you'll be off the hook. I want you to stop worrying and start working on the Diwali party. Or Ba will be mad at me.”

  Dad gave me one of his rare smiles and I smiled back.

  Chapter 31

  I waved goodbye to Dad and turned into the library. I was fuming inside. I mechanically checked out books and did some shelving. Lunch hour arrived soon enough.

  I stepped out wondering what to do for lunch. Tony was walking toward me.

  “Hey Meera! Hungry yet?” He raised his eyebrows in a silent question.

  I suddenly realized I should have called him after coming back from the police station.

  “I should've called. I'm so sorry, Tony!”

  “Well, you did have me worried there. I talked to Uncle Andy. How about a bite to eat first?”

  I mumbled something and nodded.

  “Where to? I don't care either way.”

  “In that case,” Tony said, “let's just go to the food court and grab a burger or something.”

  We walked to the Student Union. A light spray from the gurgling fountain made me shiver. The paths were chalked with game timings and ads by student organizations. The Indian Student Association was selling tickets to their annual Diwali gala.

  The food court was bustling and noisy. It was just the kind of crowd I wanted to get lost in today. I waved to a couple of coworkers, and said Hello to Dad's friends. Almost every other person here was someone I knew.

  “Number 5 for me,” I told Tony, choosing my default chicken sandwich combo. “I'll grab a table.”

  Tony was soon back with trays loaded with fries and our drinks. I tore open some mustard and ketchup and bit into my sandwich. I realized I was famished, and there was silence for a while as I gobbled up my food.

  “What next?” Tony leaned back in his chair, and looked at me. “Stan claims you fought with Jyothi. Do you remember that day? There must have been other people at the diner. Think!”

  “The diner was full,” I admitted. “Becky and I were run off our feet, making those new Blue Plate Specials. But most folks were busy eating. All they would’ve heard maybe is that there was a heated conversation. That doesn’t say anything in my favor.”

  “Don’t assume what someone else may or may not have heard. This is too important to let go.”

  Just then, one of Dad’s professor friends walked by with a tray in his hands.

  “Hello Meera! How are you?”

  I greeted him and asked about his lunch, just to make small talk.

  “Nothing like your latest Blue Plate Specials,” he smiled. “But can’t go to Sylvie’s for lunch every day. Got a class in 15 minutes.”

  “You’ve tried the new specials?” I asked, surprised.

  “Of course! Don’t you remember? I was there with the wife and kid the other evening. That Indian girl was there too, angling after an illegal job.”

  An icy chill ran over me and I shivered. Was it possible a potential witness was standing right in front of me?

  “You were there that night?” I repeated stupidly.

  He nodded.

  “And you heard our conversation?”

  “You bet!! I think almost everyone in the diner had their ears glued to it. You were fabulous. Firm but polite. You handled the situation really well. I’ve been meaning to tell Andy all about it.”

  “Well, she was hounding Jon and Sylvie, and I was just trying to do the right thing.”

  “Absolutely! My wife couldn’t get enough of it. She felt bad about later, though.”

  “What happened later?” I was almost afraid to ask.

  “I guess I should tell you about that old woman,” he sounded uncertain and looked at his watch.

  “Why don’t you sit here and start eating?” I offered.

  He looked relieved and sat down on a chair Tony pulled out for him. He unwrapped his burger and took a hearty bite. I let him chew and swallow, trying to curb my restlessness.

  “What woman?” I reminded him

  “You know, the old woman that was hanging out in the diner parking lot that day.”

  “No idea what you're talking about.”

  “You remember the day when you had words with the girl?” Professor asked, swirling a fry in ketchup. “There was this woman. Middle aged but looked older, kind of with a scraggly face, you know. She was lurking at the side of the diner, listening to you talking to the girl.”

  I looked at Tony. This was news to me.

  “Is it someone you know? Someone you've seen before?”

  “I don't think so. She was odd. I can't put my finger on it. But no, wasn't someone from town, far as I can tell.”

  “So maybe she was just someone passing through who stopped to eat at the diner. Could have been out for a smoke.” Tony mused aloud.

  “That's just it,” the Professor jabbed his finger in the air. “But she wasn't! Yees. That's what it was, I think. She was standing to the side as if out for a smoke, but she wasn't actually smoking. I think she was just trying to listen in.”

  I shrugged. “No shortage of nosy people, hunh?”

  “That wasn’t all,” the Professor continued. “We had a window table, if you remember. After you escorted her out, the girl was sobbing in the parking lot for a long time. All this time, this woman continued to watch her from a distance. When the girl started walking away, the woman got into a car and followed her. Then a block down the road, she cut her off, rolled down the window and said something. Then the girl got into her car.”

  My eyes threatened to pop out of their sockets.

  “What?”

  Tony laid a hand on my shoulder but I jerked it away.

  “Have you mentioned this to anyone else, Professor?”

  He shook his head.

  “Was I supposed to?”

  He was almost through his burger, and had been glancing at his watch a couple of times. I knew time was short.

  “This might take a while. Maybe Dad can explain after your class. But would you be willing to talk to the police later? They are accusing me of doing away with the girl. Now I can prove I wasn’t the last one to talk to her.”

  “What?” he was astounded. “And of course, I’ll do my bit. But have to rush now. Give my best to your grandma.”

  My steps were lighter as Tony walked back to the parking lot where his truck was and I went back into the library. The rest of the day went by quickly. I gathered my stuff and walked out, eager to head to the diner, and dish everything to Becky. Then I remembered I hadn't brought my car.

  As I was about to turn around to go in and call someone, I spotted Motee Ba waving at me from the road. She was parked on the side with blinkers on. I rushed forward and got in. Motee Ba lurched forward with a squeal of tires barely after I had shut my door.

  “Campus cops!” Motee Ba frowned. “They've already asked me to leave twice.”

  I smiled. “No parking zone.”

  “So back home?” Motee Ba wanted to know.

  “Can you drop me off at Sylvie's please? I want to meet Becky.”

  “Fine. But I'm not picking you up again.”

  Chapter 32

  I burst into Sylvie's after waving goodbye to my granny. Sylvie was getting ready for the dinner rush, refilling the paper napkins at each table, making sure the salt and paper shakers were full. I gave her a tight hug and kiss.

  “Someone sure looks excited,” Sylvie raised her eyebrows as she smiled at me. “What you been up to, child?”

  “Oh Sylvie, you won't believe the day I've had. Dad came with me to the cops this morning. And we gave it to them.”

  “That daddy of yours is no fool.” Jon peeped out of the kitchen. “Ain't a big shot professor for nothing.”

  “So does this mean they won't be giving you no trouble no more?” Sylvie wanted to know.

  I shrugged.

  “Don't know about that. But at least th
ey have agreed that there are other suspicious people. And there are other lines of investigation they need to pursue.”

  “Well, let's be happy with that for now,” Sylvie noted philosophically.

  Becky rushed out, looking harried with her apron splattered with some sauce stains. But she was beaming.

  “I heard that, Meera! That is awesome!!”

  She high fived me and we giggled like we were kids. I felt lighter and realized that my burden had reduced somewhat.

  “Wait till you hear what happened at lunch,” I whispered to Becky.

  A family of four walked in with toddlers. A group of ladies followed, and a young couple. The diner suddenly seemed busy.

  Becky dragged me into the kitchen. I smelt ginger, garlic and garam masala right away.

  “Is that my fried chicken?” I asked. “So you're still doing it?”

  “Oh yes! And it's Friday evening. A busy night for us.”

  “Two special fried chickens with Indian potatoes,” Jon called out. “Four orders of onion pakoras. And two veggie burgers with Cajun fries.”

  I tied on an apron without a word and started helping Becky.

  “The Indian menu's getting popular. People are coming here from the nearby towns too instead of going to Tulsa or the City. We really should plan a new Sunday menu now. Like some chicken curry?”

  I nodded.

  “Maybe in the Spring. Once we find Jyothi. I am finding it hard to focus on much now.”

  Becky looked guilty.

  “Of course, Meera. How silly of me. Of course you've got a lot on your mind. You have been harassed for no reason.”

  I mumbled and nodded, suddenly remembering everything.

  Two hours went by catering to the dinner crowd. Jon finally came in and waved us out.

  “You girls sit and have a bite to eat now.”

  I collapsed in a booth and guzzled an icy soda. Becky plopped down with two steaming bowls of gumbo. We just slurped and gobbled it for a few minutes. Half way through, Sylvie brought some jalapeno corn bread out.

  Finally, after I had wiped the plate clean with the last piece of corn bread, I pushed my plate away and sighed.