Ellen McKenzie 04-Murder Half-Baked (8 page)

It was panic, not acting ability, that
made me believable.
I started to talk into the dead cell phone as if my life depended on it. “Gina, it’s him,” I said between clenched teeth. I started to walk back and forth on the porch, ignoring the car, waving my arm as if I were having a madly important conversation. I was. “Gina, he’s trying to talk to me.” I turned my back to the car and kept pacing and waving. “Damn, he’s calling out something.” I kept pacing and waving. After a minute the engine picked up and the car slowly moved off. I kept talking and waving but got up enough courage to sneak a look.
The car had
turned the corner headed west.

The door of the house opened, and I bolted through it.

“Which way did he turn?”

“To the right.”

“Should Margaret start?”

“No. Not yet.”
I dialed 911. “Ida, he’s cruised by Grace House twice. He was just here and turned the corner going toward Cherry.” I listened for a moment then hung up.

Anne appeared, looking a question at me. I was finally able to smile. “Gary’s on his way. Ida will call just as soon as they stop him. Margaret can start, but she needs to go toward Elm.”

“Come tell Nathan.”

I followed Anne back to the kitchen. Janice was standing by the counter. Emily was sitting on it, her arms wrapped around her mother, her head still buried in her mother’s neck. Ian stood by her side, his arms around her hips. I gave her a “thumbs up” as I came in.
Her smile was
tight-lipped
, h
er face pinched and white, her eyes huge, but she kept patting her kids, first one, then the other, murmuring to them the whole time that things were going to be “fine, just fine.” She had more courage than I would ever have.

Nathan stood by the kitchen door, keys in his hand. “
Have they
stopped
him yet
?”

“Not yet, but they know where he is.”

“Where?”

“Over on Cherry.”

“Okay.”

He leaned down and said something to Margaret, then straightened up and hit the button on the garage door opener. The door started its slow ascent. We heard Margaret’s engine start and she was backing down the driveway as the door settled itself on the garage ceiling. Her tires squealed a little as she turned into the street, the engine roared, then silence. But not for long. More engine noise as Nathan pulled his car into the garage. The door groaned in protest once more and clanged against the concrete as it closed.

“We did it.” Nathan came through the door with a large grin on his face. “I’m putting Margaret up for
D
river of the
Y
ear. You should have seen her take that corner.” No one smiled with him. It just wasn’t a smiling moment.

Gina came back into the kitchen, followed closely by Marilee and Leona. “Are they ready to leave?”

Anne barely glanced at them. “Just as soon as we know he’s stopped. We’re not taking any chances. But I’m alerting their ride. Ellen, can I borrow your cell phone? I’ve run my battery down.” I handed it to her, and she dialed. “They’ll be leaving in a few minutes.” She listened a moment. “Good. And good luck. Yes. I’ll talk to you tomorrow.”

She snapped the phone shut and turned toward us. “Okay. Let’s get that duffel in the car, then Janice and the kids. You have to be ready to roll as soon as we get that phone call.
”

Emily started to wail. “Not without my kitty.”

She had a cat? I hadn’t known they allowed pets, but it made sense. Pets were important. I thought of Jake, my big, lazy, yellow tomcat. He was the only thing, besides Susannah, I’d really cared about when I left Brian, or rather when he’d thrown me out. I’d taken stuff, mostly because his new girlfriend, who was moving in, wanted everything new, but only Susannah and Jake had really mattered. How horrible for this little girl to have to leave her cat behind. And I was sure she would have to. There was no room in that duffel bag for it.

Janice was trying to comfort the child while looking around with wild eyes; Nathan was lugging the duffel bag toward the kitchen door, saying they had to go. The child’s cries got louder and more hysterical, and the boy’s face was crumbling as well. Any second there would be two hysterical children, and the way I felt, an adult just might join them.

Leona walked over to Janice and reached out for the child. “Your poor mom’s back’s gonna give out. Want me to hold you for a
while?”

The child buried her face deeper in her mother’s shoulder and cried harder.

“Not now, Leona.” Anne sounded as if she were barely holding on. “For God’s sake, the child is under enough stress. Let’s concentrate on getting them out of here. Doesn’t anyone know where that damned cat is?”

“Look.” Marilee stood in the doorway, holding a white, fluffy, stuffed cat in one hand. The other held the small of her back. “You left him on the coffee table.” She handed the toy to the child, who grabbed it with one hand, never loosening her grip on her mother’s neck. She buried her face in the soft fur,
let loose
another couple of sobs, and quieted. Her brother edged a little closer
and
patted his sister on the leg, still cl
i
ng
ing
tightly to his mother’s arm. The frantic look that had been building eased, but the worry in his eyes didn’t.

My cell phone rang.

“Hello?” Anne answered on the second ring. “Yes, she’s right here.” She handed it to me.

“Ida?” Talk about timing. “Gary’s got him stopped? Yeah, I bet he is furious. They’re checking his taillights? How long will that take? Well, stretch it out as long as you can. Where is he? Okay, got it. Tell Gary he’s wonderful, and Ida, thanks.”

I handed Anne the slip of paper where I’d written the location of the traffic stop.

“Oh, Lord, he’s only a couple of blocks from here.” Anne’s face was pinched and white. So was Janice’s.

“Yeah.” Somehow that fact, even more than seeing him from the porch, gave me the shivers.

“Lets move, everybody. Janice, get your kids into the car. Nathan, is their stuff in?”

Nathan nodded and opened the kitchen door, practically pushing Janice and the kids through. “Get into the backseat, all of you. Kids, you’re on the floor. Janice, duck down on the seat as soon as we’re clear of the garage. Just in case.”

They obeyed. Nathan slid into the front seat and hit the clicker. The door groaned again and started its slow ascent. The engine started.

“Wish us luck.” Nathan’s window slid up.

The rest of us were crammed into the kitchen, waiting as the door finally made it up all the way. No one waved as the car backed out, hit the end of the driveway, and turned left. We stepped out into the garage and watched until it turned the corner and was gone. As we returned to the kitchen, Anne paused, reached back and pushed the button. The door protested again and started its slow slide down.

I
drove home slowly, trying to make sense out of what had happened. I’d felt a little uneasy at first, meeting those women whose lives were in so much turmoil. It hadn’t been
so
long
since
mine had also been turned upside down. Maybe that was why I was uneasy. Their problems made me remember that time
—
the pain, humiliation, and confusion of being rejected by my husband. I didn’t want to be reminded.

Our marriage had effectively been over years before Brian had asked—demanded
—
a divorce. I’d known that, known I had to do something, but had let it go on, had avoided making those painful decisions until they were thrust on me.
U
nlike the women at Grace House, I got lucky. Brenda Ferrell was the best attorney a woman could have. She looked like a Newport Beach trophy wife with her designer suits, perfect makeup, thin to the point of emaciation figure, but she had a tongue made out of razor blades and a passion for going after men who tire of their families and no longer want to pay the bills for them after they’ve found a young playmate. When she was finished with Brian, Susannah had a very generous trust fund and I had
… W
ell, I was in no danger of starving. I wasn’t so sure Brian wasn’t. I also had a brand new real estate license and a job in Santa Louisa where I’d grown up and where I was more than happy to reestablish my roots. I had Susannah
—
at least when she wasn’t at college
—
and I had my Aunt Mary, the most grounded person I knew, who made sure I was grounded as well.

And I had Dan. I smiled at the thought.
I
t hadn’t been easy to let myself love him. Twenty years of alternating between neglect and criticism do things to you. They leave wounds, and mine weren’t entirely healed. But they were getting better. My foot rested a little heavier on the gas pedal. I could hardly wait to get home. I’d
prepare
dinner, Dan would have a beer; I’d have wine, and I’d tell him everything that had happened. He already knew about the traffic stop, I was sure. There wasn’t much that happened in his police department he didn’t know about. But the rest! The threat Hamilton Winter was to his wife, the
terror
in her eyes, the fear I had felt
…
and the other women.
Marilee, so young, her life in shambles. Maybe Doctor Sadler was right. Maybe she should put the baby up for adoption. But yet, the look in her eyes, the determined set to her chin, the way she touched her tummy
…
maybe
… A
nd Leona. I didn’t know what to think about her. Whatever “making it” meant, I didn’t think it included Leona. And then there was Gina. There was a sadness about
the girl
I didn’t understand. It had nothing to do with competence or even self-assurance. She seemed at home in the bakery, especially for someone who was learning. She was certainly attractive, and she was nice to other people. Thoughtful. She’d been tender with Rose and she’d brought home a cake for the children. I wondered if they’d taken it. Of course they hadn’t. Who cared about cake when you were running for your life
?
The thought made me shiver. I wondered where Janice and her kids were now. In the safe house in San Luis Obispo, I hoped.

I could hardly wait to hear what Dan thought when I told him
.
I couldn’t believe it. I was going to tell him. Everything. And he would listen and tell me what he thought and then we’d
…  I
t would never have occurred to me to tell Brian anything except what time we were due for cocktails at the next fundraiser we were to attend. That brought me back to tonight’s dinner. Did I have to stop at the store? No, and I wasn’t going by the office either. I could pick up my messages from home, which meant I could swing by the cemetery and avoid the traffic on the main bridge

I was so deep in thought that I almost didn’t see her.

The old woman was at the cemetery gates, waving her arms, staggering to keep upright. I braked and backed up.

“What’s the matter?” I got to her just as she collapsed. Her face was gray, her breathing coming in labored gasps.

“I think he’s dead.”

I looked up the drive. What was she talking about? They were all dead. Weren’t they?

“Is it your husband?” I asked. “Where is he?”

“Up there.” She pointed toward a hill where the graves were littered with statues and granite monuments. “His grave is up there.” She paused and took a deep breath. This time her words came out stronger. “It isn’t him. It’s Doctor Sadler. He’s got blood all over him. Someone’s killed him. Do something!”

Doctor Sadler? Up there? Blood? Why would he be
…
no. This couldn’t be happening. I looked down at the frail little thing. Her breathing seemed a little better, but her color was still terrible. Shock. She was in shock. I couldn’t remember what you did for shock, but I knew there was something. Mouth to mouth? No. Lie her down flat? Elevate her feet?

“Aren’t you going to do something? Go up there?”

She was imagining it. She must be. Only, she’d seen something and it didn’t seem I had much choice but to find out what. First, though, I needed to get her to my car. I had a little trouble with that; she didn’t bend very well but finally made it. She leaned back against the seat. “Well? Get going.”

“I am. Just sit back and try to relax.” I wanted to sound soothing. Instead I sounded as unnerved as she. “Where did you say he is? If he’s hurt
...
I have my cell phone.” I wasn’t at all sure what this frail little woman had seen, but it was certainly possible Doctor Sadler, or someone, had had an accident and needed help.
However,
I wasn’t so unnerved
that
I was
going to
call anyone
before
I knew what I was calling about.

I followed her directions and drove into a parking area that contained only one very old, very large car. Its back passenger door was open, and a mat lay on the gravel.

“Up there.” She pointed up a path that wound peacefully between old monuments. A huge oak reigned sedately at the top of the rise. The dead slept here, but in peace and tranquility. Violence and blood seemed to have no place.

I started up the small hill, convincing myself with every step that there was nothing to find. I was wrong.

At least I knew enough not to go too close. In any event, it wasn’t necessary. Even at a distance, I could tell that the elderly man who lay across the grave would soon be in one of his own. I felt my knees give way and came to rest on a fat marble bench at the foot of a grave. I didn’t know whose it was but sent h
i
m
or her
a thank you anyway. It took a little fumbling before I was able to get my cell phone out of my pocket and another minute before my fingers would dial 911. My eyes never left the body. I don’t know if I thought I could will him to move, or what, but I couldn’t seem to see anything else.

“Ida.” I hardly recognized my own voice. “It’s Ellen. Listen
—
”

“Did you get that poor woman away safely?” she interrupted. “That kind of thing just makes me sick. Gary said he was so rude, I
—
”

“Ida, listen. I’ll tell you about her later. I have another problem.” She was silent for a few seconds after I finished telling her what I had found, then immediately went into dispatcher mode. “Did you touch him?”

“No.” Touch him? I shuddered. “I know better than that. I’m just sitting here, on someone’s bench, looking at him. Can you get
…
u
h
…
you know, the right people out here?”

“
Stay on
the line, Ellen. I’m making the calls right now. Don’t move.”

As if I could. “Ida, there’s an old lady in my car. She was the one who found him. Make sure the ambulance people take a look at her.”

“Will do. Who is she?”

“I’ve no idea. But if she’s feeling like I am, she’s going to need a little help.”

“Oh oh. Are you going to be sick? Put your head between your legs.”

I thought that was for fainting but didn’t bother to say so. “I’m fine. Just get the troops here.”

I wasn’t fine. Not one bit. I’d seen dead people before, but this! My head was swimming, and Ida’s advice seemed pretty good. At least I wouldn’t have to look at what remained of what I supposed was Dr. Sadler.

Sirens. Screaming loudly and getting closer. Help was on the way. I couldn’t see the front gates from where I sat, but I could see the road. It filled up fast with police cars, fire trucks, and an ambulance.
I
r
o
se
to my feet, vowing I wouldn’t get sick on what might be crime scene grass, and walked down the trail toward the parking lot.

Two black and whites pulled into the lot, followed by an ambulance. My friend Gary was in the first car.

“You’ve had a busy day,” he observed. “Where’s this body?”

“Up there.” I pointed up the hill. “Right under that oak tree, on the grave by the fallen angel.”

The officer who unwound himself from behind the wheel of the second car was new to me. Young, tall, very serious, he looked appalled at my description. “You can’t have a fallen angel in this cemetery. It
’
s
…
sacrilegious.”

“It’s a statue. Of an angel. It’s fallen over,” I explained.
“The
…
victim is right beside it.”

“I knew that.” He started up the hill right behind the paramedics. Gary watched him go. “He’s new,” he said, as if that explained everything. “You all right, Ellen? You look kind of white. I’ve got some coffee. Would that help?”

Before I answered him, I glanced over at my car. My old lady seemed to be leaning back against the seat, her mouth hanging open. Wonderful. She was probably having a stroke or something. No. Her color looked okay. But coffee might help. It would sure help me.

“Thanks. Coffee would be wonderful. Do you have two cups? Bring it over to my car. I think I’d better go sit with that lady. She’s the one who found him, and I’m not real sure how she’s doing.”

Gary looked at her curiously. “Who is she?”

“Haven’t got a clue.” But it was time to find out. “And, Gary, after the paramedics get through up there, could you have them check her out?”

I climbed into the driver’s seat and leaned over my passenger, prepared to do whatever was
necessary
to help this sweet, helpless old lady. I hoped that didn’t include a mad dash to the emergency room.