Bob Moats - Jim Richards 01-03- 3 for Murder Box Set (13 page)

I sat down across from her and said I needed to talk. I didn’t tell her the whole story. She would have had a coronary if she knew I was involved with murder. Maybe I’d tell her after the dust settled. So I told her I met a woman, her name was Penny, we hit it off, liked each other and would be seeing each other a lot more. I told her I would still be around to help with Dad and running errands, but I would be spending more time with Penny. Surprisingly, Mom was happy. She was worried I was turning into a hermit, always in my room. It wasn’t healthy for a grown man to be alone. She told me to go have a happy life, and she wanted to meet Penny. I told her it was Penny Wickens from the talk show, and Mom got all excited. Now she really wanted to meet her. I said it would be a while, but she would have a chance to get together. Penny was kind of busy right now.

Mom was satisfied. I told her I had some running to do and then was going back to Penny. I said I would return to help get Dad to bed and then excused myself. I wanted to get back to Penny’s to be sure she was all right. I asked if Mom needed anything. She didn’t. I packed up my laptop and a few other things I would need and headed out.

I stopped at a store and bought some Pepsi and chips. I needed them to survive each day. I drove into Penny’s drive and waved to the cop in front. I presumed the other was out back. They had to also watch the water now. I noticed Deacon was prowling around outside. I asked him what he was doing. He said he was making sure all was good out here and getting some fresh air. I went in. Penny was in the kitchen, assembling potato salad.

“Well, back in time to start the barbecue. Buck and Tim are out back getting the fire going.” She handed me the plate of steaks and steered me to the door. I said “Hi” to everyone. Deacon had now drifted around and joined us. Buck took the plate from me and insisted he was the grill master. I didn’t argue. Penny and I sat together on her picnic table and watched the festivities. Tim and Deacon went off to visit with the other cop by the water, talking strategy or maybe cars.  I was trying to keep an eye out for anything suspicious outside the yard. A person could fire a high power rifle from the woods next to her property. Penny could see I was a little tense.

“Sweetie, stop worrying. I’ll be all right. The killer seems to only hit at night and usually up close.” She comforted me with her braveness. I sort of knew she was right, but killers don’t have set rules.

“Yeah, well, this killer won’t get close to you.” I gritted my teeth and pulled her closer to me.

“Did your talk with your mother go well?” she asked.

“Yeah, better than I thought it would. But now she really wants to meet you since I told her who you were.” I smiled. 

“Well, I want to meet her, she brought you into this world just for me.” She grinned.

After a while, the steaks were ready. Everybody got their plate full of steak and potato salad and sat or stood around the picnic table. After we ate, everyone helped clean up. Buck, Penny and I went into the house. The cops decided to stay outside for a while.

The three of us went to the family room and sat, feeling full from all the food. I told Penny that around 6:00 I would have to run back to my house to get my Dad to bed. She said she wished she could go, but was sure the cops would object. I said I wouldn’t be gone long.

We had about four hours before I had to go, so I suggested we take a nap. She grinned and thought that would be nice. Buck was already involved watching the James Bond DVD on the TV so he waved us off, and we went to the bedroom. We snuggled and kissed a bit, but we decided to actually take a nap. We had had a long sleepless night. I set the alarm on my Palm TX for two hours, and we slipped off to dreamland.

*

Chapter Eleven

The phone rang about an hour later. Penny answered it. She held it out to me as I lay on the bed, still half-asleep.

“Hello?” I slurred.

“Richards, Trapper here. We got Grolich, and we’re taking her home. She doesn’t want to go anywhere else. I couldn’t convince her. Tell Wickens it was a nice gesture, but it’s a no-go. We’re going to transport her to Bloomfield where she lives and get the local police involved. She confirmed the Rocco incident, so I’m betting he’s the connection. She hasn’t seen her emails yet, so we’re bracing for a threat.”

“Yeah, well, I called San Francisco to see where Rocco’s daughter’s been. They say she went to Cabo for the last week. Might want to check the airlines to see if she made a side stop here.”

“Again, officially, stop investigating. But unofficially, thanks for the info. It helps. I’ll check back with you later to see if all is well there. Call me if trouble pops up.” He hung up, again without a good-bye.

I relayed the information to Penny who was now sitting on the edge of the bed. She was disappointed that she wouldn’t have another female in the overly testosterone filled house. I kissed her hand and said I could put on a dress if it would make her happy. She looked at me and said I’d be an ugly woman. I slapped her behind and asked if she was still sleepy. She wasn’t, so I got up and we went out to the family room. Buck was not there. I looked out the front window and saw him and two of the cops leaning on the car talking. I was glad he was getting over his police phobia. Penny and I sat on the couch and listened to the silence.

She giggled, then said, “Wanna get married after this is over?”

I stared at her a moment then said, “I thought we were having a long engagement first.”

“I thought so, too, but you’re old and could die before I get to inherit your fortune.”

I grimly said, “You mean my twenty year old car and the clothes on my back? You’d have to take care of my parents if I’m gone.”

“OK, so let’s do it.”

“We’ll discuss it after we catch the killer.”

“What if we never catch him? What if he escapes and disappears?”

“We’ll see, if that happens.”

“Spoil sport.”

Buck and Tim came back through the newly repaired front door, spotted us and sat down. They said they had the guard schedule all plotted out for the night, front and back of the house. Buck didn’t have to work for a couple more nights, so he was more than happy to camp out here. Penny thanked him.

We sat and talked for the next two hours, Deacon and Tim floating in and out of the house to guard. About 5:45 I told Penny that I was going to the house to do my thing. She kissed me and walked me to my car. I really hated to leave her, not just because of the killer, but because I just didn’t want to leave her. But I did.

I traveled again back down Groesbeck Highway and turned onto Fifteen Mile Road just as a car crossed over the lane heading right towards me. I panicked but kept my head, steered the car to the right, up over the curb, across railroad tracks, stopping just before dropping down an embankment and into a gully. I looked back, saw the car had slowed and saw what looked like a woman at the wheel. She was watching me. She then sped off, leaving me with my heart beating up in my throat.

A guy in a pickup truck had seen the incident and stopped to see if I was all right. He helped me get my car back over the tracks and onto the road. He said the car was a black ‘99 Pontiac SSE Bonneville, but couldn’t read the license plate on the back of the car. He said the plate was covered with mud, looked like it was smeared on.

I thanked him and drove off toward my parents. I was watching around for that car, using the image in my head. I wouldn’t know one car make from another, but I would remember that one. The killer tried to make a metal sculpture out of me. That worried me. I arrived at my parents’ house, paused to watch for the car, but didn’t see it.  I was concerned for my parents. I would have to talk to Trapper about the attack and about them. Would the killer go after them to spite me? Would he bother to take time from killing the cheerleaders to waste on me? I really thought not. I helped Mom with the nightly routine, then excused myself again and headed back to Penny’s, watching the roads carefully.

I got back about 6:50, took Buck aside and told him what happened. He was pissed. I told him not to say anything to Penny about it. I met Penny in the kitchen and gave her a real big lip lock, glad to be alive. I wasn’t going to mention the attack. It would just worry her. I told her I had a call to make, went into the bedroom and called Trapper. I related the incident, and he agreed it sounded like a deliberate attack. He said they had Grolich under house arrest for her own good. She also received an email threat when they got back to her home. The Birmingham police were on the scene with warnings about prior murder M.O. They said they would be vigilant. Trapper told me to cover my ass and hung up.

I sat on the bed thinking. Penny softly knocked on the door.

“Come on in,” I said.

“You OK? You looked a little pale when you got back. Parents OK?” she asked, as she sat next to me.

“Everyone’s fine. I’m just a little worn down. Showing my age, that’s all.” I gave her a big smile and kissed her cheek.

“I told you we should get married right away. Us old people should go for the gusto while we can.” She grinned.

“Who are you calling old? I’m only thirty-nine,” I stated.

“In dog years,” she countered.

I looked at her, got up and left her alone in the room.

“Hey, not nice,” she yelled.

I peeked back around the door and said, “Us old people aren’t nice.” Then I went to the family room. She came in and went to the kitchen. I followed.

“Just where a woman should be, in the kitchen. Take your shoes off. You should be barefoot, too.” I laughed.

She threw a plastic cup at my head. I ducked.

She pulled a package of smoked sausages out of the fridge and told me to tell everyone who might be hungry that she was nuking sausages in the microwave and serving with the rest of the potato salad.

All those who responded came and ate. Then Buck, Penny and I went to the family room again to sit and watch James Bond on DVD. Buck stretched out on the recliner and said he was going to nap.

I looked at Buck then said to Penny, “Gee, dear, aren’t you so proud of our son? Just look how big he has grown.”

Penny laughed.

Buck lifted his head from the recliner and raised a finger in salute.

“Hey, young man, don’t you go giving the finger to your father!” Penny scolded.

Buck raised both fingers in reply.

We laughed.

The phone rang and Penny got up to answer. She handed the phone to me.

“Hello?”

“Richards, it’s Trapper. I’ve got some bad news. I got a call from the chief of police and was informed we don’t have the man power to keep four men on protection. I explained that an attempt was already made and would happen again. He was sympathetic, but we are shorthanded on the roads. Since the last millage didn’t pass, we had to cut our staff. He said I could keep one man on, but the rest have to go back to duty. Sorry, man, nothing more I can do.”

“Crap, that’s just fine. They need to write tickets, not save lives,” I said bitterly.

“Jim, I understand how you feel. My hands are tied. I have to pull three back. Let them decide who stays. Worse yet, I can’t put anyone on Grolich. Chief feels the Birmingham police should shoulder the burden. If either woman is killed, I’m going to rub it in his face. Subtly, but it will be a rub. Watch yourselves.” He hung up.

“Shit.” I very rarely swear aloud, but this was for a good reason. Penny asked what was wrong. Buck rose up in the chair and waited. I told them what Trapper said. Buck cursed, but Penny took it in stride.

“I’ve still got you two strong men to watch me. Wasn’t it the two of you who protected me last night?”