The Happy Housewife (Samantha Sherman Book 1) (13 page)

“I’m not upset about coming forward anymore, I was just thinking about Pete and the others. I need to warn them, Sam. I can call Clint and Marjorie but Pete doesn’t have a phone. He’s so paranoid about the government. Once his name is out there the police will want to talk to him. He is the type who needs to know what’s coming or he’ll overreact. I have to talk to him Sam. I have to talk to him.”

Helen was starting to look kind of fierce. Sam almost smiled. “I understand, Helen. Why don’t you call Marjorie and Clint and then we’ll stop by Pete’s place on the way to pick up Lindsey. Is that good?”

Helen’s face relaxed. “Yes, thank you. I’ll call Clint. He’s going to be mad but it makes sense about the prints so I’ll tell him that.”

Sam got Helen situated at the table and cleaned up their mostly untouched lunches as she listened to Helen make her call. She could hear Clint yelling through the phone and thought Helen would back down several times. Sam was glad the cat was out of the bag, so to speak. The police already knew, so Helen couldn’t change her mind. Helen finally got off the phone after telling Clint she would update him after the conversation with the police. She listened for another minute or two, said “all right” several times, and then got off the phone. She turned to Sam and said, “Well, at least that’s over with. He emphasized that I should avoid talking about what we did in the past, as if I would after all these years. He also said to tell the police about Pete’s condition.”

“Sure, you can do all that.” Sam looked at her watch. “Well, if you want to get going now that will give us enough time to stop and talk to Pete. If we finish talking to Pete quickly we can always watch Lindsey do her gymnastics.” Sam was trying to lighten the mood but it really fell flat. Helen seemed to only comprehend that they were leaving, as though she had too much to process already and could not handle anything else.

“Pete will be at the school right now,” Helen said as though she just thought of it. “He still works during the summer.”

“That’s fine, we’ll go there.”

They both started to move at once, quickly getting themselves together and heading out to the car. Helen was walking slower than normal and was even limping some. The trip over to the public high school was very quiet. Sam felt bad for Helen but also felt very much in control of the situation. It was almost like flying home after a successful Coast Guard mission. It felt good.

They arrived at the high school and Sam pulled into the large lot in front. “The main doors will be open. Pete’s office is to the right, over near the gymnasium. At this time of day he’s probably putting his cleaning stuff away there,” said Helen.

“Is there a closer entrance we can go through?” asked Sam. “When we were walking out to the car it seemed as though your hip was bothering you. You’re still supposed to be off it, right?”

“Unfortunately, I don’t have my keys to the school with me. They are back at my house. I’ll have to walk through the school.” She didn’t respond about the hip but instead started to get out of the car and winced.

“Helen, it’s okay. I forget about your hip sometimes. How about if I go get Pete? Will he come out with me?”

“Oh yes. Just tell him you’re with me and that I want to talk to him outside. I’m sorry, Sam. I’m really putting you out with all this, aren’t I?”

“You know I’m happy to help, Helen. I’ll be right back. Now, let’s see, you said I take a right once I’m inside to get to the gym, is that correct?”

Helen nodded and Sam headed into the school. She threw her purse over her shoulder and, as she walked through the main doors, she pushed her sunglasses up on her head. As Sam headed towards the gym she had to curve around through the main hall toward the back of the school. The administrative offices were to the left of the main doors and there would be people working there today. Sam knew she probably should check in but what she was doing was sort of hard to explain and she didn’t want to take the time. She walked the hallway lined with mustard colored lockers that were clean of graffiti with walls that looked freshly painted. Classrooms with closed doors and glass windows broke up the lines of lockers. Preparation for the new school year was already underway. Sam spotted the gymnasium with open doors ahead. When she reached the gym she peaked inside, it was empty. She turned back around and realized she must have missed Pete’s office.

She spotted a small hallway off to the left, right before the gym. The other doors appeared to be classrooms. Sam set off down the small hall. She passed two bathrooms and then the hall jogged to the right. This second hall was a little darker. It looked like there was a broken fluorescent light overhead.
You would think a janitor would fix his own light first
, she thought.

Sam smiled. This was reminding her of a scary movie. No one around, low lighting, and an obscure office completed the movie set up. She finally found Pete’s office at the end of the little hall past what looked like a janitor’s closet. The office was on the right with the door partly closed. She looked in and could see some mops to the right but she couldn’t see to the left. She knocked and the door opened further. Sam realized she didn’t know Pete’s last name. “Pete, are you here? I’m a friend of Helen’s.”

The door had pushed open halfway with her knock and Sam could now see the end of a desk. There was no response, so after calling out Pete’s name again, Sam pushed the door completely open and walked in. Another fluorescent light was out in the office. ‘Office’ was really an exaggeration, she decided as she looked around. The wall to her right was lined with shelves where mops, brooms, and trash bags were stored. She didn’t notice any cleaning supplies, however.
They must be in the janitor’s closet
, she thought. She could now see the rest of the desk which was actually in the center of the room. There was a much bigger area behind the desk. In that area some duffle bags lay on the dusty floor, and something that looked like a cot was leaning up on the wall. Sam moved past a messy metal desk with a phone and no computer. A desk calendar had some notes jotted on it, although they were too messy to read.
I wonder if even he can read his writing?
Sam thought. She moved to the far side of the room towards the cot. She noticed a sleeping bag on the floor next to it, not visible from the door. Sam touched the cot; it was army green and had a slightly musty smell.

When Sam heard the crash behind her she jumped but didn’t immediately turn around. It sounded like someone had hit the open door. She felt frozen with a bit of panic.
Why did I walk into the room?
After all, Helen had told her this guy was paranoid.

“Wada hell you duin?” Sam mentally unhooked herself and spun around. The loud words which seemed run together came from a guy whose appearance was that of an aging hippie. Except he looked angry, very angry. Hippies were happy people, happy! The man that she could only assume was Pete appeared to be of average height but filled up the door with his bulk. He didn’t look fat, though. He just had wide shoulders. He was wearing a janitor’s blue green pants and shirt. One of his shirt tails had come out in the back; he didn’t have on a belt. His hair was pulled back in a graying low ponytail. The hair looked kind of oily and stringy. His face was long but full and he seemed to have a scar down one cheek. His eyes belied his slurry words. They were shockingly sharp and trained right on Sam.

Sam took a quick breath, not quite enough to slow her pulsing heartbeat, and said as calmly as she could, “Pete, I’m so sorry to walk into your office. I’m here with Helen Thomas. She wanted to speak with you outside.”

No reaction. Pete just stood there looking at her. Then he took a step inside the door, towards her! Sam felt a surreal sensation. Of course she didn’t have anything to worry about in a high school. Nevertheless, she took a step toward the desk, but on the opposite side from Pete. She tried again. “Pete, do you understand me? I’m here with Helen. She wants to talk to you out in front of the school.” She tried Helen’s real name, “Helen Vladislav.”

“Who the hell are you?” he asked again, this time in a clear loud voice. He no longer seemed like a hippie but more like her stereotype of an angry biker. Was she basing this all on the ponytail?
I’ve lived in conservative Fairfax too long
, thought Sam. Her mind was whirling at an alarming rate.
Calm down, count to five
, she told herself.

She started again, “My name is Samantha. Helen is a friend; she’s staying with me. She hurt her hip and didn’t want to walk all the way into the high school. It’s kind of a long way around to your office.” Again, no response. Was he processing what she said? Gosh, he seemed even bigger than she originally thought
.
Sam thought quickly of the closed classrooms and the empty gym. She felt her stomach turn over. In her best ‘in charge’ voice, she said, “Why don’t I take you to her. She’s right outside in the parking lot.” Sam took another step and was now on the opposite long side of the desk from Pete who also took a side step, positioning himself back in front of the door.

“Tell me who you are.”

“I’m a housewife, Pete. I’m just a friend of Helen’s. She’s staying at my house.”

“You need to mind your own business. This has nothing to do with you.” Pete raised his arms, gesturing as he talked. He looked even bigger. Fantastic.

Sam gave a little fake laugh which sounded hollow even to her ears.
I need to keep him calm.
“You’re right, Pete. This isn’t any of my business. I go to church with Helen and have been bringing her Communion. When Dan died, Helen asked to stay at my house. Then she asked to speak to you today.”

“Dan,
Dan
, what the hell do you know about Dan?” Oh boy, now his hands were widespread and gesturing more frantically.

“Nothing, Pete, all I know is that he moved recently to Chicago and he was killed.”

“What, are you on his side? That bastard was leaving us. He thought he was better than us. He was giving up. What, are you on his side? Who do you work for? What do you know?” Pete took a step forward from the door towards Sam. Sam side stepped back towards the cot side of the room.

“Pete, can we just go talk to Helen? She’ll explain everything.” Sam took another step around the desk and tried to subtly look around the room. She had her purse which wasn’t very hard. She spotted some mops but they were on the other side of the room. Her side of the office only had the duffle bags which looked overstuffed and soft.

Now Pete was on one side of the desk and she was directly opposite him. If he climbed over the desk she would be trapped.
Who am I kidding? He’s closer to the door than me. I am trapped.

Pete was still glaring at her. He looked like he was deciding what to do next. “Pete, please, Helen can explain. I’m not against you,” Sam said this in the softest sweetest voice that she could muster and willed Pete to calm down.

“Just shut up about Helen. She thinks she knows everything, but she wasn’t right about Dan was she, no she wasn’t. That rat bastard Dan. Maybe they should have listened to me for once. And don’t try and tell me you’re part of the revolution. What do you know about the mission?”

Sam tried just remaining quiet and let Pete think for a minute. At least his last comment was said in a normal tone of voice. Pete took his eyes off of her which was a relief. He began pacing the floor and started muttering. Sam couldn’t make much out … something about the mission …
oh dear, now he’s getting more agitated
. Terrific.
All right, I’m getting out of here
, she decided.

Pete was still on the door side of the desk but as he paced back and forth he actually would move to a position away from the door that would periodically mean that Sam was closer to the door. Sam took one small step towards the door and stopped. It didn’t seem like Pete was noticing. She felt the adrenaline coil up in her. Next time, next time. The adrenaline seemed to be pushing up her throat like bile. Now, now,
now
. Pete was at the opposite side of the room and briefly ducked his head muttering in an incoherent but loud manner. Sam leapt towards the door. It seemed like she was in slow motion. Thank goodness the door was pushed all the way open. With a little cry Sam was at the door.

“Bitch!” she heard from Pete.

Something like “leave me alone,” came out of Sam but it seemed like someone else was saying it. Sam heard Pete crash into the desk and she continued to shoot forward. She ran down the small hallway and almost banged her shoulder as she turned the corner. She heard heavy breathing but couldn’t tell if it was her breath or Pete’s that was so loud. Sam cut the next corner past the bathrooms more sharply and scraped her shoulder this time as she went by. She booked down the hall away from the gym.
Faster
. She felt her lungs heaving and pushed herself mentally.
I just need to get to the main hall, and then someone can hear me scream
. As she rounded the final corner to the main hall, she felt something on her arm. She opened her mouth to cry out. Why hadn’t she screamed before? Who knows who could be around? She cut herself off when she realized what she felt was a breeze from the now open main doors. Sam was close enough to the administrative office where someone could hear her scream so she slowed. No footsteps. She turned around; nothing.

Sam leaned back against the lockers, panting. In front of her were the now open main doors. She could see a moving van outside; it looked like someone was moving desks either into or out of the school. The administrative offices remained closed.
Probably keeping their air-conditioning in
, Sam thought
.
She looked left, still nothing. Sam began to laugh a bit, out loud. It sounded slightly hysterical to her ears.
You’re on your own with this one, Helen.
Sam reached up to plop her sunglasses on her nose. They were gone, of course
.
Instead, she moved some of the hair that had fallen out of her hairband back behind her ears and pushed herself off the lockers.
I should keep moving.

With her heart almost slowed back down but her adrenaline still pumping, Sam walked out into the bright sunlight. She squinted without her sunglasses and tried to remember where she had parked. She spotted the car over to the right. She could see Helen hunched over in the front seat with the window rolled down. Sam headed over to the car. Helen looked up questioningly as she approached.