The Super Spies and the Cat Lady Killer (17 page)

Mrs. Parker walked out from behind her desk. “Well, girls,” she said taking a breath. “The Klonskys and the Fedewas were good friends. In fact, John Klonsky worked for Mr. Fedewa at his mill.”

“Wow, are you sure?” Sarah asked, casting a sideways glance at Jackie. “What about Lonny and David?”

“They were close. In fact, they were inseparable.”

“No kidding?”

“No kidding,” Mrs. Parker nodded her head emphatically.

“Did you know Mrs. Fedewa and John Klonsky had an affair?” Jackie blurted out.

“Where did you girls hear that?”

“From a very reliable source,” Jackie said, acting mysterious.

Sarah snorted. Jackie should be a movie star instead of a model.

“I don't know anything about that.”

“We need to find out everything we can about the friendship between the two families,” Sarah said.

“Yeah, please help us find Mrs. Fedewa's murderer. She was your friend,” Lacey pleaded.

Mrs. Parker frowned. “I don't know anything about an affair between Frieda Fedewa and John Klonsky.”

Sarah studied the librarian. “Are you sure?”

“Yes, I'm sure,” she insisted, but gazed at the floor and sighed. “It wouldn't surprise me if it were true, though.”

“Why do you say that?” Sarah asked.

Mrs. Parker sighed again. “Because, Russell worked all the time, and Frieda was lonely. Her only companion was her maid.”

Jackie snapped her fingers. “The maid must have been the one taking all those pictures.”

“What pictures?” Mrs. Parker asked.

“Ahh—nothing,” Sarah said quickly, staring at Jackie with a ‘shut your mouth' look. “I wonder if we could talk to her maid?”

“Her maid died about five years ago…You know, you need to talk to Scoop Davis.” Mrs. Parker shook her index finger in the air.

“Who's Scoop Davis?” Sarah asked.

“He's the investigative reporter who covered the kidnapping for the paper. If anyone knows anything about the two families, it would be him.”

“Does he still work for the paper?” Sarah felt a ray of hope and wiggled her tingling fingers.

“No, he's retired, but I do have his home phone and address. Would that help?”

“Yes!”

Mrs. Parker walked back to her desk and searched for a pen and paper, and then thumbed through her rolodex. She jotted down the information, and handed the paper to Sarah.

“Thanks,” Sarah said.

“Yeah, thanks,” Jackie chimed in.

Armed with the new lead, the girls left the library. They trotted down the stairs and stopped on the sidewalk. Sarah studied the paper and then pulled her cell phone out of her pocket.

“What are you doing?” Lacey asked.

“Calling Scoop Davis.” Sarah held the phone to her ear. “It's ringing.”

“Hello,” a male voice answered.

“Hello, ah…my name is Sarah Cole,” Sarah began, realizing she hadn't rehearsed what she was going to say.

“Yes?”

“Ah…my name is Sarah Cole, and my friends and I are investigating the Fedewa murder. We were wondering if we could ask you a few questions about the kidnapping thirty years ago.”

“I'm retired,” Scoop replied abruptly.

“I know, but we think there's a link between the two crimes, and Mrs. Parker told us you were the person to talk with about the kidnapping.”

“Did you know the kidnapping has never been solved?”

“Yeah. We think there's a link, but we need more information to prove it.”

“You said you think there's a connection between the two crimes?” Scoop asked. Sarah could tell he was interested.

“Yes, there is.” Sarah
scuffed the sidewalk with her sandal.

“What's the connection?”

“If we could meet… we could explain the whole thing to you.” Sarah crossed her fingers and held them up in the air for Jackie and Lacey to see.

“Well, I was about to go fishing…but,” Scoop wavered. “I guess I could meet you first. Where do you want to meet?”

“How about Hinkle's?” Sarah beamed and gave the girls the thumbs up.

“That would work.”

“How about twenty minutes?”

“Make it fifteen.”

“Sounds good. Um… what do you look like?”

Scoop's laugh boomed through the phone. Sarah winced and pulled it away from her ear for a second. “I'm a balding Santa minus the beard.”

“Okay, there's three of us, and we're called the Super Spies.”

“The Super Spies, eh? I'm certainly intrigued. I'll see you in fifteen.”

Sarah disconnected the call. “He's meeting us at Hinkle's.”

“Cool beans!”

“Let's get moving,” Sarah said, taking a step forward. Lacey and Jackie fell in step beside her.

Reaching Hinkle's with minutes to spare, the girls sauntered in the door. Sarah welcomed the cold blast from the air conditioning. It dried the sweat on her brow and the back of her neck.

A hostess appeared and escorted them to a table. The girls ordered sodas while they waited for Scoop.

Looking around, Sarah noticed the restaurant wasn't busy.
There were a few stragglers who were leisurely finishing their coffee or reading the local paper. It was the lull of inactivity just after the breakfast rush and right before the lunch crowd came bustling through the doors. The wait staff was gearing up, getting ready for the next surge of customers.

“You guys, we're so close to catching Klonsky,” Sarah said, stirring her soda with her straw.

Jackie nodded. “We are.”

“But how are we going to prove he did it?” Lacey asked.

“I've got an idea, but I just need a little more information before I can tell you,” Sarah winked.

“Tell me now,” Jackie demanded.

“Yeah, tell us now.”

“I can't. I think Scoop Davis just walked in.” Sarah pointed to a balding man who stood at the hostess stand.

Sarah saw the short, stocky man gaze around the restaurant. She caught his eye and gave him a tentative wave.

He ambled over. “The Super Spies, I presume?”

“That's us,” Sarah said.

Scoop grabbed a chair and pulled it up to the booth.

Sarah studied him as he sat down; what was left of his hair was snow-white and curled around his ears. “You're right, you do look like Santa without the beard.”

Scoop shook with laughter, his blue eyes watering.

He's even jolly like Santa.
Sarah stifled a giggle tickling the back of her throat.

The waitress came by to take Scoop's order. He dried his eyes while he ordered a soda.

“So, how can I help you young detectives?” he asked.

“We think there's a link between the Cat Lady murder and the Fedewa kidnapping,” Sarah said.

“Who's the Cat Lady?” Scoop stroked his chin.

“Mrs. Fedewa.”

“I see… well, explain the connection to me.” He turned toward Sarah and gave her his full attention.

Sarah took a deep breath, and told Scoop the whole story. She even told him about Chief Johnson and the threat of arrest.

Scoop chuckled. “Well, you girls certainly stepped into a hornets' nest.”

The waitress brought Scoop his soda. He thanked her and waited until she was out of sight, and then pulled a flask from his pocket. Casting furtive glances around the restaurant, he poured a brownish liquid into his drink.

The smell of alcohol burned Sarah's nostrils. She wrinkled her nose and stared at Scoop, amazed by his brazen behavior. Sarah noticed the other girls gawked at him too.

Scoop glanced up and caught Sarah's eye; he seemed to notice he was the center of attention and winked. “A little hair of the dog.” He chuckled and took a long drink from his straw, then smacked his lips appreciatively.

“It's not even noon,” Sarah protested.

“Hazards of the profession.” He took another long drink.

“But you're retired.” Sarah crossed her arms over her chest and flashed a disgusted look at Scoop.

He cleared his throat. “Some habits die hard.”

Sarah gazed at Jackie and shook her head.

“Now, let me get this straight. You found Klonsky's pin at the crime scene in a place where he shouldn't have lost it, right?”

“Right.”

“It had blood on it, right?” He stared at Sarah.

“Yep.”

“The chief told him you found it at the crime scene?”

“Yep.”

“Well, there's only one conclusion we can draw from this,” Scoop said in a matter of fact tone of voice.

“What's that?” Sarah held her breath.

“You girls are definitely up a creek without a paddle.” He took another long drink of his cocktail and smacked his lips.

“What?” Sarah crossed her arms over her chest and glared at Scoop, annoyed with his unconcerned air and his drinking.

“Yeah, what about seeing him down by the creek and finding the knife?” Jackie asked.

“Number one, you didn't actually see him throw the knife in the water. There's no way to prove he was the one getting rid of it.”

“Crap,” Sarah groaned.

“Number two, finding his pin at the crime scene can be explained, and number three, what was Klonsky's motive?”

“The money. He was going to inherit the Cat Lady's money,” Sarah blurted out.

Scoop gazed at her, pulling on his ear. “Why would Klonsky believe he was going to inherit the money?”

Sarah's spirits sank as she realized there was a flaw in her logic. “I just think it's strange David Fedewa was friends with Lonny Klonsky and he's kidnapped. Then thirty years later David's mother is murdered, and Lon Klonsky is investigating the crime.” She refused to believe she was wrong.

“Yeah,” Jackie nodded. “What about the fact he was friends with David…”

“Yeah,” Sarah interrupted. “I bet a million dollars Klonsky was there at the pool when David disappeared.”

Scoop opened a folder, and consulted some notes. He nodded. “Yes, Lonny was at the pool with David and his father.”

Sarah slapped the table and pointed her finger at Scoop. “I bet Lonny Klonsky lured David away from the pool and helped kidnap him.”

Scoop scratched his head. “Why would John Klonsky and his son want to kidnap David Fedewa?”

“Because John Klonsky had an affair with Mrs. Fedewa and knew she would never leave David's father.”

“Yeah,” Lacey said, finding her voice.

“Did you know John Klonsky and Frieda Fedewa had an affair?” Sarah leaned forward and stared at Scoop.

Scoop sighed. “Yes, I found out about it when I investigated the kidnapping.”

“Were the Klonskys questioned about the kidnapping?” Jackie asked.

Scoop consulted his notes. “They were, but as witnesses, not as suspects.”

“You see!” Sarah raised her voice and gestured with her hands.

He snorted. “Hold on, now. It doesn't prove your theory.”

“It doesn't disprove it either.” Sarah gave Scoop an unwavering look. She knew her stubborn streak showed, but she didn't care. The puzzle pieces were beginning to fit.

Scoop chuckled. “Okay, okay. All I can do is give you information… you're going to draw your own conclusions.”

“What other information do you have?” Jackie asked.

Scoop consulted his notes again. “Well, I know what happened when the
Fedewas
tried to give the money to the kidnappers.”

“What happened?” Sarah sat straight up in the booth, her body rigid with anticipation.

“Let's see. First of all, Russell Fedewa wanted John Klonsky to go with him to the drop.”

“The drop?”

“That's the place where the kidnappers meet the family to pick up the ransom.”

“So, what happened at the drop?”

Scoop frowned. “It was a mess. Mr. Fedewa was jumped from behind, and they used chloroform to knock him out. They took the money and ran.”

“What happened to John Klonsky?” Sarah asked.

“The same thing.”

“Was he there when Mr. Fedewa woke up?” Sarah stared at Scoop, trying to read his mind.

“I don't know. I just assumed that he was.” Scoop took his straw out of his glass and set it on the table, then gulped his drink.