The Super Spies and the Cat Lady Killer (6 page)

Jackie's face lit up. “Oh, I get it now.”

“So, it had to be someone she knew well enough to open her door and let them in.” Sarah glanced over her shoulder to make sure no one heard her, and then leaned closer to Jackie and whispered, “That's why we need to sneak out tonight and look for clues in the Cat Lady's house.”

Jackie's eyes widened. “What! You mean sneak into the Cat Lady's house?”

Sarah nodded.

“At night?”

“Yeah.”

“Why at night?”

“Because the police are going to be there during the day and we won't be able to get in.”

Jackie giggled. “Sounds like a plan to me.”

“Just you and me,” Sarah said, with a conspiratorial wink.

“What about Lacey?”

“You know Lacey… she's a big wimp.”

“You think so?”

“Yeah, you saw her bawling on the way to the police station,” Sarah shook her head.

“True,
” Jackie said, slurping the last of her malt.

“Let's meet at the willow tree at midnight.”

“Cool beans.”

“Wear dark clothes.”

Jackie winked,
and then swiveled to flag their waitress down. “Hey, Carla, we're ready to go.”

She nodded. “I'll get your bill.”

Carla returned carrying a heavy tray filled with ice cream and she struggled to keep it upright.

“She looks upset,” Sarah said.

All of a sudden, Carla stumbled and the tray flew out of her hands, ice cream landed everywhere. Patrons turned their attention to the noise, and Sarah saw the red stain of embarrassment on her face.

“Are you all right?” Sarah asked, as she leapt from the booth to help her. Jackie followed behind her.

“Yeah, I'm all right.
I just heard some bad news,” Carla said, with a quivering lip. She began wiping up the spilled ice cream with a cloth.

“What news?” Jackie asked.

“Someone murdered Mrs. Fedewa!”

“For real?” Sarah
exchanged a look with Jackie.

“What happened?” Jackie asked.

“According to my mom, the grocery delivery boy found her this morning.”

“Wow.”

“Yeah, I guess she was stabbed,” Carla continued, with a sob in her voice.

“What a horrible way to die,” Sarah frowned.

The table next to the major ice cream spill overheard Carla's story. Traveling like wildfire, the news spread through the restaurant. Sarah witnessed people's expressions changing to shocked dismay as they heard the news.

“Do you know if they have any suspects?” she asked, turning back to Carla.

“As far as I know, they don't have a clue who did it. You know, she was weird, but she didn't deserve to die that way.” Carla continued mopping up the mess. “I've got to get new malts for the people at table twelve.” She started to leave, then swung back around and handed the girls their bill. “Here's your bill. Have a good night.”

Sarah watched Carla scurry away, while a busboy came out to finish cleaning up the ice cream with a mop and bucket.

The girls paid their bill and hurried outside. Humid air seemed to wrap around Sarah. She sighed with contentment, the atmosphere felt like a warm blanket after the frigid air in the restaurant.

“That explains why the police showed up this morning,” Sarah said.

“Yeah, we must have gotten there right after the delivery boy left and called 9-1-1.” Jackie fidgeted with her curls.

“I find it interesting the delivery boy found her body.”

“Yeah.”

“He's the one person the Cat Lady would let inside,” Sarah pointed out.

“True, but why would the delivery boy want her dead?”

“Uncle Walt told me that she was one of the richest people in town,” Sarah whispered.

“Are you sure?” Jackie raised her eyebrows.

“Yep.”

“You couldn't tell that by the way she lived.”

“I know.”

Strolling down the street, Sarah noticed the early evening sun hanging low in the sky. It resembled an orange Christmas ornament suspended in the air, illuminating her world. She took a deep breath and inhaled the delicious scents of the season. The smell of freshly mowed grass, the light fragrance of summer roses, and the aroma of burgers on a charcoal grill.
This summer might be more exciting than I thought.
A grin of anticipation danced across her face, but dis
appeared quickly when the words
and more dangerous
flashed through her mind.

“We should probably head home,” Jackie sighed.

Sarah nodded. “Yeah, probably.”

“I'll meet you tonight,” Jackie whispered in Sarah's ear.

“At midnight,” Sarah whispered back.

Jackie tugged at a wayward curl, deep in thought. “We need a signal.”

“A signal?”

“Yeah, you know, to identify each other in the dark.”

“Okay, how about the hoot of an owl?”

“Cool beans.”

The two girls stood on the corner and practiced their secret signal. Sarah noticed the cruisers were out in full swing. She heard strains of rock music as they drove past. Some of the drivers had turned their bass way up and their cars vibrated with the music. Shaking her head, she turned her attention back to the task at hand. After the girls perfected their signal, they exchanged conspiratorial glances and went their separate ways.

Sarah arrived home just as the sun was setting. She climbed the porch stairs and found Lacey sitting on the swing, reading in the fading light. Lacey glanced up and saw Sarah.

“Hey,” Lacey greeted her.

Sarah stopped at the top of the stairs. “Hey, yourself. Feel any better after your shower?”

“Totally. I'm still freaked out about seeing a dead body.”

“I know what you mean.”

“How was Hinkle's?”

“It was good. I got one of their malts.” Sarah walked across the porch and plopped down on the swing next to Lacey. “Jackie and I are going to solve the Cat Lady murder.”

“You are?” Lacey's eyes opened wide. “I want to help.”

“I don't think so… you'd be too scared.”

Lacey scoffed. “I would not.”

“Remember last Halloween when we went to the Haunted House at the high-school?”

“I was in seventh grade then. I'm in eighth now,” Lacey said, sitting up straight in the swing and dropping her book on the porch.

“We don't need any wimps on our detective squad,” Sarah grumbled.

“I'm not a wimp.”

“Riiiight,” Sarah said, arching her eyebrows.

“I'm not. Besides, I know someone whose dad works in the police department.”

“So what?”

“He could help us.”

“The only way he could help us is if his dad's involved with the investigation.”

“He will be. You see, his dad is the chief of police,” Lacey sat up straight as a wide grin spread across her face.

Sarah saw the triumph flash in her sister's eyes. “Awesome,” she said, with a rueful smile. “Give him a call, and set something up.”

“All-righty then,” Lacey flashed another jubilant grin and bounced into the house.

Sarah pushed on the porch with her feet, sending the swing swaying. The cool breeze from the swing's movement felt good on her skin.
Her mind drifted back to the scene the girls had stumbled on this morning.
Who would want to murder the Cat Lady?
She pondered.
There must be some clue at her house. I'll find it tonight.
She shuddered as the image of the spooky house invaded her mind.

 

The coast looks clear,
Sarah thought to herself as she peered into the darkness. With one last glance at her slumbering sister, she crawled through her window, propping it open before leaping to the ground below. Crouching motionless, she listened for any noise that didn't belong. Hearing only crickets and katydids playing their nightly music, she was satisfied everything was normal. She made her way to the willow tree.

It was the perfect night to sneak out. Humidity hung in the air and Sarah could almost feel the moisture on her skin. The full moon illuminated the night sky and reminded her of a huge glow-in-the-dark Frisbee shining high from outer space, burning so bright, Sarah didn't need a flashlight. She kept to the shadows as she made her way to the creek.

The shrill yapping of a dog made Sarah jump. He seemed close, so she dove into a thicket by the side of the road. Seconds later, she heard the dog's snuffling as it trotted by sniffing the ground, his dog tags jingling.
Sarah's heart pounded against her ribcage as she waited, listening for the running footsteps of the dog's owner.
When the night activity and her heart settled down, she continued her journey.

Sarah sighed with relief when she reached the path leading to their meeting place.
I made it.
She quickened her pace hoping Jackie was already there. The willow tree stood
like a beacon calling her home. The moon glimmered in the sky casting a magical glow around the hardwood. All of a sudden, Sarah saw a glimmer of light and her heart lurched in her chest. She stopped.

Searching the darkness, another flash of light caught her attention, and then another. Sarah couldn't figure out what she was witnessing. She spied another burst of light. It disappeared as quickly as it had illuminated. Standing still and watching, she noticed these tiny bursts of light everywhere. One flashed right in front of her face and she saw it was a bug,
fireflies
. Realizing she had never actually seen one, Sarah watched for a few minutes as at least fifty of them lit up the night.
They have their own secret signal. I wonder what they're saying to each other
.
Watching for a few more minutes, she drank in the magical glow of the moon and the tiny bursts of light. No longer afraid, she ran the rest of the way to the tree.

“Whoo! Whoo!” Sarah cooed.

“Whoo! Whoo!” Jackie responded.

The pliable branches swallowed Sarah as she slipped through them toward the sound of Jackie's voice.

“You made it, girlfriend,” Jackie whispered.

“Was there any doubt?”

“Never.”

The two girls laughed. Sarah put her finger to her lips, remembering it was the middle of the night, and they didn't want to be discovered.

“Our first sneaking out mission accomplished,” Sarah said in a low voice and held out her hand. “Give me some skin.” Jackie gave Sarah a high five.

“My turn,” Jackie said. Sarah reciprocated.

Sarah gazed at Jackie, as a smile spread over her face.

Jackie giggled. “No one has a clue we're here.”

Sarah saw the mischievous light dancing in Jackie's eyes. “You can say that again.”

“No one has a clue we're here.”

The girls cracked up, reveling in the glory of their success.

“I'm so glad I'm spending the summer here,” Sarah whispered. She put her hand in her pocket and pulled out some tootsie rolls. “Want some?”

“Yeah, nothing like chocolate when you're sneaking out.”

“I'm sure I wouldn't be sneaking out if I were back in Walker with my parents.”

“Probably not.”

“I thought small towns were boring, but it's just the opposite.”

“Stick with me, girlfriend, and you'll always have fun.” Jackie gave Sarah a playful punch.

Sarah snickered. “So true.”

The girls stopped talking and chewed their candy. Sarah loved tootsie rolls. She stood gnawing, thinking back to when she had her first one. It had been her first time at the fair. Her father played some silly game and won the biggest tootsie roll Sarah had ever seen. From that day on, Sarah was hooked.
Much to her father's dismay, she devoured the whole thing.

Closing her eyes, the midway came into view. A smile spread across her face as she remembered the fair. She envisioned the noisy rides and the carnies screaming to people walking by, enticing them to come and play their games. Sarah remembered the air around the fairgrounds smelled like a mixture of buttery popcorn and cotton candy.

Without warning, Jackie grabbed Sarah's arm, startling her. “Shh, I hear something.”

“What?”

“Probably just Lacey, trying to scare us.”

Sarah shook her head. “I doubt it, she's a big wimp. She wouldn't walk down here by herself.”

“Watch this,” Jackie giggled. She jumped out from the willow branches. “Blaaah!”

Sarah stepped through the branches looking for the source of the sound. She didn't see anything and only heard silence. All at once, the hair on the back of her neck stood up.

“Don't make any noise,” Sarah muttered, ducking behind the leafy curtain.

Jackie gasped and scurried back behind the safety of the branches.

Sarah whispered, “Do you hear anything?”

Jackie shook her head, watching the darkness beyond the branches. Sarah searched the shadows with her.

“Do you see anything?” Sarah whispered.

Jackie nodded and pointed. Two figures emerged from the shadows and strolled into the moonlight's path. They were walking along the bank of the stream. The first one towered over the second man and walked with a slight limp. A shorter figure followed the tall man like a baby duck following its mother. He wore a baseball cap, shielding his face.

“Who in the world are those guys?” Sarah murmured.

“This can't be good,” Jackie whispered back.

“You got that right.”

Jackie grabbed Sarah's arm. “Shh. They're coming closer.”

Sarah watched the two men strolling along the bank. They were so close she heard bits and pieces of their conversation.

“No one knows it was us,” the guy with the limp said. He walked ahead of the man with the cap, his stride purposeful and confident.

“They don't right now, Lon, but once they start investigatin', we could be goin' to prison,” the man with the cap whined.

“You know, if you would have gotten rid of this like I said, you wouldn't be so uptight right now.”

“Sorry, Lon. I screwed up.” The man with the cap hung his head.

“Relax, everything else is going like clockwork.”

‘
Like clockwork'
where have I heard those words before?
Sarah w
ondered.

“I hope you're right.”

“I am right,” Lon laughed. “I'm always right. You worry too much.”

Sarah stared at Jackie, her heart pounding and her hands slick with sweat.

“They're talking about a crime!” Jackie whispered through clenched teeth.

“Shh.” Sarah grabbed Jackie's arm and squeezed.

The two men skulked past the willow tree unaware they were being watched. Sarah held her breath. She knew one wrong move, and they would be discovered.

“What are you going to do with that?” the man with the cap asked, pointing toward a bundle Lon held in his hands.

“Get rid of it.”

Sarah watched as the two thugs turned on the path and walked closer to the creek.

“Are they talking about getting rid of evidence?” Sarah asked in a low voice.

“I think so.”

“Let's follow them.”

“Okay.”

Sarah crept from beneath the safety of the willow and Jackie followed her. The girls crouched behind tall grass and shrubs, stalking the thugs silently. Barely breathing, Sarah focused on following the men. She realized her hands were wet and wiped them on her shorts.

“They're heading for the swimming hole,” Jackie muttered.

Sarah nodded.

Jackie had told Sarah about the swimming hole the first day they met. It was a part of the creek, where a pool of water formed before the stream split into two separate branches, and made its way around a tiny island. The water slowed here before it picked up its pace on the other side. Local teens came to the swimming hole to cool off on hot summer days.

All of a sudden, Sarah stopped. Jackie collided with her and almost knocked her down.

“What are you doing?” Jackie hissed.

“Look.” Sarah pointed.

The two men stood on the bank of the creek, talking and looking at the water. Jackie grabbed Sarah's arm and pulled her down the path, intending to hide both girls behind a thicket. They made it several yards away
before the girls stumbled and slipped in the wet mud. Landing in the water with a huge splash, Sarah's heart jumped in her chest.
There's no way they didn't hear us.

“What was that noise?” the man with the cap asked.

“I don't know, but I'll find out,” Lon said, his voice a low growl.

Sarah reached for Jackie's hand, but all she found was water. Jackie had disappeared.

“Jackie, where are you?” she whispered.

Dazed from the cold water, Sarah floundered against the current. She tried swimming toward a group of cattails, but only managed to make a great
deal of noise.
She frantically searched for her friend. Her heart thundered against her ribs. It felt like it would burst through the wall of her chest any moment.

“There's something in the water,” the man with the cap said.

“Where?” Lon asked.

“Over there.”

Sarah submerged her body under the water. She kept her eyes and ears above the surface so she could see and hear what was happening. The water swirled around her pulling at her body, as the two men walked toward her. Panic gnawed at her self-control and her stomach twisted into a tight knot of fear.

I'm a goner!

Just then, she felt a strong grip around her arm. She pivoted and saw Jackie. Relief flooded through her body.
Jackie was soaking wet, her curls matted to her skull.

“Where have you been?” Sarah whispered.

“Cat tails.” She pointed to the opposite bank.

“We can't go back there,” Sarah said as she cast a frantic glance over her shoulder. The men were twenty feet from the stream and trotting fast.

“What're we going to do?”

Sarah motioned toward the creek and mouthed the word
underwater
.

Jackie nodded.

Taking a deep breath, Sarah plunged below the surface. She allowed the current to carry her downstream, knowing it was the only way to escape.

The water transported Sarah to a shallow part of the creek. Gasping for air, she rose out of the water. She opened her eyes and saw Jackie. Another wave of relief flooded through her body
and a giggle tickled her throat
. Clamping her lips together, Sarah wiped water from her face and moved closer to her friend.

“That was way too close for comfort.”

“No doubt.” Jackie shook her curls sending drops of water everywhere.

“Who were those men?”

“I don't know.”

“I've heard the big one's voice before. I just can't place it.”

“Me either.”

“Shh, I think I hear them coming,” Sarah warned.

Jackie grabbed Sarah's arm, and pulled her toward a tree growing near the bank. The branches hung low over the water, offering cover. They ducked into them just in time. Sarah peeked between the branches and saw the shadowy figures of the men.

“Lon, did you see anything?” the man with the cap asked.

“No just some ripples in the water.”

“Probably a deer.”

“Let's talk somewhere else, just in case,” Lon said, giving his companion a rough push forward.

The thugs continued walking downstream. Sarah and Jackie hid in the water, too scared to follow them.

“I can't believe we overheard those men,” Sarah said, through quivering lips.

“They were talking about getting rid of evidence.”

Sarah furrowed her brow
. “Where have we heard that voice?”

“Do you think they have anything to do with the Cat Lady?”

“It's the only crime around here.”

“This is huge.”

Sarah grimaced. “We need some dry clothes before we go to the Cat Lady's.”