Authors: Terri Reid
“Hi, Mom,” Mary said into the phone the next morning. She
leaned back in her chair and propped her feet up on the desk. “Do you have a
few minutes?”
Margaret O’Reilly strolled into her living room and sat on
the couch, propping her feet up on the coffee table and unknowingly mimicking
her daughter’s position. “Of course,” she replied. “I was looked for an excuse
to not clean the refrigerator, and you’ve presented me with a fine one. How are
you, darling?”
Suddenly all of the pent up emotions from the past few days
escaped, and Mary’s voice trembled. “Mom, I’ve had a really bad week so far,”
she cried.
“Oh, darling,” Margaret said, sitting up in the couch. “What
happened?”
Mary thought about telling her mother about the close call
she’d experienced the night before and decided against it.
There were some things Mary just didn’t tell
her mom, because she knew her mother would worry about her even more than she
already did.
Mary took a deep breath and
went to the heart of what was really bothering her. “I don’t think Kate and
Rosie are my friends anymore,” she said.
Margaret smiled to herself and shook her head.
She had been in contact with both Rosie and
Kate for the past few weeks, helping to plan the shower.
She should have known her intuitive daughter
would feel that they were keeping something from her. “Why do you think that?”
she asked.
“They went shopping together, and they didn’t even ask me?”
she replied. “And then, when I found them there together, they lied to me.”
“That must have made you feel sad,” her mother sympathized.
“Yes. And a little angry,” Mary admitted.
“Well, of course,” Margaret empathized. “Who wouldn’t be
angry to discover her two best friends out shopping together?
Unless…”
She paused for a moment, letting the word hang. “No, never mind.”
“Never mind what?”
Mary asked,
wiping a tear from her cheek.
“Well, the only time I didn’t invite you to come shopping
with me was when I was going Christmas shopping or birthday shopping for you,”
Margaret suggested. “But, really, Christmas is about two months away. That
doesn’t make sense.”
“Oh, what if they were getting something for the baby?” Mary
asked,
a hint of relief in her voice. “What if there
were buying a gift together, and they didn’t want me to see it?”
Margaret grinned and sat back on the couch again. “Would
they do something like that?” she asked.
Mary exhaled and smiled. “Of course, that makes perfect
sense now,” she said.
“How silly of me to be worried.”
“Well, it’s only natural for you to respond that way,” her
mother replied.
“Only natural if you’re not thinking straight, and your
hormones are crazy,” Mary chuckled.
Her mother laughed softly. “Well, that’s just another one of
those maternity bonuses,” she said. “So, how is everything else going?”
“Everyone is so excited about Friday night,” Mary said.
“It’s so wonderful of all of you to drive up here to celebrate Halloween with
us.”
“Oh, now, we wouldn’t miss it,” Margaret said. “Your father
and I plan on coming up early to help you take Clarissa trick-or-treating.
We haven’t done that in too many years.”
“Clarissa will love that,” Mary said. “She’s been busy
trying to find a ghost story to tell.
She’s even asked Maggie to help her find a real ghost.”
“Ah, she’s a bright girl,” Margaret said. “And a determined
one, too.
I’ll be surprised if she
doesn’t have the best story of the night. And how is Bradley coming along with
his story?”
Mary chuckled. “Well, he’s certainly practicing,” she said.
“And I’m sure by Friday night he’ll be just fine.”
“He’s a good man,” Margaret said.
“Playing
along with our family’s strange traditions.”
“I actually think he’s looking forward to it,” Mary said.
“And he even volunteered to take care of the refreshments, knowing how tired
I’ve been lately.
That is so unlike
Bradley. He usually hates doing things like this.”
Margaret grinned, knowing that she, Rosie and Kate had told
Bradley several weeks ago that they were going to take care of all the food for
the shower. “Well, good for him,” Margaret agreed. “And I’m sure it will be
delicious.”
“It might be pizza,” Mary warned.
“If I don’t have to cook or clean up, it’s a treat no matter
what it is,” her mother replied. “And how are you feeling?”
“Good,” she said.
“Actually, much better
now that I’ve spoken with you.
You seem to know how to say all the right
things. Thanks, Mom.”
“Well, thank you for taking the time to call,” her mother
replied. “I always love hearing from you.”
Mary sighed. “Well, I should get back to work,” she said. “I
love you, Mom.
I can’t wait to see you.”
“I love you too, Mary-Mary,” her mother replied. “You make
sure you don’t work too hard. And be sure to drink plenty of water and eat
sensibly.”
“I was actually thinking about walking across to the bakery
and buying a brownie for a snack,” Mary confessed.
“And would it have nuts in it?” Margaret asked.
“Yes,” Mary replied.
“Then that’s a protein,” Margaret answered. “That sounds
very sensible if you ask me.
And, if
they happen to have freshly baked ones on Friday, I wouldn’t mind being
sensible with you.”
Laughing, Mary nodded. “That’s a deal, Mom,” she said.
“Okay, I’m going to pull the cruiser back behind the school
in the alley,” Bradley said when they were about a block away from the school,
“so we’re not too noticeable.
I called a
friend from the local police force, and he’s going to meet us here in a few
minutes.”
“I’d like to get out first,” Mary said. “We might attract
the killer if I’m out there alone.”
Bradley pulled over to the curb and turned to his wife. “You
do realize that every single molecule in my body is screaming to keep you in
the car where you will be safe?” he asked.
She leaned across the seat and kissed him. “Yes, I know,”
she said, taking his hands in hers. “The door I will be standing in front of is
shielded on both sides by an overhang, so a sniper would not be able to get to
me from there. And there is half a city block worth of parking lot between the
entrance and the street.
So, it would be
nearly impossible for someone to shoot at me from there.
And, I will only be alone for less than three
minutes.”
She met his eyes. “But, if you
ask me not to go out there and do my job, I’ll stay.”
He closed his eyes and sighed deeply. “Three minutes,” he
said, looking at her and then putting the car back in gear. “And then I’m at
your side.”
“Perfect,” she said with a smile.
The sun was shining down on the cracked, concrete parking lot,
and the temperature was in the mid-60s.
Mary wrapped her wool cardigan around herself and hurriedly walked to
the front entrance.
She peered through
the door to try and catch a glimpse of Andrew as he came upstairs, hoping to
get a better idea of where he came from.
“Is there something I can help you with?”
Mary nearly squealed when the deep voice rang out from
behind her. She turned to see an older man standing at the edge of the portico,
his hands shoved inside the bomber jacket he was wearing.
He
could be carrying a gun,
she thought.
Dammit!
“Oh, I’m just waiting for someone,” she replied with a
friendly shrug. “But thanks for asking.”
He shifted his hands in his pocket and stepped forward. “Who
are you waiting for?”
“Me,” Bradley said, stepping up behind the man and towering
over him, the badge on his chest glinting in the morning sun. “Does that answer
your question, Mister…
”
“
Howse
.
Mitchell
Howse
,” the man replied, pulling his hand
slowly from his jacket.
Mary jumped forward, positioning herself between Bradley and
Mitchell. “Oh, I’m sorry,” she said sweetly.
“Leg cramp.
They happen all the time.”
Mitchell stuck his hand back in his pocket. “So, if you
don’t mind me asking, what are you doing here?”
“Well, actually, I do mind,” Bradley said, taking Mary’s arm
and gently guiding her behind him. “But, if you don’t mind, I’d like to ask you
a couple of questions.”
Rolling back on his heels, Mitchell shook his head. “I’m
guessing you don’t have any jurisdiction here in Polo,” he replied.
Bradley shook his head. “No, you’re right, I don’t,” he
said. “But I figured you wouldn’t mind answering some questions, just between
friends.”
Mitchell took a step back, away from them, and shook his
head. “I guess I just don’t feel all that friendly towards you.”
He turned around and slowly walked away from them.
When he got about halfway across the parking
lot, a Polo Police Department cruiser pulled in and came alongside him.
The driver rolled his window down and chatted
with Mitchell for a few minutes, and then Mitchell stepped away from the car,
waved at the officer and continued on his way.
The car pulled up next to the portico, and a police officer
about Bradley’s age stepped out. “Hey, Alden, good to see you,” the officer
said.
Bradley stepped forward and shook the officer’s hand. “Hey,
Kris,
thanks for meeting us here,” he said. “Let me
introduce my wife, Mary.”
Kris walked over to Mary and took her hand. “Hi, it’s good
to meet you,” he said.
“Thanks,” Mary said. “I appreciate you coming out and meeting
us. Can I just ask, before we go any
further
,do
you know the man you just spoke with?”
Kris automatically looked over his shoulder and then back at
Mary.
“Oh, Mitch?
Yeah, I know him,” he said. “This is
a pretty small town, so we all know each other. Why?”
“Oh, I just wondered about him,” she replied.
“Well, Mitch has his own construction business,” Kris said.
“He never married once he got back from Vietnam.
I heard he’d been sweet on someone here in
town, but nothing ever came of it. He’s got a small circle of friends, mostly
the folks he went to school with.”
“Thanks,” Mary said. “Do you think he could ever be
violent?”
Kris looked back over his shoulder again and studied the man
who was now about a block away from them. He shrugged. “Well, I guess just
about anyone could be violent given the right motivation.”
He turned back and looked at Bradley. “So, what is this all
about?” he asked.
“My wife has a client who has recently turned up missing,”
Bradley explained.
“He was investigating the death of his fourth grade
teacher,” Mary explained.
Kris nodded. “Oh, yeah, I met that guy at the station,” he
said.
“Andrew, right?”
Mary nodded. “Yes, Andrew Tyler,” Mary said. “He was
supposed to meet with me several days ago, and he never showed up. I’ve been
trying to get hold of him, but nothing’s working.
He was checking out the school for clues, and
I’m worried that something might have happened to him.”
“So, you think he might be here?” Kris asked.
Mary shrugged. “Well, it’s the first place I considered,” she
said. “And I was hoping we could check it out.”
Kris walked over to the door and tugged. “Sorry, it’s
locked,” he said. “And we don’t have a key.
And I really can’t justify breaking down the door unless there’s a
missing person’s report.”
Mary slipped between Kris and the door.
Andrew was on the other side and he unlocked
the door for her.
She pulled it open and
turned to Kris. “Well, look at that,” she said. “It just opened for me.”
Kris looked at Mary and then looked at the door. “Well, that
was spooky.”
Bradley shook his head. “You have no idea.”
“Can we go to the library again today?” Clarissa asked
Maggie at lunch. “I’d like to see your friend again. He was real nice.”
With a mouthful of her sandwich, Maggie nodded. “Sure,” she
murmured, chewing a couple more times and then swallowing. “But is he gonna be
scary enough for the ghost story time?”
Clarissa took a bite of her own sandwich, chewing slowly
while she pondered Maggie’s words. Finally she looked up and shrugged. “I guess
just talking to a ghost and seeing books float is pretty scary,” she reasoned.
“And I really don’t know if I want to see a gross ghost.”
Maggie nodded. “Gross ghosts are pretty creepy,” she agreed.
“And they make you have nightmares.”
Clarissa picked up a mini carrot and stuck it into her ranch
dip, but just before eating it, she turned to her friend. “Do you see many
gross ghosts?” she asked.
“Not lately,” she said, helping herself to one of Clarissa’s
carrots and some dip. “But before Mary moved in, I had lots of them.”
“Why? What happened when my mom moved in?” Clarissa asked.
Maggie reached in her lunchbox and pulled out a bag of
chips. She ripped the bag open and placed it directly between them. “It was
like she had a stronger pull,” Maggie said. “So instead of coming to my house
when they had a problem, they went to your house.”
“Do you think lots of gross ghosts come to my house every
day?” Clarissa asked as she helped herself to the chips.
“I don’t know,” Maggie said. “Do you think Mary would tell
you?”
Clarissa shook her head. “Probably not,” she said. “She
wouldn’t want me to worry.”
“Would you? Worry?”
“Can you worry about something you don’t see?” Clarissa
asked her friend.
Maggie shrugged as she dunked a chip into the ranch dip. “I
don’t know. A lot of people do it,” she said. “My mom says those people are
borrowing trouble.”
“That’s a weird thing to say,” Clarissa said. “Why are
grownups so weird?”
Sighing, Maggie took a final bite of her sandwich. “I don’t
know,” she said. “Maybe that’s one of the things that happen when you get
puberty.”
“Oh, that makes sense,” Clarissa agreed. She put the lid on
the ranch dip and placed the plastic container back in her lunchbox. “Do you
think we’re still going to be friends when we’re grown up?”
“Of course,” Maggie said, packing up her own things. “We’re
the ‘
doption
girls. We have to stay together.”
“That’s right,” Clarissa agreed with a wide smile. “We’ll be
friends forever.”
The climbed down from the lunch table and walked to the door
to go outside for recess. “Just two more days until Halloween,” Clarissa said
as they passed the poster for the Halloween parade that was posted on the door.
“I can’t wait.”
“Me, too,” Maggie agreed. “Is your mom going to tell ghost
stories to our class?”
Clarissa shook her head. “No, she doesn’t want everyone to
think our family is weird. So, she’s just gonna act like a normal mom and pass
out candy and treats and stuff.”
“Yeah, my mom said I shouldn’t tell ghost stories either,”
Maggie added. “She said people don’t always understand stuff like that.”
“I don’t get why people don’t believe in ghosts,” Clarissa
said with a sigh. “I mean, they are all around us.”
“People are just weird,” Maggie said.