Marja McGraw - Bogey Man 03 - They Call Me Ace (18 page)

Chapter Thirty-four

Deciding to stay in the kitchen and let grandfather and grandson talk, I turned around and pulled out a chair at the table. Judith sat down across from me.

“So what now?” Judith raised one eyebrow at me.

“I have no clue. I hope Chris has some ideas, because I sure don’t. Unless there’s someone we don’t know about, there are only three suspects. Ken, Kimberly’s neighbor – Ryan, Kimberly’s ex-boyfriend – and your soon-to-be neighbor, Mark.”

“Mark? Why would you suspect him?”

“Because he’s right there and he knows about the alleged treasure. And I can’t explain it, but something just doesn’t feel right. It seems like he’s always watching what’s going on, and yet when things happen, he says he was doing something else and he didn’t see or hear a thing. I think he knows
exactly
what goes on around that neighborhood.”

Judith stood up and put the kettle on for hot water. I had a sense that she was using the moment to think it all over. “Tea?”

I nodded.

“Any one of them could have come inside and pushed you down the stairs. And maybe Mark is just one of those

people who never wants to get involved. The twins seem to know him quite well, and they like him.”

“Yes, but they know him best from when he was a child.”

“Which one are
you
most suspicious of, Pamela?” A voice drifted in from the service porch.

“Chris? What are you doing home?” I was happy to see him, but he should have been at work.

“Things were slower than usual, so I left Phyllis in charge and came home. It just seemed like I should be here with you.”

“We’re here,” Judith said. “We’ll take care of her.”

“I know, Ma, but I’m her husband.”

Judith set a cup of hot tea in front of me and patted Chris’s arm. “I’m going out to the motor home to get that sling for Pamela.”

She left the room and Chris poured himself a cup of tea before sitting down with me. He generally drank coffee, so I was surprised.

“Where’s Ace?”

“In the living room with your father. They’re talking about guy stuff. Your father is explaining that it’s okay for men to feel frightened sometimes.”

Chris mulled that over. “He’s right. Leave it to my dad to come up with that one.”

“Is that why you hit Kimberly’s neighbor? Did my fall down the stairs scare you?”

The Bogey Man rolled his top lip under and leaned back in his chair. “Ya see, angel, I don’t know what I’d do without you. Yeah, I had a beef with that guy. He said he wished he
had
been the one to put you down for the count.”

I watched Chris work things out in his mind, but I didn’t comment.

“See, it’s like this. A woman was bumped off. Someone’s been breaking into that house to look for a treasure

that may or may not exist. The coppers aren’t getting anywhere, and no one is cooperating.”

“You know, when I was a little girl I read some books of my grandmother’s. They were Honey Bunch books.” Memories of a particular book were front and center in my mind.

“A what? And what does that have to do with our situation?”

“A Honey Bunch book. If I had to guess, I’d think the series was probably written in the 1920s. The stories were about a little girl called Honey Bunch.”

“I got that part.”

“Okay, so in one of the books the story was about Honey Bunch having a birthday, and… Oh! That reminds me, I’ve got to get Mikey’s party invitations out.”

“One thing at a time. So how does this kid in the books come into play here?”

“Oh. Well, to make her birthday more fun, her mother hid things around the house. For instance, she asked Honey Bunch to help set the table for breakfast, and the little girl found a present in the drawer with the silverware. Her mother kind of made it like a treasure hunt for birthday presents. A present came with every task that Honey Bunch was asked to do.”

“And you want to do that for Ace?” Chris seemed incredulous that I’d want to talk about hiding presents when we were in the middle of a discussion about murder and danger.

“No. That’s not what I’m getting at, although it might be fun for Mikey. Okay, this might be far-fetched, but what if Marguerite wanted to leave something fun for her daughters. We know she had to be a little eccentric because she had all those secret places added to the house. After all, she was a writer, and she had a fertile mind.”

Chris mulled that over for a moment. “And she

apparently kept dropping hints to her daughters about treasure. Yeah, it kinda makes sense. She and my mother probably would have hit it off. Realistically, I’d be willing to bet that’s why my mother is so interested in the house – because of the treasure, but even more because of the secret hiding places.”

“That’s right. I’m not sure how anyone else found out about the treasure, but things have a way of getting out. Maybe one of the twins told Mark, and Mark commented to a neighbor, and you know how that goes. Word-of-mouth – the best advertising, even for hidden treasure.”

“I have some ideas about that treasure, too, but I don’t want to spill the beans until I’m sure about it.” Chris pulled on his ear lobe and narrowed his eyes.

Before we could discuss it further, Judith returned with the sling. Very gently, she helped me put it on. It actually helped because I could rest my arm in it instead of holding it tightly to my side.

“Your father and I are going out to the motor home to relax now. We’ll see you in the morning. If you need anything, come get us.” Judith gave us each a kiss on the cheek before she and Chris Sr. left.

Mikey walked into the kitchen. “Hey. When did you come home, Dad?”

Chris glanced at me before replying. “You’re not very observant for a private eye, Ace. Better learn to keep your blinkers open, kiddo.”

Before they got too involved, I said, “Mikey, we need to put your birthday party invitations in the mail. Did you make up the list I asked for?”

“A long time ago. Be right back.” He ran out of the room like a shot and stomped up the stairs.

“So, what do you think?” I asked.

“I think we need the twins to watch Ken, and my parents to spy on Mark. I’m not sure what we’ll do about

Ryan, the boyfriend.”

“Ex-boyfriend. Remember that because it could have a bearing on all this. And, Chris, thanks for sticking up for me, but don’t hit anyone again. Okay?”

“Couldn’t help myself.”

Mikey’s timing was good and he ran back in the room with a list in his hand. “There’s not enough time to mail the invitations though, Mom.”

“Why not? The kids will get them in time.”

Mikey’s face fell. “Um, Mom, my birthday is this Sunday. Like, the day after tomorrow.”

“
What?
” I jumped up and grabbed the calendar off the sink, stifling a moan garnered from moving too fast. “I can’t believe this. I forgot to change the page and I’m a week behind.” I was ready to cry. Too many things going on and I’d forgotten my precious son’s birthday. Well, I hadn’t forgotten it, but I’d planned his party for the wrong weekend.

Chris looked at me. “What are you going to do?”

“Okay.” I glanced at the wall clock. “This will work out. It’s still relatively early, so I’m going to call the parents of each child. I’m sure they’ll understand. We’ll have the party at
Bogey Nights
on Sunday afternoon. It’ll be a private party, just for you, Mikey. Yes. That should work out just fine.”

Mikey rolled his eyes, once again reminding me it was the one bad habit he’d picked up from me. However, I could see relief on his face.

“Okay, you two get out of here and let me start making calls.” I pulled my address book out of a kitchen drawer and brought the phone back to the table with me.

“Are you sure about this, Mom? I mean, you’re hurt and all. I could wait for my party. It’d be okay.”

“I’m sure, Mikey. You’re not going to miss your party just because your mother is a dope.”

“Dope?” Chris was smiling.

“Out!” I pointed toward the living room.

I called the first number and no one was home, so I left a message. Then I called Tiffany Harris, the mother of Danny, Mikey’s best friend. She was home and understood the situation. Without hesitation, she said Danny would be at the party. I liked Tiffany. She was a nice person, and so understanding.

We ended up with six kids who would definitely be at the party, and I had to leave messages for three others. Only one child wouldn’t be able to attend.

I vowed never to let anything like this happen again. My son and my husband were tied for Number One on my Hit Parade of People.

I called
Bogey Nights
and talked to Chef Luis. With my shoulder out of whack, I knew I couldn’t do any baking or cooking, and I wanted something special for Mikey’s birthday. I didn’t want to impose on Judith, either.

“Luis, first of all, thank you for the Cashew Chicken. It was delicious.”

“You’re welcome. I hope you’re feeling better.”

“Not yet, but soon. Anyway, I’d like to ask a favor.”

“Ask away.”

“We’re going to have Mikey’s birthday party at the restaurant on Sunday afternoon. I wondered if you might be willing to prepare some kind of tasty little sandwiches tomorrow that would refrigerate well for the party.”

“Of course. I’m not too fond of kids, but Mikey is an exception. He’s so entertaining when he comes into the kitchen and tells me stories about you and Chris and your investigations. He has a maturity that most boys his age don’t, and yet he’s still only a child. He told me that when he grows up he wants to be a private eye. That’s what he said – a private eye.”

“He did?” I was surprised. Mikey had never mentioned this to me. “And I’m surprised he tells you about our cases. Well, they’re not really cases, but you know what I mean.”

“Oh, yes. He tells all of us about you and your husband. He’s quite proud of both of you.”

“Well!” I didn’t know how to respond.

“Oh, and I have a friend who’s a baker. She makes marvelous desserts. In fact, a lot of the desserts we serve here are made by her.”

“Really?” I had no idea where the desserts came from. All I knew was the Luis never let us down.

“Yes, and I know if I ask her she’ll do a special cake for our little Mikey. We’re all quite taken with him here at the restaurant.”

I had no idea. “Luis, you are a wonder. I don’t know what we’d do without you. Yes, I’d like your friend to make the cake. You can let her know it’s Mikey’s eighth birthday. And I’ll compensate both of you.”

“No, consider it our birthday present to our little friend. Oh, and before I forget, Phyllis mentioned that an odd man with very yellow teeth stopped in looking for Chris this evening. He was rather insistent about seeing him and she had to convince him Chris had already left.”

“Thanks for letting me know, Luis.” Suddenly I was very happy that Chris had come home early.

Chapter Thirty-five

After the day Chris had gone through, I decided not to mention Ken looking for him at the restaurant. We didn’t need any more problems.

I called Mikey back into the kitchen and told him about the party plans. He nodded and smiled, which seemed like an understated reaction to me until I noticed he was skipping when he left the room. He was excited but didn’t want me to know it for some reason.

“Mikey,” I called, “aren’t you happy about the party?”

He turned around. “Yes, Mother, but I’m going to be eight now and I need to start acting more grown up.”

“Oh.” I smiled at his retreating back when he left the kitchen, and laughed to myself when he took one last little hop. I knew that at his party he’d be the little boy I knew and loved. Once he and Danny got together, there’d be no more thoughts of maturing.

Chris got Mikey to bed before helping me upstairs. It had been a long and painful day. Sleep was very welcome. Chris nodded off as soon as his head hit the pillow, and I heard him mumbling before I drifted off. He sounded angry and I had a feeling he was reliving the day in his dreams.

~ * ~

When I awoke Saturday morning, Chris and Mikey were already downstairs. I could hear the clatter of pots and pans and hoped they weren’t making too much of a mess.

I sat up and discovered that my shoulder was still pretty sore, along with muscles which had seemed okay on Friday. The fall was catching up to me. Unfortunately, I swung my legs out of bed too fast and belatedly remembered the injuries to my knees. Taking a deep breath, I waited for a moment before I stood up.

A hot shower might be just what I need
, I thought. Maybe it would loosen up the knotted muscles. I removed the sling slowly and carefully before climbing in the stall and standing under hot water. It turned out to be a long shower, and the hot water did help a little. Although I had a lot of sore muscles, my shoulder didn’t hurt nearly as much as it had when I first woke up.

By the time I was through showering, Chris had come upstairs to help me down. “I want you to stay home again today and take care of yourself. You need to be in better shape for Ace’s party tomorrow.”

“Oh, Chris, don’t worry about me.” Stopping at the bottom of the stairs, I reached up with my good arm and rubbed my shoulder.

Chris looked down at me. “I recall a time when someone hit me on the head and I had to have stitches, and you called me a ‘big fat baby’ because I wanted a little sympathy.”

“Okay, now I know how you felt. The shoe’s on the other foot. I don’t feel good and you’re taking care of me. I should have been more sympathetic toward you. But if you value your life, do
not
call me a big
fat
baby.”

Chris laughed. “Come on out to the kitchen. Ace and I fixed you some breakfast.” He glanced back at me before entering the kitchen. “And, yes, we’re going to clean up the

mess.”

The last comment concerned me until I sat down at the table and looked around. It really wasn’t as bad as I’d expected. They’d prepared pancakes and bacon. I didn’t see any batter on the walls or ceiling, so I relaxed and ate. I was surprisingly hungry.

“Here’s the plan, dollface. You’re going to stay home and recuperate. Ma and my dad are going over to Turnbal House, and they’ll have the cell phone with them in case you need anything. I’m going to meet Big D at the house before I go to work, and we’re going to look at exactly what needs to be done over there. Mikey will stay with my parents after I go to the restaurant, and…”

“It all sounds good except for the Mikey part. I’d rather he stayed home with me. After what happened yesterday, I’d feel better with him here. Besides, with only one useful arm, I’ll need his help.” I cradled my arm and tried to look helpless. It wasn’t very often that anyone waited on me, and I was going to milk it for all it was worth. “Besides, I don’t want to be alone.”

“Oh, you big f… Big baby.”

“Ah ha! You almost called me fat.”

Chris and I were both smiling. Mikey was grinning. He enjoyed it when his parents joked with each other. He knew we weren’t serious. It was obvious when we were truly annoyed with each other, and when that happened Mikey would go play with the dogs until we were through having what we referred to as a
spirited discussion
.

“Okay, Ace can stay with you.”

“But, Dad, I want to go – ”

“Your mother needs you more right now than your grandparents.”

Mikey digested that for a moment before standing up a little straighter. “Yeah, she does. She needs a man around here when you’re gone. I’ll take real good care of her.”

“I’m sure you will, sweetie.” I reached across the table and patted his hand. “And I’m so glad you’re grown up enough to understand why I need you.”

Chris and Mikey shooed me out of the kitchen while they cleaned. I planted myself on the couch and put my feet up. I could get used to lounging around over time. Well, maybe not.
I like my life and the things that keep me busy
, I thought. Although, I could do without someone pushing me down the stairs or hitting Chris over the head. Shoving those thoughts out of my mind, I leaned back and closed my eyes.

“Pamela. Oh, Pamela.” I awoke to Chris softly calling my name and gently shaking my good arm. “Cupcake, I’m leaving now. Pamela?”

I opened one eye and squinted up at him, annoyance probably written on my face. I’d just started dreaming. I couldn’t recall what it was about, but I knew it was a good dream. I wanted to go back to wherever I’d been.

“Angel, I’m leaving for Turnbal House now. Do you need anything before I go?”

My annoyance melted away. How could I be upset with a man like my husband? “No, I’m fine. If you need me for anything, just call.”

“That should be my line. You call if you need
me
,” he said.

Chris left and Mikey went outside to play with the dogs. I turned on the television and settled back for a lovely day of rest. Watching old movies was something I enjoyed, so I checked the guide and found that The Penguin Pool Murders was on. While I watched the movie, Mikey and the dogs made a few appearances.

Mikey appeared concerned each time he asked how I was and if I needed anything. Sherlock sniffed my feet while Watson tried to climb up on the couch with me.

“Watson, you get off that couch.” Mikey used the sternest tone of voice he could muster. “And, Sherlock, leave

my mother’s feet alone.” He walked toward the kitchen and patted his chest, commanding them to
come
. Thankfully, they did.

I moved my arm around and discovered that although it was still sore, I didn’t really need the sling anymore. “I must be a quick healer,” I said to myself. “Huh. Who knew?”

Unfortunately, when I tried to take the sling off a pain shot through my shoulder that just about made me cry. I decided to give it one more day. Leaving the sling on, I turned my attention back to the movie.

Mikey came in around noon and made himself a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, which he shared with the dogs. I couldn’t see him, but I could hear him talking to the dogs. “Shh. We don’t want to bother Mom. She needs her rest. Here, Sherlock, you can have some crust. Watson, you can lick the peanut butter off my fingers.”

I cringed and yelled, “Mikey, you go wash your hands before you eat anymore sandwich.”

I could hear him sigh just before I heard the water running. I smiled to myself.

Sherlock ambled out to visit me when the sandwich disappeared. The phone rang and I realized Chris had put it on the end table, next to me. Sherlock turned to the phone before looking at me in confusion. He couldn’t race anyone into the kitchen. No sliding into the wall and trying for a concussion. No games.

I picked up the phone while Sherlock watched me. Looking bored, he headed back to the kitchen.

“Hello?”

“Pamela, it’s Judith.” She was speaking softly, and I wondered what was up. “Carol and Coral have been watching Ken all day, and your father-in-law and I have been keeping an eye on Mark. Chris Sr. left to pick up a pizza, but now there’s something else going on.” She stopped talking and I could hear the twin’s voices in the background.

“Judith? What else is going on? Where’s Chris?”

“Chris left for the restaurant, but here’s the thing. Carol and Coral and I exchanged cell phone numbers so we could visit without leaving our posts.”

I couldn’t help smiling. Their posts? As in
assigned
posts?

“How about Big D? Is he still there?”

“No, he left right after Chris” she whispered. “The twins finally came over here because we noticed a car parked a couple of houses down. There’s a young man watching the house, only we’re not sure
which
house he’s watching.”

“Judith, why are you whispering?”

“Oh, I didn’t realize that’s what I was doing. Sorry.” Her voice sounded more natural. “I guess it just seemed like the thing to do since I was talking about someone watching us. Hold on a second.”

Before I could say anything, she set the phone down.

Someone picked it up. “Pamela, this is Carol. Judy and Coral are peeking out the window. We checked and he’s still out there. Should we do anything?”

“Are you sure he’s watching one of the two houses?”

“As sure as we can be.”

“Can you see what he looks like?”

“Judy… Oh, I’ll call you back. Cloene and her boyfriend just pulled up out in front.” She hung up on me.

I held the phone out and looked at it in surprise. I hadn’t expected such an abrupt end to our conversation. I set the phone on the table and turned off the TV while I waited for Carol or Judith to call back. It was obvious I wasn’t going to get to watch my movie without interruption.

Mikey and the dogs ran in the house making my point for me. “No running in the house.” They ignored me and ran back outside. As they went out the door I heard a thump and Mikey said, “Sherlock, you’re a big clumsy goofball.”

I studied the phone. Well, at least I knew there was a

copper over at Turnbal House. Maybe Ben could sort out the stranger’s identity. If Carol had told me what he looked like instead of hanging up on me, I might have known who it was.