Marja McGraw - Bogey Man 03 - They Call Me Ace (3 page)

Chapter Four

Mikey and I went to church on Sunday morning, and Judith went with us. Her enthusiasm during a sermon about forgiveness seemed genuine, which surprised me because she wasn’t into the whole church thing.

My friend, Lila James, has the voice of an angel and she sang a solo that left my mother-in-law speechless. I was impressed. I didn’t think anything could leave her speechless. I explained how Lila had once become involved in a case with Chris and me, and that she now sang at
Bogey Nights
a couple of times a week.

“She sings in your cocktail lounge?” Judith looked skeptical.

“Sure. And she draws quite a crowd. Why?”

“I just can’t imagine a religious woman singing at a bar.” Judith didn’t get it.

“First of all, our cocktail lounge is a place where people come to socialize and relax. It’s not the local honky tonk where a bunch of drunks hang out. As far as her being a Christian, well, Christians like to entertain people, too. She’s

good at it – you heard her this morning. Normally she sings

on Saturday nights, but she and her boyfriend had special plans last night.”

“She has a boyfriend?” The look of skepticism was back in place.

“Why not? Is there some rule against Christian women having relationships?”

“Actually, I was thinking of her age. She’s no spring chicken, you know.”

I laughed. “Age has nothing to do with it. As open as you are to life, I’m surprised you feel that way.”

Judith looked thoughtful for a moment. “You’re right. Good for her! I’m glad she’s found someone at her age. I’m generally not judgmental, and I don’t know what made me react that way. Maybe I’m changing in my own old age.” She frowned. “I don’t think I want to change.”

“That’s okay. I have to admit I was surprised when you enjoyed the service so much, and that was judgmental of me. By the way, I don’t think you’re a woman anyone would think of as old.”

Judith stopped to talk to Pastor Findlay on her way out. She complimented him on his sermon and asked a few follow up questions. He answered her without missing a beat as he shook hands and greeted everyone.

The sky had become cloudy overnight, and people were hurrying to leave. The clouds were darkening and it looked like we were in for a big storm.

After collecting Mikey from Sunday school, we drove to the Red Barn to join Chris and his father for lunch. I was working at the diner when I met Chris, and it had become a favorite place to eat. One of our regular customers when I worked at the Red Barn talked them into preparing a PB&T sandwich
for her – peanut butter, bacon and tomato – and it became an often requested lunch by a few customers. Judith and I both ordered the PBT.

Over lunch we discussed Judith’s fascination with the

old house.

“Thinking about last night while we’re sitting here eating lunch, I can’t help wondering why it seemed so interesting to me. I guess it was just the light in the window, because it’s obviously a deserted house.”

“It was definitely a
scary
old house,” Mikey said with conviction.

Chris Sr. patted his wife’s hand. “Did you ever call the Realtor?”

“I called before we left for church, but they weren’t open yet. I’ve got my cell phone with me. I’ll try again when we’re done eating.”

I turned to Chris and tried to draw him into the conversation. He was being awfully quiet. “So what did you and your father do this morning?”

He shook his head, as if to say they hadn’t done a thing, and glanced out the window. “Looks like there’s a storm moving in. What do you say we finish up and head home?”

Judith walked outside and called the Realtor while I waited for Chris to pay the bill.

The ride home was quiet, except for Mikey who talked about Sunday School. Apparently there had been some coordination between the pastor and the Sunday school teacher because the children also talked about forgiveness. And then came our out-of-the-mouths-of-babes moment.

“So, Dad, I think you should forgive Grandma Judy. She didn’t mean to get you all upset last night.”

The car was filled with dead silence.

Chris started to laugh. “You’re absolutely right, Ace. Her intentions are always good. My mother never means to cause trouble, so I should forgive her. And I do.”

I glanced at Judith, and her eyebrows were raised. “You do?”

“I do. You’ve been my mother for thirty-six years, and I

should be used to you. I should have cooled my heels before

beating my gums. I’m sorry for calling you a dizzy broad, too.  It’s just that I’ve never had a son to worry about before. Don’t leave him alone in the car again, okay?”

Chris was beginning to use some of the forties slang, so I knew we were on the road to normalcy.

“Ah, Junior, you’re right. I shouldn’t have left Ace alone in the car. Like Pamela said last night, I should have brought him back to the restaurant before I snooped inside the house.”

When Chris didn’t react to being called Junior, I knew things were working themselves out. Taking advantage of everyone’s good mood, I asked about the Realtor. “What did he say, Judith? Can we go look at the house?”

I saw Mikey out of the corner of my eye, and I was pretty sure he was holding his breath.

“He said he can meet us there at four-thirty this afternoon. He also said if he’s late, there’s a key hidden up on top of the doorsill.”

Glancing out the window, I said, “It might be pouring by then. The wind is picking up, too.”

“So much the better. What fun, to search through an old house during a storm. It will set the mood.” Judith was definitely an optimist.

“Yeah, Grandma, that should make it lots of fun. And as long as I’m with my mom, I won’t be scared. She’ll watch out for you, too, you know.”

“Chris, would you and your father like to come along?” He was still smiling, and I felt safe in asking.

“No, you three have a good time. Dad and I are going to watch a baseball game this afternoon. Just stay away from any dead bodies. One in the basement at the restaurant was enough for one lifetime.”

I bit my lip, not wanting to say anything that might change my husband’s mind. Looking over my shoulder at

Judith, I saw she seemed to be thinking things over. Chris Sr.

had clamped his lips together in a smile, and the corners of those lips seemed to reach for the sky. He was a happy man, probably made even happier because he very seldom said anything so he never created controversy. He just watched and listened, and enjoyed himself. I could see Chris took after his mother, although I had a feeling he wouldn’t appreciate it if I commented on the similarities.

When we got home, Chris turned on the television and he and his father settled in while Judith and Mikey changed clothes. I checked on the dogs and let them come inside. They’d taken to Chris Sr. and Judith right off the bat. No dilly-dallying, just instant friends. They immediately ran to Chris’s father for some scratching.

The phone rang and Chris headed for the kitchen. “Watch this Dad. This crazy mutt always tries to get to the phone first.”

Sherlock raced into the kitchen, slid across the floor and slammed into the wall. As usual, Watson just licked her paw and glanced up at him as though thinking,
What an idiot
.

Chris Sr. laughed, the only time he smiled with his mouth open. “Doesn’t he ever hurt himself?”

“I think he must have the hardest head this side of the Mississippi River,” I said.  I’d seen Sherlock do this time and time again, and yet no matter how many times he slid into the wall, he never quit doing it. Sherlock and Watson are very intelligent dogs, so this behavior was unexpected.

Chris hung up the phone and walked back to the living room. “Wrong number. Sherlock practically gave himself a concussion for nothing.”

Judith and Chris Sr. had driven their motor home from Michigan to California, and they were hauling an ATV, a two-seated all-terrain vehicle, behind them. I had no idea where they were going to use it, but I wanted a ride in it. It looked

like it might be fun. It kind of reminded me of a very small

military Jeep. I was sure Mikey had probably already hinted

to Judith that he wanted a ride, too. I wasn’t sure if they were legal on the streets of Los Angeles because it was something that had never come up before. They probably weren’t, but I figured we could probably get away with a ride around the block.

Chris’s parents had insisted on staying in their motor home while we insisted they use the guest room. Judith explained they had everything they needed in the motor home and she didn’t want to move all of her things into the house. We gave in, and they parked in front of the house.

Judith returned to the house wearing jeans and a long blue blouse. Her shoes were old-fashioned tennis shoes. She looked stylish, even in jeans.

While she talked to the men, I ran upstairs to change my clothes. Mikey was just coming out of his room. He waved at me and took the stairs two at a time.

“Slow down, Mikey. I don’t want you falling.” As if he’d listen to me.

Bogey Nights
was closed on Sundays and Mondays, and it was nice to have a couple of days when I didn’t have to dress up.  I pulled out a pair of jeans and a yellow shirt, added some flip flops, and I was ready for anything. The sound of voices outside caught my attention and I walked to the window. Judith was unloading the ATV from its trailer, so I figured Mikey must have done some fast talking. Looking at the trees, I saw the wind was picking up. I heard them take off as I came down the stairs.

Father and son were so involved in the game that they didn’t even notice me. I walked outside and waited for Judith and Mikey to come home. I could hear the whine of the engine on the street behind ours and wondered if the neighbors would complain. The ATV was loud, very loud.

As they turned the corner and headed back up our street, I stood by the curb. They stopped right in front of me.

Judith’s hair stood on end, and she ran her fingers through it.

“That was fun, Grandma! Can we do it again?” Mikey had a look of sheer joy on his face.

“Hey, wait a minute, Ace. It’s my turn. Okay?”

Judith nodded, and Mikey and I traded places. He stood on the curb and watched us take off.

“
Let’s go a little farther than you went with Mikey
,” I yelled, leaning close to Judith. She heard me and nodded.

We’d driven about three blocks before a copper pulled us over.

Judith turned off the engine and glanced at her watch. “Oh well, we need to head over to meet the Realtor anyway.”

“
What?
”  My voice was loud and I realized I was yelling. The sound of the small vehicle had been almost deafening. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to yell.”

The copper approached the ATV with a grin on his face. “I see you’re from out of state,” he said. “How do you like your all
-terrain vehicle?”

Was he going to give us a ticket or did he just like the ATV? He and Judith discussed it for a few minutes before he waved us off.

“Remember, ladies, these are for mountain trails and the like. They’re too loud for city streets, and even if it’s street legal, you can’t drive it around here. Take it home, and have fun with it out in the country.”

He walked away after giving us a warning, and I asked Judith what he meant by “street legal”.

“It means the vehicle has headlights, brake lights, and rearview mirrors. Things like that. A lot of ATVs don’t have those things.”

Judith waved to him as we pulled away.

“
Okay
,” she yelled, “
let’s go meet the Realtor
.”

“
We’ll take my Jeep
,” I yelled back. “
We’ll be a little early
.”

She made a motion like she was turning a key, and I knew she was telling me it wouldn’t matter because she knew

where the key was hidden.

The rain arrived right on schedule and by the time we got home we were wet. The ATV had a roof but it was open otherwise. The wind blew the rain in our faces.

Judith was right. This would be the perfect day to explore a spooky old house.

Chapter Five

I helped Judith load the ATV back onto the trailer before I ran inside the house to change my shirt. She climbed into the motor home, pulling at her wet shirt, ready for a dry one. By the time we finished changing, Mikey was waiting impatiently by the front door, watching out the window. Sherlock and Watson knew the signs and waited next to him. There weren’t too many things they liked better than a
bye-bye
.

“Not this time.” I scratched the top of each of their heads before shooing them away from the door. Chris helped by calling their names, and as much as they liked
bye-bye
, they liked Chris better.

“Go get your purse so we can go, Mom. Please.” Mikey was anxious, and in all honesty, so was I. I wanted to see the inside of the house I drove past so often. It fascinated me every time I saw it, but I’d never thought about actually going inside.

When Judith, Mikey and I were finally all loaded in the Jeep, we took off for the old house. I knew we’d be early, but again, Judith knew where the key was. Realtors usually used

lock boxes, but maybe this house was so old and decrepit that they didn’t think it was worth the effort. I didn’t know, and frankly, I didn’t care. I was finally going to get to see the inside of the house. It had taken Chris’s mother to spur me into action.

The house was only a few blocks from the restaurant, and I drove by it frequently. Part of the area had been rezoned to commercial zoning, but the area where the house sat remained residential.

We pulled up in front to find the Realtor wasn’t there yet. We were, after all, more than half an hour early. We were ready for an adventure and couldn’t have cared less. I glanced up at the sky and knew it was about to start raining again. I saw lightning off in the distance, and it was followed by thunder a few seconds later.

Being the honest people we were, we waited for all of five minutes before Mikey and I followed Judith up to the porch, using the excuse that we wanted to go inside before the rain started. Up on tip toes, she felt around the door sill for the key, and with a smile of triumph, she held it out for us to see. She tried to unlock the door, but it took a couple of tries before she sighed and handed the key to me. It didn’t seem to want to work.

“Did the Realtor tell you anything about the house?” Appearances told us it had been vacant for many years.

“He said an elderly woman lived here until her death, and that was twenty years ago. She and her husband lived in the house for sixty years. He died ten years before she passed on. No one has lived here since. The family was going to try to restore it, but eventually decided to sell it instead.”

Judith stepped off the
porch and glanced from one side of the house to the other. She rejoined us on the porch. “You have to admit it has character.”

“What does that mean?” Mikey asked.

“It means it’s a neat old house – one someone probably loved at one time.” I took the key out of Judith’s hand and inserted it in the lock, turning it. The door slowly swung open.

Judith looked at me over the top of Mikey’s head. “I wonder why
I
couldn’t get it to work.”

I shrugged, and Judith stepped into the house ahead of us, motioning for us to follow her. It was dark and gloomy. Thunder and lightning ripped through the sky again and I jumped. Maybe this would have been an adventure better left for a bright and sunny day after all. I felt a chill as the wind whipped through the front door – just before it slammed shut.

Mikey was chomping at the bit, ready to run wild through the house. “Yeah, Grandma, this is a cool old house.” His head was practically spinning as he tried to take everything in at once.

I put my hand on his shoulder. “I don’t know how safe this place is, so you stick with me or your grandmother. No running off by yourself. Understand?”

“Yeah.” I could hear the disappointment in that one word. “I mean, yes, ma’am.”

“I’m going to start looking around upstairs.” Judith walked away from us, heading for the steps.

“We’ll look around down here. Let me know if it’s safe to take Mikey up there.”

“I will.” She took each stair step carefully at first, and realizing the stairs were in good shape, she hurried the rest of the way up. They creaked loudly, but I didn’t hear any wood splintering.

“Come on, Mikey. Let’s start in the kitchen.”

We walked through the house, looking for the kitchen, and I saw Judith had been right. There were several pieces of old furniture left in the house. After leaving the entryway, we found a living room with some side tables pushed up against the wall. I lifted covers while we toured the home. There was an old couch covered with a sheet, and tattered drapes hung

in front of the windows. We passed a portrait that hung on the wall. I only glanced at it, but I assumed it was the one Judith had seen the night before. She’d described a mean-looking man, but in the semi-daylight he didn’t look nasty – just formal. We passed an old upright piano which looked like it hadn’t moved in at least fifty years.

We walked from the living room into a formal dining room that was filled with a mahogany dining set and large sideboard. A hutch sat against the opposite wall from the sideboard. The hutch was maple and looked out of place sitting near the mahogany pieces. I could see the opening to the kitchen past the dining table.

For some reason, I just love kitchens. I couldn’t wait to see what this old house had to offer in the way of cupboards and appliances, and I wondered if the appliances were still there. Years ago, kitchens had been a gathering place. People sat at the kitchen table and actually carried on conversations instead of lounging in front of the television or staring at a computer screen. That was one of the things I liked about our house – the kitchen was big enough for a table and chairs. And we made a point of enjoying the room.

Before we could set foot in the kitchen, I heard Judith coming back down the stairs. It sounded like she was in a hurry.

Mikey and I headed back to the entryway to see what was going on. Judith ripped open the front door, and without slowing down, she took hold of Mikey’s and my arms and rushed us out the front door. Her eyes were large, her face was red and she was breathing hard. I felt her hand shaking on my arm. She seemed to be frightened, and those little legs of hers could really move.

“What’s wrong?” I asked, last night’s feeling of panic starting to return.

After a glance at Mikey, she whispered in my ear, or at least she tried to. In her excitement, her voice was louder than

she intended it to be, and Mikey overheard what she said.

“There’s a
dead body
in the house?” Mikey didn’t understand death yet, and he was excited. “Wait until I tell Danny about
this
.” Danny is his best friend and, unfortunately, they share everything.

Before I could stop him, Mikey ran back inside the house.

I ran after him and grabbed his arm just as he stepped onto the staircase. “Oh, no you don’t, young man. You go outside and wait with Grandma Judy.”

He hesitated.

“Now!”

We turned around and found that Judith had reentered the house. She took hold of Mikey’s hand and pulled him in front of her, turning him around and placing her hands on his chest. “Are you going up there?”

“I am.” I slowly started up the steps. Stopping, I looked down the stairs toward Judith. “Are you sure about what you saw?”

“Sure as sure can be.” She was nodding rather frantically. She took a step backward, pulling Mikey with her.

After taking another step, I stopped again. “What if the killer is still here? Maybe we’d better get outta here – fast. We can call the police and Chris.”

“I’m sure he’s gone. I think that’s who was here last night. That body doesn’t look fresh. I mean, I think it’s been there at least overnight.”

“And that’s your expert opinion?” I rolled my eyes, which is one of my coping mechanisms. I glanced at Mikey, trying to convey that I wanted her to watch what she said.

“I’m sure.”

“Mom?” Mikey didn’t look too sure about the whole thing. Reality was beginning to sink in, and he realized this might not be a game.

“It’s okay, Mikey.” I looked over his head at Judith.

“Take him outside.” I was using my motherly no-nonsense tone of voice. They both turned and walked out the door.

Wishing Chris was here with us, I reached the top step. I stopped abruptly and took a good look at the dead body sitting to the left at the top of the stairs, suddenly pleased that Chris wasn’t with us after all. It could have been embarrassing. Judith and I never would have heard the end of it. Frayed nerves made me want to laugh, but I didn’t.

“Judith,” I called after a huge sigh of relief. I walked back down the stairs to meet Mikey and his grandmother. “It’s just a dressmaker’s dummy wearing an old dress. You can come back in.”

I watched her and Mikey come back inside. Judith’s color had toned down. Her cheeks were hot pink instead of red, but she still looked upset.

“I
know
it’s a dressmaker’s dummy. Now go look at the real body. It’s in the center bedroom.”