That time again. For those wishing to catch up, the previous instalments have their own page under the Mickey Spencer, AC tab at the top of the blog. Those who are playing along with the crossword clues, last week's answer was "Lies" - I think all of you got it right :)
As always, I hope you enjoy. I know I had fun writing this instalment!
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Part 18 ~ A Tornado or Hurricane or Tsunami (8 Letters) ~
Of course, I immediately left the office and all the paperwork piled high on my desk. Mystery woman had a name, Lisa Johnson. According to Gert, she was at the Home and I planned on tailing her for the rest of the day, if I wasn’t too late getting over to Glenham. My guts churned, and not just from the late night snack of high calories and too many fat grams. Even if she wasn’t Ray’s girlfriend, whom I believed wholeheartedly she wasn’t, there was a connection between the two of them and I was determined to uncover it.
I parked at the end of the street, deciding to walk in again, and took a long look in both directions. Goosebumps pebbled my skin causing the hair on my arms to stand at attention. The beautiful spring weather could not be blamed. I felt watched.
No. I felt stalked.
I had blamed the unease this morning on lack of sleep and worry over the solving the case, but now I wondered if I had been followed bright and early from my apartment.
Jack! He better not be trailing me! I flung my tote over my shoulders and lifted my chin. I couldn’t resist sticking out my tongue. To a passer-by, I was simply licking my lips. To Jack, hopefully he’d get the message.
Just as Gert said, Lisa Johnson’s car was parked at the curb outside the mental institute. I crossed over to the other side and up Gert’s sidewalk. I would watch from there. Gert opened the door before I had a chance to knock.
"She took in a suitcase."
Gert led me to the window where she parked herself next to me and lifted binoculars that were dangling around her neck. I fished in my tote for my camera and lifted it to my eye to get a better view. Our legs hadn’t even got a chance to get numb when a truck rumbled down the road.
Big. Red. Two-door!
"Is that the two-timing son of a bi – "
"Gert!"
"Well, is it?"
Yep, Ray Dixon, who should have been still hunkered down in his house according to Carol’s timetable, parked his truck haphazardly behind Ms. Johnson’s and jumped from the cab. And after a couple of days of following him and hanging out at his bar, he wasn’t dressed for work. Low slung jeans, sandals, t-shirt advertising America’s Beer, ball cap pulled low on his forehead.
"He looks like he doesn’t want to be recognized."
I had to agree with her especially with the surreptitious glance up and down the street and the hustle to get into The Home.
"Have you seen him around here before, Gert?"
"I couldn’t get a good look at him, but I don’t remember the truck." She swung her binoculars to her right and held them steady in one hand while she pointed. "I do, however, recognize that car."
A blue sedan drove by at the speed of a non-racing turtle giving me plenty of time to identify Carol behind the wheel. Through the lens of my camera I could see she had donned a wide-brimmed straw hat and glasses Jackie O would covet. The disguise hid her face, but someone should have told her about not driving the everyday car to a stakeout.
"Great!"
"Who are you calling?"
"Just a man with regards to his mouth." I waited for Gramps to pick up and watched Carol head down the street, pull a 7 point turn, and then park in the shade of an giant oak tree exactly one house down from Gert’s.
"Morning, Honey. How’s the case?"
"What exactly did you tell Carol?"
"Oh." Silence followed.
"Gramps?"
"The girls are here to take me down to the rec room, Mickey. Don’t want to be late for that first Bingo game." This time a click proceeded the silence.
"The man doesn’t even like Bingo."
Gert lowered the binoculars. "What’s that, Mickey?"
"Nothing."
"Is that your client? Oh, my this is going to get interesting." Gert hoisted the binoculars and swung them around to stare at Carol.
Interesting? Well that was a good way to describe something I would call a complete mess. No wonder I had the feeling I was being followed. And did she have to park directly across the street? Ray would recognize the vehicle as soon as he emerged.
"Do you think she’s packing?"
Seconds passed before I realized what Gert implied. Carol with a gun? Wow, could the day get any better?
~Copyright: Janet S. Corcoran
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So, tell me what's happening in your world, People of Blogland? How's the writing going? What are you reading? Share a snippet or perhaps a great line in the book you're reading - I love great lines!
