Danger Comes Home (Kelly O'Connell Mystery) (16 page)

Buck nodded, and then he looked at Mona and me. “You up for this?”

I nodded, but Mona said, “Only if I can bring Jenny back to your house with us.”

“Where is she?” Mike asked.

Mona looked at me, and I said “At the office with Keisha. We’ll bring Keisha too.”

“Oh, swell, let’s have a party,” Buck muttered, but Mike said, “Of course. Give me two minutes.” Then he went out in the hall to talk on his cell phone. When he came back he said, “Two people in place to be with you. They’re armed and have instant communication abilities.”

I hoped I wasn’t picturing someone following us while talking into a walkie-talkie. A bit obvious. I looked at Mona, and she said, “Let’s go.”

As we went down the stairs, I asked about Jenny’s plans for the summer, but she looked blankly at me. “Come on,” I said, “let’s start this conversation.”

“Oh, I see. Actually I haven’t thought that far ahead. I don’t have any plans for Jenny. I guess she can go to that day care program at the school. I hear they take field trips and swim a lot.”

And so we chattered away about plans for the summer as we rounded the corner onto Magnolia. Pony Tail leaned against the building, idly watching us, and didn’t move. Thus began the longest two-block walk I’ve ever taken. I couldn’t ask Mona if she was as wired as I was, but I felt as though my back had a bull’s eye painted on it. Each time we took a step forward, I told myself we were that much closer to the office, but half of me didn’t believe we’d ever make it. There were people on the street ahead of us, and I didn’t dare turn around to see if Pony Tail—or anyone else—was behind us.

“You’re walking too fast,” Mona said. “Dead giveaway, slow down and tell me what you’re cooking for supper tonight.”

Wow! She’s better than I am at this. She’s probably had more practice.
I waved a hand vaguely in the air. “I don’t have any more idea about that than you do about Jenny’s summer. I bet you and Jenny will have supper with us so something that feeds a crowd. Maybe Mike will grill hamburgers, and I can pick up some potato salad or something.”

“I can make potato salad if you have the ingredients. Better than buying it and cheaper.”

She talked like the natural-born cook I never would be. “I think I have potatoes and mayonnaise. What else do you need?”

“I’ll explore your cupboards and refrigerator, if you don’t mind?”

“Mind? I’d be grateful. So would Mike. My potato salad’s not very good unless I make the lemon and oil kind.”

“I’d like to try that,” was her response.

Then we talked about the hot dog café. “I don’t know that I can ever do it in this city, Kelly.” She said these dark words lightly, as though she were still talking about potato salad. “The old diner really is the perfect place, and I’d about decided on the name your family suggested—Bun Appetit. I like the pun.” Then, a bit wistfully, “I hate to give up my dream.”

“You’ll do it,” I said, putting an arm around her shoulders.

And then, as if by magic, we’d done it: we’d reached the office door. I still half expected a bullet to zing one of us at the last minute as I opened the door—Keisha had locked it.
Good thinking, Keisha.

We stepped into a joyous reunion. Jenny threw herself at her mother, screaming for happiness, while Mona went down on her knees and hugged her, sobbing all the while.

And that’s when the bullet zinged through the glass door, right over Mona and Jenny, past Keisha and me to lodge in the wall.

I was too stunned to think, but only for a nanosecond. “Everyone flat on the floor,” I cried. We fell to the floor, and I wished desperately that I’d remembered to lock the door the minute I came in. I also wished once again for that blasted gun that Mike wanted me to carry, but it was in my desk drawer across the office.

Are we sitting ducks?

Then it registered to my shocked brain that I was hearing gunfire but no bullets were coming into the office. Mike meant it when he said our protection people were armed. Then there was the wail of a siren and that short funny sound it makes when it’s suddenly cut off. This time it was cut off right in front of the office, so I expected Mike to come through the door.

Nothing happened. We waited, Jenny quietly crying in fear, Mona with her body wrapped protectively about her child, me thinking about my girls and wanting assurance I’d pick them up as usual this afternoon.

Only Keisha spoke. “I told you that you were getting us in the soup again,” she whispered.

Finally I heard the door open. By now I was no longer terrified.
That must be Mike, though at this moment I’d even be glad to see Conroy.

Mike’s voice, though gruff, was the sweetest sound I’ve ever heard. “All right, ladies, you can get up off the floor now. I’m afraid we probably aren’t going to learn much from Pony Tail, and if he had help, we didn’t get them.”

“Is he dead?”

“Close.”

As he spoke, I heard another siren and then silence.

“Ambulance,” Mike said, “but he didn’t look good to me. And he didn’t say one word. We’re sending someone in the ambulance in case he does say something, but I bet we’ll never know if he fired that bullet as a warning or if he really meant it for Mona.”

“Or me?” I asked suddenly shaking and freezing cold. Mike didn’t answer my question. He simply led me to my chair and ordered me to put my head between my knees. Then he helped Keisha haul herself off the floor, and finally he stopped where Mona now sat up with her arms around a still-sobbing Jenny.

“Are you okay, sweetie?” Gone was the gruff man, replaced by the gentle Mike I knew and loved.

Jenny nodded, and her mother began to cry, saying, “I am so sorry I got you all into this. I should have just gone along with him Saturday night and agreed.”

Mike put a hand on her shoulder. “Shhh. Not now. And I was always involved. So in a way was Kelly. We’ll figure this out, even without Pony Tail. You and Jenny will be safe
soon.”

“I don’t think I’ll ever feel safe again,” she said softly.

By the time we left the office, it was lunchtime. I gave Keisha the keys to return to Doris, who must be wondering if I was as good as my word—my quick check of the apartment had turned into a long ordeal. “Tell her I’m sorry. Something came up.” Then I asked her to get cheeseburgers and fries for everyone at the Grill and bring them to the house. A corner of my mind said,
Swell, Kelly. Cheeseburgers for lunch means you can’t have hamburgers tonight. I’ll figure it out later.

All of us sat around the table and ate our burgers like it had been twenty-four hours since breakfast. Jenny, probably famished after really not eating for that long, ate every bite of her cheeseburger and every single French fry. I was tempted to tell her not to tell the girls what she had for lunch. They’d howl with jealousy.

As soon as she finished, her mom suggested she was probably tired and could use a nap. None of us wanted to talk with the child in the room. I showed Mona where Jenny was sleeping, and she tucked her in and talked to her for a few minutes.

Meanwhile, the rest of us were talking and planning. That is, Mike and Conroy talked; the rest of us listened. Conroy had a plan but it would take a lot of nerve on Mona’s part. When she came back, he explained it to her: He wanted her to cooperate with George Grierson, the rogue cop, play along. She would wear a wire and would be under surveillance.

“I won’t subject Jenny to any more of that life, and I won’t put her in danger.”

“You can leave town,” Buck suggested slowly, “and create your own witness protection program. But I bet they’d find you. At the least you’d live your life in fear, moving frequently, always looking over your shoulder. On the other hand, you can help us and help put one more drug ring out of business.”

“Another will take its place,” she said.

“Probably. But we can’t stop trying.”

“If I wear a wire and have protection, Grierson will know it in a minute. He’s a cop, remember.”

“But not a smart one. No, he won’t know it. I can’t guarantee your safety but I can make pretty damn sure you’re okay. And it shouldn’t take long. A couple of weeks.”

She looked at me, then at Mike. “I’m not agreeing, but if I do, can Jenny stay here?”

“Of course,” I said and Mike nodded his agreement.

“And I can back out at any time I feel in danger?”

Buck nodded.

“Okay. Tell me the plan.”

I didn’t want to hear it, so I began clearing away the lunch trash. Keisha began to help me, and when we met in the kitchen, she said, “I forgot to tell you. Her ladyship called. Today’s her grocery day, and she wanted to know what could possibly be keeping you from getting her food. I told her one of us would get it this afternoon. I guess now that’s me.”

“Do you mind?”

“No, but I won’t be responsible for what I say to her.”

“Keisha….if we don’t get her groceries, how will she eat?”

“Meals on Wheels. What’s wrong with her anyway? Why won’t she leave her house?”

“I think she’s afraid to. I think it’s been so long since she was out in the world that she’s lost her self-confidence. There’s a name for that, but I forget what it is.”

“How about ‘foolish’?” she asked as she left.

Back in the dining room, I heard Mona ask, “Won’t he be mad that he’s lost one of his people? And take it out on me?”

Buck shook his head. “I don’t think so. You can tell him what happened today convinced you. He’s not the head guy, but I think I know who is—and that’s who we want to get to. Grierson can’t make those decisions. I’m pretty sure he didn’t order Pony Tail to shoot at you today.”

“Won’t he wonder where Jenny is?”

“Make that a bargaining card. You’ll do it, but you won’t let Jenny be involved.”

“He’ll know she’s staying with someone from Narcotics. He’ll be suspicious.”

“His daughter is her best friend. That’s why she’s staying here. If he acts too funny about it, deal’s off.”

“These people have been good to me. Not only do I not want Jenny to be in danger, I don’t want them to be.”

“Honeybun,” he said, and I saw her stiffen, “they’re already in danger. Do you know who’s living in their garage apartment? A punk that hangs out with guys who deal. They’ve got a big bull’s eye on them.”

I left the room again. I didn’t like the image Buck was creating.

Mike called me back in a few minutes. “Would you drop Mona off at her house? Do your silly women out shopping act again—I heard you were pretty good at it. It’s probably wasted effort, because I bet there’s somebody out watching this house right now. But just in case. We’ll wait a good bit before we leave.”

We had to wake Jenny to say goodbye to her mother. Mona, who had been so full of tears earlier, turned into a tough mother. When Jenny started to cry and cling to her, she said sternly, “Jenny, I need you to be strong and brave. We’re going to be apart for a while, so we can be together and feel safe for a long time. And I will see you every day. I’ll come get you for school and bring you back here after school. And maybe Kelly will let me come in and help you with your homework. Okay?”

“Okay.” The child was biting her lip. Mona enveloped her in a hug and then said to me, “Let’s go.”

Mike said, “We’ll wait till you come back, so Jenny’s not alone. I don’t want her ever to be alone.”

With that echoing in our ears, we went off to act like two silly women out shopping. I knew we weren’t fooling anybody…and Mike knew it too.
Life is sometimes one big charade
.

****

I knew that Mike would want Joe out on the streets that night, but Joe had already gone to the Grill when Mike came home for supper. I had not one inspiration about a meal, so I suggested we go out, and the girls cheered. Of course we went to the Grill, but I winked at Jenny and told her to remember our secret. She nodded, pleased to be part of the conspiracy.

Mike relented and let the girls have cheeseburgers, while Jenny had a BLT and Theresa chose a huge salad. I should have followed her example, but I had grilled tilapia—almost as good—and Mike had pork chops. Joe hovered over us, but none of us were too talkative. It had been an exhausting day, and while there were things Mike and I wanted to say to each other, they would have to wait until the girls were asleep.

The girls had clamored for news of Mona when they got home from school, and I simply told them she was at her house and Jenny would be staying with us for a while.

“She’s not staying with her mom?” Em asked.

“No, not right now.”

“Why?”

“That’s for me to know and you to stop asking. Adult business, Em.”

She pouted but she knew better than to argue her point.

Maggie started to bring it up at dinner. “Jenny, this will be like having a pajama party every night. I hope you stay a long time.”

“Thanks, Maggie, but I really want to be with my mom as soon as I can.”

Sweet Maggie put an arm around Jenny’s shoulders and said, “Of course you do.”

Mike looked at Joe and said, “Don’t go looking for your buddies tonight. It would be too obvious.”

“Whatever you say, Mr. Mike,” Joe said.

The girls went to bed early, homework done. Theresa settled herself at the dining room table with her books to wait until Joe came home from his shift at the Grill. Mike and I adjourned to our bedroom.

“Kelly, if we keep taking in people for protection, we ought to call this a safe house. At least I hope it is, but we’ll need a bigger house.”

My mind went straight to Lorna McDavid’s house, and then I realized I had not heard word one from Keisha about her grocery shopping expedition. I was tempted to call, but I made myself wait until morning.

Joe didn’t come straight home from his shift. In fact, it was one o’clock in the morning before he came in to get Theresa, and by then, she was a sleepless mess. Mike and I were asleep, both exhausted from the day, and didn’t hear him let himself in, turn off the alarm, turn it back on, and leave with Theresa. All we knew in the morning was that she wasn’t in the bed in Em’s room.

Next morning I asked Mike, “Is it really only Tuesday? I feel like it should be Friday.”

“Sorry, sweetheart. It’s Tuesday all day.”

Joe knocked on the door, and Mike called out “Come in.”

He came slowly, hesitantly. “I hope I didn’t wake you guys up last night. It was real late when I came in. Theresa, she’s still giving me the cold shoulder. I only wish she’d understand that I do what I do to protect her.”

While Mike poured him coffee, I said, “I’m sure she knows that, Joe. She’s just scared to death for you.”

“And me for her,” he said.

Mike turned his attention from the bacon he was frying. “I thought you weren’t going out last night.” Implied but not stated was, “I told you not to.”

Joe spread his hands. I know, Mr. Mike, but things took an unexpected turn. Little Ben came into the Grill, by himself, dressed halfway decent and behaving. Ordered a beer and a cheeseburger. Naturally, I sat down with him for a minute, told him I was surprised to see him. He told me he had big news, and it was really good. He expects to be rolling in dough any day now.”

Mike raised an eyebrow and said, “Go on.”

“He wanted me to go for a drink, said there was a cool pub right around the corner. Maybe you know it. Jake’s Place.”

“Never been there,” Mike said, “but I hear good things about it. Not a bar as much as a neighborhood pub.”

Joe nodded. “Yeah, I expected Little Ben to swagger and stick out in that crowd. It was mostly older folks…like you two.” He paused. “Well, you know what I meant. I didn’t mean to offend.”

I laughed. “No offense taken, Joe. We’ll have to get you and Theresa to babysit and we’ll go there one night.”

All three girls piled into the kitchen. Maggie and Em surrounded Joe, hugging him, and asking for Theresa, but Jenny hung back.

Joe dealt with it nicely. “Hi, Jenny. You’re here on a school night. Must be a special occasion.”

“Jenny’s going to be staying with us a while. I guess it’s time you and I brought each other up to date. Can you come back after you take Theresa to work, when the girls have gone to school?”

“Sure thing, Mr. Mike. I’ll do that.” He ruffled heads and said, “You girls try not to get into too much trouble today, okay?”

Maggie and Em giggled but Jenny remained solemn as he left.

I of course bristled. They were going to talk after I’d been sent off with the girls and then to my office. I’d have to wait until evening to hear what they said…if I heard then. I’m afraid I was a bit grouchy when I gave Mike a peck on the cheek. He of course ignored any attitude on my part.

****

Keisha was already at the office when I got there, and just from the tone of my muttered “Good morning,” she sensed my attitude.

“Are we in a snit this morning?”

“You might say that.
We
—that is, I—am also exhausted and wish it were the weekend and I could sleep for twenty-four hours.”

Without the least bit of sympathy, she said, “That won’t happen even on the weekend, so get over it and listen to me about Lorna.”

I’d forgotten all about Ms. McDavid again. “Lorna? I suppose you insulted her, and she told you never to come back.”

Keisha pushed back in her chair, smoothed her bright purple top, and whirled around to face me. “Nope. In fact, I’m gonna take over that duty for you. She and I had a good talk…I like that old dame, and I want to hear her whole story. I’m going to bit by bit.”