Middle River Murders (22 page)

“I’ll try not to imagine my mother in that group of dominos.”

“I’m sorry. I guess I shouldn’t use that expression.”

“Don’t worry. I understand what you mean. Let’s continue.”

“Harriett Shifflett dies from arsenic poisoning which gives
us another unsolved murder.”

“
Alice
cries foul and hires you and my
mother to investigate Daisy.
Alice
gets run off the road and dies in a
car accident.”

“June Robinson, the one person who sees the accident goes
missing and hasn’t been found.”

“But she’s not a member of the club. She’s collateral damage
just like Jonathan. Let’s not forget that he got shot.”

“Kansas Moon breaks into your mother’s house and gets
killed.”

“He was more collateral damage. I’m sure he wasn’t supposed
to get killed. Someone was using him to get to Mom, but he lost control of the
situation. He had lost control of the situation the moment an extra person got
involved. That’s where I come in. I put a crimp in the plan. I could’ve been
collateral damage, but fortunately, I wasn’t.”

“Your mother has been abducted. She is not collateral damage.
Her abduction was intended to get someone’s attention.”

“Why do you say that?”

“Up until now, all evidence pointed to Daisy. Everything fell
at her feet, even the death of her own brother.”

“But we know Daisy wasn’t involved in my mother’s abduction.
She was in the hospital.”

“That was the abductor’s mistake. Her intended fall guy, or
should I say intended fall woman, was incapacitated at the time. That’s what
will bring her down. She fouled up this time. Hopefully, we can trap her before
she disappears. We have to move quickly.”

“I bet the police have been running around in circles trying
to figure out this one. I bet they haven’t even linked any of this together.”

“We’ll find out how much the police know when we get home.
All we have to do is ask the right questions.”

“I have a few questions of my own.”

“Jesse, I want you to go home and do what I said. Let me do
the talking.”

“You have to be kidding! Do you actually think I’m going to
sit back and say nothing?”

“I should’ve known better.”

We turned onto
Bear Mountain Road
and then made the left onto our driveway. The road seemed to
go on forever before we finally pulled up in front of our house.

It had been a long day.

As we got out of the 4Runner and were walking up the front
steps, Sheriff Hudson’s car pulled in behind us. Before we could make it through
the front door, three
Charlottesville
police cars pulled in behind him.

“The gang’s all here,” I said.

Sarah met us at the door. She was holding Ethan, who was
half-asleep.

I leaned over and kissed his forehead and whispered, “How’s
he doing? Has he been a little angel as always?”

“They both were. I was just going to put him down for a nap.”

Billy walked over and kissed Ethan on the cheek. He rubbed
the dark hair on his head and said, “You are such a good child. He is a true
Cherokee. He will make a fine warrior.”

“I think we’ve talked about this before, Mr. Blackhawk,” I
joked. “He’s going to be a doctor.”

“Oh, today he’s going to be a doctor, huh?”

A woman walked down the hall to us. She was holding Maisy.
Following behind them both was a man.

“I guess you must be
Geneva
,”
I said. “And you must be her husband, Eli. Glad to meet you both. I’m sorry the
circumstances aren’t so good.”

“I’ve been in this family for a long time,”
Geneva
said. “We’re filled with drama. It’s
nothing new to me.”

“Yeah,” Eli agreed.

Eli and I stood eye-to-eye as we greeted each other.

He was a thin man with a small potbelly, and even though his
hair was gray, it was plentiful. His darkened skin was a testament to his love
for the outdoors, or at least some activity that required one to be outside a
lot. His voice was strong, but not loud.

“I see what you mean.” I reached out to Maisy and she
instantly held out her arms. I took her and hugged her. I’m going to take a
shower,” I said as I handed her back to
Geneva
.
“If you can stay a while, maybe we can get a chance to talk. I want Maisy to
know her grandparents, but I’m not ready to go much beyond that for now.”

“I understand,” she said. “Your house is in trouble. You need
to see to your home before you have time for me. Do what you have to do. I’m
not going anywhere.”

Eli nodded in agreement.

Geneva
looked so much like her sister, Sarah. They were both about five feet tall,
thin, and had gray hair. Their voices even sounded alike. She seemed like a
nice person… and she wasn’t pressuring me. For that I was thankful. Now was not
the time to get on my bad side.

I walked to the bedroom as the living room filled with law
enforcement people. I closed the door and went straight to the bathroom.

Normally, I would be right out there in the middle of
everything, but I was too consumed with a feeling of doom to participate in
their conversations. I needed time to myself. As I turned the shower water on,
I heard them talking. It sounded like a madhouse. I did my best to tune them
out while I stripped down and then jumped in the shower. I sat down in the tub
and cried for my mother while the hot water beat down on me.

After a long and refreshing stand under the pulsating hot
water, I finally turned off the spray and stepped out of the tub. I grabbed a
towel, dried my body, and then stared at myself in the mirror. Bags had
appeared under my eyes. I hadn’t slept well and my waking moments in the middle
of the night were long. My sleep pattern had changed from long, uninterrupted
hours to periods of short naps. I would sleep for an hour and wake up for as
long. Then I’d go back to sleep for another hour. I guess having children to
tend to does that to a person. Add that to all the drama in my life and there
was no wonder I had bags under my eyes. I sat down on the closed toilet lid
with a cold washcloth pressed to my eyes. Hopefully, this would reduce the
puffiness. After ten minutes of solitude and a cold rag to my face, I looked in
the mirror again. The bags had gone down some, but that wasn’t what bothered
me. I saw the reflection of my mother staring back at me. She was holding out
her arms, pleading with me to help her. She was in a dark place. Her breathing
was labored and she was near death.

My heart began to pound in my chest and I couldn’t catch my
breath. I was having a panic attack! I couldn’t let anyone see me like this. I
reached down in the cabinet under the sink and pulled out the paper bag I kept
under there for times such as this. I put the bag up to my mouth and began breathing
in through my nose and exhaling through my mouth. I continued with this
breathing exercise until I felt my heartbeat slow down. Once I had calmed down,
I folded the bag and placed it back in the cabinet. I guess this is better than
talking pills, I told myself. At least, it worked.

A light tap on the bathroom door startled me.

“Yes,” I said.

“Are you all right?” Billy asked.

“I’m fine. I’ll be out in a minute.”

I grabbed the robe off the hanger on the back of the door and
slipped into it. I wrapped a towel around my head and then opened the door.

Billy stood there smiling.

“What is it?”

“You’re so beautiful.”

“Even with the puffy eyes?”

“Your eyes aren’t puffy.”

“That’s because I had to put a cold compress to them. I look
like a train wreck.”

“You look fine. Actually, you look better that fine.”

Billy reached out and wrapped his arms around me. He kissed
me gently on the lips.

“Have I told you lately that I love you?”

“Many times,” I whispered. “I’m so lucky to have you.”

“I agree.”

I pulled away from his embrace and walked over to the
dresser. As I searched through the drawers looking for something to wear, Billy
came up behind me and said, “We’ll find your mother, Jesse. I promise.”

I broke down in tears. My heart ached at the thought of
losing my mother. She has been the one stable factor in my life, other than my
father. But my father was gone now, and I was determined not to lose my mother.

“My mother’s in a dark place, Billy,” I said. “She called to
me. She needs my help.”

“Soon we’ll have the entire police force out looking for
her.”

“I’m amazed that they jumped right on this. Usually, they’re
slow as molasses in winter when it comes to looking for a missing person.”

“They don’t consider your mom a missing person. She’s been
abducted and they’re not too happy that someone disguised as one of their own
is the culprit. They put an APB out on the car. Mom said the officer was
driving one of the brown cars. It shouldn’t take too long to spot it. Sheriff
Hudson is confident his deputies will find your mother, but just in case, I
called my brothers. They should be here any minute. You might want to get
dressed. I know you want to be in the thick of things, and I don’t blame you.
So hurry up and get a move on it.” Billy swatted at my rear end as he smiled
and walked out of the room. He closed the door behind him.

I dug out a pair of jeans and a T-shirt and then dressed as
quickly as I could. I wanted to be ready at a moment’s notice. Whatever it
took, I’d find my mother. Nobody was going to take her away from me.

The house had gotten quiet, and when I walked out into the
living room there was no one there. I heard voices in the back of the house. I
turned and headed toward them.

Sarah got out of her chair and walked up to me when I entered
the family room.

“How are you holding up, dear?” she asked.

“I’m doing pretty good under the circumstances. How long has
it been?”

Sarah ushered me to the sofa and motioned for me to sit down.

“It’s been six hours,” she said with a sad look in her eyes.
“Can I get you anything, Jesse? Have you had anything to eat?”

“I’m not hungry,” I replied as I looked over at
Geneva
and then to Eli.

Geneva
sat quietly in the rocking chair, taking everything in as she rocked back and
forth with Maisy on her lap. She looked right at home. Maisy looked content.

I smiled a weak smile.

Eli sat at one end of the sofa. He watched with a sincere
look in his eyes, but didn’t join in the conversation.

I looked over in the corner of the room and saw Spice Cat
sitting on top of a book shelf. He was stretched out, oblivious to the
happenings of the people in the room. He didn’t even stir when Billy walked in
with the dogs at his heels. Athena and Thor’s presence didn’t incite a reaction
like it usually did. I guess he needed his rest, too.

Both of the dogs came over to me and lay down at my feet.
Athena looked up at me, made a snorkeling noise and then put her head down over
her paws. Thor sat up on his rear end and looked at me with those big, sad
eyes.

I started to cry at the sight of them looking so sad, and my
tears brought about a howling that was not only heart wrenching, but bitter.
They missed Mom, too. Both dogs howled and whimpered like lost souls. Their
cries got to the point that it was so out of control, we started laughing. We
laughed, the dogs whimpered, and everything seemed like one big melodrama.

Billy stood there watching and didn’t say a word until we
managed to get our emotions under control.

“I don’t know whether to laugh or cry,” he said. “The
situation is sad, but the sight of all of you is so funny.”

Sarah got up and walked over to Billy. “Come over here son
and tell us what the police are going to do to find Minnie.”

Billy walked over to me and sat down.

“Sheriff Hudson said they were going to drop a net over the
city of
Charlottesville
and
Greene
County
. The surrounding areas have also
been notified and everybody has an eye out. The police are going to find your
mother, Jesse. It’s just a matter of time.”

“Why would someone come after your mother?” Sarah asked. “I
don’t understand. Minnie doesn’t have an enemy in the world. She’s the kindest
person I’ve ever met. She always puts others first. Who would want to do her
harm?”

“A few days ago I would’ve said Daisy Clark, but now I know
that’s not the case. Daisy’s in the hospital with a foot wound. She won’t be up
and about for a while.”

“You call her Crazy Daisy. Your mom thought that was so
funny, but she said she wouldn’t tell you that because she didn’t want to
encourage you. She said you have a tendency to blurt out…”

“She’s right. I do have a tendency to run off at the mouth,
especially if I think I’m right.”

“Which is most of the time,” Billy added.

“You have no idea what a job it is to be right all the time,”
I joked. “But someone has to do it.”

Geneva
let out a giggle. “I’m sorry,” she said. “It’s nice to see a family who cares
so much about each other. I just wish I had been closer to my daughter-in-law.
Things might have been different.”

There was a silence in the air until I said, “Sometimes we
can’t pick and choose who our children will end up with. Maybe that’s a good
thing.”

“Maybe,” she whispered.

“What’s the plan?” Sarah asked as she looked at Billy. “I
know we’re not going to sit around and chitchat. You must have something up
your sleeve.”

“I’m waiting for the guys to get here. Then we’ll devise a
plan.”

“It sure is nice to have our very own posse,” I said. “They
should go into business together. They could be like that guy on TV who goes
out and rounds up bail jumpers. Oh, that’s right. I forgot. Jonathan does that
for a living.”

A loud knock at the front door echoed down the hall to the
family room and startled the dogs. Even Spice Cat jumped down from his resting
place and scurried out of the room, high-tailing it to wherever it is he goes
to hide.

The dogs started barking like crazy and took off down the
hall until they reached the front door. Billy got up and headed for the door as
I followed. When we got to the door, the dogs were there jumping up and
scratching at the door, their paws making a screeching sound like fingernails
on a blackboard.

“Get back,” Billy commanded.

The dogs obeyed. They turned and stepped out of his way,
eventually ending up one on each side of me. They sat down and waited with me.

Billy opened the door and in walked all three of his brothers.
They all had that look on their faces—the look of determination. The Blackhawk
boys were ready for action. They came with strong intentions and a will to
succeed. When they left, they would leave with a plan and nothing would get in
their way of carrying out that plan. It was that plan that would bring my
mother back to me.

Jonathan, Daniel and Robert looked just like Billy. They all
were tall, well-built Cherokee Indians with a lot of muscle to back them up.
Their skin was dark and their hair was long, with the exception of Daniel.

Daniel owns a car lot. He said he had to make himself
presentable to his customers. The generation who bought his new, expensive cars
was made up of people from way back when and they liked the clean cut look. No
ponytails allowed, he said, so he had cut his off a while back. He now wore a
short style which I found very flattering to his face.

Robert owns the Rising Sun Restaurant in
Charlottesville
. He serves the same type of Indian
food he has eaten all his life. His customers like it that the owner is a real
American Indian, so he has kept his look and his ponytail.

Jonathan is a bounty hunter and doesn’t care what people
think of the way he looks. He said that the fact he had a ponytail and looked
like a scary Indian helped his career. People were afraid of him simply because
they thought he might scalp them if they gave him any grief. I laugh every time
he says something silly like that. I know he’s an old softy at heart, but I’d
never say that in front of anyone.

A few minutes later, Chief Sam showed up at the door.

I opened the door and said, “Come on in, Chief. You’re just
in time.”

We gathered at the kitchen table while
Geneva
and Sarah went about fixing drinks
and a snack. After eating sandwiches and drinking a mighty strong coffee
concoction, we discussed the situation. Eli attended to Maisy as she sat in her
highchair eating cut up slices of a fresh peach and drinking Juicy Juice. Ethan
was still napping, but I expected him to wake up any minute.

“We need a detailed description of the woman, Mom,” Jonathan
said. “Tell us everything you can remember about her. What color hair did she
have?”

“Let me think,” Sarah said. She paused for a minute and then
gave her account of the suspect. “She was about two inches taller than Jesse
and weighed about twenty pounds more. I’m not real sure about the weight.”

“That puts her at about 5’7’’ and 145 pounds,” I said.

Everyone looked at me skeptically since I had noticeably kept
a few of the pounds I had put on while pregnant.

“Okay, maybe 150 pounds. What’s the big deal?”

Sarah quickly spoke up, averting everyone’s attention away
from me. “She had shoulder length, blond hair—straight style turned under and
no bangs. Her hair was all one length. She was fair skinned as if she’d never
been on a beach. Oh, and I noticed something odd about her right hand. She had
half of her little finger missing right at the tip. She spoke with a slight
northern accent, not like ours. I can’t be certain about the accent, but I
could tell that she wasn’t from around here.”

“Oh, how so?” I asked.

“She made mention of the weather. She said it was so nice to
be in a climate that wasn’t so cold all the time. Normally, I would’ve asked
her more questions, but considering she was arresting your mother, I didn’t
feel like being very friendly.”

“So we might be dealing with someone who has moved here
recently,” I commented.

“Or someone who came here with a purpose,” Billy said.

“Yeah,” Sarah added, joking. “Maybe her membership in a
society club was rejected.”