The Possum Hollow Hullabaloo (The Penelope Pembroke Cozy Mystery Series) (8 page)

“No, you just dealt with it there, and then you came home where everything was safe.” He turned her around in his arms. “Nell, you’re a survivor. You had the courage to leave a philandering husband, raise your son on your own, and take care of your mother until she died. On top of that, you started a business to help support your community. Since I’ve known you, I’ve seen you stand up for what you believe, no matter what.”

“Anybody would do that.”

“No, they wouldn’t. I know that better than you do.”

“Well.”

He took her face in his hands. “Nobody escapes the bad things in life, Nell. Not even people who don’t deserve them.”

The phone rang, making her jump. Sam’s hand reached past hers to pick it up. “Yeah. Yeah. Okay. I’ll do it tomorrow. Anything new? Yeah, right. Sure, I’ll tell her.” He hung up.

“Bradley? Did they find Miss Maude?”

“Not yet.”

“And they won’t. If that
Hadden took her back in those woods, they won’t find her.”

“They found the girls’ mother.”

“That was a fluke, and she was dead, just like Miss Maude will be if she isn’t already.”

“Maybe.”

Penelope clung to him for a long moment. “Sam, will you drive me to the church?”

“Now?
Won’t it be locked after dark?”

“
St. Hyacinth’s is never locked.”

“Can’t you do your…praying…here?”

“It’s not the same.”

He sighed. “All right. Are you going like that—in your jeans?”

“God will understand.”

At the church,
              Sam followed her as far as the door from the foyer. She wished he’d come with her, but she didn’t press the issue. At the altar, she lit two candles—one for George and one for Miss Maude—and knelt at the rail.

The children need them, Lord. You know that. And George has two kids of his own, but You know that, too.
Miss Maude scared six generations of kids here in Amaryllis, but she scared us into learning something and doing things right. She never seemed afraid of anything, but she’s got to be terrified right now. That’s the thing—I don’t mind dying so much as I mind being afraid when the time comes. At least…at least don’t let her be afraid. Let it be quick and painless.

Sam…Lord, what is it with him? I just can’t confess to Father
Loeffler how I feel…how I’ve been tempted to give in to those feelings, but You know. I’m so mixed up. I’m so mad at everybody right now. That social worker who made such an issue of things, Jeremiah Hadden, Archie Hadden—if that’s who the guy is who shot George and took Miss Maude…I’m even a little mad at George and Miss Maude…why couldn’t they have stayed safe? Mostly I’m mad at myself for…well, for everything I’m feeling.

She slumped across the rail.
Dear God, make things all right again. Please make…
She straightened and looked up at the large crucifix behind the altar.
But I guess You already did, didn’t You?
We’re the ones who’ve messed things up.
After a moment, she pushed herself to her feet, made the sign of the cross as she genuflected, and walked back down the aisle.

“Thank you,” she said to Sam.

“Anytime.” He took her hand. “Let’s go home.”

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

Penelope woke, turned her head on the pillow, and saw Sam sitting on the loveseat across the room. “What are you doing here?”

“I came in to check on you about midnight and just stayed.”

“You didn’t need to do that.”

He shrugged.

“What time is it?”

“Eight-thirty.”

“I don’t guess there’s been any word about anybody.”

“I disconnected the phone by your bed, but I stepped out and called the hospital about seven. George Harris is holding his own. Then I called the PD. They haven’t found Hadden or Miss Maude yet.”

Penelope bit her lip. “And they’re not going to.”

“I’ll go get you some coffee if you’re ready to get up and dress.”

“I’ll go down and fix breakfast for you and Daddy.”

“I checked on him, too, when I called the station. He was on his way out the back door. Said he was going uptown to eat.”

“What about you?”

“I managed to wangle a few more days here.”

“I’m glad.”

“I’m glad if you’re glad. I’ll leave and let you get dressed.”

Another time he’d offer to help me and make some other suggestive remarks, but he’s as shaken up as I am, even if he doesn’t show it.

On her way to the bathroom, she remembered she’d left the blood-stained jumper soaking in the tub.
I don’t want to look at it, much less touch it. Too bad I can’t just pull the plug and let it go down the drain.
But when she opened the door and looked toward the tub, the dress—returned to its normal denim hue—hung from the shower rod, and the tub had been scoured clean.

“You washed my dress,” she said when she made it downstairs.

“I knew I was going to be in here for the night. It was something to do.”

“Oh, Sam, I don’t know what to make of you. Thank you.”

“You’re welcome. I’ve got some things to do. Will you be all right?”

“Yes.”

“Keep the doors locked.”

When Sam had gone, she plugged in her phone and called Paul Hollis at home. “George is holding his own, I heard this morning,” he told her. “Pam’s already gone up to the hospital in
Little Rock with a suitcase for Carol.”

“I wish I knew what to do.”

“The superintendent called me last night and said not to count on having school for the rest of the week. I’ve already been on the phone with the other teachers. And I have a name…Archie Hadden.”

“He’s still out there somewhere.
With Miss Maude.”

“It’s a crying shame about her. To live this long and work so hard and then end up with a crazy man like him.”

“Well, look, keep me posted about the school. I can go out and help clean up when the police are finished.”

“Tad
says the state will get a crew out there…you know, because of the blood and all.”

“I think I brought most of it home on me.” Penelope choked on the words.

“You did a great job, Penelope.”

“My ER training just kicked in, that’s all. Look, Paul, keep me posted, and I’ll do the same if I hear anything.”

The phone rang almost as soon as she’d hung up. “Mother?”

“I’m fine, Bradley, really. Sam’s staying a few more days, and your Pawpaw went uptown early this morning.”

“Yeah, I saw him through the window of Daisy Cafe. The school will be closed the rest of the week.”

“I just talked to Paul Hollis.”

“I’m not going to say I wish you hadn’t been out there. I guess for George’s sake, it’s a good thing you were.”

“I hope so.”

“I wanted to tell you this myself. A state trooper will escort Miss Cisneros and the girls to the foster home in…to the foster home.”

“Oh, no!
Mary Lynn must be devastated.”

“It’s for the best, Mother, and it doesn’t mean it’s forever.”

“Nobody should know where they are, right?”

“Only those of us who need to.”

“What will happen to them?”

“Ellie told me enough to…well, she told me enough. I’ll talk to her again eventually, but in the end, she’ll have to testify.”

“Against her father?”

“I can’t give you the details.”

“I don’t guess you know where Archie Hadden is.”

“Oh, we’ll get him, Mother. That’s a promise.”

“I wish you could promise me something good about Miss Maude.”

“I wish I could.”

“I know. Have you talked to her niece Prissy?”

“Twice.
She’s a lot like Miss Maude. Tough. She went on to work at the elementary school this morning.”

“Good for her. I wish I had something to do to keep myself busy today.”

“Aunt Mary Lynn will need you after the girls leave. Rosie called Shana last night, too, in case you were wondering why you hadn’t heard from her. Look, I’ll be in touch as I can.”

“Thanks, Bradley. Just be careful.”

“Always, Mother.”

****

Penelope was dusting the parlor when Mary Lynn called. “They’re gone.”

“I’m sorry.”

“So am I, but I know they had to go somewhere safe. Evie cried all the way to the car.”

“What are the chances of you and Harry getting them back when all this is over?”

“I asked Tonya. She said she’d see what she could do but not to count on anything.”

“George is holding on, but there’s nothing on Miss Maude.”

“Brad told us.”

“Look, Mary Lynn, I’m at loose ends with the school closed, and so are you. Let’s go to
Little Rock or Hot Springs, anywhere to put all this behind us for a while.”

“Harry went to the office. There’s a special Town Council meeting this morning to deal with that guy who’s trying to shut down our Christmas program at the Community Center.”

“I don’t see how he can do that.”

“I don’t either, but Harry’s afraid he’ll get some big-gun group involved.”

“The ACLU.”

“Right.
And they have more money to go after these things than Amaryllis has to keep them out.”

“Life stinks right now.”

“It stinks to high heaven.”

“Well, look, I’ll pick you up in half an hour. Daddy’s uptown, so I’ll have to find him and tell him I’ll be out of pocket.”

“What about Sam?”

Penelope
hesitated. “He said he didn’t know when he’d be back at the house today. I’ll leave him a note.”

****

Mary Lynn came out when Penelope honked. “I’m going to buy a new purse,” she announced as she slid into the car.

“Finally.”

“Maybe a leopard print.”

“Then you’ll have a whole zoo.”

“Is the school a mess?”

“Pretty much.
Paul Hollis talked to Tad Rollins who said the state was sending a clean-up crew. Bio-hazard and all that.”

Mary Lynn snorted. “Like there’s something wrong with George’s blood.”

“It’s the law, Mary Lynn.”

“You were exposed to a lot worse in the ER.”

“I was careful.” Penelope slowed at the intersection. “I don’t know if we can get close, but I’ll give it a try.”

“To the school?
I didn’t say I wanted to see it.”

“But I do.”

“Why?”

“I just do.” Penelope made a left turn onto the county road leading to Possum Hollow. “It’s probably still blockaded anyway.”

But the road was open, and as they got closer to the school, the whole area seemed deserted. “This is creeping me out,” Mary Lynn said. “Turn around.”

“Look—the crime scene tape is still up.” Penelope slowed almost to a stop.

“You weren’t thinking about going in, were you?”

“Of course not.”
Penelope backed up to turn around. Then, before Mary Lynn could protest, she pressed her foot on the gas pedal and took off down the road leading deeper into the Hollow.

“Pen, are you crazy?”

“They had a team with dogs out looking for Miss Maude last night.”

“And didn’t find her.
So now you think you can?”

“I just wondered if they’re still out there.”

Mary Lynn reached across the seat to clutch Penelope’s arm. “Then wonder from a safer distance. Turn around right now, you idiot!”

Penelope stopped on the narrow road and maneuvered the SUV in a 90-degree turn. “Sorry.”

“Sometimes I wonder about you.”

“Sometimes I blessed wonder about myself. All right, I’m getting out of here.”
             

The school’s metal roof gleamed in the light of the sun now almost directly overhead. Penelope gunned the motor to pass the building, then pulled back. “It’s Miss Maude! Look over there on the steps—it’s her!”

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

The SUV’s tires threw up a spray of gravel as Penelope slammed her foot against the brake pedal until it met the floor. Mary Lynn threw out her hands to brace herself against the dashboard. “Call 911,” Penelope yelled, her hand on the door handle. Then she realized that Miss Maude’s hands were in the air, waving them away.

The older woman, clothes torn, her hair loose from its accustomed knot and hanging around her face, advanced toward the vehicle, slapping the air with both hands. The sound of gunfire split the morning calm, sending Penelope diving back into the driver’s seat and Mary Lynn slithering to the floor on the other side, still clutching her cell phone.

“He used her as a decoy,” Penelope hissed across the seat. “That rotten…” She ducked again as another shot rang out.

“Miss Maude, get down!” she yelled, not sure the woman could hear her from the car. “Get down on the ground!” She raised her eyes almost level with the dash and watched Archie Hadden advancing on Miss Maude, her spare frame now prone in the gravel parking lot.

He’s going to kill her, and then he’s going to kill us. The police can’t get here from town in time to stop him.
As soon as the thought formed in her brain, she heard traffic on the road.
Cars. Lots of cars. Oh, dear God, let it be the state police. And their dogs. Dogs to tear that animal limb from limb.

She peeked over the dash again and saw Archie standing over Miss Maude with the same gun that had almost killed George Harris pointed at her back. The crunch of wheels in the gravel sent him whirling around. At the same time, Miss Maude’s long bony arm emerged from the shredded sleeve of her navy blue dress and snaked toward Archie’s right ankle. Penelope watched in disbelief as one finger disappeared up the man’s pants leg. He yelled, jumped, and looked around, and at the same moment, a uniformed man appeared out of nowhere and made a grab for his gun.

Penelope scrambled out of the SUV and ran to help Miss Maude to her feet. “Are you all right?” The woman’s cheek bore several long scratches extending to her neck. They’d bled but were dry and crusted now.

Miss Maude Pendleton brushed her hands on her skirt. “I’m just…”

“What the
hell
are you doing out here?” another uniformed man growled in Penelope’s ear.

“Watch your language, your man. There are ladies present.” Miss Maude straightened her shoulders and fixed her pale blue eyes on the officer.

“Ma’am!”

“I am
Maude Pendleton. I believe you’ve been looking for me. Well, now you’ve found me.” She glanced past Penelope and several other officers swarming the parking lot, the corners of her mouth turning up slightly as she watched Archie Hadden being handcuffed and put into the back of a car.

“Yes, ma’am.
Do you need medical attention?”

“I should like to go home now an
d wash thoroughly, after which I shall consult my own physician.”

Penelope began to laugh, though with hysteria rather than mirth.

“If you’d be so kind as to drive me, Mrs. Pembroke?”

Penelope wiped her eyes with the back of her hand, unable to speak.

The officer tried again. “Miss Pendleton, you’ll need to go with us to the police station to make a statement.”

“As soon as I’m presentable, Officer.”

“No, ma’am, you’ll need to come now.”

Miss Maude lifted her chin and walked toward the SUV, only a slight
weary limp betraying her bravado.

Penelope turned to the officer. “Tell my son we’ll be along. He knows better than to press her on anything.”

“But…”

“Just tell Bradley Pembroke his mother said later.”

“But…”

“Miss Maude, what did you do to Archie
Hadden?”

“He told me during our odyssey
that the only thing he was afraid of was snakes. I simply tickled his leg so he’d think one was crawling up his pants leg.”

“Oh, Miss Maude.”

Mary Lynn leaned over the seat. “Miss Maude, you’re magnificent.”

The older woman closed her eyes. “I’m very tired, Mrs. Hargrove. I’m also very dirty and very hungry. I feel those things above all others.”

Mary Lynn patted the woman’s shoulder. “I take back everything I ever said in your class about William Shakespeare.”

Out of the corner of her eye, Penelope thought she saw Miss Maude’s mouth twitch.

****

Detective Bradley Pembroke circled his mother’s chair in the interrogation room like a starving tiger on the prowl. “I can’t believe you went out there. I just can’t…”

Penelope lifted her chin. “I’m not sorry. We got Miss Maude back, didn’t we?”

Sam leaned into her face. “You’ve done some dumb things, Nell, but this one tops them all.”

She narrowed her eyes. “Get out of my face, Sam.”

He straightened. “You deal with her,” he said to Brad and stalked out.

“Mother, you and Aunt Mary Lynn could’ve been killed. If the state police hadn’t been on their way out to mount another search with the dogs, Archie Hadden would’ve shot all of you.”

“He didn’t. I guess my prayers worked the other night.”

“What made you go out there anyway?”

“I don’t know, but I guess Archie saw my car go by and decided to use Miss Maude as a decoy to get me to stop on the way back.”

“Oh, that’s what he did, all right. And you walked right into his trap.”

“I got out.”

“By the skin of your teeth.  Mother, you…” He turned his back on her, his shoulders slumping.

Penelope realized he was fighting his emotions. “Bradley, I’m sorry. Not for doing what I did, since it turned out all right, but for upsetting you.”

“Just go home, Mother. Go home and stay there. Please.”

She rose and touched his shoulder. “Bradley…”

“Go home.”

In the main room, Sam waited, pacing. “Now where are you going?”

“Home.”

“I’ll be along.”

She nodded.

“Harry Hargrove’s already retrieved his wife. Last seen, he was chewing her up one side and down the other on the way out.”

“She couldn’t exactly jump out of my car.”

“She should have.”

“Has Miss Maude come in yet?”

“
Rosabel’s gone to get her.”

Penelope smiled. “She’s probably the only one Miss Maude won’t eat alive.”

Sam threw up his hands. “It’s all a joke to you.”

She shook her head. “No, it’s not, Sam. I know I shouldn’t have gone out to the Hollow this morning, but if I hadn’t, Miss Maude would still be out there somewhere. Archie
Hadden held onto her when he thought she might be useful, but eventually he’d have killed her.”

“So what did you have last night at the church—a divine revelation? Now you’re Joan of Arc?”

A knot of hurt formed in her throat. “Nothing like that.”

“Go on home, Nell. I’ll be there after a while.”

****

Sam brushed by Jake and Penelope, who were eating sandwiches in the kitchen, without speaking. “It’ll be all right,
darlin’,” Jake said as the other man disappeared through the swinging door.

“Daddy, I know I did a dumb thing, but isn’t the end result more important than the risk?”

“In this case, I’d say so.”

“
Then you’re more sensible than Bradley and Sam.”

“No, I’m not, Nellie, but it’s too late for hindsight. You’re the only parent Brad has. And Sam’s in love with you.”

“He’s furious with me.”

“He should be. Sam hasn’t confided in me, but I get the impression he’s taken some bad hits in life.”

“Lost people he loved?”

Jake nodded. “Go easy on him, Nellie. Brad, too. Try to see things through their eyes.”
He popped the last bite of his sandwich into his mouth. “I’m going out to watch my shows.”

“I’ll be here all evening
, Daddy.”

He kissed the top of her
head. “Best place to be, darlin’.”

Sam pushed back through the swinging door from the dining room. “Do you want a sandwich?” Penelope asked.

He nodded, jerked  back a chair, and sat down. “If it’s not too much trouble.”

“Ham or turkey?”

“Ham.”

She went to the refrigerator. “I’m sorry for what I put you and Bradley through,” she said. “I mean that.”

“Okay.”

“Maybe the girls can come back now that Archie
Hadden’s behind bars with their father.” She set the sandwich on a plate in front of him. “Tea or soda?”

“Soda.”

She took a can from the refrigerator and brought a bag of chips from the pantry. “You didn’t eat much breakfast this morning—or much sleep last night, for that matter.”

“Nothing new.”
He took a bite of his sandwich and chewed.

“Why did you think you had to sit up with me? Did you think Archie
Hadden would come after me?”

“I wasn’t taking any chances.”

“Sam, I’m really sorry about everything, but at least Miss Maude is all right, and hopefully George Harris will be, too.”

His fingers closed around her wrist like a steel vise. “I don’t operate on
at least
and
hopefully
, Nell.”

“What do you operate on, Sam?”

“Facts. Calculated risks I’m trained to take, and you’re not.” He loosened his grip on her wrist and folded her hand into his. “Nell, if anything happened to you…”

Penelope brought his hand to her cheek and held it there. “Are you in love with me, Sam? Daddy says you are.”
             

He chewed his top lip for a long moment. “When the time’s right, I’ll let you know.”

“Then I’ll wait. I’ll wait as long as it takes for the time to be right.”

****

Later, Sam brought down his laundry, started a load, and sat in the kitchen reading the newspaper while Penelope tried to stifle her guilty conscience by making chicken curry with Lady Fingers for dessert. She called the police department and left a message for Bradley. “Peace offering,” she told Sam as he came in from the utility room, his arms full of clean clothes.

“Smells good.
I’m going to pack so I can get out of here early tomorrow morning.”

“Before breakfast?”

“Probably.”

“Oh. Will you be back for Thanksgiving?”

“I don’t know, Nell. I’ll try.”

“Penelope?” Shana’s blonde head poked around the kitchen door.

“Come on in, Shana.”

“I heard what happened today.”

“So much for keeping police stuff confidential in this town.”

Shana laughed. “I got six different versions of how Miss Maude got away from Archie
Hadden, including one about how she beat him half to death with her grandmother’s pearl-handled umbrella.”

“I wish.”

“Are you all right?”

“I guess so.”

“Hello, Sam.”

“Miss
Bayliss.”

“Oh, come off it.
It’s Shana.”

He disappeared through the swinging door.

“I left one of the volunteers in charge of the library, but I had to come by and get a look at you for myself—be sure you’re okay.”

“I’m okay.”

“Tabby’s grandparents are coming this weekend. Peter’s been a bear all week. We’d planned to drive up to Petit Jean State Park if the weather stayed nice, but then they called and asked nicely to see Tabby. He doesn’t want to rattle their cage by not making her available.”

“Does she even enjoy being with them?”

“It’s hard to tell. They always bring her some new clothes and toys. It’s like Christmas every time.”

“That wouldn’t be good for her even in different circumstances.”

“Peter lets it go for her sake.”

“So what are you going to do with yourself this weekend?”

“Prissy Pendleton is having another meeting with the parents of the kids who’re going to be in the Christmas program and a sort of run-through rehearsal. I told her I’d help out.”

Penelope turned around, her eyes watering from the onion she was chopping. “Which reminds me—Harry and the Town Council had a meeting this morning about that guy who’s trying to shut down the program. I need to call Mary Lynn and see how it turned out.”

“I already heard.”

“You did?
How?”

“Bitsy Cosgrove came by the library when the meeting finished. She said the guy is threatening to get the ACLU to file suit. Apparently Harry and a couple of the others told him to go for it. Bitsy said it was all she could do not to stab him with her pen when he walked by her chair. She says he’s a creep, top to bottom and in-between.”