Choke (14 page)

Immy supposed that was true. Her mother was probably the owner now. She would have to find out about that. Maybe there was a
Moron’s Compleat Guidebook
for inheritance issues.

Back in the van, Immy announced, “I have one more stop to make before we go home.” She turned two corners and slammed the van into a slot in front of the police station. “Let’s see what the score is, shall we?”

Immy pushed open the front door of the police station and held it for Hortense and Drew. Behind the glass partition, Tabitha stood when she saw them, her eyes wide, her pale eyebrows hoisted.

“Well, well, if it isn’t Saltlick’s Most Wanted,” she said.

Immy ignored her. “We need to speak to the chief.”

“Well, la di da.” Tabitha’s fear dropped, and her usual sneer reappeared. “What if he ain’t in? You think he waits around here all day for you criminals to show up?”

Hortense stepped toward the counter. “I’ll have you know we are not criminals. We are heroines.”

“I always thought heroines looked better than that.” Her thickly outlined eyes raked both of them, and she had the audacity to shudder. Immy wondered why some of the caked mascara didn’t shake off her lashes. “I’ll get Ralph.” Rather than lift her phone and ring him, which Immy was sure she could do and would be lots faster, Tabitha left her cubicle and sashayed down the hall.

“Do we look that bad?” Immy whispered to her mother. “We changed clothes.”

“You smell funny,” said Drew. “Your hair smells like a barbeque grill.”

They hadn’t showered. Immy shook her hair into her face. Yes, it did remind her of barbeque, burnt barbeque.

The door to the hallway swung open. Ralph filled it. “Hey, Immy.” Ralph gave her a big grin.

“We’ve decided to face the music,” Immy said, squaring her shoulders. She moved close to Ralph, stood on tiptoe, and whispered in his ear. “And you’re going to help with the fine for the station damage, right?”

Ralph looked puzzled for a moment.

“Use your influence, Ralph. I know you have it. And dinner Friday?” Immy whispered.

“Right. Right. Sure. I don’t know what I can really do, though.”

“Can’t you use your sway?”

His face cleared. “Chief said you were supposed to get a commendation for breaking up the meth ring. He’s got one of the ringleaders in there now.”

“I think I also foiled a bank robbery. The car with the punctured tire? That was my letter opener.”

“Wow.” Ralph’s admiration shone in his eyes. “That was you? They might put you in the paper,
The Wymee Falls Press.”

“We’ve already been in it a lot this week.”

“Mommy and Geemaw’s pitchers were in the paper,” piped up Drew, “but you better let them wash their hair ‘fore you take another pitcher.”

Tabitha returned to her station behind the glass as the chief and Baxter, of all people, came through the door. Baxter? Was he one of the ringleaders? The small waiting area was getting crowded with the two large men, one large woman, plus Baxter and Immy and Drew.

The chief stepped toward them, but Baxter did a double-take at the sight of Immy and her family. “It’s great to see you here,” the chief said. “I have good news.”

Baxter tapped the chief’s shoulder. “Could I talk to you in the back for another minute?” he said softly.

Chief Emmett gave him a look of disbelief. “All you’ve wanted to do since we took you in is leave.” He shook his head and shrugged. “But sure, if you want to talk some more. Are you going to say something this time?”

They went back through the door, leaving Immy and her entourage to cool their heels another several minutes. This time, when Baxter came through the room, he avoided Immy’s eyes.

“Hey, hi, Baxter,” said Immy. “What are you doing here anyway?”

He looked up but didn’t answer. He gave Immy a slight frown and rushed out, his head down.

The chief walked straight to Immy’s mother, his craggy face grim. “I’m very sorry to have to do this, but I’ll need to ask you a few more questions, Hortense. I’ve just been made aware of a new situation.”

His tone made Immy feel cold inside. It didn’t look good for her mother. What had Baxter told him?

“Does she need to lawyer up?” asked Immy. “Are you going to read her her rights?”

Hortense turned her head away from Immy before she rolled her eyes, but Immy knew what she was doing.

“I need to ask your mother a few further questions in light of new information, Immy. You may wait here if you want, and I’ll talk with you later.”

He ushered Hortense into the hallway but left Immy with a stern parting shot, “Do not use the restroom while you’re here, young lady.”

Naturally, that made Drew think of using the restroom.

“I hafta go, Mommy.” She squeezed her legs together and bounced.

“We need to go home now, Drew,” said Immy, relieved to hear the words come out of her mouth.

Tears formed when she walked into the living room with its worn carpeting and tattered furniture. She sank onto the faded plaid couch as Drew ran to the bathroom.

She knew she should straighten up some of the mess she had left on her foray for clothing and her cell phone charger, but sitting on her own couch felt so good. She decided to leave the suitcases in the van in case they needed to go on the lam again. The chief had looked so serious just now.

The minutes ticked by. No call came from the police station. The elapsing time could not be a good sign.

What could Emmett possibly be talking about with her mother? What new information could he have? It must have come from Baxter. She would have to worm it out of him somehow. Baxter couldn’t still be staying at Cowtail’s Finest, since the room he’d been in was destroyed or at least smoke damaged beyond use for the foreseeable future. So where was he? Back in Saltlick, Immy assumed. She would be able to work Baxter better without Drew along, though. In case she had to use, well, feminine wiles. So, what to do with Drew?

Then Immy remembered her mother saying that Immy had been precipitous when she had busted her out of the interrogation room. Maybe she had better wait to see if Mother got released and sent home. Maybe it was nothing, merely some details to clear up. Maybe the chief had found out more about Mother being in the diner when she said she wasn’t. Maybe someone had seen her inside the diner, like Clem. Immy refused to think Mother could have killed Uncle Huey. It would all work out OK.

When Mother came home, if Immy still needed to help clear her, Mother could watch Drew while Immy tried to charm Baxter into telling her what he knew, what he’d said to the chief that set him off.

* * *

THE PHONE WOKE IMMY. She snatched it and spoke with a thick, frog-like voice. “Hello?”

“This is Chief Emersen, Immy. You can come pick up your mother now.”

Immy glanced at the clock on the television. It was nearly two. She had slept four hours. It wasn’t nearly enough to catch up on her sleep, but it was a long time for Mother to be questioned again. She called out to Drew, who was playing in her bedroom, and they drove the van to the station.

“I’m glad you and Geemaw home, Mommy,” said Drew, on the way back to the house.

“You liked staying with Uncle Clem, didn’t you?” She hoped it hadn’t been a hardship on Drew, except for missing her mother and grandmother.

“It was OK.”

“Is there anything you didn’t like about Uncle Clem’s besides me and Geemaw not being there?” Surely Clem wasn’t a molester or anything. Was he?

“Jus’ no peanut butter.”

“That’s right, Clem doesn’t do peanut butter.” He was, in fact, allergic to it, and the restaurant used other types of oils for frying. Some of their customers remarked on the different taste of their fried food. Some liked it, some didn’t. “Well, you can have plenty of peanut butter now,” Immy said as she parked the van before the station.

Tabitha gave a shrug when she saw Immy and Drew, but she lifted her phone without delay to tell the chief they had arrived.

Ralph, the chief, and Hortense all entered the tiny lobby one after another, like a mini-parade. Hortense looked drained but peaceful. Evidently she wasn’t under arrest this time, either. Immy hadn’t known how tensely she had been holding her shoulders until she felt them drop and loosen.

Chief Emmett turned to Tabitha. “Do you have the paperwork ready yet?” he said, impatience in his voice.

That set Immy thinking. Maybe Tabitha was slow at her job. Maybe the chief wasn’t happy with her as the desk person. Maybe she could be replaced by Immy herself, in case the PI job didn’t work out. She made a mental note to look into that.

Tabitha pushed a few sheets of paper through the slot under her window to the chief.

“What’s that?” asked Immy. She didn’t want to stay for any paperwork. She wanted to get Mother home and comfortable and fed. She was probably starving after all these hours in the station. Lunch time was long over.

“Ralph, you may do the honors,” said the chief. He was trying to look serious, but a smile broke out when he looked at Immy.

Ralph beamed and handed Immy and Hortense fancy certificates of thick paper with lacy bordering. His fingers left little damp circles on Immy’s. He took a deep breath and recited, “Please accept these commendations for service to the citizens of Saltlick and Cowtail and for courage and bravery in showing extra…extraordinary initiative.” Ralph looked to his chief, who solemnly nodded his approval. A big burst of pent-up breath came from Ralph, and his shoulders lowered just as Immy’s had. She knew he’d been tense about his speech.

“How wonderful,” said Hortense. Her chins creased with her huge smile. “It’s so nice to be recognized for our meritorious service.”

“That’s for exposing the meth lab,” said Ralph, “although they hadn’t started making any yet.” The chief gave Ralph a dark look. Immy figured he wasn’t supposed to tell them that.

The chief held a few more papers, though. “Now the citation,” he said.

Hortense perked up even more. “A citation, too? Is there remuneration for reward?”

“Not that kind of citation, I’m afraid,” said the chief. “This is a citation for destruction of public property, and a fine.”

Immy and Hortense both gave him blank looks.

“The fire,” he said.

Hortense tried to make the most of her five feet, two inches. “We did not start the conflagration at the motel, which is not public property in any case.” She tried to hand the paper back to Emmett.

Mother needs to stop lying to the police, although we didn’t start the fire. I did.

At least the chief looked sorry to be doing this. He looked tired, too. Deep lines outlined his mouth.

“No, Hortense. This is for the restroom fire in the station the day you were being questioned. I did get the DA to reduce the fine to a symbolic amount. You’ll notice it’s only five hundred dollars.”

Five hundred dollars was symbolic?

“Why couldn’t you get him to reduce it to no dollars?” Hortense asked. “That would be a superior symbolic amount.”

“Couldn’t do it, the DA said. I did try. I really did. I tried to get the charges dropped completely. The grand jury happened to meet this week, though, and they sent it on.”

The chief looked so sad, so apologetic. Immy had a sudden thought. Was the chief sweet on Hortense, too? She did have nice hair. And dimples.

Hortense turned her back on him and swept out the front door, dragging Drew with her by the hand.

“Thank you for trying to get this dropped,” Immy said. She believed him when he said he had tried to. “I notice you didn’t hold Baxter. Was he not getting ready to make meth in the motel?”

“No, Immy, we didn’t. We don’t have any evidence for holding him right now, but I can’t say anything further about that.”

“Bye, Immy,” said Ralph as she left the lobby. He held the door to the hallway for his boss, but the chief waved Ralph on and let the door fall shut behind him while he remained in the lobby.

Immy started to go, too, but the chief stopped her. “Just a minute, Immy.”

She turned and waited. The chief paused, regarding her but not with unkindness. “There’s something you should know, or rather, something I should tell you.” He paused again. “I don’t think it’s a good idea for you to be hanging out with Baxter Killroy. He’s under investigation for a couple of things.”

“He’s not that bad, Chief. He’s never done anything bad to me.”

“Please think about it. Remember I told you, and be careful, OK?”

Now what was that all about?

Immy’s mother and daughter were waiting in the van. They drove home in silence, even Drew.

Hortense was the first one out of the vehicle and up the steps. Immy got their suitcases and dragged them up the porch stairs, but her mother stood blocking the doorway, her arms outstretched to prevent Drew from entering.

“Call the police, Immy,” she said, still holding her hands up. “Don’t go in. The robbers might still be here. Drew, get back in the van.”

“What is it, Mother?” said Immy, clutching the suitcases to keep them from tumbling down the steps of the tiny porch. “Can I just put these inside?”

“We’ve been burgled. Get your cell phone. Now, Immy. It’s possible law enforcement will be able to catch the miscreant or miscreants.”

Alarmed, Immy shoved the suitcases down the stairs and dug her cell phone out of her purse.

“Give me the chief,” she said when Tabitha answered. “This is an emergency, and don’t you dare put me on hold.”

For once, Tabitha gave Immy some customer satisfaction.

“Robbery in progress,” Immy yelled when the chief answered.

“Where are you, Imogene?”

“At our house. Mother says there’s a robber inside.”

“A burglar, Imogene,” said Hortense. “It’s technically a burglar when we’re not home.”

“Sorry,” said Immy into the phone. “Mother says it’s a burglar, not a robber. Anyway, I think you need lights and siren.”

“We’ll be right there.” Was that a heavy sigh she heard as he broke the connection? Did the chief not appreciate the lingo either?

* * *