Murder Passes the Buck (15 page)

I sensed something wrong when I put my foot on the first porch step. I knew for sure something was wrong when I opened the door and saw the destruction. What I didn
’
t know for sure was whether or not the intruder was still inside.

Fear rippled up and down my spine as I backed quietly down the steps and stumbled through the dark toward the safety of Blaze
’
s home.

_Seven

Word for the Day

DINT (dint) n.
Force; exertion.

Colored lights from Blaze
’
s truck streaked through the night and the sound of the siren pierced the air. I couldn
’
t help wondering if stealth on our part might have been a better way to go. Why does law enforcement always have to warn the world they are coming? Doesn
’
t that give the bad guys time to pack up and mosey out?

Blaze and George went in first, guns drawn, cautious. Little Donny and I waited in George
’
s truck, strobe lights slicing through the windshield, exposing our frightened faces. Keeping Little Donny inside the truck wasn
’
t an easy task; he wanted to be with the men. But nineteen years old is too young for taking risks, and this was one area Blaze and I finally agreed on. So Little

Donny and I sat.

Finally, Blaze and George trudged out, Blaze
’
s weapon holstered, George
’
s rifle pointed into the ground, grim sets to their jaw.

Little Donny and I hurried over.
“
I
’
m going in,
”
I said.

George placed a hand on my shoulder.
“
It
’
ll keep for another day, Gertie. It
’
s a mess in there.
”

But I had to see for myself.

The devastation was extensive
— drawers upended, bedding slashed, lamps smashed, drapes ripped in shreds. The rage it took to accomplish such a violent act frightened me with its intensity.

“
Who knew you were out for the evening?
”
Blaze wanted to know.

It was a good question, one I didn
’
t have an answer to. No one I knew could possibly be capable of such viciousness, such hate.

“
Anything missing?
”
George asked, following me as I wandered, speechless, through the house.

I shook my head, nothing obviously missing. I was fleetingly grateful that I
’
d buried my money under the apple tree instead of in the box spring, which lay shredded in ribbons.

“
No sign of forced entry,
”
Little Donny

observed, studying the front door.

“
Of course, it wasn
’
t forced. I didn
’
t lock it.
”

Little Donny lives in a big city where you lock your doors and windows and have security systems tied into the police department. In the U.P. most of us can
’
t remember where we put the key to the door and don
’
t particularly care. The only time we even think about locking up is if we will be out of town for a while and we don
’
t want our friends and family borrowing things without our knowledge.

Blaze, unusually quiet, waited by the door with me. George straightened a chair and scooped pillows from the floor and tossed them on the sofa.

“
You okay, Ma?
”
Blaze took my arm, his voice gentle, and I nodded, resigned.
“
You can
’
t stay here tonight.
”

I already knew that, and my choices weren
’
t good. I couldn
’
t go to Star
’
s place. She has cats and I
’
m deathly allergic to cat dander. Just thinking of going to Grandma Johnson
’
s house made the nerve in my eye start twitching, and I
’
d rather eat nails than stay with Blaze.

“
You take Little Donny with you,
”
I said to Blaze.
“
I
’
m going to Cora Mae
’
s.
”

***

The next morning I showered and wrapped one of Cora Mae
’
s black silk robes around me. She had a pot of coffee ready and was made up for the day, every hair in place, like a soap opera star. I bet she went to bed with her makeup and hair done up. She probably slept on her back with one of those little rolled pillows tucked under her neck and a black mask to screen out light.

I had slept in a tiny spare bedroom on a day bed with a white comforter and ruffles around the bottom. On a shelf above the bed were two porcelain dolls decked out in wedding dresses.

While I sipped coffee I glanced around. Cora Mae lived in a dollhouse. Her home was tiny, but uncluttered and spotlessly clean, and everything was white
— white walls, white sofa, white kitchen table. Cora Mae was sheathed in black armor in a pearly white house.

I
’
ve known Cora Mae most of my life. Her tastes always ran white; white car, white fence, white rugs. The black clothes are a new addition, which I chalk up to her post-menopause phase.

“
What are you going to do, Gert?
”
she

asked.
“
You can stay here as long as you want, you know that. I have plenty of room.
”

“
Thanks, Cora Mae, but I don
’
t want to put you in danger.
”

“
Danger
’
s my middle name. I thrive on it.
”
Jane Bond put a plate of blueberry pancakes in front of me and I dove in.
“
Still think it
’
s the mob?
”
she said between bites.

I shrugged.
“
It
’
s pretty scary. I can
’
t figure it out. I must be getting too close to Chester
’
s murderer and someone
’
s getting nervous.
”

“
Maybe you should listen to them and back off. It isn
’
t worth getting hurt over.
”

“
We need to stock up on weapons,
”
I said. I refused to let anyone scare me away.
“
Someone
’
s playing rough. I need to go into Escanaba to the Assessor
’
s office. Then we can shop for ammo.
”

“
Gertie, why are you doing this? Don
’
t you want to hand it over to Blaze?
”

“
No, I don
’
t. He won
’
t do a good job.
”

“
So you
’
re doing this because you feel you have to?
”

“
Cora Mae, I
’
m doing it because I have to have a reason to get up every day. I
’
m doing it because I
’
m living alone for the first time in forty-some years and I can
’
t wake up in the morning and get excited about

playing cards with the seniors or going to bingo.
”

Cora Mae, who buried a lot of men and had to get used to living alone more than once, patted my hand and said,
“
I understand completely.
”

I looked down at Cora Mae
’
s silk robe.
“
I need to get dressed,
”
I said.

“
Don
’
t put on the same clothes you wore yesterday. I have just the thing, and it
’
ll fit perfectly. I even have shoes for you, so you can get out of those boots.
”

I scowled and shook my head, but gave in when I saw how disappointed she looked.
“
Okay,
”
I said, grudgingly.

Cora Mae clapped her hands like a big kid, delighted that she was finally getting the opportunity to dress me.

I squeezed into a pair of black stretch pants, which showed off my thigh lumps. Cora Mae didn
’
t own any flat shoes so I chose a pair of her black boots with the lowest heels and a gray cotton sweater. We found an orange moon necklace that matched my hair and Cora Mae pulled a blue and black plaid three-quarter-length coat out of a back closet.

I looked like I should be on a street corner. I would have changed back into my own clothes but I didn
’
t want to hurt Cora

Mae
’
s feelings. The things we do for our friends.

We were in my truck ready to go, when, in the rearview mirror, I spotted the magenta sedan pulling into Cora Mae
’
s driveway.

“
Duck, Cora Mae,
”
I warned her, throwing my body across the bench seat and hauling her down.
“
Shhh … it
’
s the car that
’
s been following me. Stay down.
”

A few minutes later we heard pounding on Cora Mae
’
s kitchen door, and I hazarded a peek out the side window. I jerked up straight, releasing Cora Mae, and jumped out of the truck.

“
Kitty, what are you doing?
”
I demanded.

Startled, Kitty let out a shriek and raised a plump arm to her throat.
“
Where did you come from? I just walked past your truck and you weren
’
t in it.
”

Ignoring her question, I pointed to the purple car.
“
When did you get that?
”
My eyes sighted down my extended arm and I couldn
’
t help noticing she had a driver along with her. The driver was the same creepy character
I
’
d
noticed at the bar.
“
And who is that?
”

“
Jeff, get out of the car and come meet my friends,
”
Kitty called out, and he rose out of the car and walked forward, flicking

ashes over his shoulder from a cigarette dangling in his fingers.
“
This is my third cousin on my father
’
s mother
’
s side. He
’
s visiting for hunting season.
”

Cora Mae slunk into the middle of the group and elbowed me aside. She had on her stalking pose, breasts forward, eyes rolled so the whites of her eyes showed beneath her pupils. I grabbed the back of her coat and pulled. She stumbled back, but didn
’
t break her gaze on Kitty
’
s cousin.

“
These two have been following me around,
”
I said to her.
“
That
’
s the car I spotted at the Escanaba River.
”

Kitty loomed over us on the porch so I moved slightly away in case she lost her footing and fell. I was directly in line to have the life crushed out of me. I pulled Cora Mae along, too.

Jeff, apparently wanting no part of a confrontation, turned back to the car.
“
I
’
ll let you work this out. I
’
ll be waiting in the car.
”
Then he coughed.

“
That
’
s it,
”
I shouted.
“
That
’
s the voice of the guy who called my house and threatened to kill me and throw me to the fishes. That
’
s him. Call Blaze, Cora Mae. Go on.
”
I gave her a shove toward the house. Kitty blocked the way.

“
Settle down, everybody,
”
she said.
“
It
’
s