The Devil's Dwelling (3 page)

Mona, open the door hanging her head trying to hide the tears flooding her pretty face.

“Grab a tissue off the back seat. Momma always carries tissue where ever she goes. What do you have in that big bag?’

“My make-up, toiletries and a change of clothes and my 38.”

“You tote a ‘38’?”

“A girl can’t be too careful.”

“Where you been spending the nights? You look too good to be living on the streets.”

“I’ve been staying at the Rescue Mission on the next street over the past couple days..”

TWO

Bailey was pacing in the back seat. Pacing can mean only one thing. He needs to poop and hike. I pulled into the parking lot and hopped out of the Edsel, opened the back door for Bailey and  pointed out my apartment to Mona.

“It’s apartment 208 up the stairs. Can you take my bag up saving me a trip up the stairs? The spare room is to the right.  You put your stuff in there.  You can use the main bathroom.  Just keep it clean is all I ask. There’s a bed and chest of drawers you can use. It’s nothing fancy but it’s better than the Rescue Mission.”

I hooked up Bailey, dropped a quarter in the paper vending box in the foyer taking a paper to keep me company while I waited for Bailey to do his job. We jogged to the park. I unleashed Bailey and  plopped myself on the bench and  shook the newspaper open hiding myself  from the world.

I heard someone yelling and looked over my shoulder to see Bailey atop someone bouncing, snorting and licking.  I could see legs kicking and arms flinging. I made a quick decision to claim Bailey but thoughts of heading back to the apartment less one slobbering dog crossed my mind.

I folded the newspaper, put it under my arm and made my way over to Bailey atop the flinging man.

“Bailey! Get off him.”

I rolled up the newspaper and slapped Bailey on the butt.  I got a good grasp on his collar and yanked him back, landing on my butt. The gentleman pulled himself to his feet, brushed the fresh cut grass from his clothes and wiped the slobbers from his face.

“Lady, what’s that dog doing off his leash?”

I wanted to say jumping and licking you but I knew that would not be a remark he would appreciate. I pulled myself to my feet and brushed the grass off my butt and checked my elbows for blood.

“I’m sorry sir. It’s my fault Bailey is a good dog. Did he hurt you? He loves guys and you were the male target for the day.”

“Maybe your husband should be taking him to the park.”

“No husband.” If I hadn’t wanted to make his acquaintance I shouldn’t have said no husband.

With outstretched hand. “Brad, Brad Bradford.”

“Tiffany .” We shook hands making a new friendship.

I was trying to look pretty pushing loose strands of red curly hair behind my ears.

His handshake was firm. I like the feel of a good handshake.  It shows sincerity.

“Do you walk Bailey often?”

“Everyday. Seems he has this body function that needs daily attention.”

“Yeah, I guess that was a stupid question. I live in the condominium across the tracks.”

“Bailey and I live in the brown plaster apartment building down the street on this side of the tracks.” 

I hooked up Bailey, put the newspaper under my arm and excused myself.

“Good meeting you Brad. I need to get home I have a house guest I need to tend to.”

“Maybe next time our meeting will be on better conditions.” I waved and jogged toward

home with Bailey at my side.  I knew if Brad was interested he would show up at the park another time.

I double stepped it up the stairs. Bailey lay panting at the foot of the stairs cooling off under the clanking ceiling fan that makes a poor attempt at cooling the foyer. 

“Bailey, get up here.” Begrudgingly he slowly pulled his body up the stairs dragging his belly across each tread.

I noticed the door to the apartment was ajar. Mona must have left it open I thought to myself.  The ‘chicken’ part of me took over. Slowly I pushed the door open. A dining room chair was turned over. I grabbed my bag laying on the floor and searched for my Glock. My fingers felt cold steel. I inserted my finger in the trigger and pulled my hand and gun from the bag.

I slowly walked toward Mona’s bedroom trying to keep quiet but the damn floor squeaked with every step.

“Mona, everything okay?”

No answer. The house was eerie silent.  Shivers raced up and down my spine.

“Mona!” I yelled again, this time louder.

“Damn, something is wrong.”

I slowly walked over to Mona’s door glancing from side to side holding my Glock in an upright position in front of my face. I knocked on Mona’s door with the barrel of the gun.. The gun went off splintering a hole through the door and out through the ceiling.  It’s probably a good thing I live on the second floor.

I turned the knob and slowly pushed the door open.

There lay Mona hog tied face down on the bed. Her arms tied behind her with her feet tied and pulled up to meet her hands. Her micro mini shirt was now her belt.

I pulled the sock from her mouth.

“Untie me, untie me!”

She spit like a man after clearing his throat.

I laid my Glock on the kitchen counter and took a paring knife from the rack in the kitchen and cut the cords from her wrist and ankles.

“That ‘sonabitch’ kept saying, Where’s the redhead.”  Mona rubbed her wrist trying to get the circulation back.

“Did he hurt you?”

“Just my pride. I thought I could take care of a weasel like him but he knew some crazy kickin’ moves I couldn’t keep up with.”

“You still want to be my partner?”  I asked grinning.  “I seem to find trouble where ever I go.”

“Even more now. I’ll find that bastard unaware and show him what this girls made of. He slapped me around but I’m okay.”

“What did he look like?”

“He busted through the door so fast I didn‘t have a chance to grab my thirty-eight.. He was tall and skinny, his brown hair was over his collar. I remember a tattoo of a sickle on his forearm. He was probably about thirty.”

“I guess I need to start locking the door. I’ll have a key made for you.  You can stay here till you get on your feet but you have to be up front with me. I don’t want any surprises.

You can fill me in when you take a notion.”

“There’s not much to tell. I hail from Oklahoma. My life wasn’t going anywhere so I up and headed out for Arkansas.  I drove through Conway and thought it was a nice clean town and maybe a good town to take up roots.  I worked downtown as a cocktail waitress for a while but couldn’t get enough ahead to get a place. When the ‘Repo’ man picked up my car along with it he took my home.” 

“You have a husband, kids?”

“No, it’s just me. My folks are dead. Mother died giving birth to me. Dad told me there were complications and he couldn’t get my mother to the doctor in time to save her.  He delivered me in the seat of his truck. I have a few cousins on the east coast but that’s about it for me. You can tell I‘m street smart. Need I say more?”

“No, I like your attitude.”

THREE

I hooked up Bailey and we were off  for his morning hike and poop. There were traces of sprinkles on the sidewalk threatening a morning rain.  Before too long  the rain clouds covered the sky and rain was falling.  After Bailey did his job I scooped up the poop, tossed it in the garbage can and jogged home. Bailey took his place on the big dog bed laying on the living room floor.  I filled his bowl with some hearty dog food and a few treats and filled his water bowl with fresh water. 

“Bailey, you’re gonna stay home today.“  Bailey had a pleased look on his face.  He ran over to his water bowl and began lapping up the water.  He slung his head back and forth spraying water in every direction.

I tried to back the Edsel from it’s parking space.  The wheel was hard to turn and the Edsel flopped to the side when I backed up. Mona hopped from the car.

“We have a damn flat tire.” She stood with her hands on her hips shaking her head.

“What?” I yelled slapping my forehead.

“You heard me right, a flat tire. Somebody stuck it with a knife.”

I beat on the steering wheel. “Dang, what next. What sonnabitch stabbed my tire?”

I took in a deep breath and slowly exhaled. “I’ll call Ace Towing.”

“Call a tow truck? No way I can change this in a snap. That is if we have a spare tire.”

I opened the trunk and Mona lifted the tire from it’s resting place.

The jack and tire iron lay next to the tire.  She threw the tire beside the car pried off the hubcap, She loosened the lug nuts and positioned the jack under the frame of the Edsel and started pumping up and down with the tire iron.  The tire lifted off the ground. She took the lug nuts off and tossed them in the hubcap, pulled the tire off the Edsel and matched up the bolts to the holes in the spare wheel.  Tightened the lug nuts and  went through the steps in reverse. I was amazed at her ability to change a flat.

She threw the tire in the trunk, wiped her hands on a mechanics towel she found in the trunk, slammed the trunk shut and we were off to The Oasis, the downtown bar where Marty was dropped off days before.

Mona entered the swinging doors leading the way to the bar. She straddled the barstool and twirled around. Trying to look graceful I threw one leg over the stool and pulled myself up.  Mona leaned over the bar and ask the bartender for Curly.

“Curly doesn’t see anyone he isn’t expecting.”

Mona leaned over the bar and took the bartender‘s shirt collar in her hand pulled him down to her face. “Tell him Mona is here.”

“Tell him who‘s here? You know Curly?“ The bartender asked.

“No, but that will make him curious.”

The bartender lifted his hands up and backed off. “As you say.” And headed to the backroom.

The young bartender came back motioning for us to follow him. We walked down a dark hall and entered through a big door. The room was small, the walls were painted red and the floor was covered with a dingy red sculptured carpet. A large portrait of a man with a cigar in his hand hang on the wall.

“That must be Curly.”  Mona said pointing at the portrait of a young man in his thirties.

A gravelly voice came over the intercom.

“Why are you asking for Curly?”

My voice croaked like a frog. I cleared my throat.

“Hmm, we are looking for Marty Martin.  We heard you’re his friend.”

“No friend of mine. You two need to find the door and get the hell out of here. You won‘t find him here. Now, go before I have you escorted out through the alley.”

I pointed to the door at the end of the room. Took my Glock  from my bag, nodded at Mona and the both of us kicked the door in.

“What the hell are you doing?” Curly started to push back his big leather high back chair.

His hand went for the desk drawer. I jumped across the desk, knocked his chair off it’s rollers.  We landed in a heap on the floor with me astraddle him. I lay my Glock on his cheek with my finger on the trigger.

“You hear from Marty you let me know.”

I stuffed my card in his shirt pocket, patted and crawled off his chest.

“You packing heat Curly or is it you enjoy a woman astraddle you?”

“I knew it, I knew it.” Mona  blurted out.

“What?”

“He’s bald, anytime you hear a guy named Curly you can bet his bald. You know like Curly in the ‘Three Stooges‘. You need to update the portrait out front, its deceitful.”