It was just another trip to the Donut Shoppe, or was it?
It was a day for which the term miserable had been invented. The official first day of summer was two days away, but the heat of July and August had already arrived. The humidity and the temperature both were racing towards triple digits. It was a day when a cozy desk job with cool air blowing would have been a blessing.
The morning had been far from enjoyable. I had been digging for information, running in and out of air-conditioned buildings trying to find someone who may have witnessed an accident on the corner last month. Once I was cool it was time to go to the next place and out in the heat, walk a few feet and back inside again.
When earning your living dollars as a Private Investigator you found yourself taking the jobs as they came along. The only time I re¬fused a job was when I was busy on other projects, which is not often, or if the case is too close to current police matter. Weather doesn’t matter; heat, cold, snow, rain or ice, do the job and take the money.
Mid morning a storm cloud had dumped a quick shower. It rained just long enough to settle the dust, but not cool the air. You could see the water steaming off the sidewalk making it seem more humid.
I was tired, hot and bothered. I needed to stay in a cool spot for a long time and rest. Heat and I always battle and I never win. It was lunch¬time, but I didn’t want anything to eat. I was looking for a big cool drink and a cool place to drink it. I went to the Donut Shop.
Sandi was still working, which surprised me. She normally worked the morning shift coming in before the sun rose and out by noon. I stopped in most mornings And have gotten to know her.
In one of the booths, sat a man and a woman with papers spread in front of them. A business meeting, I surmised. Even without my investigating experience I would have been able to deduct that fact.
The stool nearest the register is the one I try to get whenever I’m there. It’s easier to have conversations with the girls. I have gotten pretty good at aggravating them about life and their fun job.
“Sam Allison.” Sandi said as she walked passed. “A little bit late today, aren’t you?” She was waiting on an elderly lady at the carry out.
Sandi poured a huge cup of coffee for her. Unbelievable I thought. The air was as hot as the coffee. I wouldn’t think anyone would want something hot on a day like that on was. It takes all kinds to make up a world.
“It doesn’t make a difference what time it is.” I answered. “I just needed to get out of the heat.”
She told the lady the price of her order and rang it on the register.
“Everyone’s been saying it’s hot.” She answered as the lady walked out of the shop.
“Worst. Haven’t you been out?”
“Nope. Been here since five. Wasn’t bad at all then. The sun was just beginning to rise and a slight breeze was blowing. It looked as if it was going to be a wonderful day.”
“The air’s still now and after that shower it’s thick. I’ve seen chicken roasting in less heat.”
“Guess you don’t want coffee.”
“Far from it. Get me one of those huge soda you sell.”
“Sure thing.” She sat a glass of water in front of me, almost as if reading my mind. “Soda’s been a bigger seller today than coffee.”
“I never would have guessed.”
As Sandi went to the soda machine to get my huge drink I picked up the saltshaker and shook some salt into the water. Sandi turned to¬wards me as I was putting the shaker back onto the counter.
“Salt?” She asked.
“Got to put it back some way.” I answered then drank the entire glass in one quick gulp. She sat the soda in front of me. I looked up to see a grimace on her face as she took the water glass and refilled it. She must have thought that the salt water would have a foul taste to it. It didn’t taste too bad and with the way I had been sweating I needed to add some to my system.
The couple in the booth gathered up their papers and left the shop leaving Sandi and I alone. Their morning meeting at the Donut shop was finished and they were off to lunch perhaps to another meeting. This afternoon a third meeting may have been scheduled. After work, it’s home to the husband and wife to have a meeting with the kids. It’s amazing with all those meetings going on that anything gets done. No wonder the kids these day are so insecure and crime running wild. Parents spend time with their kids as if they’re in a business meeting.
“Can I get you anything else?” She asked
“A million should do it. If not that how about a trip to Alaska.”
“The lottery’s next door. Can’t help you on the trip, though. Unless you win, then you can take me too.”
“You know I would.”
Actually I wouldn’t. I have been accused of not always dating the prettiest girls in the world, but Sandi wouldn’t even be termed as fair. She’s short, just a little over five feet, and more than a little overweight. Her personality was the most attractive part of her.
“I bet you say that to all the donut girls.”
“Only you and Beth.” Beth worked the morning shift with Sandi most days.
“Where is Beth, by the way.”?
“She had to leave early. I wouldn’t be here now if Angie had show up. I have to stay here until someone comes and relieve me. When Angie didn’t show I called Carl, you know the owner. He’s trying to get someone here. I hope it’s soon. My feet are killing me.”
As we were talking Tess, one of the girls who used to work with Sandi came in. I hadn’t seen her for months. Tess’s a pretty blonde who looked to be no more than nineteen. I don’t know her exact age, but I know she’s not nineteen. One time when I told her she looked nineteen, she blushed and gave me a quick kiss saying, “Long from it.” A couple of weeks later I saw her with a girl of around eight. I asked her if she was baby-sitting and her answer was,
“No, this is my little girl.”
“Are you here to relieve me, Tess? I hope. I hope. I hope.” Sandi begged.
“No, why? Didn’t Angie show up again?” She asked.
“You don’t see her, do you? Has she done this before?”
“She was always doing it on the midnight shift. That’s why Carl moved her to the afternoon. She kept telling him that she was late be¬cause of the shift and with a day shift she would always be on time. I’m surprised he hadn’t fired her a long time ago, then again I hear that there’s another reason why she’s still working here.”
“I wouldn’t doubt it. She looks the type.”
“Hi, Sam.” Tess said giving me a quick hug before she sat on the stool next to mine. “Haven’t seen you for a while.” She looked as if she hadn’t had any sleep for a few days. There were big ring under her eyes and as she sat she yawned.
“Just thinking the same thing. I’d been wondering if you finally quit this joint for a better job?” She had been taking college classes hoping for a job in social work.
“Wish I had. No, I’m working the night shift. Why don’t you ever come around?”
“Since I know you’re working, maybe I will.”
Tess asked Sandi, “Have you seen Michael?”
“Not today. Was he supposed to come around? Besides why would you want to see him? After he took off like he did, I wouldn’t think you’d want to see him anytime soon.”
“I need to discuss a few things with him and I heard he was coming here to meet someone around noon.”
“No haven’t seen him. Can I get you anything?”
“Soda.” She answered. While Sandi was getting Tess her drink she began talking to me. “Been busy.”
“Only as much as I need to be.” It wasn’t the truth, but I doubt if she expected it. I hadn’t been busy at all. Not because I didn’t want to be, but because it was the nature of things.
The client I had been tracking information for that day was one of the few I had had that June.
“Sounds good to me. Wish I could only work when I needed to. I needed a little more money and the night shift pays more. I know what you’re thinking.
The tips in the morning should more that even things out. Couldn’t believe it at first myself, but the jokers who come here in the evening tip better that the morning crowd. Normally I’m in bed this time of day.”
“Why aren’t you?” I asked for no reason other than she seemed to need someone to talk with. She drank some of her cola before answering.
“Trying to find my old boy friend. The bastard left me with a bunch of bills to pay. I’ve been trying to find him to see if I can get some money out of him.”
“A friend said he was meeting another guy here, but as usual I’m a day late or a dime short.”
“Need to talk about it?” I asked as she sipped more of her drink.
“If you would have been around last week and asked that same question I would have said yes. Maybe even last night, but not now. I’ve ironed it all out in my mind what I need to do. I just need to talk to him. Once I see him I’ll know it’s truly over. I want to ask him about the bills, but I know what he’s answer will be. ‘Pay them yourself’.
Then I can get everything together with my life and start over. Maybe even finish the classes I started. You know I quit college when I started living with him three months ago.”
“You’re kidding. After you had spent all spring studying, you quit with only a month to go?”
“I loved him. Well, at least, I though I did. I thought he loved me as well. It looked like I was going to finally get ahead in this rotten life. I even though he was going to marry me. That’s why I moved in with him and when he asked me to quit college, I did.”
“Any reason behind the request?”
“Just that with my job here and classes I was never there for him. Now I see that the only thing he wanted was me in bed when he wanted me there and food on the table when he wanted something in his stomach.”
Sandi motioned to Tess and she leaned over the counter. She whispered something to Tess. I wasn’t close enough to hear what she was saying.
“Thanks, Sandi.” She looked at me and said, “Excuse me, Sam. I have to use the little girl’s room.” She gathered her purse and quickly ran to the Ladies room.
At the time I couldn’t understand what Sandi could have told Tess that would have required her to go the Women’s room.
“What’s up?” I asked Sandi as a young man walked in the door. He was about the same age as Tess and Sandi. He was big, looked as if she worked outside in some sort of construction. He wore jeans, T-shirt and a cap that advertised a tractor.
Sandi watched him take a seat halfway down the counter, before answering me with a curt, “Nothing.” She then went off to wait on her customer.
I was sitting enjoying the coolness of the donut shop and sipping on my cola, when I heard to my right the man holler, “No!”
I turned to find the man who had just arrived standing look-ing at someone who was out of my view. I rose up in my seat and looked over his shoulder to find Tess holding a pistol on him.
“Tess, what’s going on?” The man asked.
“I’m just going to pay you back for that way you treated me, you bastard.”
“Go ahead, Tess. Scare the shit out of him.”
“Sandi,” I said. “Don’t encourage her.”
“But she’s only trying to teach him a lesson.”
“Sandi, look at her eyes. Is she kidding?” The look in her eyes looked wild.
I heard Sandi gasp as she realized that I was right. I walked toward Tess and her former boy friend. “Tess, don’t you think this is a little unnecessary.”
“Mine your own business, Allison.” She shouted at me.
She was holding the gun in front of her with both hands in the classic stance that they teach in gun classes. She looked as if she was familiar with the gun and sure that it would do whatever she asked and not surprise her.
“Michael, I hope you’re proud of yourself. I gave up everything for you and all I get out of the deal is grief. That’s a great thank you, ma’am.”
“Tess, I don’t know what this is all about, but why don’t you put the gun away and we can talk.” Michael pleaded with her.
“ You know perfectly well what this is all about. There’s nothing to talk about, we did our talking the night you left. I don’t ever want to see you again. I also don’t want anyone else to ever go through what I had to go through either.” I heard the click as she pulled back the ham-mer of the gun.
“Tess,” I said calmly. “You do know what’s going to happen if you fire that gun don’t you.”
“I don’t care.”
“If you don’t care, think about what’s going to happen to your little girl.” I pleaded
“I’m doing this for her.”
“How is holding a gun on your former boy friend going to help your daughter?”
“That son of a bitch raped her the other night. Right now she in the hospital and I don’t know if she’s going to live or not.”
That statement shook me more than anything else she could have said.
“Let’s go to the police and let them take care of him. They know don’t they.”
“I should have told them, but I was to embarrassed to let them know that my boyfriend raped her.” I could see tears beginning to form in her eyes.
“Go tell them.” I said to her.
“Will they listen?”
“I’ll go with you. One of my best friends is with detectives. You Know, Lt. Foxwell. He’ll listen to you. If you tell them the truth I’m sure they can find all the evidence they need to arrest him.”
It looked like I was beginning to reason with her, but I still hadn’t won the war. She was hurting bad and I didn’t know if anything would have helped her.
“It’s too late now.” She answered.
“It’s not too late. Not until you pull the trigger.”
“Allison, I wish you hadn’t been here.”
“But I am and please listen to me. If you put the gun down now and enough evidence can be found to arrest this guy I doubt any charges will be brought against you.”
“But she has the gun on me.” The boy friend said.
“Shut up or I’ll let her shoot.” I told him. Then I said to Tess, “Why don’t you give me the gun and I’ll call Foxy.”
“I don’t think so Allison.” She wiped the tears from her right eye with the sleeve of her blouse.
“I’m sorry.” I heard her say before the gun exploded.
She may have been talking to her boyfriend, but I believe she was telling me she was sorry as she fired the gun.
The shot echoed throughout the room. The slug entered her boyfriend‘s chest. Her aim was good and I was afraid that she had killed him.
From the corner of my eye I saw Sandi going to the phone to call 911. Tess was holding the gun to the floor and the tears was flowing from her eyes. She didn’t fight me as I took the gun from her.
“The bastard deserved it.”
“I don’t know about that Tess.”
“But he raped her. And she’s only eight”
“I know, but I’m afraid shooting him wasn’t the answer.”
Together we sat at a booth. While she cried I held her. I knew she was in trouble, but a good lawyer may be able to get her reduce sentence due to the circumstances.
“Tess, I know you don’t want to hear this right now, but I’m going to call Debi Hartless to see if she’ll be your lawyer. Is that alright?”
She nodded her head in agreement.
“Will you be alright here for a second?”
“Yes.”
I called Sandi over. “Did you call the police and an ambulance? I don’t think there’s anything I can do for him until they get here.”
“Yes and I locked the door until this is over with.”
“Good. Can you sit with her? I’m going to call a lawyer.”
“Sure. How is she?”
“Shook.”
“I can imagine.” Sandi said as she went to the booth to sit with Tess.
I used my cell to make the call. From a distance I heard sirens. Either the Police or an ambulance would be there shortly and I wanted to get Debi on the phone before they arrived.
“Jane.” I said as her secretary answered the phone. “Is Debi in?”
“Yes.”
“Can I talk with her? I need her quick.”
“I’ll get her.” I do a lot of work for Debi Hartless. Both of us have been to the donut shop together many times and I knew she was as fond of the girls as I. I also rent my office from her. It was no more than a few seconds and she was on the line.
“What is it, Sam?”
“Can you get to the police station? I have a client for you. It’s Tess, one of the Donut dollies. She just shot her boyfriend. He’s probably dead.”
“What can I do?”
“He raped her daughter.”
“I’ll be right there.”
“Thanks.”
While I was on the phone the Fire Department arrived with an ambulance. Sandi unlocked the door. They went immediately to the boy-friend. The first Police Officer walked through the door as I close the lid of my cell. It was Officer Susan Kidd. She joined the force just as I was leaving. She stood no more than a couple of inches over five feet and the uniform when fully equipped with belt, cuffs, radio and gun may have weight more than her. I’ve always thought that she wasn’t right for the job of a Police Officer, but this time I was glad it was her. She has a daughter who’s about the same age
“Alright Allison, what did you do now?”
“I’m innocent for once. Why don’t you get the story from the other two, then we’re talk. That way maybe you’ll believe me.”
That was exactly as she did. After she talked with them I told her everything that had happen.
I repeated the story three more times the last being to my friend detective Jim Foxwell at his office in police headquarters.
“And you didn’t leave anything out.” He asked me.
“Would I do that?”
“Yes, you would and have.”
“Not this time though.”
“OK, you’re free to go.”
On my way out of the Police station Debi Hartless was in the lobby, talking on her cell. I waited until she was finished and asked, “How does it look?”
“They’re booking her now with the bail hearing yet to be scheduled. With two witnesses and her fingerprint all over the gun …”
“So were mine.” I interrupted.
“But Sandi has already given her statement saying it was Tess. And I’m sure you have too.”
“It doesn’t look good.”
“I wouldn’t say that. It appears even before this the prime suspect for the rape was her boyfriend. I’m going to schedule a psychiatrist to evaluate her, then we’ll see.”
“And the kid?”
“I need to talk with the grandparents.
I can set them up as guardians until after this is over.”
“Thanks, I owe you one.”
As I was walking out the door Debi shouted to me, “By the way, your rent’s due.”
Book 5, the final story in the Wilderness Series--A marvelous and fantastic journey, enjoy little known history crafted with original, brilliant unforgettable moments, unforgettable characters, and an unforgettable adventure that will keep you shakin
This is your journal, for your writing. An interactive journal with historical tidbits designed to nurture creativity and self-motivation, features one side for drawings, sketches, or pasting personal pictures, and the other side lined for notes or j
Goldie's daughter Chili Pepper leaves the Flirting With Food TV show & moves to Portland Oregon as Executive Chef at a new restaurant. But there is a rash of murders, all in the Pettygrove mansion where she lives with roommates.
