“Aren’t you going out on patrol, tonight, Deb?” Deb wasn’t in her get up for street patrol. She was sitting in her chair in the living room and leafing through the album that Liz had picked up the day before.
It was nine o’clock and Liz was just getting up from her nap. She had been tired from her trip to Depew. Liz and Celia had returned about four thirty. Celia dropped her off and then drove off to her home in Buffalo. Neither lady had noticed the black Chevy that had waited near the entrance to Vinnie’s dealership and followed them back to Mandalyn. Once again it had parked down the street and waited while Liz got out and went into her house. When Celia Parks drove off again, the black Chevy had continued to follow her.
“No. Not tonight, Liz. I’m gonna stay right here in case that dude tries to come back. If he does he won’t get away with just a little bite from a pug dogie. Poor, Sissy,” Deb said putting down the album and picking up the pooch from her chair, and stroking her.” Bet that man tasted real bad. Huh, little baby?” She scratched her behind the ears.
“I doubt he’ll try it again,” Liz said. She sat down in her chair.” Besides, Mac said he’d have extra patrols on.”
“So, it’s back to ‘Mac’ again, is it? What happened to ‘pig’ and ‘Yosemite Sam’ and ‘Deputy Dawg’? He came over here and schmoozed his way into good graces again?”
“Nobody schmoozes me,” Liz said.” It’s just that it’s been a long time since he took Joe’s job. I can’t hold a grudge forever.”
“Why not? I do it all the time.”
“Yeah. I know.”
“Just you be careful, dearie,” Deb said.” I wouldn’t trust that weasel any farther than I can throw a bull.”
“Seems to me you throw that all the time. Pretty far too.”
“See. I fed you a straight line. You took it just like I thought. I knew you’d say that.”
“Well, I’m glad I didn’t disappoint you.” Liz added,” I think you’re being unduly harsh on him. I don’t think he’s as bad as you make him out to be. I certainly don’t see him as a weasel.”
“Well, I do,” Deb came back sharply.” Him messing around with that slut, Sadie Bell. A married man at that. I wonder if his wife knows about it.”
“How do you know, he’s actually cheating on her?”
“Hell, he’s in the same room with Sadie all day. No way is she gonna let him alone.”
“Well, I’m sure Mac would have something to say about that, though.”
“Sure he does,” Deb said.” That’s what I’ve been trying to tell you. He says ‘yes’ and you better believe it.”
“Deb, you have such an evil mind.”
“Thank goodness, one of us around here has sense,” Deb said.” Mark my words, that Ben MacCready is no one to trust. And Sadie’s not the only woman he runs around with, either. I tell you, that man is a womanizer, if I ever saw one.” She had that knowing smile on her face like she knew something she was just dying to tell.
“Alright, Deb,” Liz conceded.” Let’s have it. Just what is it you think you know?”
Deb giggled, put Sissy down on her own chair, picked the photo album back up and flipped through several pages.” Here it is,” she said triumphantly. Her eyes sparkled with glee as she twisted the book around and held it up toward Liz.” Am I right or am I wrong?”
Liz hobbled forward on her cane, leaned forward, bending at the waist, and peered at the page. There were three pictures on the page. The top row had two wallet size snapshots of a boy about seven years old and a blond haired little girl of four or five. The bottom half of the page consisted of a 5X7 shot of two elderly couples sitting at a table in a plush restaurant. They were huddled together posing for the shot. All of the photos were in color.
“What?” Liz muttered, unable to see anything of special interest.” Somebody’s memories. I thought you were against this sort of voyeurism.”
“Never mind the high faluting words. Look close and tell me what you see in that bottom picture.”
Liz leaned closer and squinted.” Four old farts out drinking and having a good time.”
“No. No. Look in the background. The second table behind them. Off to the right. In the corner. Isn’t that your good friend Mac, the Chief of Police.”
Liz set her cane aside, took the album from Deb and drew it close. After a moment, she said,” It does look like him. I’m used to seeing him in uniform, though. He looks different in a suit and tie.”
Deb waited expectantly.
“But, I guess you’re right. It is him,” Liz admitted.
“And who’s that broad next to him? Looks pretty cozy to me.” She double hiked her brows in a huba, huba fashion.” She looks half his age. The old fart should be ashamed of himself.”
Liz carried the album over to her chair and sat down.” I wonder where this was taken and when,” Liz mused more to herself than to Deb.”
“More to the point,” Deb said.” Who’s the young chick?”
Liz pulled the picture from the page and turned it around. The date on the back was just three months ago.” This was taken recently,” Liz said.” The restaurant doesn’t look familiar. Certainly no place in Mandalyn. Probably Buffalo. Hey wait a minute. She look’s familiar. Now where have I seen her before?”
After a moment of thought, she said,” You know what? She looks like one of the attendants at the hospital. You know, when I went for the infusion. Oh, that couldn’t be.” She closed the album, placed it on the end table next to her chair and slapped the photo down on top of the album cover. She plucked a pop from the candy dish and unwrapped it. Lemon.” It’s none of our business, anyhow,” Liz said.
“Everything’s my business,” Deb reminded her.
“Yeah, I know.”
The phone rang and Liz picked up the hand held from its cradle on the end table.” Hello. Oh hi, Celia. You got home okay?”
“Yes, but something is bothering me. I didn’t want to bother you again, but after I thought about it, I decided I should tell you about it,” Celia said from the other end of the line.
“You’re not bothering me,” Liz said.” You can call me anytime. What’s up?”
“It might be just my imagination and I might just be jumping at shadows.” There was a tremor in her voice.
“What?”
“When we went to Depew today, did you happen to notice a black car parked down the street?”
“No. Can’t say as I did. Why?”
“Well when I got home and looked out my window, I noticed a black car parked on the street outside my apartment building. There was a big man sitting behind the wheel as if waiting for someone. At first I didn’t think anything of it, but later when I was getting ready for bed, I went to the window to draw the drapes, and I saw the car was still there. The man was still in the car.
“It was dark and he could probably see me in the window with the lights on behind me, because as soon as he saw me there, he started the car and drove off fast.”
“It just may be one of those things,” Liz said trying to be reassuring.” Coincidence, I mean. Besides, why would someone be watching you?”
“I don’t know,” Celia said.” Maybe, I’m being investigated because of the hospital thing. Maybe, they hired a private investigator or something.”
“Oh, private eyes are TV stuff,” Liz scoffed.” I don’t think that really happens in real life. Maybe you’re just getting yourself worked up about nothing.”
“I hope you’re right,” Celia said.” I said before that I might just be jumping at shadows, but the more I thought about it, the more I seemed to remember that same black car or one like it, parked on your street as we were leaving today. Then when we left your brotherinlaw’s dealership, I thought I saw it again. I didn’t think too much of it at the time. There are a lot of black cars on the road. They all pretty much look the same.
“I’m sorry I bothered you about this, Liz. I guess I’ve just got too much imagination f
or my own good.”
“No. No bother. Call me anytime. If it will make you feel better, maybe you should report it to the police.”
“No. No. Not with all the trouble with the hospital. I just don’t want anymore problems.”
“Maybe you should call Michael,” Liz suggested.
“No. No. I probably am just making too much out of this. But if I have anymore trouble, I will call him.”
“Well, call me too. Will you?”
“Sure Liz and thanks a bunch.” She hung up.
*****
Chapter Twelve