|
Chapter 6 Chat With a
Neighbor On her way to the Collins’
home, Ann stopped for some greasy fast food.
She would have to hurry if she wanted to get to work on time the
next day, despite the fact that it was a Saturday.
She still had to contend with an eight hour drive home.
When she reached the house, she said a quick prayer over her meal
and took two minutes to eat. Wiping
her hands on a fourth napkin, she grimaced at her grease covered fingers.
What’s that doing to the
inside of me? Checking to
make sure her gun was in place, she grabbed her purse and climbed out of
the car. The neighborhood was quiet,
almost too quiet. Yellow
police tape surrounded the entire yard.
Since this wasn’t officially her case, she had no reason to duck
the tape. Besides she lacked a
pressing desire to approach the burned out wreck of a house.
Officer Long said someone
left him out back. Confidently, Ann crossed the
street. She followed the taped
path back to some disheveled bushes. Crushed
branches marked the place where Officer Long had taken his forced nap.
She bent over to take a closer look at the scene. “What are you doing?”
grated a harsh, elderly female voice. Ann took a sharp breath and
just barely refrained from pulling her gun.
She spun around and put on a disarming smile.
“Good evening, ma’am. I’m
Agent Davidson; I came to look at the crime scene.” “You’re a police
officer?” asked the plump, short woman skeptically.
Ann could feel the woman’s measuring gaze.
She gave the woman her own once over.
Alert eyes, jolly, somewhat abrupt manner, and even the way she
clutched a damp towel said “perfect snitch.”
Her smile broadened. This woman seems to know what goes on around here. “No,
ma’am, I’m only an investigator.” Before she could continue
the woman became more animated and excitedly said, “Ooooo, like a
private detective?!” It was
equal parts question and exclamation. Ann shook her head.
“No, I work for the Federal Bureau of Investigation.”
Who’s running this interrogation anyway?
She stepped towards the woman, who was leaning over her back
deck. “I’d like to ask you
some questions about your neighbors...” That seemed to further
excite the elderly lady. I hope she doesn’t have a heart attack on me.
“Of course, my dear. Ooooo,
do you want some lemonade? I
just made up a fresh batch. Oh,
do come up and have a glass. Come!
Come.” As she
babbled, the woman’s arms flailed towards her house.
Ann hesitated, her natural suspicions warning her against consuming
a stranger’s food. Yes, the elderly woman keeps a tiny bottle of cyanide around to poison
random people! Figuring she might learn
something, Ann said, “Thank you very much, lemonade sounds wonderful.”
She followed the woman inside and sat on the couch. While the woman
left to get the drinks, Ann gathered her thoughts. “I’ve never met a
government agent before,” the woman said almost shyly, entering the room
carrying a tray with oversized glasses and a huge plate of chocolate chip
cookies. What
ninety people is she serving tonight?
Ann grinned, politely taking
the drink with both hands. At
the woman’s insistence, she picked up a cookie.
“May I ask your name?” she asked her hostess. The elderly woman gasped in
horror. “Goodness!
Where have my manners skedaddled to?”
In her excitement, she knocked her eyeglasses askew.
She righted them primly. “Karla
Banning. Mrs. Karla Banning,
but you can just call me Mrs. Banning if you like.” “Very well, Mrs.
Banning–” “My husband, Jeffrey, died
several years ago; he had lung cancer from smoking.
Poor Jeffrey, he sure loved those smelly old sticks of his.”
The woman patted her snowy white hair.
Ann figured she would have
to control the conversation soon or risk hearing this chatty woman’s
entire family history. She hid
a smile behind her lemonade glass and took a sip.
“What can you tell me about the Collins?” “Oh, such a lovely family!
They’re both doctors you know.”
Ann let the woman prattle a bit.
“That young Mrs. Collins and I used to swap recipes.
She makes a wonderful peach cobbler, but her spinach casserole
could use a little help. Oh,
but she is getting better...she just needs to practice more.
And that husband of hers; he’s as handsome as a man can be!
If I were forty years younger, I’d be a mite jealous of the
missus. Oh, and those two
youngin’s are such sweet darling babies.
They remind me of my grandchildren.
So fiery, especially the little girl.
My but that youngin’ sure can pitch a proper fit!” At
this rate, I may learn something in a year or three…
Before the woman could show grandchildren pictures, Ann spoke
up, “Mrs. Banning, did you hear or see anything unusual yesterday
afternoon?” The elderly lady squeezed
the lemonade glass as she concentrated.
Ann expected the glass to shatter at any moment.
“Hmmm, let’s see. Around
dusk I saw a white van.” At
this, Ann’s ears perked up. She
kept her expression neutral so as not to overexcite the woman, which could
result in information embellishment. “I
don’t know what they were doing, but a fellow in a blue uniform was just
shutting the front door. ‘Now
that’s odd’ I said to myself. Then,
that fellow was hand-in-hand with those precious little ones.
My eyes aren’t so good anymore.
I might have gone out there and confronted that fellow myself but
the children didn’t seem upset or anything so I didn’t think anymore
on it. And then, those awful
explosions plum made me forget all about it.”
A thought seemed to strike the woman; she gasped again.
“Is it important? Could
something have happened to those little ones?” They were good questions,
but Ann decided to ignore them for the present moment.
The fire department and police reports both said no bodies had been
found. “No one was in the
house,” she said soothingly. “Did
you talk to the police yesterday?” “Yes, yes.
I told them all about the explosions.
They were just awful. There
were four separate ones you know.” Ann
hadn’t known, but she filed the information in the back of her mind.
Mrs. Banning suddenly looked worried.
“I forgot to tell them about the van!
What if they need to know about it!?
Oooo, I should call them right away!”
Ann made a placating
gesture. “I’m sure
they’ll be glad for the information, Mrs. Banning,” she assured.
“Just give them a call when you have a chance.
Now, was there anything else you heard or saw?” After a moment’s thought
the woman said, “Well, one of those young police fellows was found tied
up in the back. I heard him
talking with another officer. Poor
dear, even in the dim light and with my weak eyes, I could see marks on
his arm. They were from a lamp
cord you know. Oh, it was
about the saddest thing I’ve ever seen!
Another young fellow picked up a lamp cord still attached to a
fluffy bunny tail. I remember
because those lamps are fire hazards.
Have you ever seen one of those bunny lamps?”
Ann shook her head. “Cute
things, with pink and purple ears and a cotton tail and all, but they’re
fire hazards I tell you. Anyway,
a thing like that has no business at a crime scene!” Mrs. Banning
declared. Ann smiled and checked her
watch; it was getting late. “Thank
you for your time, Mrs. Banning. The
lemonade was wonderful, but I must take my leave now.” “Oh, but you haven’t
even eaten any cookies!” “I’m sure they’re
wonderful as well,” Ann said, holding up the melting cookie. “Take some with you!”
the woman insisted. Ann
didn’t protest as Mrs. Banning wrapped several cookies in a napkin and
handed it to her. With another
hasty thank you, Ann finally escaped the Collins’ neighbor.
The more case details she gained, the more worried she became.
Oh, Rachel, what have you
gotten yourself into? |