Impact for Murder

Generators rumbled through the night with sounds so deafening, sleep would not be an option. Hurricane Matilda grazed through like a herd of manic cows, destroying the power lines in her path. The old man could not believe his good fortune as he took this opportunity to carve up her body—blending in with the raucous cacophony. The generator cranked to full speed, he plugged in the Shop Smith and flipped on the band saw. “Let her rip,” he laughed to himself, now the debt would be paid in full.
* * * *
Steam filled the bathroom. “Dan. Dave just called,” I shouted over the spray through the shower door at my husband. “He said to tell you Tilley Bentley is out front of the hardware store preaching doom and gloom, grabbing at people as they walk by.” With my hip propped against the edge of the sink, I took a sip of coffee, and waited for Dan’s response.
“Well hell. Doesn’t that crazy old bat ever sleep?” The water clicked off and Dan stepped out of the shower. “It’s only six o’clock in the morning.”
“Honey, it isn’t nice calling her crazy,” I scolded and handed my husband a bath towel. “She’s our back fence neighbor.”
“Then what word would you use? Oh, wait…I believe your term for her is, Bitch Bentley.” He raised his eyebrows, grinned at me as he dried off, then wrapped the towel around his waist.
“Well yeah. She tried to throw hot scalding water on our dog a couple years ago over the fence, remember? She dropped the pot and ran screaming that she needed to burn the devil out of him. She said he was Beelzebub reincarnated in black fur.” I took another swallow of coffee. Dan took the cup from my hand, guzzled down the rest in one big swig.
“Did you tell her Yadar finds dead people?”
“Uh, no. She would never understand what a Cadaver Dog does and would probably pull out a cauldron filled with Holy Water to boil him in.”
“See? There ya go.” He twirled his finger on the side of his head. “Did Dave say if he tried to get ahold of Clive to come get his crazy wife, or not?” Dan passed the empty mug back to me.
“No, he didn’t say.” I turned to leave the bathroom and stopped. “Oh, and Brother Logan called to let you know that the church would not be open for a shelter. He said to guide everyone over to the middle school.”
“Wait a minute.” He leaned against the sink with both hands. “We already know that. He brought it up yesterday at the town meeting where the topic had been discussed and decided upon. I just wonder if he was in the same building with the rest of us.” Dan hung his head, lowering his voice to an almost whisper. “Anyone else call while I was in the shower?”
“Mayor Woodworth.” I laughed at his tone. “He wants a strong police presence in his neighborhood if they lose power.”
“Callie, this whole town has gone insane over the idea that we might be in this hurricane’s path.” He smeared toothpaste on his toothbrush; a large dollop landed in the sink.
From the hallway, I threw over my shoulder, “No ‘might’ to it, Hurricane Matilda is a comin’. And that’s the word we should call her.”
“Who?” Dan mumbled, with a mouth full of toothpaste.
“Tilley Insane Bentley.” The phone rang again before I reached the kitchen. The next two calls convinced me Hurricane Matilda would scramble every citizen’s brain in Hollow, Texas before she even arrived.
I took a deep breath to steady my nerves. Hanging up the phone after the second call, I caught Yadar plopping his big old head down in his empty food bowl. He looked up at me without raising his noggin, showing plenty of white under his eyes, giving me his best pitiful look ever.
As I fed Yadar his kibble soaked in chicken broth, Dan, now dressed in his uniform, joined us in the kitchen. After twenty years of marriage the man still took my breath away. He reached for a coffee mug out of the cabinet.
I stopped him, pointing to a stack of paper plates and cups on the counter. “Use one of the paper cups, please.” His eyes followed my finger.
“Why?” With furrowed eyebrows, Dan shook his head.
“Because you don’t need to take any more of our cups to the station.” I looked down at my kitty slippers and noticed the right foot no longer wore ears. I glanced over at Yadar. He turned his head and stared at the wall. Dan and I both cracked up laughing.
“Who was on the phone?” Dan poured coffee into one of the paper containers.
“Brother Logan. This time he asked if you would mind calling Rolling Hills Funeral Home to get Gloria Mendoza’s casket out of the church. Something about him not wanting to hold the viewing because he’s afraid people would stay afterward thinking the church might be used as a shelter for the hurricane.” I scratched the tip of my nose, grinning. “He said he would tape a note on the front doors that the funeral would be canceled till further notice.”
“Callie, please tell me you were nice to him.”
I feigned surprise. “Me? Of course I was. I told him you wouldn’t mind at all and would take care of it right after you picked up crazy old Tilley from the hardware store.”
“That’s good, Hon. I’d hate for Brother Logan to feel he’s the only one with problems this morning.” He took a large swig of coffee, then set the now empty cup on the counter. “Anyone else need anything before I head out?”
“Jodi Brock thought we would like to keep Gregory for a few days until the hurricane blows through.” I picked at a torn fingernail, shaking my head. “She told me she didn’t understand Carmen refusing to come to work just because her mother-in-law passed away. Said, ‘Carmen is just a nanny and not a doctor, like my husband is—or someone who has to think to do their job.’ Jodi also said she thinks Carmen is using Gloria’s death as an excuse to stay home because of the hurricane and just knows you and I would enjoy little Gregory since we don’t have any children of our own.”
Dan picked up his cup and started to refill it, then changed his mind. “I think I’m going to need something stronger this morning.” He opened the fridge and took out a can of Pepsi. “What did you tell her?” He popped the top.
“That we have guns in our house and I didn’t think they would be appropriate for a two year old to play with.” I blew him an air kiss, adding, “Then I suggested she give Brother Logan a call. That he seemed to be in a charitable mood this morning.”
He pulled me into his arms and kissed me. “That’s my girl.” He breathed close to my ear, “I love you. Are you and Yades going to be all right this evening when the storm hits?” I nodded in the crook of his neck not wanting to let him go. Being the police chief’s wife, the chance of Dan coming back home tonight would probably be slim to none. The news showed Hurricane Matilda to cross our path sometime in the early evening.
“Gotta go, Hon.” He stepped over to Yadar and scratched his head. “You take good care of your mom while I’m gone.” Yadar yawned in response, laying his head back down. “Glad to see you’re pumped and ready for the task at hand.” Dan snickered. “Good job.”
“He’s not an early riser kind of dog, you know.” Dan grabbed two granola bars as I walked with him to the door that led to the garage.
“I know. Look, I’m going to drive around the block and see if Clive will go with me to fetch his loon of a wife.” He exhaled, walking out the door. “Call me if you need anything.” He slowed and turned around. “Oh, and Callie? Do me a favor and check on Ms. Mattie and Ms. Ida. See if you can convince them to go to the middle school. They don’t need to be up on the hill in that house alone tonight.” He gave me a grin to die for as he pulled the door closed behind him. I wanted to throttle him. No one convinced those two seventy-five year olds to do anything they did not want to do. I would probably have a fight on my hands.
After changing from my jammies into jeans, t-shirt, and tennis shoes, I hooked a leash to Yadar and set out on a mission of sweet-talking the Morrow sisters to leave their quaint little cottage. But first, we took a detour on the way through town hoping to get a bird’s eyes view of Tilley Bentley in action.
Red, white, and blue strobe lights reflected off the store windows sending cascading rainbows across the faces of the crowd watching the show unfurl.
My sweet husband was getting the crap beat out of him with a broom handle. Tilley swung the broom, holding it as if it were a double-edged sword, slicing at Dan every time he neared close enough to invade her space. From behind, Clive tried sneaking up on her only to get wacked in the head as Tilley spun like a windmill keeping both men at bay.
After tucking into the only parking spot left at the bank, I hurried out of the car. With Yadar at my side I crossed the street. Tilley’s escapades were quite the crowd pleaser.
As we neared, I heard the chanting, “TAS-ER, TAS-ER, TAS-ER.” God, how I wanted to join in. Margo Ketchum stood behind a truck nearby snapping off pictures for the Hollow Herald. The woman was a thorn in my side. I held it my mission in life to thwart her with every opportunity that arose. She worked as a part-time dispatcher for the police department and a self-claimed photographer for the weekly newspaper in town.
Yadar tugged on the leash. I pulled him back. He did not like watching his Daddy getting waylaid. Truth told, his strong prey drive drove him and he wanted that big stick. Or maybe Tilley. Both were spinning out of control like the spokes on a moving bicycle.
Guiding Yadar behind Margo so she couldn’t see us, I leaned down, whispered in his ear, and pointed at Margo’s butt. “Go give her a ‘close-by’.” I unhooked his leash. Next I laughed so hard I wanted to do the pee-pee dance as Yadar, in stealth-mode, moved up behind her and rubbed against her legs.
Margo jumped a good foot off the ground and flung the camera straight in the air. It landed under a nearby pickup truck. I dove for the camera and removed the chip. With the memory clip palmed in my hand, I slipped it into my pocket and returned the Nikon digital to Margo. My smile, of course, stretched from ear to ear as I thought how that could not have worked out any better if I planned it.
“Your beast attacked me! Why don’t you have that nasty dog chained up?” She slung spittle as she jerked the camera from my grasp. Her wild mousy brown hair corkscrewed in every direction and her eyes bugged out.
About the same time, the crowd went wild. Behind me, Yadar yanked the broom right out of Tilley’s hands in mid-leap. Dan moved in, wrapping the insane Amazon of a woman in a bear hug. The people parted a path through the middle as my dog trotted to me with his tail raised high, carrying the broomstick in his mouth. Yadar placed the handle in my hand with the delicacy of placing a rose on a platter. I rewarded him with lots of praise and hugs, clipping the leash back on his collar.
“You are all going to H-E-Double-Hockey-Sticks!” Tilley screamed at Dan as he and Clive deposited her, writhing and bucking like a Bronco, into the backseat of the police car.
Dan’s eyes met mine over the roof of the car. He blew me a kiss. “Team work, Honey, team work,” I called out, patting Yadar’s head.