A Well-Kept Family Secret Read online

  Our next stop was the mall. “What about dinner tonight?” Mother had apparently been thinking about dinner while I drove. She always liked to have a plan.

  I’d forgotten about it. “About that, Pete and I have to take care of a case tonight. Can we do it another night?”

  “What are you going to be doing?”

  “We have a house we’ve got to stake out.”

  “Oh, good. Frank and I are going with you.”

  “Not a chance.” I shivered. The child in me cringed.

  Chapter Seventeen

  1898

  Vincente pulled himself together and stood up, brushing off the back of his trousers. The brick wall he’d rested on was dirty, which was just one more annoyance. It was early morning, still dark and foggy, and the moisture in the air felt thick and cold. Inhaling deeply, he coughed and began the journey home. His reflections on the previous year were what made the walk home feel like a journey.

  He remembered with irritation how after the woman’s body had been removed and he’d returned from the police station, he’d paced around the house, unable to rest. The woman didn’t have any enemies he’d known of, but considering she’d been a soiled dove, a prostitute, one never knew.

  At a reasonable hour he’d contacted a woman he knew and asked her to clean the kitchen. She’d balked at first after hearing about the murder, but times were hard and the offer of a large sum of money settled the matter. He’d left for the cribs, telling her that the job must be done before his return.

  Vincente had returned to the quiet house in the early afternoon, after visiting the saloon, and headed for the parlor. He sat heavily on the formal chair. Leaning forward, he’d placed his face in his hands and breathed deeply several times. He had to convince people that he was innocent. He had to look for the killer.

  Finally, after what seemed a very long time, he’d arisen and walked slowly to the kitchen in the back of the house. He’d been surprised. The cleaning woman had done an extraordinary job. He’d sat down at the small kitchen table.

  Absent-mindedly, he’d fingered some things the cleaning lady had placed on the table. A button, a lady’s hair comb, a small medicine bottle and a child’s toy. The toy baffled the old man. Wondering where it came from, he finally remembered the previous owner of the house had a small boy. There were other things, but he’d swept them all up and dropped them into a small wooden candy box, placing it on the shelf. There would be time enough to look through the box later.

  2003

  Mother and I spent a few hours at the mall and came away with several bags of new clothing. We also visited the store that specialized in backpacks, and she’d been like a kid in a candy store. She bought two.

  “I’ve decided that age is just a state of mind,” she informed me after placing the bags in my car. “I can dress old and feel old, or I can jazz things up and feel good about myself. I’ve chosen to feel good about myself from now on.”

  “All right, Mom,” I said. “That’s a very positive attitude, and I think I’m going to like the new you.” She hadn’t fanned herself for at least three hours. I hoped this was a sign of things to come. I still needed to tell her about the doctor’s appointment, but that could wait for the time being.

  “I hope Frank does, too,” she said. “He’s kind of set in his ways, but I think he’ll like everything I’ve done.”

  “I know he will. You’re an absolute knockout. You’ve never looked better. Age is becoming on you.” If she could be positive, so could I, and I only held my breath for a moment while I waited to see if she’d react to my comment about her age. She accepted the compliment for what it was.

  We drove back to my apartment where Mother made a beeline for my bedroom with her bags. While I fixed sandwiches for us, she changed into one of her new outfits.

  “Now does this look like the same woman you took out to dinner the other night?” She turned in a circle.

  “That’s it,” I said, excitement ringing in my voice.

  “Well, I’m glad you like it, but--”

  “Mother, that’s where I saw the guy who’s been following me.” I dragged her into the kitchen and pulled out a chair for her, handing her a plate with a sandwich on it. “Eat.”

  “What’s going on?” she asked.

  I didn’t answer her, but grabbed the phone and dialed the office.

  “Pete,” I said when he answered. “I know who that guy is. I mean, I don’t know who he is, but I know where I’ve seen him.”

  “Where?”

  “At the restaurant, the night we took Mother out to dinner. He was sitting at the next table and he was laughing at our conversation. Remember? His back was to us, but I’m absolutely sure that’s where I saw him. His back side is pretty distinctive.”

  “So tell me, Sandi, why would he be following you? What could have brought on all of this?”

  “I know the answer to that one, too.” I’d already figured that out and I was proud of myself. “He overheard us talking about the hidden gold and he wants to be in on it if and when we recover it.”

  “Right.” I could tell Pete didn’t believe a word.

  “But that’s got to be what it is. I mean, we talked about it in detail with Stanley. This guy thinks he’s hit on a get-rich-quick scheme. And if he hadn’t laughed at us, I never would have noticed him.”

  Pete was quiet for a moment, obviously thinking it over.

  “Pete, there’s no other explanation.”

  “Of course, sweetie, you’re right,” Mother said, glancing up from her plate.

  “See? Mom agrees with me.” I felt very close to my mother at that moment.

  “Okay, I guess you’ve got a point. I can’t come up with anything better. I’ll start doing some checking and try to find out who he is. Maybe he paid by credit card at the restaurant. Or maybe the waiter will remember him. I’ll take a drive over there right now.”

  “Thanks, Pete.”

  “And Sandi, we need to sit down and talk about our trip out to Amanda’s place tonight. I want to be prepared in case her ex-boyfriend comes back early.”

  “I had the same thought,” I said. “It seems odd to me that he called her to warn her when he’d be back. He’s being way too up front for a guy she says is stalking her. Either he’s up to something or she’s not telling us the whole story.”

  “You read my mind,” Pete said.

  I could hear footsteps on the stairs leading up to my apartment. The doorbell rang.

  “I’ll talk to you later. I think Frank is here,” I said.

  “I’ll let you know what I find out,” Pete said. We hung up and I turned to go answer the door.

  “Wait a minute, Sandi, I want to be ready.” My mother stood up and made a brushing motion, smoothing out her shirt and making sure there weren’t any sandwich crumbs. She had on jeans – designer jeans, but still jeans – a mint green cotton shirt, and she was wearing sandals instead of her usual “old lady” shoes. She touched her hair and fluffed it.

  “Okay?” I asked.

  “Okay, let him in. I’m ready.” She was my mother, and I knew her moods. She was nervous, and so was I. What if Frank hated the new look? Would he blame me? Of course he wouldn’t hate it. He’d love it.

  I opened the door while mentally crossing my fingers.

  The look on Frank’s face spoke volumes. He was truly in love with my mother, no matter what she looked like.

  “Do you like it?” she asked him.

  I turned to her and saw the same expression on her face. For the second time in her life, my mother loved someone and was loved in return. And my instincts told me he was a good man, just like my father. How many women have been loved by two good men in their lives?

  “You’re beautiful,” he replied.

  I knew they needed a few minutes to themselves. Well, maybe they didn’t, but I did. My brain had to process this information. I’d never really considered the idea of my mother being in love again.

  “I�
��m going out to check the mail,” I said.

  I climbed down the stairs and walked to the side of the building where the mailboxes were located, taking my time. I found bills and a few advertisements, and there was nothing new about that. I threw the advertisements in a nearby trashcan. Returning to the apartment, I strolled instead of hurrying.

  I opened the door and found Frank and my mother hugging each other.

  “Eh heh.” I cleared my throat.

  “Sandi, your mother looks great.” Frank was beaming.

  “I couldn’t agree more. Who knew she’d clean up so well?”

  “Sandra – ” Mother began.

  “Just joking,” I said quickly.

  She smiled. “I know.”

  We gathered up all of Mother’s bags and while Frank took them down to the car, I gave her a hug. I needed it more than she did. It was like losing a child to a new relationship, except I’m the child and she’s the adult. At some point in our lives do we switch roles?

  “I’m happy for you, Mom, I really am.”

  “Thank you, Sandi. He’s a wonderful man. Who would have thought I’d meet someone this late in life?”

  “Late in life? You’re only fifty-six.”

  “You’re right. I’m not old yet. I got into the habit of feeling like I was old, but not anymore. I’ve got a few habits to break.”

  Frank returned and my mother picked up her new backpack.

  “What time do you want us to meet you tonight?” she asked.

  “I don’t – ”

  “What time?” she repeated, cutting me off at the knees.

  I sighed. “Be at the office no later than four o’clock. We’ll put our plan together and be ready when you get there.” I was resigned to her enthusiasm. I knew I couldn’t stop her, and in a way I didn’t want to. I only hoped that Frank could keep her out of the way if anything happened. What a fool I’d become. In my own defense, I was having a good time with my mother. This was a new situation for me, and I found I was letting my common sense take a backseat.

  “What are you talking about?” Frank asked.

  “I’ll tell you on the way to the motel, dear.”

  Chapter Eighteen

  I locked up the apartment and drove to the office, still thinking about my mother and Frank. Mother’s trip to Los Angeles hadn’t turned out anything like I’d expected. She was full of surprises.

  Pulling into the parking lot next to the office, I noticed that Pete had already returned.

  “Hey,” I said, walking into the office.

  “Hey. I may have gotten a line on this guy, but I’m not sure.”

  “What did you find out?”

  “The waiter thought he knew who I was talking about, and if he’s remembering the right guy, he did pay with a credit card. Joseph, that’s the waiter, is going to call me with a name. He’s going to have to go through some receipts.”

  “Can he do that?” I asked.

  “Yeah. He’s also the owner’s nephew. He’s pretty much got carte blanche around the restaurant.”

  “Good. That makes me feel like we’re one step closer to finding Mr. Mysterious and putting a stop to his treasure hunting.”

  “Okay,” Pete said, “now about tonight. Let’s drive over there around four-thirty and check things out. We’ll let Amanda know we’re there and then we’ll settle in for a nice, quiet stakeout.”

  “About that,” I said, hesitantly, “we need to talk.”

  “I don’t like the sounds of this.” Pete sat up straighter. “Exactly what do we need to talk about?”

  “My mother and Frank are coming with us unless Frank can talk her out of it.” I said this in a rush, hoping he wouldn’t go nuts on me.

  “What?”

  “You heard me.”

  “Couldn’t you talk your mother out of it? We can’t take her with us. This is serious business. There’s no telling what this joker will do. Since he’s stalking Amanda, we have to assume he’s dangerous.”

  “I know. But I never could deal with Mother, and it appears I’m not going to start soon. Now that she’s going through the change of life, it’s even worse. She’s so stubborn.” I knew Pete didn’t understand, but then he didn’t really know my mother.

  “Leave it to me,” Pete said. “She can’t go with us. Period. End of story.”

  “You’ve got a deal.” I almost giggled, but caught myself. I couldn’t wait to see Pete “handling” my mother. That should be very interesting. Between my mother and Pete, I think one is about as hardheaded as the other. Frank and I could sit on the sidelines and let them duke it out. Oh, this was going to be fun, watching Pete on the receiving end of my mother’s stubbornness.

  “They’ll be here at four o’clock.” I was warning him, but he didn’t get it.

  “I’m ready.” Pete had no idea that he was a soldier about to enter the battlefield, and I didn’t believe he was very well armed either.

  Pete and I spent the next hour or so doing paperwork. My mother and Frank showed up promptly at four o’clock.

  “Mrs. Webster,” Pete began, “we have to talk.”

  “Livvie,” Mother replied. “Call me Livvie.”

  Calling her Livvie would make it too personal. He was off to a bad start.

  “Livvie, you can’t go with Sandi and me on our stakeout.” Pete was using his no-nonsense voice. “It will not happen. It could be dangerous for both you and Frank.”

  “Nonsense,” Mother replied.

  “I’m not kidding. You can’t go.”

  “Uh oh,” I heard Frank mumble. He sat down in The Lobby and crossed his legs, pulling on a crease in his pants. He kept his head down, but I could see he was smiling.

  I walked over and sat down next to him. That giggle finally escaped my lips. I quickly put my hand to my mouth, trying to stop the noise. I swallowed several times.

  Mother straightened her shoulders. “Now you listen to me, young man. I’ll go anywhere I darn well please, and you won’t stop me.”

  “But, Livvie – ” Pete was stammering. I’d never heard him stammer before. He’s an ex-cop, and I didn’t think he knew how to do that. Stammer, I mean.

  “You heard me. Frank and I are going with you and Sandi. I want to see her in action. I’ve been with her during a car chase, and now I want to see more.”

  “This isn’t a game,” Pete persisted. I felt kind of sorry for him. This was new territory and he was going to lose.

  “No, it’s not. I want to see how Sandi handles this type of situation. I need to know that she can take care of herself, and I need to know firsthand. So, Pete, you can go with us or you can wait here in the office. It’s your choice.”

  “But…”

  Mother gave him one of her looks. She’s quite good at this, and it makes you feel like a kid. I’ve mentioned my inner child and what a sniveling little chicken she is; now I had a feeling that Pete was having to deal with his own inner child. Mother wasn’t taking any prisoners this time.

  “Okay, but you have to do exactly as I tell you,” he said determinedly. He tried to make it sound like he’d won the battle, but we all knew better. It was only a skirmish, and Mother had won, as usual. Pete would recognize the real battle if it ever happened. Dealing with my mother is a real learning experience, and Pete had only just begun to get his feet wet.

  “I will.”

  “I already tried to talk to her,” Frank said, shaking his head. “It doesn’t do any good. I’ll keep an eye on her though.”

  “You’d better,” Pete warned. “I don’t want this stakeout to get screwed up. A woman’s life could be on the line here. It really isn’t a game.” Pete seemed to be back in control, at least in his own mind.

  “I promise I’ll do whatever you tell me,” Mother said.

  We left the office, taking both cars. They followed us in their rental, because Pete had told them we might need our vehicle if the stalker showed up and spotted us. If we had to chase this guy, we couldn’t wait while ever
yone piled in.

  We arrived at Amanda’s house shortly after five o’clock, and parked across the street. Pete instructed Frank to park down the block. He didn’t want too many cars near the house. There was a mild breeze wafting through the trees, and the air was cool, but not cold. We still had a little summer left to enjoy. The sky was about as clear as it ever gets in Los Angeles. The smog seemed to be at a minimum for a change. It was almost perfect for a stakeout.

  We checked in with Amanda and split up, Pete demanding that my mother stay with me. Frank and Pete found places for themselves behind some bushes toward the front of the house. Mother and I settled in behind similar bushes at the rear of the house, and we waited. My mother began to squirm after the first hour.

  “Mother, we’re on a stakeout. You can’t let anyone know you’re here. Hold still,” I whispered.

  “I can’t help it. I’m getting stiff from sitting for so long. Can’t I stand up and walk around?”

  “Absolutely not. Our perp could show up any time. Now hold still.”

  She sat down and leaned back against a tree that sat behind the bushes.

  “How long do you usually stake a place out?” she whispered.

  “For as long as it takes.”

  “Oh. Do you get bored?”

  “Yes. Now be quiet, Mother.”

  She was quiet for about thirty seconds before she asked for the thermos I’d brought along. I handed it to her and turned back to the house. She poured herself some coffee and offered me some. I declined and again politely told her to hush up.

  Another hour passed. Then two more. It had become dark. Amanda turned on her porch lights, both front and back, as we’d instructed her. Unfortunately, the lights were pretty dim. I figured they were probably about thirty-watters. What was the point in even having a porch light if it didn’t light up anything?

  “How much longer?” Mother whispered.

  “We’ll stay until at least one o’clock. He’s not supposed to be here tonight, but you never know. I’d rather not leave early and take the chance.”

  “Oh. I’ve got to go to the bathroom. What do I do?”

  I glanced at my mother. She was beginning to squirm.