FORSAKEN AND BETAKEN

Chapter 6

Make sure to send a lazy man for the Angel of Death
— Jewish proverb

Their time was up. How blessed an event for the suffering kin on earth.

Early in the damp dawn, Emmy half asleep heard her Aunt Flo pounding on her door. Rubbing her eyes, she opened the door, staring at her aunt’s shaken face…

“THERE’S BEEN A TRAGIC ACCIDENT!!! She hesitated… distraught with tears slipping from her eyelids. MITCHELL — WAS KILLED CHASING CROOKS!!! There was a three car pile up. That’s another thing did some rat murder him? That makes three to find out about.” Emmy astounded wept, her aunt held her early in the day…

Thomas’s (across the street) intuition told him something happened. Feeling awake he decided to dress and go see what was wrong. He tapped on her bedroom window and she pulled it up. “I can’t believe he is dead, come in.”

“It is hard to believe — why did he have to die?” Silently, she vowed to find out, and the other case. He stopped going out with her, and now gone from her.

“His job was dangerous.” Something was odd the way he stopped working on the case. “You better go home. I hope you can go back to bed, if not, sit in the kitchen and drink coffee. She laughed.

“You will probably has to stay home from school?” She felt numb recalling how matters were, before he stopped seeing her. She was taken up with the handsome Chief of Police.

Later Joyce held her in her arms, as they cried. “Should I stay home today or not?” This whole matter upset her more talking about it than a few weeks ago being in Mitchell’s arms.

“It would seem so; with the upset. One day isn’t much, but there will be more days, so let’s ask Mom, what to do? Say you can concentrate today without sob times? He is probably looking down wondering about the baby? Wait a minute, today is Sunday, not a school day.” They chuckled together, and then wept again...moving to the kitchen still in bathrobes. Flo sadly peered at them.

“They — always say… ‘marrying a cop’… is the most dangerous thing….”

“He stopped helping me out. He said officers at the prescient disobeyed his commands — working on our case. Something like being under another’s control.

Flo turned to her in her grief… “Another one added to the death list… it looks like. Why shouldn’t they listen to him — did ‘a crooked cop’ kill him? This case gets more mysterious all the time.” Emmy hugged her; Mitchell really liked her. He kidded with her remembering, how matters were a week ago. Time did not standstill then, everyone was happy. She’d become engaged to the honest chief.

Then matters began to altar, for some weird reason, he stopped being attentive. He was “a great guy” and she would think of the grand time they had prior to becoming engaged to marry. Flo had trouble with the whole matter. Mitchell meant more than her husband lately; he had a way with Marcy, and their plights.

“Why did he cease taking me out on the case, all of a sudden it stopped?” She sobbed again, because of that? Joyce went to her room tired of crime talk….

Flo stared at her. “Didn’t he say anything… about it then? We need something like a clue? It’s hard to believe, he departed, and he investigated the case.” “The good die young!” Flo blew her nose.

“The aberrant officers wouldn’t listen. Was it too dangerous to be with me? Now he’s lifeless, and he died. I’m remiss if he even wrote anything down. Is his prompt demise on the level or not?” Emmy (intelligent in her speech) still was upset, how he tried to help and now was gone. “How did you hear it, Aunt Flo? It was early in the day.”

“I couldn’t sleep and turned the radio on?”

“Could someone — drive me over to his office? I’ll sneak in the back door and search his desk.”

Flo motioned, she would. “Let’s hope nobody had the chance — cleaning out his desk. Hurry and I’ll get the disguises.”

*****

Flo (appearing like a redhead) started the car… Emmy a teen boy hurried and sat down. She dropped her off near a few trees preempt to the office. Emmy raced to the back door, which opened. She had a tool if it was locked, which seemed more likely. Hastily she emptied every thing vital in a bag; and then opened the file drawer. In minutes, she found what she needed, and left the way she came. In due time, she’s picked up a street over from the police office. She had resolved in her mind, to see Eugene moved by the steps, and Mitchell took care of it. She just couldn’t desert Eugene; she knew what it was like. She could have complained to her aunt about Kieran’s acerbic attitude. She loved learning new words. She could major in English, but she doubted it.

“Now we has a chance to look through this information. I brought the file on the case of my parents?” She slipped her gloves off excited about the whole mystery matter?

“Where are we going to hide the information, I took? I’d imagine Marcy and the family would be over here soon. Do you think she heard what occurred?”

Thomas went to the kitchen, because he could not sleep. When did his wild sister (out cavorting) with a man come in...? He had fallen asleep, and when he awoke, Carl was in his bed next to him slumbering. His mother turned the radio on, hearing the news.

She raced to dress. “Thomas hurry and get clad and come with me to the other house; Mitchell was killed in an accident?” Thomas pretended; he was shocked covering his mouth — following his mother across the street. Marcy and Thomas rapped on the door, and were motioned to come in. The grief group (glum looking faces) sat at the table sipping coffee. Flo offered them: soft chewy candy, oatmeal cookies, and cinnamon rolls with raisins.

When Beth awoke the next day after her revelry night; she knew something was wrong; the house was too quiet. She discovered Carl snoring in bed, and nobody else around — not evens her aunt. What could have happened in a few hours?

The crowd had moved into the dining room. Emmy still did not know what happened? “Mitchell is dead, killed in an accident?” Flo tartly said strolling in the room. Not a care how she felt; her mother’s tenet meant nothing to her. Beth turned white (it was what she imagined). She hung on the table for support….

“Not not him…How did it happen,” she whispered, stunned. The whole house was in mourning for Mitchell the brave.

“We really doesn’t know, other than a three car pile up, said Flo. Something sounds odd; we have not heard anything about the Chief of Police dying instantly?”

“Let’s get to church, today. Flo reminded. It looks like Kieran and Carl are still worn out?”

“Why are they tired?” Beth asked curious, she hoped nobody came after her; her life was her own? Accordingly her mother staring at her, she was a minor. She kept quiet aware of the stubborn, proud look on her face. “They went out last night who knows where?” Thomas spoke, he was so sick of her anymore. He was ready to go to church; they needed that worship today.

“What time is the last Mass,” Marcy asked… feeling tired.

“ — eleven this mornings, I’m sure there is time to make it!”

“Aunt Flo when will we peer at the files,” Flo hid the files in the dishwasher. Say any cops stop by that met Emmy? She hoped the boy costume hid her.

“We should visit Gilda, her husband, and family after church. We have the information? Go change into dress clothes?” Flo, Emmy, Joyce from this family, and Marcy, Thomas, Beth piled in same car. Flo set the information on the floor in a large carryall suiting for a purse. “I tacked a note on Kieran’s door giving him the directions to Mitchell’s parents. I hope you did the same for Carl, Marcy?”

“He is not connected in any way, but he was going to be in the wedding. I did and that’s that.” She was sitting in the front seat with Flo and Joyce. Beth could tell that Thomas liked Emmy. He sat in the middle of them in the back.

“You — and ‘your long explanations,’ did I really ‘hear your answer,’ isn’t it ironic?” She pulled in the church parking lot. Thomas never left Emmy’s side, the dangerous game, going in the police office. Why not, he asked himself? They deserved the files. Why show Mitchell’s dad, a former cop?

*****

The cops viewed the church inside and out. Flo nudged Marcy — while the service was eminent. “There are police officers around the church, why do you suppose that is? This is not his funeral? Did you bring two smaller bags, like I said? She nodded. I don’t know if they suspect us of being in the office or not, and if the records are better in two bags. I must look outlandish with this tote bag?”

“We can ‘switch it’ with no one the wiser, said Marcy, when we sit down and fold up the tote bag? If I thought for once we could ‘hide it’ in the women’s room, I’d go there. Let’s just relax…. Why are they here though? They ‘could have come’ to the house if they wanted to be smart alecks?”

Flo murmured, “Could the cop’s check the case out? What was going on? I think now a rotten policemen is involved in the cover up case of my brother and wife? I’d like knowledge of the accident occupants of those two wrecked vehicles.”

The crash should at least be in the Sunday paper. We need one and yesterday, I never heard a thing on the accident, and the newspapers knew it.”

“How odd lets switch the radio on in the car.” They all made the Sign of the Cross and the choir started singing. Flo was a good singer and Marcy a medium one. They made sure everyone heard their voices chortling with the other sopranos.

The other females abhorred the looks of things with officers around the church. What the heck did they want? Who they were looking for, Thomas moaned. He’s still leery if they showed the information to his father.

“Thomas run in the Newsstand and pick out a Sunday paper. It should have something on the pile up, and his death? She gave him the money.

In minutes, he’s back — handing the paper to Flo, and finagled in the middle of the women? “Here we is worrying about our case. I bet they are not even interested… They may notice missing notes, or a new sergeant, figure his desk was searched.”

“I found a small article on the wreck and his death is listed. I want to show Gilda this paper; she handed it to Marcy. The car moved to the house of sorrow….

“Relax and sit back…said Flo, and in a few minutes, we will be pulling into Gilda’s house?”

At times, Emmy noticed a dark blue Chevrolet tailing them. Now she spotted it two cars behind them. “We are being tailed, don’t turn around, this dark blue car was at church, the Newsstand, and behind us now? I think it might have pursued us from the house?” Word! “Who” was it? She hated showing the material to anyone.

“Flo felt unsettled about the matter…. I wonder if this car is going to the same place?” In due time, she pulled in the driveway of the bereaved parents. She hoped they went to church. That being the only car there, and the blue Chevrolet passed, as they pulled in? They were sitting in the kitchen looking lost — with delivered food all over the place. Emmy hugged the life out of both of them. “Why? Was the question?”

Flo sat down. “I wonder if you have any answer why there is not more in the paper about the crash, and the news of a Chief of Police being killed.”

Gilda, tears dripping from her eyes, and in shock, stared at her. “We don’t know what happened…. Not one policeman came around, to see us here, just like he had no friends there. All we acknowledge what we heard on the radio. We called the station, and all they said, they were investigating. An autopsy of the body was in process. We have to wait for a funeral to know.” The group found seats around the kitchen, dining area. “What kind of place is this? Someone on the force should drop in to give condolences. Do we have to get the police office checked by uppers?” She felt seriously something’s wrong, and now Mitchell was checking.

Mitchell Senior distracted — glanced at Flo for a minute. “Some thing does not seem right? If nobody stops in today, I’m calling the government or the city council about the situation, he’s our son.”

Flo and Marcy instructed the girls to arrange the food. “You sure have many wonderful people — sending food, said Marcy. When are your daughters coming?”

Mitchell turned to Marcy. “They should be here soon, set some various dishes on the table for us to dine right now.”

I’m sure a dark blue Chevrolet followed us. He trailed us by three cars.”

“Are you sure of that?” Mitchell dialed a person on the City Council.

Joyce hung close to Thomas beaming at him trying anything to get his interest? His patience running thin, he angrily, grabbed her by the arm. He took her to an alcove, where he could “settle the matter” he’s not interested in her.

*****

Joyce deeply depressed, and stunned by his tyrant speech climbed the steps. First find a medicine cabinet, and bedroom, to end her miserable life.

Mitchell satisfied, his friend, called and secretly would move at eight tonight investigating the police department? He was a retired policeman and could tell when something was fishy? Flo (trusting the moment) whispered; they had the office information that he was looking at now…

“It says here, the police department didn’t investigate your brothers vanishing act? How many years passed since their disappearance?”

“Near six years,” Emmy promptly answered.

“Maybe, he felt he was putting you in more danger, he loved you?” His dad answered, wondering what he came upon….

Thomas feeling edgy prompted Emmy, “what happened to the pest?”

“I’ll go check, and you stay here?” In minutes, he heard her yell, “Get Flo?”

Flo flew up the stairs, and Marcy called an ambulance? Mitchell put the information back in the two bags. He had seen most of it, and knew the police department (for six years) was crooked. Thomas offered to stay with the couple if anything happened rough; he’d taken firing practice. He could pick someone off if he needed to? The ambulance arrived and nobody knew if she was alive?

Thomas needed the couples support with the jerk Joyce trying this stunt.