Baby take a bow, p.2
Baby, Take a Bow, page 2
I had no idea what he was talking about. “Okay.”
“I mean, she’s not the same around here. Something’s really got her spooked. I told her it’s maybe kids playing pranks, but she says it’s fox fairies.”
“And what would fox fairies be?”
“It’s a Chinese thing. You know how she is.”
I thought Janice was as American as the hot dogs she sold. “I’ll see what I can do.”
Steve went back to his cooking. In a few minutes, Janice brought me my hot dogs and fries in a red plastic basket and a Styrofoam cup full of Coke. “Here you go, Randall.”
I handed her my money. I didn’t know if she was plagued by fox fairies, but something was bothering her. “You okay today?”
She grimaced slightly and motioned down the counter. “Mother’s here.”
Janice’s mother was perched on one of the stools, a small slight woman, her black hair cut short with a fringe of bangs. She wore a beige pants suit, a black blouse, and beige sandals. Her jade earrings matched the pin on the lapel of the suit.
“Don’t let her appearance fool you,” Janice said. “She’s as Chinese as the Great Wall and twice as stony.”
“What seems to be the problem?”
Janice straightened the napkin dispenser and ketchup bottle and tapped the little laminated menu back in place. “She thinks selling hot dogs is beneath me.”
“Even though they’re the best hot dogs in the world?”
“I’m a Rat child. I should be a lawyer.”
“A Rat child? That sounds cool, if a bit shady.”
“Chinese zodiac. I was born in the Year of the Rat.”
“I hope that was a good year.”
“Rats are charming, intelligent, and quick-witted.”
“True, all true.”
“Also calculating, selfish, and self-obsessed.”
“There’s always a dark side.”
“Mozart was a Rat. So was Washington. Perhaps I should be running for president.”
“So how do fox fairies fit into all this?”
She sighed and tucked a wayward strand of her fine black hair behind one ear. “Mother says the reason I’m having trouble is because I’ve offended the spirits.”
“Ask Camden to look into this.”
“Does he speak Chinese?”
“What’s a little language barrier in the spirit world?”
“I hadn’t thought of that.” She gave me a thoughtful look. “When’s your birthday?”
“August seventh, but I’m about five years older than you are.”
Janice did a quick calculation. “A Dragon. I might have known.”
“I take it that’s a good thing.”
“Only the most popular sign: lucky, dynamic, irresistible.”
“What a remarkable coincidence. Now give me the flip side.”
“Egocentric, arrogant, demanding, short-tempered.”
I was impressed by how quickly she rattled off the details. “How do you know all this stuff?”
“Mother’s an expert. I’ve heard it all my life. When she found out Steve was a Sheep, she almost disowned me. She says our business relationship could never work, because Rats consider Sheep lazy.”
“But you two get along fine.”
“Of course we do. This zodiac thing is all nonsense.”
“Except for the part about the irresistible Dragon.”
I was glad to make her smile again. “Maybe there is something to these signs, after all. Would you like to meet Mother?”
“It would be my pleasure.”
Mei Chan was delighted to discover I was one of the fortunate Dragon people and chatted at length about the wonders of dragonhood. Turns out I’m a born leader with a will to win and succeed, an idealist, a perfectionist, dominant, powerful, strong, healthy, and generous. This was definitely the sign I’d have picked out for myself.
“It is so nice for Janice to have friends like you,” she said. “Perhaps you can help me convince her to use her talents for something more than selling hot dogs. I don’t think she should spend her life doing this.”
I’d heard the same kind of complaint from Ellin’s mother about Ellin’s choice of career. Mrs. Belton believed that producer of a psychic network was beneath her daughter, never mind that Ellin had excellent administrative skills and loved telling people what to do. Maybe the two mothers ought to form a support group. “Not even if she’s happy?”
“Ah, she says she’s happy, but I’m her mother. I know her better than anyone. I know she has offended the spirits.”
“Could you tell me more about fox fairies? Why would Chinese spirits travel all the way to America to pester a hot dog shop?”
She shrugged. “Who knows the way of spirits? But I feel there is something at work here, a strange sort of force. Perhaps it’s a type of spirit native to this area. Do you know of anything like that?”
Ghosts find Camden irresistible, so I’ve dealt with weird things before. Why was this ghost here? The building had always been a restaurant, so it wouldn’t be missing the old homeplace. Maybe he or she died in a cooking accident or choked on a chicken bone. During my past experiences, the Visitors From Beyond had a clear reason to return. This haunting didn’t make sense. That made me uneasy.
Mei gathered her purse and scarf. “I’m so sorry to rush off, but I have an appointment. It was very nice to meet you, Mr. Randall. Janice, I will talk to you later this evening. You know this problem could be quickly resolved if you find another job.”
Janice didn’t roll her eyes, but her expression suggested she really wanted to. After Mrs. Chan had gone, she said, “You see how she is?”
“My mom’s the same way. She wants the best for me.”
“This is the best for me. I’m my own boss, I set my own hours, I make good money, and I like hot dogs.”
“What would convince your mother?”
“Aside from a personal visit from the Jade Emperor? I don’t know. She needs a sign.”
“Maybe I can manufacture one.”
She frowned. “What are you thinking of?”
“Your mother’s into all this zodiac stuff. She’d believe a real psychic, wouldn’t she?”
“I suppose.”
“I happen to live with a real psychic. I think your fox fairies are toast.”
Her expression brightened. “I’d appreciate that, Randall. I’d give you free hot dogs for life.”
We shook hands. “Deal.”
By the time I returned to the picnic tables, Rufus had finished his hot dogs. He slurped the last of a huge cola and motioned for me to sit down. “Got a job for you.”
“I’ll take it.”
“You don’t even know what it is yet.”
“Doesn’t matter. The Randall Detective Agency is at low tide.”
Rufus gave a snort that jiggled the pieces of French fry caught in his beard. “Always low tide with you.”
“So what’s this job?”
He looked around, but nobody was within range. “Got a kid I want you to find.”
Great. “What kind of kid?”
“Don’t know.” He rattled the ice in his cup. “See, this is coming between Angie and me. She knows I got a kid, and she wants to see it.”
“You have a child by another woman?”
He took a big mouthful of ice and crunched it noisily. “Didn’t I just say that?”
No, he didn’t, but I should have been up on my Rufus-speak.
“My first wife, Bobbi, writes me about a week ago to tell me about this baby she had, only she don’t send any details, just that it’s mine.”
“I didn’t know you’d been married before.”
“Yeah, it ain’t something I’m proud of, but seeing as how you’ve managed to get yourself snagged twice, I thought you could handle this. Angie says I oughta do the right thing by Bobbi, whatever that is.”
“Can Bobbi prove you’re the father? Does she want you to pay child support?”
“Oh, I got no problem with the kid being mine. But I can’t find Bobbi. I went to her place on Forest Cove Drive last Tuesday, and the place is locked up tight as a tick. Neighbors say they ain’t seen her for a long time.”
“You still have her letter?”
“Yeah, I got it someplace.”
“I’ll need to see it.”
“Okay.” He rested both huge forearms on the picnic table. “I don’t want to start nothing with Bobbi, but I’m a bit concerned about her and the kid.”
“Maybe she doesn’t want you to know where she is. Maybe she’s starting a new life.”
“She started a new life the day I left. Don’t go speculating on me, Randall. Take the job and find her. I won’t get any peace from Angie till something’s settled.”
Angie, Rufus’ wife, was as big as he was and just as stubborn. “Okay. Last seen at Forest Cove Drive.”
“Second house on the right.”
“Would she be going by Bobbi Jackson or another name?”
“Her maiden name’s Hull. Bobbi Jo Hull. When I was married to her, she was about five-five, hundred and forty pounds, bleached blond hair, brown eyes. Got a birthmark shaped like Texas on her rear, but you ain’t likely to see that.”
“I hope not.”
Rufus reached in the pocket of his jeans for his pack of chewing tobacco. He pulled out a wad of brown strings, stuffed them in his mouth, chewed a while, then transferred the wad to one cheek. “Gotta admit I’m damned curious about the kid.”
“You and Angie planning to have children?”
“We’re talking about it. I wouldn’t mind a couple of little ankle-biters.” He turned his head and sent a long stream of brown juice into the grass. “When’s Cam and Ellin getting home?”
“This afternoon.”
“Now that was a surprise to me, those two getting hitched. I didn’t think she cared for him.”
“She does, in her own twisted way.”
Rufus gave another snort. “Think she’s likely to keep you on?”
“Lately she’s been too busy with her network to hassle me.”
“Ever think of getting your own place?”
“Sometimes.” I didn’t set out to make 302 Grace Street my home, but damn it, I liked living there. If I moved, I’d have to give up sharing those little domestic moments with Kary that made my life so much brighter.
Rufus was well aware of my feelings toward Kary, but decided not to make a smart remark. “You do this little chore for me, Randall, and I’ll make it worth your while.”
“I’m sure you will.”
“Yep. Ask me how sure.”
A conversation with Rufus can’t end without one of his peculiar Southern expressions. “As sure as what?”
“As sure as a thumbtack lands point side up.”
***
I didn’t want to get involved with a missing child case, but Rufus had helped out on previous cases. I owed him a favor. I could at least stop by Forest Cove Drive and see if his ex-wife was at home and find out what she wanted. There might not even be a child. It could all be Bobbi Jo’s ploy to get money from Rufus.
On my way, I stopped by the public library to see what Mandy, the reference librarian, knew about fox fairies. I could’ve looked them up online, but I enjoyed talking with Mandy, and like Kary, she got a thrill out of helping with my investigations. Mandy’s a pretty little woman with a cloud of pale blond hair and a wistful expression. If she doesn’t know the answer right away—and she usually does—she knows where to look. This question was a snap. Apparently, Mandy had memorized The Giant Book of Multicultural Fairy Tales.
“In Chinese folklore, foxes are considered the cleverest of animals and can change themselves into men and women whenever they like. Fox fairies will bring you good luck or bad, depending on how they’re treated. Let me get you a book.” She disappeared into the stacks and came back with a thick blue book. “Tales of a Chinese Grandmother. There’s a wonderful story in here about a fox fairy who helps a young man win the woman he loves. You see, years ago, the young man’s grandfather had been kind to the fox fairy, so this was her way of repaying the debt.”
I flipped through the book. The flowing illustrations were in shades of red and gray. I went past “The Sisters in the Sun” and “The Daughter of the Dragon King” before I reached “The Grateful Fox Fairy.”
“Have you ever wondered why in fairy tales there’s always a price to pay?” I asked.
“I guess it’s a way of keeping everything in balance. Back in fairy tale days, you might be a poor shepherd, but you did have your word, and that was something people took very seriously. If you went back on your word—”
“The fox fairies would get you.”
“Or something like that.”
I handed her the book and she scanned the barcode and my card. “How would I keep them away? Is there a particular spell? Fox fairy repellant?”
“In ancient China, there would’ve been a shrine or a temple especially for the fox fairies, and you’d light incense or leave small bowls of food.”
“Do they eat hot dogs?”
“Probably not. I’d go with rice.” She handed me the book. “That’s due June twenty-fifth.”
“Excellent advice, as always, thank you.”
“Let me know how it comes out.”
“Happily ever after, I hope.”
Chapter Three
“Baby, Oh Where Can You Be?”
My investigations had taken me to every inch of Parkland, but I’d missed Forest Cove Drive. It was way over past the coliseum complex and new high school stadium, close to Interstate 40. Like every other neighborhood in the city, Forest Cove was misnamed. No forest. No cove. Only a typical street lined with parked cars and the occasional oak tree. All the houses were a faded pink brick with a garage on the right-hand side, but only one was surrounded by yellow police tape, two police cars, an ambulance, and a small crowd of curious neighbors.
The second house on the right.
When I parked the Fury and got out, my sinking feeling sank further. The EMTs carried out a covered body on a stretcher. A policeman the size and shape of a Humvee detached himself from the crowd and greeted me with a tight smile.
“Nice of you to show up, Randall. Saves me the trouble of hunting you down.”
“Just out taking a drive.”
Usually Jordan Finley runs me away from crime scenes because he knows I usually solve the crimes. He took out his small notebook. “For once in your life, you’re going to be useful. The victim is one Bobbi Jo Hull Jackson. Now, there are probably a million Jacksons in this town, but you came along and made this a little easier. What’s the connection to Rufus?”
“His ex-wife.”
Jordan’s dark eyebrows rose. “How many does he have?”
“Only this one, as far as I know. He wanted me to see if she was okay.”
“She is not what I call okay. Someone shot her. When did you last see Rufus?”
“He couldn’t have killed her. He was with me at Janice’s not twenty minutes ago.”
Jordan gave me the weary look of a man who has seen everything. “Oh, he had plenty of time. She’s been dead about a week.”
I had to swallow. A week! Hadn’t Rufus told me he’d been by the house last Tuesday?
“Nobody noticed she was gone? Didn’t she have any friends? Relatives?”
“She’d quit her job. Neighbors say she was often gone for weeks at a time. They thought nothing of it. Fella came round to cut her grass, got worried about her, managed to get in the house and found her on the floor.”
What about the baby? “Anyone else in the house?”
“Should there have been?”
“Rufus got a letter from Bobbi about a week ago telling him she had his child.”
Jordan stopped writing and gave me another look. This one was far from weary. “Does he still have this letter?”
I saw where this was headed. “You’re not going to pin this on Rufus. He was happy about the baby. He wanted to do the right thing, only he couldn’t find Bobbi.”
“So he sends you. You walk in and you’re found leaning over the body. Nice little set-up. Too bad the yard man got here first.”
“Sounds like Bobbi was trying to set Rufus up. Maybe there wasn’t a baby.”
“Or maybe there was, and we haven’t found its body yet.”
“That’s a whole lot worse than what I was thinking, Finley.”
Jordan closed his notebook. “I’m paid to think the worst. That’s my job. Where’s Rufus now?”
“At home, I guess.”
“I’ll be by in a few minutes to have a little chat with him, and if he’s not there, I’ll know who warned him off—and speaking of warning off, you are officially out of here.”
I took my time walking back to the Fury. The yard man’s mower, weed trimmer, and all his equipment lay on the half-finished lawn. A blue-and-white tag on the mower said “Daily Rentals.” Several faded newspapers, still in plastic wrappings, lay on the front stoop.
A large man with a too-tight t-shirt straining over a beer belly ambled over from the next house and stopped me. “That policeman tell you anything?”
“Looks like your neighbor was shot and killed,” I said. “About a week ago.”
The fact that Bobbi had been lying dead in the house that long didn’t faze him. “Oh, yeah?”
I looked over my shoulder. Jordan was busy with the crime scene. I could probably get in a few more questions before he chased me away. “How well did you know Mrs. Hull and her family?”
“Wasn’t nobody but her.”
“She didn’t have a baby?”
“Not that I know of.”
The Amazing Mystery Baby was beginning to get on my nerves. “You notice any visitors last week, any different cars in the driveway? Maybe a Bigfoot truck?”
