Shirley Murphy - Cat Fear No Evil

"We locked the car," Pedric said, "unlocked the RV. When we flipped on the lights there he was sitting at the dinette, a big black gun on the table pointed straight at us. An automatic, but I couldn't see what make.

"He didn't ask for money. He wanted, specifically, some pieces of jewelry that Lucinda had bought in Russian River on our last trip. That was more than strange, because it's only costume jewelry. At least, a friend has some like it that she had appraised, and hers is of no special value, a few hundred dollars for the gold work. But that was what he wanted. When we said we didn't have the jewelry with us, that Lucinda had left it in Molena Point, he didn't believe us. He grew really angry, started shouting."

"He began to search the RV," Lucinda said. "Tore everything up, banging cupboards, making such a racket that we hoped someone would come to see what was happening.

"But we always park off to ourselves, choose the most private spot," she said. "We like to look at the woods and wildlife, not at other campers. Well, no one came to help us and that was just as well, I guess, since the man was armed."

Pedric said, "He shoved Lucinda in the bedroom. When I hit him from behind he turned and threw me in too." The old man grimaced. "I'm not as strong as I once was. In my prime, I'd have taken that guy out. He demanded the jewels again, then demanded the ignition keys. When I didn't hand them over, he roughed me up pretty bad, jerked the keys out of my pocket, and locked us in the bedroom."

"Pedric still has bruises," Lucinda said. "All along his side and back. A wonder he didn't break something. Well, he didn't get the jewelry."

Officer Hart looked hard at them. "You had it all the time, and you didn't hand it over, even though it was only paste?"

"We don't like being told what to do," Lucinda said, "and by that time we were both wondering if it was paste." She smiled at the officers. "What he didn't know was that Pedric had modified the RV."

"I lived most of my life on the road," Pedric said. "Traveling in trailers and all kinds of rigs." He grinned at the officers. "The reason isn't important, it doesn't apply right now, but one thing I learned early, you need more than one or two ways out of a rig-in case of fire, in case of a wreck, in case the law comes down on you suddenly."

Officer Maconachy grinned.

Pedric said, "That was a long time ago, but some habits don't change easily. I built two storage compartments into the RV that opened from both the outside and from within. One was the mattress platform. I had to do quite a lot of adapting, and give over some of the space for functional equipment, but I made it work."

"When he locked us in," Lucinda said, "we packed a canvas duffel with a few clothes, some money we kept stashed, and the jewelry-it was with the money in one of Pedric's special hiding places."

"Took him a while to unhook the rig," Pedric said. "Waste lines, water and gas and power. We just sat there on the bed, locked in. We didn't want to hide in the compartment until he took off; we were afraid he'd come back there again, wanting to know how to find some latch, how to unhook something.

"Well, he had no trouble. Must have known how an RV works. The minute he started the engine and got moving, we slid into the compartment."

Lucinda laughed. "We lay cramped in there bumping along as he drove out through the campground. We unlocked the outside door, and when he slowed to turn onto the highway, we dropped out of the rig and into the bushes dragging the duffel and our blanket-we didn't see any point in sleeping cold."

Both officers were smiling, with a gentle appreciation.

"We considered going to the camp manager," Pedric said. "Spend the night there. But we decided that wasn't smart. If this guy discovered us gone, if he'd stopped for something and opened the bedroom, that would be the first place he'd look."

"So we took off hiking," Lucinda said. "We went a good way from the grounds in the dark. When we were off alone by the river, we made ourselves a little camp in the bushes where we could see there wasn't any poison oak."

"We lay listening for a while," Pedric said. "Then we curled up under the blanket like two spoons, and went to sleep."

Officer Hart was laughing. Officer Maconachy sat grinning. "You did right well," he said. "Very well, indeed."

"According to the news accounts," Pedric said, "he wrecked the rig about four hours later. We had no idea whether he searched the rig before that, whether he knew we were gone."

Pedric looked at the officers. "I can't say I'm pleased that he got out alive. Seems to me that would have been a nice turn of justice, if he had died instead of the tanker driver. We feel real bad about that."

Lucinda said, "We left the Saturn there in the campground. We were afraid if we took it, that night or later, and he came back looking for us, we'd be easy to follow."

"The next morning," Pedric said, "we walked into Russian River. We were going to go to the sheriff, but then we decided that wasn't smart, either. Decided to stay hidden for a while. We rented a car, drove over to Fort Bragg, and checked into the oldest and most inconspicuous tourist place we could find. Stayed there for several nights, and when no one came snooping around we headed down this way."

"We have a friend here," Lucinda said. "We'll be here with her a day or two, then home to Molena Point."

"Will you give me those addresses?" Maconachy asked.

She gave them Wilma's address and phone number in the village; but when she told them Kate's address just a block away on Stockton, both officers were suddenly keen with an unspoken watchfulness.

Officer Hart said, "When did you last speak with Ms. Osborne?"

"What is it?" Lucinda said. She leaned forward studying the two officers. "What's happened? We called last night. I didn't talk with her; I left a message on her machine. Oh my God. What's happened?"

"She's all right, she's fine," said Officer Hart quickly. "She had a break-in last night. Someone trashed her place."

Both officers watched them intently.

"What time was this?" Pedric said.

"Late afternoon or early evening. She got home and found it around eight-thirty," said Hart. "Totally destroyed the place, overturned and broke the furniture. They were after some jewelry."

Lucinda looked quietly back at them then hurried out to the car. She returned carrying her cell phone, shaking her head. There were no messages.

"She surely would have told us," Lucinda said. "Maybe she called our motel in Fort Bragg and left a message there. When we went to bed, we turned the ringer down. Maybe she left a message with the motel and somehow, checking out, we didn't get it."

The officers sat filling in their reports while Lucinda called Kate. Kate answered on the first ring.

"Kate? Are you all right?"

"I'm fine, Lucinda. My line was out last night. I didn't get your message until late. Where are you? I'm so eager to see you. The place is a terrible mess but I've straightened up the guest room-I think you'll be comfortable. Have you had breakfast? You did get my message? Where are you?"

"We're just down the street. No, we didn't get your message, but we know what happened. I'll explain when we see you. Do you know who broke in? Did you see anyone?"

"I know who she is," Kate said.

"It wasn't a man? You didn't see a man?"

"A man has been following me, Lucinda. Why? He stopped following for a while, and I'd hoped it was over. But now he's back. How do you- Why do you ask?"

"What does he look like?"

"He… he looks like that waiter. In the village. At Charlie's gallery opening. I told you about that. The waiter who-"

"The waiter who died," Lucinda said. "Yes, Captain Harper called us. Sammy Clarkman. I told Harper his name, and where we met him, but I didn't know anything more about him." She glanced at the attentive officers. "Clarkman died in Molena Point, of a days-old trauma," she told them. And, to Kate, "We'll be there within the hour, see you then."