The Night

The night had seemed very short, because I'd slept mighty good, even with all the noises surroundin' me. Believe it er' not, the nurses comin' in n' out didn't bother me much. Y'know, when yer' used ta' sleepin' in doorways like we wuz', we appreshiated a good bed when we got ta' use one. 

The nurse come in and turned on the light. "Good mornin'," she smiled. "Did you sleep well? I need to get your vital signs and if they are good, I have orders to remove the IV's from your arm. Let me check your arm bands and make you are who the orders say you are. Then you will be getting breakfast and the doctor will be in to check you all,  before you're dismissed."

While Nurse Nancy checked us out, I looked over at Lucy and winked. We sure was gettin' the royal treatment, I thought. Hmm, this was alright. I was anxious to see Clancy and talk to the Lieutenant, but in the meantime, I wuz sure gonna enjoy the good stuff.

A couple a' hours later, we wuz on our way to the station. The day wuz clear and bright; I remarked ta' Lucy about the birds a' singin' and the air smellin' so good. It didn't take no time fer her to agree, 'cause we wuz both so glad to be alive, after last night's scary doin's, don't cha' know?

We sailed inta' the station house, jest a wavin' and smilin' at the guys and gals in thar' like we wuz some a them celebrity tevee stars. They all clapped their hands at us and smiled. 

"Hey, Shannon, your lady detectives are down here," the desk sergeant shouted up the stairway. 

"Where's my little Clancy? Where are ya', boy?"

Here he came, his little ears jest a' flappin' and his tail a' waggin, and a' yippin' like crazy, jumpin' down the stairs and inta'  my arms. Oh, my! I was as glad ta' see him as he wuz ta' see me. He licked my cheeks, catchin' the tears as they run down my face. "Oh, you sweet little Clancy, you! Oh, how I missed ya'!"


Lucy Mae just stood back and wiped 'er eyes, smilin' ta' see us both so happy. The fellers kinda' stood around and hemmed n' hawed. 


The Looie came down and escorted us up to his office so we could talk. "Your carts are sitting over there in the corner. We've been taking good care of them for you. Have a seat, ladies, and let's have us a little chat. I gather they took good care of you at the hospital?"


"Hello, Lieutenant Shannon! Yes, we had good keer over thar'. They wuz really good to us. Thank ye fer gettin' us over thar, an' all. I expect we woulda' been goners if we hadn't a been rescued? Do ye know what Gloria had planned fer us?"


"Oh, yeah...she had planned to take you into your neighborhood by car, and hit you over the head while you were unconscious, leaving you dead. She had some whiskey she was going to pour into your mouth and over your clothes, to make it look like you had got drunk and just fell and hit your heads."


"Why, that old witch!" cried Lucy Mae. "The nerve a' her! She's jest a evil old woman!"


"You're right there," replied the Looie. "You know the gun you turned in, ladies, was registered to her and was used in the shooting over on Castle Way. She had gone over there the day before Xenia Clark was killed, and shot her girlhood friend, Geneva Hyde-Smythe. Gloria was singing like a canary when we got her back to the station in the interrogation room. She couldn't talk fast enough when we showed her the journal. She was bragging about how clever she had been and how she had fooled everyone, until you got to snooping around."


"Didja' find the necklace in the purse? I fin'lly figured out it musta been blackmail payment from either Xenia er Geneva. And the page from the telephone direct'ry had somethin' ta do with some coins 'er somethin' like that, cause coins comes after coffee alphabetical like. I wuz layin' in that nice bed last night a' doin' some thinkin', don'tcha know?"


"Yes, you're right, AnnaBee, as usual. The necklace had been Xenia's last payment, and Gloria had forgotten about it being in the purse. We found a set of coins in Gloria's house when we searched it. She told us that she had had the coins for several weeks as payment from Geneva. She carried her purse with her to Geneva's house with the gun in it, shot Geneva, and then ditched the purse with the journal and the gun in it, getting rid of the evidence, she thought. She thought that when the trash was carried out of the park and put into the city dump with all the other trash, she was home free. She didn't count on two little old ladies finding her out."


Lucy Mae spoke up, "What about Cookie Jack? How are we goin' to tell him that within two days, he lost both a' his mamas? His birth mama, and his adopted mama are both gone now."


Stunned, I looked at her. "You're right, Lucy Mae..but then, he really didn't have 'em to begin with, did he? One of 'em sold him, and the other one lost him to the system. when he was no bigger than a Jack rabbit, so ta speak. I think we oughta see to it that he gets the necklace and the coin collection. Whatta' ya' think, Lieutenant?"


"I think you may be right, AnnaBelle. We did locate a brother of Xenia, who may be interested in helping Jackie, since he would be an uncle to Cookie Jack."


"Say, that's great! Now, if you don't need us anymore, I think we need to get on outta your way so you can do some work. I wanta thank ye ag'in fer savin' our bacon last night! We got some people we want to visit with today. We gotta check in with Pastor Joe and all. Come on, Lucy Mae, my friend, let's make tracks."


We got our carts and I put Clancy on his leash, and we headed down stairs.


"Just one minute, ladies! Keep your noses clean today! I can't keep spending all my time and the time of my men, rescuing you out of trouble. Like you said, we've got work to do! Now get out of here!"


"Gee, do ya reckon he wuz mad at us, AnnaBee?"


"Nah, he was smilin' when he said it."


When we left, we didn't notice the Weasel following us.


The End