A Timely Vision

My heart was racing against my mind, searching for answers that made sense. He was taking advantage of an old lady who didn’t understand what was going on. “Chief, if I can have a moment outside.”

“I’ll finish up these eggs before they get cold.” Miss Mildred excused us like the children she’d taught in her youth.

When the chief and I were outside, I whispered, “You can’t really think she killed her.”

“I can’t think she didn’t, Mayor. Dammit, she has the purse! We’ve accused a man of killing Lizzie because we thought he had her purse. Millie has said from the beginning that Lizzie didn’t deserve to go to heaven. And you saw how calm she was when we told her about her death. It was staring us right in the face all the time.”

“No. There’s no way. All sisters fight. They weren’t any different than other sisters. Miss Mildred was in shock when we told her about Miss Elizabeth. And you know she’s not always here”—I pointed to my head—“when you talk to her. That doesn’t mean she killed anyone.”

“I’m sorry, Mayor. But it’s my job to find the truth. Right now, I think the truth might be that Millie finally lost it with Lizzie. She hit her with something, left her out there on the dunes and brought her purse back with her. I’ll know more once we check everything out.”

“This is wrong. You know it’s wrong.”

“If you really want to help out, Mayor, you’ll go back in there and tell Millie to think about what she used to kill her sister. Hold her hands and find it for us. That’s what you can do.”

If possible, I was more horrified than when Kevin and I had found Miss Elizabeth on the beach. This new scenario made me physically sick. I watched the chief go back to his car, my stomach clenched in nausea and fear. I rushed back inside and locked the front door.

But what could I do? This wasn’t a fortress. I couldn’t bar the gates and not let him in. Miss Mildred needed help, but not the kind I could give her. I pulled out my cell phone and called the only person I could think of. “Gramps, you have to find a lawyer and get over to Miss Mildred’s house fast. Chief Michaels wants to accuse her of murder.”

I quickly dead-bolted both doors into the house. I waited for help as Chief Michaels came back to conduct his search and found he couldn’t get inside. He pounded on the door and shouted my name. There was a penalty for keeping the police from doing their job. I didn’t care. Someone had to protect Miss Mildred, and I was the only one around. I wished Mary Lou and her turtle rescuers were here. They might have known better what to do.

“You have to let us in sometime, Mayor,” the chief yelled. “This is obstruction of justice, you know.”

“What’s going on outside?” Miss Mildred asked. “Ronnie sounds angry.”

“Just a little disagreement,” I answered with a smile.

“Maybe you’d like to lie down for a while since you were in the closet all night.”

“That’s a good idea, Dae, thank you. I’ll go outside and check the mail first.”

“No!” She stared at me with troubled eyes when I caught her hand as she reached for the doorknob. “I mean, not right now. Maybe after your nap. The mail isn’t here yet anyway.”

“Are you feeling all right?”

“I’m fine. Thank you.” I resumed my guard at the front window. Would they call in the SBI and use a battering ram to break down the front door? Would I be led away in handcuffs with Miss Mildred while Jerry Richards tried to ask us questions for his next TV news feature?

I was scared and paranoid. I didn’t know what to expect. I wanted to do what was right for Miss Mildred, but the consequences might be awful. I squared my shoulders, prepared to face the worst. Then I heard the first siren.

I knew the entire Duck Police Department was already outside. Chief Michaels had made sure of that. There was only one other group with sirens—Gramps had called on his volunteer firefighter friends for help. Within seconds, there were trucks, cars and firefighting vehicles everywhere. They outnumbered the police five to one.

I laughed out loud. Miss Mildred frowned with concern. I didn’t care. At least Gramps was there. I looked out again and saw that Kevin had joined the group too. I wasn’t sure how I felt about that. He could either be there to help me save Miss Mildred or to add his expertise in helping Chief Michaels.

Gramps and a tall man with a sandy-colored buzz cut spoke to Chief Michaels and Kevin for a moment. I held my breath as the men talked in the yard, glancing at the house occasionally. Finally, Gramps and the man I didn’t recognize approached the house. The chief and Kevin stayed where they were, arms folded resolutely across their chests.

I stood behind the door until I heard Gramps call my name, then I slid back the dead bolt, opened it quickly and let them in the house. “I’m so glad to see you!” I hugged him. “I didn’t know what else to do. I’m sorry to drag you into this.”