Hello, Fanatics! Here is another short story for ya'. I had a little trouble writing this one, but I managed to smooth it out pretty well. Hope you enjoy. Please "Favorite" this story and Follow me! ;) Comment as well; constructive criticism is welcomed and appreciated!
*bump-bump-bump* I tried hard to hold my breath. I was so scared I could hear my heart beating in my ears. The monotonous drumming gave me a headache. Huddled in the dark corner of a shadowy room, I waited to see if Joan Moriarty would find me. Finally she stepped into the room, leaving the door open so that a crack of light shone through. Minutes that felt like hours passed and I didn't budge. Neither did she. Joan looked as if she knew I was there, but she never turned her gaze in my direction. It almost seemed as if she was about to leave and give up, but that would be uncharacteristic of the Moriarty family. Just when she appeared to be moving out the door, her eyes shot over to where I sat.
"Well…Are you planning on catching me or watching me?" She stared with eyes as maniacal as her insane dad. "It really would be a shame if you wasted all those months with your father tracking me and my family down then finally finding us, only to chicken out last second."
I was not sure what to do. I hadn't planned this far ahead. Trying not to look pathetic, I slowly got to my feet. My mind was racing to find something clever to say.
"Hmm. It seems to me that you are the paranoid one. Clearly your family was so scared of getting caught they felt it necessary to hide from the authorities off the grid. It must be terrible to be out of contact with everyone for almost an entire year—awful lonely. Was that crime you pulled really worth it, Joan?"
Joan tried to remain strait-faced but was clearly a little irritated.
"I suppose being out of the heat for such a long while made you a bit rusty," I continued. "You are disappointingly out of your game this afternoon. You didn't even catch on to the fact that I've been stalling…" Suddenly from behind Joan came Anna Bella Watson with a small plastic baseball bat. *KNOCK* Joan buckled and fell to the ground.
"Really, a child's toy?" I said half disappointedly. "I was kind of hoping for something better."
"What? It got the job done!" Anna Bella replied. I just shrugged.
I heaved Joan over my shoulder and fumbled to carry her out of the room (Her head may or may not have hit a few things on the way out.) We went and met my father outside, along with the police chief who was ready to take in Joan Moriarty to the Juvenile Detention Facility.
"Good work." my father said simply. "Is John taking you home?" He directed the question to Anna Bella.
"Um? I'm not sure? I'll call and ask him…" she started to pull out her cell phone.
"No. I'll just drive you. John's probably busy filling out boring medical paperwork or something." He said it like Mr. Watson's job was unimportant. He tries to guilt him into rejoining his crime solving adventures sometimes, but until that plan succeeds, he has me to help him out.
"Well, let's get going." I tried to avoid an awkward silence.
On the way home, my father explained to us how he captured Moriarty and kept telling us how this won't be last we'll see of him. Anna Bella and I just listened to him talk about his own brilliance—the whole time. It was a long trip.