Chapter 2

A Car Bomb or…

Jack tried to console Jeff, but Jeff shook him off. Jack knew he should probably tell Mr. Ulmund, but now didn't seem like the right time.

While Jeff sobbed, he threw back his shoulders and yelled, "Why did this happen? Who would do something like this? Whoever you are, I'm going to make you pay!"

Jack didn't doubt that he'd try, but he wouldn't succeed… at least, not without Jack's help.

**********

Jack dialed Don's Hot 'n Fresh bakery, the bakery where Mrs. Burney was supposed to pick up the anniversary cake.

"Hello?" a distraught voice said on the other end of the phone. This is Don's Hot 'n Fresh bakery, this is Ronald speaking."

"Yeah, hi," Jack said, "I'm gathering Intel – err – information about the bombing earlier this afternoon. What can you tell me about what happened?"

"Not much I'm afraid. I just got here for my shift a few minutes ago."

"Did you sell an anniversary cake earlier?"

"Hold on, let me check… yep, we sold three."

"Can you tell me who you sold them to?"

"Sorry," said the voice, sounding even more distraught, "we're not supposed to give out that information."

"What if I told you I'm Colonel Jack O'Neill with the United States Air Force?"

"I wouldn't believe you. You don't sound more than fifteen."

Jack was getting very annoyed. "May I speak with your superior?"

"Will you hold a moment please, sir?"

After a minute or two, a new voice said, "This is Don, owner and manager of this bakery."

"Hi, do you have any anniversary cakes on hold?"

"… No sir, we sold the last one that was on hold around… two-thirty, right before that car exploded in our parking lot. They finally got that thing out of here, by the way, thankfully. All of the smoke from that car kept finding a way through our doors and ruined all the food."

Jack thanked him and hung up. He went upstairs to check on Jeff. Jack had convinced him that it was a good idea to take a nap.

He found Jeff lying on his bed staring up at the ceiling. Jeff didn't seem to notice Jack come in. "Hey," Jack said, "do you want to go to the bakery to see if we can get some info on the car bombing?"

"Sure," Jeff said. "Why not?"

Jack called Jon Ulmund and explained what happened and their current plan of action. Jon said, "I would be happy to give you a ride to the bakery, give me about fifteen minutes to call everyone and tell them the party will have to be rescheduled. Then come on over."

While they waited, Jack talked with Jeff. "How do you feel?" Jack said.

Jeff looked at him with a pained expression, "Like I got all the wind knocked out of me and it won't come back." He paused, then said, "At least I still have you."

Jack and Jeff both liked each other. They were a good pair, like matched socks or two aces of spades. They continued to talk until it was time to go.

They walked out of the door and went to the next house up the street. They knocked. Mr. Ulmund opened the door and came outside. The trio got into Mr. Ulmund's suburban, backed out of the driveway and took off toward the bakery.

Mr. Ulmund said, "Are you two alright?" Jack and Jeff nodded and said they were fine, but that they wanted to find out who was behind this.

When they got to the bakery, they saw it was crowded with the local police and fire department. Jack asked a passing policeman if they had discovered anything new.

"And you are…?"

"The person in that car was my mother."

"Oh, I'm sorry kid. No, we haven't discovered anything new, but what's left of the body is over there if you care to take a look." The officer excused himself and moved away.

Jack went to where the officer had indicated and found a sheet covered body. He slowly lifted the sheet and studied the body remains underneath. After studying it for a few minutes, his eyes widened in shock… this was not Mrs. Burney!

Jack remembered that Mrs. Burney had a small, barely noticeable scar, just under her left eye. This body, whoever it was, didn't.

Jack replaced the sheet and found Jeff and Mr. Ulmund, who were talking to that same police officer Jack had talked to. Jack relayed the information and Jeff and Mr. Ulmund both gawked. The police officer, whose nameplate said Harleton, gained a look of contemplation, then said, "Well, if that wasn't your mom, who was it?"

Officer Harleton's radio squawked and he excused himself. He returned a few minutes later and said, "I just learned that the explosion didn't originate from the car. It was something inside the car. Son, why was your mom here?"

"She was picking up a cake for Mr. Ulmund here," Jack said, gesturing toward Mr. Ulmund. "Officer Harleton, we just cleaned out that car. There was nothing in there… except the cake…"

"So you're saying the cake exploded?" Harleton said. Jack nodded, and Harleton continued, "Who all knew that your mother was going to pick up the cake?" He asked Jack.

"Just me, Jack and Jeff," Mr. Ulmund put in.

Officer Harleton narrowed his eyes at Mr. Ulmund, "Then I'd say you'd better watch out, 'cause someone is after you for some reason." Going back to a nonchalant look, he said, "That body is probably an employee that took the cake out to the car for her."

"We need you over here sir," Harleton's radio squawked.

They said goodbye to Officer Harleton and headed toward Mr. Ulmund's car.

While they walked, Jack thought, Not a car bomb, a cake bomb? What's the world coming to?... I got nothin'…