Chapter 3
Rushing toward the fortuneteller's booth, Rick entered and found the old woman sprawled on the table, a knife in her back. Coming back out, he yelled for Captain Ron to hurry, then led the others inside.
Immediately the Captain checked the woman's pulse, then pulled out his radio and requested an ambulance and back up as A.J. and Rick both listened to his watch.
They heard the sound of someone struggling, then Deborah Kendall's voice was heard. "Why did you bring her here, are you crazy?" "I had to, she saw us go in the Gypsy's tent, I think she's a cop. Tie her up, we have to deal with her before we split," a male voice replied. A third voice chimed in, "She's not a cop, I recognize her, she's an author, the one who's married to that p.i. Simon. I wager she's the one you saw leaving the trailer area when we were arguing."
"A.J., we've got to find her, I wish I knew how to use the tracer on this thing, Oscar was going to show me." Rick fumed. Captain Ron suddenly reached over, and turning the rim of the crystal, made the hands suddenly go rigid, then point as if a compass. "Thanks, Captain." he managed, then sprinted out of the tent, yelling for A.J. to try the Kendall's trailer.
Listening to the transmitter the entire time he ran, he heard one of the illusionists trying to force his wife to say what she had heard. Deborah Kendall told her husband, "Hypnotize her, and make her forget what she saw." The same voice he had heard before started chanting, "Look at the pendant, look, Mrs. Simon, tell me what you saw?" Just as he got to their trailer, he heard the voice inside, so he pulled his gun and seeing A.J. on the other side, pointed to the back entrance. Abruptly the voice stopped, as Mrs. Kendall cried, "I see police cars coming, kill her, now!"
Frantically trying the front door of the trailer, he kicked it in and yelled, "Freeze, or I'll shoot!" Facing him was Ralph Kendall and his wife, who put her hands up. Laurie was to the side of them, tied up and gagged. Her eyes were wide with fear as Kendall smiled, then retorted, "You should be the one who freezes, my friend here has a gun on your wife, we have nothing to lose if she dies." A single gunshot sounded, then A.J.'s voice called out, "It's ok, Rick, I took care of his weapon." Seeing Laurie slump against her ropes in relief, he barely waited for his brother to direct the killers away from his wife, then he sprung forward and pulled the gag out of her mouth.
"Rick darling, thank God!" she cried, then sagged into his arms as he freed her from the ropes holding her to the chair.
"It's ok, you're safe, my Laurie," he comforted her. Lifting her face to his, he saw how dazed she was, "Sweetheart, did they hurt you?' "I thought Kendall was going to smother me, I nearly passed out." she said, sounding weak.
A.J. joined them, bringing a cup of water. "Honey, sip this, that's the girl." he encouraged, as she put a hand up and took a drink. After a moment her eyes brightened.
"Thank you, A.J., I feel better. Rick, where's Captain Ron, I need to tell him what they did. They tried to hypnotize me to forget what I saw." Her husband took Laurie in his arms. "Darlin', I heard them, I know they scared you. I want to take you to the hospital to make sure you're all right."
She put her arms around his neck, "Please, Rick, let me give him my Statement first, I'm so woozy still, I want to make sure they didn't wipe out my memory."
Giving in, Rick picked her up and had A.J. run interference as he carried her to the Captain's car. Seeing Captain Ron with an angry look on his face, Rick quickened his pace, fearing something had gone wrong.
Glancing over at the Simons approaching him, the policeman went to meet them. "Laurie wants to make sure you take her statement, Captain, she's afraid they tried to erase her memory after they made her faint." Rick told him. Captain Ron nodded, "Honey, tell me everything you saw and remember, I heard quite a bit of it on Rick's transmitter, so I just need you to fill in the blanks." Making her comfortable in the back seat of the police car, Laurie explained how she had just gone by the Gypsy's tent when the old woman had called her over, then handed her a crystal. "I asked her why she wanted me to have it and she said my husband and I were in danger, and that she wouldn't be able to see us later. Just then we heard voices, and she went back in to her booth. I started to walk back to my stage when I saw the Kendalls go in the back entrance, then I had a funny feeling and thought I 'd better call Rick."
Rick tightened his grip on her hand as she continued, "I had just heard you say to come to Mr. Bing's trailer when someone put a cloth over my mouth and nose, I thought I was going to suffocate. The next thing I knew, Mrs. Kendall was tying a gag in my mouth, then she slapped me and ordered me to tell her what I knew. I saw the red light on my watch, so I knew you guys could hear what was going on. Just then Kendall pulled out a pendant and started waving it in front of me, telling me I was to forget what I saw. I was so dizzy, I tried not to look at him."
Laurie broke off, then buried her face in Rick's shoulder. He stroked her hair, then glanced at the Captain. "I think we have enough, Laurie," Captain Ron assured her, patting her arm.
She raised her head and smiled at him, grateful for his tactfulness.
"Thank you, Captain Ron, I'm sorry, I was so afraid. Thank God the transmitter worked." The policeman looked at her, "Laurie, you kept your head, thanks to you we have enough to put the Kendalls away for good. We have a problem though, Rick. I want you to take Laurie straight to Rudy in Silver Rock, Ronald Kendall got away and I want Laurie out of his reach."
Rick was shocked, "I thought A.J. shot him, how did he get away?" The Captain gritted his teeth, "He fooled one of the paramedics into loosening his handcuffs, he slipped out of them and jumped from the ambulance. We have the other two securely under lock and key. But I want you three out of harm's way until we track him down."
Immediately, Rick slid his arms around his wife and took her to
his truck, as A.J. got into Laurie's jeep and prepared to follow them home.
Belting her in, he was ready to turn the key when Captain Ron came over with a blanket and a bottle of water, saying, "It's getting cold, keep her warm and I'll call the clinic and let Doc know you're coming." Touched, Rick shook his hand and thanked him for his back up. "No, thank you, just take care of her. Laurie, don't worry, you were very brave, if you hadn't seen them going into the gypsy's tent, they could have gotten away with, well, they would have escaped." She managed a smile, then as they drove away put her head against Rick's shoulder. "Darling, thank you for finding me, don't be sorry you and A.J. had me work with you, I just wanted to help."
Rick kissed her, then replied, "You did help, sweetheart, I was just so terrified they would hurt you. I heard that woman telling Kendall to kill you, God, I was afraid I wouldn't get there in time."
"You did, my love. I'll be ok, just hold me." she sighed, as he put his free arm around her. As they covered the miles to Silver Rock, Rick told her what the gypsy had told him, clearing up her confusion about meeting the woman later that day. "Rick, Captain Ron wouldn't tell me what happened to her, did the Kendalls kill her?" she gazed up at him. Rick shook his head; "She was still alive when we got to her, I hope she makes it. Captain Ron wrote down the cards she had in front of her when we found her and it looks like she tried to send a message."
"I hope so too, I'm sure she was for real, how else would she have known who we were?" Laurie wondered. "Darlin', I can't say whether or not she could predict the future, all I know is I foresee you are going to be under my personal watch 24 hours a day!" She grinned up at him, "And Helga, too?" "Especially her, my Valkrie!" he promised with a kiss.
Rushing toward the fortuneteller's booth, Rick entered and found the old woman sprawled on the table, a knife in her back. Coming back out, he yelled for Captain Ron to hurry, then led the others inside.
Immediately the Captain checked the woman's pulse, then pulled out his radio and requested an ambulance and back up as A.J. and Rick both listened to his watch.
They heard the sound of someone struggling, then Deborah Kendall's voice was heard. "Why did you bring her here, are you crazy?" "I had to, she saw us go in the Gypsy's tent, I think she's a cop. Tie her up, we have to deal with her before we split," a male voice replied. A third voice chimed in, "She's not a cop, I recognize her, she's an author, the one who's married to that p.i. Simon. I wager she's the one you saw leaving the trailer area when we were arguing."
"A.J., we've got to find her, I wish I knew how to use the tracer on this thing, Oscar was going to show me." Rick fumed. Captain Ron suddenly reached over, and turning the rim of the crystal, made the hands suddenly go rigid, then point as if a compass. "Thanks, Captain." he managed, then sprinted out of the tent, yelling for A.J. to try the Kendall's trailer.
Listening to the transmitter the entire time he ran, he heard one of the illusionists trying to force his wife to say what she had heard. Deborah Kendall told her husband, "Hypnotize her, and make her forget what she saw." The same voice he had heard before started chanting, "Look at the pendant, look, Mrs. Simon, tell me what you saw?" Just as he got to their trailer, he heard the voice inside, so he pulled his gun and seeing A.J. on the other side, pointed to the back entrance. Abruptly the voice stopped, as Mrs. Kendall cried, "I see police cars coming, kill her, now!"
Frantically trying the front door of the trailer, he kicked it in and yelled, "Freeze, or I'll shoot!" Facing him was Ralph Kendall and his wife, who put her hands up. Laurie was to the side of them, tied up and gagged. Her eyes were wide with fear as Kendall smiled, then retorted, "You should be the one who freezes, my friend here has a gun on your wife, we have nothing to lose if she dies." A single gunshot sounded, then A.J.'s voice called out, "It's ok, Rick, I took care of his weapon." Seeing Laurie slump against her ropes in relief, he barely waited for his brother to direct the killers away from his wife, then he sprung forward and pulled the gag out of her mouth.
"Rick darling, thank God!" she cried, then sagged into his arms as he freed her from the ropes holding her to the chair.
"It's ok, you're safe, my Laurie," he comforted her. Lifting her face to his, he saw how dazed she was, "Sweetheart, did they hurt you?' "I thought Kendall was going to smother me, I nearly passed out." she said, sounding weak.
A.J. joined them, bringing a cup of water. "Honey, sip this, that's the girl." he encouraged, as she put a hand up and took a drink. After a moment her eyes brightened.
"Thank you, A.J., I feel better. Rick, where's Captain Ron, I need to tell him what they did. They tried to hypnotize me to forget what I saw." Her husband took Laurie in his arms. "Darlin', I heard them, I know they scared you. I want to take you to the hospital to make sure you're all right."
She put her arms around his neck, "Please, Rick, let me give him my Statement first, I'm so woozy still, I want to make sure they didn't wipe out my memory."
Giving in, Rick picked her up and had A.J. run interference as he carried her to the Captain's car. Seeing Captain Ron with an angry look on his face, Rick quickened his pace, fearing something had gone wrong.
Glancing over at the Simons approaching him, the policeman went to meet them. "Laurie wants to make sure you take her statement, Captain, she's afraid they tried to erase her memory after they made her faint." Rick told him. Captain Ron nodded, "Honey, tell me everything you saw and remember, I heard quite a bit of it on Rick's transmitter, so I just need you to fill in the blanks." Making her comfortable in the back seat of the police car, Laurie explained how she had just gone by the Gypsy's tent when the old woman had called her over, then handed her a crystal. "I asked her why she wanted me to have it and she said my husband and I were in danger, and that she wouldn't be able to see us later. Just then we heard voices, and she went back in to her booth. I started to walk back to my stage when I saw the Kendalls go in the back entrance, then I had a funny feeling and thought I 'd better call Rick."
Rick tightened his grip on her hand as she continued, "I had just heard you say to come to Mr. Bing's trailer when someone put a cloth over my mouth and nose, I thought I was going to suffocate. The next thing I knew, Mrs. Kendall was tying a gag in my mouth, then she slapped me and ordered me to tell her what I knew. I saw the red light on my watch, so I knew you guys could hear what was going on. Just then Kendall pulled out a pendant and started waving it in front of me, telling me I was to forget what I saw. I was so dizzy, I tried not to look at him."
Laurie broke off, then buried her face in Rick's shoulder. He stroked her hair, then glanced at the Captain. "I think we have enough, Laurie," Captain Ron assured her, patting her arm.
She raised her head and smiled at him, grateful for his tactfulness.
"Thank you, Captain Ron, I'm sorry, I was so afraid. Thank God the transmitter worked." The policeman looked at her, "Laurie, you kept your head, thanks to you we have enough to put the Kendalls away for good. We have a problem though, Rick. I want you to take Laurie straight to Rudy in Silver Rock, Ronald Kendall got away and I want Laurie out of his reach."
Rick was shocked, "I thought A.J. shot him, how did he get away?" The Captain gritted his teeth, "He fooled one of the paramedics into loosening his handcuffs, he slipped out of them and jumped from the ambulance. We have the other two securely under lock and key. But I want you three out of harm's way until we track him down."
Immediately, Rick slid his arms around his wife and took her to
his truck, as A.J. got into Laurie's jeep and prepared to follow them home.
Belting her in, he was ready to turn the key when Captain Ron came over with a blanket and a bottle of water, saying, "It's getting cold, keep her warm and I'll call the clinic and let Doc know you're coming." Touched, Rick shook his hand and thanked him for his back up. "No, thank you, just take care of her. Laurie, don't worry, you were very brave, if you hadn't seen them going into the gypsy's tent, they could have gotten away with, well, they would have escaped." She managed a smile, then as they drove away put her head against Rick's shoulder. "Darling, thank you for finding me, don't be sorry you and A.J. had me work with you, I just wanted to help."
Rick kissed her, then replied, "You did help, sweetheart, I was just so terrified they would hurt you. I heard that woman telling Kendall to kill you, God, I was afraid I wouldn't get there in time."
"You did, my love. I'll be ok, just hold me." she sighed, as he put his free arm around her. As they covered the miles to Silver Rock, Rick told her what the gypsy had told him, clearing up her confusion about meeting the woman later that day. "Rick, Captain Ron wouldn't tell me what happened to her, did the Kendalls kill her?" she gazed up at him. Rick shook his head; "She was still alive when we got to her, I hope she makes it. Captain Ron wrote down the cards she had in front of her when we found her and it looks like she tried to send a message."
"I hope so too, I'm sure she was for real, how else would she have known who we were?" Laurie wondered. "Darlin', I can't say whether or not she could predict the future, all I know is I foresee you are going to be under my personal watch 24 hours a day!" She grinned up at him, "And Helga, too?" "Especially her, my Valkrie!" he promised with a kiss.