Chapter Eight - An Unwanted Presence Lurks
For the past couple of years the combined Tanner/Katsopolis/Gladstone family had a Saturday morning traditional of buying breakfast from a Deli, four streets over that had opened in 1996. The food was exceptional, and it meant that the family could sleep in, or relax, first thing Saturday, rather than worrying about preparing breakfast for eight plus people.
This Saturday it was Jesse and Stephanie's turn to drive over and pick up the order. On their way out, they passed Alex and Nicky rummaging in a box by the back door, in search of a soccer ball.
As they crossed the grass, Kimmy was exiting the Gibbler garage, holding a laundry basket.
"Morning," Jesse called out, "We're off to pick up breakfast. Do you want something?"
Kimmy nodded, "Yeah."
"The usual?"
Kimmy nodded again, "I'll be over in about five minutes." She headed around the side of the garage, presumably toward the clothesline.
"Can I drive?" Stephanie asked as they made their way toward her uncle's car.
Jesse reluctantly handed over the car keys. He was still reeling from the time DJ had damaged his car, during a driving lesson.
"Yes!" Stephanie grasped the keys, jogging around to the driver's door. "Thanks Uncle Jesse."
"Don't mention it," Jesse muttered, one hand on the passenger door-handle.
"Oh my god!" they heard Kimmy exclaim. "Garth's car."
Slamming the passenger door shut, Jesse rushed over to where Kimmy's car was parked, Stephanie right behind. Kimmy was staring at her car, laundry basket at her feet. Stephanie followed Kimmy's gaze, her mouth falling open in shock. The word 'SLUT' was spray painted in black, the large crude block letters obscuring the left side of the car.
Jesse crouched down and gingerly touched the paint, his fingers coming away black, "It's still wet. This was done recently."
Kimmy brow furrowed in wonderment, as she assessed the car, "A slut!" she exclaimed. "Is that supposed to upset me?"
If it weren't for the seriousness of the situation, Jesse would have been amused, "Well Kimmy, some people would be offended by that."
Stephanie stared at the car, shaking her head in disbelief, "It's Regina for sure." Kimmy nodded in agreement.
Jesse still looked unconvinced, "Steph, do you really think Regina is capable of this?"
Stephanie voice rose. "She's crazy Uncle Jesse!
Hearing raised voices, and wondering what was going on, Nicky and Alex abandoned their soccer game, racing over. They stopped short of the car … their eyes widening.
"What's a slut?" Nicky asked.
"Who wrote on Kimmy's car?" Alex said at the same time.
Nicky angrily placed his hands on his hips. "They've ruined the cool drawings." This was a reference to the 'graffiti' Garth Gibbler had originally painted on 'Wild Thing'.
"Enough questions," Jesse said in frustration. He indicated to first Nicky, then Alex, and finally the house, "You! You! Inside! Inside!"
Nicky looked put out, but obediently turned toward the house, without a word.
Alex stamped away, "We never get to know anything!"
Kimmy crossed her arms across her chest, her eyes flashing, her expression determined, "If 'psycho girl' thinks she can scare me this easily then she has another thing coming. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm off to have a chat with Mr. T. He'll know the best way to remove spray paint."
"I'll help, when I get back," Jesse said. "Since it hasn't dried, it shouldn't take much to remove it."
"Aren't you worried that Regina really has it in for you now?" Stephanie called worriedly after Kimmy.
Kimmy continued walking, but turned her head to look back at Stephanie. "Who cares, she's just a kid. But, if I'm run down in the street tomorrow, then I'll know I didn't take it seriously enough."
Later that morning, Jesse, Kimmy, Joey, and Carmen were gathered in the kitchen. Much to Kimmy's relief, the spray paint had been easy to get rid of, and the combined team of Jesse, Kimmy, Stephanie, and Danny had soon made quick work of the job.
"So Stephanie really believes Regina is behind it?" Joey was saying, "She's always seemed like a nice enough kid."
"Not just Stephanie. I'm positive it was her as well," Kimmy said firmly.
Jesse closed his eyes briefly, running a hand through his hair, "Um … Kimmy … I'm not quite sure how to put this, so I'm just going to come right out and say it. Is Regina the only person you've had a run in with lately?"
"Jesse, what are you saying?" Kimmy said indignantly. "That I enrage people all the time?"
Jesse looked out the kitchen window as if searching for something.
"What are you doing?" Kimmy demanded.
"Just checking the sky for a flying pig. Nope … don't see one."
"Very funny!" Kimmy punched him none too gently on the arm.
"Oww, oww!" Jesse protested rubbing his arm. "That actually really hurt."
"Good!"
Carmen, who had been silent up until now, hastily interjected, "Kimmy, what about that girl we ran into that night at the restaurant?"
"Kathy Santoni! No way! Why would she spray paint my car?"
Carmen hesitated, "Well … you were sort of throwing the fact that you were dating Jesse in her face."
Jesse shook his head in disbelief, "You did what! Kimmy!"
Kimmy smiled to herself, "Yeah, that was fun."
"Kimmy!" Jesse said again.
"No, no, no!" Kimmy argued, "The timeline fits for it to have been 'psycho girl'. I confronted Regina yesterday, and the following day the word 'slut' ends up on my car. Why would Kathy wait nearly two weeks, and then attack me? Who's to say she's even still in town. She was just visiting on her way to somewhere … I forget where."
"Paris," Carmen supplied.
Jesse sighed, "Kimmy, no one's saying it wasn't psycho g … damn-it … I mean Regina …" Kimmy's expression was victorious over his use of one of her nicknames, "but it sounds like there are other candidates."
"What about the fact that she called out 'this isn't over' to me, when she drove off yesterday," Kimmy said, doing a near perfect imitation of Regina's tone at the time.
Jesse laughed at her replication but simply said, "Teenagers are known to have a flair for the dramatic."
"You should be able to relate to that Kimmy, being just out of your teen years and all." Even though Joey was addressing Kimmy, he was watching Jesse for a reaction.
Jesse glared at Joey, the implication not lost on him, "Joseph!"
Carmen was thoughtful, "Kimmy, maybe you should report the incident to the police? I mean the fact is, someone still trespassed on your property, and vandalized your car.
Kimmy snorted, "The cops would just laugh their asses off. So a teenager drew on my car … big deal!"
"Now you behave," Dean was saying to Amelia. Dean had to work Saturday afternoon, so Amelia was spending the remainder of the day with Stephanie and Nicky. "Cougar's tied up out back," he said to his girlfriend.
"Oh Dean, you didn't have to do that!" Stephanie said. "Cougar's welcome to be in the house. Comet and Cougar get on great."
"I know, I just wasn't sure about having a dog inside your father's house. It's the cleanest and tidiest place I've ever known, which is even more astounding given the amount of people that live here."
"Let's go and keep Cougar company?" Nicky said.
"Yeah!" Amelia said, and the two seven year olds raced for the kitchen door.
"I'll be right there. Don't untie him until then," Stephanie called after them.
Stephanie walked Dean to the front door, leaning against the doorframe.
"Well have fun," Dean smiled, bending slightly to give Stephanie a quick kiss on the lips.
Stephanie held him to her a little longer, "Hope work goes extremely fast!"
"Me too! See you just after five. Bye."
Stephanie waved, watching him walk to his car, a smile still on her lips. She had just closed the front door when she heard frantic footsteps running across the kitchen. Nicky and Amelia re-appeared, standing in the doorway between the kitchen and the living room.
"Cougar's gone?" Amelia announced breathlessly.
"Huh!" Stephanie asked incredulously. "What do you mean gone?"
"The lead's still attached to the fence," Nicky told her. "But no Cougar!"
Stephanie was already half way across the kitchen, "Did you let him loose, after I told you not to, and he got away from you?"
"Of course not!" Nicky said indignantly.
"He was already gone when we arrived!" Amelia insisted.
Sure enough, the lead was lying in the grass, no dog in sight.
"The gate's open!" cried Stephanie.
"We can't reach the gate," Nicky said, before his cousin could accuse them.
"I know, I know – I'm not blaming you," Stephanie sighed. She stepped through the open gate emerging on the Gibbler driveway.
Mr. Gibbler was up a ladder, painting an exterior wall of his house, a bright 'canary' yellow. Stephanie called out to him, "Mr. Gibbler. Has a dog come past you – a cocker spaniel?"
"Nope."
"What about people? Someone untied my boyfriend's dog."
"There was a girl in your backyard a couple of minutes ago," Mr. Gibbler said vaguely, waving his paintbrush in the air.
Stephanie tried not to let her exasperation show, "Did she have red hair?"
Mr. Gibbler screwed up his face in an expression that was so much like Kimmy's when she was deep in thought that Stephanie struggled not to laugh out loud. "Can't remember – maybe!"
"Okay thanks!" Stephanie ran down the Gibbler driveway, Nicky and Amelia following.
Out front Michelle was standing by Samantha's mother's car, saying goodbye, when the trio rushed over. Michelle turned to them as the car started, "What's going on?" A concerned look crossed her face.
"Cougar's missing!" Stephanie was frantic, "Can you help me look?"
"Of course! Where shall we start?"
"You guys search that way," Stephanie pointed down the street. "I'll head up. I'll cover more ground on my own." She hurried away.
"Well I like that!" Michelle complained. "Here we are trying to lend a hand, and she implies we are slow."
"Coo-garrr!" Amelia called, straining her neck for any sign of the cocker spaniel.
Nicky stuck his head into a hedge that lined one of the neighbor's front gardens, "COUGAR! Here boy!"
Mrs. Graham, who lived two doors down, was walking towards them, leaning on her walking cane, "What's all the shouting about?" she demanded.
"Excuse me Mrs. Graham," Nicky used his most grown up voice. "Have you seen a cocker spaniel come past here?"
"No I haven't, whichever one of the Katsopolis twins you are!" Mrs. Graham said, "But I did notice a red haired girl rummaging through your mailbox earlier."
"Oh that's just Kimmy!" Michelle dismissed. "She's always snooping in our mail!"
"I know who Kimmy Gibbler is young lady," Mrs. Graham insisted. "It definitely wasn't her. This girl had bright red hair."
Michelle simply nodded; she wasn't going to argue with Mrs. Graham, she was always confusing people. She had referred to Michelle as Stephanie just last week.
Mrs. Gibbler was eying Amelia, "My – aren't you precious!" Amelia was a very pretty child, and people were often commenting on her beauty and cuteness.
"We'd better be moving on Mrs. Graham," Michelle said. "We have a dog to find."
The party of three continued along the street for a while searching and calling. Deciding they had probably gone far enough for now, they crossed the street to double back along the other side of the road.
"Are you missing a dog?" a high-pitched voice asked from the next house.
Mrs. Carruthers came into view, standing by her mailbox. Cougar was lying peacefully on her front lawn, in a patch of sunshine.
Upon spying Amelia, Cougar gave a bark of delight.
"Cougar," Amelia laughed delightedly. She ran to meet him, crouching to throw her arms around the dog.
"Thanks so much for finding him, Mrs. Carruthers," Michelle said.
"No problem! How is that gorgeous man who lives in your house?"
For a moment Michelle thought she was referring to Uncle Jesse, but quickly realized she meant Joey. "Joey's fine," she said.
"Is he still dating that dancer?"
"Yes, he's still seeing Carmen," Michelle confirmed.
"Carmen is very pretty," Amelia twirled around in a circle. Cougar, thinking this was a great game, raced around her, barking happily.
Mrs. Carruthers sniffed, but didn't contradict her.
Swiftly moving forward, Michelle reached down, picking Cougar up in her arms, "Come on Cougar – you rascal!" Amelia giggled at that. "Thanks again Mrs. Carruthers. I'll tell Joey you said hi."
Mrs. Carruthers patted her hair, "No don't tell him. I wouldn't want to sound desperate."
"O-kay," Michelle rolled her eyes, her head turned away from Mrs. Carruthers. "Bye, then!"
Michelle, Nicky, and Amelia went in search of Stephanie to let her know that Cougar was now safe and sound.