Continue with Cops and Robbers(Mary Eileen Callan) Terri sat in the back of the unmarked and looked out the tinted glass. She thought she saw Jake slouched against the diner as they passed the corner. A cigarette dangled out the side of his mouth; he liked acting like James Dean.
A policeman was waiting in his cruiser as they pulled in the drive. Terri followed as Detective Scott and Tom climbed the old wooden stairs. Alice lay on the bed. Detective Scott walked up to her face and leaned down. He sniffed her lips and backed off. His cell phone rang “On the Road Again” played softly. He fingered his mustache as he answered.
“Scott here. Yeah we’re in the house now. Is Doc Fletcher on his way? Good.” He pocketed his phone and turned to Terri. “I don’t see her purse anywhere do you know where she kept it?”
Terri walked over by the closet and dug in the hamper. She grabbed the handle of a large leather bag. “Here,” she said, “Alice had a habit of hiding it. She thought a thief wouldn’t think to look through her dirty clothes.”
Scott gave her a curious look and unzipped the bag. He looked inside and whistled. “Have you ever seen what’s in her bag?”
Terri said “No, Sir.”
Tom and Terri took a peek. Piles of bills, hundreds and fifties were stuffed inside.
“There must be thousands of dollars.” Tom said. Terri gasped.
“Does the room look like you found it?” Scott asked.
“Yes it does, but one thing troubles me, why would she lie down with her slippers on? She was very particular about her bedspread. Look they’re on the wrong feet.”
Doc Fletcher called from the foot of the stars. “Scott you up there?”
“Hey Doc, all the way at the end of the hall.”
“ Hello Scott, Tom. Who are you young lady? ”
“My name is Terri Gorman. I found Mrs. Staunton. I was her personal care aide.”
“Is this how you found her?” Doc asked as he rubbed his thumb along his chin.
“Yes, it is.”
“What exactly were your duties?” The detective asked.
“I’d do a little straightening up, she had a cleaning lady, I’d do the washing and help her bathe and sometime we would go for a drive or shopping.”
Scott nodded writing in his little notebook. “You two can wait in the kitchen for me, I’ll stay with Doc here until he’s finished.“
“Did she ever hide things or put things in odd places.”
“Not really. One time she asked me to check and see if her winter coat was in the back of the closet in the front bedroom. She wanted me to put an envelope in it. I did. ”
“What was in the envelope?”
“I don’t know. I just did what she said.”
“Anything else?”
“No, I”… Terry began to slide toward the floor, ”Grab her before… but Tom was already there and helped Terri to a sitting position in the chintz- covered chair. Doc hurried into the adjoining bathroom and came out with a wet washcloth and placed it on her brow. He pulled out a vial from his medical bag, broke off the top and waved smelling salts under her nose. She sputtered, turned her face away and eventually asked, “What happened?”
“Delayed reaction. You’ve been through a shock and it’s starting to hit you is all,” said Doc.
“ Go look in the pocket of that coat.” Scott said looking at Tom. “It may be something important. I’m going to seal the house and post a guard inside. A couple of things don’t add up. You’ve been a big help Terri. When you feel you can walk Tom will take you to the station for the time being. We’ll talk some more when I get back,” said the Detective.
Tom returned with the envelope and handed it to his boss. Scott put it in an evidence bag and placed it in his inside jacket pocket. He put the purse in a large bag. Tom took Terri’s arm and led her to the cruiser and drove off. Her knees were like jelly. “ How long do I need to stay at the station? You don’t know Jake and how he gets when he’s angry. He’s been waiting for me a long time. “
Tom’s shoulder mike crackled to life. “That’s interesting,“ He turned to Terri, “We have someone tailing him; he’s left the diner and is driving down Mrs. Staunton’s street. Lucky, we just missed him. An unmarked is keeping him in sight.”
“Back there you sounded like you weren’t sure about leaving Jake. Do you really want to go back to him or are you ready to get away and help us and yourself?” Tom’s throat was dry he tried to swallow a lump as big as a fist. His fingers drummed on the steering wheel.
“I don’t want to go back to him but I don’t know how to get away. He’ll find me and maybe this time really hurt me bad.” Terri managed to whisper.
Tom felt his stomach constrict; he wanted to protect her. What if she chose to go back because of her fear? “I’ll do everything in my power to keep him from hurting you again. You deserve a better life Terri.”
She smiled weakly. “You must think I’m a wimp. When I’m around Jake it’s like he controls me. It’s like I don’t have a will of my own. It’s fear of what he will do if I cross him that makes me weak.”
" That’s going to change. There’s a way out of this; we can help you deal with him. I know a personal trainer who can teach you self-defense.”
“How can I ever protect myself from a man as big as Jake?”
“You can learn. He has you brainwashed that you are weak and helpless.”
“You got that right. All he ever say is that I‘m no good and without him to think for the both of us I’d be in the street.” Terri stared out the window.
“You need to get your own place, maybe get a roommate. Make sure you are never alone with him. At the end of all this we can put him away for a long time.” Tom spoke with confidence.
“Do you really think I could learn to defend myself?”
“ You can do anything you want to. You can be anything you want to be. First you have to believe in yourself.”
Terri said, “I’ll help you. You have to tell me what to do. I can stay at my sister’s house for a little while, she never liked Jake; she’ll be happy I’ve left him. Why are you being so nice to me?”
“It’s my job, I’ve always thought you were a great girl, just got off on the wrong foot. Now you have a chance to turn things around.”
Tom shoulder phone crackled to life. “Costa is turning in the sidewalk beside Mrs. Staunton’s house, he’s crossing the lawn.”
“Keep him in your sights. He’s trying to get inside the house through the back? Where’s Carney? Don’t stop him. He’ll come face to face with Detective Scott and Doc Fletcher, give them a heads up. I’m on my way.” Tom said.
“I’m dropping you off at the station, I’ll tell Bonnie, she’s our secretary, to make you comfortable until I get back.” He clicked on his shoulder mike and gave Bonnie the message.
In his excitement, Tom didn’t notice the man standing across the parking lot sheltered by an old Live Oak watching him and Terri walk up the steps into the police building. The man pushed himself off the tree and walked back into town, dialing a number on his cell phone.
The police station was adjacent to the courthouse. Pigeons carpeted the stairs waiting for the breadcrumbs thrown their way at lunchtime, when the courthouse crowd ate their noonday meal.
There was a slightest disturbance in the air as Alice’s back door opened and shut. Scott and Doc looked at each other and waited. Jake climbed the stairs two at a time. He had to be sure he hadn’t left anything behind, and he had to be quick. The officer in front had left his post to talk to the old lady across the street. Jake could see him on her front porch through the window. The bedroom had enough light to allow him to view Alice. The phony diamond pin was where he’d left it. Her feet looked funny. He put her slippers on right, muttering under his breath. Then went into the bathroom and stared at the wet facecloth thrown over the edge of the tub. He touched it and shook his head. He sniffed the air in the bedroom. While his back was turned Detective Scott and Doc. Fletcher tiptoed from the back bedroom and waited for him in the hall. One last look and Jake headed for the stairs.
He jumped when he saw the two men. He tried to push past them but didn’t make any headway. Before he knew what happened he was cuffed and duck-walked down the stairs. Jake was younger but Scott was stronger.
“You’re under suspicion for the murder of Alice Staunton. You are going down to the precinct with officer Harvey.”
“You don’t have nothing on me, Loosen up those cuffs they’re too tight; they’re cutting off my circulation. I’ll tell my lawyer about this. I know my rights.”
Scott called Tom and told him to secure both the front and rear of the house. He transferred Jake into Tom’s cruiser and shoved him in the back seat and locked it. “Carney, get back to your post, I’ll deal with Jake Costa later.”
Tom secured both doors to the house. Officer Carney trotted back to his post. He told Tom the old lady across the street had seen Terri acting suspiciously when she left the house earlier.
“Maybe the old busybody saw something more. I’ll check later. First we get Mr. Costa more comfortable down at the jail.”
It was going to happen anyway Jake realized, just a matter of time. I’ve been lucky but luck runs out after a while. Terri didn’t know I’d be coming here this morning. I can easily blame her and walk. She’s getting on my nerves lately, maybe it’s time we split.
Jake found time in the jail boring, sitting, waiting, pacing his cell, no cigarettes, no privacy, no control; he didn’t like taking orders and his temper was rising with every hour. When they searched him and found the real diamond pin in his cigarette pack he knew the fates were against him. He used his one allowed phone call to Terri; it went unanswered. He demanded a lawyer, refused to answer any questions until the court appointed one, and now was waiting.
Terri sat in the conference room struggling with her decision. Bonnie met Tom in the hallway and took him aside for a minute.
“I know I’m sticking my nose in where it doesn’t belong but be careful with that girl’s feelings. Remember she has been treated pretty badly. She doesn’t need any more man problems.”
He nodded. “I know what I’m doing.”
Bonnie said “You better.”
Tom was anxious that his relationship with his girlfriend Lucie, who was away at college, was going to complicate his developing friendship with Terri.
The secretary came in the conference room and was on the verge of giving Terri some sisterly advice but instead told her about Jake, in one way Terri was glad, finally free of him. Then she wondered if they could keep him on the evidence they had. If they couldn’t her life was in danger. Strong light flooded the room. Books lined the walls and at least a dozen high backed cushioned chairs faced the long table. A dark green carpet muffled sounds. She nibbled on the tuna sandwich Bonnie brought from the diner. Jake was sitting in a cell on the floor below. She trembled at the thought only one floor separated them. She pushed her plate away and took another sip of iced tea. She recognized Tom’s footsteps echoing down the hall and she was reassured. He was ending a call on his cell. “I’m going to be busy tonight, Cindy. I’ll give you a call.”
Terri spirit’s dropped. Cindy must be his girlfriend. She didn’t want to believe it. What if it’s serious? She pushed aside her daydreams and felt her emotions deaden. Tom was taken. Naturally he would have a girlfriend by now. I must have been crazy to let my thoughts get away from me. I’m on my own in this.

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