Chapter Seventeen
Judy steered the car onto her aunt’s street, driving past a quaint cluster of older brick homes. Everything was quiet and still, now that the rain had stopped. The trees dripped water, humidity grayed the air, and the asphalt shone with wetness. Warm light glowed from the mullioned windows of the houses, from behind spiny evergreens and tall oak trees.
Mary shifted up in her seat, looking around. “I’m not moving to the suburbs, even when we have kids. There’s not enough graffiti.”
“Ha.” Judy cruised toward her aunt’s house, noticing that her mother’s rental car was taking up the driveway, so they’d have to park on the street. She scanned for a space, and Penny popped her head between the front seats, panting.
“Whoa, does the dog know where we’re going?”
“Yep, she comes to life on this street, every time.” Judy spotted a parking space in front of the house next door to her aunt’s and made a beeline for it. “She loves Aunt Barb.”
“Judy, don’t worry, I really think your aunt will pull through this.”
“Thanks, I hope so.”
“Also I put my mother on novena patrol, and she’s got the juice.”
Judy smiled. “So how much are we going to tell her and my mother about the money? I don’t love the idea of upsetting Aunt Barb before her operation, but by the same token, I don’t like hiding things from her.” Judy braked and reversed into the parking space, then cut the ignition. Penny started skittering back and forth in the backseat, wagging her tail in excitement.
“So you’re going to come clean?”
“Yes, and my aunt might be able to help. What if she gave Iris the money or knows how she got it? In fact, for all we know, my aunt could know that the money’s in her garage, but isn’t telling me.” Judy slid the key out of the ignition, engaged the emergency brake, and popped off her seat belt, which triggered Penny’s whimpering and pawing at the window of the backseat.
“You really believe that?”
“No,” Judy answered, talking louder to be heard over Penny. “But I’m trying to keep an open mind. Let’s get outta here. The dog’s about to explode.”
“Is she always like this?” Mary glanced back, and Penny began barking at the car window, her attention riveted on the house.
“Not really, but I haven’t taken her here in a while.” Judy could barely hear herself over Penny’s barking, reverberating in the small car. “Can you get my purse, and I’ll get the dog?”
Mary reached into the seat well and picked up the handbags, while Judy pocketed the keys, climbed out of the car, closed her door, and went to the backseat.
“Penny, settle down! Settle!” Judy opened the back door and reached for Penny’s leash, but the dog shot out of the car and raced down the sidewalk to her aunt’s house, her leash flying behind her. “Penny, no!”
“Wow, she’s fast!”
“Penny, come!” Judy jogged after the dog, surprised. It wasn’t like Penny to run off unless she’d seen a squirrel. “Penny, no!”
“Penny!” Mary called behind her, sounding distant.
Judy tore down the sidewalk and across the neighbor’s wet lawn, giving chase. Luckily the neighbors weren’t home and their house was dark, but the lack of lights made it hard to see.
“Penny!” Judy followed the noise of the dog’s frantic barking, reached her aunt’s driveway, and bolted past her garage to her backyard, praying that Penny wasn’t destroying the beds of Aunt Barb’s roses. Judy raced into her aunt’s backyard, which plunged her into darkness. The kitchen lights weren’t on inside the house, so there was nothing to illuminate the backyard. She lost sight of Penny, and the barking sounded farther and farther away.
Whoomp! Judy startled at a rushing sound, a rapid movement in the air around her, too fast to be anything natural. A large figure zoomed into her, a shadowy blur streaking from the darkness.
Judy felt a sudden blow to her head, stunning her. She cried out in confusion and fear. Pain arced through her skull. She heard a grunting sound. She caught a whiff of beer.
Judy whirled around, knocked off-balance. Her arms flew upward reflexively. She collapsed to the ground. She hit hard on her side, unable to break her fall. The shock of the impact traveled throughout her body and rattled her bones. Her face planted in the cold, wet grass.
The shadow vanished. She heard heavy footsteps splashing through the grass, running off. Penny’s barking sounded far away, echoing in the night. The air went still around Judy. The only sound was her own panting. Her heart beat wildly.
“Judy!” Mary appeared at her side, but Judy couldn’t see more than her outline against the cloudy sky.
“Somebody hit me…”
“Oh my God!” Mary threw herself on the ground and put her hands on Judy’s face. “Are you okay? Stay awake! Is there blood?”
“I’m fine, I’m okay.” Judy waved Mary off. “Get the guy. Find the guy. Find Penny…”
“Are you really okay?” Mary cradled Judy’s upper body, and Judy reached for her shoulder, trying to get to her feet.
“Let me get up, I’m okay. I have to find Penny.”
“She’ll be fine, just be still. You could have a concussion. Where did he punch you?”
“No, he hit me in my head, with something.” Judy struggled to stand up, and a light went on in the kitchen in the back of her aunt’s house, illuminating the backyard.
“Judy, is that you?” her mother called out, opening the back door. “What’s going on? What are you doing here?”
“Mrs. Carrier!” Mary shouted, panicky. “Come here quick! Somebody hit Judy!”
“Oh no!” her mother wailed. “Mary, is that you? Be right there!”
Judy scrambled to her feet, weaving slightly. Her head pounded. She couldn’t hear Penny barking anymore, and it terrified her to think that something had happened to the dog. “Penny! Penny!”
“Honey?” Her mother hurried toward her with Aunt Barb, both of them in bathrobes.
“Judy, what’s happening?” Aunt Barb reached her and helped her up by the arm. “Are you okay?”
“I’m fine, really.” Judy stood up, leaning on Mary. She looked around wildly. The backyard was empty. The rosebushes drooped with rainwater, their fading blooms glistening in the light from the window. The man was gone and so was Penny. “There must have been two men.”
“How do you know?” Mary asked, urgent.
“Two what?” her mother joined in, shocked. The back porch lights went on in the house whose backyard bordered Aunt Barb’s, then the house next to it, as the ruckus roused the neighbors.
“Two men.” Judy struggled to piece it together through the pain. “Penny saw them before I did. That must be why she freaked out in the car. I didn’t see him until he hit me.”
“Hit you?” her mother repeated.
Aunt Barb gasped. “Two men, in my backyard? Sweet Jesus!”
“What did he look like?” Mary gripped Judy’s arm, steadying her.
“I didn’t see him, I couldn’t tell.” Judy felt shaken, trying to process what just happened. “That must have been what Penny chased after. Not a squirrel, a person. Otherwise she would have stayed with me. There must’ve been another man who hit me, then ran away. So there were two men.”
“I don’t see anyone around.” Mary swiveled her head left and right. “I don’t hear a car starting. They must’ve gone.”
“We can’t let them get away.” Judy took off toward the street, but wobbled, dizzy.
“Judy, stop, no, you’re hurt.” Mary hurried after and caught her arm. “We have to take care of you first.”
“But we could see the car or a license plate.” Judy tried to go, but Mary held her back.
“No, it’s too dangerous. We’re lawyers, not cops.”
“Then call 911. My phone’s in my purse.” Judy steadied herself, touching her head where she’d been hit. A lump swelled under her fingertips. She hadn’t seen what he’d hit her with. A rock? It hurt like hell, and when she pulled her hand away, her fingertips glistened darkly.
Aunt Barb said, “Your forehead’s bleeding, honey! Oh my God!”
“Let’s get in the house!” Her mother came to her side. “They could still be out here.”
“No, wait, I’m worried about Penny.” Judy felt the warm wetness sliding down her forehead, but she’d never forgive herself if anything happened to the dog, who’d been trying to protect her. “Hold on a sec, okay?”
Aunt Barb squeezed her other arm. “Penny will come back. She knows where the house is.”
“Penny!” Judy hollered, turning. Suddenly she heard barking and faced the direction of the sound, beyond the privet hedge that bordered her aunt’s property. “Penny, come!”
“I think I see her!” Mary yelled.
“Me, too!” Judy almost cried with happiness when she spotted the golden retriever racing toward them from the neighbor’s backyard, trailing her leash. Penny bounded panting to Judy, then jumped up on her, almost knocking her to the ground all over again.
“Thank God!” Judy buried her knuckles deep in the dog’s thick ruff, curly with sweat. Penny didn’t look injured, but she emitted a weird, primal smell.
“Hurry, please let’s go inside.” Her mother led the way, and Mary came around her other side.
“Judy, come on. We’d better call 911.”