Noisy Bugs

Summer heats up. Detective Daniel begins a new case. Brenda gears up for an overnight. Cicadas sing their songs.

Daniel watched Grandma "Mo" driving away in her new car with Caitlin and Henry for an overnight stay in the Scaggsville countryside. His anxieties were assuaged by the fact that Dean, and Milly would never allow any mistreatment from Caitlin where Henry was concerned. He waited a few minutes before attempting to call Brenda at her shop only to glance out the window and see her walking along the sidewalk on Lafayette Avenue away from the Blundon house. She carried a lamp in one arm and skinny box in the other as her shoulder bag smacked her hip with each step.

He grabbed his briefcase, and drove to her shop just as she rounded the corner to the crossing grade. She waved, and smiled as he pulled up to her front windows. He helped her carry the box to the door. The Big Cup Coffee shop was bustling, and several patrons said hello to both of them as they entered the "notorious" antique store. Brenda did not turn the "open" sign around at that time.

She pulled Daniel into the back store room and kissed him. He told her about the Ocean City trip, and said that Caitlin "barely got her toes wet." Brenda mentioned her vision about his walk on the boardwalk holding Henry. He was impressed by the revelation because he had done exactly that, in order to give Caitlin time to be the "sand bound bathing beauty beneath a striped umbrella." 

Caitlin was "putting on airs" now that her name and picture had appeared in the newspaper, and held the promise of more fame and fortune because summer "was just getting started" in her out of sync mind.

The cicadas were busy screaming, and humidity was increasing, along with fat white storm clouds. Brenda couldn't help but wonder what the weather had been like on Mr. Blundon's fateful last day as an "embodied" soul. Daniel asked if he could visit her later at the house. 

She said that he could come for supper, but to drive over, and make his own home look "awake"by leaving a TV or radio on with "low lights" in case "Nosy Neighbor Joy" was keeping an eye on things. The car could be driven back to make it look like he had returned home. Daniel loved walking across the tracks to see Brenda if it ever became necessary.

"Detective Daniel" headed for the office and filled his day helping Gerard with an assault and battery case on a married woman. She was in hiding, and feared for her life. Her husband found out that she had no inheritance coming "after all" because her mother had changed her will five days before her death, and left everything to her brother.

 When she had finished delivering the bad news, her husband kicked, and punched her, then pushed her down the steps. She ran to a neighbors house, while he cussed at her and proceeded to get drunk. The police arrested him within the hour and charged him with battery. He was eventually bailed out of jail and stayed with his father, then immediately made death threats to the woman on the telephone if she dared to go through with the charges.

It was now up to Gerard and Daniel to get the man sent to prison while the woman worked on  getting an annulment. Daniel suggested tapping the man's phone, and setting him up for a "wake up call of epic proportions." The police photographs revealed the brutality of his rage.

If there was anything that Daniel hated, it was a bully. And if that bully hurt someone, and never got sent to prison, due to corrupt judges, or other circumstances, Daniel Alexander tended to get a little psycho. Luckily, as a Scorpio, he was able to hide his feelings. No one would ever suspect him of murder.

CJ Marks