Vengeance is Mine - A Benjamin Tucker Mystery by Harry James Krebs
Authors: Harry James Krebs
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Maggie, “It’s Mr. Bradley, returning your call.” Maggie looked protectively at Amanda Jane and reluctantly left to take the call.
“C’mon, girls, let’s go sit down and figure out what to do,” Nora said smiling. That’s my Nora. I was so grateful to have someone to help me begin dealing with this. She put an arm around each of the girls and led them into the great room.
Oscar, keenly aware that something was wrong, followed them and sat quietly at Julie’s feet.
Roberta looked at me sadly. “Has Miss Amanda eaten dinner yet?”
“I don’t think so,” I said. “We brought her straight here. She’s totally devastated, and I’m worried sick about her.”
“ Pobre angelito . She just lost her mama, and she doesn’t know what to do. Well, she’s still got us, and we’re gonna take care of her. I’ll fix some soup, and I don’t know what else and see if I can get her to eat something.”
It was the worst day of my life–even worse than my eighteenth birthday. But I just might get through this with the love and support of my amazing new family. I tried to compose myself, and joined Nora and the girls.
Maggie hung up the phone and came into the great room. She knelt in front of Amanda Jane and tenderly took my daughter’s hands in hers.
“I’m so sorry about your mom, sweetheart. There’s nothing I can do to make this go away, but I will always be right here for you. Your beautiful mother is watching over you from heaven, and I’ll be watching over you from down here.” My wonderful wife. I couldn’t have spoken at that moment if my life depended on it.
“Thank you,” Amanda Jane whispered softly. And then she melted into Maggie’s arms and clung to her, crying soundlessly. Maggie helped Amanda Jane lie down on the sofa, covered her with a throw, and knelt next to her for a long time, gently rubbing her back as my daughter grieved for her mother. Oscar sat next to Maggie, watching them both.
A sudden crack of thunder gave us a start. Torrential rain was now battering the windows and pounding the roof. There was a blinding flash of lightening and another angry crash of thunder. The lights went out.
I jumped to my feet and listened. All I could hear was the sound of thrashing rain. “Everybody sit tight and stay right where you are!” I crept to the side of the large back window and peered out, scanning for anything out of the ordinary. I saw nothing and went to the dining room windows at the front of the house. One of the guarding police officers was running up the walk with a flashlight.
I met him at the door.
“I’m sorry to disturb you, sir,” he said. “I just thought you might want to know that the power is out over the entire area. It’s not just your house. Try not to worry—there are four of us out here watching for anything suspicious.”
“Thank you,” I said, and watched him return to his car as I closed the door.
A few minutes later, the lights came back on and we all began to breathe again. Maggie gathered flashlights, candles and matches, and stockpiled them on the great room coffee table, just in case we lost power again. She drew all the drapes and plugged her cell phone in to charge.
Roberta brought in a tray with mugs of steaming cream of tomato soup and a basket of grilled gruyere cheese sandwiches. She and Julie coaxed Amanda Jane into coming to sit with them at the breakfast table. Roberta poured hot chocolate for the girls and Amanda Jane reluctantly took a few sips. She thanked Roberta but didn’t say much of anything else, just sat, staring blankly.
Maggie asked Julie about her day at school, trying to take the focus off of Amanda Jane, and Julie chattered cheerfully as she ate. No one, including Julie, really cared about what she was saying. It was just a way to pass the time, trying to insert a little normalcy into the moment, hoping Amanda Jane would eventually try to eat something. It worked, and Roberta looked at me and smiled.
Normally when
“C’mon, girls, let’s go sit down and figure out what to do,” Nora said smiling. That’s my Nora. I was so grateful to have someone to help me begin dealing with this. She put an arm around each of the girls and led them into the great room.
Oscar, keenly aware that something was wrong, followed them and sat quietly at Julie’s feet.
Roberta looked at me sadly. “Has Miss Amanda eaten dinner yet?”
“I don’t think so,” I said. “We brought her straight here. She’s totally devastated, and I’m worried sick about her.”
“ Pobre angelito . She just lost her mama, and she doesn’t know what to do. Well, she’s still got us, and we’re gonna take care of her. I’ll fix some soup, and I don’t know what else and see if I can get her to eat something.”
It was the worst day of my life–even worse than my eighteenth birthday. But I just might get through this with the love and support of my amazing new family. I tried to compose myself, and joined Nora and the girls.
Maggie hung up the phone and came into the great room. She knelt in front of Amanda Jane and tenderly took my daughter’s hands in hers.
“I’m so sorry about your mom, sweetheart. There’s nothing I can do to make this go away, but I will always be right here for you. Your beautiful mother is watching over you from heaven, and I’ll be watching over you from down here.” My wonderful wife. I couldn’t have spoken at that moment if my life depended on it.
“Thank you,” Amanda Jane whispered softly. And then she melted into Maggie’s arms and clung to her, crying soundlessly. Maggie helped Amanda Jane lie down on the sofa, covered her with a throw, and knelt next to her for a long time, gently rubbing her back as my daughter grieved for her mother. Oscar sat next to Maggie, watching them both.
A sudden crack of thunder gave us a start. Torrential rain was now battering the windows and pounding the roof. There was a blinding flash of lightening and another angry crash of thunder. The lights went out.
I jumped to my feet and listened. All I could hear was the sound of thrashing rain. “Everybody sit tight and stay right where you are!” I crept to the side of the large back window and peered out, scanning for anything out of the ordinary. I saw nothing and went to the dining room windows at the front of the house. One of the guarding police officers was running up the walk with a flashlight.
I met him at the door.
“I’m sorry to disturb you, sir,” he said. “I just thought you might want to know that the power is out over the entire area. It’s not just your house. Try not to worry—there are four of us out here watching for anything suspicious.”
“Thank you,” I said, and watched him return to his car as I closed the door.
A few minutes later, the lights came back on and we all began to breathe again. Maggie gathered flashlights, candles and matches, and stockpiled them on the great room coffee table, just in case we lost power again. She drew all the drapes and plugged her cell phone in to charge.
Roberta brought in a tray with mugs of steaming cream of tomato soup and a basket of grilled gruyere cheese sandwiches. She and Julie coaxed Amanda Jane into coming to sit with them at the breakfast table. Roberta poured hot chocolate for the girls and Amanda Jane reluctantly took a few sips. She thanked Roberta but didn’t say much of anything else, just sat, staring blankly.
Maggie asked Julie about her day at school, trying to take the focus off of Amanda Jane, and Julie chattered cheerfully as she ate. No one, including Julie, really cared about what she was saying. It was just a way to pass the time, trying to insert a little normalcy into the moment, hoping Amanda Jane would eventually try to eat something. It worked, and Roberta looked at me and smiled.
Normally when
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