Chapter 9: Unsettling Visitors and a Trip Back to Our Roots

Karen and Andi had their ride to Tysons Galleria the following weekend. I apologized to them for not being able to get the SUV as promised, but I hoped that what I had managed to purchase would make up for it. They went out expecting to see the Camry, or something similar, parked in front of the house. I think that Karen’s reaction could have been heard all the way to the National Mall when they saw the limousine instead. She was dancing around like a little girl who had just received a puppy for Christmas before getting in. Andi stood beside the limousine, acting as though she were afraid to touch it.

I waved to Karen and Andi as they left to pick up Olive, Jean, Imelda, Molly, and Elaine. Their plan was to spend the day at Tysons Galleria, followed by a spa session at a place that Molly had discovered. I knew that they were ecstatic about the outing, and so honestly was I. They would enjoy shopping, while I had the rare chance to spend an entire day with my daughters.

First on my agenda was a trip to the park, where we could relax without a care. I crammed Beast and both Dobermans into my Volvo for safety’s sake. It was a tight fit, but the park I had in mind fortunately wasn’t far. It was a quiet spot near the Potomac River with swing sets and slides for the girls, and plenty of open space where the dogs could run without bothering other visitors.

The girls kept me busy pushing them on the swings for a good ninety minutes. They eventually grew bored and hungry, while the dogs began finding ways to irritate other park-goers. I rounded everyone up, deciding that it was best to leave before the park police took notice, and slowly herded the crew back to the car.

I headed south leaving the park, in search of a sandwich shop that I hadn’t visited in ages. What brought it to mind were the hamburgers that they used to sell by the bagful. I figured a few bags would be enough to feed all of us, including the dogs, so I wouldn’t have to keep apologizing to strangers when Beast tried to crash their picnics. Half a dozen bags, give or take, should be enough to fill everyone up.

It was a farther drive than I remembered, and I did get some strange looks at the drive-up window when I ordered six of their Power Burger bags, six extra-large orders of fries, and three small soft drinks. The smell proved too much for Beast, and I was afraid that his drool would ruin my car’s interior. I found a small park where I could pull in and have the girls sit at a picnic table to eat their lunches. Beast and the Dobermans behaved themselves quite well and stayed close by my side. They knew that there wouldn’t be any more burgers for them if they misbehaved, as I dished them out one at a time. I hadn’t seen Beast this well-behaved in ages.

It was getting close to mid-afternoon by now, and the girls were starting to get tired. I decided that it was time to call it a day and drive everyone home. Even the dogs were weary, forming a giant pile in the front passenger seat and on my lap. The ride home took forty-five minutes from the last park we visited until we pulled into the driveway and I could activate the gate to drive the car back to the carriage house.

I didn’t notice it right away, but someone had been poking around in our backyard. There, across the sidewalk between the carriage house and the main house, were footprints made of grass clippings from when I cut the lawn earlier that morning. The wet clippings had stuck to the bottom of the intruder’s shoes and left a trail along the paved walkway, leading toward the house. They must not still be here, as neither Beast nor the Dobermans had alerted to their presence.

I cautiously walked up to the back door, looking for any signs of tampering or forced entry. Not seeing any, I unlocked the door and opened it. The house alarm was still armed, patiently waiting for me to enter the code to prevent it from going off. My daughters and the dogs were playing a game of tag on the patio, while I checked the kitchen. I didn’t see any signs of disturbance, so I called the girls and the dogs inside.

The girls were fading fast and needed to be put down for their naps, but I still didn’t want to take them upstairs before checking the rest of the house. I was wondering how to keep them occupied in the kitchen while I cleared the rest of the house until one of the girls solved the problem herself. She pointed at the jar on the counter where Imelda kept the cookies and said, “Cookie.” I sat them both down at the table and gave them one each. The cookies would keep them occupied long enough for me to finish checking the house.

I had the Dobermans stay with the girls as I knew that no one would get to them as long as those dogs had a breath left in them. Beast came with me, and I gave him the command ‘Seek’ at the bottom of the stairs. ‘Seek’ was a game to him, a chance to go on the hunt and find whoever might be hiding. He hoped that he would find someone. I hoped that he wouldn’t.

He came and sat in front of me looking disappointed a few moments later. He hadn’t found anyone. I gave him the expected ear scratch as a reward for a job well done. The look that he gave me almost said what he was thinking; ‘What’s my next job, Boss? I want more ear scratches’.

I went back out to the kitchen to check on the munchkins and found one of them asleep in the chair where I’d left her. The other twin wasn’t far behind. I carefully picked them both up and carried them upstairs to their beds, laying them down for their naps. The Dobermans took up their customary positions in front of the bedroom door and lay down to nap as well.

Beast must have appointed himself as my official assistant, because he followed me downstairs into the home office where I placed a call to Scotty. I was surprised when he answered. I thought that he would be out with Jean, until I remembered that she was with Karen and Andi.

After some brief small talk about him being home alone, and me being a dad who’d spent most of the day with my daughters, I told Scotty about my visitor while we were out. Scotty wasn’t pleased to hear that and was concerned that the alarm system hadn’t detected anything. I suggested that it probably did, but with no one at home, how effective could the alarm system be without someone monitoring it? We both acknowledged that this was a known weakness in the system that we had never addressed. Scotty said he would get an improved video recording device to connect to the alarm system on Monday. We already had cameras that could be monitored from the carriage house, but a better video recording unit that would allow us to capture and review frame-by-frame video would be a big improvement.

I hated the need for a security system, but it was a necessary burden given my family’s past. It was clear after this latest intrusion that we needed a complete overhaul. Most of the system was several years old, practically ancient by today’s technological standards.

The hallway clock chimed three PM The girls would soon be waking from their naps, and I was expecting Karen and Andi home any minute. They’d be riding high on shopping endorphins, ready to give me a full rundown on the limousine, their purchases, who they saw, and more importantly, who saw them. Despite our earlier dispute over the limo, I was glad that I’d bought it for Karen, Andi, and the girls. It was my way of letting them how much they meant to me. The only real sacrifice was that lunch would be instant ramen from now on, and I’d be skipping the Mexican food truck to help cover the cost.

It wasn’t long before Karen, Andi, Imelda, and Olive came pouring through the front door. I could clearly tell that someone had been drinking right away. Karen and Andi were unusually bubbly and affectionate, far more than usual. Their affection normally meant a quick peck on the cheek or a passing hand squeeze. This was just shy of a full-on make-out session. Imelda blushed at their antics, while Olive, just as blitzed as the others, wasn’t the least bit amorous. She was too busy doing a surprisingly good job of holding up the wall. It was safe to say that their shopping endorphins had completely taken over.

I called Randy to come pick Olive up and gave him a heads-up that she was tipsy., I knew from past conversations that Olive could get aggressive when she’d been drinking. Depending on her mood, it could swing either angry or amorous. He deserved a fair warning. I also suggested that he grab some Chinese takeout so that we could all have dinner together and enjoy a relaxed, extended family evening.

Randy showed up close to an hour later. Olive had mellowed out by then, and was actually pleasant to be around, not the prickly version of herself that I’d come to know since Grandma Jorgenson’s funeral. The ladies gave us the full rundown on the limousine, from the moment that they were picked up to when they got home. I got the usual grocery list of who they saw and who saw them getting in or out of the limo, once again. I smiled and played along, while Randy glanced over at me and rolled his eyes whenever the ladies weren’t looking.

I asked Imelda to join us at the table once Karen, Andi, and Olive finished recounting their shopping adventures. The effects of the alcohol had mostly worn off by then. That’s when I told them about the visitor, the one whose grassy footprints I’d found on the backyard walkway. Karen instantly sobered and demanded to know what I’d done about it.

I told her there wasn’t much I could do at the time. I’d been carrying two tired little girls who insisted on being brought inside. I explained that I’d carefully opened the rear door and checked the alarm. There were no signs that it had been tripped, as far as I could tell. I had Beast clear the house to make sure that it was safe for the girls and me to enter before going any further.

Beast wandered over at the sound of his name, thinking that he was being called for table scraps. Karen slipped into one of her rare weepy moods, wrapping her arms around his neck and clinging to him as she cried, instead. She scratched behind his ears and along his spine, his two favorite spots, all the while. I knew that he’d patiently endure her tears as long as the petting continued. He’d move on once it stopped.