The Great Escapee Series

Chapter 15

Fifteen

Carol peeked through the front window of the grocery store, shuffled to her right, then left, scoping out the front end. Clarence wasn't in sight. Calling the Sheriff was the last thing she wanted to do.

Hand on door pull. Smile on face.

Ding. The door alarm announced her entrance.

A young clerk—Carol recognized Mindy—peeked from around the end of a shelf. "Hi. Can I help you find anything?"

"Well, it's not an anything I need to find. It's an anyone. Like in a person."

Mindy rounded the end cap and stood at the register, straightening her green apron. "Yeah? Who, anyone?" She grinned.

Carol dug into her jacket pocket and pulled out the admissions picture. She held it for Mindy to see. "His name is Clarence ... "

Mindy grabbed the picture. "Oh, I know Clarence." She tapped the picture. "He was just here today. He's ... uh ... well, let's put it this way—"

"He's rude, mean, loud, and insulting." A tall, male employee walked up beside Mindy. "And that's just the beginning. He's—"

Mindy poked him. "That's enough, John. I think she gets the idea, don't you, Ma'am."

Carol grimaced. "Sounds like you've met Clarence, all right. Can you tell me when, where? What'd he do that was so bad?"

John glanced at Mindy.

Oh-oh. This can't be good.

"Well ... he was here a little while ago."

"What time?"

He checked his watch. "An hour ago? You know, give or take."

"Did he say where he was headed?"

"Wait a minute. Is he in trouble? I mean, like in danger? Because, well, I did see him head out back," Mindy said, her hands in her apron pocket. "He was being, well—"

"Mean. He was being mean." John interrupted her.

Mindy squirmed and retied her apron. "Yes. I said that Clarence is so much like my old grandpa. Clarence is nicer looking, but Grampa was always outa sorts."

"Your grandpa was mean, Mindy." John touched her shoulder. "You've told me about stuff he did. Burning your little doll. And other stuff."

Mindy nodded. "Yeah. He was mean." She rubbed her arm and seemed distracted for a minute. "And Clarence ... well, I felt like I used to feel when Grandpa was around."

Carol sighed. "I'm so sorry he hurt you. I wish I knew more about his past. He has no family—no wife, no kids. He grew up around here, but as far as I know, he moved away soon after he grew up." She checked the aisle. "I shouldn't have told you that, but if you know more about him, maybe you can understand him. Maybe you can help us find him. He moved back here because he had nowhere else to go. He couldn't live on his own, but no one would take him in."

"Sounds just like Grandpa, but we took him in."

"So, he lived with you?" Carol shook her head. "Must have been tough."

Mindy sighed and rearranged the newspapers. "Yeah. But he's gone now." She bowed her head. "I only hope—"

"Do you think you could show me where you saw Clarence heading? It might be a place to start." She checked her watch. "He's getting past med time. He already missed lunch. And supper."

"Sure. I need to tell my boss, though."

"That's fine." Carol said. "I'll wait."

Poor girl. First her grandpa and now Clarence.

Mindy returned a few minutes later. "It was right after he left the store. I opened the door to bring a bag of trash out," she pointed to the dumpster, "and that's when I saw him again."

"What was he doing?"

"Well, at first I thought he was hiding, or looked like it. But when I opened the dumpster, I looked up and saw him bending down over here someplace. I almost said something to him, but my boss hollered at me to come help her. It's truck day today, so there's lots to do. Groceries to put away and stuff."

"I understand." Carol stepped to the spot. "He was maybe about here?"

"Yeah."

Carol bent over, looking onto the ground. Maybe he had dropped something and bent down to retrieve it. She brushed her hand over the tall weeds, trying to see the ground.

Mindy closed the dumpster lid. "Why doesn't he have any family? Even Grandpa had us. We weren't much. At least he didn't think so, but we helped him when he needed it. Fed him. Took care of him and stuff. A place to sleep." Mindy shook her head. "That's tough. And lonely."

Carol straightened and searched the girl's face. "Yes, Mindy. Lonely, it is."

Joe in a nursing home thirty miles away. Joe staring at her with vacant eyes. Only once in the last two years had he greeted her with a flicker of recognition. Lonely it is.

The back door opened and John pushed a cart loaded with trash outside.

Carol c****d her head. "Are you okay?"

Mindy nodded. "Yeah, it's just that, well, I feel bad. Grandpa had us. Clarence has nobody." She shifted her weight. "And, well, we like kinda talked back to him."

John flipped the dumpster lid open and tossed in trash bags. "No, Mindy. You didn't talk back to him." He slammed the lid shut. "I did. He was saying stuff about you and he can't do that. Not on my watch."

Carol half smiled.

Mindy blushed.

John stretched taller.

"That's okay, John." Carol said. "Sometimes I find I get along better with him when I stand up to him. But I'm still getting to know him. He just got here." She shrugged. "I've already told you way too much for that privacy act." She pointed along the brick building that led to the alley. "Did he go down that way?"

"I hope not. That's not safe." Mindy pointed down the alley. "He might have gone over there. Maybe."

An older woman wearing a long green-and-white striped necktie appeared at the store's back door. "Mindy? John?" she called. "You still work here?" Her head turned toward Carol. "Oh, I'm sorry. I thought you left." She approached the threesome. "Are you getting what you need?"

Carol nodded. "Well, it's a start. I appreciate your help, Mindy." She shook her hand, then John's. "And yours, John." She glanced at the older woman—obviously the manager—and back to the kids. "Please, with your boss's permission, if you see him or hear anything, could you call me at this number?" She handed Mindy her business card.

"Sure."

"Thanks, you two. Have a good night." She shook hands with the manager. "They're good kids. Thanks for giving me their time."

"Sure. Hope you find him. Let us know if we can do anything else."

Carol turned to go, but not before she caught sight of a huge bird perched in the tree above them. Was that? Couldn't be the same hawk. "Do you see that?"

John rotated his head, looking at all the branches. "Where? Oh, the hawk? He lives here."

"Like he's your neighborhood hawk?" Carol chuckled. "They must be all over. We had one break into the home, through a window." Her eyes opened wide. "Clarence's window, as a matter of fact."

John folded his arms across his chest. "Really."

"I wish he could tell us what he sees day in and day out." Carol cooed to the bird. "Wait, wrong bird. What sound does a hawk make?"

As if in answer, the hawk lifted off the tree branch and swooped down toward them, screeching.

Carol covered her ears and ducked. Huge. Loud.

The others hid behind the dumpster.

"That's what they sound like," John said.

"I'll know next time." Carol adjusted her jacket. "I swear it heard me ask."

The manager brushed dirt from her shirt and re-clipped her tie as the bird flew back to the branch in the tree. "I'm calling the Sheriff's Office or a wildlife association to come pick him up. He's dangerous."

"Please don't," John piped up. "I'm out here every day, doing the trash, running the compactor. He's never done that before and believe me, I've teased him so he should have." He grinned. He held up his hands. "Really. I feel something from him."

The manager cut in. "Fe-e-el something?"

John's head dropped to his chest. "I know it's weird. Sounds creepy. But I think he serves a purpose. I don't know how to say it, but really he has never done that before. Please give him another chance."

"If he does it again, he's gone. We can't have him dive bombing customers. We won't destroy him, but the guys can catch him and take him into the country somewhere, where we'll all be safe. Us and him."

John nodded his head and kicked at the gravel. "Fair enough."

"Nature boy." Mindy squeezed John's hand.

"I don't know, John. What purpose could a bird have? But, hear me bird." Mrs. Larkin spoke loudly and distinctly. "I'm putting you on notice. You dive at anybody again, and you're a gonner." She pointed at the hawk. "Ya hear?"

The hawk stared down at them.

John half chuckled, half breathed out. "See what I mean? He's got some ... purpose."

"Then tell us where Clarence is, Mr. Hawk." Carol waved as she walked to her car. "Please."