Since You've Been Gone by Carlene Thompson Page A

serious about them taking so long to get here.”
    â€œSince nineteen thirty-nine?” Curry asked good-naturedly.
    â€œSince almost nine hours ago when the wife heard noises in the attic.”
    Klein let out something like a squeak and Bill stiffened. “You heard something?”
    â€œ
I
didn’t. Had my hearing aid out. But Helen did. Helen, get out here and tell the cops what you heard.”
    â€œStop calling them cops. It’s disrespectful.” A small, pert woman with short, curly gray hair appeared at the door with a shy smile. “How do you do? Helen Moreland.”
    Bill nodded. “Hello, ma’am. It’s a pleasure. I’m Bill Garrett and this is Deputy Curry. Now what’s this about noises?”
    Mrs. Moreland’s color heightened. “We were gone over the weekend, visiting our daughter in Ohio. It should only have taken us two hours to get home, but Edgar insisted on driving and he kept getting lost—”
    â€œI was taking shortcuts!” Edgar said defensively.
    â€œAnyway,” Helen Moreland continued, ignoring her husband, “it took us four hours to get home, around nine o’clock. I couldn’t sleep all night. I was nervous and tired and my hip was bothering me. Before dawn I thought I heard something in the attic. Now that’s nothing new. Sometimes we get rats up there.”
    â€œNo rats in this building!” Klein burst out. “I run a clean house!”
    â€œSettle down, Herb. You sound like you manage a brothel.” Edgar Moreland laughed. “Rats aren’t a disgrace in an old building as long as you do something about them, which you do.” He addressed Bill. “Puts out poison. Sometimes the smell from dead rats gets fierce in the summer, but what are you going to do? Can’t catch the little devils and haul them out to the country to romp? Now you go on, Helen.”
    Bill didn’t even nod at him.
Rats
. Rebecca had said Todd was in a hot, dusty place with rats.
    Mrs. Moreland took a deep breath. “Well, rats make a skittering sound. And sometimes you can hear them gnawing on things. I’m used to it and I knew all I had to do was tell Herbert and he’d take care of the problem. But the skittering stopped. Then there were footsteps. I swear. Slow and… well,
stealthy
. I hate to sound melodramatic, but someone was trying to be quiet. Sneaky. I got out of bed, went into the far end of the living room, and stood rightunder where I heard the footsteps. Then there was a shuffling sound. Then more footsteps, only heavier. I ran in and tried to wake up Edgar, which was near hopeless.”
    â€œDid you follow the sound of the footsteps?” Curry asked.
    â€œWhen I went into the bedroom, they seemed to be heading that way.” She motioned toward the door to the attic. “Edgar finally roused himself a little. He told me to call the police. Or rather he shouted it.”
    â€œI didn’t have my hearing aid in!”
    â€œI know. It’s all right,” Mrs. Moreland soothed. “Anyway, when I came back to the living room, I didn’t hear another thing.”
    â€œAnd no one at the police department responded to your call?” Bill asked.
    â€œActually, I didn’t call.” Edgar looked at her in surprise. “How seriously would they have taken an old woman calling up to say she heard mysterious noises in a locked attic at night?”
    â€œMrs. Moreland, did you see anyone leave the attic?”
    â€œNo. And I am so mad at myself! I think whoever was up there came down when I was trying to wake Edgar. They might have even hurried when they heard him yell for me to call the police. Then that person could have gone out the back, down the fire escape. If I’d just opened my door, my front door, I would have seen who it was!”
    â€œI’m very glad you didn’t open your door,” Bill said.
    Edgar’s attention quickened.