CHAPTER TWENTY
Two weeks later, there was still nothing new concerning the murder investigations. The locals were gossiping and speculating about ‘who’ and ‘why’ these things happened in a quiet community such as Saint Cloud.
Mary Achtenberg was just comin’ up to the back door of her modest little one-bedroom home. It was only mid-afternoon and a very bright, sunny day. She was sweating a bit as the walk from Milly’s Dress Shop was some twelve blocks from her home. Even as an older person, she knew the benefits of a daily brisk walk; which seemed to keep her joints from swellin’ up from too much inactivity.
Mary had bought an inexpensive white dress with a floral pattern of pink and yellow daisies. It was her hope and desire the new dress would make her look thinner, and more importantly, younger; yet mother nature new better--for wrinkles are wrinkles, and old is old.
As she fumbled with her house keys; her mind was so engaged with her newfangled purchase, she didn’t even notice the man who was now creeping up from behind her. Wearing an old brown ball cap pulled down low over his forehead, and with a large dark blue handkerchief wrapped around his face, one could scarcely see much more than his ears and dark brown eyes.
The brazen man grabbed Mary just as she finished turning the key in the lock and pulled on the door knob. Wrapping his right arm around her neck in a submissive choke hold, he started to push her struggling, elderly body with his left hand. Mary was now trying to scream, but was unable to do so as her attacker tightened his choke hold around her frail neck. Exhaustion overtook her quickly as he finally forced her through the doorway into her kitchen.
Mary was surprised when the man released his skintight grip from her neck as she fell forward and downward to her knees. Turning to see where he was, she was taken aback to see her attacker was now doing battle with a taller, blond-haired man. As the two men grappled and brawled; the attacker’s ball cap and handkerchief were ripped off. As Mary’s blond-haired defender chased her assailant out the kitchen door and down the alleyway behind her home; she realized she knew the man as Bobby Taylor; yet she had never laid eyes on the other fellow before.
Regaining her composure and after closing and locking the kitchen door, she made her way into the living room where her black rotary telephone sat on the far end table. Dialing the police department phone number made her less afraid as Buddy Wilson’s reassuring voice came on the line. Describing the terrible events that had just taken place, she waited patiently for help to arrive; even though she was trembling uncontrollably.
Det. Miller flipped his cigarette out the black-and-whites window as he, and Officer Hendrix responded immediately to Buddy’s radio call. They did a quick drive through of the alleyway to make sure no one was still in the area.
Officer Hendrix tried the front door finding it locked, she knocked loudly and called out, “Mary Achtenberg, its Det. Miller and Officer Hendrix! Can you come open the door for us?!”
She opened the door holding a cold washcloth to her neck, and motioned for them to come in and have a seat. Sherry got out her notepad and pencil in anticipation of jotting down her official report notes.
Det. Miller started the questioning, “Mary, Buddy told us Bobby Taylor assaulted you. Do you need us to drive you over to Doc Pearlman’s office? He can make sure you’re okay.”
“No, I don’t need the Doctor for now, I took some headache powder a few minutes ago while I was waiting for you to arrive. Nothing broken I dare say, but there’s going to be some bruising around my neck come tomorrow.” She uttered through her strained voice.
Hendrix chimed in, “Buddy said you told him Bobby Taylor was wearin’ a dark colored hat and a blue handkerchief around his face. Would that be a correct statement?”
“Yes, and it was a dark-brown baseball cap. Both are laying on my kitchen floor. I wouldn’t have recognized him if the blond-haired man hadn’t pulled it off during their fight.” Mary said adjusting the cold cloth to the other side of her throbbing neck.
“We’ll take those items when we leave. So you don’t recollect ever seeing the blond haired man before today?” Sherry continued.
“No, never seen him, but I’m sure glad he came along. God knows what that dirty hoodlum was going to do to me.”
“You sure you don’t want us to drive you over to Doc’s office?” Miller asked again.
“I’ll be fine, just you go get that Taylor boy and lock him up.”
“Yes ma’am, we will,” Sherry promised as the two headed out in pursuit of Bobby Taylor and the blond-haired mystery man.
News of Mary’s assault spread over the telephone wires like a prairie fire. Many townsfolk went lookin for that no-good scoundrel, Bobby Taylor. Wouldn’t be long before he’d be spotted, and his whereabouts reported to law enforcement.