Narrow Escape

Narrow Escape

Mildred was in her way home from work after a long day of working with school children. She’d been a volunteer at her daughter’s school for several years now, both on the play ground and in the classroom. Today she had, also, volunteered in the lunchroom. She was still picking spaghetti out of her hair.

She loved working with the kids most of the time but her daughter was getting to that age now where ‘mom’ was more of an embarrassment than a comfort. That’s why Mildred had requested to stay in the elementary school for the next term. Her daughter would be in junior high when the next school term started.

So many things to do today. Many errands to run. She began to tick off the places where she needed to make stops. She had to pick up her dry cleaning since she had forgotten it every day for the last two weeks. She had also forgotten to stop at the post office for mail that could not be delivered, after someone knocked down her mailbox. Then she had better pick up a new mailbox at the hardware store. Denny worked there.

Her nephew would fix her up with everything she needed for the repair. Probably even come and fix it for her. She was lucky to have so many family members close to home. She’d lost her husband a few years ago but she had managed by herself and with some help from her daughter. But she had good neighbors and friends she could call if she really needed anything.

“Dry cleaning, hardware, post office,” she said out loud to herself. She could remember things easier when she did this. Her head was so full of what she needed to do. Maybe she should just write it down.

“Pharmacy, grocery store. Probably should get some gas if I see a good price,” she continued to speak out loud.

“Okay,” she said. “Dry cleaning first.”

Mildred loved to chat when she had the time and sometimes when she didn’t. She had been coming to this dry cleaner’s for years and the same couple of people were always working there. She could afford to be friendly, right? After a nice chat she got back in her car and drove away. She happened upon the gas station and filled the car up before moving on.

“There’s the post office,” she said. “Better stop there while I am in the area.”

She had to park around the side of the building, near the jail, and walk to the front. She knew the people in the post office very well too, so she had a nice chat with her friend, Fran, who had worked there ever since she could remember. They caught up with the day to day gossip with their neighborhood.

After returning to her car, Mildred turned on the radio to keep her company. She loved the ‘oldies’ station and sang loudly, off-key, but she didn’t care. She didn’t have to rush home as her daughter was studying at a friend’s house.

The hardware store looked deserted. She was the only car in the lot and considered they might be closed for some reason, but she saw Dewey looking out the door and motioning her to come inside. He’d heard of her mailbox incident and had the supplies at the counter for her.

“I can come over tomorrow afternoon and put it up, if that’s okay with you,” he said.

“That would be wonderful,” said Mildred. “I’ll make my special chili that you like and you can have dinner with me for your help.”

“I can’t wait, Aunt Mildred,” said Dewey. “You’re the best! I’ll just keep the supplies and bring them when I come over.”

“Sounds like a plan,” Mildred replied as she gave him a hug before she left the store.

It was strange how everything seemed to be deserted. She passed very few cars on the road. She had a bad feeling that she couldn’t seem to shake, but shook it off anyway and turned the radio back on.

“…Special Bulletin. A man escaped the county jail earlier today and is believed to be hiding in the area. He left the jail on foot after stabbing two guards. The man is of average height and build. White. Mid-thirties and wearing a gray prison jumpsuit. If seen, do not approach. He is dangerous. Leave the area and call for help….”

The announcer went on to give a more detailed account, but Mildred’s mind had gone into overdrive thinking about the town being in danger. This had happened before and there were discussions at all the town meetings about lack of security at the jail. The turnover of security guards was ridiculous. No one stayed there for long. Now Mildred was really spooked. She decided to stop at the closest grocery store and make the pharmacy her last stop. She wanted to get home and make sure her daughter was safe, as well as her home.

Of course, at the grocery store, she ran into a couple of neighbors. They discussed the jailbreak at length and what they could do to make their homes safe until this man was found. One of the neighbors had seen a bunch of police officers near the post office and ‘crime scene’ tape roping off an area behind the feed store. He’d asked the feed store owner what was going on and was told a woman’s body had been found, murdered, behind the store not thirty minutes earlier.

“I was at the post office about an hour ago,” said Mildred. “I even parked on that side of the street.”

“You were lucky, then,” said the neighbor. “That could have easily been you.”

Mildred hurried to get the items she needed from the store and nearly ran to her car. She threw the small bag into the passenger side of the front seat and headed to the pharmacy for her daughter’s medication. She called her daughter to let her know what was going on and to stay inside her friend’s house until she came to pick her up.

Mildred was driving faster than she normally would but she wouldn’t feel safe until she was at home with all the doors and windows locked. She needed to be with her daughter and she felt she wouldn’t rest until this man was caught. What her neighbor said about the murdered woman was haunting her. It could have been me, she thought.

Mildred was in line at the drive-thru window for the pharmacy pick-up. She was agitated and anxious to get out of there. It should only take a moment to get the medication. She had called it in earlier in the day. Finally, it was her turn at the window. She made eye contact with the pharmacy tech. The young man looked upset.

“I’m here to pick up my daughter’s medication,” said Mildred.

The tech looked her in the eye, then turned around to speak with the pharmacist.

“I’m afraid there was a problem with the script,” said the tech. “You need to come into the store so we can straighten it out.”

“I’m in a hurry,” said Mildred. “I don’t have time for this. Just tell me what the problem is and fix it. I have to pick up my daughter.”

“No,” said the tech, still looking her in the eye. “You have to come inside to fix this. I can’t let you have the medication until you do.”

“Oh, for Pete’s sake!” Mildred put the car in gear and started to pull away.

“Please park in the handi-capped spot by the door,” said the tech. “You will be able to leave quicker.”

Mildred was so frustrated she almost floored it to get to the front of the pharmacy. She was really pissed now. Her daughter was waiting. A killer was on the loose. If her daughter wasn’t out of the medication, she would forget it altogether.

She parked in the space, as she was instructed, and ran in the door. Of course, the pharmacy was in the back of the store, just adding to Mildred’s frustration. When she approached the pharmacy counter, the tech and the pharmacist were waiting for her.

“Something must be really bad,” said Mildred.

The tech and pharmacist came out of the enclosed pharmacy area and sat her down in the chairs that were provided for customers.

“What is going on?” Mildred was starting to lose it.

The pharmacy tech spoke first. “I could see into your car since I am located higher up than your vehicle at the drive-thru window. There is a man crouched down in the backseat floor board and he has a large butcher knife. I had to get you out of that car.”

“I called the police,” said the pharmacist. “That is why we instructed you to park by the front door.”

Mildred almost passed out. She started crying with the shock of how close she had come to death. If not for the tech, the man might have killed her and her daughter. The tech put his arm around her and let her cry. After a few minutes, a police officer arrived to speak with them.

The officer informed them that they had apprehended the man and he was indeed the man that had escaped from the jail. The knife still had blood on it so they would be able to prove he had been the one to murder the woman behind the feed store.

Mildred was so grateful that she had not left the pharmacy as she had almost done. They all went to the front entrance and gave their statements. Mildred was given an escort to pick up her daughter and return home. The officer checked her home because she was so frightened and it was all clear. She and her daughter thanked the officer and together gave thanks for the quick-thinking tech that had given Mildred her narrow escape.

Several hours later, Mildred’s daughter was asleep and she was preparing for bed when a knock sounded at the door. She looked out and saw the police officer from earlier standing on her front porch. She opened the door to see him smiling.

“This is just a follow up to make sure you are okay,” he said.

Mildred smiled back and opened the door wider. She never saw the butcher knife he was holding behind his back.