The Little Girl Who Lives Down The Lane - Part 6
By Barbara Lynn Terry

(Author’s note: Susan Marie Kelly is an involuntary nom de plume for Barbara Lynn Terry. When it says submitted by Susan Marie Kelly, it should read “submitted by Barbara Lynn Terry. Thank you. Barbara.)

Chapter 8 - After the extradition hearings.

Part 1 - Jonah Carruthers and David Adams are taken back to Detroit.

After the judge gave the order for extradition, deputies of the Addison county sheriff’s office, took David Adams back to his cell in the county jail. When he got back, the other prisoners wanted to know what happened.

“That stupid judge extradited me and turned me over to Belford. Well, Belford is all alone, and it won’t be too hard to get away from him. He thinks that because he is a big shot detective in Detroit, he can be one here too. I have very bad news for this cop.”

“Yes, but what if he faxes for assistance? Won’t Detroit send a couple of cops to help him?”

“Big Bob Belford is an egotist. He won’t ask for help, because he thinks he can handle me all by himself. He has no idea of the connections I have.”

Big Jim Donohue was doing ten years for armed robbery. He was back in court trying to get his conviction over turned.

“So, how are you going to handle him?”

“I’d rather not say now. I will handle him, though.”

While David Adams was talking to his fellow cellmates, Detective Robert Belford was in the police communication center, faxing the Detroit police department, that Jonah Carruthers and David Adams have been ordered extradited. Please send two officers to assist detective Robert Belford, DPD. Detective Belford then signed it with his name and payroll number. He hoped it wouldn’t take long to get an answer.

While he was waiting, he was talking to the officers of the Pine Forest police department.

“How much time do you think they will get, when they are convicted?” Asked Steve Hastings.

“If each one is convicted, they both stand to be in prison for the rest of their lives. Jonah Carruthers is charged with attempted murder and murder and other charges. David Adams is charged with murder and other charges. When they are found guilty on the murder charge, alone, they will be sentenced to life in prison.”

“It is a pity that a grown man has to behave like that,” Steve Hastings mused. “Maybe someday, the world will not have men like Jonah Wilson Carruthers or David Adams. Maybe.”

“I hope so, too, Steve,” Robert Belford said, in answer to what Steve had stated. “You know, Steve, if we didn’t have men like those two, maybe we could have a job that pays better.”

Senior officer, Steve Hastings, chuckled at that last part of detective Belford’s words.

“Yes, maybe we would. But, the sad part is, we will never see that day come. So, until it does, the world will need people like us to enforce the law.”

“Yeah, and more’s the pity,” detective Belford said in finality. “I wonder what’s taking my answer fax so long.”

“Maybe they’re busy. I hear Detroit is a fast paced department.”

“If you only knew, Steve.”

“Bob, it looks like your fax came through. Jim Donovan and Greg Houston are on the way to help you with the prisoners,” Tony Palmetti told the detective.

“They are two good officers. Always there to lend a helping hand, not only to other officers, but to people in distress and children. There was one time, Jim was off duty and he was shopping at the supermarket. He saw this old lady struggling to get her groceries out of the store. When he learned she had to take the bus to get home, he showed her his identification and offered to take her home. She consented, and the next month, Jim’s name was on the board of honor that we have on our station lobby wall.

“He didn’t do this for being honored, but, that is the type of guy he is. He loves helping people, no matter what their circumstances are. Greg is a gung ho, rugged type that loves to go nature hiking when he isn’t working. He says he gets a good cardio workout that way. But, he, too, loves helping people. That is why the station put them both together. They get along with each other, and they both have things in common. I’m glad it’s these two that are coming to help take these two very dangerous criminals back to stand trial.

“Sounds like Detroit has a good police department,” Greg Olsen said, as he came up to the group.

“We do, there are a lot officers that are given a bad rap by criminals, but, you know how it goes. Criminals that have been convicted have this, ‘I didn’t do anything’, attitude. They blame us for their being in prison. Does the fax say when Jim and Greg will be here?”

“It just says, ‘got your fax, and we are on the way. I am bringing Greg Houston with me’, and it was signed Jim Donovan.”

“That means they will be here later today or sometime tomorrow. They should be flying in, and I should fax them to …”

“Wait, Bob. There’s another fax coming in.” They waited for the fax to complete. “It says, ‘Bob, we are leaving immediately, and flying down. Then we can drive back in your car. Best wishes, Jim.’ So,” Greg Olsen said, “it looks like you will be leaving with those two jerks today.”

“Looks like. But, now that I know about this block party, I am going to have the chief post a notice asking other officers not on active duty, to come down and enjoy the festivities. If I wasn’t too concerned about getting these two extradited, I would have had more than a hot dog and a beer. But, I will be back to have fun, the next time that I can.”

“That sounds like a plan to me,” Steve Hastings told his new friend and colleague from a different jurisdiction. “It appears that you have about an hour on your hands, doing nothing. How about I show you around?”

“Alright,” detective Belford answered Steve.

Steve showed the detective around, starting with the booking room, where prisoners were charged, photographed and fingerprinted. Then he showed Robert Belford the narcotics squad room, where there were four detectives, two of which were questioning prisoners. They went from there to the cell block where prisoners were temporarily kept until their initial court appearance. Steve then took the detective outside and showed him, where on the police department building, they had cameras that could see for three blocks in any direction.

Finally and not least, Steve showed Bob the dispatch office. This is where they were dispatched to their various crime scenes. It made no difference whether it was just a family disturbance or a traffic violation, to other minor and major crime scenes. The Pine Forest police station/headquarters was more than adequate for this small town.

After the tour was complete, Steve drove the detective to the airport to pick up Jim and Greg. When they got to the airport, the plane from Detroit was just landing. When Jim Donovan and Greg Houston came in to the terminal from the plane, they immediately saw Bob.

“Hey, Bob, thanks for the short furlough. So, we finally got a hold of those two.”

“Yes, we did, thanks to a little help from the Pine Forest police department. Jim Donovan, Greg Houston, this is senior police trainer, Steve Hastings.”

Jim and Greg shook hands with Steve and said it was nice meeting him. On the way back to Pine Forest from the airport, Robert Belford related to his colleagues about the block party they put on more than once a year in honor of a Pine Forest resident who had passed away. When detective Belford said that the money collected from the block party went in to an account, to be used for a deserving high school student’s scholarship, the other two Detroit detectives said that was a very good way to honor someone special.

Steve told them about Mrs. Mae Harkins and all the good things she did and all the good ideas she had. Jim and Greg were amazed that a whole town could honor just one person.

“I was thinking,” Bob told his friends. “That maybe we could get the chief to post a notice about this block party, and have other officers come down when they are off duty. It really is a fun fastival.”

“I will have to come and see,” Jim said in an answer. “When I am off duty. I mean, it is only across the state line.”

“We could come down together, Jim,” Greg told his partner.

“We could use all the help we can get, to get the money to send one deserving high school student to college on a scholarship. This scholarship was founded at a town council meeting, one week after Mrs. Mae Harkins passed away. Since then, we have sent two deserving students to college on the scholarship.”

“Who determines who gets the scholarship?” Asked Greg Houston.

“It is determined at a town hall meeting, one month before school lets out for the summer,” Steve told his new friends. “It is based on grades, classroom participation, SAT scores and attitude. When the student meets all of these qualifications to the satisfaction of the school, then their name is presented to the mayor’s office, who then holds the town hall meeting. We all have a vote. This year will be the third year we will send a deserving high school student to college.”

“Is this block party the only source of income for the scholarship?” Asked Jim Donovan.

“No. We have different events throughout the year. The money taken in from those events is placed in to the account for the scholarship. This coming weekend, at our community center, we are having a square dance. While admission is free, the people who come must pay for their food and drinks. Nobody in town complains, because Mrs. Mae Harkins was very well respected.

“With this scholarshp, we keep that sense of respect alive. We have sent notices to the other towns around here, and we do get a few occasionally from them, but, for the most part, it is mainly the townspeople who contribute the money for the scholarship.”

“This sounds like the kind of town I would like to live in,” stated Jim Donovan.

“Also,” continued Steve Haskins, “during the winter we have sledding competitions, ice skating events, we even have a snowman building contest. So, all through the year we have one event after another. Every event is in Mrs. Mae Harkins honor. It is the least we can do for a lady who gave most of her time to help the people of Pine Forest.”

“Now I know this is the kind of town I would like to live in,” Jim Donovan repeated himself.

“You know Jim, Bob,” Greg Houston mused. “If we all moved down here, maybe we could get jobs as detectives here.”

“We have four detectives here, and they all work in narcotics. Other than that, all the other officers are in uniform. I am the senior trainer. I train rookies assigned to me. If you three did move here, then I would have you do all the driving. That way, you get to know the area. You will find that surrounding towns all start with the word pine. Like, we have Pine Woods, Pine Grove, Pine Forest, and so on. Pine Forest is the county seat of Addison county.”

“Well, all I can say is, this is one great town. By the way; how much serious crime is there here?” Asked Greg Houston.

“Well, from our local people, not many serious crimes. We do get the occasional out-of-towner that comes in and starts trouble. Like the two you are taking back to Detroit. By the way, David Carruthers is in our jail. He is waiting to go to court and see if we can waive him in to adult court, to be tried as an adult.”

“That little pain in the ass, needs to be tried as an adult. He is trouble 101,” Jim told Steve.

“I went to tell Jonah that we had his son in our jail, and that he was arrested for assaulting a transgender person. You know that Jonah had the nerve to ask me to drop the charges against his son, and let David go. When I said no, he came down here looking for the transgender person, and started making threats. We arrested him, and I ran his name, picture and prints. What I got back was wanted posters for both Jonah Wilson Carruthers and David Adams.”

“Yep, that sounds like something Jonah would do,” added Jim Donovan. “These two are not going to be happy to see us. But, oh well.”

“Well,” Greg Houston told the others. “Let’s get these two cuffed and stuffed.”

Steve took them to the county jail, and showed the warrants to the undersheriff, who promptly ordered the two prisoners turned over to the Detroit police officers. When Jonah and David Adams were brought out to the desk, they saw Jim Donovan and Greg Houston standing there with Robert Belford.

“By the looks on your faces, you seem surprised to see us. You didn’t think detective Belford was going to take you two back to Detroit alone. Did you?” Jim Donovan addressed the two suspects.

“Also, Jonah, David, there is another charge, now, for each of you. It is called flight to avoid prosecution. I am going to have a party at my house when you two are convicted,” Greg Houston told the two wanted men.

The epithets that came out of heir mouths was something even a truck driver wouldn’t repeat.

“Bob, where is your car?”

“In the parking lot, Jim. All we need to do is get them restrained and placed in the car. By the way, I brought an official car with ordinary license plates.”

“That’s good. Steve, it was nice to have met you, and I will be back for your festivals as much as I can.”

“Same here, Jim, Greg. You have a safe trip back to Detroit. Bob, nice to have met you, and don’t be a stranger.”

“Don’t worry, Steve, unless I am working, wild horses couldn’t keep me away.”

After they had gotten Jonah Carruthers and David Adams in the car, Steve shook hands with all three of the Detroit detectives. Robert Belford pulled out of the police garage and headed north to Detroit.

Part 2 - The Shepard family tours their new town.

Meanwhile, at 1734 Ginger Lane, the Shepard family was packing a picnic lunch to have while they were out. They were going to look around the area, to become familiar with the roads, nearby towns, and look around the city of Pine Forest. Kathy and Jimmy Shepard were especially interested in where things were; like Burger King, McDonald’s, Taco Bell, Wendy’s, theaters, department stores; all the important things. John Shepard wanted to know where the airport was, because he needed to fly out at least twice a year to visit his hardware stores and check his warehouses.

During this trip, somewhere along the journey’s path, they were going to stop and have a picnic lunch out in the open air. Eileen Shepard made the cole slaw and the potato salad. Kathy Shepard made sure that everything was packed in the cooler, and the pinic basket. They had enough food to last the day.

During this trip, Jimmy and Kathy Shepard liked to play cloud formation games. They would look for a cloud in the shape of something they recognized. Since Eileen was not driving, she joined the children in this game. But, just so they could see the clouds together, Jimmy and Kathy were looking out of the back car window. They did not block the rear view mirror.

Road trips are what you make it. They can be boring, or they could be fun. But, the Shepard family never thought that anything they did was boring. Like the city of Pine Forest, the Shepard family loved to have fun. Today was going to be more fun than normal, because they get to visit five different towns.

John Shepard made a mental note to visit all of the hardware stores in each of the five towns. Eileen Shepard wanted to know where all of the stores that sold cloth and knitting supplies were. Jimmy and Kathy Shepard wanted to make new friends. No matter where the Shepard family was going on this sunny day, they each had an agenda to follow.

The first town John Shepard went to, was the Village of Pine Woods. It is a small town, of twenty five thousand people, most of whom lived on their farms or in their country homes.

“Well, I am going to talk to the owner and look over his store. Maybe I can give him a little push in the right direction.”

“I’ll be with the children. I want to see if they have a Joanne Fabrics store here,” Eileen told her husband. “Maybe we will look for a toy store, too.”

“Most of these small towns have hardware, clothing, fabrics, farm machinery, toys, automobile fluids and parts store all in one. Why not come along with me? I’m sure you’ll be able to look around and see if there is anything you like. Jimmy, you and Kathy can look around, too.”

c“Then when the snow comes, I will teach you. At first though, I will teach you on a small hill. Then when you are used to that, we can ski on a little bigger hill.”

“Sounds great, dad,” both children said in unison.

“I am going to talk to George and see where everybody goes ice skating around here. I know fall isn’t officially here, yet, but it pays to be ready when winter comes.”

“John, I think the hardware store may have what I need. We will look around and see. I want to get some material to make curtains and drapes. Oh, children look, your father’s one room shack.”

Eileen said that when she saw a run down barn. Even John Shepard laughed.

“You’re giving away my secrets, dear.” Everybody giggled and laughed.

They went back to playing their cloud games, and saw one that looked like the state of Florida. They were coming in to Pine Woods, and the main street wasn’t connected to the highway, like in Pine Forest, but it was three blocks from the village limits.

John Shepard came to a stop sign at the highway and Main Street. There was a sign pointing to the police station, the hospital, and the business district. John turned toward the business district and found the hardware store on the corner of Pine Street and Oak Avenue. John Shepard noticed that in this area of the state, everything was named after trees, ferns, grasses, and flowers. There was even a Dandelion Road.

John parked the car in the parking lot behind the hardware store..They went in the store, and the first thing that John Shepard saw, was a pair of skis.

“Jimmy, Kathy, how would you like to learn how to ski?”

“I would love to,” Jimmy Shepard answered his father.

“I would, too, dad,” Kathy echoed her brother.

A man in his forties came over by John and his family; “Hello, folks, may I help you find something?”

“Is the owner or the manager in?”

“I’m Hugh Creston, the owner.”

“I’m John Shepard of Shepard Hardware. I would like to see what kind of stock you have in hardware.”

“Mr. Shepard, I am very happy to meet you. I order all my hardware from your mid state warehouse. We have had nothing but compliments about the quality of your products.”

“Well, thank you, Mr. Creston, and you may call me, John.”

“I’m Hugh. Is that your family?”

“Yes, let me introduce you. Dear, this is the owner of the store, Mr. Hugh Creston. He says he orders all of his hardware from my company.”

“Hello, I’m looking for material to make curtains and drapes. I would like to see your needlework, too, if you carry needlework.”

“Mrs. Shepard, we carry a full line of material for any purpose you wish to use it for. We have dress patterns, we have knitting and crochet supplies. Anything you want in the way of material to make whatever you wish to make, we carry. Did you move in to town?”

“We bought Mrs. Harkins cottage in Pine Forest on Ginger Lane.”

“Now there was a lady. She was an angel. She came in here one afternoon and asked for a bolt of cobalt blue satin material. I told her I was going to give it to her at a discount, and she told me, ‘nonsense young man, I will pay the regular price’. She didn’t accept charity, and she didn’t want things at a discount, if the thing she wanted wasn’t on sale. She did give to charity, though. As far as this part of the state is concerned, Mae Harkins is an angel. When did you folks move in?”

“I bought the cottage outright on Friday. We had quite the time helping at the block party.”

“What did you think of the block party?” Hugh asked John.

“I thought it was a lot of fun. I helped George Simons on the grill he was working. The children went on ride after ride, and played game after game. But, all in all, it was a lot of fun. We did have a little drama, but the police put a stop to that.”

“Well, feel free to look around, and if you see something you like, just holler.” Hugh went back to stocking the shelves.

Part 3 - On the road to Detroit.

As detective Robert Belford was driving along the interstate, he happened to notice a car that has been following them.

“Greg, raise the state police. Tell them we are delivering two wanted felons to the Wayne County Jail, and that we are being followed. The license number is,” Robert Belford whispered it in Greg’s ear. “You fellas are in for a big surpriase when we get you two delivered to the sheriff. Oh! Don’t worry about signaling your friends, you can’t turn around or raise your arms. If they pull along side of us and try to help you escape, they will be right in the jail with you. Remember, we have the connection to the state police.”

As they continued to drive, they saw a Michigan State Police car pull behind the tailing car. Seeing that they had been spotted, the car following the detectives with their charges, pulled off the highway. The state police followed them.

Detective Belford looked in the rear view mirror at the two wanted men.

“Your buddies pulled off the highway with the stat police right behind them. You better hope they don’t have any weapons.”

All you could hear was effen damn, and Robert Belford just smiled. Thirty minutes later, detective Belford pulled up to the Wayne County Sheriff’s building at 1231 Saint Antoine Street, in Detroit. Detective Belford beeped his car horn twice, and the doors opened admitting the detectives to the garage.

“What do we have here, Bob?” Inquired the sheriff sergeant on duty.

“We have Jonah Wilson Carruthers and David Adams. These are the warrants we picked them up on, in Pine Forest.”

“Well, well, well. It seems Santa Claus has come a little early this year,” the sergeant said. “Gentlemen, welcome back home.”

There was snickering coming from the three Detroit detectives.

“Lou, we’re going to leave, because we know these two are in good hands.” There was more snickering.

Greg Houston unchained the two criminals, and placed the shackles back in the trunk.

Louis (Lou) Reid was a deputy sergeant with the Wayne County sheriff’s department. He has worked there since turning twenty one. At forty two, Lou didn’t care for any rank above sergeant. He wasn’t glory hungry.

The three detectives went to the Detroit police administration building, where they were stationed in homicide. Actually, detective Belford went down to get Jonah Carruthers. David Adams was just icing on the cake.

Next chapter: Jonah Carruthers and David Adams go before the judge.