The Typewriter

Chapter 21 or Day 21 of NaNoWriMo 2012 (1,745 words)

Chapter 21: Caption Whitehead's morning

As he drove out of the hospital parking lot, Captain Whitehead contemplated his next move. Perhaps, he thought turning east onto Main Street. I should have as Wainwright what he meant by Brigadier General Baldwin being incoherent, but with so many people listening in that probably wouldn't have been a good idea. It's bad enough several of them heard the incoherent in relation to Baldwin, when that gets back to Brigadier General Lux he'll have fuel to grab Baldwin's seat on the Supreme Council for one of his people. Whitehead hated being in the middle of a power struggle between two rival generals. Not for the first time, he consider taking early retirement to a deserted island in the middle of the Mermaid Ocean.

Pulling the car to the curb in front of Gray Landscaping, he ignored the No Parking on Street sign, pulled a Military Police placard from the glove compartment and placed it in the front window on the passenger side of the vehicle. Then he got out of the car and went into the building. "Miss," he said walking up to the reception desk. "Is Morgan Holloway in yet?"

"Yes, Sir," she pressed the call button on the intercom. "Who shall I say is calling?"

"Captain Whitehead."

"Captain Whitehead," said Morgan coming out of his office. "What can I do for you?"

"I stopped by to let you know that K. C. Wainwright had to drive Brigadier General Baldwin to the Emergency Room this morning and is waiting for the General to see a doctor."

"In that case, they'll probably be waiting all day. Thank you, Captain Whitehead."

"You're welcome," he turned and left. When he got out to the car he found Constable Parker waiting for him.

"Whitehead," Parker snarled. "This isn't a Military base, the next time you park that car on the street I'll have it towed."

"I'll remember that," Whitehead got into the car and drove off.

Thirty minutes later Whitehead drove up to General Baldwin's front gate to find twenty soldiers in full battle armor carrying picks and shovels. He got out of his car, unlocked the gate and then turned to the officer in charge. "Captain Walton," he saluted. "Are you'll going into battle or are you building a bridge?"

"General Baldwin," he handed his orders to Captain Whitehead. "Wants us to look for bodies in a Ms. Applewhite's private garden."

Whitehead took the orders, read them, and handed them back to Walton. "So General Markov is backing Baldwin in this power play."

"What are you talking about, Whitehead?"

"Come inside," he went back to his car and got in. "I have to secure the Baldwin residence while The General is waiting in the Emergency Room to see a doctor. It's going to be a while before he gets back here, so you and your troopers may as well assist me."

Inside the yard, Whitehead parked his car in front of the garage and got out. He walked over to the rose bush and shook his head. "Well it looks like someone attacked General Baldwin's prize rose with a shot gun." He turned to Walton, "Captain, could you have one of your troopers begin a Crime Scene Investigation," he smiled. "General Baldwin is going to be really pissed if we don't find out who attacked his rose bush."

Walton just glared, while his troopers attempted unsuccessfully not to laugh. All of them knew about the rivalry between Baldwin and Lux. They all admired Captain Whitehead's ability to retrain his rank and sense of humor, while walking the cease fire line between the two Generals.

"Lighten up, Walton," they went onto the front porch. Where Captain Whitehead picked up Baldwin's slippers before going into the house. Inside, he stared at the floor before turning to Walton. "Captain, do you or any of your troopers know how to get shit stains out of a spider silk carpet?"

"I suspect that's an impossible task," Walton growled.

Baa Baa Baa echoed through the house and a few minutes later a ewe, followed by two lambs, entered the living room from the kitchen. A corporal, assisted by two privates, secured the animals and took them out of the house. Before turning the sheep loose in the yard, the corporal shut and locked the front gate. Then going back into the house, he reported to Captain Walton, "Sir, the sheep are in the yard and the front gate is locked. Do you want me to check the yard for more livestock?"

"Go ahead, Corporal Jones, we may as well earn our pay while we're here." When Corporal Jones, accompanied by a lieutenant and a sargent left, Walton motioned the other troopers to follow. "All right, Whitehead, what the hell's going on?"

"I wish I knew, Captain," he headed for the front door. "Why don't we go out on the porch where it smells better to talk?"

"What do you mean," Walton sit down in the porch swing.

"This morning," he sat down next to Walton. "I got an anonymous phone call telling me General Baldwin was in the Dragonview hospital Emergency Room. When I arrived at the ER, the General's yardman informed me that he had found Baldwin sitting in this swing talk incoherently. There were too many people in the waiting room for me to ask too many questions without one of Lux's spies overhearing. Therefore, I took the gate key and came here to secure the property."

"That puts the Applewhite operation on hold." he looked at the troops lounging around the front yard. "I'll give everyone a pass to go into town..."

"No, you will not, Captain Walton!" Whitehead frowned, "We can't afford anyone in town finding out why you and your troops are here. If Lydia Applewhite gets wind of this we'll all disappear off the face of the planet."

"Whitehead, one little old lady can't..."

"Walton, this 'little old lady' is the most powerful sorceress this side of the Dragon Mountains. Baldwin not believing in sorcerers or magic doesn't effect their existence."

Lieutenant Harris set on the top step of the porch listening to the conversation between Captain Whitehead and Captain Walton. He knew this was his chance to make an impression on his commanders that could lead to a raise in rank, he just had to figure out how. After a few minutes a big smile crossed his face. He got up, went to Sargent Cline, and whispered something into his ear. Then he climbed the steps to the porch and stood patiently in front of the two captains.

"Yes, Harris," said Walton.

"Sir, my men are getting restless. I've got to find something for them to do to keep their minds and bodies occupied." He paused as if thinking, "I know that their all over qualified when it comes to cleaning a house, but right now I can't think of anything else for them to do. Therefore, I'm ordering them to clean Brigadier General Baldwin's home."

"Well, Lieutenant," Walton smiled. "You know you men better then I do; go ahead and give the order."

"I have one problem, Captain Walton?"

"What's that?"

"The carpet in the living room!"

"I suppose we'll have to take it up.... Wait a minute," he took out his cell phone. "My sister lives in Dragonview, maybe she knows of something that will get the carpet clean." He dialed Mary Ann Walton-Gray's home.

"Hello, Maze, is Mary there."

"This is her brother and I needed to as her a cleaning question."

"All right, Maze, but please don't laugh."

"How do you get sheep dung stains off a spider silk carpet?"

"No, Maze, I'm not drunk. Unfortunately, I quite sober."

"I see, well that sound simple enough."

"Yes, if I have any more questions I'll call you."

"She said," he put the phone back in his pocket. "To try baking soda and vinegar. She said to put a paste of baking soda and vinegar over the effected area, let it set for about an hour, and then vacuum. Then to repeat if needed."

"If it doesn't work," ask Captain Whitehead.

"Then I guess we buy Brigadier General Baldwin a new carpet," Walton frowned.

After two hours the soldiers had the piles of sheep dung removed from the carpet and the furniture moved out into the front yard. They were now ready to apply the baking soda and vinegar to the carpet. Captain Walton called Maze again, "Hi, Maze, this is Captain Walton. I've got a bit of a problem."

"I don't have enough baking soda and vinegar to clean all the effected areas."

"I'm guessing about a barrel of each."

"I'm here in Dragonview at Brigadier General Baldwin's home."

"All right, the address is... Oh, you know the address."

He went into the kitchen where he found Lieutenant Harris and Captain Whitehead having a cup of coffee. "Lieutenant, could you or one of the troopers go to the front gate. My sister's maid will be arriving with more baking soda and vinegar."

"What's her name, Sir?"

"Maze Holloway, she half elf."

Pouring himself another cup of coffee, Harris picked the gate keys up off the table and left. After the lieutenant was gone, Walton removed a cup from the cupboard, poured himself some coffee, and sit down at the table.

"Walton," said Whitehead nibbling on a piece of toast. "Your sister wouldn't happen to be Mary Ann Walton-Gray of Gray Landscaping."

"Yes, you know her."

"I haven't had the pleasure yet, but no doubt I'll meet her soon."

Two hours later, Maze accompanied by Morgan and several trooper carried in several grocery bags containing vinegar and baking soda. Morgan handed Captain Walton the receipts, found clean cup and then poured himself and Maze some coffee.

"Captain Whitehead," Morgan and Maze sit down at the table. "It's nice to see you again, have you met my wife."

"Nice to meet you, Mrs. Holloway," he shook her hand.

"Where's Mary," ask Captain Walton.

"She and Arnold, Jr. at at Miss Lydia's this afternoon. Arnold is interviewing Miss Lydia about Dragonview history."

"I suppose you have a lot of question, Morgan," Walton's hands were shaking.

"Captain," Morgan smiled. "My only question is where the ewe and lambs came from, I know they weren't hear yesterday and Gray Landscaping provides human gardeners not live stock."

Walton and Whitehead exchanged a quick glance, then Walton said, "They were here when we arrived."