Outrunning Villainy

Chapter 4: How to Find a Bad Neighborhood

Chapter 4: How to Find a Bad Neighborhood





Once they reached the outskirts of Columbia, the problem became how to find a bad neighborhood.


“Now that we’re here, I have no idea where to go. I don’t know Columbia very well,” Engrid admitted.


“Let’s just drive around a bit and see what we can find.”


“If we do find this ‘neighborhood’ what are we going to do then? I mean, we’re five gleaming white people driving around in a Lincoln in the middle of the night. We’re making a really big target out of ourselves,” Andrew pointed out.


“That’s a bit racist. If we were black we could still get mugged.” Engrid stated, “Black people can be victims too, you know.”


“Well of course black people can get mugged too. I didn’t mean it as a racist statement; I only meant that we’re making targets out of ourselves.”


Engrid thought about it for a moment. “We could go undercover. Dora, do you remember that thrift shop we volunteered in a few years ago? We helped them to their annual inventory audit. It’s open until 10. If I can just remember where it is we could get some clothes and go undercover at a homeless shelter and see if we can ask around.”


“Engrid, you’re a brainchild,” Andrew exclaimed, “That’s precisely what we’ll do. Evan, Myrtle and Dora can be our back-up in case we get into trouble or chicken out. Myrtle and Evan can come get us while Dora contacts the police if necessary and directs them to our whereabouts. You and I will go undercover and we’ll use our cell phones to communicate if we need to.”


“This sounds dangerous,” Myrtle said, “You two could get hurt.”


“We’ll be fine.”


Dora spoke up, “If you turn left up here, go down about three blocks, the thrift shop is on the left. It’s on the corner of Floyd Street and Minnesota Avenue.”


Engrid skillfully guided the big luxury sedan to the curb in front of the thrift shop. It was still open, its bright, fluorescent lights illuminating the dark street.


“You three stay in here, Engrid and I will go in. Evan, you drive.” Andrew directed.


Andrew and Engrid got out of the car and peered in the window of the late night thrift shop. “I’m glad this is open. It would be a lot harder to pass as a homeless person dressed the way we are.”


“Yeah. We’re dressed for a different kind of dinner party.”


“I just hope this goes okay and we can rescue that girl without getting our fool selves killed in the process.” Engrid said.


“If we have a problem, I will try to get us out.”


“What are you, a ju-jitsu master or something?”


Andrew just smiled coyly and pulled open the glass door.


“You are aren’t you?” Engrid sounded surprised.


“I picked up a few tricks while I lived in Japan.”


They started rambling through the racks of second-hand clothing trying to find something that could pass for what they were up to. There were a few possibilities.


“How long did you live in Japan?”


“Uncle Ray was stationed in east Asia for 4 years. We lived in Japan and in South Korea mostly and a little while in Thailand.”


“Where is he now?”


“Uncle Ray is now a colonel and he’s lives near the naval base in San Diego, California.”


“That sounds pretty.”


“I do like San Diego.”


“I cannot imagine living in a foreign country. I had an Aunt Sylvia back in Oregon. She was a missionary in China back around 1890 to 1910. Then the Boxer Rebellion happened and they threw her and every other American Westerner out of the country. I loved to listen to her stories of living in China back in those days. She would tell stories about people who came to their mission and the things they did to help.”


“We’re helping someone in need too. Right here in Columbia, South Carolina. You don’t always have to go to China to be a missionary.”


“No, I don’t suppose so. I guess you do what you can where you are. But for some people, their calling is overseas. I’ve just never felt like that for me.”


“Neither have I. I enjoyed being over there but I’m pretty set here.”


“That’s good. What do you think of this?” Engrid held up an old dress that looked like it had been made from an even older curtain. It was faded floral print with slightly off-set seams. But it had been double stitched.


“As long as you don’t end up like its original owner.”


“What do you mean?”


“Looking at the dress, my guess is that it was made by hand many years ago. Then the owner, who took great pride in making it, died and her kids dumped all her old clothes here. See, there are several dresses on this rack with the same style and similar prints.


“It’s about my size. I think this is the one I’ll wear. You can wear that ratty old tweed coat and herringbone dress shirt from over there.”


“Hmmm. It’s not 1978. I’ll just wear this T-shirt and this pair of jeans with the holes in the legs.”


“That would be fine.”


They made their purchases and went outside. Engrid tapped on the glass of the front passenger window and Myrtle pressed the button and the window descended with an electric hum.


Engrid stated, “We’re going to go over there in that alley and change our clothes. We’ll be back in a minute.”


“Um…okay.” No knowing what else to say in response, Myrtle pressed the other button and the window ascended again and Engrid and Andrew walked away.


Once in the alley, Engrid said, “Okay, I’m going over there behind that dumpster to change. No peeking.”


“I won’t. I promise I won’t peek.”


“Don’t sound so certain. Geez give an old lady at least the feeling that she can still turn heads.”


“You can turn heads; the question is whether they’re turning towards or away.”


“That’s mean.” She smiled, “Then I won’t peek at you either.”


“You were planning on peeking?”


She pursed her lips. “It had crossed my mind.” She took her newly acquired floral print housecoat-looking dress towards the dumpster. She looked over her shoulder just in time to see Andrew pulling his shirt off over his head. She couldn’t help herself. She scurried behind the dumpster and peeked around the corner. Andrew didn’t change clothes one piece at a time. He’d taken off both his shirt and his pants at the same time.


“My goodness,” Engrid whispered to herself. She quickly banished any inappropriate thoughts from her head and went about changing her own outfit.


“Are you finished yet?” Andrew called out.


“I’m an old woman, give me a few minutes.” She was kind of embarrassed at herself for the thoughts that momentarily flashed through her mind when she saw the beautiful man in the moonlight only pair of undershorts away from being stark naked. She pulled the dress over her head and smoothed out the bottom hem against her legs. “I wish I’d brought a slip, this material is rather rough.”


“You are wearing underwear aren’t you?”


“Yes, of course I am. But the legs are uncovered.”


“We can find a 24 hour Wal-Mart and you can pick up a slip and some pantyhose if you’d be more comfortable.”


“No, no, this will be fine. I’ll only be wearing this dress for a few hours. Then I’ll donate it back to the thrift shop.”


The pair emerged from the alleyway clad in their new outfits.


The trio in the car started chuckling as Engrid pulled open the car door.


“What’s so funny?” Engrid asked, readjusting her dress to sit down in the car.


“You,” Dora said, “You look like a Baptist church lady after a nuclear winter.”


“Very funny,” She did not seem particularly amused, “Now we have to find a homeless shelter. I was hoping there was someone in the alley we could ask, but there wasn’t anyone there but us.”


“You could ask the store clerk. She might know.”


Engrid was out of the car in a flash and headed through the door of the thrift shop. She returned momentarily. “Okay, it’s only a few miles from here.”


She gave them directions from her place in the backseat while Evan drove the car. After a few turns down dark, deserted streets, they had no idea where they were.


“I could have sworn this is where she said it was. Circle the block and see if we see it.”


They drove around for a bit and came out in a better lit area with more streetlights.


Myrtle pointed out ahead, “There’s a police car. We can ask him for directions.”


As they slowed for their approach to the police car, another patrol car appeared out of what seemed like thin air and screeched to a halt, blocking the street. The officer jumped out of his car and ran toward a tree. He tackled someone and dragged the perpetrator out of the shrubbery and slammed him down on the sidewalk.


“Good Lord let’s get out of here!” Dora shouted. Evan threw the car into reverse as another police car came up behind them and blocked the other exit.


“Oh my, this isn’t good.” Engrid observed.


“The officer in the car behind them jumped out and pointed his service revolver at the Lincoln full of people. “Shut off the engine and step out of the car.”


Having handcuffed the man extracted from the azaleas, the other officer joined the second in pointing his service revolver at the Lincoln full of people. Evan shut off the engine and glanced over at his mother, who seemed just as shocked and horrified as himself. He rolled down the window with its customary electric hum.


“What are you doing out here?” The officer demanded, shining his flashlight into the windows. Evan just looked back blankly.


“I asked you a question.” The officer stated strongly.


Evan swallowed hard.


Engrid grabbed the back of the front seat and pulled herself forward.


“We’re looking for a homeless shelter called Hospitality House. Have you heard of it?”


“Yes. I’ve heard of it. Why are you looking for it at this time of night?”


Engrid feigned sheepishness and said, “We need a place to stay.”


“The outfit’s kind of shabby but you don’t look homeless.”


“We were all living together in my trailer out at the Shady Acres trailer park, but we lost it because Evan here got laid off and I don’t know what we’ll do and we are so tired and we’ve been driving around trying to find a place to stay. Won’t you help us sir?”


The officer thought for a moment. “Okay. I don’t think you’re mixed up in what’s going on out here.


“We’re not officer. We just want some food and a clean place to sleep.” Engrid informed the policeman.


He paused a minute more. “Son, I’ll need to see your driver’s license.”


Evan fished around in his back pocket for his wallet.


“Officer,” Engrid began, “I promise you we aren’t any trouble. We just want to get on our way. It looks to me like you’ve got your hands full as it is.”


“I do have my hands full. I just want to make sure my hands are about to get a lot fuller.”


Evan produced his wallet from his back pocket and handed over his driver’s license.


“Are you the owner of the car?”


“No.”


“I am.” Engrid piped up from her perch on the edge of the backseat.


“I’ll need to see your license as well and the registration.”


Upon Engrid’s instructions, Myrtle produced the registration from the glove box and handed it over. The officer looked at them carefully as Myrtle watched the back of the head of the perpetrator in the backseat of the patrol car. Engrid was getting impatient. If this took much longer, all the people in the shelter will be asleep and it would have to wait until morning anyway. The officer handed the cards and papers back to Evan and sent them away with just a word of caution and directions to Hospitality House.


“Okay. Stop up here,” Engrid pointed to the edge of a park.


“What are we stopping for?” Myrtle asked, noting the lack of adequate lighting.


“That’s the shelter up ahead.”


“I know that but it doesn’t answer my question.” Myrtle informed Engrid.


Engrid glanced at Andrew who explained. “Okay. We are staking out this homeless shelter. Engrid and I are going inside to investigate. You three stay out here and keep watch. Myrtle and Evan will watch the shelter and what’s going on in front of the car. Dora will keep watch of the sides and rear to make sure no one sneaks up on you. If anyone- I mean anyone- I don’t care if it’s a little old lady walking her dog, I want you to drive away from here immediately- do not give them a chance to approach the car- and then text us that you went away. I want you to go away for about 10 minutes then come back to this spot and text me that you’ve returned. Does everyone understand the plan?”


The remainder of the group just stared at Andrew, wondering how he learned to put together a stake-out.


He continued, “I jotted this down.” He handed a small piece of paper to Evan.


“Evan, I want you to create four text messages addressed to me. The first one, and I wrote them both down, says, ‘went away- no trouble’ that will tell me that you had to leave but nothing is majorly wrong. The next is – ‘went away- trouble’ that will tell me that someone suspicious looking came by and you left or you had some kind of problem but that you are okay. The third says ‘We’re back’ that lets me know that you are outside again. Okay?”


“I’ll do that right now.” Evan slipped the cell phone out of his pocket and started pressing buttons.


Engrid spoke, “Dora, there’s a pair of binoculars in the glove compartment. Use them to keep an eye out for people approaching. That way you can see them while they’re still far enough away for you to escape.”


No one in the group seemed convinced that this plan was going to work. There were just so many ifs – there were other shelters she could be in if she was in a shelter at all, she may not come with them if they did find her- they could get into trouble with the police for looking for her if she distrusted them and called the police.


Engrid and Andrew got out of the car and approached the homeless shelter. If it was already full, their plan was faulty and they would gather no further information tonight.


Engrid knocked on the metal security door of the shelter. A plump, matronly woman with wavy gray hair pulled open the large wooden door behind the metal one. She looked them up and down, not sure what to make of her visitors.


“May I help you?” She sounded pleasant but direct.


Andrew began, “We need a place to stay for the night.”


“Everyone’s already gone to bed for the night. There’s no more room.”


“Oh,” Andrew looked truly disappointed. After all they’d planned, was it all for naught?


“Where else can we go?” Engrid asked.


“People stay all over. The other shelters are also closed for the night. In order to get a bed, you’d have to be at the shelter by about 8:00. After that, the doors close. They close early if they fill up.”


“Do they fill up?”


“Almost always. We were filled up by about 7:30. You must be new at this.”


         “We are new at being homeless.”


         “That’s because you aren’t really homeless.”


         They looked confused. “What do you mean?”


         “I’ve seen this charade before. You’re looking for someone.”


         Engrid smirked slightly, “How could you tell?”


         “I just can. The question is- do I trust you enough to tell you what you want to know.”          


“You can trust us. We have only the best of intentions,” Engrid assured her.


         Andrew said, “I’m sure everyone says that, but we’re actually telling the truth.”


         She eyed them both. She spoke to Andrew, “I wouldn’t tell you in a million years.”


She looked at Engrid, “But I’ll tell you. If you both will do two things for me.”


“What’s that?” Engrid asked.


“First…what are your names and what city to you live in?”


“Oh. We should have given you those a long time ago. That was very rude of us! My name is Engrid Mae Matthews and this is my friend and next door neighbor Andrew Clark Garrison. We live in Deerfield- about 45 minutes from here.”


“So, what’s the second thing?” Andrew asked.


“I’ll need to see your driver’s licenses. I want to make sure you’re telling the truth.”


Andrew and Engrid were both satisfied with that and relieved that they’d decided against using fake names. They pulled out their licenses and handed them over. The woman inspected them. “My name is Joyce Elliot. I hope I can help you.”


“We’re looking for Amanda Riverside. Do you know her?”


“Come inside.” She stepped aside and let them enter. She ushered them into a tiny, cramped and cluttered office. There were old, gray metal shelves overloaded with loose paper, old books, crumbling binders, and the general detritus of life.


Andrew remained standing as the two ladies took the only seats. Engrid placed herself in a dusty old Eames chair from the 1960’s and glanced around the room. Given the change in reception, it was obvious Joyce Elliot knew something about Amanda Riverside.


“So, you are looking for Amanda Riverside.”


“Yes. Can you help us? We need to find her before she gets into trouble.”


“Too late.”


“What’s happened to her?”


The Joyce swallowed hard, “She’s gotten into some… trouble.”


“What kind of trouble?” Engrid’s mothering instinct came forward full force.


Joyce made very clear and direct eye contact with both Engrid and Andrew.


“I wouldn’t suggest finding her tonight.”


“Why?”


“It’s too dangerous. She’s not in a shelter tonight.”


“How can you be sure?”


“Because you cannot be on drugs and stay in a shelter. People who run shelters like these know instantly if you are on any kind of narcotic. We can judge character almost instantly. The moment I opened the door I knew that you weren’t addicts, you weren’t homeless, and that you were looking for someone and that you had a genuine interest in helping the person you were looking for.”


“Oh dear. Andrew, we may be too late.”


“I hope not. When should we go look for her?”


“Tomorrow evening.”


“Where would she be?”


“Come back tomorrow at 5:30 and I’ll tell you then if you insist on doing this. I don’t want you going there tonight. I was serious when I said it was dangerous. I have a real passion for helping the homeless, but they aren’t all happy hobos. Some of them will kill you and take everything you’ve got.”


“Oh my.  Why would they hurt us?” Engrid asked, her naiveté gleaming.


“A lot of them have substance abuse issues, others have mental problems- some are just mad and will take it out on you because you’re not like them. A lot of homeless people are the nicest, gentlest people you could meet and they’re just down on their luck, but it only takes one cruel one to take your life and leave you in a ditch.”


“Okay.” Engrid really didn’t know what else to say, she was startled by the bluntness of Joyce’s statements.


After a few moments of silence, Andrew spoke, “So, tomorrow at 5:30.”


“Yes. Just ring the bell and I’ll come and tell you what you need to know.”


They agreed to the arrangements Joyce specified.


As they rose to leave, Engrid asked, “What else could you tell about us from meeting us? I’d be curious to know.”


Joyce smiled, “You live in an older house and you drive a big car but not a new car- I’d say about 10 years old but the car is still in really good shape. From what I could see glancing up the street, I’d say a late 1990’s model white Lincoln Town Car – and you brought reinforcements. A young guy similar in age to you, Andrew, and an elderly woman similar in age to you, Engrid and a middle aged woman. Engrid you are a retired school teacher, widowed, several children some of whom went astray- hence your determination to find Amanda. Let’s see what else…you are in your late 80’s possible 90’s but you’ve taken excellent care of yourself and stay active in your community- you do volunteer work along with the other elderly woman in the car. The two of you have been friends for many, many years. You weren’t born around here but you’ve lived here since you were a young adult.  Andrew, you’re college-educated and have a professional career- something to do with money or math. You’ve lived in a lot of places—you weren’t raised by your parents, but whoever did was career military or something to do with the intelligence community. How did I do?”


“Spooky,” Engrid replied, “So we’ll be back here at 5:30 tomorrow.”


“If you insist, I’ll see you then.”


Myrtle and Evan watched the door of the shelter intently. They weren’t sure what was going on. All they knew was that Andrew and Engrid had gained entry into the shelter, nothing else. They were quizzical when the pair reappeared on the doorstep of the shelter. Either they had been turned away after all, or there were further developments. Evan started the car and pulled slowly forward. Engrid was startled at first as the headlamps turned on suddenly and a car engine roared to life. She relaxed slightly when she realized that it was her own vehicle coming to retrieve her.


Evan rolled down the window, “What happened?”


“We may have to come back tomorrow.”


“Why are they closed?”


“Yes, but that’s not why. I’ll explain- let’s go home.” She pulled open the car door and sat down. She scooted over to allow Andrew to slide in behind her. Engrid explained the situation to the rest of the crew as they drove along the quiet Columbia streets headed out towards the highway that would take them home.


“My goodness I hope that girl’s going to be alright.” Dora said, shaking her head.


“What worries me are the others,” Engrid said.


“What ‘others’?”


“Amanda at least has someone looking for her. How many others are there that no one knows exists and that no one cares about finding. Amanda might turn out to be one of the lucky ones. If we can find her before it’s entirely too late.”


The group sat quietly pondering what Engrid said, knowing she was right.


“So, I guess that’s it. We’ve done what we can for tonight.” Myrtle said.


“I hate to admit it, but I think you’re right,” Engrid stated, “We’ve done all we can.”


The group rode the rest of the way home in silence, wondering what Amanda was doing tonight or where she was that would be so dangerous that Joyce wouldn’t tell them.


That night, Engrid lay in bed wondering what sort of world they were about to become involved in. She’d helped out in soup kitchens and stuff over the years; she even helped out volunteering to help the homeless during the Great Depression but this was different. People and the world weren’t the same as they were 70 years ago. Engrid tossed and turned as the pondered the possibilities of why Joyce wouldn’t tell them what was going on.