Home for the Holidays by Hope Callaghan

had filled the entire bowl with wads of tissue and she could tell by looking at it, the toilet was clogged. 
    She glanced at Margaret.  “You best move back to sink duty.  This isn’t going to be pretty.”
    Margaret’s face paled and she nodded.  “Good luck.”
    Gloria positioned a clean, empty garbage bag near the toilet and with one gloved hand, scooped piles of sopping wet paper into the plastic bag.
    After she cleared the bowl, she lifted one leg, stuck her foot on the handle and flushed the toilet, all the while praying it would go down.
    “Whoosh!”
    She opened her eyes. The toilet bowl was clean and full of clear water.  Gloria tied a knot in the top of the garbage bag, peeled her gloves off and headed for the door.  “I’m going to take this out to the dumpster.”
    Margaret nodded.  “You want me to go with you?”
    The dumpster was in the back of the building and Kim had shown her the door before she headed over to the jail, attached to the other end of the police station. 
    “Nope.  I can handle it.”  Gloria headed down the hall.  When she reached the rear exit door, she pushed down on the bar with the tips of her elbows. 
    She backed out of the building and noticed there was a keypad above the handle on the outside of the door.  She frowned.  Kim hadn’t mentioned a code to get back in.
    Gloria reached out and grabbed the door right before it closed.  She knelt down, grabbed a small nearby rock and wedged the rock between the door and the jamb. 
    Secure in the knowledge she wasn’t going to get locked out, Gloria stepped into the brisk evening air.  The smell of grilling burgers wafted in the air and Gloria’s stomach grumbled.
    She turned her attention to the dumpster off to the side.  It was directly under a bright street light.  Gloria shifted her gaze to the fence near the back and picked up the pace as she carried her bag of trash to the green dumpster.
    She lifted the dumpster lid, swung the bag over her head and tossed it into the bin.  Gloria dropped the lid and headed for the door.
    A movement off to one side caught Gloria’s attention.  It was a police cruiser, its engine running.  Pulled up alongside the cop car was another vehicle, the high beam headlights shining right on her. 
    Gloria couldn’t tell what kind of vehicle it was, but she did notice two things: The second vehicle was dark.  On the front of the vehicle was a yellow, government issued plate.
    Her eyes squinted and she glanced at the plate’s ID. There was a set of numbers.  After the numbers were the letters “DED.” Gloria kicked the small rock from the door, stepped inside and pulled the door shut.  “DED, DED,” she whispered under her breath.
    She picked up the pace and hustled down the hall.  Gloria pushed the women’s restroom door open. 
    Margaret jumped and then clutched her chest.  “You scared me half to death!”
    “DED,” Gloria said. 
    Margaret’s eyes widened.  “DED?  You mean someone is dead?”
     

Chapter 10
    “No!” Gloria leaned against the door and shook her head.  “When I was taking out the trash, I noticed a cop car parked out back.  Parked alongside the cop car was a dark sedan with a yellow license plate.  It was the kind of plates used on government-owned vehicles.  The headlights were right on me so I had to look quick.”
    She went on.  “The license plate.  It was three numbers, followed by three letters, “DED.”
    Margaret stuck her hand on her hip.  “I think I can remember DED.”
    Gloria nodded.  “Me too. 
    The girls finished cleaning the women’s restroom and wandered into the adjoining women’s locker room. 
    The room was large.  Several long, low benches ran through the center.  Along the walls were tall but narrow metal lockers.  On the other end of the room were the showers.  The shower area consisted of one large, open shower with two smaller, private shower stalls off to the side. 
    It reminded Gloria of the