by Dale Mayer
“I can bring you back something, if you want,” she said, with a gentle smile, because her father did love his sweets. “But remember. There is also still cake.”
“Tea and cake,” he said, his gaze immediately scanning the kitchen, as if looking for the cake.
“Dad, you’re not getting cake until after dinner.”
“Right,” he said, looking down at his dinner. He picked up his fork and started shoveling it in, at a rate that was impossible to keep up. “You don’t have to rush,” she protested.
“Yes, I do, because you’re leaving soon,” he said, “and I don’t like to eat without company.”
Sometimes, nothing he said made any sense, but she just sat down and started eating her own plateful. By the time she was done, she looked at her dad and said, “I need to leave soon. I’ll put on the teakettle and cut you a piece of cake before I go, okay?”
“Of course,” he said, sitting back with a happy sigh. “That was excellent, as usual.”
“It is a taste that is hard to let go of, once you get it in your mouth, isn’t it?”
“Absolutely,” he said.
She got up, put on the teakettle for him, rinsed out the teapot, and set it up with the tea bags, then walked over and put out the cake. She cut about a half-inch slice, and he said, “Now, if you’ll make them small, you might as well cut me two.”
She looked at him and said, “Or maybe I’m bringing you something.”
He frowned at her and said, “I can have both.”
Such a childlike quality was to his voice that she had to laugh. “You sure can,” she said. “Besides, you did eat your dinner.”
“I did,” he said, with a happy smile.
She brought over a single piece of cake and said, “There is more over there, if you want it. I’ll put it away when I get home tonight.”
He nodded and said, “Be nice to him.”
“Be nice to who?”
“The new boyfriend,” he said, with a nod of satisfaction.
“I’m going for coffee, Dad,” she said. “That’s it.”
“That’s how they all start,” he said. “Not to worry. If you’re good and be quiet,” he said, “you’ll probably get there.”
“Dad, if I have to be quiet, I’m not interested,” she snapped. But he turned that big grin her way, and she realized that, once again, he’d been joking. Because of his illness, sometimes she didn’t know when he was and when he wasn’t, and, on a touchy topic like this, it was easy to take offense. She smiled. “You are trouble, mister.”
“You love me anyway,” he said comfortably.
“That I do.” She raced back, gave him a big hug and a kiss, and said, “I won’t be long.”
“You can be as long as you like,” he said. “I can’t believe you’re dating.” And he started to raise his hands in a mock cheer. At that, she turned and raced from the house. This was the last thing she wanted to put up with. Her father meant well. She just wasn’t into relationships if there wasn’t a spark. And she also wasn’t into relationships if there was only a spark. There had to be a whole lot more for her to want to go down that pathway. Especially now.
*
Eton didn’t know why he’d had the compulsion to call her and to ask her out for coffee. Even Garret looked at him in surprise. Eton shrugged. “Just felt like it. I don’t know why,” he muttered by way of excuse.
“Well, maybe you can pump her for some information,” Garret said, but there was a hesitation at pump her, a hesitation that had Eton glaring at him. Hands up in surrender, Garret said, “Honestly, she might know Joe. For real now.”
Eton considered that and said, “I’ll see how she is about talking, but I won’t pump her for information,” he said, with an exaggerated tone.
“Good,” he said, “because that probably wouldn’t get you anywhere. She seems like a nice quiet girl.”
“She is,” he said.
“Funny how just stopping like that to help her with a flat tire could do so much for you.”
“No,” he said, “it’s not funny at all.”
Garret grinned and said, “If it’s a good bakery, I wouldn’t mind a couple doughnuts or rolls and maybe a cinnamon bun too. Ever since I woke up out of that coma, I just want sugar.”
“Which is the last thing you need,” he said. “You should be home healing instead.”
“News alert,” Garret said. “I’m sitting here healing. It’s hardly a hardship to do anything that I’ve been doing here right now.”
“That’s what bothers me,” he said. “We’re not getting anywhere, and I hate it. I just need to get outside these four walls for a bit.”
“I was thinking about going up the mountain and seeing if we can change the frequency and maybe get a stronger signal.”
“Maybe,” he said. “We should also set up a similar one down here, in case he’s on the move.”
“I’ve already got most of that set up,” he said. “You go off and have fun, while I work,” he said and then laughed. “Listen to us. We sound like brothers.”
“We are,” Eton said seriously. “You know something? I wanted to howl when I heard what happened to you. We were so scared we would lose you,” he said, his voice choking up with emotion.
Garret looked up at him and glared. “Don’t you get emotional on me now,” he said. “I don’t like to cry.”
“None of us like to cry, and we won’t,” he said. “No way in hell we will lose anybody from our team. Especially not when we don’t know what happened to Bullard.”
“The worst part is the not knowing,” said Garret.
“I know,” Eton said. “It really, really sucks.”
“Exactly. But we have to stay strong, and we have to stay positive.”
“Oh, I’ve got the positive part down,” Eton said. “I’m damn sure I’ll find some asshole, crack his head open over this mess, and, if you’re feeling anything other than that, you should probably go home.”
“You’re not chasing me home,” he said, “and I do feel like that, so don’t you worry. Go have your little visit with the local girl,” he said.
“It’s hardly that,” he said.
“Well, when you come back, you can tell me all about what it is then,” he said, “because, from here, it sounds like something is there to me.”
On that note, Eton turned and headed out. He couldn’t explain the compulsion to get out, but he knew well enough he needed to honor it. Some things were just that way. It was a nice evening. The heat of the day had disappeared and had somehow given way to a cool breeze, a freshness to the air that he hadn’t experienced earlier. The frustration was just eating at him. They hadn’t run down any good leads or found anything they could tie to the case yet.
He was planning on going out to the townhome site tonight, just in case something was going on which Joe was caught up in the middle of, but it was also the place Eton and Garret were looking at themselves, so maybe somebody related to the attack on their team was going out there to make calls. Eton wanted to know about it, if they were, because he sure as hell wanted to find out who was behind this.
At the same time, they had just so many unknowns and so many factors they couldn’t do anything about, and that it was driving him crazy. Getting out was just an excuse, but it also gave him a reason to call her. It hadn’t been hard to find her. She’d been in the phone book under the architect’s name, and that’s what he planned on telling her. He pulled into town and parked on the street, loving how the lights lit up on the side. He wasn’t even sure if the coffee shop was open at this hour. As he walked toward it, he was happy to see her sitting there outside, in the same place Joe had been.
“You know what?” he said. “I didn’t consider whether this would even still be open in a small town like this.”
“They do stay open, and he is the only one around who does,” she said, with a smile.
He pointed at her coffee. “You wouldn’t even let me buy that for you.”
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“I’m perfectly capable of buying my own drink,” she said, chuckling. Just then a woman in an apron came out, carrying another cup and a large plate with a few treats. She put it down on the table, smiled at Sammy, and said to him, “This gal is a live one.”
Sammy motioned and said, “This time, you see? I managed to buy you a drink.”
“That’s not fair,” he said.
“It’s the least I could do,” she said, “after you helped me with the tire.”
“I wish I could have helped you more,” he said, sitting down, tickled that she’d thought about buying him a drink and snacks. “But you already had it well in hand before I got there.”
“Well, maybe not,” she said. “Apparently I’m not the only one who got her tire slashed.”
His gaze sharpened, as he said, “Tell me more,” and pulled the coffee closer to him. “And thank you for this,” he added, lifting the cup. She smiled and nodded, then told him about Annie, her friend. “I guess people are people all around the world, aren’t they?” he said sadly.
“I’m not exactly sure what you mean by that, but yes,” she said.
He nodded. “So what is she doing about it?”
“She contacted the police today,” she said. “When I drove her home, they were already there.”
“Well, that’s good,” he said.
She nodded. “I just don’t know what the deal is. Like if it’s the ex-husband or not,” she said.
“Was there that kind of violence in their world?”
“No,” she said, “that’s what surprises me. It was so out of character for him.”
“So, if it’s out of character for him, is there anybody else in her world that it would fit?”
She studied him for a moment and said, “I don’t think so.”
“Violence is like that,” he said. “It’s often not somebody we think could do it, unless we have a history of violence with them,” he said. “And I don’t mean to be cryptic. I’m just saying that sometimes we like to forget about the people around us who might have scared us at one time, but we didn’t see enough violence to be worried about it.”
She stared at him, shrugged, and said, “As much as I know her, I’m not sure who she has been seeing these days, as far as boyfriends, or even what she does during her days.”
“So maybe that’s one of the things you need to find out,” he said, “because really? That can be everything.”
“You’re thinking that any new boyfriend could have set off the husband?”
“Yes,” he said. “Does she have any other family?”
“She has family,” she said, “but not close by. The nearest relative is several hours’ drive away, I think.”
“And whose house is it?”
“It’s a rental, but it’s the one she shared with her ex,” she said slowly.
“Maybe the ex is still hoping to get back together with her, and seeing her with a boyfriend might have set him off. It could make him realize that he’s losing her. Something like that is an easy way to pop a hair-trigger and to push him over the edge,” he said.
“It’s possible,” she said. Sammy pulled out her phone and sent a text.
He watched as she did it. “Are you contacting her?”
“I am.” She texted, just wondering if there could be anybody else in Annie’s orbit. The response came back and was instant. Sammy picked up the phone and read off the response.
No, not dating anyone since last jerk stiffed me for lunch.
“Ask her how long ago?”
She did, and the answer came back right away.
Last week.
Sammy replied with another question. Any chance somebody saw you there?
No, I don’t think so, why? Well, Jorge did.
“Shit,” she said, as she looked at Eton. “Jorge saw her.”
“And Jorge is?”
“The soon-to-be-ex,” she said.
“Well, think about that then. What if he is still in love with her, still wants her in his life, then sees her with another man?”
“So it could have been him, is what you are thinking?”
“Oh, it certainly could have been,” he said. “You have to consider it at least.”
“Yes.” She sent a message back. What if he wanted to get back together with you and saw you with another man instead?
That might do it, Annie responded.
Then Sammy’s phone rang. She looked at him and apologetically said, “Sorry, but it’s Annie calling.”
He nodded and said, “Go for it.” He looked at the plate and asked, “May I?”
She grinned and said, “Absolutely.”
He looked at the treats and fancied a rounded pastry with nuts of some kind. He picked up one and took a bite and almost moaned. It was so good. As he studied the treats in front of him, something else caught his gaze, and he looked up to see her staring at him with heat in her eyes. Instantly he felt his own body reacting, and now, with his own gaze lit up another half-dozen degrees, her eyes widened. He’d caught her looking at him and realized just what that message had meant. She shook her head and pulled back. He smiled and didn’t say anything, while she talked to Annie. Finally she hung up the phone.
“Annie is wondering if that’s what it is,” she said, “but we don’t know for sure.”
“Of course not,” he said. “None of us could know, unless the police are staking out her place or following her around.”
“True enough,” she said. “But still, at the same time, it’s odd, isn’t it? Though she reminded me that he also just got the divorce papers.”
“That would do it too. These things are often that way though,” he said, “for a time. Then eventually everybody settles down.”
She nodded, reached across, and picked up a treat from the plate. “So why are you really here?”
“I’m hunting,” he said honestly. “Hunting people, a couple in particular, responsible for murders around the globe.”
She gasped and stared at him in shock.
He said, “I’m not usually so honest about it, so please don’t pass it around.”
“I wouldn’t,” she said. “I’m not sure anybody would believe me anyway.”
“Really? Well, that’s not usually the response I get,” he said, with a smile.
“What kind of response do you normally get?” she asked hesitantly.
“Shock, disbelief, laughter, any of the above.”
“Well, that’s not my response at all,” she said. “I absolutely believe you. Just something about you makes it believable. So what were you doing up on the hill that night?”
“Reconnaissance,” he said. “We were trying to triangulate a phone call that we knew was coming from two towns over. And that hill gave us the best reception.”
She just studied him, but her jaw was closed.
He saw that she was weighing his words. She was an interesting enigma. Not like anybody he was accustomed to.
She nodded. “Interesting.”
“Do you know anything about that condo group up around the corner here?”
“The one that Joe is looking after at night?”
He nodded.
“Only that it’s had troubles off and on. Like they were building it, then they weren’t, then they were again. Apparently now it’s almost done,” she said. “Why?”
“Joe said a bunch of funny stuff has been happening up there, and he doesn’t feel terribly secure about it. I tried to get him to quit today, but he is thinking about his grandson.”
She frowned at him. “How did you find out about Joe?”
“The butcher, then I went over and talked to Joe myself.”
She slowly put down her coffee cup and the treat and said, “Seriously?”
“Why not?” he said. “I’m allowed to be human too.”
“That’s not what I meant,” she said. “It’s just that you’re getting a lot of information on locals.”
“I also like peopl
e,” he said gently. “Again I’m no threat to you.”
“So who are you a threat to?”
“The man who tried to kill several of my friends and potentially may have succeeded in killing one of them,” he said. “He’s still missing after his plane was blown up over the ocean.”
“Ouch,” she said. “It’s not a very nice world at times.”
“No, it’s not,” he said, “but it’s the world around you. It’s just that most people have the good fortune to be oblivious to it.”
“But not you.”
“No,” he said, “not me. Most of my life it’s been a case of never me.”
“Would you have liked a different line of work?”
He thought about that for a moment and said, “There are still assholes all around the world,” he said. “I wouldn’t particularly want to be responsible for capturing them,” he said, “but neither do I want to leave anybody on their own against them.” Just then his phone rang. With an eyebrow up, he pulled out his phone, looking at the screen. “Now isn’t that interesting?”
“What?”
“It’s Joe,” he said. He held up one finger and answered. “Hello, Joe. What’s up?”
“Well,” he said, “I thought about what you were saying, and I can’t afford to quit,” he said hesitantly.
“I got that. And?”
“The thing is, I think that somebody has been hanging outside my house for the last few hours.”
“Really? You think it’s connected to your work?”
“They are hidden in the trees,” he said, “so, if it’s not connected to my work, I don’t know what the hell it’s connected to. I can’t say I’ve lived a blameless life, but I sure haven’t done anything to deserve this.”
“Good enough,” he said. “Give me your address, and I’ll be there in a few minutes.”
“No, I’m not sure you need to do that,” he protested.
“Joe, there is a reason you called me,” he said. “Just let me do what I need to do.”
“If you’re sure,” Joe said doubtfully.
“I’m sure,” he said.