by Amy Shojai
“Come in and make your report, Officer Teves. The Captain will debrief you.”
Tee slumped in her chair. What had gone wrong? “I followed Detective Redford’s direction, sir. May I please speak with him?” She really needed him to answer her questions. Tee looked up to him, she knew he was a good cop. He couldn’t be part of this, could he? Her hand sought, and retrieved, the seashells and waited for their shushing to steady her nerves.
A long pause. “Earlier today, Redford tried to eat his gun.”
Chapter 54
SEPTEMBER AWOKE WITH a start when the train finally pulled into the last platform. They’d reached Dallas.
Shadow stood, stretched, and yawned noisily. He’d slept heavily, too, with paws twitching and even a few tail thumps in doggy dreams. Her own sleep had been fitful. Every time she dozed off, she felt dirt shoveled onto her back once more, and startled awake. September feared if she succumbed to sleep, she’d suffer a PTSD episode. She couldn’t afford a meltdown now. She had no time to waste.
“Come on, Shadow, let’s go.” She stood, cracked her back, and gathered up his towel. Everything else resided in her coat pockets. She’d avoided using her credit card so far, but that wouldn’t fly with the rental car. Still, she’d reach Heartland in less than twenty minutes from the station, so felt the risk worthwhile. Besides, she had no choice.
The agent took her credit card, and typed into the computer terminal. “Proof of insurance, please.”
September blanched. “I don’t have it with me.” Her insurance was in her car, wherever Mr. Bleak had dumped it.
“You can call and have them fax you a copy. With no proof of insurance, you’ll have to purchase ours.” She eyed Shadow as he whined and leaned against her leg. “Is the dog riding with you? That’s extra. Do you have a crate for it?”
“He’s my service dog.” September put a hand on Shadow’s head.
“Let me see your driver’s license.”
September stepped away from the counter, kicking herself. How had she not thought of that? “Someone stole my bag with my phone, and insurance information. I was fortunate the credit card was in my pocket.”
“That’s terrible. I’m so sorry, you look pretty frazzled. Do you want me to call the police?” Her kindness nearly brought September to tears.
“Very kind of you, but no.” September thought a moment. She’d come this far without producing digital identification. She didn’t want to drag anyone into danger, but surely Lia wouldn’t be a target. They weren’t related, not directly. “Can you call my roommate? Hopefully she can pick us up.” September gave the woman Lia’s number, and held her breath. This time of day, Lia usually ran kennel duty for boarding clients, or took her dog out to train.
A half-hour later, September loaded Shadow into the rear of Lia’s old vehicle, and climbed into the passenger’s front seat. “Sorry for the short notice. Thanks for the ride.”
Lia stared long and hard at September. “What’s going on? Where’s your car, September? And where’s Macy?”
At the cat’s name, September’s throat clenched. “It’s a long story.” She prayed both Macy and Teddy survived the killer’s attack. “Can I borrow your phone?”
“Really? No car, no cat, no phone. You just abandoned everything and jumped on a train?” Her brow furrowed, and sparks lit her eyes. “Folks called looking for you. I got two messages from Jeff Combs, and I just got a chewing out from your mother. I’m not moving this car without an explanation.”
She couldn’t call Combs, not yet. “Mom called? When?” She’s okay. For now. “Is she at home? Drop me and Shadow off at her house.” She’d call the police from there.
“Your mom didn’t offer any details. But then, she rarely gives me the time of day. Just like Grandmother.” Lia drove the car out of the parking lot, and headed back to Heartland. “We’ve got time for a long story, September. So talk.” She glared at her. “You look all used up and wore out. Hungry?”
In the back seat, Shadow yelped at the word, and thumped his tail. September smiled ruefully. “Not much of an appetite. But Shadow could use some food.” They’d shared a couple of sandwiches on the train, but nothing since late last night.
Lia grinned. “I’ve got some Corazon Candy dog treats in a baggy in the glove box. There’s a couple of power bars in there, too, unless you want the treats. They’re not bad, if you like dried liver and fish.”
September opened the glove box. Next to the dog treats she saw Lia’s handgun, the twin of the one she’d left behind in South Bend. She’d need to let the South Bend police know about her gun. She offered Shadow a handful of the liver treats, and took one of the power bars for herself. Fatigue made it hard to think. She could either go to protect Mom, or convince the police to do the same thing. She didn’t have time to do both.
“So spill. What happened in South Bend? Look, I don’t mean to pry...wait, yes I do. I’m dying of curiosity! I mean, you took off like some secret agent on a mission, and now you’re back here without a ride, your phone, and you left Macy behind.” She paused. “Are you in trouble?”
“Yes.” September rubbed her arms, and stared out the window. “But there’s no time to convince the police to help. I need you to trust me, okay?”
“I knew it! What can I do?” Lia pounded the steering wheel with excitement. “What’s the plan?”
“Whoa, hold your horses. You’re not a cop, Lia Corazon, not yet. And neither am I. But you go off halfcocked and you’ll never be accepted into the police academy.” And, you could get us all killed.
“I want to help. You called me for the ride, remember?” The younger woman huffed, clearly hurt. “So tell me what happened, and maybe I’ll surprise you.”
Even though they were half-sisters, and only a few months apart in age, Lia couldn’t be more different than Tee. Where Tee’s shyness and reticence made her seem older than her years, Lia’s brash exuberance had the opposite effect. September consciously slowed her own breathing, using the technique to calm herself. It wouldn’t help if she had a meltdown.
“I used to be married to a policeman.” She rushed on, giving Lia the bare facts. “Chris’s mother contacted me about an old investigation that had to do with my past. That’s why he was murdered.”
Lia whistled through her teeth. “Whoa, September. You sure are a lady with secrets.” She turned onto the interstate and accelerated. “So the old case, is that why you’re in trouble?” She cut her eyes sideways. “Er, what’s in your past? Can you say?”
“No!” September softened her tone. “Sorry, but that’s the problem. I don’t know. I went to make peace with Angela, my former mother-in-law. But then somebody killed her, attacked me, stole the case files, and everything went to hell—”
“Wait. Somebody murdered your mother-in-law?” Lia nearly swerved off the road in surprise.
Now that she’d begun to explain, the words spilled faster and faster. “Asking questions sure lit a fire. I’m scared they might hurt my family or other people.” She didn’t have time to explain everything. This had to be enough.
“That’s why you ditched your car and phone, didn’t want to use a credit card. So they couldn’t track you.” Lia nodded understanding.
September hugged herself. “I couldn’t tell anyone else and put a target on them, too. I never would have called you...” She blinked, hoping she’d not put the younger woman in danger.
Lia scoffed. “Don’t be silly. I’m a nobody. Just ask Grandmother, she’ll tell you.” Her bitter laugh spoke of her own personal pain and betrayal. “We need to go to the police.”
September knew Lia still blamed her Grandmother for many things, and hoped they’d find a path to mutual forgiveness. She’d learned from her own past trauma that blame only hurt the blamer. “I need to find my Mom first, make sure she’s okay. Meanwhile, you need to bring the police.” She rubbed her eyes. “There’s someone else in danger, Latana Ojo. I don’t know who that is, but the police can get out a pro
tective order or something.”
“Latana Ojo? Are you sure you heard right?” Lia turned into the neighborhood where September’s parents lived. “I can drop you in front of the house. Are you sure you don’t want me to stay with you?”
She shook her head. “Drop Shadow and me a block away. It’s better that we go in on foot, in case...” In case the killer beat her home. She waited until the car slowed to a stop. “Do you know that name? Latana Ojo?” September climbed out of the car, and held the door for Shadow to hop out.
Lia rolled down her window. “No, I don’t know anyone named Latana. That’s Spanish for some kind of flower, I think. But Ojo—that’s not a common surname. Grandmother’s maiden name was Ojo.” She cocked her head. “You do remember that your mother and my grandmother are sisters, right?”
Chapter 55
TEDDY ROUSED FROM HIS fitful doze, and sat up in the small bed. The hum of tires on pavement offered a hypnotic ambiance that lulled others to sleep. But he’d found, since hitting his mid-70s, sleep proved elusive even when he yearned for rest. He rarely needed the energy drinks and candy binges of his youth to fuel 24-plus hour computer marathons. Charlie, on the other hand, needed the help.
He rummaged in the small refrigerator for a beverage, grabbed an energy bar, and slowly gimped the length of the moving RV to the front passenger seat. “Here, thought you could use this.” He popped the tab, and set the drink in the cup holder. “Need a break?”
“I’m fine, thanks.” Charlie took the can, and drank nearly all of it in one long gulp. “Sweet ride. A whole lot nicer than my poor old tin can.” She studiously kept her eyes on the road.
“You want this?” He offered the power bar, and when she shook her head, he peeled the wrapper and ate it himself. He’d given her space, but now felt an urgency to press her for details. Teddy felt sure the girl’s association with Sissie Turpin hadn’t been accidental. “You ready to talk?”
“Nothing much to say.” Her lips tightened.
“Let’s start with how you’ll take care of that baby. Whoa!” He grabbed the armrest when the RV swerved. “Eyes on the road, Charlie.”
“How did you know?” One hand touched her still-flat stomach, and she glanced over at him, her glaring expression both hurt and defiant.
“I paid your hospital bill, remember? That little detail got flagged, probably because certain medications could hurt your baby.” He patted her arm. “There’s a rest stop up ahead. Pull in, we can take a break, and have a little talk. It’s my turn to drive.”
She pulled her arm away, sullen, but did as he asked. Instead of taking a turn in the restroom, Charlie busied herself with the two cats. “They need the break more than I do. Hey Sherlock, how’s my big boy?” She crooned, snuggling the white cat before she let Macy out of his carrier.
Charlie complained again about the litter box he’d provided. “How do you expect Sherlock or...” She indicated the other cat. “I told you they need bigger facilities.”
“Macy.” He’d watched her situate the litter box, but the cats hadn’t been productive the other times they’d stopped. He wrinkled his nose when this time Macy immediately hopped into the plastic square and posed. The cat enthusiastically pawed the litter over his creativity, getting as much outside the box as in. “Hey, he’s making a mess.”
Charlie smirked. “Like I said, he needs a bigger box.” Sherlock, by comparison, ignored the litter even after Charlie cleaned away Macy’s creativity. Instead, Sherlock purred, and wound around and around Charlie’s ankles, getting in the way and nearly tripping her.
Macy jumped up onto Teddy’s computer table once he was done with the litter box, and tried to plop down on the laptop. Teddy gently moved him off when he entered. Miffed, the cat stalked back to his carrier, turned around once, and settled.
“Macy is my friend September’s cat. From Sissie Turpin’s breeding, too.” Teddy tried again to get Charlie to talk.
“Macy came from the cattery? So September’s like me.” Sherlock continued to rub her ankles until the girl sat on the opposite seat. He climbed into her lap, and pushed his face again and again into her neck, until Charlie had to set the big cat aside.
“What do you mean, she’s like you?” Teddy took off his glasses and polished them on his sweater hem. “At the hospital, you told me you know a lot more stuff that you didn’t share with the police.” Teddy replaced his glasses and took his seat behind the computer table, ready to open the laptop and make notes. “I know you’re scared. You’re running, maybe hiding from some bad people, I get that. But unless you share what you know, I can’t help you.”
“How can you protect me?” She crossed her arms, but the white cat pushed beneath them, insisting on face-to-face contact. “What’s wrong with you, kitty? Why so pushy?” She held him still in her lap, but he continued to fuss and struggle. “Teddy, I appreciate the ride, and I’ll still drive with you to Texas. But after that, I’m better off on my own. Sissie pissed off the wrong people. They’re after me, too.”
“How so? C’mon, Charlie, work with me here.” He narrowed his eyes. “I don’t suppose this has to do with your baby’s father?”
She shuddered. “Don’t even go there!” She bared her teeth in a parody of a smile. “Someday I’ll find him, and he’ll pay for what he did to me. To us.” One hand cradled her tummy. “At least Sissie wanted to give me a chance to start over. And give my baby a better life.”
He nodded but said nothing. Sometimes, silence prompted more than questions.
Charlie pushed the white cat away from her face once again. “I come from a family of losers.” Her bitter smile stopped him when Teddy would have argued. “You don’t know, Teddy. I’m probably the pick of the litter, and look what a mess I am. I’d be no good for this baby anyway. It didn’t ask to be born. And I sure as hell didn’t ask to get pregnant.”
“Hey, sometimes in the heat of romance, accidents happen.” He remembered his grandmother telling him that nothing that took place in the back seat of a car didn’t also happen in the rear of a buggy.
“Romance?” She nearly spat with anger. “My uncle raped me. My baby wasn’t an accident, they wanted me pregnant. They had plans. So I ran.” She seethed. “Sissie knew just what to do, how to find him or her a good home, get me enough money for a new start, and keep us away from them. I didn’t even know whether to get pink or blue onesies. If I had money to get anything at all.” Her anguish spilled from Charlie’s tight throat, tears overflowing. She breathed heavily, and the cat again pushed his white cheeks against her face. “Dammit, Sherlock, get out of my face, just stop—”
Her eyes abruptly rolled up, and Charlie lurched to one side, falling heavily onto the small bed. Her legs and arms jerked in a grand mal seizure.
With a cry, Teddy rushed to her side, not sure what to do. It seemed to go on forever but probably lasted less than a minute. The white cat yowled, and pawed Charlie’s face, ultimately snuggling into the bend of her neck.
While he waited for her to recover, Teddy made a long overdue call to Jeff Combs.
Chapter 56
SEPTEMBER SAT BACK in the truck as Lia made the call, then took the phone with trepidation. “Hello. Thank you for taking my call, Mrs. Corazon. I need some answers. About my mother. About my past.” She waited a moment, and added, “You’re on speakerphone. I think Lia should hear this, too.”
Silence greeted her words. At first, September thought the woman had disconnected, but then detected ragged breathing on the other end of the line. Finally, Cornelia spoke. “I feared this day would come.” Another pause. “I don’t know much. I suspect more. But the time for secrets has passed. Ask your questions.”
Now that she could ask, September’s tongue stuck to the roof of her mouth. “Are you my aunt? Is my mother Rose your sister?”
“She was christened Latana. Yes, Lantana Ojo was my younger sister. Just before her fifteenth birthday, she ran away from home. To be a film star, or some such foolishness. Tana a
lways had stars in her eyes and a volatile temper.” Her voice steadied, grew strong, resigned. “She broke my parents’ hearts when the police came knocking at the door saying she’d attacked some poor man. After that, she was dead to us.”
“What?” Rose January attacked someone? “Did he press charges?”
“The man died, September. He was a talent agent or something. The police hounded my parents after that, trying to find Tana and arrest her. There’s no statute of limitations on murder.”
This couldn’t be true! September clenched the phone so tightly her hand turned white. Shadow whined, and nose-touched her arm.
“They told us that they’d found Tana’s body with her bastard child dead, too. That was a blessing in disguise. It stopped the police hounding.” Cornelia waited for the next question.
Nothing could have prepared September for such news. “But Mom’s maiden name was Dixon.” She’d been a runaway teenager? Unwed mother? A murderer! Nothing squared that knowledge with the prim and proper Rose January who raised her.
“I don’t know about that. Maybe she changed her name to hide her crimes.” Cornelia sniffed. “Five years later she came out of hiding, trying to reach our parents. When I intercepted the call they had been dead a year, but she wanted money to bail her out of some new difficulty. I’d had enough. No reason to have her trashy lifestyle intruding on my own family.”
September hunched her shoulders. “You turned her in? Your own sister, you didn’t help her out?”
“Of course I helped her. And that’s not the first time. I’m not a monster. Besides, killing that man happened long ago. I had my own family to protect, and couldn’t have her crimes tarnish the Corazon name, too.” Cornelia tut-tutted. “I sent her the funds she needed, but with the proviso she never contact me or our family again. Imagine my chagrin when she showed up a few years later in the next town over, married to that January fellow.” She laughed, a humorless sound. “Suddenly she had a whole litter of offspring. God knows who all the fathers are.”