by W L Knightly
“Thanks for your time.” He realized he hadn’t gotten her name.
“I’m Hilda.” She put out her hand. “I’m sorry I couldn’t be of more help. Would you like to stay a while and have some coffee and pie? I made a fresh apple pie last night. I was about to heat up a slice and drop a scoop of ice cream on top.”
“That sounds delicious, but—”
“Oh, you have no idea how delicious. I grew these apples myself, and they are the absolute sweetest in the entire state. My husband loved it, and since he’s gone, I’m afraid I don’t have anyone to share it with.”
How could he say no to that? “I really should be getting back, but you know what? I’ve got a little time.”
Her eyes lit up, and she walked over to her small kitchen table and moved aside the crossword puzzle she’d been working. “Here, have a seat. I’ll get that pie. Do you want one scoop or two?”
“One,” he said, patting his middle. “And thank you. I haven’t had a good homemade pie in ages. Especially apple.” He thought of all the pies Speed’s had served him that were freshly made by Ruth Anne’s loving hands, and he hoped she’d never find out that he had strayed.
As she served up the slice, she hummed a tune, and Jake thought it would be a good time to ask a few more questions. “Did you know anything about the drug activity down the street?”
“Yeah, my husband and I used to complain quite regularly, as a matter of fact. We asked the other neighbors to watch the place when we left for our trip the few nights before. They were the Warren’s, just to the right of the Madden’s. They moved out as soon as they could sell their house. No one wanted to live around here. Casey only came and went during the day.”
“Do you remember what kind of car or truck he drove?”
“It was an old blue pickup. The thing would be a classic now. It had step-sides. I remember that. My husband used to have a truck with step-sides when we were kids. I doubt he still has that thing. It was on its last legs back then. I’ve seen an old white van there a few times, but not in a long time. Probably almost a year now.”
Jake figured he would have remembered seeing a truck like that before. He loved old classics, and they always caught his eye, but the van, he had seen. He remembered it from the day they found Judge Mathews. The man had parked it out back of the old courthouse and then sped away in it.
Jake spent the next fifteen minutes with Hilda, finishing his slice of pie. “That was amazing, thank you,” he said as she walked him out.
“It was good to have company,” she said. “You come back anytime.”
“You be sure and give me a call if you remember anything else, okay? We have an investigation that is linked to that case, so anything you can think of could be helpful.”
“I sure will.” With that, she waved goodbye as he walked out to his car.
He got in, buckled up, and then took one final glance at the house before driving away.
Chapter 9
Jo
After waiting until lunch for Jake to get back and sitting in solitude wishing things between them had been different, Jo decided to go find him. She had not been surprised when he didn’t return or that she had spent her morning spinning her wheels looking for information that was hidden, destroyed, and no doubt tampered with. As was the norm in this case.
She had a hunch where he had gone, and it was worth the drive across town and nearly to the city limits to find him. If all else failed, she’d drive out to his house.
When she pulled up at Speed’s and found his old Camaro out front, she breathed a sigh of relief and felt her nerves go into overdrive as she slowed the car to pull into the lot.
After parking, she took a deep breath. “Here goes nothing.”
She got out and walked to the door, peeking inside to find him in the back of the diner at his private table, jotting down something on a napkin. She went inside and waited for him to see her as she approached, but he was too wrapped up in his head.
“I thought I’d find you here.” She stood beside him and tried to catch a glimpse of the napkin.
Jake’s shoulders sank, and as he dropped his pen and wadded up the napkin, she had a feeling he didn’t want her there. “How did you know I’d be here?”
“Well, your stomach growled before you left the office, and this is the only place you eat. When you didn’t show up back at the office, I just put two and two together. This is the only place you eat, right?”
“Not true. I polished off a slice of pie before I came here.”
“Is that what you call it? What’s her name?” She grinned, knowing he hadn’t been to see another woman, but the look on his face told him he might think she was serious. “I’m kidding.”
“I was going to say if you’re preoccupied with me and other women, don’t waste your time. She was at least sixty-five, but she told me the name of the Hangman.”
“Are you going to share, or are you just going to gloat about eating pie without me?” She slid into the booth with him.
“Have a seat.” He gestured to where she was sitting.
“Are we expecting guests?” she asked, wondering if she’d made a mistake in coming. He was back to his old, cold ways where she was concerned. She thought this side of him was dead and buried, but now she knew better. It was only lying just beneath the surface, looking for a reason to emerge.
“Nope, no guests.”
“So what does it matter, or are you just trying to top the last asshole comment you made with the next?”
“Ouch,” said Ruth Anne, who walked up at the worst moment ever.
Jo knew the old woman loved Jake and probably would take his side on things, not that she was looking for anyone to agree with her or be on her team. She had been used to flying solo. Why should now be any different?
“That’s a little harsh but probably true,” said Ruth Anne. “If there’s one thing I know about Jake, it’s that he’s hard to deal with.”
“I am not. I’m just being practical. She’ll thank me for being an asshole later.”
“Oh boy,” said Ruth Anne with her hand on her hip. “And here I thought you at least had a little common sense. Can’t you see that you two are good together? Whatever has you at each other’s throats, it’s best put behind you and the sooner, the better. Even I know that and—”
“You don’t know the whole story,” said Jake. “And forgive me if I don’t feel like sharing the details.”
“I don’t need any. I’m sure it’s your fault.” She was about to set a plate with a large cheeseburger and fries in front of him but, instead, turned and walked away with it.
“Where the hell are you going with my food?” he asked.
“I’ll bring it back when you can learn some manners.” She pushed her way into the swinging doors and into the back room.
“She’s a piece of work,” he mumbled.
“Well, if it’s any consolation, she didn’t even take my order.”
“That does help.” He chuckled and raked his hand through his hair. “Really, what are you doing here? I’ve been awful.”
“You admit it?”
“Well, if there’s one thing I know about that woman,” he gestured to the kitchen, “it’s that she is never wrong. And if I want that cheeseburger, she’s going to have to see me making an effort.”
“I guess you’re starving and desperate, right? Or else you would not admit it?”
“Nah, pie, remember? I’m just sick of the arguing.”
Jo looked down at the wadded napkin in his hands and reached for it, but he pulled his hand back and smiled, shaking his head at her attempt. “You don’t want to see that,” he said, his face turning red.
“Try me,” she said, and finally, he let her have it.
She unfolded the napkin to see her name, Jo, along with another. “Casey?” Her heart sank, not knowing what to think. “Who is—”
“The Hangman. Casey Madden. I wanted to write it down in case I forgot it again, but th
en I got to thinking about you.” He shrugged like it was no big deal, but she wanted to hear more.
“And what were you thinking about me?” she asked, her chest swelling as an uneasy feeling rattled through her bones.
“I shouldn’t have been so hard on you for not telling me about your father. It’s just that all of this corruption has cost people their lives, and I guess that deep down, I didn’t want you that fucking close to the crossfire. Having your family on the chopping block, so to speak, puts you closer to danger. And I would hate for anything to happen to you.”
“Thank you. And I guess I could see that.” It still didn’t excuse his behavior or the anger he’d thrown her way.
“When you kissed me,” he said as he took a deep breath. “Well, let’s just say that it wasn’t unwelcome, and then you immediately apologized and made it seem like a mistake.”
She had bruised his ego. “I just felt awkward and like I had thrown a wrench into a good thing. I don’t want to screw up what he had built. And now, in trying to keep it, I guess I have anyway.”
“Well, then I guess we’d both agree that we need a redo?”
She thought he meant a redo of the kiss, but before she could smile, the blush already rising to her cheeks, he continued. “We just need to start over like we just met and take it slower. If something is meant to come from all of this, it will. But in the meantime, I think we can both agree to move forward with our partnership, and hopefully, we can keep the friendship we started intact?” He looked up with hopeful eyes.
“I think that’s doable. So, we put our disagreements behind us? No more jabs? No more holding it against me?”
He nodded. “Do you think you could tell Ruth Anne to stop holding my burger hostage?”
“I guess, but if she doesn’t take my order, I’m stealing your fries. I’m starving. Some of us didn’t have pie.”
“It was surprisingly good too. Especially warm with a scoop of ice cream melting down the sides.” He gave her a smoldering look as he licked his lips, and she grinned, rethinking everything she’d said about kissing him and how it had been a mistake. The only mistake he had made was not taking it further when he had the chance. Now, she would have to be content to go with friendship and see where it led, which was no doubt nowhere once he retired.
She looked over at the counter where Ruth Anne poured a fresh cup of coffee for one of her customers, and then she finally made eye contact. Jo held her hands together like she was begging, and Ruth Anne smiled and grabbed his burger to bring it to the table.
“This has been sitting on the warmer, so it’s perfectly fine,” she said to Jake. “And now, what can I get for you?”
“I think I’ll have the same.” Jo hadn’t wanted to eat anything heavy until she smelled the diner, and then all bets were off. “With a coke float, please.”
“I like your style,” said Ruth Anne, jotting down the note. “I’ll have that out as soon as possible.”
“Make it to go,” she said. “I’ll eat mine on the road.” She sat and watched as Jake ate his burger, and when he was done, her order waited on the counter.
“I’ll meet you back at the station?” she asked.
“Nope, meet me across the street from the station where they keep property records. I want to see if there is any mention of a Casey Madden owning another property.”
After paying for her lunch, she followed Jake out and back to the station’s parking lot where he pulled into the first available spot. She had a harder time, finally settling for one across the lot.
Jake stood waiting at the nearest park bench on the courthouse lawn, and she stepped quickly to meet up with him and then walked with him across the street. As they walked into the records’ room, he went to the counter and handed Jo a pen to sign in. He jotted down his name, too, and then they both went to the records, looking for the proper stack.
After taking a minute to find the right one, he let his finger down the registry. “There are a ton of Maddens.”
“Do you think that any of them are related?” She skimmed through the list of names. “Douglas P., Darrel, Gregory, Kellan C., and Marva? Ring a bell?”
“No, and I’m not sure. Hilda told me that he wasn’t from around here. His wife was. We could call them all in for questioning. Go check out their houses. It could lead to dead ends, or it could turn up something. I think we’re onto him.”
“I hope you’re right.” She wished that they had found a Casey, and then at least it would have felt like they had accomplished more. But at least they weren’t at each other’s throats, and they were back to working together.
“Did you ever hear from Preston?” he asked. “I’m curious when he’s due back in town.”
“Nothing yet. I’m afraid we should go to the office and try talking some sense into the secretary to get his number. If she knows what this is about, then maybe she would just give us the number to call.”
“Yeah, we might have to press. Speaking of pressure, have you heard anything more definitive from your father? Is he still looking to pencil us in?”
She was shocked that he had not led with a jab and thought that this might give her a little hope. “He hasn’t called me back,” said Jo, wishing the man would stop making shit difficult. “I’ll call him again.” She dialed his number and held her breath until he answered the phone.
“Senator Young speaking.” His voice was deep and professional.
“Dad?”
“Wow,” he said, with a chuckle. “You must be desperate to see me, calling me ‘Dad’.”
“I’ve told you that I need to speak with you.”
“Okay, fine. How about we do lunch tomorrow? I’ll make you my last stop out of town.”
“Sounds good.” She looked at Jake and hoped that her father wasn’t about to pull a fast one and leave that night. “Dad, it’s really important.”
He sighed, causing a static on the phone. “Fine, tomorrow at lunch. I’ll text you the details.”
Chapter 10
The Hangman
Traffic was noisy with the mid-morning rush, and the sun was just high enough to create a nasty glare across Casey Madden’s windshield. He had decided to sit and wait in the parking lot of the Rockford and see what the Senator might be up to. His connections had told him the man had extended his stay, and he hoped it meant he was going to try and take him out again. Good luck, asshole.
After an hour of no sign, just him watching and waiting from the car like he had nothing better to do, something caught his eye. A face emerged from the building who he didn’t expect to see in the city. At least not yet.
He felt hate for the man, seeing the asshole walking around free.
“You’ve got to be kidding me,” he said as Kyle Young walked out of the building and across the lot. “You’re making my job a lot easier.” The Hangman’s plan had been to lure him to the city, but now he didn’t have to. “What a stroke of luck. For me. Not so much for you, motherfucker.” He glared at the man with a burning look and followed him all the way to a car where he stopped and leaned into the window a moment before going around to get into the car.
A beautiful young woman put the window back up, and when Kyle got inside, the Hangman shook his head. “Is that woman in your life? Poor bitch. She is fucking a monster. Does she know what you did? Maybe I should tell her just before I rip your heart out of your chest.”
He had no interest in killing the woman. He’d be doing her a favor once he rid the world and her life of Kyle Young.
He followed them out and then down the street and onto the main road that led across town, which they quickly exited from. He barely made the exit and followed them to a fast-food restaurant where he hung back with binoculars and watched as they ordered and then parked across the lot to eat.
The woman in the car appeared very paranoid, and a few times, he caught her looking around as if she might be seen.
“Look at you,” he said. “You sit stuffing your face, living your
life while my child is in the ground.”
His mind went back to a different time, just after the case when his heart was still hopeful, when justice seemed like something he might achieve, instead of a hopeless idea for the fool he’d become.
He’d kept that hope longer than he should have, and he could still remember it lingering in his soul as the judge read the verdict and set Kyle free.
Judge Mathews’s voice was loud and clear. “I hereby overturn the jury’s decision, based on lack of evidence against Mr. Young. Court is adjourned.” A quick bang of his gavel and the courtroom erupted with chatter. He banged his gavel a few more times and tried to gain order, but then, he hopped down from his bench and hurried into the back as if his robes were on fire. The entire audience was stunned, and Kyle and his father celebrated with Preston, exchanging cocky grins.
His own attorney, Elliot Gaines, couldn’t even look him in the eye, but then Kyle Young made a bold move.
He walked up to Casey and extended his hand. “I’m terribly sorry for your loss, man. And I hope you find out who did this to your family.”
Casey looked down at his hand like the man had offered him a steaming pile of shit, and as the rage built inside of him, he thought about ripping the man’s arm off and beating him with it. “You’ve just messed with the wrong motherfucker,” he whispered. “I’m going to make sure you pay for this. Your father’s money will not buy your safety as long as I’m breathing.”
Kyle pulled his hand away and then stepped back as Casey stepped forward, balling his fists. He was going to leave him in a bloody pile on the floor.
He had been just about to swing on the man when he was pushed away by two guards, no doubt eager to impress the other lawmen, and when he shrugged away and stormed out of the room, it was Detective Jake Thomas who followed him out and tried to ease his mind.