How to Fetch a Felon

by Cat Clayton

  “Now, tell me the other half of why you’re upset,” I said and leaned my elbows on the opposite end of the grooming table, the part with no dog hair.

  He let out an audible sigh. “At home, it’s only me and my mom. It’s quiet and sometimes lonely. She’s always at church or playing bridge with her friends. But, when I’m here at work, or with your family, I feel included, like I’m part of your family. So, when Gigi called and asked if I could sit with Stoney, I jumped at the opportunity. I canceled appointments and ran over there. It felt so wonderful to be needed, ya know?” He snatched another tissue from the box near him, dabbed under his eyes and blew his nose.

  “I’m so sorry, Daniel.” I reached over and rubbed his arm. “She was way out of line. If it helps, I consider you part of our family, and I’m positive she does too. Gertie owes you a huge apology.”

  “No! Please don’t. I’ll get over it. Eventually.” He unclipped the short lead hooking Ranger to the upper rack and scooped him up. “Just let it go.”

  By the look in his eyes, I knew to agree. But that woman would get my two cents.

  “Okay, if you say so. Listen, Chief Becker released my father, so I need to take care of something. I see you shifted appointments around and the afternoon looks light.”

  “Yeah, I figured it was best with what happened. Hope you don’t mind,” he said.

  “Of course not. Actually, I wouldn’t mind if you rescheduled them to tomorrow. I don‘t think any of us will be in the rest of the afternoon.”

  Daniel shook his head. “I’d rather work. But I’ll look and see if I can move a few. One at a time I can handle on my own.” He motioned for me to follow him out to the lobby.

  He set Ranger on the floor and all three dogs sniffed one another. “Okay, April, your little guy is all done.”

  April approached the counter, carrying a small cardboard box. “Thank you so much. He looks great! I brought you something, Daniel.” She pushed the box toward him. “Sorry, Steely, I didn’t know you were here, or I would’ve brought you a treat too.” She offered me an apologetic smile.

  I waved my hand. “Don’t worry about it.”

  Daniel peeked inside the box.

  “It’s a mint chocolate cupcake with chocolate icing,” April said.

  “Yum!” Daniel said, grinning. “Thank you.”

  “Daniel, I need to go. If I’m not back before you close up, put the pups upstairs. Call you later?”

  He nodded.

  I said my goodbyes and kissed Cuff on the head.

  Did you forget, Chiquita?

  Forget what?

  I gotta pee and I am starving. He looked up at me and barked twice.

  “Okay, okay. I’ll take you out first.” I grabbed both pups’ leashes from the stairwell hook and took them out for a break. Afterward, I jogged up the steps and poured a scoop of kibble in two bowls and left the door cracked. “All right, pups, your food is upstairs.” And, with that, I was out the back door.

  I needed to make things right with a certain artist.

  Chapter 11

  The urgent care was only about a ten-minute walk, but given the current crisp temperature, I’d rather drive. Passing the used car lot reminded me I still needed to check on the blue Bug’s price and see if Ziggy’s brother could even sell it. I pulled into the clinic’s parking lot near the emergency room and let the engine idle for a minute, gathering up my nerve. I found no part of visiting someone my father beat the tar out of easy or comfortable.

  “Hi, I’m Steely Lamarr and I’m here to see Lloyd Madden,” I told the front desk attendant. “Can you tell me what room he’s in?”

  The woman behind the counter, with a severe high bun, eyeballed me through thick glasses. “Are you family?”

  “No,” I said, shaking my head.

  “Well, I’m sorry. Family only,” she said and picked up the phone.

  “Oh, okay. Thank you.” I turned to leave. As I walked out through the front glass doors, a nurse in peach scrubs, with a sandy brown ponytail, caught up.

  “Excuse me, are you Ms. Lamarr?”

  I whirled around. “Yes?”

  “Karen called back to the nurses station, because she thought your name sounded familiar,” she said, holding a clipboard in her arm.

  “Familiar? I don’t understand,” I said.

  “Well, since he has no family around. He gave us one name he’d see besides the police. It was your name.”

  What the heck? Lloyd Madden wants to see me? And, the plot thickens.

  I followed the nurse in peach scrubs down a long hallway and around a corner. There were twenty stalls with curtains in their emergency center, most of them empty. The nurse stopped in front of a curtain and announced herself.

  “You have a guest, Mr. Madden,” she said.

  “Who?” a muffled voice said.

  “Ms. Steely Lamarr, you know, the one you said you’d see.”

  “Yeah, okay.”

  The nurse pulled back the curtain and motioned me inside. “I’ll bring you a chair.”

  Too stunned at the sight of him to speak, I nodded. He looked like someone took a baseball bat to his face. Pop did that, I thought as tears welled in my eyes. It was more than I could take.

  “I know. But I think it looks worse than it feels,” Lloyd said with a swollen, busted top lip.

  “I... um, I don’t know what to say, except, I’m so sorry.” Seriously, Steely? The guy is a mess, and I’m sorry is all you can say?

  The nurse returned with a folding chair. “It’s all I could find.”

  “Thanks,” I said, sitting down a few feet from his bed. “I’m here to offer you my most sincere gratitude, on behalf of my entire family, for not pressing charges. I must sound so pathetic.”

  He laughed, or at least he tried.

  “Why are you laughing? This isn’t funny,” I said.

  “It’s ironic. My wife tries to kill you, and your father beats me to a bloody pulp. Maybe this somewhat evens us out. A small amount of bloody drool dripped from his mouth.

  I pointed to my lower lip. “You’ve got some, um, blood dripping.”

  He slowly leaned over and grabbed a washcloth from the side table and dabbed his mouth gently. “Uncontrollable drooling is a perk of the numbing medication they gave me when they stitched the inside of my lip.”

  Now, I chuckled. He had a humorous side. “Okay, so not funny.”

  “Eh, a matter of opinion,” he said, his swollen blackened eyes finding mine. “How is your sister dealing with all this?”

  I shrugged. “To tell you the truth, I haven’t had the chance to talk to her one on one. I was too busy trying to get my father out of jail. I plan on heading to see her next.”

  His eyes filled with tears. “I really care about Stoney. Especially after I learned what she went through the past fifteen years. I didn’t know I would feel about her the way I did. It surprised me and her. And now she’s expecting a child all on her own. It’s heartbreaking.”

  “She’s not alone. She has a family that loves her and will help her, Lloyd. Her getting involved with someone isn’t in her best interest,” I said.

  “Because of the baby?”

  “No, because of the trauma she endured while they held her captive. You realize they inflicted a lot of emotional damage while she was with those people, right? Stoney doesn’t know how to have a healthy relationship. She probably shouldn’t be having this baby, and she shouldn’t have a relationship with you either.”

  Sighing, he blinked and used the other side of the rag to blot his eyes.

  “Look, I’m not trying to sound harsh or be mean to you or about the baby. But Stoney doesn’t even know herself right now. I’ve spoken with her therapist. We all have. If you truly care about my sister, you’ll back away and leave her be. Let her family support her. Maybe later, when she’s ready, if you two still feel the same way, then she can let you know.”

  He turned his head away, and I thought for a few seconds h
e would disagree with me, but he didn’t. “Okay. I’ll back away from her.” His voice cracked.

  “Thank you. It really is for the best.”

  He twisted his head back toward me, his eyes glistening. “On one condition. I get out tomorrow, and I want to see her one last time and explain things to her. If you let me do it, maybe she won’t blame you all or try running. She’s talked about it, you know? Running.”

  I nodded. “I figured as much. I’ll talk to my father and try to convince him.” I reached in my purse and retrieved one of Scrubadub’s business cards. “Call the shop when you’re released. I’ll set up a meeting for you and her.” I set the card down on his side table and turned to leave.

  “Steely?”

  “Yes?”

  “I wasn’t at her window the other night, and I’m not the one sending her those baby gifts either.”

  “Okay,” I replied.

  “And I really am sorry for what Lizzie did to you. Our divorce was final a week ago. It’ll take me time to get my life in order.”

  “That was quick. The divorce, I mean.”

  “She physically attacked me twice in court. The judge granted the divorce without question. I’m happy to be moving on.”

  “Good for you, Lloyd. I’ll talk to you tomorrow.” I let the curtain swing closed behind me.

  I MADE MYSELF A PROMISE of pie if all went well with Pop. Not only a slice, the whole darn pie.

  I sat across from him at the kitchen table. Gertie had fixed us hot tea and left us alone while she watched her lady programs in the living room. Stoney was taking a nap.

  “I went to see Lloyd in the hospital.”

  “What for?” he asked in a harsh voice.

  I narrowed my eyes at him. “What for? Well, to begin with, he’s the only reason you’re not still sitting in a jail cell. I went to offer him our apologies and our gratitude on behalf of the family.”

  “He had it coming. Harassing your sister with those stupid gifts! Not to mention, he continues to come around her when I asked him not to,” he said, fuming.

  I slammed my hand on the table. “That’s enough, Pop! It wasn’t Lloyd. None of it! And, we will never figure out who it is if you continue to target the wrong person! Listen to yourself. You’re obsessed with blaming him. I realize you’re scared for her. I am too. But your actions are not helping the situation. You assaulted an innocent man, Pop!”

  “How do you know he’s innocent?” he asked, squinting at me. His jaw clenched.

  “Because he told me so. The only thing Lloyd Madden is guilty of is caring for Stoney.”

  He tore his gaze away and folded his arms across his chest. The tension in the room rose. The seconds ticked by. The kitchen was so quiet I swore I heard the electric sweeper charging on the wall a few feet away in the mudroom. Gertie’s cackle from the other room broke the silence.

  “Pop, this has to stop.”

  “I don’t want him caring for her,” he growled.

  “That’s just it. You don’t get to tell him he can’t care about her. You can’t tell Stoney who she can be around or not be around, just like you couldn’t tell her to get rid of the baby. These are things beyond your control, and it angers you. I understand. I like to control things in my life too. But sometimes we can’t, and sometimes, we need to release our hold on situations and let them unfold the way they’re supposed to.”

  His head twisted in my direction, his lower lip quivering. “Who are you and what have you done with my daughter?” A tear slipped down his cheek.

  I winked, chuckling. “I’m right here, Pop. On your side. Always.”

  “I know I’ve said this several times in the past few months, but you remind me so much of your mother these days. She always spoke volumes of wisdom when the situation called for it. She was the only one who could keep my temper in check.”

  “Well, hold on to your knickers, because she’s passed the baton,” I said, fumbling around for Mama’s heart locket at my neck. I pressed the tiny heart between my thumb and index finger.

  He coughed a light-hearted laugh and wiped his eyes with a cloth napkin. “Steely Sue, what am I gonna do with you?”

  I pursed my lips. “I think the better question is, what am I gonna do with you?” I got up and went around the table and hugged him tight. “I have a plan. Want to hear it?”

  He nodded.

  I informed Pop of my conversation with Lloyd. “He’d like to speak one-on-one with Stoney.”

  Pop raised his hands and leaned back.

  Before he could protest, I spit out, “He promises to back away, and Jackson and I will accompany her to meet Lloyd. We won’t let them out of our sight.” I assumed full responsibility for their meeting as soon as the hospital released Lloyd.

  Pop breathed out a heavy, defeated sigh. “Okay.”

  Now my only hope was I didn’t make matters worse with letting them meet.

  Chapter 12

  Before I left the house, I had insisted Gertie accompany me back to the shop, where she would promptly and sincerely apologize to Daniel. It was 3:55 PM, and he was still at the shop. I filled Gertie in on Daniel’s crushed feelings, warned her not to say I made her do it, and pushed her—gently—into the groom room. I headed upstairs and did not come back down until 5:00 PM when I was sure they’d worked out their differences.

  I heard them chortling as soon as I opened the apartment door leading to the stairwell. I smiled and thought, a job well done, Steely. It was definitely pie time.

  Since Baker’s Bliss was dog-friendly, and Cuff felt back to his old self, we all walked down to the bakery together. I texted Jackson and told him to message me when he was ready to pick up Taffy. Lucky for the pups, April baked organic dog biscuits.

  Gertie and Daniel ordered coffees and blueberry scones. I chose hot cocoa and a slice of Very Berry Delicious pie, a Baker’s Bliss specialty. April packed the rest of my well-deserved pie in a take-home box. We ordered the pups a bakery dog biscuit each and a bowl of water. Ranger joined Cuff and Taffy under the table.

  Chiquita... this... is... the... best... treat... ever, Cuff mumbled in my head between bites. It sure was wonderful to have him feeling better.

  You can say that again, Chiquita!

  April brought our delicious desserts and beverages, and a herd of Santas stumbled into the front door. The Red Suit Santas. Their bellies varied in size, as did their beards and mustaches. They looked jollier in the daytime than they did the other night, except one. The grungy one sneered over at our table, scanning our faces, one by one. When his beady black eyes met mine, I raised my eyebrows in response.

  April threw up her arms in a tizzy. “Oh, I’ll never serve all these Santas and be able to close by 6:00 PM! All my staff left early today. Guess I’m working late this evening.”

  I glanced over at the Red Suits lining up at the counter and shrugged. “I’ll help.” I pushed back my chair and saw Daniel snicker. “What’s so funny?”

  “You serving.”

  Daniel and Gertie laughed.

  “I’ve got this,” I said, following April behind the counter.

  She handed me a two-pocket, waist apron, and I tied it on. “Oh my goodness! You’re such a doll! I’ll take the register, you serve. There’s a full pot of drip coffee, and the goodies are all behind the glass. Paper, baskets, and cups are there.” She pointed to the counter. “Thank you!” She addressed the Red Suits. “Okay, listen up, Santas! Give me your order, pay, then Ms. Lamarr will serve you over the counter. Half and half, sugars, napkins, and coffee stirs are at the end of the bar. Who’s first?”

  A whirlwind of Santa orders hit us from all directions. Scones, coffees, pie slices, cookies, and kolaches. Before I knew it, Gertie and Daniel joined us. I served the baked goods. Daniel poured and served the beverages, and Gertie met them at the end of the counter, brazenly flirting, and pouring the half and half. After we served the entire herd of Red Suits, April locked the front door from the inside, and we all collapsed at ou
r table by the window. Santas filled the entire eatery, except for our small table. My eyes located Grumpy Santa once again.

  “Y’all see the one over there at the table nearest the end of the bar? The one with the yellow rose in a vase.” Lucky for me, each table had a different color in the center.

  “Which Santa?” Gertie said.

  “Shh!” I whispered. “Don’t be obvious! The cantankerous-looking one. I’m sure he’s the only Santa with a fake beard.”

  “Oooh, I see him, and I can see the white strap from the back tie on his beard,” Daniel said, peering over his mug. “I should tell him his strap is showing. Not at all fashionable.” He tsk’ed in disapproval.

  We all busted out into the giggles. A few Red Suits glanced in our direction, but no one had a clue what we were laughing about.

  “Seriously, someone ought to tell him!” April snorted.

  “Yeah, straps are so unsightly!” Gertie giggled.

  I snapped my fingers, struggling to reel them back in. “Listen. There’s something off about him, don’t you think?”

  “Uh yeah. His strap is showing,” Daniel said, which caused another few seconds of hilarity.

  “Okay, focus, y’all. Does no one else get a weird vibe from him?” I asked.

  April leaned in toward the rest of us. “When it was his turn, he kind of barked his order at me.”

  “Me too! I asked him what he ordered, and he grumbled, ‘coffee only.’ Gertie, how was he when you tried to serve him the cream?”

  Gertie shrugged. “No comment. After Daniel handed him his cup, he walked to the table. I assumed he takes it black. Maybe he doesn’t like the color red or jolly isn’t his thing.”

  “Well, he’s in the wrong business then,” I said, eyeballing him.

  “Thank y’all so much for jumping in and helping me! I’d still be serving up there if not,” April said.

  “Don’t mention it. We enjoyed helping!” I said.

  “I’m gonna clean up and get ready to close. I guess I’ll see everyone at the Reindeer Stampede the day after tomorrow. Bye, y’all!” April said, taking our plates and used utensils to the kitchen.