Dangerous Legacy

by Valerie Hansen

  He slurped her cheek and ear.

  “Yeah, well, maybe your path was best, but now what?”

  The dog stiffened as if in reply. His nose twitched and he lifted it to face the breeze, then raised his hackles.

  Maggie tensed. Listened. Held her breath until her body forced her to exhale. What she had thought was the sound of her panting dog was actually farther away, in the direction she believed they had come. It wasn’t loud. And it faded from time to time, but it was definitely there.

  She stood slowly, dismayed by a wave of dizziness. Pushing herself to the edge of her endurance was one thing, but this consequence was unexpected. How could she run when she could hardly keep her balance? And what if she fainted?

  “I have never fainted in my life and I’m not going to start now,” Maggie insisted in a whisper. Wolfie wagged his bushy tail.

  Demanding that her body comply, she turned to start up the slope behind them. The third step dropped her against the trunk of an enormous oak and there she stayed while bright flashes of color danced at the edges of her vision and the forest seemed to vibrate. This was not good.

  Beside her, Wolfie began to growl.

  Maggie followed his line of sight, seeing nothing but drifting, shimmering, moonlit shadows. Clearly, she was not going any farther, so what could she use as a defensive weapon?

  A nearby deadfall caught her eye. She managed to break a portion of a loose, rotting limb from the fallen tree. It wasn’t much of a club, but at least it wasn’t too heavy to wield. She’d played baseball as a child. It was time for a little batting practice. Even if she only got one swing, it was better than just standing there.

  “Wolfie, heel,” Maggie ordered quietly. “Down. Stay.”

  Resting the section of limb on her shoulder, she propped herself behind the massive oak and waited.

  A twig snapped. Wolfie started to rise, but the flat of Maggie’s hand in front of his nose stopped him. It wouldn’t be long now. Truth to tell, she was looking forward to clocking the guy who had run her off the road.

  She tensed. The dog was quivering beside her, as ready as she was. Another cracking sound. Heavy breathing. Almost there!

  Fight-or-flight emotions gave her a needed jolt of energy. She poised and mustered her strength, waiting for just the right moment to swing.

  * * *

  Tracking had been part of Flint’s job training. He’d temporarily lost Maggie’s trail when she crossed a field of exposed rock, but he knew she couldn’t be far ahead.

  Should he call to her? No. That might tip off anyone who was stalking her. He couldn’t chance it.

  Bending low to inspect a patch of disturbed leaves, he sensed imminent danger and began to rise.

  Flint’s forearm came up just in time to absorb most of the blow. Bits of rotted wood rained down like snowflakes. He shouted, “Officer of the law” as he ducked to the side to avoid further strikes and drew his sidearm.

  His flashlight found its target. Someone was preparing to hit him again. “Freeze!”

  In a heartbeat, he understood. Maggie had thought he was her enemy and had defended herself. Bravo for her. Too bad her aim was so good.

  He raised both hands, diverting the light and the gun. “It’s me. Maggie, it’s me. You’re safe now.”

  Flint holstered his pistol while she processed reality. He flicked off the flashlight in case there was danger nearby and ruffled his hair to brush away bits of wood.

  “Drop the limb, Maggie,” he said, keeping his voice low. “You’re safe now. You’re safe.”

  Slowly, her arms lowered. The fractured branch fell. She began to blink rapidly and her balance wavered. Flint reached out to catch her and she fell into his arms, clinging as if he were the only lifeline in a sea of hungry sharks.

  What could he do? He tightened his embrace, held her close and waited for her to relax. Eternity passed. Flint was so overcome with emotional memory he squeezed his eyes shut and prayed for strength. This hurt. Deeply. It was as if no time had passed; as if he and Maggie were once again in love and looking forward to a bright future together.

  Reality saved him when Wolfie whined. Maggie pushed him away. The look in her eyes was unreadable. His conscience insisted he apologize. “I’m sorry. I thought you were going to faint.”

  “I never...” She began to nod. “Thanks. I am woozy. I guess I ran too far and too fast.”

  Flint held up a hand. “Hold on a second and you can tell me everything.” He pulled out his phone and reported that she was safe, then led her to the nearest rock outcropping so she could rest and recover, trusting the dog to alert if anyone else approached.

  “Okay. What happened?”

  “A big truck ran me off the road.”

  “I could tell that something did. Why did you run?”

  “Because he came back!” Her voice faltered. “I—I thought he was going to finish me.”

  “Why? Who has it in for you?

  Her shoulders sagged. “Nobody. At least not lately.”

  “Explain.”

  “Do you remember Abigail Dodd? She used to teach in the old rock school. My mother was one of her students.”

  “What about her?”

  “She’s the one who thought of starting the wildlife rescue here. I had just graduated from school to become a veterinary assistant, and when she couldn’t find a real vet to take the management job, she offered it to me.”

  “Why would that make anybody shoot at you and run you off the road?”

  Maggie huffed. “I testified on Abigail’s behalf. Her nephew actually threatened me after the competency hearing and her niece glared daggers. I wouldn’t put it past either of them to shoot at me. What I don’t understand is why they waited until now.”

  “The sheriff mentioned something about that hearing, but he never told me you’d been threatened. He just said Ms. Dodd’s relatives were unhappy about the verdict.”

  “That’s an understatement. Missy and Sonny were fit to be tied. They wanted power of attorney. I’m the reason they didn’t get it.”

  Flint listened with concern. “Do you think it was one of them who ran you off the road tonight?”

  “I can’t think of anybody else who’s that mad at me. Maybe they figure they’ll have a better shot at their aunt’s money if I don’t stand in their way.”

  “You do realize how paranoid that sounds, don’t you?”

  “It’s only paranoia if nobody is really out to get me. After two tries, including tonight, I wonder.”

  * * *

  By the time the sheriff’s men arrived on ATVs to take Flint and her back to the road, Maggie had regained most of her strength. The official pronouncement that her truck was still safe to drive helped even more.

  “I’m fine,” she insisted to a crowd of men. “I can get to my mother’s by myself.”

  Harlan seemed reluctant to allow it. Flint looked angry.

  She faced them, hands on her hips. “You agree my wheels are safe and it’s only a couple more miles to town. What’s your problem?”

  “You are,” Flint argued. “An hour ago you were hardly able to stand. What makes you think you’re capable of driving?”

  “An hour ago I was scared to death,” she countered. “Now that nobody’s chasing me, I’m fine.”

  “What about later?”

  “I’ll worry about tomorrow, tomorrow,” Maggie said. “Consider the lilies of the field—”

  “Don’t quote scripture to me.”

  “You know that verse?”

  “I know a lot of Bible verses.”

  “Since when?”

  “Since I almost got my head blown off in combat,” Flint said.

  Maggie sobered. “Was that the real reason you left the marines?” She could
tell by the set of his jaw and shoulders that she’d hit a nerve, but his answer was ambiguous.

  “I stayed until my enlistment was up,” Flint said. “Stop trying to change the subject. You’re in no shape to drive that truck and you know it.”

  “On the contrary. I’m perfectly capable of taking care of myself. I thought I proved that when I clobbered you back in the woods.”

  “All you proved was that you’re no match for a gun.”

  “Nonsense.” Maggie was not about to admit she’d been weak and ineffectual when she faced what she’d believed was her enemy. “If I hadn’t recognized you, I’d have hit you again.”

  “With a limb so rotten it fell apart?”

  It had to be pulpy in order to be light enough for her to lift, Maggie thought with chagrin. “I wasn’t helpless. I could have grabbed a rock after you went down. I was tired, that’s all.” She turned to the sheriff. “What about the truck that hit me? Have you found any clues?”

  Harlan shook his head. “Not to speak of. There’s a bit of dark paint on your fender, but that’s about all. We took a scraping in case we end up having to send something to the crime lab in Little Rock.”

  “Meaning, if whoever ran me off the road doesn’t bother me again nothing will be done?” Maggie folded her arms across her chest to hide a shiver.

  “We’ll see. I wouldn’t worry much. Accidents happen. There’s usually nothing sinister about them.”

  Beside her, Flint raised his voice. “I don’t believe you people. Did you know she was threatened by Ms. Dodd’s relatives?”

  “Ah, Sonny was just blowin’ off steam. Now calm down.” The sheriff gave him a tight smile. “You’ve been away too long. You know this ain’t a big city. We don’t have serious trouble around here. Leastwise not much.”

  No serious trouble? Maggie recalled tales of the days when clannishness had divided the town better than any city gang wars could have. Much of what she’d heard as a child had probably been embellished, of course. Small-town gossip was famous for that. Still, it wouldn’t hurt to look into that, too. Now that Flint was home, there was an outside chance her elderly uncle might be involved for reasons other than his poaching. He was hardheaded enough to want to nurture his hatred of the Crawfords and rekindle the generations-old family feud.

  What caused her additional worry was the fact that she seemed to be a target, too, probably thanks to her need to tolerate Flint’s presence for the sake of her job. It had been easy to blame rancor against Flint for the shots at the animal center. This so-called accident put a totally different spin on things. This wasn’t a bullet, but it was aimed at her. Was this truly an accident, as the sheriff assumed, or were the incidents related?

  Leaving Harlan and Flint arguing, Maggie circled her truck with Wolfie and climbed in. She didn’t have to look in her mirrors to know what she’d see. Flint was going to look fit to be tied.

  A lopsided smile lifted her lips—and her spirits. He’d looked so relieved when he found her in the woods she almost hated to annoy him. But she had her limits. Life had forced her to stand on her own two feet, and she wasn’t about to let the man who had almost ruined her life take it over. Not now. Not ever. She had been doing fine by herself, raising her son and providing for him with little outside help from anyone except her mother.

  Maggie’s heart warmed at the thought of Mark and Mom. They had been so good for each other: Mark comforting Faye after she was widowed and Faye becoming the grandmother the boy needed to balance his life. It was the perfect arrangement for them all. One she intended to preserve.

  As Maggie saw it, all she had to do was pinpoint who was so upset with her—or mad because she’d been seen with Flint—and was acting out. Country people might be obstinate at times, but they were logical thinkers. Sensible and honorable. With God’s help she’d figure out who’d been stirring up trouble.

  Her hands tightened on the steering wheel. She hoped nothing altered the peaceful life she’d made for herself in Serenity. If she truly trusted the Lord in everything, she’d be fine. However, the line between self-confidence and letting go and allowing her heavenly Father to guide her could be blurry, especially if she intended to assert her will, which she did.

  “Okay, okay,” Maggie said, frustrated. She cast her eyes to the heavens momentarily. “I’ll try to understand and do things Your way, Father, but I’m sure bumfuzzled right now.”

  * * *

  Flint stood with the sheriff and watched Maggie pull away. He shook his head. “That woman is the most stubborn, impossible person I have ever met.”

  “Yup. That’s what keeps her going,” Harlan replied with a grin. “She’s quite mule-headed, our Maggie.”

  “She never used to be.”

  “Times change. Kids grow up. She was only sixteen when you left, right?”

  “Almost seventeen. I was eighteen.”

  “And you were skinny as a rail, if I remember right. No wonder you hit the road.”

  “Beg pardon?”

  Harlan snorted. “Her brothers mighta kilt you, son. Both of ’em outweighed ya by a bunch, and they sure didn’t want you dating their sister.”

  “You’re telling me.” Flint sighed. “I tried to get her to elope, you know. She wouldn’t hear of it. Faye had always said she wanted to put on a big wedding for her only daughter, and Maggie was determined to do things her mother’s way.”

  “Probably for the best.” The older man lit up a cigar and puffed it slowly. “Did you ever get hitched?”

  “Nope. Not even close.”

  “Hmm. Maggie was engaged a couple of times but never went through with those weddings. After her father passed away she was pretty much tied to her mother.”

  “I suppose that worked out for the best, since she needed Faye’s help with the baby.”

  “You know about Mark?”

  Flint shrugged. “I heard a little gossip last week.”

  “Hmm.” The sheriff blew smoke rings. “Well, I’d best be going. You coming back to the house with me for dessert? My Wanda’s baked one a’ her prize-winnin’ apple pies. Takes a blue ribbon at the fair every year.”

  “Back to town? Sure,” Flint answered quickly.

  That made Harlan chuckle. “I thought I’d swing by Faye’s on the way, just to make sure Maggie got there safe. You might as well follow me.”

  Of course he would. And while they were relaxed and eating pie, he intended to quiz the sheriff a lot more. Harlan was obviously relying on good-old-boy mentality to figure things out when there was a good chance sinister forces were at work instead. Just because there hadn’t been much crime in Serenity in the past didn’t mean there wasn’t any now.

  Flint didn’t care whether locals like the Dodds were involved or not. The important thing was putting an end to the threats before somebody got hurt. Before Maggie got hurt.

  Her unseen enemies had already gotten too close for comfort. They had to be positively identified and stopped. And if the sheriff wasn’t going to follow through, somebody had to take up the cause.

  Flint’s badge and gun made him a full-fledged law officer.

  He intended to act like one.

  FOUR

  It didn’t bother Maggie one bit to note that Sheriff Allgood had caught up and was following her. As they drove into town and streetlights glinted off the light bar atop his patrol car, she realized that he wasn’t the only one. The third vehicle in line looked suspiciously like an official Game and Fish truck.

  Maggie whipped into her mother’s driveway and waited, more than ready to face down Flint and send him on his way if he stopped. When both drivers cruised on past, however, she wasn’t sure whether to be relieved or disappointed. Yes, she was glad for an armed escort. No, she was not happy that Flint had tagged along behind. Yes, she appreciated the sheriff’s con
cern. And no, she...

  Maggie chewed on her lower lip. What was wrong with her? She hadn’t felt normal since her first glimpse of Warden Crawford, and things were getting more complicated by the minute.

  Faye threw open her front door, flooding the yard with light. “Maggie? Are you all right?”

  “Fine, Mom. Shut the door. I’ll be right in.”

  When her mother didn’t listen, Maggie shouted, “I said, shut the door.”

  Faye stood, silhouetted in the backlight as if making herself an intentional target. Worse, Mark had joined her. The maternal instinct in Maggie spurred her to make a dash for the porch, scoop up her son and rush everyone back inside. The last thing to pass through before the door slammed was Wolfie’s tail.

  “What in the world is going on?” Faye asked.

  “Sorry I yelled at you.”

  “Never mind that. Why is your face as pale as my legs after a long winter?”

  Despite her mother’s attempt at humor, Maggie knew she sensed trouble. “It’s complicated.” Putting Mark down, she kissed his cheek before saying, “Why don’t you take Wolfie and go play, honey?”

  “Mamaw said I could have ice cream when you came.”

  “After supper. Now go. Wolfie gets bored when you’re at school. He misses you.”

  “I miss him, too.” With that, the child took off, his furry friend trotting along beside him.

  “Let’s go in the kitchen while I reheat the food and you can tell me all about what’s been going on,” Faye said.

  Nodding, Maggie followed, plopping into her favorite place at the table and raking trembling fingers through her hair. “It’s a long story.”

  “We have time. I already fed Mark.” She poured two cups of coffee and set one in front of her weary daughter. “Why don’t you start with your first call to me this afternoon? Why did I need to pick up my grandson?”

  “Because somebody was shooting near my place.” Maggie wrapped her hands around the warm mug.