Turning quickly back to the dog toys, Abby’s mind raced. Both of these men looked exactly like the bikers that she’d watched roar through town earlier that day. She had hoped they were just traveling through and Red Pine Falls had seen the last of them, but here they were. And they were staring at her.
“God, this is just like a stupid movie,” Abby mumbled softly to herself. She hoped against hope that ignoring them would give them a hint to leave her alone. She knew she was an attractive woman, but she was also confident enough in herself that she generally didn’t expect to be harassed in public. Still, these men didn’t look like they cared about public manners and Abby became more nervous as she heard the two men walk up behind her.
“What kind of dog do you have?” one of them asked. The hairy man reached beside her, pulling off a small chew toy and flipping it in his fingers. “I got a dog at home. She’s a mutt, but she likes this kind.” He grinned at her, his dirty teeth peeking out from his unruly beard and mustache. “Her name’s Pepper.”
Abby turned, meeting his gaze nervously before looking away. She didn’t see any of the employees in sight, and the tall aisles suddenly loomed, making her feel very alone and isolated. “Um… that’s nice,” Abby said, grabbing at a knotted rope and pulling it off the sales rack. She tried to move away, but the man grabbed her shopping cart while the other blocked her in.
“Hey now, is that any way to act? I’m just trying to be friendly,” the first man said. Abby flinched away from him, trying not to make a face at his breath but it was difficult. Whatever he’d eaten last, it smelled like a cross between old meat and onions.
Abby stopped, realizing she wasn’t going to be able to get out of this by slipping away. She stopped and squared her shoulders, looking at the first man and trying to make sure her voice didn’t waiver. She’d faced down a bunch of police officers with guns; she could do this. “Listen, I’m sorry, but you are scaring me. Let me go, or I’ll call for help.”
Instead of complying or even thinking about what she’s said, the two men laughed. That’s when Abby realized these men were different. They were far more like Buck Demsey than the state patrolmen. Despite pointing guns at her, the police had not wanted to do the wrong thing. These men didn’t care, and Abby knew she was in trouble.
“Come on, lady,” the second man said. He was smaller than the first one and twitched all the time. She didn’t like how he was licking his lips either. “We just want to talk with you. Maybe play some games? It won’t hurt, right?”
“Shut-up, Skeeves,” the first man said, growling at his smaller comrade and smacking him on the arm. Skeeves flinched away as if expecting something much harder than what he received and Abby suspected he usually got it. “Dammit, you’re scaring her.” He scowled at the smaller man for a long moment.
“S..sorry, V,” Skeeves said, holding up his hands.
Abby tried to move, hoping the two men were distracted enough, but it didn’t work. As soon as she moved her cart an inch, the larger man tightened his grip on the metal and pulled it violently back, making Abby gasp in shock. The sudden, jerking movement and loud noise as the cart wheels moved sideways over the linoleum scared her. The man locked eyes, glaring at her dangerously and struggling to get his temper under control.
“Come on, sweetheart. I’ll buy you a couple of these bones for your puppy if you come on back to our campsite,” he said, leering at her and making Abby’s skin crawl. “It’ll be fun. We’ll have a good time.”
“I’ll scream!” Abby said, letting go of her cart and backing away from the man.
“Oh, but I like screaming,” the man said as he pulled her basket out of the way and took a step toward her.
Abby took a deep breath, getting ready to belt out what she’d promised when she heard a smooth voice from one of the aisles of food.
“Well, if it ain’t Vito and his little Chihuahua Skeeves. You guys are real pieces of work. You’ve only been in town less than half a day and you’re already trying to kidnap a woman from a grocery store. What the hell is wrong with you?”
Abby turned, relief and concern battling with each other. It was someone else that her mind immediately hailed as a rescuer, but whoever it was, they seemed to know who these men were. That worried her.
Instead of seeing someone she was expecting to be as tattered and grungy as Vito and Skeeves, she saw the short man she had seen before at the bank. Compared to the two bikers, he looked even more well-groomed and coifed than he had earlier that morning, but it was his eyes she noticed the most.
They were dangerous, and they were settled like a viper on Vito. For some reason, she suddenly felt bad for Vito, though not by a lot.
Chapter 7
The man moved closer, unconsciously boxing Abby in which made her even more nervous. She put her back to the dog treats, preparing to fight if she had to, or run if she could. Except the short man walked a step past her and put himself between the bikers and Abby. A move that Abby was thankful for, but wasn’t sure if it was a smart move for the man.
He didn’t seem the least bit afraid. Despite being shorter than even Skeeves, he had wide shoulders and looked to be in fantastic shape under his well-tailored suit.
Skeeves looked like he was just about to wet himself. “Ah hell, what’s the fish man doing here?” he whined, looking at Vito before taking half a step back and making sure Vito’s bulk was between them.
“Shut up, Skeeves,” Vito growled before taking a step forward and looking up and down the well-dressed man’s frame. “Get outta my way, fish man. I don’t see your two goons here to protect you.” He stopped, getting a creepy grin on his face as if he’d just thought of something. “Or maybe we’ll take you, too. I bet we could get a nice pile of money from Mr. C after what you pulled. Minus a little cutting, of course. Bakes loves her cutting.”
Skeeves hopped up, pointing aggressively over Vito’s shoulder. “Yeah! Cutting!” he said, looking at Vito for support. The larger biker didn’t even bother turning or looking at his friend.
The handsome man didn’t seem to be impressed as he crossed his arms and shook his head, laughing softly to himself. “Really, Vito? You couldn’t take me if you tried, and I’m pretty sure Skeeves already wet himself. We both know that you have a bum knee. Besides, who said I was alone?”
Just then, the two larger men that Abby had seen in the bank stepped out from an aisle behind the two bikers. They each looked not only ready, but eager, for a fight. Skeeves and Vito looked behind themselves, and whereas before Vito didn’t look like he was going to back down, he now looked very nervous.
Skeeves was beside himself, practically hopping up and down like a toddler needing to go to the bathroom. “Oh, crap! Oh, crap! Vito, we gotta get out of here!” he half squealed, already beginning to edge toward the aisle that was to their left. Abby suspected it had been left unblocked on purpose, because Vito and Skeeves suddenly bolted for it, disappearing down the crowded pathway.
Her three saviors didn’t follow though the two bigger men stepped over and watched down the aisle, presumably to make sure the two bikers had disappeared. It was only when the handsome one turned and looked at her that she realized she should have left when their focus had been on the two bikers. Now, it was too late.
The word mob once again intruded on her thoughts, even as the man held his hand out and smiled at her. She couldn’t help but compare his friendly face now to the dangerous one he had when confronting Vito. “Hi, sorry about that. Name’s John. I couldn’t help but feel you might have needed a little help.”
For a moment, Abby was captivated by the pale blue eyes staring out of his tanned face, but she quickly blinked and shook her head. Out of polite habit, she reached out and shook the offered hand, only thinking afterward that it would have been a perfect time for the man to grab her. “Uh, my name is Abby. Abby Morgan. And yes, I think I did need some help.” She took a deep breath. “Do you think they were going to try to kidnap me?”
J
ohn blinked and glanced toward the aisle where his two men were still watching before looking back to Abby. “Honestly? I don’t know for sure. They might have left on their own, but they might not have. They’re idiots, but they are dangerous idiots.”
“And you know them?” Abby asked, curiosity and his polite manners overruling her caution.
“We’ve…interacted on a few occasions,” John said, shrugging non-committedly and dropping his hands. They didn’t stay down for long, coming up as he spoke with animated gestures. “I can’t say it’s ever been a pleasant encounter at any time. But more importantly, are you all right? That couldn’t have been fun to deal with.”
Abby shook her head, feeling her heart just starting to slow down from her adrenaline rush. “No, it wasn’t. That was about the fifth scariest things I’ve dealt with over the past few months.”
John quirked his eyebrow and looked at her funny. “Fifth? What could top two bikers about to kidnap you?”
Abby was about to answer when she realized how crazy her story might sound. Releasing her breath, she pursed her lips. “I’m not sure you’d believe it.”
John gave her a level gaze before nodding. “Well, I’m sure you’ll have time to tell me the story. There’s a price for me rescuing you, after all.”
“Price?” Abby asked, becoming nervous once again. She even felt herself back up a step as she prepared to run.
Instead of advancing toward her, John’s gleaming smile leaped out from his face as he held up his hands. “Oh! Oh no! No, that came out so wrong!” He chuckled as he half bowed to her in apology. “Forgive me; I was just going to ask if you had time to get some coffee with me. I don’t know anyone here, and I came here to do some elk hunting up in the woods. Maybe you know of someone that would be a good hunting guide? That, and I have to hear your story of why this was only the fifth scariest thing that’s happened to you recently.”
Abby stared at the man for only a moment. She knew it was a bad idea for more than one reason, but Elk hunting couldn’t be why he was here. Not after he visited the bank and was asking about Frank. And he just happened to know those bikers. What would a man in a suit know about bikers?
Mob, the word once more jumped into her mind, flashing at her as animatedly as John has spoken with his hands.
“Actually, I’ve got a better idea than coffee,” Abby said, nodding despite her instincts. “There’s a sports bar named McGradys that serves a great apple cider.”
She just hoped Hazel would forgive her for being late, but she had to know what was going on.
Chapter 8
Abby found McGradys to be far busier when it wasn’t noon. It was almost six o’clock, and there were a fair amount of locals sitting at the bar and some of the tables. Even though it was a sports bar, there were a few families eating dinner. Abby wasn’t surprised, she’d had Mike McGradys’ four cheese macaroni, and it had been delicious.
John had offered to drive, but Abby had insisted on taking her rental car. She was brave, but she wasn’t stupid and didn’t want to be any more beholden to the polite man then she already was. Nor isolated. Abby had to admit, she was watching him carefully to see if he would get angry at having his offer rebuked, but John seemed more than fine with the idea of Abby driving herself.
Still, it felt a bit awkward to be walking into McGradys with three strange men, and Mike raised his eyebrow at her when he saw her.
“No Becky?” Mike asked politely. The scar that ran down his face pulled his top lip up, but it didn’t detract from his friendly demeanor. “Or Gabe?”
“No, Becky’s got a hot date with her boyfriend in Salem, and Gabe’s still out in the woods playing with bears,” Abby answered, secretly thanking Mike for mentioning Gabe. It hadn’t taken long for word to get around town that she and Gabe were now dating. Despite how handsome John was, she didn’t want him to get the wrong idea.
Abby gestured to one of the tables situated closer to the bar. “Let’s sit here? It’s got enough room for all of us.”
“And is within easy sight of the door and bartender, right?” John said with a good-natured twinkle in his eye.
Abby paused as she sat down, then just decided to be blunt. “Yes. After what those bikers did in the grocery store, can you blame me?”
“Not even a little,” John said, shaking his head as he took a seat next to Abby. Reggie and Brian, his two goons as Abby thought of them, sat in the other two chairs. She turned, hearing Mike step over to them and was just about to ask him for one of his ciders when she saw his face.
Instead of his usual good nature, the man looked stern. Almost angry. “Bikers?” he asked in a hushed, menacing whisper. “What happened?”
Abby was almost taken aback by his sudden change in mood. She hadn’t known Mike that long, but she’d never seen the big-eared man anything but calm and polite. “Uh, I ran into a pair of them at the Food Emporium.”
John broke in, sensing Mike’s dangerous mood. “No need to worry,” he said slowly, giving Mike a smile. “My friends and I drove them away. They were just being…too friendly.”
“And who are you and your friends?” Mike bristled quietly.
Reggie and Brian looked like they were about to stand up at the tone of Mike’s voice, but John put his hands out, stopping them. He kept smiling though there was a slightly harder look in his eyes now. Still, he looked like he was trying to keep the peace for which Abby was thankful. She didn’t want Mike to get beaten up on her account for a misunderstanding. “My name is John. This is Reggie and Brian. We’re just up to do some elk hunting and happened to be in the right place at the right time to help.”
Mike relaxed a bit at that, though his eyes were still hard. “Okay,” he said, then blinked and took a step back. “Sorry, just was a little worried. I heard them ride through town earlier and hoped they had gone on through.”
“I’m afraid not,” John said, still watching Mike closely until the man stepped back. “But some of those ciders sounds delicious. Would you bring four of them?” He turned to Abby. “Do you want something to eat? It’s the least I can do for that story you’re going to tell me.”
Abby shook her head. “Cider is just fine. I have to get back to my grandmother’s house. We’re going to make some pies with those apples I was buying.”
“Apple pie?” Reggie said, his eyes suddenly transforming from a dangerous thug to a thirteen-year-old boy. “Oh, man. I haven’t had homemade apple pie in ages.”
Abbie couldn’t help herself and smirked at the look on the man’s face. “Yes, homemade apple pie. We’re going to have some at the farmers market tomorrow morning if you’d like to come?”
Reggie and Brian both looked at John like kids begging their father if they could get some candy. John laughed and shook his head, answering their unspoken question. “Yes, we can go.” He looked back at Abby and grinned a charming grin. “Apple pie sounds pretty good, actually. Where will the market be held?”
Abby pointed in the general direction of the large park that held the Clawson Family oak tree. “They hold the market in the large park just kitty corner to the Mayor’s offices. Big brick and white buildings. You can’t miss it. Or better to say, you can’t miss anything in this town. It usually starts about seven in the morning.”
John threw his hands wide and smiled at Reggie and Brian. “Sounds like a date then. I would never turn down fresh pie. Who doesn’t like pie?”
Reggie and Brian grinned and slapped each other on the shoulders as John settled, giving Abby a friendly smile. “Now, I’d love to hear about you thinking those two idiots were only the fifth most dangerous thing you’ve encountered lately.”
“Okay,” Abby said, giving John a considering look and wondering to herself how she was going to get any information out of him. He’d already avoided some questions and side-tracked others. Clearly, he was a man who had secrets. She decided to settle on one thing she remembered the bikers saying, hoping to make it sound enough like a joke that he wou
ldn’t become angry if it were a sore subject, but almost certain to tell her something if in only the way he reacted to the question. “But first, why did those guys call you fish man? Is it because you make people sleep with the fishes?” she asked, putting one of her fingers to her nose and pushing it to the side as if it were broken.
John looked at her for a long moment, an unreadable expression on his face. Reggie and Brian were equally as silent. That is until John let out a loud laugh and pounded the table. Abby was secretly relieved as Reggie and Brian also started to laugh, though they gave John a few sideways glances that Abby couldn’t read.
Finally, after John had stopped laughing, he wiped his eyes and shook his head. “No. No, it’s because of my last name. Troutdale. They think it’s funny, but it doesn’t have anything to do with, uh, making people sleep with the fishes.” He ended the last part with putting his own finger to his nose and pushing it to the side as Abby had done.
Relieved, Abby laughed along with them. The good news was he hadn’t gotten angry at the question. If he was with the mob, wouldn’t he have gotten angry? Abby relaxed, and she told them the story of her recent past in Red Pine Falls. All three men listened raptly, suitably and genuinely impressed with the story. After an hour or so, Abby said goodbye to John and his friends, citing the need to get back and help make those apple pies they were looking forward to buying at the farmer’s market.
She didn’t realize until later, that he hadn’t really answered the question at all.
Chapter 9
Abby returned home just in time to see Mr. Wilberson sawing on some boards inside of the garage with Cheerio laying just a little ways off of the concrete slab that made up the floor.
“Hello, Mr. Wilberson,” Abby called as she got out of the car. “Can you help me bring in the groceries?”
The old man came over without complaint or word, once again back to his dour self despite the excitement of the past few weeks and him asking Hazel to marry him. Abby had hoped he’d lighten up, but he just hadn’t. Abby had tried to resign herself to accepting the man for what he gave her, but it was proving difficult.
Dark Secrets and Dead Reckoning, A Red Pine Falls Cozy Mystery (Red Pine Falls Cozy Mysteries Book 3) Page 3