Devils Among Us (Devin Dushane Series Book 1)

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Devils Among Us (Devin Dushane Series Book 1) Page 7

by Chastity Harris


  She was going to have to take a shower later just to get the smell of his alcohol off of her. “This is your last warning to take your hands off of me before you wind up bleeding on the floor crying for your mama.” Her voice was even and cool, and her stare never faltered.

  “Now, sugar don’t…” He didn’t get to finish. Her movement was as quick as the strike of a viper.

  She twisted her hand around to grab his forearm and yanked him forward using her left hand to grab the back of his neck and smack his face into the pool table behind her. His nose exploded in a gush of blood.

  She heard Shane drawl “Well there’s the bleeding.”

  It was hard to understand the drunken curses behind the broken nose as she yanked him up by his hair and then sharply brought her knee up into his groin. His two hundred and twenty pound six foot one frame dropped to the floor into the fetal position.

  Another voice chimed in, “And there’s the crying on the floor.”

  For a half a second, everything was frozen, Devin could tell his buddies were trying to decide if they should just drag his crumpled body away or put her in her place.

  “Boys, let’s not do it like this. I’m an off-duty police officer, and I don’t want anybody else getting hurt.” Apparently they took her warning as an invitation, and she saw the very moment they made their decision. Their expressions changed from shock and confusion to hard-edged anger.

  Devin braced her stance for what was to come and murmured under her breath, “Perfect, let’s do it exactly like that.”

  They probably thought they were very tough bar fighters, and truth be told, they were both very burly and probably packed quite a punch. However, they were a very poor match for Devin. The one to her right lunged first, and she planted a kick to his gut that sent him reeling backwards and sucking air. It bought her enough time to deal with bachelor number two’s frontal assault. He was a little more agile than his friend and thought he knew some martial arts, judging by his stance. A fact which maybe kept him on his feet an extra two seconds. His right hook came hard and fast, but Devin was able to tuck to her left and in the process he over extended leaving her a nice window. She grabbed his right arm, jerking it behind him, and wrapped her left arm in a lock around his throat. Two quick jabs with her knee into his kidney had him reeling and off-center when she released him. She helped him to the floor with a clothesline to the windpipe with the inside of her thumb and forefinger. The ring leader was still bleeding on the floor, but bachelor number one had come back up with a broken beer bottle, apparently outnumbering her in bodies and poundage was not enough. As they circled he tried a couple of swipes and jabs at Devin with the beer bottle, but couldn’t get close enough. When an attacker is armed, the first rule of thumb is to disarm them as quickly and safely as possible, this particular attacker was way too intoxicated to keep up with Devin’s quick reflexes, she threw her left arm up, knocking the bottle out of his hand, and clocked him with a right hook. He was unconscious before he hit the floor.

  The ringleader was still gushing blood out of his nose, but was trying to get up now while screaming at her. “You crazy witch!!” It was hard not to laugh, because it came out sounding like “u cwazy wisch,” but she resisted making the situation worse. “You don’t know who you’re dealing with! This is assault, and I’m gonna see you hang for it!”

  What is this the Wild West?

  “My daddy’s cousin is the sheriff and my uncle is the mayor, you can’t get away with crap like this around here!”

  Fabulous, one of those.

  Devin stepped forward and pushed him back to the floor, planting her foot on his throat. Not enough to do real harm, but enough for him to take her seriously. “You want to play that game? Well let’s play this. Those two girls are underage, so sexually harassing them constitutes statutory rape. Now, when you start throwing around words like ‘rape’ and ‘underage minor’ friends in high places start disappearing very quickly, especially in an election year. So I suggest you and your friends pick yourselves up off the floor and call it a night. Because I would hate for your family to be so inconvenienced and embarrassed over such a stupid little incident. Wouldn’t you?” She was done playing games and her tone told him so. It was not a threat, it was a reality that she was fully prepared to rain down on them if need be.

  She pushed off of him and took a few steps back, keeping her chilly gaze on them as they got up and made their way out of the bar. Just as they got to the door, Romeo called out, “Hey, Chuck, you better watch who you’re letting in here. Head case lesbos could be bad for business.” He was trying to sound threatening, but the effect was completely ruined because he had pulled off his outer shirt and was holding it to his still bleeding nose, the t-shirt he was wearing underneath had a line from a country song “I Ain’t as Good as I Once Was”. That, paired with his muffled lisp, had the entire bar roaring with laughter as he slammed out of the door.

  Once they were out the door Devin turned to the two blondes, holding out her hand to cut off their babbling appreciation.

  “Give me your I.D.s.”

  “Excuse me?” The taller of the two looked confused, but her friend was turning three shades of red.

  “Your fake I.D.s, hand them over.”

  She continued to wait with her hand out. The two girls stood in stunned silence for a moment, and then simultaneously dug the cards out of their back pockets and handed them to Devin. She snorted when she glanced at them.

  “And here I was wondering where kids around here got good fake I.D.s. Obviously you don’t, these are horrible. Are these your real names?”

  The two girls couldn’t even speak at this point, they just nodded.

  “Okay, Ashley Haller?” She glanced at the taller girl who had gone white. “And Madison Dillon?” That was the blusher. “Well, ladies, I’m going to confiscate these terrible excuses for fake I.D.’s, you should really ask for your money back by the way, and I’m never going to see you in here again. Isn’t that right?”

  Both girls looked about twelve years old by this point and like they wished the floor would just open up and swallow them. They both nodded their heads vigorously.

  “Girls, this is exactly why you are not old enough to be in bars. You are not equipped to deal with the scumbag drunks that come with them, and you’re obviously not good at making smart decisions, so inhibiting what skill you do have with alcohol would just ice the cake now, wouldn’t it?”

  She was starting to feel like a scolding parent when the girls answered her with a wide eyed whispered “Yes, ma’am.” So she cut the lesson short.

  “Now get out of here before I call your parents, go, do some homework or something.”

  The blusher interjected, “It’s summer vacation we don’t have any homework.”

  Devin cocked an eyebrow at her and they shot out of the bar like their high heels were on fire. Devin rolled her eyes as she made her way back to the bar and tossed the two I.D.’s on the counter.

  “Sorry Chuck, I tried to keep the damage to a minimum.”

  “Hey, no harm no foul. Can I get you anything?”

  “Some water would be great.” She turned to Shane. “Thanks for all that assistance.” She shot him a dry look. Does he ever stop grinning?

  “Oh you looked like you were doing a fine job of making that mess all by yourself.”

  Devin frowned as she picked up her bottle of water. “He was warned and it was self defense.”

  Shane held up both palms. “I know, I know. Terry’s a jerk and he’s had that coming. But it’s your first day in town and you’ve stirred up a heck of a hornet’s nest.”

  “Good thing I’m not allergic to bees.”

  Henry laughed softly beside her and she gave him a wink.

  “You know that’s not true about harassing a minor being statutory rape, right?” Shane’s voice was just a murmur over the rim of his glass.

  “Of course. But he didn’t know that.”

  For once Devi
n had the cockier grin.

  “Well played Detective. I am curious though, was I absent the day they taught that kind of fighting at the academy? Or were you some sort of special forces?”

  “I was SWAT for two years.” She purposefully kept her answers short and her eyes on her drink. This was not a conversation Devin liked to have.

  “I’ve always thought of SWAT as more flash, bang and bust down the door, not the finesse of hand-to-hand martial arts combat.” It was not a question, but he sat staring at her expectantly.

  Devin sighed and dug a twenty out of her pocket to cover her drinks and the inconvenience of the fight and laid it on the counter.

  “Sorry again, Chuck. Keep the change.” He waved to her as she turned to Shane. “No, I was not in any type of special forces, which I’m sure you already know because you’ve probably looked at my file. I used to be a competitive mixed martial arts fighter. Now, Mr. None-of-your-business, I’m going home to enjoy a hot bath and a frozen pizza.” With that she gave him a little salute and headed for the door.

  “Used to be a fighter? That looked pretty current to me.”

  “Well I like to stay in shape. Good night Shane.” She kept walking, but right as she got to the door he called out to her.

  “Devin? How’d you know I looked at your file?”

  She paused as she opened the door and looked over her shoulder to grin at him. “Because that’s what I’d do.”

  Chapter 8

  Devin stretched as the early morning sunlight filtered into her room. She frowned at the aches in her muscles from last night’s fight. She’d have to get back in the gym today, all of the stitches were out and her stab wounds were healing nicely, and if she didn’t go back now she would really be out of shape.

  But the gym would have to wait until this afternoon, this morning she was going to visit her father’s cousin, Beth Christianson. Devin had never actually met her dad’s cousin, but she received a Christmas card from their family every year religiously. This visit was partially a family obligation. She couldn’t rightly stay in Fenton all summer and not visit her only relative. However, the visit was also part of the investigation. Beth had been there the night Laney was killed. She had been the first one to realize Laney was missing and was the closest thing to an eye witness Devin had. The accounts of the murder she had heard growing up were all secondhand knowledge. It plagued her father constantly that he had not been at the Summit that night and when he was drinking he could often be heard saying over and over “I should have been there”.

  Two hours later Devin pulled up in front of the Christianson home. She killed the engine quickly, its throaty rumble seemed a sacrilege to the serene setting. If a picket fence fairytale existed, this was surely it. The pristine white pickets and porch railings were brightened by cheerful red geraniums and a crisp American flag popped in the breeze. She stepped through the gate and made her way up the freshly swept walk that divided the meticulous green lawn. As she stepped onto the painted wooden porch steps, the screen door swung open, and Devin was greeted with what was becoming a familiar reaction in Fenton.

  Beth Christianson came up short in the doorway and gasped as she laid a hand to her chest. “Dear Lord!”

  Devin waited patiently for Mrs. Christianson to regain her composure. She could see their own family resemblance, they shared the same build and the same heart shaped face. It was hard to tell if their coloring would be similar. Ms. Clairol had been kind to her cousin’s fiery red hair. Devin couldn’t help but think that this is what a Mom should look like, what her Mom should have looked like now. Though her hair was brightly colored it was clipped and curled into a subdued cut and her freshly pressed cotton blouse and long khaki skirt were both practical and ladylike. It was probably a safe bet that she had a tissue in one pocket, a cough drop in the other, and a casserole in the freezer.

  “Devin, I’m so sorry! How rude of me just to gawk at you like that, you must think I have no manners at all!” She straightened her shoulders and smoothed out her already flawless skirt. “I knew of your resemblance to Laney, of course, but it’s something else entirely to see you in person.”

  “I understand, Mrs. Christianson, believe me, I get that reaction a lot.”

  “Please call me Beth, you’re Bobby’s daughter, for heaven’s sake.”

  Still not used to that introduction!

  Beth smiled warmly and motioned to one of the roomy white rocking chairs on the porch. She’d left a tray of cookies and a frosty glass pitcher on the small table in between the chairs. “Please sit down. Can I get you a glass of lemonade? It’s fresh.”

  Devin had to laugh out loud. “I would love some lemonade! You are the first person in town who hasn’t offered me sweet tea!”

  When she smiled Beth’s eyes warmed so much they almost became liquid. “I don’t know why I assumed you wouldn’t like tea. Laney didn’t like it much either, she always said it tasted like you scooped up dead leaves out of the woods and boiled them!”

  “Well I would have to agree with her! And all the sugar in the world couldn’t help that.”

  “How do you like Fenton so far?” Beth was exactly the kind of person you’d want on the welcome committee, she was warm and cheery and made you glad to be where you were.

  “It’s a nice little town. I’m actually surprised at how much I like it.” Devin’s forehead puckered as she thought about that. Now where did that come from?

  “And why is that? Did you think we were all going to be dreary and unfriendly?”

  “No it’s not that exactly. I’ve just always loved Richmond and I didn’t think I could enjoy any other place all that much. I lived in Phoenix for a little while and overseas, and I’ve spent some time in L.A., but none of them appeal to me like this.”

  “Maybe you’re just a small-town girl at heart.” Beth should be in real estate, she was ready to close Devin on moving to Fenton permanently.

  Devin chuckled. “I doubt that, it’s more like a nice place to visit. But everyone has been very friendly and helpful.” She shook her head as she thought about Shane. “Maybe a little too helpful.”

  “I’ve heard that Adam Lentz and Shane Whitlock are following you around like lost puppies. Maybe they’re hoping you make a permanent home in Fenton too.” Beth tried to hide her smile behind her glass of lemonade.

  “That’s all the more reason to get this case solved and get back to Richmond. I’ve still got a puppy from my last marriage that’s trying to follow me home from L.A.” Drat. She just remembered that she hadn’t checked in with Carter or his mom since she’d arrived, she’d have to get on that today or she would be subjected to another of Mama Dushane’s tirades about an old lady’s heart only being able to take so much worry.

  Please, she’ll probably outlive all of us by twenty years. Devin snapped back to the moment when she heard the disappointment in Beth’s voice.

  “Is that the only reason you’ve come to town? To try and solve the murder, and then you’ll be gone?” Her rocking chair had gone still.

  Devin debated momentarily what to tell her. She was a proficient liar, she had to be to keep her distance. But it didn’t seem right to give Beth false hope that Devin might become a fixture in Fenton.

  “Mostly. I needed something to do while I’m suspended this summer, and this case will keep me busy and maybe it will close some old wounds. But…it has been nice to see where I come from and get some perspective. I don’t want to be a stranger to a town that has birthed and buried generations of my family. Besides, what’s left of my immediate family is scattered to the wind, it would be nice to be connected to my own blood.”

  There. That was a diplomatic answer. She was here for the case but wouldn’t mind catching up with some long-lost relatives along the way. Apparently Beth was satisfied with this answer, because her chair once again continued its rhythmic cadence on the creaking floorboards.

  “Well it’s nice to have you for however long you’re here.” Beth paused and
tried to sound casual. “Have you had any luck with the case?”

  Why is it whenever anybody in this town asks me that, it’s as if they’re hoping I haven’t found anything at all?

  “Nothing yet. I’ve been through the case files and crime scene photos, but there were virtually no leads. The only suspect they seemed to have at the time was Henry Maddox, but there was no evidence to substantiate that.” Devin paused to see if Beth would comment, but Beth was staring across the yard into another time so Devin continued with a more direct approach. “You knew Henry, why do you think they suspected him so strongly?”

  Beth sighed and folded her hands around her glass of lemonade. “He was in love with her. Everybody knew that.”

  “But she didn’t reciprocate those feelings?”

  “No…and yes. It was complicated.”

  “I can do complicated.” Devin gave her the warm ‘you can trust me’ smile she used during interrogations.

  “Laney always said she loved Henry like a brother, but that wasn’t true, there was always more of a spark there than she let on. They could finish each other’s sentences or be together and not say a word.” Her voice ached with the sadness of what could have been. “They were soul mates, and I always assumed after we graduated they would eventually get together.”

  “Why after graduation?”

  “The age difference. Once Laney was eighteen and out of school, no one could really say anything about it.”

  “But didn’t Laney have a boyfriend when she died? From the interviews I read it sounded like they were pretty serious.”

  Devin picked an oatmeal cookie off the plate on the table between them. Sometimes you got more details when you seemed a little less focused.

  Beth shook her head and traced the lip of her glass with her fingertip. “It never made sense. His name was Michael Leary. He was a brainiac planning on studying engineering at Virginia Tech. He wasn’t her type at all. I don’t even know what they had in common. He treated her like a real lady and maybe that’s what she was looking for but I never thought it was going to last, until they started talking marriage.”

 

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