Mack let out a snorting laugh. “I see you have yet to take Shelby 101, Sheriff Hammer.”
“I beg your pardon?”
“Telling Shelby to stay calm is like throwing a cat into a box of catnip, especially if it has anything to do with his daughter.”
Hammer allowed herself a tiny smile. “Yes, I’ve heard stories.”
“Excuse me,” Shelby said, his voice purposely several decibels louder than necessary. “Can we get back to the matter at hand? My daughter is missing under suspicious circumstances. If it isn’t too much bother, I’d like to begin the process of finding her.”
“We already have deputies on it. You don’t need to do anything. We’ll handle it.”
Another guffaw escaped from Mack. “That’s Shelby 102. He never lets someone else handle it. You’re lucky you even got a call.”
Another tiny smile from Hammer. “Again, I’ve heard stories.”
“Then you know I’m not going to sit around while my daughter is missing and likely injured or worse,” Shelby said.
Hammer opened her mouth to protest, but a shadow of resignation passed over her face. “Very well, Mr. Alexander. I won’t try to talk you out of it. As your friend suggests, it would be a waste of time. Also, I would feel like a hypocrite asking you to do something I couldn’t.”
“And that is?”
“Sit around and do nothing. I only ask you be careful and not make our job more difficult. Can we agree on that?”
“Agreed,” Shelby said. He half-expected another derisive laugh from Mack, but the ex-cop showed remarkable restraint and kept quiet. “By the way, where did they find the car?”
Hammer told him, then turned to go. “In the meantime, let’s agree to stay in touch and share intel. Take care, Mr. Alexander.”
“You too, Sheriff. Oh, one more thing.”
Hammer paused mid-step and half turned. “Yes?”
“Where’s the vehicle?”
“I had it towed into the lot. Don’t worry; it’s safe.”
“May I see it?”
“I’m afraid not. At least, not until our techs have had a chance to go over it more thoroughly. Good night, Mr. Alexander.”
Shelby grunted and let the sheriff show herself out.
8
“Why do I feel as if I’ve been here before?” Mack said.
They sat in a gravel parking lot facing a bland, corrugated metal building. There was a side lot populated by scattered vehicles with sale prices painted on the windshields.
“Because you have, back when we were dealing with that Fritz situation,” Shelby said, referring to a past adventure. “This is where the kidnappers bought the box truck they used as a mobile torture chamber.”
Mack rolled his head slowly as the memory came back. “Ooooh, right…the truck place. And why are we here?”
“In addition to selling used vehicles to brutal murderers, they are also the only towing outfit in Serenity.”
“Really? With these winters?”
“Up here, people assume you should know better, and if you get stuck, it was probably because you were doing something stupid.”
“And I thought people were nicer in small towns.”
“They are. They just have less tolerance for stupidity.”
Shelby got out of the Jeep and waited as Mack hoisted himself from the passenger seat. “You okay?” he asked.
“Yeah,” Mack said. “Why?”
“You’re moving like an old fart. I mean, normally, I’d say that as a joke, but you really are. Anything wrong?”
“Tired, that’s all. The divorce took it out of me and I think I’m now starting to decompress.”
Shelby nodded. “Makes sense. Still, if you don’t start feeling yourself in a few days, I can give you the name of my doctor in Traverse.”
As they began walking toward the office, Shelby’s cellphone vibrated in his pocket. He fished it out and saw it was Carly. He stopped dead in his tracks and looked at the screen for a moment. Mack walked two more steps before noticing Shelby was no longer walking alongside him. He stopped and looked back.
“Something else wrong?”
Shelby shook his head. “Not that I know of. Carly’s calling.”
“Ah. You going to answer?”
Shelby felt conflicted. On the one hand, it had been some time since he’d last spoken with Carly and the sound of her voice might be of comfort now. Or it might not. The state of their romance was tenuous at best and Shelby had already begun making peace with the fact that things would never be the same between them.
It had been inevitable, of course. The age difference alone was enough to all but guarantee the demise of their relationship. But Carly had also embarked on a new and exciting life in New York City, following her life-long zeal for fashion design. Now that she’d found a place for herself in the quintessential big city, the sleepy town of Serenity—not to mention Shelby—had likely seen the last of her. He didn’t begrudge her the adventure—he had bankrolled part of it—but it still stung a little and he’d be lying if he said he didn’t miss her spirit, her laughter, her body. So talking to Carly might make him feel better, but it might make him feel worse. And right now, he didn’t have the time; he needed to find Leslie, and every moment was important.
He ignored the call and slipped the phone back into his pocket.
They walked inside and were greeted by the same dingy office Shelby remembered from before. The fraying carpet, dark paneling, broken window blinds, and smell of old tobacco and mold did not go far to instill confidence in customers. Fortunately, neither Shelby nor Mack were interested in the services of the establishment. They were after information.
Shelby went to the desk and dinged the bell. There was a shuffling sound and an old man came around the corner. He moved with great care and teetered as he walked, as if he might fall over at any moment. His square glasses threatened to slip from his nose and his wild goatee had clearly not been groomed in days.
“Can I he’p you?” the man asked.
“May I speak with Katherine?” Shelby had dealt with this man before and knew it would be far more efficient to bypass him altogether.
The old man cupped his ear. “What’s that?”
“Katherine. Your daughter.”
“Slaughter? No, we don’t do no slaughter. The butcher’s down the road a piece.”
“No, I’m asking to speak to your daughter.” Shelby had increased the volume of his voice as he spoke this sentence, so that the word “daughter” fairly boomed throughout the room.
“Oh, I certainly hope not,” said the old man. “I’m not sure I could stand the weather any hotter.”
Just as Shelby was thinking he might be forced to take drastic action—including, but not limited to, stabbing an icepick into his ears, a woman appeared around the corner.
Her face brightened at seeing Shelby. “Why, hello! It’s been a while. Shelby, isn’t it?”
Shelby nodded, acutely aware that, behind him, Mack was attempting to smother a laugh—and failing. He also knew the reason why. On the occasion of their previous visit, Mack had become convinced Shelby had taken a fancy to Katherine, a belief that led to an unseemly amount of good-natured ribbing. Perhaps it was merely the knowledge that Mack was getting such a kick out it, but Shelby did notice feeling more self-conscious in Katherine’s presence, both on the earlier occasion and now again today. He even caught himself sucking in his stomach a bit.
You’re being an idiot, he thought.
As before, Katherine seemed familiar to him, but he couldn’t quite place from where. It was a vague, nagging recognition that he’d never completely stopped thinking about, assuming it would suddenly occur to him one day. But it hadn’t.
“What’s wrong with your friend?” Katherine asked, indicating Mack’s face, now red with suppressed laughter.
Shelby flipped a dismissive hand in Mack’s general direction. “Don’t mind him. He gets like this sometimes. When he’s off his me
ds.”
Katherine laughed. “I’ll take your word for it.” Turning to the old man, she turned him around toward the door to the backroom and gave him a gentle push. “I’ll take it from here, Dad.”
The old man wandered away, muttering something about Commies and the 38th parallel.
Once he was out of sight, Katherine focused her full attention on Shelby. Her bright smile was wide, with even, white teeth, and Shelby noticed her honey-colored hair was coming loose from the clip at the back of her head. There was a smudge of grease on her cheek and Shelby didn’t realize he was staring at it until a sharp elbow from Mack brought him back to reality.
“What was that?” he asked, trying to appear alert.
“I asked what I could do for you,” Katherine said, apparently repeating herself.
Shelby took a moment to compose himself before saying, “You operate a towing service here, don’t you?”
“We do. In fact, we’re the only tow company to operate directly out of Serenity.”
“Did you tow a car yesterday for the sheriff’s department?”
“Why, yes, we did.”
“Do you know anything about the car you towed?”
Katherine looked curious. “Like what, for instance?”
“Oh, anything. Damage, for example.”
“I didn’t notice any damage at all. In fact, I initially assumed it was a breakdown. It certainly wasn’t a traffic accident. The car didn’t appear to have a scratch on it.”
“You ‘initially’ assumed?”
“Yes. Then I overheard the deputy telling the sheriff that it had started right up.”
“But there was no sign of the driver?”
Katherine shook her head. “Not that I saw, no.”
Shelby considered this, and then nodded. “Okay, thank you for your time.”
“You’re welcome, Shelby.” She gave him another broad, sparkling smile that made his stomach feel strange. “You don’t remember me, do you?”
Shelby stared at her, willing his brain to dig up the bit of trivia, but it failed him miserably. “No, sorry. I can’t say that I do. You definitely look familiar, but I can’t place it.”
“That’s all right. It’s been a long time. High school, in fact.”
At last, Shelby’s mind clicked. “Katherine…Katherine Graham?”
The woman nodded, the smile somehow managing to widen further.
Shelby knew his jaw was hanging somewhere down around his ankles, but he couldn’t seem to stop gaping. “You—you were…wow, I don’t know what to say.”
“I wasn’t the most attractive girl, I know. Buck teeth and braces. Acne. The works.”
“Oh my god, Katherine Graham.” Shelby’s mind raced, trying to recall his treatment of her, whether he’d been nice or a jerk. “It’s…it’s good to see you.”
Katherine let out a laugh at Shelby’s obvious confusion. “Don’t worry about it. I’m not surprised you didn’t remember. I wasn’t much. I’m still not, really, but at least I don’t have the braces.”
“Well, they certainly did their job,” Shelby offered lamely.
“I do remember you, though,” Katherine said. “And all because of one incident.”
Oh no, Shelby thought. Here it comes. I must have called her a name or something.
“Do you remember Billy Chuggs?”
Shelby let out a hoot of laughter. “Do I remember Billy Chuggs? The guy was only the most notorious bully in school.”
“Well, one day Billy chose me as his victim and you happened to be standing nearby. I guess you didn’t like what he said, because you gave him a sock to the nose that could be heard on the other side of the school yard.”
Shelby allowed his mind to travel back in time, something he wasn’t generally eager to do. “Yeah, I remember that. I was suspended from school for a week.”
“And from that moment on, you were my hero, even though you never spoke to me.” Katherine laughed merrily at the memory. “I worshipped the very ground you walked on. When you left town, I was heartbroken and terrified Billy would try to get his revenge, but he never did. The next year, his family moved to California, so I didn’t have to worry about him anymore, but I never forgot you. And now here you are. My, life is a crazy thing, isn’t it?”
“That it is,” Shelby said. “It really is.”
Katherine sobered a little and said, “So what makes you so interested in the towed vehicle? It’s not yours, is it?”
Shelby shook his head. “No. It belongs to my daughter. She’s gone missing and I’m eager to find her, as you can imagine.”
“Oh, that’s terrible,” Katherine said. “Do you have any idea what happened?”
“Not really, no. I was hoping you’d noticed something about the car when you picked it up.”
“Sorry. I really wish I had something. I’d do anything to help, but I don’t have the information. Like I said, the car looked spotless. Have you asked for permission to view the vehicle?”
“I did, but I guess the techs haven’t gone over it yet.”
“Oh god,” Katherine said. “That could take forever.”
“Come again?”
“The tech unit here is notoriously slow.”
“Really? I wouldn’t think a police tech division would have much to do around here.”
“That’s why they’re slow. The ‘division’ is made up of two guys with a ton of other duties that were given to them because they aren’t usually doing anything. Now they’re so overworked, they can’t find time to do their actual jobs.”
“You seem to know a lot about this.”
“When you tow cars, you learn a lot about how this stuff works. You work with drivers, insurance, the cops, and everything in between.”
“Any idea how we can get in to see the car sooner rather than later? As you can imagine, I’m not really interested in an extended schedule on this. I just want to find my daughter.”
Katherine nodded understandingly. “I get it. But I’m not sure—” Then she broke off and frowned.
“What?” Shelby asked. “Did you think of something?”
Katherine’s face lit up with an impish grin. “Maybe. But it might get us into trouble.”
9
As they pulled up to the large, swinging chain-link gates that controlled the entrance to the police impound lot, Shelby wondered exactly how much trouble they’d get into if this little gambit failed and they were discovered. For her part, Katherine didn’t seem at all concerned and appeared confident she could gain access to the lot long enough to get at least a cursory look at Leslie’s vehicle.
“I ought to be ashamed of myself,” Mack groused. He sat scrunched between Katherine and Shelby in the cab of the tow truck, his shoulders bent forward and a scowl on his face. “I’m a retired officer in good standing and here I am breaking into a police impound lot.”
“We’re not breaking in,” Katherine said. “Don’t worry; it will all be on the up and up.”
“Are you saying the attendant is going to let us in? What’s your secret?”
“Not secret. Secrets. Plural. And they’re right here.” Katherine patted her chest and grinned, her eyes sparkling. “The attendant is an old geezer whose wife left him a couple years ago. Ever since then, he’s had a crush on me that won’t seem to quit. Anytime I need a little something, all I have to do is wear a V-neck with a little cleavage and he’s practically begging to do my bidding.”
“Shameless,” Shelby said, laughing. “Simply shameless.”
“Aren’t I awful?” Katherine stopped the truck at the gates and honked the horn. She unbuttoned the top two buttons of her shirt, rolled down the window, leaned out, and shouted, “Hank! It’s me! Open up!”
A man, rotund and bald, shuffled out from a garage just inside the fence and squinted at the truck.
“That you, Kathy?”
“Yeah, it’s me. Open up the gate, would you?”
“Cannot do, my dear.”
�
��What?”
“Can’t do it.”
“Why the hell not?”
“Orders.”
“Orders?” Katherine shifted her position to reveal more bosom. “Whose orders?”
“Sheriff’s. Said not to let anyone in here without her express permission.”
“But I need to check out a car I brought in earlier. I…I forgot to get the mileage.”
“Oh, I gotcha. Well, just tell me which one and I’ll look it up for you.”
Katherine drew back inside the cab and gave Shelby and Mack a conspiratorial wink. “I guess it’ll take a little extra this time. Hold on and I’ll be back in thirty seconds flat.” She opened the door and jumped down from the truck.
Shelby watched as she carefully adjusted her shirt for maximum effect and then walked toward the gate where Hank was waiting, his thumbs hooked into the straps of his overalls.
Katherine was back in thirty seconds, but there was no look of triumph on her face.
“Well, goddamn it,” she said. “Looks like we’re out of luck.”
Mack huffed. “What, did he come out of the closet?”
“No,” Katherine sighed. “His wife came back.”
“Curse happy endings,” Shelby said. “Why couldn’t their marriage have stayed broken?”
Katherine nodded solemnly. “Very thoughtless of them to reunite just when we needed Hank’s services. I guess the options are now wait for the techs, try to get Sheriff Hammer’s permission, or drive the truck through the gates.” She revved the engine just a bit. “I know this baby would do it.”
“Let’s not get too carried away,” Shelby said, impressed by Katherine’s fearless demeanor. “Normally, I would be all for such an approach, but in this case, a lighter touch might be in order.”
Mack reached out and jokingly felt Shelby’s forehead as if checking his temperature. “Are you feeling okay? Crashing a truck through a gate sounds exactly like something you would do.”
“Maybe I’m mellowing in my old age.”
The outburst of mirth that exploded up from Mack’s chest was so loud it made Shelby’s ears ring.
Serenity Engulfed Page 4