by Destiny Ford
“Not that I know of,” Spence said slowly.
“It’s the superheroes!” Ella exclaimed.
Spence and I both looked at her like she’d suddenly sprouted turnips from her ears. “What superheroes?”
“You know!” she said, her voice going up several exciting octaves. “Those people who like cosplay so much that they decide to wear it all year. They go around towns dressed up in their outfits and they watch for criminals. They’re basically a neighborhood watch, only they have secret identities.”
I wondered if she’d hit her head or something at home and was suddenly delusional. I subtly checked her pupils to make sure they were the same size. They were. “I’ve never heard of these people.”
“What?” she exclaimed like she was affronted. “They’re everywhere! Look ‘em up!”
So I did. And my mouth fell open in shock as my search results brought back about a thousand stories of these real-life vigilantes who were often mistaken as suspicious people, and rightly so if my experience with them so far was any indication. “I had no idea this was a thing.”
“There are lots of organizations people can sign up to be superheroes with,” Ella said.
“So someone started a chapter here?” Spence asked.
“Yep!”
I glanced up from scrolling through an article about one of the organizations in Salt Lake City. “Do you know who the organizers are?”
Ella gave me a look. “That there is privileged information. I can’t reveal my sources.”
I gave her a look back. “Well do you think you could get me a meeting with them? I’d like to talk to them and see if they have any more information about these robberies.” I also wanted to question them about the robberies since I had two kid witnesses who had pinpointed some sort of costumed hero in relation to the Pope robbery.
“I can’t make no promises, but I’ll see what I can do.”
“Thanks, Ella,” I said. I finished my donut and spent the rest of the day editing until it was time to pick up Gandalf.
Chapter Nine
I stopped by Beans and Things, the coffee shop, on my way to work the next morning. Gandalf was with me, so I grabbed him a little puppuccino, which was essentially a shot of whipped cream and would make him extra hyper for my mom. She’d think he was just really excited for more of her erotic dog bones. The thought of her accidental naughty treats made me giggle all over again.
If the line at Beans and Things was any indication, they definitely weren’t having problems getting customers. The non-coffee drinks they offered that weren’t against church rules helped that. Sasha and Axel would have a hard time making a living giving people non-permanent tattoos.
I finally found a spot at a table outside. I sat with Gandalf on my lap, enjoying the crisp autumn air. I gave him some treats to go with his drink and he thanked me with a wet kiss across my cheek. I laughed and snuggled him closer.
“I can’t believe I’m about to say this, but I’m a little jealous of your dog.”
Hawke slid into the chair beside me and gave Gandalf his hand to smell. Gandalf had met Hawke previously, and knew who he was, though even if he hadn’t, Hawke could have easily charmed my dog into submission in seconds. “Your hands are all over him and his tongue was all over you,” Hawke said.
I’d never heard of someone able to turn a dog snuggle and lick into something sexual, but Hawke was a master of most things. And I thought it was probably best not to respond to that particular statement because that banter would likely end with me seeing Hawke’s real life naughty bone, and I had too much on my agenda for today to fit in a quickie. Plus, since Hawke and I hadn’t had sex at all yet, I knew that when it happened, nothing about that experience would be quick.
“What are you doing here?” I asked, shocked to see him, and the large cup of coffee in front of him. Hawke did not seem like the flavored coffee type. In fact, I’d pinned him as the type of guy who took his coffee black, with a side of gunpowder.
He held up his coffee in response. “It’s morning. I needed coffee.”
“You don’t have coffee at your house?”
“I do, but you’re not at my house.”
Okay then. It was time to change the subject. “Have you heard back from your people about the robberies?”
Gandalf was pawing at Hawke’s leg, trying to get his attention. Hawke reached out to pick him up and held him while he scratched under Gandalf’s chin. I swear I heard Gandalf sigh and I completely empathized. I’d be sighing if Hawke was petting me too.
Hawke shook his head. “I’m still working on it, but there’s not much tying things together, and I’ve been dealing with some other situations.”
I raised a brow. “What kind of other situations?” I asked. I always asked. He rarely answered, but I was ever hopeful he’d eventually open up.
“Some things.”
“Involving?” I led, hoping he’d answer.
“I’m not sure yet, but I believe some politicians are in the mix.”
I raised my other brow at that. “Interesting. Is Drake helping you?”
He gave me a look like I was on something seriously impairing my cognitive abilities. “I don’t need Drake’s help.”
“Do you need mine?” I asked, always willing to extend a hand, especially when it might tell me a little more about Hawke and his business.
He eyed me speculatively. “Maybe. We’ll see.” He took a drink of his coffee and then asked, “What about you? Any other leads on the robberies?”
I told him about the Collins robbery and my theory. “I think they’re targeting people who moved into Branson Falls and didn’t grow up here. So you should watch out.”
Hawke’s lips spread into a terrifying grin and his eyes flashed with challenge. “I dare them.”
Something fluttered in my stomach at his expression and subsequent threat. “I’d kind of like to be there if they did try it.”
His lips slid into that slow, sexy grin that made me think he probably got as excited about murder as he did about sex. And that worried me.
I checked the time and realized I needed to go or I’d be late. “I’ve got to get Gandalf to my mom and dad’s house. Let me know if you find out anything else and I’ll keep you in the loop.”
Hawke nodded and tipped his coffee in my direction. “Nice ass,” he said as I walked away.
Heat flushed my cheeks as I rolled my eyes, a smile spreading across my lips. I buckled Gandalf into his car seat, and drove to my mom and dad’s.
My mom opened the door looking more wide-eyed than usual. I was suspicious immediately. “Heyyyy,” I said, eyeing her and trying to figure out what was going on. “Did you have an extra shot of espresso this morning?”
She gave me a strange look. “No. I mean, I had a couple of cups, but what does that have to do with anything?”
I examined her again. “You seem…over-stimulated. And you’re acting kind of weird. Are you sure there’s nothing going on?”
She rolled her eyes and waved me off. “Don’t be silly,” she said, taking Gandalf from me. He was squirming like crazy, probably because the amount of whipped cream he’d consumed was the equivalent of giving a toddler an entire vat of cotton candy. “He’s a little hyper today,” I explained. “You might want to let him run around in the backyard for a while.”
“Why is he hyper?”
There was no need to admit to the shot of sugar, or the lecture I’d get in response. I shrugged. “He’s a puppy. Puppies have a lot of energy.”
Now she was the one eying me with a suspicious expression. I kissed Gandalf on the top of the head. “Enjoy the penis bones grandma made you, little buddy!”
My mom gave me a solid glare and swatted me on my butt on the way out the door. I laughed all the way to Inked AF.
I walked into the tattoo shop. It seemed pretty slow and no customers were in sight. That wasn’t a good sign.
Sasha came out of a back room looking haggard. Whether fro
m worry, lack of sleep, or relationship issues, I had no idea. But something was up. Her smile brightened a little when she saw me. “Hey, Kate,” she said, coming over to give me a hug.
“Hey!” I answered, trying to be as upbeat as possible.
“What are you doing here today?” She motioned to the couch in the front of the store. A coffee table covered in books of artwork done by her and Axel sat next to the couch.
“I wanted to stop by and see how things are going. I know that city council meeting was rough, and totally uncalled for. They’re blaming you because you’re new in town and an easy target. Don’t let them discourage you. You haven’t been here long and things will get better.”
Her eyes started to shine and she looked down. “It’s been harder than we were expecting,” she said, “and we haven’t even been open that long.”
I reached out and touched her hand. “I’m sorry.” I felt bad for her. I knew what it was like to come into a different place and try to convince people that despite your differences, you were still worthy of their kindness and respect.
“Some people have been really supportive. Others, not so much.”
I nodded, understanding. “Do you think anyone might be targeting you with these rumors about the tattoo shop and the robberies?” I asked. It was a theory I’d been considering. People loved to gossip in small towns and there were enough people who didn’t want the tattoo shop in Branson that I wouldn’t put it past someone.
Sasha’s eyebrows went up. “You mean someone robbing people on purpose and trying to blame it on us or our clients?”
I lifted a shoulder. “That, or maybe someone who doesn’t want you here so they’re telling people it’s your fault. I know there were several people at the city council meeting who were speaking along those lines. Can you think of anyone who has been particularly vocal?”
Sasha gave a humorless laugh. “I could list the people who have been supportive more easily than the ones who haven’t. It seems like most of the town wants us gone.”
Based on the city council meeting, I didn’t blame her for feeling that way. “What about the anonymous notes you said you got before the opening. Do you still have them?”
She shook her head. “I wish we’d kept them, but we threw them out. We knew they were from people upset that we were different, and didn’t see a need to keep the notes, or that kind of energy, around.” She paused, pressing her lips together as she thought. “Now I wish we had kept them.”
“Do you remember what the notes said?”
She took a deep breath. “They were standard anonymous notes. One said to get out of town. Another said we’d regret being here. One was left on our door. Another came in the mail.”
Both of those sounded like threats to me, and I wished she still had them so I could compare the wording and see if the notes sounded like the same person. And if they’d kept the envelope, I could check the postmark to see if it came from Branson Falls. “If you get another note, will you let me know?” I asked.
“Sure,” she said, the corners of her mouth turning up slightly though the smile didn’t reach her eyes.
A noise came from the back and Sasha and I both looked up to see Axel, messy hair, disheveled clothes, and looking like he was in desperate need of a nap, walk out of the back room.
“Hi, Axel,” I said.
“Hey, Kate.” He gave me a tight smile, like he had other things on his mind and pleasantries were an afterthought.
“I have to go run an errand,” Axel said, his eyes going to Sasha. “I’ll see you both later.” He touched Sasha’s shoulder as he walked by, his skin pulled back in a worried expression as he opened the door. Everything from his reactions to his body language seemed way off.
“Are you okay?” I asked Sasha once Axel was out the door. “You seem a little frazzled.”
She twisted her hands together, her knuckles going white with the effort. “I’m stressed. And Axel is too, but he seems more stressed than usual. And he’s been acting this way for months. I don’t know what’s going on, but I’m worried.”
“What do you think he’s stressed about?”
Sasha gave a short, exasperated laugh. “Everything. Money mostly. Money affects everything else. We put all of our savings into the tattoo shop, and we haven’t had as much business as we thought we would. It’s early, but still. He’s worried the shop won’t take off and we’ll lose everything.”
I understood money problems. Being a small town newspaper editor certainly didn’t make me a millionaire. “Money can affect everything. Have you talked to him about it?”
“I’ve tried, but he doesn’t really want to talk.”
“That makes things hard,” I said. “Maybe you should talk to someone…a counselor or financial planner? Maybe both?”
She picked at a piece of fabric in her torn jeans as she thought about it. “Yeah. Maybe.”
“There’s a good counselor I went to high school with over in the Branson Peaks office park. Her name is Debbie Jacobs.” I pulled out my phone and found her contact information. “I sent you her info if you decide you want some outside help.”
Sasha nodded. “Thank you. I really appreciate it.”
“Of course.” The conversation lulled for a minute as I looked at the beautiful and intricate art pieces on the wall.
“You need to come in and get a tattoo,” Sasha suggested.
I stopped short, surprised by the offer. A tattoo was something I’d always been interested in, but I was worried about what it would look like when I was eighty. Since eighty wasn’t guaranteed for anyone though, I kind of thought it might not be a bad idea. I’d just have to get something I wouldn’t regret. “I might have to do that sometime,” I said.
Sasha smiled, and I gave her a hug before I walked out the door. On my way to the Tribune office, I couldn’t help but think about Axel’s strange behavior at the city council meeting, the argument I saw him and Sasha having when I drove by the other day, his quick departure when I arrived today, and Sasha’s revelation that they were having financial problems and had been for a while. Maybe there was a chance Axel was trying to supplement their income with the robberies. It didn’t make much sense since a lot of the items being stolen had been insignificant, but things didn’t add up. As much as I didn’t want the robber to be Axel, I wasn’t going to rule him out either.
I got to the office and immediately bumped into Ella.
“Hey,” Ella said. “I got you a meetin’ with the superheroes.”
I blinked, in awe of her connections. I still had no idea who the superheroes were. “How did you manage that?”
She stared at me. “I know people.”
Clearly.
“Be at the library park by the tennis courts at six tonight.”
I gave her an impressed look. “I’ll be there. Will they be in costume?”
She shrugged. “Probably. But they’ll find you. Be by the tennis courts.”
I nodded, wondering what exactly I’d gotten myself into and if I should bring some back-up to the meeting.
Spence came out of his office and grabbed some Halloween candy out of the dish at the front desk where our part-time office assistant worked. “I got word that another casserole was dropped off last night,” he said, unwrapping a mini candy bar and popping it into his mouth.
I raised a brow. Another casserole? That was odd. “At Betty Turner’s again?” I asked.
“No, I imagine whoever dropped it off the first time probably wasn’t pleased with her cheese and butter critique and took her off their anonymous food delivery service list.”
“I could see that,” I agreed. It was still odd that Betty had been robbed right after the casserole delivery, but I hadn’t been able to find a connection there yet either.
“This was at Delia Dole’s house.”
“Interesting,” I said. “Another widow.”
Spence nodded. “I thought the same thing.”
“I’ll go check it out.”
I grabbed my bag and went to find out more about casserole caper number two.
Chapter Ten
Delia lived across the street from the first robbery victims, the Popes. Brandy Pope was outside loading something in her car when I got out of my Jeep. She waved, and yelled my name, “Kate!”
She started toward me, so I met her halfway. “Hey, Brandy. How are you doing?”
Brandy lifted a shoulder. “Okay. Still a little freaked out, but Scott installed every camera and security system known to man on our house so that gives us a little more peace of mind.”
I understood that. I’d had someone break into my house before and the sense of unease and vulnerability that followed wasn’t something I’d been prepared for. I’d thrown a fit when Drake threatened to install cameras and a security system at my house, and Hawke had started tracking my car, but security measures really did make me less paranoid. “The security system will help for sure.”
“I know you were asking about what items went missing in our robbery.”
I nodded. “Bobby said a remote control, VHS tapes, and a book.” I still had no explanation for the items, or how they related to the robberies at Betty Turner’s or the Collins’ house.
She nodded in confirmation. “I was cleaning out my office the other day, and noticed I was also missing a couple of stuffed animals.”
I raised a brow. “Stuffed animals for kids?”
She laughed. “I know it seems silly, but I collected them growing up. I thought they were going to fund my retirement. I wasn’t the only one with that plan, and the collectors market for them was flooded so I never made anything off of the toys. But I’ve kept them for sentimental reasons.”
I remembered the toys she was talking about. They’d been all the rage when we were kids, and everyone had bought them up like the toys would be the next gold rush.