The Gun Also Rises

by Sherry Harris

  “Oh, he’s in a mood. Follow me.”

  We headed down the hall. Roger was so close, I could feel his somewhat-labored breath on the back of my neck. I turned toward him. “If you have your TASER, don’t even think about using it here.”

  Roger blanched and took his hand out of his pocket. I’m not sure who he was more scared of at this point, me or Mike. Francesco opened a door, and we were in an enormous room filled with giant wheels of cheese.

  “Your cheese warehouse?” I asked.

  “Yeah. Where’d you think you were?” Francesco asked.

  He probably didn’t really need to hear an answer to that. “This is amazing.” The air was cool and had a slightly musky scent from all the cheese. As we progressed through the space, we passed all sizes, shapes, and types of cheese. Oh, for a regular night with some crackers and a nice glass of wine. Preferably back at my apartment, with no press and no treasure hunters lurking around. Kay’s murder solved and the manuscripts somewhere safe.

  We went through another door and came out into an office space. The lighting in here was also dim. I was starting to wonder if Mike was having financial difficulties and this was a cost-cutting measure. Francesco knocked on a door with his knuckle. He opened it without waiting for anyone to yell, “Come in.”

  Mike sat behind a large desk with a laptop and stacks of papers. He had on reading glasses and looked like any other normal businessman. Mike smiled and came around the desk. He gave me a kiss on the cheek and shook Roger’s hand when I introduced them. Roger’s knees were shaking visibly. I looked at Francesco with my eyebrows raised. He grinned back. He had said Mike was in a mood, but apparently, it was a good one.

  “Sit, sit,” Mike said.

  Roger perched nervously on the chair nearest the door. He had the word bolt written all over his expression. I chose a comfortable leather chair across the desk from Mike. He sat back behind the desk and his brother lounged against a bookcase to Mike’s side.

  “So, Sarah. You may possibly have broken a record for fastest return of a borrowed car,” Mike said. But he grinned as he said it.

  I shrugged. “I couldn’t sit home and do nothing.”

  “I think I know you well enough now not to expect anything less.”

  I’m not sure that was a compliment. “If you can just drive me back to Seth’s house, I’ll pick up my Suburban and be out of your hair.”

  “I believe it was decided it would be best if you laid low for a while. Or at least weren’t so recognizable as you move about.”

  “It doesn’t seem I have a lot of choice.”

  Mike reached in a drawer. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Roger stiffen. Mike seemed to notice too, and made no attempt to hide his grin. I think he enjoyed his reputation as a bad guy. He pulled his hand out of the drawer and held up a set of keys.

  “I have another car for you.” He dropped the keys into my outstretched hand.

  “What are you the Oprah of the mob world? Cars for everyone,” Roger said. He clapped his hands to his mouth with a horrified expression. He turned so pale I was afraid he was going to pass out.

  “You’re funny. That’s cute,” Mike said.

  Roger bobbed his head up and down. “Lots of people say that.” The bobbing got faster.

  I’m pretty sure no one ever said that to Roger. I stifled a laugh.

  Mike focused on me. “Since they’ll now be looking for nondescript, I thought we’d go in another direction.”

  “That’s very nice of you,” I said, worrying what kind another direction meant to Mike. “Before we go, I have another favor to ask.”

  “Sure, what is it?” Mike said.

  Wow, he really was in a good mood. I’d asked for a favor and he’d said yes without warning me about the cost of favors and owing him. “I recorded something with the dashcam and wondered if we could take a look at it.”

  “That’s easy.” Mike opened his laptop, tapped a few keys, and motioned me to come around. Francesco followed me, but Roger stayed right by the door.

  Pretty soon, a scene started playing. There was a brief glimpse of Bull as we sped off.

  “That’s the part I want to see,” I said. “The man we pass.”

  Mike tapped some more keys and brought up a still picture of Bull. It was hard to see him because he was at the very right edge of the shot.

  “Can you zoom in at all?” I asked.

  Mike managed to get the photo a little bigger. “How’s that?”

  “Better.” The image was pretty clear. “Any chance you recognize him?” I asked. Roger perked up when I said that. My hope was that Mike might recognize him, know his friends, and we could shut him down. And by we I meant Mike or the police.

  Mike and Francesco studied the picture.

  “I got nothing,” Francesco said.

  “Doesn’t look local to me either. A guy like that stands out,” Mike said. “I can ask around.”

  “Thanks for taking a look,” I said.

  Mike stood and led us out of the office, down a corridor, and into a bigger garage than the one I’d parked in. The garage held some panel vans with Il Formaggio, Mike’s cheese shop in the North End, painted on the side. There were three dark-black SUVs Mike seemed to prefer to be chauffeured around in. I wondered if he even knew how to drive.

  We walked toward the panel vans. At least he’d get some free advertising in our neck of the woods when I was driving one of these. He walked right on by. On the other side of the third van sat a bright red Volkswagen Beetle. One of the newer models, only this one had darkly tinted windows.

  “Like the last car, it has a bigger engine than a regular car. And from the sound of things, you’ll need it.” He flashed another grin. “But there’s no dashcam or air-conditioned seats.”

  “Thanks, Mike. I owe you.” I almost shuddered at the thought and the words. I already owed him for a favor last February. I hated piling on, but these were desperate times. Roger looked distressed at the thought. Or maybe it was just being here.

  “Like I said before, you don’t owe me. Someone else does.”

  I looked for the grin but didn’t see one. That worried me.

  Chapter Twenty-Nine

  “Where to?” I asked Roger as we set off.

  “So, now you care where I want to go?”

  I didn’t bother answering.

  “I have a friend in Woburn who said I could stay with him.”

  I plugged the address Roger gave me into my phone. At least Woburn wasn’t too far from Seth’s house in Bedford.

  “Do you know Trevor Hunter?” I asked.

  I glanced over at Roger, who shook his head. “How about the League of Literary Treasure Hunters?”

  “I’ve heard rumors about some internet group that fancies themselves saviors of rare books. Frankly, it’s people like me who are the ones saving books. Why?”

  “They’re more than an internet group. Did you notice all those people in tweed at your store?”

  “Yes.”

  “That’s them.”

  “It doesn’t seem to me that any legitimate rare book dealer would have anything to do with them.”

  I wondered if that were true. We didn’t talk much for the rest of the trip to his friend’s house. Twenty minutes later, I parked in Seth’s driveway, because my Suburban was still safely tucked in his garage, and went back into his house. No reporters or treasure hunters were lurking. I’d driven around the block twice before I pulled into the drive.

  I spotted Luke’s brown leather backpack on the dining room table. The shower was running, and I could hear him singing. It made me smile. He’d always loved to sing. Like me, he could carry a tune, but that was about it. From the relaxed sound of his voice, he seemed to be adjusting to Seth’s house way better than I was.

  I slumped into a chair in the living room overwhelmed by all that had happened. A few minutes later, he came out with wet hair and a big smile when he saw me in the living room.

  “Roosters g
oing to land on your lip with that face,” Luke said. Our grandmother used to tell us that whenever we frowned.

  I stuck out my tongue at him, reverting to our youthful relationship.

  “Why the long face and ten-year-old attitude?” Luke asked.

  “It’s been a horrible few days. I need to take a shower, but I don’t have any clean clothes. I feel as if I’ve had this dress on for years. It probably smells like it too.”

  “Take a shower. Borrow something from whatever dude owns the place. I’m sure if he’s loaning you his house, he wouldn’t mind loaning you a T-shirt and some sweatpants.”

  I realized then that Luke knew nothing about Seth or why I felt so awkward being here. I wasn’t in the mood to discuss it anyway. “I suppose that would work in the short term, but I can’t go around in ‘some dude’s’ clothes for long.”

  “Why don’t you call one of your friends, have them pack a bag, and I’ll go get it. No one will be the wiser.”

  “You’d do that?”

  “Sure, if it will put a smile on my much-older sister’s face.”

  “Much older? Ten months isn’t much older.” I threw a pillow at him. He dodged it without a problem and tossed it back at me.

  “That’s the fighting spirit I’m used to,” he said.

  I called Stella and asked if she could get a bag together for me. “Or better yet, have those crazy treasure hunters left?”

  “Let me look out the window,” Stella said.

  I heard Tux meow in the background.

  “Sorry, some of them are still out there. They seem to have set up camp on the common and have rotating shifts.” Stella paused.

  “Please tell me you’re kidding,” I said.

  “I wish I was. There are tents. Grills. It’s practically a tailgating party out there. I think some of the locals are joining in.”

  “Is that legal? Can they do that on the common?” Eric’s fund-raiser was on Saturday. They needed to be out of there by then.

  “I’ll call my aunt.”

  Stella’s aunt was the town manager. “Okay. Thanks for checking, and for packing a bag for me.”

  “No problem. I hope this ends soon so you can come home. I miss you.”

  I smiled at the home. Ellington was my home. Stella was family now. “I miss you too. Give Tux a cuddle for me.”

  “I will,” Stella said. “And I look forward to meeting Luke.”

  * * *

  I filled Seth’s giant tub with steaming water after Luke took off. My apartment had a giant tub too, which was one of the reasons I’d rented it. Nothing like a good soak to get my mind settled back in order. I didn’t do it as often as I liked, especially during garage-sale season. This was the time of year I made most of my money, so taking time to indulge myself didn’t usually work out so well. I played some loud country tunes, which always made me feel better about my own life.

  Before Luke left, I told him my plan and let him know that if the door to the upstairs was closed, it meant I was still in the tub. I eased into the tub and ran my hands back and forth across the water. This tub was so big, I could almost float. I closed my eyes and let my mind drift. In the morning, I’d get hold of Alicia Blackmore. I’d fess up to her why I’d really been there and figure out if she’d lied about knowing Kay Kimble.

  I also needed to meet with James to work on the final touches for the fund-raiser. Not to mention I had to get back to Miss Belle’s house to sort through books. Checking in with Eric’s wife, Tracy, was another thing on my list of things to do.

  A bone-deep weariness settled over me. Could I keep this up? I loved what I did, but could I truly support myself for the long term? CJ and I had split our savings when we’d broken up, but I was determined to leave that untouched. I was a big believer in having money tucked away in case life took an unexpected financial turn. Also, half of his military retirement pay was deposited in my account every month. I’d toyed with the idea of stopping it, but it was tough as a military spouse to have any kind of career. Even if you did something more portable, like teaching or nursing, it was impossible to work your way up because you moved before you could.

  The spouses and kids gave up a lot, along with the men and women who were active duty. And then were called dependents, as if they were some kind of hangers-on instead of people supporting the active-duty spouse’s mission. I thought again about Tracy. Keeping the home fires burning was a real thing and, at times, could be extremely difficult. People focused on veterans’ issues while spouses, like Tracy, and kids could be an afterthought. I hoped Tracy would contact people who could help her.

  I let out a sigh. For a supposedly relaxing bath, I was sure having a lot of deep, dark thoughts. I pulled the plug and stirred as the water swirled out of the tub. Seth’s jumbo white towels were powder-puff soft. I wrapped one around me several times. It draped to my ankles. I heard a noise on the other side of the door and froze.

  The door creaked open. Seth stood there, head down, talking on his phone, one hand on the doorknob.

  Chapter Thirty

  I stared in horror, grasping the towel more closely around me, even though he’d seen me in less. A lot less. Seth looked up and just stared at me.

  “I’ve got to go,” Seth said into the phone. He swiped it closed. “Sorry. I called out when I came in. When no one answered, I thought I was alone.”

  But he didn’t move to leave. Lots of thoughts flitted through my mind: bathtub, shower, bed, Seth. The heat of a blush coursed its way up from my chest to my neck. Way to look dignified, Sarah. I tightened the towel around me again. In my imagination, when I’d thought about seeing Seth again, it hadn’t happened like this, in his bathroom with his bed as a backdrop.

  “I thought you were in the Berkshires for the trial.”

  “I had some business to take care of here. I’m heading back tonight.”

  “At ten? You won’t get back there until midnight.”

  Seth shrugged. I felt the towel slip a little and grasped it to me.

  “Could you give me a minute?” My clothes. I’d left them in Seth’s bedroom, stuffed in a corner, hoping Luke would be back quickly with something clean. “Go back downstairs?” My voice came out hesitant. Oh, dear, he’d think I wanted him to stay. I pointed. “Downstairs. My brother is going to be back soon.” Whew, that was better.

  “Your brother’s in town?” Seth asked. They’d never met, but Luke had definitely been on Seth’s radar.

  Did he look disappointed there for a minute? “Yes.” I nodded vigorously, flinging water droplets around. “He left a while ago to get me some clean clothes.” I paused. “He’ll be back any minute.” Yes, the implication was that I didn’t want Luke to find us together in the bathroom.

  Seth grinned and nodded. “Okay, then.” He backed out and closed the door behind him.

  What the heck was he doing here? And why now? I shook a fist at the ceiling. Why now? In my head, I’d always looked stunningly beautiful when we saw each other. I’d be dressed in some fabulous dress with peep-toed shoes, and he’d be wowed. So maybe I’d done a little daydreaming about that dinner Seth had mentioned. Or he’d see me when I was on the stand, composed, smart, testifying against my stalker. My imaginings had never included me standing with straggly wet hair dripping down my back. I leaned my head against the bathroom door. Steps receded. Thank heavens for wooden floors. I cracked open the door, stuck my head out.

  The top of Seth’s head disappeared out of view, down the steps. I scurried over to my clothes, grabbed them off the floor, and scurried into the bathroom. I slipped my clingy, black knit dress over my head, seams in this time, and fanned my face with my hand. A few pieces of blond hair curled around my face from the steamy bath. My eyes looked really blue against the red blush.

  I ran my wrists under some cold water. I needed to go down before Seth came back up to make sure I didn’t faint or something. Cool, composed, think of ice. Be ice. My feet were bare, as were my legs. I wish I had more layers to
hide under; even shoes would help me feel less exposed. I’d left them downstairs someplace.

  After a couple of deep breaths, I went downstairs, peeking in rooms as I went past. The bedroom, bathroom, and office were all empty. At the end of the hall, I saw Seth’s back. His broad shoulders, that pristine white shirt stretched over a powerful back and tucked into well-tailored pants. He was shaking hands with Luke. Luke looked over Seth’s shoulder at me and smiled. “Look, Sarah, our host is here.”

  I stepped forward as Seth stepped back, turning to me. Our faces almost crashed together, his divine smell washing over me. Don’t blush. Do not blush. We both stepped back a bit hastily. Luke looked from one to the other of us. I could tell his reporter self was on high alert. Maybe his brother side was too.

  “You know each other,” Luke said.

  “Yes,” we said in unison.

  “We met in a bar,” Seth said.

  “We met over a body,” I lied at the same time. Luke knew I’d stumbled over a few in the past year and a half. That would give me a good reason for knowing Seth.

  “In Lowell,” we both added.

  “About a year and a half ago,” I added for good measure. Seth nodded. Both watched me, each waiting for a cue from me.

  “So, a year and a half ago in Lowell, you met over a body in a bar?” Luke asked.

  “Yes,” I said. There hadn’t been a body, but I was hoping Luke would think we’d met in some kind of professional capacity. Not because I’d been out alone and lonely.

  “Pretty much,” Seth added.

  “Seth’s the DA. So we’ve run into each other over a few cases.”

  “Yeah. She’s always causing trouble.” Luke laughed, but neither Seth nor I joined in.

  “Let’s go into the living room,” Seth said.

  “Good idea,” I said.

  Seth stepped back so I could lead the way. I took the chair, so Luke and Seth had to share the couch.

  “How about a glass of wine?” Seth asked.

  “Great,” I said, a little too fast and loud. Maybe alcohol would make this less awkward, if that was possible.

  Seth left.

  “What’s with you two?” Luke asked.