Common Enemy

by Sandra Dailey

  “There’s a man over there that looks like you, but his face is plain,” she whispered.

  “That’s my brother. His name is Cal. Don’t you like his plain face?”

  “It’s okay, I guess,” Lizzy shrugged.

  “What’s wrong with it?”

  “Nothing, but I like yours better.”

  “Why?” he asked, surprised.

  “Because, it makes you special.” Lizzy cupped each side of his face with her tiny hands. “I love your face.”

  Connor was so overwhelmed he couldn’t speak. He just hugged her tighter and kissed her head. Once the lump in his throat cleared, he said, “I love you too, monkey. I missed you an awful lot around here.”

  “I’ll be clearing out of here today,” Mr. Coleman interrupted. “I need to get back to my own place. My garden must be overgrown with weeds by now. Call me if you want me for anything.”

  “You’re welcome to stay for dinner, Coleman,” Connor offered. “There’s always plenty.”

  “No, I’m kind of looking forward to some quiet time. Thanks though.” He retreated to the spare room to pack his few things.

  “If you two don’t mind, I’d like to stay on for a little while.” Caleb stood. “I haven’t had a chance to do anything but concentrate on the case since I got here. I’d kind of like to get to know my new extended family a little better.”

  “You’re welcome to stay for as long as you’d like,” Jordan was quick to assure him. “I think you and Connor have some catching up to do, and it looks like the guest room is available again.” She walked out the door with Connor close on her heels.

  “Where are you going?”

  “I told Lizzy she could pick what we’d have for dinner tonight,” she answered. “I have to go to the store.”

  “You’re not going alone, are you?”

  “Yes, I am. Bobby Ray will still be wrapped up in paperwork at the county jail. This is my chance to go out alone for the first time in forever.”

  “Well, I guess you’re right, but we have a ton of food here. Why do you have to buy more?”

  “Lizzy wants shrimp for dinner and we don’t have any.”

  “Didn’t Cal say anything?” Connor frowned.

  “No. Why?”

  “If he eats shrimp you’d better have an ambulance on standby. He’s got an allergy to shellfish.”

  “Oh damn, is there any limit to the way you men will spoil that child? I said she could have anything she wanted for supper. He must not have wanted to disappoint her. What do I do now?”

  “That’s easy. Just pick up some steaks—surf and turf. That’s what Mom does.”

  “I think I’d like your mom.”

  “I’m not ready to find that out yet,” Connor remarked with a cocked brow.

  ****

  Bobby Ray stepped out of the jailhouse in time to see the old Impala being towed away. “Shit! What am I going to do now?” he asked Bennett. “I can’t get the car back. I don’t even own it. At least none of my stuff was in it. Luckily, I’ve got Nita’s money in my pocket. I guess I’ll have to get a used car from one of those buy-here-pay-here lots down the street.”

  “Just try to keep a low profile,” Bennett advised. “I’m sure you already blew the custody case.”

  “Jordan is causing me way too much trouble. First jail, and then restraining orders, and now my car. I’ve even lost Nita. I’ll have to get my entertainment and money the hard way. Nita was going to come in handy soon, too. Jordan is going to pay for this. I’m not just going to make her suffer. I’m going to make her wish she’d never been born. And, I want that asshole boyfriend of hers, too. He humiliated me in that courtroom.” What Bobby Ray didn’t tell Bennett was that he was also in his crosshairs.

  After the two men parted, Bobby Ray found a beat-up, late model, economy car at the back of the nearest used car lot. It looked like it had seen its share of wrecks, but it still ran well. He talked the salesman into letting him drive it off the lot for a thousand dollars. He knew the guy was going to pocket the money. The car probably didn’t even have a title. But, at least it had wheels.

  Back at his apartment, Bobby Ray looked over the mess Nita had left as he sipped a beer. He wondered how much she would implicate him in her legal trouble. He planned to pack up and get the hell out of there. There was just one thing to do first. Bobby Ray looked through his wallet to find a phone number he’d been holding for a while.

  “Hello.”

  “Hello. Is this Mrs. Bennett?”

  “Yes, who is this?”

  “I’d rather not say, ma’am. All I can tell you is, I’m a concerned friend. I felt you needed to know what your husband has been up to for the last few years.”

  “What are you talking about?”

  “I was in prison with him. I hate to be the one to tell you this, Mrs. Bennett, but he was a prostitute while he was there. He told me that he’d been doing it on the outside for years. I’m told that he would do anything for money or favors.”

  “I don’t believe you.”

  “Well, I don’t have firsthand knowledge, of course, but I am concerned for you. I think you should try to get his medical records from the prison and see a doctor yourself.”

  The line went dead. Bobby Ray sat back with a smile. Bennett thought he still needed him. He wouldn’t suspect that he’d carried out his threat. His wife’s daddy, being a big shot surgeon, would have those records by the end of the day. Then, Bennett would be done. Nobody crossed him and got away with it.

  ****

  Jordan finished the dinner dishes and folded the last of the laundry. The sun had gone down and Connor was putting Lizzy to bed. It was nice to have her world back in order for a while.

  As she climbed the stairs to give her daughter a goodnight kiss, she heard the music coming from Lizzy’s room. It sounded different tonight. She stopped in the doorway.

  Connor had Lizzy in his lap sitting on the bed, while Caleb sat cross-legged on the floor, playing guitar. Connor was singing an old John Denver song, Sunshine on My Shoulders. She waited as he finished. Then Caleb took over singing Back Home Again. Neither man was ashamed to have their deep, rich voices heard. They had certainly been raised in a home where self-expression was encouraged. These men would provide a good environment for her daughter. Jordan secretly wished she could meet their parents. She could learn to be a better parent through them. Connor had made it obvious that he didn’t like the idea, when she mentioned it earlier that day. Maybe, now that Caleb had broken the ice, he’d change his mind.

  Once Caleb had finished his song, she crossed to the bed and kissed Lizzy good night.

  “It’s time to end this concert and let this child sleep,” she told the brothers. “It’s been a long day. You two will have plenty of time to spoil her tomorrow.”

  Lizzy bounced with excitement. “Can I spend all day with Connor and Uncle Cal?”

  Jordan looked at Cal with raised brows.

  “Hey, she asked and I couldn’t say no. It’ll be official soon anyway.”

  “Tomorrow she’s going to daycare and I’m going to work. You guys will have to find something to do with yourselves.”

  “We’re planning to build a couple of picnic tables,” Connor informed her.

  “What do we need with two picnic tables?”

  “Cal and I were talking earlier about how much help the Douglases and Coleman have been. You and Joyce have gotten close. John and Ted will be leaving soon. We thought it would be a nice idea to have a cookout this weekend. What do you think?”

  “Do you think you could build a barbeque grill too?” she asked sarcastically.

  The two brothers looked at each other, and then back at her. “No problem,” they said in unison.

  The next day was busy at the bank and Jordan came home exhausted. She was surprised to find the house empty. The only sign of life was the smell of dinner in the oven and male laughter in the back yard.

  Jordan almost fell out the door when
she opened it onto a large bare space. Her steps had been removed along with a huge section of her lawn. Bags of mortar were laid over piles of stone. Connor and Cal were chasing the Donahue twins with a water hose. They were all shirtless, only wearing baggy shorts. Their tanned muscles glistened in the sun.

  Mr. Coleman stood off to one side with Lizzy, shaking his head.

  “What’s going on here?” Jordan asked.

  “The boys said you wanted a barbeque grill. They’re putting in a whole damned patio to build it onto.”

  “What do you think of all these changes, Mr. Coleman?”

  “I think the place is looking great, and I think your grandma would be pleased as punch. That’s what you’re really wondering, isn’t it?”

  “You know me better than I thought.”

  Chapter Seventeen

  Preparing the new grill for the Saturday afternoon cookout gave Connor a little quiet time to think. It was a special celebration for his engagement to Jordan and winning Lizzy’s custody case. Even more than that, it was a blending of old friends and new, old family and new. The only people missing were his parents. They’d get such a kick out of the party. Maybe it was time to take another step back into his past. He knew family was important to Jordan. She and Lizzy only had each other when he’d found them. Also, he had to admit, he missed his mother like crazy. He always had, but being with Caleb magnified the feeling.

  His melancholy subsided a bit when their first guests arrived. The Donahue twins rounded the house carrying a cooler between them. Chances were, it was filled with their favorite soft drinks. Caleb approached with a wide grin.

  “Doesn’t it figure those boys would be the first to show up when free food is on the table?”

  “Yeah, do they remind you of anyone?”

  They laughed, thinking back to when they were teenagers.

  John and Ted were the next to show up.

  “Are you sure it’s cool for both of us to leave our post today?” Ted asked.

  “Butler hasn’t made a move for days. He knows we’re looking for him. We’re all here with Jordan and Lizzy. He wouldn’t dare try anything with this many people around. Besides, we need to get used to not having you guys to protect us,” Connor replied.

  “We’ll be hanging out for a few more days to tie up some loose ends,” John informed him. “Then, we’ll head home. No telling how much trouble that son of mine has been in. Laura says everything’s fine, but it’s about time I checked on things firsthand.”

  “I hope you know how much this has meant to us, guys.” Connor was interrupted by activity coming from around the house.

  “Who’s the woman with Coleman?” Cal asked.

  Joyce was in another tight spandex outfit and high heels. Her abundance of curly hair shined brightly in the afternoon sun.

  “Good gracious, Connor,” she yelled from across the lawn. “You didn’t tell me you were part of a matched set. The testosterone level in the atmosphere is positively intoxicating. Somebody get me a beer.”

  Next Jordan and Lizzy came out of the house. They both wore their hair back in French braids and were dressed in shorts and peasant blouses. Connor looked at Jordan’s tanned shoulders and long legs with an approving smile.

  “Maybe I’d better lock the barn doors.” Caleb shoved his brother’s shoulder.

  After the grill had been covered with hotdogs and hamburgers, the Douglases arrived. Adam and Craig ran to the patio, followed by their parents. Holly and Charlie were holding hands and grinning like a couple of teenagers.

  “I hope we’re not late,” Holly said.

  “Yeah,” Adam chimed in. “Mom and dad woke up super late, and then they took forever to get ready.”

  Both parents blushed and hurried the children away.

  Connor outdid himself on the grill and made sure everyone had plenty to eat. Afterward, he lounged in a hammock with Jordan beside him. For a while he watched Adam toss a baseball up in the air, over and over. He was about Adam’s age when he’d joined little league, and played baseball until he reached law school. He still loved the game.

  “You know, I remember seeing a bat just inside the barn,” he told Jordan. “I bet we have enough people to put a couple of small teams together.”

  Charlie indicated his amputated arm. “I’m no good with a bat, but I’m a hell of a pitcher.”

  Straws were drawn for teams. On one team, Connor picked Luke, Holly, Adam, and Ted. Cal countered his choices with Jordan, Leon, and John.

  “Why do you get five players?” Jordan asked Connor.

  “Adam and Holly put together equals one player,” he laughed.

  “Hey!” Holly objected.

  “What about me?” Lizzy asked.

  “You and Joyce can be the cheerleaders,” Coleman suggested. “Craig and I are the coaches.”

  They played five innings and the score was five to eight on Cal’s side when Charlie called the game due to a sore shoulder. The sun was fading when Jordan brought out ice cream. Everyone settled into a quiet, laid-back mood.

  Connor and Caleb brought out their guitars. They entertained the group with a variety of Country and Southern rock songs until it got too dark to see their strings. It had been the best day Connor could remember. He was disappointed when everyone began to leave.

  “Go upstairs and brush your teeth for bed,” he told Lizzy. “We big people have a lot of cleaning up to do. We’ll come to tuck you in, in a few minutes.”

  “Okay,” Lizzy agreed drowsily.

  Connor could tell by her slow stroll that she was ready for a good night’s sleep, but a moment later shrill screams came from the second floor of the house. He raced inside the house nearly knocking Caleb down as he passed him.

  Connor and Caleb looked over the scene in the bathroom, waiting for the police to arrive. Lizzy’s kitten, Tom, lay bloody and lifeless in the sink. The smell of rubbing alcohol made their eyes water. On the mirror the name McCrae was written in the cat’s blood.

  “I guess we should have known we’d be targets now,” Cal said.

  “I think this one was meant for me.” Connor pointed to the cat’s face. It had been sliced from the top of his left ear all the way down its stomach.

  The police took fingerprints and pictures while a detective asked questions downstairs. They were all aware of what had happened in the courthouse earlier in the week. No one had a doubt who had done this horrible crime.

  After three hours, the house was cleared. Connor and Jordan lay sleepless in bed.

  “He was in my house,” Jordan finally whispered.

  “We should have locked the front door while we were all in the back yard. We won’t make that mistake again.”

  A light tap came on the door.

  “Can I come in with you guys?” Lizzy’s voice was raw from crying.

  “I’m sorry, Connor. I’ve got to stay with her tonight.” Jordan reached for her robe.

  “No, wait.” Connor rose to the edge of the bed and pulled on his shorts. “We all stay together.” He opened the door and carried Lizzy to the bed, laying her between them. “This is just for tonight, okay, monkey?”

  “I don’t know why people have to die,” Lizzy whispered after a moment.

  “They just do, Lizzy. Your gram will take care of Tom up in heaven.”

  “Who killed my Tom?”

  “A bad man,” Connor told her. “That’s why we have to watch you all the time, at least until the police can find the bad man.”

  “Who is he?”

  Connor looked over at Jordan and saw that she was fighting back tears.

  “He’s a man that your mommy knew a long time ago. He doesn’t like her. He wants to hurt her and maybe us too. I know that’s scary, but you should know that so you can be extra careful.”

  “Why doesn’t he like Mommy,” Lizzy whined. “Everybody else likes Mommy.”

  “He’s crazy, honey, sick in his brain. I don’t know why.”

  “Is he the man who used to b
e my daddy?”

  “Why would you ask that?” Connor brushed the hair from her damp cheek and kissed it.

  “I heard Mrs. Rogers talking to Miss Holly. She said my daddy was crazy.”

  “What else did she say, monkey?”

  “She said she was scared when I’m there. Miss Holly got really mad and said that maybe Adam and Craig wouldn’t go there any more, if I didn’t go there too.”

  “How would you feel about hanging out here with me and Uncle Cal for a while?”

  “That would be lots of fun. I wish you were my daddy instead of the crazy man, Connor. Why can’t I call you daddy?”

  Connor looked at Jordan again. She looked back as if she were also waiting for an answer. “Would that make you happy, monkey?”

  “Happier than anything,” she claimed.

  “I guess you can do that then.”

  “Okay.” She let out a big yawn and was asleep almost instantly.

  ****

  Bobby Ray peeked around the edge of the drape to see who was knocking at his door. It was Bennett, dammit! He didn’t have time for this. The cops could be pulling in any minute. He was careful not to leave fingerprints at Jordan’s house, but it wouldn’t take a rocket scientist to know he’d been there. Even if they didn’t have evidence, they’d at least want to question him. He wasn’t in the mood for that bullshit. His camping gear was already in the woods. He’d just had to pack his sketches and was ready to take off. He released the chain at the top of the door and opened it.

  “I told you not to come here, asshole.”

  “I need my money, Butler. You promised to pay me—what the hell is that smell?” Bennett’s lip curled with revulsion. “Is that rubbing alcohol? What did you do, bathe in it? That shit’ll dry your skin, you know.”

  “Look who’s giving me advice about cleanliness.”

  “I don’t care if you make your coffee with it, I just want my money.”

  “I don’t owe you a dime.” Bobby Ray grabbed his duffle bag and pushed past him out the door.

  “I’ve spent weeks working on your case. Now, I’m broke. Everything I had paid for: gas, food, and lodging. You were supposed to cover my expenses as well as my fee.” Bennett jogged down the stairs to the parking lot on Butler’s heels.