Common Enemy

by Sandra Dailey

  “I was just getting ready to come over and talk to you about checking out today. Is there anything wrong?” Bobby Ray shaded his eyes from the intruding sunlight.

  “My daughter took off some time last night. I thought you might have seen her.”

  “Yeah, I went over to the office last night at about seven to get a soda from the machine. She was behind the desk. Are you sure she didn’t just go out with friends?”

  “If she did, she’ll have hell to pay when she gets back. She tends to talk a lot. Did she say anything to you about going anywhere?” He scratched his belly as he spoke.

  “No, she did talk quite a bit. You know how girls that age are. She was complaining about having to work. I couldn’t really stick around to listen. But, I wouldn’t worry too much if I were you. I’m sure she’ll turn up. She seemed like a nice enough kid.” Bobby Ray was suddenly inspired by an idea. “She seemed excited when that old brown van pulled in. That must have been around midnight. The loud muffler woke me up and I looked out the window. A tall guy with blond curly hair, probably about my age, was driving. She ran out to meet him squealing and hugging. I figured he must have been family or something. You know him?”

  “No, can’t say I do. She was excited to see the guy huh?”

  “Yep, she must have known him. She yelled out his name. I don’t remember it…Oh, but I remember the last name was McCrae like those two lawyers I heard about on the news. They’re those big shots that came down here from Tampa. You know the type. They act like they own the world. Sorry I didn’t get a better look.”

  “I’ll sure check it out. You just leave the key on the dresser when you get ready to go. You don’t owe anything anyway.” He looked over Bobby Ray’s shoulder. “By the way, what is that smell in there?”

  “Oh yeah, I was using some rubbing alcohol and spilled the whole bottle in the sink. No need to worry. No damage done.”

  “Okay. Well, thanks for the information. Sorry to bother you, Mr. Bennett.”

  “No problem.”

  Bobby Ray had been busy all morning. His bags were packed except for the things he’d bought earlier. He had just one more thing to do. He picked up the box of hair bleach and a razor and walked into the bathroom. As he used the items, he discarded them into a plastic shopping bag that he planned to throw away when he stopped for gas down the road.

  In the shower, he thought about the young girl from last night, Donna. She had been easier than he’d expected. He’d only opened two beers for himself, most of which he poured onto the ground behind her back. She wasn’t used to drinking alcohol and the other four beers went straight to her head. She was eager to get naked and try new things. She got a lot more then she’d bargained for, but he’d enjoyed it. She’d picked the secluded area herself. No one could hear her screams. The only part of the fantasy that was off was that she hadn’t been Jordan.

  After he towel dried his hair, he dressed in new clothes. Bobby Ray stopped in front of the big dresser mirror to get the full effect of the changes he had made. He admired his cleanly shaved face and blond hair. He wore snug blue jeans with a western belt and black T-shirt. All the exercise was paying off with well-toned muscles. He’d have to get used to the heavy boots, but the aviator sunglasses and straw cowboy hat looked cool.

  “So, a blond cowboy type is what you want, Jordan? I always aim to please.”

  ****

  Jordan had called to check on Lizzy twice before they came to the Mayville city limits. The child’s excitement over a trip to Disney World with her new grandparents had put Jordan’s mind at ease.

  “I don’t have anything to make for dinner. Why don’t we eat at the diner before we get home?”

  “Do you realize we’ve never been out alone together? It would be like a first date. The only difference is, we’ve already seen each other naked.”

  “I guess you’ll be disappointed to hear that I never put out on the first date.” Jordan laughed when Connor shot her a stricken look.

  In the diner parking lot they ran into the Douglases as they were preparing to leave. They had a luggage box on the top of their car.

  “Where are you all off to? We’re just getting home and it looks like you’re leaving.”

  Holly and Charlie looked at each other with pained expressions. Finally Charlie answered. “It’s been a little tense around here all summer. I thought I’d use some vacation time and take Holly and the kids to see my parents in Ft. Lauderdale. We haven’t been up there in ages. It’s just a little holiday before the beginning of school.”

  Jordan understood that she was, indirectly, the reason for the tension they were feeling. If she hadn’t come back to Mayville, Bobby Ray wouldn’t have come either. Not only did she feel guilty, but she also felt a little insecure. She’d come to rely on them for moral support as well as backup for Lizzy. She could sure understand that they needed to get away for a while. She wished she could walk away from the situation.

  Connor put his arm around her to rub her shoulder. When she looked into his eyes she felt as though he could read her mind. She was relieved that he took over the conversation.

  “That sounds great. Lizzy is on a little holiday with my parents.” He reached out to shake Charlie’s hand. “Call when you get back in town and we’ll have you over for dinner.”

  Ten minutes later, Jordan was staring out the window when the waitress came to take their order.

  “Tonight’s special is stuffed pork chops with steamed vegetables. That sounds good to me. What do you think, boss?”

  “Oh, umm, that sounds fine. I’ll have that too.” She noticed that two glasses of tea were already sitting on their table. When had he placed their drink order?

  “I’m glad the Douglases were able to take a vacation. That’s less people we have to worry about keeping safe. I have a feeling things are going to get back to normal any time now.” He reached over to take hold of the fingers she’d been tapping on the table.

  “I know you’re right,” Jordan said. “I was just thinking. This is my home. This is where I want to live and work and raise my family. I love this town and I love my house. I don’t want to feel this dread at coming back here. I don’t want my friends and neighbors to feel unsafe around me. I just can’t believe that one mistake seven years ago has caused so many people so much grief.”

  “You didn’t cause this situation, Jordan. This started years before you ever met Butler. You were just unfortunate enough to cross his path at the wrong time. No one here blames you for the things he’s done. I would venture to say that a lot of people here would have your back against him.” He gave her hand one more squeeze before the waitress set the plates down between them.

  As they ate dinner, they discussed Lizzy’s need of school clothes, planting a vegetable garden, and trading in the van and Jordan’s car for a crossover. They were both desperate to find a subject that would take their minds off their current problems. By the end of the meal they were more relaxed and left the diner laughing.

  Connor had just started the car when he turned the key off and looked in the rearview mirror.

  “Did we forget something?” Jordan saw the confused look on his face and turned to see what had attracted his attention. A police cruiser had pulled in behind their car, blocking them in.

  ****

  Connor rolled down the window. “What’s the problem, officer?”

  “Could I see your driver’s license, sir?” The police officer was pleasant but serious.

  “Sure.” Connor reached into his back pocket. “I know I wasn’t stopped for a moving violation, is something wrong with the car?” He handed his license to the officer.

  “I couldn’t say, sir. I have orders to bring you in for questioning. I’ve also called a tow truck to take your car to the impound lot.” The young man was nervously tapping the license against the hood of the car.

  “You’ve got to be kidding. You’re impounding the car? Why?” Connor was serious now, also.

  �
��You’ve been implicated in a crime, Mr. McCrae. I’ll need you to step out of the car with your hands in front of you. I’ll be taking you to the station.”

  “I’m sure we can straighten this out, but I can’t just leave my fiancée standing out here in the parking lot. Can’t she follow us with the car?”

  The officer jumped as Connor opened his door to get out. Connor and Jordan exchanged alarmed expressions.

  “No, sir,” the officer replied with his hand resting over the handle of his service revolver. “My orders are to have the car brought in, to process for possible evidence. A warrant will be here before they take it away. The lady will have to find other transportation.” He held out a pair of handcuffs. “Please turn around to the side of the car now, sir.”

  A car hauler was pulling into the parking lot, heading toward the BMW. Connor knew he only had a mere moment to speak to Jordan. The situation had caught him off guard. His mind raced to figure out what to do next. He saw the frightened look on her face as she exited the car.

  “Don’t worry, boss, I’ll have this straightened out in an hour,” he said lightly. “I’ll call Caleb when I get to the station. I bet he’s already on his way down here anyway. You go inside and call Joyce to pick you up. Go to her place. Don’t go back to the house until I come for you, okay?”

  Chapter Twenty-Eight

  Bobby Ray slumped down in the driver’s seat of the Bronco sketching a picture when he noticed Joyce pulling into the diner parking lot. He’d decided to follow the women and see where they went. Surely they’d find a place to hide, knowing he was close. The kid wasn’t with them. That was just as well. She’d be an unnecessary complication. He didn’t know how long McCrae would be out of the way so he had to move fast.

  Exhaustion took over as he followed them through the little side streets of Mayville. He had to hold on just a little longer. Now that Doris, Bennett, and Nita were gone, he had to do everything on his own. He’d just spent hours setting the scene in Jordan’s barn that would keep the cops busy for a while. Since then he’d sat at the edge of town waiting for the happy couple to return.

  It was so easy to get information in this little town. He’d approached the twin boys who worked at Jordan’s house. They were riding scooters along the road after helping the old man with a project in Jordan’s back yard. He told them he was a cousin to the McCrae brothers and that he’d come to help out with security. The boys told him that Jordan and McCrae would be returning from Tampa today.

  Everything was falling into place nicely.

  ****

  “Are you sure your mom won’t mind my being here?” Jordan asked as she walked into the old two-bedroom apartment at the back of the beauty salon. The furniture, carpet, and drapes looked as though they hadn’t been replaced since the seventies, but they were neat and clean.

  “Don’t worry about Mom. She hasn’t been out of her room for two years. I’m going to run you a nice warm bath. We can have a glass of wine while you soak. You’ve had a rotten day. It’ll do you good.” Joyce put her purse on the end of the sofa and headed down the hall.

  “You should be more careful about keeping your door locked.” Jordan turned the dead bolt on the front door.

  Joyce reappeared ten minutes later to direct Jordan to the bath. “You just slide under those bubbles while I grab a couple glasses of sangria. We’ll have a little girl-time while we wait for your man.”

  For the next hour, Joyce told Jordan stories about her mother. She removed her make-up and changed into a silk kimono. Jordan was surprised at how truly beautiful the older woman was after her long blonde curls had been brushed out around her shoulders and her face was clean.

  Jordan curled up on the end of the sofa wearing Joyce’s white chenille robe. “So, tell me about you and Arnold Coleman.”

  “I wondered when that subject would come up again.” She poured herself another glass of wine. “Arnie has been a friend of mine for many, many years.”

  “Just friends?” Jordan asked.

  “I guess you could say we love each other, but we’re not in love. You know Arnie has always had a thing for your grandmother. He’ll never get over her. We just act as each other’s security blanket.”

  “But why do you do it? In all those years, you could have found someone you really did love. It’s still not too late.”

  “That was Arnie’s excuse for dumping me the other day.” Joyce looked into her glass.

  “I’m sorry, Joyce. I didn’t realize I was bringing up a sensitive subject. I’ve been so focused on my own problems I didn’t know you two had stopped seeing each other.”

  Just then, someone knocked on the front door.

  “Don’t worry about it, kid. It was probably for the best.” Joyce stood up to answer the door.

  “I can’t believe Caleb is here already. He must have been on his way when Connor called.” She unlocked the door and swung it wide open.

  ****

  Connor had been sitting in a room with only a square wooden table and four fiberglass chairs. The walls were a dingy gray like the floor tiles. On one side, a round clock hung on the wall. It made a swishing sound to announce each passing second. On the other side was a small window. It was too high for even him to see out. The last few rays of sunlight had disappeared long ago. A pair of fluorescent lights glared from the ceiling. He felt itchy in the clothes he’d been wearing in the car all day.

  A young cop had come into the room earlier to bring a can of soda. It was barely cool then, now it was warm. He leaned in the chair as far as he could and rolled the can between his palms.

  It had been almost two hours since he’d spoken to his brother. Caleb was coming back in his father’s plane. He should be walking through the door at any moment. Then, perhaps they could find out what this was all about and get to Jordan.

  After finding out that the police had a search warrant for her property, he’d refused to speak to them. He couldn’t think about anything except Jordan’s safety. He was worried sick about her, out there alone. He wouldn’t be foolish enough to trust his own judgment in an interrogation. He needed Caleb. At this point, he’d be willing to sign any kind of confession to return to her.

  He mentally kicked himself for not staying in touch with Detective Tucker while he was in Tampa. Maybe he would’ve had some idea of what this was about. The police had told him that Tucker was in the field. That had been the extent of the information they were willing to give.

  Connor stood up and paced the floor just once when Caleb finally walked through the door.

  “What’s going on here, Caleb? They said they were bringing me in for questioning and they’re searching Jordan’s place right now. They act like I’ve committed murder or something.” He was even more confused at his brother’s appearance. “Those are the same clothes you were wearing last night, and you haven’t shaved. Where have you been?”

  “That doesn’t matter right now, although I will have to borrow some clothes when we get out of here.” Caleb sat in the chair Connor had vacated. “The desk sergeant said a detective would arrive any minute. I don’t have a clue why you’re here. You look like hell.”

  The door opened. Two detectives entered that Connor didn’t recognize. They held up badges and identified themselves as Mullins and Dundridge. Dundridge was a tall man with short dark hair and sunken brown eyes. He closed the door and leaned against it. Connor figured he was standing guard while his partner started the interrogation. What was Dundridge expecting him to do, attempt an escape?

  Mullins was the smaller man with a gray comb-over. He held a small file as he sat across from Caleb at the table. “Have a seat, Mr. McCrae. We’d like to hear what you’ve been doing for the last twenty-four hours.”

  Connor wanted to get this done as soon as possible. He sat on the edge of the chair next to Caleb and leaned toward Mullins. “Yesterday I was in Tampa, where I attended the funeral of John Truman, along with about two hundred other people. Then, I had supper at my pare
nt’s house. If their word isn’t good enough, you can check with the housekeeper, Miss Hannah. I went to bed at about one o’clock. I slept with my fiancée, Jordan Holbrook, all night. Believe me, she knew I was there the entire time. We ate brunch with my parents, and then left Tampa at about two. We took I-75 and stopped for gas in Sarasota. We arrived in Mayville at around six o’clock. We stopped at the diner to eat. We spoke to the Douglases, Charlie and Holly, in the parking lot before we went inside. I was picked up as we were leaving to go home. I got here at seven-thirty and I’ve been stuck in this stinking room ever since. Now can you tell me what this is all about and let me go? You have to know what kind of danger my fiancée is in right now.”

  Mullins ignored Connor’s request and asked his next question. “Have you ever heard of a girl named Donna Bass?”

  Connor stared straight ahead for a brief moment while he thought. “No, can’t say I have. Who is she?”

  “She’s a seventeen-year-old girl that disappeared from a motel about fifty miles from here last night.”

  “What does this have to do with my brother?” Caleb asked.

  Mullins turned to Caleb. “Her body was found in your brother’s van about an hour ago. It looks like she was worked over pretty good. She’d been bound, raped, and tortured. She’s dead. A guest at the motel that her father owns gave the description of that van as being there last night.”

  “You heard his statement. You can easily confirm his alibi.”

  “You know, I think you’re right, Mr. McCrae.” Mullins stared intently at Caleb.

  “Good.” Caleb stood. “Do you really have any reason to hold Connor any longer?”

  “No, I think we’re ready to let him go. I just have one more question.”