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Only by Death

Page 18

by Herman, Kathy;


  Colleen looked over at him, her eyes brimming with tears and determination. “Not for me it isn’t.”

  t

  Liam walked Colleen to her car and spent several minutes consoling her, trying not to show his impatience with her unwavering mission to prove their mother was murdered. When she finally seemed composed, he bid her good-bye and said he’d be home for dinner but had a few things he needed to do.

  He walked to his car, surprised to see an envelope under his wiper blade. He picked up the envelope—plain white with his name typed in big letters across the front—then slid in behind the wheel. He opened the envelope and pulled out a single sheet of white paper with letters cut from a magazine. He held it out so he could read it.

  “I SAW HOW YOUR MOTHER DIED. PAY ME $50,000 OR I’LL TELL THE SHERIFF. YOU’LL HEAR FROM ME AGAIN SOON.” His heart banged so loudly he thought the glass might shatter in his old Caprice. So much for Jesse Cummings not knowing his identity. He should have gotten rid of the kid when he had had the chance.

  Liam’s thoughts screamed louder than two disgruntled grackles on the sidewalk fighting over a candy-bar wrapper. He took a deep breath and let it out slowly, then did it again. Jesse wasn’t gutsy enough to pull this off by himself. The kid must have told someone. Someone who decided to use the information to extort money from Liam. He looked at the note again.

  “I SAW HOW YOUR MOTHER DIED.” Liam pounded his fists on the steering wheel. His alibi was solid. He was reasonably confident that no one could prove he was anywhere near the river when his mother drowned. What if he was wrong? All it would take to wreck everything was for someone to come out and back Jesse’s claim. That would compel the sheriff to put Liam under close scrutiny. And though he had covered his tracks, he wasn’t sure his alibi would hold up if the sheriff got suspicious and started checking street cams and store surveillance cameras.

  Liam’s hands shook. He looked around and then glanced in his rearview mirror. He didn’t see anyone lurking. If he paid the fifty grand, he would still have more than enough to pay off his looming credit-card debt, pay cash for that new fully loaded Silverado he wanted, and cover the cost of tools and materials while he built clientele for his business. He could stay with Colleen as long as he needed to but would have to rent a storage facility and turn it into a workshop. Without that fifty thousand, he could forget buying a home of his own.

  Liam spit out a swear word, then wadded up the note and stuffed it into his pocket. He needed time to think. He wasn’t about to hand over that kind of money without knowing how much this extortionist wannabe really knew.

  He started the motor and pulled out of the parking lot, furious that his long-awaited thrill had lasted less than ten minutes, and feeling as though he had walked into someone else’s nightmare.

  t

  Jesse sat in the porch swing, eating a chocolate-chip cookie and holding half a dozen more in his other hand. He’d made it through another week at school without a major incident. The guys on the football team snickered anytime they saw him, but no one had bullied him. Or tried to befriend him. Dawson avoided him altogether.

  Hawk came outside and sat next to him. “So, little brother, how’s it going in Munchkin Land?”

  “No one’s pushing me around,” Jesse said. “But no one will hang out with me either.”

  “That’ll change. This whole thing will eventually blow over.”

  “Dawson and I are done,” Jesse said. “That’s not going to change.”

  “Maybe not. But you’ll make new friends.”

  Jesse sighed. “I’ve already had this pep talk a hundred times. It doesn’t make me feel better.”

  “Sorry.” Hawk bumped shoulders with him. “How about you and me go fishing tomorrow?”

  “On Saturday?” Jesse said. “Seriously?”

  “I’ve decided to take the day off. Let’s go back to our new favorite spot.”

  Jesse turned to Hawk and studied his expression. “Could we stop by the sporting goods store on the way? I’d like to get some new lures.”

  “Sure. Since the fish haven’t been biting until late morning, why don’t we swing by the sporting goods store about nine? You can take your time and look around.”

  Jesse grinned. “And you can hang out with Laura Lynn at the doughnut shop?”

  “That, too, wiseacre.”

  “Okay, cool. I really didn’t want to go by myself.” Jesse shuddered, remembering his last encounter with the man who threatened him.

  Hawk snitched a cookie out of Jesse’s hand. “How can you chunk down all those cookies and still eat dinner?”

  “I’m a bottomless pit, remember?” Jesse laughed and moved his hand full of cookies out of Hawk’s reach. “After dinner, we’d better make some sandwiches to take with us.”

  “Sounds good.” Hawk stood. “In the morning, let’s plan to be in the Jeep, strapped in our seat belts, at twenty till nine. I want to sample the glazed doughnuts while they’re still warm.”

  “More like Laura Lynn’s warm lips.”

  Hawk grinned and pulled Jesse’s cap down over his eyes, then went back inside.

  Jesse turned his hat around and peered out into the distance, wondering if he would ever know who it was that had turned his life upside down. It had been eight days since the guy had last threatened him. Since then, Jesse had gotten off the school bus every afternoon and run all the way home, almost without stopping. He had skipped fishing last Saturday, choosing instead to stay in and watch college football. He was sure his mother thought it was because he was depressed about school. At least he could use that excuse to explain his dark mood.

  t

  Liam sat at the dinner table, moving his spoon slowly back and forth in a bowl of potato soup.

  “Something wrong with the soup?” Colleen said.

  Liam was startled by her voice and realized he’d been lost in thought. “No. It’s great. I just don’t have much appetite. Probably finality sinking in. I don’t always show it, but today was pretty emotional for me too.”

  “Really? You seemed over-the-top excited to get your inheritance check.”

  “On one level, sure.” Liam lifted his head. “I really want to quit my job and work for myself. But it’s also bittersweet. It’s sad that it took Mom’s death to make it possible. Kind of bummed me out.”

  “You have been awfully quiet. I can’t get over the difference in your demeanor between this afternoon and this evening.” Colleen stood and picked up his bowl. “Don’t worry about the soup. It’ll keep. Are you sure that’s all that’s bothering you?”

  Liam looked her in the eyes. “Yes, I’m sure.”

  “Did you deposit your check?” she said.

  “I did. But it wasn’t as satisfying as I thought it would be.”

  “In what way?”

  Liam shrugged. “I don’t know. It just wasn’t.”

  “When are you going to give notice?”

  “I suppose Monday morning. Look … I’m not really in the mood to talk right now. I’m going to hang out in my room for a while. I need to be alone with my thoughts.”

  Liam paced in his room, his mind reeling, his emotions torn between rage and helplessness. It seemed surreal that after he finally got the Cummings kid scared into silence, he might have to pay someone a big chunk of his inheritance to keep quiet. What guarantee did he have that the person wouldn’t come back later and demand more?

  He was tempted to leave town and just disappear. The only effective way to do that would be to cut off all ties with Colleen and leave no forwarding address. After which the failed extortionist would likely make good on his threat to tell the sheriff, and Liam would be looking over his shoulder for the rest of his life. It would be impossible to lie low and be inconspicuous while, at the same time, passing out business cards and trying to attract customers. And how long would his money last
if he struck out on his own? Especially if had to pay rent and all his own living expenses while he was struggling to make a go of his handyman business?

  Foggy Ridge was his home, and Colleen was all he had. He loved his sister and couldn’t imagine just vanishing from her life. It made more sense to stay put and try to sort things out.

  Liam kicked the trash can. He’d risked everything to get his inheritance. No way was he parting with fifty thousand dollars of it unless whoever wrote that note had proof that Liam had drowned his mother. Which was highly unlikely. But if Liam refused to pay and was wrong, things could go south rather quickly. Jesse Cummings, with someone else to back his story, might feel empowered to talk. And with two people pointing a finger at Liam, the sheriff would be compelled to put him under a microscope.

  Liam felt as if his face were on fire. He pulled his handgun out of the bottom drawer of his dresser, then turned on the ceiling fan and flopped on the bed. He had to know if the kid had talked. And who it was he told. This time, things could get ugly.

  Chapter 23

  Jesse sat in the passenger seat of Hawk’s Jeep and looked around as they drove into Foggy Ridge on Saturday morning. He could hardly wait to see the new shipment of fishing lures that Evans’s Sporting Goods had received earlier in the week.

  He loved to come to town, but it was sure different from Angel View. Up on the mountain, things were so quiet he could hear the wind in the pines. The air was fresh. And the only people he saw were guests and staff.

  Foggy Ridge reminded him of an anthill that had been disturbed. Tourists moved in all directions. The air was heavy with car exhaust. But there was so much to see and do.

  Jesse looked out at Main Street. Giant trees, starting to turn various shades of red, orange, and yellow, lined the sidewalk on either side, their branches growing together and forming a leafy roof overhead so that only glints of sunlight could get through. Quaint two-story buildings that were older than Grandpa Buck had been remodeled into every kind of souvenir shop, eatery, candy shop, and ice-cream parlor imaginable. After dark, Main Street was a kaleidoscope of neon lights. Foggy Ridge even had a classic video-game and pinball arcade as well as a city park with a public swimming pool. It was a fun place to spend time and money. At least it had been, when he was friends with Dawson.

  Hawk turned right on Pine Street and drove through a residential area to the north end of town, and then pulled into the parking lot at Evans’s Sporting Goods.

  “All right, little brother,” Hawk said, taking the keys out of the ignition. “Have at it. How about I meet you back here in exactly one hour? That should give you plenty of time to check out the new lures and me a chance to savor those warm doughnuts I’ve been dreaming about.”

  “Okay. Bring me two of the jelly filled.” Jesse unfastened his seat belt and plugged his cell phone into the charger, and set it on the floor.

  “You aren’t taking your cell phone?” Hawk said.

  “The battery’s almost dead. I won’t need it while I’m in Evans’s. Tell Laura Lynn I said hey. Try to get all that kissy stuff out of the way so you can focus on fishing.”

  Hawk got out of the Jeep, a silly grin on his face, and tucked in his shirt. “See you at ten o’clock straight up.”

  “I’ll be here, raring to go.”

  Jesse got out and walked to the front entrance of the sporting goods store and pulled open the glass door.

  “Hey there, Jesse.” Mr. Evans stood at the checkout and looked over the top of his glasses. “You’re my first customer today. What can I do you for?”

  “I’d like to take a look at the lures. I called and the guy said a new shipment came in.”

  “Yep. Right on time. Let me know if you need somethin’.”

  “I will.”

  Jesse turned down aisle two, which was stocked to the hilt with every imaginable fishing lure. He took his time and browsed every inch of both sides of the aisle, finding it hard to choose how to spend his ten dollars. He totally forgot about the time until he glanced at the clock on the rear wall. Hawk wouldn’t be back for twenty minutes.

  Jesse returned to the shelf where he had started and looked more closely at the variety of spinner baits, half listening to Mr. Evans talking with a customer.

  “Just the ammo today?” Mr. Evans said.

  “That’ll do it,” replied the male customer. “I’m going out of town and thought I’d get my Smith and Wesson out of moth balls and carry it for protection.”

  Jesse froze, his pulse racing. He knew that voice!

  “I’m really sorry about your mama, Liam,” Mr. Evans said. “Alzheimer’s leaves you helpless as a kitten. If they find out Dixie was murdered, they oughta string up the lowlife who took advantage of her.”

  His mama? Jesse’s mind raced to process what that meant. The killer was the victim’s son, which meant he was also Miss Berne’s brother!

  Jesse stood behind the shelving and peeked out at the checkout, finally getting a good look at the man. Liam Berne wore jeans and a red-and-black plaid flannel shirt. And the same brown boots he wore the last time he threatened Jesse. He looked to be around fifty, average height and weight. Brown eyes. Dark hair with a little gray. Five o’clock shadow. He studied him carefully, sure he would never forget that face.

  “Is the sheriff making any headway?” Mr. Evans said.

  “Nah, he’s hit a wall. To tell you the truth, I don’t think a murder investigation is even necessary. I’ve always believed that Mom just wandered off and the drowning was accidental. I just wish Colleen would accept that. But I guess it never hurts to be thorough.”

  What a liar! Jesse thought.

  “Sheriff Granger’ll get to the truth of it.” Mr. Evans put Liam’s purchase in a bag. “I hope it’s soon so you can put it to bed. Take care now. Appreciate you coming in.”

  Jesse moved to the front of the aisle and watched Liam from behind as he headed toward the front entrance.

  Mr. Evans remained at the register, his eyes looking down as he wrote something in a ledger. He said in a loud voice, “How’re you coming, Jesse? Holler if you need help.”

  Liam stopped, then turned and stared at Jesse.

  Jesse froze, his heart racing like a scared rabbit’s. He saw panic in Liam Berne’s eyes. The man knew Jesse recognized him.

  Run!

  Jesse ran down the aisle and into an alcove where the restrooms and drinking fountain were located. He turned into a hallway and slipped into what appeared to be Mr. Evans’s office and hid behind a file cabinet. He waited for what seemed an eternity and didn’t hear footsteps. He noticed a door that led outside. He pushed it open, closed it without making a sound, and raced across the back parking lot toward the undeveloped wooded area beyond it.

  He leapt off the edge of the pavement onto a low-lying grassy strip and then crossed the tree line into the damp, dark woods, high-stepping over the thick ground cover and winding his way around the trees, low branches slapping his face. He reached in his jacket pocket for his cell phone and remembered he’d left it in the Jeep.

  Jesse tripped over a tree root and fell forward on the ground. He picked himself up, then slipped in behind the trunk of a tall oak tree. He listened intently, the only sound the wild pounding of his heart, which felt as if it might explode at any moment.

  He wiped the sweat off his forehead and tried to think about what he might use to defend himself if Liam followed him. He spotted a fallen tree branch about three inches in diameter and eighteen inches long. He picked it up. Not much of a defense against the gun for which Liam Berne had bought ammo. But he felt less afraid with something in his hand.

  Jesse peeked out from behind the tree and didn’t see anyone. Even if he hadn’t been followed, he knew that just keeping his mouth shut wouldn’t be enough to satisfy Liam now that Jesse knew his name.

  Jesse crouched behind a tree. He w
ould wait. If Liam didn’t show, then he probably didn’t know where Jesse was. As soon as it felt safe, Jesse would run over to the courthouse and tell Sheriff Granger everything. Once Liam was arrested and put in jail, this awful nightmare would be over.

  Minutes ticked by and seemed like hours. Was it safe yet? Should he make a run for it?

  “Jesse!”

  The sound of Liam’s voice shattered the quiet and sent chills crawling up Jesse’s backbone. He didn’t move. Or breathe.

  “I know you’re out here. I’m not going to hurt you. I just want to talk.”

  The all-too-familiar voice was somewhere behind him. It was impossible to tell how far.

  “Don’t be scared.” Liam’s tone was surprisingly friendly. “I know you told someone what you saw. And I’m not mad. But I need you to deliver a message to him.”

  What was he talking about? Jesse hadn’t told anyone.

  “Look, it’s just you and me,” Liam said. “Come out in the open. Let’s negotiate, man to man.”

  His voice sounded closer. He must be moving this way. Jesse slowly stood, then gingerly stepped over a fallen limb and moved away from the voice.

  “Come on, Jesse. Talk to me. I’m sorry I threatened you. Let’s forget it okay? Everything’s changed since I got the note.”

  What note? Could he trust Liam? Or was it a trick? God, what should I do? I need Your help!

  “How can I make you believe I’m not going to hurt you?” Liam said. “Or your family? I just want you to deliver a message for me, that’s all. Besides, you deserve a cut of the fifty grand your buddy’s trying to extort from me. I’ll make it worth your time to forget what you saw.”

  “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Jesse hollered, trudging farther into the dark woods. “I did exactly what you said. I didn’t tell anyone.”

  “Stop with the games, kid. Let’s deal. You need to trust me.”

  Could he trust a man who would kill his own mother and threaten to gut Jesse’s family unless he kept quiet about it? Jesse peeked out from behind a tree and saw Liam walking ever so slowly in his direction. He was carrying a gun!

 

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