PICKED OFF

by Linda Lovely

  Eva hugged Carol and awarded Zack a smile. “I’m not gonna hug you and topple us both. Delighted you’ll be staying with us.”

  My aunt turned to the sheriff and deputy. “Did you want to come in?”

  “Yes,” Mason answered, his tone ominous. “I need to make certain everyone understands the situation.”

  The cozy cabin wasn’t designed for hosting parties. The main living area seated four people comfortably on one love seat and two recliners. Any additional guests had to park their fannies on chairs scavenged from the dining nook. Eva insisted Carol and Zack take the recliners and motioned Mom toward the love seat. My aunt wasn’t giving the lawmen preferred seating.

  “I’ll bring more chairs,” I offered. Deputy McCoy, Mollye’s beau, followed me to the dining nook and carried two straight-back chairs. I got the third.

  Eva settled next to Mom on the love seat. That left the sheriff, the deputy, and me with the hard-bottomed imports. Eva’s way of encouraging brevity?

  The sheriff cleared his throat. “I think we got Mrs. Strong and her son out of the hospital without any reporters realizing they’d checked out. But sooner or later, they may show up here. I don’t have the manpower to keep a guard at Udderly’s entrance twenty-four seven. But Mrs. Lemmon informed us that she is making arrangements with an outside executive protection service. We’ll have a cruiser do a check every couple of hours. Needless to say you can call 911 any time you need us.”

  “Thank you, Sheriff,” Carol said. “We appreciate your concern.”

  “You’ll be less thrilled with what else I have to say.” Mason paused as his gaze bounced between Carol and Zack. “We matched Mick Hardy’s fingerprints with ones lifted from the pitchfork. This appears to confirm Mick was Zack’s attacker. We also matched your fingerprints, Mrs. Strong, with the knife plunged into Mick’s chest. The knife was in the trunk of your Cadillac under Mick’s body. That makes you a suspect in his murder. And then there’s your very real motive. The man attacked your son.”

  “What? You’re kidding!” Eva blurted.

  The sheriff held up a hand. “Let me finish. Please.”

  Mom put a restraining hand on my aunt’s arm to keep her from jumping up.

  “We’re not charging you, Mrs. Strong, because the urine samples taken when you arrived at the hospital proved positive for Ketamine. That lends credence to your story of waking in your Cadillac and not knowing how you got there.”

  Carol nodded. “I was so disoriented. Rain pounding on the windshield. I could hear rushing water. I was terrified the car would be swept away. I tried to start it; nothing happened. I saw my body floating outside the car. I thought I was losing my mind. I had to get out, start walking.”

  Mom broke in. “Is this the appropriate time to question Mrs. Strong? Might she still be feeling lingering effects of whatever drug she was given?”

  Mason shrugged. “I’m not a doctor, but I believe your client has told us all she can at this time. I’m not here to question her. Just wanted you to know that some parties are bound to argue that, given the evidence, we should arrest Mrs. Strong for the murder of the man who attacked her son. Her motive was revenge, and she was clever enough to ingest some quantity of Ketamine to fabricate an alibi.”

  The sheriff stood. His eyes locked with Carol’s. “You understand you need to stay in Ardon County, right?” Carol nodded.

  “We’re hoping the autopsy will pinpoint the time of Hardy’s death,” he added. “That will be an enormous help in determining a timeline.”

  “When is the autopsy scheduled?” Mom asked.

  “Tomorrow afternoon. We’ll share the results as soon as we have them.”

  Once the lawmen left, Mom said she wanted a few minutes alone with Carol. I knew why. Anything Carol said to Mom was privileged, but if Eva, Zack or I listened in we could be compelled to testify about what was said.

  Aunt Eva turned to Mom and Carol. “You’re welcome to use my bedroom for your talk. That’s your room now, Carol. Zack’s staying in Brie’s room. Brie and I are sleeping out here. Nice and cozy on new air mattresses.”

  “Don’t be a horse’s patoot,” Carol snapped. “We’re not going to kick you out of your bedrooms. Zack and I will sleep out here.” She waved her arm to take in the room’s love seat and chairs.

  Eva hooted. “You really think Zack can fit on that love seat? Sure as heck he can’t get up and down from a blow-up mattress on the floor. Not with that arm and boot. Nope, you two are taking the bedrooms. Besides Brie and I get up at dawn and we need coffee. No sense in us trying to tiptoe around sacked-out guests with our eyes half open.”

  Mom held her hands up like a traffic cop. “Enough. I already know who’s going to win. Right now I need to speak with Carol.”

  Carol let Eva have the last word and followed Mom to the bedroom. The door closed. Eva excused herself to check on the animals.

  “How are you feeling?” I asked Zack. “Can I get you something to eat or drink?”

  “I’m fine. Well, except for finding out my attacker was an old high school teammate, and my mother, who’s been drugged, is suspected of murdering him. Oh, and we can expect press, since the sheriff can’t run interference.”

  “My head’s spinning, too,” I agreed. “Do you have any idea why Mick attacked you?”

  “Afraid I do.” Zack used his left hand to try to fish something out of his pants pocket. A right-hander, he awkwardly seized the object only to have it slip from his fingers. A cell phone fell to the floor. I jumped up to retrieve it.

  “So the sheriff gave your phone back to you?” I asked as I handed over the cell.

  “Not exactly. Kept the phone as evidence. But one of Mason’s techies copied everything to a new phone. Hard to use the blasted thing one-handed. I was going to read you Mick’s last text, but his exact words don’t matter. He’d bet big on our team winning the last game. We didn’t, and he blamed me. He was hopelessly in the red. Don’t think he saw any way out. Guess he needed to take his frustration and anger out on someone. I was home, a handy target.”

  Looking at the cell phone in his hand made me remember Sala. “Do you want to call anyone? Doug? Sala?” I asked. “I can key in the numbers and leave to give you some privacy. I know Sala wants to visit today if you feel up to it. Same for Paint, Andy and Mollye.”

  “Yeah, I should call Sala,” he answered. “For Mom’s sake, I’m glad she’s offered help with security. Would you mind finding Sala’s number in the directory and calling?”

  “No problem.” I found the entry, hit Send, and handed the phone back to Zack. Then I headed for the door.

  “It’s okay,” Zack said. “You can stay. Don’t want to run you out of your own house every time I use the phone.”

  I shook my head. “It’s your home, too. And everybody needs some privacy.”

  I took a seat in the sunshine on a front-porch rocker and closed my eyes. Relax, I told myself. I was dying to pester Carol and Zack with a boatload of questions. But they deserved a little peace and quiet—for as long as it lasted.

  I chuckled to myself wondering if Zack would need any help dressing or undressing. Maybe I’d get a peek at his bare buns to confirm his innocence once and for all.

  THIRTY-ONE

  I dozed until Mom woke me.

  “Looks like someone’s pooped,” she commented. “Zack says you’re welcome to come back inside; he’s off the phone.”

  I yawned. “How’d your talk go with Carol? I’m not fishing for details, just wondering how Eva and I can help.”

  Mom’s right eyebrow lifted. “You mean other than traipsing off in the woods to spy on people who specifically come to that spot to shoot weapons?”

  “Yep,” I answered. “Other than that.”

  Mom shook her head. “Carol called her doctors to give me permission to access her medical information. Maybe it�
��ll offer absolute proof regarding how long she was drugged. I’m certain someone dumped Mick’s body in her Cadillac then shoved a comatose Carol in the front seat. Definitely a frame-up.”

  “Are you thinking Chester?”

  “If he weren’t Mick’s brother-in-law, I’d put him at the top of the list,” Mom said. “You’re sure it was his dog that chased you?”

  “Andy was definite, and I wouldn’t doubt him on any canine ID. Are you going to represent Carol?”

  “Just until the situation becomes clearer. I’ll find her a good criminal lawyer if this goes further. But she wants me to hold off on that. Carol hopes to salvage her campaign if she’s cleared of any wrong-doing in the next day or two. She fears Allie Gerome’s newspaper would equate hiring a criminal lawyer with guilt.”

  Mom kissed my cheek. “I dropped everything to rush over. Need to get back to the office. Have a plea bargain conference at four o’clock.”

  When I went back inside, Zack’s recliner was as close to horizontal as it could go, and he was snoring. I heard a toilet flush. The cabin’s soundproofing was close to nonexistent. A few seconds later, Carol walked into the kitchen where I was washing vegetables for a salad to go with the steaks thawing for the meat-eaters.

  “Glad Zack’s taking it easy.” Carol smiled as she glanced at her son. She kept her voice a tad above a whisper. “Can I help with the salad?”

  “That’s okay,” I said. “You’re a guest. Relax.”

  Carol’s answering harrumph sounded a lot like Eva’s. “You kidding? All I’ve done is sleep. Well, actually the docs tell me anesthetics don’t exactly put you to sleep. They switch off memory receptors so you won’t remember what happens. With Ketamine you can get an extra bonus of hallucinations and dissociative episodes. I’m just happy to know seeing my body outside my Cadillac doesn’t make me a candidate for the loony bin.”

  “So you don’t remember being snatched?” I blurted out before I remembered Mom’s concern that my aunt or I might be asked to testify about anything Carol uttered.

  “I was sitting by Zack’s bed when my cell phone rang,” she began. “A muffled voice told me to go to my car. The voice—definitely a man’s—claimed he knew who’d attacked Zack. He said my son was still in grave danger. Added he wouldn’t show if he saw any sign I’d called the cops. He gave me five minutes to meet him or he’d disappear along with the answers I needed to protect Zack from a new attack.

  “I was frantic. Since my gun was in my glove compartment I thought I could protect myself. The clock was ticking. I’d just unlocked my car when I sensed someone behind me. I started to turn, never made it. Someone clamped a cloth over my mouth. When I came to, I was blindfolded and gagged, hands and feet tied. I heard raised voices, barking, a scream. Wasn’t sure if I was awake or dreaming. Next thing I knew I was slumped over my car’s steering wheel in a monsoon. Hadn’t a clue where I was.”

  She smiled at my expression. “Hey, I’m thinking straight enough now to be trusted with a knife. Hand me that cutting board, I’ll chop the carrots.”

  I turned back to the sink. “Have you and Zack had a chance to talk? Does he know what happened to you?”

  “Yes, and he filled me in on all the cell phone drama. Don’t worry. No secrets. Ask anything you want. Your mother told me not to say a word about what happened unless she was present. But I’m not afraid to answer anyone’s questions. My story isn’t going to change.”

  “I hope you’re not planning a press conference,” Eva said.

  Her voice startled me. Hadn’t heard her come in. My aunt must have spotted Zack sleeping, too, because she kept her voice low.

  “No, I’m not that daft,” Carol said. “Not when I have no answers to the questions they’ll ask. Linda will run interference the next couple of days while I’m quote ‘recovering from my kidnapping ordeal.’ I do plan to hold a press conference Thursday or Friday if the sheriff can vouch for my innocence by then.”

  A knock on the door prompted all three of us to startle. I peeked out the window. A sporty Mercedes convertible sat in the driveway. Sala Lemmon had come calling. Easy to recognize despite her attempt to travel incognito. She’d tucked her platinum hair inside a ball cap, and donned large mirrored sunglasses to hide most of her face. She’d also traded stilettos for running shoes. However, the black ninja pants and top molded to her body, showing every curve.

  As I opened the door, I pressed my fingers against my lips to signal quiet. “Zack’s asleep,” I whispered.

  “No, I’m not.” Zack rubbed his eyes. “Just drifted off for a few. Come in, Sala.”

  The majority owner of the Sin City Aces strode over and smooched Zack, planting a big, fat kiss on his lips before he could maneuver his recliner upright.

  I almost giggled, wondering how he’d react. Sort of figured Zack might reconsider sitting up if he could keep that body draped over him. Her ninja-clad breasts definitely grazed his chest.

  “Don’t get up. Not going to stay long. Just wanted to check on you and your mother.”

  Sala turned her attention to Carol, abandoning Zack’s chair to hustle over and envelop a woman she’d never met in a bear hug. “Mrs. Strong, I’m so happy to see you up and about.”

  She then embraced Eva and me in turn before any of us had so much as said howdy. She seemed hyper with no ability to drop into a lower gear.

  “Have a seat,” Eva said. “At least stay long enough to tell us what happened with Gunter and Vince.”

  “Who?” Carol managed as Sala plopped down on the love seat.

  “The team’s security men who decided to freelance and perform a little B&E,” Eva answered.

  Carol still looked bewildered. Clearly she hadn’t been brought fully up to speed.

  “They’re toast.” Sala grinned. “Told ’em I wanted to see them. Didn’t give a hint that I suspected they’d been working for the Lemmon Twister—one of my more polite names for my stepdaughter. Once we were eyeball to eyeball, I fired them.”

  Eva clapped her hands. “Good for you.”

  Sala laughed. “Yeah, I enjoyed myself. Told them their company credit cards had been cancelled and their rental car would be reported stolen if it wasn’t returned within the hour. Also let them know I’d informed the sheriff they should be considered prime suspects for the break-in at your place, Carol. If they’re smart, they’ve blown town.”

  Zack gave her a speculative look. “Doesn’t anything scare you? What if those two bruisers had attacked you?”

  Sala pushed her sunglasses on top of her head. She wanted to make eye contact. “Guess I forgot to mention. I had a pistol aimed at them when I started my speech. Don’t travel with one, but my brother-in-law was kind enough to loan me his.”

  The tycoon temptress leveled her big brown eyes at Carol. “I’ve hired an executive protection agency to watch over you and Zack until we have answers to all this madness. The firm’s highly reputable and has no affiliation with the Aces or Las Vegas. That means my stepdaughter has less chance than a snowball in Hades of bribing them. Unfortunately, the firm wasn’t able to juggle staff instantly. They had another emergency call just before mine. An executive kidnapped on a business trip to Venezuela. Nonetheless, two men will arrive tomorrow afternoon.”

  “Thank you,” Carol said. “It’s appreciated.”

  “Yeah, thanks,” Zack added, his tone unusually flat. “Under normal circumstances, I’d decline. I figure I can take care of myself. But I’m banged up and I don’t want to take any chances Mom might be snatched again.”

  Sala took a deep breath. “Good. Now for the humiliating part of my visit. Imagine you’ve all seen that horrid video by now.”

  She looked at each of us in turn. She seemed to hold everyone’s gaze but Zack’s.

  “I won’t make excuses. Shortly after Ray died, I was in a bad place. Kate was hounding me. I was lonely and fee
ling sorry for myself. I’d had a few drinks, a few too many, with a man who made me laugh. I thought, ‘why not?’ My brain took a vacation, but I absolutely had no idea he would film us. That video was not made with my knowledge or permission.”

  Everyone stayed silent for a moment, then Eva spoke up. “Brie and I chose not to watch that video. Nobody’s business. I’m very sorry some man took advantage.”

  Carol and I nodded agreement. Zack’s stony gaze never left Sala’s face.

  “I hate to ask, but could Sala and I have a few minutes alone?” he said. “We can go out on the front porch. Just give me a second to get up.”

  The cabin’s limitations were quite apparent where privacy was concerned. Even the front porch didn’t guarantee acoustic sanctuary, and Zack wasn’t easily mobile.

  “Stay put,” Eva ordered. “I want to show Carol some improvements to our retail cabin.” My aunt flicked a glance at me. “And I’m sure Brie has chores to tackle.”

  I had limited options for leaving “the room” given the cabin’s open floorplan. Only the bathroom and bedrooms had doors, and they didn’t preclude eavesdropping on any conversation conducted above a whisper. Only our churning clothes washer or spinning dryer, both located on the screened back porch, provided sufficient white noise to prevent eavesdropping.

  Okay, dirty laundry here I come.

  “Eva’s right. I’m going to start a load of laundry. Then I’ll finish getting your bedroom ready Zack. Can I get you two anything to drink before I leave?”

  “No, thanks,” came Sala’s and Zack’s duet reply. Clearly they wanted me to get lost pronto.

  Eva and Carol left, and I walked to the small hall closet that housed our dirty-clothes hamper. Before I could empty it into a basket and clear the back door, Zack’s voice boomed, shaking with anger.