Count on Me (Petal, Georgia)

by Lauren Dane

  “Good answer. Do you see how it works out when you just listen to me and do what I say?”

  She closed her eyes. “I guess I should listen to you more often. I’d much rather be here than in court. It’s way harder to have an orgasm there.”

  He snorted. “Since I’m nowhere near the courthouse ninety-nine point nine percent of the time, I’m fine with that.”

  Caroline said, “By the way, we’re going bowling tonight.”

  Royal groaned. “See this was going really well until you brought that up. I thought you liked spending alone time with me.”

  “Hush you. You know I do. But you have this longstanding thing you do with your friends and that’s tonight, and I’m trying to get to know them all too so I’m coming along.”

  “I want you safe, damn it.”

  “I can’t hide in your house all the time. Not that the constant sex isn’t a wonderful way to spend my time, but I have friends and family and so do you. We have lives here in Petal, and we’re also building one as a couple. I want to be safe too, believe me. But I’m not just going to stop living because this freak is out there. I’m panicked he’ll run for it, so I need to stay somewhat visible so he’ll keep trying until we get enough info we find out who he is and he gets arrested.”

  He sat straight up. “You are out of your mind. No. No, Caroline! Let the authorities handle this. This isn’t a television show. This is way out of your area of expertise.”

  She gave him a look. “The only reason I didn’t just punch you in the throat is that you’re scared and so am I so you can have some slack. Of course this isn’t a television show. I’m not an idiot.”

  “You need to not take stupid risks. You need to tell Shane what you’re doing so he can make you stop this.”

  “Stop treating me like I’m stupid. I’m not outside wearing a bull’s-eye calling out, you hoooo, mr. murderer or anything.”

  “You don’t get to be mad at me for being freaked.” He narrowed his gaze at her and her anger sort of drained away.

  She sat across from him. “I would if I wanted to.” She frowned, and he sighed, but there was a smile bubbling up. She took his hands. “I’m sorry for taking for granted that you were just fine. You’re freaked too. I hate that I’ve brought this into your life.”

  He growled and she found herself on her back. “You didn’t bring this. This was just beneath the surface all that time. All those years your father did time he didn’t deserve, all the time you’ve been apart from your hometown and your brother and sister. This piece of garbage needs to be caught and put in jail, yes. I just hate that it makes you unsafe. Hate it. But this is not your fault except when you think you can act as bait. Not going to be okay with that, Caro. Not at all.”

  “Okay, can we just negotiate here a little? I can’t be inside your house all the time I’m not working. It just isn’t feasible, or even really a life I want to live. Plus, it’s been my job all along to put the person who killed my mother in jail. I have an intense job so being socially active helps me burn that off. So how about for the time being I go to things if you’ll be there? Otherwise I’m at work or here.”

  “What’s the situation with your brother and movie night? I’m obviously not down with you going back to your place. But if you do, I want to come along. I won’t interfere with your time with him or anything.”

  “He’s coming here instead. That way you can do your own thing or hang out with us, he’s fine with that too. He likes you. He was told not to come over here, but he’s too old for that sort of control.”

  Royal had such a goofy look on his face she didn’t know how to take it. “Are you mad? I’m sorry I didn’t run it by you. I figured it would be a good solution for everyone involved. I can meet him somewhere else too.”

  Royal shook his head and kissed her quickly to reassure her. “Not mad at all. Just the opposite. That you just did something that indicated you were comfortable enough to invite your brother here? It means a lot to me.”

  “Oh. Well, carry on then.”

  “Shep coming over is totally fine with me. I think your proposal is a good one. Not that I like the idea of you out and about at all, but I get it. Thanks for giving in a little. I know it’s hard.”

  “Not like this is something I’m an expert on. I’m feeling my way along here.”

  Thursday started out on such a high note. There was excellent morning sex, which was just a ruse to get her up afterward and make her run. Running sucked. You’d think a man like Royal would stick with the backbreaking physical nature of his job but no. He exercised too, and he liked to watch her run so who was she to refuse him? Even if she got all sweaty and it was running. She liked to think it was excellent training for the zombie apocalypse.

  Then after a nice hot shower, she’d had a great hair day, her skirt made her look taller and they’d had some breakfast and she got to simply watch Royal being Royal.

  Royal was a complicated man. The thing was, you first started off thinking he’s one thing because he was all slow southern charm. He seemed mellow and laid-back. But that ease only covered the foundations of a very strong and in-charge man. A man who had no hesitation in claiming her, or protecting her. He had opinions, yes, but Royal was a magnetic force. He pulled all sorts of stuff around him like an orbit. He was steady and smart, and he had a certainty she saw in herself.

  He moved around his kitchen, handling multiple tasks without breaking a sweat. Pouring this, flipping that. Caroline sighed at the flex and play of the muscles in his forearms, the stretch of denim at his thighs as he knelt.

  All the while he knew she watched. And sometimes he gave her a show, left her breathless.

  So she’d ogled his ass and eaten with him, and he’d insisted on driving her to work, which he did, also insisting on coming up and into the office with her.

  “Dude,” she told him as he came around to her door, “you don’t need to come in with me. It’s seven so Peter will definitely be here already. Our paralegal comes in early Thursday and Friday so she’s there. Secretaries. Holly the goddess. I’m good. You have a farm to run.”

  He walked next to her. Because this was now part of her workday, he didn’t hold her hand. He respected her space and her need to keep her work life and romantic life separate. Which was another thing about him she loved.

  He pushed open the outer doors and Holly was at the front desk. Before Caroline could shoo Royal back to work, Holly stood up, and by the look on her face, the news wasn’t good.

  “I just left a message on your phone.”

  Caroline dug the phone from her bag. “It wasn’t on yet. What’s going on?”

  Edward Chase came into the reception area. “Ah, you’re here. Come on back. I’ve called the police.”

  “About what? What’s going on?” Caroline followed him, and Royal walked next to her, lending her all that strength. It made her feel better.

  Edward indicated a legal-sized envelope on the table in the conference room. “When Holly showed up about ten minutes ago, this envelope had been left.”

  “She touched it?” Royal asked.

  “We get stuff left all the time. Clients leaving papers, that sort of thing. Sometimes the legal messenger service we use will leave end-of-day reports if we’re not here when they finish up,” Caroline explained. But that meant there was something about the envelope that upon closer examination meant a call to the cops.

  Holly came in with Shane. “Good thing I was in early this morning. What’s going on?”

  Holly spoke this time. “I like to come in a few minutes before seven to get everything prepared and to have a cup of coffee in peace. When I opened the outer doors, this was on the floor. You know like someone pushed it under the door. There were a few other things with it so I scooped them up and put them down while I made myself some coffee. When it finished I brought everything back to my desk and went through it, putting it all where it went. Mr. Chase came in right then, and when I pointed it out to him, he
told me to call the police and then Ms. Mendoza.”

  “What’s it say?” Caroline reached for it but Shane held her wrist a moment to stay her.

  “Let me. I have gloves.”

  “God, if this is just a motion or run of the mill lawyers are the devil hate mail I’m going to be so embarrassed,” Caroline muttered.

  Shane held it so she could see how it was addressed.

  Caroline Mary Mendoza

  Deliver to her next of kin

  “Oh sure, not scary at all.” Royal groaned. “Why don’t you step back, Caroline? Why don’t we all step back? Who the heck knows what’s in there? It could be someone’s will or anthrax.”

  “Royal is right that you should all get back. It feels like paper. There’s no grit that I can sense. But let’s be safe.”

  She let Royal pull her toward the doorway where Peter and Justin now stood.

  Shane pulled out what looked to be a photograph, and he paled, covering quickly, but not fast enough for her to miss his initial reaction.

  He looked in the envelope and pulled nothing else out. He examined the photo and sighed. “Caroline, I may have to call in some people above my pay grade.”

  Caroline moved to his side and saw a picture of her. She’d been sitting at a booth with Royal at the Honey Bear. Her eyes had been scratched over with black X marks and a black line was drawn over her throat.

  They’d used black ink over Royal’s clothes to make it look like a black mourning suit.

  She might have fallen over if Royal hadn’t put an arm around her waist.

  “Call in whoever you have to, Shane. This is fucking not okay.” Royal shook his head. He was at the end of his patience with any and all this bull. Nope. “I apologize, Holly.”

  “This is an F-word situation, Royal,” Holly agreed.

  “What’s going to happen now? How are you going to keep her safe?” Royal didn’t want to do anything else until they knew.

  “Working on that right now. I’ve got your statement, Holly.” Shane put the envelope and the picture in two different evidence bags. “Caroline, anything you want to add?”

  “I came in and I knew something was wrong because Holly had a look on her face and then Edward came out and brought me back here. You came in shortly after that.”

  “Has anything else happened since the car vandalism on Friday?”

  “We’ve been at home mostly and it’s been quiet. There are some new calls on the tip line I haven’t heard yet. I checked yesterday but not yet today.”

  She’d held off after listening to some early on and getting upset. Most were useless. Then there were perverts and weirdos, and some hostility. Royal had encouraged her to let Justin and Ron handle it like she’d agreed to do or at the very least take a break until the following day. He worried this case would consume her, but understood her need to push until she got the job done. It was part of who she was and a big reason why he loved her.

  She called Ron and he played the messages over the speakerphone.

  Shane got a pad to match the one Caroline had already placed at her right hand along with her pen.

  There were four more messages since they’d checked the day before. Nothing pressing but Caroline took notes on one.

  Ron told them he’d just checked the email tips, and there wasn’t anything connected or even vaguely threatening but he’d contact them both if that changed.

  Shane scrubbed a hand over his face. “I’m going to call some people. I’m going to tell you I don’t think we’ll get much help. This is bad and I take it seriously, but there’s not enough for us to operate on the sure knowledge that this is connected to the murder. Which I believe it is so don’t get that stuck-out chin on my account. I’m on your side. I’m going to have that envelope and the picture printed. One of my younger officers just got back from an eight-week forensics-training program. He’s going to wet himself over all this. Pretend that’s not weird.”

  “I have no weird stones to cast.” Caroline snorted. She’d been sassy when he brought her in that morning. Happy and chatty. But her spine had slumped a little and there were lines around her eyes.

  “What’s your plan today?” Shane asked.

  “I have three client meetings, some research to do, a few motions on the calendar later at the courthouse. Lunch sometime in there. Then home to Royal’s place. My brother is bringing pizza and 28 Days Later over at six. Then sleep. Or as much as a certain cat will allow because he likes to sit on my chest and lick my hair. Now that is weird.”

  “Spike’s just concerned for your well-being.”

  “Your cat is weird.”

  As the cat liked to sit in the corner facing inward and stare at a burl in the hardwood floor, he really couldn’t argue. “Whatever. You carry him around on your shoulder.”

  She snickered.

  Shane shook his head. “Go about your business today, Caroline, but be aware. I’ll have someone from the police department cruise by regularly during the day. Nothing’s happened out at the ranch?”

  “Nothing,” Royal answered. “The house sits on high ground so it’s pretty hard to approach it without being seen. I’ve got motion-detector lights around the outside. I’ve been extra careful about locking up too.”

  Shane stood. “I’m going to get on this immediately. Try not to go out alone if you can help it. Downtown Petal is busy enough during the day I think walking to and from the courthouse or to lunch is fine.”

  “I’m picking her up after she gets off work.” Royal would be doing so from now on, even if he had to drive her to whatever business she might have away from town. There’d be spats, which was fine. It helped her to work through her frustration on him, and it made for super hot make-up sex too.

  She shot him a look but didn’t say anything. But he knew it would come out later. His lovely Caro was chafing under all these controls in her life.

  “You’ll keep me apprised?” She rose and they walked with Shane to the outer door.

  “Of course.” Shane’s attention snapped to his father, who walked out to join them. “I need the tape of the footage from the hallway.”

  “There’s a camera here?”

  “There is, yes. Actually there are three. However they’re offline for a week. Some part or other burned out and it’s on order. It’s legitimate. It won’t be back on until next Tuesday.”

  “Convenient.” Shane looked annoyed.

  “These folks have been doing the security cameras here for us for six years now.” Edward sighed.

  “Doesn’t mean it’s not on a schedule somewhere. Or someone’s brother/boyfriend/neighbor whatever relayed the info without meaning to. You’d be surprised.” Shane made a note. “I’ll check on that.” He looked up at Caroline. “I’m going to get this straight, you got me? I don’t like people who threaten women.” His expression darkened, and Royal remembered Shane’s wife had been repeatedly stalked, attacked and nearly killed by an ex so he had a hot button on this issue.

  Caroline blew out a breath. “Okay. Thank you.”

  Shane said goodbye to his father and left.

  “You need to go to work.” She looked up at him, her mouth set in a way that told him she wasn’t going to hear any answer but yes.

  But he wasn’t sure he should give it to her.

  “What’s your schedule today? Do you have to be out a lot?”

  “Come into my office, please.”

  Holly gave him a sympathetic look as they passed by.

  She closed her door. “Look, I understand you’re feeling worried. I’m worried, believe me. I take my life very seriously. But I really can’t have you hanging around here all day on the off-chance something will happen and you can stop it or save me or whatever. You have a ranch to run. You took all of yesterday off and it’s spring. Go. I mean it. I’ll see you at quitting time.”

  “Caroline…”

  “What? Come on, Royal. If I can’t walk around in broad daylight in downtown Petal or be in my office, I
may as well just give up. I don’t want to give up. This guy has stolen enough from me. I’m a badass! I can’t be badass with you loping around looking all sexy and wholesome at the same time. I’ll be distracted and you’ll be distracting just because you’re you and then I’ll be annoyed and you’ll be hurt that I’m annoyed because you’re just being nice. Which you are. And I appreciate it. But you have to go. I’ll see you at five thirty, and if I need anything, or anything else comes up, I’ll contact you immediately. I’m not stupid.”

  “No of course you’re not stupid. But you’re fun sized. And this guy could be Shane’s size or bigger.” He touched her cheek briefly. “You are badass. Without a doubt. But you’re fragile too. Going to be impossible to get anything done today knowing you’re here without me.”

  “He’s a coward. He’s not going to put himself in harm’s way. He’ll come at me again, but it won’t be as I’m walking three blocks up to the courthouse. This isn’t over. I know that’s not a statement you’re comforted by and I understand. But until we figure out who this is, he’ll be out there and threatened. We have to hold on until it’s finished. I’m sure this isn’t the way you imagined falling in love with someone. I come with a metric shitton of baggage.”

  “You think I care about that? Scratch that. I do care but not like you think. It makes you who you are. Since I love who you are, it’s just a fact that it’s something we’ll get through together.” He kissed her nose so he wouldn’t smudge her lipstick. “I’ll go. But, please, if there’s a problem and you can’t reach me, call my aunt and uncle and they’ll come find me. Promise.”

  “That’s fair.”

  He hugged her and left her to her day, which looked to be incredibly busy, and she supposed that was a good thing because it kept her from obsessing or freaking out.