Slim To None (Cedar Tree #1)

by Freya Barker

Peeking over her shoulder, she saw Arlene bent over the counter, her face a dark shade of purple.

  "Jesus, girl. Are you okay?'”

  "Fuck me − " Arlene exploded. "Finally! You get some action, and it has had to be from a stranger on the phone? I'm dying here... shit’s too funny!"

  "You know what? Kiss my ass, Arlene." Emma chuckled along with her.

  It didn't take Arlene long to turn serious, and with her infamous evil eye on Emma, she returned to the topic.

  "Are you saying you think this truck has something to do with the phone call?"

  "I have no idea. It just seemed like a bit of a coincidence that the truck appeared for the first time the day after the call."

  After Emma recounted as much of the conversation as she was comfortable sharing, Arlene assured her she was happy Emma got her "rocks off'’ − her words. Arlene told her they would drive to Cortez together next time in Emma's car, to see if one of them could get a tag number, or something to try and at least get a better description if the truck was there again, and Emma agreed. If that was the case, she'd mention something about it to the sheriff.

  Not long after, Arlene brought in the groceries she picked up for her. They discussed the order for the next day, and then she took off with a wave and a yell, "Later, Em!"

  She didn't seem overly concerned.

  *****

  A little while after Arlene left, Emma finally got a chance to look through the mail Arlene had brought in. She was hoping to find the paycheck from one of her freelance bookkeeping jobs; Great little gigs she had managed to pick up through an online professional posting site, at least great when they paid on time. One guy had not answered any of her emails in weeks, and she hadn't received his check yet. It had only been the second invoice on that contract. Unfortunately, that was one of the risks you took with everything being done digitally and online. All they had was a post office box number in Cortez, and both she and Arlene had a key, so whoever was in town would check to see if anything was there. That way, Emma's privacy was secured, as well.

  Ticked about the still missing check, Emma hauled her stool into the kitchen to get some baking done, something she had started doing since coming to town; anything to make an extra buck, so she would bake fresh pies and pastries for Arlene's diner. Since her husband left her five years ago, Arlene had been working like a dog to keep that place going, but even though she had some help, a waitress, and since recently, a short-order cook, she didn't really have time to do much baking anymore. The requests were still there though, so Emma offered to do it for her. She loved baking, but unfortunately, loved eating too.

  While she was elbow deep in butter, eggs and flour, Emma let her thoughts slip back to her anonymous caller. He'd been on her mind quite a bit over the last few weeks, getting her all hot and bothered at the most inopportune moments, but leaving her with a smile on her face every time. Dammit. It was stupid that after so many years of feeling more and more unappealing as her body had gone into a slow breakdown, one phone call could make her feel so... desired. Ridiculous, especially since she knew damn well that whoever it was, would probably be turned off if he ever he saw her in person. If that didn't do it, her list of health issues would surely scare him away; but she couldn't complain, she had an amazing daughter, wonderful friends, and had chosen a gorgeous spot to live. Other than that, she didn't need much; she'd make do with the romance she got from her Kindle.

  *****

  Four hours later, and feeling moderately better, her favorite black yoga pants and hoodie were covered in flour. Why couldn't she ever remember to wear an apron? With already wild enough hair buzzing around her head now even wilder, Emma had three pies, two dozen muffins, and a couple of trays of homemade granola ready. The kitchen looked like a war zone. If only she could put the kitchen, and herself through a high-powered car wash, but the deep cleaning of the kitchen would have to wait. A simple rinse and go would have to do for Emma, since everything needed to get to the diner. The dinner crowd wanted their pies and the rest of the food was for breakfast tomorrow. It was the weekend, so it was always a little busier with families coming in.

  Quickly popping pans and utensils into the dishwasher and hand washing her beloved KitchenAid Pro, she shoved the stool back under the counter and grabbed her walker.

  Thank God Arlene had known this little one-level house was up for rent. An added bonus was that the owner had renovated the bathroom two years ago for his elderly mother, who had been living here at the time, which meant an accessible shower for Emma. No climbing and clambering over and into slippery bathtubs anymore, which was a good thing, because if she ever fell out here, it could take a while for someone to find her. On a day like today, when she'd already been upright for a few hours, Emma's legs were even wobblier than normal.

  Sitting on the bench in the shower, she stripped off her clothes and tossed everything into the laundry basket. Turning on the hot water, she couldn't help the pained grunt that left her mouth. Shit, her body was sore! A quick soap and rinse, and then after a perfunctory towel-dry, she was ready to get dressed for the outside world. Not her favorite thing. Give her yoga pants and a hoodie, comfort clothing, any day of the week and she would be a happy girl, but feeling self-conscious enough as it was, she tried to make a little bit of an effort when she stepped outside the door; so jeans and top it was. Ugh. At least she didn't have to wear dainty shoes. She liked bare feet at home, clogs outside in the summer, and Uggs in the winter... Easy. Snorting at herself as she got dressed, she yelled out to no one, “Out of the way, Hot momma coming through.”

  Making two trips with the boxes of pies and muffins stacked on the walker to her trusty Ford Escape, and she was ready for town... well, sort of... her hair was still wet. Oh well, she'd just stick her head out the window.

  Chapter 2

  "What can I get ya?" The tall blonde waitress with a friendly smile and a face sprinkled with freckles, shook Gus out of his thoughts.

  "Coffee, black please, and if you have it, a slice of pie."

  "Coffee'll be right up, and fresh pie should be here in a few. Expecting a delivery any minute, and I'll be able to tell you your choices then."

  "Sounds good," he said with a nod.

  Gus turned back to the window, contemplating his next move now that he was finally in Cedar Tree. After getting a number off Corbin's hard drive two weeks ago, a hot lead had come in from Albuquerque on the case, and he had spent his time chasing down a bunch of dead ends there. Liaising with the local police department, he worked to see if anything additional could be stirred up from any of their street sources. If Corbin had been there, he had long since left; He was a step behind again. It was getting frustrating, being on this bastard's tail, but never quite getting quite close enough. Ernst Corbin was a lynchpin in the case against crime boss Bruno Silva. He had agreed to collect some additional, specific information to solidify the joint departmental task force case against Silva, in return for a reduced charge for himself. Corbin had been picked up a few months ago on fraud charges and was let go on bail, after agreeing to the deal with the DA's office. Just a few weeks later, he had vanished without a trace, and that was when Gus had been called in. After retiring from the police force, he had started his own business, running down bail jumpers and doing investigative work. His many contacts within the police force kept him pretty busy, and his great tracking record and knowledge of the area was what got him asked in on this case.

  There wasn't much to go on. The only thing left was the evidence the police still held in the original fraud case against Corbin, which included his hard drive. On that hard drive, they discovered the email and attached IP address for an online bookkeeping service he had contacted under a fake corporate name shortly before his arrest. Gus's techie wunderkind, Neil, had been able to trace that email, and address, back to a PO Box number in Cortez, which in turn, provided them with the phone number here in Cedar Tree.

  So here he was, sipping on the strong black coffee the
friendly waitress had slid before him moments ago, trying to come up with a good plan of approach; one that would get him in the door without raising any suspicion.

  He watched as a small older Ford SUV, with a disabled tag pull into the parking lot, and someone with a wild riot of auburn curls peeking over the steering wheel. With the driver's door on the opposite side of him, he didn't have a good view of the driver, but when he saw a deliciously ripe-looking woman, topped with a vivacious head of hair, come from around the car pushing a contraption loaded with cake boxes, it took him a minute to realize she was actually pushing a walker. Obviously disabled, she was balancing the cake boxes on the seat of the walker while trying to get to the door. With a quick look in the direction of the counter to find no one aware of her approach, he quickly slid out of the booth, and with a few large strides of his long legs, made it to the door before her. Just as he pulled it open, he spotted the stack of boxes starting a sideways slide, and heard a loud yell, “Oh, shit, no!"

  "I've got ‘em," he said, startling the woman whose bright blue eyes shot up to meet his over the pile of what he assumed were the pies. Momentarily stunned by the fiery look she threw him, a slow grin spread over his face when he recognized it as defiance.

  "Thanks, but I can handle it." She all but snapped at him. "I may look decrepit, but I think I can still handle a door. I'm not that old." Followed by a mumbled, "Not yet, anyway." as she tried to wiggle past him through the entryway.

  Now full out grinning at her bluster, Gus couldn't help himself.

  "Wasn't you I was worried about. I've been waiting for my pie, and figured that's what you got in those boxes. Just hungry, I guess..."

  Throwing him another killer look before making her way to the end of the counter, she yelled, "Arlene, Pies!"

  "Hand them over darlin', have someone waiting for a slice already." The tall blonde coming out of the kitchen motioned to where he sat back down, with a good view of the “pie-lady.” Well, her nicely fleshed-out backside, anyway.

  He never had any particular preferences one way or another when it came to women, or what appealed to him. Some women just did, as did whatever attributes they came with. Her ass was luscious, getting a welcome rise out of him. He better stop looking at her attributes right this minute, before his well-worn jeans showed the evidence of his appreciation. Somehow, he figured the pie-lady wouldn't take too kindly to his dick pointing in her direction... at least not yet.

  *****

  "Holy crap, Arlene. Who the hell is that big hunk of man flesh?"

  "Dunno. He came in, sat down for coffee and been staring out the window." She shrugged. "You know I'm not much for small talk. I leave that to Beth, but she called in sick earlier so the customers have to put up with me today. Good thing it hasn't been that busy yet."

  Darlene started opening up the boxes Emma brought in with her.

  "Do you have any more in the car?"

  "No, I brought everything in, that’s why I almost didn't get through the door, and our hero over there had to come run and rescue the cripple." Emma chuckled. She knew damn well that she had made a bit of an ass of herself, but she hated getting caught unprepared. Not only was the guy hot, he was massive; at least six three or so, with the shoulders of a linebacker. His dark, mussed up hair was a little on the long side and greying at the temples, and his squared jaw was deliciously scruffy. The entire package was so very far out of the range of possibilities for her, she couldn't help but get self-conscious. That, of course, pissed her off, at herself mainly, and at him for making her feel like that. Poor guy didn't have a clue, but it all seemed very amusing to him, since he was still sporting that snarky grin on his face. She would love to know what that was all about.

  "With Beth out for the day, you need any help around here with the dinner crowd coming in? I can man the register and keep the coffee fresh for ya."

  "Seb's in the kitchen, and he can manage the grills on his own. I can probably handle the front end, but stay for a bit anyway... I'd welcome the company. As an added bonus, we can both enjoy the improved view we have here today." Emma rolled her eyes at Arlene when she tilted her head towards the hunk sipping his coffee; blatantly staring at them from his booth.

  "Okay, let me get these boxes folded and give this the man a slice of my humble pie... I'm starting to feel bad."

  "That's one of the things I love about you," Arlene snorted, as she slid a slice on a plate, "your flammable temper... such a short fuse for such a wise old lady."

  "Bite me," Emma spat back at Arlene as she carefully managed to walk the pie over to the booth.

  "Was that an invitation?" He smiled at her.

  Gah! Immediately flustered again, she'd forgotten what she was going to say and felt her white pasty face turn a blotchy shade of red... Great, just great.

  "Umm, no, that is, I was just talking to Arlene and she accused me of a short temper, and she’s right." Emma said, offering him the pie. "I'm sorry for snapping at you. It was a knee-jerk reaction, I'm afraid, coupled with a long day, and erm... yeah, well... I'm sorry."

  Head down, unable to look at his amused eyes for fear she would get all pissy again, Emma turned around, heading back to the counter.

  "Hey!"

  She heard from behind her and turned to face him.

  "No problem, but... what kind of pie did you give me?"

  "Oh, sorry, it's a peach pie with almonds." Emma watched as he forked a big bite into his mouth.

  She stared at him a little too long, watching the movement of his full lips and generous jaw until finally his tongue gave his lips a swipe; getting rid of any lingering crumbs. She felt a slight tingle in her rusty 'nether-regions', seeing his mouth curve back up in that amused grin. She caught herself and turned back around when she heard him say, "Great damn pie."

  Yup. That put a smile on her face.

  *****

  "Ems... Frank’s on the phone!"

  Emma had spent the dinner hours greeting and seating whenever needed, but mostly she stayed behind the counter, manning the coffeepot and the register. Mr. Hot Guy had left with a smirk and a nod after finishing up his pie. Although Emma felt a bit disappointed her eye candy had left, she was a lot less self-conscious moving around the diner without wondering if he was looking. Shaking her head at herself, she had to smile, what an idiot. What was she thinking, as if he would give her a second, or even a first look. He wasn't necessarily a “baby”, but she was pretty sure she had at least a few years on him, and besides, he was pretty gorgeous, and she was... well... not.

  Her legs and back killing her from spending way too much time on her feet for one day, Emma was about ready to go home when Arlene called her to the phone.

  "Yeah, hey Frank... what's up?"

  "Problem at your house, Emma. Need you to come here." Sheriff Frank Cooper said gruffly over the phone.

  "What do you mean, problem at my house? What kind of problem? What's going on?" Her eyebrows shot up as she turned to Arlene, who had walked up beside her... Emma had a feeling her quiet life in Cedar Tree may have just come to an end.

  Chapter 3

  He had thought about starting a conversation with her, but figured it was probably not the smartest idea to make himself stand out any more than he already had, especially given that he hadn't even had a chance to get a proper lay of the land, so to speak... Job first. That prick, Corbin, had been on the loose for too long already, and given that he hadn't been able to run him down in Albuquerque, he would need to pick up his game to try and get ahead of him. First course of action was to find the person behind the online bookkeeping service. He had wondered over the past few weeks what the woman he had accidentally called would look like. He'd assumed the business was hers, but who was to know. He'd find out soon enough since he was on his way to the address now.

  Driving down the dirt road towards the small bungalow at the end, he was surprised when a big new model, black Ford F150 went peeling around the far side of the house and almost side swiped
him on the narrow road. Trying to get a tag number proved to be difficult since the license plate was covered in mud. Pretty odd, since the region hadn't seen rain in a few days. Pulling up in front, Gus got out and walked up to knock on the door, noting that there seemed to be no other vehicles around; pretty secluded here. After waiting a minute or two, he tried knocking again, but when no one answered, he got down off the porch and decided to walk around to the back, and that's when he spotted the open window with the torn blinds dangling out. Sliding his hand to the small of his back where he kept his gun safely tucked, he edged up to the window, trying to get a look inside. All he could see was what looked like an office area that had been completely turned inside out; drawers pulled out, furniture upended, files and papers everywhere. Someone obviously had been looking for something, and he had a nasty feeling about it. Afraid he might have been too late once again, he was worried about what else he might find inside. Pulling his cell, he quickly dialed Joe.

  "Do me a favor? I'm outside the bookkeeper's house in Cedar Tree, and it looks like someone may have broken in. I may have just passed the guy on the road coming in, so alert the locals and tell them I'm on scene so they don't shoot me by accident."

  "Stay outside, Gus. Don't go messing around with a potential crime scene!" Joe snapped.

  "Easy for you to say. What if someone is in there bleeding? I’m just gonna have a peek, so make sure you tell the locals." He hung up and carefully lifted himself through the open window, moving carefully, trying to not to disturb any evidence. After checking the entire house, there didn't seem to be anyone there, but the thief had done a thorough job; the place was a mess. With most of the damage done in the office, the intruder had done a bang up job of the single bedroom, as well. They went as far as to dump out stuff from under the sink, and the medicine cabinet. Yup. Obviously not a random burglary, they were looking for something specific, and by the looks of things, the woman he talked to lived here alone. There was no evidence of anyone else here.