by Rebecca Deel
“You’re a good daughter, Lacey.”
She sipped her coffee, proud of the fact her hand almost didn’t tremble this time. “She would disagree with you.”
“She’s wrong, something I’ll point out to her when I have the chance.”
If he got the chance. Lacey’s stomach lurched, thinking of the blood on the garage floor. She was afraid for her mother. If she went off with a boyfriend, why hadn’t anyone heard from her? Yvonne Coleman wasn’t shy about sharing news with her friends. Maybe Loretta would shed some light on the situation or point them in the right direction. If her mother was seeing a man, Loretta would know. Whether she knew if Mom was turning tricks again was another question.
Jake covered her hand with his. “We’ll find the answers you need.”
“But will it be fast enough?”
He squeezed. “I hope so.”
She turned her hand over and laced their fingers together. At least he hadn’t given her false hope. She’d prefer honesty over a lie to spare her feelings any day. “Mom’s laptop is missing.”
“You sure?”
“Positive. She keeps it on the breakfast bar in the kitchen.”
“She might have moved it.”
“We searched the rest of the house, Jake. There are only two other places she leaves that computer. It wasn’t in either place. Someone took her computer.” But why? What motive prompted the theft of the laptop but left everything else in the house untouched?
“Another puzzle to solve.” He hesitated. “This isn’t the right time, but I want to ask you a question.”
Her stomach knotted. She’d never seen him unsure of himself. That alone made her dread the question. “Ask.”
“Have you been seeing anyone lately?”
Lacey blinked. “Seeing anyone?”
“Dating someone,” he clarified.
She shook her head. “Why?” Was Jake working up to asking her for a date? Nothing would make her happier although she couldn’t believe he’d choose to be with her. Although the men from Fortress Security were in and out of the shop all the time and were unfailingly polite, none of them hinted they were interested in anything more than their next cup of coffee and a pastry from one of their favorite baristas.
“Would you be interested in going to dinner with me?”
Lacey’s heart skipped a beat before surging ahead at breakneck speed. “You’re asking me to go on a date?”
“You’re an attractive woman and I enjoy your company. If you need it spelled out, yes, I’m asking you on a date. Will you go with me?”
A date. Jake Davenport, the man she’d dreamed about for months, was asking her for a date. “I’d like that.” Like it? Lame word for the geyser of joy exploding inside her.
A smile curved his lips.
Loretta returned to the table, this time with three pieces of apple pie. She placed two in front of Lacey and Jake, then pulled out one of the chairs and sat, keeping the third piece for herself. “It’s a little early for dessert, but I felt like making an exception today.”
A snort from Jake. “It’s never too early to eat apple pie.”
Now it was Lacey’s turn to stare. “You’re a medic. Shouldn’t you be telling us to eat an apple instead?”
“I run five miles or more every day plus whatever grueling workout Adam devises. I can afford a piece of pie once in a while.”
“Who do you work for, Jake?” Loretta forked a bite of pie into her mouth.
“I’m with Fortress Security, a private security firm.”
She frowned. “Lacey said you’re a medic.”
He inclined his head in agreement. “You never know when a good medic will come in handy.”
Based on what Rowan shared with her over the past few months, Jake was highly skilled, in great demand, and had recently been assigned to Adam Walker’s team.
Her mother’s friend looked skeptical, but didn’t argue the point. She turned to Lacey. “What do you want to know, hon?”
“Is my mother has been seeing anyone?” When she realized she’d chosen the same turn of phrase that Jake had used, she flicked a glance at the dark-haired man. Her cheeks burned at his wink.
“Your mom has a string of men vying for her attention, Lace. You know that. However, the only man she pays attention to is Harley Owens.”
“The guy who owns the garage on Mayes Street?”
“That’s the one. He comes in when Yvonne works and sits in her section. He’s crazy about her.”
“How long has this been going on?” Jake asked.
“About four months.” Loretta cast a questioning glance at Lacey. “You didn’t know?”
“Mom didn’t tell me.”
“Well, it sure is the talk of Winston. He treats her like a princess. Harley’s been worried sick about Yvonne.”
Jake sipped his coffee. “Why didn’t he file the missing person report?”
“I beat him to it. He’d been trying to reach her for two days and planned to file the report when he closed the shop. I worked the early shift that day and went over to the police department to file the report. Figured if I got them going, they’d find Yvonne sooner.” Disgust filled her eyes. “Lot of good that did me. Those yahoos over there think your mom took off with another guy and didn’t tell anybody. Can’t convince them otherwise.”
She patted Lacey’s hand. “Don’t you believe what they tell you, honey. Yvonne’s not the same woman since she’s been with Harley. She’s not doing what she did before.”
Even though her heart ached, Lacey smiled. “It’s okay, Loretta. You can use the term. You’re sure she wasn’t earning money as a prostitute?”
“I’m positive. Yvonne is head-over-heels in love with Harley. She wouldn’t run off with some other man. Now, if the man she’d run off with was Harley, I wouldn’t have a problem believing that because he’s been after her to marry him for weeks.”
Tears stung Lacey’s eyes. She wanted her mother to be happy. Was it possible that she’d found the man of her dreams in Harley?
Jake scooted his chair closer to hers and wrapped his arm around her shoulders. “Would Harley talk to us, Loretta?”
“I don’t see why not. He’s as worried over Yvonne’s disappearance as I am, maybe more.”
“Did you notice anything different with her in the past few months?”
Loretta finished her last bite of pie before answering. “Now that you mention it, Yvonne has been secretive, almost smug. I thought the change in attitude was because of Harley.”
He frowned. “Did she explain?”
The waitress snorted. “Are you kidding? When I asked, she said she’d tell me later. She disappeared right after that.”
“Have you been in her house recently?” Lacey asked.
“Oh, yeah. I couldn’t believe it when I saw all the new stuff in her place.”
“Did she tell you how she managed to buy a whole house full of new furniture?”
Loretta shook her head. “From the way she was acting, I figured Harley bought it.”
Something to ask Harley when she and Jake went to the garage.
“Tell me about you, Lacey.” Loretta leaned closer. “What’s going on with you? You promised me an update.”
“Told you. Not much to tell. I’ve been working a lot of hours at Coffee House.”
She shifted her curious gaze to Jake. “And what about this handsome man? What’s the story there?”
Lacey glanced at Jake. How did she explain her relationship with him? They’d been friends for a few months, but they didn’t have one date to talk about. Soon though, she hoped.
“Lacey and I are dating,” Jake explained. “We’ve been friends a while, but I just convinced her to give me a chance to win her heart.”
Her head whipped his direction. Win her heart? Did he mean that or was the phrase for Loretta’s benefit?
“Oh, my. How sweet.” Loretta sighed. “Yvonne didn’t mention Jake.”
“She doesn’t kno
w about him.”
“Well, when you tell her, she’ll be thrilled.”
Lacey wasn’t convinced. She’d have to make sure her mother didn’t have Jake’s phone number. The last thing Lacey wanted was for her to hit up Jake for money. She didn’t know how much the operatives from Fortress made, but she knew Brent paid his people well.
Loretta stood. “I’ve got to get back to work, honey. Jake, it was good to meet you. Take care of our girl.”
“Count on it. Do you have the check ready?”
She waved that aside. “Coffee and pie are on the house. You can pick up the tab next time you’re in here.” With that, she left to wait tables again.
Jake fished out his wallet and dropped a twenty-dollar bill on the table. “Come on. Let’s talk to Harley.”
CHAPTER ELEVEN
Jake opened the passenger-side door for Lacey and surveyed the building. Harley’s Repair Shop was a large cinder-block building painted white with blue trim. Five bays were open, vehicles on a lift in each with a parking lot at the back filled with trucks, SUVs, and cars already repaired or waiting to be worked on.
A mechanic with the name Mike embroidered on his grease-stained shirt approached them. “Help you?”
“Harley around?”
“In the office.” Mike pointed to the dirty gray door at the side of the closest bay. “In that door, turn right. Go straight back.”
“Thanks.” Jake laid his hand against Lacey’s lower back and urged her toward the door. They followed Mike’s directions to an office with a door open. Inside, a ginger-haired burly man pecked at a computer, scowling at the screen in front of him.
Jake knocked on the door. “Harley?”
“Yeah. Have a seat. Be with you in a sec.” He jabbed a few more keys before shoving away from the computer. His eyes widened when he recognized Lacey. The garage owner rose and planted his hands on the desk, his expression hopeful. “Have you heard from Yvonne?”
She shook her head. “I’m worried about her.”
Hope faded in his eyes and he dropped heavily into his seat, motioning for them to sit in the chairs in front of his desk. “So am I. This isn’t like her. She never goes this long without contacting me.” He stopped abruptly, realizing he’d revealed his relationship with her mother. “Uh, we’re friends you know.”
“Loretta told me. Mom’s been keeping you a secret, Harley.”
“Yvonne wanted to wait until you came home for the holidays. Said the news would be a nice surprise for you.”
“She’s right. I’m happy for both of you.”
Relief flooded his face. “I’m planning to marry her as soon as I convince her to say yes.”
Lacey smiled. “That’s great. This is Jake.”
After the men shook hands, Jake said, “When was the last time you saw Yvonne?”
“The night she disappeared.” A quick look at Lacey had him clearing his throat, face flushing. “We had a disagreement.”
“About what?”
“She’d been keeping secrets the past few weeks, something she hasn’t done since we first started going out. She told me she had a meeting that night and had to go. I didn’t want her to leave. What kind of fool meeting happens at that time of night? I told Yvonne it wasn’t safe. Women have been disappearing around here for the last six years, and I didn’t want her to be one of them.”
Jake stilled. “How many women?” Had Lacey known about the disappearances? One look at her shocked face gave him his answer.
“Not that many, I guess. A couple a year.”
“In a town the size of Winston, that’s a lot. Did law enforcement contact the FBI?”
Harley shrugged. “No clue.”
“I doubt it. Chief Beckett is arrogant enough to believe he can figure out the person taking the women himself,” Lacey said. “If he calls in the federal cops, he can’t claim responsibility for the arrest.”
“Loretta said she filed the missing person report on Yvonne.” Jake watched Harley for signs of deceit.
“That’s right. I reported her missing by eight the next morning after she disappeared, but the cops refused to look for her.”
Jake nodded. “They have to wait 48 hours to take action.”
“Seems to me with those missing women the Winston PD would have been more inclined to break the rules. I don’t care what they say. Yvonne didn’t run off with some other man.”
Wishful thinking on Harley’s part or did he know Yvonne well enough to accurately judge her feelings for him?
“You said you had a fight with Mom.”
“I didn’t want her going out that late at night. I didn’t think it was safe. Unfortunately for all of us, I was right.”
“You sure that’s the only reason you and Mom fought?”
Harley stared. “Are you accusing me of hurting the woman I love?”
“I’m asking if there was a reason Mom would have left under her own steam and not returned.”
“To get away from me, you mean.” The mechanic scowled. “The only other disagreement is Yvonne holding off on marrying me.”
“Is there a reason for that?” Jake asked.
“Besides stubbornness? Not a good reason.” He shifted his gaze back to Lacey, his eyes pleading for understanding. “Your mother was concerned that people in town would look down on me for marrying her, afraid it might affect my business.”
“You have the only garage and body shop in town.”
“Told her that. She still circled back to her past. Yvonne hasn’t plied her trade since you left town, Lacey. She wanted to make you proud of her. She said she couldn’t do that if she returned to that lifestyle. If things were tight and she needed extra money, she picked up another shift or two to help with expenses.”
Jake frowned. What expenses? Lacey had been paying for the house. Utilities couldn’t be that much for one person. Until recently, Yvonne didn’t have a vehicle. Maybe Harley lied, but Jake hadn’t seen signs of it. “How did she purchase the new furniture for the house?”
“Said it was a gift.”
“It wasn’t from you,” Lacey said, her voice flat.
“No and she wouldn’t tell me who it was, either. I hoped it was you.”
She gave a huff of laughter. “I can’t afford new furniture for my own place much less Mom’s.”
Jake withdrew the paper with the cryptic message from his pocket and showed it to Harley. “Does this make any sense to you?”
He took the paper, studied it a moment. “That’s the time of Yvonne’s meeting the night she disappeared.”
“Do you know what the M stands for?”
“Could be anything. Maybe it stood for the name of the person she was meeting or a meeting place.”
“Did she mention a name or a place?”
“If she had, I would have told the cops. Even the bumbling Winston police would have checked it out after Loretta filed the missing person report.”
A knock on the door and Mike popped his head in the office. “Hey, sorry to interrupt. Mr. Foster is here about his car. Gave him the bad news and now he insists on speaking only to you.”
Harley grimaced. “Be right there.” He handed the piece of paper to Jake. “I’ll keep thinking about that and let you know if I come up with something. If you need anything to help find Yvonne, tell me and I’ll do my best to see that you get it. I love her, Lacey.”
“Mom’s lucky to have you in her life.”
Jake drew Lacey to her feet. “Thanks for your time.” He escorted her from the shop, frowning when he saw the Winston PD prowl car idling in the space next to his SUV.
He unlocked his vehicle and made sure his body was between Lacey and the cop watching with cold eyes. Once she was safely inside, Jake turned. “Looking tired, Will. Aren’t you going home to take a nap before your next shift?”
Beckett sneered. “Didn’t know you cared, Davenport.”
“I don’t. Doesn’t mean I want you plowing into the back of my vehicle because yo
u fell asleep at the wheel. Since I don’t want you to get lost on the way to our next stop, I figured I’d tell you we’re headed to the station.”
The other man looked uneasy. “What for?”
Jake didn’t bother to answer. He circled the hood and climbed into the driver’s seat.
“What was that about?” Lacey demanded.
“Yanking his chain.”
“It’s not smart to antagonize Will.”
“Somebody needs to. We’re going to the police station.”
“Why? They won’t be any help.”
“Maybe not. We’ll still talk to the detective in charge of your mother’s case.” He hoped the cop had some insight into what happened to Yvonne. He was also interested in the detective’s thoughts of the missing women in the area and if he thought Yvonne’s disappearance was connected.
Fifteen minutes later, Jake parked in front of the police station with Beckett swinging into a space six spaces away. Although it made him twitchy to be unarmed, he unloaded his weapons and locked them in the weapon safe installed in all Fortress SUVs. He couldn’t protect Lacey if he was twiddling his thumbs behind bars. They walked into the double doors and approached the desk sergeant.
The grizzled cop sized Jake up as a potential threat and scowled before sliding his gaze to the woman at Jake’s side. He nodded. “Lacey. Been a while.”
“Yes, sir. How are you, Sergeant Holland?”
He squinted at the calendar. “Looking forward to retirement in five months, six days, and four hours. The wife and I are moving to Florida the minute I walk out of here for the last time. Already got the purchase of a condo on the beach in the works.”
“Congratulations. That sounds wonderful. I want to talk to the detective in charge of my mother’s case.”
“That would be Detective Jones.”
“I don’t think I know him.”
“You went to school with Todd Jones.”
A smile appeared on her face. “Todd is a detective now? That’s great. Is it possible for us to talk to him?”