by Sharon Sala
"Thank you, but I'll drive myself. I need my own car at home." She shuddered, then choked on a sob. "Find the bastard."
"Yes, ma'am, we're trying."
Stella looked up as Rory came out of the Shack carrying her things. She moaned. "Oh my God, why am I not waking up?”
"Sheriff Elway said to tell you he would notify you when Danny's body is ready to be released."
She shuddered. "This is really happening, isn't it? I mean, I'm not dreaming...right?"
"Yes, it's really happening, and no ma'am, it is not a dream."
"God help me," she whispered, and got out of his cruiser.
She paused in front of Rory. Josh knew she was telling him what had happened. He saw the shock on Rory's face, and then he hugged her. He was still hugging her when his wife arrived.
Josh sat in his car, still watching as the tableau unfolded. The shock on Lara's face seeing Stella in her husband's embrace. Then hearing the news and taking Stella in her arms.
At that point, he'd seen enough. He backed up and drove away, but instead of going back to the station, he went straight to the hospital to update Logan Talman.
Logan was walking back to her room with Wade by her side when they saw Chief Evans get off the elevator.
He spotted them, waved, and started toward them, then stopped at her room to wait.
Logan eyed the look on his face and grabbed Wade's arm.
"Something has happened," she said.
Wade heard a hint of panic in her voice and put his arm around her waist to steady her.
"Then let's get back to the room, okay?"
She nodded, but the sick feeling in her stomach was there again. When they got to her room, the chief opened the door and then stepped aside to let her pass.
"Thank you," Logan said, and got back in her bed. After she’d taken a deep breath, she prepared herself for the worst.
"What happened?" she asked, and felt Wade's hand slide beneath the hair at the nape of her neck.
Josh leaned against the foot of the bed, his gaze fixed on her.
"Remember when I told you one of the men who owned a Silverado had rented it out multiple times?"
"Yes, Danny Bales," Logan said.
"Danny was murdered this morning."
Logan reeled as if he'd just punched her. Wade moved closer. This nightmare kept getting worse and there was something Logan had to know. "Is it my fault for telling the story?"
Josh frowned. "Hell no, it's not your fault. Do you think it's your fault your brother is dead?"
"No, but—"
"Well, it's also not your fault that a murderer decided to kill someone else. He tried to kill you to shut you up, but you survived. He's in a panic, trying to tie up loose ends. But that's just an opinion right now. We have no proof."
"What do I do?" Logan asked.
"When do you get to leave the hospital?" Evans asked.
"Dr. Silas said he'd release me this evening when he made rounds if I didn't have any problems."
Josh frowned. "And do you have any problems?"
"No."
"She's doing amazing," Wade added.
"I'm not sure if you'll be up to this, but the sooner I can get those trail cameras up, the better. The killer is going to realize you will be searching for your brother's body, and he's going to go back to the scene of the crime to make sure there's no way to link him to the site. Understand?"
She nodded.
"Only you and the killer know where the murder happened, right?" Josh asked.
"I told no one, but I told Wade how to find it if anything happened to me."
Josh shifted his focus to the man behind her, but all he did was move closer to her.
"Wade told me you had the directions tattooed on your belly," Josh said.
Logan nodded. "Yes. The date he was killed, and the miles from the city limits north to the location of the body."
Josh looked at her with renewed respect. "I have to say, I don't think I've ever met anyone as determined to bring someone to justice as you are. You would have made a good cop."
Logan didn't hesitate. "Is the Hummer still at the motel?"
Josh nodded. "Yes, and I sealed the door to your room so that no one could enter. If you'll call me to let me know when you're being released, I'll gladly come get you both and drop you off at the motel."
"Thanks, Chief," Wade said.
"My pleasure," Josh said, then glanced at Logan. "See you this evening?"
She nodded. "And I will take you there tomorrow," Logan said.
Stella drove home in a daze until she turned onto her block and saw their house. Danny's pickup was gone, and for a second, the thought went through her head that she didn't know where he was and needed to text him. And then she remembered.
The loss washed through her in waves as she pulled into the drive and parked. She fumbled for her keys and then stumbled getting out.
Her next-door neighbor saw her and waved, but Stella was afraid to lift her arm for fear she'd break apart in a million pieces, so she just kept putting one foot in front of the other until she was inside.
The moment she walked in, she saw one of Danny's older tackle boxes that he'd decided to leave behind. The sudden pain in her chest was so sharp she thought she was having a heart attack, but then it passed. She went from the living room to the kitchen and saw his coffee cup from breakfast still sitting beside the coffeemaker. That brought on another heart pain to breathe through.
She started down the hall to the office to get Connie's phone number, only to come face to face with her sons' graduation pictures on the wall next to hers and Danny’s wedding picture. The boys had been teenagers when she and Danny married. She stopped, caught in the smile on his face.
"Oh Danny, how am I going to do life without you? How am I going to tell the boys that you're gone?"
But there was no answer to the question, and so she moved to do what had to come next. She made it to the office, collapsed into the chair behind the desk, then broke into tears again as she went through the address book for Connie's number.
It wasn't until she'd already started the call that she thought to check the time. It would be much earlier in California, but not too early. She sat listening to it ring and praying for grace to get through this without coming undone. Just when she was afraid it was going to go to voicemail, she heard a breathless hello.
"Hi, Connie. It's me, Stella."
"Well, hi girl. What's going on?"
Stella took a deep breath, and then the words were too ugly to be said. So, she started to cry.
Connie gasped. "Stella! Honey! What's wrong? Has something happened to Danny?"
"He's dead. He was at Buford Point fishing and someone shot him."
"No, no, oh my God! Was it a hunting accident?"
"No. It was outright murder," Stella said.
"Oh Lord," Connie moaned. "Why? What's happening there?"
Stella grabbed a handful of tissues, wiped her eyes, and blew her nose.
"It's tied up to something that happened the summer of 2008. Someone was murdered then, and no one but a sixteen-year-old girl knew it. She didn't know who it was, but she knew what he drove."
Connie gasped. "Oh hell, no! Tell me it wasn't that damn Silverado he farmed out on a regular basis."
"It was, and the police chief thinks the killer is trying to get rid of any loose ends that might tie him to the old crime. So that sixteen-year-old girl grew up and recently came back here to find the man who murdered her brother. He ambushed her at the motel here in town."
"Oh my God!" Connie cried. "He killed her, too?"
"He tried. Shot her in the back, but she survived."
"I'm coming, Stella. I may not have a right, but I'll stand with you until this is over if you'll have me."
"I wouldn't have it any other way," Stella said.
"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry," Connie said. "Now I have to find a way to tell Angela. Blessings to you and the boys," Connie said. "I'll tr
y to get there sometime tomorrow."
"Okay," Stella said. "See you soon." Then she hung up the phone and burst into tears, sobbing until her head was throbbing and her eyes were nearly swollen shut. She wanted to die, too, but she still had to call their boys.
Chapter Fourteen
From the moment that bullet went through Danny Bales’ head, Big Boy felt a relief that carried him all the way back to Bluejacket on an emotional high. As he was passing the Bayou Motel, he saw that big black Hummer still parked in front of room 4A and grinned. There was nothing left for her to do but go home. Gossip said she'd buried the body, but had been so scared and in shock that she couldn't remember where. Even if she did find it, there was nothing on a stack of bones with Big Boy's name written on it. It was all good now.
He parked, got out, and strode into the house with his head up and a defiant jut to his jaw.
Sugar was in the kitchen with Ruthie, their cook, and when she saw Big Boy, she frowned.
"Where have you been? Our lunch is all cold and—"
"Hush it, woman. I was out on business all morning. I'm tired and hungry, and I don't want to hear any of your sass."
Sugar blinked. "I'm sorry, honey. I was just worried, that's all," she said, and threw her arms around his neck.
He gave her a kiss and a smack on the butt, then set her aside.
"Ruthie, heat up my food. Whatever it is, it'll be fine. I'm going to wash up."
"Yes, sir," Ruthie said.
Big Boy went to their bedroom, took off everything he'd been wearing, tossed it all into the laundry, and washed up before he put on fresh clothes to go downstairs.
Sugar was waiting for him at the foot of the stairs. She slipped her hand in the crook of his arm and began chattering about the morning she'd had and the sale coming up at her favorite boutique in New Orleans.
Logan wore her blood-stained boots, a pair of Wade's jeans, and one of his shirts back to the motel. She sat in the back seat, listening to Wade and Chief Evans making plans for tomorrow. All she could think about was that there would be no police on her door tonight, and that the killer was still out there, leaving bodies in his wake.
The Chief unsealed the door to her room then went inside to make sure nothing had been disturbed. From what he could tell, it looked the same as the day he'd locked it.
He came back and handed the room key to Logan. "There will be an officer patrolling this parking lot off and on all night, and every night until you two go home. Call me any time if something comes up. I'll bring coffee and doughnuts in the morning. Try to get some sleep."
"Thanks, Chief. See you in the morning," Wade said, then helped Logan into the room and locked the door behind them.
Logan went straight to the little closet and got a pair of shorts and a shirt, then underwear from the dresser and disappeared into the bathroom to change.
Wade didn't know what to make of her being so quiet, but he'd seen her this way before, so he guessed if she wanted him to know something, she'd tell him.
She came out a short while later carrying his clothes and handed them to him.
"I didn't get anything on them, and thank you for letting me wear them out of the hospital."
"You're probably the only woman I know who could have pulled that off. My inseam is 38. You have long legs, my friend."
He laid the clothes on the back of a chair and then couldn't think of anything else to say that wouldn't get him in trouble.
There was a tense moment of silence as they stared at each other, and then Logan handed him her sling.
"Would you help me get back into this?"
He took it, slipped her arm into the pocket, then moved behind her to make sure it wasn't going to rub on her neck as he separated the Velcro strips.
"Can you hold your hair back for a minute while I fasten this?"
She grabbed the length and pulled it over her shoulder as he fastened the strap on the sling.
"You're good to go," he said, and brushed a kiss on the side of her neck, right below her ear. "Remember, Dr. Silas sent some pain pills, plus a prescription, which we can get filled tomorrow. Do you need one?"
She was still struggling with the kiss when she realized he'd just asked a question that required an answer.
"Need what?"
"A pain pill," he repeated.
"Not right now," she said.
"Then why don't you rest a while?"
"What about you?" she said. "There's no comfy recliner in this room. Just two straight-back chairs and a bed."
"There are two sides to a bed, and I will honor my side."
She turned around. There was no guile in his voice or expression. Just Wade being Wade. She finally relaxed.
"Okay, but there are only two temperatures in here. It's either hot or cold, and I opted for cold when I got here."
He pointed to the bed. "There are covers."
He pulled the blankets back and waited.
She moved past him to the bed, then eased down and stretched out.
"I'm tired," she said. "I think I'll rest for a little while. Turn on the TV if you want. I sleep with it on at home all the time."
Wade tucked her in, and then turned on the television and sat down on the other side of the bed, leaned against the headboard, and turned down the volume. He didn't care what was on. He just wanted to watch her sleep.
Connie Bales had held her sixteen-year-old daughter until she cried herself to sleep, and then got down to business.
She called a friend who worked for American Airlines and explained why they needed to get to New Orleans tomorrow. Within the hour, she had two tickets to their destination, and a rental car waiting for them upon arrival. Because these were hardship tickets, the airlines waived the higher cost and also put them first class. The drawback was catching a flight at six a.m., but she was grateful they had one at all.
She and Angela spent the rest of the day tying up loose ends here, and then packing for the trip tomorrow. By the time she finally got to bed, she was exhausted and sad—so sad.
She set the alarm and then fell asleep, only to wake up hours later in a panic, remembering the fight she and Danny had had about that Silverado that wound up being the last straw in what was left of their marriage.
She was too wired now to go back to sleep, and it was only a couple of hours before her alarm would go off, so she made some coffee and cried while she waited, knowing they were going back to chaos.
Josh Evans got a text from Wade Garrett. They were at the motel, dressed and ready to go.
The chief responded to the text with a thumbs up emoji, and left his house pulling a small flat-bed trailer with two four-wheelers on it. He drove straight to Friendly's Grocery for the fresh doughnuts and coffees. Next stop, the Bayou Motel.
There were a half-dozen trail cameras in the trunk of his car, along with an axe and his hand-held radios. He didn't know what all they might need, but he didn't want to be there without it. He hadn't slept worth a damn last night. The murder of Danny Bales had hit him hard. He would never get used to giving people bad news.
When he got to the motel, because of the trailer, he parked at the office and walked down to their room.
It had been a long time since Logan had slept with a man, however innocently. She was far too aware of the body heat, the soft sound of his breath, and the covers stretched over two people instead of one, to get much sleep.
She got up once to go to the bathroom, and when she came out, he was waiting to help her back in.
"You okay, honey? Do you need something for pain?"
"I'm okay, but yes, where are the pain pills?"
"On the table. Get in bed. I'll get them and some water."
She sank down onto the side of the bed, then waited.
He came back, dropped two pills into the palm of her hand, and handed her a cold bottle of water from the mini-fridge.
"Thank you," Logan said, and downed them, then took another long drink of the cold water before handin
g it back.
He set the bottle on the nightstand, then eased her down onto the bed.
She patted his hand as he was pulling up the covers and closed her eyes.
Wade paused and smiled.
"Thank you, too," he whispered, then turned out the lights and got back in bed.
It took a couple of minutes for him to settle, and then when he did, he fell back into a deep, dreamless sleep.
The next time he woke, it was just after seven a.m. He rolled over to wake Logan, and she was already awake looking up at the ceiling.
"Hey you."
She turned her head and smiled.
"Hey, yourself. I've already showered. Woke up before six."
"Were you in pain?" Wade asked.
"It wasn't that. Just thinking about this morning."
Wade leaned over and kissed her, softly, slowly, and then stopped before it got intense.
"Think about that, instead," he said, then threw back the covers and got out of bed.
Logan's lips were still tingling when she heard the shower come on, then groaned and made herself get up and start dressing. Chief Evans would be here soon.
She was ready by the time Wade came out of the bathroom with nothing but a towel wrapped around his waist. She looked up and then groaned.
"You make being a man look damn interesting, Wade Garrett."
He grinned, grabbed some clean clothes, and then started to go back into the bathroom to change.
"Oh, you don't have to do that," Logan said. "I promise I won't look."
Then to prove her point, she got up, pulled up one of the straight back chairs, and sat down in it to watch TV, giving Wade the rest of the room to dress.
He shrugged, dropped the towel, and started putting on clothes, wishing he was taking hers off instead. When he was finished, he sent Chief Evans a text that they were ready, and got a thumbs up in return.
"Chief Evans will be here shortly," he said.
Logan nodded, but she had that faraway look again, and there was nothing he could do to make it better.
They were both staring blankly at the early morning news when there was a series of sharp raps on the door.