Dark Deeds

by Jill S. Behe

  “I get that, and I think the friendship can be arranged.” Cade grinned. “You are a ten on the hot meter, and you smell good, too.”

  “Don’t know about the hotness.” Teal laughed. “But, your father’s forever sniffing my hair.”

  “Um, it was a big motivating factor, among other things.” Decker gave her a side-armed hug, and took a deep whiff. “It’s the shampoo, I think.”

  “So. Cade. What’s bothering you?”

  He dove right in. “Do you know where Carin is?”

  Decker shook his head. “Haven’t a clue.”

  “Does it have anything to do with her being upset that you wouldn’t let her stay here?”

  “No. I wish it were that simple. That trivial.”

  “Okay. Then why am I here?”

  “We’re not sure yet, but it felt like you needed to be.”

  Cade grinned, wiggling his eyebrows. “I don’t want to cramp your style, though.”

  “Hah. No worries there. We’re not at that stage…yet.”

  Teal, feeling her face go warm, cleared her throat.

  Decker ignored her. “She will be staying here tonight, but I’m sleeping down here.”

  “Huh. I’m impressed.”

  “About what?”

  A shrug. “I figured you’d be— Um. I thought you’d move faster in that direction.”

  “Oh?”

  He shrugged. “You’re both adults. Both … mature.”

  Decker winked. “He means old.”

  “Cut it out. I meant mature—as in grownup. Responsible.” He focused on Teal. “Dad’s been married before. I don’t know you well enough to know if you’ve been, or not. My thought was, though, that you’ve been around long enough to know what you want in a relationship, and what you don’t. Should be easier and faster to eliminate the ones you don’t.”

  Decker stared at his progeny, then looked toward the ceiling. “Damn, Liz. We raised ourselves an insightful man.”

  Teal snickered.

  Cade frowned. “I was being serious.”

  “So was I.”

  “You…talk to mom? Like she’s here in the room with us?”

  Decker and Teal exchanged a look.

  “What?”

  “I, uh, think she is, in a manner of speaking. No pun intended. I talk about her, too, with Teal. Your mom has…appeared, or spoken, to me several times in the last few weeks.”

  Cade’s jaw dropped. “Seriously?”

  “Very.”

  “How?”

  “First, I’m kind of impressed that you haven’t stuck a cross in my face. Secondly, you remember when I got shot all those years ago?” At Cade’s nod, he continued. “Since I recovered, I’ve been able to…sense things. It came naturally to your mom.”

  “I do know that. She told me when I was having some problems, in that respect, at school. I guess I was about thirteen or so.”

  Decker was momentarily struck dumb.

  Teal smiled. I was right. “You did inherit from her.”

  “You didn’t tell me that.”

  “I wasn’t sure.”

  “I meant Cade. Why?”

  “It wasn’t a subject I thought you’d embrace, being the macho Marine.”

  “You thought I’d wig?”

  “Wig? What generation is that term from? Anyway, I thought you’d think I was a freak.”

  “Like your mother would have allowed me to do that to you. Not that I would have. However, if it was before I got shot, then maybe I’d’ve been a little weirded out. I didn’t even know your mom had a…gift, until I was recuperating.”

  “Well, now you do.”

  “Now I do.” Decker glanced at Teal. “And you know what? It doesn’t matter. I’m glad it’s out in the open, for both of us.”

  She nodded her assent.

  “Okay then. All three of us.”

  Cade looked over. “Really? You, too?”

  “Yeah.”

  He gave a laugh. “This just gets more and more interesting. When are you going to tell me what’s really been going on around here, and how I can help? Who wants to go first?”

  “As I came a little late to the party, I’ll let your father start off.”

  “You know about the body I found.”

  “That was the start of all this?”

  “Yes, and no.” Decker eyed Teal. She hugged his arm, and squeezed. “Okay. Full disclosure.”

  “Uh oh. That sounds ominous.”

  “It is. I always thought one of the bad guys I busted sent his goons to kill your mother.”

  Cade sat back. “What do you mean, you thought?”

  “Seems they had nothing to do with it. You knew about them?”

  “Come on, dad. We may have been young, but we weren’t stupid. We knew you were working for a company like the CIA.”

  “Holy— All this time?”

  “Of course, but—”

  “So what? If not them, who?”

  “Whoever killed the woman I found in the woods is also responsible for…killing your mother.”

  “What? Who—?” Cade shook his head. “Never mind. If you knew who, we wouldn’t be having this conversation. How do you know?”

  Decker rubbed the back of his neck. “Your, uh, your mom told me.”

  “My…mom. Huh. She hasn’t visited me.”

  “Yes. I think these manifestations are because of what’s going on.”

  Cade stared. “And you were okay with that?”

  “Hell, no. Talk about being wigged out. But she convinced me.”

  “I figured you were too macho to believe. You’re not making fun, right?”

  Decker glared. “I said it happened. It happened.”

  “Hey. Don’t get pissed, I believe you. The hard part is accepting that my hardcore ex-Marine father believes it. Why did she wait so long to let you know?”

  “I’m not sure. You’re the only one who’s brought it up. If I had to guess—”

  “May I?”

  “Sure, Teal.”

  “My theory would be that when your father found that woman, Rosalinda, in the woods, the injustice was so powerful your mother’s spirit used it to push through the boundary of the netherworld to help us find the killer. Or maybe the second murder shook up the spirit world and it spit her out since your father was involved.” She paused. Rolled her eyes. “That really makes me sound like a wacko, and probably didn’t explain it as technically as it should be, but that’s what I think.”

  “Makes sense to me, in a paranormally creepy sort of way.”

  “Yeah, I can buy that.” Cade was nodding. “What’s the rest?”

  Decker grimaced. “There have been three more murders. Well, actually, two and an attempt.”

  “Three? All told?”

  “In addition to.”

  “Which makes a total of five.”

  “Um, technically the fifth one survived, so….”

  “Small miracle, though. Right?” Cade rubbed his face. “No suspects?”

  “We have a theory, and I have a suspicion, but no proof.”

  “So what? Who? Why? And what, if anything, does it have to do with Carin?”

  “Um.”

  “Come on, Dad. Who am I going to tell? And if I did tell anyone, who would believe me?”

  “He’s right, Decker. He needs to know.”

  “Yeah. Yeah. Okay, first, I guess I need to apologize.”

  “For?”

  “I bounced around the idea of not telling you until it was all over with. Teal disagreed, even if she didn’t say so.”

  “Well, she was right to disagree. You and Carin are my family. This…thing, involves my family. Of course you should have told me.”

  Teal elbowed Decker again.

  He frowned. “I didn’t want to disrupt your life.”

  Cade’s eyes rolled. “Dad. Please.”

  “All right. When you called earlier, I realized I was being unfair to keep it from you.”

  �
�I’m not going to like this, am I?”

  “No. Probably not.”

  “Lay it on me.” He patted his chest. “Don’t be gentle. Don’t try to spare my feelings.”

  Decker complied, giving him the run down from when it began, what happened to each one of the victims after coming into contact with him, to Gavin’s file, and the who, and their hypothesis of the why.

  “I’ll let Teal fill you in on what’s happened to her since we began dating.”

  “Wait.” Eyes closed, he took a breath. “Okay, Teal. Tell me how you fit into this. What’s she done to you?”

  Teal ran through the events that had taken place since Decker had walked into the library and asked her out to dinner.

  There was a look of disbelief on his face. “That makes no sense. Every stalker I ever heard about hurts, or kills, the person they’re stalking. Not the … shit. Whaddaya call ’em? The women you talked to?”

  “At the moment,” Decker began, dryly, “we call them victims. Seems this stalker/killer does just the opposite of what he or she is supposed to do.”

  “Sorry. No disrespect intended. And Carin? How does she fit in?”

  “I’m reluctant to say, and superstitious enough to think I might jinx it if I do.”

  “Tell me anyway.”

  Teal gave Decker’s arm a squeeze, and answered for him. “We think Carin has been taken by the killer.”

  Cade was silent, as though needing time to absorb what he’d heard. “For what reason?”

  “In our opinion, to keep her from revealing the killer’s identity.”

  “You just told me who you think it is.”

  “Think, yes. Can’t prove.”

  “At this point,” Teal injected. “She doesn’t know we suspect her.”

  “I’d say that was probably a good thing.”

  “Yes. You would be correct.”

  “Why not go to Uncle Levi?”

  “We have been keeping him up to date. And the three of us are working on a plan.”

  The look he turned on his father was fierce. “You need to hurry the hell up.”

  “Cade, unlike television cops, these things take time and meticulous planning. We have teams to update, strategies to finalize, cooperation and permissions to acquire, etcetera, etcetera, etcetera.”

  “I think I told you earlier, I’m not an idiot, dad. Can you show me what you’ve got plotted out so far? Maybe I can help with some strategy.”

  “I don’t know, kid.”

  “Come on, Decker. Why not give him a shot? What can it hurt?”

  Decker looked at her, and then at his son. “Hell.” Shrugged. “Why not.”

  Teal nodded, squeezed Decker’s arm. “Actually, why don’t we just give Levi a call? Get his perspective, since most of said strategy will probably involve his men. And then we won’t have to repeat everything we discuss here tonight when we see him next.”

  “Yeah, Dad. Besides, it’s been ages since I saw Uncle Levi.”

  “You two are ganging up on me. But, as it happens, I think that’s a good idea.”

  Decker checked his watch. “He should still be up.”

  Cade let out a laugh. “Are you kidding? Uncle Levi? In bed at this hour? On a Friday night?”

  “No, I’m not kidding. And yes, I realize, to you this is early, but…. There are extenuating circumstances— Just take my word for it.”

  “To me? To most of the population nine-thirty is early.”

  “Then again….” Decker raised his eyebrows, and grabbed Teal’s hand.

  She frowned at their joined hands.

  “Listen, young one. If this lady and I were at a different level in our relationship, we’d be in bed at this hour.” He looked over, sheepish grin on his face. “I would hope to be, at any rate.”

  “Oh for heaven’s sake.” Teal pulled her hand away and slapped at him, cheeks pinked.

  Cade shook his head, but grinned at his dad.

  The man, looking smug, shrugged, picked up the handset, and dialed a memorized number. “Levi.” He could hear a hockey game in the back ground.

  “Decker, what do you want now? I’m off duty.”

  “We need another powwow. Cade’s in town and wants to join us.”

  “Cade? It’d be good to see him, but I’m not going anywhere tonight. And I’ll be tied up in the morning.”

  Decker looked at the other two. “Tomorrow pm?”

  Teal nodded. “As long as it’s after 2.”

  Decker gave her a thumbs up, and looked at Cade.

  “Sure. It’s fine with me.”

  “Okay, Levi. Tomorrow, two-thirty—three-ish? Your office?”

  A sigh. “Roger that.”

  “Later.”

  “Out.”

  Cade looked at Teal. “Why so late?”

  “I have to work.”

  “Work? On a Saturday?”

  She laughed. “Yes, you white collar worker, you. You have, I’m sure, at some point in your short life, visited a library on a Saturday before, haven’t you?”

  “Well sure, but— Ah. Huh. Never infiltrated the brain about someone actually being scheduled to work on weekends.”

  “Did you think we volunteered?”

  “No, just never thought about it, at all. My apologies. I took it for granted.”

  She waved away his words. “So, how are you two going to entertain yourselves while I’m at work?” A glance at Decker. “Any plans?”

  “Cade mentioned going fishing last time he was here. But fishing season’s over for this year. I’m sure we’ll be able to come up with something to occupy our time.”

  Cade was taking it all in. The camaraderie between Teal and his dad reminded him of how it had been when his mom was alive. Kinda made his heart hurt some, but felt good and right, at the same time.

  “Cade? What’s up?”

  He knew he was smiling. Couldn’t help it. “What else do you do all day around here? And what was it you had to do that couldn’t wait?”

  Decker looked blank for a moment, then it hit him. “AH! When Carin wanted to stay, right?”

  “Yeah. You said you had things to do that you couldn’t postpone to keep her company.”

  “Your uncle had asked me to make a dresser for Sierra’s birthday—which was last Saturday. I was on a deadline, and at a crucial point in the construction.”

  “You build things? What all do you make? And why didn’t I ever know about it?”

  “You never came to visit for more than a couple of hours at a time, and it was usually at night. I needed something to keep me from going stir-crazy after I…retired.”

  “That’s so cool. I create buildings in my head. You build them with your hands.”

  “Well, not actual buildings, although I can build—and have built—a room.”

  Cade laughed, then sobered. “Why did it take me so long to realize my dad is a not only a war hero, but a very interesting man. I don’t know him well at all, and that’s just about the saddest thing I ever realized.” He looked at the man. “I’m so sorry.”

  Decker’s throat got tight as he fought through an unexpected wave of emotion. “You’re here now. We’ll start fresh.” Sheesh. Macho he-man all teary-eyed. He’d never live it down if it got out. But, getting sentimental over his kid, young or old, always snagged his heartstrings.

  “If you’re serious enough to make a dresser, you must have a workshop around here. I’d love to see it.”

  “I’d love to show it to you.”

  “Count yourself a privileged character, Cade. He hasn’t shown it to me, yet.” Teal gathered the cups onto the tray and escaped to the kitchen. The surge of love she was feeling for Decker in that moment was all but eclipsed, as she watched, by the breakdown of a wall—one neither man had been aware of—between father and son.

  Chapter 45

  Saturday….

  * * *

  At 2pm Decker and Cade waited in the parking lot for Teal to lock up the library.

&
nbsp; Cade, seeing Jacqueline depart, kept his eye on her until she drove out and down the street. “She’s got good taste in cars.”

  “What? Who?”

  “Our suspect. She drives a Challenger.”

  Decker looked over. “How do you know that?”

  Cade frowned, pointing out the windshield as the gray vehicle disappeared around a corner. “She just drove out of the parking lot.”

  Decker cleared his throat. “Sorry. I wasn’t paying attention.”

  Cade laughed, and tapped his father’s arm with his fist. “You’ve got it bad, dad.”

  “I’m well aware how bad I have it, kid. Thanks, though, for pointing it out.”

  Cade laughed again. “Here she comes, now. And, I gotta say it, pops, she’s HOT.”

  Decker gave his son a long look.

  The young man spread his hands. “Just tellin’ it like it is.”

  “Yeah, well, I saw her first.”

  “Whoa-ho. I have no designs on your lady. None.”

  Decker grinned. “Gotcha!”

  “Weirdo.” Cade shook his head, and got out of the truck. “I’ll let her sit next to you.” To Teal: “He’s all yours.”

  Teal climbed in next to Decker and buckled in. “Is everything all right?”

  “All good.”

  “You’re sure?”

  Cade got back in, closed the door and grabbed his seatbelt. “We’re cool. He thought I was going to put the moves on you when I told him you were hot.”

  “Moves on— Hot? What’s he talking about, Decker?”

  Cade interrupted. “I wasn’t finished. My father doesn’t know me very well—expected, because we haven’t lived close to each other since I left for college. However, I wouldn’t mess with his lady, no matter who she was, but more important, after watching the two of you together, I would never mess up what the two of you have. Not for all the money in the world.”

  “Aw.” Teal patted Cade’s knee.

  Decker let out a sigh as he pulled onto the street. “He says these things that just punch me in the heart, and I can hardly get a breath.”

  Teal, smiling, wrapped a hand around Decker’s biceps, and squeezed. “Yeah. Cool, huh?”

  “I’m learning to like my son more and more. I’ve always loved him—and yes I know he’s right there on the other side of you, and can hear every word I say—but the more I get to know him, the more I’m wishing he didn’t live so far away.”