by JB Lynn
He nodded, holding out a ridiculously muscled arm to take the shirt.
I handed it to him. “Thank you, Sergeant. I know it’s all part of your job, but if you hadn’t stopped…”
“Actually it isn’t, but I was glad to help.” Amusement glinted in his gaze. “And it’s Doc. I told you that my friends call me Doc.”
I dipped my chin. “Thanks, Doc.”
He shrugged into his shirt, the fabric stretching. “Do you think it would be okay if I stopped back to check on your sister?”
“Um. I guess so.” Far be it from me to tell a cop what he could or could not do.
“Cool.”
I blinked, startled. “Cool?”
“I’ll see you soon.”
Uncertain whether that was meant as a threat or a promise, I dumbly nodded my agreement.
The Mustang roared off in a cloud of smoke. I watched it disappear from view before turning to head back toward the B&B.
“Good-looking guy.”
“Aaah!” I gasped, stumbling backward.
“Sorry, Maggie.” Coming around the corner, Zeke flashed his easy grin at me. “Didn’t mean to interrupt your daydreams about Mr. Chippendale.”
“Zeke. What the hell are you doing here?” Remembering for the first time that he’d shown up when I was waiting for the ambulance, I added, “Where the hell did you go?”
“Miss me?”
“No. Forgot you were even here.”
Throwing back his head, he laughed. “That’s why I like you. You’re always so brutally honest.”
I smiled weakly. He had no idea the lies I’d told and secrets I was keeping. “What are you doing here, Zeke?”
Grin fading, he jerked his chin in the direction of the street. “Walk with me, Maggie.”
I looked longingly at the house. All I really wanted to do was go inside and curl up with my animals.
“It’s important.”
Nodding, I turned back around toward the street. The last time Zeke had needed something from me, I’d ended up babysitting a wacky ghost whisperer, breaking up a sex slavery ring, defusing a bomb, and finding out that my sister Darlene, Marlene’s twin, might not have been murdered as we’d long believed. Considering everything else that was going on, I wasn’t sure I was up to whatever he needed from me now.
Casually draping his arm around my shoulder as we walked, he asked, “Talked to Alice lately?”
“She seems happy in Chicago.”
Our mutual childhood friend had married a man from the Windy City, gotten knocked up with his kid (just not in that order), and they’d moved to his hometown, halfway across the country.
“Glad to hear it.”
I doubted that he wanted to talk about Alice, but that was as far as the conversation went for another block.
Finally he dropped his arm. “I’ve got a problem.”
“What kind of problem?” I asked cautiously.
He kicked a rock out of his path. “I’m being blackmailed.”
So was I. By Ms. Whitehat. But of course I couldn’t tell Zeke that. “What do you need?”
Zeke stopped in his tracks and stared at me. I kept walking.
Hurrying to catch up, he said, “You do realize that anyone else would have asked what I’m being blackmailed about, don’t you?”
I shrugged. “Does it matter?”
“Seriously?”
“You’re going to ask me for help. Chances are I’m not going to turn you down. So do the specifics really matter?”
“You could turn me down.”
I shook my head. “I seem to have difficulty doing that with anybody lately.”
Reaching a corner where I had to pause to let a car pass, he caught my wrist, forcing me stop walking so that he could look me in the eye.
“I hate asking, Maggie, especially since you’ve got so much going on.”
“You wouldn’t ask if it wasn’t important,” I supplied helpfully, watching a car slow behind him.
“Exactly. It’s just that I’m in a bind and I don’t know who else I can trust.”
Something, maybe Armani’s abilities were rubbing off on me, I don’t know, but something made me look at the driver of the car, as he made the turn. Wally headed straight toward the B&B.
“No!” I shouted.
Startled, Zeke dropped my wrist and backed up a step. “Um… okay. You don’t have to.”
“It’s Wally.” Spinning around, I ran back toward the B&B. “I have to stop him.”
“Who’s Wally?” Zeke asked, running up beside me.
“Her pimp,” I panted, silently cursing myself for not taking Alice’s advice and taking up running as a hobby. Being able to run faster than a sloth would probably be advantageous in my line of work.
While I was sucking wind, Zeke hadn’t broken a sweat. “Whose pimp?”
“Marlene’s,” I explained breathlessly. “He’s after her.”
Have you ever seen one of those cartoons where one character leaves another in the dust? That’s what Zeke did.
The moment he realized Marlene was in danger he kicked it into high gear, leaving me behind. As he sprinted ahead, I slogged onward, hoping the old better late than never adage would apply in this situation.
What the hell kind of hitwoman couldn’t run a couple of blocks?
Chapter Ten
I probably arrived at the B&B thirty seconds after Zeke, but those thirty seconds made all the difference.
When I got there, the front yard resembled a war zone. Marlene was crying, Zeke was bleeding from a cut over one eye, and Wally was out cold on his back with DeeDee snarling as she circled his head.
Susan and Leslie came out on the porch to see what the cause of the commotion was.
“Oh my.” Leslie hurried to hug Marlene.
“Archie Lee,” Susan muttered, turning to go back inside the building.
“Man bad. Man bad.” DeeDee growled.
“Good girl.” Trying to catch my breath, I staggered over to Zeke who was swaying unsteadily.
He was holding shards of a terra cotta flower plant, no doubt the first thing he’d seen to use as a weapon.
“You okay,” I wrapped my fingers around his bicep to support him.
He leaned against me heavily. “Dizzy.”
“You should sit.” I led him over to the front steps, past Marlene who was sobbing hysterically and Leslie who was helpless to comfort her.
Lowering Zeke into a sitting position, I grabbed his chin and tilted his head so that I could get a better look at his injury. “What’d he hit you with?”
“His fist.”
Aunt Susan stalked back onto the porch. “The police are on their way, the US Marshals too. Can you think of anyone else I should call?”
“No, ma’am.” Even when injured, Zeke was decidedly polite.
“What happened to my flower pot?” She frowned at what remained of the pottery strewn across the yard.
Marlene wailed louder in response.
“Get a hold of yourself, Marlene.” Susan, hands on her hips, glared at my sister. “Loretta already had a breakdown today. I’m getting tired of mopping up tears.”
“Hey!” I shouted, my temper flaring.
Zeke winced.
Before I could compose a more eloquent defense of Marlene, Leslie went at her sister like a bull after a waved cloak. “You stop it, Susan.” Leaving Marlene’s side, Leslie marched past us onto the porch so that she could go toe-to-toe with Susan. “Just stop it. Loretta had the right to be upset. Marlene is shaken up. If you can’t say anything nice, don’t say anything at all. Just go.” She pointed at the entry to the B&B.
Susan blinked, unaccustomed to being challenged. “But—”
I chuckled and looked down at Zeke to see if he too was entertained by the exchange. He didn’t look amused. His eyelids fluttered quickly.
“Zeke?” I grabbed his shoulders, catching him as he pitched forward. “Help!” I yelped.
Susan and Leslie, th
eir disagreement forgotten, rushed toward us. Together the three of us carefully lowered Zeke to the ground. Swallowing her sobs, Marlene hurried over and knelt so that we could rest his head in her lap.
“He’s pale.” Leslie used her shirtsleeve to wipe away some of the blood that had run down his face.
Susan, her voice loaded with self-recrimination, said, “I should have called for an ambulance.”
“Maggie! Maggie!” DeeDee barked.
I ignored her. “Zeke? Zeke can you hear me?”
“Man bite bad?” the dog whined worriedly.
I turned to see what she was carrying on about just in time to see Wally propping himself up on his elbows.
DeeDee bared her teeth, the sight of which temporarily paralyzed the pimp.
Jumping to my feet, I snatched up the nearest weapon I could find. Raising another of the flower pots overhead, I advanced on Wally.
Afraid that she was going to once again get hurt defending my family, I waved DeeDee off.
“Don’t you move,” I warned.
Instead of obeying, he flipped over so that he faced me while on all fours. A nasty sneer stretched across his face.
“Out look.” DeeDee leapt between us, growling her warning.
In one quick, fluid movement Wally pulled out a gun and waved it at me. “You think you or the dog can stop me?”
Behind me, I heard Aunt Leslie’s gasp on dismay.
My grip on the flower pot weakened as cold fear swept through me.
He smiled, liking my reaction. “Come here, Jewel.”
“Stay where you are, Marlene.” I shouted.
“Now, Jewel.” Wally took aim at me. “Or this interfering bitch gets it.”
The wail of approaching sirens reached us. The cavalry was almost there. All I had to do is keep Wally busy for another few seconds.
“Bad. Bad. Bad.” DeeDee’s growls grew louder.
“Easy, girl,” I whispered. “I’ve got this.” I tightened my grip on the pot. I might be, as my grandmother used to say, “remarkably, unremarkable,” but there was one thing I’d been good at, the best at actually.
Wally squinted at me. “Who the hell are you?”
I grinned. “The queen.”
“The queen of what?”
“Dodgeball.” With that, I chucked the flowerpot at his head.
I missed.
I might not be good, but I was lucky. It hit him square in the chest, sending him stumbling backward.
“Now, Doomsday!”
The dog and I charged Wally together. She latched onto his wrist, while I did my best NFL tackle impression.
My best isn’t very good.
He stayed on his feet.
Thankfully the dog was better at her job than I was at mine. He dropped the gun.
Groaning, Wally tried to hit DeeDee. Grabbing his punching arm, I was lifted off my feet.
I heard multiple women screaming behind me, but I couldn’t make out what they were saying.
“Let go. Let go, DeeDee,” I urged, feeling as though I was on some bizarre bungee cord as I hung on for dear life and was repeatedly raised off the ground every time Wally tried to strike the dog.
To my surprise, she obeyed and released his arm, leaving behind bloody teeth marks. Of course, without the dog holding him back, Wally could use his newly-freed hand on me.
“You crazy bitch.” Yanking a handful of my hair, he wrenched me backward, so I was suddenly doing a macabre version of the limbo.
“Owww!” Instinctively reached for my scalp with both hands, which was a bad idea because it meant his other was now available to choke me with.
His fingers squeezed my throat. Pain and panic made me kick wildly as he deprived me of oxygen.
Then there was the crash.
Actually it was more like a dull thud.
And then we were falling.
Luckily, he fell backward, dragging me on top of him, cushioning my fall. We landed in a heap, his stranglehold releasing. Scrambling away from him, I desperately tried to catch my breath.
I realized the dull thud had been the blow to Wally’s head when I saw Aunt Susan standing over his prostrate form, the remains of a flowerpot in her hands.
DeeDee trotted over to me and licked my face. “Hungry.”
I laughed, but the sound came out a muted gurgle. I patted her head before resting my palms on her back to steady myself as I slowly stood.
“Don’t move,” a male voice boomed behind me.
Startled, I almost fell over.
“Put the gun down,” the man ordered.
Something about his voice was familiar. Slowly, I swiveled my head in his direction.
The uniformed police officer, arms stretched in front of him and aiming his weapon, looked vaguely familiar, but I couldn’t remember where I knew him from.
“Put it down now.” He adjusted his stance.
Dumbly, I looked to the spot on the grass where the gun had fallen. It was no longer there.
Slowly, not wanting to make any sudden movements, I turned to see where the gun had ended.
My breath caught in my throat.
Aunt Leslie was staring at the hunk of metal in her hands like she had no idea how it had gotten there and even less of an idea of what she was supposed to do with it.
“Don’t shoot,” Aunt Susan pleaded.
I wasn’t sure if she was talking to the cop or her sister.
“It’s going to be okay,” I said as calmly as I could, hoping that everyone involved thought the reassurance was meant for them. “It’s all going to be okay. Everyone just needs to take a breath. Can you do that, Aunt Leslie? Can you take a breath for me?”
Nodding shakily, she sucked in a breath, her shoulders rising.
“Good. Good.” I risked a look at the cop, who was still on alert. “I know this is confusing for everyone.”
“Put down the gun or I’ll shoot.”
I was pretty sure I could see the cop’s finger twitching over the trigger.
“This is all Archie’s fault,” Susan muttered.
“Will you shut up?” I whisper screamed at her.
The cop swung his gun in my direction.
I raised my hands, signaling my surrender. “Look, this is all one big misunderstanding.”
“There are two men on the ground.” He swung his weapon back toward Leslie. “I think it’s more than a misunderstanding.”
“My sister,” I said, jerking my chin toward Marlene, who still knelt on the ground, cradling Zeke, “was attacked by that man.” I tilted my head toward Wally.
“Says you,” the cop replied sullenly.
I frowned. “Do I know you from somewhere?”
“No.”
“Because I could swear we’ve met before.”
“Shut up. You’re not going to distract me.”
Another siren was approaching. I hoped Leslie would put the gun down before the scene became any more chaotic, but she looked more spaced out than when she was stoned.
I wracked my brain, trying to remember how I knew the idiot.
“Boom apartment.” DeeDee panted.
Realizing she knew who he was, I looked at the dog, silently willing her to give me another clue.
“Leash no gone.”
“Aha!” I cried. We’d had a run-in with this not-so-bright officer after my apartment was blown up.
The cop swung his weapon back toward me.
“Sorry,” I murmured quickly, recalling that logic didn’t work terribly well with this particular guy. “If you call Sergeant Victor, he can confirm the earlier attack,” I told the cop.
“Who?”
“Sergeant Victor. Big guy. Blond.”
“Are you messing with me?’
“What?”
“There is no Sergeant Victor on the force.” The cop frowned.
“But—” I protested weakly.
“I don’t know what kind of game you’re playing, lady, but it’s not going to work.”
“Problem, officer?” a male voice interjected.
I spun around, never so happy to see a member of the Griswald law enforcement clan. “Help!” I squeaked.
Without a shred of bashfulness, Detective Brian Griswald flashed his badge at the guy in the uniform while striding over to Leslie. Plucking the gun from her fingers, he shook his head. “Never a dull moment at this place.”
“Hungry!” DeeDee barked.
The uniformed cop swung his gun in the direction of the dog.
“You shoot the dog and I’ll shoot you,” Brian warned.
“Sir,” the uniformed officer protested. “I was just assessing the situation.”
Instead of responding to him, Brian turned his attention on me. “Want to tell me what’s going on?”
I opened my mouth to answer, but my reply was drowned out as Susan, Leslie, and Marlene all began to talk at once.
“Quiet!” Brian shouted. “I asked Maggie. I want to hear what she has to say.” He spun around in a quick circle, silencing both my aunts and my sister with a hard stare.
“He attacked us earlier.” I pointed to Wally. “But Sergeant Victor chased him off.”
“Lady, there is no Sergeant Victor,” the uniformed cop reminded me.
Brian Griswald turned the same look he’d used to silence my family on the officer. “Cuff him.”
Holstering his gun, the uniform obeyed the order.
The detective looked at me expectantly, waiting for me to continue.
“And then I was walking with Zeke and we saw him heading toward the house and we ran back, but Zeke is a lot faster than me, probably because I eat too many frozen meals.”
“Hungry!” DeeDee yipped excitedly.
“She also says I should take up running, which is probably good advice. Alice does, not Dee.”
Griswald shook his head as though he was trying to unhear the last couple of tangential statements. “I’m not even going to ask who Alice is. That’s Zeke?” He jutted his chin toward my friend who was starting to stir in Marlene’s arms.
“He was just protecting me.” Marlene glared at the detective defiantly.
“What happened?” Zeke groaned.
“Wally hit you.” Marlene helped him sit up.
“Oh yeah.” He grinned up at me ruefully. “Not exactly a knight in shining armor moment for me.”
“You’re my knight.” Marlene pressed a kiss to his cheek.