by Martha Carr
Her sister was already checking on Raymond, crouching next to him. “He’s already coming to. You got him good in the chin. Nicely done, sister.”
Maggie came down to her sister’s level and whispered. “Diana, do you think you can help me get him out of here without anyone seeing us?”
Diana gave her sister a hard look. “I’m Toni Parker’s daughter, this sort of thing is definitely in my wheelhouse. Come on, I’ll get his feet.”
“Mom has taken us on a few adventures. Remember the time she left us at the movies when we were in elementary school?” She could barely see Diana’s face in the darkness.
“Yeah, and it turned out to be a triple horror feature starring Vincent Price. Didn’t come back for hours. I also remember I waited in the lobby, but you refused to wait with me.”
“It was the only movies we were going to get for the foreseeable future, and I gave you my Raisinettes.”
“You’ve always been fearless.” Diana stood up, looking around to see if anyone was out walking their dog.
“Out of necessity. It’s not quite the same thing as courage. Aren’t you going to ask me where we’re taking him? Or why I’m not calling it in?”
“I trust you. Now, come on, let’s get a move on. You have that date.”
Maggie bent down and cradled Raymond’s head and shoulders in her arms. “Lift with your knees, not your back. You really think I can still make a date?”
“It’s the fourth date! You normally don’t get this far. If I have to carry this guy myself, you’re gonna make that date.”
They stood up, dangling Raymond between them, his butt skimming along the ground. “Where are we taking him?” asked Diana. “Your car is out front.”
“The garage for now. He can sleep it off in there. You still know how to do that knot we learned in rodeo camp?”
“You mean the wrap and cinch double column? Probably? Hell, I’ll figure it out.”
“You’re a really good big sister. Are you dressed in pajama bottoms?”
Diana grunted as they inched their way around to the side door of the garage. “Hey, I was off work. Don’t judge while we’re carrying a man knocked out by your fist.”
They dropped Raymond Twiller in a corner of the garage near the bags of chicken feed and trussed his hands and feet, securing him to a metal pipe and taping duct tape over his mouth.
“Should I ask who he is?” Diana stood back and looked at their handiwork. “No way he’s even moving from where he is.”
“He’s part of a bigger mystery. I can stay and tell you all about it or…”
Diana took Maggie by the shoulders. “This day started with a robbery in here. Something good should happen today! This guy can wait till you get back, I’ll make sure of it. Go on that date!”
Maggie hugged her sister. “I promise I’ll tell you everything, later.”
“Goes without saying, now go get ready.” Diana tried to smile at her sister but settled for squeezing her hand, leaving Maggie with the distinct impression she knew more than she was telling. But she was already pushing Maggie out of the garage and toward the house. Any stories about gnomes or questions about Elementals would have to wait till later.
Chapter Sixteen
Maggie let the rideshare drop her off at the corner. She saw Jake from a block away standing nervously outside of Swift’s Attic Restaurant on Congress Avenue. She had hastily taken a shower and pulled on her favorite blue dress, wincing at the purple and black bruise blooming along her ribs as she pulled the dress over her head.
She crossed the street and waved as he noticed her, a smile instantly coming across his face, surprising her.
“Hey, you haven’t been waiting long?” She stepped up onto the curb, and he covered the short distance between them, kissing her briefly on the lips, his hand on her elbow.
Maggie turned in time to see an elderly man patiently waiting by the curb nearby for his wife, smiling at her with his hand out. “Beautifully done, dear,” he said, kissing his wife’s hand as she let out a delighted laugh and wove her hand inside his offered arm. They turned and headed down the side street as Maggie watched for a moment, mesmerized. That’s what I want.
Jake followed her gaze and smiled, offering his arm to Maggie. She felt her face redden and pressed her lips together, even as she took his arm and felt a small thrill as her fingers wrapped around his strong bicep. She looked up at him and smiled. I can do this.
Her confidence rose and she imagined just how she’d tell Diana she rocked this fourth date. Not such an unsolvable mystery after all. Of course, that was just before she felt the toe of her shoe make solid contact with the uneven sidewalk. It was too late.
Her forward momentum carried her toward the ground, even as she held tight to Jake’s arm. Her purse went flying through the air, the strap slipping off her shoulder and the contents spraying across the sidewalk. The Austin gold shield came to rest right next to her favorite carnation red lipstick.
Jake quickly pivoted, blocking her from falling all the way to her knees, but providing a perfect place for her to mash her face into his neatly pressed white shirt. She let out an “Oof,” feeling a short current of pain from her ribs. She gritted her teeth for a moment, determined to ignore it. She was already making enough of a scene.
“Are you okay?” His look of concern was only making it worse. She glanced back and forth between his face and the perfect red carnation lip imprint on the center of his shirt.
“I am so sorry.” Maggie reached out and touched his chest, only to realize she was touching his chest and yanked her hand back, her eyes widening. “Hang on, I’ve got this.” She crouched down in her best heels, tucking her dress as she reached out and scooped her belongings toward her. Jake knelt down beside her, handing her the badge as she pulled out a tissue and dabbed at the lipstick stain, leaving an even larger smear. “Oh… no…”
She finally looked back at his face, crouched next to him there on the sidewalk and realized he was grinning from ear to ear. “It’s okay. Maybe I can get you to autograph it later and I can keep it as a memento.”
Maggie’s mouth dropped open, trying to think of something to say, but instead laughter bubbled up, spilling out. Jake’s smile spread to his eyes, lines deepening around them as he held out his hand and helped her stand up.
Maggie kept on laughing, Jake’s arm around her back as she scanned the sidewalk for anything else.
Jake placed her hand back inside the crook of his arm. “That was really nice of you to break the ice for both of us tonight. Very generous. Things can only get easier from here.”
Maggie let out a giggle and they walked the rest of the way to the restaurant. “I can’t guarantee that, Jake. It’s been a really weird day and we have a few hours ahead of us. I’d suggest you just keep that bar low.”
He held open the door. “Sounds like we already have our first topic of discussion.”
The smile left Maggie’s face for a moment. How would she talk about any of it? “Work’s not my favorite topic. Or my mother, or my father.” She was talking way too fast.
“We all have complicated families. After you?” He pointed to the stairs that led up to the restaurant on the second floor.
“Best to leave my family out of it altogether. How about those Cowboys?” The general sense of impending doom she usually got when on a date was creeping back inside of her.
She marched up the long flight of stairs, making faces that Jake couldn’t see, coming up the narrow stairs behind her. I can outrun a perp. I am a good sister and a daughter. Apparently, I can now talk to trees…
“Did you see they kept a good wide receiver with potential and a fullback who can block?”
Maggie jerked her head back to look over her shoulder and saw the same broad smile across Jake’s face.
“Randall Cobb would make a good choice as a wide receiver,” she said. All those hours of listening to Taylor talk endlessly about the Cowboys was about to pay off.
&n
bsp; Jake’s eyebrows went up and he tilted his head. “Ah, not bad, not bad at all. Better watch where you’re going till we get to the top.” He smiled again, even though Maggie was looking at the stain on his shirt as much as the grin on his face.
“Right, no more Cirque de Soleil moves for tonight.”
“Well, I didn’t say that…”
Maggie laughed as they reached the hostess, forgetting herself for a moment. “Yeah, I know, fourth date protocol…”
The hostess smiled, picking up two menus. “Right this way.”
Maggie realized what she had said and sputtered, trying to think of something else to say. She was out of football quotes.
Jake slipped his arm back around her waist. “How about it’s just a dinner date and we can get to know each other even better. We’ll throw the protocol out and figure this out for ourselves.”
He pulled out her chair and waited for her to take a seat as she felt herself take in a slow, deep breath. “Even better plan.” She shook her head. “I kind of have this honesty thing that I can’t shake. I say what I’m thinking a lot of the time and sometimes the most interesting things come out.”
“I’ve noticed.” He put up his hand in protest. “And I like it. Don’t lose that. I like how direct you are. I never have to guess what you’re thinking.”
Maggie glanced down at the menu. “So, you’re a manager at the CVS on Guadalupe. You haven’t said much about it. What’s that like?”
“Sometimes it’s like herding cats and we always have to keep an extra storage space for the cash register tape.”
“Oh, yeah, good one. I get it. ExtraBucks. Long…receipt…” Maggie held her hand up in the air. Jake made being on a date look so easy. It was helping.
“We’re known for that and our ‘as seen on TV’ aisle. That’s where I generally do all my gift shopping.”
“Good to know. Practical and economical. You can even get a discount.”
“My mother says I’m always thinking. Have you been here before? The Korean shrimp and grits are really good.”
“That’s the first time I’ve heard you mention your family.”
“They’re an interesting bunch. Loud and opinionated and a lot of cousins.”
Maggie sat back and listened to him talk, her shoulder dropping as she gave a small smile. He is so easy to be with.
Dinner progressed without knocking over a wine glass or a lull in the conversation. Maggie found herself telling Jake about Diana, and the time their father took them to Barton Springs pool but told them to stay away from the deep end. “Of course, I didn’t listen and dove in feet first and immediately sank like a rock. Diana jumped in after me and pulled me to the side before Dad found out. I was so thankful to her I gave her one of my best Barbies. But then she confessed and spilled that I ruined her cannonball and she pulled me out of there because I was in the way.”
“Oooh, so both of you have to be honest.” Jake laughed, taking a sip of his wine.
“Looks that way, even though Diana swears with me it’s chronic.”
A trill sounded and Jake scrambled for his phone. “Sorry, thought I had muted it. Hey, it’s the store, hang on just a moment.”
“A CVS emergency? Sure, no problem.”
Jake gave a tight smile, holding the phone up to his ear.
Maggie wrinkled her forehead and looked around the restaurant, trying not to eavesdrop. Jake held up a finger and slowly rose from his chair.
“I’ll only be a minute, I promise.”
“No problem,” nodded Maggie. “Must be out of register tape,” she muttered as he walked toward the men’s room. She checked her own phone. Only a text from her sister reminding her to wear the good underwear. “What, did I think a gnome who lives under the ground would text me?”
She sat back, picking up her wine glass and took a healthy sip. “Yeah, one weird day.”
“Why are you calling me? I thought I made myself clear.” Jake hissed into the phone, huddling near the kitchen. He glanced around the corner at Maggie pouring herself a healthy fill from the wine bottle and ducked back before she turned her head in his direction.
“I know what the mission is, and I understand my duty. But, like I’ve already said more than once, I’m also half human, not just Kashgar. Besides, you haven’t shown me any proof that she’s that valuable to some cause.” He ran his hand through his hair, the frustration building.
“Yes, some cause.” He said it louder than he intended, and the sous chef looked up from the carrots he was chopping, glancing over at Jake.
“You tell me a bunch of stories that are supposed to be thousands of years old and some grand scheme and I’m supposed to just buy it because you said it. So, yeah, some cause.” He shook his head. “It’s not enough to get me to do what you’re talking about. Not by a mile.” He glanced nervously at his watch. “I’m going, I’ve been gone too long as it is. Do what you want, but I’m out.”
The menacing voice of the local Kashgar leader on the other end spoke very clearly and very slowly. “You had better keep a close eye on her and report back, at the very least. And before you interrupt me again, keep in mind that if you don’t, I’ll send someone else and they may not be as enchanted by the Elemental as you are. As a matter of fact, maybe I should just take my own advice.”
“Fine!” Jake cut him off. “I’ll report back but that’s all you’ll get from me.” He hung up the phone before the leader could say anything else and stood there, waiting for his heart rate to slow down, slowly counting to ten. He was going to have to find a way to tell them about Maggie Parker and the compass but without getting either one of them killed. “Or letting her find out about my complicated family.”
Jake walked swiftly back to the table, making sure to plant a smile on his face. He slid into his seat and looked over at Maggie.
“Everything okay?” she asked.
“What? Oh, yeah, just some mix up with a delivery. The assistant manager wasn’t sure what to say and they were pressing her for an answer.”
“You ever notice how a CVS Pharmacy and a Walgreen’s are always close to each other? And they’re everywhere.” Maggie giggled, letting out a burp, slapping her hand over her mouth. She could feel the effects of the wine. “Well, you did say you like how transparent I am,” she said through her fingers.
Jake smiled and reached across the table for her other hand, holding it tight. “Let’s take a walk under the stars.”
Maggie looked at him, startled, glancing at his wrists. No tattoo. Okay, let it go. This is Jake and this is the fourth date.
Jake insisted on driving Maggie home and walking her all the way to her door. Her buzz from the wine had worn off and she was left with trying to enjoy the moment while pushing out thoughts about the strange man with the star tattoo trussed up in her garage and if Diana was watching out of any of the windows. She opened her mouth to say something just as Jake leaned in and gently opened his mouth, licking the edge of her teeth. She felt her shoulders relax and just for a moment, she forgot about the very weird day.
She wrapped her arms around him and met his tongue with her own. Magic and talking trees and mystery thugs in the garage would have to wait a minute or two. Maybe I do know how to do this.
She felt his hand slide across the small of her back and pull her closer, her chin tilted up. Yeah, this is nice. Sure, I could do second base. Why not, I’m a grown up. Is that what they still call it? Of course it is…
Jake tenderly bit her bottom lip and slid his tongue back in, pressing her closer.
Oh yeah… Okay… Never mind. At last, the thoughts stopped spinning around in her head.
The grackles sitting on the electric lines above let out a squawk, taking flight. There was a message to deliver, the Elemental had returned home safely. The Huldus would want to know.
Maggie heard them in the background but failed to notice anything unusual. She was a little busy.
Chapter Seventeen
Maggie stood i
n the doorway of her garage swearing under her breath. “Son of a…” The garage was empty and all that remained where there should have been a strange man were torn ropes. Diana’s knot didn’t hold. “I don’t believe that. He didn’t wriggle his way out of here. That’s not what did it.” Maggie had first-hand knowledge of getting hogtied by her sister when they were younger. Diana found her reading her diary and had chased her throughout the house and out to the backyard.
She had to promise a Barbie outfit and giving her cover with Mom when she snuck out to get Diana to untie her. The girls had started sneaking out at night at a young age and Maggie would have covered for her anyway.
“This guy has friends.” Maggie crouched down, still in her heels and gently dug around the area, examining the rope ends. Clean cut, in strategic spots. “Whoever it was came prepared and knew what they were doing.”
Just moments before she had been walking through the backyard, lightheaded, thinking about the feeling of kissing a man. Kissing Jake. But then she saw that the door was ajar, and she was immediately ripped back into the present circumstances of her life.
Magic, check. Planet really a ship, check. Same big world not happy she still exists, check. Compass, nope. Thug with strange tattoo tied up in the garage, also nope.
She had just been on her front porch wrapped in Jake’s embrace for what felt like a moment but really lasted minutes. But then the porch light came on followed by the sound of Diana swearing and turning it back off just as quickly, interrupting the mood. They had sheepishly pulled apart with one last lingering kiss and a promise from Jake to wait at least till tomorrow before texting.
Maggie was still smiling when she passed by Diana who was standing by the kitchen island, apologizing profusely. Didn’t matter. Maggie felt a warm thrill inside that had nothing to do with the back of her neck. A different kind of magic.
That was shoved aside, and a calm came over her as she easily slid into detachment and what had become instinct as a detective. She stood back up, hands on hips and assessed the scene, stepping back outside the garage to look up and down the alley, listening for any unusual sounds. There was nothing but the sound of traffic blocks away on Fifth Street. But to the left Maggie saw a small piece of the rope that had been left behind and went to retrieve it. The ends were driven over.