by C A Phipps
The lump in her throat made it difficult to answer for a few seconds. “Darn. You had me at please.”
Angel gave a winner’s grin. “Phew, I am so glad that’s settled. Late afternoon? I should be finished by then and you’ll end the work day on a good note.”
“I’ll be there.”
Maddie walked into the kitchen, shaking her head, knowing she’d been played. Luke was wiping down surfaces and Laura frowned.
“I’ve done all those,” she said.
“What? Oh. Yes. I forgot.”
Something was clearly bugging him.
“I’m just going to take the rubbish out.”
Laura gave Maddie an odd look and when he had shut the door behind him, she peeked out the window from behind the curtain.
“Why are you checking up on him?”
Laura didn’t turn away. “I’m worried about him. He already put the rubbish out.”
“Perhaps he forgot?”
“I don’t think so. He’s outside Angel’s garden now.” Laura had practically bent herself in half, with her head twisted at an odd angle, so she could see up the road. “He’s talking to Beth. They look like they’re arguing.”
Maddie was intrigued. “I didn’t know they knew each other. Did you?”
“Not until today. You don’t suppose that they’re an item, so you?”
“I have no idea what to think. Angel might know.”
Chapter Twenty-One
As arranged, Maddie went up the road to the salon. Beth greeted her in a very professional manner and waited until she’d undone her braid and shaken it out before showing her to one of Angel’s two chairs.
“You have beautiful hair Ms. Flynn.” Beth wrapped her a plastic cloak around her.
“Thank you. Please call me Maddie.”
The girl gave a small smile in the mirror. “You must have been growing it forever.
“Maybe not forever, but I hardly ever cut it because it only gets tied up.” It really had been years and her braid was now down to her lower back. “It’s darn heavy and takes forever to dry.”
“Are you getting much off?”
She turned to her friend at the reception desk working on her computer. “What do you think, Angel?”
Angel tapped a long nail on her lower lip. “I think a few inches is all we need. Why mess with such gorgeous hair that everyone envies?”
Maddie smiled at the compliment. “There you go. My hairdresser has spoken.”
Beth smiled as she reclined the chair and Maddie thought how much more attractive she was when she did so. Then she was treated to the most wonderful shampoo.
She hadn’t felt this relaxed for some time. If ever. “This is heaven.”
Angel walked passed and grinned at her expression.
“Isn’t it. I had Beth practice on me a few times before I let her loose on the clients and I knew she had a gift right away. She’s a natural.”
Beth blushed with pleasure, and Maddie sighed, “I totally agree. I could start coming in every week for this.”
Angel laughed and went to answer the phone.
The hands in her hair stilled for a moment, as if Beth forgot she was there.
“Everything okay?”
In the mirror she could see Beth check that Angel had taken the phone out the back of the salon. Her hands began to move again, but not quite as before. Then she leaned down, speaking softly into Maddie’s wet ear.
“Those animals that went missing . . .”
Maddie felt a shiver run down her back and it wasn’t the water that Beth had inadvertently dripped down there. “Yes?”
“Some got returned, right?’
“They did. Although it was only a couple. My cat is still missing, and I believe there are far more than we know about in the same situation. Why do you ask?”
“I was worried about them. How many do you think there are?”
“I can’t say for sure, but I think more than a dozen. Stealing pets is a despicable thing to do, isn’t it?”
There was silence for a few moments, and Maddie waited, unsure where this was going, but knowing that this wasn’t a random conversation.
Beth rinsed her off, then began a conditioning treatment and resumed the conversation.
“It isn’t right. But, they might just be lost, isn’t that so?”
“If they were lost, some of the owners wouldn’t have received ransom letters.” Maddie’s voice came out a little harsh.
Startled, Beth drew in a deep breath. “Surely, the animals will be looked after?”
“I’m hoping so, but imagine if you were taken from your family without warning? With no way of getting back to them. Big Red is part of my family, just as I’m sure the others are to their owners. The animals and owners are suffering.”
“I guess it would be awful.”
“Let’s just say that carrying on as normal is darn hard when he’s constantly on my mind. I had no brothers or sisters so Big Red fills a huge gap.”
She could feel the emotions bubbling up as her words caught in her throat, and Beth glanced into the mirror.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to upset you.”
“That’s okay. I’m a bit of a softie when it comes to animals in general, but that big cat of mine is so much more than a pet.”
Beth gave a shaky smile and renewed her efforts on Maddie’s hair. It really was so good and she managed to relax, but not quite as much as before. When the teenager had finished, she toweled her off and led her to a chair where Angel was now waiting to do the cutting.
“Angel, do you mind if I take a break?”
“Go ahead, Sugar. The next appointment is in half an hour, so take your time.”
Beth went through the small lunchroom and out the back door, shutting it behind her.
Tires squealed in Plum Place and Angel tutted. “That’ll be the boyfriend on his bike. He never leaves her alone.”
The sound put Maddie’s teeth on edge. “What do you mean?”
“He’s always here to drop her off or pick her up, which is fine, but he hangs around each time she has a break as well.”
“Isn’t that kind of sweet?”
“No, I don’t think it is. Not when Beth comes back looking like she’s been crying. And other things.”
Angel and Maddie didn’t have secrets, so her hesitation was odd.
“What other things?”
Angel made a rude noise. “I swear she has a bruise on her cheek. From two days ago.”
“Like she’d been hit?”
“Exactly. Beth tries to cover it with make-up, but growing up the way I did I can spot that kind of thing a mile away.”
Maddie hadn’t seen the boyfriend, but she hated violence and immediately wanted to protect the girl. “That’s terrible. What can we do about it?”
“You know, I hadn’t decided to do anything, but just saying this aloud makes me think I will say something.”
Angel was clearly upset with herself over her lack of action.
“If it’s what you think and she wants to press charges, we can get Ethan involved.”
“Good idea. It may take a while to get the opportunity. I don’t want her to be upset around customers, or embarrass her by having them overhear her business.”
“Let me know how it goes. I hate the thought of anyone touching a woman that way.”
“Sugar, there’s a lot of it going on. Doesn’t make it right, but it does make it harder for women to complain about it.”
“Some people have a funny concept of love.” Maddie couldn’t help thinking of her ex, Dalton, who couldn’t understand why she was so upset when she caught him having a fling with her flat mate. He’d wanted to carry on as if nothing happened and even tried to spin it that it was somehow her fault!
“Isn’t that the truth.”
If anyone could understand it was Angel. Marrying their high school football star had given her nothing but heartache. And plenty of bruises. They gave each other a
sympathetic look in the mirror.
“Anyway, you haven’t said who this boy is?” Maddie asked.
“He’s never come in, so I don’t know. Beth doesn’t talk about him either. I don’t think she even likes him, otherwise why does she look so scared every time she leaves with him?”
“I really don’t like the sound of that at all. Please talk to her soon, Angel. It would be awful if something happened to her.”
Angel shivered. “I’d never forgive myself.”
As she walked back to the bakery, Maddie had a vision of Laura watching Luke argue with Beth.
Surely, the boy Beth was seeing couldn’t be Luke? Could it?
Chapter Twenty-Two
Ethan stopped by after closing to see how she was. He was in the kitchen, with his hat in his hands, eyebrows raised at the leftover box Luke had packed before he left.
“Go ahead. Take as much as you like.”
“Aren’t these being donated?”
“They get picked up every other day and I don’t keep anything with cream just in case it goes bad.”
His eyes widened at the selection and after his hand hovered over various items several times, he took a chocolate éclair and a seat at the counter. She almost laughed at the look on his face as he took his first bite. It reminded her how she’d felt earlier today when she’d experienced the shampooing from Beth.
“Have you seen Angel today?”
He had a little cream on the edge of his mouth and as strong as the urge was to wipe it away, she handed him a napkin instead.
He grinned as he took the hint, after cramming the rest in his mouth. “Angel? Not today. Although I can see you have. Your hair looks gorgeous. Why?”
She waved away his compliment, secretly pleased he’d noticed. They were alone, so Maddie decided to relay their conversation about Beth.
His eyes hardened. “I’ve noticed she gets scared every time she sees me. Now I know why. She’s protecting this guy, whoever he is.”
“Please don’t say anything to Beth until Angel’s had a word. This needs a delicate touch.”
“I won’t, but if I’m going to be effective I’ll need a name.”
Maddie kept the fear to herself about Luke, because she truly couldn’t believe it of him. “None of us have seen him. What about the license plate of his bike? We could keep a lookout?”
“That will do nicely. Even if it’s not his, it will give us a place to start. You’ve got a good head for this business.”
She took his compliment and ran with it. “What happened to the person who was killed in that car crash near Destiny?”
His hat got a severe twisting. “No, Maddie. You are not getting involved in this any more than you are.”
She chewed her top lip for a moment. “So, it did have something to do with the case?”
He threw his hands in the air. “Which case? They could all be separate incidents for all we know.”
“Sure, and a roll is the same as a croissant.”
“Ahhh. Okay?”
“You know what I mean. There is no such thing as coincidence.”
Sighing, he looked longingly at the tray. “What have you been reading up on now?”
She pushed the tray closer to him. “What can I say? I like research.”
Ethan shook his head and reluctantly pushed it away. “Well stop it, and stop trying to feed me. It’s called ‘bribery and corruption’.”
“Are you telling me what to do again?” she teased.
His mouth twitched in that cute way he had.
“I don’t think I can answer that.”
“Pleading the fifth amendment are we?”
“If that’s what it takes for you not to tangle me up with your twisted logic.”
“Logic that is often right.”
He raised his eyebrows. “It’s not a game. With a murderer, and a kidnapper, albeit only around animals so far, you’re safer away from this.”
The idea of being kidnapped again made her a little queasy, but she was already involved and he looked away while he continued.
“I’m very fond of Big Red. I don’t know any of the others, but I’m doing the best I can for all of them.”
So that was it. He felt he was letting her down. “Your commitment isn’t in question. It’s just that time is marching by and no one is coming forward. People are keeping secrets that have to be uncovered soon, if the animals have any chance. Imagine those with owners who love them like I love Big Red. Can you see that it is a terrible place to be? The not knowing?”
He looked pained. “Point taken. Perhaps I don’t understand it the way you do, or have the appreciation for pets the way other people do. There are guidelines for how I do my job, but maybe I could try another approach.”
Maddie felt a surge of excitement, resisting the urge to do a fist pump. “Yes!”
He grinned, his dimple flashing, and Maddie had to take a step back from all that handsomeness. He was listening, and he would try harder. That had to be enough for now. The way he looked at her was too much right now. When they were done with searching for Big Red and the rest, when the murderer was found, maybe then they could find time for themselves.
Just then the sound of squealing tires had Maddie running to the door, she slammed out of it so hard that the handle smashed back against the wall as she jumped down the stairs and ran down the path to the walk.
By the time she got there, the vehicle had disappeared around the corner.
“What the heck, Maddie?” Ethan was beside her, looking at her like she had a screw loose.
“That was the boy’s bike. The one Beth gets picked up on each night.”
“Are you sure?”
“I hear it every day. Who else drives down Plum Place? Teenagers don’t bother in case Gran sees them and tells their parents. This driver obviously doesn’t know Gran. Or doesn’t care.”
His mouth dropped open for a second. “Is that her coming this way?”
Someone was coming down the street from the cottage. While it couldn’t be said she was running, Gran was certainly moving at a cracking pace, with Laura hot on her heels. Nearly seventy-year-olds, didn’t move this way unless something was amiss.
Maddie ran up the street. “Gran, what’s happened?” she yelled when they were within shouting distance. Gran thrust something at Laura and pushed her in front, whereby she ran to Maddie, her red bun bobbing furiously.
“You have a note,” she said as she stopped in front of Maddie, gasping for breath. “A ransom note. There was no envelope. It was on the rocker, when we heard the squeal of brakes, it reminded us of when Mrs. Oliver was run over. We ran outside and found this.”
Ethan was a lot quicker than she was. He snatched at the note before Maddie had a chance. She stood on tiptoes looking over his shoulder.
“If you want to keep your monster of a cat alive, be at the quarry at the end of town 7pm tomorrow night. Bring one thousand dollars. You will receive directions to find the cat once the money has been paid. Put the money into the bag you’ll find under the left hand corner of the tank. No police or no cat.
“Thank goodness!” she said, as Gran arrived, out of breath and red cheeked.
“Madeline Flynn!” She stamped her foot. “You are not going to any quarry.”
“Gran . . . It’s Big Red. I have to go.”
“Let’s take this into the bakery.” Ethan said, firmly as he looked around them.
He ushered them inside. Maddie tried to use the time to think of something to make Gran and Ethan see she had to take the risk. They stood at the counter, and, unasked, Laura peeled off to make tea.
“Did either of you see the vehicle clearly?” he asked.
“No, not clearly. We were too late for that, but it was definitely a motorcycle. Black, I think.” Laura answered.
Gran was still looking at Maddie with annoyance and fear when Ethan came to her rescue, surprising her as much as the others.
“I have to clear things with
the detective, but I’m thinking that there is no other way to do this, Gran. If Maddie doesn’t go, then the petnapper will simply not show.” Ethan pulled out all the stops with his soft cajoling voice.
Gran was impervious. She crossed her arms and glared at him. “I won’t have Maddie in danger, Ethan. I won’t.”
He encouraged her to sit, and he took a seat opposite her. “I understand, but I’ll be there to watch over her.”
“That’s all well and good, but can you promise she won’t get hurt?”
“You know I can’t. But I do promise to do everything in my power to keep that from happening.”
“That’s not good enough.” She said with a stubbornness that only seemed to surface when her granddaughter was at the heart of things.
Maddie picked up a worn hand. “It’ll be all right. If I don’t do this and Big Red never comes home, I won’t forgive myself and I suspect you wouldn’t either.”
Gran cradled her hand with both of hers, her lips quivering. “I don’t want to lose you.”
Gran had always acted as if she was okay with Maddie’s decision to move to New York City. Even when she had stayed to train in a family bakery she had been nothing but supportive. This reminded her again of how unselfish her grandmother was. And, of how loving and caring she had always been.
“I know how you feel, but I can’t lose Big Red. I’ll be careful and do everything Ethan says.”
Gran snorted. “That will be the day. I guess you’re doing it, no matter what I have to say. Just make sure you don’t take any crazy risks.”
This was how she had become the Madeline Flynn of today—with a person in your corner who not only protected you fiercely, but also backed you in that same way. It wasn’t about giving in; it was to do with not giving up. Gran never had.
Maddie took the still smooth cheeks in her hands and kissed her Gran on both of them.
“You are a marvel,” she said sincerely.
Gran held her tight. “And you better not make me regret it.”
Over tea they discussed the ransom, which Maddie would collect tomorrow. Luckily the bank had begun opening for a couple of hours on Saturday morning.