“Hey, everything okay?”
“In all the craziness, I forgot to bring my slip with me that I’m going to be wearing,” Geanie said, sounding miserable.
“I can bring it to you.”
“Thank you, I really appreciate it.”
“That’s what a maid of honor is for,” Cindy said, forcing herself to sound cheerful to counter Geanie’s gloominess.
“It’s hanging in a garment bag to the left of my closet. It’s that big, monstrous slip with all the layers.”
“How can I forget? That thing is bigger than both of us combined. I’ll grab it and be there in fifteen, maybe less.”
“You’re a life saver, thank you.”
Cindy hung up, grabbed the slip and a minute later was in the car headed downtown. It was busy and she circled for five minutes looking for a parking place before she finally called Geanie.
“I’m here, I just can’t park.”
“That’s okay, I’ll run out and grab it from you and then you can just keep driving back home,” Geanie said.
“Thanks, I haven’t seen one car leave yet and I’m not the only one circling.”
Cindy turned the corner and drove down the street where the entrance to the bridal shop was, still scanning for a parking spot. There were none, but up ahead she saw Geanie exit the store wearing the dress.
Cindy pulled as far to the side as she could so other cars could get around her and put on her hazard lights just for good measure. She unlocked the doors just as Geanie reached her.
Geanie opened the back door and reached for the bag with the slip with one hand while struggling to hold the gown up off the ground with the other.
“I’m surprised you’re daring to wear that dress where prying eyes might see,” Cindy teased.
“I didn’t want to take it off just to put it back on again,” Geanie said. “Thanks for this.”
“Not a prob-”
A thunderous explosion ripped through the air and Cindy stared in horror as a fireball shot out of the front window of the bridal shop.
2
The shockwave threw Geanie against the car and a moment later debris was raining down all around them. Geanie disappeared from sight and Cindy threw open her car door and ran around to the other side, hands over her head to keep from getting hit by anything.
Geanie was slumped on the ground, face slack. Cindy couldn’t tell what had knocked her unconscious but she knew she couldn’t leave her there with bits of wood still falling. She could feel heat from the fire that was just steps away and seemed to be building in intensity. She braced herself for another explosion even as she reached down and grabbed hold of Geanie.
Through brute strength she got her off the ground and onto the backseat of the car before slamming the door shut and running back around and climbing in the driver’s seat. Every instinct in her told her to drive, to get away before something else exploded.
The car was hemmed in, though. Other drivers had stopped all over the street, effectively blocking everyone as they gawked at the carnage. Black smoke was now pouring out of the building and engulfing parts of the street.
She felt a stinging on her back and reached up to feel a welt on her shoulder blade where something must have hit her while she was trying to move Geanie. She pounded the steering wheel in frustration. There was nowhere to go, nowhere to run. All she could do was pray that there wasn’t another explosion.
She turned and looked in the back seat. Geanie was still out cold. With a start Cindy realized that part of the wedding dress was actually smoldering. She slapped at it with her hands, until it went out. She checked as best she could to see if there were any other embers burning their way through the dress but she couldn’t see any.
A bruise was already forming on Geanie’s cheekbone and Cindy wondered if something had hit her there or if it had been impact with the car that caused it. People began running everywhere. Patrons of the other businesses were flowing out into the streets. A couple of people were hauling buckets of water that would never even make a dent in the blaze that was going on.
Cindy forced herself to take several deep breaths. Now was not the time to go into shock. She studied the street again, trying to see if there was any way she could get them out of there. At last she realized that they weren’t going anywhere without help.
Detective Mark Walters was sitting at his desk finishing up a report when his partner, Liam, stopped at his desk with an envelope in hand.
“What’s up?” Mark asked.
Liam handed him the envelope. “This came for you. An officer found it just outside the building, laying on the ground. Someone must have dropped it.”
Mark frowned as he took the envelope. That seemed odd to him. His name was on the front, but no address or any other markings. It definitely raised red flags for him. Then again, a lot of the digging he’d been doing lately could have led someone to want to communicate with him anonymously.
He grabbed a letter opener and sliced open the envelope. Inside was an index card with unfamiliar handwriting scrawled across it.
Ask him what his name is.
Mark stared at the note, struggling to comprehend its meaning. For the past ten months he’d been trying to discover the real identity of his former partner, Paul, who had been killed. In November he’d thought he’d discovered a clue while visiting a small town called Righteousness, something that would link Paul to a cult leader who had disappeared years before. The trail had been difficult to follow, though, and he’d grown desperate, casting his net far and wide to try and get any kind of information.
He reread the note. How could he possibly ask Paul his name? The man was dead and he hadn’t been very forthcoming even when he was alive. He’d grown so frustrated in his search for the truth that he’d even enlisted the help of the church secretary and the rabbi since they seemed to be so good at solving impossible crimes. Even they hadn’t been much help, though.
“Everything okay?” Liam asked.
Mark struggled with how to answer that. Liam knew a little bit about his investigation into Paul but he was hesitant to bring his new partner completely on the inside for his own safety. Mark had been told months ago that the investigation was closed and he didn’t want to involve Liam in matters that were strictly off the books and on their own time.
As it turned out he didn’t have to answer at all.
“There’s been a massive explosion downtown!” someone shouted.
Everywhere officers began to move. An explosion was trouble and downtown meant there were going to be a lot of people to question, a lot of ground to cover, especially if it turned out not to be an accident. Liam was already headed to the door when Mark jumped up to join him. They had just reached the car when Mark’s phone rang.
A sudden sense of dread filled him as he pulled out the phone. “Hello?” he asked, answering it.
“Mark! It’s Cindy, there’s been an explosion!”
He closed his eyes. “Please tell me you’re okay.”
“I am, but Geanie’s unconscious and I’m pretty sure the people inside the bridal shop are dead.”
“Ambulances should be on their way.”
“Mark, listen to me. I think someone’s trying to kill Geanie.”
Of course they were, because that was the world they lived in. The moment the phone rang he had known in his gut it was Cindy calling.
“We’ll be right there. Don’t let anyone near her until I arrive,” he said before hanging up.
“What’s going on?” Liam asked as Mark yanked open the car door.
“It’s official. This is a murder investigation.”
Jeremiah was in the park jogging with his dog, Captain, when he heard the first ambulance go by. It wasn’t that unusual so he didn’t think much of it until he heard a fire truck just a few heartbeats later. He stopped. Three police cars went by, one after the other, and that’s when he knew something was really wrong.
He slipped his phone out of his po
cket and tried calling Cindy. It went to voicemail. He put the phone away and headed for his car at a run with Captain racing along beside him.
Before starting the car he tried once more to get hold of Cindy. This time she picked up.
“Where are you?” he asked without preamble.
“Downtown. There’s been an explosion in the bridal shop.”
“Are you okay?”
“Yes, but Geanie’s not.”
“I’ll be right there.”
“The streets are jammed. They’re having trouble getting the emergency vehicles through.”
“I’ll find a way,” he assured her before hanging up.
Why was it whenever something bad happened in this town Cindy seemed to be right at the heart of it? He was less than five minutes from the store she was talking about. As he gunned the engine and ran a stop sign his mind raced on ahead to what he was going to find.
He was a little more than half a mile away from the store when he was forced to pull over to the side and park. There was a policeman up ahead turning cars around and past him Jeremiah could see a snarl of traffic.
He rolled down the window to let in air and ordered Captain to watch the car. The dog whined but sat down in the passenger seat obediently.
Jeremiah got out of the car and jogged forward.
“We’re sealing off this area,” the officer directing traffic told him.
“I’m a rabbi,” Jeremiah responded. As a member of the clergy he had access to trauma sites that a regular civilian wouldn’t necessarily have. The officer waved him through before returning his attention to the cars.
Jeremiah weaved through the parked cars, making his way toward the bridal shop. He could see smoke in the air now and his eyes were beginning to water. Cindy had said she was okay but that Geanie was not. He prayed for their safety and dreaded what he was going to find. He was supposed to be fitted for a tuxedo for the wedding in about an hour. He just hoped that it didn’t end up being a black suit for a funeral instead.
Firefighters and paramedics filled the street the bridal shop was on. Jeremiah’s eyes flitted everywhere. He saw Geanie’s car, half covered in rubble right next to the shop but there was no sign of Cindy. He walked a little farther and then spotted Cindy’s car. There was debris on it as well but nothing like what coated the other car.
The fire was just about out but the smoke still hung thick in the air as he jogged up to the car. Cindy was in the driver’s seat, but she was looking at Geanie who was laying down on the back seat.
He rapped on the window and Cindy looked up at him startled. A moment later her door flew open and she launched herself at him, hugging him fiercely. She began to shake and he held her tight. She did seem to be alright except for a burn on her shoulder. Ash dusted her hair and clothes.
“What happened?” he asked.
“We’d like to know that, too,” Mark said, walking up with his partner. He glanced at Jeremiah and shook his head. “I should be surprised that you made it here before us, but somehow I’m not.”
Cindy pulled away and wiped at her eyes. “Geanie was supposed to have her new dress fitted this evening. She forgot her slip and I was bringing it to her. There was no parking so she came out here to grab it from me and then the store blew up. It knocked her unconscious and I managed to get her into the backseat. She-she hasn’t woken up yet.”
“Liam, get one of the paramedics over here. If he gives you any trouble, arrest him if you have to,” Mark said.
Liam turned and trotted off.
“Now, what makes you think this wasn’t just an accident?” Mark asked.
“Because a car tried to run us down earlier today.”
“What?” Mark and Jeremiah said in chorus.
“I thought it was an accident at the time, but now...”
“Now, not so much. I get it. Why didn’t you call me earlier?” Mark asked.
“We filed a police report. The clerk at the minimart where it happened got the license plate and called the police. I’m sure you can find all the information. Maybe you can find the person who did this and stop them.”
“Why would someone want to kill Geanie?” Jeremiah asked.
“If you ask me, to get to Joseph,” Mark said grimly.
It made sense. A man of Joseph’s wealth and position was far more likely to have enemies than a graphic artist who worked for a church. That’s exactly what this wedding didn’t need was more drama. His secretary, Marie, had been giving him grief for weeks about being the best man at a Protestant wedding. When she heard this news, which she somehow would, she was going to be impossible to deal with.
He took a deep breath. His problems with a bossy, overprotective secretary were the least of all their worries right now. They had to figure out who was behind this and how they could keep Geanie safe.
And Cindy.
It hadn’t escaped his notice that she’d also been in the line of fire for both incidents. With her as the maid of honor and the wedding right around the corner, and now all of this, she was probably going to be at Geanie’s side every moment which put her in just as much danger as the bride.
Liam returned with a paramedic in tow. The man instantly began to check Geanie over. Jeremiah moved a couple of steps away and Mark followed him.
“I need to call Joseph, see if he has any clue who might want to mess up his wedding,” Mark said.
“We’re supposed to be having our tuxedo fittings in just a few minutes. He’s probably already at the store.”
Mark went pale and pulled out his phone. “What’s his number?”
Jeremiah retrieved his phone and rattled off the number and watched as Mark waited impatiently for Joseph to pick up.
“Joseph, this is Detective Mark Walters. Where are you right now? Okay. Look, I need you to get out of there right now. Don’t ask, just move. I’ll meet you at your house in say thirty minutes. It’s an emergency,” Mark snapped at the end before disconnecting the call.
“You’re afraid someone’s going to bomb that shop, too?” Jeremiah asked.
“At the moment, anything is a possibility as far as I’m concerned. You know what they say, better safe than dead.”
“What’s going on?” Cindy asked.
She had gotten out of the car and was swaying slightly on her feet.
“Nothing, we were just checking up on Joseph, arranging to meet up with him,” Mark said.
“Officer,” the paramedic said, rising and turning toward Mark.
“Yes? How is she?”
“Well, she hit her head pretty good against something. I need to get her to the hospital. She needs to get X-rays and be thoroughly checked out.”
“Fine, but you take her straight to the hospital and don’t stop for anything. Cindy here will be accompanying her every step of the way. Is that clear?”
“Crystal.”
“Good. Now go.”
“You okay to handle this, Cindy?” Jeremiah asked.
She nodded.
“Maybe I should go, too.”
“No, I need you with me and Joseph.”
“Why?” Jeremiah asked.
“I just do. Do me a favor and for once just do what I tell you.”
Jeremiah took a step back. “You’re the detective.”
“And don’t forget it,” Mark snapped.
Something was clearly bothering him. Maybe once they got out of here he’d be able to find out. Jeremiah glanced to the side and saw that Liam was busy taking witness statements. He wondered if Mark’s partner was going to be accompanying them.
As if he’d read his mind Mark called over. “Liam!”
“Yeah?” the other cop answered.
“I need you to go the hospital with Cindy and Geanie. Don’t leave them alone for a second until you hear otherwise from me.”
“What’s going on?”
“I’ll fill you in later. Right now, you’re the one I’m trusting.”
Liam nodded and snapped shut his notebook a
nd pocketed it. He moved over and stood next to Cindy even as the paramedic returned with another man and a stretcher.
They waited until they saw them all into an ambulance.
“We’ll take my car,” Mark said.
“Okay, but I have to get Captain first. He’s waiting in my car.”
“Fine, go. I’m parked just up that way,” Mark said pointing.
Jeremiah nodded and headed quickly back to his car. Captain was eagerly waiting for him and a minute later he and the German Shepherd were weaving back through the cars headed for where Mark was waiting for them.
They were almost there when Captain gave a sudden, sharp tug on his leash. Jeremiah glanced down. The dog was looking off to one side, pulling in that direction.
“We’re not going that way, boy,” Jeremiah said, snapping his fingers to get the dog’s attention.
Captain whined and turned back forward. They took two more steps and the leash went taut again. Jeremiah stopped. The dog was definitely fixated on something, although what he couldn’t tell. He scanned the area, looking for something that could have set Captain off.
Suddenly he heard deep growling. He looked down. Captain had his teeth bared and all his muscles were coiled. He had never seen the dog look so menacing in the entire time he’d had him.
“What’s wrong, boy?” Jeremiah asked.
The dog lunged into a small cluster of bystanders his jaws clacking together.
3
“Captain!” Jeremiah shouted as he tried to pull the dog up short. His left foot slid in something wet on the ground and he staggered, nearly falling as he struggled to keep the dog back.
The crowd of onlookers scattered with shouts of alarm and Captain changed directions, pulling suddenly to the left. Jeremiah went down on one knee before struggling back up. He got a hand on Captain’s collar and the dog swung his head toward him as if he were going to bite. He saw Jeremiah, whined, and turned away again. His claws scraped against the cement and he strained with all his might.
For one second Jeremiah thought of letting him go and following him. With this many people around, including this many police, he decided that would be a bad idea. Instead he began walking swiftly, letting Captain lead him. He finally broke into a jog. The dog continued to try to lunge forward, clearly impatient and growing more desperate.
For His Name's Sake (Psalm 23 Mysteries) Page 2