I glanced warily between him and his truck, not wanting to be stranded in a cornfield today. I didn’t have the energy for it. But since I didn’t have the energy to fight with him either, I changed course and met him at his truck. With another wide, gaping yawn that would have my mom scolding me for being unladylike, I pulled myself up into the cab and fastened my seatbelt.
He tapped a book sitting between us. “I put notes on the things I like. Take a look and tell me what you think.”
What I think?
I think I want coffee. An entire pot.
I think I want to know where Brett is.
I think I want to know why we didn’t discover anything useful about Wade.
Actually, I already knew why. Most of Wade’s life predated home computers and Internet. There was no social media to keep track of his every move. All we found of interest was his rap sheet that Sylvia had discovered prior to Aaron’s good luck charm. Wade had two disorderly conducts, a ton of speeding tickets, and a domestic violence charge that had been closed. The last one made the girls curious. They were going to see if they could get more details today.
As Rand pulled out of the lot, a twinkling off in the distance caught my attention.
“Hang on,” I said. “Stop for a moment.”
“Did you need something from your car?”
“No, do you see that?” I pointed out the window, but I knew he wouldn’t see it. I could barely make it out. Whatever it was, it was tiny. Only the smallest pinpoint of light bounced off it.
“Where are you going?” he asked when I slid out of the truck.
“Just give me a second.” I didn’t know why I had to find the small object. But I just had to know what it was. Most likely it was a tin can or some other piece of rubbish.
After a few steps toward it, I lost the light. It was gone. Taking a step back, I found it again.
“Let’s go!” Rand’s annoyance shot out of the truck like a steamroller.
“We will as soon as I find it.”
“You can’t be serious.”
For fear it would disappear again, I kept my focus trained on the spot. “Please.”
“The more you stall, the less money you make.”
“It’ll only take a minute.”
“What happened to it just taking a second?”
“It takes longer when you argue. Come out and help.”
He muttered something and hopped out of the truck. “Now what?”
“Walk twenty paces to the west.”
Amazingly, he did as he was told, then turned to me, looking expectantly.
“Another five paces.”
Getting closer.
“Just one more big step.”
“You owe me for this. I feel like a moron.”
“Move a half step to your left. No, I meant my left. Now another half step.”
“Why didn’t you just say a full step?”
“Back up about ten inches.”
“Ten inches? Should I get the tape measure out or just whip out my—”
“Stop! You’re really close.”
“What in the hell am I looking for?”
“Something shiny.”
He looked around as if it was a giant object that had a neon arrow pointing at it. “I don’t see anything shiny. Just dirt.”
“Look closer.”
He unleashed his signature dark look, the one that told me his patience had run out.
“Fine, just stay right where you are.” I quickly hurried over before he could stomp away. With him being the marker, I should be able to find it fairly quickly.
“Why are you standing so close?” he asked, leaning away as if I was Sylvia and her active hands.
“Because I need to be where you are or I’ll never find it. The angle of the sun is playing tricks.”
“So, I can leave now?” He made an attempt to move back, but I stopped him, tugging him forward.
“Stay here. If you step on it, you’ll end up burying it into the loose dirt.”
“Why do you care about it, anyway? It’s probably just a bottle cap.”
“It’s not.”
“How do you know?”
“I don’t. It’s just a feeling I have.”
“Don’t give me that BS about woman’s intuition.”
“I’ll prove you wrong.” I knelt to get a better view. I couldn’t see anything. Was my mind playing tricks on me?
“Hand me your phone,” I said.
“Use your own phone.”
“It’s in my purse. I just need the flashlight on it.”
With another mutter, he slipped it out of his pocket and handed it to me. I turned on the light, hoping something would twinkle and shine.
There.
Just to the left of Rand. I reached around his legs and unearthed a necklace. Standing up triumphantly, I held the golden strand in my hand for him to see.
Rand looked at it in disgust. “You and Emily are a pair. Both of you can sniff out gold like a leprechaun.”
“It looks old. Rather vintage. What era do you think this is from?”
“I don’t know. It’s gaudy. Who’d wear something with that many loops?”
“It isn’t gaudy.”
“Can we go now?”
“Yeah.” I stared at the necklace in wonder. Who did it belong to? It was too far away from the time capsule to be included. I doubted Wade had worn it during his ultimate demise. Was it Ida’s?
Rand gave a weary sigh and snatched the necklace away.
“Hey!”
He took out a small cloth from his pocket and began to polish it. Once the dirt was removed, I liked it even more.
“Why do you keep a polishing cloth in your pocket?”
“It’s not a polishing cloth.” He held up the necklace by both ends and placed it around my neck. “Still needs some cleaning, but the clasp works.” He reached behind to fasten it, bringing me closer. Good thing Brett wasn’t here. He’d assume the worst.
I felt Rand’s smile more than I saw it.
“What?”
“The golden child always has the best timing.”
“Huh?”
“Take a look behind you.”
I didn’t want to, but I hazarded a peek anyway. Brett stood at the edge of the road with a look that pulverized any of Rand’s.
“Take your hands off her.” Brett flexed his fingers before curling them into a fist.
I pushed Rand away. He let go without a word. I had expected a flippant comment.
“What are you doing here?” I asked.
“Looking for you. You didn’t answer your phone.”
“Oh, sorry. What did you want?”
“To not find you hugging Rand.”
“I found a necklace, and he was helping me put it on.”
“That’s not what it looked like.”
Rand smiled. “And what did it look like?”
“You knew damn well I was here. You looked right at me before getting cozy with Mars.”
“Is that what we’re calling it now? Cozy?” His lips curled in distaste.
“Brett, why were you trying to call me?” I asked, keeping the annoyance out of my voice. When would they finally call a truce?
“I’ll wait for you at the truck,” Rand said to me. “Don’t take long. We have many things to go over. At my apartment.” He sent a wicked grin to Brett before walking away.
“You’re not going to his apartment.”
“He said that just to make you mad. We were actually going to the café down the road.”
“Quit.”
“What?”
“Please. I’ll never ask anything of you except this. Please quit. I don’t trust him.”
“I have to work. He paid me an advance.”
“I’ll repay it.”
“How? You’re just starting to get clients.”
“I’ll find a way.”
“But I like my job. I like the Hog.”
“Please, sweet
thing.” He looked at me as though this meant everything to him, as if this decision could break him.
“Fine.”
He smiled and hugged me into him; the scent of spice and soap enveloped me in a warm cocoon.
“I wasn’t finished yet.”
He let go. “What do you mean?”
“I will quit, but only if you do the same.”
“Why would I give up the partnership?”
“I’m not talking about that. I’m talking about one of your clients. You know which one I mean.”
He didn’t say anything, just looked at me funny. “Did you follow me?”
“No, but it doesn’t feel good when you think I did, does it?”
“Then how did you know? It’s not that I was trying to keep it a secret, but we haven’t had much time to talk either.”
“I asked Emmy where to find you. Emily has taken control of the entire office and is making Emmy’s life miserable. I wanted to speak to you about it, but since you were in a strip club, I didn’t feel like going in.”
“I’m sorry you found out that way. You know it’s strictly business, right?”
“I don’t know anything of the sort.”
“How can you say that? You trust me, right?”
“Of course I do. Don’t you trust me?”
“Yes.”
“Then can we move on from this? Don’t ask me to give up my work unless you’re willing to do the same.”
He nodded. “Point taken.”
I smiled at him, thankful he was a reasonable sort as long as Rand wasn’t in sight. “And here I was hoping you’d quit the strip club.”
He chuckled, taking my hand into his warm grip. “There’s nothing to worry about there. I’ve been bouncing for them until I can hire someone to take my place.”
“I thought you were training a new guy.”
“He couldn’t seem to focus.”
“Ah.”
“But I can.” He pulled me closer until we were touching. His fleece jacket softened his body. He was snuggly. At this moment I wanted nothing more than to sit in a cabin with him, a fire, and some hot cocoa. Maybe some marshmallows.
He leaned in, kissing me. It made all thoughts of marshmallows melt away.
“You have absolutely no competition, Mars. No one could even come close to you.”
Who was I to argue with such a statement?
“I’m going to be sick,” I heard Rand say.
After one more delicious kiss from Brett, I pulled away. “Are we good now?”
“Yes.” He looked into my eyes, pausing for a moment. “Just tell me if he pushes you too far.”
“I will.”
“Have dinner with me tonight.”
“I’d like that.”
“It’ll have to be an early dinner. I have to work later.”
“Okay.”
He squeezed my hand before letting go. “Okay.”
Well, that turned out better than I’d thought it was going to. It seemed as if we were in a very pleasant truce. I’d have to call Mrs. Janowski and see if we could meet earlier than we originally planned.
As Rand drove us to the café, I dug out my phone, seeing the missed calls from Brett and answering an incoming call from Mrs. Janowski. Perfect timing.
“I was just going to call you,” I said.
“They arrested Ida.”
Chapter 10
“I got here as soon as I could,” I said, hurrying into Mrs. Janowski’s dining room.
Rand wasn’t about to let me go until we ironed out details for the purchases he was about to make. Because I was distracted, he threatened several times to dump me in a cornfield again.
I sat down next to Edna, which was probably a mistake. Her knitting needles were moving faster than pistons in a racing engine. “So, what happened?” I asked, flinching as she made a loop.
Mrs. Janowski sat on the edge of a chair opposite of us. “There was a disturbance at a campsite not too far away. I know it’s her. Ida always went there when she needed some air.”
“But she wouldn’t cause a disturbance,” Sylvia said. “Even when she’s tipsy, she doesn’t cause any problems.”
“Would Hank know where she camps?” I asked.
Mrs. Janowski nodded. “Of course. They used to go there all the time together until they split.”
“I think I know what caused the disturbance,” I said. “Remember when I said I was over at Hank’s and something I said made him want to leave? He had to go through a wall of reporters, so you know it was urgent. Perhaps he went to find Ida.”
“What did you say to him?” Mrs. Janowski asked.
“I can’t remember exactly. But I’m sure it had something to do with Wade.”
“You must have triggered a memory,” Sylvia said.
“Maybe he figured it out and confronted Ida,” Mrs. Janowski said.
Edna paused the needles. “Oh, dear. This isn’t good.”
“No, it’s terrible.” Mrs. Janowski stood and wrapped her hands around the back of the chair. “I was hoping for more time.”
“Have they officially charged her?” I asked.
“I haven’t been able to find out,” Mrs. Janowski said. “But I’d think the news would report on it if she had been. We’ve been keeping an eye on the TV.”
“So, now what?” I asked.
“We wait to hear,” Mrs. Janowski said. “We’ve already tried all of Aaron’s leads and we only came up with a rap sheet that’s dirty, but it’s not enough. We have no character witnesses except for Hank, and he loved the guy. If Ida is charged, we might not win.”
It wasn’t like Mrs. Janowski to throw in the towel, but she was right. Ida couldn’t run away anymore. Now it was time for her to talk or hire a good lawyer.
We sat around the table in silence, each with our own thoughts and the ticking grandfather clock that shouted we were running out of time. The evening news would air at five. Only half an hour to go.
Mrs. Janowski stood nervously. “You girls want sandwiches?”
“I’d love one, thank you,” I said.
The other two agreed.
When Mrs. Janowski bustled out of the room, Sylvia said, “I like your necklace. Very retro.”
I automatically reached for the golden strand I was still wearing. “Oh, thank you. I forgot I was wearing it.”
“It looks familiar,” Edna stated, her needles pausing for a moment.
“I thought the same thing,” Sylvia said.
Funny, at first glance I thought it looked familiar too, but I couldn’t place where I would have seen it before.
Mrs. Janowski stuck her head out of the kitchen to ask, “Tuna or egg surprise?”
“Tuna,” Sylvia replied. “Your surprises scare me.”
I had to agree.
* * *
I crawled into bed a little past midnight. The girls and I had waited for the late news and then the late late news. Still no word on Ida.
While I didn’t know much about police procedures, I believed they could hold her for twenty-four hours before they had to charge her or let her go. Or was that forty-eight hours? Well, my theory, and that of Sylvia’s, was that they were waiting for her to sober. According to Mrs. Janowski, they didn’t have enough evidence and were hoping she’d crack. Edna just sighed while her hands wielded the knitting needles.
The Ida I knew wouldn’t crack under pressure, but maybe for the return of her flask she might be willing to talk.
Sprawled in bed, I stared at the dark ceiling while my mind whirled. I had so many questions. Included in those were thoughts of Brett. Where was he now? What was he doing?
I reached up to flick the handcuffs still dormant on the headboard.
With a sigh, I flipped the covers away and slipped downstairs to retrieve my laptop. While I was tired, I wasn’t nearly ready for sleep. Maybe I could research some more.
I crept through the dark house, not wanting to wake Emily. However, finding my laptop was pr
oving difficult. I turned on the light, ready to voice an apology for disturbing her, but she wasn’t there. The blanket was still folded on the couch.
Where was she? Did she go to the strip club with Brett? I actually wouldn’t mind her as a tagalong this time. While Brett made sure the club and girls were safe, Emily would make sure Brett stayed safe and untouched.
Now, where was my laptop? I swore it had been on the kitchen table. Did I bring it with me today and leave it in the car?
Not wanting to risk the chance of it getting stolen, I donned a pair of flip-flops by the door and raced out to the car. The full brunt of the falling temperature hit me like an ice block as soon as I stepped outside. The frigid air whisked away any warmth trapped in my not-so-fashionable flannel nightshirt.
The laptop wasn’t in the front seat. Not in the back either. I didn’t think it was in the trunk, but I checked there too.
Nothing.
Now panicked and freezing, I retreated into the house. Mentally retracing my steps and trying to remember the last time I had used it, I came up dry. So, I called Brett since I had no idea what else to do and I missed him. I didn’t think he’d answer, but I’d leave a message. He seemed to know where I was most of the time; perhaps he knew where my laptop was.
Something nagged at me as I finished the message and hung up. What was I forgetting besides where I put my computer?
Another mystery to solve, but not tonight.
Right now, I was hungry. The tuna sandwich had staved off hunger for only an hour or two. We all missed dinner.
Dinner.
Dinner with Brett!
I swore loudly. I forgot to tell Brett I was over at Mrs. Janowski’s. Did he wait for me? Was he mad?
With another curse, I ran upstairs to yank on a pair of jeans, then tossed on a coat as I raced to the car. I’d go to Longhorn’s and apologize. There would be no sleeping until I spoke with him.
When I arrived, I breathed a little easier. Brett was at the door, carding people and waving them in. He noticed my approach before acknowledging me. Currently, he eyed a very young-looking man as he inspected the ID. It didn’t take long before the kid caved under Brett’s gaze. He snatched his fake ID as he bolted.
Brett then smiled at me. “Hey, sweet thing. What brings you here?”
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