Taste of Danger

by Alexa Verde

  Just like her ex. Soledad stared at him. “I can’t believe it.”

  “Please do. Then after one night of partying, I wrapped my car around a tree. Thankfully, I was alone in the vehicle, and nobody else got hurt. Sergey was passing by that night. He stopped and dragged me out seconds before the car exploded.”

  Soledad winced.

  “I lost consciousness,” James continued, his expression grim. “I came to in the hospital. Sergey was the first person I saw there, except for doctors and hospital staff, of course. It took me a while to heal. He visited me every day. My parents visited once. My so-called friends and girlfriends a couple of times, and that was it. But Sergey was there all the time, bringing me books, reading to me, studying with me, talking to me. He prayed over me, too. That night and the weeks in the hospital afterwards changed my life. I dropped all my partying friends. Sergey helped me find my first job at the university library.”

  “So your first job was as a librarian?” She raised an eyebrow.

  “Not exactly. Assistant librarian/janitor. Sergey also helped me pay for my first apartment. The place was tiny, and I had to do repairs around the apartment complex to afford it. But I was happier there than in the gigantic mansion where I grew up.”

  “Your parents didn’t mind you moving out while still in school?”

  “I think they were relieved. I found new friends, only a few, but they meant more to me than hundreds of superficial friendships before. Thanks to Sergey’s help, I not only graduated from high school but went on to college in Dallas and then started a private investigation agency there. Even living in a different city, I kept in touch with Sergey and asked him for advice from time to time. I never drank alcohol again. It was a huge wake-up call for me.”

  “God’s providence.”

  “Yes, you’d call it that, wouldn’t you?”

  She didn’t have a chance to reply as he was called in to the doctor.

  “Come with me, please.” He gestured to her, and she followed him inside. She busied herself with reading the fairy tales on the Internet on her phone while he had his bandages changed.

  “I hope you don’t have allergies to seafood,” she said later as they were walking toward the hospital exit.

  “No, why?”

  “Because we’re going to a seafood restaurant. It’s called The Café.”

  “Oh, yeah, the restaurant Mari owns. You’re finally taking my advice to enjoy food?” He grinned.

  Butterflies flapped their wings in her stomach again at his smile. “I think we might find a clue there. I read the second fairy tale, Emelya, and I have some ideas.”

  “Let’s rent a car,” he said.

  “I thought you love driving your motorcycle.” She stopped near the hospital exit and let him scan the surroundings, then stepped outside. Was it becoming a routine for her?

  “I do. But you didn’t get much sleep last night. In a car, you can rest while I drive.” He walked close to her. “And I’m sure the criminals know what car you drive by now.”

  “Okay.” She gave directions to a car rental place.

  They rented a car, leaving the motorcycle in the parking lot of the rental company, and headed to The Café. He glanced in the rearview mirror, probably checking for a black van with tinted windows, and she did the same. So far, they didn’t seem to have any tail.

  “So what did you learn about the second fairy tale?” he asked.

  “It’s called Emelya,” she started.

  “Emily?”

  “No. Emelya. That’s the name of the main character, a guy who catches a fish. A pike, to be precise.”

  “So far, not much of a fairy tale.” He pulled into one of few available spaces in The Café’s parking lot and hurried around to open her door.

  Always a gentleman. She sighed inwardly as she stepped out of the car. She could get used to being treated like a lady, even though she shouldn’t. “Yes, but then the fish asks him to let her go. For that, she’ll make his wishes come true. She tells him to say, ‘As the Pike orders, as I wish,’ and anything he wishes for will become real.”

  “What does he wish for?”

  They entered The Café, and the hostess showed them to their table. James obviously chose his seat so that his back would be to the wall and he could see both exits.

  A waitress showed up with the menus. They told their drink preferences to her, and she left.

  The scents of fried potatoes and sautéed shrimp made Soledad’s mouth water. She looked around. What could be the clue? “He wished for the pails with water to go home without him carrying them.”

  “It wasn’t very smart.” He chuckled. His eyes drew her in. “Don’t you think?” he asked.

  “What?” She’d lost track of the conversation, distracted by his eyes.

  “That it wasn’t very smart.”

  Being attracted to him wasn’t very smart, either. “Well, his nickname was Emelya the Fool.”

  “Seriously?” He raised an eyebrow. “I thought fairy tales were all about a young girl marrying a prince. Well, besides Kilobit, of course.”

  “Kolobok!”

  “Right. I don’t have much knowledge of folklore, but… Cinderella. Snow White, Sleeping Beauty. Hmm… My knowledge ends there.”

  “Doesn’t always happen. Some of us end up with a fool.” Like her ex. Although Ron had been more of a douche than a fool. “Or worse. Anyway, in the end, Emelya marries the tsar’s daughter and they live happily ever after.”

  “O-okay. Any dishes here have pike?”

  She studied the menu. “Nope. It would’ve been too easy.” How would it feel to have dinner with James on a real date? Would she ever find out?

  The waitress came over with their iced tea.

  Soledad couldn’t settle on one type of seafood, so she didn’t. “I’ll take The Café’s special. It has fried shrimp, oysters, scallops, and fish, right?”

  The waitress nodded and turned to James. “What would you like, sir?” she purred as she flipped her long blonde hair.

  Soledad shook her head in disbelief. Seriously, James was a menace to the female population of Rios Azules. But she couldn’t allow herself to succumb to his charm. She’d been given only thirty-six hours to figure out the clues. And every minute ticking away was beating on her conscience like a hammer.

  “I’ll take lobster,” he said.

  “Great choice.” The waitress beamed as if he’d just handed her a winning lottery ticket. “Would you like anything else?”

  “That will be all,” Soledad said through clenched teeth.

  The waitress didn’t move a muscle.

  “Thank you. We’re good.” James smiled and covered Soledad’s hand with his. “Right, darling?”

  Her pulse increased. Of course, he was doing it for show. But her heart had trouble remembering it.

  The beautiful waitress left huffing and puffing.

  “So Emelya wished for a princess. If I could wish for anything in the world, I’d wish for something other than marriage.” His voice dipped low.

  Of course. He was non-believer. He was also a commitment-free player. Did she need any more reasons why they didn’t have a chance of being together?

  She checked her phone for messages or any missed phone calls from the police. “I hoped the police would call me with some information.”

  “And?” He leaned forward.

  “Zilch. Nada.” She looked around again, searching for a clue. The large aquarium with colorful fish couldn’t have contained pike. None of the photos with the catch of the day lining the wall had pike in them.

  “Are all those paintings yours?” He gestured to several seascapes.

  “Yes.” She lowered her gaze, eager to know his opinion. You’re nothing. You’ll never amount to anything. You can’t even draw!

  “They are amazing. You’re a great artist,” James said.

  A warm feeling filled her inside. “Thanks. But it’s just a hobby.”

  “Don’t down
play it.” He got up, strode to the paintings, and studied them for several minutes. Then he walked to a small display of seashells, picked up one of them, and headed to the hostess. They talked about something, and he returned to his seat with the seashell in his hands.

  He pressed it to his ear, then handed the seashell to her. “Listen. You can hear the sea talk.”

  She pressed it to her ear, but in the restaurant noise, she couldn’t hear anything, so she handed it back to him.

  He placed it on the table. “By the way, I bought one of your paintings. The seascape called Solitude. They’ll send it to my address.”

  Gratitude at this ultimate validation of her talent grew inside her. “Thanks, but you didn’t have to do that.”

  “I know. But I liked the painting. It’s worth it to be surrounded by what you like. Life is too short not to. I meant to ask before… Your name is Spanish, right? What does it mean?”

  “Solitude.”

  “Not the painting, your name?”

  “It means solitude. I guess my mother felt lonely when she was pregnant with me. In spite of being married to Sokolov.”

  Their food arrived. The aromas of fried seafood, lemon zest, and freshly baked bread filled the air.

  She bowed her head. “Thank You, Lord, for this food we’re about to receive. Please bless it and make it nutritious to our bodies. Please keep my father safe in Your care and help us find him. And please help Lydia. Amen.”

  She lifted her gaze, wishing James would join her in prayer. How could she help him become a believer again?

  “Enjoy your food,” he said. “Remember, live in the moment, right now, right here. With me.”

  “I’ll try.”

  They ate in companionable silence. The food was delicious, and she didn’t gulp it down as usual, but ate slowly, letting her taste buds enjoy every bite. She closed her eyes for a moment, savoring a particularly delicious scallop. She opened them and caught him staring. “Do I have sauce on my face?”

  “No. You look amazing.”

  Heat crept up her cheeks. “Please. Those games won’t work on me.”

  He stopped eating. “These are not games. Nobody has told you that you look amazing before?”

  “Ron. My ex-boyfriend. Before he broke my arm.” She shuddered, as if she could still feel the sharp pain, could hear her bone crack.

  Fury flashed in his eyes. “Nobody will ever hurt you like that again.”

  “No.” Because she’d never let another man get that close to her again.

  “If I may pry into your personal life, why did you choose such a guy?” The serious tone of his voice showed he was really interested in her answer.

  “Well, first, he chose me. Second, every girl wants to be cared about and admired. We believe the lies. Third, he showered me with gifts and flowers in the beginning, took me to the best restaurants, drove me around in an expensive car. Fourth, he was very attractive. He was every girl’s dream, always the center of attention.” Sort of like James, from what she could see, judging by the frequent courtesy visits from the waitress and glances from the female patrons at other tables. How many of those people wondered what such a hunk was doing with a plain girl like her?

  “Not all guys tell lies. You just happened to come across one such person, and I wish you hadn’t.” There was sincere compassion in his eyes and even a hint of… jealousy?

  “Then the dinners and compliments diminished and soon stopped. He started drinking and calling me names. And… worse. Now I can’t believe I wasted years dating Ron. But he was the star of the school, and I was… nobody.”

  He reached for her hand again. “Don’t ever let anybody put you down. You deserve better. You’re a smart, courageous, talented, beautiful woman. You’re who you are, and you’re incredible. Any guy would be thrilled to be in a relationship with you.”

  His praise caused a stirring of gratitude inside her, but she didn’t like an undertone in his voice. “Any guy but you?”

  “I’m not one for relationships.” He looked away.

  She chewed on a scallop, not tasting it. “I need to concentrate on the riddles.” She zoomed in on the pictures of different fish on the tablecloth. None of them were pike either. She sighed in exasperation. “Where am I going wrong on this? Maybe it wasn’t about the pike.”

  “What about the wishes?” James asked. “Could the pails be the clue?”

  She took a sip of her iced tea. “Let’s see. Emelya wanted the pails to go home by themselves, so he wouldn’t have to carry them. So… pails. Made from wood. Carrying water.” She finished the last shrimp on her plate, reached for her phone, and pulled up the map of Rios Azules to refresh her memory.

  “Any ideas?” He finished his food, as well, and pulled up a map on his phone.

  “Not yet. Let’s go to the second wish. That’s when Emelya didn’t want to chop wood. He told the axe to do it instead. So, wood.” She studied the map. “There are several streets with the name of a tree.”

  “Oak Street, for example. We’re on Oak Street right now.”

  “Hmm. No, not helping.” She glanced up. “Let’s think about the third wish. That’s when Emelya had to go to the forest for wood. He told the furnace he was lying on to carry him.”

  “Furnace… Are we going to look for a stove?”

  “Let me see. Stove. Hot.”

  “Well, there’s plenty of it here.” He chuckled.

  “What do you mean?”

  “It’s hot in south Texas. What else?” He shrugged.

  She lowered her head and zoomed in on the map again. “I’ve got an idea. Don’t you see?” She handed the phone to James.

  “Well, I see another seafood restaurant. And it’s on Pine Street. Pine. Pike. Sounds similar.” He gestured to the waitress for a check. “Are we going to another restaurant? I don’t think even I can eat that much seafood.”

  “Nope. Look what’s opposite it. A store that sells AC and heater units.”

  “I see. And the address for the store is three Pine Street. The third wish. You might be on to something.” He paid the bill as soon as the waitress arrived.

  “I’ll pick up the next tab,” Soledad said as they walked out of the restaurant and into the parking lot.

  “A date?” The corners of his mouth kicked up.

  She wished. Her pulse increased, as well as her pace. “Business lunch. There are two days left to deadline. We’ll have to eat in the interim.”

  Soon they were browsing the small store. When attempts to find anything useful among the items on display failed, she knocked on the owner’s door. “Mr. Waters, it’s Soledad.”

  Heavy footsteps neared, and the door was flung open. “Hi, Soledad.” Mr. Waters gestured for them to come in.

  They entered the office.

  “How’s your wife doing? How’s little Bo?” Soledad gave the old man a hug.

  “So far so good.” Waters eyed the newcomer. “How’s your mom?”

  “Having a great vacation.”

  “Any news on the guys behind the shooting?” Waters asked.

  “No. This is my friend James O’Hara. This is a family friend, Austin Waters.” She waited while James and Mr. Waters shook hands. “I have a quick question. Did you receive any packages or phone calls lately from someone by the name of Liam Falcon?”

  Waters’ rubbed his forehead. “Hmm, I received a thank-you card from a customer by that name. It didn’t have a return address, though. Why do you ask?”

  “Mr. Falcon was supposed to send me something, but seemed to have mixed my address with yours. Could I see the card please?”

  Mr. Waters headed to his desk and looked through the drawers. “Sorry. I misplaced it.”

  She hid her disappointment. They said their thanks and farewells to Waters, and she followed James out the door, which, of course, he held for her. What a pity that hunks from big cities didn’t stick around small towns, especially not for a mousy librarian like her.

  James hung close
while they made it to the car.

  It felt good to be protected. Another feeling she shouldn’t get used to. “Well, that was an interesting turn. If this is the correct place, what could be the clue? Can we figure it out without the thank-you card?” She clicked for the car locks to unlock.

  He opened the door for her. “What did you say the owner’s name was?”

  She climbed inside, turned on the engine, and drove off. “Austin Waters.” Then it dawned on her. “Do you think ‘Austin’ is the clue?”

  “It might be.”

  She took a turn to the left. “Then we should go to Austin.”

  “It’ll take us five or six hours to get there by car. I’ll check the flights.” After several minutes, he said, “There’s only one flight every day from here to Austin, and it is in seven hours. We’ll make it there faster by driving.”

  “Okay.” She stopped at the traffic light. “But first let’s drop by the police station. Or I’ll never live it down with the chief.” She moved along when the light turned green.

  His phone rang. “Hi, Logan,” he answered. There was a long pause. “Okay, thanks. Keep me posted.”

  Curious, she threw him a glance as he put the phone away.

  “Carmichael disappeared,” he said slowly.

  She pulled up to the parking spot near the police station. “Does that mean…?”

  “He might be guilty, or dead, or both. Melissa Edgerton a.k.a. Lola Rodgers is nowhere to be found, either. But hopefully, the police will have some information about the kidnappers.”

  Her legs felt heavy as they walked inside. They signed official statements. First James, then Soledad looked through the mug shots. Neither one was able to identify the kidnapper. Sadly, the lab results for fingerprints or DNA were not back yet.

  Somewhat exasperated, Soledad followed James out of the police station. More out of habit now, she paused to let him scan the street and then kept close when walking to the car. Her eyelids were drooping again, so she handed him the key.

  An idea came to her mind. “Do you think we could go by the river?”

  “Why?” He gunned the engine once they were inside the rental car.

  “Emelya catches the pike at the river. In the third fairy tale, Princess Frog, the frog catches the arrow at the swamp. Maybe there’s some kind of connection to our river. I know, I’m grasping at straws here. But the river helps me think. I often go there to pray. I know we don’t have much time, but—”