by B. T. Lord
She sighed.
Doc looked at her aghast. “Oh my God,” he muttered.
“Look, unless George Clooney or Brad Pitt is at the door, why should I care what I look like?”
“If George Clooney or Brad Pitt were at my door, sweetheart, you’d be out in the snow quicker than you could say ‘boo’. I don’t believe in competition. As it is, I invited Jason. Now hurry up and set the table. It’s in bad taste to set the table while your dinner guest is waiting to be fed.”
Cammie swung around in shock. “Jace?” she questioned, as she flicked a stray bead of water from her hair out of her eye. “Why would you invite Jace to dinner?”
“Because he’s been nice enough to come out here after working a full day, not to mention an evening of hockey practice, to help you in your recovery, and never once have you invited him in. Not even for a cup of cocoa. I’m making up for your bad manners. Besides,” he continued as he whipped past her, opened the cabinet and started taking out the good china. “You obviously need help in moving your relationship to the next level, which, I must say, has been long overdue.”
Cammie sputtered. “Now wait just a minute—“
“Darling, I know more than anyone what it’s like to have your heart broken. It breaks my own heart that he likes women. But he’s a good man. Yes, he screwed up when he walked out on you. But he’s human. He made a mistake. The fact that he’s back, and willing to continue to put up with you shows what a fantastic man he is. Now hurry!”
Cammie stood there nonplussed. With a heavy sigh, Doc whirled around her, setting the table himself. Just as he was opening up the wine, the doorbell rang.
“Ah, there’s our guest. Now close your mouth and sit down. We can fight about it later. I’ll get the door.”
As she watched Doc dash away, she felt her irritation grow. Why did Doc think he could casually butt into her love life, when she didn’t even feel comfortable asking why he hadn’t performed the autopsy?
She was furious at his interference. She didn’t need his input. Her relationship with Jace was progressing just fine as far as she was concerned. If and when she was ready to make the next move, she’d be the one to make it, not this cantankerous, pain in the ass –
She looked up and her thoughts froze.
Jace stood near the dining table. He’d shaved, his hair was neatly combed and he was wearing a pair of tight jeans, and a new flannel shirt that was open at the neck, allowing his dark chest hair to peek out. He looked – hot.
Damn.
And she looked like a tired drowned rat.
Double damn.
“I hope you enjoy beef bourguignon,” Doc literally sang as he bustled towards the stove.
“My grandmother used to make it. It’s always been one of my favorites.”
As Jace took his seat opposite her, Cammie’s hand involuntarily went to the back of her head where she tried to tamp out her unruly curls. She suddenly realized what she was doing and jerked her hand back into her lap.
Why was she acting so ridiculous? It wasn’t as if she’d never seen Jace wearing jeans that contoured beautifully to his hips and butt. Nor shirts that showed off his rippling muscles and incredibly sexy chest hair. Of course for the past few weeks, all she’d been seeing was Jace wrapped up in a thick parka, hockey gloves and a furry bomber hat.
She inwardly groaned. God, she was getting as bad as Doc. She cleared both her throat and her mind. It was then that she noticed a pleasant scent assail her nostrils. She frowned slightly as she leaned forward.
Are you kidding me?
Jace was wearing cologne.
She involuntarily turned to Doc and glared at him. Which he ignored.
“I heard about Todd Paradis,” Jace replied. “Folks are saying he froze to death.”
Jace’s words forced her to look back to him. She swallowed her irritation and answered, “Looks like it.”
“I figured you’d be out most of the day handling that.”
Doc placed the bread basket on the table, the slight smell of garlic wafting through the kitchen. After they’d all been served, Cammie kept her focus squarely on her food. She was still seething at Doc, and she was afraid she’d end up saying something that would trigger World War III.
Doc knew she was angry, but he didn’t care. He knew exactly what he was doing, and her ridiculous stubbornness was not going to stop him.
In an effort to get a conversation going, he turned to his guest. “Tell me, Jason, did you know Todd Paradis at all?”
Doc was the only person on earth who called Jace by his given name. Despite hearing it a thousand times, it still sounded strange to Cammie’s ears. He was and always would be Jace to her.
Jace tilted his head and thought for a moment. “Can’t really say I did,” he finally answered. “When he first came to town, he used to stop by and watch hockey practice. He told some of the guys he’d played back in Manchester on an after-work men’s league. They offered him a chance to try out, but he never took them up on it. I can’t exactly remember when, but he stopped showing up. After that, I only saw him when he bought gas or had his oil changed, which wasn’t very often. By the way, this meal is excellent.”
“It’s our way of showing our appreciation for your help in getting our sheriff back on her feet. Tell me,” he added before Cammie could interject. “What exactly are the townspeople saying about how he died?”
“It was no secret how much Todd liked to drink. Word is he drank too much, got disoriented and froze to death near his house. It’s not the first time something like that has happened up these parts, and I’m sure it won’t be the last.”
“When was the last time you saw him?” Cammie asked, despite her simmering displeasure with Doc.
“Dunno. Maybe a few weeks ago.” He looked from Cammie to Doc. “You thinking something else happened to Todd?”
Cammie shook her head. “I couldn’t find anything in his cabin that might tell me if he had family. If he did, they should be notified of his death.”
“That and his collection of books on witchcraft and protection from evil have our sheriff a bit spooked.”
“I’m not surprised he owned books like that, given where his cabin is located.”
She frowned as she rolled it over in her mind. Then it came to her. “You’re right, I hadn’t thought of that.”
“Anybody care to clue me in?” Doc spoke up.
“I’m sure you’ve heard of the Salem Witch Trials,” Cammie explained.
Doc nodded. “Shameful event.”
“What you probably haven’t heard is that according to town legend, Twin Ponds was settled in 1692 by settlers who were the real witches of Salem. As soon as they got wind of what was happening, they got the hell out of Dodge, picking a place as far away and as remote as they possibly could to escape the witch hunters.”
“They succeeded admirably,” Doc replied. “I thought however, Twin Ponds was settled in 1865 by loggers who worked the forest.”
“That’s the official story. But archeological evidence shows there’s been colonial habitation here since the 17th century. Every Halloween, or Samhain as they call it, a group of locals go up to the top of Crow Mountain and hold rituals honoring the memory of the original settlers. The whole area is saturated with thoughts and intentions of witches past, present and future.”
Doc took a sip of his wine. “What does this have to do with Paradis?”
“His cabin is on the northern foot of Crow Mountain.” She paused, before adding, “I don’t expect you to believe this Doc, but there is something eerie about that whole forest, and Crow Mountain itself. When I was a teenager, I tried going up there with a group of friends on Samhain to see what all the hubbub was about. I can’t exactly describe what I felt, but it was as though the forest were watching us. It frightened us enough that we all ran out of there screaming. As a rule, I try to avoid that place as much as I can.”
Doc chuckled. “Honestly, Cammie. You can’t tell me you ac
tually believe those stories. That’s all superstition.”
“I’m telling you, I wouldn’t want to be anywhere near Crow Mountain at night, and I certainly wouldn’t want to live in Todd’s cabin. Just being there this afternoon creeped me out. You figure if nothing else, all the intention and yearly rituals must have left some mark on the area. Maybe Todd felt it. Maybe that’s what led him to believe in all the legends and stories. And I wouldn’t be surprised if that’s what killed him.”
“Well, now that you’ve thoroughly frightened yourself and Jason, I say let this one go. For whatever reason, Paradis became drunk, went out into the forest, and died after becoming disoriented. The autopsy will prove that. I doubt long dead witches or dark creatures that say boo in the night had anything to do with it.”
“Hmmmm,” Cammie murmured non-committedly.
They moved on to more innocent subjects. By the time dessert was done two hours later, Cammie was ready to collapse. Jace saw the exhaustion around her eyes. After helping clear the table, he announced he was leaving.
“Why don’t you walk Jason to the door, then shut the lights off for the night?” Doc suggested. Her first impulse was to refuse. She loathed being manipulated. And Doc was being so obvious, a blind man could see his intentions. But she thought better of it when she saw Jace glance at her from beneath his brow.
Inwardly sighing, she stood up and followed the young man to the front door. He threw on his parka and furry hat before turning to her.
“You coming to the game tomorrow night?”
“Game?”
“Yeah. It’s our last regular season game. We’re playing the Snow Owls.”
The Snow Owls were the Night Hawks’ hated rivals, and it was sure to be an exciting, boisterous night.
Cammie hesitated. She was still miffed at Doc for trying to stage-manage the situation between herself and Jace. In the past, she’d never missed a home game. However, things were different now. If she accepted, was she getting his hopes up they would reconcile? At the same time, she knew it would be a good game. Lots of action, lots of excitement. And the potential for lots of violence.
The rivalry between the two teams had been going on for years; she herself had taken part in the after game tussles when she’d been a team member, coming home bruised and bloodied, but exhilarated by a win, or devastated by a loss.
Now as sheriff, it was her duty to attend, if only to thwart any possible fights.
“Someone has to keep the peace,” she finally said.
Jace smiled. “Great. See you tomorrow.”
He let himself out and heard Cammie close the door behind him. A few moments later, the lights were turned off. He remained standing on the wrap around porch, looking up at the broad expanse of stars in the night sky.
So far, so good.
Whistling under his breath, he literally danced to his truck.
Cammie went upstairs to her room where she stripped off her clothes, put on her warm pajamas and climbed into the bed from paradise. She snuggled under the covers and tried to think of anything but Todd. Unfortunately, her last thought was of the stack of protection books on his shelf, and the array of locks on his door.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
As expected, the entire town turned out for the game. Even Doc showed up, using his medical expertise in case of injury as his excuse. Cammie knew better. He and the female population of Twin Ponds couldn’t resist the sight of so many sweating, testosterone driven men careening up and down the ice in front of them. As much as she hated to admit it, she did too.
Although she’d been out and about as soon as she was able, this was the first time she’d attended a Night Hawks game since catching Eli Kelley’s killer. To her surprise and delight, she was greeted with cheers as she took her usual seat a few rows up from center ice – the best vantage point to catch all the action, both on the ice and in the stands.
What a difference a few months and getting shot made. During the investigation of Eli’s murder, she’d become persona non grata to the extent that Rick had planned on placing snipers among the townspeople to protect her if she’d decided to go to one of the Night Hawks’ home games. Now, with the murder solved, she was greeted as a long lost heroine. Those who had turned against her were now her best friends; she was even given a blanket to keep her warm from Mrs. Nation – one of her harshest critics when the mess between herself, Eli Kelley and Jace began. The only discomfort she felt were the overheard whispers regarding the state of hers and Jace’s relationship. Everyone knew what had gone down between them. The fact that she was at the game gave the town hope that they were back together. Or at least on the road to recovery. If there was one consolation, she had yet to hear anyone mention hers and Jace’s games of pick-up. That little item surely would have spread like wildfire.
The arena where the Night Hawks played was inside an old warehouse located at the edge of Waban Pond. Although practice was done on the pond, the games themselves were held inside the building to save the spectators from freezing to death. To keep the fans warm, large space heaters were hung from the ceiling and turned on a few hours before the game. The space heaters weren’t very strong, and it only succeeded in taking the edge off the cold. But it did keep the wind and snow off the crowd, and gave the cheers and boos extra volume that the opposing teams always found a little daunting.
It was part of their secret weapon.
The Night Hawks themselves comprised players of all ages from Clarke County. The oldest athlete was 45, the youngest 16.
Despite all that had gone down over the last few months, she had to admit, it felt good to be here. It also did her heart good to see two women on the current Night Hawks roster. Fifteen years before, she’d been the first and only female to play hockey for the county. She took pride that she could serve as a bit of a role model for other women who wanted to play.
All around her, anticipation was growing, and she found herself caught up in it. She had to keep reminding herself that she was here to head off any potential trouble between the rabid fans of both teams. At the same time, she couldn’t wait for the game to begin.
“This is going to be outrageous,” Rick remarked as he slid in next to her. He’d already visited the concession stand run by the Women’s Church League, dipping his warm pretzel into a cup of melted cheese before chomping down on the gooey mess.
“Remember why you’re here,” she remarked. “We need to make sure the chippiness on the ice doesn’t carry over into the stands or the parking lot.”
“That’s like saying it isn’t going to snow in Twin Ponds,” he answered, his mouth full of pretzel and cheese.
“Nevertheless, if we can head things off before they get too crazy…”
Instead of answering, Rick cheered lustily as Jace and his team skated out on the ice for a pre-game warm-up.
So much for taking orders.
Keeping a close eye on the fans in the stands, she felt someone sit down on the other side of her. Turning, she saw it was Mike Endicott, the town’s jack of all trades lawyer. Next to him was his twelve year old son Chad who hoped one day to play for the Night Hawks.
“Good to see you here,” Mike greeted as he got as comfortable as he could on the cold bench. “How’s the arm?”
“Getting better. How are you?”
“Can’t complain. Say, when’s a good time to stop by your place? I have some paperwork I need you to sign regarding your inheritance.”
Before Eli Kelley was murdered, he’d had Mike change his will, leaving Cammie $500,000 and his two Stanley Cup rings. Accustomed to living her life on a shoestring budget, she still hadn’t quite wrapped her mind around the fact that she could now buy anything she wanted without finagling her checkbook like a tight rope walker.
“I’m staying with Doc until I’m strong enough to fend for myself.”
“And you were still able to subdue Marcy Audet? My, my, I’m impressed. Did you ever figure out what made her go off like that?”
&nb
sp; Cammie shook her head. “We’re awaiting the toxicology reports.”
“Nothing like jumping into the deep end your first day back to work. Well, thank God your second case was an easy, if sad one. What a shame Todd Paradis froze to death like that. He seemed like a very nice guy.”
Her ears perked up. “You knew Todd?”
Mike nodded. “I was helping him out with some financial matters.”
“What kind of financial matters?”
“Er – I’m not sure I can disclose –“
“He’s dead, Mike. I don’t think he’ll mind. Besides, I have no way of knowing if he had any next of kin who deserve to be notified of his death. If there’s anything you can do to help me out here, I’d appreciate it.”
Mike smiled. “I suppose it won’t hurt to look through his paperwork to see if he listed any family.”
“Maybe we can do it after the game? Shouldn’t take long, right?”
Mike gazed at Cammie with a puzzled look on his face. She knew she was being pushy and tried to soften her tone. “I just hate to think of someone back in Manchester caring about him and not knowing he’s dead.”
That seemed to mollify Mike. She inwardly heaved a sigh of relief before turning her attention to the game.
Both sides came out looking for blood. For a while, it looked as though the Night Hawks were going to win. The score went back and forth, the mood of the crowd changing as swiftly as the numbers on the board. With three minutes left during the final period, one of the Snow Owls goons came after Jace and slashed him above the eye, drawing a flood of blood all over his uniform and onto the ice. The whole of Twin Ponds, including Cammie and Rick, jumped to their feet, cursing and swinging their fists at the guilty party. Doc quickly scurried down to the locker room to stitch Jace’s eye while Cammie scanned the crowds, hoping she wouldn’t have to call off the game if the players and the crowd went for each other. Thankfully, everyone behaved themselves, even when the two teams stepped up their aggressive play. The arena was on the edge of their seats. When Jace came back onto the ice, a cheer went up that filled the entire warehouse. Unfortunately, he’d barely settled back into his rhythm when the Snow Owls scored a goal. With 50 seconds to play, the Night Hawks tried to recoup, but it was impossible.