“Want me to do it?”
“Fire the guy? You? Really?”
“You don’t think I can do it?”
“Sure. It’s just… Why would you want to? This guy’s a bit of a strange bird.”
“What’s that mean? Is he dangerous? Unsavory? How strange?”
“No, not dangerous. At least I didn’t pick up on anything like that. Tate said Hank was a gamer, said the guy picks up extra money now and then doing construction. I thought I’d do a nice thing, you know. I took everything at face value. But after Hank stopped showing up, I’m sitting in my hotel room and I decided to check out his references.”
“Uh-oh.”
“Yeah. I discovered Hank’s company is a complete sham online. His entire Internet presence is a fabrication. He does have a contractor’s license but no recent real experience to speak of.”
Skye didn’t like the sound of that and made a face. “So Tate doesn’t know that his so-called friend basically conned both of you about who he is and what he does for a living. That’s a major red flag.”
“Yeah, it’s one reason I’m steamed about the whole thing. I’m tired of hiring contractors who lie and don’t deliver.”
“Okay, so what if we both confront him together? If you want to take the lead, I’ll be there to have your back. Why not send him an email? You may not even get a reply. Maybe he’s already moved on to a better-paying gig.”
“Sounds like a plan. Do you plan to go out tonight?”
“No. I was out all day yesterday and part of last night. I’m taking your suggestion and doing more delegating at the foundation, patrolling more during the day. Although the trend shows the scum seems to crawl out at night.”
“It just seems that way.”
“I suppose so.”
They were just finishing up dinner when the kitchen phone rang. It was Harry. Skye put the phone on speaker so Josh could listen in.
“Just so you know, not surprisingly, the lab didn’t find a single print on the container holding the flowers.”
“So the guy wasn’t sloppy,” Josh said.
Skye chewed her lip. “Typical. I’d go door to door and quiz the neighbors to see if they saw a delivery but the nearest house isn’t all that close. We’re fairly remote out here.”
“All the more reason to take precautions,” Harry warned.
“Which reminds me to call a security company,” Josh said, moving to his cell phone on the kitchen counter.
Chapter Five
The two-story Western Firebird motel sat vacant in the old section of downtown Seattle, right off the I-5 corridor.
Realtors were shocked to learn anyone would actually throw money into an abandoned building that hadn’t really thrived since the eighties.
From its grand opening four decades earlier, the motel had once provided an appealing spot for vacationing families looking for an inexpensive place to bring the kids. The marketing targeted out-of-towners from Canada or Spokane or as far away as Colorado. Back then you couldn’t beat the location. You could see the sights and all Seattle had to offer within walking distance. You could eat at several ethnic restaurants, get breakfast at three in the morning, or catch a movie without shelling out cash for a cab.
But by the nineties business dried up. Most of the family activity in the area dwindled and was replaced by urban decay. Drug dealers moved in, bringing violence and nightly shootings. During part of that time, the area was a killing ground for serial killer Gary Ridgway, who was fond of picking up young girls for sex along the route from downtown to the airport and beyond to Tacoma.
When the last owner died in 1992, the relatives decided to close the doors for good, which meant the ancient sign—in the shape of a giant bird—had stood unlit for more than twenty years. The overhang sagged and needed major reinforcement, windows were boarded up, and the asphalt parking lot had pits and holes the size of craters. The cracked swimming pool hadn’t seen sparkling water in decades, and was now nothing more than a catchall for blowing debris and dirty rainwater.
Its rundown condition was no doubt the reason Josh and Skye had scored the property at a dirt-cheap price. They wanted to use it to put a dent in the homeless population—a worthwhile project but one that had, so far, proved a pain in the ass to get off the ground.
This morning they stood outside next to the crumbling sign, a fine mist falling, and watched an older model Dodge Caravan with peeling paint pull into the lot. No doubt the vehicle belonged to Hank Fielding, the contractor they intended to let go. Josh had emailed him two nights before to set up the meeting. The man’s firing wasn’t exactly something they looked forward to doing.
Josh spotted the driver—the man he’d hired only two weeks earlier—and a woman with long brown hair sitting in the passenger seat cuddling a baby on her lap.
A tall, thin man in his early twenties got out from behind the wheel and immediately began to apologize.
“I know what you’re thinking. That I’m no good at my job and you’re gonna can me. But before you make it official, if you’ll just listen for a minute and give me a chance to explain.”
Josh exchanged looks with Skye, their sympathies merging into a holding pattern.
It was Josh who said, “Okay, let’s hear your excuse although you should know I’ve already found out the business you listed on your resume is totally phony, a figment of your own imagination, so don’t even try to fake me out again.”
Hank ran an unsteady hand through his longish hair. “What would you do if you had a family and couldn’t find work? It’s true I invented myself because I was desperate to find a job and I couldn’t. I didn’t know what else to do but come up with a fake company so I could try to find work, maybe latch on to a job in construction. I didn’t make it to the site the last few days because the baby got sick Monday night and now my wife has the same thing. I spent the day before yesterday waiting in line at the free clinic for them both to see a doctor. The doctor thinks it’s the flu. So he prescribed some decongestant and cough medicine and someone had to take care of the baby when my wife got sick.”
To Josh the more Hank talked, the more convincing his story sounded. But Josh needed to clear up a few things. “You could’ve called to let someone know what was going on. You’ve only been on the job a short time. As contractor you were in charge, yet you haven’t even hired a crew yet, which I found odd at the time.”
“That’s just it, there’s more. I couldn’t pay my cell phone bill the last few months and they cut me off. Without it, I couldn’t call anyone. I jumped right in on this job. I ripped out cabinets and tile in nine of the rooms in the ten days I worked. That’s pretty good on my own. There’s no phone here at the motel so I didn’t get a chance to call for any laborers. But while I was on the clock I worked hard. Check the rooms for yourself.”
Josh already had and was impressed by what he’d accomplished in a short amount of time. He listened as the guy went on in a desperate attempt to save his job.
“The only way I saw your email was because I went to the library to use one of their computers. As soon as I read it, I knew I had to get my butt over here and explain.”
In Skye’s mind that didn’t fully detail why he couldn’t use a pay phone and make the call to say things were unraveling. But staring at the female and infant waiting for him in the car, there was no doubt they both looked cold and ill. Add to that, the car seemed loaded down with as much stuff as they could possibly cram into the interior and still sit in the front seat. It looked as though they’d brought it all with them because the car was positively filled to the brim with household goods.
Which prompted Skye to interrupt with a question of her own. “If you don’t mind my asking, where are you and your family living now?”
Hank seemed embarrassed and reluctant to answer. After several long seconds went by, he admitted, “In the minivan.”
“The temp last night dropped to twenty-seven degrees. No wonder they’re sick,” Skye reaso
ned, appealing to Josh with a knowing look. As she so often did while patrolling the mean streets of Seattle at night, she went with her gut instincts. “I know a place where you can crash until you get back up on your feet. My old studio apartment is not far from here. It’s small and a bit cramped for three people but…”
“That doesn’t matter,” Hank said quickly. “As long as I can get my wife and son out of the cold for a couple nights, I’d be grateful.”
Knowing how she felt about that first little place of her own, Josh leaned in and whispered, “Are you absolutely certain about this?”
Skye lifted one shoulder and answered in a low voice, “It’s sitting there empty. I haven’t been back over there in weeks.” It wasn’t exactly the truth. She still stopped in now and then to sprinkle water over her rosemary and oregano. But that wasn’t the point now. “This family doesn’t have a roof over their heads. Why should the space go to waste when they could use a bed? Isn’t this exactly the kind of situation we’re hoping to improve with this project?”
Josh smiled and shook his head. “I guess it is.”
He flipped his gaze back to Hank. “Looks like you’ve been given a second chance by the missus. But from here on out, I want you to make a concerted effort to get to a pay phone if you’re unable to make it to work for any reason.”
Hank nodded. “I will. I promise. I can’t wait to tell Melina. She’ll be grateful, too.”
“The studio has a phone so there’ll be no excuses not to let us know when or if something should come up in the future and you’re unable to make it in to work,” Skye added. “Plus, I’ve known the neighbors in my building for years, lived inside those four walls since I was eighteen. If you bring drug dealers or an unsavory element within five feet of them, I’ll string you up myself.”
For the first time, Hank responded with a grin, threw up his hands. “Tate told me about you. I’m well aware of your rep for kicking ass. I don’t know any drug dealers. Ask Tate if you don’t believe me.”
“How is it you know Tate?” Skye wanted to know.
“In my single, carefree days, I used to hang out with him and play video games. Now that I’m an old married man, I don’t have time for those kinds of things.”
“Let’s get your wife and son out of the cold and settled into the apartment. Why don’t you follow us the four blocks over?”
“That would be great.”
“Then let’s go.”
As soon as they got back into Skye’s Subaru, Josh twisted in his seat. “Are you certain about taking a chance on them like this?”
She hoped she was. “It’s time, don’t you think? I have a nice tiny apartment sitting empty with a lot more space than a car provides for three people. That baby needs to get out of that cold car. If my tiny studio might make a difference to this family, I’d be selfish not to offer it to them.”
“But six months ago you wouldn’t even consider listing it as a rental.”
“That’s before I caught the look on Hank’s son’s little cherub face. That baby isn’t sleeping another night in a cold truck if I have anything to do with it.”
“I love you,” Josh declared, running a long finger down the side of her cheek.
“I know. But you’re the reason I can allow strangers to live in my very first apartment, the place I cherished for so long. You think they’ll appreciate it? I mean I know what Hank said but…”
“I don’t think the Fieldings will trash the place if that’s what you mean.”
That made her grin. “So you sensed Hank was on the level, too?”
“I did.”
“Then I’m feeling better and better about my decision.”
Skye pulled her Subaru up to the curb and into the only available parking spot she could find on the street. When Hank drove up alongside and motioned for her to roll the window down, she complied.
“Where should we park?”
“Wherever you can locate a space to slide your minivan. Sometimes it’s difficult to find a spot,” she pointed out. “You’ll probably have to circle the block several more times and keep looking before you find one.”
Skye pointed across the street. “That’s the building over there. When you park, that’s where we’ll be waiting on the steps.”
“Okay, sure. You guys wait for us in the car while we make another round. That way you won’t have to stand out in the damp wind.”
Ten minutes passed before Hank and Melina walked up to where they stood in front of a four-story vintage brownstone. Melina toted the baby and what looked like a heavy diaper bag.
Skye didn’t know much about babies, but even she could tell Alec still looked feverish. His cheeks were bright red with a rash. He had a runny nose and cough.
Skye unlocked the front door and led the way into a small vestibule out of the cold. They finished going through introductions standing in the lobby.
“It isn’t much to look at, I know, but the location is great. It’s only two blocks east of the harbor, which means everything is within easy walking distance. Come warm weather, you’ll never have to get the car out to go to the store or grab a cup of coffee. When I lived here I rarely had to use my car.”
“Oh, it’s wonderful,” Melina gushed out in a raspy voice that indicated she’d been sick. “Isn’t it wonderful, Hank?”
“The mailboxes are around the corner in that little corridor,” Skye directed. “I’ll give you a key so you’ll be able to get mail.”
Skye could tell Melina was taken with the idea of staying. Sentiment rushed through her remembering the very first time she’d set eyes on the place at eighteen. “It’s an amazing old building. I truly enjoyed my years here. I think it will work for you and Hank, even on a temporary basis, if that’s what you decide. ”
“I adore it already. It’s a fantastic thing you’re doing for us. We’re so grateful,” Melina went on again.
“Hand me Alec,” Hank offered, eyeing the set of stairs. “I’ll carry him up. You’re too sick to be carrying him that far.”
Skye waited for Melina to relinquish the baby before starting up the staircase, talking as she went. “I hope you don’t think I’m a busybody, but how long have you been without a place to live exactly?”
Melina grabbed the rail and answered in a gravelly voice, “Since the first of November.”
Hearing that news Josh’s heart went out to the couple just as Skye’s had done. “But it’s almost Christmas. All this time you’ve been sleeping in the car?”
“No, no, not at all. When it gets really, really cold sometimes Alec and I sleep at the shelter over on Bayview. I don’t like doing that though because the rules there say that Hank isn’t allowed to stay with us. I’m pretty sure it’s because that shelter is designated for women and children only. After the second week of that, I decided I’d rather sleep in the car with Hank than without him.” Melina let out a croupy cough. “I’m pretty sure my decision is what caused Alec to get sick. I wasn’t thinking. I didn’t mean to…”
Josh interrupted the young mom. “That’s an awful decision to have to make, whether or not you stay together as a family or sleep in a warm bed.”
“That’s what we thought at the time,” Hank said.
Skye shifted gears, changing the subject back to tour guide. “It’s a bit of a climb. The apartment is a fourth-floor walkup. That’s a lot of stairs to deal with when you have a baby.”
“The stairs are fine,” Melina assured her. “I’m usually in much better shape when I don’t have the flu.”
They scaled the other floors in silence because Melina needed to take a break after the third landing. Once they reached the top floor, Skye took out a key to a unit at the end of the hallway. She swung the door back and let the couple go in first.
“It’s basically a rectangular box. But there’s a little love seat, a bed, a kitchenette with a two-burner stove, a microwave, and a compact-sized refrigerator. As you can see there are dishes, pots and pans, and just about eve
rything else you’ll need for putting together a meal.”
Melina spun around in a circle and blinked back tears. “Oh my God, it’s better than our last place. It’s beautiful. I love it. We can really stay here?”
Skye let out a laugh. She’d never had anyone consider her little studio wonderful or beautiful before now. “Absolutely.”
“Are you sure we aren’t putting you out of your home?” Hank asked, running his hand over the full-sized antique bed that sat in the corner. “This place will suit us just fine.”
Melina dashed to the sliding glass door and eyed the rows of plants lining the balcony. “Are those peppermint plants?”
“Skye loves to grow her own herbs,” Josh added. “You have fresh mint and sage at your fingertips. And I see they’ve all been recently weeded,” he added with a wink.
“So maybe I’ve been here a time or two since Thanksgiving to make sure the tarragon doesn’t die from neglect,” Skye confessed. “Those plants in the corner growing on the mini trellis are cherry tomatoes. They’ll bloom in a couple of months.”
“We want to pay rent on this place,” Hank announced. “We have sixty-seven dollars cash that we’ve been hoarding for food. I know it isn’t much but… It’s yours if you’ll let us stay here.”
Josh noticed Skye’s eyes were almost as watery as Melina’s. “How about we go back to the job site while Skye helps Melina settle in here with the baby? The two of us will go over the job again, start fresh. We’ll discuss the specifics of your getting back to work and what I expect. Meanwhile, I’ll come up with a lease for you guys to sign and we’ll take it from there.”
When the baby started rubbing his eyes and began to cry, Melina said to Hank, “Before you go, could you bring up the port-a-crib from the back of the car? Alec needs to go down for his nap.”
“Sure. I’ll get the crib and make another trip to grab the box with our clothes.”
As soon as the men took off, Skye looked adoringly at the little boy, itching to touch. Instead of that, she pointed out the best place to stick the crib. “There’s room to set it up right here by the little kitchen table.” She couldn’t wait any longer to reach out and run her fingers through the few strands of hair on the infant’s head. “How old is he anyway?”
His Garden of Bones (Skye Cree Book 4) Page 7