Paradise Park

by Carolina Mac

  “Human remains were found in the hole,” said Detective Spangler. “I’d have to say, thanks to Ted for setting off a chain of events that helped us solve the case.” She smiled at Ted who pretended not to notice.

  “Was Mrs. Plimpton buried where Ted was digging?”

  “We suspect so. A positive ID will be forthcoming later today.”

  “Wow. The old guy really did kill her?”

  “Looks that way.”

  “Has he been arrested?” I asked as I sipped my coffee.

  “Umm…not yet. We have the warrant, but we haven’t located him yet.”

  “He never came home last night?”

  “He came back with Mr. Deegan after their fishing trip but I guess when he saw all the activity at his place, he took off out the back gate.”

  “On foot? He can’t be too far unless he hitched a ride.”

  “No, he’s in his boat, but he’ll have to land sometime. We have an all-points bulletin out on him. It won’t take long to bring him in.”

  “What about Marg? She was his new girlfriend.”

  “She was the one who was suspicious and started digging deeper. Then Miss Farrell joined in and they found the remains,” said Spangler. She finished her coffee and set the cup down.

  “I should take a few notes for my next book,” I said with a chuckle.

  “A lot has happened this summer in Paradise. That’s for sure,” she said.

  I glanced up to see Lonnie trudging sleepily down the hall in his boxers. “We have company, cowboy,” I hollered. He turned and beelined back to the bedroom.

  “I’ll need to get Mr. Chandler’s statement,” said Spangler.

  “When he’s got clothes on would be better,” I said with a giggle.

  “Definitely better.” Spangler smiled again. Twice in one day.

  Lonnie made a second appearance wearing jeans and a t-shirt. He poured himself a coffee and joined us in the living room.

  “Good morning, Mr. Chandler,” said Detective Spangler.

  Lonnie nodded.

  I knew he wanted a smoke. “Why don’t you have a quick smoke and then give the detective your statement, sugar?”

  “Yeah,” Lonnie grinned, “best idea yet.”

  “He can’t function until he smokes when he first gets up.”

  Spangler nodded. “I used to smoke. Sometimes I still get the urge.”

  Lonnie returned from the deck, sat down and seemed a little more relaxed. He sipped his coffee. “What do you want to know?”

  “Just the sequence of events that led up to Ted digging the hole on Mr. Plimpton’s property.”

  “Why? Is that old man filing a complaint against Ted?” Lonnie made a face.

  “Not at all. The hole that Ted started ultimately gave up human remains.”

  “What?” Lonnie leaned forward in his chair.

  “We’ll know later today for certain if the remains belong to his missing wife.”

  “Holy smoke,” hollered Lonnie. “The old geezer buried her in the back yard?”

  “Looks that way.” A hint of a smile crossed Spangler’s face.

  Lonnie repeated the same story that I had told a few minutes earlier. Spangler recorded it all and before she left she said, “Ted may have helped solve this case. He deserves a treat.”

  Lonnie grinned as he saw Spangler out the door. “Way to go, Ted. You’re a detective.” He ruffed up the fur around Ted’s neck.

  “I’ll put him in my next book,” I said. I hugged Ted tightly and he grunted.

  “Sorry about last night, baby. I know you were waiting for me.”

  I shrugged so Lonnie wouldn’t read the disappointment in my eyes and took my mug outside. Lonnie followed. He leaned his butt on the railing and lit up a smoke. “I don’t know what to say, Grace. I have fucked us up so bad and for no reason. It’s all in my head and I’m so sorry.”

  I said nothing hoping and praying Lonnie would let it drop.

  I don’t want a whole day of this bullshit.

  “I know you couldn’t help it when Rob came over and you probably told him to leave. I’m sure you would have.” He sucked in a breath. “Did you?”

  Don’t do this, Lon.

  “Of course, I asked him to leave. I told him you and I were a couple and we were happy and that was the way I wanted it. You’re making me miserable with all your doubts. I’ve dealt with this kind of jealousy before, Lon, and I’m not doing it again.”

  I got up off my chair, went inside the trailer and locked the door. I changed the sheets on the bed, tossed a load into the washer, vacuumed the trailer from back to front, cleaned the bathroom and started on the kitchen. When I was upset, cleaning was the answer. It used up a lot of nervous energy and bad feelings and it served two useful purposes. The trailer was spotless and I was too exhausted to think.

  I checked my phone and there was a missed call from Lonnie and several half-assed texts. I stepped into the shower, my second of the day and stood under the hot water hoping all my frustration would be washed away. He had been so perfect at first. What had gone wrong? Now he was insecure and jealous and no fun and our relationship had regressed from hot sex to no sex. What the hell?

  I dressed in denim shorts and a red tank top, yanked a baseball cap over my hair, grabbed my purse and sun glasses and stomped out to my truck. Lonnie wasn’t outside. Good. I backed out the driveway and took off down Hickory Lane not knowing which way to go, but feeling the need to get away from the Lonnie stress for a while. The tension between us was strangling me. I turned left on the highway and pointed the big four by four north towards town. At least I could do grocery shopping and get some lunch if nothing else.

  After a trip to the market, I looked for a pub on the main street to grab a beer and a bite to eat. I glanced up at the sign—The Flank and Pint. Not much of a name and I hadn’t been there before but it looked decent. The hostess was friendly and showed me to a booth. The interior was dimly lit, but a bit of sunlight streamed through the mullioned front windows. The usual pub décor was in evidence as I took in my surroundings. Dark wooden booths, a few signs on the wall denoting products from yesteryear and a couple of old farm tools. Quite a few patrons for lunch—the food couldn’t be too bad. I was gazing at the menu when someone sat down on the opposite side of the booth.

  “Hey, beautiful.”

  I looked up and smiled, “Hey, Rob.”

  Why is Rob here? Did he follow me?

  The waitress brought my beer and I pointed at Rob.

  “I’ll have the same,” he said. The waitress gave him a friendly smile.

  “Have you eaten here before?”

  “Yep. Eat here all the time. Can’t stand Gary’s cooking.”

  I pointed to the menu. “What do you like?”

  “Usually I order the steak sandwich with fries.”

  “Okay, I’ll try that. Do you want the same?”

  “Are you buying me lunch?” he asked.

  “Can you deal?”

  “Hell yeah, I can.” Rob flashed a huge smile and showed me his perfect teeth.

  Maybe they have good dentists in the prison system.

  Rob stared across the table at me. “You look hot today, Gracie.”

  “Thanks. You clean up nicely yourself.” I took note of his Harley t-shirt with a fringed leather vest over top. A heavy silver chain hanging down on his chest.

  He grinned. “I love it when you say stuff to me in that sexy voice. Makes me…”

  “Makes you…what?”

  “Can’t tell you.”

  “No, you can’t tell me and I don’t want you to. I’m working through something with Lonnie and there are enough complications in my life at the moment.”

  “I can tell you’re sad today.” He tipped up his beer.

  I nodded and said nothing.

  Rob sucked in a big breath and chugged the second half of his beer. “You know how to make my heart pound,” he whispered. “I bet you know all the right buttons to push.”r />
  “A couple.” He was so hot right now and Lonnie was so cold. Rob wanted me and Lonnie had flat out rejected me…again.

  The waitress brought the food and another round of beer and there was no more talking. Just eye contact across the table. Rob watched me eat and the hunger in his eyes wasn’t about his steak sandwich. After the table was cleared, I paid the bill and searched my wallet for a tip. I stood up to leave and Rob looked up at me with big dark eyes. “Do you have to go?” he asked.

  I needed some air before I did something crazy that I would surely regret. “Yeah. I’ve got things to straighten out.” I gave him a smile. “Good lunch.”

  ROB ROARED THROUGH the back gate of the park, slowing down enough to let the exhaust rumble and crackle through the extended pipes. He parked his bike beside Gary’s truck and shoved the kickstand into the gravel with his boot. He fairly flew up onto the deck, sat down beside his brother and Sheila and pulled a beer out of the ever-present red cooler.

  “Why are you looking so fuckin happy?” asked Gary.

  “Why? Because I’m in love, bro. For the first time in my life, I’m in love.”

  “I’m glad. I hope it’s somebody new. I want you to be in love with somebody who doesn’t have a six foot, muscled-up, live-in boyfriend.” Gary frowned.

  “Nope. Nobody new.” He shook his dark head and smiled. “It’s Gracie. I’m nuts over her man. Today is like the best day of my fuckin life.”

  “Grace is with Lonnie,” said Sheila.

  Gary nodded. “Damn right she is.”

  “Doesn’t matter,” said Rob. “Nothing matters.” He had an idiotic grin pasted on his face.

  “He’s off the rails,” said Gary, “right off the fuckin rails.”

  Sheila chuckled. “He seems happy, almost euphoric.”

  “Happy?” said Gary, “he’s got nothing to be happy about. He’s gonna get himself killed.”

  LONNIE RETREATED TO his own trailer after breakfast. After he had antagonized Grace again with more Rob bullshit. If he kept this up he was going to send her straight into Rob’s arms. He fuckin knew what he was doing and it was like he couldn’t stop himself if he tried.

  His father had never questioned his mother and looked what happened to him. Totally blindsided when she left him for the man she’d been seeing secretly for ten years.

  The more Grace said to stop, the more he couldn’t get Rob off his mind. It was driving him nuts. He pictured all kinds of scenarios in his head. Rob in Gracie’s bed when he was on a run. Rob taking Gracie for a ride on the back of his bike. Rob showing Gracie how to weld. What the fuck was wrong with his head?

  Now Gracie had taken off to town in her truck. Maybe he should drive up there and try to find her. No. Definitely not. He’d done enough damage for one day.

  Last night she waited for you in bed, and you left her there until she was asleep. What kind of an asshole are you?

  Lonnie was sitting on his deck when she parked her truck and unloaded the groceries. He wanted to help her, but kept his distance and stayed on his own deck. When she was done she came over and sat down. “Hi. I think we should talk,” she said.

  “Yeah, we should.” Lonnie sucked in a big breath.

  “I want us to be together, Lonnie. You and me. Like we were. I want us to be a couple.”

  Jeeze, she was beautiful, and he had to be insane to say what he was going to say.

  The smart side of his brain tried to stop him.

  Don’t do this, man. This is an asshole move.

  But he didn’t listen.

  “Umm…I don’t think I can do that right now. I think it would be better if we spent some time apart until I get a better grip on myself. I’m only making both of us miserable and unhappy.”

  Grace inhaled a big breath and stared like she didn’t understand the words he had said. “So… you’re… dumping me, then?” she asked in a whisper, turned her head and started to cry.

  Lonnie’s guts ripped to shreds. With every fiber of his body he wanted to hold her. He just couldn’t. “I guess so. For now,” he said so low he wondered if she’d heard him. Lonnie gripped the arms of his deck chair and watched her run back to her own trailer. He knew in his gut he had ruined his own worthless life.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

  LONNIE LEFT AT five a.m. I stood at the window with tears rolling down my face and watched the big rig pull out. Why was he doing this? I gave myself to him completely and now he dumped me for what was a figment of his imagination. He had to put space between us for what he thought might happen? None of it was real. It was all in his head. He had taken his clothes and his personal stuff back to his own trailer, and worst of all he had taken Ted. I couldn’t believe it was over, I loved him so much. The pain inside my gut tore me apart.

  All morning I sat in my office staring at the blank computer screen through my tears. What was Lonnie doing? What was going on in his head? Did he think I had cheated with Rob? I told him I barely knew Rob. Did he think I was lying? If he couldn’t trust me then the relationship was no good anyway. It never could be. This was way too painful. Love sucked huge.

  With the whole morning wasted crying over Lonnie and his attitude towards me, at noon I sucked it up, cracked open a beer and ventured onto the deck. Sprawled carelessly in one chair with my feet on another, I soaked up the warmth of the sun. After my second beer, I began to feel slightly better. My eyes were closed when I heard the rumble and I opened them in time to see the big black Harley blaze around the corner onto my street. Rob parked behind my truck and gave the kickstand his boot. He never wore a helmet inside the park and his long hair had blown all over making him look wild and hotter than a hot day in August.

  He grinned as he climbed the steps onto the deck. His gorgeous smile turned into a frown as he came closer. “Hey, baby, have you been crying?” He leaned down and wiped a tear from my cheek. “Can I get a beer?”

  I nodded.

  Rob came out of the trailer with a beer in his hand and sat in the chair next to me at the table. “Do you want to tell me what happened?”

  I shook my head ‘no.’

  “Okay,” he said softly and reached for my hand.

  I finished my beer and stared into space.

  “Do you want another?”

  I nodded and Rob went back to the fridge for two more.

  I never spoke. I drank my beer and stared straight ahead frozen with grief.

  When we finished the second round, Rob asked, “Do you want to go for a ride?”

  I nodded, grabbed a jacket and my purse and locked up the trailer. Rob shoved my purse into one of the saddlebags, mounted the bike and I threw my leg over behind him. I wrapped my arms tightly around him and laid my head on his back. He touched my arms encircling his middle with a gloved hand, then started the bike and used both hands for driving.

  He let the big engine unwind and we rode for miles at top speed. The wind felt wonderful in my face. My head cleared and my spirits picked up a little. Rob stopped at a little bar and grille out near Chemong Lake and we went inside for a drink.

  “You better now, beautiful girl?” He touched my hair.

  “Much better,” I whispered.

  “Good. Wind always does it for me,” he said.

  His concern was touching and seemed genuine. But genuine or not, it was what I needed. Somebody that gave a shit what I felt like. Rob took my hand and led the way to a table and we sat. He could be very gentle.

  “I thought you had to weld today?”

  Rob smiled at the question. “I did weld, baby. I was done at noon. My first day and there wasn’t fuck all to do.”

  “Oh.”

  “Thanks for asking.”

  I tried to smile.

  The waitress made her way over to our table and Rob ordered Coors drafts. “I’m glad you drink beer, baby doll. Makes things so much easier.”

  “I’m here to make your life easy, cowboy.”

  Rob shook his head. “When you say stuff like that
to me—makes me…”

  He smiled and I took a long hard look at his face. Nice features. Strong jaw line with razor stubble. Dark eyes that sparkled with mischief or worse. Long black hair, slightly curly at the ends. A tat on his neck and two more on his forearms. I hadn’t seen any more of his body to find out if there were any hidden works of art. Maybe I never would.

  “You’re staring at me.” Rob said, draining his bottle.

  “Checking you out.”

  “Did I pass?”

  I reached across the table and pushed the hair out of his eyes.

  He shivered. “That’s the first time you touched me.”

  “I needed to touch you.”

  “You are the hottest thing I’ve ever had near me,” he whispered.

  “As long as you think so.”

  “Every guy in this room thinks so. They’ve all been staring at you since you came in.”

  “Hell no.” I hated it when guys looked at me like I was some kind of meat.

  “Hell yes. I’ve watched the assholes slobbering in their food. But you’re with me and that’s what counts, baby. The only thing that counts.”

  “I’m like a trophy?” I smirked at him.

  “You’re like winning best in show for your bike, baby.”

  “That good, eh?” Rob didn’t catch the sarcasm.

  “Yeah, that good.” He nodded his head.

  I opened up the menu. “Are we eating?”

  “If you want.”

  “I feel a bit queasy because I haven’t eaten—just drank a lot of beer on an empty stomach.”

  “Sure, order what you want.”

  “Do you want to eat with me?”

  He smiled. “Okay, I could eat a burger.”

  “Okay, great.” I waved the waitress over and ordered two burgers with fries. “Do you want gravy on your fries, cowboy?”

  “Sure, I like gravy.”

  “You’re easy.”

  “With you sitting across from me, I’m easier than I’ve ever been.” He chuckled.

  “I’m feeling a little better. I’m hungry now and that’s a good sign.”

  “I won’t ask you what happened. You can tell me if you feel like it.”