Magnolia and Moonlight

by Iris Abbott

  “I love you, and you wouldn’t be in the way!” Maggie insisted.

  “Thanks, sissy, but Marcus doesn’t love me. He doesn’t even know me. I’m not invading his house. I’ve always been good at setting money aside for a rainy day. I can afford a hotel for a few nights,” she promised.

  “Marcus will understand,” Maggie insisted. “But do what you need to do.”

  Savannah’s grin widened. “Thanks, I will.” She clapped her hands together. “So, when am I gonna get to meet this hunky yet sensitive soul who puts a smile on my sister’s face?”

  Maggie scrunched up her face. “Tonight, I hope.”

  “You don’t sound too convinced. Not trying to ditch me already, are you?” Her sister gave her a questioning look.

  She waved a hand in the air. “Don’t be ridiculous, sis. Marcus left a note saying he was traveling but would try to be back by bedtime. I’ll send a message to let him know you’re here. We’ll have dinner together with or without Marcus,” Maggie promised her sister.

  Savannah leaned over and hugged her. “It’s good to finally be here. I’ve got one question.”

  Maggie pulled back and stared at her sister. “Yeah?”

  “Are those triple chocolate brownies as good as they look, because I think both of us could use a triple shot of chocolate right about now.”

  Both women giggled. The chuckles grew louder. Eyes turned their way. Maggie tried to control the laugher, but Savannah snorted, and the giggles grew louder.

  Maggie laughed hard enough that she had to stop to catch her breath. She hopped up from the window seat. “I’m gonna love living in the same city as you once again. Two triple chocolate brownies coming right up.”

  ****

  Marcus deplaned onto the steamy asphalt of a small private airstrip somewhere outside Mobile, Alabama. Luckily, Barrett Security chartered private flights frequently and had a good relationship with their charter company. He was able to get a last-minute flight without much difficulty or lag time. All it took was a call from Jeremy to the owner of the charter company, and Marcus was in the air and on his way for a quick turnaround round trip to Alabama.

  Despite the shades he wore, he lifted his hands to shield his eyes from the unforgiving glare of the sun. The pilot taxied the plane to the fueling area and would want to be back in the air in the next thirty to forty minutes. Marcus glanced around, hoping he was not about to be stood-up by his contact.

  He caught movement out of the corner of his eye. He turned to face a hangar north of his location. The man who stalked his way wore a dark uniform with a prominently displayed star. Looked like he was in business. Marcus strolled toward the deputy, meeting him halfway.

  “Marcus Easton?” the man asked.

  He lifted his chin to acknowledge the greeting. Marcus stuck out his hand for a shake but waited for the other man to identify himself.

  The law enforcer gripped Marcus’s hand and shook it up and down three times. “Deputy Nathan McBride,” he introduced himself. “Welcome to Alabama.”

  It was the name Marcus wanted to here. “Deputy McBride, nice to meet you. Thanks for taking the time to meet with me.”

  “Anything for my former partner and friend Brian Wright.” He named the brother-in-law of one of Jeremy Barrett’s best buddies. “I did some snooping and got the information you wanted on one Caleb Glass. He’s currently in Alabama, so he’s not your man.”

  “Unless he paid someone so as not to get his hands dirty,” Marcus muttered.

  “Anything’s possible,” the deputy replied. “Though, I’m pretty good at profiling. He has all the makings of a classic bully. If Glass were involved, he’d want the satisfaction of inflicting the damage himself.”

  The deputy shrugged. “At least that’s how I read the man. What a piece of work, but at least he’s on my radar now. No complaints in this county yet, but a trail of dismissed assault charges have followed him all over the state.”

  Marcus snorted. “I hear daddy’s got deep pockets.”

  “That won’t fly in this county, not with our sheriff,” McBride staunchly promised.

  “He attacked my woman and got away with it because his family had influence hers didn’t. That does not fly with me either. You get a complaint about him, let me know. I’m willing to lend any support I can to the victim. Surveillance, protection, a good lawyer, whatever it takes to make sure that son of a bitch sees his day in court.”

  The deputy nodded. “Will do.” He held out a folder. “Some reading material, I copied a list of complaints and dropped charges for you.”

  Marcus gawked at the thickness of the papers. A new determination to see Caleb Glass go down stiffened his spine. He took the information and gave his thanks. “You ever get over to the Lowcountry to see Wright, let me know, I’ll buy you a beer or two.”

  The deputy laughed. “Best offer I’ve heard this week. Plan to be there in about a month.”

  The two men shook hands again. The deputy left. Marcus called Jeremy while he waited for the pilot to contact him.

  Jeremy answered on the first ring. “Was Bryan’s former partner able to help?”

  “Yes and no. He verified that Glass hasn’t left Alabama. He doesn’t think he’s our guy.”

  “Suspected as much.”

  “Yeah, me too. The duplex itself seems to be more of a target than Maggie or the other women living there. Had to rule him out though as he’s the only person we know of who might hold a grudge against Maggie.”

  “I hear you. Ben wanted work, so I put him on the background checks for the landlord and former occupants. He’ll get back to us as soon as he can.”

  “I’ll touch base with him once I’m back in Charleston. I got a message from Maggie, her sister’s in town. Gonna meet her tonight.”

  “Don’t tell me your nervous,” Jeremy chuckled.

  “Not really, but Maggie doesn’t talk much about her parents, but she talks a lot about her sister. She’s important to Maggie, which makes meeting her important to me.”

  “Relax. There’s no way your first meeting with Savannah can be more eventful than when I met Rose’s father. He went charging into Atlanta to save his baby girl, got conked in the head, and almost died in a fire.”

  Marcus twisted his mouth. “Man, you better not have just jinxed me.” He ended the call and went to find the pilot. He was anxious to return to Charleston so he could keep an eye on Maggie and get first impressions out of the way.

  THIRTEEN

  Excessive energy zapped through Maggie, making her twitchy. She was convinced that Marcus was the one. Tonight, she wanted to knock him off his feet. She had a plan for that.

  She smiled broadly and skipped to the front door of her duplex. She turned to look back at her sister. “Hurry up!” She shifted from one foot to the other.

  Savannah dragged her feet. “You sure it’s safe?” She gave the door the stink eye and rubbed her hands over her arms.

  She heard from Marcus earlier. He was coming home in time to have dinner with her and Savannah, and Maggie had a new dress she was saving for a special occasion. The sparkly turquoise minidress brought out the color of her eyes, the eyes Marcus complemented so nicely the night before. She was determined to wear the dress out to dinner.

  “Maybe we should wait for Marcus.” Savannah tried to talk her out of going in one more time.

  Maggie crossed her arms over her chest. “I’m determined to wear that dress, and I refuse to be afraid to go inside my own home,” she rebelliously insisted.

  She looked closely at her sister. Savannah’s hands shook. The intruder and vandalism must have spooked Savannah more than she wanted to admit.

  “You know, it won’t take me but a couple of minutes to run in, grab the dress, shoes, and matching underwear.” She wanted the dress for dinner, but she had plans for the sheer, silky, sexy barely-there underwear too. It was going to drive Marcus crazy, and she wanted her man wild with desire. “You should wait for me in the car.”
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  Savannah put her hands on her hips. “I’m not letting you go in there by yourself.”

  “Pfft,” she waved her hand in the air, putting off her sister. “I’ve been in and out of here by myself countless times. I’ll be fine.”

  She pulled her phone out of her purse and gave it to her sister. “Marcus is speed dial number three.” Savannah and Rose were still numbers one and two on her phone.

  Her sister eyed the phone but made no move to take it. Maggie wiggled the device.

  “Nothing’s going to happen. It’s for just in case. I know how much you believe in being prepared.”

  Savannah grasped the phone and clutched it to her chest. She sternly eyed Maggie. “Ten minutes max, sissy. After that, I’m punching that button and calling your man. Don’t lose track of time and make me look like a neurotic fool.”

  Maggie’s grin widened. “Of course not. Ten minutes,” she repeated to remind herself of the time limitations. She unlocked the door then handed the keys to her sister. “See you soon.”

  She waited for Savannah to run back to the car before she pushed open the door and stepped inside. Who cared if her sister was a little more obsessive about safety than she used to be after living in New York? Maggie did not mind appeasing Savannah. Besides, knowing there was backup gave her self-confidence a boost.

  She closed the front door behind her and moved further into the living room. Maggie did her best to look at the stairs she needed to climb, ignoring the damage around her. Her blood heated, and her cheeks burned from anger. The duplex was not going to be her home for much longer, and it would never mean as much to her as Granny’s historic home. It was where she lived for the time being, though, and someone had violated the space in a destructive manner that defied logic.

  Suddenly Maggie was yanked off her feet. She gasped. A large, glove-covered hand slapped over her mouth and silenced the scream she tried in vain to release. Her heart hammered against her ribs so hard and fast, she worried it might explode.

  The cold, hard barrel of a gun was jabbed against the side of her head. “You scream, you’re dead,” an unfamiliar voice hissed next to her ear. “Got it!”

  Maggie frantically nodded her head up and down.

  “Shit! I knew someone would walk in on us eventually,” another voice muttered.

  “You by yourself?” the voice demanded to know.

  Once again, Maggie vigorously nodded her head up and down.

  “Tie up the bitch and throw her on the couch. We’ve got to finish the search tonight. Jason is set to be released tomorrow.”

  The gun jabbed against her temple again. “Remember, any noise, and I’ll shoot you where you stand,” her captor snapped. He lowered his hand from her mouth and yanked her hands behind her back. He bound her wrists together with a plastic zip tie, marched her over to the couch, and pushed her down onto the piece of furniture.

  “Don’t move a muscle or speak a word,” the gruff man demanded.

  Thank God, her sister was safe in the car. If only she could stay alive long enough for help to arrive. By her calculations, Maggie figured she had about seven minutes left before her sister called Marcus. She refused to entertain the thought that her sister would lose track of time or let her down.

  Maggie closed her eyes and thought of Marcus and her sister. She wanted to see them again, needed to make sure they knew she loved them. Savannah probably knew, but Marcus, maybe, maybe not.

  She heard banging, the ripping of wood, and the sound of power tools. The intruders evidently upped their game. Obviously, they were looking for something. Trouble was that Maggie had no idea what.

  The one thing she did know, during the last self-defense class, Josh and Marcus showed her and the others how to escape from a zip tie. She had the forethought to keep her fists together when her wrists were bound. Maggie was blessed with flexible, strong digits as well. She twisted, turned, and flexed her fingers and wrists until she was able to slip out of the restraint.

  Maggie was not the best mental timekeeper, and she was not wearing a watch. She had no idea if the ten minutes had already passed. She thought about making a run for the door while the intruders were busy tearing apart the duplex, but she did not want to endanger Savannah.

  She kept her hands behind her back in case someone remembered she was there and came to check on her. “Think, Maggie,” she uttered under her breath. She needed a plan to save her life without endangering anyone else.

  She briefly wondered about the neighbors. She had never met them but knew that someone lived in the neighboring duplex. Maybe they would hear all the racket and check things out.

  ****

  His phone rang when he was about five minutes from home. He almost ignored it but saw that it was Maggie calling. “Hey, beautiful. I’ll be home in about five. Where are you?”

  “Umm, Marcus?”

  The strange voice sent a shiver down his spine. “Who the hell is this?” He knew who it was not.

  “Savannah, Maggie’s sister. I think something might have happened to Maggie!”

  He checked his mirrors and whipped his car into the nearest parking lot. He slammed on the brakes at the back of the shopping center well away from the stores and shoppers. “Explain,” he snapped out.

  “Maggie wanted to wear a certain dress tonight. We went back to her place to pick it up. I was kinda spooked and insisted on staying in the car. She promised ten minutes max. It’s been eleven.”

  He slammed his hands against the steering wheel. “Y’all are at the duplex?”

  “Yes, she’s inside, and I’m in the parking lot in her car. No one else entered. Maybe I’m paranoid. I’ll just go check on her,” she offered.

  “No,” he shouted into the phone. Heaven forbid both sisters were in a dire situation. “Stay in the car with the doors locked! I’m on the way!” He was worried enough about Maggie. He did not need to add her beloved sister to the mix.

  He disconnected the call, trusting the sister to do the right thing. Marcus put the SUV in gear and shot out of the parking lot. He wanted to call Jeremy, but the phone rang before he could get off the call. The hopes that it might be Maggie, letting him know she was fine, and the whole thing was one big misunderstanding were dashed when the caller was identified as Ben. He almost ignored the call, but if there was a crisis, he would need backup.

  He answered, skipping any pleasantries. “Ben, talk fast. Maggie could be in danger.” He quickly explained the situation without mincing words.

  “I’ll call Jeremy and have someone from Barrett Security meet you at the duplex,” he offered. Marcus noted he did not volunteer himself. Sadly, Ben was far from one hundred percent and would not be tussling with the bad guys anytime soon.

  “The reason I called could shed some light on the situation,” Ben told him.

  Marcus took a sharp right turn on a yellow light and straightened his posture. “Give it to me straight.”

  “The previous tenant from about four years ago is in jail for bank robbery. He’s up for parole tomorrow and is expected to be set free.”

  Marcus’s eyes widened. “You’ve been busy. Damn good work, Ben!”

  “Get this,” Ben continued. “His accomplices were never apprehended, and the money was never recovered.”

  “Son of a bitch! That would be a damn good reason to rip apart a duplex.”

  “About a hundred thousand damn good reasons,” Ben echoed. “Especially if they wanted to find the money before Jason Nelson got out of jail, retrieved it, and disappeared forever.”

  “I’m about five minutes from Maggie’s. Send any remaining info you’ve got to my phone.”

  “First thing I’ll do after contacting Jeremy. You gonna go in?”

  “Can’t say yet, will keep you informed as well as I can.” Marcus disconnected the call. He slowed his vehicle as he neared Maggie’s neighborhood. He could not rush in on squealing tires, giving himself away.

  He noticed Maggie’s car as soon as he turned into
the parking area in front of her duplex. He parked next to it, noting the blonde in the passenger seat, but no Maggie. His heart raced triple time, and he swallowed hard.

  He jumped out of his SUV and tapped on the window. She shrieked and jumped. “It’s Marcus.” He used his hand to motion for her to roll down the window.

  “Savannah Rains?” he whispered.

  She nodded. The hands in her laps visibly shook. “Maggie hasn’t come out yet.”

  Savannah sniffed. “T-ten minutes, she promised. It’s been twice that long. S-something’s dreadfully wrong.”

  “I’m gonna do my best to get her out of there, but I’m gonna need you to stay put. I’ve got friends from Barrett Security coming. Don’t be alarmed if you see others go into the apartment.” Hopefully, they would be the good guys.

  “Should I call 9-1-1?”

  He remembered that law enforcement was not convinced a crime was committed. They might be more trouble than help. “No, I’ll have back up soon enough.” Someone who would not kill him or Maggie in the crossfire if it came to that.

  She stuck her hand out the window. “Here’re her keys just in case.”

  He grabbed the offered keys from the visibly shaken woman. “I’ll get Maggie.” It was a promise more to himself than Savannah, but he sensed she needed to hear the words as well.

  Resisting the urge to barge inside, Marcus took a deep breath and locked down his emotions. He took a few seconds to send a group text to the top tier of security experts at Barrett Security, including Jeremy.

  At the duplex.

  Maggie’s sister is in the car next to my SUV.

  Going in, need backup ASAP….

  Marcus touched the gun in the holster at his back and the knife in the ankle strap. He was as ready as he was ever going to be. He stalked to the front door, using a direct route. Marcus wanted to be seen on the digital feed if anyone from the office was monitoring it.

  The blinds were closed, keeping out the late evening light and blocking his view. He put his ear to the door. Much to his surprise, he could not hear a thing. His gut told him Ben was spot on with the bank robbery theory. He expected to hear thumps and bumps as the intruders desperately tore the place apart, looking for the lost money.