Hidden Target (Otter Creek Book 2)

by Rebecca Deel

“Drove a truck for Shane Transportation. He drove long hauls, so he’d be gone for a week at a time, sometimes longer if he drove out west. He worked whatever hours the company assigned and any overtime they sent his way.” She sniffled. “He paid the bills, took care of his family.”

  “How was he as a husband?”

  “What do you mean?” A cautious note crept into her voice.

  “Was he a good husband? Did he take care of you as well as he took care of the kids?” Silence greeted his questions.

  “He tried.” Guilt laced Ginger’s voice. “But he was gone so much. I got lonely, you know?”

  “That’s why you left him?”

  “With Scotty gone so much on those long hauls, he couldn’t fix a leaking faucet or mow the grass,” she said. “He told his supervisor, Rick, I needed help with home maintenance stuff. One night, Rick showed up with his tools and spent four hours fixing things. Two nights later, he mowed the grass. He wouldn’t let me pay him, so I offered him dinner in trade. He was good-looking, single and treated me like a princess. Within a few weeks, he no longer went home at night.”

  Ethan leaned against the back of his chair. The buzz of activity in the squad room faded. He’d heard similar tragic stories before, but the unnecessary pain Scott and Ginger suffered still twisted his gut. “When did Scott find out?”

  “Three months later. I’ve never seen him so angry. For the first time, I was afraid he might hurt me.”

  “Did he?” Ethan asked, his voice gentle.

  A small sob sounded over the line. “No, but I almost wish he had. Scotty came home from a haul to Washington state and confronted Rick. When Rick admitted the truth, Scotty went crazy with rage.” She sniffed again. “They fought. Scotty killed him.”

  “How did he learn about the affair?”

  “Jamie told his daddy he liked the nice man sleeping in my bed. He was only three at the time.”

  Ethan swallowed hard against the growing lump in his throat. “You said Scott never hurt you. He didn’t hit you or abuse you?”

  “Never.”

  “Even after he found out about the affair?”

  Ginger gave a short bark of laughter. “Didn’t have the chance. The cops nabbed him within hours and carted him off to jail. We couldn’t post bail, so he stayed in jail until the trial. Old man Bates helped out with the kids as much as he could. Came to see them, took them to McDonald’s, but he couldn’t help me pay the bills. When I lost the house, I made a clean break of it. Scotty begged me not to divorce him and take the kids, but I couldn’t stand it anymore, couldn’t take people looking down their noses at the wife of a murderer. The kids at school made Kara cry, teased her about her daddy being a jailbird.

  “Look, I know what I did was stupid, Mr. Blackhawk. I had a good marriage, but it wasn’t enough.” Her voice broke. “I packed up the few belongings we had left and moved in with my mother. She’s old, feeble. I wanted to start fresh, where nobody knew about Scotty.”

  “Has it made a difference?”

  “Well, yes. Mom only had one requirement when we moved in, that we go to her Bible-thumping church every time the doors opened. It’s all right I guess; the kids like it anyway.”

  Ethan smiled. “That’s a good start, Mrs. Bates. Sounds like your mother is a wise woman. When you were married to Scott, did he exhibit an interest in pornography?”

  “No, he didn’t even watch it on cable. Called it trash.”

  Ethan ended the call and slumped in his chair. So, Bates was worried about Nick and the bizarre stuff happening to Madison, but Mrs. Bates couldn’t confirm her ex-husband’s obsession with pornography or his tendency toward violence. His time in jail may have introduced some new habits she wouldn’t know anything about.

  His cell phone rang. “Blackhawk.”

  “Hi, handsome. Got a date tonight?”

  Ethan smiled. “Depends on whether or not you have time in your busy schedule, babe.”

  “I should be finished here by 3:00, but I promised to help Maddie bake a cake for tonight.”

  He froze. “Will I have to eat it?”

  Serena laughed. “Relax, she’s not trying to impress you. I doubt she’ll notice you’re in the room.”

  Amusement shot through him. “I thought you said when I enter a room, every woman turns to look.”

  “Every single woman, baby.”

  “Madison’s still single.”

  “Not for long.”

  Ethan grinned. “When did this happen?”

  “Hasn’t yet. She’s trying to find the perfect way to tell Nick she loves him.”

  “A charred lump of cake isn’t the best way to do it.” Her laughter broadened his smile. “How’s the bake sale?”

  “We’re almost out of food and the coffers are full,” she said. “People pay more than we request when they realize the money is for Julia’s hospital bill. Making progress on the case?”

  He jammed a hand through his thick black hair. “Some.” Most of the information he’d learned didn’t fit the picture Jenny painted of Bates, so who told the truth? Were Jenny and Ginger seeing two sides of the same man?

  “You’ll figure it out. I’ll call when I’m finished at Maddie’s. I love you, Ethan.”

  His heart did a flip. Though engaged for four months, he reacted the same way every time she said she loved him. He hoped his response never changed. With each of them putting 100 percent into their marriage, he prayed they would never face the heartbreak of a divorce like Scott and Ginger Bates.

  A knock sounded on his door. He glanced up and motioned with his hand.

  Nick stepped into his office and closed the door. “Got a minute?”

  CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

  “Three cups of flour.” Madison frowned. Which canister contained flour? She opened the large maroon canister, sniffed, sneezed. Flour. She scooped the white powdery substance into the measuring cup, leveled it off with the back of a butter knife like Serena showed her and dumped the contents into the mixing bowl.

  She repeated the process twice more, then pushed the canister against the wall and turned on the mixer. She didn’t understand until now why Serena insisted she buy a heavy-duty mixer with a stand. The mixer did all the work which freed her hands to clean the mess she made.

  “I found the extracts.” Serena slammed the back door. “They fell out of the bag and slid under the passenger seat.” She examined the cake batter. “Nice. Time for the five flavorings.”

  Madison added the last ingredients, poured the batter into Serena’s bundt cake pan and slid the cake into the oven. She stared at the oven mitt as she removed it. “Sis, have you burned your hand taking something out of the oven?”

  Serena laughed. “You’re kidding, right? Of course I have. I used to burn the back of my hand or my fingertips until I used oven mitts instead of potholders.”

  “Ever burn the back of your wrist?”

  She scrunched up her face. “No, but I guess it’s possible if you hold your hand at a weird angle or get too close to the side of the oven. Why?”

  Madison shrugged. “Jenny Siler has a bandage on the back of her wrist. She burned it removing a pie from the oven.” She rinsed the mixing bowl, added it to the dishwasher, and turned on the appliance. “How about a glass of tea?”

  “Sounds great. Let’s sit on the deck. There’s a cool breeze blowing this afternoon. We’ll have at least an hour before we check the cake, plenty of time for you to dish the goods on Nick,” she finished with a grin.

  Nick sat back in his chair, stunned. “Castigian and Bates were cellmates?” His mind raced. Did the connection between the two men he’d arrested mean anything or was it just a coincidence? He frowned. “Have you talked to Castigian, asked him about Bates?”

  “He died after Bates was released. Heart attack.” Ethan lifted his mug. “What do you know about Castigian’s family?”

  “Not much. His arrest devastated his wife; I never met his kids.”

  “Irene committed suicide,
the son, Tom, OD’d on cocaine, and the daughter, Ava, cut her ties and moved. Rod’s tracking her down.”

  What a mess. Over the years, he’d encountered countless families ravaged by drugs. “Ethan, we don’t have any leads and I’m running out of time.”

  “So, start over.”

  “How?”

  “Go back to the beginning, to Knoxville.”

  Back to Knoxville. Nick’s face hardened. He’d missed something, a connection. Retracing his steps might help him fill in the missing pieces of the puzzle. But what about Madison? Disquiet stirred in his soul. He didn’t want to leave her now. The stalker waited in the darkness to make his final move; Nick felt it in his gut.

  Ethan’s office door burst open. A dark-haired Asian woman rushed in, fear etched on her features. “Chief, I just dispatched the fire crew to Madison’s house.”

  Nick’s heart contracted painfully. No! He leapt to his feet and raced out the door.

  “Nick, ride with me!” Ethan passed him, issuing terse orders over his shoulder to Rod as the three of them plunged out the front door.

  Nick threw himself into the front seat of Ethan’s SUV, his heart careening out of control. Tires peeled as Ethan jerked the vehicle hard to the right and sped toward Madison’s home, siren blaring. Rod trailed close behind. “I should have stayed with her.” He’d never forgive himself if he lost Madison or if she suffered more because of him.

  The SUV slid to a stop behind an idling red fire truck. Nick shoved open the passenger door and sprinted across the grassy expanse, following the hoses to the backyard. Smoke poured from the kitchen window and the back door. Where was Madison? He scanned the milling crowd of emergency personnel, but didn’t see her.

  “Nick!”

  He spun around and stumbled toward the blonde blur racing in his direction. Madison flung her arms around his neck. His arms contracted around her small, trembling form. Nick drew in several deep breaths, his heart pounding from the adrenaline rush. He ducked his head, his mouth against her ear. “You all right?”

  She nodded, her face hidden against his neck. He leaned back to get a glimpse of her face, but she buried her head deeper. His back muscles began to knot, so he eased her down until her feet touched the ground, his arms still locked around her. In the background, he heard Ethan talking to one of the firemen and Serena’s laughter. Puzzled, he glanced to his left at the firefighters, all sporting huge grins or smirks on their faces.

  Ethan’s chuckle drew his attention back to the police chief. The relief on his face told Nick whatever happened had nothing to do with Madison’s stalker.

  He looked down at the woman in his arms and noticed her red cheeks. His lips twitched. Another cooking disaster? Nick cupped the back of her head with his hand and kissed the top of her head. If Madison agreed to marry him one day, he’d have to keep their home insurance up-to-date.

  “All right, Madison. You’re all set, honey. Just hook up a couple of fans and open the windows. Air out the place. Need a new oven, too, although you might be better off making that into storage space for your yarn.” A big, strapping, gray-haired fireman winked at Nick. “Stop by the bakery the next time you get a craving for cake, young lady.”

  “Yes, sir.”

  Nick grinned and shook the fireman’s hand. “Thanks.”

  The fire crew gathered their equipment and waved as they boarded the truck. They threw out a few good-natured catcalls and headed for the station.

  Madison tilted her head, peering at the yard from the safety of his arms. “Are they gone?”

  Laughter rumbled from his chest. “They’re gone, baby.”

  “I don’t understand it,” Serena said, walking up to them. “I watched you put all the ingredients in the pound cake. It shouldn’t have overflowed like that.” She stopped, suspicion growing in her eyes. “Which flour did you use, Maddie?”

  Madison lifted her head from Nick’s chest. For a second, he was tempted to urge her head back against him, but he loosened his hold on her when she turned toward her sister.

  “What do you mean, which flour?” Her eyes widened in alarm. “I didn’t know I had more than one kind.”

  Serena covered her face with her hands. “Did you use the flour in the maroon canister?”

  “Yes.”

  “That’s it, then.” Serena sighed. “You used self-rising flour, sis. I should have told you to use the flour in the cream-colored canister.” She gave Madison’s hand a squeeze. “I’m sorry, Maddie. Come to my house and we’ll try again.”

  She shook her head. “Not today. The fire crew’s already had their laugh for the day.”

  “Nick and I thought the stalker tried to torch your house,” Ethan said.

  “I’m sorry.” She turned to Nick. “I didn’t mean to scare you, but the alarm rattled me and I couldn’t remember how to disarm the system. Before I knew it, firemen were running through the door with hoses.”

  “I’m just glad you’re all right. Nothing else matters.”

  “I need to go back to the station.” Ethan held out his hand to Serena. “Walk with me to the car.” He glanced at Nick. “Need a ride?”

  “Give me a minute.” He waited until Serena and Ethan rounded the corner of the house, then slipped his arms around Madison, pulled her close and took his time kissing her. When he lifted his head, her bemused look brought a smile to his face.

  “Wow” she said, her face flushed, this time for something other than embarrassment.

  He chuckled. “After I pick up my car, I’ll take you to dinner.”

  “Avoiding food poisoning, Santana?”

  Nick gave her a light kiss and walked to the front yard, knowing he couldn’t answer that question without getting himself into trouble. He passed Serena, noting a flush on her cheeks similar to Madison’s. He grinned at Ethan’s proprietary gaze on Serena.

  The police chief watched until Serena disappeared from view. His gaze drifted back to Nick and he inclined his head toward the SUV.

  “Why?” Dismay seeped into her voice. Madison’s hand curled into a fist. Something inside warned her of danger to Nick if he returned to Knoxville. If Ethan was right, the person targeting Nick would have ample opportunity to hurt him. He didn’t have backup.

  “I have to explore the connection between Bates and Castigian.” He leaned his elbows on the scarred wooden restaurant table. “It’s a new trail to follow, one that leads me a step closer to Luke’s killer. I can’t let this opportunity pass.”

  His unrelenting determination left her with a growing sense of dread. Nick would investigate every lead, no matter where the path ended; he’d accept nothing less from himself. A sense of impending doom hung like a black cloud overhead, waiting for the right moment to drop a tidal wave and drown her dreams. The smell of grilled steak, so mouth-watering earlier, now made her nauseated. “When?”

  “Tomorrow morning.” His face revealed no emotion.

  She rubbed her bottom lip. Dim lighting in the steakhouse made his expression hard to read. Why did he have to go so soon? What difference would a day or two make? “Wait one day and take Josh with you.”

  “Why?”

  “So he can watch your back.” Nick started to speak, but she interrupted him. “Somebody’s already tried to kill you. What’s to stop him from trying again?”

  “Madison, I doubt it would have made any difference if Josh had been with me a few weeks ago. If the same shooter took out Bates, he had a perfect opportunity to kill me Friday.” He covered her clenched fist with his hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. “He focused on you as a way to get to me. I want your brother guarding your back, not mine.”

  Madison frowned. “He has appointments all day tomorrow, paperwork to fill out for the police department.”

  “Then we’ll make sure one family member stays with you at all times.”

  “I wish you would wait, Nick.”

  “I’m running out of time.”

  His tone was so matter-of-fact she almost missed
the significance of his statement. Those lab reports should arrive in the next few days, reports that would show Nick’s fingerprints on the murder weapon. He wasn’t going to give in. A curl of fear formed in her stomach. “How long will you be gone?”

  “As long as it takes to find what I missed.”

  “You won’t take me with you?”

  “Not won’t,” he said. “Can’t. I may have to go into some ugly places, deal with people I don’t want you near. Your safety is my first priority.”

  “And I’ll distract you if I come along?”

  His lips curved upward.

  She pressed a clammy hand to her flaming cheek. The waitress refilled their glasses of iced tea and left. “How can I help you tomorrow? Is there someone I can talk to, a lead I can follow?” If Madison talked to people while Nick was gone, they could move the investigation along on two fronts. A tingle of excitement rippled through her. What if she figured out who was behind all this?

  “Check with Craig Lawrence about the time he and Howard were at The Bare Ewe.”

  Madison nodded. “I already have an appointment with Craig at 10:00 tomorrow to meet with his client about the old dress shop. Who else should I talk to?”

  “Georgia Shannon.” He grinned. “I’m not one of her favorite customers right now.”

  “I can’t believe she turned on you.”

  “I hope Judge Wilson and Anna don’t think I’ve gone over to the dark side.”

  Madison rolled her eyes. “I don’t think the Rebellion needs to worry about you partnering with Darth Vader.” She pushed her hair away from her face. “I may drop in at the beauty shop. Those ladies know everything going on in town.”

  Nick’s eyebrows shot up. “They do?”

  “Women tell hairdressers things they don’t tell their own husbands or boyfriends.”

  “You’re just going in to talk, not setting an appointment, right?”

  What was it with men and long hair on women? Luke had felt the same way and grieved when she cut her hair a few months after their wedding. He’d begged her to grow it out again. “You don’t want me to cut my hair?”