“Well, we have two choices. They always have the mystery meal of the day, or you can get a burger. Sometimes they have hot dogs. Most of the time I go for the burger. The food really isn’t that bad. My mom is on a health kick right now, and we never get hamburgers at home anymore, so I guess you could say it’s my own form of rebellion.” She pointed to two large metal doors standing open at the end of the hall. “That’s the lunchroom. It’s also the safe room.”
“Safe room?”
“You know, in case of tornados . . . or a zombie invasion.”
As they approached the cafeteria, the smell of food mingled with that of adolescent sweat.
Austin motioned for Page to go through the door ahead of him. “I guess I’ll have a burger, too,” he said, following her to a food station surrounded by students.
They took their trays and waited in line behind a boy Austin recognized from Ms. Jansky’s class. He was thin with black-framed glasses and a long nose.
Page said, “Hi, Virgil. How’s your dad?”
“Better. Thanks.” He took three hot dogs and stacked them on his tray.
A boy in line ahead of Virgil, about the same height and maybe ten pounds heavier than Austin, said, “Hi, Page.”
“Hello, Frankie,” she mumbled.
“Come on, Virgil. Let’s go,” Frankie said.
Virgil dropped his head and followed the larger boy to a table at the back of the room.
“What’s up with them?” Austin asked.
A sadness crossed Page’s face as she watched them walk away. “The boy with glasses is Virgil. He’s quiet, but pretty nice. The other one is Frankie. He’s always in trouble. Stay away from him.”
“Why does Vigil hang out with him?”
“I’m not sure. Virgil won’t say.” She nodded to her left. “Let’s sit over there. I’ll introduce you to some of my friends.” She led him to the group and said, “Hey, guys. This is Austin Riley—he’s new.”
Page introduced Austin to the people around the table. After they said their obligatory hellos, they resumed their conversations. Austin sat down beside Page and began to eat.
A boy sitting on the other side of the table said, “You’re in my math class. I sit by the window, close to the front of the room.” He stuck out his fist and said, “Josh Walker, welcome.”
Austin bumped fists with the boy. “Austin Riley. Thanks.” He turned his attention to the conversations around him. The students talked about a lot of the same things the kids at his old school used to talk about, and Page and Josh both made a point of including him when they could.
When they finished eating, Page said, “Want to go outside?”
“Sure.”
Once they dumped their trash, they left the building and walked into a large fenced yard full of students. Austin stopped and surveyed the new faces.
“Let’s go sit under that tree over there.”
“Sure.”
They made their way to the large oak that provided a cool place out of the sun, and Page plopped down on the grass. She patted the ground beside her. “Come on.”
Austin joined her and picked up a small twig. He rolled it between his palms and watched a group of kids walk by.
“How is it going so far?” Page said.
“Okay.”
“Did you find your classes all right?”
“Yeah.”
She picked up a leaf and stared at it. “Austin, if you don’t start talking more, I’m never going to get to know you better.”
He cleared his throat. “Sorry, I’m just not used to talking to girls.”
“Then forget I’m a girl, just think of me as a friend.”
“That’s going to be hard to do.”
“It’s hard for you to think of me as a friend?”
“No, it’s going to be hard to forget you’re a girl.”
Page nudged him with her shoulder. “You’re funny.” She stood and brushed her hands together. “Come on, it’s almost time to go in.”
Austin threw the twig down and rose. As he dusted the dirt from his jeans, Frankie and Virgil passed, along with several other boys.
“That whole group is nothing but trouble,” Page whispered, following the boys with her eyes. “All but Virgil, that is. Trust me, you want to stay away from them.”
Chapter 7
Mikki watched the students rush out of the school like runners in a marathon. She squinted against the bright sun as she leaned against the side of her car, chewing her bottom lip, arms crossed over her chest. Several minutes passed before she saw Austin walk out next to an auburn-haired girl. They stopped on the sidewalk and glanced around. The girl pointed to her left then waved goodbye and walked away. Austin watched the girl get into a dark blue car. When she was gone, he searched the other vehicles parked in front of the school.
Mikki waved when he started walking in her direction. “Hi, Austin. How was your first day?”
“School’s school,” he said with a shrug. “I guess it was okay.” He paused and eyed her yellow Mustang convertible. “Sweet ride.” His voice cracked on the last word. He opened the door. “Where are we going?”
“To my house.”
“I told Uncle Pete I don’t need a babysitter. You can drop me off at his place. I’m used to staying by myself.”
Mikki started the engine. “Maybe so, but he asked me to take you to my house until he gets off work, so that’s what I’m going to do.” She pulled away from the curb. “Listen, about this morning. I want to apologize.”
“No problem.”
“Well, I don’t want things to be awkward between us. We’ll probably be spending a lot of time together, and I don’t want you to feel uncomfortable.”
“I don’t.”
“Good.”
After they had driven several miles, he said, “So, are you and Uncle Pete like engaged or something?”
“No, but we are dating. Well, it’s actually more than dating.”
“Yeah, I got that.”
She glanced at the boy in the seat next to her. “I care for your uncle, very much.”
“Do you have anything at your house to eat? I’m starving.”
Mikki sighed. “Yes. I have some fruit, and there’s peanut butter and jelly.”
“Okay.”
“If you tell me what you like, I’ll try to stock up the next time I go to the store.”
“Whatever.”
When they entered Mikki’s house, she said, “The television is in the living room, and the bathroom is the first door on the right. Do you want me to fix you a sandwich?”
“Sure.” He dropped his backpack beside the door and headed toward the bathroom. By the time Austin returned to the kitchen, Mikki was placing a plate full of food and a glass of milk on the table.” He sat down and drank the glass of milk, without coming up for breath, then wiped his mouth on the sleeve of his hoodie. He shoved an apple slice in his mouth and stopped chewing when he noticed she was staring at him. “What? Did I do something wrong?” He dropped a second apple slice back on the plate. “Was I supposed to say grace or something?”
“I’m just not used to feeding a growing boy. Go ahead, I’ll get you more milk.” She refilled his glass and poured one for herself. She sliced another apple and sat down. “How much homework did they pile on you the first day?”
He drank half the milk before answering her. “Some math and geography.” With a mouthful of sandwich, he added, “And on top of that, there’s a book report due Friday.”
“Do you have a book?”
“Yeah. Page helped me find one at the school library.”
“Who is Page?”
“Just a girl.” He ate a cookie in one bite then crammed the last half of the sandwich in his mouth.
Even with his bulging cheeks, Mikki could see the blush starting up his neck.
Chapter 8
Pete Foster knocked once before he pushed the thick wooden door open and stepped into the hospital room. The air was filled with the sounds of monitors and machines beeping and humming. The odor of antiseptics and cleaning solutions stung his nose.
A bald man, with dark, sunken eyes and a long nose was lying in the bed. He remained silent as he watched the sheriff approach.
“Mr. Ellerton, I’m Sheriff Foster. Glad to see you’re awake. I’d like to ask you a few questions about last night.”
The man pushed the button and raised the head of his bed a few inches but didn’t speak.
“Do you mind if I sit down?” Pete asked.
Dark eyes glanced to an empty chair and back.
Pete pulled the seat closer to the bed and sat down. He took a pen and small notebook from his shirt pocket. “Can you tell me what happened?”
“I got shot. That’s what happened. That no-good rat shot me.”
“Do you know who did it?”
“Yep.”
Pete gave the man ample time to answer before stating, “Mr. Ellerton, I need to know who it was.”
Ellerton stared out the window. There was a slight tremor in his hands as he twisted the thin blanket covering his legs.
“Don’t know his name, never told me, but I know him. The low-down rat.”
“Did he say anything?”
Ellerton continued to stare out the window. Pete was closing his notebook when the man cleared his throat. “He said he’d hurt my family if I went to the cops.”
Pete made a notation. “Mr. Ellerton, I can’t help you, or your family, if you don’t help me.”
The thin man took a deep breath and coughed. He grabbed the pillow beside his hip and hugged it until the spasm stopped, then dropped his head back and focused on the ceiling. “Okay, but you gotta promise me something, Sheriff. You gotta promise that if anything happens to me, you’re gonna protect my family.”
“I’ll do what I can. You have my word. Just start at the beginning and tell me everything you can about the shooting last night.”
“Sometime last year, we was low on cash and getting behind with the house payments. I was picking up odd jobs here and there, and the wife was taking in laundry from some of the folks at church and abouts, but it weren’t enough.” He reached for the cup on the stand next to the bed. Pete helped him. When Ellerton finished the drink, he handed the cup back and dropped his head against his pillow.
“I was at Buck’s Place one night—you know, the bar off the highway going toward Lonoke—just having a couple beers.” He shook his head and sighed. “The wife always said my tongue starts wagging when I drink, and I guess she’s right. Anyways, me and the boys were talking about how tight things are these days, with prices going up and all. Well, I said something about us being short on money.” He pushed the button and lowered the bed a little, then adjusted the pillow behind his head.
Pete waited for the man to start talking again.
“A whiles later, this fellow sits down at the bar next to me. He starts talking about overhearing me say I was getting behind with my bills and said he knew a way for me to make some easy money. He said all I had to do was deliver a package.”
When Ellerton didn’t continue, Pete asked, “Did he say what was in the package?”
“No, but I figured it weren’t nothing legal.” He sighed. “Sheriff, I knew it sounded fishy, but we was needing money . . . bad. I didn’t think it would hurt nothing, just that once.”
“Go on, what happened?”
“I did it. I met him the next day, took the package, and drove to the address he gave me. I don’t need to tell you, I was pretty nervous that first time. But it went just as smooth as clock work. Yes, sir, a man met me, and I just handed it to him, simple as that. He even gave me a little money for gas to get home.”
“How many times did you make deliveries for these men?”
“Shucks, hard to say. Here lately it was maybe two or three times a week.” He rubbed his hand down his jaw and said, “I reckon I’m going to prison, ain’t I?”
“That’s not my decision. But I will make sure the authorities know how cooperative you’ve been. Right now, I want to get these guys behind bars, where they belong.” Pete shifted in his chair. “Where did you deliver the packages?”
“It was always a different place but always to the same guy.”
“What about the shooting?”
“A couple nights ago, I was making one of them deliveries, just like usual, when all of a sudden, this black jeep runs me off the road. The next thing I know two men jump out, and one points a gun at me while the other grabs the package, then they take off.”
“Did you report it to anyone?”
“Who was I going to go to?” Ellerton shook his head. “No, sir, I just turned around and drove home.”
“Did you get a look at their faces?”
“No, they had on them toboggan type hats that come down over your face.”
Pete made a note. “Okay, what did you do then?”
“Like I said, I went home, and then last night I went to the bar ‘cause I wanted to tell the man what happened and why I didn’t make the delivery. Well, he was waiting for me, madder than an old wet hen, he was. Soon as I got out of my truck, he grabbed me by the arm and shoved me around to the side of the building. Before I knew what was happening, he had a gun in my face and was yelling all sorts of things about killing me and my family.”
The man locked eyes with Pete. “He called my boy by name. He knew my boy’s name, Sheriff. He said he would kill him, and the wife, if I didn’t return the package.” He took another drink and wiped his mouth with the blanket. “I tried to tell him what happened, but he kept saying I stole it and I had to pay for it. When I tried to get away is when he shot me. I was running for my truck, and he just shot me.” He shook his head and added, “The no-good rat shot me!”
“Did he say anything else?”
“Sure did. While I was laying there in my own blood, he walked right past me and said, ‘You better keep your mouth shut or the next one is for your kid,’ then he drove away. He just left me right there on the ground to die.”
Pete turned the page in his notebook. “You said you don’t know the man’s name.”
“Nope, I never asked.”
“But you know what he looks like. Can you describe him?”
“Yeah, ‘bout six one or two, dark hair, cut short, and a long mustache he kept rubbing all the time.”
“Do you think you could point him out in a lineup?”
“Pretty sure I could.”
“Okay, the man who accepted the deliveries, what can you tell me about him?”
“Not much. Average-looking fellow, about my size. He always wore a cap, and his hair stuck out around the edges.”
“Do you think you could pick him out in a lineup?”
“I think so.”
“What can you tell me about the men in the jeep?”
He shook his head. “It was too dark to see anything, and like I said, they had on them hats over their faces. It happened so fast, and I ain’t ashamed to tell you, I was scared out of my wits when that guy started waving that gun around.”
Pete closed his notebook and stood. “Thank you, Mr. Ellerton. You’ve been very helpful.” He laid a card on the table beside the bed. “If you think of anything else, call my office. I hope you feel better soon.” He walked out of the room and closed the door.
Chapter 9
Pete was typing his interview with Ellerton when his cell phone rang. He didn’t recognize the number on the screen, but he answered and shoved it between his jaw and shoulde
r. “Pete Foster.”
“Pete, this is Julie Tanner.”
“How can I help you, Ms. Tanner?”
“Sorry, I should have said Julie Vaughn. We went to school together.”
“Holy cow, it’s been a long time, Julie. How are you?” He sat back and propped his heels on his desk.
“I’m good, and you?”
“I can’t complain. What can I do for you? Is this about a class reunion or a sheriff matter?”
“Neither. I’m a teacher at the junior high. Mr. Dipton said you’d like a tutor for your nephew.”
“Yes, he’s staying with me for a while, and he needs to get his grades up. Do you think you can help with that?”
“I’m already tutoring a couple of students, but I think I could add one more. I’ll need to meet with him and take a look at his file before we decide anything definite.”
“Sure, did you want to come by the house later?”
“I don’t typically meet with students at their homes, but since I know you, that would be okay with me. I’m afraid I can’t do it right after school. I’m already booked at that time.”
“Why don’t you come by this evening, if you’re free, and you can meet Austin? We’ll be home around six. Is that too late?”
“That’s fine. I’ll see you then. It was nice talking to you again, Pete.”
“You, too.” He gave her the address and hung up.
~ ~ ~
Before he left the office at the end of his day, he called Mikki. “I’m ready to head home. Do you want me to swing by and pick up Austin, or did you want to bring him to the house?”
“He’s finishing his homework. You can come here, and I’ll fix dinner.”
“Not tonight, sorry. There’s a tutor coming to the house to work with Austin. How about I go home and start dinner, and you two can head over when you’re ready?”
“That sounds great. We’ll see you in a few minutes.”
Arrested Romance (Oak Spring Series Book 2) Page 3