Arrested Romance (Oak Spring Series Book 2)

by Sherri McDuffie

  “Yes, I’m right behind them. From what I can see, she’s giving that doctor holy hell.”

  “Good for her,” Derik said. “You be careful, buddy.”

  “You, too, and take care of Austin for me.” Pete hung up and focused on the car in front of him. His elevated truck seat allowed him to see Mikki in the low sports car. She kept turning to the doctor, with her hands waving in the air. The look on her face was not a happy one.

  “That’s right, Mikki. You tell him,” Pete said out loud.

  Mikki grabbed the doctor’s arm, and he shoved her back.

  “Oh, you’ll pay for that,” Pete said to himself.

  She grabbed his arm the second time, and again he shoved her away. The car veered to the side before Dr. Cook regained control.

  Pete could see Mikki grip her seat. She glanced over her shoulder and shook her head then motioned him to back off. He saw the fear in her face and slowed down, putting more space between them. Her hand wrapped around the parking brake and yanked up. He heard her scream when the car spun across the road, black smoke trailing behind. Cook fought against the spin as the car slid in the loose gravel.

  Pete slammed on the brakes and watched them drift to the left of the road. Dr. Cook overcorrected, and the car spun in another half circle, blocking the road. He glared over his shoulder at Pete, released the brake lever, and stomped on the accelerator. The car shot forward, and Cook twisted the wheel. The back of the car fishtailed again, peppering Pete’s truck with gravel and rocks. When the cloud of dust settled, the car was nose down in the ditch, back wheels spinning in the air.

  Pete reached in his glove box and took out a gun and a pair of handcuffs. He tucked the Glock in his back waistband as he hurried toward the wreck. When he slid into the ditch on the driver’s side, he looked across the convertible at Mikki and said, “Are you okay?”

  Before she could answer, Dr. Cook turned to her and said, “What the hell were you trying to do? We could have been killed.” He threw his hands in the air and said, “Look what you did to my car.”

  Pete grabbed Cook’s left arm, slapped the cuffs around his wrist and secured the other end to the steering wheel.

  “Hey, what’s this?” Dr. Cook tugged against the restraint.

  Pete reached into the car and pulled the keys from the ignition.

  “What do you think you’re doing?” Mikki said. “Why were you chasing us?” She looked at the doctor and said, “Are you hurt?” She took his face in her hands and said, “Let me take a look.”

  Dr. Cook pulled away. “I’m fine. Get this idiot away from me.” He glared at Pete. “You’re going to hear from my lawyer.”

  Pete made his way to Mikki’s side of the car and said, “Can you get out?”

  She tried to open the door, but it was jammed. After getting on her knees, she climbed over the side. When Pete offered to help her, she wrenched her arm away from him.

  “Are you okay?” he said.

  “I’m fine. What in the world is wrong with you? Why did you do this?”

  “I’ll explain everything. Get in the truck.”

  “I’m not getting in your truck. I need to make sure Nate isn’t hurt.”

  “He’s okay. I’ve already called for help. Someone will be here any minute.” He pulled his gun and aimed it at the doctor. “Go get in the truck, Mikki.”

  “Oh God, no, Pete! No! Don’t shoot him,” Mikki cried.

  Pete pointed his chin at Dr. Cook. “Take your right hand and open the glove box.” When the doctor didn’t move, Pete lowered his voice. “Do it now.” The doctor hesitated then reached over and popped the small door open. “Now take that envelope out of your pocket and toss it in there.”

  “What envelope? I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

  “The one in your hip pocket. Slow and easy.”

  Cook glared at Pete as he tossed the envelope into the glove box and slammed the door closed. He slapped the steering wheel with his palm when Pete locked the compartment and dropped the key on the ground beside the car.

  “Mikki, go to the truck,” Pete said. He cocked the gun. The doctor went pale. He swallowed hard and raised his free arm in front of his face, cowering against the car door.

  Mikki hit Pete on the back. “No, Pete, please. Don’t do it!”

  He stared at the doctor for a moment then turned the gun toward the rear tire and pulled the trigger. Dr. Cook jerked and whimpered at the same time a loud hiss filled the air. Pete shot out a front tire then tucked the gun behind his back. He took Mikki by the arm and said, “Let’s go. I have to get to Austin.”

  “Austin? What happened to Austin?”

  “Come on, I’ll explain everything on the way.” He opened the truck door and pushed her inside.

  They could hear the doctor yelling as Pete made a U-turn in the road and headed toward the highway. Minutes later, they passed two patrol cars with flashing lights and screaming sirens.

  Chapter 48

  As Pete drove down the highway, Mikki continued to rant.

  “You have a lot of explaining to do. I can’t believe you followed me on a date. You could have killed someone, chasing us down like a mad man. What’s wrong with you? Are you jealous?”

  “No, Mikki. I’m not jealous. Well, maybe a little, but that isn’t what’s going on. If you’ll give me a minute, I’ll try to explain. Derik and Austin are following a white pickup. They think it might be the one that ran me off the road. One of the men in that truck, Mitchell Larson, is a known drug dealer. His fingerprints are on the envelope we found in Austin’s locker.”

  “Wait a minute. You have Austin chasing a drug dealer? Are you crazy? And what is Derik doing here?”

  “He and Austin came with me to the car show.”

  “You didn’t come to the car show, you were following me. You’ve never had an interest in old automobiles before.”

  “Actually, I was following the guy Derik and Austin are trailing, but I stumbled onto something you need to know about your Dr. Cook.”

  “What?”

  “Apparently, he knows the guy I’m after. I watched them make some sort of deal.”

  “You think Dr. Cook is a drug dealer?”

  “He handed what I suspect to be bogus prescriptions to Larson.”

  “Maybe he’s Larson’s doctor.”

  “I’m willing to bet that envelope I just had Cook put in his glove box is full of money.”

  “You really think Dr. Cook is involved in drugs? That’s ridiculous.”

  “It looks that way. Prescription drugs. They are in high demand on the street these days, especially with the upper class. They think if they pop a legitimate pill then it’s not really drug abuse. Sometimes the addiction is even worse than with street drugs.”

  Mikki groaned. “You’ve lost your mind, Pete Foster! You’re crazy! Stop this truck and let me out, or I’ll have you charged with kidnapping!”

  “Remember when the gunshot victim came into the ER last month?”

  “Yes, the man who was in a fight at a bar. What about him?”

  “It wasn’t exactly a fight. Mr. Ellerton was a mule, delivering drugs for Larson. He had one of the packages stolen from him, and Larson shot him, at the same bar where we were married.”

  Mikki gritted her teeth. “We aren’t married. Stop saying that.” She folded her arms across her chest and asked, “Is that why you were at the bar?”

  “Yes, Ellerton told me where it happened, and I went to see if I could locate the guy. Then you showed up, and my plans changed.”

  He glanced at her and continued, “Larson said he would kill Ellerton’s family if he didn’t pay for the missing drugs. Ellerton didn’t have the money, so Larson has been forcing his son, Virgil, to deal their drugs at school.
”

  “Virgil? So, that’s why he had the envelope of drugs. I knew Austin was telling the truth. Those poor boys.”

  “Yes, the kid was scared to death, but they were threatening his family, so he didn’t think he had a choice.”

  “How did you find this drug dealer?”

  “I saw him in the diner one day but didn’t know who he was until I received the fingerprint results from the envelope we found in Austin’s locker. His name is Mitchell Larson, and he’s a bad dude. The Feds have a warrant out for him, and probably his buddy, too. There’s also a kid with them right now.”

  “Oh no. Is it Virgil?”

  “No, but Austin said it’s a boy from his school. If he’s hanging out with these guys, I bet he’s involved in some way or other. I’ll have Trina check him out when I get back to the office.”

  “So, this clears Austin completely?”

  “That’s the way I see it.” He paused for a moment then rubbed his chin and said, “I just hope after we explain all of this to Judge Gaston he will expunge his record.”

  Chapter 49

  Pete and Mikki drove the next ten miles in silence. Just as they topped a hill, they saw flashing lights and several vehicles on the side of the road. A number of people were walking around, and one man stood in the highway directing traffic.

  Mikki leaned forward and gripped the dash. “Is that them? Is everyone all right? Do you see Austin?”

  Pete slowed down and said, “Yes, that’s them. Doesn’t look like anyone crashed, and I don’t see an ambulance. It appears to be a routine traffic stop.” He eased onto the gravel shoulder, and they got out.

  A uniformed officer approached. “Nothing to see here. You folks need to keep moving.”

  Pete pulled his wallet out of his pocket and showed the man his ID and badge. “I’m Sheriff Pete Foster. My nephew and friend were tailing that truck. Where are they?”

  “Right over there.” The officer nodded toward a patrol car.

  They walked around the car and saw Derik sitting in the back seat with his feet on the ground. His hands were cuffed behind his back. Austin stood against the fender of the car with his hands also in cuffs.

  Austin smiled and said, “Hey, Uncle Pete.” He looked at the officer standing beside him and said, “See, I told you my uncle was a sheriff and he’d come and explain everything.” He turned back to Pete. “Man, you should have seen it . . . cops started coming from everywhere. All of a sudden, we were like surrounded. It was so cool. Page will never believe this.”

  “Are you okay?” Pete said.

  “Sure.”

  “Good, now be quiet.” Pete turned to Derik. “What’s going on?”

  “Well, they caught the bad guys, and it seems Austin and I are under arrest for auto theft.”

  “What?” said Mikki.

  “Are you okay?” Pete asked.

  “Oh yeah, I’m just peachy, and the kid there is having the time of his life.” He wiggled his arms and said, “Do you think you can pull some strings and get these things off?”

  “I’ll see what I can do.” Pete turned to an officer and said, “I’d like to speak with the person in charge. I believe I have some information about this situation.”

  “That would be Chief Stover. Come with me,” the man said.

  Pete turned to Mikki. “Stay with Austin, and whatever you do, make sure he keeps his mouth shut.”

  Pete was taken to an older man with a large belly. He pulled out his badge while the officer said, “Chief, this is Sheriff Foster. He says he has some information about this whole mess. Seems he’s also the uncle to the young boy who was in the stolen car.”

  “Is that right?” the man said. “Tell you what, Sheriff, I’m almost done here. Why don’t you come to my office and tell me what you know?”

  “I’d be happy to. What about my nephew and my friend?”

  “I can’t do anything about that right now, not until I get to the bottom of everything. They’ll be brought to the station and questioned, and then we’ll see what’s going on. Where’s the kid’s parents? He’s a minor, isn’t he?”

  “Yes, he’s fourteen, and I’m his guardian. Well, actually Mikki is for the time being.” He nodded to where Mikki was talking with Derik and Austin. “One of us will be present during the questioning.”

  “Okay, well you can follow me back, and we’ll talk.” He turned to another officer and said, “Conrad, I’m heading to the office. You’re responsible for that kid. He’s a minor, so make sure he’s separated from general population.”

  “Yes, sir.”

  Pete walked with the man to where Austin was leaning against the car. “Mikki, we need to go. I have to talk to the chief.”

  “Hey, what about us?” Derik said.

  “You guys will be taken to the station and questioned. I’m hoping I can smooth all this out and get you released.” He and Mikki started walking away.

  “You hope? You hope? What do you mean you hope? You have to explain this to Kelly, not me,” Derik yelled before the two climbed into the truck.

  The officer in the road stopped traffic until the chief and Pete pulled onto the highway. Pete followed the black and white car into town and parked in front of a red brick building. A large marble monument, with the names of officers who had lost their lives in the line of duty, stood next to the entrance. Pete paused and paid his respects then followed Chief Stover inside.

  “Come in, come in,” Stover said as he led them into a cramped office. Files and papers were piled on every flat surface available. He picked up a stack from the only chair in front of the massive wooden desk and nodded at Mikki. “Have a seat, ma’am.” Pete leaned against a dented file cabinet.

  The chief sat in a worn leather chair with a round, floral pillow in it. “So, what do you know about this situation, Sheriff?” The chair squeaked as he leaned back and propped his feet on the corner of the desk.

  Pete explained about the men in the truck and handed the mug shot to the chief. He talked about the drug problems around Oak Springs. Chief Stover listened and admitted he had also seen an increase in drug-related crimes around Brinkley. After several more minutes of conversation, there was a knock on the office door. The chief dropped his feet to the floor and said, “Come in.”

  A tall, thin man with large ears stuck his head in the door. “Just letting you know we have everyone in the back. They are ready to talk when you’re ready to listen.” He started to close the door and said, “All except Larson. He’s already lawyered-up on us.”

  “Hells bells,” said Stover.

  “What about Austin?” Mikki said. “How is he?”

  “He’s fine, ma’am. We put him in one of the interrogation rooms. There’s a camera in there so we can keep a constant eye on him. On the way in he said he was hungry, so we picked him up something to eat.” He nodded at everyone and backed out of the room.

  Stover stood and walked around his desk. “Well, Sheriff, what do you say? Shall we go have a talk with your nephew?”

  Pete rubbed the back of his neck and said, “Yeah, about that. I would like to make a call first.”

  “I see. Well, in that case, how about we talk to your friend?”

  “You can try, but I have a feeling he’s going to want to speak to his lawyer before saying anything.”

  Chief Stover threw his hands in the air. “Hells bells.” He opened his office door and said, “Go ahead and make your calls. I’ll be in the back. Just let Donna there at the desk know when you’re ready.”

  Pete pulled the phone out of his pocket. He sighed and stared at the floor.

  “What’s wrong? Can’t remember the number?” Mikki said.

  “I don’t know who to call first.” He took a deep breath and began punching numbers.
/>   Chapter 50

  Pete sat on the corner of Chief Stover’s desk, talking on the phone. When the conversation ended, he looked at Mikki and said, “Gil Keaton is on his way. He thinks he can get Austin out on bail.” He scratched his head and said, “He has to notify his parole officer.”

  Mikki chewed on her bottom lip and nodded.

  After a moment, he stood and walked to the window. He slipped his hands in his pockets and began to rock on his toes.

  “What is it?” Mikki said.

  “Huh?”

  “When you rock like that, it usually means you have something on your mind. Something really heavy. What are you thinking?”

  He turned and looked at her. “I’m thinking how much I dread calling Lisa.”

  “Do you want me to do it?”

  “No, it’s my job. I’ll do it.” He pulled up his sister’s number on his phone. After pacing the short distance of the room twice, he paused and said, “Hey, sis, do you have a minute? Yes, it’s important.” He resumed pacing. “Austin’s okay, but we have a little problem. He’s been arrested. Yes, again.”

  He shook his head as he listened to his sister.

  “No, of course it’s not for drugs.” He cleared his throat and said, “It was for auto theft.”

  He cringed and held the phone away from his ear while Lisa’s voice filled the room.

  Mikki walked over and said, “Let me talk to her.” She held out her hand and wiggled her fingers.

  Pete placed the phone in her palm and returned to the window. He began to rock on his toes, as he listened to Mikki try to assure his sister that he was not turning her son into a criminal.

  Mikki stepped to his side and handed him the phone. “She’s on her way.”

  Pete kept his eyes focused on a small dog across the street. He slid the phone into his pocket and said, “What did she say?”