Bound by Blood Box Set

by Lane Hart

  Detective Jones seemed like a decent guy. He was in his forties with salt and pepper hair, his stomach overflowing from his desk chair. Just looking at him, he seemed sharp and like a no nonsense type of man.

  After shaking his hand we sat down across from him at his messy desk, littered with papers, crumbs and coffee cups, and tried get down to business. My knee bounced with the desire to clean and organize his haphazard space for him. How could anyone work like that?

  Pulling out my notebook and pen I blew out a frustrated breath as Winston started barking questions at him. He demanded to know why the suspected witch and warlock weren’t taken into custody by the responding officers that night. When he made up some excuse of his men not knowing, I tried to intervene.

  “So what can you tell us about Laura Davis?”

  “Clean record, good work history. She’d been with High Point Bank for eight years. No husband in the picture that we know of. I’m sure you've heard that we believe she has a son and daughter, both most likely in their early twenties. And I’ll save you some time, just as I told you on the phone, there are no birth certificates in this county with Davis listed as the mother. If you check with her neighbors and coworkers you’re bound to find someone who knew her children," he said, stroking his thick grey mustache like he was carefully choosing his next words. "But this is not something I want my department involved in.”

  “I understand,” I assured him, and Winston gave me the evil eye. Jones was saying his department called us in because they were required by law to do so, but that they weren’t going to help turn over innocent kids to us. In other words, he was a decent human being. I had no intention of letting that happen either, but I had to try and find the kids to warn them to watch their asses. I may even need the detective's help to do so. “Can we get copies of everything you already have?”

  “Yeah, give me until tomorrow around lunchtime and I’ll have it up front for you.”

  “I’ll be here at noon sharp to pick them up, and they better be ready,” Winston snapped.

  Jones sighed deeply before continuing on. “Let me know if you need anything while you’re here,” he said to directly to me. “Have you been to Greensboro before?”

  “Nope, first time. Seems like a nice place.”

  He nodded. “Yeah, it’s a good area, a few trouble spots but for the most part pretty safe. A lot of colleges around, so thankfully alcohol and minor drug cases are the majority of what keeps us busy.”

  “Good. So, if I find the names for the children would you be willing to run them locally for me?”

  “Yeah sure, and we’re required to give you juvie records too if there are any.”

  “Of course you have to give us juvenile records, and if I even think for a second you’re trying to hinder my investigation I will take you and your small department down.”

  I rolled my eyes and continued on like he hadn’t interrupted with a threat. “Great, thanks. Well, we’ll get out of your way and try to find our hotel. Airport Marriott a decent place?”

  “Yeah, you’ll like it there,” Jones said as Winston stormed, or waddled stomping, out of the room.

  “Glad to hear it,” I told him, reaching to shake his hand again. “If you need to reach us you can call and leave a message for me there, and I’ll let you know if anything new turns up. Honestly, I’m not very hopeful. I'm sure they've left town, or are about to go out of town for the holidays and never come back,” I said with a smile. I watched as his shoulders sagged in relief when he understood my intentions.

  …

  The next morning Winston headed for Laura Davis’s old neighborhood, while I waited outside the High Point Bank until they opened at nine a.m. I had my tape recorder rolling in the pocket of my dark suit, so after I straightened my navy blue tie I headed up to the front counter.

  “Good morning, sir. What can I help you with today?” asked the middle-aged teller. Her brown hair was pulled back in a bun to go with her grey professional suit. She seemed jolly enough this damn early in the morning, so I hoped she'd be talkative.

  “Hi, I was looking for Laura and hadn’t seen her in a while. Has she been on vacation?” I went fishing, and didn't miss her eyes widening at the mention of Laura’s name.

  “Oh, well, were you a client of hers?” she asked hesitantly. Nope, saying I was a client wasn’t going to get me any good details.

  “No, Laura and I go way back. We dated after high school, then lost touch until a couple of weeks ago.” I hoped I’d left the lie ambiguous enough, and she'd think I was older than I looked.

  “Oh well...I really hate to be the one to tell you this, but Laura is no longer with us.”

  “She’s gone to another bank? I can’t believe she'd leave, since she’s worked here for so long,” I said, playing dumb so she’d give me the details.

  “Ah, no sir. Laura passed away,” she said with a sympathetic expression, clearly feeling bad for having to break the news to me.

  “What? No, I just saw her. We had dinner and she didn’t look sick.”

  “Oh no, she wasn’t sick. It was a terrible car wreck that took her.”

  “Oh no! No. Poor Laura. I had no idea. When did she …? When was it?” I asked, shaking my head in mock disbelief.

  “About two weeks ago. She was on her way home one night and a car hit her head on. By the time EMS arrived on the scene it was too late.”

  I wondered how much the local authorities had said about her being a witch. The local cops and hospitals were not supposed to release that sort of information until the D.R.A. cleared the case and approved a press release, as to not kill any leads. But in smaller close-knit towns I knew people talked.

  “That is terrible. How could someone just leave her? How are her children holding up? I can’t imagine how hard this is on them.”

  “Oh, the twins are doing the best they can. Liz isn’t holding up well at all. But the poor child, between working two jobs and going to school. I don’t know how she does it all, and now this. Jason seems to be hanging in there, but he’s a strong young man. I'm sure they’ll both do better with time.”

  Twins. Well I’ll be damned. And I bet when I found one I’d find the other. Although, they should’ve left town the night their mother died. Now I was being led right to them.

  “Time. That’s all that helps this sort of thing. Especially when it's so unexpected.”

  “Exactly,” she nodded in agreement.

  “Is there anything they need that you know of? Anything I might be able to do to help?”

  “You might want to check on Liz. She could probably use one of her mother’s friends to help her get through all this. I didn’t know Laura very well. I’ve only been working here for six months.”

  And thank God for that, I thought. But after all she'd told me I did feel bad for the poor girl. She didn't seem to be able to catch a break. If her and her brother were still in town I’d have to figure out a way to suggest they take an extended vacation and never come back before Winston tracked them down.

  “I’m sorry, I didn’t catch your name.”

  “Oh, it’s Janet, Janet Cobb.”

  “Okay Janet, I’ll try and track down Liz, but I know it’ll be tough with the schedule she juggles.”

  “Yeah, I'm sure you can catch her at the restaurant in the mornings or the grocery store in the afternoons. She works herself to death.”

  “I’d hate to bother her at work but maybe during the slow periods. Anything you can recommend at the restaurant?”

  “Oh, at Tex and Shirley’s? They have breakfast all day, so that’s what I always get.”

  I could kiss this woman for all the information she’d given me in less than five minutes, but at the same time my stomach flipped at the aching ease at which she spilled their identities. She had no idea that just a few words from her mouth was enough to sentence two people to death. Good thing I was well on my way to finding them ahead of the bastard I worked for.

  “Great, I’
ll head over there for breakfast. So what about Jason, do you know where I could catch up with him and see how he’s doing?”

  “Yeah, I think he’s still at Friendly Auto, but Liz can tell you for sure.”

  “Of course. Well Janet, you’ve been such a help, and I’m so sorry for your loss. Even if you didn't know Laura very long she was still so special, I know you can’t help but miss her.”

  “She was. Always going the extra mile and helping anyone who needed it.”

  “That was her alright. Have a good day Janet.”

  “You too,” she said, her brow furrowed. She'd just realized I never told her my name, and I hoped I'd make it out before she asked.

  When I cleared the front door I blew out all the breaths I’d been holding as I lied through the conversation. After I was in my car, I remembered to pull out my recorder and turn it off. Flipping through the local phone book I’d grabbed from my hotel room I looked up the address for Tex and Shirley’s. I could really use some breakfast this morning.

  Chapter Four

  Elizabeth

  I was staring out the window at nothing in particular on the busy road when I heard the front door. The morning shift was always slow after the early breakfast rush ended around nine. I worked most Tuesday and Thursday mornings at the restaurant since I didn’t have class. For whatever reason, the breakfast crowd always gave better tips than the rest of the day.

  Our lunch shift hostess, Maggie, wasn’t coming in until later, so I was also filling in for her until then. It wasn’t much extra work for me since Tina and I were now the only waitresses working, and all I had to do was alternate sections. My section was up next. I left the table I’d been standing and cleaning longer than necessary, and headed to the front.

  From the sun glaring through the windows I could make out just one dark form, which I was thankful for. If I had to remember more than two drink orders it was a no-go lately. I’d had to start writing every single little thing down so I wouldn’t forget. I grabbed a plastic menu and a set of napkin wrapped utensils before walking up to the serious looking guy in the dark suit.

  Standing so close to him, I couldn’t help but notice the overwhelming handsomeness of the tall, clean-cut man. His light blonde hair was cut short, the inch or so on top styled to look messy and sexy. I had an urge to run my hands through it, probably like every woman that saw him. His perfectly fitted suit hinted at the expansive mass of muscles under the expensive fabric. A crisp blue dress shirt made his bright blue eyes practically glow. Those beautiful eyes swept over me, then his serious expression eased into a smile of masculine appreciation that made me blush. This guy was the complete and total scorching hot package, and he also looked vaguely familiar.

  I made sure my jaw remained closed, then put on the closest thing to a smile my face could muster in greeting. I hoped I was successfully hiding the fluster just his looks had caused me.

  “Good morning. Table for one?” I asked, then cringed when it came out sounding like I'd just jogged around the building a few times.

  “Yep, just me. Unless you’ll join me,” he responded with a breathtaking grin. I couldn't help but return his smile. This incredibly gorgeous man was actually flirting with me.

  “Smoking or non-smoking?”

  “Definitely non-smoking,” he said, like he didn’t tolerate such a nasty habit. I concurred.

  “Sure, right this way.”

  I led him over to one of the leather booths against the window.

  “Will this work for you?”

  “This is great, thanks,” he said. He was still smiling his perfect smile as he slid his large body into the booth, where I laid the menu down in front of him. His eyes felt like they were glued to me, making me fidget with nervousness.

  “I’m Liz, I’ll be your waitress this morning. What can I get you to drink?” I asked, still sounding like a phone sex operator.

  I cleared my throat to get my voice back to normal, then pulled out my pen and pad from my apron. His attractiveness made him so freaking distracting, I was afraid I'd forget his order.

  When he didn’t respond I raised my eyes back up to his. His body had gone completely still, and his entire demeanor had shifted from pleasant to … something else, in a matter of seconds. The dark heat in his eyes and his panty-combusting smile were replaced with what looked like sadness, or maybe pity. Shit, I guess I looked even worse today than I felt.

  “We have coffee, tea, soda, and juice,” I offered, trying to hurry him along so I could get out of sight. It was disappointing that what had seemed to be an initial interest in me had magically disappeared.

  “Tea,” he finally said softly, looking away, and still appearing to be uneasy.

  “Okay, I’ll go grab that so you can have a few minutes to look over the menu.”

  I blew out the breath I’d been holding when I got to the drink counter. Grabbing a glass, I filled it with ice and tea, made sure I had straws in my apron, than waited around to give him time to figure out what he wanted. I was pretty sure he’d never been here before, and I was even betting he was from out of town. So why did I feel like I recognized him?

  “Look at you, lucking up with Mr. Tall, Fair and Handsome,” Tina joked as she came up behind me.

  "You can take over his table if you want,” I offered.

  “Why? He’s easy on the eyes, and I bet he’ll be a big tipper.”

  Oh, I wanted so much more than big tips from him. That thought sent my mind right down the gutter, a place it hadn't visited in a long, long time.

  “I don’t know. He’s so hot he's kind of intimidating,” I told her.

  “What? No way, and you should keep him. I know you could use all the tips you can get.”

  I sighed and smiled at her, knowing she needed the money every bit as much as I did, then headed back to the table to take him his tea.

  Looking up on my walk across the dining room, I realized he’d been watching me. His expression was unreadable, sitting with his elbows on the table, his head in his hands making him look downright distraught until I approached.

  There was something incredible about his intense blue eyes that made my breath catch. It was almost like he could see right through me.

  I tried my best to act as normal and unaffected by him as possible, sitting his tea down with a shaky hand. I even remembered to pull out a straw and put it beside the glass.

  “So, do you need more time or have you decided what you’d like to have?” I asked pulling out my notepad and pen again.

  “I knew what I'd like to have as soon as I walked through the door," he said, his voice deep and soothing. "You.”

  My head jerked up and my jaw dropped. Shit, now my sleep deprivation was causing hallucinations. I waited for him to finish with his order, hoping I'd catch some of, it but he just kept looking at me, his piercing blue eyes never leaving mine.

  “I’m sorry, what was that?” I asked. I looked at him instead of my notepad to concentrate when he said his order this time.

  “You. I'd like to have dinner with you tonight.”

  I saw his mouth move, and I’d heard the words, so this must be a dream. That’s where I’ve seen him before!

  I turned and looked around the mostly empty restaurant, out the window where traffic kept moving. Damn, this one seems so freaking real too.

  “What’s today?” I asked, thinking my dream wouldn’t have a set time or day.

  “Ah, Tuesday."

  Shit.

  “What time is it?”

  He looked down at the watch on his wrist. “It’s about quarter to ten. Are you okay?”

  “No. I haven’t slept much lately and I’m having trouble figuring out if you’re really here or if I’m dreaming again.”

  He chuckled softly. “I felt the same way when I saw you, but it wasn't from a lack of sleep.” What the heck did he mean by that?

  “So, I’m really at work talking to you right now? Because I’ve never actually talked to you before.”
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  I remembered my dream now. There, he’d been watching me sadly as he stood in the rain in a similar dark suit, but he had never spoken to me.

  “Yes,” he assured me with a smile, looking breathtakingly handsome.

  “And when I asked you for your order you said you wanted ...” I didn’t want to say the words in case I'd imagined them.

  “You. To go to dinner with me. Tonight preferably.”

  My mouth fell open again.

  “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have been so forward. Are you seeing someone, because I didn’t see a wedding ring?”

  My mouth still wouldn’t work so I just shook my head no.

  “Oh good,” he said. “So, dinner?”

  Why the hell not. This probably wasn’t real anyway. I nodded.

  “Great. Where would you like to go? I’m new in town so I don’t really know what’s around.”

  Oh no, that would take words. I didn’t have words right now.

  After a minute of silence he said, “How about I just meet you here and we can figure it out then?”

  I nodded again. “Okay,” I squeaked out.

  “Seven o’clock work for you?”

  What time did I get off today? Three? Four? It was definitely by six and that’d give me time to go home and shower and get ready. Shit, what am I doing planning to get ready for a date that's going on in a dream?

  “Sure.”

  “Okay, now with that out of the way, I think I’m ready for breakfast. Could I get a stack of pancakes, two scrambled eggs and an order of bacon?”

  I was still holding my pen and paper so I wrote down his order then under it "date at seven o’clock" in case this wasn’t a dream and I forgot. I didn't even know his name and I’d agreed to go on a date with him.

  I swallowed and tried to get my mouth to finally work.