“Doesn’t matter. When the chips were down, you came through. Ain’t nothing more we can ask of one of our own. Now scoot. I don’t like that shade of red on you one bit.”
* * *
“ARE YOU GOING to arrest me?”
Fletch glanced up from reading the last of the reports Matt had dropped off at the hospital. He sat forward, closed the paperwork and set it on the foot of the bed where Jasper O’Neill’s heavily bandaged leg rested on a stack of pillows. “Welcome back. Your mom and sisters just went to get something to drink. They’ll be back in a few minutes. How are you feeling?”
“Weird. Wired.” Jasper tried to push himself up, but his arms gave out. Fletch leaned over and hit the button for the bed control to angle him into a sitting position. “Thanks.” He squirmed on the mattress, his long dark hair falling in front of his face. He shoved it back, only to get his hand tangled around the IV lines. “You didn’t answer my question. Are you going to arrest me?” His speech was slow, methodical almost. The painkillers, probably.
“That depends on if you did anything other than trespass on active crime scenes.” Fletcher watched the suspicion creep into Jasper’s dark eyes. “And let’s not count the fright you put in your mom. Not cool, kid.”
Jasper flinched, looked down at his hands, a sign Fletch took as guilt. Good. Guilt he could work with. Guilt he could put to use.
“I can’t fix her,” Jasper said.
“So you decided to try to fix something else? Something you have no training for or expertise in. Something that nearly got you killed. If Calliope hadn’t called me, if Paige and I hadn’t found you, your mother would be dealing with an entirely different situation right now. Why didn’t you come to me or Luke?”
Jasper let out a light snort. “Like you would have believed me. I’m a joke in this town. Everyone’s scared of me.”
“Walking around town like the Grim Reaper doesn’t exactly work to your advantage. You’re a smart kid, Jasper. Smarter than me, that’s for sure. All that science stuff, the analyzing of data and evidence, that takes special talent.”
“I like solving things.”
“Yeah, that’s what I’m counting on.” Fletcher pushed to his feet. “In answer to your question, no, I’m not arresting you. What I am going to do is talk to Luke and, once you’re back on your feet, you’re going to start work at the sheriff’s station. You won’t make much money, not at first anyway. And a lot of it will be grunt work, but there will also be some things you can teach us. You’re going to go back to school, you’re going to keep your grades up and on the weekends you’ll be volunteering at the community center or with me on whatever I think needs doing. You do all that, you keep straight, when you apply for college scholarships, you’ll have enough recommendations to get the degree you want. What you’re not going to do is sit around and feel sorry for yourself because life dealt you a crap hand. You wanted to change things, you wanted to make a difference. Here’s your chance. You’re done being a worry for your mother and sisters, you hear me? You’re no longer the problem, you’re part of the solution.”
“You’re giving me a job?” Jasper’s eyes narrowed. “With the police?”
“Consider yourself a one-person pilot program. If Kyle Winters can turn his life around, so can you. And this—” he picked up the file and waved it in his hand “—is us closing the case on these vandalisms. Thanks to you, we were able to get prints off the spray paint cans left behind, along with DNA evidence on the chunk of wood that did that to you. You did real good, Jasper. But you can do better. Agreed?”
“Can I have my own desk at the station?”
Fletch wasn’t certain he’d ever seen Jasper grin before. The sight made him smile in return. “We’ll play it by ear. You heal up, okay? When you’re feeling up to it, you get your butt into the station and we’ll take it from there. A lot’s changing in Butterfly Harbor, Jasper. We need all the good help we can find. Get some rest.” He tapped the file against Jasper’s uninjured leg before he grabbed his jacket and hat and walked out into the hall.
He scrubbed a tired hand over his face, around to the back of his neck. Could the day have been any longer? Spending most of it in first the ER and then in Jasper’s room, he’d been determined to stay until he set things right with the kid. Paige had been right. About a lot of things, including the blood clot and the sepsis. Poor kid was going to be on antibiotics and bedridden for a long stretch. Good thing he liked to read.
She’d also been on target over him being willing to assume Jasper guilty simply because his being responsible was believable. Arresting Jasper, making a case against him in order to help his friend keep his job... Luke never would have forgiven him for that.
Fletcher wasn’t sure he’d ever forgive himself for being willing to sacrifice one life for another. Especially a kid with so much potential.
The doctor had called it a miracle they’d found him when they did. Another hour? It probably would have been too late.
Too late.
Fletcher braced his hands on his thighs and bent over, squeezed his eyes shut until he saw stars. Would there ever come a time when those words—and that possibility—didn’t leave him shaking from head to toe?
“Fletcher.” Gil Hamilton headed down the hospital corridor looking surprisingly a little less than his confident, arrogant self. “Assumed I’d find you still here. How is he?”
“Ah, shoot.” Fletch sighed and stood up straight, knocking his head a few times back against the wall for good measure. “Our meeting. I should have called. I swear I didn’t forget on—”
“On purpose? I know.” Gil waved away his concern with an envelope of his own. “Paige filled me in when she got back to the diner. Don’t worry. I’m not in attack mode.” Gil leaned to the side and looked into Jasper’s room. “I owe you an apology, Fletcher. Both you and Luke. I was wrong. About a lot of things, it seems.”
As strong as the desire to be flippant was, Fletch simply didn’t have the energy. “Okay.”
“I never should have pushed to have the investigation closed so quickly. I should have trusted you to do your jobs and recognize that the truth was the important thing.”
“It always is,” Fletch agreed.
“Then again, if I hadn’t, maybe all of this wouldn’t have come to light, right?”
Ah, there it was. He just never passed up an opportunity to grab credit. “Depends. All of what exactly?”
“What Paige said reminded me of something. Jasper was attacked by someone wielding a two-by-four studded with rusty nails.”
“Yeah. Ozzy took the hunk of wood to the lab the other day. I’ve got the print results here. What’s that?”
“I asked Sheriff Brodie to bring it by my office.” Gil took a long, concerted breath, slapped the envelope against one hand. “Look, it’s no secret I was pushing Sean for Luke’s job. I’m not going to apologize for trying to make my life easier. Any chance those test results have a link to Chuck Nolan?”
“His sons, actually. I was just going to issue arrest warrants for both of them.” Fletch flipped through his memories. “Hold up. Chuck Nolan had a few run-ins with your father over the years, didn’t he? He and his family owned property on the other side of...ah.” The light dawned. “They were part of the group of families you had us evict last year.” About three months before Gil approved the razing of the entire community. The same property Gil was hoping to use as part of the new butterfly sanctuary.
“Ozzy’s request for the property owner records got me to thinking. Then, with what Paige said...” Gil trailed off. “Chuck went after my dad once with the same kind of weapon after he turned down a refinancing loan. Guess his sons picked up where dad left off. Seeing as Chuck and his boys moved to a trailer park on the outskirts of Durante, I asked Sheriff Brodie to pay them a visit this morning.”
“Did you?”
“Seems his sons had heard enough of Chuck’s blustering and ranting about Hamilton Bank over the years that they decided to take matters into their own hands and get the revenge their father wanted. They wanted to cause as much damage to any property still owned by the bank. Poisoning the well, so to speak. Stop people from buying.”
“Amazing what sons will do to get their fathers’ attention.” He’d bet those boys didn’t have much of a chance from the get-go. Much like Gil. “Let me guess,” Fletch said. “They’re pretty proud of themselves.”
“Oh, they bragged about it even as Brodie cuffed them. They also admitted to coming across Jasper in Kyle’s house. They’d heard about it being abandoned from one of their buddies in detention, figured it was another blow they could strike for their dad. They didn’t expect Jasper to be there. He gave as good as he got, apparently.” Gil shook his head. “Gave one a serious shiner and the other a split lip.”
“Where are they now?” Fletch asked.
“Being booked in Durante, but we can get them transferred to our jurisdiction if you want. You can close out the case nice and tight. For Luke.”
For Luke. Fletcher looked down at the file and envelope he held in his hands. It didn’t seem like enough, given the machinations that had occurred. The Nolan boys might have committed these crimes, but it was Gil’s father—and Gil himself—who had struck the first blow. There were all kinds of wars to be fought. And all wars had victims.
“You know, if I arrest them,” Fletch said. “If Butterfly Harbor prosecutes and tries them, there’s a lot of stuff that’s going to come out. Like why they did it. I bet they’ll relish their day in court. Chuck, too. I can picture him on the stand, talking about how your father’s bank kept raising the interest rates on his loan and then refused to renegotiate. Knowing how slow the courts are running, the trial should start right around election time. That’s not going to be good for you.” He pinned Gil with a hard stare. “Especially for a mayor still working on distancing himself from his father’s tarnished legacy. That’s going to be tough on a lot of people.”
“It will indeed.” Gil smirked and said, “Why do I think you have another idea?”
“Because you’re a smart guy, Gil. Here’s what we should do. Let Brodie have them. Let Durante’s system deal with the charges, offer them a deal, whatever they think is the best tactic. I’ll sign off on it.”
Gil shook his head, his laugh sounding anything but amused. “You really are full of surprises, Fletch. You’re the last person I’d ever expect to be cooperative.”
“As I said, I’ll keep my mouth shut about the fact you were willing to throw a sixteen-year-old kid under the political bus to save your reelection chances. Boy, what a story that would be. I bet Melina would love to write about that. You know how she’s always looking for a way to get noticed.”
Gil’s eyes were like frozen steel. “And?”
“And you’re going to right some wrongs because things have gone unchecked long enough. Starting with backing Luke in the election because that’s how much faith you have in our sheriff. You know he’s a good lawman and an honorable person.”
Gil’s jaw worked overtime. He gave a jerky nod, almost as if he was twitching.
“And we’re going to need a budget increase for the sheriff’s department. Another thirty thousand a year should cover things. I’ve just hired a new intern. A criminalist in training. You’re a big fan. So big you’re going to write him a glowing letter of recommendation for college when the time comes. He won’t even have to ask.” Fletch slapped a hand on Gil’s shoulder as he started to leave. “Oh, and one more thing.”
“You’re using up all your currency in one shot?” Gil shook his head. “You really don’t know how to play this game, do you?”
“Oh, I know. I’ve watched you play it for years. What I prefer is to get out of the mud as soon as possible. Your plans for where to build the butterfly sanctuary just changed. You’ve settled on your second site choice because you are determined to protect our agricultural community and most especially Duskywing Farm. You said the other day your main priority was whatever is best for Butterfly Harbor. Now here’s your chance to prove it.”
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
“PAIGE. GO HOME. Your shift ended a half hour ago.” Ursula came out of the kitchen waving her spatula in the air before she aimed it at Paige then Twyla like a laser beam. “Now. Out.”
“I have another hour to make up.” Paige didn’t look up from where she was refilling the salt shakers. The last thing she needed was to spill and end up with bad luck. She wasn’t in any rush to head upstairs. In the silence all she’d be doing was thinking, and that was never good. “I was late this morning, remember?”
“Remember?” Twyla flipped her long red hair behind her shoulders and planted a manicured hand on a narrow hip. “Charlie’s telling everyone about how you saved Jasper’s life. You’re a hero.”
“Charlie exaggerates.” The last thing Paige wanted was to be the center of anyone’s—let alone the entire town’s—attention. At least Willa and Nina could put one worry out of their minds. For now at least. That was all that mattered to her. Well, that and the fact that the real culprits behind the string of vandalisms had been arrested. “I did what anyone else would have done in the situation.”
“Not me. I would have passed out at the first drop of blood,” Twyla declared. “How did you know what to do? Cutting his leg open like that?”
Paige shook her head. “I just did.” She didn’t want to think about it. She didn’t want to think about how much she missed putting her training to use. Nursing was a calling; she knew that as surely as she knew her own name. It was what she’d dreamed of becoming growing up, the one thing that kept her going even when she wasn’t sure where she’d be living or with whom. Not being able to practice her profession...she hadn’t needed the reminder of just how painful that was.
“Your Charlie is already gone for the evening,” Ursula said. “Go enjoy yourself for a change. Now that you and the good deputy don’t have to go looking for that boy, you can enjoy yourself.”
“Speaking of enjoying yourself.” Twyla pointed to the door as the bell jingled. “Hey, Fletch. Heard you had quite the day today.”
Paige looked up so quick she spilled salt all over the counter. “Oh, sh—ugar.”
Fletch sidled up to the counter and stood directly in front of her. “Now, is that any way to talk to the man who’s in the mood to take you out to a celebration dinner?”
This flirty, determined man standing in front of her reminded her of the first time she’d ever seen him. She knew then she had to be careful around him, that all those swirly circles spinning in her stomach were a recipe for disaster. And yet here she stood, looking at him and pushing caution aside with more ease than she knew she should.
She pulled her hands down, wiped her damp palms against her apron. He really should come equipped with those spinning “danger ahead” lights. “You celebrate closing every case?”
Fletch grinned. “You know that job Jasper hasn’t been able to get? He’s got one now with the sheriff’s office.”
“Really?” Paige eyed him warily. “How much did that cost you?”
“Come out to dinner with me and I’ll tell you.”
Out of the corner of her eye, Paige saw Ursula wave Twyla away, then push her toward their only customer at the back of the diner.
“Fletch.” Paige yanked the dish towel from under the string of her apron and swept up the salt. “I told you, I can’t—”
“It’s dinner, Paige. We aren’t eloping. Look.” He reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out a long, narrow envelope. “Apparently I won some kind of promotional contest from this new restaurant on the wharf. Two dinner tickets to some new place called the Soaring Dutchman. Right on the water.�
�� He waved them in front of her. “And don’t say you have to think about Charlie because I already know she’s staying with Simon and Abby. I’ve been informed it’s space movie and pizza night.”
“My kid is going to turn into a pizza. Or a space princess,” Paige said, unable to stop the smile from tilting the corner of her lips. “I haven’t been to Monterey since we moved here.” Even as she said the words, her mind was screaming at her to run away. A night out—alone—with Fletcher Bradley? As appealing as the idea was, it was equally dangerous. The more time she spent with him, the more she wanted to spend time with him.
She didn’t want to lie to him anymore. But telling him the truth wasn’t possible.
Paige swallowed hard, looked at the tickets.
“If you don’t go, I’m going to tell Holly you worked overtime without putting it on your time sheet,” Ursula muttered under her breath as she swept behind Paige, a tray of just-washed fountain glasses in her arms. “A night off and a bit of fun, not to mention a meal out, wouldn’t do you any harm.”
“See? Even Ursula agrees with me, and she never thinks I’m right. Right, Ursula?”
“Hmm.” Ursula gave him the evil eye.
“You’re not really going to make me beg, are you?” Fletch asked. “I’ve had a rough day. Don’t I deserve a break?”
He did. And no, she wasn’t going to make him beg. But that didn’t mean the idea didn’t hold some appeal. “What time do we need to leave?”
His face brightened, as if that was possible. “I can be back here in an hour. Just have to change and drop Cash off with Matt. Should give us plenty of time to make the drive and not have to rush.”
Even with her heart in her throat, Paige couldn’t say no. “Okay. Fine. Dinner.”
“Perfect ending to the day.” He surprised her by leaning over the counter and pressing his lips against hers. For just long enough for her to want more. “See you in an hour.”
* * *
“OH, WOW. HOW amazing is this!”
A Dad for Charlie Page 17