One Last Call

by Susan Behon

  “I don’t think so. These are from an anonymous number. Why would he block his number now? Do you think you’ll find him?”

  “All I can really say is that we haven’t found him yet, one way or another.”

  “One way or…” Sarah’s stomach gave another lurch. “Do you think he might be dead?”

  “I can’t really discuss it. How about you tell me about the laptop?”

  Sarah explained Josh’s theory about Grant, the cameras, the cords, and the computer. She felt dirty even talking about it.

  Seth took it all down in his report. “Is Grant due in to work today?”

  “No, he has Mondays off. You might find him at home or…I don’t know if he has any friends.”

  “I’ll look into it, Sarah. We have probable cause to search. We’ll need evidence if you’re going to press charges.”

  Sarah hated the idea that Grant was doing this to her. “If he did this, do you think he did the rest? Why would he try to hurt me?”

  Josh slipped his arm around her waist. “Why does anyone do anythin’? It’s not your fault. If he did do it, he needs punished, Sarah. Bein’ soft-hearted isn’t gonna help.”

  Seth nodded. “There’s something else. We contacted the garage where you got your last oil change. The mechanic on duty, Nate Eades, no longer works there.” Seth held up a photo of a man with pointed features and a greasy dirty-blond ponytail. “Do you know him?”

  “No. I’ve never met him before. Where is he now?”

  “According to the manager he quit without giving notice.”

  “Were you able to talk to him?”

  “I was planning on it, but there was no one by that name at the address he listed on his employment application.”

  “So he’s simply gone?”

  “For now. We’re still investigating.”

  Sarah knew Seth was doing all he could, but she wanted answers. Being out of control of a situation wasn’t her strong suit.

  “What about Sarah’s safety?” Josh volleyed the first question to Seth. Then he took a step closer to her. “Do you want me to stay with you today?”

  “Josh, you have work to do. No need to babysit me. Besides, I really want my car back.”

  “I can send a car to patrol every hour while my deputies make the rounds. If you need anything, call my number. You still have it?”

  “Is it still nine-one-one?”

  “Funny. I meant my cell.”

  “Got it.”

  “Sarah, I want you to call me too, no matter what.”

  “I will. Thanks, guys. You two go ahead and get going on your day jobs. I have plenty to keep me busy here.”

  Seth said his goodbyes and headed out to do what Sarah assumed was more investigating. Josh lingered.

  “I’m serious, sweetheart. You get the slightest inklin’ that there’s a problem, call me.”

  “I will.” She gave him a scorching hot kiss that left them both breathing hard. “Why don’t you think about that while you’re at work?”

  “Honey, if I think about that, I’ll never get any work done.” He gave her another swift kiss. “Hold that thought. We’ll pick up where we left off later.”

  “We better.”

  “Count on it.”

  Josh closed the door behind him. It popped back open. Sarah made a mental note to call her brother-in-law so he could fix it. Having a man in the family who worked construction had its benefits.

  Sarah crossed her office to close the door. She shouldn’t have bothered. Kelly was at the threshold. She was dressed to the nines, in a classic “look what you’re missing” ploy. Sarah didn’t feel like wasting her breath telling her ex-employee that that only worked for breakups, not getting fired. She couldn’t care less if the woman’s lipstick matched her nail polish. It took everything she had not to slam the door in her face.

  “Wait there. I have your check.”

  “What? I’m not allowed in the office now?”

  “You’re lucky to be allowed in the bar. Hold on.”

  Kelly opened her mouth to give a comeback, then thought better of it. She must have needed that check. Sarah signed it and pushed it into her hand. “Good luck.”

  “Yeah, you too. You’re going to need it more than me.” With a smirk, Kelly pivoted on her heel and left.

  Julie peeked her head in. “I know I’m supposed to wait at the bar. I just wanted to make sure everything was okay.”

  Sarah forced a smile. “Just peachy. Before the rest of the crew comes in, and we open for the day, how about we start with the fine art of taking inventory?”

  Julie agreed, ready for anything. “Sure thing, boss. Lead the way.”

  Sarah wished she could clone the girl and use her to fill Kelly’s empty spot. For the moment, she was grateful to have something normal to do.

  An hour later, Sarah left Julie to work on her own while she took care of some more invoices in the office. She was at her desk, head bent over her paperwork when, out of the corner of her eye, she saw the door move a few inches, then slam shut. Her head jerked back, ready to tell Julie that slamming wouldn’t make it close any better.

  It wasn’t Julie.

  “Richard?”

  * * * *

  Josh spent the rest of the morning fixing Sarah’s broken tie-rod. Another day and her car would be almost as good as new. She still wasn’t driving it until he made sure everything was perfect from top to bottom.

  He was adjusting the alignment when he smelled the perfume. It was strong enough to overpower the garage smells. Josh leaned his head out from under the car. A pair of open-toe, high-heeled sandals were at eye level. Glancing up he saw that the sandals were attached to the very long legs of Kelly. Great.

  “Hey there, cowboy.”

  Before Josh could answer, Kenny intercepted the trouble. “Somethin’ I can help you with, ma’am?”

  “Ma’am?” Kelly looked around her. “Oh! You mean me. I’m not quite old enough to be called ma’am.” When neither man answered, she ventured further. “I mean, look at me.” She gestured at herself like she was the grand prize on a game show, making sure to pause at the long legs and abundance of cleavage. Kenny and Josh stared back at her with blank expressions.

  Kelly huffed. “Anyway, I was stopping by to say hello to Josh.”

  Josh and Kenny exchanged glances. Kenny stood in front of him. “Well, that’s downright friendly of you.”

  “I’m a friendly person.”

  “So I hear.”

  “Excuse me?”

  “Look, Josh is busy fixin’ his girlfriend’s car so he’s not up for chattin’. Thanks for stoppin’ by.”

  “But.”

  “Have a good day now.”

  “But.”

  “Bye, ma’am.” Josh called out.

  Kelly stood her ground. “I was trying to be nice, but I see where that gets me. So hey, I thought you should know…and this one surprised the hell out of me…you know, I thought you would get tired of Sarah first. It looks like she’s the one who’s already gone astray.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “I picked up my check at the bar. I was halfway home before I remembered I had to clean out my locker too.”

  “So?”

  “So, guess who I saw sneaking around the back door to the place?” Her malicious smirk was the personification of evil. Her meanness made her ugly.

  “Just say it.”

  “Richard Alan. I’m just saying, it looked like he was sneaking in to get a nooner from your girl.” The satisfaction didn’t have time to settle on her face.

  Josh was out from under the car in no time. “You saw Richard outside the bar, today?”

  “Sure did! He looked a little rough, but I’m pretty sure it was him.” Her bee-stung lips pursed into a fake pout. “Sorry Sarah did that to you. Want to take me to lunch, and we can talk about it?”

  “Hell no.” He searched for his
keys. “Dad?”

  “Go on. I’ve got things here.”

  “Thanks, Kelly.”

  “Thanks for what?”

  “By bein’ a bitch you actually did a good thing.” Josh was off like a shot.

  * * * *

  To merely say Richard looked like hell would be an understatement. That would be like saying you might want to take a sweater if you’re visiting the North Pole. From what Sarah could see, he had on the same clothes he’d worn since Friday. Blood was crusted in his nostrils, and both eyes were swollen almost all the way shut. He came closer to her, and that was when the smell hit her. Three days of unwashed body, morning breath on overdrive, and sour, musky sweat. She didn’t know how he could stand to smell like that.

  “Sarah…”

  “Jesus, Richard. What the hell happened to you? What the hell are you doing here? And why the hell are you letting everyone think you’re a missing person?” She had her phone in her hand, thumbing on the screen so she could call the cops. “By the way, there’s a restraining order against you. Don’t come near me.”

  “Sarah! You have to listen to me.” Desperation oozed out of him, along with the acrid sweat. “You’ve gotta help me.”

  “No, I don’t.”

  “They’re after me!”

  “Who? The cops?”

  “No, you don’t get it.” He made a step toward her, then stilled at her quelling glance. “I need money.”

  “I give you money. Once a month.”

  “It’s not enough!” He rubbed some dirt from his mouth and began pacing. “I thought I had it under control, you know?”

  “What are you talking about?”

  The wild look in his eyes had her pushing the number keys. He held up a hand. “Wait! Don’t! Let me explain.”

  “You have thirty seconds and then I’m kicking your ass out of here.”

  “Okay! Okay! See, it’s like this. I got myself in some trouble. Gambling.” He met her eyes, and then his gaze skittered away. “I used your monthly checks to place the bets. At first, I couldn’t lose. Every time I placed a bet, I won.” He closed his eyes as if savoring the moment. “God, Sarah, it was such a high.” His red-rimmed eyes popped open and despair plagued his features again. “Then it wasn’t. I tried, but I couldn’t stop! The stakes got higher and so did my debt. I was doing okay paying a little at a time with your checks. That only lasted so long. I needed more than what you were giving me.”

  “What did you do, Richard?”

  “I borrowed off of some of the older insurance policies at work. Some premiums might have gotten a little delayed.”

  “Whose?”

  “A few people here and there.” He flicked a dismissive hand. “No one important. I figured I would borrow it and replace it once I got flush again. Problem is, I can’t get flush. The premiums are way overdue, and I owe the policyholders. That’s bad, Sarah.”

  “No shit. That’s fraud and embezzlement.”

  “That’s the least of my problems. The men I owe money are going to do worse than a knee to the face. They said if I don’t get their money, they’re going to start chopping off body parts.”

  “I know where they can start.”

  He lowered his hand over his junk in case she got ideas. “I’m serious, Sarah.”

  “So am I.” Sarah narrowed her eyes, taking in his slovenly appearance and weak chin. The swollen nose didn’t do him any favors. It finally hit her why he had creeper texted all the YouTube videos. “That’s why you were trying to woo me back? You thought I would fall for it and then just hand over my money?”

  He shrugged as if that were a given. “Well, yeah.”

  “You arrogant prick!” She took a step forward, and Richard retreated.

  “It’s no secret you’ve been single a while.” He gave her a disinterested once-over. “I figured if I threw you a bone, you’d return the favor.”

  “Get out. You slimy son of a bitch. Get the hell out of here!” Before Sarah could click the call button, Richard had her phone and threw it as hard as he could against the wall. There was a sickening crunch and a clatter of plastic.

  “You’re desperate. I’m desperate. Those payments are going to stop soon. Come on, Sarah, after all I’ve done for you…” His voice remained insanely reasonable as he entreated her for help.

  “Get away from me, Richard. You never did a damn thing for me. I wish I’d never met you.”

  He grabbed her wrist in a manacle-tight squeeze and twisted it behind her back. Sarah gagged at the stench pouring off of him. She felt something hard press into her side. Not again. Sarah was momentarily relieved that it wasn’t his erection until she realized that it was a gun.

  “Do you always have to do everything the hard way, Sarah? I need the fucking money. Give it to me!” He yanked a little harder on her arm, sending waves of agony skittering up to her shoulder. Sarah rolled up on her tiptoes in an effort to relieve the pressure.

  “Fuck off.”

  “Ah, Sarah, I tried that.” He lowered his voice in a pantomime of seduction. “You were playing hard to get then too.”

  Sarah schooled her expression into a semblance of calm. Richard was one of those sick bastards who got off on fear, and she wasn’t going to give him another reason to rub against her. Her mind was running a hundred miles a minute, trying to figure a way out of this. She wanted to call for help. Julie was the only other person here, and she didn’t want her to get hurt. Josh was at the garage for the day, and her kitchen workers weren’t due until lunchtime.

  “Were you the one who planted the cameras?”

  Richard held her tighter against his body and scanned the walls. Sarah tried to control her gag reflex when the movement of air stirred up his stench. Then again, it would serve him right if she puked on him. He did a three-sixty, not leaving as much as an inch between them. “What cameras? You don’t have a security system.”

  Wildly, she thought, Guess that goes on the mental to-do list. Her next thought was, So who the hell planted the cameras? Grant?

  “I know you have money stashed in a safe back here. Give it to me, and you never have to see me again.”

  There wasn’t much money in the safe. If Richard would have ever paid attention to her business, he would have known she deposited the majority of yesterday’s take the next day. Like this morning.

  “What about Brandi?”

  “What about her?”

  “Where does she fit in to all this? Does she know about the insurance fraud?”

  “Of course. She did the paperwork.” His nonchalance was incredible.

  “Isn’t she going to…?” Something permeated the scent of his funk. “Is that smoke?”

  “Nice try.”

  “You’re not going to blame it on me! You wanted me to find some money for you, so I did!” Brandi stood in the doorway, her normally silky black hair disheveled as if she forgot to brush it this morning. Her mint-green top was misbuttoned and haphazardly tucked in to the matching mini skirt. Sarah wished she could dig up some satisfaction in seeing her look a mess. Instead, she was a little bewildered that the woman thought nothing of Richard holding a gun to her stomach.

  Chapter 24

  “I knew I would find you here, Richard. It was only a matter of time before you came sniffing around her again. I’ve been watching her everywhere. Sooner or later, I knew I would catch you!” Brandi’s screech could probably be heard from the parking lot. Too bad no one was in the parking lot.

  Had she planted the cameras?

  Richard, in tried and true cheater fashion, exclaimed, “It’s not what you think!”

  Yeah, hello? Gun? Wrenched arm. Gross guy? Not exactly a love connection.

  Brandi’s abundant chest trembled with the force of her breaths. “I don’t want to hear it, Richard! You were too stupid to know how to skim money off of those policies. I did that for you.”

  Sarah’s less well-endowed chest was constrict
ed from being up on her toes, but, yeah, she was pretty sure she smelled smoke. “Uh, Richard?”

  Brandi lashed out at Sarah. “Do not speak to him! He’s mine now!”

  “You can have him.” That one slipped out. Richard gave an extra jerk to her arm, hard enough to make her eyes water.

  “Brandi, baby, I’m not here for that. I told you, I was only pretending to want her. I was doing it for us. You know that. Remember?”

  “You left me!” The crazy woman stuck her bottom lip out in a childish pout.

  Is this chick for real? Doesn’t she see the freaking gun? Sarah was definitely smelling smoke now. She didn’t know if her vision was getting foggy from the pain or if there was something on fire in her bar.

  “I didn’t leave you. I told you I had to lay low! Baby, they’re after me!”

  Somehow, the woman finally caught sight of the gun. “Are you going to shoot her?” Brandi’s eyes lit up in gleeful anticipation.

  “Let me handle this.” Richard gripped Sarah’s wrist tighter. “You messed up the last time you were supposed to take care of her.”

  Sarah’s legs were getting tired from trying to relieve the pressure on her arm. She realized she was sucking in her stomach too. As if that would deter a bullet.

  Wait. Last time?

  “Brandi, you were the one to mess with my car?”

  She folded her arms over her chest and beamed with mean satisfaction. “You would be amazed what a mechanic will let you do for a blowjob.”

  “Brandi!” Richard sucked a breath in, in shock. Unfortunately, that meant he exhaled his rancid breath in Sarah’s face. “You were only supposed to flirt with him.”

  She leaned against the doorjamb and flashed a spiteful sneer. “Guess I got carried away. Besides, I know you’ve been fucking around with Kelly.”

  Richard twisted them a little more so he could plead his case better. “She means nothing to me.”

  Sarah was stuck in an episode of Days of Our Lives, Twilight Zone edition. This couldn’t be real. Too bad Rod Serling couldn’t pop out and flick his cigarette on Brandi.

  Brandi sniffled, “He didn’t mean anything to me either. I did it for you. You wanted Sarah out of the way, so I did what I had to do.” She eyed them. “Do you have to have your hands on her?” Sarah closed her eyes. The woman was jealous that Richard had taken her hostage.