Don t Look Back

by Margaret Daley

  When she saw Jameson coming toward her office, she went to her file cabinet and withdrew her purse. She would have to think about this later.

  At the door Jameson studied her for a few seconds. “Are you okay? Something happen?”

  “No, I just met with a student who has me thinking about forming some kind of mentoring program or study group.”

  “Everyone can use someone to turn to in time of need.”

  Cassie slung her purse strap over her shoulder. “Right, especially a confused teenager.”

  “Are you ready to go?” Jameson gave her a smile that sent her pulse racing.

  “Yes, as ready as I can be. I don’t really relish seeing Will again.”

  “Why?”

  “I was friends with his wife. I know what he’s capable of.”

  “Murder?”

  Cassie came to a halt in the hallway. When Jameson turned back to her, she said, “I hate to say it, but yes. You think he could be involved in Scott’s murder?”

  “Right now anyone could be.” He walked the few paces back to her. “Maybe you shouldn’t go.”

  She hugged her purse close to her. “I’m going. I’m not scared of Will.”

  “Maybe you should be. Being scared can keep you safe.”

  “But you can’t let it rule your life. Life happens. We can’t always control it.”

  “I’m not sure we have much control at all.”

  “Sure we do. We choose how we respond to what happens to us.” Suddenly they were talking about something that had nothing to do with Will Blake or Scott’s death.

  Jameson began walking again toward the front door. “What happens when you get overwhelmed with life?”

  “Like now? My faith sustains me. I pray a lot.”

  Outside he paused on the top step. “What if you gave up on the Lord helping you?”

  “Have you?”

  His penetrating gaze seized hers. “I’ve learned over the years to depend only on myself.”

  “That sounds very lonely.”

  He faced forward and descended the stairs. “But not as disappointing.”

  “All I can say is that the Lord hasn’t given up on you. That help you wanted might not have been what was best for you. Maybe He’s been there the whole time and you just haven’t recognized it.”

  At his car, Jameson stared at her for a moment. “How did we get on such a heavy topic?”

  In other words, he was through with discussing his relationship with God, or more accurately the lack of one. Their connection might not go beyond friendship, but in this she might be able to help Jameson find his way back to the Lord. Although he was good at masking his true feelings most of the time, she’d gotten glimpses of a lonely, hurting man. She wanted so much to help him.

  She attempted a smile that she fought to maintain. “I have no idea, but if you want, we can talk about the weather instead.”

  “Cassie Winters, are you making fun of me?” He ducked into the car.

  When she settled into the passenger seat, he started the engine and pulled out into traffic. “Never. Just teasing you.”

  He glanced at her. “Will you allow me to question Will?”

  She mimed zippering her mouth and tossing the key away.

  He laughed. “This I’ve got to see. You being quiet.”

  Cassie pressed her lips together and remained silent for the rest of the short trip to the In and Out Mart. When she entered the store, there were only a few customers milling around. One young man, probably a student at the college, stood behind the counter.

  Jameson headed toward him. “Hi, Sam. I didn’t realize you work here.”

  “Since the beginning of the school year.”

  “Is Will Blake here?”

  “Yes, in his office.” Sam waved his hand toward a door at the back of the store.

  “Good. We need to talk with him. We’ll show ourselves in.”

  Before the young man could say anything, Jameson grasped Cassie’s hand and hurried toward the metal door that led to a short hallway.

  A raspy voice that Cassie recognized as Will’s could be heard in the corridor, saying, “I told you I would take care of it.”

  SEVEN

  J ameson paused at the door to Will’s office. He raised his hand to knock but didn’t. Instead, leaning forward, he waited. Right behind him, Cassie pressed near him.

  “You’ve got it. I can cover it,” Will said, then they heard the sound of a receiver being slammed down.

  The sharp noise followed by a curse caused Cassie to flinch, then to step away. Jameson wished she were anywhere but with him. Whatever possessed him to agree to her accompanying him on this fishing trip? He could almost feel Will’s anger pulsating from the office.

  He raised his arm to knock on the door when it swung open and Will’s glare met his. Some of the fury dissolved as the man realized who was in the hallway.

  A neutral expression fell into place. “Dr. King, what are you doing out here?” Will peered past Jameson to Cassie, a slight rounding of his eyes indicating his surprise at seeing her. “Cassie, I was sorry to hear about Scott’s death. I wish I could have come to the funeral, but…” He let the rest of his explanation fade into silence.

  “May we have a word with you?” Jameson asked, moving into Will’s line of vision locked on Cassie.

  Will stepped to the side and allowed them to enter. “What do you need?”

  Again Jameson wanted to shield Cassie from Will’s scrutiny, but she took her place next to him as if she could read his intention. “We were going through some of Scott’s possessions and found one of your business cards. What kind of business did you two have?”

  Will drew himself up straight, towering over both of them at six feet eight inches. “I’ve already told a Savannah detective. Nothing. One of my clerks told me he came to see me when I was gone. He must have given him a card.” His gaze swept to Cassie. “I didn’t really know your brother. I followed him when he played for the school, and I read a couple of his articles in the paper. Sorry I can’t be of more help.” He pulled open his door and stood next to it. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m late for an appointment.”

  When Cassie came abreast of Will, she asked, “Have you heard from Kevin Reed?”

  Will blinked, averting his look. “Not in years.”

  “How about your brother, Tony? I didn’t see him at the funeral, either. He lives here, doesn’t he?”

  Will stiffened. “No, Savannah, and I believe he was out of town on business when Scott died, as was I.”

  “Is he back now?”

  “On vacation for two weeks.”

  “Well, good day, then. Thanks for your—help.” Cassie walked into the corridor.

  As Jameson came out of Will’s office, a door to the left of it opened.

  Will moved in front of it. “Good day, Cassie, Dr. King.”

  The door closed, a soft click sounding in the sudden quiet.

  The whole way down the short hallway Cassie could feel Will’s glare burning a hole in her back. When she finally was outside the store, she inhaled several deep breaths of the cool air.

  At his vehicle, Jameson grasped her arm and swung her around. “What in the world were you doing back there? What part of ‘let me handle the interview’ do you not understand?”

  His fury blasted her in the face. She flattened back against the side of his car. “I never told you I wouldn’t say something. He was lying.”

  “You think! Of course he was lying.” Jameson reached around her and yanked open the door. “Get in. I hope you can at least do that for me.” He stalked around the front of the car and slid behind the wheel. “I’m taking you home.”

  “My car’s at the school.”

  “Then I’m taking you there.” He backed out of the parking space.

  The drive to the high school took fifteen long, silent minutes in which Cassie tried to think of something to say to the man beside her. The air vibrated with his anger, all dire
cted at her.

  When he pulled up next to her car, she finally said, “We need to talk about this.”

  He glared at her. “No, we don’t. I can’t do this anymore. I thought I could help you, but not when you carelessly put yourself in danger. I won’t be responsible for something bad happening to you.”

  Shaking but trying to remain calm, she said, “Then you better help me, because I won’t stop looking into Scott’s death until I have answers.”

  His knuckles white as he gripped the steering wheel, he stared out the windshield.

  The silence ate into any common sense she had. “We needed to know what he knew about Kevin and Tony.”

  Jameson blew a harsh breath out and turned toward her. “If you had waited before saying anything, you would have realized I was getting around to inquiring about both of them. I wasn’t going to leave there without broaching the subject, even if he was insisting we leave.”

  One part of her bristled at the almost calm, too patient voice he used, as if she were a child he needed to explain something to; the other was amazed at how he could pull himself together so quickly. “Then perhaps you need to clue me in on what you’re doing. That’s what partners do.”

  “Partners!”

  The abrasive laugh, almost a taunt, that accompanied the one word dangled between them. He wasn’t as together as she thought. Now that she really looked into his eyes, she saw his fury seething beneath the surface. “Then what are we?” Notching her chin up an inch, she threw the challenge into his face.

  He opened his mouth to reply, then snapped it close. A nerve in his jaw twitched. “I don’t know.”

  “I appreciate you being concerned about me, especially with Will. He’s not a nice person and—”

  “That’s putting it—”

  She held up her hand. “Please let me finish. I will stay away from him if you help me. We got the information we needed from him.”

  His eyebrows shot up. “We did?”

  “He’s lying, which means he knows where at least one of them is. We need to dig into his life, maybe follow him until he leads us to either Kevin or Tony.”

  He shook his head. “You watch too much TV. When do you want to do this tailing you think will lead us to them? After school from say four to midnight?”

  “Okay. Do you have a better suggestion?”

  “I’ll question Sam, the young man at the counter, and see what he knows. Maybe Kevin or Tony has come into the store. Staking out Will and the market should be the last thing we do. I’m not even sure Will is a good lead to what happened to your brother.”

  Cassie sighed. “Yeah, I know, especially if Scott was investigating a ten-year-old murder.”

  “But on the other hand, didn’t you say Will’s ex-wife is one of the missing alumni?”

  “Yes, Paige hasn’t been heard from.”

  “Also, I want to know what was going on in that room next to his office.”

  “That man certainly shut the door fast when he saw us in the hall.”

  “Not an action of an innocent person.”

  She leaned toward him, stopping short of putting her hand on his arm, although the urge was strong to do just that. “You see, if we talk this out and plan we can work as a team.”

  He locked gazes with her. “I will walk away from this investigation next time if you put yourself in danger. I would never forgive myself if something happened to you.”

  Maybe she should back off the investigation. Who was she to think she could solve a murder case? All she knew about investigations came from watching TV shows, as Jameson had pointed out. Not exactly the best education.

  “What do you suggest we do next?” she asked, still mulling over whether to go any deeper into the case. She needed to pray about it before she made a decision.

  “I’m going to talk with Sam. Let’s see what he says.”

  “And there is the psychiatric hospital we could check into.”

  “We’ll probably need to go on Saturday since it’s in Savannah. That’ll give me time to see Sam.”

  She opened her door. “Okay. Saturday it is. Call me after you’ve talked with Sam and we can set a time for our trip.”

  Jameson watched as Cassie got into her car and started the engine. He let her pull out of the parking lot before him. Spying his trembling hands, he fisted them. A storm still raged inside him. He didn’t know how he was going to protect her if she went off on her own. She didn’t think she was stubborn, but she had a good dose of it. It was going to drive him crazy.

  Memories of twelve years before flooded him. Memories he had run from and could never escape. It had been his job as an investigative reporter that had cost his wife her life. Someone had tried to murder him and instead had gotten Liz. He’d barely survived that guilt. How would he cope if something happened to Cassie? He couldn’t allow a second woman to die because of him. Somehow he would keep Cassie safe.

  Jameson waited outside the gym after practice as the basketball players streamed out of the building. He followed Sam from a distance until he was alone. Then Jameson approached his student.

  “Sam, I need to talk to you. Do you have a few minutes?”

  The young man wheeled around, the Gothic facade of the library looming behind him. “Sure, Dr. King. Whatcha need?”

  “Some information.” Jameson pointed toward a bench set off to the side of the entrance, hidden from view by the azalea bushes.

  “Shoot.” Sam folded his long length on the bench.

  Jameson opened a folder and withdrew a photo of Kevin. “Have you ever seen this man at the In and Out Mart?”

  The young man studied the picture. “No, not in person. I’ve seen a photograph of him in the gym lobby with one of the past basketball teams. Isn’t he Marcus’s brother?”

  “Yes. You’ve never seen him around? He’s never come to see Marcus?”

  “I don’t think so.”

  “If you do see him, give me a call right away.” Jameson gave Sam his card with his cell number on it. “I know this is unusual, but it’s important I talk with Kevin.”

  “What’s this about?”

  “I wish I could say, but the less you know the better.”

  Sam whistled. “I know you used to be a reporter. Are you going to give up teaching to do it again?”

  Jameson chuckled. “No. I teach and write books. I don’t want another job.”

  “Ah, is this for one of your stories?”

  Jameson didn’t answer the question. Instead, he pulled out a second photo and showed it to Sam. “Have you seen this person around the store? Or for that matter, anywhere in Magnolia Falls?”

  “That’s the boss’s brother, Tony. Sure. He comes around about once a week. Goes in the back to speak to Mr. Blake, then leaves. He doesn’t stay too long. You know what I think? He comes to get money from his brother, because he’s pretty regular about his visits.”

  “Will you call me when he shows up at the market next time?”

  “Sure. If I help you with your book, would you put me in the dedication?”

  “I would.”

  Sam rose, grinning. “Let me know when the book comes out.”

  As the young man started to walk away, Jameson said, “Sam, please don’t say anything to anyone. I don’t want people to know what I’m working on.”

  “Sure, Dr. King. See you in class.”

  Jameson hated misleading the boy, but he didn’t want Sam to get involved. If he knew what he was doing, he could see Sam wanting a more active role in the investigation. He’d always been interested in the investigative part of reporting. One person was dead. He didn’t want another person to follow Scott.

  Victoria Winters clicked off the cordless phone and laid it on the wrought-iron table. “What’s going on, Cassie? That’s the third hang-up in the past week, and the number is blocked by caller ID. We never get hang-ups.”

  Leaning against the railing of the back porch, Cassie faced the yard, cradling a cup of tea in her ha
nds. “It could be a student at school. You know how they like to play pranks. Let me answer next time.”

  “After what occurred with Scott, I don’t like it.”

  The trace of fear in her mother’s voice mirrored how she felt inside, but she didn’t want her mother to know. She had enough to worry about without being concerned something might happen to her only remaining child. Cassie hoped and prayed it was a student. But in her gut she didn’t think it was.

  “When’s that nice Dr. King coming to pick you up?”

  Cassie checked her watch. “In a few minutes. I’ll probably be gone most of the day.”

  “Are you going to drive Scott’s car back today?”

  “Yes. I’ll try to put most of his things in it.”

  “Are you sure you don’t want me to come with you?”

  Cassie turned her back on the yard, sipping her tea. “Do you want to—really?”

  Tears filled her mother’s eyes. She peered down at the phone near her hand. “No, if I was being truthful with you. I haven’t been feeling too well lately.”

  Cassie came to her mother, put her cup on the glass top and knelt in front of her. “Is Mrs. McVay coming over soon?”

  A tear streaked down her mother’s cheek. “I don’t know why you insist on her keeping me company while you’re gone.”

  “Because you haven’t been feeling well. I won’t be in town. I couldn’t get here fast if something happened to you.” Cassie held her mom’s hands. “Please, it will make me feel better. Besides, aren’t you showing her how to scrapbook?”

  A smile pushed through the sad expression. “Yeah. We’re about halfway through one for her daughter. She wants to give it to her for Christmas.”

  “I’m sure Alicia will love the scrapbook if you are involved in it. I love the one you did for me. I’ll always treasure it.”

  “I never got Scott’s finished.” The tears returned, coursing down her mom’s face. “I wanted to put more of his articles in it. I was thinking about giving it to him for his birthday next spring.”