Shadow of Vengeance

by Kristine Mason

  He veered the Lexus and turned down the road that would take them to the Sheriff’s Department. “It’ll be great to see him out of the hospital.” He drummed his thumbs along the steering wheel. “But I wouldn’t say it’s the only positive thing that’s happened.”

  “Oh, really? Prior to visiting Sean, we spent half the day interviewing over one hundred girls. I swear, I think they scarred me. If I ever have kids, I want all boys. I can do without girl drama.”

  “I grew up with three older sisters. Trust me. I get it.” The drumming grew more rapid. “And I still don’t think that’s the only positive thing.”

  When he looked at her, the tension returned. The heat and promise in his eyes caused a deep ache between her thighs as memories of last night resurfaced. “I suppose you’re right. The tech from the Michigan State Police lab did say he thought he’d have something for us later today or tomorrow morning.”

  “You’re a piece of work,” he said with a grin. “Seriously. A real piece of work.”

  “Yeah, well, you’re a nice piece of ass.”

  He laughed and shook his head. “Guy’s aren’t a piece of ass. Women are.”

  Was that true? “Whatever. I think you like correcting me when you have the chance…because you’re usually the one who’s wrong,” she teased, her mood lighter than it had been since she’d received Jake’s call Monday morning about Sean. “And besides, correct or not, I enjoyed…ya know.”

  “No, I don’t know. Maybe you should enlighten me.”

  The sexy grin he wore and their teasing banter made her want to be reckless and playful. “Well…I enjoyed the way you…um…kissed me.”

  “Where?”

  Oh, boy. He’d just taken reckless and playful to another level. Unused to this sort of…dirty talk, she kept her mouth shut.

  “Chicken,” he said with a half smile and pulled into the parking lot next to Jake’s SUV.

  “I am not.”

  “Bawk, bawk.”

  She gave his arm a light punch. “Okay. Fine. I’ll tell you—”

  He grabbed her hand, and pulled her close. “Where?”

  “Yeah.” She gripped the front of his sweater with her other hand, and leaned closer. Possessing a sexual confidence she’d never had before, she brushed her lips against his. “I enjoyed the way you kissed my lips.” Releasing his sweater, she reached for his hand then brought it between her thighs. “I especially enjoyed the way you kissed me here. Having your tongue—”

  He quickly drew back and raised both of his hands. “Okay. You win.”

  “But I thought you wanted to know.”

  Resting his arm on the steering wheel, he looked out the front window. When he met her gaze again, another jolt zipped straight between her thighs. The look in his eyes was filled with lust and desire, sensual promises that, after last night, she didn’t doubt he could keep. “You can tell me later, after I wine and dine you at the Bigfoot festival.”

  “Bawk. Who’s the chicken now?”

  He chuckled. “Better than walking into the Sheriff’s Department with…never mind.”

  Remembering how good he’d felt inside her, rocking his hips, thrusting his thick arousal until she came, she dropped her gaze to his lap. And smiled.

  “I gotta get out of this car,” he said and quickly opened the door.

  “Don’t you want your jacket?” she called after him.

  “Nope. I’m good for now.”

  Once she closed the passenger door, she grabbed a handful of snow. “Would this help?”

  Laughing, he sidestepped her before she could toss the snow at him. “I swear you’re going to pay for this later.”

  Although unsure what her punishment might be, anticipation hummed through her body. If the punishment had the same results as last night, around Owen, she was going to have to start behaving badly…all the time.

  When they reached the glass doors of the Sheriff’s Department, an air horn sounded off in the distance, followed by cheering. “And so it begins,” she said and turned toward the center of town. Although only late afternoon, the winter sun had begun to dip and the lampposts lining the sidewalks were already illuminated. A handful of two and three story buildings blocked her view of the town square, but based on the cars lining the street, along with the loud cheering, she had a feeling the Bigfoot festival had drawn a large crowd.

  “Jake said the festival will shut down by ten tonight.” Owen held the door open for her. “Hopefully it won’t be too bad.”

  “Killer on the loose, missing kid, a party for Bigfoot in full swing…yeah, shouldn’t be too bad.”

  “A real piece of work,” he said and followed her inside.

  Melissa sat at the old receptionist desk. “Hi. Jake’s waiting for you in his office.”

  “Are the state police with him?”

  “Just the inspector. The troopers he brought with him are already working the festival.”

  As they headed toward Jake’s office, Rachel stopped. “How’d the exam go?” she asked Melissa.

  The girl rolled her eyes. “I think I did okay. I’m just glad it’s over.”

  “Having a tutor had to have helped.”

  “No doubt. Kaylie is awesome. She’s been working with me since the semester started. I wouldn’t want Professor Stronach to know this, but I swear I’ve learned more from her than him.”

  “Yeah.” Rachel smiled. “That might take his ego down a notch.”

  Melissa half-laughed. “No kidding. Don’t get me wrong. He might be egotistical, but he’s a decent teacher. I just think this dumb Bigfoot festival has him distracted. He’s been kinda jerky lately.” The phone rang. “Sorry. Gotta take this.”

  While Melissa answered the call, Rachel started walking again. Owen moved alongside her, his big body crowding the narrow hallway. “A part of me would love to pin all this on him.”

  She smiled and shook her head. “Because he’s guilty of being an ass? If only it were that easy.”

  He stopped short of Jake’s office door. “We need a list of visiting professors to make sure none of the faculty has been here at any point prior to their current position.”

  “I know. The only info I found dates back to last year. When the dean’s secretary called earlier, I told her I’d need a list from their human resources people. But there’s no certainty she’ll have it for us. She needs approval from the dean.” She sighed. “I’ve got work to do when we get back to Joy’s. I’ll add looking deeper into their database to my to do list. Maybe I’ll find something new.”

  “Are you two going to come in or were you waiting for an invite?” Jake called from inside the office.

  “Sorry,” she said as they stepped inside. “We were just finishing up something.”

  “No problem. I want you to meet Inspector Marty O’Reilly.” After introductions were made, Jake stood and grabbed his coat. “I’m taking Marty over to the morgue. He wants to talk with Henry about Bill’s autopsy. I also thought that maybe later we could meet over at Joy’s. Marty might want to see everything we’ve come up with over the past few days.”

  “I’m good,” the inspector said. “All up to speed. The medical examiner is all I’m interested in for now. Once our lab gives me their findings from the evidence collected at the crime scene, we’ll take it from there.”

  “Take what from where?” Rachel asked, her temper spiking. Who the hell was this guy to blow into town and take over? “Did you look at the reports from our lab? Considering that’s all we have to work with now, I’d think you—”

  “Ms. Davis, I appreciate your enthusiasm, especially with this particular investigation. It’s always tough when family is involved. I also know all about CORE and the agency’s excellent record of case resolution. But, the sheriff asked for our assistance. Now that we’re here, I’ll be conducting the investigation.”

  “If you’re familiar with CORE, then I would think you’d rather utilize our—”

  The inspector held up an infu
riating hand, silencing her. “I’m not saying I won’t utilize you two, I’m saying I’m the lead. Let’s touch base in the morning. I’ll consider your full report then. Ready, Sheriff?”

  “Right behind you.” After Marty walked out of the room, Jake shook his head. “Sorry. I wasn’t expecting that to happen.” He ran a palm over his mouth, then dropped his hand to his side. “Fucking prick doesn’t realize this is my county, he’s just a guest. I’ll handle it.”

  “Let it ride,” Owen said. “I’m used to guys like him. What does he know?”

  Jake moved to the door. “Like he told you, he’s up to speed. Are you two heading to the festival?”

  “That’s the plan,” she said. “How many extra men did the illustrious Marty bring with him?”

  The sheriff cracked a smile. “Five. They’ll stay until it ends on Saturday. After that…I’m not sure what Marty has in mind. Gotta run. I’ll catch up with you in a bit. Percy’s been slow roasting ribs and big, honkin’ turkey legs all day. I want some. Too bad I’m on duty. I could use a beer.” He glanced out the front door to where Marty stood, checking his watch. “Or four,” Jake added.

  “Any luck with the business owners?” Owen asked.

  “No. Between my deputy and me we found only two business owners who own either an SUV or a truck and have a girl from Stanley Hall working for them. Problem is, the two owners are both in their late sixties and both of them are women.”

  “Maybe we could look into their husbands or sons,” Rachel suggested.

  “Already done. One is a widower, the other is married, but her husband is seventy-two. The widower doesn’t have kids, the other lady has two daughters, one living in Ohio and the other in North Carolina.”

  Marty rapped on the door.

  Jake glanced over his shoulder and held up a finger. Not the one Rachel would have preferred, either. “I better go.” He moved toward the door. “By the way, I also found the only living deputy who’d been working with Sheriff Miller twenty-five years ago. He’s in a nursing home and has Alzheimer’s. Oh, and Josh Conway’s parents are scheduled to be here in the morning. Can you two meet me here at eight? I’d like you part of that meeting.”

  “Of course,” Rachel said, even though she dreaded meeting Josh’s parents. While she knew dealing with the families of victims would be part of working in the field, she now realized she’d rather hide behind her computer. She hadn’t been prepared for how emotionally involved she’d become with this investigation. After watching how hard Hal and Joy had taken Bill’s death, she’d gained new respect for Owen and the rest of the CORE team. It amazed her that they could remain immune on the surface and stay focused on their jobs.

  After Jake left, and they said good-bye to Melissa, Rachel pushed open the door. “Shall we go and get ourselves a big, honkin’ turkey leg?”

  “Joy.”

  “What’s the problem? You’re a guy. I thought manly men liked eating—”

  “No.” He nodded his head to the left. “There’s Joy.”

  Joy held Walter’s hand as they walked toward them. Guilt, sadness and despair came at Rachel in a rush. While she’d spoken with Joy yesterday, their conversation had been brief. Joy’s main concern had been for her brother and helping him cope with Bill’s murder. Between the deep lines of exhaustion etched on her face and the purple smudges under her eyes, Rachel worried how well Joy was coping with the loss of her nephew. Thank God Joy had Walter.

  “How are things?” Rachel asked, then gave Joy an impulsive hug. “How’s Hal doing today?”

  Joy hugged her back, nearly crushing every one of her rib bones. “He’s the same. Depressed. Been lying on the couch with Bill’s dog. Dog’s depressed, too. I couldn’t even bribe him to eat some leftover meatloaf.” Her chin trembled. “We…ah…just left the funeral home. Hal’s in no shape to make arrangements.”

  Rachel rubbed Joy’s arm. “When will the funeral be?”

  “Monday. The frickin’ festival’s screwing everything up around here.”

  “That’s where we’re heading,” Owen said. “Want to join us? Dinner and drinks are on me, if you’re interested.”

  God, she loved him. No. Wait. She loved that he was thoughtful and perceptive, and knew just the right things to say and do at the right time. Besides, she was only half in love with him. And in her mind, there was a big difference, because if things didn’t work out between them, it would only hurt half as much. An irrational rationalization, but in her mind, it worked.

  “We’re going to pass.” Walter put his arm around Joy’s shoulder. “We’ve got an empty house to ourselves, so I thought I’d make a fire and pamper my girl.” He squeezed Joy closer. “She needs a little pampering.”

  The adoration in Joy’s eyes filled Rachel with warmth. Joy and Walter were a strange couple. Loud, potty-mouthed and gruff, Joy was the polar opposite to Walter’s quiet, laid-back personality. But they worked well together, and despite how they usually acted around each other, over the past few days it had been clear to Rachel that they were a solid couple with a relationship built with love.

  “Sounds like a great idea,” Rachel said.

  “I’m wondering,” Owen began, “you said the house is empty. I haven’t seen any other tenants since we’ve been here. Are they working odd hours or something?”

  Joy looked away, a surprising red blush staining her cheeks that had nothing to do with the cold.

  “Ah…you two are the only tenants,” Walter answered. “We…Joy…”

  “We like our privacy,” Joy finished for him, then looked at Walter. “I hate for you to miss the festival because of me. You’ve been searching for Bigfoot for nearly twenty years. If you want to go for a bit, I’m willing to walk around with you.”

  Walter touched Joy’s chin. “It ain’t nothing but a bunch of fools running around in Bigfoot costumes, fair food and loud music. I’m not buying into, or willing to support that professor’s BS. Besides, I’d rather be home with you.”

  Joy cleared her throat, and offered a tentative smile. “I think Walt’s become a Bigfoot snob.”

  “You’re right on that one.” Walter grinned. “I don’t like dealing with wannabe Bigfoot fanatics, and don’t need to go to no festival. I’ve got proof Bigfoot exists.”

  Owen raised his eyebrows. “What kind of proof? Wait, did you give Stronach a plaster mold of a Bigfoot footprint?”

  Walter’s grin turned into a huge smile. “It’s a copy, I got the real deal at home. I’ve also got pictures, videos, feces, and—”

  “You have Bigfoot poop?” Rachel laughed and turned to Joy. “Seriously?”

  Joy nodded. “You don’t want to know.”

  Walter tugged on Joy’s hand. “You kids have fun. No curfew tonight,” he finished with a wink, then the two of them continued along the sidewalk.

  Owen offered his arm. “Shall we?”

  A sudden giddiness took over. After Owen retrieved his coat from the Lexus, with a grin, she hooked her arm through his and began walking. This almost felt like a date. Not exactly the kind of date she’d imagined going on with Owen, but it didn’t matter. They were spending time together. Once they left Bola, and Owen began traveling again, she wasn’t sure how much they’d see each other. And while his earlier comment about not being single remained on the forefront of her mind, she also wasn’t sure how serious he was about being with her. Would this be a brief affair? Or would he be willing to jump head first into a committed relationship? She didn’t want a brief affair, and stood behind her earlier thoughts. She would not be in a relationship based solely on sex. She wanted what Joy and Walter had, minus the Bigfoot feces. She wanted love and commitment, a partnership. She wanted to matter to someone. She wanted to matter to Owen.

  “When did you realize Joy and Walter were a couple?” Owen asked as they crossed the street where the center of town loomed ahead.

  “Tuesday. I’m not saying I knew for sure, but based on the way the two of them looked at each other, I go
t the impression Walter was more than a tenant and groundskeeper.”

  “They do act like an old married couple. The morning I met Walter he was sneaking a cigarette out on the front porch.”

  “Joy chews tobacco.”

  “So they’re kind of a strange couple.”

  She half-laughed. “Strange and sweet. They run a boarding house, but don’t want to have any boarders.”

  “They made room for us.”

  “Yeah, only because of Hell Week.”

  He stopped in front of a wooden roadblock barrier that had been placed in the middle of the street. Behind him, the snow-covered square was crowded with vendors and people. Smoke rose from a variety of food stations, and bright lights from the vendors’ booths, as well as the stage and gazebo, lit the square.

  “For the next few hours, let’s pretend Hell Week doesn’t exist,” he said, and reached for her gloved hand.

  “That’s kind of hard to do when we’re supposed to help patrol the area along with the state police and Jake’s deputies,” she said, even though she loved the idea of pretending they were on a date. Caution wouldn’t break her heart.

  He nodded, and scanned the crowd behind him. When he met her gaze, he smiled. “We’ll do both.” He led her toward the square. “I promised I’d wine and dine you. Besides, you’re not carrying a gun and I don’t think putting the state police to use will do any good, except give the Townies some piece of mind.”

  “True. Kidnapping a victim from a large crowd isn’t the killer’s MO.”

  He gave her hand a tug. “You’re not pretending very well.”

  “Sorry.” She smiled. “Play acting was never my thing. But for you, I’ll try.”

  “Promise? Because I’ve got a few fantasies we could role play.”

  She half-laughed. “And you keep saying I’m a piece of work? Look in the mirror.”

  When they reached the thick of the crowd, he tightened his grip on her hand and moved them toward the fringes where the vendors were lined up in a row. They perused each vending station. One sold Bigfoot bumper stickers and t-shirts. Another had a variety of Bigfoot masks for sale. She laughed when they found a guy selling Bigfoot slippers and gloves.