Cuffed & Claimed

by Lori King

  “Sorry, no. But if I do, I’ll let you know.”

  “Thanks, Claire. I’d appreciate it,” he said.

  “Do you two need a few minutes, or do you know what you want?”

  Kyle glanced at Janey, but she was still looking over the menu. “I think we might need a few minutes.”

  “I’ll go grab you some waters and be back.” Claire scurried away to greet another table. Things were going to start getting hectic, but that was what he wanted. Sometimes observing people was the best way to the next lead.

  “How busy does this place get during lunch?” Janey asked, her focus still on her menu.

  “There are only a few places to eat in town, so most of the locals come here at least a couple days a week.”

  Janey nodded. “Do you come here a lot?”

  “Probably more than I should, but I’m not a great cook, and I try not to take advantage of my sister any more than necessary.”

  “So that’s a yes, then.” Janey met his gaze and there was a sparkle of amusement in her eyes.

  He grinned back at her.

  “Here you go,” Claire said, placing a glass of water in front of each of them. “Do you still need some more time?”

  Kyle let Janey answer since he’d known what he wanted the moment he sat down. “I’ll have the roast chicken, please.”

  Claire jotted it down on her pad. “Anything to drink besides the water?”

  “No. I’m good. Thanks.”

  “And you?” Claire asked, looking to Kyle.

  “I’ll take my usual.”

  Janey quirked her eyebrow up at his answer.

  Claire made another note. “Burger and fries it is.”

  Once they were alone again, or as alone as they were going to be in a public place like the diner, Kyle relaxed back in his seat and focused on Janey. “I told you a little about me, so I think it’s only fair you share, too. Have you always lived in Indianapolis?”

  “No,” she said after taking a long drink of her water. “I moved there after I graduated high school.”

  “And where were you before that?” he asked, curious.

  She hesitated, which he found interesting. Why wouldn’t she want him to know where she grew up? “Outside of Fort Wayne.”

  “Fort Wayne is a decent-sized town.”

  “It is.”

  He sat forward, placing his forearms on the table. “Why does my asking about where you grew up make you uncomfortable?”

  “It doesn’t.” At his skeptical look, she clarified. “I just don’t like to talk about it, that’s all.”

  For a moment he thought about pushing the issue. It was in his nature to get to the truth, but Janey wasn’t a case. He was going to have to be patient. “All right.”

  “Thank you.” She averted her gaze and took another look around the room. “There’s a restaurant not far from Paul and Megan’s house that’s a little like this.”

  “Paul, your partner?” If she didn’t want to talk about the past, he’d take information about her present.

  Janey nodded, but offered nothing more on the subject. “So what’s your plan? Are we going to talk to all these people before we leave?”

  “Nope.”

  “No?”

  He shook his head. “I told Claire I was looking for information. She knows who the farmers in the area are. She’ll make sure to mention something about it to each of them and see if she gets any hits. If she does, she’ll let me know.”

  “So you’re counting on her gossip?”

  “Not exactly,” he said. “Claire overhears a lot of things she doesn’t share, but she’s in a unique position to help us out from time to time. That’s why Noah comes here every morning. If she’s gotten wind of anything, she can let him know discreetly. She’s been a great source of information since she moved to town.”

  “She didn’t grow up here?”

  “No. She moved to Liberty about five years ago after her divorce. I’m not sure what all happened, but she got a large settlement out of it and she used it to buy the diner.”

  Janey tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear. “Sounds like there’s a story there.”

  “I’m sure there is, but I don’t like to pry.”

  She released one hard laugh. “You could have fooled me.”

  Kyle smiled and leaned forward again. “I’m not interested in Claire. You, on the other hand . . .”

  Janey sobered. “Why me?”

  “Why not you?”

  Claire arrived with their food, silencing any response Janey might have made. They spent the next several minutes eating and listening to what was going on around them. Most of the chatter was about the weather. It hadn’t rained in over a week, and the farmers were beginning to worry about their crops.

  No one mentioned the dead body that was found less than two days ago, which Kyle found a bit odd. The only reason he could come up with was that they were unsure of Janey. Everyone else in the diner was local. She was an outsider.

  They were finishing up when Claire came by with a slice of pie for each of them and the check. “Gerald said Fred Mitchel mentioned that he ran off some kids from one of his fields a week or so ago. You just never know about kids these days.”

  He nodded and thanked her for the information. “No, you don’t.”

  To her credit, Janey waited until they were back in his SUV before commenting on what Claire had said. “I’m impressed. That’s quite a system you all have worked out.”

  Kyle grinned as he put the key in the ignition and started the engine. “Let’s go pay a visit to Mr. Mitchel and see if he got a look at any of the kids he ran off.”

  Mitchel’s farm was a good twenty minutes from town in the opposite direction from where he’d found John Doe’s body. That didn’t mean anything, though. Most sixteen-year-olds in the county had a driver’s license, since not having one severely limited one’s mobility. There was no public transportation in Warren County.

  Janey stared out the window as he drove. She appeared to be deep in thought about something.

  “Penny for your thoughts?” he asked.

  She turned her head to look at him then went back to watching the fields. “I was thinking about our cold case. He was found behind a dumpster in an alley. It’s a heavily trafficked area, and yet no one saw anything.”

  “Were you able to identify the victim?”

  “Yes. Travis Merrick. He was a construction worker. Clean record. Nothing out of the ordinary that would explain how he would wind up dead in an alley behind a dumpster. His wife said he’d called to say he was running late after work, but then he never came home.”

  Kyle realized then why she kept looking at the fields. “Why would whoever it is change the dump site so drastically if it was the same person that killed both guys?”

  Janey nodded.

  “Do you think it’s a copycat, then?”

  “Too early to say, but I’m not ruling it out.”

  Kyle slowed as Mitchel’s farm came into view. He was hoping the aging farmer had some information for them. Not only could it provide them with a lead that would catch the killer, but it also meant Janey would have an excuse to stay a little longer.

  He turned onto the dirt driveway and followed it to the old farmhouse. Two golden retrievers ran out to greet them, barking and wagging their tails. A few seconds later, the screen door at the side of the house opened and out stepped Fred Mitchel.

  “He doesn’t look pleased to see us,” Janey said, noting the scowl on the old farmer’s face.

  “Don’t take it personally. He’s not a fan of visitors in general, which is probably why he complained about the kids being in his field.”

  “Do you want me to wait here, then?” Janey asked. “If he’s not fond of visitors, I doubt my presence will help loosen his tongue.”

  “Nah. It will be fine. Fred’s more bark than he is bite.” Kyle turned off the engine and placed his hat on his head. “Let’s go see if we can get Mr.
Mitchel to vent to us about those crazy kids.”

  4

  Janey wasn’t so sure about Kyle’s assessment of Fred Mitchel. As they crossed the lawn, the irritation on his face didn’t lessen. He wasn’t happy to see them.

  “Afternoon, Fred,” Kyle said when they reached the edge of the porch. “I was hoping we could talk to you about the kids you ran off a couple weeks ago.”

  Fred Mitchel’s gaze shifted from Kyle to her then he turned his head and spat over the porch rail. “Who’s she?”

  “This is Detective Davis. She’s visiting from Indianapolis.” Kyle didn’t seem bothered by Fred Mitchel’s attitude.

  The farmer looked her up and down. “She here about the body you found?”

  Janey stayed quiet, letting Kyle decide how much to share. “Among other things.”

  “Humph.” Mitchel took a step forward. “And what does that have to do with me and the kids I chased off my property?”

  Kyle shrugged. “Probably nothing.”

  “And yet you’re here harassing me.” Mitchel huffed again and crossed his arms over his chest. “Well, on with it. What do you want to know? I’ve got work to do.”

  “Did you happen to recognize any of the kids?” Kyle asked.

  “No.” Short and to the point. Disappointment settled in Janey’s gut. Unless they got a hit on those fingerprints, they’d struck a dead end again.

  “Thank you for your time, Fred. We’ll let you get back to work.” Kyle headed toward his SUV and she followed.

  “That was a waste,” she said once they were inside the vehicle.

  He nodded. “It was worth a shot.”

  “So what now?”

  “Now . . .” The look Kyle gave her had her heart rate picking up. “I drop you off at my sister’s so you can rest up for our date tonight.”

  Janey bit the inside of her cheek. She had no idea if going to this shindig with him was a good idea or not, but if she was being honest with herself, she had to admit she wanted to go. It had been a while since a guy had piqued her interest the way Kyle did. “I was talking about the case.”

  “We cross our fingers and hope the lab gets a hit on one of those fingerprints.”

  It was close to three by the time he dropped her off at Ava’s with a promise to be back to pick her up around six. Ava was in the living room folding laundry. She glanced behind Janey expectantly, and then frowned. “Kyle isn’t coming in?”

  “He’ll be back later.” Janey wasn’t sure how much he’d want his sister to know, but figured she’d find out eventually. “Apparently, there’s some sort of pig roast tonight.”

  A sly smile crossed Ava’s face as she took a towel from the basket.

  “What?”

  “Nothing.” When Janey continued to wait, Ava sighed. “It’s just been a while since Kyle showed any real interest in anyone. It’s good to see. I want him to find someone. Settle down. He deserves to be happy.”

  Curiosity nagged her, but she wasn’t sure she wanted to know. Kyle lived here in Liberty. Her life was in Indianapolis. Granted, it wasn’t a huge distance, but it was far enough.

  Realizing how absurd her train of thought was, Janey excused herself and went to grab a shower. She told herself nothing was going to happen tonight, but even she didn’t believe it. Besides, it was better to be prepared. If nothing happened, it wouldn’t hurt to make sure everything was shaved and neatly trimmed.

  It was as she was standing at the end of her bed in nothing but a towel that Janey realized she had a problem. The only clothes she’d brought with her were khaki pants and shirts—her work attire. Somehow she didn’t think that would help her to fit in at what sounded more like a community barbecue.

  Janey threw on some clean clothes and headed back downstairs. Ava was roughly the same size. Hopefully, she wouldn’t mind letting her borrow something. She didn’t think she had time to make it to the nearest mall and back before Kyle returned to pick her up.

  “Ava?” Janey called out when she didn’t find Ava in the living room or the kitchen, the only two rooms she’d been in on the first floor.

  “In here.”

  Janey followed Ava’s voice to what had to be the master bedroom.

  “Hey. Come in,” Ava said, setting aside the book she was reading.

  “I didn’t mean to bother you in your personal space.”

  Ava waved her comment away. “It’s fine. I was just enjoying some peace and quiet while I can. What did you need?”

  For a moment Janey reconsidered. It didn’t feel right asking Ava, Kyle’s sister or not, if she could borrow an outfit. She didn’t even know the woman. “Nothing. Never mind.”

  “Janey, just spit it out.”

  “I was wondering if maybe you had something I could wear tonight. All I brought with me were work clothes. I wasn’t planning on going out.”

  Before she’d even finished her sentence, Ava was up and moving toward her closet. “I’m sure I have a dress that would fit you. Let me see . . .” She rooted around in her closet, pushing hangers to one side until she found what she was looking for. “What do you think?”

  The dress was navy blue with a white belt at the waist. It was simple but cute. “As long as it fits, I think it will work.”

  Ava held it out to her. “Go try it on. You can use my bathroom if you want. And if it doesn’t work, we can find something else.”

  “Thanks, Ava. I really appreciate this.”

  Janey hurried into the bathroom and stripped out of the clothes she’d put on a few minutes earlier. Since the dress had wider straps, she was still able to wear her bra, which was a good thing. She wasn’t exactly small on top. It was a little loose around the middle, but the belt took care of that. Otherwise, it was a pretty good fit.

  “What do you think?” Janey asked when she stepped out of the bathroom. She did a little twirl and loved how the skirt flared up a little.

  Ava moved in for a closer look. “Wow. I think it looks much better on you than me.”

  “Thanks, but I doubt that.” Kyle’s sister had one of those hourglass figures, and a dress like this would only highlight that.

  A sad smile crossed Ava’s face, and Janey wondered if the other woman was thinking about her late husband. “I’m glad it fits. Now you can go out and have a good time tonight.”

  The way she said it gave Janey the impression that Ava wouldn’t be attending. “Aren’t you going? Your brother said most of the people in the area would be there.”

  “Oh, they will be. Ethan and his family do this every year. It’s a big deal around here.”

  “But you’re not going.” It wasn’t a question.

  Ava shook her head. “I have lots to do here. Besides, I need to get Cole to bed by eight or he’ll be cranky all day tomorrow.”

  Janey chose to keep her mouth shut. She didn’t know Ava well enough. “Well, I should probably go upstairs and finish getting ready.”

  “Let me know if you need anything else.” Ava smiled and lifted Cole from his playpen. “I’m going to go make this little guy some dinner.”

  It didn’t take Janey long to finish getting ready. She was a minimalist when it came to makeup. A little bit of eye shadow, some mascara, and a touch of lip gloss. That was it. Anything more had her feeling as if she had goop slathered all over her face.

  With five minutes to spare, she descended the stairs, but Kyle was already standing near the front door waiting for her. “You look amazing.”

  “Thanks,” Janey said, trying to ignore the butterflies tumbling around in her stomach. “I had to borrow the dress from your sister.”

  He offered her a hand. “We should get going. They’ll be pulling the hog out of the pit soon. I don’t want you to miss it.”

  Janey had no idea what the big deal was, but she was willing to give him the benefit of the doubt. “Let me just say goodbye to Ava.”

  The words had barely left her mouth when Kyle’s sister poked her head out of the kitchen. “You two have a g
ood time. I won’t wait up.” She winked.

  Heat rushed to Janey’s cheeks. Of course, Kyle noticed. “We’ll see you later, sis.”

  Ava waved as they walked out the door, Kyle’s hand resting on her lower back.

  “That wasn’t awkward at all,” Janey mumbled.

  “You want to talk about awkward? Try walking in on your little sister going at it with her husband on the couch.” He shuddered as he pulled open the passenger door of his truck for her.

  Janey giggled and brushed past him to climb inside the cab. “Got an eyeful, did you?”

  “Oh, yeah. There is no amount of brain bleach that’ll get rid of that memory.”

  * * *

  The best part of Ethan’s annual hog roast was that his family farm had plenty of space for everyone. A large farmhouse sat in the center of the property surrounded by more than one thousand acres of farmland. There were four barns on the property and all of them served a purpose. Tonight one had been converted into a dance hall of sorts.

  Kyle parked his truck along the long driveway, hopped out, and went to help Janey. He hadn’t even thought about her not having something to wear when he’d asked her to come with him tonight. Then again, he wouldn’t have cared if she’d stayed in what she’d worn earlier.

  They had to walk a ways to reach the roasting pit where everyone was gathered. It was situated on the back side of the barn to keep the smoke away from the other festivities.

  “What’s everyone waiting for?” Janey asked as they approached the crowd.

  “You’ll see.”

  A few minutes later, Ethan, his brother Evan, and his father emerged from one of the other barns, all three of them with shovels. They made a beeline for the mound of fresh dirt covering the pit and began digging. After a few minutes, three other men stepped up and took turns removing the dirt. This back and forth went on until they reached the sheet metal underneath. Ethan and Evan pried the metal back while their father, wearing heavy gloves, pulled out burlap sacks.

  “Are those the pigs?” Janey asked in a low whisper.

  Kyle nodded. “Best pork you’ve ever tasted. Trust me.”