by Judy Kentrus
Their route bordered the shoreline. A fine mist drifted in the air and sprinkled their clothes and exposed skin with cold water. Jess still fumed at his arrogance in thinking she couldn’t do her job and concentrated on the white foaming waves brushing the sandy shore and rocks bordering the Youghiogheny.
They’d been out almost an hour and became aware of the crashing thunder of Laurel Falls up ahead. Linc couldn’t take her silent treatment any longer. “Are you going to continue ignoring me?” he shouted over the rumble of the angry water.
Jess abruptly turned about and gave him a fury-filled stare. “I’m sick and tired of you thinking I can’t do my job! I…”
Linc’s eye caught the fast, incoming wave and shouted, “Look out,” too late.
The strong curl shot a barren tree limb out of the waves, right into the back of Jessie’s knees. The slamming jolt made her legs buckle. Arms flailing, she tossed the radio like a hot potato onto dry land before she fell back into the icy foam. Linc stepped into the surging whitecap and made a quick grab for her foot, but all he came up with was the big, floppy rubber boot. He dangled it between his two fingers. Laughter twinkled in his eye and he grinned. “This is what I call a prize catch!”
Jess flapped her arms in the foot of bone-chilling water, trying to get her balance, not appreciating his court-jester performance. “You ass,” she fumed, and decided to wipe that shit-eating grin off his face. She braced her hands on the sandy bottom and swept her booted foot out in a karate sweep that knocked his legs out from under him, sending him into the water.
He never saw it coming and landed right next to his furious partner. Soaked to the skin, he couldn’t stop smiling. A gushing wave slapped them both in the face.“Excellent move, Sergeant Taylor,” he coughed from the mouth full of water. “Next time, I’ll be prepared.”
It took some maneuvering to fight against the strong current and the extra weight of her wet clothes, but Jess managed to stand up. To add insult to injury, she kicked a plume of water in his handsome face. “I’ve got a lot more where that came from, you chauvinistic pig!” She picked up her discarded boot that was full of frigid water and dumped it on his head.
“Chauvinistic pig!” he echoed standing up, fighting the drag on his body from the strong current. He’d barely taken a step onto dry land when a second log crashed into his ankle. Wrapped around it was a piece of red clothing. Linc lunged for the limb before it got swept away and held out his dripping prize. “Sergeant Taylor, this must be your lucky day. Look what just appeared from a watery grave.”
Cold, wet, and angry, Jess wanted to ignore him, but turned around when he referred to her as Sergeant Taylor. Her eyes widened when she recognized the red jacket the mayor wore at every town council meeting. He claimed red was his signature color and prided himself on his snappy, well-dressed appearance. So what happened to the mayor?
They notified the chief of their find and were about a quarter mile away from the bridge when Linc spied something red hung up on one of the boulders that bordered the water’s edge. “What’s this?” He held up the soggy wet object and frowned. “Did the Mayor wear a red tie at the meeting?”
Jess inspected the lacy end, recognizing the object for what it was. She’d never liked red thigh-high stockings. Hers were black with fine lace insets at the band and ankle. “It’s a lady’s stocking, smart ass. I don’t think the mayor would be found dead wearing one.”
“At least it’s the same color as the jacket,” he laughed. “What should we do with it?”
“Its litter, so we’ll take it back and dispose of it properly.”
Just to be funny, he attached it to the end of a thin branch and dangled it like a Tom Sawyer fishing pole with a red fishing line. He offered Jess the branch. “Wanna take a turn? If anyone asks, tell them we tried to catch a Red Snapper.”
“Shove it!” she ordered, and purposely walked in front of him so he couldn’t see the big smile on her face. She was losing the battle to stay annoyed with him.
Chapter 9
Jess stood in back of the chief’s SUV wrapped in a yellow emergency blanket. Spread out on the bed was the mayor’s jacket. Jagged holes told the story of how the mayor had died. “Two appear to be rips from the log, but the others are definitely bullet holes. Poor sucker, shot in the back. Our shooter is a coward.”
“That’s my conclusion, also. I’ll need you to write up a report as to where you found it, you know the drill.” Joe thought he detected teeth chattering. “Tomorrow morning will be soon enough. If the bloodstains on the back seat are the mayor’s, he was killed somewhere else and transported here in his own vehicle. Unfortunately, we don’t have a body to confirm my theory. This is a good find, Jess. Linc said you gave no thought to your own safety and threw yourself in the rushing water to rescue the jacket.”
“He said that’s how it happened?” Jess tightened the blanket about her chilled body and looked about. “Where is my PITA nemesis?”
“Now he’s your PITA nemesis,” the chief chuckled. “He left when you went to get the emergency blanket from your vehicle. He also said to tell you he’d be there for Edie if you didn’t get home by the time she got off the school bus.”
“Damn,” she muttered under her breath. Her daughter got home at four o’clock every day, unless she had soccer or field hockey practice. Jess would never be there in time.
“Why don’t you take off? The other teams will be searching for another hour or so. I’ll log the jacket into evidence and start on the blood stains on the back seat of the Cadillac as soon as I get back to headquarters.” Joe stared at the pale red rings around the bullet holes. “The cold water diluted the stains on the jacket, but there might be some blood trace evidence. I’ve already contacted the county to have a priority put on the blood.”
Jess nodded toward the thigh high that the chief had sealed in a baggie. “What are you going to do with the red stocking?”
“I’ll toss it in the lost and found,” Joe winked.
Jess almost tripped on the corner of the blanket when she headed for her vehicle. She went to get in, but hesitated. Sitting on the seat was a See’s candy bar. “How did you get there?” Had the chief given her one of her favorite candy bars? Why hadn’t he said something? Suddenly, she was ravenous and tore the wrapping off. “Hmm,” she moaned, taking her first bite. It had been weeks since she had one because she kept forgetting to replenish her stock. She happily nibbled all the way home.
Edie dribbled the basket ball in front of the garage. “How about a game of one-on-one?”
Linc sat on the lower step, clean and blessedly dry, watching Edie’s expertise in handling the ball. Abbie Lincoln was sprawled on his lap. The nine-year-old could give Meadowlark Lemon a run for his money. “Who taught you how to play?”
“There’s a girls’ basketball team at school. I really prefer playing with boys. Girls can be sissies.” Edie dribbled three times, aimed, and the ball sailed smoothly through the hoop.
“All right, I’m game, but don’t you have homework?”
“My mom lets me do it after supper.” Edie’s kid’s logic was if she answered quickly and avoided direct eye contact, it wouldn’t be considered a fib, maybe just a little one. She’d say an extra prayer before she went to sleep. “Rules are, game will be played to twenty-one and must be won by two points. You have to call your own fouls and violations. After scoring, the other person gets the ball.”
“What about time outs and boundary lines?”
Abbie bounced the ball against the asphalt surface in front of the garages and shrugged her shoulders. “There’s no time limit and no time-outs are allowed. We’ll make up our own boundary lines as we go.”
Linc decided he’d just been propositioned by a cagey con artist. Abbie Lincoln meowed in protest when he set her down. She flicked her long fluffy tail and sauntered over to Xavier Cugat’s house.
That’s how Jessie found them when she pulled down the driveway. Edie was attempting to block the
shot Linc was trying to make, but they were both laughing like loons. Edie, that much shorter, had to use cunning to make him miss the shot, so she stomped on his foot and booted the ball out of his grip with her fisted hands.
“You cheated,” he hollered, laughing harder as the ball went flying. The rules had gone out the window from the first challenging dribble.
“You’re taller,” she laughed in return. “I do the same to my Uncle Treig!” Edie happily danced away, making her long braids flap like bird wings. She captured the ball and made the shot. “I win!”
Jess got out of the car. Her anger with the sexy arrogant PITA was waning fast. He took care of Edie at a moment’s notice and volunteered his help last night and this afternoon. He even bought treats for Abbie Lincoln. It was obvious he had a strong, caring side. Was it time to trust him and her heart again?
“I should have warned you she is a conniving cheater when it comes to playing with taller guys.” Jess looked pointedly at her daughter. “Homework done already?”
“Well,” Edie replied in a sing-song voice and concentrated on bouncing the ball in a circle around her mother.
Linc wiped his forehead with the sleeve of his shirt and raised a brow. According to the little cheater, she does it after dinner.”
Jess raised a brow. “Oh really? That must be one of the Rules according to Edie. Just to clarify, on days she has after school activities, she gets home later and is allowed to do her homework after dinner.”
Edie had been snagged in her semi-lie, but decided to expound additional kid logic. “Mom, think of it this way. Since practice was cancelled, Mr. Lincoln has been helping me improve my basketball game at home!” With that, Edie made a beeline into the house and slammed the back door. Maybe she should say that prayer now.
Linc picked up the discarded ball. “Are you sure she’s only nine-years old?”
“Yes, I’m sure,” Jessie smiled, shaking her head. “You better learn to read into my daughter’s statements. She’s a female trickster from the word go.” A brisk wind penetrated Jess’s damp uniform and made her shiver. “Thank you for being here when Edie got home from school. She knows to go next door to Lisa Kay’s mother if I’m not here when she gets off the bus.”
“No problem. She’s a wonderful kid. I enjoy spending time with her.” And you, he silently added. “Did the other search teams find additional evidence?”
“Not that I’m aware of.”
Linc wondered what happened to her bitchy, contrary attitude and needed to test the waters of her temperament. He put his hands to her shoulders and leaned to the right and then the left, pretending to look for something.
“Is there a problem?”
“No, I’m just making sure you don’t have an extra bucket of water,” Linc teased.
Jessie breathed in deeply and let it out slowly. “I’m sorry I acted like a bitch today. I was pissed because you sent the crime scene photos to the chief and not me. I know it sounds petty, but it’s a cop ego thing.”
“Apology not necessary. I did send the pictures. Barbara gave me the number for your police issue cell, and I forwarded them this morning.” He gave her shoulders a reassuring squeeze before reluctantly dropping his hands. “I’ll resend them.”
“Thank you. If I invite you to dinner, will you forgive me for dumping the water on your head and the karate kick?”
“We’ll call it even and I’ll go one better. You have to be running on fumes from all the hours you’ve worked. How about I treat you and Edie to Jack’s Pizza? Anything special you like on your pie? I’ll bring a bottle of wine.”
“That would be great, and I’ll have time to take a much needed shower. I like anything, but Edie loves a meat lover’s pie with pepperoni, meatballs, and sausage. Would you please add an order of garlic knots? Now, if you’ll excuse me, there’s a matter that needs my immediate attention,” she added, heading toward the back door.
The next thing he heard was “Edith Amanda, I need to talk to you about your kid’s logic!”
“But, Mom!”
On the other side of town, Lisa Kay glanced about the hotel, making sure everything was in its place before locking up for the night. The last guest had been picked up earlier. She’d been weary all day and kicked herself for drinking coffee in the middle of the night. After dinner, she planned to spend the rest of the evening reading her latest vampire romance novel.
She was startled by the unexpected knock on the front door. The shadowy silhouette of a man holding a box was visible through the frosted pane of the front door. Lisa Kay thought she detected a faint meow and was never one to turn away from an animal in need. She opened the door and found herself goggling at the tall, dark, forbidding stranger, who could have jumped off the cover of one of her vampire novels.
“Can I help you?” She barely got the words out, stupefied by his shiny, dark eyes and sharp cheekbones. Streaks of white hair defined the hint of a widower’s peak on his swept-back black hair. His long, black-leather coat came to the top of his black biker boots. She judged him to be a mature, extraordinary looking male in his forties. He was definitely not from Laurel Heights.
“I’m sorry to bother you, but the owner of the Spoonful Café recommended I bring the kitten here and ask for Lisa Kay.”
The smooth deep resonance of his voice was mesmerizing, and Lisa Kay shook herself. “Ah, that’s me,” she stammered. Wrapped in a soft blue cloth was a black kitten about six weeks old that resembled a drowned rat.
“Oh, you poor little baby,” Lisa crooned, carefully lifting the kitten and cradling it in her arm. “Where did you find him?”
“Hiding under the front wheel of my cycle.” He held out his large, callused hand. “Sam Morlock.” He passed her one of his business cards that displayed the silhouette of a muscular carpenter armed with a tool belt. “I am currently working on the old train depot and have a room at the Last Chance Motel. Keep me in mind if you need any work done.”
Lisa was enchanted by his beautiful smile and perfectly lined white teeth. When he chuckled, Lisa Kay realized she still had a tight grip on his hand. “Come in and let’s see what we can do for this little beauty. Are you going to keep him?”
“If the motel management doesn’t object. He’ll be able to keep my pet company once I get my own place. I like the area.”
Lisa led him to one of the pet exam rooms and turned on the overhead lights. What kind of pet do you have?”
“A raven. I know they’re illegal in the states, but I can own one that’s been rehabilitated. I’m also an amateur Chiroptologist. I think bats are fascinating.”
Lisa gulped. With the direct lighting, he was more forbidding. He seemed to suck up all the air in the close quarters and his body radiated an unseen power. The steady blood flow from her heart pounded in her chest. If she didn’t faint, it would be a miracle.
“It’s warm in here,” he said, and took off his coat.
Lisa tried to concentrate on the little kitten and gently patted the fur with a soft white towel. “I want to check,” Lisa Kay started, but the words locked in her throat. He wore a form fitting black muscle shirt that displayed his rippling biceps and firm chest. On the defined upper muscle of his left arm was a tattoo of a raven, its wings spread wide in freedom flight. He could spread her wings and make her fly anytime!
“What are you going to name the kitten? There was a breathless-ness in her voice.
“Lucifer.”
Lisa Kay lost it. A dreamy haze made her lightheaded and she began to sway. Sam Morlock caught her up in his strong arms before she hit the floor. The kitten’s sharp emerald eyes stared at his new owner. Lucifer meowed.
“Yeah, I like her too,” Sam grinned.
Linc called in their dinner order and was told it would be ready in forty minutes. It would give him a chance to have another look around town and thought Edie would like to take a ride, if she was finished with her homework.
“Thanks for asking me to go with you,” Edie said,
fastening her seatbelt. “This is a cool truck. What are all those buttons for? You have a computer in here!”
Linc ignored her inquisitive jabber, for now. “What about your homework?”
“Well,” Edie hesitated, wondering what would happen when the red button on the dash was pushed. “I didn’t tell the truth and my mom hates liars. She has to deal with enough dishonest people on the job, and doesn’t want to face fibbers in her own home.”
“Did you just make that up?” Linc asked, trying to keep a straight face.
“No, she said that, honest. When I was a little girl, my grandmother told me I shouldn’t lie because my nose would grow like Pinocchio. She’s a judge and always tells the truth.” Edie ran her fingers around her pert nose. “Mr. Lincoln, does my nose look different?”
“It’s perfect,” he replied, not taking his eye off the road. God, he loved this kid.
“I guess I’ve been pretty good because it isn’t any longer than the rest of the kids in my class.”
Linc couldn’t hold it in any longer and burst out laughing. “Edie, you are a treasure.”
He pulled out on Main Street and the evening traffic was light. There weren’t that many stores open to draw business. He glanced at the park in the center of town. “How long has the yellow caution tape been around the gazebo?”
“This winter, snow and ice made the old roof collapse. They won’t be able to hold the concerts in the park this summer. Mommy said the cheapskates on the town council won’t spend the money to get it fixed.”