“That sounds like you’re sidelining him.” Despite Horace’s infirmities, Casey doubted he’d take to the idea. “Won’t he want to be center stage?”
“He will be, as the incident commander,” Jack explained. “Plus if he notices someone suspicious leaving the Civic Center, he’ll have the option of tailing him or notifying the on-site supervisor.”
“Then you’ll be out here on guard?” she asked.
“I’ll need to be at the party with you. Most likely the perp will want to make sure the coast is clear before he acts,” he said. “And since everyone knows about me around here, I’m going to have to stay visible.” His rueful tone made it clear he didn’t relish the prospect.
“Then who’s going to be at the Pine Woods?” Casey braced herself. She had a feeling she wasn’t going to like the answer.
“Larry Malloy,” he replied.
She shook her head. “You heard what Enid said—he might be the guy we’re looking for. Even if he isn’t, he’s inexperienced and not very thorough.”
Jack shrugged. “I don’t like it either, but I prefer someone who’s authorized to carry a weapon and physically strong enough to bring a guy down if necessary. He’s the only one available.”
“You might be giving him exactly the opening he wants!”
“According to Chief Roundtree, he has alibis for the last couple of incidents, so I think we’re safe in assuming he’s not our perp.” Jack’s assumption reassured Casey. “Also, if the chief agrees, I’ll provide special training to help him become more professional. That’s going to include an attitude adjustment.”
“You think he can do this by himself ?” Casey persisted. “You just pointed out that one person can’t see the whole property.”
From her husband’s hesitation, she gathered he didn’t expect her to approve of the rest of the plan. “That’s where the patrol comes in. We’re going to need help from your tenants.”
“You’re kidding!” She couldn’t picture any of them playing a law-enforcement role. “Nobody in their right mind would consider them combat ready!”
“How diplomatically spoken,” Jack teased. “I assure you, I’m in my right mind. I’m not exactly sending them into battle here.”
“You might as well be!” Casey couldn’t stop herself from working up a head of steam. “I can just see Enid stumbling through the bushes in the middle of the night, ready to stab some evildoer with her knitting needles!”
“That wasn’t exactly what I had in mind.”
“Or Gail—she’d do a great job if the perpetrator happens to be a pregnant woman who goes into labor!” she went on. “Now Matt at least has his carving knives. If the prowler turns out to be about ninety, he might even be able to outrun him.”
Jack reached over and cupped her chin with his hand. “If they all had your spirit, this guy wouldn’t stand a chance.”
She held her ground. “I won’t agree to put them at risk.”
“I plan to use them as observers, not daredevils. I don’t want anyone to get hurt, either.”
“Then please leave them out of this,” she said. “I know they’ll agree if you ask them, but that doesn’t make it right.”
His expression sobered. “The pattern of attacks has been escalating. Whoever’s doing this has progressed from trespassing to arson. There’s no telling what might happen next or who’s going to be affected. I think your tenants have the right to decide for themselves whether they want to participate.”
Casey had to concede the point. This plan offered their best chance of catching the prowler while Jack was still here. Once he left, they’d probably have to organize their own patrols, and they’d run a far greater risk that way.
“How many people will you need?” she asked warily.
“You’re agreeing?” he probed.
“Reluctantly. Don’t rub it in!”
“I won’t,” Jack promised. “I’d like two backup teams, one on the property and one at the potluck.”
“At the potluck? Why?”
“First, because there’s no guarantee whoever’s doing this won’t try to harm you or Enid or whoever his target is when you’re least expecting it. Also, I want a record of any questionable behavior, such as someone trying to sneak out who changes his mind when he sees the chief.”
“Gail or Enid could do that. It doesn’t sound dangerous,” Casey admitted.
“I’d like them to work together. In a situation like this, you really need two people,” Jack said. “One might have to stay and observe something while the other makes a phone call. Also, they can help each other keep the mission on target even if someone tries to distract them.”
The mission. The term put her in mind of commandos operating in a jungle. Kind of a far cry from a smalltown potluck, Casey thought.
“All right,” she said. “What about patrolling the property? That could be a tough job, especially at night. I don’t think any of my guys are up to it.”
“Don’t forget the team concept. I want Bo Rogers and Matt Dorning to work together.”
“Bo and Matt? Now there’s an odd couple!” The two men formed about as unlikely a pair as Casey could imagine, the one young and robust but of limited intellect, the other physically frail but mentally sharp. “You really think so?”
“Together they have all the attributes we need. Sometimes you need to get creative,” Jack advised.
Matt would relish the challenge, Casey supposed, and Bo often sought ways to be helpful. “It wouldn’t hurt to ask them, I guess.”
“I appreciate your cooperation. I know this whole situation makes you uneasy.” Reaching over, Jack began massaging her shoulder lightly.
“‘Uneasy’ is too mild a word,” Casey confessed. “Plus I hate the idea of us prancing around at the town social while other people are running risks.”
“Once we get a bead on things, I don’t intend to stay on the sidelines.” Jack eased his chair away from the desk and positioned himself so he could apply both hands. “Feel good?”
“It’s fabulous.” Casey closed her eyes and gave in to the soothing sensations. The tightness in her back yielded rapidly to his pressure.
She wished she didn’t have to think about anything else, just her husband’s touch. As her mind began to drift, she realized that spending time together at the Spring Fling wasn’t such a bad idea after all.
Seeing Jack in a different context might provide the insight she needed for her plan to win him back. She smiled at the name she thought of: Operation Rescue Jack.
“What’s so funny?’ he asked.
She could hardly tell him the truth. “I was picturing Matt and Bo on patrol. That ought to be a lively sight!” Reluctantly, she returned to the subject of the attacker. “You mentioned you’d eliminated Larry as a suspect. Who’s on your list now?”
“At the top, Al Rawlins.” Jack probed down to the small of her back, where he dissolved taut rubber bands of anxiety. “He’s got a grudge and he’s been seen around the property in several capacities. However, I haven’t completely written off Royce Ledbetter.”
“Royce wouldn’t do this!” Her old high-school buddy wasn’t capable of knocking Casey down with a hose and torching Enid’s roof. At least, she didn’t think so.
“Friends of the accused are often shocked, even when the evidence proves overwhelming.” Jack finished the back rub, leaving her skin and muscles tingling pleasantly. “I can’t ignore his motive or his possessiveness toward you.”
“He acted possessive?” When Jack recounted their conversation, he hadn’t mentioned anything about that.
“He lit into me for not standing by my wife. I’d call that possessive.”
“Or moralistic, which doesn’t sound like him either,” she conceded. “How did you respond?”
“I don’t remember.” He reached for the phone. “If you don’t mind, I’ll call Chief Roundtree and get his approval. It’s going to take time to set this up.”
He was dodging
her again! “Don’t do that!”
“You don’t want him involved? I explained…”
“I meant, don’t dodge me when I try to find out what happened between you and Royce. This isn’t about him, it’s about you and your feelings. Tell me what you said to him!”
“I honestly don’t remember.” His eyes took on a hooded appearance.
“Yes, you do!”
“I don’t recall the exact words. I stalled him. I was trying to figure out if he’s a criminal. I don’t care what he thinks of me personally.” The clipped way Jack spoke revealed that that wasn’t entirely true.
Royce’s accusation must have rankled. If only Jack would admit how much he cared, maybe she could persuade him to trust his feelings.
Casey wished she knew a way to force him to open up. Talk to me! Let me inside! But she feared she’d only send him scurrying further into his shell. “Oh, go ahead. Call the chief.”
“Thanks.” He picked up the phone.
As she went into the kitchen to start dinner, though, her thoughts remained back in the office with Jack. The man had the power to frustrate her almost beyond endurance!
She had to be content with the observation that at least he was getting to know the world where she’d grown up and the people she shared it with. He already understood her tenants’ strengths and how to keep Chief Roundtree happy. He might even whip Larry into shape, if anyone could.
Jack had a lot to offer to a place like Richfield Crossing. If he would only stick around until Diane was born, he might see that there were other, more meaningful ways to live than rushing across the globe risking his neck for strangers.
She didn’t know how they’d work out the logistics of his running a security agency. That could come later.
In the meantime, convincing her husband to move here wouldn’t be easy, Casey mused as she took down her spaghetti pot. But she must find a way. She simply had to.
CHAPTER TWELVE
To Jack’s relief, the chief agreed with his plan after asking a few questions. Not only didn’t he object to the idea of giving Larry some extra training, he approved completely.
“He graduated from the police academy in Nashville, but his attitude needs some adjustment and I lose patience,” Roundtree admitted on the phone. “He’s on duty tomorrow afternoon, if you want to meet with him then, and I’ll make sure he’s available to help out Wednesday night even if I have to hire a substitute guard for the glass factory.”
As for the tenants, Matt’s creased face lit up when Jack asked him whether he’d be interested in patrolling. “I hate sitting here knowing some fellow’s sneaking around, doing nasty things to my neighbors. A man never gets too old to want to protect his friends.”
Bo was, if anything, even more enthusiastic. “I’ll be a good guard. I’ll take care of Matt, too, if he falls down.”
“Hopefully, he won’t.” Jack suggested that Rita ride to the potluck with him and Casey. However when she heard about the plans, she said some friends from their square dance group would pick her up.
“I won’t tell them anything,” she added. “We know how to keep a secret.”
When Gail came over Monday night to coach Casey, she made an alternate suggestion to teaming with Enid. “You’re going to have to run back here at some point, Jack,” she said. “I can stay with Casey at the Spring Fling to make sure she’s all right. Enid should be able to snoop around the community center by herself.”
Although Jack didn’t object, Casey nixed the idea. “This is my property. Gail, you’re a real trooper, but nobody’s keeping me away from here. If Jack heads home, so will I.”
Reluctantly, the nurse agreed to the original plan. However, Jack made a mental note to entrust Casey to her care if things got rough. A woman who might go into labor at any moment needed someone watching over her.
Still, he had to admit that even her large girth and occasional sleepiness failed to dampen his wife’s spirit. To make sure everyone in town knew she’d be partying, she volunteered to remind a long list of people about the event. The organizers—the wives of the pastor and the department store owner—were more than happy to let her make the calls.
On Tuesday, while she went into town to run errands, Jack spent several hours patrolling with Larry Malloy around the property. He found that the young man had slacked off from his training to the point of becoming slipshod.
He overlooked several suspicious objects planted earlier because he wasn’t paying attention. When Jack pointed them out, Larry argued that their conversation had distracted him.
“If somebody shoots you, what good are excuses?” Jack asked. “Think of this as a game, even though it’s in deadly earnest. You’ve got to stay on your toes if you expect to win.”
As time went on, the fellow began to shape up. He needed a firm hand but responded well to encouragement, and after a while even made a few suggestions of his own. Among them was to spread word that he’d be working at the glass company that night although he actually had the evening off.
It pleased Jack to see him showing initiative. By the time they took a coffee break at Casey’s house, he no longer had any doubts about the young man’s ability to handle his part of the assignment.
“Nothing against the chief, but he’s kind of stuck in his ways,” Larry confided while eating a snack. “I’d rather work for a real leader, somebody I could learn from. Like you.”
“I’m sure there’s a lot he could teach you.” Jack didn’t want to detract from Roundtree in any way.
“Maybe so, but he’s too impatient,” Larry mumbled between bites of a sticky bun. “You explain things so I understand them.”
Never having served as a training officer, Jack had been relying on his instincts. He was glad to hear they’d paid off. “Thanks.”
The young cop paused between bites. “I’d offer to come work for that security agency of yours, except I like it around these parts. I just wish I could hire on full-time at the PD.”
“Isn’t there enough money in the budget?” It seemed to Jack the town needed at least two full-time officers.
“There could be. Some of the farmers outside town asked the council if they could contract with us to patrol their areas. The chief turned ’em down. He said he didn’t need any more administrative burdens.”
“Too bad.” Jack finished his coffee and carried the cup to the sink. “Whenever you’re ready, let’s give it another go.”
He arranged for the two of them to go over to Matt’s cabin so the men could meet. The elderly tenant took a keen interest in the preparations and seemed impressed by Larry, who basked in the admiration. The three of them arranged to meet again after dinner when Bo could join them.
After seeing the younger man off at the parking lot, Jack listened for a moment to distant sounds, automatically screening out the birdcalls and the noise of homebuilding down near Old Richfield Road. With satisfaction, he recognized the hum of Casey’s motor as she turned onto Pine Woods Avenue.
Having lived his whole life in Southern California, he hadn’t realized he could adjust to a new place so quickly. Already, his brain was sorting out familiar from unfamiliar sounds and smells.
In his pocket, the cell phone rang. While keeping watch for Casey’s car, Jack answered.
“Good news.” It was Mike. “I met with Paul Mendez this morning and he’s exactly what we need. Plus, he’s leaving the Denver PD earlier than expected because he’s accumulated so much vacation time. If it’s okay with you, he can begin familiarizing himself with our projects right away.”
“That’s great.” As they discussed Mendez and the qualities he could bring to the firm, Jack imagined himself back at the Men At Arms office.
Located in an old building in the Hollywood area, it lacked charm. Since they did all their work on-site and their clients never visited, however, the ritzy-sounding address was all that mattered. Despite the faded exterior paint and clouded windows, Jack loved the leather smell of his secondhand de
sk chair and the nearby buzz of traffic. But his satisfaction went way beyond mere pride of ownership.
When he and Mike had signed the lease, he’d felt a high rivaled only by his wedding day. Having his own company meant no one could fire him or order him around. Although Mike served as elder partner and tended to take the lead, they owned everything together.
Perhaps bringing in another partner ought to faze him, but Jack had never been a control freak. The new arrangement should strengthen the firm and help it expand.
“As it turns out, we can use him this weekend,” Mike was saying. “That meeting in Athens is coming together. Nicos has done the legwork. However, we need a partner on hand to supervise. I’d like to send Paul.”
“You think he’s ready to handle this on his own?” Jack asked.
“I’d rather one of us joined him,” Mike admitted. “I’ve got the Hong kong trade meeting to set up. I was hoping you could make it.”
Having flown to Athens a couple of times previously, Jack understood the complexities involved. He wished he’d been able to arrive well in advance to make sure of the arrangements himself, but he trusted Nicos. “Sure. I should have things wrapped up here by Thursday.”
“You’ll need to leave that afternoon at the latest.” Mike promised to arrange for their assistant to check with the travel agent to see if Jack and Paul could catch the same flight from New York. That would give them a chance to get acquainted before their arrival.
Jack took down more phone numbers. He needed to call Paul and Nicos and step into the traces as head of the operation. Already, he could feel himself mentally pulling away from Richfield Crossing.
As he dialed Paul, Casey came in. Seeing him on the phone, she waved as she carted in an armload of groceries.
He tried to hurry it up so he could help her. But by the time he finished touching bases with both men, she’d hauled in and stowed her purchases. Already feeling as if he’d let her down, Jack decided to postpone mentioning he had to leave on Thursday. She already knew he’d have to head out soon, so it wasn’t as if he were keeping her in the dark.
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