Deadly Dose

by Margaret Daley

  “The attorney general is an old family friend.” Josh’s comment broke into Jessie’s thoughts.

  She needed to listen to what Kira and he were deciding.

  “Colbert can assign Scott to this case and keep it under the radar,” Josh continued. “That way he can be here longer if necessary.”

  “I’ve met the attorney general, but your personal connection will make it a lot easier.” Kira folded the letter and slipped it into her pocket. “I’ll show this to Scott when he comes to town. I think it’s better if your friend stays in a motel and keeps contact with you to a minimum. You and Jessie have been involved with what happened to Mrs. Williams and Heather. We don’t want anyone to start becoming suspicious of Scott’s sudden appearance in Pinecrest. If he stayed with you, they might.”

  Josh fixed his gaze on Jessie. “Promise me you won’t try to get a job at the grocery store. Stay away from there.”

  “I agree with you and Kira. I’ll even shop at a different grocery.” Scott would be better equipped to deal with the situation there. She was going to focus on finding Heather. Who was the friend that Mrs. Williams thought her niece had been with last night? Since the teen Jessie had worked with in the library said Heather didn’t have many friends with the exception of someone named Kendra, finding the ones she hung out with might help. She’d start at the community center, and she’d continue to volunteer at the high school.

  Josh stood. “I’m going to see Aaron. I got a text he was released from the hospital an hour ago. After that, I’ll call Colbert and then Scott to fill them in.”

  Kira rose, too. “Give your friend my cell number. I don’t want him calling my office. And if we meet in person with Scott, it shouldn’t be here.”

  “How about the old barn on Flying Eagle Ranch? It’s only used for storage now. Both Kira and I are often at the ranch, so it wouldn’t be obvious. There’s a gate off the highway with a dirt road to it.” Jessie pushed to her feet, her sleepless night catching up with her. “I’m heading home.”

  Josh waited by the front door for her. “I’ll walk out with you.”

  When they emerged from Kira’s grandmother’s house, darkness had settled over the landscape, nestling into the crevices.

  Josh paused on the street between his car and her truck. “What did you decide while Kira and I were talking? What are you planning?”

  She purposefully widened her eyes as though that thought had never entered her mind. “Who me?”

  “Yes, you. Now I know you’re up to something.”

  “I’m not going to do anything stupid. But if Heather has disappeared, I’ll need to get another girl to mentor. I thought I would talk with Quinn about that tomorrow. I’m sure he’s well aware she’s vanished and her aunt has been murdered, so it won’t seem unusual when I request another person to help. That’s all. I don’t want anyone to think my only concern was talking to Heather.”

  “Actually that’s not a bad idea. I’ll be starting my weight training classes soon, when Quinn decides what time best fits with my schedule.”

  “Then I’ll see you around.” She started to turn away.

  But Josh caught her arm and stopped her escape. He moved closer until her back pressed against the front of her truck. “Please leave the investigating to Scott. People mixed up in drugs are dangerous. Look at what happened to Mrs. Williams.”

  “Wouldn’t it seem odd if all of a sudden I changed my mind about what I told Quinn and others that I wanted to do in Mary Lou’s memory? I wanted to take her place at the community center. She was involved for a year. We need to continue as if nothing is wrong.”

  “Just remember Abbey lost a mother last year. How do you think she would take it if she lost you, too?”

  He was right. “Although no one can predict their future, I don’t intend to put myself in harm’s way. Honestly, I don’t understand why you’re so worried.”

  “Because I lost a sister last year, and this town has had more than its share of deaths.”

  “Well, don’t tell your mother about your concern for me. That might send her over the edge.”

  “Nothing will do that. She’s the toughest lady I’ve known, although I’m beginning to think you could give her a run for her money. Gabriel was right to insist you go with Abbey to Florida. You hardly let Mother be alone with her granddaughter. I was intrigued by that little battle. No one stands up to Mother for long. So be warned, she’s likely to do something when you least expect it.”

  Jessie lifted her chin in order to look into Josh’s eyes, shimmering in the light from the streetlamp. “Let her.” She could visualize Gabriel’s face when he turned Abbey over to Ruth Morgan to take to Florida so his daughter would be safe. The pain and hurt in his expression had broken Jessie’s heart.

  “That defiance is what appeals to me.” Josh grazed his forefinger along her jawline, sending tingles down her body.

  “I had to toughen up when my mother became so sick last summer and died.”

  “And my mother swooped in and took custody of Abbey away from you. Will you ever forgive the Morgan family for what happened?”

  She began to say no, but then she remembered what her mother had told her that last day she was alive. To let go of her anger and forgive. Her mom had known how much she’d hated Mrs. Morgan and anyone associated with her. Reminding Jessie of Jesus’s words on the cross were the last ones her mother had murmured.

  Staring at Josh, Jessie realized she’d already let go of so much of her anger toward him. He wasn’t his mom. But then the Lord required forgiveness of all people, even the really hard ones. “There’s always hope.” She grinned and quickly stepped away from Josh before she kissed that adorable dimple in his cheek.

  That thought sent panic through Jessie. Pinecrest was changing, but so was she.

  Chapter Seven

  Jessie completed her morning chores then headed to the Pinecrest Community Center to meet with Quinn Parker. The part-time job hadn’t been filled because of the holidays. Quinn had put it on hold after Mary Lou’s murder until things settled down. Left unsaid was how much the serial killer had affected the town. Pinecrest was still reeling from the murders last year, and now there had been another.

  Dressed in what she wore to church on Sunday, Jessie entered the center, which was quiet at the moment. Later, when the teenagers were out of school, it would be noisy and filled with kids. But right now, it was deserted. The sound of her low heels as she made her way down the corridor to Quinn’s office echoed through the building, alerting anyone to her arrival. A shiver snaked along her body.

  She paused a few feet from Quinn’s open office door, drew in a composing breath, then stepped into the entrance. He lifted his head and snagged her with his dark gaze. A slow smile crossed his mouth as he rose from behind his desk. She hadn’t realized until that moment how nice looking Quinn was with curly blond hair, strong features, and a muscular body.

  She returned his grin. “I appreciate you seeing me about the part-time job.”

  He waved his hand at a chair. “I didn’t realize you were searching for one.”

  After she sat, he did, too. Nervous flutters attacked her stomach. She’d never applied for a job since she’d always been at the Flying Eagle. “Gabriel is getting married in a few weeks, and it’s time I move out of his house and find a place in Pinecrest.”

  “You won’t be working at the ranch?”

  “Yes. I will in the mornings. It’ll allow me to have a part-time job later in the day. Mary Lou had been excited about the possibility of helping at the community center. She’d loved working as a mentor to Heather and had wanted to do more.”

  “I heard what happened with Heather’s aunt yesterday. Such a tragedy and still no sign of Heather. I’m worried that…” His words faded into the silence. He swallowed several times and closed his eyes for a few seconds. “Sorry. This has been hard on me. I thought I was reaching Heather, but she’s changed in the past months.”

  “Becaus
e of Mary Lou’s murder?”

  “Maybe. It hit her hard. All of us actually.”

  “But you think Heather was changing before Mary Lou was killed?”

  “I’m not around her that much, but Mary Lou was concerned.”

  Jessie sat forward. “What did she say to you?”

  “Nothing really. Just a gut feeling.” He picked up a sheet of paper and handed it to Jessie. “This is just a formality, but I need you to fill out an application. I have to do a background check on you.”

  “Does that mean I get the job?”

  “It’s only twenty-five hours a week. We’ve grown so rapidly I can’t keep up with everything. You’ll be doing mostly paperwork, but as you said over the phone, you’re used to that with running the ranch last year.”

  “I’ll still be doing Gabriel’s books and orders. He hates doing them. Even in the cold weather, he’d rather be outside.” More so since he went to prison—one of the subtle changes she’d noticed about her brother.

  “As I’m sure you know, most of the people who work here are volunteers, but I do have a cleaning staff that comes in every morning. Kids can be messy.”

  She laughed. “Tell me about it. Abbey’s been getting better, but her bedroom definitely looks lived in.”

  “I have a little brother who’s finishing up his last year in college. You can’t even get into his room for all the clothes on the floor. I seriously think he doesn’t understand what a closet is for.”

  A vision of Mary Lou’s closet flashed into Jessie’s mind, of putting all her friend’s belongings into boxes. Life over.

  “Jessie? Are you all right?”

  She blinked and focused on Quinn. “Sorry. When you said closet, I remembered helping Mary Lou’s mother with cleaning hers out.” As soon as she said that, she wanted to take it back. The discovery of her best friend’s letter was what had led her to apply for a job at the community center. “Will I still be able to mentor a teenager? If not Heather, then someone else who might need one.”

  “I’ll keep that in mind. We have a couple of new girls who don’t have a mentor.”

  “I can fill this application out today. When will I be able to start?”

  “Monday. That’ll give me time to run the background check. Your hours will be from three-thirty to eight with half an hour off for dinner sometime in there. Of course, I’m somewhat flexible about the time.”

  “Monday through Friday?”

  “Yes, and five hours on Saturday, preferably in the afternoon. If there’s a tournament or special event, I’ll adjust your hours to help with those.” He stood. “I’m meeting with the mayor in half an hour. If you want to fill out your application now, you can use my office then shut the door when you leave.” He moved to the exit and pushed a button on the handle. “It’ll lock.”

  When Quinn left, Jessie scooted her chair closer to his desk and picked up a pen he’d been using. As she wrote in her information, she paused occasionally and assessed the layout of the room. She noticed the lock on the filing cabinet was pushed in and that there was one on the set of cabinets along the wall. Not that she was going to snoop through his office. She was more interested in the teenagers who attended the community center.

  That will be where I start.

  * * *

  Surprised that Aaron’s mother called Josh, he strolled toward the teen’s home, a white-clapboard one-story house. A few shingles on the roof needed replacing. As their landlord, he would arrange that to be done soon. Mrs. Coleman was worried about her son. The incident in the locker room happened five days before, and he still hadn’t gone back to school.

  Aaron’s mom opened her front door before Josh had a chance to knock. When she stepped outside on the small porch, he moved to the side. The worry on the woman’s face aged her by ten years. She brushed stray strands of mousy brown hair away from her face, her hand red with dry cracks crisscrossing the skin on the back.

  “Thank you for coming. I don’t know what to do. The doctor said he was okay to go to school, but he refused this morning, complaining he was still in a lot of pain.”

  “Did you call the doctor?”

  “I took him to the clinic. The doc wrote a prescription for a heavy-duty pain med to help Aaron. When we were in the car leaving, he grabbed the prescription and tore it into little pieces of paper. I asked him why, and he refused to say anything. Just stared out the window. Since he came home, he’s been in his bedroom.”

  “Is it locked?”

  “No, but it might as well be. He sits in his chair in the dark and won’t say a word.” Mrs. Coleman’s voice cracked on the last word. Tears flooded her eyes. “You and Coach Mathis are the only two he talks about. Maybe you can reach him.”

  “I’ll try,” he murmured, aware he was out of his depth. Surely the football coach would be better, but he had to attempt to reach Aaron. He owed the kid that much.

  “Thank you. That’s all I can ask. I was so worried about him today that I called in sick. I can’t miss any more work.”

  “Where do you work?”

  “I’m the receptionist/cashier at Davidson Motors. My boss wasn’t too happy that I’ve missed three days now.”

  “I know Ken Davidson who owns the dealership. We use them for our fleet cars. I can let him know how serious Aaron’s injuries were.”

  As she entered her house, she halted in mid-stride. The color leaked from her face. “No, I don’t want to bother Mr. Davidson. Please don’t say anything.”

  “If you don’t want me to, I won’t, but my offer still stands if you need me to talk with Ken.”

  “I know you’re a busy man, so let me show you to Aaron’s room.” She shuffled toward the short hallway as though she had no energy left. “I’ll be in the kitchen if you need me.” She gestured toward the only closed door.

  After she left, he knocked. He knew how to run a large corporation, but how was he going to help Aaron overcome a trauma?

  “Mom, go away. I’ll be fine.” The whispered roughness in the teen’s voice mocked his declaration.

  “Aaron, it’s Josh. I’d like to come in.”

  A long silence greeted those words.

  How could he make Aaron listen to him if he didn’t want to? Josh turned away.

  The door creaked open a crack. Josh glanced over his shoulder. He waited, thinking Aaron would say something. But when he didn’t, Josh decided to take the ajar door as an invitation to go inside.

  When he stepped into the dark bedroom, it took a moment for his eyes to adjust. Searching the gloom, he spied the teenager, sitting in a stuffed chair with his legs pulled up to his chest and his arms clasping them.

  “Shut the door.”

  Josh did then felt his way across the room to the rumpled twin bed near Aaron. After moving the wad of sheets away, Josh eased down and faced the teen who sat several feet away, his face hidden in the shadows.

  After a moment of silence, Josh said, “Your mom is worried about you.” He let several heartbeats pass then added, “So am I. The doctor said you could go back to school today. Why didn’t you?”

  Aaron leaned to the side and reached toward the bedside table. Bright light flooded the room. The teenager squinted his eyes.

  When Josh had seen Aaron in the hospital, part of his head had been bandaged. But now Josh saw all the cuts and bruises on Aaron’s swollen face, still red, some of the wounds deep and long enough for stitches.

  “Now you see why.” Aaron switched off the lamp. “I look worse than I feel.”

  “But you told your mom you were in pain this morning.”

  “The kind I have can’t be cured with the pain meds the doctor prescribed.”

  Rage simmered in the pit of Josh’s gut. Aaron’s wounds went much deeper than the ones that were visible. “Do you know who did this to you?”

  Several minutes ticked past. Josh knew from the police chief that Aaron said he didn’t know who attacked him or why. But Josh hoped that the teen did and would tell him.
He was a good kid. At the center, Aaron always helped the younger boys. Who was going to help Aaron?

  “Do you know why someone came after you?”

  “They didn’t like me?”

  Josh’s anger began to boil. “Or they wanted to make a statement? Aaron, all I want to do is help. Whoever hurt you needs to be held accountable. They’ll do it to someone else.”

  “They came up behind me and put a pillowcase over my head then used me for a punching bag.”

  “If you didn’t see their faces, you might know other things that will help find your assailants. How many were there? Did they say anything?”

  “I don’t know how many, and I don’t remember anyone talking. I can’t help you or the police. Thanks for coming. I’ll be okay.”

  Although he couldn’t see Aaron’s expression, his tone of voice signaled the end of the conversation. “I’ll stop by tomorrow. Coach Mathis and the rest of the football team are—”

  “I’m quitting football. I’m not going to the community center either. Thanks for being my mentor, but I don’t need one anymore.” Aaron struggled to stand then walked toward the bedroom door.

  Josh didn’t know what else to say. He rose and crossed to Aaron. “I’m not giving up on you. Remember, you can call me anytime you need me.” He withdrew a card with his personal cell phone number on it. “Even at night. I won’t quit being your mentor.” He slipped the card into the teenage boy’s hand then left.

  Josh made his way to the kitchen and found Mrs. Coleman at the table with a cup of coffee before her.

  Tears ran in rivulets down her cheeks. She saw him and quickly scrubbed the evidence of her concern away. “How did it go? Will my son go to school tomorrow?”