by Unger, Erin;
He began to tap his fingers against the table. “No. My aunt used to take me to church with her, but it was in a storefront. It was a church that had just started when I was a kid, and it pretty much stayed small when I went there. As a matter of fact, it was there one day at vacation Bible school that I got saved.”
I fairly danced in my seat. He was saved. I gave a huge sigh. That was one out of two, but I knew the answer to the second part. He hadn’t forgiven God for his mother leaving, and his mention of having a hard time trusting God with this case put a damper on my excitement. But God could work miracles in anyone. The unfortunate thing was it meant he might still have to hit rock bottom before he returned to God. If he did.
I studied him with the lighting from the small lamp overhead reflecting flecks in his eyes. But I had seen a couple shining moments where he seemed like he might be thinking about the things that I’d said to him regarding a relationship with Christ.
Out of the corner of my eye, something moved into my peripheral vision. I turned and squinted at the back of the restaurant. My next words froze on my lips.
He stiffened then began to glance behind him. “What is it?”
“Don’t turn around. It’s Tony and Steve Holmes.”
His eyes grew huge.
I grabbed my purse off the seat beside me and clutched it in my lap, the hard surface of the knife palpable inside of it. I’d better leave the knife there, but my badge might come in handy.
When Tony kept glancing in our direction, I’d had enough. “I’ll be right back.”
I swung out of the booth and made a beeline for Tony and Steve, my flip-flops slapping against my heels as I went.
Tony leaned over the bar and held a cup in his hand but pretended like he hadn’t been watching me. With arms crossed, I took my own feigned easy pose. “So…what exactly are you doing here tonight—the same night that I’m here? Which is weird because I don’t even live in this town, so there’d be no reason why we would be here at the same time on the same day by accident.” I stood up a little straighter and eyed the other guy. “You must be…”
“Steve.”
I pursed my lips and studied his face. He had to be a good five years older than the picture we’d found of him online. “Steve Holmes.”
His mouth tightened into a straight line before he set his cup on the bar. “I don’t recall meeting you before.”
“Oh, you haven’t. So you work for Tony, do you?”
His expression was so blank that it spoke volumes. “I work for Tony, huh?”
Did I detect a slight tremor in Tony’s hand when Steve replied to me? I looked from one to the other.
Picking up his drink again, Steve tucked the other hand in the pocket of his faded, old jeans. “I’m only an interested party, out for the night. With a colleague.”
Now I was on alert even more. His tone carried a threatening hint to it. The hard metal at my thigh wouldn’t be too hard to draw and put against his temple. But no need for violence. Yet.
Christopher cleared his throat behind me. Why couldn’t he stay at the table and let me handle this? I peeked back at him and raised my eyebrows then turned back to Steve and Tony. “Interested in what?”
Steve picked at one of his teeth with his tongue and went back to drinking his drink.
“You can tell Queenie we’re only doing our job. She doesn’t have to send you to check on me, I—I promise. No lines crossed here. I thought she understood that when we talked to her earlier.”
Now Tony was staring at me. He shook his head to get his long, black hair out of his face and over his shoulder. “Whatever.”
Christopher stepped between me and Tony. “Were you the one following me this afternoon? Stay away from me. And stay away from her.”
Tony’s smirk was getting tiresome. I tried to keep calm, but Christopher’s voice climbed in volume.
“I’m going to prove you murdered my father, and then we’ll see who’s grinning.”
I flicked my gaze to the manager behind the bar who held a cordless phone in his hand and watched us. I flashed my badge at him. Was he going to call the cops?
Neither guy seemed to notice as their gazes were trained on Christopher, who moved even closer to them. Now would be good to walk away.
I scowled at Tony before taking hold of Christopher’s arm and giving him a reassuring squeeze. “Ya’ll have a good night.”
I checked to make sure the manager put the phone down as I walked back to the booth. The last thing I needed was a bunch of police bothering me tonight.
Christopher bent low and whispered into my ear, creating waves of shivers. “I don’t think you want to ask that guy too many questions.”
I looked up at him and frowned. “I thought you said you didn’t know who Steve Holmes was.”
He escorted me to my seat. “I didn’t recognize his name but seeing his face, I realized I’ve seen him down at the police station a couple times when I was there to give a statement.” Once he sat down, he took a gulp of his soda. “Are you sure you don’t want any dessert before we go?”
“No, thank you.” After a sip from my cup, I looked back at the bar.
“You’re going to be surveilling the rest of the night that we’re here, aren’t you?” Christopher jingled the ice cubes in his glass.
I was in a glaring lock with Steve. “Maybe.”
Steve tapped Tony on the shoulder and nodded toward the front door. With a backward glance at me, he strode out of the restaurant.
The tinkle of Christopher’s glass for a second time drew my attention away from the closing glass door. “There’s something about those two I don’t like. Something doesn’t seem right.”
41
Christopher
What was it going to take to control my newfound angry streak? I rubbed my hand down my thigh and swished my glass around, making the ice shuffle more. This was becoming a bad habit, and I didn’t like it one bit. I didn’t want Shauna to think I was that kind of guy, but too many times I’d let my reactions show otherwise.
I looked across the table and wished to take Shauna’s hand once more. After three days, she’d changed everything. It almost made me quake to think that if I hadn’t called Worthington Investigations, I’d be living the same boring life, and I’d never know the difference. She brought not only hope that Dad’s murderer would be brought to justice, she also brought a new slant on life itself. She showed me that women could be different. They could be exciting and fun and woodsy without completely losing their femininity. And even though she scratched and pulled at the dress all night, she didn’t need a dress to show she was all woman.
And her faith? It reminded me that I had lost more than a mother so many years ago. I’d lost my faith. But perhaps it wasn’t gone forever.
I studied her profile as she checked every table and every person who moved about the restaurant. Even in the low light, her hair shined. She didn’t need any makeup on her delicate cheekbones or thick eyelashes. She was my kind of perfect without it. Her attention was obviously still on the case and the guys who’d just left. “They’re gone. We might as well enjoy the rest of our night.”
But the moment between us had dissipated as soon as Tony and Steve had walked up to the bar.
She tried to give me a reassuring smile, but it fell flat. “What were we saying?”
I finished my drink. “You ready to go back to the B&B? I know how uncomfortable you’ve been in that dress. Then you can change into some of your camos, and we can meet in the library if you’d like.”
Shauna scratched at her side. “I like the way you think.”
But as we began to gather our things to leave, the manager came over to our table. He scoped the restaurant then leaned in closer. “I’ve had so much trouble with those two. You investigating them?”
“I am. I work for Worthington Investigations.” She pulled a business card free from the purse and handed it to him. “I’m not surprised to hear it.” Shauna pushed a
way her glass. “What kind of trouble have you experienced?”
He rubbed his beard. “Fighting, swearing, scaring customers sometimes. You name it, they’ve done it. I’ve had the cops out here at least two or three times in the past three months over them.”
She gave a breathy laugh. “That’s a shame. I’m sure the police are tired of dealing with them too. They’ve both got records but I’m sure there’s a lot more they’ve done that hasn’t gotten them put in jail.” She turned her sharp gaze back to the manager. “You hear anything or see anything the night of Gary Newen’s murder?”
“No. Wish I could help, though.”
“If you do, please give us a call. We’ll be here a few more days.” She tilted her head. “Christopher deserves to know what happened to his dad.”
After the manager gave his condolences to me, he moved back to the bar.
Scooting out of the booth, I took the receipt and stuffed it into my pocket. “Ready?”
With the purse handle wadded in her hand, Shauna led the way out of the restaurant.
The lukewarm breeze that played with the edges of her hair was still a little welcome from the immense heat of the earlier part of the day. We headed to the parking lot, the overhead lamps flicking on as the evening turned dark. Shauna’s steps echoed down the fast-growing empty lot. In front of us, a storefront’s lights flicked off and blackened the sidewalk with shadows.
Shauna crossed her arms and shook off a little shiver that had no place in the warm summer night. “Christopher?”
I wanted to wrap my arms around her but refrained. We had a long way to go before we ventured in that direction. Time. It hadn’t been long enough to consider taking another step other than to learn about each other. “Yes?”
“You got any weapons on you?”
I chuckled. “No. That’s not at all what I expected you to say.”
The surveillance that had occupied her every thought in the restaurant took over once again, and it put me on edge all of a sudden. “Did you see something?”
“No. I guess you can say it’s just a feeling in my gut.”
Without another thought, I wrapped my arm around her shoulder and pulled her close. “I’ve heard my buddies say it, but you have it also?”
“Yeah. And it’s pretty accurate.”
We were almost to the truck. I pushed the unlock button on my key fob. Why hadn’t I parked under a lamp? Especially with all that had been happening the past few days. I moved away from her but still escorted her to the passenger side. As we rounded the front, a black form leapt up and shoved her.
Before I could react, something hit me square in the side of my jaw, pain igniting across my face and neck. I stumbled back but managed to keep my balance.
“Shauna,” I blurted. Another fist hit me in my left cheek and then my stomach. “Umph.” I doubled over and almost vomited.
I tried to straighten and see where she’d gone. “Run, Shauna.”
I fell back a step. Squatting, I rebalanced my body. Arms tight in a fighter’s stance, I swung as the black figure came close again. The form moved away a couple steps, and I hurried to block them from reaching her again. As my eyes adjusted, I saw Tony and the man named Steve.
“Move out of the way, Christopher.”
I blanched. Why would I let them get her? “What?”
She was at my side so fast, I didn’t know how she got there, her gun aimed at the two men by the truck. “Don’t even think of moving.”
Where’d she get the weapon? I pulled my phone out and turned its flashlight on then trained it on the two men.
They froze.
“Call the police. I’ve got a knife if you want to use it—I don’t actually mean on them—never mind.”
A knife too? She was an arsenal. I dialed 911, stated my emergency, then waited while the dispatcher kept telling me to stay on the phone.
Waving in the direction of the truck, I touched my throbbing jaw. “Go stand over there and do as she said. Don’t move.” I wanted to take the gun out of her hand and to force her behind me, but once again, she proved she didn’t need it.
Sirens carried up the hill.
Her arms taut, Shauna didn’t waiver. “You have to press charges.”
“Which one of you hit me?” Their faces were stone-like, but I made out the reddening knuckles on Steve Holmes. To Shauna I whispered, “It was Steve. Look at his hand.”
Shauna cocked her head to the side. “Well, Steve, looks like you’re going to jail for assault.”
A night behind bars might keep these two out of the way. But what about the next day when they were released? Was I in more danger than before?
42
Shauna
I should’ve kept the ice pack I handed Christopher to cool the heat dancing between us as we sat at the kitchen table of Home Suite B&B. But I planted it on his jaw with tender care, our fingers touching in the exchange. “Your eye is puffing up too.”
I took a quick peek around the large kitchen with its dated cabinets and countertops of faux butcher-block Formica. I’d bet even the flooring still had the original linoleum from around the time the cabinets and countertops were installed.
Christopher sat at the kitchen table in the center of the room and rested his elbow on the retro plastic table as he held the ice against his face.
“That guy can hit.”
I squeezed his arm. “I’m sorry I let him get close enough to hurt you. But I didn’t even see him there until you made a sound.”
He readjusted the ice pack. “I should’ve parked where there was better lighting.”
“Can I get you anything else before we head upstairs? It’s time to sit down to reevaluate this case with Ava and Jillian. We’ve missed something, but I think we’re finally getting somewhere now. Don’t you agree? And it’s obvious that Steve is one of Tony’s henchmen.” Except, what about that brief look that passed between them? “He’s tied into this thing somehow.”
With her hair in a bunch of curlers, Aunt Eena hurried from the laundry room to where we sat. “I have never seen the likes of all this bad stuff happening to you lately, Christopher.” She adjusted the cow salt and pepper shakers in the napkin holder as she spoke. “What next? And I bet you haven’t told me everything. I know you.”
If I had to guess, Christopher probably hadn’t told her about the fire being intentionally set or about someone following him, either.
Should I get him another bag of ice for his eye? It wasn’t as red as his jaw or bruising as fast.
Aunt Eena scurried around the kitchen and washed the counter that appeared to already be clean. It would be best to keep quiet and let Christopher decide what the aunt should and shouldn’t know.
Rinsing out the washcloth Aunt Eena spoke over her shoulder, “You’d tell me if it was getting really bad, wouldn’t you?”
Christopher’s eyes bore holes into the table. “Aunt Eena, don’t worry about me. I’ve got the police looking into everything, and some of my buddies are getting involved. It’s going to be OK.”
Was it? I eyed Christopher then stood. “Let’s get upstairs.”
In Jillian’s room, Christopher and I found a place at the table and sat. He held the ice for a couple more minutes then set it on the table. Should I insist he keep it on his face? But there was no point in playing mother hen. It wasn’t my forte anyway.
Ava turned, cell phone in hand, and her eyes grew large. “Cory, hold on a minute please.” She strode over to my side. “What happened?”
“It would be best if we tell you when you finish with your conversation.”
Jillian came out of the bathroom, closed the door, then scurried to the table. “Please tell me he accidentally slipped on the sidewalk and that he didn’t get attacked.”
I raised both hands. “Well, I could, but it wouldn’t be true.”
Jillian took a closer look. “That must hurt bad.”
Christopher picked up the icepack and replaced it on his jaw. “Oh,
it does.”
Ava hung up the phone and plunked into the seat beside Jillian. “Start talking.”
We exchanged a look, and Christopher nodded.
“After dinner, we were jumped by Tony Slaiger and Steve Holmes. Looks like Steve’s definitely working with Tony as we suspected. While we were in the restaurant eating, they came in and were watching us. That’s what started the whole thing.”
Ava’s gaze bounced between me and Christopher. “I’m really sorry you got attacked. Maybe Jillian and I should have been out there shadowing you guys.”
For the hundredth time that night, I tried not to scratch at my side, but the itch was so bad I couldn’t take anymore. “That’s it. I have to change out of this dress. I’ll be right back.” I pointed at Ava. “Don’t say anything interesting while I’m gone.”
I grabbed the clothes I’d been wearing earlier and carried them to the bathroom. As I changed, I mulled over the fight. Christopher had jumped to action like a good combat soldier. He could hold his own when he needed to. Too bad I didn’t get a few punches in myself. It rankled to play it safe and use my gun to stop them, but I didn’t want them to run off and disappear in the mountains until my team had left town. But once they got out of jail, I might have a chance to take them down with just a few special combat moves if they tangled with us again.
Back in my comfy camos, I slumped against the counter. Much better.
In the room, I pulled my chair closer to Christopher to watch the swelling start to turn colors and put the ice pack back on his eye. “Hey, tomorrow we need to interview all the people again, but this time, ask them about Steve. We don’t know much about him as far as the case is concerned. We need to at least alibi him out.”
Ava began to scribble notes in her folder. “I agree. We need to look at this case from a whole new angle. But if not him, who do we suspect now?”
Back at her computer, Jillian moved her mouse back and forth. “Remind me what Tony’s alibi was.”
Christopher dropped the icepack again and pushed it away from him. “He was with Queenie Johns at a meeting.”