by B L Crumley
“Oh no,” I shook my finger at him. “I was never part of your—”
“You were warned,” Sting Ray seethed.
Okay, he had me there. Why hadn’t I listened to Cole? I should have trusted him to do his job. He knew Anton Parks, aka Sting Ray, was trouble; surely, he would have figured out that Russell was their guy.
“Are you selling drugs, too?” I asked Russell.
“Would you shut her up?” he ordered Sting Ray.
“You are.” I was a little surprised by this. I shouldn’t have been. Earl and Russell were two peas in a pod, making an easy buck wherever they could. Why hadn’t I seen this sooner? “What, did you take over Earl’s job?”
Russell continued to fume, which I took as a yes, and Sting Ray approached me.
“Hold out your hands,” the smuggler commanded. I did as he asked, only because I didn’t see a better option.
Russell still had his gun on me, and while I doubted he would shoot me here, since he admitted his aversion to the sight of blood, it would also be impossible to cover up my murder. However, I wasn’t willing to take that chance by fighting back. Sting Ray might be skinny (I suspected he was using his product), but he was wiry and undoubtedly stronger than me.
I winced as zip ties were cinched tightly around my wrists. “Take her purse,” barked Russell, “and make sure you find her phone.”
The drug dealer picked up my purse off the floor and searched for my phone. Unsuccessful in that attempt, he raked a slithering eye over me, and reached into the pocket of my wool pea coat. As he pulled it out, I kept my face as neutral as possible, anticipating their anger when they realized they’d been caught.
Sting Ray let out a string of curses, some of which even I hadn’t heard before. He dropped the phone on the floor and stomped it with the heel of his boot. Then he backhanded me across my cheek. Stumbling from the impact of his blow, I blinked several times, trying to clear the spots dancing in my eyes.
If I thought Russell was angry before, he was absolutely livid now. Frantically rummaging through drawers, he started throwing items into a duffel bag he’d procured from underneath his desk. “Go; hurry up!” he shouted. “The cops could be here any minute!”
“Yes, I’m sure they will be,” I said as confidently as I could. “Russell, you might as well give it up. It’s over. My Aunt Fern heard every word.” At least I hoped she had. The phone was in my pocket, and not on speaker, I now stupidly realized.
But she should have been able to glean enough. “If you let me go—” Sting Ray gagged me with a smelly handkerchief. I didn’t even want to consider where this thing had been.
Yanking on my bound hands, he dragged me out the back door to a dark blue sedan. With a click of a button, he popped the trunk and shoved me forcefully inside. My shoulder slammed into the bottom, sending a sharp pain down my back, followed by a loud bang.
Darkness enveloped me, and it took me a second to realize it was only the trunk lid that had been closed. Unaccustomed to this type of physical pain, it was messing with my senses.
The engine roared to life, tires burning as the car screeched out of the parking lot. With my hands bound, I couldn’t brace for the sudden takeoff, sending me crashing into the side of the trunk. I was going to have some serious bruising from this, that is, if I survived.
Be positive. I had no doubt that Russell and Sting Ray would be caught. It was more a matter of when. And would I still be alive then?
I would be, I resolved. And then I started to pray desperately. Because really, that was my best chance at this point.
A hundred bumps and potholes later, the car finally skidded to a stop. A door slammed, and then I was blinded by light. I squeezed my eyes shut, as the brightness made my head pound. Well, worse than it was from the headache I’d developed after being slapped in the face and thrown into a trunk before a bumpy ride down to…
Sting Ray grabbed my shoulders and pulled me roughly from the trunk. He’d taken me to the harbor. This couldn’t be good.
It was early afternoon, but it was a misty day in November, which meant the harbor was basically deserted. Currently, there wasn’t any fishing going on in the bay, so besides a few commercial fishing operations there wasn’t a reason for anyone to be here. And unfortunately, it was too early for Kenny to have returned from fishing, or probably anyone else.
Sting Ray pushed me in front of him. “Go.” He gave me a shove, propelling me down the metal gangplank toward the dock. With my mouth gagged, I couldn’t ask where he was taking me, but I had a strong premonition it involved water.
Tears welled up as I thought about all the people I was going to miss: my parents, brothers, nieces, and nephews. I’d never see them grow up. And Fern. She would be devastated, probably more than anyone. And she’d blame herself, even though it wasn’t her fault.
I’d never have the chance to fulfill my dream of having my own business. A few blocks from here was that vacant storefront Fern had showed me less than a week ago. It could have been mine. But now I’d never have the chance to…
“Charlee!” a man yelled, breaking through my dire musings. Cole?
Hope flickered briefly, just as we made the ninety-degree turn at the end of the dock. Behind me, Sting Ray swore and gave me a hard shove, pushing me headfirst into the bay.
Chapter Twenty-two
I hit the frigid murky water at an odd angle, which felt more like a belly flop than a dive. Having my hands bound really made everything much more difficult. Weighed down by my leather boots, jeans, and wool coat, I sunk like a rock. I began to flail wildly.
Kicking my feet helped a little, but trying to use my arms was a wasted effort. I felt myself sinking further. This part of the harbor couldn’t be more than ten to fifteen feet deep, but that was plenty deep enough to drown in.
When I’d returned to Rockfish Bay just over a week ago, I never would have imagined I would actually succumb to my death in its namesake. Water seeped through the handkerchief gag, filling my mouth. I coughed, which only seemed to make it worse.
But I wasn’t going to give up. I continued to thrash about, then I felt an arm wrap around my rib cage, pulling me against someone. Instinctively, I wanted to keep fighting, but forced my body to relax.
If someone was going to jump in this icy water, they must be trying to help, and without them I was as good as dead. Soon after, my head broke through the water to the surface.
“Charlee,” Cole gasped by my ear. “I’ve got you; it’s okay.”
I sagged against him, completely spent, still trying to catch a breath. He tugged the fabric from my mouth, allowing me to inhale, then I began coughing violently.
“Hold on. We’re almost there.” His grip around me tightened, and I sensed he was trying to hurry.
“Here, Sheriff. I’ve got her,” another man said nearby. Then I felt another pair of hands grab underneath my arms and pulled me from the water. Unable to stabilize myself with my hands, I rolled onto my side and continued coughing, until the water I swallowed was dislodged and I could halfway breathe again.
“Charlee, I’m going to cut off those ties, so please try and hold still for a second,” said the deputy who’d pulled me from the water.
“Russell,” I rasped, my voice hoarse. “It’s Russell Jenkins.” The deputy sliced through the zip ties with a knife, allowing me to push myself up on my hands.
Cole appeared beside me, sitting awkwardly in his drenched uniform, breathing heavily. “I know. We got him. And Anton Parks too.”
I took several deep breaths, the reality of the situation sinking in. It was over. And I was safe. As the shock began to wear off my teeth started to chatter. “How d-d-did you know?” I asked, shaking.
Cole edged beside me and pulled me close to his side. He was just as wet as I was, but for the moment it felt nice just to be held.
“Fe
rn called me. We got to Russell’s just after Sting Ray had left. Russell gave up your destination.”
“I’m s-s-sorry,” I managed to get out through emerging tears.
“Hey, it’s okay.” He squeezed me tighter. “I’m just relieved you’re all right. We should get you out of here. Are you okay to walk?”
“Yeah,” I nodded shakily.
“Charlee! Charlee!” My aunt raced down the dock toward us, nearly shoving a deputy out of the way. She kneeled before me, taking in Cole and my soaking wet state, then pulled me into a tight hug. “I was so worried. Are you all right?” She pulled back slightly, searching me for injuries.
“I’m okay.”
She frowned. “You’re going to catch your death! We need to get you home.”
Just then more commotion ensued as I spotted my parents charging down the dock, my dad barking orders. “Where is she?” he hollered.
“Charlotte!” my mother called from about twenty feet away, then immediately burst into tears.
“Sorry, I called them,” Fern said guiltily. “Hey, I figured they should know.”
“It’s all right.” I wiped at my eyes, still leaking a few tears.
My mom stopped just short of giving me one of her delicate hugs when she realized I was completed soaked. “Oh, Charlotte.” She pulled out a tissue and dabbed her eyes. “What happened? Oh,” she wailed, “you could have been killed.”
“Now, now, Maggie.” My dad put an arm around my mom’s shoulder. “She’s going to be just fine.” He cast a stern glance at Cole, almost as if he blamed him, or would have if I’d been harmed.
“What happened to your face?” Fern leaned closer.
I carefully raised a hand to my cheek and winced. “I, uh, it’s nothing.” I turned slightly to look at Cole, noting his mouth set in a worried line.
“Well, it doesn’t look like nothing.” My dad lightly touched my chin, turning my face so he and my mom could examine it.
“Charlotte!” My mom gasped again. “You’re getting a black eye. We should take you to the hospital.”
I grimaced. “I’m fine.”
Fern draped an arm over my shoulder. “I’m going to get this girl home. What she needs is a hot bath and some tea.” Cole raised his eyebrows and smirked. I smiled back. After today, I think everyone could use a cup of Fern’s spiked tea.
Deputy Roberts approached our group and motioned for Cole. He gave me a reassuring pat on my shoulder before leaving with the deputy. My family and I made our way back up the dock. As I walked past Cole who was now talking on his phone, he took a step toward me. “I’ll come see you later,” he whispered, before returning the phone to his ear.
I managed a shaky nod. From his serious expression, I wasn’t sure if his intent was business or personal. I hoped it was the latter.
The first thing I did when I arrived back at Fern’s was to strip out of my waterlogged clothes in the laundry room. My boots and coat were probably ruined, and having lived in the same outfit for almost the entirety of my visit, I’d say they’d served their purpose.
Then I took a long, scalding bath, since I’d literally been chilled to the bone, and combined with all the gunk in the harbor, I needed boiling water to kill whatever parasites and bacteria were lurking on my skin.
Fern made me a cup of hot tea and a sandwich, since I’d skipped lunch. It wasn’t special tea, though. After what happened with my breakup with Kenny way back when, I’d been firm in my resolve to avoid the stuff.
I’d settled into the overstuffed chair with a giant fudgy brownie Fern had whipped up while I was taking a bath. Moose jumped onto my lap, purring as loud as a trolling boat motor.
“Charlee, would you like some hot chocolate?” Fern asked from the kitchen.
“No, thanks, I’m good with tea.” I petted the giant Maine Coon as he settled in for a nap. If I consumed any more sugar, I’d be headed for a coma.
Fern joined me a minute later, kicking out the footrest on her recliner.
“Kenny stopped by earlier,” she disclosed, seeming none too pleased about it.
“Really?” I reached for my tea on the end table and took a drink.
“Yeah, I told him you were taking a nap.” She picked up her knitting needles.
“But I—”
“You were upstairs looking for warmer socks. If I told him that, he would have asked to wait,” she admitted.
Fern didn’t sugarcoat how she felt about the situation.
“Did he say anything else?”
“He wanted to make sure you were okay. He might come back later.” She sounded annoyed by this.
“Ah, I see. I take it the whole town knows what happened by now,” I speculated.
Fern chuckled. “Are you kidding me? This was bigger news than Earl’s murder. You caught the killer, and figured it out before the police, I might add,” she beamed with pride.
“Caught is a subjective term. More like Russell caught me.”
“He gave you that black eye, didn’t he?” Fern’s anger rose.
“No, Sting Ray hit me when he realized I was on the phone with you,” I explained. My aunt’s nostrils flared, looking like she was ready to hurt someone. “It’s okay. I’d gladly take a black eye over being dead.”
“Which you still could have been. I shouldn’t have let you go there by yourself. If Cole had been another minute late you would have been dead,” my aunt shuddered.
“Not necessarily. I think Sting Ray planned to take me on his boat and into the ocean to drown me, so that should have given the cops at least a few more minutes.”
“Is that supposed to reassure me?” Fern wasn’t amused.
It was actually, but I saw her point. “Well, it doesn’t matter now. It’s over, and I’m okay. You’ve been cleared and so has Patty. I’m just glad things can go back to normal.” I realized as soon as I said it that I wasn’t sure what that meant anymore.
My aunt gave me a questioning look. “That’s right. Does this mean you plan to go back to Portland soon?” Her use of Portland was purposeful, instead of saying “home.” It was clear she didn’t feel that was where I belonged.
“Actually…”
A tentative grin began to stretch across her mouth.
“When I thought I was going to die…”
Her smile vanished.
“I thought about my life — all that had happened with Kenny, and me leaving here.. But I also thought about what would never happen: my dream of having my own business. I’ve been doing what I love for years now, but I don’t love Portland, and I work just as much as I would if I had my own business. I think I’m ready to take a risk.”
Fern’s hands clapped noisily, startling Moose, who lifted his head to give her a sleepy glare. “Yippee! I’m so excited. First thing tomorrow, I’ll go talk with the leasing agent about the shop, and then…”
The implication of my decision drowned out my aunt’s rapid planning. After ten years, I was moving back home. To a place I thought I’d never return to. I waited for a wave of uneasiness to wash over me, or nausea even, as all the memories here usually had that effect on me.
But they didn’t come. Sure, there was some apprehension about starting my own business, and all the work that would involve, but I was more excited than anything. With Fern’s help, I was going to realize my lifelong dream.
When I was younger, I never would have considered embarking on something like this alone. It had always been my plan to do it with Kenny. Now I could see I how allowed him to steal that from me. When there’d been a hiccup in my dream, I’d permitted it to completely derail my life. For ten long years. Thankfully, I’d come to my senses and would not waste any more time.
It was unfortunate that it took someone getting murdered in Fern’s barn to get me to stay in town long enough to face the past I’d been avoiding for s
o long. And I’d have to continue to face it and work through it every day I was here.
My history with Kenny wasn’t going to magically disappear or fix itself overnight. My feelings for him still confused me. For some people love might be a choice, something they could put on or take off like a sweater. But for me it wasn’t. I’d been in love with him for over half my life. And even during our time apart, I had loved him. I still did.
Except now I felt that I didn’t want to. Before, all I’d wanted was to rewind back to the time right after high school. I’d vowed that had I been given another chance I would make different choices. That I wouldn’t have gone to college or culinary school. I would have stayed home and married Kenny that summer. I would have worked at the cannery until we had saved enough money for me to start my business.
In the aftermath of Kenny’s betrayal, I’d mentally kicked myself so many times for making the selfish decision to go to college, essentially throwing away the life I’d always envisioned. Now I could see how ridiculous that was.
Fern was right. It was time to let go and move on. It was time to live my life, and not be controlled by the actions of others.
“Charlee.” Fern poked her head into the living room. I shook my head, bringing myself back to the present. I hadn’t even realized Fern had left.
“Cole’s here,” she whispered. “Do you want to see him? I told him you might be taking a nap, so I had to check.”
For all of Fern’s matchmaking desires, she’d put that aside, to make sure that I was okay. It made me realize how much my aunt cared about me, solidifying the choice I made to move back. There wasn’t another person more supportive than Fern. And I loved her for that.
“Yeah, I’ll see him.”
Chapter Twenty-three
I dumped Moose from my lap, scooting out of my chair. Butterflies swirled in my belly. Where had that come from? I’d seen Cole many times over the past week.
Granted, he was usually upset with me. But now I was staying. Which meant I might be seeing him more. Who was I kidding? I would definitely be seeing him more. It was a small town, and my parents and Fern adored him.