by Hiker, Mary
I was somewhat relieved that Jimmy wasn’t a kidnapper, but still wasn’t entirely convinced of his innocence in the recent murder. Everything about this wedding was moving too fast.
Shiner was beside himself and ran in tight circles, pleading for Fortune to throw the duct tape toy for another round of fetch. It took me a full minute to calm the dog down and get him ushered out of the room. The rest of the ladies followed behind and locked the secret door behind us.
“Annie Lou must be more upset about this wedding then I imagined,” I said, taking one last look around the vandalized living room and shaking my head. “She sure is a master of destruction.”
Gertie and Ida Belle gave each other a slight nod and glanced at Fortune.
“I don’t think it was just vandalism,” Fortune said as she stepped over a broken table and examined the sliced-up couch cushions. “Annie Lou was looking for something.”
“We must’ve interrupted her before she found it.” Gertie tossed the used ball of duct tape into her over-sized purse. “At least I hope we did.”
“What could she be looking for?” I frowned, looking around the terrible mess.
A stuffed alligator hung from Shiner’s mouth as he paraded across the room, dragging it along the floor.
“And why would she dump out her own purse?” Fortune wondered.
“That’s what we’re about to find out,” Ida Belle said and marched out the front door.
My dog trotted out behind Ida Belle, proudly carrying his new stuffed toy, the snout already ripped halfway apart, its stuffing peeking out.
“Jimmy’s never going to be able to sell that one at full price,” Gertie chuckled as we filed out the door.
I blew out a breath, pulled some money out of my pocket and motioned to the others to go ahead. “I’ll be right there.”
The air-boat’s engine fired up in the distance, and Shiner’s excited bark let me know he’d already boarded the boat. Gertie and Fortune rounded the corner of the building, heading back toward the water and disappeared into the darkness.
I hurried back into the house and left a twenty-dollar bill on the kitchen table for Jimmy as payment for the stuffed toy gator, making a mental note to one day ask him for forgiveness.
On the way out, I stopped beneath the old porch light and wiggled the doorknob, making sure to lock the front door. As I turned to make my way down the steps, the bright beam from an oversized flashlight appeared right in front of my face, practically blinding me.
“Hand it over.” A deep gravelly voice demanded from behind the spot light.
There was booze on his breath, and it smelled like a day’s worth of sweat on his body. The only thing I could make out through the light’s glare was stringy dark hair hanging over the shoulder of his white t-shirt.
His body was way too close to mine, and I found myself trapped between his frame and the building. My heart raced as I realized the rest of my group was already back by the water, and they’d never hear me yell for help over the roar of the boat engine.
I instinctively raised my arm to block the bright light from my eyes and was shocked by a loud crack of gun-fire. The shock caused my body to twist toward the building as I dove for cover. I landed hard as wooden splinters exploded from the door frame right above my head.
Chapter 8
“I’m supposed to be on vacation,” I mumbled to myself as I sat on the ground with my dog standing watch beside me. “Right this minute, I’m supposed to be relaxing on a beach at the North Carolina coast, watching the moonlight reflect off the water and feeling the sand between my toes.”
The adrenaline started to wear off, and I felt the left side of my face pulsating. A glow rose from the intruder’s spotlight that now rested on the ground near the door.
Gertie bent down next to me, examined my face, and pulled the vitamins out of her big bag once again. She grabbed my hand and dumped out Vitamin C tablets into my palm until it overflowed.
“Looks like you smacked your good eye on the way down,” she said, examining my face. “It’s already getting swollen.” Gertie pointed at my hand. “Take some more of those before it turns black and blue.”
I looked at the handful of pills. “Gertie, I can’t swallow all these.” I tried to think of a good excuse that would satisfy her. “I don’t have anything to drink.”
“Gertie, quit pushing those vitamins on Madison,” Ida Belle chimed in. “You’re going to turn her into an orange for crying out loud.”
Gertie straightened up, put a hand on her hip and turned to Ida Belle. “I’m the maid of honor and these bridesmaids are going to look sharp.”
Ida Belle rolled her eyes.
Gertie fumbled through her purse and pulled out a small bottle of water. “Here you go.”
I put the handful of vitamins to my mouth and swallowed two to appease her, covertly letting the rest fall to the ground in the dark, holding my dog so he wouldn’t decide to eat them.
“Hopefully, your bruises will fade before Jayne’s big day.” Gertie patted my shoulder. “We’ve got two more days.”
I rubbed my forehead, trying to decide if it was worse getting shot at or being a bridesmaid at my cousin’s wedding.
“Something’s off,” Fortune said as she stood on a lawn chair, using a small flashlight to examine the bullet hole in the doorframe. “The trajectory of the bullet was not from this doorstep.”
How does she know that?
There was something about Fortune I’d admired since I first met her and until now, I couldn’t quite put my finger on it. I leaned back against the side of the house with Shiner’s paw on my leg, and it all became clear.
Fortune was a lot like me – but she was a much smarter, more athletic and cooler version of me. Like, if I really got my act together, I could become more like her. I sat on the ground with my two black eyes and studied her, using her as inspiration to push forward and obtain a higher level in my life.
Shiner must’ve read my mind and dropped the slobbery stuffed alligator on my lap as he reached his head up and licked my cheek, letting me know he liked me just the way I was.
Fortune stepped off the chair and pointed out into the darkness in front of the house. “The shot came from farther out there.”
“If I remember right,” Gertie looked out into the darkness, “there’s a big patch of trees over there.”
“I wondered why that guy disappeared so fast and left his light behind.” I eyed the spotlight glowing on the ground and gulped some water, trying to get the taste of vitamin C out of my mouth. “He must’ve freaked out and dropped it as he took off.”
“Are you sure it was a male?” Fortune asked.
“I’m one hundred percent sure.” I blew out a breath. “His voice was deep and rough… and he demanded I ‘hand over’ something.” I hugged my dog, and Shiner leaned into me.
“Any idea what that something was?” Fortune asked.
I shook my head. “I’ve been wracking my brain and can’t think of a thing I own that he’d want.”
“That brings up another question.” Ida Belle picked up the spotlight and examined it. “Was the shooter aiming at Madison or at the mystery mugger?”
“Do you really think the sniper is that bad of a shot?” Gertie looked up at the bullet hole overhead. “Maybe the shooter just wanted to scare the mugger away from Madison.”
“The shot might’ve been a warning for all of us to clear out from Jimmy’s house.” I got to my feet and brushed the dirt off my jeans. “These people are looking for something.”
Chapter 9
I woke up early and took Shiner for a morning walk to clear my head, soon finding myself following the smell of bacon. Actually, my dog was tugging at the leash, pulling me closer to the scent of breakfast food.
Our winding trail ended at the steps to Francine’s Diner, and since we were already there, I figured a great big breakfast would make everything better. The way Shiner was salivating proved that he agreed with me wholeh
eartedly.
Ida Belle and Gertie were busy meeting up with Deputy Carter LeBlanc out at Jimmy’s house to fill him in on the events from the previous night. If the sniper wanted us away from the house, that’s the last thing that we were going to let happen. Once law enforcement found out about the shooting, there would be people all over the place for hours working the investigation.
Although it would’ve been an adventure to tag along and check out the handsome deputy, I decided to leave the meeting to them. I had a strong impression the women wanted to filter their story regarding certain facts - mainly the part about us breaking and entering – and I didn’t want to accidentally let the truth slip.
Besides, I’d seen the way Carter looked at Fortune when I’d met him earlier in the summer. There was no doubt about it. The man was hooked on her and had the kind of feelings that don’t go away in a month or two. Other women didn’t have a chance.
I diverted my thoughts from Carter’s chiseled arms by ordering buttermilk biscuits with pepper gravy and a bag of fried chicken. Shiner patiently waited outside for me to return with the food, confident that I wouldn’t let him go without. He was rewarded with a doggie plate of hamburger meat and eggs.
I relaxed under the trees, opened his to-go plate and barely got it to the ground before Shiner dove in. The crazy dog was done with his special meal before I got my fork out of the plastic wrapper.
As I breathed in the fresh morning air and enjoyed a mouthful of biscuit, I watched as an older man wandered up from the street. He groaned softly as he slowly sat on the ground nearby. He let out a breath, adjusted a worn out trucker’s cap, and stared at my plate with a longing that told me he hadn’t eaten in quite some time.
“Want some chicken?” I reached over, handing him the paper bag. “Eat all you want.”
His eyes lit up as he looked in the bag and pulled out a drumstick. “Thanks.”
He dove into the meat without saying another word, which didn’t bother me one bit, since I was busy digging into my own meal.
Finally, the man was ready for a little conversation. “What happened to your face?”
Self-consciously, I reached up and felt the tender skin, wincing as my fingers came in contact with the fresh bruise. “I had a little accident and ended up with a black eye,” I said, taking a drink of water. “Twice.”
The old man nodded. “I haven’t seen a set of double black eyes in a real long time.” He wiped his mouth with the bottom of his t-shirt. “Not since my boxing days.”
“Are you okay?” I poured some water into my cupped hand, and Shiner gulped it down.
“I am now, thank you.” He rubbed his belly and smiled. “It sure was a long walk.”
I raised a brow, wondering what he meant.
He frowned. “I got robbed three days ago on the road, about twenty miles from here.” His eyes met the ground. “I was left with no money, no phone, and no truck.”
“What?” I didn’t think there was another town in the area. “You got robbed right on the highway?”
“I’d parked on the side of the road and was caught napping, or he’d never had a chance.” The man rubbed the stubble on his chin and frowned. “Here’s the crazy part – the same guy who brought me the cargo and paid for the delivery is the one who hi-jacked my truck.”
That is odd.
I wondered if the man was just making up the story and rested my hand on Shiner’s back for a little reassurance. “Where you hurt?” I asked.
He scoffed. “Not physically. Wallet sure took a wallop. We’re just a small company.” He pointed to the hand drawn logo on his t-shirt. “It’ll take six months just to make up for the loss.” He blinked his eyes and stared off into the distance. “This whole disaster makes me think it’s time to retire.”
Still not sure if he was playing me, I let compassion win over suspicion. I kicked my leg out in front of me and pulled out a few dollars from my pocket. “Let me-”
“I don’t want your money, ma’am,” he said, raising his hands out in front of him. “Right now, I just need to find a telephone and call the Gator Farm.”
“Gator Farm?” The words made me perk up, and I quickly handed the man my phone.
He pulled out some wrinkled shipping papers and looked for the phone number. “Thanks, again.”
“No problem.”
The man looked up, and his sorrowful brown eyes met mine. “Now I’ve just got to figure out a way to explain to Jimmy that I let his shipment get hijacked by a city boy wearing a business suit.”
Chapter 10
“He’s not answering,” the truck driver said with a shrug. “That’s not like Jimmy.”
It wasn’t a surprise to me. Half the town was looking for Jimmy and by now it was obvious he didn’t want to be found. I sighed and wondered which one of us was going to have to break the news to my cousin.
The trucker made a couple more calls to his wife and the sheriff’s department before returning my phone. I got up and gathered my trash, and the man gave me a little wink.
“Looks like you’ve got yourself an admirer.” He nodded out toward the road.
“Huh?” I questioned, half hoping Deputy LeBlanc had a twin brother.
I subtly turned and looked over my shoulder just in time to see a man with long dark hair duck behind a building across the street. My female instinct sent a chill up my spine, and I gripped Shiner’s leash tight.
“He must be the shy type.” The truck driver chuckled and laid back on the grass to catch a nap while waiting for his ride. “I’d never have run away from a pretty lady back in the day.”
#
My adrenalin surged as I sprinted the entire way from the diner to Fortune’s front steps, meeting her as she was coming out the door. I slid to a stop right next to her and leaned over, my hands perched on my knees as I tried to catch my breath. Shiner tugged on the leash, asking to run another lap around town.
“Geez, I always wear running shoes when I go out for a jog,” Fortune said as she eyed my flip-flops.
“I think I saw him,” I sputtered.
“Who?” She raised an eyebrow. “Jimmy?”
“No.” I straightened up and took in a deep breath. “The guy who jumped me last night,” I said, looking behind me to make sure the coast was clear. “I think he’s following me.”
Fortune looked over my shoulder and scoped-out the street with what appeared to be precision-like effectiveness. “Why don’t you stick with me for a while,” she said, briefly touching the gun hidden in the back of her waistband.
I nodded, knowing Fortune could handle any random guy that tried to start a problem. A weight lifted off my shoulders, and I wiped the sweat from my brow.
It would be a huge relief when this wedding was over and I could get somewhere a little more peaceful. Maybe I’d still be able to salvage a couple days of vacation.
“We’ve only got twelve hours to find Jimmy.” Fortune locked her front door. “Your granny and Jayne are on their way back to Sinful for the bachelorette party.”
“About that…” I reached down to scratch Shiner on the head. “I’ve just heard a story that I bet you’ll find fascinating.”
“Tell me about it in the Jeep.” She said and opened the door to her vehicle. “Ida Belle just sent me a text about an old abandoned fishing camp Jimmy’s family used to own. We’re meeting up over there to check it out.”
“Um, okay.”
My back was stiff with an unknown dread as Shiner and I followed Fortune to her vehicle. The way things had been going, there was no telling what we would to find.
Chapter 11
“Why would someone pay good money to ship a load of boxes and then hijack the delivery?”
I’d told Fortune all about the stolen delivery truck as we bounced along some back roads in her Jeep, but the story wasn’t adding up. “I mean, if that guy wanted to deliver the load in person, he could’ve just rented a moving truck.”
“He needed a way to appear legit
.” Fortune adjusted her sunglasses. “So no one would ask questions.”
“Who does that?”
“Someone moving illegal goods.”
My heart dropped at the thought of my cousin marrying someone involved in criminal activities. “What kind of goods?”
“It could be anything… drugs, guns, military weapons, government secrets, even the illegal wildlife trade.”
Shiner found the stuffed toy he’d left in the backseat of Fortune’s Jeep and poked his head over my shoulder, dropping the fuzzy alligator in my lap. The poor toy looked like it’d been through a hurricane.
I picked it up and dangled the two-foot long toy in front of me. “Our investigation seems about as mangled as this poor alligator here.”
Shiner leaned over the seat as far as he could, reclaimed his toy, shaking his head back and forth with glee while letting the toy slap from side-to-side. He was entering into doggie destructive mode, and I prayed he didn’t turn his playtime attention to Fortune’s Jeep. It wouldn’t be the first time he’d pulled the stuffing out of a car seat.
I cringed as my cheeks flushed with embarrassment. “Calm down, Shiner.”
It was too late. I heard the rip of material and swung around just in time to see the poor alligator toy losing its entire contents. Stuffing flew from the back seat into the front, making it look like we were all in a snowball fight.
Something solid hit the front windshield and clunked on the Jeep’s dashboard. Fortune reached over without missing a beat. She kept one eye on the road and used the other to examine what looked like a black golf ball wrapped in plastic.
“Good boy,” Fortune said.
I picked up stray chunks of stuffing, relieved she wasn’t angry over the huge mess.
“Now we know what they’ve been smuggling.” She tossed the dark object into the center console as we pulled in the fishing camp and parked on the grass next to Gertie’s car. “This is black tar heroin.”