Deadly Discovery

by Tami Kidd

  Speechless, Mara held her gaze, his blue eyes intoxicating.

  “If you want me off the case, I understand, but I really hope you will let me figure this out. Will you let me help you?”

  All Mara could do was nod her head.

  “Good. I’m going to get my stuff together. When you’re ready to go, let me know.” Alex turned and walked out of the kitchen.

  Mara released the breath she had held and covered her face with her hands, resting her elbows on the sink for support. What the hell just happened?

  Returning to the bedroom, she sat on the bed for a long time. Still dazed, she never expected another man could make her feel this way again. His words were so heartfelt and tender, but at the same time they electrified her. They jolted her flat-lined heart—and now she had to face him again. What would she say? Should she pretend he said nothing and that things would return to the same as before? How am I supposed to work with him now? What am I supposed to do? Maybe I’ll stay in here forever.

  A light rap on the door startled her. “Mara, are you ready to go?”

  “Yeah. Almost. I’ll be there in a minute.”

  “I’ll be in the living room.”

  “Okay.”

  After she gathered her nerves, Mara walked into the living room. Her gaze scanned the room until it settled upon Alex sitting on the couch with his elbows on his knees. He stood up immediately when she walked in.

  Picking up a pair of bright pink flip-flops off the coffee table, he held them out to her. “I found these in the laundry room. They look brand new. I think they must belong to Matt’s girlfriend. I’m sure she won’t mind if you borrow them.” He looked at her like a little boy presenting her with a freshly picked bouquet of flowers.

  “Are you sure?” Mara asked as she held out her hand to accept them.

  “Positive. Besides, if Matt says anything I’ll play dumb. I do dumb really well!” He smiled that earth-shattering smile.

  Mara felt all her fears fall away like leaves floating from a tree in autumn. How could this man make everything right with a smile? She slipped the flip-flops on her feet. Looking down, she said, “Are you sure these belong to Matt’s girlfriend? They could be his.”

  They both laughed as they walked out the door together.

  Sixteen

  Alex and Mara discussed their to do list while driving to her house. Number one on the list was to learn more about Rebecca Kincaid. Then figure out how the goons fit in, and find out if the boss had survived the fire. All this would happen without Alex letting Mara out of his sight.

  “Till this is over, consider me your personal bodyguard. I’m not taking a chance you could get hurt or kidnapped again. Especially if that guy you escaped from is alive. Where you go, I go, so get used to it.”

  Oh, I could get very used to that. “I’m not going to argue the point. Frankly, it will be comforting to have someone watching over me, but a part of me feels I should protest a little bit for appearance’s sake.” She smiled.

  “If it will make you feel better, then by all means protest, but it won’t change anything.”

  “Okay, but if anyone asks, I put up a huge fight.”

  “Deal.”

  Mara packed more clothes and shoes in her bag. She had grown attached to the pink flip-flops but didn’t think they would be appropriate for detective work.

  After she tossed her overstuffed bag into his truck, he drove a few miles down a familiar road. If Mara recalled, this street led to the Riverside Mall. She sat straighter when Alex pulled inside the parking garage, found a spot on the first level, and killed the ignition. “What are we doing here? Are we going shopping?”

  “Nope. You’re going to wait in the food court while I fetch the letter.”

  “Wait—what?” Her voice went up an octave. “You hid my letter in the mall?”

  “I said it was safe and someplace they’d never find it.” Alex grinned.

  “Where did you hide it?”

  “Never mind; the less you know about its whereabouts the better.”

  “Come on, please tell me,” Mara whined as they walked through the mall’s main entrance.

  Teenagers filled the mall like ants swarming a picnic in the park. Nearly all were texting or had cell phones glued to their ears. Some wore Bluetooth headsets while texting, walking, and shopping all at the same time. Selfies took second bid in front of the fountain or storefronts.

  Alex motioned Mara to sit on a bench near a giant palm. “I’ll be back in five minutes. Wait here.”

  “Yes, sir!” Mara saluted. She sat down and watched him walk away. Oh my! He sure does fill out those jeans mighty nice. When Alex turned the corner, now out of sight, she focused on the people in the food court. A young couple with a baby in a stroller sat to her left, both drinking something from Orange Julius.

  Four teenage boys at a nearby table ogled a group of attractive young girls standing outside a trendy clothing store. The girls giggled, aware they had the boys’ undivided attention. After a minute or two, the girls started walking away from the shop toward another wing of the mall. The boys got up to follow.

  To Mara’s right, an elderly couple shared an ice cream cone. They looked so happy. Mara felt a twinge of sadness; she would never know the joy of growing old with Thomas. She had dreamt of spending her golden years exploring the country and writing about the adventures she and Thomas would share. Mara wanted to wake up next to Thomas for the rest of her life, but that was never going to happen.

  Mara looked away. Shame washed over her at the envy rising inside her.

  An attractive woman in an expensive and beautiful turquoise Jovani dress walked up to Starbucks and ordered a large toffee mocha latte. That’s probably her breakfast, lunch, and dinner! Anyone who looks and dresses like that doesn’t eat real food. Mara scrutinized the lady’s outfit and body when Alex walked up with a manila envelope in his hand.

  “Ready to go?”

  “Am I ever.”

  “What’s wrong?”

  “Oh, nothing; just jealous of a total stranger.”

  “Huh?”

  “It’s nothing.” Mara waved her hand. “Let’s go.”

  They drove to the Bureau of Forensic Services, Riverside Division, where Alex’s friend Jerry worked as a forensic investigator. Mara waited in the lobby while Alex took the letter to Jerry’s office. His friend promised to make the letter a priority and get back with results as soon as he had any information. That meant the two-week process would move a lot quicker.

  As the couple left the building, they discussed whether she should file a police report on the kidnapping, but Mara felt it wasn’t a smart move to involve the police. Not because she didn’t trust the police, but because the fewer people who knew about the letter, the better. It decreased the chances of others getting hurt or someone accidentally leaking information to the wrong people. Besides, they didn’t know who was involved. They had to be suspicious of everyone.

  The next item on the agenda—find the place where the goons took her after abducting her. They wanted to see if the shack had burned down. If they knew who owned the property, that might clue them in on the boss’s identity.

  Mara doubted she could back track to the shack’s exact location, but maybe get close enough, so the locals might be able to shed some light on any recent fires.

  When they reached the exit of Ramona Expressway and I-215, the black sedan was still parked right where they had left it. Mara wasn’t sure if this was a good sign or not. The sight of it sent shivers down her spine.

  “The car is still there,” Alex said. “May be intentional on their part. It’s likely the car is registered to a false ID and address. They may be worried that you went to the police, and or they may be watching the car to see if someone shows up to get it.”

  “Don’t you think we should have checked your house to see if everything is okay?” Mara asked.

  “I thought about it, but it occurred to me that the other two goons could s
till be there waiting for my return. I think it’s best we stay away for now. Besides, they’re not going to find the letter.”

  “Yeah, but they could destroy your house and everything in it,” Mara said. “Doesn’t that worry you?”

  “No. I’m insured.” Alex gave her that winning smile and then said, “In my line of business, you prepare for stuff like that. Sort of like people who live in Florida prepare for hurricanes. I always have a backup plan and I can easily replace anything they destroy. So, I don’t really worry about it.”

  Mara shrugged. “That’s a good way to look at it. I guess I’m used to people being more attached to their possessions. People worry about what car they drive or where they live or the clothes they’re wearing instead of focusing on the important stuff like family, friends, and community.”

  “Absolutely!”

  Mara asked, “Can I ask you a personal question?”

  “Sure. You can ask me anything. What is it?”

  “After your mother…died, how did you cope?”

  “I went to live with Matt and his family. They treated me like a son because Matt and I had been friends since grade school. His parents were great. If it hadn’t been for them, I don’t know what I would have done. I owe them so much.

  “After graduation, Matt and I moved here. I think the change in scenery did wonders for helping me deal with her death. You never really get over something like that. You learn to live each day to the fullest and appreciate those who matter most. You learn never to take them for granted. I was angry with her at first, for leaving me, for giving up, but I realized she didn’t have to live with the pain any longer.”

  “What about your father?”

  “It took me years before I could even speak to him. We were never close again. There will always be resentment on my part, so I guess I haven’t forgiven him entirely.”

  “I’m sorry, Alex,” Mara said. “I hope I didn’t stir up too much pain. I shouldn’t have brought it up.”

  “Its fine, Mara; it’s in the past. I’ve moved on with my life. I believe that someday I’ll see my mother again, and I know when I do, she’ll be the happy, sweet woman she used to be.”

  “You believe in the afterlife?” Mara was surprised to learn this tough guy was also spiritual.

  “Most definitely. I hate to think this world is as good as it gets. What about you?”

  “Well, I believe there is something after death. I don’t think we all have wings and fly around in the clouds, but I do think we exist in some form. It would be nice to have a perfect body, though. One thing I really hope for is that we get to eat in Heaven. I love food and it would be wrong to take that pleasure away.”

  “I agree. Hopefully we’ll be able to eat all we want and never gain weight.”

  “Amen!”

  “What about Hell?” Alex asked.

  “That’s a tough one. On the one hand, I believe God is a loving God and that banishing those He loves to a place of eternal fire and damnation doesn’t sound like a loving thing to do. But on the other hand, I think people who do really bad things should be punished for their actions. He could send them to live in the slums of Heaven, where they have to eat liver and onions for eternity,” Mara said, smiling. “Now that’s Hell!”

  “Yuck! Be quiet. I want to eat again sometime in the near future,” Alex said as he curled his lips in disgust.

  “Speaking of eating, I’m hungry. How about you?”

  Alex glanced at the clock on the dash and said, “It is getting to be that time of day, isn’t it? We’ll get some lunch soon. We should be—”

  “Wait! See that place up ahead? That’s the place I pulled over to get my GPS location. That means the dirt road is maybe five miles straight ahead. It should be on the right.”

  “Okay, I’ll slow down so you can watch your side for the road. Let me know when you see it.”

  “Don’t worry.” Mara’s heart nearly leapt out of her chest and her stomach wound tight. What would they find? Part of her hoped to find out that the fire didn’t spread and that the man survived. Part of her hoped he was a pile of ashes along with the odorous hellhole.

  Up ahead, she focused on a road barely visible from the highway. It looked like a small clearing between a wall of bushes and scrub brush. “There it is!” Mara said, pointing at the opening in the brush. “Don’t stop. Keep going.”

  “Why?” Alex asked.

  “I can’t—I don’t want to look.”

  “Okay. It’s okay, we won’t stop.” He drove past the road.

  As they continued down the highway, Mara didn’t say a thing. She felt like such a coward, ashamed she made him drive this far. After all the false bravado, she chickened out. What’s wrong with me? I kicked serious ass last night to get away, to survive, and now I can’t even bring myself to go back.

  Civilization approached as more houses began to dot the sides of the highway. A mixed blend of modern brick homes and small older wood-frame houses added to the variety of haves and have nots. Big yards decorated with colorful flowers and dirt littered patches covered in weeds accentuated the contrasting themes.

  Farther down the road, a flashing-yellow light marked a four-way intersection. On one corner, they noticed a dilapidated gas station. Two vintage gas pumps, the kind with the glass globes on top, were mounted in front A detached garage stood next to the station. Inside the garage an old, white Ford pickup sat balanced on a rack. A thin man wearing a faded-red baseball cap stooped beneath it. It was as though they’d gone back in time to the sixties.

  Alex pulled up next to the pumps. The man under the Ford stopped what he was doing. He wiped his hands and ambled to the truck. Alex lowered his window.

  “Howdy. Sorry, but the pumps don’t work no more,” the man said. His gray hair stuck out from the baseball cap in all directions and at least two days’ growth of beard covered his leathered face. A mischievous glint sparkled in his eyes. Mara knew he must have been quite a pistol in his younger days, and maybe still was. He wore denim overalls and a red shop towel hung from his back pocket.

  “Thanks, but I was wondering if you could suggest a place around here where we might be able to grab a good meal.”

  “Sure can. Thar’s a place up the road yonder a little ways,” he said, pointing to his right, “called Millie’s Country Kitchen. Millie’s ’bout the best cook in these parts. Makes a mean fried chicken dinner.”

  “Sounds great! Thanks,” Alex said.

  “Yur welcome. Have a nice day.” He waved and walked back to the suspended pickup.

  Alex raised his eyebrows and looked at Mara.

  She said, “Don’t look at me like that. Just because I’m from Arkansas doesn’t mean I ever talked like that.”

  “No, but I bet you understood every word he said.”

  Mara slapped his arm and said, “Shut up. You’re a Hoosier; you don’t have any room to talk, buddy.”

  They drove about a mile up the road before they found Millie’s. The little restaurant, an old remodelled white clapboard farmhouse, struck them as adorable. It had a long, open front porch with white rocking chairs lined up so the patrons could sit and relax. Wooden barrel planters full of purple pansies lined the steps leading up the porch. English ivy graced the outside walls.

  Inside, the tables were decorated with red and white checkered tablecloths. A vase of daffodils sat on each table, along with salt and pepper shakers that looked like miniature mason jars.

  A sign inside the door said: Make Yourself at Home. So, they sat at the table next to a window. The interior walls were decorated with old black and white photos and vintage tin signs from years past. In the back, two rocking chairs flanked a huge stone fireplace. A beautiful patchwork quilt was draped over the back of one chair.

  “I feel like I’ve stepped back in time. This place is amazing,” Mara said, soaking in the atmosphere.

  “Very homey. Let’s hope the food is as good as advertised.”

  The food was indeed delic
ious, and maybe even better. Their bellies stuffed, by the time they left, all they wanted to do was find a place to curl up and take a nap. It felt like Thanksgiving minus the football games and parades.

  “Too bad this place is so far out. I’d like to come here every day,” Alex said, patting his stomach.

  “I know. It’s awesome! I bet this is what the food in Heaven will taste like, except in Heaven we won’t have to worry about packing on the pounds or clogging up our arteries.”

  “If I ate like this all the time, my doctor would put me on cholesterol medicine,” Alex said. Then he gave Mara a serious look. “Have you thought any more about going by the shack?”

  “Let’s do it. I want to see.” Mara slapped her leg to show her determination.

  “You’re sure?” Alex asked.

  “Yep. No use in being a sissy about it.”

  “If you change your mind before we get there, just say the word.”

  “I won’t change my mind this time. I’m determined.” But the closer they got, the less determined Mara felt.

  Alex slowed the truck, flipped the blinker on, and turned. When he pulled off the highway completely, he stopped. He looked over at Mara. When she nodded her head, he continued onward.

  The road looked completely different in the daylight. Not nearly as menacing now. The bushes had grown so close to the road that Alex couldn’t turn around even if she wanted him to.

  As the vehicle pulled into a clearing, Alex slammed on the brakes when he saw the shack. The door and most of the front wall was burned out. The back and sides still stood intact.

  “That’s it!” Mara gasped.

  At the end of the gravel driveway, he parked the truck. Together they walked up the stairs. Standing on the porch, careful not to step on burnt planks, they peered inside. The table and chairs, including the one she slammed on the boss’s head, still sat exactly as she had left them. It was like looking into a nightmarish diorama. Mara was both relieved and frightened that either the boss had left on his own or someone removed his body. If he survived, at least she wouldn’t have his death to deal with. Unfortunately, it also meant he could be watching them right now, planning his next attack.