Twistered

by J. L. Wilson

  He turned onto his right side to face me. "Most of the time it feels tight, like sunburn. Sometimes it gets bad."

  I eyed the crinkly white skin that covered his shoulder and inched up the side of his neck, trailing an inch-wide pattern along his jaw. His left ear was slightly misshapen and his golden hair was thinner on that side of his head where I saw the lighter skin tone on his scalp. The scarring on his face was faint, like white highlighting along his jaw, ending at the tip of his eyebrow. Those scars weren't as rigid or puckered as the ones on his shoulder, chest and back. I suppose the surgeons focused on getting his face as close to life-like as possible.

  "I've missed you." He touched my hair, smoothing it back from my forehead. "I've wanted to call you time and again but I wasn't sure what you would do." He touched the birthmark on my face, smiling gently. "I always loved that spot. It's like a pair of lips, waiting for someone to kiss them."

  I caressed his arm, marveling at his strength, his warmth and his presence here, with me. "I don't know where this will go, Drew, but I love having you here."

  He pulled me to him. "It will go wherever we want it to go, Dorothy. Let's take it one day at a time." His kiss was slow and lingering but when we broke apart, he seemed regretful. "I have to go. We've got a lot to do to get ready for the AMRAK people tomorrow." His hand slid down to cup my breast, which sent a shock of lust through me so fast I went weak and trembling from it. "I'd like to come back tomorrow, though. After the dog show? I'd like to be your bodyguard tomorrow." He bent his head and took my nipple into his mouth, gently suckling it.

  I moaned softly. "I think that can be arranged."

  He moved away from me, sliding along his side of the bed and standing. I admired his body, almost as muscular and lean as when we were in high school. I had a momentary stab of worry. My body certainly wasn't as lithesome and firm as in my youth. Then I smiled with satisfaction. Drew hadn’t indicated that he had any concerns about my body. None at all.

  He went into the bathroom and I soon heard water running. I turned in bed, eyeing his belt on the night stand. Even in the throes of passion, Drew was careful to put the gun and the other law enforcement gadgets in a spot where it wouldn't be disturbed. That action made me think. He was a cop. Did I want to be in love with a cop? The water stopped running and Drew emerged, toweling himself off before grabbing his discarded T-shirt from the floor where I had tossed it.

  "I meant what I said, Dorothy." He dropped the towel on the laundry hamper and pulled on his T-shirt. "I've known you all my life. These last years I've had a chance to know you without, well, without the distraction of sex, I guess you could say." He pulled on his underwear and pants, buckling them with a jingle of coins and keys rattling in the pocket. "You're the sort of person I'd like to know a lot better, maybe for a long, long time. I'd like you to think about it."

  I tugged my sheet around me so it was tucked under my armpits. "I'll consider that." I tried to keep my voice light but it was tough. It sounded almost like a proposal and that wasn't something I was ready to think about yet.

  Drew leaned over to kiss me as he buttoned his shirt. "Please do consider it. I'll call you tomorrow."

  "I'm on cooking duty in the morning." The town was putting on a five-dollar-a-plate feast to host the AMRAK riders and we expected at least three thousand people to show up, possibly more. Several hundred people had signed up to provide salads, desserts, and appetizers. My Dorothy's Delectable Dirt Dessert was always in demand at fund-raisers so I planned to make a quadruple batch for the event.

  "I'll probably see you at the dog show. I was joking about the bodyguard thing. I don't think you'll be in any danger. There wasn't anything in Wade's safe deposit box that anyone else would want."

  "Tell that to Leo," I said wryly. "You know how he is when he goes into Mother Hen mode."

  "I well remember." He kissed me again before buckling his belt with a clank of handcuffs and other items I didn't want to consider. He saw me eye his gun. "That's part of who I am," he said quietly. "Can you live with that?"

  I regarded him, now fully dressed and once again appearing like a proper policeman. But when he smiled, I saw a wicked little gleam lighting his eyes and the impetuous lover I knew so well was back. "I think I can learn," I said.

  "That's all I ask. I'll call you tomorrow." He paused in the doorway. "Thank you, Dorothy. Thanks for taking a chance on me and on us." I heard his footsteps on the stairs, a pause then I heard the steps go into the living room.

  "Problem, Drew?" I called out.

  "I wanted to check those papers I left you." His voice echoed faintly in the hallway. "I found it." The downstairs door opened then closed.

  I left the bed and dragged on a bathrobe, my body aching from such vigorous lovemaking. It was years since I had so much fun in bed and I was feeling the aftereffects. I went into the bathroom and took a quick shower, my thoughts in a spin. What was I thinking of? Jiminy Cricket, I must be insane, falling in love at my age. Was such a thing even possible? I thought that crazy, head-over-heels silliness was reserved for those with raging hormones. My hormones were going dormant, not rampant.

  I wrapped a towel around my hair and wandered into my bedroom. I touched the spot where Drew had been moments before, swamped by a feeling of melancholy. What if it didn't work out? What if we couldn't make a go of it? I didn't want to risk my heart only to have it broken again. I wept over Drew when I was younger. Did I want to go through that again?

  I didn't have an easy answer, so I decided not to worry about it. I dressed and went downstairs to lay out the ingredients I would need in the morning for my cooking. As I finished crushing the last of the Oreo cookies, my phone rang.

  "Shall I come over?" Leo asked. "Is the coast clear? I saw Drew's car leave and the lights go on again in the bedroom." He laughed softly. "Nothing like having a nosy neighbor, hmm?"

  "Oh, for heaven's sake. Yes, come on over. I'd like company." I went to the window, spying Leo in his back yard, portable phone to his ear.

  "Man, you should have heard Drew and Tinsley going at it earlier. I thought they'd come to blows. You're quite the femme fatale, Dorothy. What did you do to set them at each other?" He didn't wait for my reply, but hurried on. "We need to check the stuff Wade left you. Maybe we can find a clue. I'll be a Hardy Boy if you'll be Nancy Drew."

  A shaft of late day sunlight angled into the room, tinting the final clouds of the day a rosy pink. I laughed at Leo's teasing voice, my spirits soaring. No matter what happened, I would be okay. I had good friends around me, a comfortable life, and a job I enjoyed.

  I trusted Drew. He wouldn't break my heart. What was I worried about? I was home.

  "Come on over," I said. "Let's be detectives."

  Chapter 13

  My optimism lasted until Saturday noon when the flames of passion were thoroughly doused by Mina Wickman.

  I was busy from the moment I awoke at six. I checked the Weather Channel and was relieved to see a clear day ahead with a slight chance of rain overnight. As long as it didn't rain on the parade before the dog show, I didn't care what happened. I whipped up my Dirt Dessert, layering the batches into plastic pails purchased at the Dollar Store for this event. Then I loaded them into my cooler. By the time I finished, it was almost eight.

  My first phone call of the day was to get the judging times switched. It turned out to be surprisingly easy. Betty Cochran, the coordinator of puppies, said, "Having them early at night is better anyway. They'll play like crazy and sleep for the rest of the night."

  That task accomplished, I dressed in jeans and a T-shirt with my red Earth sandals and was leaving the house by eight-fifteen. I stopped at Leo's house, finding him on the patio near his small swimming pool with the Kansas City Star and his morning coffee. He and I had pawed through Wade's things the night before. The cache consisted of papers, copies of what appeared to be an appointment book, and a small star-shaped acrylic statue on an inscribed metal base, Wade's MVP award for his play
during the Cactus Bowl during college. Leo and I sorted through the whole mess but tiredness and a desire to lie in bed and dream about Drew claimed me early, so Leo took the bundle home with him.

  He handed me the lumpy white envelope with a shrug. "Sorry. I didn't find anything earth-shaking, but I have to admit, I didn't read every word. There's a lot of scientific reports and copies of articles from old newspapers about floods. There are also copies of pages from two different diaries or appointment books. I skimmed through those. I don't think either was Wade's. The dates are wrong in one and the handwriting is wrong in the other."

  "What about the yellow brick road thing?" I rifled through the papers, pausing when I saw one smeared copy of a newspaper with the headline 100 year flood hits.

  "There wasn't anything having to do with Oz, neither the books nor the movie. I still say it has to do with the Professor's path in his garden. That's the only yellow brick road around here."

  "There's the one in the Mall," I pointed out. When the Emerald Hills Mall was planned, the builders first put in a yellow brick sort-of-road, about four feet wide, as a publicity gimmick. Then they built the mall around it. The path now wound through the mall, in and out of stores. It started and stopped at the north entrance, which overlooked the flood plain below.

  Leo tilted his head to one side as he considered my words. "I forgot all about it. I walk on it every day and don't even see it anymore." He sipped his coffee then tapped the newspaper. "There's a story in here about AMRAK and its itinerary. There's a mention of the dog show. I bet we'll get gobs of people. With the economy in the toilet, people are taking vacations close to home. We'll probably get a bunch of city folk out to enjoy our small town living. As long as they bring their big city money, who cares? I wish I could be here to see it."

  "Maybe we'll have a ton of adoptions and empty the shelter. I hope." His mention of crowds made me remember my dog show duties. I had to get going. "I suppose it was a long shot that there was anything important from Wade." I took the envelope and jammed it into my We're Not in Kansas Anymore tote bag, already overflowing with dog show forms, letters to be mailed, and two books I needed to return to the library. "When are you taking off?"

  "In another hour or so. Are you sure you don't need me to stay in town? I can cancel this trip, you know that. It's optional." Leo regarded me with his usual air of anxious concern over the top of his mug of coffee. Today he was nattily dressed in navy shorts, sockless loafers, and a blue and white striped polo shirt. He was like Thurston Howell the Fourth, getting ready to go yachting on the Minnow with Lovey and Dad.

  "Nonsense. You go to this convention every year. You can't miss it. Branson won't be the same without you." The Annual Midwest Cosmetology Expo was held every year in Branson, Missouri. It was a chance for Leo to schmooze with his beauty salon buddies, get caught up on industry gossip, and leave town for four or five days.

  "I am looking forward to it. I can't wait to interview beauticians for my new shop. Did I tell you that Mina found me a spot downtown? It's across from the courthouse, not far from Honey's store." He grinned. "It will take redecorating but I think it's a perfect location."

  "You'll be so busy gossiping with Honey you won't have time to cut hair."

  "That's all the more reason to hire an enthusiastic young recruit fresh out of beauty school." He sipped his coffee. "I have to admit, I'm not as worried as I was a day ago." He struggled to keep a grin off his face and almost succeeded. "I mean, now that Drew and you are back to being an Item, I guess you don't need me to watch your back." He winked at me. "Drew will be glad to do bodyguarding duty. Ahem." He coughed politely. "If you know what I mean."

  I waggled a finger at him. "Don't go jumping the gun. Drew and I are exploring a few possibilities, that's all." I frowned, remembering what Leo had told me the previous evening when I pressed him to divulge the results of his eavesdropping on Drew and Tinsley. "I don't want to get him in trouble with the Feds. Tinsley accused him of favoritism?"

  Leo nodded. "And Drew told him to get over it. I think Tinsley is jealous, that's all. He's got his eye on you."

  "He can eye me all he likes. I'm not getting involved with a guy who lives in Kansas City and has an attitude about small towns."

  "I agree. Why bother with him when you can get involved with a Hometown Hottie?"

  I shook a finger at him. "Don't go spreading rumors about me and Drew."

  He drew an elaborate cross over his chest. "Never. Not me."

  I knew with fatalistic certainty that my business would be all over town by nightfall even though he was leaving town momentarily. Leo had those kinds of connections.

  I decided not to worry about it since I could do nothing to stop it. I bid him farewell and pulled out in my new car, stopping by the Wizard's Wand café for a Danish and coffee. Sean Mansfield was there and promised to get to my broken window that morning. I gave him the opener code for my garage door and reminded him to lock SoSo out of the basement while he worked. He had encountered SoSo before, so he knew what to expect.

  That task settled, I went to the library, which would close at noon in celebration of the Memorial Day holiday. Paul and Betsy were in charge and after making sure they knew they could contact me if needed, I headed for the American Legion to help with food preparation. Every hand was needed for potato peeling, pot stirring, and rib roasting.

  I put my desserts into the big refrigerator then began my three hours of work, elbow to elbow with two women who lived on the other side of town. They thoroughly dissected most of the romance novels in the library and gave me the names of several new authors to consider. I was finishing my work stint when Mina swept into the room, pulling open the back door and entering like a diva. She obviously hadn't come to help because she wore crisp dark green slack and a minty green sweater set that made her tanned skin seem to glow. Strappy high-heeled sandals that matched her dark green leather handbag completed the ensemble.

  She spied me at the clean-up station next to Glynnis and strode through the crowd like a torpedo homing in on its target. "Dorothy, I need to talk to you." She leveled an icy glare at her mother as though accusing her of eavesdropping. "In private."

  "I see you're not helping today, dear," Glynnis said placidly.

  "I'm working. I have two houses to show and a closing to attend." Mina gazed around the crowded room. "Let's go outside."

  "I'm busy. I have to get to the school and help get ready for the dog show." I tucked a strand of unruly hair behind my ear. "I'm in charge of check-in plus the parade gets started in a few hours."

  "I only have a few minutes. I'm due back at my office." Mina opened the back door. "I parked in back. Let's talk there." She left before I could say yea or nay.

  "You may as well join her," Glynnis said quietly. "She's had a bee in her bonnet since Wade was found. Just humor her, Dorothy."

  I did a double-take at the worried note in Glynnis' normally fluty voice. "Is something wrong? Is she okay?"

  Glynnis dried her hands on a paper towel, her dark brown eyes on the door where her daughter vanished. "Something's got her in a bother and I don't think it's only Wade's death. They were somewhat close but they argued terribly before he left town. There was no love lost between them." Glynnis shook her silver-maned head, as always stylishly groomed into an upswept topknot. Even her 'work clothes'--faded denims, a denim shirt over a white T-shirt and white sneakers--looked pressed, fashionable, and still clean after two hours of peeling potatoes. "I've often wondered if that book William left had anything to do with it. It went missing and I thought maybe Wade had it. He was such a..." Glynnis gestured vaguely, "...such a nosy boy." Her disapproving tone told me she wanted to say much more but good manners forbid it.

  "Book?" I dabbed at my potato-spotted blue T-shirt but quickly gave it up as a lost cause. I would have to go home and change clothes before the dog show.

  "When Mina's father and I divorced, he left a few things behind. One of them was a journal about the town a
nd the townspeople. Wade was so interested in that old diary." Glynnis gave a brittle laugh. "I always called it William's Book of Records, detailing where all the bodies were buried. It's mostly full of old gossip and rumors, but some of the information in there is--" She took a step back, as though surprised to hear herself talking. "You'd better not keep her waiting. It will only fuel her temper."

  I dropped my paper towel in the overflowing waste bin and put my hand on the doorknob. "Wade left a bunch of stuff in his safe deposit box for me. I haven't had a chance to go through it, but I think there was a diary in there."

  Glynnis put her hand on my arm. "If it's William's diary, there might be a few people who would be mightily embarrassed if it came to light."

  I patted her smooth, liver-spotted hand. "I'll go through it all as soon as I can." I glanced at the side of the room where my bulging tote bag sat. "Maybe I'll get a chance to do that while the dog show is going on." I saw her cast a worried gaze in the direction of the bag. "If something's wrong and I can help, I hope you'll let me know," I said doubtfully.

  Glynnis nodded briskly. "It's nothing, I'm sure. Now get along. I'll see you at the fairgrounds later this afternoon." She returned to the line of volunteers, waving to a group of older ladies on the other side of the room.

  I stepped out the back door into bright sunlight, momentarily blinded. The area behind the buildings abutted an alleyway that divided the parking lots on one side of the street from the parking lots on the other. Mina stood near her SUV, parked away from the other cars at the Legion's door. I meandered over to join her, taking my time just to watch her glower.

  "What's up?" I asked as I approached.

  "I need to see Wade's papers," she snapped. "Drew said he gave them to you."

  "Drew? When did you talk to him?"

  "This morning. I heard about the papers they found in Wade's deposit box. I think some of them might belong to me."

  I shook my head. "I'm not sure. But Jack and Drew went through everything. If any of the papers belonged to you, they would have kept them for you."