Dig Deeper: A Hallie James Mystery (The Hallie James Mysteries Book 1)

by DK Herman

  "A girl from here...Herville. Her name's Amy Klein."

  "Do the cops suspect your boyfriend now?" Ben began drumming a finger on the table.

  "I don't know. I’m sure he'll be asked some questions." I smiled at our waitress, coming our way with a large tray.

  "Well, we know how much he likes that," Ben said. "But he needs to take it easy. It's like quicksand, the more you fight it, the more they'll pull you in."

  We both dug into the pizza. It was fantastic. I grabbed a bunch of napkins as grease dripped down my arm. I was a messy eater, but the pizza was too good to worry about perfect table manners. Ben didn't seem to mind, even when I had to wipe a glob of cheese off my nose.

  Finally, I sat back stuffed while Ben finished his last piece. I spied the old jukebox, sitting in the same corner it had been in twenty years earlier. It reminded me of plans I had made for tonight.

  "I wonder if they’re going to let Hank open the bar tonight?" I said.

  Ben shrugged, still chewing his pizza.

  "My friends and I made plans to go there tonight,” I explained. "Want to go along?" The more the merrier. Besides, I enjoyed Ben's company and Gabi would have a blast, flirting with a young hottie like Ben.

  "I could drink a beer or six." Ben smiled, making his dimples appear. Popping the last bite of pizza into his mouth, he wiped his face with a napkin.

  "Great." I checked my watch. "We have about two hours before we have to pick up Gram."

  "Can we go back to your house and take a nap? I didn't sleep much last night." Ben yawned.

  "Why not. I'm too full to move much anyhow." I piled our dirty paper napkins on the pizza tray, and we both threw a twenty on the table before leaving.

  When we got home, Ben headed straight to his room. He'd been quiet on the drive back, putting the radio on for the first time while I was with him.

  I popped in to see Liv for a minute before going up to my rooms. I pulled a bunch of things out of my closet to help me decide what to wear tonight. I liked what I had on, but I'd gotten sauce on the front of my shirt. Deciding on a dressy, sage green top and a jean skirt, I hung them on the back of the closet door. Then I redd up my room and brushed my teeth.

  Kicking off my shoes, I lay across my bed. I closed my eyes for what felt like a minute and woke to my phone ringing. It was Gram calling to tell me she would be outside the main entrance of the hospital in a half hour. I tried not to sound like she caught me sleeping and assured her I would be there.

  There was no sign of Ben downstairs, so I decided to use Chitty to bring Gram home.

  The afternoon was just as bright, as before my impromptu nap. I crossed the driveway, enjoying the warm, light breeze as it caressed my face. Chitty started easily, but I almost clipped Ben's truck, backing out of my parking spot. Telling myself to be more careful, I continued on my way

  Gram was waiting for me on a bench by the main entrance. She climbed into Chitty, looking a little perturbed.

  "How's George? Did he go upstairs for his apnea test yet?" Something had upset Gram. I studied her stiff profile before moving the RV. "What's wrong Gram?" I insisted.

  "Start for home and I'll tell you." She made a shooing gesture with one hand.

  We both remained silent for a few blocks. When I stopped at the second red light, she looked like she was about to cry. I pulled into a second-hand clothing store parking lot and switched off Chitty's ignition. “Tell me what’s wrong, or we stay here," I insisted. Gram could be stubborn, but I hated seeing her upset.

  "You have to promise, not to get involved." Gram finally turned to look at me.

  "What if I can help?"

  Her lips tightened, and she turned away from me again.

  "OK, fine,” I said.

  "It's George's son,” Gram said. "He doesn't want George coming home with me. He wants him to move into a nursing facility.”

  I fought back a wave of anger, watching a tear slide down Gram’s cheek. I had the urge to break my promise and Ryan Murphy's face. "Why?" I said, trying not to sound as pissed off, as I really was.

  "He thinks that George got shot because he was at our home." Another tear slipped down her cheek. "He heard about those poor girls, buried in our woods, and he doesn’t want George anywhere near our home."

  "George is a grown man. He can do whatever he wants." I wondered how he’d heard of the murders. It wasn't in the papers yet.

  "I know, but it hurts George when he acts like this." She took a tissue from her purse and dabbed her eyes. "He's even putting pressure on George to put that piece of property in his name."

  Way to grab the assets and shove your father in a home, asshole! "Do you mean the one next to Hank's?"

  Gram nodded before blowing her nose. "It was George's Uncle Theodore's car repair business. It closed in the early nineties, but the land is worth money."

  "He can't stop George from coming home with you.” I started Chitty's engine. If Ryan tried to keep Gram and George apart, I would break my promise. Bullies and assholes pissed me off, and Ryan Murphy was both.

  "No. I don't think so either,” Gram said.

  I nodded and started Chitty for home.

  ELEVEN

  I was still so full of pizza, I didn't want anything to eat. So, I excused myself to get ready for a fun night out. Ben must have worked up an appetite during his nap. As I walked up the stairs, he thundered down them. I heard him greet Gram, and ask Liv what was for supper.

  After finding pizza sauce in my hair, I washed it in the shower. Then I blow dried it with a round brush and gel, and reapplied my makeup, adding eyeliner and a more dramatic shade of lipstick. I padded to my closet and got out the top and skirt, I had chosen that afternoon. Sitting on my bed, I noticed my legs were stubbly. Not feeling like shaving my legs, I abandoned the skirt. The jeans I had on most of the day were good enough. I put them back on with the same leather flats. The green top made my eyes look fabulous. I added a few spritzes of my lilac body spray and struck a couple of poses in the mirror.

  "I guess, I’ll do." I picked up my Glock in its holster. I'd worn it all day, but I wasn't sure about taking it into a bar. Then I thought about the knife that was held to my throat the night before and clipped it inside the top of my jeans. I pulled my top over the slight bulge. "You can’t really tell it’s there, unless you're looking for it,” I told myself. "I'm sure not going anywhere without it."

  I grabbed a couple of twenties and my phone and shoved them into my back pockets before heading downstairs. I found Ben with Gram and Liv in the living room. Liv seemed to be enjoying Bens dimples, chuckling as she pinched his cheeks. He dealt with it well but looked relieved to see me.

  "Ready?" Ben said, standing up quickly.

  "Just waiting for Gabi and Doc." I gave myself a final check in the downstairs hall mirror.

  "A red car just pulled in," Ben said. "Do you guys wanna come with me?"

  "I don't think so, but thanks." I went into the living room to kiss Gram goodnight.

  "I'll meet you there." Ben went out the front door.

  Gabi was alone in her car. Her stereo was blaring while she played air drums. I slid into the passenger seat, waiting patiently for her to notice me. When the song was over, she turned the volume down to a conversational level.

  "Doc's hung up at the hospital. She's gonna meet us there in an hour or so." Gabi looked me over. "You look nice."

  "You look great." I’d always been a little jealous of how fantastic Gabi could look in anything. Tonight, she wore a lacy, black, peasant top over tight denim Capri's. She wore her blonde hair loose, and it flowed around her shoulders in loose curls. On her feet were her usual three inch heels, and the smell of her obviously expensive perfume, overpowered my lilac body spray.

  "Who was that guy?" Gabi asked. She backed up the driveway fast enough to make me grip the dash.

  "Ben Gordon. He's the brother of one of the murdered girls,” I said.

  "Yeah, OK." She turned on her headlights as she sta
rted her car down the lane. "That's where I've seen him. He's been in my shop a couple times, and I've seen him a couple other places."

  "He's been leaving fliers all over town, trying to find his sister." I nodded.

  "He's been hanging around town for months," Gabi said, briefly waiting at the stop sign. "He was just in my shop on Saturday afternoon, flirting with Amy Klein."

  "Really?" He hadn't mentioned that he’d met her. "How long has he been around town?"

  "Since early spring, at least." She floored the gas pedal, burning rubber as she pulled in front of a pickup. The truck's horn blared angrily. Gabi ignored it and continued up the highway, tailgating a jeep. "I told Andy, there was a young hunk chatting up Amy before she left my shop. I'll have to tell him who it was.”

  "Why was Ben in your shop?" I checked my seatbelt and hung on for dear life.

  "He got a trim." She darted into Hank's lot, cutting off another SUV and parked on a line between two spaces. "Every time I’m here, some asshole dings my door.” She checked her makeup in the visor mirror. “Ready for a drink?”

  I shook my head in disbelief. "Let's go." Damn straight, I needed a drink.

  The bar was more than half full, not bad for a Wednesday night. Ben was at the bar with a bottle of beer in one hand, an electronic cigarette in the other.

  "I didn't know you smoke," Sliding in next to him, I ordered a bottle of light beer.

  "I like real cigarettes better, but I only smoke a couple a day." Ben looked at me guiltily. "Don't worry, I'd never do it in your house, I always go outside." He took a long pull of his beer. "But I smoke more when I drink, so I have to use an e-cig when I’m in a bar."

  “Well, I’ll leave you to it.” I rolled my eyes and turned away. Gabi had found a table and was settled in with a drink. I joined her and looked around for Hank.

  "I just saw him go into the kitchen," Gabi said.

  "I thought he had to tend bar." That’s why he broke our date. I looked at the guy who waited on me. He'd been one of the bartenders on Saturday night.

  Gabi shrugged. "Dunno, ask Hank, he’s gotta be around somewhere."

  I drank my beer, straight from the bottle. It was good and cold and it went down easy. I'd have to take care not to get schnockered with a Glock in my pants. I scanned the room again. Ben was shooting pool with a pack of guys around his age. Another friend of Gabi's stopped at our table to chat.

  Growing more impatient by the minute, I waited for Hank to come out of the kitchen. I finished my beer in a few more gulps. I shouldn't assume the worst, but if he didn't want to go out with me, he didn't have to lie. He started this between us again, not me. A man hurting my feelings was getting old.

  Gabi was done chatting for now, and her glass was empty. She offered to get me a refill while she was at the bar.

  "Thanks," I nodded. "But...do you think it would hurt if I went in the back to find Hank and ask him what happened? I mean, he cancelled our date because he had to tend bar and now..." My eyes meaningfully, went to the bartender.

  "I would." Gabi assured me with a pat on my shoulder. "Do you want me to go with you?”

  “No, but thanks. I’ll find you if I need backup,” I said.

  “Be right back,” Gabi said. Then taking my empty bottle, she walked toward the bar. But in a few seconds, she stopped to talk to some guy. He looked familiar. I was pretty sure we went to school with him. I squinted my eyes and imagined him with more hair. Yep, it was Bob Harris. He’d had a crush on Gabi for years.

  I watched Gabi put her glass and my empty bottle down on his table and sighed. That meant she was settling in for a good chat. Another beer was going to be a while. I got up and straightened my shirt over my gun. Then I headed for the kitchen door. Inside the kitchen, the air was warm and humid. A thin, young man and an older woman who reminded me of Liv, were busy cooking. They both looked at me, but said nothing as I searched for Hank.

  I passed a small commercial dishwasher and came to a door that led outside. It was the door Hank entered to get a shirt for me the other night. I doubled back and asked the cooks if they’d seen him. The woman told me, he was in his office. She pointed towards another door next to a walk-in freezer. I exited the kitchen into a short hallway. There was another door across from me that turned out to be an employee’s bathroom. The next one down the hall was open. There, I found Hank behind a desk, a phone to his ear.

  He smiled distractedly, and waved me into a chair opposite his desk. I pretended to check the messages on my phone, but I was really trying to listen to Hank's phone call. I could tell the person he was speaking to was female. The voice was light and musical, but I couldn't make out any words she was saying.

  "Yeah, I can't wait," he said. "The time will go fast, honey, and then we'll do something special."

  I felt a hot flush of anger. My heart was pounding in my ears. I wouldn’t sit here and be humiliated. I stood up abruptly and turned on my heel. But then I stopped, fuming with anger at his next words.

  "OK, baby, I'll talk to you later. I love you." Hank finished his call and hung up.

  "You miserable bastard," I said. What the hell was wrong with me? Was there a sign on my back that said, “use me, I love it.” I was so done with freaking men!

  "Where ya going?"

  Was Hank talking to me? Did he think I wouldn't mind that he had another girlfriend? Or was I the other woman? Damn it, I should pretend that I came in here to tell him I was seeing someone else. Nope, I was already too angry. I turned around with my raving lunatic, bitch face on, ready to do battle.

  Hank saw my expression and knew I was angry. He surmised why and chuckled. "Don't be jealous, Hallie."

  "I'm not," I said through grit teeth. "I don't care, what you do.” When he threw back his head and roared with laughter, I thought of my gun within easy reach.

  "Sure, you’re not jealous,” He wheezed.

  The urge to shoot him in the foot or elsewhere was strong. So, I turned to leave and almost made it out of the room. But Hank came around the desk and shut the door. He took my forearm in his grip and pulled me toward him. I was as stiff as a board when his arms came around me. I pulled away from him so hard, I almost fell backwards. His laughter rang out again, fueling my temper even more. My hand itched to slap his handsome face.

  "You're being silly, but I like it." Hank looked me in the eyes. "I'm glad you still care about me, honey. But you don't understand."

  "Don't call me that, after you just called your other girlfriend the same thing!" I hadn't been this furious when my ex-husband had me thrown out of my own home, penniless.

  "She’s not my other girlfriend." Hank gave a last chuckle. "I mean, I don't have another girlfriend. That was my daughter."

  "Oh," I squeaked. My face went from pissed off to flaming red with embarrassment. "Well, now I feel like an ass," I admitted, avoiding his gaze. We'd never discussed his daughter. I'd almost forgotten about her.

  "It was an understandable, misunderstanding." Hank pulled me into his arms and kissed my forehead. "And, flattering as hell.

  I looked up into his face. That sexy grin was spreading to his sparkling blue eyes. He pulled me closer until there was no light between us. I closed my eyes as he kissed me. I returned his kiss more passionately as I had been angry just a few moments ago. His hands began to roam my body, and his tongue teased mine.

  "Is that your gun again?" He asked, his lips not leaving mine.

  "Yes." I waited for him to get mad. Instead he kissed me again, deeper, and I gave in to the wonderful things Hank was making me feel.

  "I want to wait and make it extra special." He kissed my neck before pulling back, looking deep into my eyes. “But Hallie, I want you so bad, and I’ve never stopped loving you,” Hank admitted. "Come to my house with me, right now." He took my hand and kissed my fingers.

  I nodded, ready to follow him anywhere. I still loved him, too. He kissed me again and I panicked. My damned legs needed shaved!

  There was a loud k
nock on the door. Hank and I parted. He went back behind his desk before calling, “Come in.”

  "Hank, are you in there," a familiar female voice purred. The door opened, and there was Brittany Morgan in a skin tight, red mini-dress and four inch, spike heels. She wrinkled her fake nose at the sight of me. Once again, I had to tell myself not to go for my gun. I left the room without a word or a look at either of them.

  Finding my way back to the bar, I went to the service rail and ordered another beer with a double shot of tequila. Declining the salt and lemon, I bolted the tequila down. Then I drank big swallows of cold beer until the urge to throw up passed. I checked in the mirror behind the bar to see how mussed my hair and makeup had gotten. My hair wasn’t bad, but my lipstick was gone. At least, it wasn't smeared across my face.

  I took my beer to find Gabi. She was sitting at the same table. Her husband had joined her, but there was no sign of Doc. A young guy with a nose ring was warming up the karaoke machine. I'd forgotten about karaoke Wednesdays. I was in no mood to sing or be around people. Why was a relationship with Hank always such an emotional roller coaster?

  Finishing my beer, I felt the need for some air. On my way past the pool tables there was no sign of Ben. He hadn't been at the bar either. I went out the main entrance into the parking lot. Ben's truck was still parked in the third row, not far from Gabi's car. A pickup blaring rap music pulled in, followed by a car full of giggling, young girls. Not wanting to deal with anyone for a few minutes, I moved around to the back of the building.

  I found an upside down, plastic crate just outside the kitchen door. Dozens of cigarette butts in a nearby bucket of sand told me it must be a smoke-break spot for employees. I stopped and leaned against the building. The night air was warm but cooler than it had been inside. I took a few deep breaths and told myself that Brittany was nothing to get upset about. Sure, she was after Hank, but he'd told me that he had no interest in her. I didn't want to act like a jealous jerk, again. I never stopped loving Hank, but I was uncomfortable with him knowing I still cared. Besides, my legs needed a shave, and I'd only been back in town a week. Maybe Brittany interrupting us had been a good thing. I looked up at the night sky and smiled. There was always next time.