Hazard in the Horoscope

by Kari Lee Townsend

“Agreed.” The mayor looked at the chief. “See that she’s well protected. She’s important to this department. She’s important to our entire town.”

  “I won’t let you down, sir,” I said. The mayor had always been one of my biggest fans, and a true believer. It felt good to have him in my corner.

  “I know you won’t, Ms. Meadows. Just be careful, please. You mean a lot to us all.” He patted my arm as he walked by me toward the door. “Keep me informed, Chief.”

  “Of course, sir.” After the mayor left, the chief turned to the captain. “Make sure she’s wired correctly and that your men make the right judgement call if she needs you.”

  “You got it, sir.” The chief left and the captain turned to Mitch. “I know I don’t have to tell you how to do your job, especially where Sunny is concerned, but please be extra careful. Granny Gert would have my head if she knew what we were up to.”

  “Roger that,” Mitch said, and didn’t face me until Grady had left the room.

  “I’m going to be okay, Mitch.” I touched his back.

  He turned around and the worry lines at the corners of his eyes looked deeper. “This is a bad idea, but no one seems to care.” He held up his hand to stop me from talking. “I know we don’t have any other options, but I don’t like this at all. That being said, you know I will do everything in my power to make sure you’re safe.”

  “I know.”

  “It’s you I’m worried about, doing something crazy and impulsive.”

  I gasped. “Me? When do I ever do anything like that?”

  He grunted. “Only every other day.”

  “Well, I won’t tonight. I promise.”

  He went over and locked the door to his office, then closed the blinds on the window. “Pull down your dress.”

  “I know you like Ally even better than Natasha, but can’t you wait until later?” I giggled, reaching for the neckline of my dress.

  He ignored me and held up the wire.

  “Oh.” My grin faded, and I could feel the heat flood my face as I complied then held out my arms to my sides. “Wire away.”

  Mitch’s gaze widened as he took in the racy lingerie I wore. “Why?” He gaped at me. “I certainly hope no one is going to see these.”

  “Of course not. I wore them to put myself in character and help me stay in character and… well… for you later.”

  “Good answer.” His lips tipped up in a slight grin for the first time in days. Then he proceeded to strategically place the wire around my stomach and between my breasts. He helped me pull my dress back up when he was done, albeit way more slowly than was probably necessary.

  “Thank you,” I said, just inches from his mouth.

  He kissed me softly in response then pulled me in for a long hug. “Please be careful, Tink. Be alert and talk to me, okay?”

  “I will. I promise. Everything will be okay as long as we stick to the plan.”

  21

  “Can you hear me?” I said while walking along a plowed path in my four-inch high-heeled boots which zipped up above my knees. I tightened the faux fur wrap around my black mini-dress. The forecast called for more snow, so I’d made a last-minute change in footwear, not that these boots offered any kind of traction, but they did keep my legs warmer.

  The instructions I received were to get dropped off at the campgrounds office, and then make my way alone to cabin number ten. Detective Stone and Detective Fuller, as well as a few other officers, were strategically placed throughout the woods, but far enough away not to be seen. I knew the men were close by, but I still felt eerily alone and creeped out. I had to stay focused and remember why I was doing this. I would do anything for Jo and Cole.

  “Roger that,” Mitch responded. “I hear you, but Tink, try to maintain radio silence unless absolutely necessary.”

  “Copy that.” I used the flashlight on my phone to see the path in front of me. The woods were so dark this far back, and my toes were frozen. At least we hadn’t had any recent snowfall, so the snowpack was solid beneath my feet, crunching softly beneath my boots. It felt like forever before I reached the cabin. Oh, Lord, deja vu set in.

  This was the same cabin where Ray had taken Jasmine Jackson.

  I glanced one last time at the woods around me, but didn’t see anything through the ominous darkness. I had been totally on board with this idea, but now that I was here, my nerves were getting the best of me. I had to keep reminding myself that Mitch was nearby and just a scream away.

  I knocked on the door and waited, trying not to shiver. I had to stay in character and bury my nerves. My heartbeat tripped into overdrive as I heard footsteps on the other side. The door opened, and I blinked.

  Wayne Emerson stood before me.

  His broken nose from when Ray had punched him had started to heal, his black eyes nearly normal now. I hadn’t really seen him since then because he’d shut down his booth after most of his woodwork pieces had been destroyed. Ray had said Wayne destroyed them, but Kristen had confided that Ray was the one who had done it. I felt bad for Wayne over having such a bad first experience at Winterfest, and had thought he probably wouldn’t return next year.

  The more I thought about it, I wasn’t really surprised to see him here. Kristen did say he had made some lewd comments toward her when he’d hit on her. It made sense he would be into something like prostitution. Maybe he had a hard time getting a woman interested in him any other way. I waited a beat to see if he recognized me, but he didn’t seem to. All I saw in his eyes was passion as he looked me over. I swallowed hard and tried to keep calm.

  “Please, come in.” He stepped back and held the door open.

  I walked inside and a strong feeling of doom settled over me. I sucked in a breath. I wasn’t sure if I was picking up negative vibes from when Jasmine was here with Ray. I tried to take in every aspect of the cabin, looking for clues to her whereabouts. Anything that might help that I could relay to Mitch.

  “Are you okay?” Wayne closed the door behind me. I could hear him moving around the cabin.

  “I’m fine.” I took a moment to compose myself before I turned around to face him. “I just stubbed my toe.”

  “Don’t be nervous.” He called my bluff as he took a step toward me, and it was all I could do not to step back.

  “I’ll admit, I’m a little nervous. I’m fairly new to the scene.” I figured stick as close to the truth as possible.

  “I’ll take care of you.” He walked past me to a sideboard against the far wall. He poured whiskey into two glasses then returned to me and handed me one. “This will help you to relax. I don’t bite.”

  I took the glass from him and stared down at the ice ball with rich amber liquid swirling around it. He lifted his glass and took a healthy swallow, so I did the same. The liquid burned a path down my throat and warmed my belly.

  “This place is cozy.” I took in the rustic cabin, my eyes briefly landing on the king-sized bed, then quickly moving on. I didn’t see any signs that Jasmine had been here or any clues to where she might be now.

  He shrugged. “It’s okay, but not what I paid for.”

  “Oh, yeah? Paid who?”

  “To be honest, I’m not really sure.” He wiped his blond mustache with a napkin and set his drink down. “Everything is anonymous.”

  “Really?” I walked around the cabin, picking up various items, trying to get a read on anything as I stalled. “I heard some guy named Adam had taken over after Ray.”

  “Look, darlin’, I don’t know his name. I just know Divinity has been a huge disappointment for me.” Wayne sounded irritated, and if what Kristen and Ray had said was true, I didn’t want to set the guy off. I would have to choose my words more carefully in trying to get information out of him.

  “Whoever took over for Ray offered me a discount because of all I’ve been through, but I don’t take charity.” He trailed his fingertips down my arm. “I paid double for an extra special experience.”

  “Oh, I see.” I le
t out a nervous laugh and tried to step out of his reach without being obvious. “Then, um, how do I get my cut?”

  His forehead wrinkled. “You really are new to this.”

  “Okay, you got me. This is my first time, You’re my first. My friend Jasmine told me about this opportunity and set it up for me, but I haven’t seen her in a while. Do you know her? Jasmine Jackson?”

  “The name doesn’t ring a bell, but here’s how this all works. I pay the man in charge of the operation—at least I’m assuming it’s a man, but you never know nowadays—and then you get your cut through an app.”

  “Ah, yes, I remember setting that up.” I hadn’t, but I was just going with the flow and winging it.

  “All I know is I paid top dollar. This small cabin in the woods is not what I had in mind.” He looked at his watch, and then studied me as if he were waiting for something. “Let’s go someplace else. I intend to get my money’s worth.”

  My eyes widened. “Someplace else?” I dropped my chin a little and spoke louder. “You’re taking me someplace else?” My eyes felt heavy suddenly, my limbs weak, like it took so much energy to move them even a little bit.

  “Yes, Sunny, I am.”

  That was the last thing I heard. I watched the passion leave his eyes replaced by a hard burning anger that filled my insides with ice. The feeling of doom intensified until I felt like I was suffocating as I collapsed on the floor.

  My eyes felt sealed shut and gritty. Cold seeped through my every cell clear to my bones. My muscles ached and felt heavy. The smell of musty, stale air penetrated my senses. I pried my eyelids open to the first rays of daylight filtering through the dirty windows. This cabin was far worse than the other cabin. It had a couple bunkbeds, old ratty furniture, and ancient appliances. How was this better than the last cabin? Confusion clouded my senses.

  I sat up then quickly slapped a hand over my chest. My dress was shoved down to my waist, my bra still in place, thank goodness. I bit my lip. The wire was gone. My hand shot to my head. So was my wig. I searched the cabin, but I was alone. There was no heat or fire in the woodstove. No wonder I was freezing. I pulled my dress back up then stood up from the lumpy bare mattress. My boots were still on, but my warm wrap was gone.

  My head spun. Obviously, Wayne Emerson had drugged my glass of whiskey. When had he discovered who I was? I remembered him calling me Sunny before I blacked out. I walked over to the kitchen sink and looked out the window. There was a snowmobile parked there. We were somewhere deep in the woods in what I was guessing was an old hunting cabin. My stomach turned sour. It was the next morning.

  Mitch must be frantic.

  I had no way of knowing where we were or how to reach him. He had to know something was off because he heard the end of our conversation, but I had no idea if he was able to follow us. Probably not, because he wouldn’t have waited until morning to rescue me. Stone cold fear filled my being. If I got out of this in one piece, I was never going to question his judgement again. His gut had told him for me not to go, and he had been right. Sometimes I could be so stubborn.

  The door suddenly opened, and I whirled around with hope.

  Wayne looked angry and disappointed, and my shoulders wilted. My hope evaporated and all I felt was defeated. He carried wood inside and shut the door behind him. Without saying a word, he stacked the wood in the stove and lit it, then closed the door. I could feel the heat already and finally stopped shivering. He took a moment to warm his hands before turning around to face me, then I started shivering for a different reason.

  Rage. A deep burning rage simmered in his blue eyes.

  “I thought you were my friend, Ms. Meadows.”

  “I am,” I rushed to say. “I didn’t know you would be my client.”

  “You know what I’ve been through. Why would you wear a wire and try to set me up? Do you want to see me arrested? Prostitution’s illegal you know. I can’t go to jail. It would ruin me.”

  “I’m not trying to ruin you. I swear. I thought you were someone else. You’re not the one we’re looking for. I won’t tell anyone that you were my client. Let me go, and I’ll say my client was a stranger and he ran away.”

  “It’s too late. You saw my face,” he looked me in the eyes, “and I don’t trust you. Your fiancé is a cop.”

  “I didn’t say your name, and I won’t. No one will know who you are.” I actually meant that. I would say or do anything at this moment if it meant gaining my freedom.

  He seemed to hesitate for a moment, then he looked at me with pity. It was scary how quickly he switched between anger and pity. Like someone had flipped a switch. “I like you, Sunny. I do, but I can’t take the risk.”

  “I’m no risk at all.” I took a step backwards. “I’ll go away. Disappear. You’ll never see me again.”

  “I guess you really are psychic, because that is exactly what is going to happen.” He pulled out a 9-millimeter handgun and started to walk toward me.

  I had to do something. I couldn’t just give up. Suddenly having children or not, I knew I couldn’t live without my grumpy pants detective. Adrenaline roared through me. I faked left, surged right, then darted around Wayne. He dropped his gun over my unexpected movements and reached for me. The moment he touched my skin; I froze. My eyes turned to tunnel vision, and I was in Ray Simone’s body. I felt the anger take over me, but I felt the anger coming from Wayne even stronger.

  Pure uncontrollable rage.

  The next thing I knew his hands were on my neck. Ray’s neck. But I felt everything Ray had felt. I couldn’t breathe. I clawed at his hands to no avail. I felt helpless. I was in shock, then fear, then pain, then numbness settled in. Fear shook me followed by the realization I was going to die and there wasn’t a damn thing I could do about it.

  A force shoved me away.

  Blinking my eyes rapidly, I wiped away tears. I grabbed my throat, but it was fine. I hadn’t been strangled. Ray Simone had. And the man before me had done it. Wayne Emerson had killed Ray Simone.

  I focused on Wayne and noticed the scratches I had clawed on his face and his blond mustache was crooked. Crooked? My lips parted as I lifted my gaze to his. Realization dawned in Wayne’s eyes, and he reached up to pull off his blond wig. He ran a hand through his matted red hair and pulled his mustache the rest of the way off.

  My heart jumped into my throat then plummeted to my toes.

  “You see why I can’t let you go, Sunny? Because I am the man you’re looking for after all.”

  Wayne Emerson didn’t kill Ray Simone. Adam Burrows did. And the way things were looking, I was next.

  22

  “Detective Burrows, you don’t have to do this,” I pleaded, trying to stall until I could figure out what to do. How had I missed the signs? I’d always thought his hair and mustache looked off somehow, but never imagined he was wearing a wig. I’d believed Wayne when he’d said he paid an app and didn’t know who the man in charge was.

  He’d been in charge all along.

  He picked up his gun and stared at it. “Detective?” He laughed harshly. “That’s over.” His harsh grin turned into a frown. “All I ever wanted to be was a cop. I was a damn good one too, but being a police officer doesn’t pay much. Things were better when I became a detective,” his eyes met mine, “but a man has needs. Needs which are expensive.” His gaze traveled over me as if he were contemplating just how soon he had to kill me. We were alone in the middle of the woods, after all. Who would know?

  My skin crawled.

  “As a man of the law, you know there are always deals that can be made.” I tried to think of anything to stall him. The man had clearly lost his marbles. “I’m sure if you cooperate, they’ll—”

  “I killed people, Ms. Meadows. If I go to prison, I’ll never leave. As a police officer, I’ll be killed long before dying of old age.” His lips flattened into a hard line. “I can’t go to prison. That means I can’t have any witnesses. I didn’t want to kill Jasmine, but she recognized me
from Stillwater.”

  My heart sank over that news.

  “Poor girl’s neck was much easier to squeeze than Ray’s. I may have a lot of flaws, but I’m not a born killer. I especially didn’t like killing a woman, but I couldn’t risk her turning me in.” Anger flooded his face. “Killing Ray was a pleasure. He thought he was such a big shot moving on without me. All I wanted was a cut of the action like before. It’s his fault I had to kill him.”

  “I don’t blame you for killing Ray. He double-crossed you when you had a deal.” I slowly took a step back toward the kitchen sink. If I could just reach the knife on the counter, I might stand a fighting chance.

  “I didn’t plan it. The killing was an accident.”

  My boot heel scraped on the floor.

  His head snapped in my direction. “Stop moving.” He waved his gun about, talking with his hands just like Raoulle had. Only this time it wasn’t just hair I would lose. “I know what you’re doing,” he went on. “You’re trying to distract me. It won’t work.”

  “I’m not. I’m just nervous and not used to wearing high heels. And, well, I really don’t want to die.”

  He seemed to think about that, but then lifted his hands. “I’m sorry. I don’t want to kill you, but I don’t have a choice.”

  “Everyone has a choice. I told you I won’t tell anyone. No one knows Wayne Emerson is you.” I took a step toward him. “Let me do a reading for you. You don’t have to live in the past. I have a feeling your future will be much brighter.”

  “Murder takes away a person’s choices. Once someone crosses the line that far, there’s no going back.” His gaze met mine and locked. “You’re marrying a detective. I’m not stupid, Sunny. If your detective is any good, which I happen to know he is, then he will get the information out of you.” He waved his gun toward the door of the cabin. “I’m tired of our conversation. Move.”

  “It’s freezing out there.” I rubbed my numb arms, my gaze scanning the cabin. “Can I grab my wrap?”