“Good, because I was gonna take you back to town no matter what. I’ve had enough excitement for one night.”
We were okay, I repeated silently. No one was shot. No one was dead. Some of the fog in my thoughts lifted.
“It sounded like Cap’n Nick and Ozzie were up to no good,” I said.
“I wonder what was in that cooler,” Janey said.
“We’ll never know. Those guys are long gone.”
She flashed me a sidelong glance. “Maybe.”
“You know something?”
“I called for backup.”
“Some backup. Nobody came.”
“Once the men left, I rerouted our help. I thought it was a simple matter of getting you out of the woods and into your car. I didn’t know we’d encounter a big rattler.”
We veered off the road onto my lot. My skin itched and prickled. Not from the bugs and ticks that were probably crawling on me, but from knowing snakes climbed trees. One could drop out of a tree on us. I wanted a roof over my head right now.
Janey had saved the day. I wouldn’t be walking around right now if not for her. Of that I was quite certain. “You were amazing. I owe you my life. I’m sure without you raising a ruckus, that snake would’ve nailed me. I am never living out here. Daddy can do something else with this property. I don’t want it. I don’t like being so far away from town. Nobody but us heard the gunshot. That’s no good.”
“You don’t owe me anything. I’m glad you’re all right.”
“I am, thanks to you.” Bailey came running, soaking wet and wagging her tail. I bent down and greeted her. We’d barely escaped another ordeal. I should feel relieved. Instead, I felt empty.
Meanwhile, Janey rummaged in the tent, gathering stuff.
She tossed our purses and clothes in the car, then she ran back to the tree for the camera and binoculars. When she returned, waving the camera, I was surprised. “Did you tape the guys? Cap’n Nick threatening me and everything?”
“Yeppers.”
“I can file charges against Cap’n Nick.”
“You can and should. We’re taking this to Ike.” She took my arm, led me to my car, and positioned me in front of the headlights. “Tick check.”
She had me slowly turn around so that she could check my clothing, and then I did the same for her. We checked out okay, so I sat in the passenger seat. With my nerves shot, I was in no condition to drive.
Her words slowly percolated in my head as she spread a blanket over the back seat and invited Baxley to climb inside. “Ike? Why?”
“Cause he’s at the head of the road, reading Cap’n Nick and Ozzie Shaniman their rights for assaulting you.”
I tugged on my ear, not sure if I’d heard correctly. “Ike’s here?”
“Yep. Him and Junior Curtis. Junior told Ike about our campout, and Ike asked to be kept abreast of developments. I’ve been texting Junior all night. Soon as things went sideways, I sent him a SOS, then I scrambled up that oak tree. I got it all on tape. Though the video part is too grainy, the audio is fine. I already checked. We’ve got ’em cold.”
Ike. I wanted to see him, but I was a wreck. My emotions were swinging like Spanish moss in a gale. I didn’t know if I’d clobber him for being out of touch this week, or if I’d run to him and hug him because he was supposed to be my boyfriend. Or not.
Between the scratches, bug bites, and wet dog smell, I was no prize. But I was alive. That mattered. Janey cranked the car, and we pulled away from the campsite. Can’t say I was sorry to go.
We edged along the dirt road until we hit the pavement. Then Janey accelerated. A few bends of the road later, I could see the commotion. The head of the road blazed with cop lights. The red truck was there, but Cap’n Nick and Ozzie were nowhere in sight. Good. I’d had enough of them.
Janey eased through the maze of emergency vehicles, stopping when Ike stepped in front of my car. She rolled the driver’s window down. “Got something for you,” she called.
Ike trotted over and leaned down. I couldn’t look at him. I couldn’t bear to see the rejection in his eyes. Janey shoved the camera at him and explained she’d recorded the details of my encounter with the men.
“I need your statement, Lindsey,” Ike said.
“Tomorrow,” Janey answered for me. “Between almost getting shot by Cap’n Nick and then fighting off a rattler, she’s spent. Ta-ta.” She hit the gas, and Ike jumped out of her way.
“I could’ve given him a statement,” I said.
“Nah. Let him sweat. He screwed up, and he knows it. You solved one of his cases for him.”
“I did?”
“Yeah. Junior texted me while I was gathering our stuff in the tent. That cooler was full of stolen turtle eggs. Cap’n Nick and Ozzie Shaniman are the turtle egg thieves.”
Chapter 14
My sleep was fitful, to say the least. Snake heads big as oaks reared and struck at me. Handguns with barrels the size of semi tires pointed at me. I awakened with silent screams and frozen limbs. As I came to my senses, I realized I was safe and that Cousin Janey was sleeping in the next room. The first time I drifted back to sleep. The second time, I tossed and turned until dawn’s rays brightened my bedroom walls.
Janey and I did a second tick check on our skin last night before we showered and went to bed. I had three, while she had none, but I needed to look again. After I reassured myself I was tick-free, I took another long shower. My briar scratches and the monster mosquito bite got treated with anti-bacterial ointment. This was Saturday, so I didn’t have to dress for work. I donned fresh pjs and let my hair air dry naturally.
Padding down the stairs, I heard muted voices. One of them sounded male. My steps quickened. Janey and Junior Curtis looked quite comfy on the sunporch sofa. No Ike. Rats.
“Morning,” I said from the doorway.
“Morning.” Janey glowed with happiness. “Hope we didn’t wake you.”
“Couldn’t sleep,” I said. “Nightmares.”
“Me, too. Coffee’s made, if you want some.”
I nodded and retreated. Coffee. Yes. Coffee would help me feel normal. Cup in hand, I padded out to join them. Neither of them made a move to sit up straighter. You couldn’t have wedged a sheet of tissue paper between them.
I settled into a cozy rocker. “I didn’t know you slept over, Junior.”
“I got here two hours ago to relieve the sheriff.” Junior’s face seemed softer, friendlier. His smile reached his eyes. “Ike spent the night in your yard, watching the house.”
My heart stutter stepped, my hopes spiraled. “He did? Why?”
“He did. Because all the pieces of this story don’t fit together yet. Anyway, I sent him home to rest. He’s got suspects to question today and your statements to take. That was brilliant, by the way, taking the movie camera out there. Stealing turtle eggs is a federal offense. Those guys are going down.”
The fact that Ike spent the night in my yard meant something. Okay, it meant a lot. He wouldn’t do that for everybody. Despite our week-long separation, he cared for me.
Last night crystallized my thoughts. No living in the country for me. No camping ever again. No more fussing with Ike. I could compromise. If he could forgive me enough to resume where we left off, fine with me. We may not have forever, but we had right now. I wanted to make every day count.
I rewound Junior’s last words for an appropriate response. “Cap’n Nick threatened me with a gun. I won’t forget that.”
“All the charges should stick.” Junior stroked Janey’s arm repeatedly. “Ike said a night in jail would loosen their tongues. He’s hoping they’ll roll on each other. The kid was spinning all kind of wild tales last night about a sex club on the island. He got a preliminary statement from both men last night, and he’ll go at them again today after he talks to you.”
“A sex club? In Morrison County?” I snorted in disbelief. “And y’all believed him?”
Junior shrugged. “Anything’s possible.”
I sipped my coffee in silence. Anything was possible. Junior Curtis was sitting in my house at seven in the morning all cozied up to my cousin. Ike spent the night in the yard watching my house. It was almost too much to take in. Almost, but not quite. Coffee made it seem possible. Pancakes would make the lingering doubts go away.
Decision made, I rose. “I’m cooking pancakes. Who’s hungry?”
“Me.” Janey raised her hand. “Lindsey makes the best pancakes ever.”
“Me,” Junior said, his voice deep and resonant. “I haven’t had homemade pancakes since I was twelve.”
“Coming right up.”
~*~
I doubled the recipe and reserved two stacks in case Ike showed. Junior ate everything I put on the table. Janey and I watched with fascination as he downed nearly a pound of sausage and three stacks of fluffy pancakes.
“You could put the pancake place out of business with cooking like that,” Junior said, pushing back from his empty plate.
“Sure. So long as my customers only wanted pancakes, fudge, or baked wings. Everything else I make is average.”
“I adore her fudge,” Janey said. “It took her years to perfect the recipe. I’ll tell you about that sometime.”
Junior’s phone buzzed. He glanced at the text message. “I’ll look forward to the story, but right now I need to carry you ladies to the sheriff’s office. They’re ready for you, and we gotta arrive before they close the street for the festival parade.”
I policed the kitchen super-fast, stashing Ike’s breakfast in the fridge. Then I stood in front of my closet deliberating what to wear. Dressy? Sexy? Casual? I settled on a pair of flattering capris and the top Ike always complimented. No reason not to stack the odds in my favor.
The wardrobe choice paid off. Ike’s eyes heated when he saw me. It took every bit of self-restraint I possessed not to jump him as he held the door for me. Every eye in the lobby watched us. My skin prickled, and I clutched my purse like a lifeline. My breath trembled.
Ike looked terrible. Dark circles ringed his eyes. He caught my hand as I passed and leaned in close so no one could hear. “Are we good?”
Not trusting myself to speak, I nodded. He pulled me close, and I lost it. Absolutely lost it. He drew me into his office to give me privacy. I cried for nearly losing him, for being so scared last night, and for nearly dying.
The whole time, he made soft sounds and rubbed my back. Finally, my outburst ran dry. “I’m sorry,” I mumbled into his chest. “I have a habit of crying on you.”
“You can cry on me anytime you like, but we’re never doing this again.”
I didn’t know how to take that. The silence stretched out wafer-thin. Our entire future hinged on what came next. I’d survived close encounters with armed men and a snake, but could I survive if he rejected me? I held my breath.
He cleared his throat gently. “I don’t know if I can be the man you want me to be, Linds, but I want to be with you. I’ve been miserable all week, not knowing how to make things right. I can’t eat. I can’t sleep. You’re under my skin. Please tell me it’s like that for you.”
“It is.” Relieved, I cupped his face. “Whether you admit it or not, Ike Harper, you love me, same as I love you. One of these days you’ll say the words.”
He stiffened. “Don’t corner me.”
“I’m not. I’m telling you I want you just as you are.”
“Thank God.”
He kissed me, and it felt like I’d come home. When he broke off the kiss, regret filled his eyes. “I know,” I said, feeling the same longing. “We’ll make up properly later.”
“Damn straight. Meanwhile, let’s nail these bad guys.”
Chapter 15
Janey and I wrote our statements in Ike’s office, then Junior Curtis joined us to watch the interviews through the observation window. Ike started with the young man. Ozzie Shaniman claimed Cap’n Nick was a criminal who forced him to do his bidding. Ozzie admitted he knew eggs were in the cooler, but reiterated he had no choice. His “Nick made me do it” defense was all Ike got out of him because the next word out of Ozzie’s mouth was “lawyer.”
After Ozzie was taken back to a cell, Cap’n Nick was seated in the interview room. At first he denied any knowledge of the turtle eggs, but Ike played him a few audio clips from last night, and the fisherman realized he was snared.
“It’s not my fault,” he said. “I’ve got a disease.”
“You committed a federal crime. What kind of disease makes you steal turtle eggs?” Ike asked.
“She made me do it.”
“Who made you?”
“The witch.”
“I need a name.”
“Lady Jay.”
“Real name.”
“I never knew her real name. Didn’t want to know. Once she got her hooks in me, I couldn’t stop seeing her.”
“Go on.”
Cap’n Nick hesitated. “It’s embarrassing.”
“As embarrassing as spending time in federal prison for stealing turtle eggs?”
“My family can’t know.”
“Shoulda thought of that before you cut loose. What’s the deal?”
He shook his head. “I can’t.”
“Yes, you can. I got you cold on the federal crime, and you’re my top suspect now for killing Selma Crowley. She catch you stealing the eggs?”
“I didn’t kill nobody.”
“Try again.”
“I did wrong, but I never intended to hurt that gal. She wouldn’t let anyone touch her. That was the problem. She wouldn’t play along.”
“With what?”
Cap’n Nick clamped his lips together.
“Is this about the sex club?” Ike asked. “Is that why you’re embarrassed? You don’t want to be caught with your pants down?”
“I like sex. Sue me.”
“And there was plenty of sex on the island.”
I inched closer to the speaker because I didn’t want to miss a word.
“For a price,” Cap’n Nick said. “I used my shrimp profits to buy time with the girls, but the madam was something else. She cost four times as much, but she was worth every dollar. I can’t get enough of her.”
“She lives on the island?”
“She’s there most weekends. But she’s booked way in advance. I begged her for more time, but she laughed. Said I’d have to grovel and do her dirty work and then she’d think about it.”
“Where’d you meet her?”
“I ferried her and her after-hours customers back and forth. That’s how I discovered she had a sex club over there.”
“How’d it work? You drop the johns off at the ferry landing?”
“No, I’d haul her guys to the back of the island. A golf cart would be near the drop site, and it was programmed to her location. Customers knew the drill, but business fell off when the new Turtle Girl wouldn’t play along.”
“She was on the beach at all hours of the night. She see you?”
“Once, and I thought nothing of it. But the last time she saw me, I’d carried lover boy over there, and it wasn’t to see her.”
“Are you referring to Mr. Shaniman?”
Cap’n Nick scoffed, made a dismissive gesture with his hand. “Ozzie. I wish I’d never laid eyes on that kid.”
“Why?”
“Because he’s addicted to sex, same as me.”
“Y’all are together?”
“No. We’re monotonous. I mean monogamous. Hell, I don’t know what I mean. We like women.”
“You’re heterosexual?”
“Yes. That’s the word.”
“Why did Miss Crowley get upset about Mr. Shaniman’s presence on the island?”
“Because she thought he was stalking her. But he’d been shagging a bouncy blonde chick all night, same as I’d been with the madam. Let me tell you, those little blue pills are magic. Then, when Selma saw us, I had the bright idea of doing her on the beach. Ozzie didn’t lik
e that.
“We fought. He grabbed a shovel from her Gator and came after me. I wrestled it away from him and swung at him, but the little gal…” his voice drifted off.
“What about her?”
“She leapt to his defense. When the shovel came down, I struck her head. Hard. I didn’t mean to hit her. She stepped in the way. It was an accident.”
“Why didn’t you report it?”
“I couldn’t. I was supposed to be at my buddy’s house playing poker. My wife’s gonna kill me.”
His words aggravated the heck out of me. I glanced over my shoulder at Janey. “What an idiot. He’s more scared of his wife than prison?”
“His wife’s a Lowe. He should be scared,” Janey said.
Good point. The Lowes were a violent bunch. I turned back to the drama in the interview room.
“Where’s the shovel?” Ike asked.
“I don’t know. Me and the kid buried her and scratched off.”
“You left the shovel on the island?”
“I dropped it off at a thrift shop in town. Why waste a good tool? But I told the kid I had it and his fingerprints were on it from helping me bury her. That’s why he helped me steal the turtle eggs this time.” He hung his head. “I needed more money for another visit with Lady Jay.”
~*~
Afterward, I caught up with Ike in his office. “The bouncy blonde must be Minnie Lee. She’s the only person over there who fits that description. Will you go after the sex club?”
“Prostitution is illegal,” Ike said. “But this Lady Jay sounds savvy about due process. She won’t confess to anything.”
“Cap’n Nick can visually identify Lady Jay. Bet if you got the prosecuting attorney in here and waved some kind of deal at him, you’d have leverage with her.”
“You know who she is?”
“Don’t know for certain. My best guess is Dr. Jennifer Jernigan. There is a lot of hostility between her and Minnie Lee. Perhaps they were rivals in this sex club business.”
“The last prostitution rings in this county were shut down nearly seventy years ago.”
“Out at the truck stop?”
Happy Homicides 4: Fall Into Crime: Includes Happy Homicides 3: Summertime Crimes Page 81