Shadow of Doubt

by Abbie Zanders

  “Those guys are bad news,” Luther continued. “Causing trouble. Luring away our local women.”

  “Luring them away?” Kate laughed, shaking her head, her mind conjuring ridiculous images from too much late-night television.

  She knew of both Sam Applehoff and Sandy Summers and didn’t think either of them were the type to be coerced or lured into anything they didn’t want to do. Plus, if the guys they’d hooked up with looked anything like the man who’d just left, she couldn’t blame them.

  “Seriously, Luther, what do you think they are, vampires or something?”

  He scowled and took a step toward her. Duke placed himself between them and gave a warning growl, stopping Luther in his tracks. Luther was one of the few people Duke did not like. They were one hundred percent in agreement on that because she didn’t care for Luther much these days either. She tolerated him only because their fathers had been best friends. Also, because Luther was the only accountant in town and Kate hated doing the books.

  “That dog’s a menace. He needs to be put down.”

  “Don’t you dare threaten Duke,” she warned. “He’s just protecting me.”

  She reached down and stroked Duke’s head. The dog stopped growling and sat on her foot but never took his eyes off of Luther. “Did you get everything you needed?”

  Luther nodded and patted the satchel. “I’ll get the fourth-quarter taxes done and then bring the forms with me on Sunday for your father to sign.”

  Kate nodded. Despite the fact that she and Luther were no longer together, her parents still invited him to their house every weekend for dinner. “I’ll tell him.”

  Luther leaned forward as if to kiss her cheek and then thought better of it when Duke started growling again. “See you Sunday.”

  “Not if I can help it,” she muttered under her breath as he went out the door. She would do what she did so often these days—come up with a good reason not to attend Sunday dinner at her parents’.

  “You’re so mean to him,” Kylie commented on a sigh. “You could do so much worse.”

  “Looks aren’t everything.”

  “He’s also reasonably articulate, he has a degree, and he runs the family business,” she added. “Why not give him another chance?”

  “Um, I don’t know. Maybe because he’s a lying, cheating man-whore?”

  “Everybody makes mistakes.”

  “A mistake is forgetting someone’s birthday or buying them a 3X in sexy lingerie when they wear an XL,” Kate growled, sounding much like Duke. It was still a touchy subject for her. She wasn’t petite like Kylie, but she wasn’t a 3X either, and Luther should have known better when he bought it for her. “It is not sticking your dick into another woman.”

  Or ten.

  There were probably even more that she didn’t know about. That was what happened when a guy was movie-star handsome and lived in a town of limited prospects. Some people were willing to overlook bad behavior that a less attractive man wouldn’t have been able to get away with.

  She wasn’t being sexist. It was the same with beautiful women, too. Like her sister, for instance. Kate loved her, but she got away with a lot more than Kate or Karyn had at her age. It was true what they said; the youngest child was also the most spoiled.

  “That was five years ago,” Kylie pressed, “and he’s still trying to get back together with you. What does that tell you?”

  “That he’s going to live a long and lonely life.”

  “Yeah, well, he’s not going to be the only one.”

  She wasn’t wrong. For the record, Kate was totally okay with that. She’d much rather spend the rest of her life alone than married to an asshole.

  Kylie sniffed and added, “Maybe he just hasn’t found someone woman enough to hold his attention.”

  “Well then, he’s shit out of luck because I’m pretty sure he’s already sampled all the local goods.”

  “Not all of them.”

  Kate narrowed her eyes at her younger sister, wondering if she was considering throwing her thong into the ring. Kylie had stars in her eyes when it came to Luther and, like their mother, tended to turn a blind eye to his indiscretions.

  As far as Kate knew, no one, including Luther, took Kylie’s crush seriously. Now that she was over twenty-one, the age difference might not be as much of an issue.

  “Kylie,” Kate warned softly, “you’re not seriously thinking about—”

  “Gah, no! Don’t be ridiculous.”

  A Shakespearean line from high school English popped into Kate’s head, something about a lady protesting too much. She also knew, based on the crossed arms and the challenging look in Kylie’s eyes, that she was not in the proper frame of mind to accept big-sisterly advice, so Kate shelved that discussion for another time and changed the topic.

  “We got a new shipment of plumbing supplies this morning. They’ll need to be inventoried before they can go on the shelves.”

  The change was immediate. Kylie’s arms dropped, and she gave Kate the puppy-dog eyes. “Can’t you do it?”

  “I can, but then you’d have to man the register.”

  A classic and well-practiced pout joined the puppy eyes. “Where’s Dad?”

  “Out back, handling a big lumber order for Jerry Petraski. You promised you’d help out today.”

  She huffed softly. “Fine. But don’t take all day. I have plans.”

  Kate headed to the back, Duke at her side. Kylie always “had plans,” even when she didn’t. More accurately, Kylie had an aversion to work, particularly anything that might mar her latest gel manicure.

  Kate looked down at her own short, unpolished nails and sighed. They were as different as night and day, she and Kylie, both in looks and personality. Kylie took after their mother—petite and feminine with dark hair and light-green eyes. She liked pretty, sparkly things, spent hours every day assembling and accessorizing her outfits, and could apply false eyelashes like a boss.

  Kate and Karyn, on the other hand, favored their father’s German heritage. Blonde hair, blue eyes, and a frame that was what their mother kindly called “big-boned.” Kate preferred comfort to fashion and liked getting her hands dirty, whether it be helping her father with some DIY project or getting creative with traditional recipes in her kitchen.

  She cheered herself up by thinking that, if there were a zombie apocalypse, she would have a much better chance of surviving than Kylie.

  The inventory took her a couple of hours. Duke wandered off at some point, which he often did. He came and went as he pleased. She didn’t worry. She didn’t know where he went every day, but she did know he’d show up at her place when it was time to turn in for the night.

  By the time she went back into the store, her father had replaced Kylie at the register. No big surprise there. Their father was far more susceptible to the puppy eyes than Kate was.

  “The inventory is done.”

  “Thanks, Katy-belle.” Her father infused the nickname with affection. He’d been calling her that for as long as she could remember. “Did you see Luther this morning?”

  “Yes. He said he’ll bring the tax forms with him for you to sign on Sunday.”

  “Good, good.”

  “Do you need me for anything else?”

  He smiled fondly at her. “No, I don’t think so.”

  “Thanks. I’m going to take off then.”

  “Got a hot date tonight?” he teased.

  “Several.”

  He knew it was her Meals on Wheels night. Once a week, Kate helped prepare and deliver meals and supplies to local residents, mostly elderly folks who lived alone or weren’t able to get to the store.

  She grabbed her coat and kissed her dad on the cheek. “See you tomorrow, Dad.”

  “Be careful, Katy. Everything that melted today is going to freeze up as soon as the sun goes down.”

  It didn’t matter that she was nearly thirty or that she’d lived in Sumneyville her whole life; her father still felt the
need to warn her of the perils of winter driving.

  “I know. I will.”

  Kate crossed the street to her place and then climbed up into her Jeep, glad for the heated seats as she waited for the defroster to do its thing. Butt warmers weren’t an option she normally would have considered, but the vehicle had come with the package, and the local used car dealer—also a good friend of her dad’s—had given her a great deal. Now that she’d experienced them, however, her ass was pretty sure it never wanted to go through another northeast Pennsylvania winter without them.

  As she drove down Main Street, she saw a dark pickup turn off onto the road leading up the mountain and thought about the guy who’d been in earlier.

  She hoped he’d meant what he said because she was already looking forward to next week.

  Chapter Three

  Mad Dog

  Mad Dog bit into yet another brownie, savoring the rich, chocolaty taste. It reminded him a lot of the ones his mother used to make when he was a kid. He’d never thought he’d taste one that came close to being as good, but these did. Clearly, the woman knew a thing or two about baking.

  The three dozen he’d started out with had been steadily decreasing as he made various stops in and around Sumneyville. By the time he got back to Sanctuary, he was down to two dozen and decided he needed to start rationing them if he wanted them to last.

  He set the wrapped plate on the table in his trailer and then proceeded to stow the purchases he’d made for himself. That accomplished, he grabbed one more brownie for the road and took the rest of the stuff up to the main building.

  “Where have you been?” Doc asked, joining him as he hefted the bag of rock salt onto his shoulder.

  Mad Dog thought of the way the pretty blonde’s eyes had widened when he did that earlier. Doc wasn’t nearly as impressed.

  “Just picked up a couple of things in town.” Mad Dog dropped the bag to the stack they already had and added the shovel to their growing collection.

  “Uh-huh. You went scouting, didn’t you?”

  “I needed food. Two birds, one stone.”

  Doc nodded. “Figured as much. Church and the others are inside, waiting for you. Cage has some updates.”

  Cage was their resident geek. He was working with Ian Callaghan down in Pine Ridge to get as much relevant intel on the local prepper group that had property bordering Sanctuary—and to which Dwayne and Daryl Freed were card-carrying members. At this point, there was no evidence to suggest that the group as a whole was involved in the series of “mishaps” they’d had last fall. However, with tensions escalating, it made sense to know all the players.

  Doc led him not to the war room, but to one of the smaller common rooms—something that might have been called a sitting room back in the early days of the place. After the kitchen and dining room, it was one of the first ones they’d finished. A massive hearth commanded one wall, built with stone found in and around the property. On the opposite wall, built-in bookshelves stretched from the floor to the high ceiling. An assortment of chairs and sofas and table lamps gave the place a homey, cozy feel while the series of large, arched windows kept it from feeling too confining. Sam had dubbed it “the decompression chamber,” and the name had stuck. It was hard to feel stressed in here.

  The other partners—Church, Cage, Smoke, and Heff—were already there, as were Sam and Sandy. Sam, he’d expected. She was Smoke’s woman and had been around long enough to be considered one of them. Seeing Sandy there was a bit of a surprise, but he supposed it shouldn’t have been. All indications were that she and Heff were together for the long haul. Plus, like Sam, she was a local and could provide valuable personal insight that digital search engines couldn’t.

  Church looked up when they entered. The look in his eyes suggested he knew exactly where Mad Dog had been and what he’d been doing. How Church felt about that remained to be seen.

  “Good, we’re all here,” Church began. “I spoke with the DA earlier today. After Freed gets out of the hospital, he’s going to be moved to a state correctional facility and held without bail. She’s compiling quite a laundry list of charges against him.”

  Beside Heff, Sandy shifted slightly. “What about Lenny?”

  Lenny Petraski was a former friend of hers. In addition to being a cop in Sumneyville, he was also Dwayne Freed’s cousin. They strongly suspected that Lenny had been Dwayne’s partner in crime in last year’s vandalism and sabotage attempts, but they didn’t have conclusive proof.

  What they did know was that Dwayne had been staying with Lenny when he went off the rails. As a police officer, Lenny would have known that since Dwayne was a convicted felon, it was illegal for him to own, operate, or have anything to do with firearms or ammunition and that, in order for Dwayne to stay at his place, all weapons should have been removed from the premises beforehand. Theoretically, Lenny could lose his badge, but no one believed that would actually happen.

  “He’ll probably just get a slap on the wrist and a talking-to,” Church answered. “The gun Dwayne used was unregistered. According to Petraski, the only weapon he had on hand was the department-issued piece, and he said it had been properly secured.”

  Heff snorted. “Yeah, right. The DA’s not that stupid.”

  “No, she’s not,” Doc agreed. “But she is up for reelection next year, and alienating local leaders isn’t conducive to maintaining her position. The best thing she can do is throw everything she has at Dwayne and say he acted alone, especially if there’s no proof to the contrary.”

  “Local politics at its finest,” Sam commented.

  Church turned to Cage. “You said you found something?”

  Cage nodded. “Most of the substantial purchases the preppers have made over the past year come from an LLC account managed by a local firm—Renninger Associates.”

  “The Renningers have been around a long time,” Church told us. “Emery Renninger was a friend of my father’s. He used to handle the finances for the resort.”

  “Emery passed away a few years ago,” Sam said. “His son, Luther, runs the business now.”

  “What do you know about Luther?”

  It was Sandy who answered, “He’s one of Sumneyville’s golden boys. Young, successful, Hollywood handsome, and very popular with the ladies.”

  “There’re so few of us,” Heff quipped.

  Sam rolled her eyes. “I thought he and Kate Handelmann were a thing?”

  Mad Dog’s ears perked up at the name, the image of the pretty blonde he’d come across earlier moving to the forefront of his thoughts. His chest tightened unexpectedly.

  “Ancient history,” Sandy answered, dismissively waving a hand. “But their families are still pretty close.”

  “Handelmann’s Hardware?” Mad Dog asked. “On Main Street?”

  “Yes,” Sandy confirmed. “You know it?”

  “I was there earlier today. Jerry Petraski and his son were there, too, buying a shitload of lumber by the looks of it.”

  “For the compound, you think?” asked Smoke.

  “That’s my guess, though I don’t know what they could be doing with it this time of year. Do we know if Handelmann is part of Meal Team Six?”

  Doc chuckled.

  Meal Team Six was what the guys called the untrained weekend warriors who liked to don tactical gear and play army under the guise of “preparing” for a natural disaster, global war, or zombie apocalypse. Some cells were serious and hard core. Others used it as an excuse to get away from their wives, drink beer, and shoot guns. They still weren’t sure which camp Freed and his boys fell into. Probably a little of both.

  “His name hasn’t come up as one of the known preppers, but he is a well-established business owner with ties in the local community. I wouldn’t be surprised.” Church turned his gaze to Mad Dog. “How did they react to your presence there?”

  He thought of the blonde’s smile and big blue eyes. “No blatant animosity. The woman who rang me up seemed friendly enough.�
��

  “Friendly or friendly?” Heff smirked. “Do we need to remind you of Church’s no fraternization with the local girls rule?”

  “That rule was mainly for you,” Doc pointed out before adding, “not that it did any good.”

  Heff grinned unrepentantly and pulled Sandy a little closer to him. “Some rules were made to be broken. Right, Smoke?”

  Smoke grunted.

  “It wasn’t like that,” Mad Dog growled, suddenly feeling defensive.

  “Of course not,” Heff said, but his grin grew. “I wasn’t suggesting otherwise. It’s not your fault. Women are just naturally drawn to broody, hulking strangers the size of a tank.”

  Mad Dog glared at Heff but withheld his response for the sake of the ladies present.

  “The woman you spoke with ... thirtyish, blonde?”

  He turned his attention to Sandy and schooled his expression. “Yes.”

  “That was probably Kate. She’s nice to everyone. Very active in the community, too.”

  “Sounds like Mad Dog has a new directive.” Doc grinned. “He can be our new public relations liaison.”

  “Hmm,” Heff said, his eyes glittering mischievously. “Do you think we need to have the talk with him?”

  Mad Dog took a deep breath and shook his head, refusing to rise to the bait. Heff was just being Heff, trying to gauge his level of interest based on his reaction. Most people thought he was just a natural smart-ass, but Mad Dog knew better. Heff was a hell of a lot sharper than that.

  “Any other updates?” Church asked, receiving a series of head shakes in response. “All right. Let’s meet back here tomorrow for a planning session at nineteen hundred. I want to have clear objectives on where we’ll be focusing our resources when the weather breaks. I’ve asked the new guys to join us and give their input, too.”

  “Good idea,” Doc said. “Never hurts to get a fresh perspective.”

  They stood up to leave.

  Mad Dog was already out the door when Heff called out to him, “Hey, MD, wait up.”

  Mad Dog slowed his pace. “What’s up?”