The Straight Crimes

by Matt Juhl

The tattered edges of the oversized flannel blanket came loose in the breeze. Without hesitation, Harper quickly dug through the wicker basket and set plates on the two corners, hoping they’d keep. Everything needed to be perfect.

  Meanwhile, Nik stood under the shadows of the overgrown trees, lining the pathway to the sandy beach. He placed his hand over his chest, watching her frantically scurry to surprise him.

  “What’s all this?” Nik shouted as he approached her.

  She jumped. “You scared me.”

  “This is incredible.”

  Harper wrapped her arms around him. Then she rested her hands in the back pockets of his form-fitting blue jeans and kissed him tenderly. “Happy birthday.”

  “Well thank you. I’ve been trying to figure out what you had planned all day.”

  “Trying to ruin the surprise huh?” She laughed and ran her hand across his smooth chest and neckline. “C’mon sit down.”

  Nik’s eyes lit up as he watched her move.

  Harper anxiously directed him to the blanket. Then she began unloading the contents of the basket, which included warm garlic bread, angel hair pasta, and chicken parmesan. “I hope you’re hungry.”

  “This looks amazing.”

  “I’m glad you think so.” She began preparing his plate.

  Nik carefully cut into the tender meat and took a bite, slowly savoring the flavor. “I can’t believe you went to all this trouble for me.”

  “Since your father left, you said you’re always havin’ to make dinner. So I thought I’d treat you to a home-cooked meal for a change.”

  “I love it. Don’t take this the wrong way, but I didn’t even know you could cook.”

  “I can’t take all the credit. Kendall did most of the work. You should’ve seen me tryin’ in the kitchen. I looked like a damn disaster.”

  “Somehow I doubt that.”

  “Trust me, it was messy. I tried doin’ it myself, but somehow I managed to burn the breasts. Thank God for Kendall, or you’d be eatin’ some real well-done chicken right now.”

  “Even if it was burnt to a crisp, I still would’ve eaten it.”

  “You’re just bein’ nice. I ain’t very domestic.”

  “I promise that when you and I get our first place together, I’ll cook for you every night.”

  “Should I get that in writin’? I ain’t passin’ up that kind of deal. However, I suppose I’ll have to do somethin’ to return the favor,” she said, flashing a flirtatious grin.

  Nik lifted his eyebrows. “Oh I could think of a few things—like taking out the trash, cleaning the toilets…”

  “Boy, you sure know how to kill the mood.”

  Nik grinned playfully. “If my father could teach me, I can teach you.”

  “When did you start learnin’?”

  “I don’t remember exactly. I was pretty young. I’d sit on the kitchen counter and talk his ear off while he cooked. Eventually he put me to work. Part of me thought he just wanted to keep my hands busy so I’d shut up, but really, I think it was something that meant a lot to him.”

  “That’s a real nice memory. I’m sure he still thinks about those nights.”

  “I hope so.”

  “Mama never taught me to cook. She doesn’t really know how. Back in Louisiana, we ate a lot of TV dinners, but Aunt Faye knew her way around a kitchen. What I’d give for one more dinner with her.” Harper desperately tried to hide her forlorn expression. “I still can’t believe she’s gone.”

  “Don’t get discouraged. I knew you were hoping they’d find something at Whispy Creek yesterday. We’ve just gotta be patient.”

  “It’s disappointin’. Daisy made such a big deal about Brielle’s vision and the black box. Psychics are for saps.”

  “They’ll find the person who did this. Detective Harris won’t let us down. She’s been working on the case non-stop.”

  “I don’t wanna talk about her. Tonight ain’t about any of that. It’s about celebratin’ your birthday and nothin’ else.”

  “But I’m worried about you—“

  “I know, but you’re always worried about me.”

  “Are you okay though?”

  “I’m fine. Now eat your dinner before it gets cold.”

  After they finished, Nik helped Harper place the remnants back into the wicker basket. Then he threw another log onto the fire and joined her back under the warm blanket.

  “Okay I have one more surprise for you.”

  “What is it?” Nik asked.

  “I bought you something.”

  “Really?”

  “Yeah.”

  “You didn’t have to do that.”

  “Close your eyes.” Harper reached into her coat pocket and pulled out a small gift box, covered in silver foil wrapping with a tiny black bow on top. “Open it.”

  Nik carefully tore away the paper and lifted the lid off the box. Flashes from the fire reflected against the metal. “What’s this?”

  “It’s a thumb-ring. Read the inside.”

  Nik squinted into the darkness and held it up to the light as he read the inscription, “‘In the dark, you’re my light.’”

  “Put it on.”

  He placed it on his right thumb. “You didn’t have to get me anything. This is so nice.”

  “It looks good on you.”

  A genuine gleam flashed in Nik’s smile. “It really does. I just don’t know what to say. Thank you, babe. I love it.” Nik leaned over and rested his head on Harper’s forehead, delicately kissing her lips. Then he stared into her eyes and said, “I love you.”

  “I love you too,” she smiled. “I’m real glad you like it.”

  “This has been the best birthday ever.”

  “You’re just sayin’ that…”

  “Father would try so hard to make them great, but Dad always found some way to ruin my day. The worst was my last birthday. It was just after Father ran away, so he wasn’t there. It was just me and Dad.”

  “I’m sorry.”

  “Don’t be. This totally makes up for all of that and then some.”

  “Speakin’ of him, did you finally get his address from Old Man Winston?”

  “No, I went over there, but couldn’t get it.”

  “Why not?”

  “Pops has been out of town on a fishing trip, and Gage didn’t know where the address was.”

  “Gage doesn’t really know much at all.”

  “He seemed to know a lot about Pops…said he’s been acting weird.”

  “What did Gage say?”

  “Apparently Pops has been snooping around Faye’s yard in the middle of the night.”

  “Yeah, that’s exactly what Detective Harris told me. She thinks he’s a suspect.”

  Nik considered the possibility a moment. “Leaving town probably wasn’t the best idea then. It makes him look like he’s hiding something, like his guilt.”

  Harper covered her mouth. “Yeah, almost as guilty as Mama looks for runnin’ off too.” She let out a heavy breath.

  “I’m sorry. Let’s drop it.”

  Harper agreed as her teeth chattered. “Thanks. I just hate thinkin’ about all that.”

  “I know.” Nik put his hand on her frozen cheek. “You’re freezing.”

  “I’m fine.”

  “Come here.” Nik pulled Harper into a strong hug. “How’s that?”

  “Much better.”

  “Good. I could stay like this all night.”

  She smiled, enjoying the stillness of the moment.

  Then thoughts began running through her mind, so heavy that she couldn’t keep them in. “Can I ask you somethin’, babe?”

  “Of course.”

  “Earlier you were talkin’ about when we’re livin’ together in our first place.”

  “Oh yeah, I probably shouldn’t assume things like that.”

  “You really wanna live with me?”

  “Of course I do. How nice would it be, not having to sneak around my dad, Tra
ci, and everyone else that doesn’t want us to be together?”

  “It’d be perfect.”

  “We’ve just gotta make it through this last year of high school. I’ve already applied for that internship at the newspaper. After the holidays, I’m going to get a part-time job to start putting some money aside. That way by the time we graduate in the spring, we can move into an apartment.”

  “You’ve been puttin’ a lot of thought into this.”

  He smiled. “I’ve been meaning to get your take on the idea. With everything going on, I didn’t know if it’s something you’d wanna discuss right now. I just want us to be together.”

  “I wanna be with you too. Besides, the sooner I can get away from Traci the better.”

  “Really? Is it that bad?”

  “You ain’t got the slightest idea. She’s gettin’ real controllin’. Mama wasn’t even like that with me. I thought it was out of concern, but I think you were right.”

  “I was?”

  She nodded. “I think Traci likes me. She gets so upset every time your name comes up. She always tries to find ways to occupy my time so I can’t see you. At first I really believed she just wanted to protect me, but now it’s uncomfortable. I don’t know if I can make it a year with her.”

  “At least her place is big enough that you can keep your distance.”

  “I wish that was true. She’s drivin’ me crazy.”

  “I know Traci’s been suffocating you—”

  “Suffocatin’ doesn’t even begin describin’ it. If I have to hear one more thing about her party, I’m gonna scream. Thank God that thing’s gonna be over within a couple days. She’s so stressed that she keeps snappin’ at Kendall. I really don’t wanna go to it, but she’s made such a big deal about me bein’ there ‘cause it’s in her mother’s honor.”

  “What happened to her mother?”

  “I didn’t tell you?”

  “No.”

  “She drowned on a boatin’ trip in Lake Michigan durin’ a storm.”

  “Wow.”

  “Tell me about it.”

  “When was that?”

  “It was just last fall. Traci’s still strugglin’ with it, which is why she wants me there as her support.”

  “It’s just one night. You’ll make it.”

  “Yeah, but it’s on Saturday night. I’d rather spend that time with you.”

  “We’ll just hang out on Sunday.”

  “At least that gives me somethin’ to look forward to.”

  Suddenly, Harper’s phone rang, cutting into the serenity of the moment.

  “I’m sorry I should’ve turned it off. I’ll just ignore it.”

  After a brief moment of silence, it went off again.

  “Go ahead and get it,” Nik insisted.

  “I’m sorry.”

  “It’s fine.”

  Harper furiously dug through the bag, mentally prepared for another one of Traci’s disruptions.

  “Is it Traci?”

  “No,” Harper whispered. “I think it’s the police.”

  “Answer it.”

  “Detective Harris?”

  “Harper,” Tonya greeted her. The detective’s tone was uncharacteristically dismal.

  “You don’t sound like yourself. Is everything okay?” she asked.

  “Where are you?”

  “I’m at the beach with Nik, why?”

  “Harper,” Tonya cleared her throat. “I have some disturbing news. Can you come down here so we can talk?”

  “I’m out with Nik. Tonight’s his birthday.”

  Tonya groaned. “It’s important that we speak immediately.”

  She took a deep breath. “All right, I’m listenin’.”

  “It’s probably better that we speak in person—”

  “C’mon on, out with it. Just tell me what happened!” she pleaded.

  Against her better judgment, Tonya continued. “We spent yesterday searching Whispy Creek.”

  “Yeah?”

  “About twenty feet from the water, we found the black box that the psychic saw in her vision. It was covered by brush and logs, buried in a shallow grave.”

  Harper intently listened to each word. Suddenly, her face grew pale. “What’d you say?” She put her hand to her mouth and breathlessly cried as Tonya repeated herself. “No…” Harper dropped the phone and collapsed into Nik’s lap.

  “Babe, what is it?”

  “I can’t,” Harper choked on her tears, struggling to breathe. She was helpless. All she could do was point to her phone and desperately cling onto Nik.

  While he cradled Harper, Nik quickly picked up the phone. “Detective Harris? It’s Nik Roberts. What’s going on?”

  “We have a lead—unfortunately it isn’t exactly what we were hoping to find.”

  “What is it? Harper’s freaking the hell out over here!”

  “We found human remains. DNA records confirmed they belong to Mindi. I’m sorry she had to find out this way, but Harper’s mom is dead.”

  TWENTY-TWO

  Just before Traci’s party began, Kendall quietly lingered in Harper’s door frame, feeling completely on edge. It was a quiet escape from the madness. Somehow the undyingly loyal servant managed to drown out the rumbling of caterers, clanking exquisite stemware while bustling around in sheer panic.

  Harper sat at her vanity, looking out into the stormy sky with a vacant stare. The poor girl was barely able to muster the strength to run the gold-handled brush through her wavy hair. Since learning of her mom’s death, she was completely devastated.

  Watching Harper’s sadness was difficult. Kendall’s kind heart hadn’t known such compassion for someone since she worked for Andrea.

  Harper’s spirit had a pureness that mirrored her former employer’s humanity. And like Andrea, Harper had firsthand experience dealing with Traci’s selfishness.

  Kendall quietly noted Traci’s insensitivity unfold towards Harper in the preceding days. Although Traci had offered false sentiments, it was painfully clear that Mindi’s death wasn’t going to interfere with her agenda. Her blatant disregard for Harper’s loss was disgusting and infuriating.

  After being left behind by Andrea, having to work solely for Traci had become pure hell for Kendall. Every second of her bleak existence was a perpetual reminder of the foolish promise she made to Andrea, to always look after the compassionate woman’s only daughter. Kendall’s undying devotion and her sacred promise were her undoing, symbols of her blighted ambition.

  “Kendall!” Traci’s piercing voice blasted through the entire house.

  She ignored her boss. “Need some help?” she asked Harper in a hushed voice as she quietly closed the French doors to the bedroom.

  “It’s that obvious, huh? My eyes are a lil’ puffy from cryin’.”

  “You’re distraught, and understandably so.” Kendall grabbed the brush and ran its soft bristles through Harper’s hair. “I know we haven’t had much of a chance to talk since they found your mom, but I want you to know how terribly sorry I am. You’ve been through more in the past few months than some people endure in a lifetime. I can’t even imagine how you’re feeling.”

  She closed her eyes and put her hand on Kendall’s.

  “I’m here for you if you need anything. You know that.”

  “Thanks for bein’ so sweet.”

  “You’re trying so hard to pretend you’re all right, but it’s okay if you’re not.”

  “I just don’t know how much more I can handle.”

  “I know, but you’ve still gotta take care of yourself. I noticed you haven’t been sleeping. I heard you pacing last night.”

  Her expression grew cold. “That’s ‘cause I’m scared. All I can think about is that maniac out there who’s after me next.”

  “You don’t know that.” Kendall assured her.

  “He killed my family. Why wouldn’t he come after me? It’s just a question of when, especially if Detective Harris is right.”

>   “You’re talking about Bill Winston, aren’t you?”

  “Nik went to see him, but Gage said Pops disappeared weeks ago. Plus it’s no secret that he hated Mama—and she’s dead.”

  “That’s puzzling—” Kendall paused. “Wait, Gage?”

  “Yeah, he works for Pops and lives in his guest room.”

  “Gage.” Kendall cleared her throat. “I didn’t realize Bill Winston had taken in help.”

  “Do you know him?”

  “No,” she quickly denied the question as if it were an accusation. “I’ve never met Gage, but I know Bill. I just can’t imagine him doing something so horrible.”

  “This is a nightmare. I can’t believe we’re even havin’ this conversation. You know the worst part?”

  “What?”

  Harper pointed to her door. “She doesn’t get any of this.”

  “Of course not. Traci’s blind to everything except herself.”

  “When I told her about Mama, she didn’t care. I told Traci I didn’t wanna come tonight. I thought she might be a lil’ understandin’, but all she did was burst into tears.”

  “I wish I could say I’m surprised, but I’m not.”

  “The woman outright demanded that I go.”

  “Of course she did, but if you don’t wanna go, then you shouldn’t.”

  “Traci ain’t gonna let me out of it.” Harper walked to the window, watching the heavy rain pound against the glass. “I just wanna be with Nik.”

  “Is he coming tonight?”

  “Of course not—she hates him. I asked if he could and she said no.”

  “So? Do you have any idea how many people are gonna be here tonight? She wouldn’t even notice him.”

  “Are you kiddin’ me? If she caught a glimpse of Nik she’d have a panic attack. I feel like I ain’t got any choice but to stay here.”

  Kendall sighed. “Just wait ‘til Traci has a few drinks and then slip out.”

  “And walk to Nik’s house through the dark and pourin’ rain while a killer is on the loose?”

  “No. Just wait ‘til some of the guests arrive, then you can borrow my car and leave.”

  “Traci will kill us.”

  “So?”

  Harper looked at her in disbelief. “Girl, what’s goin’ on with you?”

  “Nothing.”

  “Yeah right, this ain’t like you, Kendall. You always do everything she says. Traci walks all over you. That’s just the way y’all are.”