The Devil Wore Sneakers

by Nora LeDuc

  When they’d met, he’d fought the urge to kiss her, and now he’d be lucky if she told him the time. If Sullivan had his way, Liam would face a murder charge. Soon.

  Besides, what did he have to offer? A restaurant about to tank with debt. Hell, the bank might foreclose before Sullivan arrested him. Strange how fast life changed. At the moment, he didn’t have a future. Maybe if he lost the Moose and stayed out of jail, he’d rent an RV at the Happy Mobile Home Park. But Lucy would still be gone.

  A whine came from beside him. The dog had wandered downstairs earlier, as was his routine in the morning. Today he’d been growling at something outside. Liam had checked around, found nothing, and then was thankful for the pet’s company. He’d hoped Lucy would follow Target, but she never appeared.

  He got up and glanced into the restaurant. Lucy wasn’t in sight. He tamped down his disappointment and sank into his chair.

  The dog rose and sat down by Liam.

  “How you doing, pal?”

  Target laid his head on his thigh.

  “Miss Ryan? I understand. I miss Ryan and Lucy.” He stroked the dog’s ear. “Ryan, old bud, I bet you’d be surprised over what’s happened since you’ve been gone. And you could help me with Lucy. She always looked up to you even when she lectured you.”

  If only she’d believed him when he’d told her he’d always loved her. He didn’t want her money or her half of the Moose.

  Target pawed him again. “Right, I should do something. Why am I sitting here? I should be searching for Ali.” But today, he had to head south. It was more than a two-hour drive to Concord for his afternoon meetings with the banks and a lawyer.

  At least the talk at the bar last night had been about today’s upcoming spring ice storm and not about Ali or Ryan. He’d booked a room in Concord online after everyone had left. No white-knuckle trip home for him.

  He stood up, and the dog raised his head. “Yup, I’m leaving.”

  Sullivan had taken his phone. He’d buy a cheap one today. For now, he’d fall back on the old-fashioned way of communicating. He wrote Lucy a message: Out for the day & night. Target is in the office.

  The animal looked up at him.

  “If Sullivan shows up, Lucy can tell him she doesn’t know where I am. Sorry, boy, you stay. Lucy will come get you soon.”

  He bent and added: I picked up Bella’s locket from Ryan’s house. It’s on my desk.

  PS Don’t worry.

  * * *

  A scraping sound came from near her door. Lucy stopped working on the Moose’s website. She rose from the kitchen table and found a square piece of paper on the floor by the entryway. Matt?

  She hesitated and debated calling the police. No, she wasn’t letting Matt scare her. She swept up the paper. Her gaze jumped to the signature at the bottom. Liam had written her the note. Relief poured through her.

  Strange that he’d shot a message under her doorway, but maybe this was how their interaction would be from now on. She scanned the note and reread the last line twice.

  Don’t worry? Was he serious? He’d picked up Bella’s necklace that they’d forgotten when she’d discovered Ryan’s truck was gone from his garage and her thoughts had scattered. But the locket didn’t ease today’s fears.

  She scooted into the kitchen and looked out the window. Gray skies loomed overhead. Below, she spotted his empty parking space. Liam had left.

  She scooped up her cell. Her thumbs flew over the keys as she texted.

  Where are you?

  No, wait, Sullivan had mentioned they’d confiscated Liam’s phone during the search of the Moose. She couldn’t text him. A sense of apprehension hit her as she stared at her cell’s useless screen.

  A few minutes later, Target greeted her in the office with a sloppy kiss. On Liam’s desk was the gold locket with the B that Bella had wanted. He must have gone back for it. He still had Ryan’s key.

  The Mad Moose’s landline rang in the dining area.

  She hurried to answer. Target pranced by her side until he paused to sniff around the tables. She grabbed the phone behind the bar without glancing at the ID. “Liam?”

  “No, ah, this is Gage. Is this Lucy?”

  “Yes, but if you’re looking for Liam, he’s out.” She ran a hand through her hair and caught her fingers in a knot. She must look a mess after her usual night of tossing and turning.

  “Are you okay? There are two cruisers outside the bar. One parked on Main Street and the other one parked in Liam’s spot.”

  She snapped her head toward the window. A dark vehicle cruised to the curb in front of a patrol car. Lucy recognized it as similar to the one that followed Liam.

  A man with short hair wearing a dark jacket and dress pants exited the driver’s side. Sullivan climbed out of the passenger seat. Three officers emerged from the cruiser behind them. They joined Sullivan and the other law enforcer. The men headed to the door.

  She turned and ran into the office. Target trotted after her. Lucy’s heart pounded. She sent a wild gaze over the room. Where was a clue that told her where Liam had gone?

  The restaurant was locked. They were pounding on the door. Had they seen her glancing out at them?

  “Where are you, Liam?” She walked past the bar and through the dining room. She’d bet the other officers were blocking the rear exit.

  Inhaling a deep breath, she flipped the deadbolt and opened. “Chief Sullivan, did something happen? Did you come to talk?”

  “We’re here for Liam McAllister. I know he’s here.”

  “He’s not. His truck is gone.”

  “He probably moved it around the block.”

  “See for yourselves.” She stepped back, and Sullivan, his officers, and the man in the black suit plowed inside. As she shut the door, she spotted Gage watching from the doorway of his shop.

  She returned to the dining area. Sullivan stood near the bar, ordering people to search different rooms. Target peeked out from the office. He disappeared when Sullivan yelled to his men to go through closets and cabinets.

  Sullivan went into the office and returned in five minutes to enter the kitchen. She sat and wished she could block out the sound of shuffling feet, the closing and opening of doors, and their voices surrounding her.

  “Where’s McAllister?” The chief’s voice boomed across the room to her.

  She shook her head. “I haven’t seen him today.” For the first time this morning, she was glad she’d no idea where Liam was. “He left a note he’d be gone today and tonight.”

  Sullivan’s mouth tightened as he crossed the room to her. His gaze fell on her phone, which she was still gripping. “Where did he say he was going? He’s got to be near.”

  “He hasn’t called me. I thought you had his phone.”

  “Phones can be replaced or borrowed.” Sullivan frowned. “I’d like to look upstairs.”

  “He’s not in my place either.”

  “I’ll get a search warrant for upstairs.” His scowl told her he still disbelieved her.

  “I can’t guarantee he’d be there when you got one. Go ahead and search the apartment.”

  “Miss Watson, I’m arresting Liam McAllister for the murder of your brother. I know you want justice for Ryan and will cooperate with me.”

  “Liam’s truck is gone. I assume he’s driving it.”

  Sullivan looked puzzled as he strode toward the rear entry. He reappeared in minutes. His face was red, and anger seemed to roll off his rigid shoulders. “Is your apartment unlocked? I’m sending an officer upstairs.”

  No sense in refusing. “I’ll give you the key. I’m not hiding him.”

  The chief ordered two of his men to the second-floor apartment for McAllister. “Where’s the door to the cellar?” Sullivan barked at her.

  “In the rear hall. The basement’s musty and damp, and except for a few kegs, nothing is down there.”

  “The Moose opens at eleven. Where would McAllister take off an hour before unlocking his doors?�
�

  “I’ve no idea. I was working on the computer upstairs when he left the note under my door.” She dragged a chair from a table by the window, averting her face to compose her thoughts. Sullivan wanted to arrest Liam for Ryan’s murder. Maybe he’d gone to his lawyer. He’d mentioned getting one. That must be it.

  Across the street, she recognized Hank’s truck turning into Gage’s Garage. He’d seen the cops and was avoiding them.

  Bella hopped out of the pickup along with her brother. Gage came out and met them. He gestured to the bar, and Hank and Bella glanced over. Lucy raised her hand, but they had already turned away from her.

  The sound of footsteps overhead drew her attention. What were the officers doing in the apartment? She’d never gone through Liam’s closets. Sweat rolled down her forehead. She rose and walked into the hall. The cellar door was open.

  She stood in the hallway and peeked down into the lighted staircase. No noises came from below. She strained to hear the sounds of the men searching overhead. Where were they?

  Sullivan stomped up the basement stairs. His glare was enough to send little children running. The minutes ticked past while he and his men peered into tiny spaces and the large open Dumpsters.

  “We’re set for now,” the chief announced after an eternity. He handed her the upstairs apartment key. “Did McAllister drive up Goat Hill Road this morning and yesterday?”

  “I guess he did. Liam usually walks Target up the hill before I come downstairs in the morning.”

  The chief glanced at the screen of his phone. “Did he walk the dog to the church yesterday afternoon?”

  Was Liam meeting with Father Francis at the rectory? “I’m not sure. I went as far as the church steps with Target around lunchtime.”

  Sullivan’s forehead wrinkled in thought, then cleared. “The dog is in the office, right?”

  “He’s hiding.”

  His lips twisted into a grimace. “Son of a gun, he put it on the dog.”

  “Excuse me?” What was he talking about, Lucy wondered.

  “We’re moving out,” Sullivan shouted. “When McAllister returns from his mystery trip, I recommend he turn himself in at the station.”

  Sullivan and his uniforms exited the Moose. She locked the front door. Across the street, Gage, Hank, and Bella stood together in a knot, talking.

  What had brought out Sullivan’s anger? She replayed his questions and her responses in her mind. The answer flew into her mind. Liam had put the tracker on Target. No wonder he’d bought him a new collar.

  Lucy made her way to the rear and unbolted the locks for the crew. As she turned to leave, someone knocked.

  “Just a minute.” She rose on her tiptoes and peeked out the small rectangular window at the top of the door. She fell back on her heels. Couldn’t be.

  The door swung open.

  She gasped and clutched her chest. “What are you doing here?”

  Chapter 41

  The thin, dark-haired teenager frowned at Lucy. “I wanted to visit. Isn’t that okay?”

  Lisa Grant, the teenager Matt Hastings had abducted and tortured, dropped in to chat? “How did you get here? Is Teagan with you?” Lucy looked past her and through the open doorway.

  Lisa raised her brows. “I’m alone. Teagan went to a meeting. I followed my GPS. Got any coffee?”

  When Lucy folded her arms over her chest, Lisa shrugged. “Why were the police here? Because if they’re looking for me, I borrowed Teagan’s car.”

  “Lisa, does Teagan know where you are? Did you run away from home?”

  “No. This is a restaurant, huh? I’m thirsty.”

  “You stole a car?” What had the girl done?

  “Shh. No.” She gestured to the dining room. “Can I come inside? I drove a long ways.”

  “We’ll go in the office and talk.”

  “Okay, then coffee.”

  Lucy led the way into Liam’s office and temporary bedroom and closed the door behind Lisa.

  “Whose dog?” Lisa stared at Target lying on the corner of Liam’s bedroll on the sofa. “Why does he have his own sleeping bag?”

  Lucy rolled the desk chair near the couch. “Sit and explain why you’re here.”

  Lisa perched at the far end of the sofa. “Where’s the coffee?”

  “It’s heating up.”

  “I don’t hear or smell any.”

  Lucy sat across from the teen. “What are you doing in Barley?”

  “Okay. I overheard Teagan tell Noah that Matt might have murdered your brother, he stalked you to Barley, and he kidnaped another girl in this town. Oh, and the police suspect your old boyfriend killed your brother. So I came to volunteer.”

  “Volunteer for what? Lisa, driving to the Moose alone was dangerous.” Maybe Matt was tracking her, too. What in the name of sanity had prompted her to head to Barley? A normal person would hide out, but then Lisa never fit into average or ordinary.

  The teen had changed little in the few months since Lucy had seen her. Green streaks instead of pink highlighted her dark hair. She wore her usual jeans, a gray T-shirt, and cool-looking boots. The defiant get lost gleam in her eyes had faded. Where was her jacket? Teenagers.

  The girl shook her head. “Give me a chance to explain before you lecture me. Geesh.”

  Lisa was back to her old self.

  “I’m going to search for Matt. He’s thinking about me. I want to face him when they arrest him.”

  “How do you know he’s thinking about you?” A sick feeling gnawed at Lucy’s stomach.

  Lisa’s face went pale. “Yesterday, I got a message from him in the mail.” She dug into her jeans pocket and held up a holy card.

  Chapter 42

  Matt had sent Lisa a threat. Lucy’s chest tightened. She inhaled a deep breath to reassure herself she could breathe.

  “Hold on. I better lock the door.” She crossed the bar and the rear hall and went to the door. She bolted it.

  Feeling relieved, she returned to Lisa. “Now, what did Matt write you?”

  Lisa flipped over the card she gripped in her hand. “Visit me in the mountains and meet my new friend. God bless.”

  “Did you report the postcard to Noah or Teagan?”

  Lisa shook her head. “It came yesterday when she was out. I didn’t know what to do. I spent the night thinking about it. Teagan would have freaked if I showed her. She gets uptight if you say his name. That’s when I decided to come myself to warn you and to help while I’m here. He abducted that girl. He’s near you. I want to find him.”

  “Maybe the card’s a copycat.”

  “I worked in the parish office. I can recognize his handwriting. He didn’t bother to disguise it.”

  Lisa kept on top of everything, including Lucy’s relationship with Matt. “You need to call Teagan right away and tell her where you are and about Matt’s threat.”

  “Will you talk to her? Calm her down. Reassure her.”

  “You should have left her a note. You should be at home in Hawick Falls. Teagan will be a wreck.”

  “She’s out until noon.”

  “How’d you get her car?”

  “She went to a meeting with a friend. If I left her a note, she’d have called Noah, and he would have had the local police pick me up. I had to wait and make sure I got here first.” She glanced at her watch. “She won’t be home for another twenty minutes. I was supposed to take a science test while Teagan was at the workshop. Homeschooling rocks.”

  “Call Teagan or I will, and it won’t be to calm her.”

  “Okay. Okay. She might not answer.” Lisa dug her cell out of her pocket.

  Lucy wandered into the dining room. Across the street, Hank, Bella, and Gage huddled together. They were probably exchanging new theories about the investigation and would be at the door now that the officers had left. She blinked at the stab of pain above her eye. No time for a headache.

  “Lucy.” Lisa stood a few feet away, holding up her phone. “Teagan wants to spea
k to you.”

  From the girl’s expression, Lucy imagined her friend was beyond unhappy. Lucy reassured Teagan that Lisa was safe. She didn’t need to rearrange her life to chase after the girl, with an ice storm on the way. After much back and forth, the women decided Lisa would stay until the next day, when Teagan and Noah would escort her home and he’d meet with Sullivan for updates.

  “That’s stupid,” Lisa announced when she heard the plan. “Why do I need two people to drive up here to turn around and drive me home?”

  “Because no one knows where to find Matt, and a girl has disappeared from Barley, and you’ve received a threat from him, and Teagan is responsible for—”

  “Okay. One reason was enough.”

  The Mad Moose’s landline rang. Liam? She glanced at the caller ID. It was Hank. He must be calling to remind her the doors were locked. She let it go to voice mail.

  “Since you’re spending the day, you can help with inventory. The boxes of condiments are on the third floor. You’ll count each packet and record the number. I’ll show you the backup data sheet on my phone.”

  “How many are there?”

  “That’s what you’ll find out. I have to let in part of the crew.”

  Ten minutes later, Hank, Sadie, and Chip had shown up for work. Lucy filled everyone in on the police visit and the little she knew about Liam. She told them Lisa was visiting. The less said about the girl, the fewer questions Lucy would have to answer.

  Lisa set up to count in the upstairs kitchen. Lucy settled by the second-floor front window. She stared at her cell, hoping Liam had borrowed or bought a phone to use. Her phone seemed to hold a hypnotic power over her, not allowing her to look away from its screen.

  “Why do you keep staring at your cell?” Lisa asked from the doorway. “Did you and your ex have a fight?”

  “His name is Liam. I wanted to check in with him. He’s on a trip.”

  “If he’s driving, he can’t talk. This dog keeps bothering me to pet him.” She walked into the living room with Target at her heels. “We should go search for that missing girl. That’s why I came.”