Protection

by Linda Rettstatt

  Angie made a turn, drove a few blocks and pulled into the parking garage near the Majestic.

  Shannon had seen previews of the movie they’d selected and knew she’d enjoy it. She needed to laugh. The movie didn’t disappoint and she wiped away tears at some of the scenes.

  “That was great,” Angie said as they left the theater. “What did you think, Shannon?”

  “I laughed until I cried.”

  When they reached the pub, Angie drove around the block twice before suggesting the rest of them get out and go inside to get a table.

  “I’ll stay with you,” Shannon said. “That way you won’t have to walk back by yourself.”

  They found a parking spot that Angie just squeezed into a couple of blocks from the pub. “I knew this would happen.”

  Shannon shrugged. “It’s a nice evening for a walk. For once it’s not raining.”

  Angie slid a glance at her. “Do you always see the glass-half-full side of things?”

  “Definitely not. But you have to admit, it is a nice night.”

  “It is. So, are you having a fun? Rachel can be a bit overwhelming.”

  “She’s fine. I like your friends and, yes, I’m having a good time.”

  They walked in silence for a block, then Shannon asked, “So, have you heard from Jake?”

  “Nope. But I texted him that you were joining us tonight.” Angie glanced over at her. “I hope that’s okay. I should have asked.”

  Shannon shook her head. “It’s okay.”

  It was Angie’s turn to ask a question. “How did you and Jake meet?”

  Unprepared for the question, she slowed her pace. “We just sort of ran into each other. He’s a nice guy.”

  “He is. Though he’s being very mysterious about this trip out of town.”

  They reached the pub and Angie held the door for Shannon to go ahead of her. They found Lisa seated at a table. Rachel stood at the bar, smiling and talking to a very good looking guy. Shannon stared and Angie leaned in, saying, “She’s divorced since last April.”

  “Oh, I wasn’t thinking….” Heat flooded her face. “Okay, I was wondering.”

  “We have one rule here. You can meet a guy, but at the end of the evening, we all go home together. No girl left behind.”

  “That’s a very good rule,” Shannon said. “But I’m not looking for a guy.”

  Angie grinned. “Already got one?”

  “No. Had one. And now I have Bailey—and no guy.”

  Lisa nodded, then motioned toward Rachel. “Some women just can’t live without them.”

  The pub was simple, but held a certain elegance at the same time. The menu offered an eclectic mix of fancy and traditional fare. Shannon settled on fish and chips and a Quinn’s ale.

  Rachel returned to the table, all smiles and flush. “That guy I was talking to is an architect. We’re going out next weekend.”

  “Does he know about the twins?” Lisa asked.

  Rachel glanced down at her rather impressive chest. “I think he noticed.”

  Angie laughed. “Good one.”

  Shannon liked these women. They had fun without being too obvious. They laughed at one another and themselves and, in the end, had each other’s backs. She was reminded of Brooke and the good times they always had.

  “Hey, Shannon? You still with us?” Lisa asked.

  “I’m sorry. My mind was wandering.” She stood. “Where is the ladies’ room?”

  Angie pointed and Shannon followed the direction. She used the bathroom and was washing her hands when Angie came in. “You okay?”

  “Fine. I really like your friends. I was just thinking about a friend of mine I haven’t seen for a while. We used to do things like this. I kind of miss her.”

  “Well, you’re welcome to join us any time. We do this once a month, so mark your calendar.”

  They returned to the table as the waitress delivered their food. She’d also delivered a refill on Shannon’s beer. “No, please. I can’t have another.” The rich ale had already begun to make her feel loose-jointed.

  “Sure you can,” Angie said. “I’m the designated driver tonight. We each take a turn.”

  By the end of the evening, Shannon was slightly wobbly from the beer as the women strolled back to the SUV.

  Rachel put a hand on Shannon’s shoulder. “I’m so glad you came out with us tonight. I hope you’ll do this again.”

  “I will, thank you.”

  She had sobered by the time they reached Dawn’s house.

  “You sure you don’t want me to drive you two home?” Angie asked.

  “No, I’m fine now. And it’s only a few blocks.” Shannon followed Angie and Rachel into the house.

  Dawn sat on the sofa looking like the crazy cat lady, except she had children draped everywhere. Bailey slept in her lap. Dawn smiled up at Shannon and whispered. “You want to just stay here tonight? I have room.”

  “No, thanks. I have to be up in the morning early to help Helen Swinson.”

  Easing her hands under the sleeping baby, Dawn lifted her and stood. “We had a great time tonight. She was an angel.”

  “Thank you.” She strapped Bailey into the carrier. “I really appreciate this. I had fun tonight.”

  Dawn walked with her to the door. “You bring her by any time.”

  Angie followed Shannon to her car. “I’m glad you came with us. You have my phone number if you need anything. And most evenings, I work at Rusty’s. That’s a bar outside of town.” She headed for the SUV.

  “Aren’t you forgetting something?” Shannon asked.

  “What? My kids? They’re staying with Grandma overnight. That’s the only way I can sleep late in the morning.” She waved. “Have a good night.”

  Her own mother would be just like Dawn, always ready to take her grandbaby for an evening or an overnight. Sadness gnawed at Shannon as she started the car. How would Bailey get to know her grandma if they stayed here in Washington? Maybe it would be best if she moved to Pennsylvania with her mother and aunt.

  Shannon slowed as she approached the Swinson house. The streets were deserted except for one vehicle—a dark mid-sized car with tinted windows that sat idling at the curb just before the driveway. She considered continuing to drive, but where would she go? She had to come home sometime. Fumbling with the garage door opener clipped to the visor, she pressed the button. The door groaned open and then closed again behind the car. She sat until the overhead light went out, then got out of the car and stood on tiptoe to peer through one of the small block windows. She could make out the taillights and exhaust coming from the vehicle and she wished there were an inside stair entry to her apartment. She looped her purse over her shoulder, left the diaper bag behind, and hustled out the side door and up the steps with Bailey in her arms. Her heart pounded as she closed the door behind her and flipped on the kitchen light.

  Bailey stirred but went back to sleep as soon as Shannon lay her in the crib. After changing and crawling into bed, she stretched and tried to relax.

  The women she’d spent the evening with had been pleasant and friendly. None of them had pressed her for information about where she came from or why she was here in Snoqualmie or what kind of work she did or who was Bailey’s father. She’d told them she had a break-up shortly after Bailey was born and decided to find a new place to start over. She had met Jake and he had been very helpful to her in finding a place to live. And that led to a job of sorts. It had all been so easy. Maybe she was worrying too much about being found and about what other people would think of her.

  Shannon leaned toward the window and split the blinds with two fingers, looking down at the street. The car was gone. She let out a breath she had not been aware of holding in and burrowed into the soft, cool sheets.

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  Shannon jerked awake and listened. The wind had been building all evening, with reports of a storm moving in from the west. She split two of the slats in the mini-blinds and pee
red out, but saw no movement, other than the trees.

  She got up to check on Bailey in her crib. The infant was sprawled on her back, sleeping soundly, her bow-like mouth making a sucking motion now and then. She had one arm wrapped around her stuffed lamb.

  Just as she settled back into bed, Shannon heard a creaking sound. It was the sound made when anyone stepped on the second step from the top of her landing. Jake had mentioned replacing that step, but he’d never gotten around to it. Her heart pounded as she got out of bed and moved to the open bedroom door to listen. Now a scraping sound, like metal on metal. Like someone using a metal object on her aluminum storm door.

  She hurried back to the night stand and removed her .38 from the drawer. With the gun aimed downward at her side, she crept up the hall as far as the kitchen, where she would have a view of the door. She would have to open the inside door to see anything or anyone on the steps or landing. Instead, she dashed across the room to the window and looked down at the driveway. No vehicle.

  Breathing hard, she sat on the sofa, placing the gun gently on the coffee table. Her hands trembled and her mouth had gone dry. She went to the kitchen and got a glass of water, standing for a moment and listening. The wind whipped tree branches against the back and side of the apartment. Retrieving the gun, she went back down the hall, stopping first in the bathroom. Her heart raced and blood pounded in her ears.

  When Shannon stepped back out into the hallway, something caught her eye and she looked to her left. A man stood with his back to her rifling through mail on the dinette table. She jerked her body back into the bathroom, stifling a gasp. Her heart nearly leaped out of her chest as she tried to not make a sound. She wanted to get to Bailey, but it was too risky that he might see her cross the hall.

  She heard him moving about the living room. The baby chose that moment to waken and began to cry. She had to do something to keep him out there and not let him corner her or get near Bailey. The sound of shoes scuffing on the hardwood floor told her he was moving in her direction.

  After taking in and releasing a deep breath, she steadied herself, swung out of the bathroom with a wide stance and aimed the gun using both hands. “Stop right there.”

  He held something in his hand, presumably a gun, and took another step toward her. She fired.

  The sound ricocheted off the walls.

  The man clutched his abdomen and dropped to the floor.

  Bailey wailed from her crib.

  Shannon’s entire body shook. The man didn’t move but, as she stepped closer, he groaned and his fingers flexed. Her only phone was in the living room. She’d have to get past him to get to it. She moved closer, aiming the gun. “Don’t move or I’ll shoot again.” She inched along the wall, stepping around him. Keeping her eyes and the gun trained on him, she backed to the phone and pressed in 9-1-1.

  “9-1-1. What’s your emergency?” a woman asked.

  “I j-just sh-shot a man. He b-broke into my apartment.”

  “What is your name and address?”

  “Shannon Chase. 276 Falls Avenue, rear garage apartment.”

  “You said the person you shot broke in?”

  Bailey wailed in the background.

  “Is that a baby crying?”

  “Yes, but she’s fine.”

  “Is the man dead?”

  “I d-don’t know.”

  “Can you get out of the apartment until the police arrive?”

  She stood staring at the body sprawled on the floor. “I c-can’t. My baby’s in the back room and I don’t want to walk past him again. Please hurry.”

  “They’re on their way. Is the baby okay?”

  “Yes, I’m sure she’s scared. I have to try to get to her.”

  She startled when the door opened and Abe Swinson peered inside. “I heard a gunshot. Everything okay up here?” He flipped on the overhead lights, breathing hard. Then he spied the body on the floor. “What happened?”

  “He broke in. I have to get to Bailey. Can you hold this gun on him so I can go past him?”

  Abe took the gun in his crooked fingers. “Sure. Go right ahead.”

  Sirens sounded nearby as she lifted Bailey from her crib and tried to soothe her. She shielded he baby’s eyes and headed back to the living room. The man groaned, tried to raise up, then slumped unconscious on the floor.

  She hurried past him and stood beside Abe. Feet pounded up the outside steps and a police officer appeared in the doorway. “Whoa, you need to put that gun down, Abe.”

  Abe lowered the gun and nodded, “Hi, Tim.”

  The officer looked at the man on the floor, then told his partner who had entered behind him, “Better call for EMTs.”

  He approached the man and felt for a pulse. “He’s breathing.” He turned to Abe and Shannon. “Want to tell me what happened here?”

  “I shot him,” Shannon said. “He broke in and he had a gun.”

  “Where is it?” the officer asked.

  “I don’t know. It went flying when he fell.”

  The second officer began to search. “There’s something under the refrigerator. I can’t get to it.” He looked at Shannon. “You got a yardstick?”

  “There’s one inside the pantry cupboard in the corner.”

  He retrieved the yardstick and swiped under the fridge, making contact with an object that he slowly drew forward. “It’s a cell phone.”

  Another siren announced the arrival of the EMTs. More feet pounded up the stairs.

  “I swear he had a gun.” Bailey’s cry grew louder and Shannon swayed, trying to calm her. The thought that she’d just shot an unarmed man sent a wave of nausea through her.

  The EMTs rushed up the steps and into the apartment. They knelt to attend to the man on the floor.

  “Is he…dead?” Shannon asked.

  One of the EMTs pressed a stethoscope to the man’s chest. “Not yet, but he’s lost a lot of blood.”

  The policeman asked, “Do you know the guy?”

  Shannon shook her head. “I don’t think so.”

  “Why don’t you sit down and tell me everything that happened?”

  She jostled Bailey in her arms. “If I don’t change her diaper, she’s going to keep this up.”

  “Go ahead.”

  “I…um…have to go back there.” She pointed down the hallway past the body where the EMTs were at work.”

  “Where are the diapers?”

  “On top of the chest of drawers beside the crib in the bedroom.”

  “Hey, Greg, go back and get a diaper from the bedroom, would ya’?”

  “Sure thing.” The other officer returned and stepped around the EMTs to hand her the diaper.

  Once she had Bailey changed and quieted, she sat on the sofa. “I swear I thought he had a gun in his hand. He broke in.”

  The EMTs announced they were taking the victim to the hospital as they loaded him onto a stretcher.

  “Wait. Does he have ID on him? A wallet?” The officer reached into the man’s back pocket and removed a tri-fold wallet. He glanced at the driver’s license. “Says his name’s Anthony Baker and he’s from Jefferson City, Missouri.”

  “Baker?” Shannon asked.

  “You know him?”

  She hesitated. If she said yes, she’d have to explain a lot more than she wanted to. “No, I don’t.”

  As the EMTs prepared to transport the man to the hospital, the second police officer said, “I’ll ride along and stay with him.”

  The officer Abe had identified as Tim sat down beside Shannon and pulled out a notepad. “Tell me everything that happened.”

  “You going to be okay?” Abe asked Shannon.

  “I’ll be fine now. Thanks.”

  Abe excused himself to return to Helen. “You need anything from me, Tim, you know where to find me.” He handed over the gun. “I suppose you’ll need this.”

  “Is it yours?”

  The old man shook his head. “No. It belongs to Shannon.”

  S
hannon told the officer everything from the point of hearing something or someone outside the door to the point at which she shot the intruder.

  “And you don’t know him?”

  “I don’t. And I swear, in the dark I thought he was holding a gun.”

  The officer stared for a moment. “How long have you lived here?”

  “About a month.”

  “Where were you before this?”

  Her heart beat a rapid tattoo. Then she remembered the identity she’d been give. “Akron, Ohio. I don’t know this man and I don’t know why he would break into my apartment.”

  His gaze shifted to Bailey. “Cute baby. Where’s her father?”

  Heat spread into her face. “He’s not in the picture. He wanted me to get rid of her. I couldn’t do that.”

  The officer shook his head. “Any chance this Baker guy is connected to him?”

  “I don’t know. I left with Bailey so we could start over somewhere new, a place where we didn’t know anyone.”

  “Okay. Abe vouched for you, the fact that you and the baby are here alone and that man is a stranger. Your storm door and lock were both picked. You should have a deadbolt installed in that door.” He stood. “You’re not planning to leave town, are you?”

  “No. I work here. I take care of Abe’s wife, Helen.”

  He nodded toward the gun. “Do you have a permit for this?”

  Shannon felt as if someone had grabbed her by the throat. She swallowed hard. “No.”

  “I’m going to need to keep it for now.” He glanced at the blood pooled on the hardwood floor. “You have anyone I can call to come and be with you, help you clean this up?”

  She shook her head. “Not really. I’ll be fine.”

  “I may have more questions later, after I have a chance to talk to Mr. Baker.”

  “I understand.”

  After he left, she stared at the blood and began to shake uncontrollably. That guy had to be related to Corinne Baker Hastings. She edged around the red pool, the odor creating a coppery taste in her mouth. Once Bailey was back in her crib, Shannon grabbed the stack of old towels and a pair of rubber gloves from under the bathroom sink. She unfolded the towels and spread them over the pool, watching them turn a deep crimson as they soaked up the mess. Gagging, she opened a plastic trash bag, balled up the towels and stuffed them inside. Then she used a bucket of hot water and Pine Sol and a scrub brush to clean the rest as best she could. She tossed the scrub brush into the trash bag and raced down the stairs to put it all in the outside trashcan.