Hidden Target

by Rebecca Deel

Madison sat on the front steps of the Otter Creek police station. Firemen battled the intense flames inside The Bare Ewe. Wind blew the acrid odor of charred wood into her face. She blinked, afraid to shift her gaze from the war zone. In her heart, she knew it wouldn’t make any difference but feared if she looked away the fire would win.

  She wrapped her arms around her bent knees, holding panic and pain at bay with a gossamer thread of control. At this rate, her livelihood would be smoke and ashes by dawn.

  Nick handed her a Coke and settled beside her on the step. “This might help with the smoky taste in your mouth.” He slipped his arm around her shoulders. “How are you holding up?”

  “I didn’t think things could get much worse.” She sipped the cold drink, then leaned her head against his arm. “I was so wrong.” They sat in silence and watched the bustling activity across the square. She wrinkled her nose at the pungent smell assaulting her senses. Between the fire, smoke and water damage, The Bare Ewe seemed like a total loss. At least the firemen contained the fire to her store. The buildings on either side of hers, Howard’s hardware store and the beauty shop, were undamaged.

  The wind shifted and blew a fresh wave of smoke into already irritated eyes. Nice. Bloodshot eyes to accompany dark smudges under her eyes tomorrow. She rubbed them, surprised to find tears on her fingers. Nick handed her a handkerchief and pulled her tighter against his side.

  She wiped her cheeks, leaving gray streaks on the white cloth. Nick nodded toward the street. “There’s Ethan.”

  Madison scrambled to her feet. She didn’t see any more flames from her store. Firemen milled around behind Ethan, alert for hot spots.

  A grim expression on his face, Ethan embraced her. “I’m so sorry, sweetheart. They tried, but the fire burned too hot, too fast.”

  Deep down, she knew he’d say those words, but pain still sliced through her. Despite an effort to stem the flood of emotion, sobs broke free anyway. Ethan tightened his hold and let her cry.

  When the emotional storm abated, Madison blotted her face with Nick’s damp handkerchief. “Sorry, Ethan. I didn’t mean to use you as a mop.”

  “No problem. I wish the outcome had been different. Look, I know it’s late, but I found something I think you ought to see before you go home.”

  He led them through the maze of fire hoses and emergency personnel to the front of the beauty shop. Ethan pulled a pair of rubber gloves from his pocket, knelt down and lifted a soggy floral box from the gutter.

  Madison gaped. She hadn’t seen the box hidden in the shadows. “Oh, Ethan, no.” She covered her mouth with a trembling hand.

  “One of the firemen kicked it out of the doorway.” Ethan opened the box, lifted the green paper and removed the card almost hidden by three dead roses. Holding it by the corner, he moved the small rectangle into the light so she could read the words. You can’t hide.

  Fury roared through Nick. Madison’s pain and fear ripped large gashes in his heart. She didn’t deserve any more anguish. Bates would pay for this night’s work. “Where is he?” He forced the words past his clenched jaw.

  Ethan’s hardened expression seemed surreal in the flashing emergency equipment lights. “I have a pretty good idea. We’ll check on him. Take Madison home.” Ethan’s black granite gaze locked onto his. “Stay away from Bates, Nick. If he set the fire, we’ll find evidence to put him behind bars. Don’t make me waste time or jail space on you.”

  Nick stared back at him, unflinching. He heard the unspoken threat. If he crossed the line with Bates, Ethan would haul him to jail before the dust cleared. His lip curled. He’d find a way to warn Bates off Madison without landing himself behind bars. He couldn’t protect her from jail, not that he’d done such a spectacular job to date. He rubbed his bristled cheek. So far Madison had lost her car and her business while on his watch.

  Ethan turned to Madison. “The arson investigator will be here tomorrow morning. We’ll talk after he’s finished.”

  “You think this is arson?”

  “I’ll wait until the facts are in before I draw any conclusions. In the meantime, go home. Get some rest. We’ll talk tomorrow.”

  Madison stared out the car window. In her mind’s eye, she saw The Bare Ewe going up in flames. What happened now? That store was everything to her—livelihood, hobby, therapy. Instead of talking to a psychologist after the loss of her husband, she opened The Bare Ewe. Though more expensive than therapy, she enjoyed interacting with knitting enthusiasts.

  Nick turned off the engine. She grimaced. Her hair smelled like smoked apples and her clothes carried the scent of charred wood. Her first stop would be the washing machine, then the shower. She preferred smokeless dreams tonight. If she slept. No guarantees on that.

  “You’ll be all right by yourself?” Nick asked, his eyes unreadable in the darkness. “I can call your mother or one of your sisters to come sit with you for a while.”

  She stilled. “You’re not staying?” Madison darted a quick look at her shadow-filled home with the strange night noises awaiting her. She licked dry lips and tightened her grasp on her purse.

  “I have something I need to take care of, but I’ll be back in a while.”

  “It can’t wait until morning?” What was he up to? She glanced at her watch. Where could he go at 1:00 a.m.? Her stomach lurched. Would Nick go after Bates and end up in jail? She grabbed his arm. “Nick, where are you going?”

  “I won’t be long.” He squeezed her hand. “I’ll check the house before I leave.”

  In silence, she handed him her keys. Why did the men in her life have to be so stubborn? Fine. If he wanted to test Ethan’s resolve, Nick could just bail himself out of jail in the morning. Fuming, she waited on the porch while he searched her house. When he returned, she clamped her lips against the warnings on the edge of her tongue.

  He nodded toward the patrol car parked across the street. “I’ll introduce myself to your babysitter before I leave.” He cupped the side of her face with his hand. “Don’t leave the house.”

  “No problem. Unlike you, I don’t feel like wandering around town tonight.” Madison covered his hand with hers and pressed into his warmth. “Nick, don’t do this, please.” She hated the pleading sound of her voice, but if it kept him from going, she’d whine like a puppy wanting attention. Her gut mumbled of dire consequences if he left.

  “I have to,” he whispered.

  He talked to the patrol officer for a minute, then got into his car, the street lamp illuminating the grim determination on his face. After the Mustang’s taillights faded in the distance, Madison barricaded herself in her home.

  Nick skirted the town square and drove around the eastern edge of Otter Creek, approaching Hank’s Bar from the other side of town. If Bates kept to his recent habits, he’d stay at the local watering hole until closing time. Unlike Knoxville, which contained several bars Bates favored, Otter Creek had Hank’s.

  The stale smell of beer, sweat and cigarette smoke greeted him at the door. He peered through the gloomy room, and spotted his quarry at the far end of a crowded bar. Nick sat on the vacant stool next to Bates and waved the approaching bartender away.

  Bates glared at him. “I already spent half my day at the police station, so whatever you want, I ain’t in the mood for it.” He drained his mug of the remaining russet-colored liquid, and motioned to the bartender for a refill.

  “You heard about the fire?”

  “Everybody’s talking about it.” His laugh sent a rush of chills down Nick’s spine. “Real shame.”

  “Where did you go after the cops turned you loose, Bates?”

  Bates’ eyes glittered, his face distorted in a sneer. “You don’t have a badge to hide behind anymore, Santana.”

  “I’ll find out anyway, and stir the town’s sentiments against you and Lynne before I’m finished. You might not care if the townspeople hate your guts, but what about your girlfriend?”

  Bates narrowed his eyes and grabbed his refilled mug. “
Leave her alone.” His voice raised a notch, enough to capture the attention of several people around them.

  Did Bates frequent the bar enough to become friends with customers? In perfect health, Nick wouldn’t hesitate to take on three or four of the guys eyeing him from the corner booth. Small price to pay for needed information. But his body hadn’t fully healed yet and this wasn’t Knoxville. He didn’t have friends on Otter Creek’s police force to smooth things over with the judge. If a brawl broke out, Ethan would toss his bruised body into a cell and lose the key.

  “How’d you hear about Lynne?” Bates swirled the liquid in his mug, then took a couple swallows.

  “Your father.”

  “Surprised he didn’t slam the door in your face.”

  “He would have but he wanted me to pass on a message when I found you.”

  Bates shot him a glance. “What message? He was fine last time I saw him.”

  “You didn’t look close.”

  Guilt flickered across the man’s face. “What’s he want?”

  “Call him.”

  Bates swiveled on the stool, questions in his eyes. “That’s it? Call home?”

  Nick shrugged. “That’s it. Now, where did you go when the cops released you?” When Bates glared at him again, he figured their five second truce was over.

  “I don’t have to tell you anything.”

  “Suit yourself. I’ll ask Lynne.” Nick expected a response, but the speed with which Bates grabbed his shirt and jerked him to his feet surprised him.

  “Hey, you got a problem, take it outside or I’ll call the cops,” the bartender said, his hand on the phone.

  Nick could have broken Bates’ hold, but about twenty customers watched the exchange with interest. He raised his hands and held them out in front of him with his palms flat, fingers spread. Content to let Bates look like the aggressor, he said, “Where were you?”

  Bates twisted his hands, pulling the shirt tighter, and drew Nick’s face closer. “Why do you want to know?”

  “Alibi.”

  He shoved Nick away from him. Customers closest to them scrambled clear of the two men. “I was here.” His laughter held no mirth. He waved his hand at the silent customers. “Meet my alibis. Now get out before some of my friends introduce you to their fists.”

  “If I find out you had anything to do with harassing Madison or the fire, you won’t have to worry about the cops coming after you. I’ll hunt you down myself.”

  “Hi, beautiful. Did I wake you?”

  Madison’s grip on her cell phone tightened. At the sound of Nick’s voice, she relaxed against her pillows. She didn’t hear typical station noises which filtered over the phone line when Ethan called her from work. “Of course not. Do you need bail money?”

  He laughed. “You don’t have much faith in my negotiation skills. No, I don’t need bail money.”

  “Good thing you don’t,” she said. “I’d bring your guitar and let you entertain your cellmates for a few days. Where are you?”

  “Outside your house. Henderson just left. Rod will take over in two hours.”

  Movement in the darkened corner of her bedroom drew her attention. Jewel, Serena’s Westie, left her pillow and leaped onto Madison’s bed. Jewel turned in three circles, heaved a great sigh and settled close to Madison’s head.

  She rubbed the soft, white furry ears, grateful her sister had brought Jewel over for company. Good thing Ethan had been occupied with the fire or he would’ve questioned her regarding Nick’s whereabouts. “What did Bates say?” She didn’t bother to ask if he found Bates. Nick wouldn’t be outside her house right now if he hadn’t.

  “Claims he’s been at Hank’s since Ethan cut him loose.”

  “Think he’s telling the truth?”

  “Maybe. I’m surprised I didn’t have to scrape him off the floor. After seven hours in that place, he should’ve been plastered. Bates wasn’t drunk. Either he drank soft drinks all night, has a miraculous tolerance for alcohol, or he lied about how long he’d been at Hank’s.”

  “What’s the next step, then?” Jewel crawled closer, laying her head next to the phone. Madison grinned. Serena would throw a fit if she found out Madison let the dog on her bed.

  “I’ll nose around town tomorrow, see if I can find someone who noticed him outside the bar tonight.”

  Nick could talk to a brick wall and get a response, but not in a small town. People here didn’t trust strangers, as Ethan had discovered over the last six frustrating months. Nick might get more information if she went along. She didn’t have a job at the moment. She already called her insurance agent and he promised to start processing her claim at first light.

  “Pick me up at 8:00. When the stores open, we’ll start talking to people.”

  “What do you mean ‘we’?”

  A smile spread across her face. He sounded uneasy. “I’m coming with you.”

  “No way!”

  She laughed. Jewel lifted her head, wagged her tail and inched closer to the phone, her nose nudging Madison’s hand. “You’ll learn more if I’m with you. People will be sympathetic about the store.”

  “But I might have to go to Hank’s,” he said. “I’m not taking you into a bar.”

  “So I’ll wait in the car or another store when you go there. Give up, Nick. It will take a few days to process the insurance paperwork and I need to look for a new store site anyway.”

  “Howard won’t rebuild?”

  She shifted onto her side, avoiding an enthusiastic lick on the mouth. “Mr. Howard wasn’t going to extend my lease. In fact, he wanted me to opt out of the last few months without penalty.”

  “Interesting.”

  Madison frowned. “Why do you say that?”

  “Did he say why he wanted you to break the lease?”

  She scowled at the phone, though he couldn’t see her face. “He wants to expand the hardware store.”

  “Hmm. I’ll see what I can get out of him tomorrow when I buy your locks.”

  “We’ll talk to him tomorrow,” she corrected. The more she thought about it, the more determined she became to go on the offensive. No more waiting for brave cowboys to roust the bad guys. When the stalking incidents occurred in Knoxville, she resigned herself to letting Luke do his job. She followed all his demands with the exception of coming home to Otter Creek. This time, she refused to lose more people she loved without a fight.

  Madison awoke to a cold nose nuzzling her neck, sandpapery licks and whines. She pried open one eyelid and glared at the white furry face peering into hers. The whines became more insistent, followed by a few yips. Groaning, Madison rolled over to squint at the clock. “Serena trained you to get up before the worms.” She felt around on the floor with her feet for her slippers. Jewel scrambled off the bed and raced to the bedroom door. “All right, I get the message.”

  She opened the door, stumbled around the dog leaping at her feet and shuffled to the kitchen where she’d left the leash. After Jewel “watered” several plants and investigated every grass blade in her backyard, Madison urged the Westie back into the house and turned her loose to investigate the rest of her surroundings.

  She fumbled through her cabinet and hit paydirt in the form of a pre-measured packet of Serena’s famous coffee blend. After starting the coffee, she stepped into the shower with her favorite apple-scented shower gel, yawning. Three hours of sleep didn’t go a long way.

  Madison’s thoughts circled back to the fire. She swallowed against the waterfall of tears threatening to overflow again. She could open the store at a different location.

  She rinsed the shampoo from her hair, hot water cascading over her fingers. She refused to retreat, no matter the cost to herself. But she couldn’t replace her family. Or Nick. He was putting his life on the line for her again, stirring things up and making himself a target.

  In her bedroom, Madison stared into her closet. She opted for comfortable clothes. No need to dress for work. She tied the final knot
in her tennis shoes, then noticed Jewel’s ears swiveling. Madison listened, but didn’t hear anything.

  The coffee aroma made her taste buds water. Her cell phone rang. She looked at the digital display, smiled. “You’re up early this morning.”

  Nick’s chuckle sent chills down her spine. “So are you. Didn’t expect a civil response before your cappuccino fix.”

  Jewel darted into the guest bedroom. What was wrong with her? “Jewel makes a great alarm clock. She investigated every bush and flower in the yard.” Madison searched for her sister’s dog and found her staring at the draped window. She frowned. Why was Serena’s dog acting so strange? The curtains blocked any light. Jewel couldn’t see out the window. Did she hear something?

  Nick laughed. “I’m headed into town to see if there are any new developments. Why don’t I swing by and pick you up now?”

  Jewel growled, her body whole body vibrating. Puzzled, Madison stared at the tense Westie. “What’s wrong, girl?”

  “Madison? What’s going on?”

  Uneasy, she moved closer to the window. “I don’t know. Jewel’s growling at the window.”

  “I’m only a couple miles from your house. Stay away from the windows and doors; I’ll check the yard when I get there.”

  She tore her gaze from the snarling dog and focused on her window. What did Jewel hear? Her grip tightened around the cell phone. Did Jewel hear someone outside her window?

  Something rattled against the window. Jewel’s bark echoed in the room.

  “Talk to me, Madison.” Nick’s voice sounded tense.

  She forced air into her lungs. Her heart pounded against the walls of her rib cage. “Someone’s at the window.”

  “Go to the bathroom and lock the door. There’s no window. He can’t get to you. I’m just around the corner.”

  Madison gritted her teeth. She refused to run and hide in the bathroom. What could happen with daylight outside and Nick down the street? This might be her chance to confront her own personal terrorist. With a shaking hand, she jerked the curtain aside and screamed.