Burt shook his head. “No. The doctor said I could only have five minutes. When she gets stronger, I’ll be able to question her for longer periods of time.” He cocked his head. “I just thought you’d like to see her.”
With the way her day was going she found herself looking forward to lunch with Peter. “Can’t right now, Burt. I have a one-thirty meeting. Is it okay if I give you a call later? You can fill me in on the specifics then.”
“Sure,” Burt said.
Jonelle noticed how fast the smile faded on his face. “Great. No need to see me out,” she said, signaling him not to stand. “I’ve been here so often, I think you guys should give me a permanent visitor’s badge.” She nodded a quick good-by and trudged out of the division.
Once on the road, her mood improved. In her haste to meet Peter, Jonelle’s foot bore down on the gas petal. Right now she needed someone to jolt her out of her funky mood. She eased up once she realized she was putting way too much into a harmless little lunch and chastised herself for acting like a school girl on her first date. Still, she was glad she dressed in a nice pair of sage pants with patterned blouse and leather sandals, instead of jeans, knit top and athletic shoes. Jonelle parked in the back of the community theater lot. Peter’s lunch suggestion had the two of them taking his car.
Pleased he’d left a text stating to prepare for a surprise at lunch, Jonelle decided to wait for Peter in the parking lot rather than go inside the theater. She didn’t want to run into Sherman and have him question her about LucieBlu, or wonder what she knew about why the police contacted him. First, she needed to find out more from Burt regarding LucieBlu’s condition. And, she didn’t want Sherman to see her and Peter together.
The loud bang of a heavy door closing caught Jonelle’s attention. She looked across the parking lot and saw a tall, broad-shouldered figure hurry in her direction.
“Sorry I’m late,” he said, the words coming in quick breaths. “The show is finally coming together and Sherman didn’t want to stop.” He met Jonelle’s eyes.
“No problem. Fact is, I just got here myself. I am curious as to where we’re going,” she said.
They walked over to Peter’s silver BMW convertible. As she passed the back of the car Jonelle noticed the sticker from a used car dealer. He held the door open for her. “Nice car,” she said, getting in. “I just realized I never knew what you drove, since we always seemed to meet up different places.”
“Right,” he said, slipping behind the steering wheel. “That’s why I decided to drive. This way, it’s more like a date, if you know what I mean.”
Jonelle felt her face warm and immediately felt silly. “So, where are we going?” she asked, trying to hide her embarrassment.
Peter pealed out of the lot and headed onto the main drag before he answered.
“It’s a surprise,” he said. “I should have warned you the restaurant is a ways out. Something I discovered driving around one day.” He glanced at her. “You don’t have to be back anytime soon, do you?”
Jonelle decided a few hours away would do her good. Might even give her a fresh perspective on both of her cases. “If anything comes up,” she said, “everyone has my cell number.”
“Then sit back and enjoy the drive.”
Jonelle paid little attention to landmarks as Peter drove. She leaned back against the headrest and let the wind rush against her face. She’d almost forgotten what it was like to have an attractive man take control of a situation. As a modern woman, control was something she vowed never to relinquish. Yet today, she felt more relaxed and pampered than she had in a very long time, and she liked it. There’d be plenty more days ahead to be in charge.
Peter exited off the highway and made his way to a route number Jonelle barely noticed. The two lane road wound up and down and around, reminding her of a roller coaster.
They passed roadside fruit and vegetable stands. The occasional small, frame house appeared, set way back from the road. Open farmland rolled by, and led to fenced acreage enclosing cows in some of the fields, and horses in others.
“It’s gorgeous out here.”
“I agree,” Peter said. “Whenever I have the time, I just get in the car and drive. I found the place we’re having lunch on one of those drives.”
Not long after he made that comment, the car slowed a bit. About a mile later, a low, white building appeared on Jonelle’s right. Peter pulled onto the gravel drive. Since the parking spaces were not marked and there were already several cars in front, Peter drove around to the back. He laughed at the look on her face.
“Trust me,” he said as the two left the car. “This place has great food.”
“We’ll see,” she said, smiling. “I’m a little concerned it doesn’t look like much from the outside, though I guess when you call an establishment ‘Mom’s’ there’s only so much you can do in the way of ambiance.”
Peter grinned and held her arm as the two made their way up the three wooden steps.
The lunchtime crowd packed the large room and Peter was offered the choice of eating at the counter or waiting for a table. “We’d like to wait,” he said without asking Jonelle. She didn’t argue.
“It won’t be long,” the waitress said, writing their names in a book. Jonelle didn’t see the point of that since they were the only two people in line.
There was no place to sit and wait, so Peter and Jonelle moved over to one side.
“So, have you had any more news about LucieBlu?” Peter asked.
Jonelle shook her head. She wanted to put business aside and enjoy herself. If she told him what Burt said, he’d ask a lot of questions. There’d be plenty of time for that later. “Last I heard, the doctors were a little concerned she was still not able to communicate,” she said, avoiding his gaze. “They’re watching for signs of infection, of course, since she was beaten pretty badly. The one thing that pleases Marcella, is that LucieBlu’s parents seem genuinely concerned about her safety. Maybe this tragedy will bring them closer. One can only hope.”
Peter’s eyebrows knitted together. “She never mentioned family. I assumed she’d cut all ties. Do the doctors think she may not make it?”
“I’m not getting a sense of that,” Jonelle responded. “Her recovery might take longer than everyone thought.”
“What about her face? Surely she’ll be scarred for a long time. If not permanently.”
At the same time Peter asked the question, the waitress called them to say their table was ready. Not sure she heard Peter’s question right, Jonelle concentrated on the waitress as she escorted them to a booth against the far wall. After studying the menu, Jonelle ordered crab cakes advertised as “best this side of the shore” with a side order of green beans and fries. Peter ordered the crab cakes but with coleslaw and baked beans. Both selected sweet iced tea.
Jonelle perceived Peter’s concern for LucieBlu and decided to press a point that bothered her. “You know, Peter,” she said, sipping her tea through a straw. “You may want to re-consider working with LucieBlu as the lead one of these times. I mean, maybe you and the director can work it out where there wouldn’t be a need for you two to get all that, uh, physical. If you know what I mean.”
Peter shook his head. “I know what you mean. But,” he said, “it’s somewhat of a moot point.” A wide grin spread over his face. “One of the main reasons I wanted to have lunch with you is to share my good news. My agent’s been working on getting me an audition out in California for a sitcom, and it’s come through. I leave in about a week.”
Saved from an immediate reaction by the waitress placing huge plates of food in front of them, Jonelle pretended to study her order and set about putting condiments on her food. Damn her lousy luck. Something he said earlier nagged at her just out of reach of consciousness, yet she couldn’t put her finger on it. Instead, she put on a brave face. “Congrats.”
“Go on, try it.” He pointed at her food. “Let’s talk about something else,” Peter said.
<
br /> Jonelle relaxed a little and sampled a crab cake. The sweet, buttery taste of crab filled her mouth. “Boy, that’s good,” she said with a grin.
“Told you, you’d like it.”
The two of them ate a while in silence. Jonelle asked about the play. “When does it open?”
“A few days before I leave for the coast,” Peter said. “Sherman’s not happy, but he understands how this business works. My understudy will take over when I leave, but I’m going to open the play. It’ll be my last hurrah in this area. In fact, I want you to be my guest on opening night. And afterwards we can go out for drinks, to celebrate what I hope will be my last community theater gig.”
Jonelle felt conflicted. On the one hand, she was happy for him. On the other, she’d miss his company. She studied her food in an attempt to hide the disappointed look on her face. “Sounds super,” she said. “I’ll look forward to being a guest of the star of the show.”
Neither said much as the food disappeared from both plates. Jonelle didn’t want to think about him leaving. She was having too good of a time. After the waitress cleared the empty plates and inquired about dessert, “no thanks” they said in unison, Jonelle decided to wait and see what Peter would offer next.
He sat back against the booth. “That was great.”
“It certainly was,” Jonelle said, imitating his movement.
The sound of her phone chiming disturbed the mood. Jonelle muted the ring. “Sorry,” she said, frowning at the screen. It was Burt. Talk about bad timing.
“Do you need to answer that?” Peter asked.
“No. Well, maybe I better. Excuse me a sec.” Jonelle turned sideways in the booth. “This is not a good time Burt.”
Jonelle listened to what Burt said. Her heart skipped a beat as the full impact of what he revealed hit her.
CHAPTER 40
Peter watched Jonelle’s face. “Everything okay?” he asked. Jonelle shook her head. “Not really,” she said. “I need to get back.” Peter signaled the waitress and paid the check.
Multiple thoughts raced through Jonelle’s mind. She tried to mask the reaction to what Burt told her, but without much success.
“Something’s bothering you, I can tell,” Peter said. “You’d lose big time playing poker. Who’s Burt? What did he say to upset you?”
Jonelle shook her head. “He’s a friend. I’ve just received some, uh, interesting news so I need to hurry back to the office.”
Peter guided Jonelle to the car, went around to the driver’s side and started the engine. As he considered her, the soft expression on his face morphed into hard lines around the eyes and mouth. “He’s a friend, yet you have to get back to the office,” he said, more as a statement than a question. “So, I guess that means it has something to do with your line of work. Am I right?”
Jonelle didn’t answer; she didn’t trust herself to say the words swirling around in her brain. Peter drove out of the restaurant’s parking lot and steered the BMW back on the country road. On the way over, Jonelle hadn’t paid much attention to where they were going, she just sat back and enjoyed the journey.
Now, with senses prickling through every pore, she wished she had. She also felt like kicking herself for leaving her gun locked in the Jeep. How many times had she told herself over the last year never to go unprepared for any situation? Yet, the thought of bringing her weapon on a lunch date never occurred to her. She finally admitted it to herself. She was on a date and look where it got her. Jonelle stared at the passing countryside deep in thought. All she needed to do was try and maintain her composure until Peter drove her back to her Jeep.
Peter veered off onto a narrow country lane that looked more like a wide trail rather than a road.
Alarmed, she turned toward him. “I don’t remember coming this way. Where are you taking me?”
“Shortcut,” he answered, eyes glued to the road.
Jonelle gripped the door handle and struggled to keep the panic from her voice. “Men and their shortcuts,” she said, trying to lighten the mood. “I’ve never known them to work. It always seems to take a lot longer to get where you’re going. My late husband Del was the same way. He—”
“Oh, cut the crap, Jonelle,” Peter said. “I noticed your reaction to the call you got. I’m an actor, remember? It wasn’t just a friend. Somebody gave you information. And I bet it had to do with LucieBlu Bonderant.” His eyes narrowed as he spit out the woman’s name.
“Look, I don’t know what’s going on with you, but I’m expected at work soon, so I’d appreciate it if you would just take me to my car.” While she talked, Jonelle glanced down, searching for anything she could use as a weapon if she needed one. Not even a piece of paper lay on the floor of Peter’s convertible. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed the glove box. Most people kept a flashlight in there for emergencies.
“It’s locked,” he said, taking his eyes off the road and glaring at her. “I notice you didn’t answer my question.”
Peter pressed down on the gas pedal. The subsequent jolt smashed Jonelle’s chest against the seatbelt. He ignored her screams of protest and slammed the steering wheel with the palm of his hand.
“Why don’t people understand how important my career is, huh? Why? I can’t let anyone or anything screw up my life. I revealed something to her in confidence and she betrayed that trust by threatening to tell everyone. I warned her to keep quiet. I told LucieBlu if she kept insisting on trying to blackmail me by telling everyone I associated with trannys and queers, that I’d show her what it felt like when someone pushed back.”
“Don’t call her a thing,” Jonelle said, anger rising up in her in spite of the position she found herself. “And what the hell’s wrong with you anyway? All this, me, me, me crap. Yeah, I get it. You wanna be a movie star. Things are different now. Nobody cares anymore if boys like boys.”
“You don’t get it, do you?” Peter shouted. “Oh, yeah. Everybody’s so liberal minded until it’s just you and some white guy up for a role.” He leaned his arm on the door with his hand on his head. “Shut up and let me think.”
Did he or didn’t he have a plan? Jonelle wasn’t sure. And if he didn’t have a weapon, that put them both on equal footing. The odds were even and she relaxed a little.
After driving a ways, Peter braked sharply, once again throwing Jonelle against the seatbelt. “Ow,” she yelled. “Knock it off.”
He swerved to the right and drove down a narrow, dirt road. “Damn, almost missed it,” he mumbled.
“What did you say?”
He answered by turning to look at her, eyes bright and wild. Jonelle sank deeper in her seat.
Tall trees formed a leafy canopy on either side of the lane. Shaded from the sun the air cooled around the car’s occupants.
Jonelle touched the door-handle and pulled. Nothing happened. He’d engaged the locks from the driver’s side controls, preventing her from opening the door. He sneered at her attempt to escape.
“Peter, you must know you won’t get away with this,” Jonelle said, forcing reason in her voice. “I told my receptionist what I’d planned for the afternoon, and I know the waitress will recognize the both of us. Let’s just go back. LucieBlu is still alive. Whatever happened that night, you may get off with a lighter sentence if you agree to cooperate.”
Peter ignored Jonelle and steered the car down the uneven, winding road. The wheels bumped and dipped as he drove through ruts and potholes. Jonelle’s sides ached with each sway and tilt. If she could engage him, she might have a chance of getting out of this mess alive. “What did you mean when you said, ‘almost missed it?’ Where are we going?”
“An actor must always be prepared,” he said, as though reciting a phrase from a book. He reached down under his seat and retrieved a pistol. He slowed the car and aimed the weapon at her head.
Jonelle automatically pulled away from the barrel. “So you had this planned all along?” she asked.
Peter responded with a sl
y smile. “I really hoped it wouldn’t come to this.” He shrugged. “But, hey. No stopping now. This time, I’m going to remove my problem the right way.”
The guy was nuts and that lent a whole new dimension to the situation. Jonelle knew that even if she got out of her seatbelt, Peter would shoot her before she leapt out of the car.
He turned left off the road and traveled a few feet into a wide opening in the trees. He cut the car’s engine. “Get out,” he said, releasing the locks.
Jonelle unbuckled her seatbelt and climbed out of the car, her eyes glued on the gun. His hands shook. He used the gun to indicate for her to come to his side of the car. She did as she was told and stopped a few feet in front of him.
“You’re making things worse for yourself,” she said. “Let’s end this now and go back—”
“Shut up!” He inclined his head toward the woods. “Go on,” he said. “We’re going to take a little walk.”
Jonelle hesitated. “Look, Peter. I can’t do this. I’m claustrophobic. Enclosed or tight spaces trigger panic attacks. Even a forest can cause severe anxiety.”
Peter laughed. “Hyperventilating in a bunch of trees is the least of your worries. Now, move.”
Jonelle turned and began picking her way through the undergrowth. Her pants snagged on sticker bushes as she staggered through the woods. The only trails visible were those made by deer. A few moments later, the terrain dropped suddenly and the deer trail ended. Sweat trickled down her face. Her breath quickened with the effort used to force her way through thick undergrowth. Her feet bled as she stumbled over rocks and tree stumps. Jonelle stopped.
“Keep moving,” Peter said.
“Where? I don’t see a path anymore.” Anger bubbled to the surface. Damned if she was gonna die in the middle of nowhere and be maggot food. “What is the big deal if people know you’re gay? Hell, half the people in Hollywood are gay if you believe all the magazines. Why attempt to kill someone for a stupid reason like that.” Unless.
Jonelle wondered if she’d happened upon his connection to LucieBlu. She squinted at Peter. She knew black men often had problems with shaving and sometimes developed rash-like skin conditions. No hint of stubble on his soft face, only a thin line of fuzz where a mustache would grow. And he had no Adam’s apple. She noted the hand around the gun. Below the narrow wrist, the fingers were slender and tapered; more feminine than hers. Damn.
Gone Missing: A Jonelle Sweet Mystery Book 2 Page 22