by Beth Byers
The drive home to Simon made me long for Fiji given the way the rain was pounding my windshield, I was chilled from talking to Claire and Mitchell and not just because I’d done it in the rain. There didn’t seem to be any love between them or towards Jordy. Looking back on them, they were like enemies who were linked by the accident of birth. I knew, intellectually, that I was projecting. That I certainly didn’t know the two of them well enough to be sure how they really felt and who they really loved.
When I pulled into the house, I found Simon sitting on the porch, listening to the rain with a hot mug. The dogs were laying around him on the porch, and they came forward to the very edge of the porch staying just under the roof. I laughed at them, wagging their tails at me, as close as they could get without getting wet.
Simon, however, walked down and opened the back of the Forrester grabbing the bags of groceries. He took them inside, while I rubbed the dogs down, and then came back with a cup of coffee for me. I took a sip and let it warm me up, breathing it in and enjoying the perfect scent.
“I saw Carol and her son, Mitchell, at the grocery store.”
“We’ve been trying to track him down,” Simon said, with a frown. “That kid is elusive. It makes sense that you’d just run into him. Of course you did, you’re Rosemary Banks.”
“Technically,” I smirked up at him, “I’m still a Baldwin.”
I grinned at his grumbling as he sat down next to me on the swing. I snuggled in curling into my coat and enjoying the hot coffee. It was extra good with the pounding of the rain onto the roof.
“Did you know that he was the guy who was arguing with Jordy before he came into the diner?”
Simon shook his head and said, “We couldn’t figure out who that was. We met the whole staff of the mechanic station, and they were all at work or with someone.”
“That’s super weird. Why would Mitchell be wearing blue coveralls if he wasn’t a mechanic?”
“He needed to protect his clothes?” Simon was laughing at me a little and I elbowed him.
Mama Dog jumped up onto the swing and curled up into my lap while I said, “Everyday I’m grateful for my family. Aaron said that Hilary’s boyfriend is a real piece of work. Or something to that effect. Carol and Mitchell seemed unhappy. Running into people like them makes you realize how lucky you are. I am…you know what I mean.”
Simon grunted and then said, “Aaron knows a lot about the people who’ve been in and out of the Silver Falls police station over the years. Hilary being a sushi chef and having an apartment and making a life is a huge step forward considering what I’ve learned about her parents and brother. Like you said, we should be grateful for our families.”
I nodded and we went inside. Simon had made dinner, but I was feeling sick again.
“This murdering of people is really getting to me,” I told him. “Plus jet lag. I’m not switching back to Silver Falls time as quickly as I switched to Fiji time.”
“That’s because we’re suppose to be tropical people and the universe messed us up,” he said.
We went inside, and I curled up on the couch with the dogs and Simon came over to start a movie, but before he did, I asked,”Do you think Geoff killed Jordy?”
Simon shook his head. “Geoff has a regular job. He was at work. If his family is responsible for Jordy’s death, it was Addy or Shane.”
“Are they providing alibis for each other?”
Simon nodded.
“Aaron says that Addy doesn’t have it in her and Shane isn’t the type of woman who would carry the knife that killed him.”
Simon considered that and then admitted, “That’s probably true. I’m not sure I can see Shane planning the murder, and she probably wouldn’t have that kind of weapon. It was something hunter’s would use.”
I wove my fingers through his and then said, “So if you follow Aaron’s logic…”
Simon looked up.
“Then it wouldn’t be Hank or Jane. Not just because we love them, but because they have the money to solve their problems with a lawyer.”
Simon nodded. “So?”
“So if it isn’t the parents of the kids. Then it would be someone else who had killing hate that carried over for years since he hadn’t been here long enough to have a new crime running, right?”
Simon glanced at me and then said, “Yeah. Jordy flew into Portland the same day we did.”
I yawned and pulled the couch throw over my lap. I pressed my face next to him and said, “So this guy comes to town. He’s a big enough dirtbag to try to blackmail the moms of his kids by risking their kids.”
Goliath walked over and placed his head in Simon’s lap turning big woeful eyes up at Simon and whining. Simon scratched the dog’s ears without a seconds delay and then said, “Dirtbag is an accurate statement.”
“So…if then it’s either Hilary’s boyfriend since they knew each other back in the day and maybe have some unknown long-term hate. Hate that was deep enough though to live with Jordy’s sister? I’m not sure I buy that someone who would kill a guy years later would shack up with that guy’s sister. I mean not without being truly awful to the sister, but Hilary seemed…confident.”
“So maybe Davey is mooching off of Hilary, but he isn’t abusing her?”
I nodded.
“The aunt and the cousin…” Simon said. “it’s an interesting theory. But there’s no evidence.”
“Maybe there should be. He was wearing…”
I was going to elaborate but the parrots in the office start shrieking. It was a cacophony of screeches and the dogs barked in reply. I felt like we were in a shouting match between the animals. We had gone from late night quiet to madness and I slowly stood. Goliath growled as I did. Simon grabbed my wrist with his eyes on Goliath and then he said, “Stay here.”
“What?”
He crossed to the gun safe in the living room where he kept his revolver for work and slowly opened it.
“What are you doing?” I hissed as I watched him pull out his gun and check it.
“This isn’t normal,” he said. “Go to the back of the house.”
“It’s the birds,” I replied. “They’re just setting off the dogs.”
“No, not with Goliath growling. Please, stay here, Rose.”
“But…”
“Rose!” He sounded angry, and I held up my hands. I grabbed Mama Dog and one of the pups and clucked to the other dogs. I wasn’t going to stay in our wide open living room while Simon snuck off to the front of the house with a gun.
Instead I pulled the dogs with me down the hall and put them into our bedroom. I started to crate them and then changed my mind. If someone was in the house, was it safer to have them locked up in crates? Was it safer for them to be free? What if something happened like when Donna had died and her dogs were locked in a crate? They hadn’t been able to get out of the house and I’d had to run into a burning place to save them. It was how I’d gotten my little flock of long-haired Daschunds.
I looked back towards where Simon had disappeared and then I crated the small dogs, Daisy, and Duke. A moment later, I dug under the bed for the second gun safe and found Simon’s personal weapon. My hands were shaking as I loaded it and then cracked the door open.
“Quiet,” I hissed to Duke. The birds were still screaming, so my progress was covered by their racket as I made my way down the hall, out to our front room, and then towards the office where we’d put the birds, tiptoeing the whole way.
“Don’t shoot, Simon,” I mouthed to myself, unable to believe I was doing this.
A moment later a crash sounded and the birds’ cacophony escalated to another level. A bird came flying into the living room followed by another one and then a third who was hobbling instead of flying. My eyes narrowed on the injured thing who hopped up onto a dining room chair and hid between the table and the chair. The rage I felt to see that hurt bird set me on fire.
Whoever had done that was with Simon. They…we were in trou
ble, I realized. My hands started to shake and I had to put my faith in Simon, the policeman. His training would see us through this.
Goliath wasn’t growling, but he’d partially blocked my path from where I was sneaking forward. I no longer had any doubt that someone was in the house, so I pulled out my phone and messaged Zee to call for the police and then peeked around the side of the office door.
Mitchell was facing off with Simon. They both had guns out and pointed at each other. Mitchell was wearing that coverall again, and it was far more sinister than I thought it would be to see it in my house. He was protecting his clothes. Why? If not to protect himself from something like blood spatter? He’d come here with a terrible intent.
“Put the gun down,” Simon said calmly, “Nothing good is going to come from trying to battle a cop in his own home.”
“A cop?” Mitchell demanded. “Are you kidding me?”
“Didn’t you know?” Simon asked.
Mitchell cursed and then said, “This is all Jordys’ fault. My whole life is Jordy’s fault.”
“He left you on the hook for something, didn’t he?” I shouldn’t have said a word, but the words were out of my mouth before my brains fully engaged.
Mitchell cursed and waved his gun at me to go into the room. I didn’t know. I watched him carefully and said, “And…you aren’t the mastermind here are you? Your mom said you and Jordy got in a fight. You got hurt. Jordy took off. What took her three years to payoff? It wasn’t your wrist was it?”
Mitchell’s mouth snapped shut and he jerked with his gun again. He wanted me closer to Simon, but I wasn’t going to make things easier for him.
“So what did Jordy do? Steal from people you don’t steal from? Or was that you?”
Mitchell cursed and then kicked the office chair aside waving for me to come into the office. Simon and I both had guns, but Mitchell didn’t realize about mine. I wasn’t going to obey Mitchell when I could tell Simon didn’t want me to take another step.
“He stole from people, yeah. I ended up taking the fall for it. If my mom hadn’t stepped in, I’d have been killed and dumped in the ocean. But that doesn’t mean I killed Jordy.”
“But of all the people we’ve met who might have, I bet you’re the only one to carry the kind of weapon that did kill him.”
Mitchell’s panicked gaze narrowed on me again and Simon said, “Rose…”
I glanced at Simon. He was the one who looked sick, where for once my stomachache was gone. My phone buzzed with Zee’s call. Her individual ring tone was enough to tell me help was on the way. I wished it were possible for me to tell Simon that, but he did know me pretty well. I saw his gaze flick to my pocket and I gave him a very slight nod.
Help was on its way. All we had to do was stall. I glanced at the door and then at Simon. I wasn’t sure what he saw in my face, but Mitchell cursed.
“You were supposed to be alone,” Mitchell snarled. “I wonder…”
I glanced at him and then said, “You wonder if your mom knew that I lived with a cop?”
He didn’t answer. He just did that thing where he seemed to grow in size. My heart fluttered a little. Everything that I loved most in the world was right here and this guy had a gun.
“Your mom got you out of the mess. Whatever she did must have paid off your debts and made you guys flush with money later. Why coveralls? Were you growing illegal weed? But that’s legal now. What is it?” With a stab in the dark I guess, “Mushrooms? Maybe still pot but more than you’re licensed for? Something that you need to protect from you. Then Jordy came back and he figured you guys out in minutes didn’t he? Did he threaten you like he threatened Addison and Jane?”
Mitchell was glancing between me and Simon while Simon stood steady, his gun at the ready. “Put the gun down.”
“Your nosy woman is right there. This wouldn’t have happened if she hadn’t interfered.”
“Of course it would have,” Simon said. “The sheriff had already said it must have something to do with you. We were just working on a warrant this afternoon.”
Mitchell’s gaze widened and Simon said, “You’ve already made things worse for yourself. Why not put down the gun and stop this in the tracks?”
Mitchell shook his head, and I could see the panic mounting. His eyes jumped from me to Simon and back again, and the worry and stress was going to lead to me being a widow far too soon. I pulled the gun from behind my back, dropping it to my side. It wasn’t visible and Mitchell didn't realize what I had done.
“The cops are already on their way,” I told him.
He looked back at the window he’d broken to get into our house and then he pointed the gun at me instead of Simon.
“Put your gun down or I’ll shoot your wife.”
Simon looked at me and then back at Mitchell. Slowly, Simon started to lower his gun and I raised mine. I took aim, closed my eyes, and shot Mitchell. I had little doubt that Mitchell would kill again. It wasn’t going to be the man I loved. Not when I could help it. A second later, his gun went off. I screamed, Mitchell fell, and then I realized my shoulder was screaming at me. Slowly I turned to look down and saw the blood flowing from just below my collar bone.
I…blacked out.
Chapter 13
“Is she all right?”
“I’m going to need you to back off.”
“But is she all right?”
“Sy,” Jane shouted. “Get out of my way.”
“Come on, man,” Hank said tugging at Simon’s arm.
I scrunched my eyes. My shoulder hurt bad. Really bad. Like a hot poker from the fire right into my side bad. I whimpered a little.
Jane said, “Suck it up, princess. If you cry out one more time, I’m going to be attacked by your normally stolid and calm husband.”
“I shot that guy,” I whispered.
“Yeah you did,” Zee’s voice sounded proud. “That’s my girl!”
I cracked my eyes open and then said, “Figures you’d be happy over that.”
“You gotta do what you gotta do,” Zee said. “You missed though.”
I slowly sat up despite Jane’s protest and met Simon’s gaze.
“Simon didn’t,” Zee said, happily running her hands together. “And then Goliath bit Mitchell and held him down while Simon moaned over you. It was all very dramatic and touching when the calvary—I mean me and Carver—arrived. I am put out, however, I was gonna shoot them.”
“I’m fine,” I said, meeting Simon’s gaze and ignoring Zee. I was trying to sound bright and happy. I failed miserably, but he smiled and pushed my hair back once Hank let go of Simon.
“She’s coming in the ambulance with me,” Jane told him.
They pushed my gurney to the ambulance and then Simon climbed in next to me. He took my good hand while Jane talked to the ambulance driver about the hospital. We were on our way, leaving the madness of catching the birds, soothing the dogs, doing something about the broken office window all behind. I knew Zee would take care of it and let my eyes flutter closed.
The process of being stitched up from a gunshot wound is not one that I recommend. The moments of watching your cop-husband take responsibility for what happened because I shot instead of him were also not recommended.
“I’m fine,” I told him.
“You…”
“I’m totally fine,” I said. I had pushed the bed to a sitting position and sent Zee for a drink so that Simon could flip out in peace.
“I should have…”
“You’re just nicer than I am,” I told him. “I shot him, or at him, because I knew the second you put your gun down, you were at risk. I’d rather lose him than you. You, on the other hand, didn’t shoot him because his gun was pointed at me.”
“I…”
“Simon Banks, I would feel much better if you would stop beating yourself up and come snuggle me.”
Simon slowly closed his mouth, crossed to me, lifted me up and scooted me to the side, so he could lay on hi
s side next to me.
“This bed is terrible,” he said a second later.
I prevented myself from telling him to try it out with a bullet wound and then, I turned into him, breathing him in, and letting both his scent and his warmth comfort me. “They came after us because I made this wild guess about why they had a nicer house in the parking lot. Mostly I was just mad they were being scary.”
“They came after us,” Simon countered, “because his mom knew we were closing in, and she was manipulating him into attacking, so she could play innocent. Unfortunately for her, Mitchell had recorded the conversation of her telling him to take care of you and giving him our address. He knew she thought he was stupid. He’d started recording her a long time ago. He had no idea we were married or I was a cop. She told him you…were single.”
I could guess what she’d actually said and it left me nauseous. I closed my eyes and tried to think happy thoughts, but I was failing. I did ok in the moment and then freaked out afterwards.
I took in a deep breath, wishing for our bed and the said, “I suppose that pause is filled in with mean things?”
“What she said about you doesn’t matter.”
I closed my eyes and imagined we were laying in a hammock in Fiji. It was freezing in the hospital room, but there I would be so warm that my muscles would be limp from the heat of it.
“We should get one of those sauna rooms rich people have,” I told him. “We could put on swimsuits, and imagine we were in Fiji.”
“No saunas for you,” Jane said. She came into the hospital room with a clipboard in her hand.
“Does that affect healing from a bullet wound?” Simon asked confused. Jane had been followed by Zee who snorted meanly.
“Put the pieces together, genius,” she suggested meanly.
I closed my eyes again and felt sleep starting to drift in at the edges of my mind.
“Is she ok?” Simon demanded.
“She’s fine, Simon,” Jane said gently. “Congratulations, you’re gonna be a daddy.”