Dead Man's Image

by Curry, Edna

  “You should have known he was dangerous if you suspected he'd already killed two people.”

  “Lighten up, Sheriff,” Paul said behind her. “She and I had planned to go see Harold together, but you put a damper on that plan by arresting me.”

  “How's Hank?” Lacey asked. Had she hit him? Or had the sheriff?

  “Is Hank the big guy? Tom's seeing to him,” Ben replied. “He's still alive, but I think he has about three bullets in him. The other guy's dead. Tom and I both fired when he turned his gun on us after we saw him shoot this woman. Who is she and what was she doing anyway?”

  “She's Harold James' wife, Martha. She apparently thought she could make them stop shooting by getting in the way. It didn't stop them,” Lacey said grimly.

  “So what really did happen? What are these other two doing here?”

  “I ran into them at Paul's apartment earlier. They knocked me out but they must have hung around and followed me here when I went to see Harold. They just started shooting at us. I didn't know what they wanted at first, but when they kept calling Harold 'Paul,' I realized they were trying to kill Paul.”

  “They're truckers,” Paul put in. “Gus, the dead one, owns a rival outfit who has been trying to take business away from me for a while. These guys play rough.”

  “I guess so,” Ben agreed. “And the other one, Hank, you called him?”

  “One of Paul's employees, or rather a former employee,” Lacey put in grimly. “Sorry, Paul, but Gus said he'd hired him away, and Hank was shooting at me and Harold along with Gus, thinking Harold was you.”

  “So how did Harold fit into this?” Ben asked, puzzled.

  “I think he is Paul and John's birth father. You can plainly see the resemblance, can't you?”

  “Yeah, I noticed that.”

  “He's probably the one who ran us off the road that night,” Lacey said. “His pick-up is over there. I think you'll find the red paint in the fender matches my car's paint.”

  Ben grunted and walked over to look at the truck.

  The ambulance arrived and Lacey stepped back to let the paramedics take over.

  Paul put his arm around her and, with a satisfied sigh, she leaned back against him. Leaning on his solid body felt so good. She rubbed her cheek against his denim jacket. “How did you get Ben to let you out?” she asked.

  “Nora showed up at the jail and told him I'd been at their house when Mrs. Hendricks was killed, so I couldn't have done it. Apparently Nora had been talking to you,” he accused.

  “Well, yes. I was desperate,” she answered. “I know you said she wanted no one to know, but I just couldn't let you sit there when I knew you couldn't have pushed that birdwatcher off the cliff.”

  “How could you be so sure?”

  “I knew you weren't capable of murder, Paul, even if I hadn't known you had an alibi. Besides, you told me you'd been with Nora, remember? Hal knew that, too, because he'd had their gardener keeping tabs on his wife. The gardener saw you there and called Hal.”

  “Yeah, Hal told us that. Nora was a bit upset, but forgave him.” He gave a little laugh and nuzzled her cheek. “I think she'd forgive him almost anything.”

  “I hope he can do the same for her if he's learned about you.”

  “Yes, he knows about me and John, and I think he's already forgiven her. He seemed more upset that she hadn't trusted him enough to tell him than about the fact that she'd had us all those years ago. In fact, I think he likes the idea of a son.”

  “Really? Hal likes the idea? Are we talking about the same gruff guy?”

  Paul laughed and hugged her closer. “Yes. He's a lot of bluff and bluster, but soft as butter when it comes to her. You should have seen them together at the jail, when she told him. Snuggling like they were as young as us.”

  “Snuggling sounds like a good idea,” Lacey sighed.

  “Okay with me, too. Just as soon as we get all Ben's questions answered, okay?”

  She smiled at him and nodded. They watched the ambulance crew put Martha on a stretcher, and went over to see Harold, who was now awake, but looking very white. Ben was there, trying to question him as the paramedics worked.

  He and Paul stared at each other.

  “So, we meet at last,” Paul said, his voice unsteady.

  “Yeah. You look just like John.” Cough. “Weird.”

  “Why did you do this? Why kill your own son?”

  “I didn't kill John,” Harold said shaking his head.

  “Then who did?”

  “I don't know. I just read about it in the paper.”

  “But you knew who he was?”

  “Yes. He had found me a few weeks ago.” Harold coughed, a dribble of blood appearing beside his lips as he did so. “He knew I was running for the senate. You know how reporters love a scandal. So he was blackmailing me for gambling money. I couldn't let the reporters find out.”

  “And us? Lacey and I? Why did you try to run us over that cliff? You almost killed us. We didn't do anything to you.”

  “I...only wanted to scare you off, make you leave me alone. I saw you at his apartment and followed you. I thought maybe John had told you about me. Or you'd find out from John's stuff. And you did, I found his photo albums in the PI's house. But I didn't kill anybody...” Harold coughed blood again and his eyes closed.

  “You can talk, later.” The paramedics picked up Harold's stretcher and carried him to the ambulance, leaving Paul and Lacey standing there. So, both Harold and Martha James were on their way to the hospital.

  “I thought he was only hit in the shoulder,” Lacey said. “He said he was okay.”

  “I heard the paramedics say they thought the bullet lodged in his lung,” Ben said. “We must try to get more info out of Hank. How were these truckers connected to John?”

  “Beats me, Sheriff. Unless...”

  “Unless what, Paul?”

  “Unless they thought John was me. Lacey said Gus and Hank said they wanted me dead.”

  Paul looked at Lacey and Ben. “I really liked Hank. He was a good employee. Why would he join a rival outfit, especially one that violent?”

  “From what Gus said, it was probably money, Paul. We'll try to talk to him later.”

  “Will Hank last long enough to talk later?”

  Ben shrugged.

  Lacey said gently, “Only God knows, Paul.”

  Ben asked, “Is there something else you're not telling us, Paul? Why did those truckers want to kill you?”

  “Well, I've been kinda in a hassle with this Gus and some other truckers,” he said reluctantly.

  “Yes? And...”

  “Well, I told you they play rough.”

  “What do you mean by hassle?”

  Paul shrugged and looked a bit guilty. “I've been undercutting their prices a bit, just to keep my truck loaded coming cross-country. Otherwise, I'd have had to come back empty, and less pay is better than none by a long shot.”

  “I see,” Ben said. His expression said he didn't blame the other guys.

  Paul frowned, looking from Ben to Lacey. “No, you don't see. My business is just getting started. I risked my ass to buy this rig. I have to keep up the payments on it. I can't afford to haul just one way. So I pick up whatever work I can to pay for the return trip. Even if it makes some other guys mad.”

  “Surely they wouldn't kill over losing some business?”

  Paul's mouth twisted in disgust. “Some of those guys would kill over a card game.”

  Chapter 14

  Paul and Lacey followed the ambulance into town in her rental car. Ben had examined it for bullet holes, collected shell casings and taken dozens of pictures of the scene of the shoot-out before allowing them to leave. He'd also had Harold's pick-up towed and searched his house. John's photo albums, which Harold had admitted taking from Lacey's house, were in a closet.

  On the way to the hospital, Paul was silent, thinking of how close Lacey had come to death once again. And once again, it ha
d been because she was involved with him. “I'm so glad you're safe, Lacey. I couldn't bear to lose you now.”

  She snuggled closer. “I'm glad, too, Paul. I didn't realize how important you'd become to me until I felt so helpless when Ben locked you up.” She shivered. “What an awful experience!”

  “Yeah, and to think my own father was involved.” He was silent a long moment, then said, “A week ago, I had no family, now I know my who my birth parents are and will probably get to meet John's adopted parents as well. On the way out to Harold's place, Ben said the police were trying to make contact with the cruise ship they were on. I'm sure they'll come up as soon as they can.”

  “That's good,” Lacey said. I feel bad that they didn't know about his death until after his burial.”

  “We never do know what's around the next corner in our lives, do we?”

  “That's what keeps it interesting, Paul. At least, I think so.” She tossed him a little smile.

  At the hospital, Ben was able to question Hank.

  When the sheriff returned to Lacey and Paul in the waiting room, he told them, “Well, I think we can close both murder cases. Hank says he and Gus killed John in an alley near a bar in Minneapolis, thinking he was you, Paul.”

  “That's what I was afraid of!” Paul said, his arm tightening around Lacey. “It's my fault he's dead.”

  “No, Paul. It's Gus and Hank's fault, not yours.” She squeezed his hand comfortingly.

  “But I'm supposed to be the one dead, not him. He didn't do anything to them, so he didn't deserve to die.”

  “No one deserves to be killed,” Ben said sharply. “Anyway, when they went through John's pockets to remove his ID, they realized it wasn't you. So Gus got the bright idea of framing you by dumping the body in that remote park out near where you live.”

  “I see, I think,” said Lacey. “But what about Mrs. Hendricks, the woman who said she saw Paul dump the body?”

  “She was a girl friend of another one of their pals. They paid her to say she saw Paul dump him there, figuring Paul would be out of business if he was in jail for awhile, even if he wasn't convicted.”

  “So they'd be rid of me one way or another,” Paul said.

  “But then they got scared when Mrs. Hendricks reneged on her story and figured she was about to tell the truth about John's murder?” Lacey guessed.

  Ben nodded. “So Gus followed her on her next bird watching excursion and pushed her off the cliff, sure people would think it was an accident, since there are lots of rock climbing accidents in that area.”

  “But it wasn't very likely that the police would think that, was it? I mean, when she claimed to be a witness to a murder?” Lacey said.

  “Well, we never said Gus was smart,” Paul said. “He should have known he couldn't get away with killing more people, yet he came after you with a gun, thinking to kill us both. How would he have gotten away with that?”

  “Well, Harold's house was in a pretty remote area. Maybe he thought he could kill you and hide your bodies,” Ben guessed. “They had silencers on their guns, remember. But of course, he didn't count on Harold and his wife being there, too.”

  “So I'm cleared of those murder charges?” Paul asked.

  Ben nodded.

  “That's great, Ben!” Lacey exclaimed.

  “Yeah,” Ben said with a nod. “But I oughta wring his neck for putting you in danger, Lacey girl.”

  “Nonsense, Ben. Don't be such an old fuddy-duddy. I'm a big girl now.”

  “All the same, neither your dad or your Uncle Henry would ever approve of you having such a dangerous job, nor your mama, either. I wish you'd give up it up and go back to that desk job in the Twin Cities.”

  “No way, Ben.” Lacey pursed her lips in disgust at that idea. “What about Harold's wife? Did she know John was blackmailing him?”

  Ben shook his head. “Harold says she didn't. He didn't tell her anything. She didn't even know about the twins. She was only being a faithful wife and trying to protect him when she tried to get in the middle of the gun battle. She still can't believe Harold would actually have a gun and shoot at people.”

  “So, I can leave town now? Get back on the road to tend to my trucking?” Paul asked.

  Ben nodded. “No reason not to, now.”

  “Did you locate John's parents on that cruise ship?”

  “Yeah. I talked to them. They'll be driving up from Arizona to take care of John's affairs. They said they'd like to meet you, Paul.”

  Paul nodded. “I'd like to talk to them, too.”

  At the nurses' station, they learned that both Martha and Harold were doing better. Martha's sister arrived, so Paul and Lacey decided to leave.

  They went back to Lacey's house where Paul telephoned Nora to bring her up to date on what had happened, while Lacey fixed them coffee and sandwiches.

  He came back to the kitchen and sat at the table. Biting into the sandwich, he said, “Mmm, delicious. I'm starving.”

  “Me, too. What did Nora say?”

  He sent her a smile. “She wants us to come for dinner soon, so we can all get acquainted. She hopes we'll be a real family. Okay with you?”

  Lacey looked at him. Did that mean Nora thought of them as a couple? Did Paul think of them that way? What did he mean by a 'real family'? Cautiously, she said, “Sounds great.”

  Paul stood and picked up their dishes. He put them in the sink, then returned and pulled her to her feet, moving them over to the sofa. He sat down with her in his arms, holding her as though he never wanted to let her go.

  Kissing her, he said, “God, Lacey, I need to hold you for a while. You scare me to death when you take chances like you did today.”

  With a rueful laugh, she admitted, “I guess it was kind of dumb of me to go out there to Harold's place alone. I was pretty sure he was our man, yet I guess I was giving him some of your good qualities, too. I was thinking like Martha, that he was your family, he wouldn't really hurt you.”

  He kissed her hair and nuzzled her cheek. “Even after you were pretty sure he was involved in our accident?”

  A sizzle of need washed over her as his tongue teased her throat and tickled her neck. She wriggled as heat slid down to her middle. “Yeah. I said it was dumb.”

  “Promise me, something, Lacey.”

  “What?”

  “You'll not take chances like that anymore.”

  “I'll try, Paul.”

  Taking her mouth with his, he rained kisses on her lips until they were both writhing with desire.

  He looked down into her eyes, silently asking if she wanted what he did. At her nod, he began unbuttoning her blouse, then rose to his feet and let her slide down until her feet met the floor.

  She stood on tiptoes to kiss him, then tugged him toward her bedroom.

  “I need a shower, first,” he protested.

  “That's okay. My shower's big enough for two.”

  Quickly stripping each other, they stepped inside it and welcomed the hot spray. The sight of his obvious arousal sent an answering surge of desire coursing through her.

  Lacey reached for the soft nylon net ball and squeezed on a liberal glob of body wash gel. It left an instant coating of soft foam as she slid it over him. She touched and teased him with it until he was holding his breath against the desire.

  With a groan, he pulled her against him and took the net ball from her so he could return the favor. Holding her in place with one arm and his kisses, he smoothed foam over her everywhere, leaving sizzling desire in its wake. Then he dropped the net ball and allowed the hot spray to rinse them both as he picked her up and lowered her carefully onto his arousal.

  Closing her eyes in sheer delight, she joined in his rhythmic movements. All too soon, desire peaked.

  Then she relaxed against him. The hot spray washed over them, reminding her of where they were.

  Quickly rinsing off the last of the soap, she stepped out and pulled a couple of large soft towels from the wall cupboard.
He took one and they dried each other off.

  As she dried him, she giggled at the way he rose in readiness again. “Looks like that wasn't enough,” she grinned.

  “I don't think I'll ever get enough of you,” he said. “Let's go to your bed and try it again.”

  Cuddling her against him an hour later, Paul said, “I have to warn you that I'm out on the road a lot. I have some strange-looking employees, too.”

  She giggled. “I know. I thought so when I met a couple in your apartment.” She went on to tell him about meeting Hank there. “I didn't see the one who knocked me out, but it was probably Gus.”

  “Yeah,” Paul said, “Well, the rest of my employees are a little less rough than Hank. They're keeping things under control until I could get back on the job. So, I have to leave. But I'll be back. Will you be waiting for me?”

  “You bet. Waiting and willing.”

  “All right!” He went back to teasing her nipple with the tip of his finger, grinning as it stood up under his attention. Lowering his lips to it, he kissed each in turn, then moved back to her lips and pulled her against him. “I love you, Lacey.”

  She met his gaze. “I love you, too, Paul.”

  The phone rang and Lacey reluctantly broke away to pick it up from the bedside table. It was Ben calling to tell them that Hank had died.

  She hung up and looked at Paul. “The case is closed.”

  The End.

  If you enjoyed this novel, I’d greatly appreciate it if you’d take a few minutes to leave a review wherever you bought it or on Goodreads.

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  About the author:

  Edna Curry lives in Minnesota and often sets her novels there among the lakes, evergreens and river valleys. She especially enjoys the Dalles area of the St. Croix Valley, gateway to the Wild River, which draws many tourists who give her story ideas. Besides non-fiction articles, she writes mystery, romance and romantic suspense novels.

  Edna is married and is a member of the Romance Writers of America and two of its chapters: Kiss Of Death and Northern Lights Writers.