There Was a Crooked Man: A Psychological Thriller

by Katrina Morgan

  Renae recognized him and hurried over. “Oh, my God! Jack! Have you heard anything about Katie? I’ve been so worried!”

  Jack shook his head sadly and looked at his shoes. He needed information and could play-act if it brought him closer to finding Katie. “No. I haven’t. I was sort of hoping you’d heard from her or seen her?”

  “Well…” Renae paused.

  “What? What do you know?” He popped off the stool and grabbed her arm. His eyes dilated, and his breathing intensified.

  No longer believing his con, Renae finished her sentence, “I haven’t heard from Katie in five years. Right after she married you, in fact.” Renae yanked her arm free and stomped off.

  “How about the other girl?” Jack called out, “What was her name? Donette?”

  Renae spun back toward Jack. “She quit hearing from Katie, too.” She flipped Jack her middle finger and stalked away.

  Jack drove back to Savannah in a rage, mentally daring other motorists to get in his way. The need to crush, hit, destroy was high.

  Colleen observed Katie on Saturday night, instinctively knowing there was more to Katie’s story. At least she’s not watching the door as much.

  Katie still seemed vulnerable, though, which brought out fierce, protective feelings in Colleen—something she’d honed since having her little boy, Josh.

  Unaware of Colleen’s scrutiny, Katie shared a joke, “In a bar in a remote Alaskan town, a newcomer hears people yell out numbers 23, 56, and so on. And then everyone laughs. He asks the guy next to him what’s going on, and the guy says, ‘these jokes have been told so many times, people just yell out their numbers instead of retelling them.’ So, the newcomer yells out 27! But no one laughs. The guy next to him says, “Some people can tell a joke, and some can’t.”

  Jack’s mood improved dramatically when he got home and discovered the maps he’d ordered had arrived. He opened the tubes, unfurling them and nodding appreciatively. “Finally!” He made a drink, sloshing it on the stairs in his haste to examine the maps more closely.

  He’d thrown out the mess of Katie’s shredded clothes, leaving her half of the closet bare. He taped the maps on the empty wall and circled the medical complex, their house, and the address in Middleburg. “Which way would you go?” Jack scratched at his unshaven chin. West toward Atlanta and what’s familiar makes the most sense. He remembered Katie talking about her one vacation. Jack circled the Birmingham area.

  He nodded once. He’d find Katie and bring her home. Hell, she’ll probably be grateful by this time. Jack laughed at the idea of Katie trying to make decisions and take care of herself.

  He went downstairs and mixed another whiskey and Coke, carrying the bottle upstairs. He gulped his drink as he ran his finger along the possible routes from Savannah to Birmingham.

  “You still have to get there, though. You took a bus out of Savannah, and then what? Would you buy a car?” Jack thought about the five-thousand-dollar savings account she’d managed to hide from him, and his fingers clenched the glass in his hand. He retrieved the bottle and poured straight whiskey as he considered options. He needed a starting point—somewhere near used car lots and bus stops.

  Jack pulled out his phone, Googling western bus routes out of the city. The Chatham Area Transit Map was a friggin’ mess--color-coded lines intersected and traversed the entire city. At least three headed west, but every time he zoomed into an area, the map grew too large, and he kept losing his bearings. “Goddammit!” He threw his phone across the closet. “I need another drink.” He filled his tumbler to the rim and retrieved his phone.

  He saw an option to order a full-sized copy and filled out information quickly. It would all come together soon.

  Jack woke up Sunday morning, with his head pounding and his ears ringing. “This is all your fault, Katie!” He yelled the words and immediately regretted the decision. He dropped an aching head into his hands, willing the blood drubbing through his brain to stop.

  Queasy and unsteady on his feet, he crawled back into bed, pulling the covers over his head to block out even a hint of light. He stayed curled and nauseous for hours until a constant knocking had him fighting his way free of the tangled sheets. Wincing at the God-awful taste in his mouth, he swung his feet to the floor and waited to see if the room would stop swimming.

  The doorbell had him swearing. He yanked on a shirt and clutched the stair rail for support as he worked his way to the front door. I’m going to kill whoever is out on that porch. Jack yanked open the door, his face reflecting his murderous thoughts.

  The police officer stepped back instinctively. “Jack? You okay?”

  Jack stared at the man, trying to come up with a name.

  “Officer Fairchild,” Randy supplied. “We met before—weeks ago when Katie was initially missing?” He paused, giving time for Jack to puzzle it through.

  Jack grunted.

  “We’re responding to a call from Susan Garrison.”

  Jack raked a shaky hand through his already messy hair. “Yeah. That was dumb. I can’t help wondering about Katie. I thought maybe she’d gone to her aunt’s house.”

  Fairchild made a note of Jack’s appearance and demeanor. “Uh-huh. It seems odd for you to drive four hours to Atlanta. A phone call would have been easier, dontcha think?”

  “I had to see for myself.”

  “I’d advise you to leave Ms. Garrison out of the mix. She’s mad as hell.” Fairchild turned away and then thought better of it. “Jack, you need to accept the fact Katie’s not coming back.”

  Jack waited until the cruiser backed out of the driveway before slamming the front door. The sound reverberated painfully in his head, but he didn’t care. He was damn sick and tired of playing games.

  On Sunday night, Colin called Katie into his office. “Ya’ve done a good job. It’s time to make this official.” He slid an application across his desk.

  She'd been in Bluff Creek thirteen days. With no sign of Jack, Katie accepted the job.

  Chapter 55

  Nick invented ploys to capture Katie’s interest. When she came through the store on Monday morning, he was there having a cup of coffee. “Want one?” he offered

  “Already had some, thanks.” She rushed out the door.

  “She looks so cute in her white uniform,” Nick said to himself, but the old men heard him, and news spread. Nick was after Annie.

  The next day, Nick brought a flower to the store. “Congratulations on the new job.” He held out his gift.

  Katie gave a quick, “Thanks,” and snatched the yellow daisy as she exited the store.

  “Whoo-hoo. She ain't liking you, Nick.” The retirees chortled in delight.

  “Girl’s got good sense if you ask me,” Craig added.

  Nick shrugged. “She smiled this time, though, right?”

  Jack began his second week of meetings with the auditors. They’d reviewed the contracts he’d rejected and were whittling down the seventeen contracts he’d approved, saving the Kane Brothers for last. They studied every minute detail to the point Jack thought he would scream. There was nothing Jack could do but smile until his face hurt and hope they’d finish soon.

  Jack drove home, irritated, and pissy. He made a frozen dinner and sat picking at the plastic-tasting food and brooding. Slinging the half-eaten dinner in the trash, he went to the den. I need pictures of Katie when I start tracking routes. He pulled up a recent photo and photoshopped it to show darker hair and glasses. Having the police stop by the day before had him thinking up a disguise for himself, too.

  Katie had been in town for three weeks, and people were curious about her background. When asked for specifics, she gave vague answers, “Trust me, it wasn’t that interesting.” Or, “Who cares? I’ve got Bluff Creek.”

  Maggie had figured it out, though. Annie’s face kept tripping an elusive memory until one day it clicked, and she recognized Anne as the woman the news stations had reported as missing from Savannah. Anne or Kathryn, or whoever s
he was, didn’t seem to have any malicious intent, so Maggie kept the information to herself.

  Annie usually dropped by the Crested Iris on her day off. She’d snag a cup of coffee and talk. Maggie inserted cautionary advice and thinly disguised warnings whenever the conversation allowed. If Annie understood the implications, she gave no sign to Maggie.

  Maggie knew her Nicky was interested in the woman. Hell, the whole town knows. Maggie worried aloud as she made dinner, “They’re both gonna get hurt.”

  “What’d ya say?” Don asked from the kitchen table where he was working a sudoku.

  Maggie kissed the top of his head. “Just talking to myself.”

  Jack received the Savannah Bus street guide and hung it on the closet wall next to his other maps. He traced the three western routes—Blue, Brown, and Orange. He circled bus stops and pulled up Google Maps to make notes on surrounding businesses.

  He’d made false business cards, listing himself as Greg Landis, Private Investigator. Looking at himself in the mirror, Jack smiled in satisfaction at the disguise he’d put together: a pair of glasses, fake mustache, longer sideburns, and a hat. I’m ready.

  Nick visited Tipsy’s more often, inviting his parents to dinner, picking up sandwiches for lunch, and having a beer at the bar with his friend, Blake.

  Colleen filled Katie in on Blake, “He and Nick used to fight every day in middle school--always shoving and punching. Once, bad enough, Nick broke Blake’s nose. Look,” she pointed discreetly, “you can still see the little bump. Anyway, they’ve been best friends ever since. When Nick left for New York, Blake headed to Quantico. Now, he works at the Federal Training Center, near Brunswick.”

  Blake’s profession wasn’t welcome news. Katie walked away from the bar, finding other areas to work in the restaurant.

  When he struck out at Tipsy’s, Nick pretended the General Store needed repairs, but no one was fooled. Katie couldn’t help flirting with him occasionally. He seemed a decent guy and certainly wasn’t hard to look at with his wavy hair and easy smile. Then Jack’s face filled her mind, and she shut down any thoughts of Nick. You need to deal with Jack. She then made excuses: If I file for divorce, Jack will know where I am. Plus, how the hell am I supposed to explain using Cassie’s name?

  Tamping down her guilt, Katie kept adding to her new life, and hoping her luck would hold. When a flea market was advertised, she withdrew part of the tips she’d saved and hightailed it to the county fairgrounds. She was delighted to find a cheap, old dresser. The lines were excellent, and she was sick of digging though her belongings on the floor of the closet.

  The vendor helped load it into her truck, and she happily headed back to town. She was dragging the dresser frame toward the stairs when Skinny Tom walked into the storeroom.

  “What the hell are you doing? You can’t get that upstairs by yourself. Hang on a minute.” He ran to the front of the store and returned with Nick.

  Great. Just great, Katie griped to herself.

  Nick helped her carry the dresser to her bedroom and wisely said nothing about the blow-up mattress. His eyebrows went up when he spied the safety ladder under the window, though. “Are you planning on sneaking in, or sneaking out with that thing?”

  “Umm, I guess I should have asked. I got nervous about just one exit. Fire or, you know, whatever,” she stammered.

  It made sense in a paranoid sort of way, and Nick nodded. He walked back to the living room, noticing some of the additions she’d made in the last few weeks. “Things are looking better up here.”

  “Thanks. A little at a time.”

  “Want me to cart up the drawers?”

  “No. You’ve done more than enough.” Katie scooted him toward the door. She was aggravated to find her palms sweating and wiped them on her jeans.

  Nick entered the store and grabbed a chair by the retirees. “You know she doesn’t even have a bed?”

  The men leaned away from Nick and raised their eyebrows.

  “Why do you care if she has a bed?” Jarrod asked.

  “What business is that of yours?” Craig leaned back in his chair, waiting for an answer.

  “Seems you’re kinda forward there, ain’t ya?” Thad asked.

  “Unbelievable. You’ve known me all my life, and I’m suddenly an ass for making a simple statement?” Nick stood, and the group had the good grace to look chagrined. “I was trying to say she’s sleeping on an air mattress.”

  “Sorry,” Jarrod mumbled, “something about that woman makes a man protective.”

  Nick pointed at his chest. “I’m a man. I feel protective too.” He saluted them and headed out to complete an estimate for a shed a local family wanted Connelly Construction to build.

  The old men motioned Skinny Tom over and held a short conference.

  The next morning a complete bed, albeit used, mysteriously showed up in the back storage room. A note was attached, “For Annie.”

  Katie was beside herself. “Who did this, Tom? Was it you?”

  “I got no idea, but you can bet your ass I’m gonna be asking who the hell broke into my store.” He hurried off before she asked any other questions.

  Katie was right behind him. She took in the table full of old men, all gauging her reaction. “Seems I’ve got a few guardian angels. Anybody going to take credit for the bed?”

  They looked around the table and pretended confusion.

  “What the hell is she yammering about?” Jarrod asked.

  Katie nodded and accepted their generosity. “Well, anyone interested in getting it upstairs?”

  The men clamored out of their chairs, anxious to see how she was living up in that apartment anyway.

  Chapter 56

  Jack sat in his boss’s office, listening to a summary of the auditor’s final report.

  “The auditors have signed off on their review. I do have to add this to your file, though.” Barry flourished a single sheet of paper.

  “What is it?”

  “An official reprimand, listing a high percentage of contracts awarded to Triple C and Kane Brothers Construction. From now on, you need to be more unbiased.” Barry handed the form to Jack to read. “You need to sign and date it at the bottom.”

  Jack glared at Barry and snatched a pen. “This is bullshit.”

  “It’s just a warning, Jack.” Barry filed the paper in a drawer.

  Jack was still pissed, but he’d survived and without repercussions to the Kane Brothers. Now he could concentrate on finding Katie.

  Katie’s first paychecks were set to arrive on the first Friday in October. Between the two jobs and her tips, she’d be bringing in almost $2000 a month and could easily make her bills. Moving forward with her dream, she ordered a crate of children’s classics on clearance.

  “This calls for a celebration.” Noting the time, she headed toward Tipsy’s and dashed into Colin’s office. “Can I steal Colleen and Josh for an hour? I’m so happy I can barely stand it and want to take ‘em out to help me celebrate.”

  Colin acted offended, “Who the hell’s gonna watch the bar?”

  “There’s no one better than you!”

  Colin pushed himself out of his chair, grumbling, “Young people got no respect anymore.” His twinkling eyes negated the gruff words. “Go on! Get out of here. Colleen needs a friend.”

  Katie corralled Colleen and Josh into her truck and sped toward McDonald’s. Katie and Colleen talked as Josh squealed, with delight, each time he went down the slide.

  “This was fun,” Colleen stated, “but you didn’t have to do anything.”

  Katie laughed. “Yeah, big spender, huh?”

  “I didn’t say that.” Colleen punched Katie lightly on the arm. “I meant asking Josh and me to come out with you. God, Katie, you’re just getting your first paycheck. You should be saving every penny for your store.” Colleen cocked her head. “You are still going to open a store, right?”

  “Yep. That’s the eventual plan, but what’s the point of having
wonderful things going on in your life if you can’t share it with the people you love?”

  They walked into Tipsy’s singing, “This old man, he played three…”

  Ten minutes later, Blake and Nick walked into Tipsy’s. Blake spied Colleen and Katie and trotted over to the bar area. “Hey, we’re going to Rock of Ages tonight. You girls wanna go?”

  “Not me,” Colleen answered. “I’ve got a hot date with Josh tonight.”

  Tanja walked in the door, already calling out her order, “Cabernet for me, Colleen.”

  Blake made a beeline for her. “Tanja, love of my life, tell me you’ll go to Rock of Ages with me tonight.” Blake got down on one knee.

  “Don’t do it, Tanja! He just asked me. He’s shameless,” Colleen joked.

  Tanja studied her nails. “Second choice, huh? Well, I’ve got better things to do--wash my hair, take out the trash.”

  Blake clasped her hands in his and pulled them toward his chest. “Please! And tell Annie she should go with Nick.”

  Tanja winked at Katie. “Well, if she’s going, it’s far more appealing.”

  “Yes!” Blake yelled, drawing Colin out of his office.

  “What do you think, Annie?” Nick asked softly. “You in?”

  Katie hesitated. “What’s Rock of Ages?”

  “Great bar down in Brunswick. Good pizza, pitchers of beer, and,” Tanja grinned at Blake, “occasionally good-looking men.”

  Blake and Nick elbowed one another and added information.

  “It’s also open-mic night.”

  “And half-price wings, too.”

  “You boys don’t think you’re going to get out of it that cheap, do you?” Tanja brushed past Blake, almost touching him. She batted her lashes, and Blake mimed having a heart attack.

  Katie looked at Colleen, silently asking for her opinion. Colleen rolled her eyes but nodded. With the group waiting for her reply, Katie gave in. “Okay. I’ll go. As friends,” she emphasized.

  Nick and Blake cheered.

  “Big ruckus, a man can’t even think. What the hell is going on?” Colin asked from his office door frame.