“You should go to a hospital.”

I accepted the bag of ice Alli held out to me, moaning as I pressed it to my side where I was pretty sure I had at least one broken rib. “What will they do but give me pain medication that will dull my senses? I don’t want that.”

“I still can’t believe they had the balls to do that in the middle of the afternoon.”

“They think they’re untouchable.”

“Maybe that’s because they are.”

I glanced at her. “Don’t tell me you’re giving up on me.”

“Not giving up. But I’m damned scared.”

She sat down on the couch beside me and sighed. Quentin was supposed to spend the night with Alli and the girls, but I figured I wouldn’t be getting much sleep tonight anyway, so I sent him back to the warehouse. My chest burned with every breath I took. My lip was split right down the center, my nose swollen to nearly twice its size. Both my eyes were black, my jaw aching bad enough that I wasn’t much interested in eating. All in all, it could have been much worse. What it was was humiliating. I never should have allowed myself to get into that position in the first place. I knew better than to turn my back on anyone.

“You know he left me everything?”

I glanced at Alli. “Harry?”

“Yeah. Some lawyer from Tucson called me this morning. Said Harry had a will, and it left everything to me. Even the shop.”

“He liked you.”

“Yeah. More than I deserved.” She dragged her fingers through her hair. “He had a sizeable savings, and his pension payments will start coming to me. Enough to send Tommy to college next year even if things with the shop go to shit.”

“That’s good news.”

“Yeah.” But she looked sick at the thought. “I wish he hadn’t. It makes me feel awful for the way I treated him.”

“He would have done it even if you never gave him the time of day. He was that kind of guy.”

“Maybe.”

“No maybe about it. Harry was the kind of man who was fiercely loyal to those he cared about. And he clearly cared for you.”

“That’s the thing, though. I liked him well enough, but I never would have given him what he wanted. The whole marriage and family thing? I tried that once upon a time, and it didn’t work out for me, you know? I wasn’t going to do it again, not with Harry, not with anyone.”

“He wasn’t stupid. I’m sure he understood that.”

She nodded, but I could see that she still didn’t like it. She lay her hand on my thigh and slipped it slowly up along my inseam.

“You still on the outs with that girl of yours?”

“I don’t see that changing any time soon.”

“You should come rest in my bed, then. I can make you forget your aches and pains.”

I had no doubt that she could do exactly that. But my energy level was next to nothing, and the idea of that much exercise was just…overwhelming. Besides, I wasn’t angry anymore. I didn’t regret what I’d done with Alli. But I wasn’t in that mindset anymore. It was time to reassess my reckless behaviors and decide what it was I really wanted in my life. I wasn’t quite sure what that meant, but I knew it didn’t include a fling with Alli, as much as I liked and admired her. I’d been down that road, trying to make life bearable for a broken woman. I couldn’t do it again.

“I think I’ll pass. But you should go on. You need your rest.”

Alli inclined her head slightly. “I wish I could say I was surprised, but I’m not. You might not believe it, Jack, but you’re a good man. Almost as good as Harry.”

I took that as a compliment. I leaned over and kissed her cheek lightly. “Thanks, kid.”

She smiled, but it never really touched her eyes. She was clearly still bothered by Harry’s actions, by everything that had happened these past few weeks. And lonely.

It was the lonely that spoke to me. It was that kind of lonely that couldn’t be filled with the same old mistakes. She needed a Harry, a man who was willing to put up with her crap for as long as it took her to figure out what it was she really wanted. She needed that just like I needed a Ruth, someone innocent and kind, someone who woke things inside of me I thought I was incapable of possessing.

Maybe one of us would find our perfect match. And maybe one of us wouldn’t fuck it up when it happened.

I must have fallen asleep on the couch a while later because I woke with a bag of lukewarm water in my lap and a deep ache in my chest that no amount of painkiller would ever touch. I got up and moved around, trying to relieve it just enough. I was reaching for a bottle of whiskey when my phone vibrated against my hip.

“What’s up, Quentin?”

“There’s something going on at Alli’s. A fire in the parking lot.”

I got her up, and we pulled into the lot just as the fire truck arrived. A huge fire burned in the center of the parking lot, the flames high enough that a patch of grass nearly five yards away had caught, too. All we could do was watch as the firemen did their job. The cops arrived a few minutes later, Willis accompanied by a man named Sullivan.

“What’s going on?” Willis asked, coming up to stand beside me.

“I know about as much as you.”

He glanced at me. “Run into a door, Mr. Stone?”

“Yeah. One called Smythe.”

“I told you making waves was a bad idea around here.”

“Yeah, well, if he thinks he’s scared me off, he’s dead wrong.”

Willis’ eyebrows rose, but I was pretty sure I saw respect in his eyes. He walked off to go talk to the captain of the firemen. He wandered back a minute later, a wry smile on his lips.

“It’s a plastic doll.”

“What?” Alli asked.

“A large, plastic doll. The kind you blow up and use…in the bedroom.”

She shook her head, muttering something under her breath I’d only heard from the mouths of a few old sailors. She walked off, headed toward her shop. I watched, feeling the frustration roll off her shoulders in waves.

“She’d be better off leaving town.”

I glanced at Willis. “Is that the advice you’d give your wife or mother?”

“Definitely.”

I crossed my arms over my chest. “Is there anything new in the investigation into Harry’s accident?”

Willis shifted, his eyes moving to the firemen and his partner, where he was talking to the first responders. “I told you, I can’t give you that information.”

“Why? Because your boss is helping the Guardians cover it up?”

He glanced at me, but his expression wasn’t defensive as one might assume it would be under such an accusation. Instead, he seemed resigned.

“There was paint on the side of his truck. Red. The sheriff had the crime scene tech take samples, but they’re sitting on a shelf somewhere.”

“Anything else?”

“Tire marks on the highway tell a story.” Willis was quiet for a second. “Your friend didn’t have much of a chance.”

“And you’re going to let his killer get away with it.”

Willis crossed his arms, his eyes moving over the scene in front of us again. “I grew up in this town. My grandparents are still members of the church. There’s only so much I can do.”

“You’re a cop. It’s your duty to make sure these people don’t get away with this.”

Willis just shook his head. “You still don’t get it, do you?” He walked away without a second glance.

I called Patrick, walking toward the highway for a little privacy. “Tell me there’s something on the camera feeds we can use.”

“There’s something, but it’s difficult to see faces. If we could get it enhanced…”

“Make a copy of it. I’ll send it back to Memphis and see what our tech people there can do.”

“Yes, boss.”

“We’re going to get these bastards, Patrick. If it kills me, we’re going to get them.”

“I know, boss.”

 

 

Alli was quiet on the drive back to the house. The shop itself was unharmed, and the mess in the parking lot was down to a minimum by the time the firemen left. Some scorch marks on the asphalt and the burned grass, nothing more. No one would know the difference. But the scars were deeper on Alli than they were on her property.

“What am I going to tell the girls?”

I parked the car in her driveway and stared out the windshield. “The truth.”

“And then? They’re already scared out of their minds.”

“Are you afraid for them?”

“Damn straight! If they’ll start a fire in my parking lot, what’s to stop them from lighting the whole damn place on fire with the girls inside? I can survive losing my business. I can’t survive losing my girls.”

“Do you want to quit?”

“No.” She sighed, running her hands over her face. “But I’m officially scared.”

I reached over and took her hand, held it between both of mine. “I won’t let anything happen to you. Harry would haunt me forever if I did.”

“I know.”

“But maybe it’s time for you to leave town. Get out of the line of fire for a while.”

She shook her head. “Not me. But maybe my girls.”

“Okay. We could send them to Memphis. My sister has a six-month-old baby girl. I’m sure she could use a little help around the house right about now.”

“She would do that?”

“She’d do anything if I asked. And I’m sure Sue would adore the baby.”

“She would. She’s the most maternal person I’ve ever met.”

“I’ll arrange it in the morning.”

Alli leaned over and kissed my cheek. “Thank you, Jack. For everything.”

I couldn’t help but glance around as we got out of the car. Was someone watching us right then? Did someone take a picture of that little kiss? Would they tape it to the front of the bookstore for Ruth?

A little paranoia. Maybe.