Chapter Five
Jonah
I had watched as Ally pulled out of the parking lot in her little rust bucket of a car. That vehicle was clearly in need of more than just a tune up and an oil change. What the hell was going on with her? Someone or something had scared the crap out of her. That much was obvious. And it was a deep-set fear. A fear I’d seen before, usually from women and children who had been abused. Was that it? Had someone hurt Ally so badly that even when she merely thought of them she shook uncontrollably?
My search of Ally Black turned up very little online. Something was not adding up. Maybe it was time to call in a favor or two, see if they might have more luck. It could be nothing but my gut said it was something else. I wish she’d talk to me, open up, and trust me. I needed a plan. Maybe Shane had some ideas. Oh, fuck, was I really going to my baby brother for help with a woman? He would never let me live it down.
Swallowing my pride, I knocked on Shane’s office door bright and early that morning. “Hey bro, I need to talk to you about something on a personal level, you have some time?”
“Hey Jonah, give me a few to finish reading this email, then I’m all yours,” Shane responded absentmindedly.
After I waited about ten minutes, I started to get annoyed. What the hell was he doing? Checking out porn or something? Walking around the desk, I peered at what had captured his attention so fully. Letting out a low whistle at what stared back at me from the screen, I understood his preoccupation with the email. The screen was filled with images of a dead body and the accompanying crime scene report. Sometimes we did favors for several law enforcement precincts in the region. By the looks of the images, this one would be a bitch to work.
I whistled again as I read about the woman who had been brutally stabbed to death in her home. The cops had very little evidence to go on. As Shane scrolled through the images, one thing that stood out in several of them was the bloody script smeared on her wall. Directly above where the woman lay in a pool of her own blood were the words, Not forgotten or forgiven. The report stated that she worked at a women’s abuse shelter, helping other women avoid her fate. It was a brutal attack to happen to such a good person. The crime scene was horrific. She had obviously been tortured.
“Shane? Is this a new case they want us to help investigate?” I questioned him warily.
“Jonah, they must think we are miracle workers or something. Where she worked there could be hundreds of suspects to interview. They asked for our assistance but I am not sure what we can do. Their budget keeps getting cut and they just don’t have the manpower to check out all the possible suspects. They are going to FedEx a full file for us to examine and see if we can find something they missed. It should be here in a couple of days. Enough of this for now, what’s on your mind, bro?”
“Do you know Ally Black from the diner we eat at a couple times a week? Something is off with her. I can’t put my finger on it exactly, but there is something I’m not seeing.”
I filled him in on the events that transpired in the store the other day and her reaction. And explained how she’d blown me off as if it was nothing. “Something happened, Shane. I can feel it in my gut and my gut has never let me down. I can’t ignore it. She won’t talk to me, not on this. I think she is too scared of me.” I felt perplexed as Shane started to guffaw at me.
“What the hell, Shane? I came to you for some help. If all you can to do is laugh at me, then you can fuck off, bro!” My attempt to storm out was halted by Shane waving his arms around.
“Whoa there, fella. Chill the hell out! I think it is hysterical that you are so clueless when it comes to this woman. Man, she isn’t the least bit scared of you. Quite the opposite, actually. Haven’t you heard about the town bet?”
He paused, waiting for my reply but I just looked at him blankly. What the hell was he talking about? Shane smirked and shook his head.
“The town is betting on when you two will finally get it together, for Christ’s sake! You amaze me. So, fucking smart on all counts except for where women are concerned.”
“Fuck you! Dammit just tell me what you are talking about, Shane? Quit talking in circles. The woman can’t stand me. Hell, she has refused to wait on my table for years. What are you fucking smiling at asshole?” That smug expression of his made me want to get up and punch him in the face.
“For the love of all women, I guess I need to clue my big brother in. Ally Black, the beautiful, voluptuous brunette with lips that could wake a dead man has it for you and has it bad, bro.” His comment about Ally being voluptuous may have been true but still gave me the sudden urge to throat punch him. I was so angry that without thought I stepped toward him with my fists clenched.
“Whoa, at ease soldier! It’s true. You are clueless when it comes to women? Every time we eat there it seems like she is running from you, but, I and everyone else, notices how she watches you. And when she does, those beautiful green eyes of hers light up and her cheeks flush. You’re such a dumbass. Maybe she’s a bit shy, I’ll give her that, but it isn’t like you have made a move either. Don’t you know how to flirt? Can’t you come up with a decent pickup line? You have got to do better if you want her, my man,” Shane stated with unusual passion.
“What?” I said incredulously. “It’s finally happened. You have lost your freaking mind. You couldn’t be more wrong!”
“See, that’s exactly it. All you do is call her Freckles. Which I have to admit, they do look amazing on her. Mmmhmmm, I wouldn’t mind taking a pen and…”
BOOM! “What the hell, Jonah!” My fists slammed on the desk, right in front of Shane barely missing him.
“Do not talk about her like that. Ever again. Got it? Now, are you going to shut up and help me find out what the hell is going on with her or not?” My tone was heated.
“Hell, of course I will. Calm down. My god, you do have it bad, don’t you, bro? I pity you, really, I do.” I glared at him with open hostility and lifted my fists from the desk again. “Okay, I am shutting up. We don’t want that vein on your forehead to burst, now, do we? Can’t have you keeling over from a damn aneurysm. Start by telling me what you found out about her the other day?” inquired Shane.
“Not much. That’s the problem. She has no money trail. Nothing. Ever. She must pay for all her bills in cash. There’s no bank account. She has a burner phone, replacing it every month when it runs out. Her son’s name is Samuel. He’s eight years old and seems like a good kid with excellent grades.”
“What about his father?”
“I couldn’t find a trace of a husband or boyfriend. There isn’t a father listed for Samuel on his birth certificate or at school. That’s all I have. There is NOTHING else. All avenues lead to dead ends. That right there tells me there is more. There has to be. I’m wondering if you can hit up Brent or some of your other contacts. Maybe they can find something that I haven’t.” Brent was Shane’s ex-partner in the force and had been helpful in many cases.
“If you’d been there at the store and seen how she reacted and her demeanor, Shane, as an ex-cop, your instincts would have been screaming, just like mine were. I stayed with her for as long as possible. She seemed to collect herself piece by piece, but then once she reached the parking lot something spooked her again. I don’t know what. I surveyed every inch of the lot but came up with nothing. My presence only seemed to annoy her. She jumped in that rust bucket of hers and took off. I waited a while after she left, then I drove by the duplex she lives in. Hell, it’s barely big enough for a dog, let alone a mother with a child.” I shook my head in remembrance.
“So, you saw no one out of place, not even cars? Maybe it was her imagination or maybe not.” Shane held up his hand before I could reply.
“Neither of us know her, not really. Oh, and driving by her house is sort of stalkerish by the way.”
I flipped him the bird. Not that he cared.
“I have to admit, it is odd that you came up empty. We have excellent security clearance. If she is in Witness Protection, which is a possibility, and her handler finds out we are on to her, they will move her. Then you will never know where she goes. So, we have a dilemma here. How deep do you want me to dig, Jonah? My suggestion is for now I will dig, but not so deep that it puts her at risk.”
“I know I am right about this, but I don’t want to put her at risk. I’m certain she’s running from something or someone. I need to know from what or whom? We are blind here and I don’t like that Shane. I will protect her and her son.” Shane smirked at my mention of protection. I chose to do like any self-respecting big brother would and ignored him.
“Ok, you need to get close to her. Be her friend first. Try to get her to trust you. Be cool and charming at the same time. Think you can do that? I mean if you don’t want to get close to her, then I will volunteer myself for the project.” Shane snickered.
My feet moved faster than lightning. Shane froze as I gripped his shirt and raised my fist in warning. “I told you not to fucking talk about her like one of your one night stands. Don’t make me tell you again or you will be picking your teeth up off the floor,” my voice a low growl. No one pushed my buttons like my brother.
Shane raised his hands in defeat. “Got it! I was only making a point. You want her? Then go get her man. Woo her, protect her, whatever you want, but you need her to trust you in order for you to completely protect her from whatever it is that’s after her. Got it?” Shane pleaded with me to see reason.
“Damn. I’m sorry Shane.” My fingers uncurled from his shirt and he smoothed it down. “Sorry, that was uncalled for.” What the hell was wrong with me? I didn’t want to wait for a sarcastic reply, so I walked out.
Leaning out of his office window as I stepped outside, Shane yelled, “Hey Assistant Coach, don’t be late on Saturday. I need you bright and early for the Little League signups.”
I didn’t even bother with a verbal reply, simply raising my hand to acknowledge that I heard him.
“Don’t worry, brother. Trust me, I get it. Go get her, my man.”
My feet continued to walk away. I couldn’t look back. I knew the shit eating grin he’d have and I really wasn’t in the mood.
Woo her? What the hell was wooing, if that was even a word? Shit. I needed to figure that out and now. Flowers? No. Candy? No. Wine? No. Guess I was heading to the diner for lunch and I was going to make Ms. Ally wait on me this time or… Or what idiot? Hell, I figured I would wing it. I was an ex-Navy SEAL for God’s sake and so prepared for anything and any situation. Right?
Maybe I could talk to Frannie. They seemed close and I knew she helped take care of Samuel when Ally worked. Maybe I would talk to Frank too, but he saw Ally as a daughter and that might work against me. He might not want her with someone that looked like me. Besides, Rangers and SEALs had been known to not like each other after all.
I slammed my hand on the steering wheel in frustration. Despite my brother’s arguments to the contrary, I never had a problem enticing the fairer sex in the past. So, what the hell was my problem now? I got a glimpse of that beautiful girl and I turned to mush. Hearing my stomach growl, I turned onto the highway and headed to the diner.
Rolling into the parking lot of Dine With Us, I was in desperate need of lunch and the attention of a beautiful, freckled-faced girl. I drove around the full lot and even out back of the diner, just to check things out. I spotted her rust bucket parked way out back, by the dumpster. Definitely not the safest place for Ally to park. I needed to suggest a better spot when the time was right. She often worked long shifts and sometimes left work late at night. Yep, she needed a new parking spot. I would talk with Frank about suggesting that to her.
A waitress met me at the door when I entered the diner. I think her name was Bell or Bella, something like that. Pretty enough, just not my type. She smiled and swayed her hips in invitation. “Hi there, handsome! How are you doing today? Come on over and sit in my section today. I will take really good care of you,” she said with a wink. I was not in the mood for this. “If it’s all the same to you, I would like to sit in Ally’s section today, please.”
“Aww sugar, you know she won’t wait on you.” She almost whined this time. Ok, what was I going to do to make this happen? Well, guess I could make a scene and see if that worked.
In the most demanding, brisk voice I could muster, and so loudly that everyone could hear, even people all the way to the back of the room, I said, “I want Ally to wait on me, dammit and I want her to do it now. I am going over to her section and I expect her to be there in a timely manner.”
Oh shit. Maybe I had gone a little overboard. Bella looked taken aback. Feeling guilty, I leaned in and whispered, “Just work with me, okay? I am trying to get your friend to talk to me for a change.”
A light went on in her eyes and she winked at me. “Ok sir, I will get Ally over to your table right away. Go ahead and have a seat.” Bella stated, almost as loudly as I did causing me to cringe. Good lord! What was going through Ally’s mind with all this ruckus? Great idea Jonah, you’re a dumbass. If she wasn’t scared of you before, she sure as hell was going to be now.