Chapter Three
I ran to my car and pulled out my cell phone. “He’s gone, Neely Kate! Bruce Wayne’s gone!”
“Oh, my God! He’s dead?”
“What?” I shook my head. “No! He’s gone. As in he packed up his clothes and left.”
“What? Why?”
“I don’t know.” My voice broke. “But if his parole officer finds out, they’ll put him back in jail. And he might not get out this time.”
She sighed. “So I guess telling Mason is out.”
“Definitely.” I fought to keep from crying. “I don’t understand. Why would he take off? He was doing so well.”
“I don’t know, Rose. What’re you goin’ to do?”
“David wasn’t at their house, so he must be at work. I’m going to swing by the Piggly Wiggly. Ten cents to the dollar he covered for Bruce Wayne this morning.” Which meant David had lied to me. My hand gripped the steering wheel. “I’m going to make him tell me what he knows.”
“Good luck. And keep me updated.”
“Okay.”
While Bruce Wayne had been making progress at becoming a productive member of society, David had been making strides of his own. He’d been working at the Piggly Wiggly since Bruce Wayne’s trial for murder three months ago, longer than most jobs he’d held.
Sure enough, I found him stocking a shelf with cereal. He stood bolt upright when he saw me, a box of Cap’n Crunch shaking in his hand. “Rose, what are you doing here?”
“I’m looking for you.”
The color drained from his face. He put the box on the shelf.
“I stopped by your house a little while ago to bring Bruce Wayne some chicken soup and apple pie. Imagine my surprise when he wasn’t home.”
David picked up another box, his hand shaking so badly the cereal inside rattled. “Maybe he went to the doctor after all.”
I put my hand on my hip. “Was he plannin’ on spending a really long time in the waiting room? ’Cause it looks like he took most of his clothes with him.”
He threw the box down and took off running.
“David! Wait!”
He headed for the back exit and I followed him out the door, cornering him on the loading dock.
He turned to face me, wide-eyed. “I didn’t want to do it.”
“Do what?” I took a breath and held up my hands in surrender. “It’s okay, David. Just tell me where he is. I want to help him.”
He shook his head. “The best way you can help him is to let this go.”
None of this made any sense. My voice broke. “I don’t understand. Why did he leave?”
“I don’t know for sure. He was gone when I got home from work last night. I called you this morning to cover for him. In case he came back. If his parole officer finds out…”
“I know,” I said, the words full of worry.
David squared his shoulders. “Are you goin’ to turn him in?”
I shook my head. “No. I don’t want him to get into trouble. I want to help, but I can’t do that if I don’t know where he went and why. He wasn’t sick, was he?”
“No.”
“So where was he instead of working?”
“All I know is that for the last few days he’s been leavin’ early in the morning and only coming home to sleep. And then last night, he didn’t come home at all. The other day I asked him where he was goin’, ’cause I knew he was calling in sick to work, but he insisted that I didn’t want to know. I could tell he was scared.”
“Scared of what?”
Pressing his lips together, he shook his head. “I don’t know.”
“If you hear from him, promise to call me immediately. Okay?”
He hesitated.
“Please, David. I’m worried sick.”
“Okay.” He nodded. I could tell from the look in his eyes that he was worried too, which only made me feel worse.
“Thanks.” I headed out to my car and called Neely Kate. When she didn’t answer, I left a message telling her what I’d found out. I was deep in thought when I pulled up to the nursery, unsure what to do about Bruce Wayne. I grabbed my drawings from the truck and headed for the back to work up some estimates.
Violet was standing behind the register, but she came around the end of the counter when she saw me. “Rose, I need to tell you something.”
I stopped and blinked. “Okay.”
“I got a phone call yesterday, from the Arkansas Small Business Administration. They’ve presented us with a wonderful opportunity.”
“Oh, that sounds great.” I swiped some loose hairs from my face, my mind still stuck on Bruce Wayne. “What is it?”
“Well…” She twisted her hands in front of her, looking at the floor. “They want to feature our business. We’ll be part of a press conference and they’ll post a story about us on their website. And they’ve promised to give us that grant I applied for, the one that will let us expand into the lot next door like we’ve been talking about.”
I dropped my defenses and gave her my full attention. The grant meant I wouldn’t have to come up with the extra cash. “That sounds great, Vi. Why didn’t you tell me yesterday?”
“Well, there’s a catch.”
My back stiffened. “What is it?”
“The presentation is part of a campaign stop.”
“Joe’s?” A band constricted around my chest and I fought to take a breath. It couldn’t be.
She cringed and her words rushed out. “When I agreed, I told them you wouldn’t be here. That’s why I didn’t mention it yesterday. I didn’t want to hurt you. But they called back today and said we both had to be present. And if we’re not, we won’t get the grant.”
“I don’t understand. We’re not even in his district.”
“They said the small business administration is part of his platform; that it’s a great opportunity for both sides.”
Feeling lightheaded, I leaned against the counter. “When is it?”
“Tomorrow at one. They need to have it done as soon as possible since the election’s a week from today.”
Joe was coming to the nursery. I was going to see Joe.
“The press will be here. Joe will hand us the grant check. They’ll interview us, and that will be that.”
I didn’t know if I could stand with him in front of cameras and pretend nothing was wrong.
“Rose.” She sounded worried. “Say something.”
“I need to sit down.”
She dragged a stool from around the counter and I perched on it, resisting the urge to put my head between my knees to keep from passing out. I will not faint. Thankfully, all the recent shocks in the last few months had helped me outgrow that reaction. But apparently some shocks were still strong enough to bring it back.
“How much is the grant?”
“Large enough to build a greenhouse. We’d be two years ahead of our business plan and you wouldn’t have to get a loan or sell your farm.”
I closed my eyes.
“I’d tell them no, Rose, but it’s a grant. We don’t have pay it back.”
“Okay,” I whispered.
She released a soft groan. “I’m gonna tell them no. It’s not fair to you. Not after what that man did to you.”
I looked up into her clueless face. She had no earthly idea what he’d done to protect her and her children.
I stood up. “No. We’ll do it.”
“Are you sure?”
I headed to the back room. “I have to work on some estimates.”
She followed me to the doorway. “I’ll tell them no, Rose.”
I spun around. “No, you will not. I’m not gonna hide and pretend like I’ve done something to be ashamed of. Now I have to get to work on these estimates if we’re hosting a press conference tomorrow.”
The bell on the front door dinged and guilt covered Violet’s face.
I sighed, weary of the conversation. “I’m fine, Vi. Go.”
I spent the next two hours trying to concentrate on my work, a difficult task given all the worries weighing on my mind. I tried to call Bruce Wayne three times. The first call rang with no answer, but the other two times it went straight to voice mail. I left messages all three times, begging Bruce Wayne to call me and let me know he was okay.
I struggled to come up with an explanation for why he had fled. After all, he hadn’t run after witnessing a murder while robbing the hardware store. He’d gone to David for help. Of course, that hadn’t turned out well, and as much as I loved Bruce Wayne, I’d be the first to admit he wasn’t the sharpest tool in the shed. He’d been a pothead for years, notorious for making the same mistakes over and over again. It stood to reason that he’d repeat his earlier behavior by seeking help from David. So if he hadn’t gone to David with his problem this time, where was he?
I was lost in thought when Violet came back and told me that it was five and she was closing the shop.
“Are you still comin’ over?”
“Yeah. I just want to get Muffy.” I felt guilty enough about leaving her home alone all day, and although our neighborhood didn’t get a lot of trick-or-treaters, I didn’t know how well she’d do if people were knocking on our door all night.
“Okay, get Muffy and come on over. The kids miss you.” She sounded wistful and I wondered if she was implying that she missed me too.
But I couldn’t bring myself to say it back.
I smiled as I pulled into my driveway, pleased by what I saw. I’d neglected my own yard most of the year, but I’d gone all out for Halloween and Thanksgiving. My front porch was decorated with hay bales and corn stalks, pumpkins and squash.
I went inside and took a short shower then changed into a clean pair of jeans and a long-sleeved T-shirt. Last year I’d dressed up as Red Riding Hood—I’d had to sneak out of the house past Momma—but I didn’t feel like putting on a costume tonight. Bruce Wayne’s disappearance had stolen what little joy I’d found since losing Joe.
Although I had decided not to dress up, I still wanted Muffy to have a costume. It was her first Halloween with me and I knew Ashley and Mikey would love it. My usually good-natured dog had other ideas. When I started to pull the bumblebee costume over her head, she tried to escape, but I managed to get it on after some wrestling. I put her on the ground, and she shook her body like she always did after a bath, tipping her head up to look at me, as if to say, “Are you kidding me?”
Since I didn’t have any children and none were in the foreseeable future, Muffy would have to bear the brunt of my overzealous desire to participate in all the holidays. And while she might not like this costume, I was sure she wouldn’t protest the Christmas presents I planned to get her.
My eyebrows lowered as I took in the yellow-and-black-striped stuffed costume that covered most of her trunk and the short gauzy wings that stuck out from its sides. The plumpness made her spindly legs look even skinnier, but her dark fur blended perfectly with the color scheme. My mouth twisted to the side as I debated whether it was worth my trouble and Muffy’s obvious reluctance to try to get the cap with the antennae fastened on her head. Ultimately, I stuffed the little hat in the bag I’d packed to take along. No sense pressing my luck.
“Okay, girl. Let’s go.”
As I let Muffy outside and turned to lock up, Heidi Joy’s four older boys came piling out of their front door, shoving and shouting, each of them clutching an orange plastic pumpkin. Muffy usually ran right to them, but this time she bolted into the front yard, throwing herself to the ground and rolling onto her back.
“Muffy! Stop that right now! You’ll mess up your costume!”
The boys ran over and stood in a semi-circle around her, their mouths hanging open. Andy, Jr. grabbed his belly and burst out into laugher. “What in the world happened to your dog? Did she jump into a hill of fire ants?”
The other boys giggled.
“No.”
“What’s she wearing?”
“She’s wearin’ a Halloween costume, just like you. What’s it look like?”
His eyes narrowed. “She looks like a hot dog with mustard stripes.”
“She’s a bumblebee, not a hot dog.” I knew I sounded defensive and I was. I didn’t like it when people made fun of her.
“Where’s her stinger?” four-year-old Keith asked.
“She doesn’t have one.”
He shook his head and mumbled, “If she don’t have a stinger, she’d be dead. She don’t look like a dead bumblebee.”
Muffy continued to roll around and let out a loud fart, the smell permeating the air.
A chorus of giggles and “Ewww…” erupted from the boys.
“But it smells like she’s dyin’!” Andy, Jr. waved in front of his face and burst out laughing again.
I gave the boys a frown before scooping Muffy into my arms. “Y’all are gonna hurt Muffy’s feelings.” I looked down at Andy, Jr. “What are you supposed to be?”
“I’m a pirate.” The six-year-old tugged on the patch covering his eye. His three little brothers crowded around him, dressed as Spider-Man, a dinosaur, and a cowboy. Heidi Joy came out her front door with the baby, who was dressed as a puppy, on her hip. She was wearing a long-sleeved black T-shirt with a baby-sized skeleton overlaying an adult-sized skeleton.
Andy, Jr. held up his plastic sword and spoke in a growl, “Give me your buried treasure or I’ll make you walk the plank.”
I considered telling him he wasn’t getting anything after making fun of Muffy, but decided I could be more mature than a six-year-old. “I left you some treasure on my front porch, but it’s not buried. It’s hiding behind my pumpkins.”
The boys ran onto the porch while I shifted Muffy’s costume back into place and put her in the truck with my tote bag, hoping she wouldn’t hurt herself by trying to get the costume off in there. The boys’ squeals of delight made me smile.
“We each have our own bag!” four-year-old Keith shouted.
“You spoil them, Rose.” Heidi Joy shook her head with a smile as she transferred the baby to her other hip.
“They’re not bags full of candy, I promise. I put coloring books and a puzzle in each of them. I figured they’ll get enough sugar tonight.”
“Like I said, you spoil them.”
“I’m headed to Violet’s. Can you keep an eye on my house? After all the craziness in the neighborhood over the last few months, I’m worried about what the older kids might do, especially Thomas and his friends.” Thomas was a high school senior who seemed determined not to graduate and had gotten mixed up with Daniel Crocker’s friends. He’d made no secret that he didn’t like me and had insinuated that Crocker’s men were upset with me for helping putting their boss behind bars.
I suddenly wondered if Bruce Wayne’s disappearance was somehow tied to Daniel Crocker. When the police threatened to arrest him for the murders committed by Jonah’s mother, he’d sought refuge at Weston’s Garage, the former headquarters of Daniel Crocker’s drug and stolen car parts ring. Bruce Wayne had worked for Crocker a year ago, before he was arrested for the hardware store manager’s murder, and Crocker’s men were loyal to their own. But if Bruce Wayne had sought help at Weston’s Garage, what had scared him in the first place?
Horror spread across Heidi Joy’s face, and I realized that all the drama in our neighborhood had nearly toppled her over the edge. “Oh, don’t worry.” I tried to look comforting. “I don’t expect anything to happen. It’s a just-in-case type thing.”
She nodded, worry furrowing her brow. “Sure. Of course.”
My head tingled with the tell-tale sign of an oncoming vision. I saw a moving van outside Heidi Joy’s house, her husband Andy and his friend carting furniture into it. Autumn leaves littered the yard.
“You’re moving.” I said.
Her eyes widened and her tongue seemed tied. Finally she said, “How did you know?”
I glanced at the baby skeleton on her belly. “Call it a hunch?”
“I love having you for a neighbor, Rose. You know that. But now that it’s getting colder, it’s harder than ever to entertain these boys in that tiny house. I told Andy when we moved in that it was too small. A two-bedroom house with five boys? And another on the way…” Her voice broke.
I didn’t want to confess that I’d had those same thoughts when she’d moved in months ago. Instead, I pulled her into a hug. “I’m sorry.”
“Listen to me, belly-aching. We’re lucky to have somewhere to live after Andy lost his job and we lost our house. But he’s been working all this overtime to try and save enough money to move us into a bigger house before the baby’s born.” A lopsided grin lifted her mouth, her eyes shiny with tears. “Especially since it’s a girl.”
Heidi Joy was going to move. I wasn’t sure why that surprised me. It was probably the most logical decision they’d made in the few months I’d known them. I’d miss our chats, but I had to push my selfishness aside. “A girl! How wonderful! I know how badly you wanted a little girl.” I forced myself to sound happy. “Have you found a new place yet?”
“No. But we’re looking at a few options in a couple of days. The baby’s due in three weeks.”
“Well, that’s wonderful news. And if I can help at all, just let me know.”
“Thanks, Rose. I’ll miss you.”
“Well, it’s not like you’re leaving Henryetta, is it? We’ll still see each other.”
“Yeah.” But she sounded sad. We both knew it wouldn’t be the same.
The boys ran off the porch. “Mommy! Let’s go trick-or-treating!”
I grabbed her arm and squeezed. “It will all work out, Heidi Joy. I promise.”
She nodded then herded her boys into a group, forcing the bigger ones to hold hands with the little ones. I climbed in my truck and watched them walk down the street, a lump in my throat.
Change was the way of the world. Only it never seemed to work in my favor.
I shook my head, irritated with my wallowing. I had more blessings I could count. I needed to stop feeling sorry for myself.
Ashley was waiting at her front door dressed as a pink princess.
“Muffy!” she shouted as we walked up, Muffy still trying to shake off her costume. “You’re so cute!”
At least somebody appreciated her costume.
Muffy jumped into her arms and licked her face, making the little girl giggle.
“Hello there, princess. Have you seen my favorite niece, Ashley?”
Giggles erupted. “It’s me, Aunt Rose!”
“Oh, my goodness! It is you!”
“And I’m your only niece.”
“When’d you get so smart?”
She put her hand on her hip and cocked her head. “I’m in kindergarten now.”
“Well, no wonder then.”
Violet was in the kitchen trying to get Mikey stuffed into a dragon costume. She twisted her head to look at me. “I thought you’d be here by now.”
“I was dressing Muffy.”
She just gave me a look.
I put a hand on my hip. “Well, she can’t go trick-or-treating without a costume.”
Her mouth pursed. “Hmm.”
“Daddy’s here!” Ashley shouted, running from the room.
Violet made an ugly face. “Yippee.”
A few moments later, Violet’s estranged husband walked into the room with Ashley on his hip, Muffy trotting behind them. He set his daughter down on the floor, laughing. “I stumbled upon this beautiful princess and her valiant mosquito.”
“Muffy’s not a mosquito, Daddy,” she giggled. “She’s a bee.”
He bowed low, sweeping his hand wide. “Excuse my mistake, my royal insect. No insult intended.”
Ashley covered her mouth, still giggling.
“I heard there was a fire-breathing dragon in the bowels of the kitchen, and as the princess’s knight in shining armor, it’s my duty to save her from the beast.”
“I don’t know about fire breathing,” Violet muttered. “But he’s passing enough gas that we could light his farts on fire. I have no idea what on earth your mother feeds him for lunch, but I wish she’d stop.”
“Violet!” I hissed.
Mike shot her a glare and snatched up Mikey. “I’m not afraid to wrestle a dragon,” he laughed as he carried the toddler into the living room, Ashley trailing behind. Muffy gave me a long look then ran after them.
Traitor.
“I don’t know what’s gotten into you, Violet Mae Gardner Beauregard, but you stop it right now!” I whisper-shouted.
Her eyes flew open in shock.
“I don’t care how angry you are at Mike. You be nice to him in front of your children, and you sure as tarnation should not speak badly of his mother. That woman loves them more than life itself. Not to mention that she watches your children without pay.” Unleashed, my bitterness spread through my body, saturating every word. “You have no idea how lucky you have it.”
Violet’s mouth fell open. “What in the world has gotten into you?”
“I think you should count your blessings because a lot of people have sacrificed to let you keep them.”
Her eyes narrowed. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
I couldn’t believe I’d let myself say so much. “Nothing.” I walked into the other room to get away from her.
Violet acted hurt until it was time to go trick-or-treating, and then she announced that she’d decided to stay home and hand out candy. Mike and I left with the kids, Muffy trotting next to me on her leash. Ashley and Mike had coerced her into wear her antennae while I was in the kitchen with Violet, but the look of indignation on her face told me that it hadn’t been consensual. We walked down the street, Ashley not as excited as she was before we left. It felt awkward and sad without Violet, as if one leg of a three-legged stool was missing. The three of us had always taken Ashley and Mikey out together.
Mike and I stood at the end of a driveway and watched the kids walk up to a neighbor’s front door. I held Muffy’s leash, trying to keep her from flopping onto her back again. One of her wings was already dented and had a small hole in it.
“I was sorry to hear about you and Joe breaking up,” Mike said, keeping his gaze on the kids. “I hope Violet didn’t have anything to do with it.”
I sighed and mumbled, “Not how you think.”
He spun to face me. “What?”
“No. She didn’t.”
He relaxed and stuffed his hands in the front pockets of his jeans. “I miss seeing you, Rose. You’ve been like a little sister to me. I should have called to check on you, but I wasn’t sure…with Violet.” He cleared his throat. “How are you handling everything?”
“I’m better.” I wrapped my arms around my chest, my heart aching. I’d lost so much in my life recently and I just kept losing more. “I miss you too, Mike. I hope you’re doing well.”
“I’ve been better,” he sighed as the kids ran back to us. “I’ve been a helluva lot better.”
Ashley held up her pink pumpkin. “I got M&Ms, Daddy!”
“That’s awesome, my little princess!”
Melancholy hung over me the rest of the evening, seasoned with my dread of facing Joe the next day. Mike and I took the kids back to the house and went inside, stopping in the entryway. Violet was sitting on the sofa with a bottle of wine and two glasses, one partially full.
“I’m going to go ahead and head home, Vi. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“Oh!” she exclaimed, jumping off the sofa and walking over to me, disappointment in her eyes. “I thought maybe you could stay and have a glass of wine with me and we could talk. We haven’t really had a chance to for weeks.”
I glanced at Mike, who awkwardly stood to the side.
“I’m really tired and I want to get plenty of rest for tomorrow. What time do I need to be there?”
“The presentation is at one, but we should both be there by twelve. I think it’ll take the whole afternoon.”
No way could I handle that. “Once my part is done, I’m out of there.”
“Okay.” She nodded.
“Aunt Rose?” Ashley tugged on the hem of my sweater. “Can Muffy sleep over with me?”
“I don’t know…” I hadn’t had any run-ins with Thomas in over a month, but I was still worried that he and his friends might try to prank my house. If Muffy was there, at least she’d be some kind of alarm system. “I kind of want Muffy to spend the night with me tonight. How about tomorrow night? If it’s okay with your mommy.”
“Can she, Mommy?” Ashley spun to face her mother. “I miss Muffy.”
“Okay, maybe Aunt Rose can bring Muffy to the shop tomorrow. She should be there for the press conference anyway. She is the nursery mascot.”
Her statement surprised me. She usually didn’t like Muffy hanging around the store.
I flashed Ashley a smile. “Muffy will be very excited. She loves having sleep-overs with you.”
Mike picked up little Mikey and put an arm around Ashley’s shoulders. “How about I get you two ready for bed?”
Violet looked surprised. “You don’t have to do that, Mike.”
He stopped and stared at her for several seconds. “I know, but I miss this. Our family.” His voice was raspy, so he cleared his throat. “I’d appreciate it if you’d let me get them ready for bed.”
For once Violet seemed at a loss for words. “Sure, Mike,” she finally said. “Thank you.”
Violet watched them disappear down the hall, and there was a certain heaviness in her eyes when she turned back to me. “Are you sure you can’t stay?”
My heart ached. I longed for the days when Violet and I had been close, but lately I’d begun to wonder how close we’d really been. My faith in Violet had wavered in everything, including her role in our shared past. If she’d managed to hide an affair from me for months, what else had she hidden? I couldn’t stay tonight because it was too hard to hide my bitterness and anger. I knew I needed to confront her, but now wasn’t the time. “I’m tired. I’ve been working more with Bruce Wayne gone.”
“When is he coming back?”
“I’m not sure.” I sure wished I knew. I needed to start figuring out where he was, and what I could do to find him.
I headed home, suddenly feeling more lonely than usual. I missed Joe, but I realized it wasn’t an all-consuming feeling, like it had been for the past several weeks. The kind that sometimes stole my breath and threatened to suck me into an abyss of despair. No, the grief had turned to a nagging ache, and when I really stopped to examine it, I realized it wasn’t even necessarily Joe that I missed. It was having someone in my life to share the little things no one else cared about.
Did that mean I was ready to move on?
I pulled into my driveway and walked up to my dark front porch, looking for any signs of mischief from Thomas and his friends, but everything was in its place.
When had I become so paranoid?
Muffy was still wearing her costume, and I considered taking it off before letting her loose to go to the bathroom in the front yard, but she didn’t seem to mind it anymore, perhaps because she’d broke it in. One of her antennae had fallen off completely and the broken wing was hanging lopsided. Somehow it seemed to suit her even more now.
My eyes drifted to Thomas’s house. He was in his driveway, sitting on the back of his car with two of his friends. When Bruce Wayne had disappeared last time, it was after an encounter with Thomas at Jonah’s church. I was beginning to suspect that Bruce Wayne’s disappearance definitely had some tie to Crocker’s gang. I just didn’t know what. The question was, would Thomas tell me anything?
There was only one way to find out.
I could only imagine the harassment Muffy would endure if I took her with me in her costume, so I stripped it off before clipping her leash onto her collar. She immediately began to jump around in excitement. If only my enthusiasm matched hers. Instead, dread filled my belly like a boulder, dragging me down my steps. I forced myself to straighten my back and lift my chin as I walked. I was about to confront a handful of teenage boys. What was I so worked up about?
A giant grin spread across Thomas’s face as I approached his car. His two friends flanked him, each with a beer can in hand.
“Well, look who’s come-a-callin’.” Thomas laughed. “Here to party with us, Rose?”
I swallowed the lecture on the tip of my tongue. It would be wasted breath and wouldn’t encourage him to help me. “Have you seen Bruce Wayne Decker lately?”
Thomas’s smile turned wicked. “Nope, he’s usually hiding up your skirt when I see him.”
My face burned with anger and embarrassment. “Are you sure you haven’t seen him? Maybe out at Weston’s Garage?”
He hopped off the back of the car and strutted toward me. He was a tall and lanky seventeen-year-old who hadn’t quite grown into himself. But he could still cause me physical harm. The question was whether he’d cross that line.
“Maybe you’d like to come pay a visit and see for yourself. I know a few friends who’d love to have a chat with you.”
The hairs on my arms stood on end. “Have you seen him or not?”
He cocked an eyebrow with a smirk. “You didn’t say the magic word. Please.” The street light caught the medallion at the base of his throat.
I drew in a breath, trying to rein in my impatience. “Thomas, would you please tell me if you’ve seen Bruce Wayne?”
He leaned his face into mine, his beer breath nearly making me gag. “That wasn’t so hard, now was it?” he whispered, then grinned wider and stepped back. I got a better look at the medallion, which was a St. Jude’s charm. Funny, Thomas didn’t strike me as the religious type and his mother was Pentecostal. “I haven’t seen him since last week.”
“And when and where was that?”
“Last Friday. At Weston’s Garage. Now you owe me something.”
I took a step back. “What could I possibly have that you want?”
“I’ll let you know when I want it.” Then he started laughing again, his peanut gallery joining in, and turned his back to me.
Muffy lowered her head and released a growl. I tugged on her leash. “Come on, Muffy.”
Their laughter filled the darkness as I walked back to my house. I was surprised Miss Mildred hadn’t called the police on them yet for disturbing the peace. When I got inside, I locked all the doors and windows, more irritated than scared. Thomas was a lot of talk, but I knew one day he’d cross a line that couldn’t be uncrossed.
Muffy seemed agitated, but I finally got her calm enough to settle down for bed. I had trouble sleeping, worried as I was about Bruce Wayne and where to look for him. No, I knew where to look. I just didn’t want to go there. While I knew Thomas was a bunch of talk, I had no delusions that Crocker’s associates at Weston’s Garage wouldn’t back their threats with action. I was tempted to tell Mason what was going on, but I didn’t want to put him in a difficult situation. If I told him Bruce Wayne was missing, he’d be forced to report it. And if I asked him not to, I’d be putting his job at risk. I couldn’t do that.
I woke up the next morning to the sound of Muffy whimpering. After I checked her over to make sure she wasn’t hurt, I took her outside through the kitchen door. But she instantly bolted around the corner to the front of the house. I raced after her, but stopped in my tracks when I caught sight of my front yard.
Smashed pumpkins littered the yard and covered the porch. The hay bales had been ripped apart and strewn across the grass and the street.
With a heavy sigh of disappointment, I walked up the front steps to see if Thomas and his friends had done any permanent damage to the house. Dried-up gobs of the pumpkins and squash splattered the porch, but I didn’t see anything that couldn’t be fixed. My gaze landed on the table between my rocking chairs. Smack in the middle was a half-finished bottle of tequila.
So Thomas and his friends had staged a party on my porch.
Something shiny on the table next to the bottle caught my attention. I leaned over and picked it up, immediately recognizing it as a St. Jude’s medallion necklace. When I flipped it over, I saw an engraved snake on the other side. Here was my proof that Thomas was involved, but the necklace sparked another memory too. A month ago, someone had tried to break into the house next door to Thomas and the police had found a St. Jude’s necklace in the yard. And then there was the necklace I’d found in Bruce Wayne’s apartment. Was it some symbol of being loyal to Crocker? I let it drop from my fingers onto the table.
I considered calling the police and filing a report so I could press charges, but I doubted that Henryetta’s finest would take me seriously. When I gave my statement to Detective Taylor the day after Jonah’s mother had tried to kill me, he insinuated that I was responsible for the predicaments I’d gotten sucked into over the last few months. I could only imagine how he would react if I made the call.
“Let me get this straight, Ms. Gardner. You confronted a known hoodlum and his friends, and then you were surprised when they trashed your porch? And you say you don’t bring these things on yourself?”
The police were out. Once again, I was on my own.