Tyler

by Kathi S. Barton

  That one she liked too. Laughing, she got up and finished up the job. She’d had to go along the street too, so that just her marks weren’t showing. By the time she was back at her new digs, she was so cold and so tired that she thought that she could sleep for a week. Laying down on the blanket that she’d been able to get, she laid her coat over her. Glenda felt the cold seep into her bones more as she laid there.

  Getting up, she walked around. It didn’t help. She was freezing, and there weren’t enough blankets in all the state, she thought, to warm her up. Thinking of a nice warm fire only made the coldness worse. It wasn’t until she sat down, wrapping almost all the clothing around her, that she felt reasonably warm. And that was still too cold for her. Glenda tried to distract herself by thinking of what she’d do first when she got little Ryan.

  “I’m going to strip him down and make sure that he’s got all his fingers and toes.” Maybe she’d wait until she was warmer before doing that. “I don’t want him to get a cold because I’m so cold.”

  Ryan hadn’t been a good baby. Not even when she was carrying him did he ever make things easy on her. Twice before he’d been born, she’d had to go to the emergency room. He’d kick her so hard that she’d be black and blue from them. And when he’d been born—he’d taken his time at that too—she’d had to be hospitalized. He’d not been a big baby, but there had been a twin, and something had happened.

  Glenda had always told herself that Ryan was working on being the best, even before he’d been born. The twin, a little girl, had had the cord wrapped up tight around her throat, and Glenda had blamed it on her son. That was when she realized that he was more like her than he was his father. Good thing too. She had no idea what she’d do with a wussy like her husband for a child.

  Spending a few extra days in the hospital hadn’t been that much of a hardship. Someone waited on her hand and foot. Food was brought to her anytime she wanted it, and when she needed a spell from the boy, they’d come and get him until she asked for him back. Her husband had said that she was taking advantage of the nursing staff.

  “No, I’m not. I’m just getting my due. They have no idea how much I suffered with having my son.” Harvey, her husband, didn’t say anything more. She figured that he would figure that she’d knock him around if he did, baby or no baby to slow her down. “Besides, the state is taking care of this bill, and I’m just getting what they’re paying for. It’s not like they’re doing this out of the kindness of their hearts. They’re fucking making a good deal of money for pampering me.”

  “Yes. Yes, you’re correct. I’m so sorry.” He’d been sorry too. “I think I’ll go home now. I’ve been told that you’ll be home in the morning. I shall be here bright and early for you.”

  She’d not wanted to leave. To leave there would mean that she’d be responsible for her own food, Ryan would be hers to watch and change, and she wasn’t ready to give that all up just yet. So that night, getting up to go to the bathroom, Glenda had “fallen” and turned her ankle. They’d kept her for another week before she had to go home. Fuck, but that had been fun.

  Now all she had to show for her stretch marks and bum ankle was her broken heart. No one to care for her when she was old. There wasn’t anyone around that she could call on to help her out. Nor did she have a single item, no tree and no cards, because some bitch had murdered her only love.

  “Well, she’ll get hers. Just as soon as I find her, Jazzie—whatever her name is now—will pay out the ass for taking what’s mine. And she’ll soon feel what I felt like when she did it.” Her anger seemed to be warming her up, and she curled up under the clothing. “Tomorrow starts ‘giving me what I want.’”

  ~*~

  She’d escaped. Tyler tried to think how that had happened. He knew what Rayne had told him and that she’d banished Ryan Scott, but it scared the shit out of him to think that a ghost had helped her get out of jail, where she was free to come after his mate and son.

  “You’re thinking too hard.” Tyler looked at Jazzie and and asked her if she was worried. “I am. Terrified, if you want to know the truth. But your dad told me that worrying will get you no closer to finishing this up than it would if I was to go to town without any money. Sometimes I have to think hard on what he’s telling me.”

  “Yes, we all do. But you understood what he meant, right?” She asked if it meant you couldn’t buy anything. “Pretty much. He used to say that a good deal more, when we had no money, or at least not much of it. We ate better than most, but as far as extra money, there wasn’t any. And why aren’t you worried about this?”

  She grinned at him. “I told you, I’m terrified. But she’ll have to come to me, and that isn’t going to bode well for her. I’m going to kick her ass; and then, again as your dad would say, wipe up the counters with her. Does he ever get those things right?”

  “Rarely. There are a few times when what he says still has no meaning for me. Like, ‘I tell you what.’ I don’t think any of us really understand that. He’s never explained what he’d like to tell us, just says it and walks away.” Tyler leaned back on the couch, holding Joey on his chest as he napped. “How’s the auction set up going?”

  “Great. I have a list of things that are put together in the baskets for the silent auction. The gifts are all tagged with who gave it, what’s in the gift, as well as how much it’s worth. Your mom said to tell you that was a good idea.” He thanked her. “We have some of the retired cooks from the school baking up a storm and making carry away food, like sandwiches and stuff, to sell as well. Sara told me that we’d donate all that money to the retired teachers fund.”

  “Good idea. And the kids from the high school, they’re going to help out too, right?” Nodding, Jazzie told him what they were doing. “Sounds like a good job for them. Clean up will be easier for them, and people will be able to see what it is that’s being auctioned off if some of them hold the items up. Anything else that you’ve organized?”

  “Yes. At the door there is going to be a donation jar. I don’t know that it’ll get much. I think people will be keeping their money for the auction. I know that I would. Oh, and the bakery has donated hot cups for coffee and napkins. I had a blast calling people up and begging for things.” He was trying to keep both their minds off the fact that Glenda was out there someplace. It seemed to be working to a point. “Do you think she’ll come here?”

  “I do.” Jazzie nodded and looked at the tree. “This one was much easier to put up, don’t you think? That one in the hall was a nightmare. But with all the ornaments on it, it sure does make it worth it.”

  “When the lights come on, Joey just stares at it. Next year we won’t be able to keep him from the presents. And the tree.” She grinned at him. “Thank you. I appreciate what you’re doing. Your dad told me that I just had to go on like nothing is wrong. She’ll get here when she gets here.”

  The front doorbell sounded, and he was so glad that they’d found the doorbell add on that could be changed for the holidays. This time it was singing one of his all-time favorites, the one about the deer and a red nose. When Jazzie stood up, he turned as best he could without waking Joey. The police were there.

  “I’m sorry to have to tell you this, Tyler, but there has been a murder.” Jazzie wanted to know if it was someone in the family. “No ma’am. It’s Ms. Whistle, the one that owns the secondhand shop across from the courthouse. When she didn’t open this morning, her daughter Delila went to check and found her. She’d been hit pretty hard on the head with a hammer that was left at the scene.”

  “And you think that Glenda did it.” He said that they knew for sure it was her. There’d been a video of her. “Did she rob the place as well?”

  “Yes, ma’am, she did at that. Got her a coat, some clothing, as well as food and water. Even took the candy bars that were there that Ms. Whistle’s granddaughter was selling so she could go to band camp.” Officer James shook his head. “Ms. Scott, she got her some cash too. We’re still
trying to figure out how much was in the bag, but it looks like she might have gotten at least two hundred. Didn’t bother the safe though. It was wide open in the office, where we suppose Ms. Whistle was putting the deposit. Poor thing. From the thing we watched, she didn’t stand a chance.”

  After the officer left, with instructions to let them know a dollar amount if they could that Glenda stole, the talk about Christmas and Joey was put on hold. As they sat there, both of them seemingly in their own thoughts, he wondered where Glenda was.

  “Would she go back to her home, you think?” Tyler told Jazzie that it had been locked up, and an officer drove by it every couple of hours to keep vandals out. “I don’t think she had anything worth a vandal coming in for. I was only there once, and that was enough for me.”

  “I bet they put more patrols around there now.” Caleb was shown to where they were, and Tyler realized that he’d not heard the doorbell. Caleb asked if they’d heard. “Yes. Officer James just left. Are you helping them find her?”

  “Yes, but it makes it a little difficult since she has new clothing that might have been donated by any number of people. Her scent was all over the body and the outside, but that’s as far as we’ve been able to trace it. I think she might have enough stuff to keep her hidden for a while too.” Tyler told him about the food and candy bars. “Yes, Quinn has gone to the school this morning to buy up a few hundred of them. She wants to give them away at the auction. I think that’s a good idea. She told me that they’re so good that she’s hoping that people will want more than one.”

  “I’ve spoken to her since then. We’re going to sort of shame people into buying more. The kids are going to be there with all their candy, and Quinn is going to tell them how she’d been able to help half the kids go to camp with their purchases, and that the least everyone else could do was help the other half.” Tyler and Caleb laughed. “Yes, well, you’d not think that was so funny if you’d seen her face when she came back with the bars from the school. I think she wanted to dive right into them and eat them all. Is there anything we can do to help the family of Ms. Whistle?”

  “We’re working on that now. She only had a daughter, and they were barely making it. I think that her plan was to close up after this holiday and move into an assisted living home with Carole.” Jazzie got up and went to the window. Joey woke up, looked around, and reached for Caleb. “That’s a good boy. Pick me over Da— Damn it, Tyler, he’s dirty. And wet. He wants me to change him?”

  “Big baby. I’ll do it.”

  Jazzie took Joey from Tyler’s brother and left them there. They could hear her talking to Joey, telling him what a good boy he was as they walked away. He looked at Caleb.

  “What haven’t you told us? I’m sure that there is more to this than just a robbery gone bad.” He nodded. “What do you have planned? I know you well enough to think you’re not going to let the police find her.”

  “I’d rather they didn’t, but I think that it’s going to come to that. And I’ve been talking to Rayne. She said that there was some powerful anger for Ryan to be able to open that cell. She thinks that his mother will be no different. Anger is a very powerful thing for the dead. Not to mention, Ryan did some minor damage to the front room there too, all at the same time as freeing his mom. That is unheard of. Rayne said that she wished now that she’d sent him on when he spoke to Jazzie yesterday.” Tyler asked if Rayne had known then. “No. She said that she knew that he was pissed off, but not enough to do that sort of damage. She sent him on so that he couldn’t help his mother hurt Jazzie and take Joey. I think he would have too, don’t you?”

  “Oh yeah, he would have.” Tyler leaned back. “We have to do something, and soon. I don’t want her worrying about whether or not Glenda is around every corner.”

  “Me either. Mom and Dad said that they’d make sure that they went with her when she had to go out. The rest of the family said that if Mom and Dad couldn’t, then they would. Addie is ready to kill her. I had her hold off. We might want to take care of her on our own, but I think she needs to be at least seen trying to hurt Jazzie.”

  “Most of the town knows what we are. If she comes up missing, it’s doubtful that anyone would give a shit. Especially now.” Caleb said that’s what Mom had said. “But you’re still having second thoughts about this.”

  “I think that in this, Jazzie has to finish it. Just to give her some peace. Just knowing that she’s dead and banished might help her, but she needs to be the one that ends it. Or at the very least, be a part of it. Even if we were to tell her that she wasn’t coming around anymore, Quinn thinks that she’ll never feel safe.” Tyler understood that. She was still fearful of Ryan, and he was dead. “I’d like for you to talk to her about it, see if she’s okay with it this way.”

  “I am.” They both turned to the doorway were Jazzie was. “I think that you’re right. Don’t let it go to your head, but I do need to see her finished. Prison would be all right with me, but I don’t think it will go that far. Do you guys?”

  “No. And neither do the rest of them. She’ll try and kill you, or just take Joey and run. If she’s caught, I don’t think she’d hurt the baby, but she will get herself killed trying to run.” Tyler looked at Jazzie while Caleb continued. “We won’t let her get Joey. I swear to you. But if she gets you, then she’ll bargain with Tyler to get the baby.”

  “He will not bargain with a madman. Or woman.” Tyler said that he’d not. “Promise me. Promise me no matter what, she doesn’t get her hands on our son. I’ll never forgive myself if she does.”

  “Neither will I. But it won’t come to that, love. She won’t get him.” Jazzie came to him, wrapping her arms around him. “I love you, Jazzie, and I promise you, she won’t get either of you if I can help it.”

  He just hoped that he could keep that promise. It would be like Jazzie to go out and hunt Glenda down to end this on her terms. Tyler was going to have to watch Jazzie closely so that it didn’t happen.

  Chapter 9

  Jazzie needed to run into town for just a few minutes, and she’d promised them all that she’d not do that alone. Nor would she take Joey with her until this thing was finished. She was all right with those promises, but now she had to wait on someone to babysit both her and her son. And Jazzie hated to do that.

  The items that she’d ordered for the auction and tree there were in stock now, and she needed them today. Tomorrow was the big day, and she was ready other than that. Waiting on Kelley and Sara to come by was wonderful because they were so kind. But she was on pins and needles all the time anymore, and it made her edgy.

  Jazzie so wanted to find Glenda and do to her what her son had done to her while they’d been married. Damn it, but she had been enjoying her freedom of walking around town. And now this asshole of a woman was curtailing her freedom.

  “I’m sorry I’m late.” Sara asked if Joey was asleep, and they both lowered their voices when she nodded at her. Kelley said that Sara was going to watch little Joey and he was going with her. She kissed him on the cheek and thanked him. “My goodness. A man could get used to having a pretty young thing wanting his help. Well, if’n you’re ready, we’ll get this going.”

  They decided to walk to town. It wasn’t that far, and Sara had told her that she wanted Kelley to get more exercise. Not that he’d gained any weight, she’d told her, but with all the babies around, he was going to need more energy come summer. Kelley was a charming man to walk with, so it wasn’t bad.

  She got what she needed, and helped Kelley pick out a pretty bouquet of posies, he called them, for Sara. The man was forever picking up this or that for his wife. Tyler and the rest of the boys did that as well. It was romantic and adorable. Jazzie only hoped that Joey would be like his dad.

  They were headed back when she thought she saw Glenda in front of one of the buildings along the next street over. To her it looked like she was pretending to be a homeless person, with a shopping cart and all. Trying her best to act as if
nothing was wrong, she reached out to Tyler and let him know what she’d seen.

  I don’t think that was her. We have her in one of the buildings behind the police station. She told him that she’d not known and was sorry for bothering him. No, don’t be sorry. I’m glad to know that you’re keeping on your toes. Is my dad driving you nuts yet? He told me that he had you and that you’d helped him out.

  We picked out some flowers—or posies, I guess—and then he had to have a box of candy to go with it. I suggested he take some of that from our wedding gifts, and he said that he wanted to be spot on. It took me a moment to figure out he meant spontaneous. They both laughed. We’re headed home. Your mom is watching Joey for me. Do you think you’ll be home for dinner? I thought about inviting them.

  I’d love that. And yes, I’m almost finished here. And when my parents are gone, you and I are going to have some serious sex. I mean, you are going to be limp as an overcooked noodle when I’m finished with you. How about we go into the woods and I show you what a great predator I am? Jazzie asked him about changing her. I’d like that. Have you spoken to the other women, like I asked you to do?

  Yes. And Rayne told me not to be surprised if I can see ghosts afterwards. Was she serious? Tyler told her that it was more than likely a possibility. I don’t know if I want that. What if I see someone from my past that I don’t care to? Well, I guess I’ve already talked to the one that I disliked the most.

  You’ll be able to whip their ass. And if not, call on Gabe or Rayne. I’m sure that they explained that part of being the Death Watcher to you. She said that they had. Good. All right. I’m not getting anything done here so I can be home soon. Whatever we’re having for dinner, I want you to know that I missed lunch. You might want to warn Davey. He’ll fix me right up.

  Closing the connection as she and Kelley entered the house, she saw Joey, but not Sara. Calling out for her, Kelley yelled out that he’d gotten her a pretty. But when Jazzie went to pick up Joey, she noticed that he was covered in blood on his hands and clothing. Reaching for all the Winchesters, she wasn’t surprised when they told her they were on their way. Even Dominic, who was out at the camp doing some last-minute preparations for the winter, said that he’d be there as soon as he could. Kelley was beside himself with worry.