“And do you know what that feels like, Greer? To be a stranger to your own child?” he whispered. “Does she have a name? I don’t even know my daughter’s name.” Anguish swept through his tone, and regret panged in her heart.
“Locklin, meet Stormie Lin. But she goes by Lin. L-i-n.”
Moisture formed in his eyes. “Lin,” he whispered. “Stormie Lin,” he whispered again. He looked at Greer, blinked back the moisture. His blue eyes were bright. Clear. “What’s her last name?”
Greer’s dream had always been to carry his last name. Her daughter should as well. “On the birth certificate it’s Gallagher. But around here, she’s Lin Montgomery.”
Locke sniffed, studied Lin. “At least you gave her my name legally. Thank you.”
A thank-you. Greer bit her lower lip. Locke reached out, hesitated, then touched Lin’s cheek. “Hey,” he said with a soft baby-talk tone. “Hey, Lin.”
She peered at her daddy, into identical eyes, with a somber expression. He tickled under her chin. “Do you know who I am?” He became more cheerful as if working to draw a smile. “I’m your...daddy.” His voice choked with emotion on the word. “Can you say ‘daddy’?” he asked.
Lin wrapped her pudgy hand around his finger on her chin and blew spit bubbles.
Locke chuckled, and she squealed.
“Can I...hold her?” he asked.
“We can try, yes.” Greer slowly passed Lin to Locke. “Go see your daddy, baby girl. It’s okay.”
Lin swiveled toward Greer but allowed Locke to take her in his arms. Greer had been in those arms many times. Surely, Lin would feel the strength and security in them, as Greer always had. The feeling of protection. She only hoped her baby girl would never have to live with those strong, safe arms leaving her.
Locke took her hand and kissed her baby knuckles. “Hey.”
Bless him, he had no clue what to say or do, but his affection was clear. Burning bright in his eyes. “You are so lovely, little girl.”
Greer turned and squeezed her eyes shut, holding back tears.
“Did you know that? Did you know you were so lovely?” he asked again.
Greer faced them, watched. Lin put her hand on his cheek and squeezed.
“Mmm...you got a grip there, kiddo.” Locke laughed. “Good solid grip.”
Greer chuckled, and Lin laughed with her.
“Well, she likes you.”
“She should. I’m her dad,” he said strongly. “I want to know everything, Greer. I want to know everything I missed. Because I’ve missed it all. You have to understand that, right?”
Greer bit back tears. “I didn’t want us to be in your way. You’d just signed the two-year contract. I hadn’t. You were working your way into your dream. And...”
“And what?”
How did she explain that she knew he’d end up abandoning them? He’d just argue with her. “And, I’m sorry.” Sorry for this whole mess.
“Me, too.” He rubbed Lin’s soft cap of raven hair. “It curls when it’s wet, doesn’t it?” he asked.
“It does.”
“So does mine.” He grinned.
“I know,” she whispered. “I’ll tell you everything. Show you photos. Videos.” Whatever he wanted. But that didn’t make the fear go away. Seeing his gentleness didn’t give her hope. Dad had been fun with her, too. When she was little, he’d called her precious. “But I have to go to work, Locke. A killer is out there, and you’re right. I’m not safe until he’s behind bars.” She couldn’t let Locke see how terrified she truly was. He might try to take Lin away or something. She had to appear confident. Brave. In control. But she had never felt more helpless and out of control.
“New storm system coming in today. Around two. I have to work, too, but I want all the time I have with her. You owe me that.”
“I know.” But what about after? All the time he had. Meaning he wasn’t going to have a lifetime. Her anxiety ramped up and all she felt was her own rejection. Same rejection Lin would feel if Locke thought he could waltz in and out.
Lin wiggled in Locke’s arms and reached for the high chair.
“She wants her juice.” Greer handed it to her. “Let’s go in the living room.” She had about an hour before she needed to be on her way to the carnival. Interviews to conduct. A murder to investigate. She wasn’t sure what scared her most right now.
The killer or Locke.
THREE
Greer had changed into her deputy’s uniform and walked through the carnival, watching closely. It was still early and quiet. Word spread fast, but it wouldn’t keep patrons away for long. The storms wouldn’t, either. While rain wasn’t coming down now, it was hazy, gray and chilly.
Carnival employees were setting up, and the smell of funnel cakes and turkey legs wafted in the spring air and made Greer’s stomach rumble. She hadn’t been able to eat all morning. Locke had asked about labor. Birth. Lin’s health. An arsenal of questions and she’d agreed to show him photo albums and videos later this afternoon, when she had a chance and when he was available. With storm systems came unpredictability, and his job wasn’t nine-to-five.
“Hey, Greer.” Deputy Adam Crisp met up with her by the lemonade stand. “You sleep okay after I left?” His blond hair was lighter than hers. His eyes steel-gray. He’d moved from Decatur, Alabama, a little over a year ago. Both new to the Jenkins County Sheriff’s Department, they’d become fast friends. He was like a brother to her and checked up on her often.
“Sure.”
He tossed a skeptical glance her way. “I drove by a few times before Garrison took my shift. Noticed your out-of-town friend didn’t leave.”
Well, that appeared a bit unsavory. She was shocked he hadn’t run the plates. Maybe he had. “How far did y’all get last night?” she asked, changing the subject.
“We got the files from the carnival managers and owners—Rudy and Jenna Dennsion. Nice enough. Helpful enough.” They walked toward the employee campers. Was he here? Did he see her? Would he try to attack her again? She’d be ready, but it didn’t give her racing heart any measure of peace. Lord, help me and protect me today. “We talked with the workers on either side of Flip’s camper, but they were setting up games and stands. Didn’t see anything. Hear anything.”
So they said.
“What about the maintenance workers that work this carnival?”
“We talked to two out of three.” He flipped his notepad. “Frandel Modine and a Carlie Castle.”
Well, it wasn’t a female who attacked her. “And the third?”
“Ray Don Chatham.” Adam’s mouth turned grim. “He couldn’t be found last night. But we’ll track him down. He fits your description. Beard. Mustache. Wide nose. Wish you had more.”
“It was pitch-black and it happened pretty fast.” They approached Flip’s camper. “Did Frandel have an alibi for last night?” she asked.
“He was with Carlie Castle. They’re a thing.”
Maybe she covered for him, then. “What did you find out on Flip Bomer?”
Adam tripped over an extension cord and growled. “I hate carnivals.”
Greer chuckled. “Same.” But there was a time when she’d loved them. One in particular stood out, but she wasn’t thinking about Locke right now.
“Not much more on Flip. Hoping to get some answers this morning.” They entered Flip’s quarters, and Greer shuddered. Seeing that monster. The knife. What she’d gone through last night.
“How is Lin?” Adam asked.
“Good. She stayed with Tori. Probably going to let her stay there and elsewhere until we figure out what’s going on. Safer if he returns.”
Adam nodded and slipped on a pair of latex gloves. “What’re you looking for here? We already combed the place last night.”
“I don’t know. I just want another look.” Flip w
asn’t a tidy person. “If someone had a beef with him, then maybe there’s some kind of evidence. I doubt he was a random victim. We need to find out if he had enemies. Something.” They continued their search. “Nothing of worth in here. Let’s see if the maintenance worker has returned home.”
Adam led the way to an RV that was a little larger than Flip’s. He knocked on the door. “Jenkins County Sheriff’s Department.” Rustling sounded.
The door opened, and Greer held her breath. What if she was looking at the man who had tried to kill her last night? “I’m Deputy Montgomery,” she said, “and this is Deputy Crisp.”
“Like apple crisp?” the guy asked and laughed. Bloodshot eyes. Dressed in a white tank top and low-hanging jeans—he was fit. Facial hair. Wide nose, and even the same height and weight. But she couldn’t say confidently.
“Ray Don Chatham?”
“Maybe.”
The smell of liquor wafted out of the camper, nearly knocking Greer back. Had this guy been on a bender all night? If so, he couldn’t be the attacker. He hadn’t smelled of booze. But after the attack on her at home, he may have headed to a local tavern or bar. “We’re here about Flip Bomer. Were you friends?”
Ray Don laughed and coughed. One too many cigarettes. “Flip didn’t have friends. He was a lying, cheating, blackmailing piece of rotting flesh. No one is going to be crying over his death or willing to help you find his killer. He’s a hero.”
Lovely.
“Where were you last night between the hours of seven p.m. and three a.m.?” Adam asked.
“Found me a nice little place to have a drink. Southern Comfort.”
Local tavern on the edge of town. “Anyone be able to corroborate that?” Greer asked.
“What?”
“Anyone be able to back you up?” Greer restated.
“I don’t know. I drink alone.” He grinned.
“You said Flip was a blackmailer.” Greer glanced at Adam. “He blackmail you?”
Ray Don lit up a cigarette; the smoke billowed and he squinted an eye while he inhaled a deep drag. He blew it out. “If he had anything on me, he would have. You should talk to Jewel.”
“Where can we find this Jewel?” Adam asked.
“Far side. Blue-and-white camper.” He pointed to the west side of the camp, then closed his door.
“Can you identify him as your attacker?” Adam asked.
That was the thing. She couldn’t. It was possible that whoever killed Flip and attacked her might not be a maintenance worker at all. He could have impersonated one. If an employee saw him entering Flip’s camper, then they’d assume it was one of their guys. In actuality, it could have been a game worker, a hot dog stand attendant, clown, juggler, anyone. It would be smart to slide into a uniform and throw off anyone who may have witnessed him slinking around the carnival and employee campgrounds.
“No. Let’s check Southern Comfort, see if his alibi is corroborated. If so, I think we may be dealing with someone who lifted a uniform off of one the carnies. If it isn’t...we haul him in.”
“I agree,” Adam said.
“But first, let’s chat with this Jewel person,” Greer said as she and Adam trekked through the muddy ground to Jewel’s camper. “What do you think of this whole blackmail thing?”
Adam shrugged. “I think we’re dealing with all sorts of shady characters and anything could happen. I hope we nail the guy before the week ends. If Ray Don doesn’t pan out as our lead and we don’t find any others, they’ll be free to pack up and move on.”
Greer was afraid of that. The only one who could identify this guy was Greer. If he wanted to move on with the carnival, he’d have to try and finish what he started. She shivered.
“You cold?”
“Yeah. Sure.” They made it to the blue-and-white camper, and Greer knocked. A young woman in her early twenties in a flimsy robe opened the door.
“Can I help you?”
“Are you Jewel?” Adam asked.
“I am.”
“Got a last name?” Greer asked.
“Pharelli.”
They introduced themselves and relayed Ray Don’s words. Jewel sighed. “Flip was a real piece of work. Ray Don is right. No one liked Flip. How can I help you?”
“Was he blackmailing you?” Greer asked.
“No,” she said, biting her lower lip and refusing to make eye contact.
“Look, we’re after who murdered Flip and attacked me. Twice. But we need to know.”
Jewel wiped wet eyes. “He knew I had a relationship with someone in the carnival. Someone married. It was brief and a big mistake on my part. But I need this job.”
“Was the man you had a short relationship with also being blackmailed?” Greer asked.
She nodded. “Breaking it off didn’t change it, either. I mean, that’s not why I stopped seeing him. It was wrong. So wrong. And even after, Flip kept asking for money. We kept paying. But we didn’t kill him.”
“Did he have evidence proving the affair or just knowledge?”
Jewel nodded again. “Photos. I don’t know where he kept them, though. His place has been tossed on more than one occasion. But he keeps on keeping on. I’m not sad he’s dead.”
Seemed to be the consensus. “I’m going to need the name of the man.” It wasn’t a woman who had tried to end her life. Could have been the guy she was trying to protect.
“I’m not giving you that. And you can’t make me.”
No, they couldn’t. But she could appeal to her sense of sympathy. “I’m a single mama. The killer tried to take me away from my baby girl. I need to catch this guy. Please help me.”
Jewel sighed. “Rudy Dennison.”
The carnival manager. Well, this made things more interesting. He’d have everything to lose if this information came out. The carnival had been around for over fifty years, opened and operated by the Wheeler family. Jenna Dennison’s maiden name. Her family. If she found out about Rudy, he would be out in the cold. Jewel, too.
Adam glanced at Greer, and he barely nodded. They were on the same page. “We’ll be discreet since you cooperated, Miss Pharelli,” Adam said.
“Thank you.” She closed the door on them.
“If this guy would blackmail the manager and owner-by-marriage, then what wouldn’t he do? And who hasn’t he done it to?” Greer asked. This might go deeper and take longer than she originally suspected.
“I was thinking the same thing. Any one of ’em could have done it. And any one of ’em could be covering for him, especially if they were also being blackmailed,” Adam said as they strode toward the manager’s RV. “If you need me to bunk on your couch a few days, let me know,” Adam said. “I don’t like this guy out in the open. Here.”
Neither did Greer. Even now she felt like those dead eyes were on her, watching, lurking. Waiting for her to be alone so he could try and finish what he started. “I’m good. Really.”
“How long is your out-of-town friend staying?”
Greer’s cheeks heated. He’d met Locke last night. He couldn’t have forgotten his name. She sighed. “Not long.” Too long. She didn’t want to discuss it with Adam. Or anyone.
“I get the back-off vibe. So, I will.” He knocked on the Dennisons’ RV door.
No answer.
“Probably somewhere in the fair,” Greer said. “Let’s talk to some other workers and maybe we’ll catch up with him.” They made their rounds. Most workers didn’t want to get involved. Was it because they’d been blackmailed and wanted to keep it a secret or did they simply want to keep their noses out of the whole thing? No one seemed worried they might be next on the list to die. It appeared Flip was a premeditated target. And Greer had been in the wrong place at the wrong time.
After a few hours, patrons had arrived at the fair, but not many since school was still
in session. A field trip was coming on Monday. At around 1:00, her phone rang.
Cindy Woolridge.
Greer agreed to meet her at the Blue Bass café on Main Street. She needed a favor anyway. Greer left Adam at the fair and drove to the small café on the square. She parallel-parked and entered to the smell of fried fish, garlicky dishes and fresh homemade coconut pie.
She found Cindy and Michael—her husband—in a booth near the corner.
Michael stood to greet her with a side hug. “We placed your order.”
“Oh, good, thanks.”
Cindy grabbed her hand as she sat across from them. “I can’t believe this. A murder in our town!” She clutched her chest, and Michael put his arm around her.
“I know.” Greer’s insides swished around, leaving her nauseated, but not eating would only make her worse. If she was going to catch this killer, she needed strength.
“Any leads since earlier this morning?” Cindy asked. “I’ve talked with the mayor and Sheriff Wright. Minus you being in the wrong place at the wrong time, they feel it’s an isolated incident.”
Greer rubbed her temples. “I think they’re correct in assuming that, but we won’t know more until we do more investigating.” She relayed all she could, which wasn’t much.
“Well, thank the good Lord for having an old friend in town to be nearby and help you.” Cindy eyed her, and the questions about Locke drilled into her.
Michael said, “You know you can always come stay with us. Us Alabama boys know how to shoot.” His teasing lightened the mood.
“That’s generous. Really. But I don’t know if he’s going to come after me again, and the last thing I want to do is put you or your boys at risk.” She patted her side. “And us Alabama girls know how to shoot, also.”
The bell jingled and Greer glanced around to see Locke enter the café. She scooched farther down in the booth, concealing herself.
Cindy gave her a quizzical expression.
She couldn’t think about Locke right now. She needed help with Lin. “I don’t want Lin in danger, either, so I need a favor.”
Killer Exposure Page 4
