Search Me

by Katie Ashley

  “Um, sure,” I replied. I didn’t like the thoughts of leaving Maudie completely alone, so instead of shutting the door, I left it cracked. I then hid on the other side and peered in.

  “I know you,” Maudie said, pointing a finger. “You’re the man from the auction. The one who tried to outbid me.”

  “Yes, I am. The painting is the reason why I’ve come to see you.”

  “Oh?”

  “I’m not the type of man who likes to lose, Mrs. Sinclair. I intended—or I should say I intend—to have that painting. I’m sure you have an aesthetic appreciation for it, but for me, I have a deep, personal attachment. One that goes back to my ancestors.”

  Maudie remained silent and contemplative. I wondered what thoughts were going through her mind.

  Jensen drew in a sharp breath. “At the time of the auction, I was having somewhat of a cash flow problem. Since then, I have been able to procure more funds. I’m willing to offer you ten thousand more than what you paid.”

  “Look, Mr. Jensen, I do appreciate your tenacity, but I’m afraid I cannot sell you the painting. Especially now that it has been damaged.”

  A strangled cry came from Jensen before he demanded, “Damaged? What do you mean?”

  “I’m afraid the frame is going to have to be replaced. Some kind of shipping mishap.”

  I snorted back a laugh at Maudie’s explanation. The color returned to Jensen’s face. “Oh, well, I’ll be happy to do that myself.” He reached in his suit pocket for his handkerchief. “So my offer still stands.”

  “No, I’m afraid I’m going to have to decline.”

  “Fifteen thousand.”

  “Mr. Jensen—”

  “Then name your price!”

  Maudie shook her head. She started around her desk to the door, and I froze. “I appreciate you coming all this way, but I really cannot part with it.”

  A dark, almost sinister expression flashed momentarily on Jensen’s face before he managed to give Maudie a tight smile. “Well, I don’t suppose you can fault a man for trying. Maybe one day I’ll be able to persuade you to give it up.” He then turned and blew out the door so fast I didn’t have time to escape. He gave me a momentary pissed glance before stalking away.

  I rushed into Maudie’s office. “Are you okay?”

  “Me? Why never better,” she replied, her voice wavering.

  “Are you sure? That guy was an absolute creep.” When Maudie started to protest, I shook my head. “I didn’t want to leave you alone with him, so I hid by the door. I didn’t like the things he was saying—the way he threatened you.”

  A nervous titter of a laugh escaped her lips. “Oh, he’s just a spoiled, overzealous art collector who is used to getting what he wants.” A shaky hand swept away some of the hair that had come loose from her bun. “But he realized I wasn’t going to give in to him.” When I started to open my mouth to protest, Maudie shook her head. “So,” she said, drawing in a breath, “what did your dad want?”

  “Oh, he’s got to go on a book tour for a week or two. Mom’s going with him.”

  “And you decided to stay here with me, stacking jams and jellies and waiting on impatient tourists?”

  “Sure did,” I replied.

  She cupped my chin and smiled. “That’s my girl.”

  I groaned. “Maudie, I’ll be twenty in two days, remember?”

  “Even when you’re thirty or forty, you’ll always be my girl.”

  I grinned at her. “Okay, okay.” My gaze then went to the antique clock on the wall over her desk. “Hey, it’s only an hour until quitting time. Why don’t we go out for dinner? Just you and me. I’m dying to try that new steak place.”

  Maudie grimaced. “I’d love to, but I’ve got to stay late and get some inventory and receipts done.” She started back to her desk. “You and Maddox should go. He was saying the other night how he wanted a good steak.”

  Oh yeah, that was totally not happening. “No, no, I’ll help you,” I blurted.

  Maudie raised her brows. “Still a little gun-shy around Maddox?”

  “No, that’s not it. It’s just…” Shit, how was I going to get out of this one?

  Pursing her lips, Maudie eased down in her chair. “You know, I’ve been worried about Maddox getting acclimated back home. I was hoping with having you here—a reminder of his past—it might help him. But so far you both have been avoiding each other like the plague. Is there something you’re not telling me?”

  Ducking my head, I refused to meet her burning gaze. Instead, I scuffed my flip-flop into the Indian print rug in front of her desk. “It’s just been a long time since we’ve been together, that’s all. People change when they’ve been apart for so long. Maddox and I are just two very different people now.”

  “Hmm, I think you’re a lot more alike than you realize, but you’re both too damn stubborn to admit it.”

  I sighed. “Can we please just get back to the part where I help you tonight rather than going out with Maddox?”

  “Honey, you work hard enough during the day.”

  “But I want to. I’ll even go pick us up some dinner.”

  Maudie’s resolve seemed to fade when she realized she wasn’t going to talk me into taking Maddox out on the town. “Well, if you’re sure you don’t mind….”

  “Nope, I don’t.”

  “Okay then. I’ll be happy to have some help and some company.”

  After letting out a relieved breath, I grinned. “Great.”

  At six, I clocked out and headed up the interstate to Zaxby’s, which happened to be Maudie’s and my favorite fast-food restaurant. After resisting the urge for a plate of chicken tenders and wings, I ordered us both grilled chicken salads. It took forever to get through the line, and I almost called Maudie to say I hadn’t flaked out on her. When I finally got back, the employee parking lot was deserted, and I eased into the spot next to Maudie’s Cadillac. I was glad to see Maddox’s Jeep was nowhere in sight. I’d had a sneaking suspicion when I left, that she might try to orchestrate some reunion for us by asking him to stay late as well. Of course knowing him, he probably had some hot date with a blonde bimbo.

  When I reached to knock, the back door creaked open. Huh, that was strange. Maudie usually kept everything locked up tight, especially after hours. Even though it was only supposed to be the two of us working, I glanced around to see if one of the other workers might’ve left it ajar. Shifting our salads in my arm, I stepped inside. “Maudie?”

  From across the store, I could hear raised voices and the sound of boxes crashing and falling. I fumbled in my purse for my phone to call 911. After I jerked it out, I started slowly making my way towards Maudie’s office. I’d gotten half-way down an aisle when I heard a man’s voice. It only took a second for me to register it as the ‘Creep’ aka Mr. Jensen from earlier in the day. “I know you’re lying. The damn frame is busted on the painting, so don’t try to tell me you don’t know anything about the map!”

  “I’ll tell you one more time, Mr. Jensen. The frame arrived with damages when the painting was shipped to me. I can assure you I have no idea about this silly map you speak of.”

  The sound of breaking glass caused me to jump. “Stop lying! If I have to tear apart every single item in this store, I will. I’m not leaving here without the map.”

  While my heart rattled in fear, my entire body started trembling all over. I tried to stop my hand from shaking as I dialed 911. In a hushed voice, I said, “There’s been a break-in at 259 Mountain Laurel Blvd—or Miss Maudie’s Brewery. Send someone as soon as you can. The man is still here.”

  “Okay, ma’am, I need your name and for you to stay on the line while—”

  I tuned out the dispatcher as Maudie’s raised voice floated back to me. “I don’t know who you think you are, but you’re not going to come in here and destroy my business. You better leave right this minute, or I’ll call the police.”

  The sound of a gun blast caused me to jolt back. The sa
lads and my phone went flying through the air as I tipped to the side and knocked over a display before grabbing hold of some metal shelving to keep my balance. My heartbeat pounded in my ears as an ice-cold panic washed over me. Staggering back to my feet, my eyes, which were already blurring with tears, focused back on Maudie’s office.

  My mind raced in thought, but the main one screamed, “No, no, NO!” This couldn’t be happening. It had to be just a dream. If I just closed my eyes, I’d wake up back at the cabin to find this whole day had been just a weird dream.

  Through my emotionally overloaded fog, I heard the dispatcher’s far-away voice calling, “Hello? Was that a gunshot?”

  I groped along the floor to find my phone. “Yes! Maudie’s been shot. Send an ambulance.”

  A hand cupped over my mouth and jerked me up off the floor and back against a body of solid rock. I immediately began kicking and thrashing against the person.

  “Shh, it’s just me,” Maddox whispered, his breath warming my ear.

  I relaxed in his arms, and he took his hand away. Tears streamed over my cheeks. “Maudie…that guy Jensen…shot her,” I gasped incoherently through my sobs.

  His face contorted in agony. Although he remained rooted to the spot, I could tell he wanted nothing more than to go busting into the office. “Dammit to hell! I left my pistol in my Jeep.” he growled.

  With an ashen expression, he appeared to be weighing in options about going back to get it when two heavy-set men came out of Maudie’s office. Maddox jerked us down to the floor.

  Jensen stalked out of the office and started barking orders. “All right boys. Fan out. I want every inch of this place gone over thoroughly. There’s no telling where she could have hid it or where she might have a safe.”

  One of the men remained rooted to the floor. “Search the place? You promised us this would be an easy score. There sure as hell wasn’t anything mentioned about killing people or having to hunt down the map.”

  Whirling around, Jensen narrowed his eyes. “Look Parker, this isn’t just some hacking scheme that you do from the sidelines. You knew when you signed on that this entailed legwork. So either shut the fuck up and start searching or take a walk.”

  Parker grumbled under his breath before reluctantly following Jensen. When they had started out the backdoor to the warehouse, Maddox and I raced into the brightly lit office. The room appeared ransacked. Papers and books littered the floor while the drawers of the filing cabinets were opened and files strewn about. “Maudie?” I called softly.

  Finally, I saw her body crumpled behind the desk. Her eyes were closed, and I’d never seen her so pale. My hand shook as I reached out to touch her shoulder. “Maudie, can you hear me? It’s Lane.”

  Her eyelids fluttered before she finally opened them wide. “You have to get out of here!”

  I shook my head. “We’re not leaving you like this. The police and an ambulance are on their way.”

  “No! Leave now."

  Maddox made a strangled noise in his throat. When I glanced up, tears shone in his eyes. “We won’t leave you to die,” he argued in a strained voice.

  Her breaths started coming in raspy pants. “Get the map. It’s in the safe. The one behind the bedroom painting.” I nodded, and she drew in a ragged breath. “The combination…the commission date on the back… of the painting. Inside are the map and my will." She glanced up at Maddox and grabbed his arm, her eyes filled with desperation. "Don’t let anything happen to Lane. Protect her with your life. Promise me."

  He bent down beside me, taking Maudie’s hand in his. His jaw clenched and unclenched, and I could tell he was fighting to keep from truly losing it. As for me, the tears streamed freely down my cheeks. “I promise I will,” he said.

  “Keep yourself safe, too. And your sister.” She tenderly stroked Maddox’s cheek. “I love you with all my heart, sweet boy. You are my son.” She then gave us a weak smile. “I love both of you so much. Remember that…always.”

  Maddox squeezed Maudie’s hand. “I love you, too.”

  Sobs rolled through my chest so hard that I could barely murmur the words.

  “Now go before they come back. Hurry!”

  “No, I won’t leave you,” I protested.

  Maddox’s Army training took charge, and he pulled me up off the floor. “Maudie told us to go, Lane, so come on.” Desperate not to leave, Maddox had to drag me out the door. “Stop it! We can’t do anything else for her. She wants us to get the hell out of here and get the map, so that’s what we’re going to do.” His fingers jerked my chin up to meet his intense gaze. “Got it?”

  I nodded weakly while wiping my eyes and trying to clear my head. It obviously wasn’t fast enough. Maddox grabbed my purse strap wound around my shoulder and gave me a harsh tug. “Move!” he barked.

  We then started running through the darkened store. Before we got to door that led outside, Jensen and his men huffed inside, and we had to duck behind some shelving.

  “I’m telling you that I heard voices in here when I stopped to take a leak,” one of the guys said.

  Jensen growled in frustration. “We should’ve split up. This place is big enough that someone could easily hide out.”

  As they broke apart and started spreading throughout the store, Maddox motioned his head to the backdoor. We ran, hunched over, so that we could remain hidden. My heart was beating so loudly in my chest that I was sure Jensen and his thugs would be able to hear it. As I hurried ahead of Maddox, I plowed through the backdoor with such an adrenaline rush that I thought I would knock it off its hinges.

  The door flew back, sending the metal bar careening into Maddox’s crotch. He gave an agonized groan before he could stop himself.

  “What was that noise?” Jensen demanded.

  “It came from the warehouse.”

  “Dammit,” Maddox hissed. He closed the door behind us and pushed a crate in front of it.

  In a whisper, I replied, “I’m so, so sorry about your…” When I realized that I would have to acknowledge his balls, I pinched my lips together.

  “Whatever. Come on.” He grabbed my arm and dragged me to the far side of the warehouse. When we heard the door open again, we dropped down behind a tall stack of crates.

  Maddox peeked around the side, trying to catch a glimpse of Jensen.

  It seemed like only a second before a voice rang out, echoing off the metal walls and closing in around us. “All right, whoever’s there better come out right fucking now because the longer me and my men have to look for you, the angrier we’ll get. And trust me when I say, you do NOT want to make me angry.”

  I held my breath, trying not to move a muscle. Fear like I had never known before reverberated through every fiber of my being. Next to me, Maddox crouched just as still. Even in that moment, I thanked my lucky stars he had shown back up. I couldn’t imagine having to face all of this alone.

  “Now listen. I know somebody is out here. If you’re that hot, sweet thing from this afternoon, I definitely want to get my hands on you.”

  Maddox tensed and edged himself closer to me—as if he were enacting a barrier between Jensen and me. His reaction made my already pounding heart beat a little faster as a wave of tenderness for him washed over me. I was brought out of my thoughts by the sound of crashing boxes. The only thing that separated us from Jensen, his thugs, and the same fate as Maudie were wall to wall crates of jams, jellies, and drinks.

  It wasn’t a comforting thought.

  Jensen’s voice rang out again. “All right, be as stubborn as that old bitch. There’s three of us and one of you, so we’ll turn over every crate and box until we find you.”

  When I noticed Maddox eyeing the double doors leading to the parking lot, I asked, “Think we should try to outrun them?”

  He shook his head. “It doesn’t have a silent alarm. The minute we go through it, everyone in a mile radius is going to know exactly where we are. So there’d be no way we could get up the hill to Maudie’s with
out them seeing us. We need a distraction until the cops get here, but give me a second to come up with a plan that’ll keep those assholes and their guns away.”

  I wracked my brain with what could cut us off from Jensen and his men. Something that would buy us enough time to get the map from Maudie’s safe. My eyes honed in on the box in front of me. Two words stood out to me among all the ingredients. Contents Flammable.

  “Got a lighter?”

  Maddox gave me a look like I’d completely and totally lost what was left of my mind. I rolled my eyes and jerked my head toward the box. When I could tell my plan had registered in his mind, I asked, “Too much of a distraction?”

  He gave me an incredulous look before grinning. “No, actually I think it’s batshit crazy enough to work. I’m impressed with the wheels turning in that head of yours, Squirt,” I shot him a death glare before he peeked his head over the top of the crate. “Okay look. There’s a box of matches and some lighter fluid in the tool drawer. You start pouring some Mountain Brew while I go get them.”

  I nodded.

  “If Jensen or any other of those assclowns get close to you, don’t wait for me. You just start running like hell. Got it?”

  “Okay,” I whispered.

  Keeping as low to the ground as possible, Maddox maneuvered himself towards the middle of the warehouse where a rolling tool chest sat beside a forklift. Jensen and his men were pushing and shoving crates across from where Maddox was. As I reached into the box for some bottles of potent Mountain Brew, I silently thanked the packagers for not making it with a cork. I unscrewed the lids, and then started pouring a steady stream all around the box. I grabbed two more bottles from the boxes and positioned them towards the back door.

  I started back for more bottles when I heard, “Stop!”

  Freezing, I peeked around the side of the box. The shorter henchman pointed in Maddox’s direction. “Hey, there’s someone over there.”

  The world slowed to a crawl as Jensen lifted his gun. In a flash, I hurled one of the empty bottles in my hand toward the far side of the warehouse. It crashed into the wall causing Jensen and his men to whirl around.