“I ain’t a taxi service.”
“The hell with you, Ellis. This is important. It concerns your situation.”
“Situation?”
Shelby sighed. He couldn’t help himself. “Your distribution problems.”
“Where are you?”
“My place.”
“I’ll be over.”
“Do it fast. And Ellis—”
“What?”
“Bring a gun.”
“I always do.”
The line went dead.
12
Shepherd Ellis pulled onto Shelby’s property in a spray of snow and gravel.
“Get the hell in,” he yelled. “You can tell me about it on the way.”
Shelby jumped into the cab of the truck.
“Where we goin?” Shepherd asked.
“The backroad leading to Mosquito Bay. The one where Evans taps those maples.”
“You back in there again? What do you do back there?”
“Nothing. Just a quiet spot.”
“What’s this all about? And it better be good. I was all set to get a screw.”
Shelby explained.
Shepherd listened, all the while nodding and growing increasingly irritated.
“So you found em,” he said. “Good work, Alexander. I guess you earned your money.”
“They found me, actually.”
“Well, either way. I’ll get some of the boys and we’ll wipe those assholes out with a single blow.”
“I wouldn’t be too hasty if I were you,” Shelby said.
“Why not? Three of em, you said.”
“Three that I know of. But I saw tire tracks, even though there weren’t any vehicles other than the snowmobile.” He watched Shepherd’s face for signs of comprehension. When he saw none, he added, “That means someone, or multiple someones, were gone from the cabin when I got there. Which means they might be there when you attack.”
“So there ain’t only three.”
“I would say not.”
“We can’t let em ruin our business.”
“You need information, Shepherd. You go in there with guns blazing and you’ll get a lot of people killed.”
“That’s the point.”
“Your own people.”
“We don’t want that.”
“Exactly. The best thing to do is keep an eye on their operation for a while. Find out exactly how many there are and what their routine is. They aren’t going anywhere. And as long as we keep them from finding out who I am, there isn’t any immediate rush to end it. We have some time. Let’s use it wisely.”
Shepherd nodded. “I guess you’re the expert. That’s probly why Harper hired you in the first place.”
They saw no one on the main road or on the way back to Shelby’s Jeep. Shepherd stood guard while Shelby got into his vehicle and started it up. Then they drove back to the main road, again without seeing a soul.
Shepherd waved as he roared away back toward Ellis headquarters. Shelby started for home too, but changed his mind. He could use a drink and seeing Carly might help calm his nerves even more.
On the way to Carly’s, he stopped and picked up a bottle of red and a pack of cheap domestic. Carly could have the wine, but he felt like drinking as if he was back in college. The cheap beer, the easy sex, the late night parties, the smell of fall in Ann Arbor, football season, tailgating. He missed those days and often wished he’d made something more of his education. But education was wasted on the young and the money for fighting was good, while it lasted, and he’d enjoyed it most of the time. Except when he lost. He pulled up in front of Carly’s house and parked. Then he thought better of it and pulled around to the back instead. He walked to the door and knocked.
She answered and peered out the door.
“Where’s your car?”
“Around back.”
“You parked in the backyard?”
“Hope you don’t mind.”
“I don’t give a shit, but why’d you park back there? Hiding from someone?”
“You might say that.” He handed her the wine and set the beer on the counter. He pulled a can free, yanked the tab, and chugged it straight. Even his college self couldn’t have done better. He grabbed another can, opened it, and took a swallow. Then he belched and wiped his mouth.
“Jesus,” Carly said. “You must have had a day.”
“It was.”
“Want to talk about it?”
“Not really.”
“Want to have sex?”
“Maybe later.”
“Damn, you are a mess.” She got out a wine glass and a corkscrew. “Did you get my messages?”
“Yeah.”
“Well?” She smiled at him. “Did you like them?”
“They were very provocative,” he said, indulging her. “Sorry I didn’t answer. I was a little preoccupied.”
“With whatever made your day shitty?”
“Exactly that.”
“How do I know you didn’t ignore them? I know you hate texting.”
“I parked my Jeep around back.”
“Ah, right. About the—”
“Later. Got anything stronger than beer?”
“Of course. But don’t you know the old saying, ‘Beer before liquor, never sicker’?”
“That’s for people who can’t hold their alcohol.”
“But you’re a real man.”
“Damn straight.”
She slapped his ass and reached into a cupboard for a bottle of Captain.
“Will this do?”
“In a pinch.”
They retired to the living room and sat on the couch. The television was on, but Carly lowered the volume to a murmur.
“I’m glad you came to see me,” she said. “It’s nice to know you see me as your eye in the storm.”
“Don’t get used to it.”
“Oh, relax. I’m not going to get all domestic on you. Jesus. You’re so suspicious.”
“Sorry,” Shelby said. “A divorced man is ever after suspicious.”
“You got a daughter out of the deal.”
“One who hates me.”
“No daughter truly hates her father.”
“It’s cute that you’re so naïve.”
“Naïve, am I?” She used her foot to probe his crotch. “I would have thought I disabused you of that notion by now.”
“Being naïve and sexually ignorant are not necessarily the same thing.”
“So I have wiles and charm.”
“You’ve always been good at finding the positives in everything.”
Carly refilled her wine glass.
“You want to tell me what happened today?” she asked.
Shelby hesitated. “I do. But I’m not sure I should.”
“Oh? Do I know her?”
“It’s not that. Christ, that would be easier.”
“What’s your hesitation, then? You know you can trust me.”
“I don’t want to put you at risk.”
“Sounds exciting.”
“It’s dangerous.”
“Aren’t those the same thing?”
“There goes your naïveté again.”
“Okay, Mr. Jaded. Trust me. I’ll be fine.”
Shelby told her. Carly listened quietly, intently. She did not react while he told her, although she did refill her wine glass twice more.
“You’re in deep shit,” Carly said after he’d finished.
“Now you’re getting it. And now you know why I parked the Jeep around back. I couldn’t risk it being seen at your house. In fact, I probably shouldn’t have come here at all.”
“I’m glad you did. It pisses me off to think of people trying to kill you.”
“It’s happened before.”
“Not like this. Not literally in your own backyard. It’s only a matter of time before they find out who you are. In fact, if they are the same people who tried to shoot you in your house, they may already know.”
“I don’t think the incidents are directly related.”
“Why not?”
“These guys in the woods didn’t seem built for stealth. They’d be more the type to break into my house and shoot me in my sleep or bludgeon me to death.”
“So there are two parties out to kill you. That’s even worse.”
“Maybe. Of the two, I’d rather the dealers not know who I am.”
“Why do you say that?”
“A feeling. If they’d been the ones with the rifle that night at my house, I don’t think they would’ve missed.”
13
Shelby slept over at Carly’s that night and, as happened the other morning, was awakened by a call from Leslie. He answered more gruffly than he intended, partly because his voice was rough with sleep and partly because he was genuinely annoyed.
“Well, excuse me,” Leslie said. “Up on the wrong side of the bed this morning?”
“Sorry.”
“I woke you this time, didn’t I?”
“No. I was making coffee.”
“I think you’re lying to me.”
“Why would I lie about making coffee?”
“To piss me off. Did you get the package I sent you?”
“Package?”
“Yes, package. I had it mailed to your house.”
“I haven’t received a package.”
“It should come today, then.”
“What is it?”
“You’ll see. And I hope you get good use of it.”
Shelby groaned inwardly. Ever since their reconciliation, welcomed though often tumultuous, Leslie had shouldered the role of long distance caretaker to a father she viewed as aging and in need. Most items she sent were intended to make his life easier and preserve his health, but they only resulted in making Shelby feel old: foam shoe inserts, a back pillow, a year’s supply of fiber chews. She meant well, and Shelby knew her efforts were probably a result of some sort of guilt over her treatment of him during the years after the divorce. He had assured her multiple times he bore her no ill will. The child did not owe her parents and Leslie had had reason to resent him, even if it had all been based on false information fed to her by an emotionally wounded and psychologically confused mother.
“I’m sure I will,” Shelby said. “Thanks.”
“You’re welcome, Dad. I hate to think of you up there all alone. Why don’t you move downstate closer to me and Mom?”
Shelby cringed at the thought. “Thanks, Leslie, but I think I’m okay. I’m eating and showering and everything.”
“You don’t have to get snippy.”
“Sorry.”
Carly walked in from the shower, gloriously naked with a towel wrapped around her head.
“Damn, that water was cold this morning!” she said. “I thought it would never warm up.” Then she noticed he was on the phone and mouthed, “Sorry!”
“Dad?”
“Yes, Leslie?”
“Who was that?”
“Oh, just a friend.”
“It sounded like a woman.”
“It was.”
“You have a woman over at this hour of the morning?”
“The nice lady from the home. I’m too old to take care of myself, remember?”
“Don’t lie. Why is a woman at your house?”
“She isn’t at my house. I’m at her house.”
“Her house? Did you spend the night with a woman?”
“I’m not a priest, Leslie. Christ. Give your old man some room to breathe.”
“This complicates our effort to reconcile with Mom, don’t you see that?”
“Our effort?”
“Is it serious?”
“Leslie—”
“What’s her name?”
“Carly. Her name’s Carly. Listen, Leslie—”
“It’s fine, Dad. It’s fine. I’m fine. Look, I overreacted. Of course you’re going to spend time with women. I don’t mean to scold you.”
“Thank you.”
Leslie sighed. “I…wasn’t expecting it. Sorry. Look for the package today, okay? I’ll talk to you later.”
Shelby hung up, scowling.
“Sorry,” Carly said. “I didn’t know you were on the phone.”
“Well, screw it,” Shelby said. “I guess she was going to find out sooner or later.”
“I didn’t realize she didn’t know.”
“The subject never came up.”
“Right. The look on your face tells a different story. I don’t know how I feel about being kept a secret.”
“It’s not like that. My relationship with Leslie is at a delicate place. I don’t need any distractions.”
“I’m a distraction?”
“Not you. Leslie’s reaction to you.”
“And what would that be?”
“Don’t be difficult. Leslie reacted negatively just knowing I was with a woman other than her mother. Imagine what she’d say if she knew you were thirty years my junior.”
“You make it sound like a bad thing.”
“I’m not complaining,” Shelby said. “I’m trying to look at it from Leslie’s point of view. Children always prefer to view their parents as asexual. And in Leslie’s case, it’s more complicated than that.”
“How so?”
Shelby sighed and flopped back onto the bed. “She has the harebrained idea she can mend the fences between Helen and me.”
“I see. And the odds of that are…”
“Long. Our mistake wasn’t getting divorced. It was getting married in the first place. The last I knew, we were both perfectly happy not being in each other’s lives. Why rock the boat?”
Carly rummaged through her underwear drawer and pulled out a matching set that featured small purple flowers and lace. She put on the panties first, then the bra, slowly and deliberately, watching Shelby and smiling.
“You like?”
“Very much. Are you trying to start something?”
“I can’t. I have errands to run before work.” She cut the playacting and jumped into her jeans. “What are your plans for the day?”
“Staying alive.”
“Maybe you should stay here until this blows over.”
“Excuse me?”
“Stay here. It wouldn’t be forever. Until people stop trying to kill you.”
“Thanks, but I don’t think so. I’m pretty comfortable at my place.”
“You could be comfortable here. You could wander around in your underwear and fart like you were at home.”
“I prefer to maintain a little mystery. It’s my only hope. If it’ll make you feel better, I’ll keep the shades drawn at night.”
“You should do that anyway, you exhibitionist.”
“Believe me, no one wants to see me parade around in my underwear.”
“I might. You still have a pretty good physique. For a guy your age.”
“Naturally, you had to add that last part.”
“Naturally.”
“You might get along with Leslie after all.”
“If you don’t want to stay here, why not take my car? I’m close enough to the Barn Door to walk, especially now that it isn’t twenty below anymore. Your Jeep is pretty recognizable.”
“I’m not hiding from these guys, Carly. I’m not a fugitive. They’re the drug dealers.”
“Fine. Die, then, you stupid old shit.”
“You’re pissed.”
“I have errands to run.” Carly pulled her hair back in a ponytail, grabbed her keys, and walked out of the room. After a moment, she stuck her head back into the bedroom. “Seriously, though. Be careful. Don’t be a dumb shit.”
Shelby nodded and smiled. “I’ll make a note of it.”
14
Shelby fell back asleep after Carly left and awoke feeling groggy. He decided to wait to shower until he’d gotten home and grabbed a coffee at a drive-thru. He didn’t know why he was in such a hurry to leave Carly’s. Maybe it was Leslie’s p
hone call and the ensuing conversation with Carly that left him feeling disquieted and a little depressed. He always carried a modicum of guilt regarding his relationship with Carly, and now this feeling was dominating his mood. He hoped getting home would improve the situation, and had almost succeeded in putting the whole thing out of his mind when he pulled up to the house and saw the package Leslie had promised sitting on the porch.
He brought it inside and set it on the counter. He had no idea what it could be, but his heart sank when he had it unwrapped. A single serve, instant coffee maker, complete with a variety pack of the little pods. He had a sudden urge to toss it into the burn barrel but resisted. Knowing Leslie, she would ask him all about it the next time she called, including his favorite drink flavor and machine function. He decided it would be in his best interest to have answers to all these questions, so he set about learning all about the new device, even retiring to his recliner with the owner’s manual and a steaming cup. He sat down and tried the drink, which was called Colombian Sunrise and promised to be “dark and exhilarating.” It was weak, by his standards, but he had to admit he’d endured much worse coffee.
He was halfway through the manual and learning how to descale, when his cellphone rang. He expected Leslie, but it was the other woman in his life.
“Hello, Carly.”
“Hey. You still at my house?”
“No. I’m home. Why?”
“I’m at work and two men asked about someone meeting your description.”
“They asked about a strikingly handsome middle-aged man with piercing eyes and a heart of gold?”
“You lost me at middle-aged. And I’m not joking.”
“What did they look like?”
“One had a goatee. The other wore one of those stupid mesh hats.”
“Sounds familiar.”
“Are those the men who chased you?”
“It would be quite a coincidence if they weren’t. Who’d they ask?”
“Me. I was at the bar. I’m sending them to your house.”
“Funny.”
“Seriously, though,” Carly said. “They looked mean.”
“That was my general impression as well.”
“I have to get back to work. Be careful. I still need you alive.”
Shelby hung up and tried to go back to learning about descaling, but his heart wasn’t in it. Instead, he picked up his phone again and dialed.
[Shelby Alexander 01.0] Serenity Page 6
