by Kathi Daley
He took one last look around, got into his car, and drove away. She let out the breath she’d been holding since he pulled into the lot. She figured she was safe for now, but come daylight, it would be a different story altogether. After making sure there were no other headlights in either direction, she ran to the front door of the motel office. She quickly picked the lock and slipped inside. She knew she couldn’t risk a light, even the one from the flashlight, so she felt around until she found the desk where she suspected she’d find the phone. She let out a long sigh of relief when she got a dial tone. She momentarily wondered whether using the phone might somehow give away her location, but right now she needed a way out of this mess, so she took a chance and dialed the familiar number.
She listened as the line was answered by a recording. “You have reached Holiday Investigations. We are currently unavailable or on another line, but if you leave your name and number, someone will call you back.”
“Ben, this is Harper Hathaway. I need help. Don’t call my cell or text or try to reach me using any of my known contact information. I’m going to try your cell. If that doesn’t work, I’ll try back in a half hour.”
She hung up and then dialed Ben’s cell.
“Harper, I just got your message. I was hoping you’d try the cell. What’s going on?”
She explained about the accident, the baby, the warning issued by the man in the car, and the uniformed officer who had shot him.
“Wow.” Ben paused. “I’m not sure what to say. I can’t imagine what is going on that would cause a highway patrolman to shoot a man and a woman in cold blood.”
“There was a thumb drive in the diaper bag that might explain what is going on, but I don’t have a way to read it. I’m not sure what to do. I don’t have transportation, ID, or money, and the man who was driving the car with the baby said not to trust anyone. After seeing a man in uniform shoot him and the woman with him and the baby with my own eyes, I’m hesitant to call 9-1-1. I don’t think that staying here is an option. The highway patrol seem to be checking on the place. It is cold and damp and I am traveling with a puppy and an infant. I need help and I need it fast.”
Ben paused for a moment before replying. “I have a friend, Michael Maddox. He is a tech whiz and we have worked together on a few cases. He is actually in California this month, setting up a security system for a financial planning firm. I’m going to give him a call. If he is still in the same location he was when I last spoke to him, he should be able to get to you in five or six hours.”
She let out a sigh of relief. “That would be great.”
“Since I can’t call you, how about you call me back in thirty minutes?”
******
Michael Maddox pulled into the lot at his hotel. He’d been in California for a month now and was beginning to feel the tug in his chest calling him home. Not that he really minded that his job as a cyber security consultant and software developer took him all over the world, but after this long on the road, he always felt the urge to head back to Minnesota. Today was his last day on this particular job, so it wouldn’t be long before he would be able to leave the temperate climate of Central California for the subzero temperatures in the north.
With the completion of this job, he would basically be unemployed for the next six weeks. He was sure he could rustle something up if he really wanted to work, but it had been a while since he’d had time to relax. Maybe he’d take some time off to enjoy the rest of the winter. It had been eons since he’d gone ice fishing. Maybe he’d call his friend, Ben Holiday. It had been forever since the two of them had taken a guys’ trip. Of course, Michael acknowledged, Ben was a busy man. Not only was he married to a popular advice columnist who traveled for work almost as often as he did, but the couple had built a blended family consisting of biological, adopted, and foster children that appeared to keep him on his toes.
He turned off the ignition and was beginning to gather his belongings when his phone rang. He answered without bothering to check his caller ID. “Maddox here.”
“Michael, its Megan.”
Michael smiled at the sound of his middle sister’s voice. “Meg, how are you?”
“Busy. I only have a minute, but I wanted to call to make sure you’ve made your travel reservations.”
“Travel reservations?”
“Mom and Dad’s anniversary. You do remember? You promised.”
He did remember, although for the life of him, he’d been trying to forget. “I know I promised, but I’m in California on a job. It’s taking longer than I anticipated. I don’t think I’m going to make it back in time.”
“Not making it back is not an option,” Megan insisted in a stern voice. “Neither Macy nor Marley are going to make it back, which means that it is up to you and me.”
Michael winced. He felt bad about missing his parents’ anniversary party yet again, but he really, really didn’t want to go home.
“Please, Michael.” He couldn’t help but hear the desperation in her voice. “I’m counting on you to be there.”
“You know how busy I am,” Michael tried.
“Really?” He could hear the desperation turn to anger. “You are going to use the I’m busy excuse with your younger sister, who is not only doing a demanding surgical rotation as part of her pediatric residency at one of the most demanding hospitals in the country but is applying for jobs at every major hospital in the world and is planning the entire party by herself?”
Michael groaned. She had him there. “Okay. I’m sorry. I’ll be home. I promise. Will it just be you and me and Mom and Dad?”
“No. Matthew and Julia will be there as well.”
Michael didn’t reply. Despite Megan’s efforts to keep the family together, it seemed as if there had been one obstacle after another. First there was Maddie, and then there was Julia. Totally different situations, but family dividers all the same.
“I know that Matthew attending the party is the real reason you don’t want to come,” Megan continued. “And I know you have a good reason to want to avoid him, but this isn’t about you. It is about finding a way to be a family despite our challenges, and the parents who sacrificed a lot while we were growing up so that we could follow our dreams as adults.”
Michael hung his head. “I know. I’m sorry. I’ll make the reservations tonight. I’ll call you later with the details.”
“Thanks,” Megan sighed in relief. “I know this is difficult for you.”
“It’s not difficult,” Michael lied. “In fact, I’m totally over it. So, how is the job hunt going?” He wanted desperately to move the subject away from his twin brother and ex-fiancée.
“Slowly. I am more than qualified for every job I have applied for. And I have excellent references. The problem is, the other applicants who have applied for those same jobs are equally qualified. Maybe even more qualified. I have to admit that I am beginning to become discouraged. I really hoped to have a job to go to when my residency was finished in May.”
“It sounds tough, but I know the perfect job is waiting for you. Maybe you just haven’t stumbled across it.”
“I love your optimism, but I don’t think my lack of ‘stumbling’ is the reason I haven’t even been granted an interview.” Meg groaned. “Perhaps I should lower my standards. I really thought I would be able to snag one of the elite jobs I’ve always dreamed of, but elite jobs attract elite candidates, and there are a lot more of them than I ever imagined.”
“Hang in there, sis. The perfect job is out there.”
“Easy for you to say. You’ve somehow managed to do a wonderful job of stumbling your way through life without so much as the beginnings of a plan. I, on the other hand, have adhered to a rigid set of goals and objectives since I was a teenager, and where has it gotten me?”
“A residency at one of the best hospitals in the country.”
Meg laughed. “I guess you are right. Enough with the whining. I’m really looking forward to seeing you.
We all are.”
“And I’m looking forward to seeing you as well.” Michael looked at the screen when his cell beeped. “Listen, I have to go. Ben Holiday is on the other line.”
“You’ll make the reservations? Tonight?”
“I will. I promise.”
“Don’t let me down, big bro. I’m counting on you.”
“I’ll be there with bells on. Love you.”
“Love you too.”
Michael hung up with Megan and answered Ben’s call. “I was just thinking about you.”
“You were?”
Michael glanced at the first drops of rain as they landed on his windshield. “I’ve finished up here and am planning to head home in the next day or two. Are you up for some ice fishing?”
“I am. But first I need a favor. A big favor.”
******
Harper headed back to check on the baby while she waited. She let herself out of the office door, locked it behind her just in case, then paused, considering the small café. It was closed for the season, but they may have left something behind. If nothing else, she wanted to find something for the puppy. She pulled out her knife, picked one more lock, and slipped inside. She headed to the kitchen to find that the cabinets were bare with the exception of a few canned items. When she came across a can of SPAM, she figured that would work for the puppy, so she grabbed it, along with a can of peaches, then slipped out of the café, locked the door, and sprinted across the dark lot toward the room where she’d left the sleeping dog and infant.
“I have food,” she said to the pup, who raised his head and wagged his tail when she came in. The baby was still sleeping peacefully, so she used her knife to open both the SPAM and the peaches. The pup inhaled the food without even stopping to chew and then jumped back onto the bed, curled up with the baby, and went back to sleep. She plucked one of the peaches from the heavy syrup and nibbled on it, but her appetite was pretty much nonexistent, so she set the can aside. She wasn’t sure what she was going to do if Ben’s friend was no longer in the area, or if he was unable to help her for some reason. Both her experience in the Army and her life as a scuba diver and treasure hunter had taught her to think on her feet no matter the situation. And she was good at doing just that, in most cases. But in most cases she didn’t have a baby and a puppy to think about.
She drew the curtains closed except for a small sliver she could peek through. Shutting out the natural light provided by the moon made the room even darker, but she had no way of knowing if the patrolman who had been by earlier would come back again and she wasn’t taking any chances. She knew that it was vital to any good plan to have an escape route. She’d chosen the room on the end, which had a small window in the bathroom the others didn’t appear to have. It would be a tight squeeze to get herself, the baby, and the puppy through the narrow opening, but if push came to shove, that was exactly what she would do.
She took the thumb drive out of her pocket and looked at it. She didn’t have her computer or any other way to read it, but she felt it might be the key to what had been going on with the people in the car. There was an ancient computer in the office, but without electricity to run it, it did her little good.
She froze as a car pulled into the lot. She crossed the room and peeked out the window. It was a dark-colored minivan. Chances were it belonged to a passing motorist who’d remembered the small travel stop and hoped to find gas or lodging. The van sat in the lot for two or three minutes before continuing on.
Harper didn’t have her phone or a watch, so she had no way to keep track of time, but after she assumed thirty minutes could have passed, she checked on the baby and the puppy, both of whom were still asleep, and let herself out of the room to go back to the office. She picked up the phone and dialed Ben’s number.
“Everything is set,” he said as soon as he answered. “Michael was just getting back to his hotel when I called. He is going to grab a few things and will be on the road heading in your direction within half an hour. The traffic should be light at this time of night, so he estimates he should reach you in about six hours. He won’t be able to call you, but I am going to give you his cell number so you can check in with him if you’d like.”
“Okay, great.” She rooted around for a pen and paper and took down the number.
“It’s nine o’clock now, so look for him at around three.”
“What make, model, and color car will he be driving?”
“Black Range Rover with Minnesota plates.”
“Okay, I’ll look for him. And thanks, Ben. I don’t know what I would do if you couldn’t help. I’m usually pretty good at taking care of myself, but with an infant and a puppy, I’m afraid I’m a bit out of my depth.”
“How is the baby?”
“She seems okay, which is amazing because she can’t be more than a few days old and was just involved in a serious accident. The car seat she was strapped into was a good one, and the car didn’t look as if it had rolled, which may be why she appears to be unharmed.”
“Is she eating?”
“She is. She is not a fan of a cold bottle, but the gas is still on, so I used hot tap water to warm it.”
She listened as Ben let out a breath. “That’s good. I’ll feel better once Michael gets there. He is a good guy and you can trust him. The fact that a CHP officer seems to be involved in whatever is going on has me worried, but I guess we’ll just take things one challenge at a time until we can work things through.”
“It will be fine,” she said, even though she didn’t necessarily believe it. “I should get back to the room to check on the baby.”
“Before you go, I want you to describe the highway patrolman you saw shoot the occupants of the vehicle. I’m going to see if I can track down his identity.”
“Tall. Over six feet. Short dark hair. Thin. Crooked nose, which looked to have been broken in the past.” Harper paused and thought about him. “I didn’t get a real close look so I can’t tell you his eye color. I guess the crooked nose is the best clue I can provide.”
“Okay. I’ll see what I can find out. Be careful and check in when you can.”
She rang off, then slipped out of the office and went back to the room where she’d left the baby and puppy. The puppy looked as if he wanted to go out, so she took a quick peek at the baby, who was still sleeping, and took him out behind the building in case a car came down the road. She really, really hoped that the highway patrol wouldn’t be back, but she had no way of knowing when or if they would.
The puppy did his thing and she took him back to the room, then tried to get some rest. She fed and changed the baby again at around eleven o’clock. After the baby settled down and went back to sleep, she took the puppy out one more time, then laid down beside both of them. She’d tucked the baby in next to her chest, and the puppy settled on her other side. She was sure the baby would be warm despite the fact that the room was not heated. She must have fallen asleep at some point, although she’d intended to stay awake. When she noticed headlights shining in through the window, she assumed it was Michael Maddox. She got up and peeked out of the small opening in the curtain and almost had a heart attack when she saw it was a CHP vehicle. She could only hope whoever had stopped by would take a quick look around and drive on.
She kept the drapes drawn, so other than the small crack visible between them, she couldn’t see much. She looked at the pup, who had started to growl. “Don’t bark.” She ordered, then glanced at the bathroom behind her. The baby was still asleep, but if the pup barked, he would give them away for sure. She gently picked up the baby, grabbed the diaper bag, called softly to the puppy, and moved everyone to the bathroom. She closed the door except for a narrow crack she could peek through. She could hear whoever had gotten out of the car knocking on and then jiggling the handle of every door. Had she locked the room door the last time she took the puppy out?
She heard the knock on their door and waited for the jiggle before she heard another car p
ull up. The man who had been checking doors seemed to have walked away because she heard him greet whoever had just arrived. She couldn’t hear what was being said, but after a few minutes, she heard both vehicles drive away. She waited where she was for several minutes, then slowly opened the bathroom door. She hadn’t heard anything since the vehicles had pulled away and was about to sneak over to the window for a quick look when the door opened to reveal a tall, broad-shouldered man carrying a gun.
Apple Pie Biscuits
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Spray a 6 x 9 baking dish on all sides with nonstick spray.
Open 1 can large buttermilk biscuits (I use Pillsbury Grands).
Melt 1 stick (½ cup) butter (I melt it in a bowl in the microwave).
Combine in a bowl:
½ cup white sugar
½ cup brown sugar
1 tsp. nutmeg
1 tbs. cinnamon
Prepare biscuits:
Dip each one into butter, coating on both sides, then dip into sugar mixture, coating on both sides. Place into baking dish.
The topping:
Top with one can of apple pie filling.
Combine remaining butter with remaining sugar mixture. Add ½ cup oatmeal and 1 cup chopped pecans. Pour over top of biscuits.
