by Dan Padavona
A mechanic bolted from the garage a second before Benson burst out of hiding. The escaped convict cut across the road, blind to Raven, who converged on him like an eighteen-wheeler without brakes. His head swiveled as Raven closed in. The man’s eyes widened before Raven speared Benson, her shoulder driving into his midsection.
Benson’s feet flew out from beneath him. Time stopped as the convict suspended in midair.
Then gravity yanked him down.
Benson struck the street as an SUV skidded to a halt. The former gym owner sucked air into his lungs and propped himself up on his elbows. Raven smashed a fist against his face. Benson’s eyes blurred as Raven rolled him to his stomach and wrenched his arms behind his back. She was tempted to yank Benson’s arms until his shoulders snapped. Fury burned through her body as she pictured Benson stalking her mother. With the criminal’s arms immobilized, Raven drove her knee against the back of Benson’s head and pinned his face against the blacktop.
“You looking for me, Benson? Well, you found me.”
Aguilar appeared at her side. She set a knee on Benson’s back and grabbed the man’s wrists as LeVar stood over the prone man.
“Stand down, Raven,” said Aguilar. “I’ve got him now.”
As Aguilar slapped the handcuffs on Benson, she met Raven’s eyes. Mutual respect passed between them for a heartbeat. Then the deputy cleared the area and barked orders for everyone to stand back. Raven forced herself to release her grip on Benson. She’d waited too long for this moment. When she stood, Darren was there to embrace her.
“You’re faster than I thought,” he said, kissing her forehead.
“I’d whip you in a race.”
“Give me a few years to train, and we’ll see about that.”
When Raven spotted Serena waddling toward them, she sighed and pulled out of Darren’s arms. Serena wore a blanket around her shoulders. It fanned out in the wind like a superhero’s cape.
“This is the creep?” Serena said, scowling down at Benson. Lambert cut Serena off. Good thing. Raven worried her mother would remove a shoe and club Benson over the head. “Take his sorry ass away before I teach him to respect his elders.”
Darren scratched his forehead.
“Isn’t Benson a few decades older than your mother?”
“Don’t stop her now,” Raven said, grinning. “She’s on a roll.”
While the looky-loos gaped from the curb, Lambert and Aguilar hauled Benson to his feet and marched him toward the cruiser. Holding the shoe, Serena berated the criminal as LeVar placed himself between his mother and Benson. Raven leaned her head against Darren’s chest and observed the chaos. A heaviness lifted from her shoulders. She hadn’t felt this free since before the kidnapping.
“I suppose the deputies will require statements,” Darren said, stroking her hair.
Raven yawned.
“They know where to find us. How about we call it a night and crash at the cabin?”
“For real?”
“Absolutely.”
“What about your mom?”
“Mom will be okay.” She nuzzled against his chest. “We all will.”
Darren nodded at LeVar and tilted his head at Serena. LeVar got the message. He’d drive his mother back to the house.
The state park ranger scanned the crowd as Aguilar slammed the door on the cruiser.
“Let’s get out of here before the press shows up.”
CHAPTER FORTY-SEVEN
November 8th
5:10 p.m.
A pristine blanket of snow glistened in the last light of day. Standing on the front porch, Thomas blew on his hands as he held the door open for Raven and Darren. This afternoon, he wasn’t the sheriff of Nightshade County. He just wanted to be a friend to the people he cared about.
The state park ranger hauled a casserole dish into the toasty lakeside home, while Raven carried a Finger Lakes wine under her arm.
“Watch your step,” Thomas said as Raven squeezed through the doorway.
Jack leaped off the couch and bounded over to Darren, sniffing at the green bean casserole. His tail wagged a mile per minute.
“Easy, boy,” Darren said, balancing the casserole with one arm and petting Jack with his free hand. “This is human food. Doggies don’t like green beans.”
The loud woof told everyone Jack disagreed.
“What’s the latest on the Raimi case?” Raven asked, setting the wine on the granite.
Thomas closed the door but left it unlocked, expecting Naomi to arrive with Scout any minute. LeVar and Chelsey would swing by after they picked up Serena.
“His lawyer is entering an insanity plea.”
“And Mrs. Leonard?”
“The doctor diagnosed her with a concussion and expects she’ll make a full recovery.” Thomas nudged Raven with his elbow. “Between you and me, Charisse Leonard pressed charges against her husband.”
“Spousal abuse?”
“You bet.”
“It’s about time.”
Leland Trivett wasn’t so lucky. The teenager survived the stabbing, but he’d have a long road to recovery. Though Leland had never entered a romantic relationship with Valerie, Gardner’s insane jealousy drove him to suspect something was going on between them. The killer used the key Leland lent him to slip into the house while Leland and his mother were away. He hid inside the closet and waited in the dark until Leland was alone.
Charges were also filed against Derek’s stepfather, after Cole Holland admitted to striking his stepson during their altercation.
“Where do you want the casserole?” Darren asked from the kitchen.
Thomas jogged to the stove and pulled the door open.
“Slide it inside. I’ve got the oven set at two-hundred to keep the food warm.” Thomas lifted his tea and sipped. “Lambert and Aguilar picked up Ed Leonard at work this afternoon. Now that the county has jurisdiction on the case, let’s hope Leonard does time, and his wife and daughter find peace.”
Breakers slammed the shoreline outside the window. By January, the ice would be thick enough to walk across. Thomas remembered playing hockey on the lake during his teenage years.
A knock on the door brought Thomas’s head around. The figure on the ramp was too large to be Naomi. He opened the door and found Sheriff Gray huddled against the cold with a pot of soup in his hands.
Thomas slapped him on the shoulder.
“I didn’t think you’d make it.”
“My calendar is permanently open these days, Thomas. Besides, I could smell the glazed ham from the other side of Wolf Lake.”
Gray shook hands with Darren and accepted a kiss on the cheek from Raven. Before the sheriff could sit, Jack brought him a squeaky toy and conned Gray into a tug of war. The house felt like the holidays by the time more guests arrived. Chelsey’s cheeks and nose were pink from the cold. LeVar played with Jack as Serena made a beeline for the fireplace to thaw out. Noticing Naomi pushing Scout up the ramp, Thomas rushed through the door and helped them over the threshold. Now that everyone had arrived, a smile formed inside his chest. It had been weeks since the weather was warm enough for outdoor barbecue parties. But the family remained committed to Saturday dinners together.
Laughter and joviality filled the downstairs. Except for Naomi, who stood apart from the others.
“Something is bothering you,” Thomas said, pulling her aside. “Talk to me.”
“We don’t need to discuss this now. This is a happy occasion. It can wait.”
“No, it can’t. You’re upset. Maybe I can help.”
Naomi glanced at her daughter. Scout sat in the kitchen and held court with Darren.
“My husband finally contacted me. Strike that. I didn’t hear from Glen, just his lawyer.” Naomi’s eyes glistened. “He wants a divorce.”
Thomas set a hand on her arm.
“I’m sorry, Naomi. You’ve been apart so long. Perhaps it’s for the best.”
Naomi shook her head.
&nb
sp; “That’s not the problem. He’s filing for custody. Glen wants Scout.”
It took a moment for Thomas to digest the news. Glen and Naomi separated after the accident that left Scout paralyzed from the waist down. He couldn’t imagine any court granting Glen custody after he’d avoided his family and forced Naomi to raise Scout alone. But some legal decisions made no sense. Naomi had a right to be paranoid.
“Shepherd Systems has an excellent legal team. I’m certain they can steer you toward someone who specializes in family law.”
Naomi sniffled and looked away.
“I can’t lose my daughter. What is Glen thinking? He hasn’t outfitted his house for Scout’s wheelchair, and he won’t be around to help her on and off the bus. This is madness.”
“We’ll fight this together, Naomi. Scout isn’t going anywhere.”
“I heard my name,” Scout said, wheeling over to her mother. Scout lowered her brow when Naomi wiped her eyes. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing, nothing,” Naomi said, waving the problem away. “I’ll be right in. Okay, hon?”
Scout nodded without replying. She pushed herself back to the kitchen, but not before shooting a worried glance at her mother.
Thomas tilted his head to the side.
“The bathroom is at the top of the stairs, if you need a moment.”
“No, I’m okay now.”
“You sure?”
“Let’s go. I’m here to enjoy myself.”
Naomi returned to her old self once Serena and Raven drew her into a conversation. Darren leaned against the counter with a beer and laughed with LeVar and Gray. As his friends caught up, Thomas opened the oven and checked dinner. The custody battle kept pulling his attention away from the food. For months, he’d put off calling Glen, thinking it wasn’t his place. Now he wanted to know what was going on inside the man’s head. Why would he tear his daughter away from Naomi after shirking on his parental responsibilities?
The honey-chipotle glazed ham drew rave reviews. As usual, Serena and Naomi stole the show with a cinnamon-sprinkled pecan pie. Thomas was thoroughly stuffed as conversation and laughter revolved around the table, the cozy A-frame a respite from the premature winter. He waited until the discussion ebbed. Then he collected the plates and placed them on the counter. Setting his forearms on the table, he pulled their attention.
“Why do I feel like I’m leading a discussion at the justice league?”
“Criminals aren’t safe while we’re in town,” said LeVar.
Darren sipped a beer and nodded at Thomas.
“I’m unsure who closed more cases this year. The sheriff’s department, or Wolf Lake Consulting.”
“The private investigators won, hands down,” Chelsey said, drawing laughter.
Darren turned to Gray.
“We could use you on the team. An ex-sheriff leading the charge would take us to a whole new level.”
“Bah,” Gray said, nursing his wine. “You don’t want my tired face dragging you down. Besides, I’m enjoying retirement. It’s your turn to catch the bad guys.”
“Don’t forget the rogue Scooby Doo investigative team,” Serena added.
Thomas rolled his eyes.
“You mean the sleuths holding secret meetings inside my guest house?”
LeVar smirked.
“We’d invite you, Shep Dawg. But the card table is too small for that many egos.”
Everyone chuckled. Thomas raised his hands in defeat.
“It’s probably better I don’t know what you’re doing behind my back.”
“Making the Nightshade County Sheriff’s Department look good,” Raven said, accepting a high-five from Chelsey.
Thomas cleared his throat.
“Be that as it may, we were all fortunate to have an indispensable resource at our disposal.” The guests shared confused glances. “I’m speaking about our very own Scout Mourning, of course.”
“Here, here,” Raven said, raising a wine glass.
Scout’s face turned three shades of crimson.
“And rumor has it there are two more crime fighting superheroes helping Scout.”
They all turned their heads toward Naomi and Serena.
“Don’t look at me,” Serena said. “Scout caught Gardner Raimi on her own.”
The chatter died down. Thomas pushed his water glass around pensively as he studied the tabletop.
“But the sailing hasn’t always been smooth. Last spring, a serial killer visited our yards after stalking Scout on the teen sleuthing forum. A gangster attacked LeVar in his own home. And Halloween night, Mark Benson broke into Raven and Serena’s house.”
Silence flowed around the room. Thomas waited until the gravity of his words settled on them. Knocking his knuckles against the table, he swept his gaze to each guest.
“All of you mean more to me than words can express. If anything happened to you, I’d never forgive myself. You need an alternate approach.” Thomas nodded at Raven and Darren. “From now on, all amateur investigations go through me. Not because I’m on a power trip and want to micromanage your activities. I want in.”
Raven’s eyes brightened.
“You want to be part of the club?”
“I do. Strictly off the books, of course. I’ll use our research in official investigations when appropriate, but we’ll keep the entities separate.”
“Sounds agreeable,” Darren said. “As an ex-cop, I’m not always comfortable with our research. We should never go behind Thomas’s back.”
“I concur,” Naomi said. “And as a mother, I don’t want my daughter investigating murder cases without supervision.”
“Which is why everything must be above board,” Thomas said. “Scout will use the computer in the guest house for research. But only when one of us is with her.”
He held Scout’s eyes until she swallowed her argument.
“From now on, we watch each other’s back. We’re more than friends. We’re family. And we must operate as a team if we wish to keep everyone safe. Are we in agreement?”
No one protested.
“Good. Now promise me the next case won’t leave me standing over a dead body. I need less stress in my life.”
* * *
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Copyright Information
Published by Dan Padavona
Visit my website at www.danpadavona.com
Copyright © 2021 by Dan Padavona
Artwork copyright © 2021 by Dan Padavona
Cover Design by Caroline Teagle Johnson
All Rights Reserved
Although some of the locations in this book are actual places, the characters and setting are wholly of the author's imagination. Any resemblance between the people in this book and people in the real world is purely coincidental and unintended.
About the Author
Dan Padavona is the author of the The Darkwater Cove series, The Scarlett Bell thriller series, Severity, The Dark Vanishings series, Camp Slasher, Quilt, Crawlspace, The Face of Midnight, Storberry, Shadow Witch, and the horror anthology, The Island. He lives in upstate New York with his beautiful wife, Terri, and their children, Joe, and Julia. Dan is a meteorologist with NOAA’s National Weather Service. Besides writing, he enjoys visiting amusement parks, beach vacations, Renaissance fairs, gardening, playing with the famil
y dogs, and eating too much ice cream.
Visit Dan at: www.danpadavona.com
