Cliff looked wounded but didn’t say a word as I climbed back inside the Navigator. When I glanced in the rear view mirror, he was still in the same spot, staring at the tail lights. Tears rolled down my cheeks as I drove away, wishing my screwed-up life came with a do-over button.
“WHO’S VEHICLE IS THAT?”
Eleanor sat perched on the sofa, a cup of hot tea and empty dinner plate resting in her lap. I was glad to see she’d finally eaten something and ventured from her room. Ever since coming back from visiting Billy late Saturday night, she’d been locked inside the bedroom.
Tossing my purse on the kitchen table, I joined her in the living room. “Traci Rogers. She had one-too-many drinks with dinner, so I drove her home.”
“That was nice of you. Guess that means your car is still at La Hacienda?”
“Yep. I could leave it parked in downtown Little Rock with the keys inside and doors unlocked and no one would touch it.”
Eleanor laughed while gathering the dish. She stood and headed to the kitchen. “Maybe, maybe not. No sense in tempting fate. If someone did decide to steal it, you couldn’t afford to buy a new one. Come on, I’ll ride with you and we’ll go get it.”
“Not necessary, Eleanor. I planned on—”
“I insist. Let me change out of my pajamas first.”
I knew from the tone in Eleanor’s voice it was pointless to argue. God, this night would never end! It was close to nine and I was exhausted, mentally spent, and heartbroken. My brain was overstimulated with too many thoughts and my back was killing me. A hot shower was only steps away, but would have to wait another twenty minutes or so.
Eleanor reappeared and we walked in silence outside to Traci’s fancy SUV.
Once on the road, Eleanor said, “So, did you hear about Kendrick Paulson?”
I sighed, wondering how Eleanor knew so fast. The ten-o’clock news wasn’t on yet. Oh, who was I kidding? Eleanor’s fingers had always been on the pulse of the town’s heartbeat. I considered lying but nixed the idea. Cliff was on the force and Eleanor probably assumed he’d already told me. “Yes.”
“From Cliff?”
“Yes.”
“Does he think Kendrick did it?”
I glanced over at Eleanor, surprised she had doubts of her own. “Do you?”
Eleanor shook her head. “Nope. Known that man all his life. He may be a strange old codger, but he certainly ain’t no killer. Period.”
Intrigued by Eleanor’s vehement defense, I asked, “What makes you say that, Eleanor? I mean, his father killed someone, so it’s possible—”
“Just because someone in your family tree killed before don’t necessarily mean the trait’s tainted the whole root system, Renee.”
Ouch. I’d struck a nerve I never intended to hit. The correlation between her and Billy never entered my mind. I needed to learn to think things through better before opening my mouth. “Okay, bad choice of words. Let me start again. Why do you think Mr. Paulson isn’t the killer?”
Eleanor’s hackles subsided somewhat as she leaned back in the seat. “Well, for starters, he’s an old man who’s kept himself hidden most of his life because of his embarrassment over what his daddy did so long ago. Two, Kendrick ain’t the sharpest tool in the shed, and three, what little brain cells remaining got them a case of dementia.”
“How do you know that, Eleanor?”
“Just because I don’t talk about things doesn’t mean I’m not aware of what goes on where I live. Always felt sorry for poor Kendrick. Kyle did, too. Once a month, we’d fix him a nice basket of helpful items and take them to him. After Kyle passed on, I continued the tradition. Every last Saturday of the month, rain or shine.”
“You…do you go before you head to Pine Bluff?” I whispered.
Eleanor nodded.
“Did you go this past one, too?”
To my surprise, Eleanor’s eyes clouded with tears. The woman rarely displayed emotions, and in less than one week, I’d seen her tear up twice. “I did. And I can tell you Kendrick Paulson is way too ill to do what he’s been charged with. The man could barely walk across the living room to let me inside. Crazy or not, he ain’t the one who killed Martha Cayhill.”
I turned into the parking lot of La Hacienda and pulled next to my car. Eleanor reached for the door handle, but I stopped her. Between what Cliff told me and now Eleanor’s words, my head spun. “What else do you know that you aren’t telling me?”
Eleanor looked over at me, her face a sea of emotions. The biggest one was fear. “That my original worries about you being in danger are right on target.”
“What do you mean?”
“I mean, Renee, if an old man who’s on his last legs as cancer eats his insides up can get arrested in this town for murder, then anything is possible. People are going to great lengths to hide things, and they’re willing to offer up sacrifices to get what they want. I don’t want you to be the next one.”
My stomach dropped. “Cancer? What kind of cancer?”
“Prostate. Stage 4. Kendrick’s got maybe two weeks to live, and the poor man will spend them inside a jail cell.”
Eleanor exited the SUV and walked to my car. I let her go without saying another word, because frankly, I was too freaked out to speak.
I followed Eleanor back to her house, wondering what really was going on. When she mentioned Stage 4 prostate cancer, something sinister wormed around inside my head. Was it even possible? Plausible? Accomplishable?
Was County Judge Harold Singleton involved in all this? And was he faking being ill? If so, why? What lengths were people willing to go to just to have a new business in the county?
By the time I pulled up behind Eleanor at her house, I was shaking so hard I could barely hold onto the steering wheel.
It seemed Cliff and Eleanor were on target and that I was in danger, though I still was in the dark as to why.
And, I’d just left my protection in a confused cloud of dust at Ten Mile Cemetery.
Shit.
ONCE BACK INSIDE the house, I went straight to the bathroom. Eleanor didn’t question me, only gave me a worried look as I limped past her. I soaked in the hot water until it turned cold.
While dressing, I heard the noise of the television, so I slipped out into the hall, hoping I’d find Eleanor asleep on the couch. Sure enough, curled under a warm throw, Eleanor was lightly snoring, out like a little kid worn out from a stressful day.
I went back into my room and stretched out on the bed, almost wishing I still had some pain pills. Grabbing my phone, surprised to see it was after eleven, I mulled over what to say in a text to Cliff. While pondering what nuggets of gold I should type to lure him back after being so rude earlier, a noise outside caught my attention. Groaning as I rolled over and reached for the curtains, a hint of excitement at thinking it was Cliff doing a drive-by, my heart thudded.
It was a vehicle alright, but not Cliff’s.
The big, black SUV slowed to a crawl less than thirty feet from Eleanor’s driveway. The streetlight gleamed off the shiny paint and tinted windows. The passenger window rolled down and a hand tossed something on the ground. The SUV backed up the road and disappeared down the road.
This was certainly not a good time for Eleanor’s house to be the lone one off a windy, back road no one ever came down. No one except the cop I’d told to get lost and now, someone in a vehicle that probably cost more than my house was worth who’d left a little gift in the drive.
I cursed Arkansas’ stupid law requiring vehicles to only have license plates on the back. The only description I could give was it was a black SUV.
I didn’t have to get up and go look to see if I was right. I knew something sinister sat outside, and had zero interest in going out alone to check it out. Instead, I sent a text to Cliff.
“Just had a visit from Men in Black. Um, can we just pretend I never said I didn’t need protection? Because I just became a believer. They even left me a package.”
Al
one under the covers, heart pounding and mind racing, I nearly jumped off the bed when my phone buzzed.
“Lock the doors and stay inside. I’ll be right over.”
Thank God.
What kind of new Hell awaited outside?
“Yeah, go to Suicide Lake and end it all, Renee. Brilliant fucking idea. Only I could screw up killing myself and wind up in the middle of some weird conspiracy.”
CLIFF MADE IT to Eleanor’s in less than five minutes from across town. Though he didn’t turn the siren on, the blue lights lit up the dark evening sky as he came tearing down Eleanor’s road. The second I saw him pull in, I met him outside. At least this time I was in a new robe and slippers.
The package the goons in the black SUV left behind was not a package at all. Cliff put on gloves and picked the small, unsealed envelope off the driveway and a piece of paper fluttered to the ground.
Walking closer, no longer afraid of a simple slip of paper, I asked, “What does it say?”
Cliff squinted while holding the paper near the headlights of his car. “It’s a picture with nothing written on it. Do you know who either one of them are? Sort of looks like it was taken at Bradford Lake.”
Pausing next to him, I leaned down to get a better look.
I wish I hadn’t because the image made my head spin. How was it possible? Where did those freaks get the picture, and why did they bring it here and just leave it behind?
“Renee, oh, shit. Sit down,” Cliff said, grabbing my arm. He led me to the passenger side of his unit and gently eased me down in the seat. “You know who they are, don’t you?”
Tears ran down my cheeks and I couldn’t stop shaking even though I had a warm robe on and Cliff’s extra jacket over my shoulders. What was I going to do now? I wanted to kick myself for being such a wuss before and not going outside and getting the note myself. But no, I chickened out and called in the one and only person—besides Eleanor—I dreaded finding out the truth about my family’s past.
“Renee, breathe. Look at me,” Cliff urged. I refused to comply, continuing to stare down at my feet. He crouched in front of me and tried again. “Look at me. I’m here, just like I said I’d be. You can’t pressure me to leave again, not like before. Tell me what’s going on and who these people are, and why seeing them has frightened you so much.”
“Guess you’ll find out soon enough. You’ll eat those words the minute I tell you,” I whispered.
Cliff’s hands rested on my knees. They were warm, strong, and comforting. He rubbed them across my legs and said, “I promise you, Renee Michelle Thornton, I’m not going anywhere except where you go. Talk to me.”
I lost it and the tears turned into sobs. “My dad…and his girlfriend,” I finally choked out.
“Oh, shit.”
Cliff sounded as shocked as I felt. He reached past me and grabbed a box of tissue from the floorboard. After wiping my nose and eyes, I continued. “Yeah. Cyndi Robertson was her name. I believe you’re right about the location, though I have no idea where the picture came from. I promise you my mother certainly didn’t take it. I’ve never seen it before, but that’s definitely my dad and Cyndi.”
“Any idea when it was taken?”
“Judging by his hair and what he’s wearing, about a month before they disappeared. Mom made him that scarf. Gave it to him for his birthday, which was two months before…”
I couldn’t say it. The word was on the tip of my tongue but wouldn’t leave. Once I said it, everything I knew, all the hopes and dreams I had during the last few days, foolishly thinking I might have a real shot at love, would vanish.
Thankfully, the intelligent, kindhearted, and warm soul in front of me figured it out. I knew he did—could see the wheels spinning and then the Ah-ha! moment lit up his eyes. The excitement of solving a puzzle was replaced by a sadness.
Don’t say it, Cliff. Please? Don’t speak it into existence between the two of us. Let’s just sit here and pretend you stopped by for a warm kiss on a cold night. A hot cup of coffee to heat the insides, and maybe some skin-on-skin to sizzle the outside.
“They’re dead, aren’t they?”
Damn. My fairy tale, make-believe bubble just popped. “Yes. I’m pretty sure their remains are at the bottom of Suicide Lake, at least that’s what my mother told me.”
Cliff rocked back on his heels. “Jesus, Mary, and Joseph.”
“Am I going to get in trouble for not telling a cop sooner? You know, that I’m pretty sure my mom killed two people?”
“This isn’t police business. This is our business. Our private business. If only the two of us were aware, my answer would be to never think or worry about it again. He...disappeared over thirty years ago, right? Before I moved to town?”
“Yeah. A magical wand masquerading as a tire iron was waved and poof! They vanished,” I muttered.
“Then we need to concentrate on who else knew and why they are trying to scare you. Any ideas?”
I could only think of one, and dropping the earth-shattering news in Cliff’s lap was risky. Jobs weren’t the only thing at stake now. Lives were. Our lives. Eleanor’s life. I knew it. Felt it in the deepest recesses of my heart.
“Yeah, I’ve got a pretty good lead, but it’s going to take a bit to tell you all of it. Want to wait until you finish your shift?”
Cliff helped me out of the seat and pulled me into a warm hug. I melted into his embrace, wishing I could climb inside his jacket and hide away the rest of the night, nestled against his skin.
“I only took this job because I was bored after retiring from the military, so if I lose it, no big deal. I’ll just radio in that I’m taking a late dinner break. No rule in the handbook that states where I have to eat. So, I’m all yours.”
“Can we sit back inside? I’m freezing, and don’t want to go in the house. Eleanor would freak if she heard what I’m about to tell you.”
“Of course,” Cliff said, then chuckled softly as he walked to the other side.
I glared at him when he sat behind the driver’s seat. “Something about this strikes you as funny?”
“No, well, sort of. I’ve been waiting for months to get you alone in my car at night—you know—so I could ravish you under the moon? Now, here you are and about to dump news on me I have the sneaky suspicion might just rock this town to its core. Guess I should have been more specific about why you were in my car when I wished for it to happen.”
“I’ve learned the same lesson lately. Wishes need to be spelled out. Every word. God, Cliff, are you sure you want to know? Last chance to back out.”
Clifton Robert Simpson—the first boy I’d ever kissed and truly loved—took my hand and wound his fingers through my own, smiled that sexy lopsided grin, and said, “There’s nowhere else I’m supposed to be than right here with you, Renee. Always.”
Smiling through my tears, I cleared my throat and told him all I knew.
Every single detail I remembered.
“I’LL MAKE THE call and get things all set up. In the meantime, you need to keep your cell with you everywhere. Bathroom, bedroom, car, kitchen. Everywhere. Stay here at Eleanor’s and don’t go to work tomorrow. It’s too dangerous. When I get off duty, I’ll come back and we’ll get you moved in to my house.”
“Cliff, I can’t do that, I’ve still got Traci’s SUV. I promised I’d pick her up in the morning. Besides, if I suddenly don’t show up for work, they’ll know something’s wrong. Plus, if the mayor is out of the office again tomorrow, I might be able to snoop around some. You know, find out some more information on the land deal? And I don’t want to leave Eleanor’s just yet. What if she’s in danger, too?”
Cliff shook his head. “No way. Too dangerous. I can’t keep an eye on you while you’re at work. They’d really think something was wrong if I showed up and sat in the lobby all day, which is the only way I’d let you go.”
“I appreciate your concern and all your suggestions, Cliff, but you’re sneaking back into the stalk
er category again. I’ll be fine, especially after you set up the interview. How long do you think it’ll take your friend to get us—”
Cliff’s phone vibrated and he smiled. “Not long at all. Jared’s an old army buddy. Knew I could count on him. Oh, great. He’s got us scheduled to meet him and Charles Glenn tomorrow night at seven. They’ll come to my place, and so will you until all this gets sorted out.”
Sensing I was losing the battle of wills, I conceded. “I’ll agree to stay with you as long as you agree to let me go to work. At least tomorrow.”
He grinned. “Always a negotiator. Okay, if you insist on going to work then you leave me with no choice but to make you wear a wire.”
I gaped at him. “Are you serious? No, no way. I’ll be nervous enough as it is. I’m not cut out for playing a spy full-throttle.”
“Don’t worry, Renee. Technology has advanced to the point recording devices are really small. I have some at home, one that actually looks like a nice piece of jewelry. I’ll go get it and leave it in the mailbox.”
Groaning, I muttered, “Fine, but I doubt the Mayor is stupid enough to say anything at work to me that's incriminating. Hell, he might not even be there tomorrow.”
“Oh, he’ll be there. You mark my words. So will reporters. His wife’s killer was arrested, remember? I guarantee you he’ll be right in front of the cameras, assuring folks Whitten County is safe once again.”
“You think?”
“Yep. If all this mess is because of a secret land deal, and it almost fell through because of the discovery of Martha’s body at the lake, he needs to put up some good PR.”
I sighed and stared out the window. Though relieved after dumping the sordid story out to Cliff, I still felt off. Things—memories—were jumbled around inside my head. I was too old for this shit.
Cliff noticed my unease. He kissed my cheek and whispered, “I promise to behave when you’re at my house. At least until all this is over. Then, all bets are off.”
I chuckled, “Sex isn’t the answer for every woe, Cliff. Actually, it’s last on my list of priorities for a variety of reasons. I just…I don’t understand why you’re still here after what I told you. You’re entangled in this web of deceit and lies now, and I hate that.”
Suicide Lake Page 9
