Murder at Black Lake

by Anne Patrick

  Gage couldn't take it any longer. He wrapped his arms around her and held her tight. Her whole body shook as she began to sob. Several more minutes passed. "It's okay. You don't have to do this."

  Jamie pushed out of his arms. "No. I remember it. I remember it all." She still cried, but she seemed relieved at the same time.

  "Daddy went limp and the man just let go, and Dad dropped to the ground. I ran at the man screaming . . . kicking . . . hitting him. He tried to grab me. I pushed at him, still fighting him. My hands and arms hurt. He then shoved me away, and I'm like . . . I don't know . . . crazy mad. I charged toward him. I was so angry. I punched him. Kicked him. Clawed at him. I grabbed—"

  Gage waited for her to continue, but she just stood there, dazed. "What, Jamie? What'd you grab? Did you tear off his mask?"

  She slowly nodded. "Not all the way. He stepped back, looked at me. Stood there for a few seconds just staring at me. Then he stabbed me."

  "Did he say anything to you?"

  "I'm sorry."

  "He said he was sorry?"

  "I knew him, Gage. I mean, I had seen him before. That's why he stabbed me."

  "Where had you seen him?"

  "I went by my dad's office after school one day. His secretary said he was with someone and told me to wait. The guy came out of my dad's office and slammed the door. He looked livid as he stormed out of the building."

  "Do you remember if that happened close to the time your dad was killed?"

  "I'm pretty sure it did because Dad and I went out for ice cream and we talked about the camping trip."

  "Is that the only time you saw him?"

  "There was one other time. At Dwight's house. I was six or seven at the time. He was maybe five years older than me. Maybe a friend of Dwight's, I don't know. He was working on a go-kart, using tools from their garage. He stopped and played catch with us for a little while. Then my mom came out and we left."

  Gage did the math. "He would've been around eighteen when he came to your dad's office."

  "Sounds about right."

  "He would've changed quite a bit. Are you sure it was the same guy?"

  "Positive. He nearly ran over me when he came out of my dad's office. He said 'get out of the way, squirt.' He called me the same thing that day at Dwight's house. No one else has ever called me that."

  "Lucy Jennings said the witness was a teenager so it's possible it's the same guy."

  "Yeah, maybe. All I know is he's the one who killed my dad. It wasn't Dwight. I remember the guy took off running. He must've heard Dwight coming. It didn't seem like very long and I felt someone shake me. When I opened my eyes, I saw Dwight kneeling over me. He was crying. That's all I remember. I think I passed out."

  Gage put his arm around her. "Come on. Let's get out of here."

  On the walk back, Jamie was quiet. Now that she remembered all the details, Gage prayed she would be able to come to peace with it. He had a feeling, though, that wouldn't be possible until they found the real killer.

  CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

  Saturday morning, Jamie called Mallory and asked if she wanted to drive to Greensburg with her to pick out paint. "I'll buy lunch."

  "Sure."

  "Would you mind if I invited Officer Williams to join us?"

  "To pick out paint?"

  "No, silly, to lunch."

  "I don't care. Give me a few minutes to dress. I'm still in my pjs."

  Jamie then called Officer Williams and asked if he was free.

  "I thought you were just teasing about the steak dinner."

  "No, but I'll be bringing a friend along."

  "Officer Hansen?" he guessed.

  "No, his sister. Just tell me where you want to meet and we'll be there."

  "The Greenery serves a great steak. Eleven-thirty okay?"

  "Perfect."

  Half and hour later, Jamie pulled up in front of Mallory's blue Cape Cod style cottage. She came out carrying two large mugs. Jamie rolled the window down and took one of them off her hands. "You're a life saver. I ran out of coffee this morning."

  "You stayed at your house last night?" Mallory climbed in and shut the door.

  "Yes." It hadn't been easy, but Jamie knew it was something she had to do. Gage had thrown a fit and threatened to sleep on the porch, but she stood her ground. "I slept with my old baseball bat and all the lights on, but I did it." Neither of those things had kept the nightmares at bay.

  Mallory laughed. "You're braver than I am."

  Jamie doubted that. She refused to let this guy get the best of her, though. After some internal debate, Jamie had decided to have a security alarm installed. She was afraid she'd have to install a landline first, but after contacting the company that serviced her home in Malibu, she was assured they could monitor the system through cellular communication. Now, not only would she feel safer, adding the system would increase the value of the property.

  It took over an hour to settle on final choices of paint. Jamie had gone with Stella's suggestions on all but the bedrooms. She then paid for her purchases and she and Mallory pushed the two carts full of paint and material to Jamie's Tahoe. Not wanting a repeat of their last trip to Greensburg, Jamie paid close attention to her surroundings and remained on the lookout for the grey truck.

  As they loaded the material into her SUV, Jamie noticed a furniture store next door. She checked her watch. "When we're done here, do you want to go next door and have a look around?"

  "Sure."

  Once inside the furniture store, Jamie headed straight for the sofa and chair selections. Her mother's furniture was decades old, and even though Jamie had vacuumed and cleaned it, the furniture still looked dingy. It would look especially horrible once the living room's carpet and paint were updated.

  Lately, she'd been reconsidering her original plan to sell her childhood home. She could keep it as an investment and rent it out to tenants. The house and twenty acres would make a lovely home for a young family just starting out in life. Maybe she could get one of the local realtors to manage the property by handling rental agreements and overseeing the upkeep for a percentage of the rental fee. Jamie wasn't sure what brought about her change of heart, but she suspected sentimental reasons were at fault. Yes, there were some bad memories associated with the house. There were many good ones, too.

  "So, why are we looking at furniture?" Mallory flopped down on a tan sofa, peering up at Jamie.

  "Because we still have a half hour to kill, and I'd much rather do it in an air-conditioned store than in a hot car."

  ***

  They arrived at the restaurant a few minutes late. Officer Williams waved from the entrance.

  "Sorry we're late."

  "No problem. I just got here myself." He tipped his cowboy hat at Mallory. "It's a pleasure to see you again, Miss Hansen."

  "You, too, Officer Williams."

  "Please, call me Cade."

  Jamie was quick to notice the smile Mallory tossed him. Jamie took her phone out and turned it off. Nothing was more frustrating to her than getting a call when she was in a restaurant with friends.

  Once they were seated and had placed their orders, it was like Jamie was invisible. Mallory and Cade talked non-stop. As it turned out, the two had a lot in common. Mallory, a horse-lover, was immediately impressed by the fact he bred and raised quarter horses.

  "My ranch is just outside of Greensburg," Cade informed. "You're welcome to drop by sometime and we can go riding."

  "I'd like that," Mallory responded.

  Jamie did her best not to smile. It wasn't her intention to play matchmaker, but she was glad the two were hitting it off.

  "You're welcome to come, too, Jamie," Cade said.

  Jamie shook her head. "Horses and I don't really get along."

  Mallory almost spit out the drink of tea she had just taken. "Oh, my heavens. Do not let her near a horse."

  "That's quite enough, Mallory. You don't need to say anymore."

  Cade leaned back
, smiling, and shifted his gaze between the two women. "Come on. You can't leave me hanging."

  Jamie shot Mallory a look of warning.

  Mallory ignored it. "Mom and Dad took me, my brother, and Jamie to an estate auction. We were messing around out back, and there was this chestnut pony in a corral. Jamie had never been on a horse before, and Gage dared her to get on this one. It looked gentle enough. Well, the minute Jamie climbed on, that thing started bucking, and it wasn't but a minute later Jamie went flying through the air." Mallory and Cade both started laughing.

  Jamie held hers in as long as she could, but finally, let loose. "And those two idiots just stood there laughing at me."

  "Were you hurt?" Cade asked.

  "Only my pride."

  "How old were you guys?"

  "I was ten and Jamie and Gage were eleven."

  "Have you ridden since?" he asked.

  "One other time. Pretty much the same result. Horses just don't like me."

  ***

  After lunch, Jamie stopped at the grocery store and bought enough food to last a couple of weeks. On the drive home, it seemed Mallory couldn't stop smiling. "So, when are you and Cade going out?"

  "Soon I hope."

  "He didn't ask? I thought you guys were planning a date while I paid the check."

  "We just exchanged numbers. Is that why you invited me along?"

  "No. I just wanted help with the paint. I'm glad you guys hit it off, though. He seems like a really nice guy."

  "Yeah, he does. I just wish he wasn't younger than me."

  "There's only two years difference. Did you know his dad owns the theater?"

  "Really? I saw it was up for sale. I hate to see it go. Pretty soon there won't be anything to do in town, other than eat."

  "Isn't the penny arcade still open?"

  "No, it closed down a few years ago."

  The thought of her hometown fading away saddened Jamie more than she expected. A couple of weeks ago, it wouldn't have mattered. Now, though, she felt different. The more time she spent here, the more comfortable she became. It was a nice community, and if she didn't already have a home in Malibu, it might not be so bad living here again.

  Jamie stopped in front of Mallory's house. "Thanks for going with me."

  "Thank you." Mallory grinned. "Are you sure you don't need a hand carrying in all this stuff? I could drive out and help."

  "Nah. I can handle it."

  "Do you want to start painting tomorrow?"

  "I thought we'd wait until Monday. I still have a few walls I need to wash down. If I need any help, I'll give you a call."

  On the drive to her house, Jamie caught herself mentally redecorating the living room with furniture she'd seen in the store. The thought of keeping the house sent her imagination running wild. When she pulled into her drive, she saw Gage's blue truck. She stopped next to it and pressed the open button to release her tailgate.

  Gage stepped off the porch and joined her just as she got out. He was still in uniform. "Where have you been? I've been trying to call you since noon. Why didn't you answer any of my messages?"

  His sharp tone surprised her. "Because I didn't know you left any. I turned my phone off at the restaurant." She went around to the back of the Tahoe, grabbed two of the grocery bags and started toward the house.

  He followed with the other bags. "You went to Greensburg?"

  "Yes. Mallory and I went for paint, and groceries and we had lunch with Cade Williams." She set one of the bags down long enough to unlock the front door. She then headed for the kitchen, where she placed the bags on the center island before turning to face him. "We kiss once and suddenly you think you own me. Is that it?"

  "We've kissed twice, and no, I don't think I own you. You just had me worried is all." He put his bags down next to hers. "What if he'd followed you? Mallory was with you the first time he attacked. If he wants at you, he's not going to stop because someone else is there. You may not care about your own safety, but you should've at least thought of Mallory's."

  Jamie was torn between kissing him and slapping him. "I'm tired of playing the victim here, Gage. Besides, I was careful. I made sure no one was following us. We had lunch with a cop, and the hardware store was full of people."

  "I just don't want anything to happen to you."

  "I'm sorry I worried you. I should've checked my messages." Jamie smiled. "Are we done fighting now? Because I could use some help carrying in the paint."

  He pulled her into his arms then lowered his mouth to hers, kissing her gently. "Make that three times."

  She laughed as she stepped from his arms and headed back to the car.

  In the living room, he grabbed her hand. "Will you let me bring Bonnie back over here? I don't like you staying by yourself. At least not until this guy is behind bars."

  "I don't need a watchdog. I have Homer."

  He cocked his head slightly to one side. "Who is Homer?"

  Jamie walked over and retrieved the bat from behind the door, took her stance and swung hard.

  Gage laughed. "You always were pretty good with that thing."

  "Pretty good? I was the homerun queen."

  ***

  Gage carried in the last of the paint supplies then joined Jamie in the kitchen. He still felt kind of foolish for having gone off on her earlier. A woman had never gotten to him the way Jamie did. Not even Janessa.

  "You wanna stay for dinner?" Jamie closed the refrigerator door and took a sip from her bottled water.

  "I've got a better idea. Why don't we phone in a sandwich order at Deb's and go on a picnic?"

  "I'd like that."

  Gage called in their order while Jamie put away the rest of the groceries.

  Instead of Kennison Park, Gage drove out to the campgrounds and parked down by the lake. He left the radio on, got out and let down the truck's tailgate.

  "This is an awfully cheap date."

  Gage knew she was teasing by her mischievous smile. "I don't fork out the money for a steak or lobster dinner until at least the fifth date." He waited until she sat then handed her a soda.

  Jamie laughed as she took the sandwiches from the sack and passed Gage his. "That'll give me something to look forward to."

  Gage tried not to read anything into her comment. Long distance relationships seldom worked, especially when the couple's lifestyles were so drastically different. She was here until September; he would make the most of their time together until then. And hopefully, his heart wouldn't be shattered when she left. "I have some news about the witness Lucy Jennings mentioned," he said, intentionally changing the subject.

  "Oh yeah?" Jamie turned, crisscrossing her legs so she now faced him.

  "According to the chief, the guy's name is Ricky Drayton, a resident from Greensburg. He was seventeen at the time."

  "Greensburg, really?"

  "Now you see why I got so upset earlier."

  "Again. I'm sorry."

  "You're forgiven. Anyway, his testimony was that he saw Dwight leave the boat dock and go up the hill before he heard screams. He docked his boat and went ashore and he said he saw Dwight take you from the campsite and head into the woods at the foot of Emerald Mountain."

  "Okay, there are several things wrong with that story. Beginning with, if he was from Greensburg, how was he familiar with the area and knew Dwight took me to his father's cabin? According to the 9-1-1 call you told me about, the caller suggested they look at the Jennings' cabin."

  "His testimony was obviously bogus. I just have to figure out if he's the killer or if he was paid to lie on the stand. If he is the killer, he could've grown up around here and then moved to Greensburg. I ran him through DMV. He still lives there, but he doesn't own a grey truck. I have to work tomorrow, so I'll give your friend, Cade, a call and see if he won't check into the guy."

  Jamie grinned. She seemed to love the fact Gage was a little jealous of the guy.

  "And regardless of how good you are at swinging a bat when I ge
t off work tomorrow, I'm going to teach you how to shoot."

  "I already know how."

  "I'm not talking about a BB gun." When they were kids, she could almost outshoot him with one.

  "Me neither, smart aleck. I took a firearms training course. I played a cop in two different movies. I wanted to be at least somewhat believable."

  "Well, you're going to have to prove it to me before I loan you my spare."

  Jamie shrugged her shoulder. "Fine by me." Then she stood and grabbed his hand. "Come on."

  "Where're we going?" he asked, letting her drag him along.

  "Down to the marina to watch the sunset."

  "We still have another hour and a half."

  "Oh, I'm sure we can think of something to do in the meantime."

  As they sat cuddling on a bench, watching the sun dip below the mountains, Gage found himself wishing the night would never end. The dozen or so fishermen coming and going from the marina store didn't seem to notice them. Gage paid little attention to them either. He had one of the most beautiful women in Hollywood at his side, and he felt like he was the luckiest man in the world.

  "This is nice." Jamie lifted her head from his shoulder. "But I should be getting home."

  "Yeah, me, too." He stood and clasped his hand around hers and they walked back to the truck.

  "Thank you for tonight. I really enjoyed it."

  "See? It wasn't such a bad date," he teased. Hopefully there would be a lot more.

  CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

  Jamie listened carefully to the pastor's sermon on grace. He had begun by illustrating how anger was much like a cancer that ate away at a person's spirit. Instead of pure and healthy thoughts, people oftentimes allowed Satan the power to rob them of their peace with emotions of bitterness and ill feelings toward the one who had wronged them.

  Jamie thought of her own situation with her mother. Even though the woman was dead, she continued to have power over Jamie only because Jamie allowed her. She always would, until Jamie found a way to let go of the hatred. Jamie thought of what Jesus said on the cross at Calvary. 'Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.' It wasn't the first time Jesus had forgiven those who despised or hurt Him. He even forgave Peter for denying he knew Jesus after His arrest. As a follower of Christ, she, too, was to have a forgiving heart. Jamie knew she couldn't do it on her own strength, though.