She felt her eyes well up with tears when her dad told her how much he loved her. “Honey, I’m going to call Ginger too. It’s time for her to come home anyway. Once she’s here, we’ll band up together and take care that he gets what he deserves.” She told him she didn’t want to bother her sister. “She’s going to be mighty upset when she figures out what you’ve been through, don’t you think?”
“Yes. She’s always been my protector. But she also has a life that she loves, Dad. She’ll come home, but I know she’ll just be gone again when she starts that itchy thing she calls her job.” They both laughed. “All right. Call her, but don’t let on that I’m upset or anything. Just tell her what’s going on and let her decide if she wants to come back here or not.”
Sissy decided that she wasn’t going to tell her dad about her sister-in-law and her children. If she could convince Ginger to go with her, then that would be that. Sissy had always wanted a large family. This would be the best way to get one without having a man hanging around all the time. Sitting in the chair when she’d gotten all her things gathered up, Sissy called the locksmith to have every lock on the property changed out. He wasn’t going to get to sleep in the fucking shed if she could do something to keep him from it.
The police showed up when the ambulance did. She answered all their questions and asked a few of her own. Yes, he’d been picked up. And no, she’d have to press charges herself or get her attorney to do so. Calling Dad while they were loading her in the ambulance, she asked him to call Mr. Beagle. He said he’d get right on it.
By the time her dad showed up, she’d had X-rays showing that she had a concussion. Also, they’d put fifty-four stitches in the back of her head where she’d hit something on her way down, and twelve on her face where he’d not just busted open her lips, but her cheek as well. The doctor told her it was a good thing she had a hard head, or it might have been a lot worse than it was.
“I’ve left a message for Ginger at the last place I heard from her. The man that answered said that she was going to be gone and without cell service for another few days, but he’d have her call.” Dad pulled his pillow out of his bag he’d brought. “I don’t want to hear a thing about me not staying. If I were to go home, all I’d do is sit up and worry. You and Ginger are all I have in the world, and I won’t be fine with one of you laid up in the hospital.”
“I’m glad to have you here, Dad.” They didn’t talk much. Her head was pounding now, and she asked for something for the pain. Once they gave her that, she was able to relax more and tell him what she wanted to do. “I’ve thought about this a great deal, so I’m set up so that he can’t take more from me. I still laugh when I think of you getting him to sign that prenup when we were married. You telling him that I might win the lottery someday was the funniest thing you could have said to him. Especially since I’ve never bought a lottery ticket in my life.”
“I thought he was just being funny when I think about his comment. But now that I’ve seen the man in action, I think he’s stupider than a bag of rocks. My goodness, he surely did let himself go, didn’t he?” She told her dad that he was also a diabetic. “And him down there at the bar drinking. There isn’t any help for people like him. You tell them and tell them, and it goes in one ear and right out the other.” Dad laughed. “I’ve been reading again. Some of them old books sure do have a saying for just about any situation.”
When she was feeling just a little better, she told her dad that she was going to try and get some sleep. Her head was still hurting, but not enough where it would keep her up. As she was dozing off, she heard her dad on the phone. While she wanted to ask him what was going on, she was too far gone to do so. Dad, her dad, could handle just about anything.
Chapter 11
Beck stood back and watched the lines he was sure the problem was coming from. Everything else that he’d tried kept having him end up here at the merge of the three lines together. He wouldn’t have done that, have three major lines meet in one place, but it seemed to be working well until the last couple of months.
I have two questions for you, then I’ll try not to bother you again. He smiled and told Allie that he liked her kind of interruptions. Thanks. I needed that. What do you know about a company named Hershel’s Baskets?
Nothing more than I’ve seen on television or in the paper. They make and deliver gift baskets, correct? She said they delivered them, but they didn’t make the baskets. Is that important? I mean, I’m sure that there are several companies out there that don’t make the gift baskets they fill.
This company claims they make them. And it’s a sticking point for a lot of people wanting to sue them. I have no idea why that matters—like you said, there are plenty of other companies out there that don’t make their baskets. He asked her what was going on. I’m doing another local job. Although this is far from local. The company is out west in California, and the police there heard that I could figure out crime scenes. That’s the second question I have for you. The first one was just a curiosity. The second question. Have you ever eaten or heard of head cheese?
I don’t think so. I mean, with a name like that, it doesn’t sound all that appetizing. It’s not made with heads, is it? She said that it actually was—pig head parts. Then absolutely not—I’ve not eaten any. He thought for a moment. Please tell me that is another curiosity question, and this place isn’t making this out of human heads.
They are, from what I can figure out. The police are still searching for ten to a thousand homeless. Don’t get me started on why the numbers are that far apart. They don’t keep track, they told me. Anyway, they sent the stuff in to be analyzed—just for fun, they told me—and it came back with human DNA in it. Like ninety percent of the shit is human. Beck felt his belly lurch a little. After it came back marked with several different DNA in it, the police didn’t have any idea where to go from there. It has them stalemated, I was told. They’ve not only not arrested anyone, but they’ve not gone there to find out what the fuck is going on either. Like they’re afraid they might well have eaten their brothers or something.
That’s the grossest thing I’ve ever heard of. She said there was more. I don’t want you to share. Please. Oh, Christ, that’s disgusting.
The other three here got sick from it too. Just thinking about it. I’m the outside the box thinker in this, and I’m too curious to figure out how they did it rather than be grossed out about it. So I’m going to go there in about an hour to have a tour. I’m taking not just your dad, but Thatcher and Dawson are going with me too. We are going to be seeing how the place cooks up this head stuff. He asked her if Dad or the others knew what they were going there to find. Thatcher and Dawson know. Your dad doesn’t. Someone needs to be shocked when we find out—if we find out what they’re doing. All I can think about is that soylent green movie.
Now that was all he could think about. Laughing a little with her, he asked her if any police were going with them. She told him that Rogen was watching on a camera that they were all wearing. Also, of course, that she’d hacked into their system. Beck wondered why she’d not been able to find it if she had their cameras.
I asked her too. She said there is one part of the building that she can’t get into. No cameras. I don’t know how she figures we’re going to get in there, but I’m giving it my best shot. How are you doing there? Find the trouble? He said he was narrowing it down. I hope you remember you need to be home by Saturday. Conor has his physical, and he won’t let me go with him. Also, Jonas needs you to help him close up a couple of homes he is working on.
I have it on my calendar. I won’t forget. He was actually looking forward to having some time with Conor. I’m planning to leave here as soon as I get this figured out.
Good. He could feel her hesitating and waited. If they’re using an infrared reader on the boxes, look around the clogging area for a mirror. Or something equally shiny. Something that m
ight reflect back the lights and mess with the reader. I’ve seen that happen before.
It only took him ten minutes to find the reflection. It was a mirror on the bathroom doorway, where a person could look at themselves for having things put back together properly after using the facility. It was newly installed and doing just what she said it was doing. Reflecting the reader back onto itself and giving a bad read.
It took him another hour and a half to get the management to see it was their problem and that it needed to be removed. By the time he left the plant, he was ready to murder someone. Who would have thought they’d have to call a board meeting to take a mirror down? He was half tempted to just paint over it himself. Save the glass and perhaps seven years of bad luck.
Driving home, he wasn’t in any kind of hurry. Allie and his family had left already, and he decided he wanted to spend some quality time with his mom. Calling her up, he first asked her where she was. If she was at one of her many committee meetings, he was going to beg off. He hated going to those things.
“I was just sitting here, contemplating if I wanted lunch or not. Your dad is off with Allie and Thatcher. I didn’t want to go with them.” Beck asked her if she’d like to have lunch with her favorite son. “I told you, Beck, Thatcher has gone with your dad.”
“Funny.” She laughed with him. “I can come by and pick you up, or if you’re out already, we can meet someplace. The sky’s the limit, my dear mom. Where would you like to go with your not so favorite son?”
Laughing still, she told him where she would meet him. After getting them a table, he watched the crowd of people as they picked up their lunch and left again. There wouldn’t be too many more days like this one. The fall leaves were just beginning to turn, and he loved the crispness of the air.
Mom kissed him on the cheek when she sat down. She started talking about her garden almost as soon as she got her sweater off. Beck loved his mom and wished that he’d remembered to pick her up some flowers. When she slowed down in her report to him, Mom smiled hugely at him.
“What are you up to while your wife is gone?” He said he had plans with Conor. “I so love that boy. And Holly is a rare treat too. She’s not very shy, is she? But Conor, he’s still adjusting, and my heart hurts for him.”
“Since he’s been going to practice after school, he’s calmed down a great deal. I think he wasn’t used to having so much free time. They were forever trying to get something to eat. He’s been hanging out with Bobby too. Helping him get around and such. Thomas too. The three of them have had a harder life than most people I know.”
“Yes, I agree with you there. That Hailey is so quiet and scares me at times. Not that I think she’ll harm me, but she seems to look right into your heart when she’s watching you. The other day I made the mistake of handing her a glass of water. She didn’t say anything but dumped it into the sink. I wonder if she’ll ever trust anyone again.” Beck asked her if she wanted to know the story behind her mistrust. “I believe it has something to do with her mother trying to kill her off. I don’t know why that thought is circling around my head.”
“Not her mom, but her father. He tried to give her something that would knock her out. She was keeping the baby safe, and when he knocked her out the one time, Sarah had been beaten up. Apparently, she was crying from teething and wouldn’t quiet down when her father wanted to take a snooze. Jonas told me.” Mom asked him if he thought Jonas would adopt them. “I do. He’s been looking into it since he’s been keeping them safe. I want him to do it too. I think they trust him more than anyone else they are around. Including any of us.”
“He’s going to have his hands full, but I think if anyone can do it, it would be him. He’s not afraid to say he needs help. Jonas has always been like that.” Beck knew that about his little brother. “Anyway, I was thinking about the holidays yesterday. I’ve decided I need to give away some of my Christmas decorations. I have so many now that I can’t put even a quarter of it out. But when I find it at an auction, I just can’t turn it down for a few dollars.”
“Yes, you can, Mom. In fact, I think it’s easier to just walk away from it.” She smacked him on the hand. After they ordered, he told her what he thought she should do with it all. “Just take it to one of the empty buildings we own and let us go over it to see if we want any. Then, if you don’t care if you make anything from it, give it to anyone that wants it. Let them decorate their yard for a change.”
“I’ve donated so much to the Salvation Army. Did you know that they just give things away that are donated? I like that very much. Last year I was able to get them twenty trees that they used to give to people that just don’t have the money to get one.” He told her he’d always known his mom was special. “Thank you, son. I love you very much, as well.”
As they were walking around their little town, he and his mom were stopped no less than a dozen times. Mr. Chablis asked if the two of them had a few minutes. He wanted to ask them something.
“Usually, I just toss this stuff on the fire and say I got suckered. But I thought of you when I realized what I have here.” As they were headed to the backroom, Beck asked him what he’d done. “I buy up bulk items. Sometimes there isn’t all that much I can use. Other times I find things that go with pieces I already have. It’s fun for me. Your mom can usually find someone to take the toys off my hands when I get them up and running. But this box has something I didn’t expect. Wrapping paper.”
It wasn’t just a box of wrapping paper that one might pick up at a store, but a pallet loaded up with hundreds of brand new boxes of it. All Christmas, from what he could see, as well as a variety of scenes that he thought were very festive. He asked Mr. Chablis what he wanted to do with them.
“I was thinking of donating it to your mom so she can make sure it gets into the right hands.” Beck told him what he and his mom had discussed. “I like that idea. That’s brilliant. I have some Christmas items back in the storage barn too. This might well be a good way for me to clear out some room. I’ve been meaning to get it out anyway.”
“I can help you with taking it over to the building. All of us will.” Mr. Chablis was ready to start moving it right now; he was so excited. “I’ll get with my brothers, and we’ll get back to you. This will be so helpful to the town, I think. Mom, you’re the best.”
After leaving the secondhand shop, he and Mom talked about what they were going to do when they got things organized. He was excited too. Giving back was something that he enjoyed more than anything, especially at Christmas time.
Beck was just getting himself some dinner when he heard from Allie. He’d not bothered her much today, knowing that she was figuring something out. But she sounded so distressed that he put his sandwich on hold and paid attention to what she was telling him.
We’ve found the room where they’re making the headcheese, Beck. It’s terrible. I thought for sure that your dad was going to kill the men working there. He asked her if she was all right. No. Not at all. It’s a lot worse than we thought. I’m not going into details because my mind is still wrapping around what we found. But could you come out here? I need you in the worst sort of way.
I’m going to leave right now. He went up to his room to pack and decided that he could purchase what he would need. I’m going to be there in a few hours, honey. Then we’ll just sit around and talk about anything but what you found.
He was nearly to the airport when he realized he wanted to bring the kids. Going back home, he called the packhouse and asked to speak to Conor and Holly. Both wanted to go with him, and Conor said he’d get his physical when they got back. That Mom—he called them Mom and Dad now—needed them more than he needed football.
He was glad that he’d thought about them the moment they were in the car with him. These kids were theirs, and perhaps while they were out there, he’d show them a good time. Yes, Beck thought, kids were the greatest.
Before You Go…
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Kathi Barton, a winner of the Pinnacle Book Achievement award as well as a best-selling author on Amazon and All Romance books, lives in Nashport, Ohio, with her husband, Paul. When not creating new worlds and romance, Kathi and her husband enjoy camping and going to auctions. She can also be seen at county fairs with her husband, who is an artist and potter.
Her muse, a cross between Jimmy Stewart and Hugh Jackman, brings her stories to life for her readers in a way that has them coming back time and again for more. Her favorite genre is paranormal romance, with a great deal of spice. You can visit Kathi online and drop her an email if you’d like. She loves hearing from her fans. [email protected].
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Table of Contents
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Beckett: Robinson Destruction – Paranormal Tiger Shifter Romance Page 15
