The sun was coming up when Sawyer thought that he could sleep standing up. It had been a hell of a twenty-four hours, and he wasn’t sure how much longer he could go. Just as he was leaning back in the chair that had been brought in for the others, he heard Molly say “Dad.”
Looking at her, he asked her if she was all right through their link. Excitement was all over her face then, and she answered him back the same way. He was so happy to see her that he had to hold back his own tears.
Yes. I have a bit of a headache, but I’m okay. Did you make me into a tiger too? He said that he’d not had to, her head was harder than any of them had noticed. Very funny. But I do feel different. Could it be just the headache?
It could be. He wouldn’t tell her until her mother was awake. He figured that she’d try out everything that she could think about just to see if she had any magic. You should wake your mom. She’s been waiting for you to wake up and give her a hug.
I love you, Dad. I’ve never said that before to anyone except Mom and GGma, but I do love you. He said that he loved her too. I’d like to see your tigers, yours and Mom’s. If that’s okay?
It is. He’d like to meet you too. He’s a big guy, bigger than the ones in the zoo, and he’ll be bigger than your mom’s too. She asked him if he was always going to protect her. Forever. Forever and a day.
~*~
Raven listened to the man on the other end of the phone going on and on about his order. He wanted it shipped to him in separate boxes, so that he’d not have to find a box to wrap it in. He wanted it to arrive day after tomorrow, all shipped to the same address. And oh, remember, he told her, he was to get free shipping because he ordered enough in gifts to qualify for it.
“I can do that for you, sir. However, I won’t be able to ship it so that it arrives the day after tomorrow. That would be more in shipping for it to go next day air.” He started to tell her that it said free shipping. “It says free standard shipping. I can ship it out to you for free, but it won’t arrive at your home for ten business days or more.”
Rolling her eyes when Sara came into her office, she listened to the man talk about suing her. As much as she wanted to hang up on him, she knew that it would be just what he wanted in order to give her store a bad rating. Instead, she asked him if he wanted it to go out standard mail.
“I do not. I want the packages to arrive day after tomorrow, and I want it to be free. You either play ball or I’m going to go over your head and speak to the manager.” She told him that she was the owner of the company. He hung up on her. Raven asked Sara what she needed.
“Nothing much. I just needed to get away from the new guy, Josh. He’s a talker, isn’t he?” Raven said that she nearly couldn’t get off the phone with him when she’d called in yesterday. “Yes, well, I have to terminate him anyway. He failed his drug test this morning. Also, and here is the real kicker, he told the personnel that took the test that he’s been doing some coke to keep him on his level. Whatever the hell that means.”
Raven asked Sara if she wanted to do it or if she should. Sara said no, she would do it. Just as she was leaving, her phone rang and Sara answered it. Handing it to her with a huge smile, she left the room, closing the door behind her.
“Hello, my beautiful wife.” She smiled and asked Sawyer if he was having a good day. “I am, as a matter of fact. I don’t think the three people I just fired are, but I am.”
She told him about the man and his free shipping. “I don’t mean to sound dense, but what is it you do there? I mean, I know you’re the boss, but what is it your company does? I should know this, I know, but we’ve not exactly had a very slow start to our marriage so far.”
“I sell high end used clothing. All shapes and sizes. I hit on it when I was looking for a prom dress when I was in high school. They were going for hundreds of dollars, and while I could afford it, I thought that it was stupid to pay seven hundred bucks for a dress that I would probably wear only the one time.” He called her practical. “Mostly, I guess. So the day after prom, I bought up every dress I could find. There were a great many of them too, and for nearly nothing. I did that for about four years, until I was twenty something and could open my own store. Then it just took off.”
“I bet. And now you sell a lot more than that, right?”
She said that she did. “Sometimes, a lot of the times, a company will call me up and ask me to buy out something that didn’t go over too well in the market. I get it for nearly nothing compared to what they were selling it for. So I just remarket them and sell them. It’s been a great money maker for a long time.”
“And the stuff that doesn’t sell, what do you do with that?” She told him that she donated it to the local shelters, who use it for job interviews and such. “That’s a wonderful service you have there. I bet wedding dresses are big too.”
“You have no idea. I would bet that nearly a quarter of my inventory is wedding dresses. Also, they sell the most too. People are in for a great bargain with that sort of thing. Bridesmaids dresses are also a huge seller.” She asked him why he called. “I do have a job here, you know.”
“Yes, and you’re very good at it. I’m stalling.” She asked him why he was doing that. “I sort of did something without asking you. I don’t think you’ll be mad at me, but with you—well, I’ve not learned all your anger spots yet.”
“Tell me. Whatever it is, I might only beat you up a little bit. And if it’s like the time you asked my father to come and live with us—which I love, by the way—that won’t be bad at all.” He said that it was bigger than that. “Oh my. I am curious now.”
“The school needed a new gymnasium. The one that they had for the last twenty some odd years has been deemed unusable. Not just the floor, but the bleachers as well as the basketball hoops. This morning, one of the employees here was playing ball before the bell rang, and one of the floorboards came up and cut him pretty badly. He’s going to be just fine—he’s a wolf—but he was hurt, and that brought in the police who brought in some inspectors. I told them that we’d have it renovated.” She didn’t see anything wrong with that, but before she could answer, he continued. “It just so happened that your dad and grandma were there, and they’re going to go in thirds with us. The district doesn’t have the money. I’m sorry, honey.”
“Why?” He told her that even at a third of the cost it was going to be a great deal of money. “Sawyer, it’s great that you did it. I would have too, and would have been pissed off that Grandma and Dad helped out and we didn’t. They’re good at finding out what we’re doing when it comes to helping out the city.”
“Your dad said you’d not be mad, but I didn’t know for sure.” Raven told him never about things like that. “I told my brothers that they had to help with the construction and demolition of the gym. They were all for it. And since my dad is feeling so much better, he said he’d help too.”
“A family effort. I love it.” Leaning back in her chair, she asked him how things were going there, other than the firing of someone. “We’re gearing up for the holidays here. I had four hundred Santa suits, but we sold them almost as soon as they were put online.”
“Roger came in with my mom and dad, and they’re going to have lunch with me. Just the four of us, he said. We have to talk, I was told. Do you suppose your dad wants me to take care of an old girlfriend? As a matter of fact, do you think your dad will ever date again?” Laughing at him, she told him no, she didn’t think so. “I think it would be good for him, to see that not all women would be like your mother was to him. It might be something he could do to have a friend too.”
“I don’t know, actually. It could be just that they want to know what you want to do about Christmas or something.” He asked if she knew that or was guessing. Sawyer was sounding very happy now. “I guess you’ll have to go to lunch with them and find out, now won’t you?”
After talking about
dinner plans they hung up. Getting back to work, she was nearly finished with the marketing of maternity shirts that she’d gotten in when Sara came back in. She looked to be very happy about something.
“Mr. Harper called back in. He’s the one that wanted free next day shipping on his order.” Raven asked if he’d gotten it. “No, but he told them that you said it would be just fine for them to do this, one time.”
“I hope no one fell for that.” Sara shook her head. “What does he want now, for us to ship it so that it gets there today?”
“No.” She started laughing. “You’re not going to believe this one. He said that he’d pay for the next day shipping if we were to help him out by adding some pretty wrapping paper—in a separate box, of course. Along with ribbons and bows. Not that cheap shit, either.”
“Is he aware that it’s going to cost him about six hundred dollars that way?” Sara laughed and said she wasn’t finished yet. “Oh no. This had better make my day. I really need it.”
“Oh, it will. When the order was put in, with the next day shipping, I was with the customer service rep. The CSR told him what the amount was for the clothing that he was getting, then the shipping. I could hear him screaming through the headset, Raven. It was the funniest thing I’ve ever heard. He screamed about how he’d not paid that much for the gifts, and he certainly wasn’t going to pay out the ass, his words, to have it there tomorrow. You owe this CSR a brownie or something. After the man calmed down, he told him that he could have it there well before Christmas if he just took advantage of the free shipping. He even said that he’d go and get some pretty paper and ribbons to go out too.”
“The stuff we have in storage for decorations?” Sara asked if that was all right. “Of course. Especially if the customer was happy with it.”
“He is very happy. In fact, he asked for the CSR’s name and said that he was going to personally write a letter to the owner of the company and make sure that she knew there were good employees working there. Unlike the person who said she was the owner.”
Raven said she’d love that, not even upset that the man thought she’d lied to him. “Give me the CSR’s name and I’ll see that he gets a bonus of some kind. We should have a contest running again. It’s been a while. How about we get on that? I don’t care what we do, but the prizes will be gift cards.”
“Speaking of which, the gift cards for Christmas are in. That’s very generous of you, giving out that much for each person that works here.” Raven said she’d not have a job if not for them. “I know. I think you’re awesome.”
After she left her for the second time, Raven pulled out her Christmas list. She was excited to go shopping this year. And with Molly and Grandma gone on their cruise right now, she knew that she could get things in without Molly ever knowing. Raven was so happy to have her daughter feeling better.
The day after Molly had been released from the hospital, they’d taken her out to the back yard and shifted for her. It had been Raven’s first time in shifting from woman to cat, and she thought that she’d done a good job of it.
Her cat seemed to know that she was carrying a child. Raven hadn’t put it together that her and her cat were actually two different beings. They didn’t speak to each other, but they did communicate in other ways. Also, her cat seemed to know that Molly was still very tender about her wounds, as well as what her grandmother had done to her.
Molly was delighted with the cats. So was Raven. She jumped around the yard and stretched out in the grass for hours after Molly went inside. Then Sawyer showed her how cats had sex. While not as fulfilling as with him as a human, it was fun.
Raven was ready to go by four that night. No longer staying late to get just one more thing finished up, she was getting home in time to not just have dinner with her family, but also to sit around with Sawyer and read the paper. A thing that she’d never been able to do before. It was her own fault, but she was glad for the change of it.
Her dad and Sawyer were in the back, working on putting the grill together. She’d had one when Sawyer moved in, but it had been too old to make work. Raven had only bought it because Molly had wanted a hotdog on the grill for dinner one night. And Raven being Raven, she had to read all the instructions to it before she used it. Molly got bored waiting, and they ended up with pizza instead. Raven gave Sawyer a kiss, then her father, and noticed that he had a black eye. Asking him about it, he told her that it was nothing and didn’t want to talk about it. Looking at Sawyer for an answer, he just shook his head.
He went to see your mother today. She wasn’t happy that he was there and not letting her get back in their home or out of police custody. I think he was more upset that he allowed her to hit him than that she actually did. I believe that he’s finally come to terms with the fact that she is a horrible person. Raven asked if he was all right. Yes, just his pride his hurt, nothing more.
Chapter 13
Sasha stood at the desk of the police station and waited. She had only just moved to this town, and they didn’t know her yet. They would soon figure out that she wasn’t what they’d think right away. Sasha wasn’t a crack pot, nor was she someone seeking fame. She’d had that once, and that hadn’t gone over nearly as well as she thought it might have. Though why she ever tried was beyond her. People didn’t like her.
Not that she cared. Sasha would either be able to help the police department or not. She would tell the people who came to her about it, and they’d take their anger out on them, not her. Rubbing the bruise on her butt, she wondered if Hailey would be at her home when she went back. Didn’t these people want to solve murders?
“Miss?” She told the man her name. “Miss Harvard, the captain, he says that he didn’t have time for crack balls.”
“Tell him that’s fine. I don’t care one way or the other.” She picked up her purse and snapped her gum at the young man. “I just do what they tell me, then I’m out of it.”
“You can tell me. I have a friend, he’s not a cop anymore, but he can maybe help you. Mr. Bishop, he worked for a larger precinct than this one, but he’s a good guy.” She asked him why he wasn’t a cop anymore. “He got married. They’re nice people. I really like his wife, Raven. She’s a hoot.” Sasha cleared her throat. “Yes, here, let me call him, and you can talk to him about what you told me.”
The phone was answered by a male. Sasha, knowing nothing about Mr. Bishop, thought that it was him. She told him her name and who she’d been talking to. The man was silent on the other end, and Sasha figured out he wasn’t the right man.
“I need to talk to Sawyer Bishop, please. I have some important news for him.” He asked her to hold on and she waited by the desk. There were so many ghosts in this place she wondered if anyone had ever wondered why it was so flipping cold all the time. Someone took her off hold. “Hello?”
“Dad said to tell you he’d be right here. He’s got some major messes going on. Cooking isn’t his best effort.” Sasha told her that she’d wait. “Okay. Do you work for the police department here in town?”
“No. I just got to town and someone told me that I should talk to your dad. He used to be a cop.” The girl said that he worked security now, and was liking that better. “Yes, well, I think I would too if I had the time. Is he going to be much longer? I have to get out of here before someone knows what I can do.”
“Hello?” Finally, Sasha thought. “My name is Sawyer Bishop. What can I do for you? If you’re calling me to bail you out, I’m not in the market.”
“No, I’m not...do women call you up often and ask you to bail them out?” Sawyer told her that the caller ID for the phone she’d called from came from the local police, and that he didn’t normally bail anyone out. “Good, I guess. Okay, you can believe me or not, but the woman, Hailey Riddle, she can be found at the bottom of the lake at the south side of town. From the looks of her, I’d say that she was tied to a couple of cinder
blocks and dropped into the water a few days ago.”
“I’m sorry.” She smiled. At least he’d not hung up on her. Not yet, at any rate. “First of all, how do you know that she’s in the lake, and secondly, are you telling me that you did it?”
“No. She said that her husband did it. Like I’d say that I did it—if I did—while standing in the middle of a police station. Moron. His mistress was getting jealous of all the time he was spending with her. Go figure. This is why I will never marry. But he tied her to the cinder blocks and dropped her in the night that she came home from the gym.” Sawyer asked if Patterson had put her up to this. “I don’t know anyone named Patterson, but this is the truth. They come to me, the dead, and have me find them. I don’t help them with causes or other shit like that. Just finding them. Once they’re found, they just disappear. I don’t know where they go, nor do I care, but that’s what I do.”
“For a job.” She said no, she did it for fun. It was a blast having people, dead people, wake her in the middle of the night to beg for help. “I’m sorry. I don’t understand this. You’re sort of snarky, aren’t you?”
“No, whatever gave you that idea? Anyway, you can use it or not, I’ve done my part. So if you’ll have a nice day, I’ll be—”
“Wait. I need more information.” She said she wasn’t giving him any of her personal shit. “I wasn’t going to ask you. I figured you had enough on your hands with the dead and all. I don’t remember anyone saying anything about a missing wife. Nor do I know the name Riddle. Can you give me a little more, please?”
“Okay. Usually this is about where someone hangs up on me, after they call me all sorts of names. Crackpot is one of the top ones. People can be so imaginative when they’re being insulting, don’t you think?” He said that he wouldn’t know. “I guess not. His name is Bradley Riddle. He works at Central Clothing. Mr. Riddle is currently living with his mistress, Ruby Rose. Just between the two of us, I don’t think that’s her real name.”
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