by Temple Hogan
They rinsed the plates and put them into the dishwasher. Jack halted in his trek outside to the garbage can.
“What did you want to tell me?” His gaze was alert and hard, so Sera related the conversation she’d had with Janet.
“What’s her husband like?” Jack asked tautly, the garbage bag forgotten. “What does he look like?”
“I’ve only seen him a couple of time when he backed his car out of the drive. I’ve never seen him out in the yard or anything.”
“So you don’t know his age or anything?”
“I think he’s quite a bit older than Janet. She seems very impressed by him and is always worried about pleasing him, which I don’t think can be very easy. Yesterday, while she was talking to me, he called her in and I heard them fighting. I…I think he slapped her, and she screamed like she was in pain.”
Jack’s lips tightened, and he tied off the garbage can and headed outdoors. She knew he was out there looking things over next door and realized she hadn’t told him her thoughts of Owen. Suddenly, she didn’t want to cause Jack to doubt the elderly man. She felt oddly protective of him.
By the time she’d started the dishwasher, Jack was back inside, his reconnoitering over.
“Ready for that walk now?” he asked.
She knew the proposed activity had nothing to do with a simple walk. He was casing out the neighborhood even if he’d done it a thousand times before. Sure enough, as they strolled down the street, Jack took hold of her hand as if they were two lovers out for an evening walk. And they were, she told herself. It was just that Jack was an FBI agent in search of a wanted suspect. Took all the romance out of the evening. The Prescott house was on the corner, and they turned and walked along the side of it, with Jack studying every aspect of the building and yard. At the back edge of their property, Jack let go of her hand.
“Just keep walking,” he said. “I’m going to look things over. I’ll meet you at the other end of the alley. Before she could protest, he ducked down the alley, keeping to the shadowed areas where he was less noticeable. Darkness was about to fall in a half hour or so, she realized, and continued walking.
True to his word, Jack rejoined her as she came up on the other side of the block. Without a word, he was simply there, taking hold of her hand and matching his step to hers as if they’d never parted.
“Did you find out anything?” she asked.
“Some,” he answered cryptically.
“Tell me,” she demanded when he didn’t go on.
He shrugged. “They were quiet inside the house, but I managed to get his license number and go through his glove box.”
“What did you find?” she shook his arm impatiently.
“It’s better if I don’t get you involved.”
“I already am. I’m spying on my neighbors, and I’m your shill.”
“Shill?” He cast her a bemused glance.
“You know, your decoy. People think we were out walking the whole way around the block. I deserve to know what you found in the glove box.”
“Okay, nosy.” He seemed to have regained some of his good humor. “The car was a rental car.”
“A rental car!” Sera looked at him expectantly. “What does it mean?”
“That he’s driving a rental car,” Jack said laconically.
“You know what I’m saying,” she half whispered as they passed a neighbor in his front yard. “Why would he be driving a rental car instead of one of his own?”
“Maybe he doesn’t have one,” he suggested.
“Using a rental car for everyday travel is really expensive. Of course, if he has all that money he stole, he can afford it.” She bit her thumbnail as she considered the meaning of her neighbor’s behavior. She’d learned a lot about him today and all of it surprising and slightly disturbing. He was so obviously the man Jack was looking for.
“Sera, keep your nose out of this,” he said roughly, bringing her back to the here and now.
“Why?” She was hurt by his tone. “I’m helping you by finding out things about my neighbors.”
“You’re scaring me, is what you’re doing,” he said sharply. “I don’t want you to get hurt. A man who would steal millions of dollars would have no scruples about killing someone to protect his identity.”
Sera drew a sharp breath. “You mean—”
“Yes. If it is your neighbor Frank Prescott, we already know he slaps his wife around. Why would he have any scruples about attacking you? Stay away from them.”
They’d circled the block and arrived back on her street. Gwen Shepherd’s house was first on the block, then her own and finally Janet’s.
“What about this neighbor?” she asked softly as they passed Gwen’s sprawling rancher.
“What about them?”
Sera related the gossip Janet Prescott had passed on. “Am I to be wary of them as well?”
“It wouldn’t be a bad idea,” he answered. “At least, until I’ve had a chance to check them out more thoroughly. Just to be safe, don’t do anything other than what you normally do in regard to both neighbors.”
Sera nodded in acquiescence, but suddenly, she was glad she hadn’t told him her suspicions about Owen.
They were at her driveway again, and Jack tugged at her hand.
“Let’s go inside.” His voice was husky, his smile highly suggestive.
She felt a thrill of answering interest run through her body. She grinned and followed him.
Making love with Jack was always satisfying and filled with surprises. She’d long since stopped worrying about the Kama Sutra positions. He seemed to know them all and more, plus he made each one special, leaving her gasping with need and fulfillment. Tonight was no different.
They were eager to get undressed, tossing their cast-off clothing on the floor before falling on the bed together. Jack’s kisses were hot and demanding, and she was only too willing to answer those demands. He trailed kisses from her throat down to her breasts, which he licked and nibbled until she was squirming with need, then he rolled her on her back and assumed the missionary position, performing the tried and true with absolute genius until they came together.
Afterwards they lay, limbs tangled, until their sweat dried and Sera began to feel a chill from the night breeze blowing through the open window. Jack seemed not to notice. He was already asleep and lightly snoring. She kissed him on his shoulder and got up to close the window.
A shadow moved in the window of Gwen Shepherd’s house, which lined up exactly with hers. Staring into the darkness, Sera could see nothing, so she closed the window and on a sudden premonition, locked it as well, then ducked to one side and peered out between a fold in the drapery.
She hadn’t long to wait before the shadow was back and training a pair of night binoculars toward her window. Drawing in a sharp gasp, she stood frozen, then made herself invisible and watched boldly as their watcher adjusted his binoculars. She adjusted her gaze, and thanks to the special powers she’d inherited from one of her more gifted relatives, was able to make out the face of a man, dark haired with sharp, hard features. He trained his binoculars on her window once more.
Outraged that someone was spying on her, she nodded her head at the high tech binoculars. The man lowered them and cursed. His mouth moved angrily, and she read the word on his lips. He fiddled with his binoculars some more and tried again with equally unsatisfying results apparently for he turned away and threw the binoculars across the room. Not a good way to treat an expensive, sensitive piece of equipment, but they would never work again anyway. She’d seen to that with just a nod of her head. She’d stopped his spying, but she still didn’t know why or even who.
Was their watcher Gwen’s brother? She thought of the times she and Jack had made love here with the window open and the curtains drawn. They’d not turned on the light, believing the darkness shielded them from any casual glance, but what would someone with night binoculars be able to see? Her instinct was to draw the curtains n
ow, but she didn’t want whoever was there to be warned away, at least, not until she told Jack so he would have a chance to catch the Peeping Tom in action.
Making sure she didn’t move into the watcher’s line of sight, she crept back to bed and pulled the sheet over Jack before she slid in beside him. She usually felt safe and secure at his side like this, but now that feeling was gone and she shuddered. Her tension seemed to communicate itself to Jack. He rolled over in his sleep and pulled her close to him. His warm presence eased her concern, but it was still well into the morning hours before she fell into a restless asleep.
Chapter Eleven
She woke groggy and headachy to find herself alone. Jack had left a note that he’d be back later in the afternoon, but not a word about where he’d gone or why. She’d intended to tell him at once about Gwen’s brother or whoever the man was who’d been looking into their windows, but she’d be at the library by the time he returned. She sat on the side of her bed, muddling through all the thoughts that had come to her during her sleepless night. Janet had said Gwen’s brother had been in prison but was living with Gwen now. The thought he might be a sexual predator had taken root, and she couldn’t shake it. She would confront Gwen and her brother this very minute, she decided. Whatever the man had done, he’d obviously paid his debt to society, but he could still be dangerous. She couldn’t ignore what had happened. She never once thought what she was about to do could be dangerous. She was a witch.
Hastily, she dressed and walked next door. Gwen seemed taken aback when she saw Sera. Her expression was one of dislike, but she quickly hid it.
“Sera, what a surprise to see you at my door so early in the morning,” she said.
“Good morning, Gwen. May I come in?”
“Well, I…I’m rather busy.” She cast a quick glance over her shoulder.
“It’s important,” Sera persisted. “I thought I should talk to you first, before I go to the police.”
Gwen’s expression froze. Reluctantly, she opened the door wider.
“Come in,” she said grimly.
When Sera had entered and the door closed, Gwen turned to her.
“What is this all about?”
“I think you may have an idea already,” Sera said.
Suddenly, she felt sorry for the woman standing before her. Though Gwen was ruthless in her vindictive gossip about her neighbors, she must be a lonely woman with few friends and a brother with secrets. They all had secrets of one sort or another, some worse than others, especially for a woman like Gwen, who prided herself on being above others.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” She tried to bluff her way out of it.
“I think you do,” Sera answered evenly. “It’s about your brother.”
“My brother?” Gwen’s eyes flicked back and forth, and an ugly flush stained her features. “I don’t have a brother.”
“Everyone in the neighborhood knows you do and that he lives here with you, although he never goes out.”
“I…I don’t know what you’re talking about,” the woman said faintly.
“They say that he was in prison.”
“They’re lying. They don’t know anything about us.”
“They know more than you think. It’s a small town, and people observe what’s going on around them. They know you have a man living here, they believe he’s your brother and that he’s an ex-con.”
“Just an ugly rumor,” Gwen said, regaining her strident tone.
Sera had hoped to handle this amicably, but now she saw Gwen would deny everything to the bitter end.
“I’m surprised you’re engaging in such gossip,” Gwen sniped.
“I don’t care what the gossip is,” Sera said. “I do care about the man who lives here with you looking into my windows with night goggles.”
The woman fell silent, her eyes wide, her mouth actually hanging open.
“I tell you, there’s no man living here. Now, I think you’d better leave.”
“All right, I’ll take this to the police.” Sera turned toward the door.
“No,” Gwen cried.
Sera faced her again and caught a glimpse of movement beyond the arch to the kitchen. A man stepped forward. He held a gun in his hand, and from his expression, she guessed he wouldn’t hesitate to use it. Sera nodded at him and his gun, then turned her attention to Gwen.
“Your brother, I presume,” she said.
“My ex-husband, Tim Shepherd, also known as Mannie Somner,” Gwen said sourly then turned her attention to the armed man. “What are we going to do about her?”
“We’ll have to take care of her.” Shepherd spoke for the first time. His voice was rough and phlegmy, like a man who’d smoked too much his whole life.
“You can’t do that,” Gwen protested. “I won’t be a party to it.”
“You don’t have a choice,” the man said sharply. “You’ve been part of this all along, taking your alimony plus hefty bonuses to keep quiet.”
“And you blew it anyway with your need to look at a pretty woman.” She threw a glance in Sera’s direction. “I hope your filthy habits were worth it.”
“Shut up,” Shepherd snarled.
“I won’t shut up,” Gwen said shrilly. “I’ve always taken you back when you needed my help. I’ve lied to protect you even though you didn’t deserve it. And you, at the first swish of a skirt, you were out the door again, off on one of your crazy schemes. I’m tired of it. I won’t protect you anymore, and I won’t be a party to murder.”
“Why would you have to murder me?” Sera asked. Strangely, she wasn’t afraid, but she got no answer. They simply ignored her.
“You’ll do what I tell you,” Shepherd said, approaching his wife, his hand raised as if to strike her, but he grabbed hold of her shoulder and spun her away from the door. “You think you don’t need me just because you’ve got a million bucks of my money salted away in your own account, but I paid for your services,” he sneered. “Such as they were.” He shook his head. “God, even in a pinch, I could barely stand to touch you.”
“You bastard,” Gwen cried and charged him.
He pulled the trigger, but the gun jammed. He cursed and hit her on the shoulder with the gun butt. Gwen went down, clutching her shoulder. Leaning against the wall, her face twisted in a grimace of pain, she stared up at him.
“You were going to shoot me,” she said incredulously.
Shepherd was busy with his gun, trying to find the reason it jammed. When he seemed satisfied, he aimed the gun at Gwen again. She cringed, throwing up her hands.
“Don’t,” she screamed. “Please, don’t. I won’t tell anyone. I’ll help you get rid of her body. You need me.”
Her words seemed to have some effect on her ex-husband for he lowered his weapon and turned to Sera.
“You’ve had it, girlie,” he said. “I hate to kill a pretty woman like you, but you’ve heard too much now. Besides, I don’t like that boyfriend of yours. He’s too snoopy for his own good.”
“He’s an FBI agent,” Sera informed him. “And he’s here looking for you.”
Alarm swept across Shepherd’s face.
“He hasn’t found me yet, and he won’t, so it’s goodbye for you, girlie.”
He pointed his gun at Sera, and she could see his finger tightening on the trigger. At that moment, a crash sounded from the back of the house, and Owen Cutter could be seen rushing from the kitchen into the living room. He held a rake in his hands.
“Put down that gun,” he demanded in a loud voice. “I’ve called the police.”
Shepherd didn’t say a word, simply turned the gun on Owen. Without hesitation, he fired. Sera blinked, and the bullet stopped in mid-air and fell to the floor. Gwen screamed and, getting to her feet, ran out of the room.
Owen dropped his arm, bringing down the rake on Shepherd’s arm. Howling in pain, the man dropped his gun and clutched his injured wrist. Owen raised his rake ready to strike again, when Shepherd plo
wed into him, slamming him against a wall. Owen slid down to the floor and lay still. Shepherd went after his gun, but Sera blinked and it skidded across the floor, out of reach.
“What the hell?” Shepherd cursed.
With a menacing sneer, he charged Sera, a mad rage evident in his eyes. She put up a hand and stopped him in his tracks as if he’d run into a brick wall. He bounced backwards and fell to the floor just as a pounding began on the front door. Sera opened it, and Jack stumbled inside.
“Are you all right?” he demanded, looking around. Without waiting for an answer he made a search of the house and ushered a weeping Gwen back into the living room.
“I’m fine,” she reassured him once he’d returned, then hurried to Owen, who still lay stunned and half conscious. “There’s your man over there.”
She nodded toward Shepherd who’d gotten to his feet and was preparing to run. Jack gave him an uppercut to his chin, and the man fell down again. Jack looked around in consternation.
“What happened here?” he said. “Owen called me and said there was gun fire.”
“Owen called you?”
“I gave him my cell phone number in case he ever had to get in touch with me.”
“Oh.” Sera looked down at the old man who didn’t seem so old after all.
A gray-haired wig was askew. Beneath it was a full head of black hair with streaks of silver. She snatched the wig off and stared at it then at Jack.
“Don’t tell me he’s working for you?” she said waspishly.
“I never met him before you introduced us,” Jack said.
Owen moaned and opened his eyes. “Sera, are you all right?”
Staring at him, everything fell into place for Sera. She remembered the old photographs. She’d studied them often enough to memorize every detail.
“I’m fine, Daddy,” she said and slapped him as hard as she could.
“Well, with that, we’d better get some help in with this.” Jack pulled out his phone and called someone named Hurley.
Gwen crept closer. “He made me help him,” she told Sera. “You saw how he tried to kill me. I was scared for my life all these months.”
