by Destiny Ford
Nut Man shook his head. “We respect the law and would never do anything that might cause problems. We’re here to be an extra watch dog. We let the public know they’re being looked out for, and let criminals know they’re being watched. When we see something happening, we call the police.”
“So the costumes are some form of coercion?”
“No, but we tend to get more attention in costume and our presence can be a deterrent for people looking to commit a crime.”
I could see that.
“How are people chosen for the group?”
“They submit an application.”
“And you don’t ever know who they really are?”
Nut Man threw his furry arms up and seemed incensed. “No! That would violate the superhero’s right to be anonymous!”
Far be it for me to out a superhero.
“I’ve only seen the superheroes recently. How long has the Speedy Superhero Vendetta League chapter been open in Branson?”
Nut Man thought about it for a beat. “Since the beginning of summer…so about five months. At first it was only me and four other people. But we’ve been adding members as more people find out about us and want to join.”
“Do you, or any of your superheroes, have additional insight about the robberies that have been committed around town?”
Nut Man shook his head in a slow, sad way. I’d never seen a more somber squirrel. It’s like he’d had his cache of nuts stolen. “None of our people were near the scenes when the robberies happened. We’re getting new members all the time, but right now we’re small, and we have to balance our superhero work with jobs and families and life. We do what we can, but we haven’t caught the robber yet. We’re looking though!”
It was good to know the superheroes were on the case.
“Okay, I think I have enough for now. Can I get ahold of you if I have any more questions?” I’d found out why I was being followed by costumed citizens, and discovered more information about the Speedy Superheroes that would help me in my additional research.
“Sure,” Nut Man said. He handed me a card with his name on it, complete with a tiny cartoon of a squirrel, and his email address.
Uni-Keanu piped up, “I told them you were a cool reporter lady and would do a super nice story about us! That’s why they agreed to meet.”
I nodded. “I’ll do my best.”
Uni-Keanu gave me a huge smile.
I’d do a story, but I’d remain objective in the process. I was also going to look into whether these superhero groups around the country had ever had issues with people joining who were using the group as some sort of cover. If that was the case, then maybe I needed to be watching the members of the group more to see if any of them were involved in the robberies.
The superheroes fanned out, leaving for their respective assignments. I put my notebook back in my bag and looked up to see Hawke walking toward me, his attention on the costumed superheroes, watching with a combination of interest and suspicion. “What’s up with the animal gang? Is there a furry convention?”
Funny, since a furry convention had been one of my first thoughts as well.
“Apparently, they’re part of a group of real superheroes. They patrol cities and fight crime.”
Hawke winged a brow. “Interesting.”
“Not unlike you,” I pointed out.
He tilted his head in acknowledgment. “I have more of a specialized skill set.”
That he did.
“Did they seem normal?” Hawke asked.
I scrunched up my nose. “I’m certain one of them was Keanu, so define normal.”
A smile spread across his perfectly shaped lips and I had to pull myself away from the image of where I wanted those lips because Hawke had decided to start talking and I needed to pay attention. “So they’re a bunch of civilians who think they’re legit superheroes cosplaying all over town trying to stop crime. Maybe they’re helping, maybe they aren’t.”
He summarized the situation well. “Seems like it.”
“Did they have any information on the robberies?”
“No, they didn’t. They’re not a huge group so they can’t be everywhere. At least, that’s what they said.”
“But you don’t believe them?”
I paused a minute thinking back to everything they’d told me and my suspicions. “The superheroes are anonymous. It seems like people masquerading as superheroes could be used as a vehicle to commit crimes.”
Hawke scrubbed a hand over his chin that was currently sporting a tiny bit of very sexy scruff. “Didn’t the kid who saw the robber at the Popes’ house describe the person breaking in as a superhero climbing walls?”
“Yeah. It might be nothing but I’m going to do some more digging into the superheroes and see if there’s a connection between them and the robberies.” I paused, remembering the Collins’ robbery. “Speaking of robberies, do you have any contacts that might be able to help me search for a specific stolen item?”
Hawke’s eyes got slightly wider, which I’d come to realize was a sign of interest from him. “Depends on the item.”
“Trina Collins is the latest robbery victim. They took her house plant, Selma, and a valuable wood sculpture of the Teton Mountains done by Ron Storm.”
Hawke tilted his head to the side. “I don’t think there’s much hope for the house plant.”
“Don’t tell Trina that. She was far more upset about it than the Ron Storm sculpture and the sculpture is worth a lot more, and should be easier to identify if someone tries to sell it.”
Hawke nodded his agreement. “The problem with a Ron Storm sculpture of the Teton Mountains is that a majority of Ron Storm’s sculptures feature the Teton Mountains.”
“I’ve noticed,” I said. “I always thought he must be obsessed with boobs.”
“Most men are,” Hawke said, his eyes glittering and falling to my chest before coming back to rest on my face. “The French trappers who named them were.”
I was surprised he knew that bit of Teton Mountain info. “I guess I shouldn’t play trivia games with you because you might win.”
He grinned. “I know things.”
“Probably a lot of things that are classified and illegal.”
He grinned wider and kept quiet in the way that cops and people who routinely keep a lot of secrets do. “It kind of annoys me that you don’t feel compelled to respond to my statements and questions.”
“I keep secrets for a living.”
“And I ask questions for a living.”
He shrugged.
“It complicates things.”
“Life is complicated, Kitty Kate. We figure it out.”
I sighed. This conversation was not going to end today and I had a feeling we’d be having some version of it for years to come, especially if we tried to have a romantic relationship. I moved the subject back to the Collins robbery. “Trina had a photo of the sculpture so it should be easier to identify. Is there a way to put an alert out on it and get some sort of notification if that particular piece ends up for sale somewhere?”
Hawke thought about it. “If it’s sold online, it’s easy to track. Offline and to private sellers is a different story. Send me the pic and I’ll see what I can do.”
“Thanks,” I said, pulling my phone out and texting him the photo. I sent it, then realized he’d followed me to the park, which meant he’d checked the tracker he had on my Jeep and he was probably here for a reason. “What are you doing here anyway?” I hadn’t heard his 1967 Shelby Mustang or his Harley pull up, and they were both loud enough that I would have heard them from blocks away. Then again, I’d been distracted with the costume brigade.
“I was actually looking for you.”
I raised my brows with interest. “For?”
“I have an event in a few days. It has to do with something I’m working on, and I’d be less noticeable and threatening with a beautiful woman by my side to take attention off of me. You asked i
f you could help the other day. This would help.”
I’d asked, but didn’t think he’d actually follow through and enlist me for assistance. Maybe this meant he was willing to open up more and wanted to include me in his life. “Okay,” I said, trying not to let my overeagerness show, “do you want to tell me more about the event?”
He pursed his lips. “I actually can’t. Everyone invited is sworn to secrecy or they lose their ticket.”
That seemed sketchy. I’d heard about events like that before. They usually included sex swings and orgies. “I’m not into the Eyes Wide Shut scene, so if that’s the kind of event you’re attending, you’ll have to find another beautiful girl.” It wouldn’t be hard. I was certain his little black book was the size of Mount Everest.
Hawke’s eyes sparked with amusement. “So you don’t like sex?”
I held up a finger. “Point of clarification: I don’t like sex with an audience.”
His lips spread into a sly smile that promised all sorts of carnal things I’d probably never even considered or heard of. “The goal is to have sex so good that you don’t care whether or not you have an audience.”
My eyes widened thinking of every person on the planet, and even some animals too, that owned cell phones with cameras. “I will always care about an audience.”
“Not with me, you wouldn’t.”
My cheeks immediately pinked. Was the park getting hotter all of a sudden? Because it felt like it was getting hotter. Global warming was going to kick our asses.
Hawke laughed. “This event isn’t like that,” he said in a reassuring tone, “though you will require a specific wardrobe. I’ll send something to your house.”
“Okayyyy,” I said, letting my trepidation show. I wanted to help him, but I hated putting myself in positions where I didn’t know all the details and didn’t have a fully formed plan. Plus, I needed to know what the outfit was so I could coordinate, and decide what body parts needed to be shaved.
Hawke grinned. “Don’t look so scared. It’s not a big deal and I think the reporter in you will find it intriguing.”
I raised a brow. “That does make me more interested.”
“I guess all I had to do to get you to go out with me was dangle some mystery.”
I made a noise between a grunt and a snort. “All you’ve been dangling since I met you is mystery.”
He grinned. “And you’re still here so I guess it’s working.”
I sighed. “It would work better if you’d open up once in a while. Bonding with someone I know very little about makes it hard to form a connection.”
His eyes held mine, sparks arcing between us so aggressively that I thought we might cause an electrical storm. He leaned over, pressed his lips into my own and I could feel his hardness everywhere. His tongue tangled with my own until I was lost in his lips, his touch, and promises of more to come when he pulled back and gave me a slow smile. “I think we connect just fine, Kitty Kate. And when we do finally have sex—and we will—I promise you won’t care where it happens, or who sees it.” His hand dropped from my waist and his sudden lack of touch felt like I’d lost something vital. “I’ll text you the time to be ready, and send over your outfit.”
As he started to walk away I managed to gather my brain cells again and yelled, “It better not be a costume!”
He laughed and I wondered what I’d gotten myself into.
Chapter Twelve
I went into work early because I needed to get some things done before I had to leave for Gandalf’s afternoon puppy training class. He’d been going to training for a few weeks and was doing really well. He’d already mastered basic commands, but today’s lesson was on “leave it” and he wasn’t the best at leaving things alone that he really wanted. It wasn’t lost on me that that particular trait was one Gandalf and I shared. Only Gandalf’s “leave it” challenge usually came in the form of food left on a sidewalk or dropped from my counter, and my challenge came in the form of two very large and attractive men.
I was editing some articles when Ella wandered in around ten with donuts and handed me a napkin as she opened the box. I selected one that was glazed and frosted white with sprinkles on top. “Thanks for the donuts,” I told her, taking a bite. She sat down at an empty desk with a computer that some of the freelance reporters used when they were occasionally in the office.
“You’re welcome,” she said, sounding distracted as she logged on.
I watched her for a minute, noticing her lips pulled back in either anger or anxiety, maybe a combination of both. “What’s going on?” I asked.
Her nose scrunched up in annoyance. “I’m fightin’ for this bid and some dummy keeps pushin’ the price up!”
“What are you trying to buy?” I asked, getting up from my desk and going over to look at her screen.
“A bunch of those old animated fairy tale VHS tapes.”
I raised an eyebrow. This was the second time I’d recently heard about animated fairy tales on VHS—the first time was when they were stolen from the Pope family. “VHS tapes?” I asked, confused. “I don’t even know where you’d find a VHS player to watch them. There are adults alive now who wouldn’t even know what those are. They’re basically a relic.”
“I know!” she said. “That’s why they’re highly collectable!”
“Seriously?” My mom had an entire cabinet full. I’d have to go raid it and see if any of them could be sold.
“Yep! Pristine copies can go for thousands.”
I stared at the bid on her screen, watching the price for the VHS rise by the minute. “I had no idea. How long until the bidding is over?”
“Twenty minutes. And this AllTheGoodStuff nincompoop isn’t going to steal it from me!”
I watched her, laser focused and answering each bid with one of her own. At this point, I wasn’t sure if Ella really wanted the VHS tape, or if the appeal was now about winning the bid. I had a feeling it was the later.
As I sat there watching, a thought clicked in my mind. “Where’s the pic of the little stuffed bat collectible you won the bid for?”
She showed it to me.
“Can I get a copy of the photo?”
“Sure,” she said. She texted it to me. “What do you need it for?”
I looked at the bat and the VHS tapes on Not Just Junk and wondered if they were the same things stolen during the robberies in Branson. Brandy hadn’t circled a bat on her photo, but she’d told me she hadn’t taken a stuffed animal inventory lately either, so she might have missed it. Granted, those stuffed animals and cartoon VHS tapes had been owned by almost every household in the United States, but I thought it was strange both of those items had been stolen from Branson Falls in the past week, and now they were both on the Not Just Junk site. There could be a chance that the items being sold and the items stolen were one and the same. “A hunch,” I said. “I’ll tell you more if it’s what I think it is.” I watched her scroll through the site as she waited for her bid time to tick down.
“Does the page show who the seller is?” I asked.
“Yeah,” she said, pointing to the name Carzo39.
I wondered if that was a last name or a screen name they made up. “Is that the same person who sold the bat you bought?” I asked.
She tilted her head, thinking. “I can’t remember.”
“Can you still check and see who the bat seller was?”
“Maybe…” she said, distracted. “But not until I make sure I win this bid.”
I nodded. Winning the bid was very important.
“Do I need an account to see what’s for sale, or can I get on Not Just Junk and scroll through the site?” I asked.
“You can get on and scroll.”
I went over to my desk and started scanning the site. I was looking for other items I might recognize that had gone missing from the robberies. There were a lot of categories and items for sale, with hundreds of pages in each category. I started looking through the pages and th
en sighed; it would take me forever to search through them all. I needed to refine my search.
I decided it would be better to look at newest items first, in categories where I knew something had been stolen. So I checked the art category and the sub category of sculpture first, then, after being shocked to find a house plant section, I checked it next. I didn’t find Trina’s plant, Selma, or their Ron Storm sculpture, but I decided I’d keep an eye on the categories I thought might list potential stolen items. I signed up for an account and put a watch on those categories so I’d get a notification any time something new was posted.
Ella made a loud whooping noise from across the room. “I got it! I won! Take that, AllTheGoodStuff! Who’s got all the good stuff now, huh?”
Ella was trash talking an avatar on a computer. We’d officially entered into some strange dimension.
I searched around my desk until I found the photo Brandy Pope had given me of her stolen stuffed animals. She’d said an octopus and flamingo had been stolen, but I wondered if she also had a bat and hadn’t noticed it was missing as well.
I picked up the photo and compared it to the one Ella had sent me. Sure enough, Brandy had a bat in her collection just like the one that had been sold. I wondered if she still had it.
I saw the shelter owner, Michelle James, at the front desk as Gandalf and I wandered around the store. Michelle had been the one who encouraged me to get Gandalf and I’d always be grateful to her for that. She had eight kids and an army of animals. I wasn’t sure how she did it all, but she managed, and she did it well.
