CHAPTER 56
“Whoa, Nellie!” I snapped back to life. “First you quit speaking to me for months because your brother gets involved in my life and takes a bullet. Now you're volunteering his help? I don't think so!”
She glared at me and then gave a short hoot of laughter. “I cain't win. He's been on my back all this time, telling me over and over that I've been unfair to you. I musta heard him whine about it a million times.”
“He has?”
“Of course, he has. Pestering me day and night.” She shook her head and her earrings danced merrily. “According to him, you done saved his life that day at the slough, and I'm an ungrateful piece of dog doo-doo.”
“Yes, and I'd do it all over again if I had to,” I said and clamped my mouth shut, because I wanted to add that Johnny had been right. I'd made one of the toughest decisions of my life that day. I'd taken a man's life. Shot him right in the head. I'd done it because otherwise he would have killed both Sheila and Johnny on the spot. I'd made a hard choice, a decision I'll have to live with. To top it all off, my best friend quit talking to me!
Mert stood there with a hurt look in her eyes.
I had mixed feelings. Did I really want to go through this again? We would never have the same relationship we'd had before the shooting. When we first met, I had been dependent on her. She was the grown-up, and I was the dithering child. But since then, I'd learned to rely on my own judgment. I'd discovered I was more capable and more resilient than I would have ever guessed.
Everything we have will be taken from us…eventually. If we want to live happy lives, we need to be gladder for what we've had, instead of sadder for what we've lost.
I didn't have the time or the patience to wait for Mert's approval. I had new problems that demanded my full attention. “If Johnny wants to help, I could sure use it, but it's up to him. Thanks for making the call.”
“You're welcome.”
I started toward the house. I wanted to see my kids. I badly needed a hug from them.
Mert stood there in the middle of the driveway, waiting for an invitation. We'd lost that easy familiarity that best friends have in each other's homes. Part of me wanted to let her freeze to death. The other part reminded me to be the bigger person.
I motioned toward the door. “Let's get inside. Hadcho? How about if you stay here with Erik and Anya? Laurel and Joe will take care of them, but you'll provide extra security. You can rest up and protect the kids at the same time. If I need to go back out, I'll ask Brawny and Johnny for help.”
He frowned. “I don't suppose I could talk you into staying home and leaving this to the police, could I?”
“Not likely. Prescott won't lift a finger to help. You know that.”
“That's what I thought you'd say.”
CHAPTER 57
When they heard my voice, the kids came bounding into the kitchen, as eager as a pair of puppies. They were full of energy and chatter. Gracie, our Great Dane, ran along beside the children, prancing with excitement.
“Mama Kiki!” Erik rushed me, throwing his arms around my waist. A lump swelled up in my throat as I hugged him. He'd bonded with Detweiler almost immediately when they had met in California, but it had taken him longer to accept me. I understood why. He'd been close to Gina, his mother, and he didn't want to replace her. While he'd loved Van, and Van had been good to the boy, Van had never spent a lot of time around young children, so his relationship with Erik had been somewhat stilted.
I leaned down as best I could and planted kisses in Erik's soft curls.
“How's our baby?” he asked, running his hands over my belly.
It tickled me how the boy had taken ownership of my unborn child.
“Just fine. How's his big brother?”
But I didn't get an answer because Anya demanded a hug. With my belly bump in the way, we managed an awkward embrace that served to fill up my heart. Meanwhile, Gracie pawed at me, demanding that I give her some loving, too. I reached down to rub her velvety ears.
“Detweiler?” Anya asked, her eyes moist and her voice unsteady.
“Fine. He'll be fine,” I said. “The bullet nicked his spleen. I guess it's hard for them to detect that. He came out of surgery, and then they hustled him into the OR again. The second time they took out his spleen.”
“Do you even need your spleen?” My daughter screwed up her face in derision.
“They aren't really sure, so I guess that the short answer is no.”
“I want to see Daddy!” Erik wrapped his arms around me tighter.
“I know you do. And he wants to see you. He'll be home soon.”
“Not soon. Now,” said Erik, his eyes filling up with tears.
“Hey, honey,” I said, stooping to his level. “You want Daddy to get better, right? He's in the hospital so they can make him better. Then he can come home. But if you're a good boy, Daddy can Skype you tonight. Would you like that?”
Erik nodded eagerly.
“Good,” I said. “Erik? Brawny? This is my friend, Mert. Oh, and how about a hug for Hadcho?”
Erik gave Mert a shy wave as he and Anya turned their attention to Hadcho. “Be extra gentle. Remember? Uncle Hadcho was hurt, too.”
“Yuck. You're bleeding!” Anya noticed the spreading stain on his shirt.
“Anya? Go get him one of your father's shirts, please. Erik? Could you grab the First Aid kit? Remember where we keep it? Good boy.” I hoped that giving them both a job would make things more normal.
“Don't you got a hug for me before you run off?” Mert demanded of Anya.
Tentatively, my daughter put her arms around our old friend. I watched as the tension in Mert's body slackened.
“I missed you,” Anya told her.
“Me, too.” That was the best that Mert could do.
During all this, Brawny eyed my friend carefully, sizing her up.
Mert let go of Anya and stared at Erik in wonder. “Ain't you just the cutest thing? Give me a high five, partner.”
As the mother of a nineteen-year-old boy, Mert surely must miss short guy energy in her life. Her eyes were bright as she offered him her palm for a hand slap.
“Okay, shirt and First Aid kit.” Anya beckoned her little brother upstairs.
In the midst of this, Laurel and Joe had joined us. But they hung back, watching all the activity. I appreciated their sensitivity. The intensity of the past few days had been overwhelming.
“Hey,” Laurel said to Mert. She came over hugged us both, as did Joe.
“Could you help Hadcho?” I asked. “He's bleeding. He might have ripped one of his stitches.”
“No problem.” Laurel waved to him. “Come on into the bathroom. I'll clean you up in a jiffy. Joe? Will you run upstairs and check on the kids? Erik might have trouble reaching the shelf with the supplies on it.”
Mert stood there, looking uncomfortable. I gave her a job, too. “Could you grab the stain remover? It's in the laundry room.”
Finally, Brawny and I could talk in private.
“Here's what I found.” She handed me something small. It was a matchbook with the name of a men's club printed on the cover.
CHAPTER 58
The matchbook was white with a curvaceous woman's silhouette printed in black. Red lettering announced that it was a souvenir from the Badda Bing Gentleman's Club.
I turned it over and over in my hand. “Where'd you find this?”
“In the shed on the floor under a bit of straw,” she said. “I've asked Leighton if it's his, and he's never seen it before. Besides, he doesn't smoke. Think hard, Kiki, was the man who attacked you a smoker?”
Sinking down onto a kitchen chair, I closed my eyes. I heard the front door open and slam shut. Mert was talking to someone. I ignored the voices and focused on my memories. Bit by bit, I reconstructed those terrifying moments in the shed. I remembered the smell of the woolen blanket I'd wrapped around Erik. I sniffed the damp straw and the rich leathery scent of Monroe's hide
. Anya's strawberry shampoo came to mind, as I recalled pulling her close to me. Then the images jumped forward. My hands tensed, imagining the feel of the wooden pitchfork handle. The heft of it. The sound of the man's feet as he ran into the shed. Taking my time, I forced myself to be in the moment, and then—
“Yes! Cigars! He smokes cigars!”
Brawny smiled. “Good. Then we've got two clues, actually. I looked up the club—”
“Got a hug for an old friend?” Johnny stepped into my kitchen.
“I'll go check on the children,” said Brawny, excusing herself.
“I always have hugs for you,” I said. His black leather jacket crackled with the cold as he pulled me close and kissed my hair.
Mert wandered in behind him. “I got to go. Things to do at home.”
“When all this is over, why don't we go out for lunch?” I asked.
“I'd like that.” With a tiny wave of her fingers, she was gone.
“I heard you got hitched,” Johnny said, after his sister left. “That Detweiler is a lucky, lucky son-of-a-gun, and he better never forget it.”
My words tumbled out in a rush. “It was some wedding. We were attacked by two gunmen! One of the shooters nearly killed Detweiler. Hadcho got shot, too. I was so scared. One of them came after me and the kids. We were hiding in the shed, so I stabbed him with a pitchfork, and then I thought we were okay, but Detweiler was bleeding so much. And they overlooked the damage to his spleen. That happened to you, too? Didn't it? What's wrong with these doctors? Can't they do their jobs? What if I'd lost him?”
“But you didn't lose him. He's not going anywhere. He's going to be fine, girl.” Then Johnny noticed the matchbook in my hand and laughed. “Since when did you start hanging out in men's clubs?”
“This? You know this place?”
“Don't hold it against me,” he said, with a rakish grin.
“I won't.” Between hiccups, I explained to him how Brawny had found the matchbook. “I remember that the man who came after us smelled of cigars. This has to belong to him.”
Johnny flipped back the cover. “There are matches missing so your shooter is definitely a smoker. Some folks collect matchbooks, but I think you can forget about that.”
“Where is this place? This club?”
“Up by the airport.” He gave me that smile that broke hearts. When it comes to sex appeal, Johnny has been blessed in abundance. “I guess the owners figure that men who fly into town on business will get lonely and visit the club for a little fun.”
“What's the best time for visiting a strip club like that?”
Johnny's smile was rakish. “Long after your bedtime, little girl.”
CHAPTER 59
I felt bad about not returning to the hospital, but I knew what I had to do, so I phoned Detweiler. He sounded surprisingly chipper.
“Have you heard from your parents?” I asked.
“Yes, they sent a balloon bouquet.” He dropped his voice to a whisper, “There's even a teddy bear in it. Can you believe? My mother must have conveniently forgotten I'm a grown man.”
That made me laugh. “To Thelma you'll always be her little boy. I'll probably feel the same about my little guys.”
“How's Hadcho?”
I didn't tell him that his friend had torn one of his stitches. “He's in the living room sound asleep on our sofa.”
“How's Gracie?”
“Why don't you ask her yourself?” I called my dog. The big Great Dane trotted over obediently from the other side of the kitchen. I put the phone up to her ear, and she listened intently. After two words from Detweiler, she threw back her head and howled. “Um, I guess that's her way of saying she's worried about you.”
He laughed. “Tell her I'm on the mend.”
“Look, if you don't mind, I think I'll spend the night here at the house. The kids are acting really needy. Laurel and Joe both need a break.” For good measure, I added, “I had promised them that we could do crafts together, and we haven't gotten around to it. Not yet.”
“Anya's probably missing you a lot, especially with Sheila being gone. Erik, too. Besides, you need a good night's sleep. I know you've had a hard time getting comfortable in the recliner.”
He sounded so reasonable that I felt even worse because I wasn't being entirely honest. “I'll miss you,” I said.
After telling me that he loved me, Detweiler said goodbye. I didn't want him to know that I had big plans for the evening. Johnny had promised to take Brawny and me to the Badda Bing Gentleman's Club.
“I know most of the dancers,” he'd explained. “They'll talk to me. If they've seen anyone like the creep who came after you, we'll find out.”
“I've never been to a strip club.” I refilled my water glass.
While Brawny defrosted a casserole for dinner, Johnny counseled the two of us. Among other tidbits, we learned that the girls prefer to be called “dancers” not “strippers.” I also learned that a gentleman's club is considered more of a high-class establishment than a strip joint. Different clubs had different rules. In certain states, there was a no touching law, but that wasn't the way things worked here in Missouri.
“Here it depends on what the owner wants.” Johnny shrugged.
I was simultaneously grossed out and fascinated. I wondered if Detweiler had ever been to a men's club, but I decided not to call him back and ask. No reason to upset him unduly. My husband needed to concentrate on resting and getting better.
I could do neither until I knew my family was safe.
CHAPTER 60
First I took a nice long nap. Then I played Candyland with Erik and Anya. After we had a snack, I helped the kids cut old sweaters into wool embellishments.
“Mama Kiki? This used to be a sleebe. See? It's different now.” Erik proudly showed me a piece of felt.
“I spent a whole twenty bucks at the thrift shop on bag day and bought ten wool sweaters,” Laurel said. “We washed them in hot water and dried them last night.”
“Mom, isn't it cool? I'm going to make a scarf out of felt.” Anya was on the verge of a crafting frenzy. I recognized the signs, having been there many times myself.
“I think this is fabulous!” I couldn't wait to concentrate on our project and get my mind off my problems.
For the next two hours, we had fun pinning patterns onto fabric and cutting out various designs. The children stayed up until nearly ten. After Brawny gave Erik his bath, I read to him but he couldn't keep his eyes open for long. Anya was happily texting her friend Nicci when I tapped on her door.
“Nicci thinks that scarf I made is really cool.” Putting down her cell phone, Anya modeled her creation for me.
“Yes, it sure is.”
“Mom? Are we safe? I know you're worried about that guy with the gun coming back.”
Although I wanted to lie to her, that wasn't the way I parented. Instead, I told her, “I'm doing everything possible to keep you safe. Leighton and Lorraine are on their way over. He's got a gun. Paolo has been trained as a guard dog. Between her and Gracie, I don't think anyone could break in. Hadcho is on the sofa. Of course, he's not feeling up to much, but we both know he'd rally in a pinch. All that aside, it's a good idea to be watchful. Why don't you plug in your cell phone and keep it next to your bed?”
“I'm not scared.” Her blue eyes crackled with energy.
“Good. You shouldn't be. But that's not to say that you shouldn't be prepared, right?”
She nodded. “Could I grab my sleeping bag and sleep on the floor in Erik's room?”
Whether she was asking for her sake or his didn't matter. If being next to her little brother made Anya feel better, I had no problem with her decision. “Of course you can.”
At eleven o'clock, Johnny decided we should head out for the Badda Bing Club. Brawny excused herself to change clothes.
Leighton and Lorraine walked over from across the yard. A light snow dusted their hair. I introduced Lorraine to Johnny, and then explained what
our plans were. Paolo greeted Gracie with an enthusiastic sniffing. Lorraine wanted to know how Detweiler was doing. I assured her that he was fine.
Standing there in my cozy kitchen, surrounded by people I love, I couldn't help but feel a little more cheerful. “Thanks for coming, Leighton and Lorraine. Hadcho has his gun with him, but he's asleep out there on the sofa. I think he's more tired than he realized. His stitches were bleeding earlier. I know he would help out if things got dicey, but I feel better knowing you're here and armed, too.”
“It's my father's army pistol,” Leighton patted his holster. “Never thought I'd need it, but he always insisted that I keep it oiled and ready to go.”
“Paolo will be a big help.” Lorraine reached down to stroke her dog. “If I'd realized what was happening at the wedding, I would have given him the command to take down the shooters. It just all happened so fast!”
“He was trained to alert on someone threatening Lorraine,” explained Leighton. “Those two men kept their distance.”
Lorraine sighed. “Really, it's my fault. I took Paolo home too early. He hasn't been totally trained. We were supposed to take classes together, but I haven't had time. I feel so stupid! The breeder tried to dissuade me from rushing things. Paolo is so wonderful overall that I had a false sense of confidence.”
“I should have yelled when I saw someone coming around the corner,” said Leighton. “It never dawned on me that those guys planned to harm us. I figured they were friends of Detweiler's. They looked like tough guys to me. And they were. I just didn't think fast enough.”
“We need to stop this blaming ourselves, right now,” I said. “We can all find a million reasons to feel regretful. I wonder why I thought a wedding outside on a snowy day was a brilliant idea! But who could guess we'd be targeted by a pair of gun slingers? It's no use beating ourselves up. Let's just hope that we'll learn something useful tonight.”
Shotgun, Wedding, Bells Page 16
