Red Red Rose

by Stephanie Hoffman McManus

  “Oh God, he has keys to the house.” Why the hell hadn’t that occurred to me sooner?

  “We’re changing the locks tonight,” James declared.

  Detective Parker didn’t stick around long after that, but said he would have officers talk to my neighbors to see if anyone had noticed someone hanging around the house who shouldn’t have been. I decided it was a good time to mention my possible prowler and suggested they could talk to Clint if they wanted to know what he saw and heard that night.

  James and I went back inside rather than watch them collect prints.

  “What the fuck did he do to my sister?” James dropped onto the couch, his head in his hands.

  “I don’t know,” I replied quietly. “We don’t even know for sure that the hair is hers.”

  “Come on, Nora. It’s hers. Why else would the sick bastard leave it?”

  Again, I didn’t have an answer for him. All I had were my own questions. The officers came and let us know when they were done and leaving. We went back out and locked up, not that it would do any good right now.

  I stayed behind while James made a quick trip to the hardware store. It was already growing dark outside, and I almost regretted not going with him. It was hard to feel safe anymore, knowing this guy could come into my house at any time. He might have already been inside. I’d never noticed any sign of someone being here, but just imagining him setting foot in here, in the place I was supposed to be safe, made me sick to my stomach.

  James couldn’t get back quick enough with those new locks. Needing something to do while I waited for him, I called my Mom. She and Dad were driving up tomorrow, and I’d tell her about the hair then. Right now I just needed the comfort of her voice to calm me.

  “Hello, sweetheart,” she answered.

  “Hey, Mom. Are you guys still planning on heading this way in the morning?”

  “I checked the weather watch and it’s supposed to freeze overnight. With the rain we’ve had the past two days the roads will be slick, especially since they don’t always get salted well and traffic will be a nightmare. We might have to wait a little later in the day for it to warm up, but we should be there sometime in the afternoon. Will you be at home or the shop?”

  “I’ll be at the shop until three. If you get here before then, you can stop by or you can just head straight to John and Elise’s. Otherwise, if you get in later in the afternoon, you can come to the house. I’ll head home right after I get off. We can go to dinner or something then. I work all day on Friday, but I arranged the schedule to take Saturday off so we’ll have then to do whatever you and Dad want also.”

  “Oh good, and you’re father and I have a surprise for you,” she sounded almost nervous.

  “What kind of surprise?”

  “Hopefully a good one. You’ll just have to wait and see.”

  She wouldn’t give me any hints and then I heard a loud buzzer go off in the background. She had to hang up to go pull cookies out of the oven. I was hopeful that my dad wouldn’t get to them all and some would actually make it to me tomorrow.

  Even the chocolate chip cookies from Sweet Indulgence couldn’t compare to Mom’s.

  I don’t think I’d realized how much I missed my parents.

  Nine

  “I can’t believe it. Do you really think it was her hair?” Cassie’s face showed that she was just as disturbed by yesterday’s events as I was.

  I nodded. “I think so. Hopefully the FBI will be able to tell for sure after they send it to their labs.”

  “Did they tell you how long that could take?” Mitch asked. He’d come into work today immediately asking questions. He said he was at the station yesterday for an interview when Detective Parker got my call, and was still there when he returned later. Said the whole station was buzzing about whatever was found. Of course he wanted to know what it was and hadn’t stopped prying since.

  “No, but hopefully not long. James is waiting to tell his parents until we know for sure.”

  “God, it’s so messed up. He could have been in your house,” Will muttered angrily. “Shouldn’t the cops have thought to warn you to change your locks before now?”

  “I think until all this started happening they believed Emily had split willingly with some guy.”

  “Do you think the he was in your house? Did you find any signs that he’d been anywhere besides the garage?” Mitch’s curiosity was beginning to push my buttons. I didn’t want to keep going over everything, especially when I probably never would have discussed any of this with him had he not found out about it. I understood his fascination with the case, given he was trying to become a cop, but he needed to learn some tact.

  I looked at him and shrugged uneasily. “I don’t know. If he was, he didn’t leave any signs behind.”

  “That makes sense. So far, the guy seems too smart and careful for that,” Mitch noted. Yes let’s praise the bad guy for being a freaking evil genius.

  “There was the night that I found the back door unlocked though, when I was sure I locked it before I went to bed. It could have been him that my neighbor’s German Shepherd scared off.”

  “You shouldn’t be there,” Will spoke up again.

  “It’s okay,” I reassured him. “James is still staying with me and he changed all the locks. The neighbors also know to be on the lookout, and I’m going to call my landlord and see about having a security system installed.”

  “More trouble with raccoons?” The familiar voice instantly grabbed my attention from behind. Shaw stood just feet from my chair when I turned.

  I snuck a quick perusal before I filled him in. Damn, still a ten. The guy was flawless. “I had a visitor in my garage leave something behind. Turns out whoever took Emily probably had her keys all this time, and access to my house.”

  His eyebrows knotted and his mouth compressed in a tight light. “Tell me you were smart and changed the locks?”

  “Last night.”

  “Good. Still, you should definitely look into getting a security system.”

  “I will.”

  “And you should have dinner with me tomorrow night?” He transitioned smoothly, the severity of his tone and features unwavering.

  “Huh,” I was taken aback.

  He tilted his head and his eyes smoldered with intensity. “I said, you should have dinner with me. Tomorrow night.”

  “Say yes,” Cassie whispered behind me.

  “How about you get back to work.” I prodded and then gave Mitch a look that said he could get lost as well.

  “I guess that’s also my cue to take off. Be safe, let me know if you need anything” Will rose from the table and draped an around my shoulder, squeezing me briefly in a side hug before he left me to Shaw, who was waiting patiently, one side of his mouth turned up slightly in a confident smile.

  “You’re asking me out on a date?”

  “That’s exactly what I’m doing.”

  “Oh.” That was the only word my lips could form while in my head I’d reverted back to a teenage girl being asked out on her first date, but my internal celebration was short lived. Damn. Tomorrow night.

  “So what’ll it be?”

  “I’m sorry, but this weekend isn’t good for me,” I was unable to keep the disappointment in my belly from seeping into my voice. “My parents are coming for a visit. They’ll be here today, and they’re staying through the weekend. I don’t get to see them much,” I explained.

  “No worries. Another time.” He still wore an easy smile, but he’d taken it down a notch with the smolder.

  “I’d like that.”

  “Excuse me, Nora,” I’d been so fixed on Shaw that I hadn’t noticed Danny ninja his way up to us.

  “Yeah Danny, what do you need?”

  “I just wanted to let you know that the men’s bathroom is out of paper towels.”

  “Oh, thanks. I’ll take care of it.”

  He jerked his head in a nod, and lingered for an awkward moment before retur
ning to his seat. Mitch hadn’t gone far and was behind the counter wiping up espresso grounds. “Hey, Mitch,” I grabbed his attention. “The guys’ bathroom is out of toilet paper.”

  “You want me to restock it?”

  That would be a yes. “Please.”

  He disappeared into the back where the stockroom was and I flicked my gaze up at Shaw again, but before I could figure out what to say to keep the conversation from ending, the door to the shop opened and in shuffled my mother and father, followed by John, Elise and James.

  “Nora!” my mother chimed and headed straight for me like a heat seeking missile intent on smothering with hugs and affection.

  “My mother,” I warned Shaw quietly before she reached us. She threw her arms around me and squeezed tightly. I hugged her back and then my father was there to take her place the second she released me.

  “Sweetheart.” He kissed the top of my head.

  “Hey, Daddy.”

  His eyes shifted to Shaw in that who are you and why are you talking to my daughter way that only fathers can manage.

  “This is Shaw. He’s a customer and, uh, friend.” I hoped I wasn’t being presumptuous, but he had just asked me out. “Shaw these are my parents, Karen and Jim.” He shook their hands. “You sort of met James the other day, but these are his parents Elise and John.” He shook their hands too, but seemed almost uncomfortable doing it.

  “Well, I’ll just go order my coffee and let you visit,” he attempted to excuse himself, but my mother wouldn’t hear of it. She was eying him like she could already see the grandbabies.

  “Oh, nonsense. Come sit with us.”

  “Really, I wouldn’t want to intrude.”

  “I insist.” There was no point in trying to fight her on it. I told him as much with the look I gave him, and watched as his expression became resigned.

  “Alright, it’d be my pleasure,” he relented.

  “Why don’t you guys go grab a seat,” I suggested. “I know what ya’ll want to drink. Shaw and I will be over to join you in a minute.”

  Once they were out of earshot, I led Shaw to the counter. “Now’s your chance. You can pretend to take a phone call or something, and I can tell them you had to rush out for an emergency.” I rounded the counter and started on everyone’s drinks.

  “That’s alright. I think I can handle your parents.” He leaned over, resting his elbows on the counter.

  “If you’re sure.” I lined up six cups, pumping chocolate and peppermint syrup into two of them, Mom and Elise’s, and the other four I filled with drip coffee for the guys. Black. Like I said, it had to be a tough guy thing.

  “So,” I could hear the question on the tip of his tongue, and looked up from pouring the milk into the frothing pitcher. “You don’t really look like your parents.”

  He shot a quick glance at their table and I laughed at his observation. “You don’t see the resemblance?”

  My dad was a big sturdy guy with skin as dark as the coffee I was brewing. My mother, on the other hand, had just enough Pacific Islander genes to give her a nice year long tan and eyes that looked a little exotic. Neither one exactly matched my pale, almost porcelain skin tone. My only source of color came from the freckles spattered across most of my body.

  “I was adopted,” I clarified.

  “I thought that might be the case when they walked in here. Either that or I was going to suggest you start checking those missing persons reports online, because the only other option was that your parents are kidnappers.”

  I laughed again. “Not kidnappers. Just amazing people who gave me a home and a family when no one else ever had.” I looked away, embarrassed after that admission. I didn’t usually like to talk about it.

  I could feel his eyes on me while I finished the drinks, but he didn’t make any further comment about it. He helped me carry them over to the table and then we both slid into the empty seats they’d left for us. Shaw remained as enigmatic as ever, even under the pressure of my parents’ grilling, revealing very little about himself, always managing to turn the conversation away from him.

  When my father inquired what he did for work, something I had wondered about myself, he responded coolly that he worked as a private consultant. I asked what he consulted on, and to that he answered, “various things” and then got my father and John talking about the Seahawks. Conversation rarely strayed from football and sports after that. My mother’s eyes sparkled the whole time. I doubted she was even following the conversation. In her head it was probably all rings, dresses, flowers and a summer wedding.

  Eventually, Shaw finished off his second cup and made his goodbyes to my parents. Despite his reticence, my dad seemed to like him, although it was hard for him to be unbiased with Seahawks fans. My mother watched him leave with a twinkle in her eye that said not only had he won her over, but if she was twenty years younger, my dad would have some competition. And so would I.

  When three o’clock rolled around, I left them at the table to go take care of things in the office and make sure that Mitch and Cassie had everything covered before I left. I passed Cassie at the counter rushing to make drinks for the small line-up of customers. I looked around to see why Mitch wasn’t helping her.

  “Where’s Mitch?”

  She shook her head, her face pinched. “I don’t know. Probably taking another smoke break since he thought you were too occupied to notice.”

  I let out an irritated sigh and jumped in to help her get through the short line. It was starting to drive me crazy that he did this. If Reggie or I wasn’t watching, he’d take twenty breaks during his shift. He was already on my nerves today. Once we got through the line and everyone had their drinks, I went to retrieve him. I found him outside the back door and called him in so that I could leave, warning him not to take anymore unscheduled breaks when it was just him and Cassie covering the shop. I also reminded him for probably the fiftieth time that if he was going to smoke during his shift that he needed to wear a coat so he wouldn’t bring as much of the smell into the shop with him.

  When I returned to the front, my mom was the only one of the group who hadn’t cleared out. She was chatting at the counter with Cassie and waiting on me. From the up-to-no-good grins on their faces, I guessed they were dishing about me.

  “I like that Shaw,” was the first thing out of my mother’s mouth. “He’s very big, and strong. He could take care of you. And he’s quite the looker. I wouldn’t kick him out of bed for eating crackers”

  “Mom,” I sighed. “You’ve known him less than an hour. How about you hold off on the wedding preparations for now.”

  She hmphed. “I’d just like to see you settled down with a nice man. Not like that last one. I never liked him. I could tell he was no good.” So she’d told me several times since the break-up. Suffice to say, she was not all that torn up about it. I think “Good riddance,” had been her exact words. Cassie snorted her agreement and I ignored the both of them.

  “Where did everyone else go?”

  “They headed back to John and Elise’s so they can get ready before dinner. I sent your father so he could take a nap and rest his back. You’re stuck with me.”

  “Okay, well I think I’m just about ready to go. Call if you guys need anything,” I told Cassie. “And make sure Mitch walks you to your car, and if he leaves you out here by yourself when you’re busy, I want to know about it.”

  She gave me a thumbs up before reloading the grinder with beans and flipping on the switch.

  Mom and I turned to go and almost smacked into Danny.

  “Sorry,” he apologized. “Just getting another refill.” He held up his cup.

  “This is Danny, our most loyal customer,” I introduced him.

  He smiled widely. “I’m here every day. Well not every day. You’re not open on holidays, and of course some days I have to go into the office to work, but almost every day I’m here.”

  “Danny, this is my mother Karen.”

  His sm
ile slipped into a curious frown and then he looked back at me. “Adopted I presume, since biologically it would be a genetic impossibility.”

  “Yes, I was adopted.”

  “Right. Well, it seems as if you two were on your way out, so I’ll bid you a good afternoon, and see you tomorrow Nora?”

  “I have the day off tomorrow, but I’ll be back Sunday.”

  “Sunday then.” He tipped his cup and then skirted around us to get another dose.

  “I think that boy might have a crush on you,” Mom noted on the way out the door.

  “No. I just don’t think he has much of a social life. He feels like we’re all his friends at the shop.”

  “He certainly seems a bit odd.”

  “He is. But he’s cute and nice and sweet, and if he ditched those glasses and ran a comb through his hair, maybe got some clothes that didn’t look like they belonged on a sixty-five year old man, he’d be quite attractive.” His looks were just hidden beneath the packaging.

  “But not as attractive as your Shaw.”

  I led her to my car. “He’s not my Shaw.” And it was hardly a fair comparison. Channing Tatum wasn’t as attractive as Shaw.

  “We’ll see,” she chirped and slid into the passenger seat. I let out a deep sigh before rounding the hood and climbing behind the wheel.

  I started the car up and she went to fiddling with my radio.

  “I think James is jealous. He didn’t seem to like him,” she commented.

  I’d also noticed James’ unusual gruffness directed at Shaw, but I had a hard time believing it was jealousy. Even after our conversation in my kitchen where he admitted to admiring certain assets of mine, he just didn’t seem the type to get jealous. I didn’t have an explanation for his apparent dislike of Shaw.

  Later that night, when were all out to eat, he cornered me away from the others and tried to warn me away from Shaw. “Be careful with him, Nora.”