Reed Ferguson Short Stories

by Renee Pawlish

See?

  I held up a hand. “Think of it this way. Willie insisted that you two come along, because having my back is so important.”

  Invoking Willie’s name had the effect I wanted. The Goofballs adore Willie, and they would do anything for her.

  “Oh, well, okay,” Ace said.

  “If Willie thinks it’s helpful.” Deuce sounded placated.

  For the rest of the drive, we listened to an ’80s station, and I hoped I wasn’t wasting my time driving out to Fort Morgan. A little over an hour later, I turned off the Interstate onto Barlow Road, and pulled into the Reata Travel Stop. I chose it because it wasn’t a chain gas station, and I thought I’d have a better chance of running into a local who might have the information I needed.

  “You guys want anything?” I asked the Goofballs as I got out of the 4-Runner.

  “A Coke,” Ace said.

  “And some chips,” Deuce chimed in. “I’m hungry.”

  I smiled. “Fine. I’ll be back in a minute.”

  I strolled into the store, where a bored-looking old man in a tattered baseball cap stood behind a counter near the door. I nodded at him, went to the refrigerated section and grabbed a few Cokes, then snatched up some chips before I walked back up to him.

  “Nice night,” I said as I put the items down. “Not too busy for you.”

  “Yeah.” He barely glanced at me as he rang up the Cokes. “It’s late.”

  He added in the chips and gave me a total.

  I handed him a ten. “I’m looking for a lake around here.”

  “Jackson Lake State Park.” He pointed out the door. “Ya gotta go back to Wiggins and it’s west of there.”

  “This is a private lake. I think the Pattons own it.”

  “Oh, yeah, that one. Go a little east of here, to Road 24, then south to Q Road. Go east again until a T in the road, then hang a right. After about a mile you’ll see a dirt road on the left. It’s back in there about half a mile.”

  “Okay,” I said, memorizing what he’d said. “The Pattons have a house there, right?”

  “Yeah, it’s more like a shack. It’s right on the road as you go into the property. You can’t miss it.” Then he scrutinized me closely. “You’re not going out there now, are you? There ain’t a light around there, and there’s a gate on the road. You gotta have a passcode to unlock it.”

  “No, I was just asking,” I said.

  I scooped up the Cokes and chips and hurried out of the store before he could ask me anything else.

  “All right!” Ace said as I slid behind the wheel and handed them the sodas.

  I tossed Deuce the bag of chips. “Thanks, Reed,” he said from the back seat.

  I started the car and pulled back onto Barlow.

  “Now what?” Ace asked.

  “We have to find the lake,” I said. “The guy in the store gave me some directions to a place to check out.”

  “You’re going now, in the dark?” Deuce asked, echoing the store clerk.

  I shrugged. “Yes.”

  I drove back to the highway and told them what we were looking for. They nodded and eagerly helped me watch for Road 24. We soon exited onto it, and followed the store clerk’s directions. The car was filled with their chip-chomping and the sounds of The Psychedelic Furs on the radio. I reached the T in Q Road, turned right, and drove on slowly. They began to chat excitedly.

  “What do you want us to do?” Ace asked. “We can look around, too.”

  They were still hoping for something more stimulating than sitting in the car.

  “You’ll stay here,” I said. “If you see anyone drive down the road after me, you call me. And if I don’t come back or call you after a half-hour, you call the police.”

  “You want us to come find you?” Deuce interjected.

  I shook my head. “I don’t want to explain to your family how I got you two into trouble.”

  “We won’t get in any trouble,” Ace said.

  Deuce leaned forward. “Especially if you let us have a gun.”

  Deuce’s ardent desire was to carry a gun, and he thought that having one would somehow make him a legitimate detective. I was happy for his help, but let him have a gun?

  “No guns,” I said.

  “Fine.” Deuce sat back and stared out the window, miffed.

  I glanced in the rearview mirror. Right at that moment, he reminded me of my mother. She is a sweet woman, but she can do miffed really well.

  “Watch for the dirt road,” I said, redirecting them.

  “Oh, right,” they said in unison.

  We drove in silence for a minute.

  “There it is!” Deuce suddenly yelled. He pointed to the left.

  I nodded. “Good eye.”

  I pulled the 4-Runner to the side of the road and killed the lights. Then I turned to them. “Watching the road is an important job, okay?”

  “Right.” Ace saluted me.

  “Okay,” Deuce said. He pulled out his phone. “We’re ready.”

  I handed Ace the car keys. “In case you need them. I’ll be back soon.”

  I got out and crossed the road. A metal gate stood across the entrance to the dirt road, and tall grass stretched out on either side. I skirted around it and noticed tire tracks in the grass near the gate. It appeared the gate wasn’t very effective in keeping people off the road.

  I started walking fast. It was still hot, and I began to sweat. The moon was full, and I didn’t need my flashlight, but I double-checked to make sure it was still in my pocket. The road had recently been graded, and it was flat and smooth. I made good time. After five minutes, the road sloped, and I soon came up over a small hill. Then I halted. A hundred yards ahead of me was a small house with yellow light coming from a window to the right of a door. I’d found the lake house, and it looked like someone was there.

  Chapter Ten

  I glanced around and listened for a moment. The only sound, besides my breathing, was a gentle breeze swaying the tall grass. I watched the house and then saw a dark figure cross in front of the window. I ducked down, pulled out my Glock, and moved along the edge of the road toward the house. When I reached a clearing, I crouched down and studied the house.

  It was small and rustic, with wood siding, a smoke stack, and a long, covered porch. The window with the light coming through it bathed the porch in shadows. Sure enough, Jerrod’s silver Lexus was parked at the side of the house.

  I crept to the porch and eased up the steps. Now I heard a voice coming from inside. I couldn’t make out the words, but it was a woman, and she sounded angry. I tiptoed over to the window and peeked through it.

  Inside was a single room with rough-hewn wood floors, a pot-belly stove in the corner, some cabinets above a sink with an old-fashioned hand pump, and a couch and a loveseat against two walls. A twin bed sat in a corner, and nearby was a small table with a pistol on it. A few wooden chairs were strewn about the room. One was in the center of the room, and Jerrod sat stiffly on it, his hands bound behind him and duct tape covering his mouth. Blood trickled from his nose. Standing over him was Lashondra Maher. She was in the same gray slacks and colorful blouse that I’d seen her in yesterday, but she’d gotten rid of the dangling earrings. I heard her voice through the window.

  “It was torture for me in prison, so it’s going to be torture for you,” she said to Jerrod, her voice eerily calm.

  She leaned down and kissed his cheek, and he relaxed. Then she slapped him hard. His head rocketed back, and he glared at her.

  “You thought today was just going to be fun, but now you’re getting your just deserts.” She laughed maniacally.

  That’s what Norm overheard, I thought.

  “You never know what’s going to happen,” Lashondra went on. “I lived with that every day, so you can, too.”

  I grimaced. She’s crazy.

  As if to reinforce that, she walked around behind Jerrod, her hands caressing his shoulders, and then she picked up a fishing rod that was leaning
against the wall and whacked him across the back. He winced and his nostrils flared. Lashondra tossed her head back and laughed again. I needed to act fast before she did something worse with the pistol.

  I moved to the door and tried the handle. It was unlocked. I raised the Glock, twisted the knob, and threw the door open.

  I aimed at her. “Don’t move!”

  Lashondra and Jerrod both stared at me, eyes wide.

  “Back away from him,” I ordered her.

  She took a couple steps back. “Who the hell are you?”

  “Mmph,” Jerrod said.

  Before I could react, she reached out, grabbed the corner of the duct tape on his mouth, and tore it off.

  “Aargh!” Jerrod moved his lips around to ease the pain. “That’s Reed Ferguson. He’s a friend of Darcy’s.”

  “You idiot!” Lashondra snarled at him. “You told him about me?”

  “Not directly,” he said. “Darcy knew something was going on, so I told him I was seeing someone, and I figured he would let it go. But I didn’t say anything about your past.” Then he started whining. “I thought you wanted me, not my money.”

  “You are an idiot,” I muttered.

  Jerrod glared at me. “How did you find us?”

  I pointed at Lashondra. “One of your nosy neighbors heard you talking about the lake,” I turned to him, “and Darcy remembered you saying something about this place.”

  Lashondra suddenly stepped toward the table, and the pistol which lay on it. I aimed near her and pulled the trigger.

  The shot sounded loud in the little house, the crack echoing off the walls. The bullet hit the wall near her with a thunk, and wood slivers spewed into the air. Lashondra froze. Jerrod yelled and then swore.

  “I don’t want to shoot you, but I will if I have to,” I said to her. “Get down on the floor.”

  She wasn’t so tough now. She slowly sank to her knees.

  “On your stomach,” I instructed. “Hands behind your back.”

  She flattened out on the floor and did as I said.

  “Nice little game you had going,” I went on as I pulled out my cellphone. “You trick Jerrod into thinking you want to rekindle your romance, then you steal from him again, and punish him for what he did to you years ago.”

  “It was easy to play him,” she snapped. “I knew he still loved me, even after he turned me in.” Jerrod lowered his head. “When I came back, it was easy to sweet-talk him into thinking we had a chance.”

  “And then you stole from him again,” I said.

  She didn’t say anything to that, but Jerrod started nodding his head.

  “You drugged him, right?” I continued. “That’s how you got him here without a struggle.”

  “He’d been talking about coming here for a few days, a romantic getaway.” She rolled her eyes. “He said no one would know where we were. I figured what better place to work him over.”

  I glanced around. “Real romantic.”

  “It’s rustic, but quiet,” Jerrod said defensively.

  “And Darcy wouldn’t know where you were,” I snapped.

  He frowned.

  I checked my phone and noticed I didn’t have a signal. “It is rustic here.” I was pondering what to do when Deuce burst through the open door.

  “Reed, are you okay?” He looked around frantically.

  I stared at him. “What are you doing here?”

  “We heard a gunshot, so I came running.”

  “Where’s Ace?”

  “He’s in the car.”

  Lashondra, seeing I was distracted, tried to subtly scoot toward the table.

  “Unh-uh.” I gestured with the Glock.

  She stopped and glared at me.

  I ran a hand over my face. “Go back and see if you can get a cellphone signal,” I said to Deuce. “Then call the police.”

  “What if our phones don’t work?”

  “Then drive back into town and call for help.”

  He blushed. “Oh, right. Gotcha.”

  “Then come back here. Tell Ace he can drive around the gate.”

  “Right.”

  Deuce whirled around and ran out the door.

  “Who was that?” Jerrod asked.

  “My backup,” I said. Even though I was frustrated that the Goofballs hadn’t followed directions, I was glad Deuce had shown up. I hadn’t been sure how I was going to get the police here otherwise.

  Lashondra let out a string of curses.

  “Feel better?” I asked when she finished.

  She eyed me with a wicked look. I kept the gun aimed at her.

  Jerrod jerked his head. “You want to untie me?”

  “When the police get here,” I said. “I’m not taking my eyes off her.”

  He sighed. Lashondra stayed where she was.

  “How’d you find out about Lashondra?” Jerrod finally asked.

  “After I talked to you, I followed you,” I said, then explained how I’d put the pieces together. “Even though Darcy was mad at you, she was still worried that something bad might happen, so I agreed to see if I could find you.”

  “I’m glad you did,” he said with another huge sigh.

  I stared at him. “You need to clear things up with Darcy.”

  He nodded. “Yeah, I have to explain things.”

  “I highly doubt she’ll want to keep seeing you after this, but either way, I want you to apologize for how you’ve treated her. It wasn’t cool.”

  “You can’t tell me –”

  I shifted the Glock toward him in a not-so-subtle threat. His eyes went to the gun and back to me.

  Sweat broke out on his brow. “Yeah, sure, I’ll apologize.”

  “Good,” I said, and aimed at Lashondra again.

  Then we waited in silence for the police.

  Chapter Eleven

  It took a while, but the Fort Morgan police finally arrived. I spent an hour explaining who I was and why I was there, and then the Goofballs and I were finally allowed to leave.

  “That ended up being fun!” Deuce said from the backseat. “Gunshots, sneaking around in the dark.”

  “What if someone had seen you out there and shot at you?” I asked.

  “Oh.” He paused. “I hadn’t thought of that.”

  I shook my head.

  “I can’t wait to tell Willie we helped,” Ace said.

  “Speaking of that.”

  “What?” they both said.

  I smiled. “Never mind.” I pulled out my phone and called Willie.

  “Well?” she said.

  “We caught her!” Ace and Deuce yelled.

  “Guys,” I said, then told her what had happened and that we’d be home soon.

  “We’ll wait up for you,” she said.

  “Sounds good.”

  I ended the call and listened to the Goofballs chatter the whole way home. When we walked inside, Willie and Darcy were both on the couch, both smiling.

  Willie got up and hugged me, and so did Darcy. Before they could say anything, the Goofballs peppered them with their version of the story.

  “You two were great,” Willie said when they finished. The brothers blushed.

  “You saved Jerrod,” Darcy said to them, then winked at me. “Thank you.”

  “You’re welcome.” I frowned. “Unfortunately, he’s still a pud.”

  “A pud?” Ace said.

  “Remember,” Deuce whispered to his brother, “he cheated on Darcy.”

  Willie shielded a smile with her hands.

  “It’s okay,” Darcy said. “I’m glad he’s all right.”

  “Really?” Willie asked.

  Darcy put her hands on her hips. “Yes. Now I can kick his ass.”

  We all laughed at that.

  THE END

  Turn the page to keep reading the second Reed Ferguson short story, Cool Alibi.

  Cool Alibi

  A Reed Ferguson Mystery Series Short Story

  Chapter One

  Som
etimes it’s the little things…

  My latest case – I’m not even sure you could call it a case – started on a Monday night at B 52s, my favorite bar that’s within walking distance of our condo in the Uptown neighborhood, just northeast of downtown Denver.

  “Check it out, Reed.” This from my good friend and downstairs neighbor, Deuce Smith.

  He flashed a small piece of paper at me, and in the few seconds before he put it back in his pocket, I deduced that it was a lottery ticket. That’s me, Reed Ferguson, private investigator. Boy, am I sharp.

  “I won,” he announced triumphantly.

  “Yeah,” piped up his older brother Ace, still in his blue Best Buy uniform shirt. Ace is an assistant manager there, and he’d come straight from work to meet us at the bar.

  Ace and Deuce could’ve been twins with their gray eyes and blond hair. Even their voices sounded the same.

  “Oh? How much did you win?” I asked.

  Deuce leaned across the table. “I can’t tell you. It’s not millions, but it’s a lot.”

  I arched an eyebrow. “Why can’t you tell me?”

  “Come on, Reed.” Ace lowered his voice. “They say if you win some money, you should keep it to yourself, or everyone around you will want a loan and stuff.”

  And stuff.

  The Goofballs were the nicest – but not necessarily the brightest – guys in the world. The Smiths were like family, and Ace and Deuce – who I’d affectionately dubbed The Goofball Brothers – loved to help me with investigations, as long as it didn’t involve what they said was the boring task of surveillance. I had to admit – surveillance was boring.

  “Ah, I see.” I nodded conspiratorially. “That’s a smart move.”

  “Yep,” Deuce said.

  I couldn’t help but wonder how much he’d actually won, but then what was small change to some could be a fortune to others. Deuce was pleased, and that was all that mattered.

  He patted his pocket. “I got it right here, and tomorrow I’m going to have Bob go with me to turn it in.”

  I thought that was an excellent plan. Bob, the Goofballs’ older, and significantly wiser brother, was a local EMT, and he looked out for his younger brothers.