by Sally John
He leaned toward Lia. “We’re still looking over your papers. So far everything is in order, numbers and dates add up. I don’t know what to say.”
She pushed a fork through her salad. “Go back to your cop tone. Tell me you’ve got it all under control.”
He heard the worry in her voice. “More phone calls?”
She looked up. “Occasional hang-ups.”
“Nelson Greene?”
“I don’t think so. We’ve talked a couple of times, and Chloe is with him now. I don’t think he has a reason any longer to intimidate me.”
“Maybe not.”
“Nice goatee.”
He stroked his chin, proud of his five-day effort. “Thanks.”
Isabel added, “Fall must be here. So what do you think of Lia’s hair?”
He exchanged a glance with Lia. They both chuckled self-consciously. He switched subjects. “How’s business?”
“It’s great, for the moment. I’ve got until the end of the month before the insurance company pulls out. In the meantime, Alec Sutton is working on things at Agstar. We hear he has some influence.”
Isabel laughed. “Anne calls him a semibigwig.”
“And, of course,” Lia continued, “I’m not the only one who needs their support. All the independent pharmacies in the other outlying towns need it, too. A lot of people are working on it. We’ll see.”
He asked, “Otherwise?”
“Otherwise, Cal,” she said, her voice softly going up a notch, “I quit and spend the rest of my life paying off a business loan.” Her forehead wrinkled.
Isabel poked his arm. “Hey, Huntington, we’re having a night off here. Don’t you ever take a night off?”
No, he didn’t really. Tonight’s standing dinner date was pizza wedged in before he left to take over Hawk’s shift because Hawk was taking off early. When that shift ended, Cal’s would just be starting. The dinner date also happened to include subtly interrogating a business owner who had the motive and the means to steal her own supply of morphine.
He stood. “Have a nice night, ladies.”
Lia cut into her steaming manicotti. “It’s a weird feeling. I don’t know if I’ve been robbed or not. The evidence is there, but not the means.”
Concern lined Isabel’s face. “Do you want to stay with me? I have an extra bed.”
“Thanks, but no. I refuse to let it disrupt my life. I’ve got to get over this Chloe-Nelson hurdle first. And you’re helping with that by offering to hang out with me tonight. After Thursday and Friday nights, I’ve had my fill of self-pity.”
“My pleasure. It’s not like I had anything else going on.”
“Tony’s gone?”
“Indefinitely. Back to Chicago.”
“I can’t read you, Izzy. Are you happy or sad about that?”
“Hmm… content. Lia, um, I’ve never told my Valley Oaks friends about part of my past with Tony. We lived together for a few months before he graduated. Thank you for not looking disgusted or shocked.”
Lia laughed. “We all do things we wish we hadn’t.”
“Did you?”
“Of course.”
“Live with someone?”
“No, but I had my sister for a role model of what not to do, and I had my hands full caring for Chloe. Now what guy is interested in that? Anyway, Isabel, my life isn’t over yet. We don’t need to compare wrong choices.”
“Sins.”
“Right, sins.”
“Okay. Tony graduated and left without even saying see ya, it’s been fun, goodbye, keep in touch. Nada.” She paused, glancing around the restaurant. “I…I spent that summer with my grandmother. The guilt became unbearable, but I didn’t take her advice to just confess it and ask forgiveness until years later. All I wanted was Tony. I thought he loved me and would come for me. But he didn’t. You know what I finally had to face? I’ve been holding that against him.” She held out her arms, palms up. “After all these years, I just forgave him last week. Isn’t that wild? And besides that, I admitted feeling that there was no way God could really forgive me for my relationship with Tony. Well, that’s just denying everything about my faith in Jesus. So I had a long talk with Him and…and I finally let it sink into my heart.”
Lia smiled. “It’s a lifelong process, huh?”
“Amen.” The worry left Isabel’s eyes. “I even hated the name Izzy because it was his special name for me. It seems so childish now. Anyway, this all came together Sunday afternoon. That night he came by my girls’ group at church. I wanted him to stay so we could talk afterwards. I hadn’t planned on discussing premarital sex with the girls, but it came up, and I felt it was time to share my story.”
“Kids need to hear real stories like that.”
“I hope so. I didn’t use his name and say outright that the guy sitting by the door was the one I lived with. He left before I noticed, so we didn’t talk. I…I don’t know how he reacted. Another non-goodbye. He probably thinks I’m a real fruitcake. Maybe I won’t hear from him again, but that’s fine.” She sounded as if she meant it, but chewed her bottom lip.
“And yet…you care about him.”
“Oh, Lia, once I got over fussing about him being in town, it was like we picked up where we left off seven years ago. Like a hand in a glove.” She waved her fork, dismissing the thought. “History. Now, what’s this between you and Cal?”
The water halfway down Lia’s throat changed direction. She choked. No words came out. She clamped a napkin to her mouth and coughed.
Isabel burst into hysterical laughter and collapsed against the back of the booth, sliding down the seat.
Lia wiped her eyes. “Noth—”
“No way! You can’t deny it now, girl!”
People in the booth across from theirs turned to watch them.
Isabel waved.
“Isabel!” Lia hissed.
“They can’t hear us above the music and that group of kids behind you.”
She frowned.
“Hey,” Isabel leaned across the table. “He and Tammy are gone, and I told you, they’re not engaged or all that devoted to each other. He’s fair game.”
“Does it show?”
She went into hysterics again.
Lia stared at the side wall.
“Lia, he can’t take his eyes off you. I saw him when we sat down. He kept glancing this way, right at you. Then when he finally came over, you wouldn’t look straight at him. My guess is it’s mutual. What does he think about your hair?”
“He liked it long.”
Isabel hooted, drawing more stares in their direction.
Lia thought of how he had touched her hair that night they stood between the shelves. He seemed fascinated with its length. The next afternoon she had it cut. “Isabel, I don’t want to care for him that way. He’s involved with Tammy. He doesn’t like kids. I might have to leave town.”
“Surmountable, in Christ. All of it.”
She folded her arms. Why not say it out loud and stop denying what was happening? “We click. We’re comfortable being quiet together. He appreciates my cooking. He’s tender and so thoughtful. He sees a problem and fixes it. He likes his work. He doesn’t talk too much, and he never complains. And…his…” She winced. “Biceps.”
That sent Isabel into another giggling fit.
Maybe confession wasn’t such a good idea.
Twenty-Nine
Standing behind Lia in the alley at the pharmacy’s back door, Isabel shivered in her lightweight fleece jacket. “I dread the thought of winter. The only good thing about it is Christmas can’t be far behind. Hey, Lia, let’s unpack your Christmas order!”
Lia glanced over her shoulder as she turned the key. “On a Saturday night?”
“Sure. It’s only nine o’clock. Besides, I can’t wait to see your selection. With your taste in gifts, I figure I can do half my holiday shopping right here. If you get into toys, I could do all of it.” She followed Lia inside. The desk lamp cast
a dim glow about the small room.
“All those boxes came yesterday.” She flipped on the overhead light and pointed toward a cluttered corner beside the basement door. “If we can at least organize some of it, then stocking the shelves won’t take as long.”
“We’ll have to do that soon. You know how women like to Christmas shop early.”
“That’s good, since I need to sell it all as quickly as possible.” She shrugged out of her coat.
“Lia, did you know the petition has over 300 names on it?”
“Really? I guess somebody in Valley Oaks does like me.”
“It’ll work out—What’s wrong?”
Lia clutched her arm and stared beyond her shoulder with terror-stricken eyes.
Isabel turned around. “What?”
“That door’s open!” she hissed.
A few feet behind her, the door leading into the shop was all but shut. A hairline of the night-light shone around its frame. Lia always kept that door locked! Isabel pushed her friend back toward the alley door.
Lia was rooted to the floor.
She shoved harder. “Go! Someone might be in there! Or upstairs!”
That got a reaction. Five seconds later they were banging shut Isabel’s car doors and she had the engine running. She slammed the car into gear, and they flew out to Walnut where she braked a short distance across the street.
They craned their necks to look out the back window toward the alley, their breath coming in short bursts. “Lia, we should call Cal. The cops. We need a phone.”
“My keys are back there in my coat pocket! The door’s not locked. Maybe I didn’t even shut it.”
“Hon, I don’t think that matters at this point. You’re sure you locked the inside door tonight?”
“I never not lock it. Yes, I’m sure.”
“Then we better get help.” She pondered where to go. Except for two restaurants and the gas station, the town had folded up for the night. “You know, the whole world has cell phones except you and me. And I’m not using the pay phone in the grocery story parking lot. Let’s go to my house.”
Lia grabbed her arm. “What’s that noise?”
She listened.
“It’s the alarm! I didn’t turn it off when we ran outside!”
“So the cops should be on their way?”
“Soon. Security calls me. If I don’t answer, they call 911.”
“All right. We’ll wait.” She cracked her window open. Cold air seeped in with the blare of the alarm. Nearby two renovated houses faced the street; one was an insurance office, the other a real estate company. Both closed, of course. “That’s obnoxious. If you had neighbors, they would call the police.”
“The video store is open! It’s always so loud, though, they probably can’t hear it. I doubt they’d even bother to call if they did. The kids who work in there are strange. Isabel, this is ridiculous sitting here. If somebody were inside, the alarm would have sent them running by now.”
“But we haven’t seen anyone.”
“They could have run out the front or been long gone before we got here. I’m tired of being afraid in my own home. Between those stupid phone calls and Nelson disrupting my life, not to mention that insurance company mess, I’ve about had it.” She opened her door.
“Lia! Wait! I’ll drive back into the alley.” Isabel’s hand slipped off the gear shift. Adrenaline pumping, it took her long moments to maneuver the car in reverse. “I don’t think you should go inside. Cal would say do not go inside.”
“For goodness’ sake, this is Valley Oaks. Someone is just trying to scare me, not hurt me. If they were going to hurt me, they would have done it before now.” She climbed out.
Isabel followed more slowly. The alarm was deafening here. She hesitated. They really shouldn’t go inside.
But Lia already had her hand on the doorknob.
When he heard the report, Cal was out on Coal Creek Road 20 miles southwest of Valley Oaks. Technically, the call wasn’t his jurisdiction until his shift started at 11:00. Technically, Benny Richards could handle it. Technically, he should butt out. Technically, he should cruise west.
But it was Lia.
He switched on his lights and roared north.
Since a week ago Friday night, when he had come within a gnat’s length of kissing her, Lia came to mind every time he picked up his tube of toothpaste, every time he drove near the town square, every time he walked out of the Community Center, every time he prayed—and he was getting into the habit of praying throughout the day. Often.
Technically, Eliana Neuman was invading his space.
Richards’ cruiser blocked the alley. Cal parked on the side street, cut the engine with one foot out the door already, and then halted before bounding down the alley.
Was this getting personal?
Richards would look at the simple facts. A brick had been thrown through Lia’s alley window. Morphine was missing from its place on the shelf. There had been no sign of forced entry. She could be responsible for those things and made up the story about the phone calls.
But he knew her, and intuition said she wasn’t responsible.
Intuition or something else? The impenetrable dark eyes, the smooth skin, the sense of humor, the mouth that reminded him of a bow tie? The beautiful black hair she cut off the day after he touched it?
He slammed the car door shut and strode to the alley door. After a quick jab to the doorbell, he turned the knob. It wasn’t locked. He went inside and spotted them through the open door leading into the store. Benny Richards stood against the wall, notepad in hand. Lia and Isabel sat in the wicker chairs, confusion on their faces and in their slouching shoulders. A quick scan of the pharmacy revealed nothing out of place.
Richards threw him a puzzled look. “Huntington, what are you doing here?” With graying hair and medium build, Benny still cut a daunting figure in his uniform as he loomed over the women.
Resisting the urge to pull Richards down with him, Cal sat. He also used his size to intimidate. This wasn’t the time. “Just following up. Lia, how are you doing?”
A shadow of relief crossed her face but was quickly replaced by a baffled frown. “The Oxy-Contin is gone.”
It was listed with the Schedule II narcotics, those the Drug Enforcement Administration tracked. A powerful pain reliever, on the street it was known as oxys. It was a step up from the morphine and codeine that anyone could recognize. “Somebody knows what they’re doing. What happened?”
Richards answered, “We’ve been through this, Cal.”
“Humor me. I was here when she discovered the other missing drugs.”
The cop rolled his eyes.
Lia glanced anxiously between the two of them until Cal leaned sideways, blocking her view of Benny. “Isabel and I…” She spoke quietly, not in her normal big-city friendly tone. “We came in about nine. That door was open a crack, and I know it had been locked.” She stopped.
“What did you do next?”
Isabel groaned. “We got out of here, but then the alarm went off, and Lia marched right back inside.”
He touched Lia’s shoulder. “Lia Neuman, don’t ever, ever do anything like that again. Do you understand?”
In the norm, she would have argued with him, pointing out that the alarm would have scared off anyone inside, that she was going to get to the bottom of this nonsense. She only blinked unfocused eyes, as if her mind were miles away.
He lightly squeezed her shoulder and dropped his arm. “What did you find inside?”
Isabel answered, “Everything looked normal until Lia checked the narcotic drug shelf.”
“Lia, how certain are you that you locked the door?”
The black eyes seemed to recognize him again. “I never don’t lock it. Today I locked it about two o’clock when I went up to the apartment.”
“Any visitors after that?”
“No. I only used the alley door. I went out and did errands in Rockville, came home, and
then Isabel picked me up at seven.”
Richards shifted his stance. “And Isabel didn’t come inside at that time?”
“No, I told you I met her outside in the alley.”
“So she didn’t see that this door was shut or locked?”
Lia shook her head.
Cal knew what Richards insinuated. No one to vouch for Lia’s story. He didn’t want to go there. “What about the key you moved from the desk? Is it still hidden?”
“I don’t know. I didn’t look.”
He stood. “Let’s go.”
She seemed uncertain, and then she slowly made her way into the back room. He followed, concerned about her hesitant movements. There had been no smiles, no jokes, no outburst of frustration, no sign of determination to fight this. Fear was closing in, obscuring her typical spunky demeanor.
Alongside the washer and dryer, a shelf held laundry items. She lifted off a box of powdered detergent. It wobbled in her hands.
Cal reached over, took it from her, and set it on the dryer.
She dug inside of it, spilling granules of soap powder every which way.
“Here, let me.” He pulled her shaky hand from the box and plunged in his own. “Maybe there’s a print on it. How far down did you bury it?”
“Not far. What’s he getting at? Deputy Richards.” Fear was evident in her strained whisper.
He ignored the question. “Maybe we should dump this—”
“I know what he’s getting at.”
“Don’t worry about it, Lia. It’s just procedure.” His fingers landed on the key. “Here. Obviously no one found it.” He lifted it carefully by its edges, pulled a tiny plastic bag from his pocket and slipped in the key. “Sorry about the mess.” He held the box at the edge of the dryer and brushed the spilled granules into it.
“So.” Richards had entered the back room. “How’d they get in so smoothly without a key?”
“I figure the first time they found the key in the desk drawer right next to the door. Obvious place to keep it. They borrowed that for a while and had a copy made. Actually, this looks like a copy. Lia, where’s the original?”
“On my key ring. No, that’s not right. There was only one original. The one in the desk.”
