A Grave Search

by Wendy Roberts

  He hesitated and my stomach clenched.

  “As far as we know, but...” He put a hand on my thigh and squeezed. “All we know about her is that she’s a known associate of those in the local meth trade. I don’t know if she’s using but, even if she’s not, it’s a hard life. Often a short one.”

  I nodded.

  He tapped his phone and a second later my own cell chimed with the incoming picture.

  “Thank you.”

  He put an arm around my shoulders and I curled my feet up on the couch and leaned into the crook of his arm where all felt right with the world.

  Even though questions about my mother swam in my head, I wasn’t going to give them a voice tonight. I needed to chew on it for a while.

  Garrett stayed the night. We started off lovingly but then as I lay in his arms he tried unsuccessfully to convince me to pack up and come stay with him so I could be safe. I angrily refused and we fell asleep with our backs to each other. I slept like the dead and woke up to the sound of distant banging and the occasional whirring of a drill.

  I reached over and felt the lump that was Wookie in the place where Garrett had been. The dog stirred and yawned loudly, sending unpleasant dog breath my way.

  A fresh round of hammering started outside and I pulled my pillow over my head.

  “What the hell is that man doing?” After a yawn and stretch I reached for my phone and saw it was nearing noon and I nearly jumped out of bed. I’d slept eleven hours. The only other times that happened was when I was drugged in the psych ward or because I’d had help from a couple bottles of chardonnay.

  I followed the welcoming aroma of coffee into the kitchen and poured myself a mug. Wookie’s food and water bowls had already been replenished. The new patio door was open and I carried my coffee out to the concrete patio. Garrett was on a ladder against the house wearing a tool belt and Wookie was looking up at him. I wanted to yell and ask what the hell he was doing but I didn’t want to startle him and cause him to fall. After some more thumping, whirring and few curse words Garrett glanced over and saw me standing there. He offered me a sheepish smile before climbing down the ladder and walking over.

  “Good morning.” He leaned in to hug me and I took a step back.

  “You are a sweaty mess.” I laughed. “How about you hug me from afar?”

  He bent and gave me a quick kiss. “Glad you slept late. You obviously needed it.”

  “And you obviously had some demented need to trade in your FBI badge and become Mr. Fix-it? What exactly is going on?” I stepped closer to the ladder and looked up to see a security camera. “Seriously?” I crossed my arms.

  “Did you know that Costco sells these in a 5-pack and once they’re installed you can monitor them on your phone? And they were pretty reasonable too.” He grabbed me by the elbow and walked me around the house, proudly pointing to the locations of all the cameras that were now going to track my every coming and going. I struggled with being somewhat relieved to have the surveillance while hating that he never bothered to even ask me before installing the cameras.”

  “I’m glad you’re in touch with your inner handyman this morning but did you think to even ask me before running out and spending hundreds of dollars on equipment that makes me look like a paranoid survivalist?”

  We were standing in the shade on the side of the house and I was trying my best to look pissed off. He pulled me into a hug and I screamed in mock horror at being against his damp, sweaty body. The harder I squirmed the tighter he held me, and I slopped some of my coffee on both of us during the simulated struggle. I was glad that the anger of the night before hadn’t carried over to this morning but I had mixed feelings about these cameras.

  “Look, you won’t come stay with me and I have to do something to keep you safe. Someone went to serious effort to drug your dog, smash your door and steal your laptop and possibly the same someone attacked your vehicle.”

  “I know you feel this need to protect me, and the nature of your business makes you think of everything as a big crime.” I drank from my coffee cup. “But it’s still possible it was a simple break-in to snatch my laptop and a stupid parking lot rage thing that’s done now.”

  I walked back inside the house and he followed me.

  “You don’t think you were targeted?”

  I thought about the chances of my house being broken into and my vehicle vandalized on the same day.

  “I guess it’s a possibility,” I admitted. “But if they targeted me just to take my computer—” I shrugged “—they’re going to be really disappointed. I store all my stuff online and I’ve changed all my passwords already. I don’t even store any good porn on it so...”

  The last bit got a tight smile from him. “Yeah, but you’re working on that Ava Johansson case. All this could have something to do with that. Ava is dead. Ron was killed after that so that means we still have a killer on the loose. Think about that.”

  I chewed my lower lip and nodded. I took a seat at the kitchen table with my coffee cup, Garrett went and poured a cup for himself and joined me.

  “Maybe I should ask Joon Kim to recommend a new laptop. That last one was too heavy anyway.”

  “Joon Kim? As in Ron Low’s roommate Joon Kim?” Garrett wiped the sweat from his forehead with a tissue he pulled from his pocket.

  “Did you get any information from him about Ava and Ron when you met at the mall?”

  “Not much.” I shrugged.

  “Don’t forget that Ron’s old roommate essentially told you where to find his body.”

  “Yeah, but he only mentioned wanting to hike there. I was the one who decided that sounded like a good idea.”

  “Maybe you should stay away from Joon Kim.”

  “He was in Korea at the time this all went down with Ron and Ava and he’s not even a suspect so—”

  “Everyone’s a suspect until the killer is caught,” Garrett grumped.

  He got up and got himself an ice water and brought it to the table. He drank his water with that pinched look he gets when he’s trying to figure something out. Abruptly he slid his chair next to mine, pulled out his phone and showed me how to operate the app that would allow me to spy on my own house.

  “So frigg’n stupid,” I mumbled.

  “Not stupid. Smart.”

  With reluctance I downloaded the security application onto my phone at his insistence and then checked each of the cameras. “All right, Mr. Paranoid, it’s all set up.”

  “It’s not perfect. Your long driveway is obscured by so many trees I can’t get the whole view but at least every entrance to the house is covered.”

  “Oh yay,” I said sarcastically.

  He laughed and went off to have a shower. Afterward he proceeded to make us breakfast using the groceries he’d had delivered. If he hadn’t been here I would’ve had cereal and probably eaten it dry because there’d be no milk. Now Garrett made us ham and cheese omelets with hash brown potatoes and orange wedges on the side. I guessed that before his wife and son were killed by a drunk driver, omelets, hash browns and fruit were a regular Sunday morning ritual. Maybe even pancakes with happy faces for his little boy. That made me hurt for him.

  All this domesticity was nice but I didn’t crave this home life the way he did and never would. Probably because I’d never had it in my life. Breakfast growing up was whatever I could sneak out of the cupboard when Grandma wasn’t looking, or whatever extra granola bar Katie brought to school for me.

  While Garrett washed the dishes I scrolled through the emails on my phone and discovered that Ebba had sent the deposit for my services. It was a few dollars short but I wasn’t going to freak about a few bucks.

  “What do you make of Ebba Johansson? What do the agents working the case say about her?”

  Garrett put the last plate on the dish rack and dried his hands on the
towel. “What do I think of her as a person, you mean?”

  “Yeah.”

  He leaned a hip against the counter and thought about it. “Wasn’t my case so I never met her personally. The agents said she appeared overwhelmed and angry someone dared kill her daughter.”

  “Grief stricken?” I asked. “In the early days when it was determined that Ava was killed and not just kidnapped, did she fall apart?”

  “People handle grief differently. I don’t remember hearing that she came apart. She stopped working for a while and got quiet and determined. She had an assistant from one of her massage places take over the business and she put the company up for sale. I heard she was going to retire.”

  I nodded.

  “She imploded.”

  Maybe she still wanted to retire but was waiting to bury her daughter first. My heart ached a little for this strong woman who’d built a career from nothing and now the business was all she had left but she wanted to walk away from it.

  “Any suggestions about where I’d find Ava’s body?” I asked with a sigh.

  “If law enforcement knew where she was, they would’ve put this case to bed already. I’m guessing wherever you think she could be, it won’t be there.”

  “Then I guess I’m going to be driving all over Washington State with my rods in my lap.” I was only half joking.

  “I want you to make sure you start setting your house alarm on a regular basis too. I know you said you set it when you come to my house for the night, but you’ll need to set it every time you leave from now on.”

  I agreed.

  “And when you do go out and search, please send me messages about where you are.” He got up from his chair. “I’ve gotta get to work. I’ll see you tomorrow when you come into town for your appointment.” He kissed the top of my head. “Be safe.”

  “You too.”

  I stood up and pulled him into the kind of kiss that should’ve drawn him back to bed. Instead the romantic moment became a comical one when Wookie sauntered over and nudged his large head between us to get in on the group hug.

  “You’re cutting in on my jam,” I told Wookie as we watched Garrett pull out of the driveway.

  My phone chimed when Garrett walked outside. The screen showed me a notification that the side door had opened and allowed me to click to see the camera view.

  “This is going to be a big pain in the ass.”

  I showered then talked to the insurance company about the window and replacing my laptop. After that was over I tried to do some business on my phone. Reading and responding to emails wasn’t difficult but I couldn’t enter Ebba’s payment into my accounting software as easily without benefit of a laptop. I sent Joon Kim a text asking for recommendations. I told him the capabilities of my old computer and that I didn’t need much more than that but I wanted something more lightweight. His text reply had me scrolling through my phone forever. Way more information than I ever wanted to know. The bottom line was that he told me his store actually had a big sale on this week and I should come and take a look.

  I looked at Wookie and worried my bottom lip with my teeth. What if the laptop thieves came back and this time gave him a lethal dose of whatever laced grub they fed him yesterday?

  “It’s too hot to leave you in a car,” I said to Wookie. “And I’d rather not leave you home after what happened.”

  He tilted his head from one side to the other trying to understand my ramblings. Then I had an idea. I called up the vet’s office in town and told them about Wookie being drugged the day before.

  “He seems perfectly fine now but I’d really like a complete checkup to be sure.”

  The receptionist told me I could drop Wookie off and come back for him in a couple hours.

  “It’s not exactly a spa day,” I told Wookie. “But at least you won’t be home being tempted by toxic burgers.”

  I packed up my backpack with the rods, just in case, and a couple water bottles, granola bars and dog treats. Then we made our way into town. Wookie was happy to come along for the ride but the minute he saw we were at the vet’s he wasn’t quite as impressed. I snapped the leash onto his collar and tugged and cajoled him and bribed him with treats to get him into the waiting room. A friendly young woman greeted us wearing a smock that had colorful cats all over it.

  I told her who we were and admonished Wookie for nearly pulling my arm from the socket. “Stop it! Sit!”

  The receptionist pulled a treat from her pocket and managed to take Wookie’s leash and coax him to the back. When she returned to the counter I told her I had errands and I’d check on him when I was on my way back.

  “We have arrangements with the doggie daycare next door so, if you want, we can send him over there once we’re done here. They’ll keep him right up until eight o’clock this evening. The dogs love going there. It has both an inside and outside play area and even a kiddie pool.” She handed me a business card from the counter. “It’s a full-day rate if it’s longer than four hours.”

  That might take pressure off to rush back. “Can I call and let you know?”

  “Sure.” She smiled.

  I stuffed the business card into my jeans and walked back to my Jeep. I was about to climb into the vehicle when I heard the distinct musical sound of the Candy Crush game. When I turned I was face-to-face with Abel.

  “I didn’t return your email,” I said by way of a greeting.

  “No, you did not.” He tapped away at his phone and then cringed. “Dammit!” With a sigh he pocketed the device and smiled up at me. “It’s okay. I know you’ve been busy.”

  “How’d you know that?” I asked, wondering who’d been talking.

  “Everyone knows that.” He chuckled and I was reminded again why living a few minutes outside a small town did not make me immune to gossip.

  “So-o-o, just going for a walk?” I asked him, anxious to be polite but firm because I wanted to talk to Joon Kim about computers and a few other niggling thoughts.

  “Wes had a big job in Arlington so he asked me to walk his bulldog over to the dog daycare.” He nodded to the small shuttered house-like building next to the vet office. “I’d keep him with me but that mutt’s as dumb as a sack of rocks and eats socks.” His smile broadened. “I’m a poet and don’t even know it.”

  I smiled back. “Well, enjoy your day dog-free then. I have to head to Bellingham to buy a new—”

  “Laptop, right? That’s what I heard you got stolen.” He shook his head. “A real shame that we can’t leave our doors unlocked like the old days but then we didn’t have Candy Crush in the old days so it wasn’t all fun times, you know.”

  “Right.” I took a step back. “So I’m going to go and—”

  “I bet you haven’t had breakfast.”

  “Actually I have and—”

  “Then coffee. You look like you could use a cup.”

  I began to protest but it was hard to say no to those black eyes that were almost hidden behind droopy lids and deep lines. “Sure. I’d love a cup of coffee.”

  Minutes later we sat nearly knee to knee in the only coffee shop in town. Abel talked about the blazing heat the past couple weeks and moaned about global warming while I wished I was already on my way to the mall. The waitress brought us each a mug of coffee and an apple oatmeal muffin that Abel insisted would change my life.

  “So-o-o...about your grandson, Wes. Although I appreciate the suggestion that we might...you know... I actually have a boyfriend already.”

  “You cut right to the chase.” He waggled a finger in my face. “I like that.” He took a bite from his muffin and mmm-mmmed in delight, then washed it down with a slug of coffee. “Wes’s wife up and left him last year, taking everything except that damn dog. He used to be a lot happier kind of person but now he’s miserable so I’m always trying to find something to lighten his mo
od. I feel bad she just up and left him like that.” He shook his head and frowned. “It don’t seem right.”

  “I’m sure it’s hard for him. I’ve heard divorce is like a death and you need time.” I put my hand on his. “You’re a good grandfather and I’m sure you know it’s hard for him to grieve but you just gotta let him do it.”

  “Oh hell it ain’t that hard to grieve.” Abel pulled his hand away and winked at me. “I’ve probably lost more loved ones than you’ve ever even had.”

  That wasn’t exactly difficult considering how short my list of loved ones was: Wookie and Garrett.

  “I’m kind of an expert in the arena where the grim reaper visits.” He smiled. “I guess you are too given what you do for a living.” He took another bite of muffin and another sip of coffee. “I just figured since you lived in the same town growing up and you’re about the same age...”

  He smiled at me hopefully.

  “It takes more than having a couple things in common to make a relationship, Abel.” I laughed. “So we grew up in the same area then maybe we saw each other around. I wasn’t much of a socialite back then. I’m not now either.”

  “Maybe you don’t have to date him. Just be his friend.” Abel thumped the table. “There’s no such thing as too many friends.”

  Oh sweet Jesus he’s not going to stop until I agree to date his loser grandson.

  I didn’t answer, just sipped my coffee.

  Abruptly, Abel polished off his coffee and brought the mug down on the table with a thud. “Wes tells me he used to hang out with that Jay and Ronald Low too. Ron’s that fella who killed that girl so, you see, you have things in common to talk about.”

  “He hung out with Ron?” I thought about Wes’s picture in the back of a search party crowd.

  “You could meet him here. Have a coffee and a muffin. Help him get out of his funk. Introduce him to some of your girlfriends.”

  “How close was Wes to Ron?” Maybe I would have to have coffee with the guy. I cringed a little.

  “They just saw each other sometimes. Did some hiking together. See that’s another thing you and Wes both like to do. Hike.” He pointed at the muffin in front of me. “Take a bite. You won’t regret it.”