by BJ Bourg
“There’s a giant sign over the bathroom door,” Malory said, her eyes narrowing. After a long moment, she relaxed. “I didn’t see you come in. Do you need a seat?”
“She can sit with me,” I said—again without thought. I winced, not sure how Chloe would react.
“Yes, I’ll sit with our new chief,” Chloe said. She moved past me and slipped into the booth. “I’ll take a tea with ice and lemon.”
I took the seat across from her, and when Malory was gone, I leaned forward on my elbows. “What were you doing in there?”
Chloe’s face reddened. “My job.”
“What were you looking for?”
Chloe squinted. “Let’s do this. I answer one of your questions, and you answer one of mine. We keep playing that game until someone gives up.”
“I can’t talk about an ongoing investigation. Protocol.”
“Neither can I, but I’m willing to bend the rules for a little exchange of information.” Chloe’s bottom lip was full and she bit the corner of it. “Are you game?”
I hesitated. “I don’t know.”
“Look, I won’t use any of the information you give me. I just want to verify some things I’ve heard, to let me know if I’m on the right track or not.” She reached across the table and touched my forearm with her cold hand. “You can trust me…just ask anyone.”
I smiled inwardly. She was cool—and hard to resist. “If I agree to play your little game, do you promise not to publish anything I say in your paper?”
“I promise. I just want to verify some information I heard.”
I sighed. “Okay…shoot.”
“Whose arm did y’all find in the lake?”
“You already know.”
“So, it is Hays Cain?”
I nodded.
“I thought so.” Chloe twirled a lock of her wavy hair. “Now it’s your turn.”
I shot a thumb toward Hays’ office. “What were you doing in there?”
“I already answered that question. I said I was doing my job.”
“You have to be more specific.”
Chloe smiled, and her eyes seemed to twinkle. “I had to guess whose arm y’all found. If you can guess what I was doing, I’ll answer truthfully.”
I started to guess, but Malory walked up with our drinks. I waited as she placed the glasses on the table, then I took a long sip from mine. Malory turned to Chloe. “Do you want a catfish dinner, too?”
“Sure.”
When Malory was out of earshot, I said, “You were trying to get into his computer or his daily planner to see what he’s been up to.”
“Close, but not quite.” Chloe checked over her shoulder to make sure no one could hear, then fixed her blue eyes on me. “If you tell me one thing, I’ll share with you some information I received, but only if you promise to keep it on the down low, as they say nowadays.”
I shrugged. “Sure thing. Ask away.”
“Did you find Hays Cain’s body?”
I shook my head. “We’ve been on the water nonstop for the past two days—nothing. Not a thing.”
Chloe’s brow furrowed. She was looking right at me, but seeing through me, thinking. Finally, she asked, “Was there a murder in town, and was it Kelly Dykes?”
“Where’d you hear that?” I asked, the suddenness of my response giving me away.
Chloe smiled. “So, it is true.”
“Who told you that?”
“I received an anonymous call from a blocked number saying Hays Cain was murdered, but that his murder was part of a larger scheme. The voice was disguised, muffled. It sounded like he was talking through a rag or something.”
“It was a man?”
Chloe nodded. “I’m sure of it.”
“Did you ask who it was?”
“Yeah, but he wouldn’t say. He said he couldn’t say who he was, that it was too dangerous—that his family would be in jeopardy.”
I pondered this, then asked, “Did this person say if he knew who killed Cain? Did he give any indication at all who it might be?”
Chloe shook her head. “I told him I didn’t believe what he was saying. I told him I wanted proof that what he was saying was true. He told me I would have to believe him. I asked him to tell me something that no one else would know to validate his claims.”
“Did he tell you anything?”
“Yeah, he told me that Kelly Dykes was murdered because of what Hays told her.”
“What did Hays tell her?”
“He didn’t say.”
We stopped talking when Malory brought our food and waited patiently for her to set it out in front of us. “Fried fish and white beans for each of you,” Malory said. Steam drifted from the food, and the smell made my stomach growl. Once she had set out our silverware, Malory walked away.
I leaned toward Chloe. “When did this guy call you?”
Chloe reached into her purse and pulled out a notepad. She thumbed through it. “Around two o’clock this afternoon.”
“Did he say anything else?” I asked. “Anything at all?”
“He did say something else. He said you interrupted Kelly’s killer…that he was supposed to retrieve something and had to shoot at you to make his escape.”
I sat quiet. The person who called her had to be the shooter, or someone close to the shooter. Other than me and my department, no one else knew about the shooting. I picked up my fork to signal the end of the question and answer session. “I trust you’ll keep your word and not share this information with anyone.”
“Ditto that. My editor would not take too kindly to me handing my exclusive to the chief of police.” Chloe flipped her notebook shut and tucked it into her purse. She looked up at me and grinned. “Okay, enough about work. I want to hear about you.”
“There’s nothing to tell.” I bit into the fried catfish. It was crunchy and delicious. I chewed it, savoring the flavor. When I swallowed, I grabbed up a fork full of white beans and ate it. “God, this is good.”
Chloe nodded. Her cheeks were puffed out from the food she was chewing. “I used to eat here a lot,” she said between mouthfuls, “but I had a disagreement with Hays over an article I wrote, and he told me I wasn’t welcome in his restaurants again.”
“Wait—he banned you from his restaurants?”
Chloe nodded.
“So, since he’s dead,” I joked, “you think you can eat in here anytime you want?”
Chloe smiled her perfect smile. “Something like that. I figure he can’t poison my food if he’s not around.”
We continued to eat until Chloe glanced at her wristwatch, suddenly wiped her mouth on a napkin and started gathering her things. “I have to go! I’m going to be late for the fight.” Chloe waved for Malory, calling out, “Can I get the check?”
“Wait…you’re going watch Susan’s fight?”
Chloe grinned. “Not just her fight—all of them. I’m covering it for the newspaper.”
I felt my heart skip a tiny beat. “Um, do you want to ride with me? You can leave your car parked at the police department.”
Chloe studied my face, her eyes slightly squinted. After a long, awkward moment, she nodded slowly. “Yeah, I’ll ride with you. I can leave my car here, though. They won’t mind.”
CHAPTER 23
Once I paid Malory and left a sizable tip, Chloe followed me out to the parking lot and jumped into the passenger’s side of my Tahoe. My palms were sweaty. My heart raced. I was very conscious of Chloe Rushing sitting right beside me, her left elbow resting on the center console almost rubbing against my arm. Neither of us said much as I drove, and we made it to the bingo hall with twenty minutes to spare. I bought a ticket at the door, and Chloe played the press card to get in for free.
I turned to her when we were inside the crowded room. “I guess you have a ringside seat or something. I’ll go find a seat—”
Chloe smiled. “Don’t be silly. I’m sitting with you.”
I turned to scan the roo
m. An octagon-shaped cyclone fence enclosure with padded corners was situated at the center of the room. Metal folding chairs surrounded the octagon-shaped fence. People milled around, drinks in their hands, talking loudly about who they thought would win each fight of the night. I pointed to a few empty chairs closest to the cage. “How about those seats? Can you see well enough from there?”
“Yeah,” Chloe said, “that’s perfect.”
We squeezed past crowds of drinking fans and finally reached the empty chairs. I took the seat at the end and Chloe sat right beside me, her arm brushing against mine. I looked around, not expecting to know anyone. After all, I was a stranger in town and I’d spent more time in the water than on dry land up to that point. Out of uniform, no one even gave me a second glance. It was as though I was invisible, and I liked it. A familiar face caught my attention, and I craned my neck to see around one of the corner posts. “Is that the mayor?” I asked.
Chloe looked where I pointed. “Yep, that’s him at the VIP table.”
Mayor Landry was seated at a large table with five other men. Naturally, he was positioned at the head of the table. There was an empty chair to his left. Next to him to the right was a man I’d never seen before, but across from the mayor at the foot of the table was my father-in-law. “Who’s that man sitting next to the mayor?” I wanted to know.
Chloe stood halfway out of her chair, placed a soft hand on my shoulder and leaned into me. I was as unfamiliar with women’s perfume as I was with the study of alien life forms, but I immediately recognized it as the kind Michele used to wear.
“Oh, that’s Walter Moore,” Chloe said, sinking back to her seat. “He’s an assistant district attorney here. The man to his right is Daniel Blackley.”
“His name sounds familiar. What’s he do?”
“You’ve probably seen the billboards in town advertising job openings. He’s the CEO of Blackley and Sons Industries…a chemical plant on the river. They say his place has to stay on high alert because it’s a potential terror target.”
“William handled a burglary at one of his old warehouses in town.”
“Really?” If Chloe had had ears like Achilles, they would’ve perked up. “What was stolen?”
“Nothing worth writing about.” I looked at the man sitting across from Daniel Blackley—it was Randall Rupe. Next to Randall was another man I didn’t recognize. “Who’s the guy next to Randall?”
“Mark McNeal.” Chloe pulled her notebook out and started making notes.
“Is he someone important?”
“I guess it depends on your definition—he owns some banks.”
I was thoughtful, pointed out the empty chair. “I guess that’s where Hays Cain would be sitting if he’d still be alive?”
“You’re catching on, Chief.”
I was still studying the VIP table when the announcer stepped to the middle of the cage and hollered into the microphone. He excitedly named some sponsors, identified who would be fighting in the main event, and thanked everyone in attendance. He then lowered his voice and nodded toward the table where Mayor Landry and the other men sat. “It’s coming up on the two-year anniversary of the loss of six of Mechant Loup’s finest soldiers. Let us now have a moment of silence to pay respect to those fine individuals and their families.”
Everyone stood, bowed their heads. When the moment of silence was over, I asked Chloe what the announcement had been about.
She pointed to the table. “Two years ago, on the Fourth of July, six families lost kids who served in the national guard.”
It seemed every man at the table was wiping tears from his eyes, including my father-in-law, Judge Miller. I scowled. Michele had never mentioned having a brother who died while serving. “They all had sons who died in the guard?”
“Except for Judge Miller and Mark McNeal.” Chloe nodded. “Mark McNeal’s daughter was killed. As for Judge Miller, he didn’t have any kids who served in the military. From what I understand, he only had one daughter and she got killed in an armed robbery or something in the city.”
I swallowed hard and tried to remain unfazed. “How’d they get killed? I mean, six of them all at one time? How’d that happen?”
“They were all together when—”
“Are you ready for the first fight of the evening?” the announcer screamed. “Let’s hear it for…”
The announcer went on to introduce the fighters for the first match, and Chloe and I made small talk while we watched. It ended two minutes into the second round when one of the fighters put the other in a rear-naked choke. There were four more fights before the announcer called Susan’s name. I caught movement at the end of the room and saw Susan walking toward the ring with a small army of people following her. Her hair was pulled back into cornrows, just as she wore it at work, but she looked nothing like she did in her uniform. She wore form-fitting shorts and shirt that accentuated her sleek, muscular frame. Her feet were bare, but she wore grappling gloves. The mouthpiece pushed her face into a scowl and that, along with the bruises on her toned legs, made for an intimidating presence.
I nodded my approval. “I’m glad she’s on my side—she looks really tough.”
“She’s as tough as they get,” Chloe said. “She’s downright vicious. Did you know she was undefeated?”
I shook my head and watched as Susan jogged into the cage and bounced around on the balls of her feet. She looked relaxed out there, as though she were at home in the cage. I found myself envying what she had. How free and happy she looked. I tried to remember what it felt like to be happy—truly happy. Not the kind of happiness where I’d put on a fake smile and pretend to be fine, while my insides were on fire. Not the kind of happiness where I acted fine, but had to struggle to catch a deep breath because it felt like a boulder was crushing my chest. Not the kind of happiness where I was at ease in a room full of people, but was utterly lost and lonely on the inside. I wanted to breathe easy and free again. I wanted to have feelings again. To love…to worry…to care. Yeah, I’d love to care again. I frowned and shook my head. Those days were gone forever for me. The best I could hope for was an early end so I could see Michele and Abigail again.
CHAPTER 24
“Are you ignoring me?” Chloe’s soft voice rescued me from my thoughts.
I jerked my head around to look at her. “What?”
She laughed. “I lost you for a minute. You were staring at Susan Wilson like you’d never seen a girl in tights.”
“I didn’t realize I was staring. I just… I just have a lot on my mind.”
“I understand.” Chloe put a hand on my knee. “You’ve been through a lot lately. I can’t imagine how it must’ve felt to be nearly killed by an alligator. I could see the pain on your face that day—the first time I ever saw you.”
I looked away from Chloe and back toward Susan. One of her trainers was applying some sort of grease to her face and then he checked her gloves and nodded. As I watched the action in the ring, I spotted a man in my peripheral vision. It appeared he was staring at me. I glanced in his direction—it was Beaver. He stood near the cage with his arms folded in front of his chest. He was glaring at me. I shook my head and smiled. When Beaver shifted his eyes from me to Chloe, they turned to mere slits. He mouthed something. I felt my heartbeat quicken.
“Why the hell is Beaver Detiveaux staring at you like he wants to kill you?”
Chloe followed my gaze, but quickly turned her head away. “He gives me the creeps.”
“It looks like he hates you. Why?”
“I did a story on him a while back. It got him fired.”
I gasped. “You were the reporter who got him fired?”
“Guilty as charged.” Chloe chewed on her lower lip. “He should’ve gone to jail.”
People in the bingo hall began to clap. I turned toward the cage just in time to see Susan and her opponent—some muscle-bound woman named Beatrix who looked like a German tank—advancing toward each other with evil intention
s. When they clashed, there was a flurry of punches from both of them. In the middle of the action, and without warning, Susan jumped high into the air. She brought her right knee around in a whipping arc and it crashed into Beatrix’ jaw. The impact was sickening. Beatrix stumbled backward. Like a hungry mountain lion, Susan pounced. She threw a jab and cross combination that felled Beatrix. I couldn’t be sure, but it looked like Beatrix’s eyes rolled back into her head on her way to the canvas. She didn’t move after she hit the ground.
The crowd erupted. People jumped into the air. They whistled and screamed. I stood so I could see what was happening, and Chloe stood beside me, grabbed my arm and leaned close.
“What just happened?” Chloe asked, trying to scream above the roar of the manic crowd. Her lips brushed lightly against my ear and tickled. I shuddered as the sensation reverberated up and down my spine. It had been a long time since I’d felt a tingle like that.
I leaned into her. “Susan just knocked the piss out of that woman! I think she’s dead.”
“I missed it!” Chloe started writing frantically on her notepad, glanced up at a bank of televisions in the center of the room, waited for the replay. The crowd cheered again as the large screen showed the knockout in slow motion. When Chloe was done making her notes, she flipped her pad shut and shoved it into her purse. “Okay, that was the last fight. I’m ready.”
I looked down at her, curious. “Ready for what?”
“To get out of here. Let’s go do something.” She grabbed my hand and started to drag me away when Mayor Landry appeared in front of us.
“Clint, can I have a word with you? Alone?”
I turned to Chloe. “Can you give us a minute?”
The smile faded from Chloe’s face. She nodded and let go of my hand.
“What’s up, Mayor?” I asked when we had moved out of earshot of Chloe.
“Any progress on the search for Hays?”
“None.” I stepped closer to Mayor Landry. “You two were friends, right?”
“We’ve been friendly for years, but we grew really close after our sons were killed.” He nodded his head toward the table where he had been sitting with my father-in-law and the others. “Tragedies bind people together, you know? Most of us barely knew each other before that miserable day.”
