“Do we have any other choice? You really want to walk over that?” Julia said as her observation dropped to regard Rain’s feet which were now covered in gummy dirt. “Trust me, after having stepped on something sharp in the water, you don’t want to do that.”
Rain acquiesced and hopped unconvincingly onto her friend’s back. Julia laced her arms through Rain’s legs and readjusted her weight before carrying her across the needle-encrusted ground. When they arrived at a patch of turf, the familiar smell of Christmas candle filled her nostrils as Julia dropped Rain beside the real thing—a balsam fir.
“Nicely done, thank you.” Rain smiled and patted Julia on the back.
Julia held up her arms, revealing her swollen biceps and said, “I guess all those field-day sporting events with the teenagers from school is finally paying off.” She giggled. “Besides, you weigh less than half my students. I need to keep feeding you pastries and fatten you up a bit, lady.”
Rain teasingly swatted one of her arms before Julia grew serious.
“Okay, we’re here. Now what, Sherlock?”
The two peeked out from behind the branches.
Julia took a step back from the tree, squinted, and said, “I can’t see a thing. He must still be inside the house. Can you see anything? And my hands are already sticky with sap.” She sniffed at her fingers before attempting to move the branch away again that had been obstructing the view of the rental.
Rain smiled and reached into her shorts pocket to remove the compact binoculars. “I may have forgotten my shoes, but I didn’t forget these babies.” She clucked her tongue as she lifted the field glasses up to her eyes and refocused. There was no movement in front of the colonial, so she skirted her view. She focused in on an upturned canoe on the far side of the property but much closer to the house than where they were standing.
“I’m going over there by the canoe. I think it might help me get a better look-see.” Rain pushed through the branches and disregarded Julia’s attempt to make her change her mind by a grab at her shoulder. Instead, she abandoned the hideout behind the tree and galloped across the front yard as fast as she could. Pure adrenaline pumped through her veins, propelling her forward. She pumped until she reached her target and ducked behind the safety of the upturned canoe.
Rain crouched down until her labor breathing subsided, and then popped her head up to see Julia running toward her across the front yard. Her pink hair was like a beacon, shimmering in the sunlight. Rain hoped for their sakes the intruder was not looking out the window because her friend’s hair was an absolute dead giveaway. When she arrived, Julia tripped, and landed face first to join her, skinning her knee in the process.
“Holy Hamburgers! What are you doing?” Julia hissed, gripping her own shirt at an attempt to slow her labored breathing. “You really think this is a wise choice? Have you fallen off your rocker?”
“Never mind me, look at your knee.” Rain pointed to Julia’s leg where it already began to drip blood. “You okay?” She winced just looking at the injury.
“Rain, you’re gonna get us into big trouble here. Bigger than a skinned knee. If this is indeed the guy who killed Thornton, or tried to break into your house last night, what the chicken cluck are we doing?”
“I don’t think he killed Thornton. Frankie mentioned these two guys were friends, if indeed this is the foreign guy he told me about.” Rain frowned after flicking a finger in the direction of the house. “What I do know for sure, however, is this guy is breaking into houses looking for something important. I think it’s up to us to find out what exactly he’s up to. Maybe that, my friend, will break this case wide open, and I can clear my parents out of this mess once and for all. Now’s the chance to tell me, are you in or out?”
“And how do you propose we do that?” Julia asked.
Rain tipped the canoe to reveal a wooden oar beneath it. Along with a host of bugs that scampered from the movement. She yanked the oar out and dragged it close to her side and then set the canoe carefully back down. She popped her head up and looked toward the rental to confirm there was no further movement from the perpetrator. “When I say go, we make a run for it.”
Julia’s eyes widened to twice their usual size.
Before Julia had an opportunity to change Rain’s mind or hold her back, Rain whispered, “Go!” and clutched the oar in one hand and made a run for it. She sprinted toward the back patio and upon immediate arrival at the house, flattened her back as close as possible, pressing hard against the vinyl siding, keeping the oar in a death grip in one hand. She tipped the back of her head against the house while she caught her breath and watched as Julia rushed to join her. The two remained pinned flat against the house and waited for their panting breaths to subside before taking a quick peek inside the back door.
When they finally took that chance, Rain noticed the intruder had his head deep inside the refrigerator. The man stepped back from the refrigerator and closed the door. Rain held her breath while she watched, then gasped when he locked eyes on them.
Chapter Twenty-Eight
“Son of a nutcracker! What are we going to do?” Julia squealed as she frantically flung her hands out nervously as if she was trying to fling large wet droplets from her hands. She danced wildly on two feet, her eyes the size of an owl’s.
Rain didn’t speak. She was too stunned.
“Well? Just don’t stand there! He’s coming!”
“I met him, at my house, and then at the bonfire.” Rain whispered. “He was at Kim’s house! At least when I was there. He was out on the pier. He must’ve left via wave runner!”
“What?” Julia hissed.
Rain raised the oar over her head and waited. “You try and distract the guy, and I’ll whack him. Max always told me if I ever found myself under attack by a man, go for the eyes, or the jewels. Sensitive spots … you know the one.” She nodded curtly and squared her shoulders.
Julia’s eyes widened even more as they heard the back door slide open.
“Can I help you?” the intruder asked.
Rain lowered the oar but locked her knees tight and stood tall like a Redwood. “What are you doing?”
“Me?” He tapped a hand to his chest. “What are you two doing?” His eyes traveled between them and landed finally on Rain and the oar that she held with a death grip in her hand.
“Trying to understand why you’re breaking and entering a friend’s rental home? Care to explain?” Julia said, unexpectantly gaining composure.
The man’s demeanor instantly changed. “You two shouldn’t be here.”
“No, you shouldn’t,” Rain said firmly.
The intruder rushed at Rain with outstretched arms as if he was going to disarm her. Even though she thought this was the man she’d met at Kim’s, the man who’d introduced himself as Paul, she couldn’t be hundred percent sure. It had been dark that night, and she hadn’t gotten a good look at him. And the day he had stopped by the library, she was so in her own head, it could’ve been Godzilla who’d come to the door. After the volley in her head, it didn’t matter. If it was them against him, she’d defend them to the end. As soon as he stepped foot on the patio, she hit the intruder over the head with a thud. He shook his head, stunned for a moment, but before she had a chance at a second crack, he reached to grab Julia by the arm, missed, and instead caught her pink hair at the last second and held it in a clenched fist.
“Let her go!” Rain seethed through gritted teeth as she watched the intruder cuff his arm around Julia’s neck in a choke hold, and drag her backward, holding her close. He yanked her friend tighter to the threshold of the house, and Julia let out a squeal before he momentarily covered her mouth with his slender hand.
Rain lifted the oar to ready herself, in order to jab him hard in his privates, but she was too slow. The man, of equal height, flicked open a large switchblade, and held it against Julia’s throat. Julia’s eyes widened when she caught sight of it and he almost nicked her. Rain couldn’t imagin
e how her friend must’ve felt as she watched in horror the sharpness of steel graze across her friend’s neck.
“Drop the oar,” he said.
Rain immediately caught the hint of a foreign accent. She hadn’t caught it when they’d spoken before, but she knew when agitated, angry, or upset, people often fell back on their native tongue .
“No! Not until you let her go! Depp!” Rain yelled at him.
The man’s eyes blazed. “Why did you call me an idiot?” he asked. “You’re a depp!” he added in his native tongue and yanked Julia tighter to himself.
The man’s answer confirmed what she’d already known, he’d broken into her house, too.
“You were Thornton’s friend, right Paul? Frankie told me you two were friends.” Rain lowered her voice and talked soothingly as if she was prompting a child. “We spoke the other night at Kim’s, remember me? Out on the pier?”
Paul didn’t reply; he just studied her as if he was trying to figure out what she’d do next.
“Let her go,” Rain said, this time attempting to keep her voice steady and calm. “Let her go, and this will all be over.”
The disgruntled man laughed at her. And then spit on the ground before dragging her friend fully inside the house. Julia let out a yelp, and then locked fearful eyes on Rain who followed them inside the rental, holding the oar steady in her hands. Her hands were white from the tight grip.
“I said let her go!” Rain demanded. “You’re just making this worse on yourself. Just take whatever you were planning on stealing, get outta of this house, and get outta here before the police come.”
Paul snickered. “The police are not coming,” he said as he dragged Julia deeper into the living room. “Nobody is awake in this neighborhood besides you two fools!” he spat.
“Yes. Yes, they are. The police are on the way right now, we called them from the boat.” She bluffed and noticed the fear flicker for a moment in the man’s dark brown eyes. His tangled mousy-brown hair fell loose, almost to his shoulder, and Rain couldn’t place how old Paul was, or if he was anywhere close to Thornton’s age. She wondered how they knew each other—
What was the connection?
“What are you doing in here?” Rain finally voiced aloud. “I thought you were Thornton’s friend. If that’s true, why are you breaking into his rental?” She knew he had to be the friend Frankie had told her about, but she wanted confirmation. She wanted to know his motive. “The money’s gone. The police have it,” Rain added, bobbing her head in the direction of the refrigerator.
“None of your business,” Paul muttered. But Rain couldn’t help but notice the flicker of surprise in his eyes. She could only conclude that the five-hundred-dollar bills were what he was after.
Rain moved closer, pointing the top of the oar fearlessly in Paul’s direction, forcing him to drag Julia backward toward a tall shelf of books. She eyed Julia knowingly and said, “I knew it was Always You.” Rain said, referring to her grandfather’s book. She hoped for her sake, Julia understood the prompt. Julia nodded her head ever so slightly; Rain hadn’t been sure.
“What are you talking about? Always You?” Paul uttered the title of her grandfather’s book with such contempt, Rain wanted to poke him in the jewels instantaneously, but she refrained.
When Paul backed up into the bookshelf, he briefly turned to see what he had bumped into, and Rain screamed, “NOW!”
Julia snatched the thickest book she could find and clocked Paul on the head with it. Stunned, Paul teetered on his heel and accidently dropped the pocketknife. Rain rushed to grab the knife off the floor, and before Paul could beat Rain at the pass, Julia kicked him in the privates, sending Paul to crumble to his knees. The man cried out in agony.
Rain and Julia locked eyes in stunned silence.
When the intruder stabilized, he attempted a lunge in the direction of Rain. She stood tall and held the knife steady. “Look, buster. My husband cheated on me and I really haven’t made peace with that yet. You ever hear of Lorena Bobbitt? That’s exactly what I’m gonna do to you if you don’t put your hands behind your back. Right. Flipping. Now!” She seethed through gritted teeth.
Julia let out a nervous giggle.
“Julia, go and fetch one of Thornton’s neckties out of the closet, will ya? And make it a fancy one. We’re gonna cuff this guy and send him to the slammer where he belongs,” Rain said with satisfaction, holding her gait steady.
Julia scampered to her feet and ran out of the room. She quickly returned with a solid green necktie, along with a soft pink one, and held one in each of her hands like a couple of blue-ribbon awards. “I picked this one because it goes with my hair. Don’t ya think?” She giggled nervously.
Rain beamed with pride at her friend but held the knife with a steady hand. She then turned her attention back onto the perpetrator.
“I don’t know why, but I have a feeling you had something to do with my uncle’s murder. There’s something more here you wanted besides money. I may not know yet. But trust me, I will get to the bottom of this, I promise you that,” Rain added with deep conviction and a tone unfamiliar to her own ears.
“Yeah, you pickled cucumber. We’re gonna get to the bottom of this,” Julia added punching her fists in the air like a boxer waiting for his opponent. The colorful neckties bouncing around in her balled fists.
Rain threatened the man further with blazing eyes and a twirl of the knife. “Turn around. Now!” She demanded.
After the man grudgingly complied with her request, Julia rushed over and wound the pink necktie taut to his wrists, and then Rain shoved him farther to the ground by pressing her hand hard on his shoulder. Julia then took her cue and wound his ankles with the green necktie, leaving Paul defenseless.
While Julia continued to bind up his ankles, Rain’s eyes darted the room in search of a landline. She breathed a sigh of relief when she located one and immediately dialed 911.
* * *
The minute Jace entered the room, he rushed to Rain’s side and removed the knife from her now trembling hand. She couldn’t recall how long she’d stood there holding the knife in a defensive stance, while the perpetrator remained coiled, like the snake that he was, on the floor.
“Wyatt, cuff him and get him outta here,” Jace directed with an extended finger and a curt nod at the young officer.
Jace then led Rain and Julia into the kitchen away from the criminal and the other officers who had come like a stampede of wild stallions to their aid.
“What in God’s green earth are you two doing over here?” Jace’s eyes traveled between Rain and Julia and then back again after they’d reached the center island inside the kitchen.
After a few silent moments and a shared glance, Julia said, “We came back to finish cleaning?” she asked hesitantly. A sheepish grin crossed her face, and Rain noticed how hard her friend worked to hold back the smile that was threatening to cross her face.
Jace shook his head. “Sorry Sis, not buying it. Try again.” He rested his hands firmly on his police belt and waited. The vein in his temple pulsated and Rain thought, under different circumstances, he might’ve clocked his sister upside the head with his police baton. Jace then looked at Rain’s feet.
“And where are your shoes, young lady?” He pointed to her feet and Rain curled her filthy toes in response.
“We came by boat!” Julia said quickly, as if that was a plausible excuse.
“Oh really? And where is it? Because one of the other officers circled the house before he joined us in here and told me there were no boats tied up to the dock. Not a pontoon,” he directed to Rain. “Not a red speedboat,” he transferred his eyes to his sister. “No boats anywhere in the vicinity.” He circled his finger in the air dramatically. “Including the neighbor’s pier, so where is the boat exactly? And whose boat did you bring over here?” Jace raised a brow and paused. His neck muscle protruded, and Rain wondered what she could possibly say that might ease the growing tension in the room.
Julia’s eyes dropped downcast to the floor and she remained silent.
“Anchored out by the bend,” Rain pointed in a direction none of them could see from their vantage point. “We brought my pontoon,” she confessed finally.
“Ahh, I see.” Jace nodded and then walked around the two of them as if he were an animal circling his prey. Rain and Julia remained huddled together in growing apprehension. “Let me get this straight. You hide the boat out yonder,” he flicked a finger lakeside. “You come over here without shoes.” His eyes traveled back to Rain’s feet. “Maybe it’s me, but something tells me you two were not over here first thing in the morning— before breakfast I might add, to clean.” He clicked his tongue, and then his expression hardened. “Call me crazy, but something tells me, ladies, that what you are saying, simply doesn’t add up.” He threw his hands up in disbelief before he laced his hands across his chest and glared at them through disbelieving eyes.
“Actually, we ate. Doughnuts. We ate doughnuts. There’s more in the boat if you want some.” Julia’s eyes wandered back to the floor.
“I, mean, I …” Rain stuttered and then closed her lips in a grim line.
“Exactly,” Jace interrupted. “You two …” Jace wagged a finger between them. “You two,” he said again, this time with growing agitation, “should’ve never been here. So, which one of you is going to tell me the real reason that led you here?”
“Frankie was the original reason,” Rain said softly and then her shoulders sank.
“The neighbor?” Jace’s brows knit together and then Julia pipped up.
“Yeah! Rain forgot to tell you, but when we were over here cleaning, you know, the day we called you about the money … the money that we found in the fridge?” All three sets of eyes landed on the refrigerator and then back to Julia. “Anyhow … Rain had a chat with Frankie that morning, and he told her that Thornton hung out with some foreign guy …”
“And you came back here to question him?” Jace interrupted and then dropped his arms to his side and held his hands tight to his legs in balled fists. “About some foreign guy?” He lasered in on Rain. “The foreign guy that you and I talked about? You actually thought it would be a good idea to go and find him yourself? After he attempted to break into your cabin? Are you nuts, Rain?”
Murder at the Lakeside Library Page 23
