I’ve been shot! he thought with shock. He must have knocked the man right on top of his own gun! Where only moments before he’d felt he had his opponent beaten, he now faced his own death!
“Now, ain’t that a bitch.” Frank chuckled.
As Simon clutched at his pounding shoulder, he tried to gather his scattered thoughts and stiffen his weakened legs. Seconds later, he found Frank standing above him, the pistol pointed directly at his head. Oh, God, Nona. I never got a chance to tell you that you are the love of my life and that I loved you the minute I saw that red hair shining in the sun.
“Not too often killin’ somebody is personal to me,” the man explained as he cocked the pistol’s hammer. “But I gotta admit, I’m gonna take pleasure in this.”
Simon closed his eyes as the sound of the gun firing filled his ears.
When Frank had stood above Nona, the storm raging around them, she’d believed that she would die. All of the hope that she’d attempted to nurture during the long march through the waterlogged forest had simply vanished in an instant, as if it were no more than a puff of smoke. That was why, when Simon had come hurtling out of the darkness and into Frank, she’d been utterly dumbfounded by it, and fearful that it was an illusion.
Nona could only marvel at the fury of the attack. She knew that she should either run for help, scream out to Simon that she was safe, or wade into the fray and try to help him. But instead, she stood paralyzed as the fight broke out in front of her, nothing more than a spectator at the most gruesome of sports. Her spirits rose with every blow that Simon landed against Frank, and sank when the fists struck him, but still she did nothing more than watch.
Finally, when Simon had landed the blow to his opponent’s nose, her spirits had soared! It was going to be over now! They were safe! She was just about to run to him and throw her arms around his waist when the shot rang out. Her hands went to her chest to see if it was she that had been shot, so real did it all seem, but none of her blood had been shed. When Simon fell to the ground, she’d known he hadn’t been as lucky.
“Now, ain’t that a bitch.”
At the sound of Frank’s voice, the rage deep inside Nona rose up. All of the anger that she’d felt when Maggie had been kidnapped. All of the indignity she’d had to swallow when she’d been forced to march through the woods at gunpoint. All of the frustration of dealing with Harold and his conniving schemes and plans. Frank had walked over to stand above Simon, a gun in his hand. She’d been conscious when he’d dealt with Webb, and she knew what was about to happen. Without a sound, she began to move.
“I’m gonna take pleasure in this.”
Desperation fueled each of Nona’s steps. Just as she was about to reach Frank, she leapt into the air and landed square on the man’s back. As she struck him, the gun in his hand went off, the sound of the shot ringing off of the trees that surrounded them. Now it was fear for Simon that fueled her; at that distance, how could Frank have missed his target? Fearing the worst, she fought with the ferocious intensity of a caged animal, clawing and scratching with all of her might.
“You stupid bitch!” Frank howled as her fingernails clawed across his cheek.
“I hate you!” she screamed back. “I’ll kill you!”
Frank stepped around blindly, Nona’s extra weight making it hard for him to keep his balance. She continued to punch him in the ears, rake across his skin, pull on his hair, anything and everything she could think of to cause him as much pain as he had caused her.
Finally, he managed to grab hold of one of her arms and roughly toss her off his back and onto the wet ground. Nona had no more than hit the earth than she was back on her feet and charging the still-dazed man. Her small frame collided with his and her hands beat against his chest and face.
“I’ll kill you!” she shrieked again.
Deep within, Nona knew that she wasn’t doing any damage, but she kept on fighting. She no longer feared his gun, knife, or the threats that he’d uttered. What did threats mean when she’d lost Simon?
Without warning, Frank’s hand swung out and struck the side of her face, swatting her away as if she were nothing more than a fly annoying a much more dangerous predator. Crashing back to the ground, Nona sobbed as the pain and loss suddenly overwhelmed her.
“Bitch!” Frank bellowed. “You goddamn bitch! I’m gonna kill you!”
Illuminated by another flash of bright lightning, the thug suddenly loomed over her again, just as he had only minutes before, his hands held out in front of him, ready to attach themselves to her slender neck and choke the life out of her. Nona wanted to scream, to continue fighting, but hopelessness had overcome her and she could no more lift a finger to stop him than she could move a mountain.
Another roar of thunder came from above and Nona reflexively shut her eyes. When, seconds later, she opened them, what she found momentarily confused her. Frank had fallen down onto his knees beside her, his eyes wide with an emotion that she couldn’t quite place . . . perhaps it was shock mixed with a touch of fear. His hands had moved to his own chest. There, in the center of his shirt, a red stain had begun to spread.
“What the . . . what the hell?” he murmured.
Where Frank knelt, he was only a dozen inches away from Nona and she quickly tried to move away, slipping and sliding in the grass and mud in her desperation. Behind his suddenly glassy eyes, Frank noticed her movement and reached out to grab her leg. Another roaring blast split the night, and Frank was sent hurtling backward into the rainy muck. His face contorted into a chaotic mask and his muscles spasmed once . . . then twice . . . as he fell silent. After one hiss of air through his teeth, Frank was dead.
“But . . . but what . . . ?” Nona mumbled.
“Behind you, sweetheart.”
Nona turned at the sound of the voice to see Simon leaning up on one elbow, a pistol held in his shaking hand. Even in his pain, he forced one of his trademark grins.
“Simon!”
Nona shot to her feet and ran the short distance between them, all of her own aches forgotten. Lifting his scruffy face as gingerly as she could, she began to plant soft kisses on his rough lips.
“I thought that he’d killed you! I thought I was too late!”
“He was doing his best,” Simon admitted between kisses. “He would have succeeded if you hadn’t jumped on his back. Not only did the shot miss me, but you knocked the gun out of his hand. By the time I crawled over to it, he’d just forced you to the ground. You saved my life, Nona.”
“And you saved mine,” she said as tears began to roll down her cheeks. Through it all, Simon had kept his word to her; he’d promised to take care of her and keep her safe and that was exactly what he’d done, even if it had nearly killed him. Now, she’d do everything she could to stay with him. “I love you, Simon Wright! I love you!”
Under the still-thundering storm, drenched by the pounding rain, Nona and Simon held each other and knew that better days awaited them.
Chapter 30
THE RAIN BEGAN TO SLOW as Simon and Nona hobbled beneath the thick stand of trees. Jack, who’d found them mere seconds after the last shot had been fired, was a few steps behind. His work shirt was wadded up and pressed tightly to Simon’s shoulder wound. It would do until they got back to the camp.
As they crossed the waterlogged grass, Nona hoped the worst was behind them. They’d passed Webb as he lay dead in the wet grass. Even though he’d played a role in the villainous plot, Nona was grateful to him for interfering when Frank tried to choke her to death.
Once they handed over the money to the proper authorities, it would all be over. Nona tried to support Simon. She could see that he was exhausted.
“Lean on me, Simon. We’ll get you to the doctor.”
“Mabel can patch me up.”
“No. You’re going to the doctor.”
Soon, they passed through the tree line and found themselves back on the camp grounds. Even though all of the cabins were just where they�
�d been hours earlier, they somehow looked different to Nona. Shaking her wet hair, she began to feel the joy of being home.
Jack led the way to LeAnn’s cabin. Not only did he want to check on LeAnn, but Mabel had brought the first-aid box when she came to stay with her.
Dusty watched them approach. He was standing guard on the porch with Simon’s rifle in his hand. When he realized who they were, he came to meet them.
“What happened?” the boy asked. “Is it over? Did you get them?”
“Get Mabel, Dusty. Tell her Simon has been hurt. I’ll tell you all about it later.”
“She’s inside,” the boy answered and held open the door.
They managed their way up the steps and into the cabin. Jack hurried into the far bedroom to see about LeAnn. Simon sat down at the table in the kitchen and slowly began to peel off his shirt. Nona sat beside him and Maggie hovered near.
“We’ll get you to the doctor,” Nona said again. “It’s all over. I’m so glad.”
“Not so fast, sweetheart.” Simon had a worried look on his face.
With gentle fingers, Mabel touched the area where the bullet had entered; then she moved around to look at his back. “This isn’t so bad.”
“That’s what you think!” Simon winced.
“The bullet passed all the way through the flesh of your shoulder. I don’t think it struck the bone.”
“That’s all fine and dandy, but my shoulder still feels like it’s being stabbed with a hot poker!”
“You’ll live,” Mabel said as she left the room.
Nona looked up from the bullet wound to see Simon staring at her intently. She knew that she would remember this day as long as she lived: being dragged into the woods, Simon getting shot, and the killing of two men. She would also remember something more pleasant . . . much sweeter, the way that her heart pounded as they’d made love and the strength of his voice as he’d told her he loved her.
“Simon, I . . .”
“Shhh,” he said softly, putting one finger to her lips. “There’s something I want to say to you before we go any further. Something I need you to know.”
Nona nodded her head in agreement, even though her heart felt like lead in her chest. The last time that he’d had something that he needed to tell her, she’d reacted badly and run off into the night. With a small sense of dread, she waited for him to speak.
“I’m sorry, Nona,” he said gently. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you the whole truth about me and what I was doing here sooner. It was never about trying to trick you or deceive you into telling me where the money was.”
“I didn’t think that.”
“Yes, you did.” Simon smiled slyly. “But that’s all right. I’d have thought the same thing if I’d been in your shoes. But know one thing . . . The insurance company hired me to get Harold’s stolen money back . . . They didn’t hire me to make love to a beautiful redhead.”
“Stop teasing.” She chided him.
“I’m not teasing. I’m telling you the truth. Nona,” he said as he took her hands in his own, “I’ve been crazy about you from the moment I laid eyes on you back at the apartment building in Little Rock. I want to be with you forever.”
“Oh, Simon.”
“Do you want to be with me?”
“You know I do, but where do we go from here?” This was the question that Nona had been dreading asking. Now that she knew what he did for a living, how could she expect him to stay with her? He had a life far away from this camp . . . far different from any she had ever known.
“Why do we have to go anywhere? I was thinking of settling down somewhere . . . someplace like a camp on a lake with a bunch of tall pines around it. Of course, I’d need help from a gorgeous redhead if I wanted to do it right.”
“What?” Nona asked incredulously. “Are you serious?”
“Dead serious.” He laughed some more. “As a matter of fact, I’ve been giving serious thought to quitting the detective work.”
“But . . .”
“No buts, sweetheart. I want you to stay here with me. Do you want to spend your life with me?”
“There’s Mabel and Maggie to consider.”
“You and I both know that Mabel loves it here and wanted to stay before this whole mess started. As for Maggie, we can find her a place to go to school this fall. If you want it to work, we can find a way.”
Nona nodded her agreement.
“I love you, darling,” he whispered.
“And I love you.”
“We’ll have a good life together."
When Mabel returned, she found Simon kissing Nona.
“I knew it was just a matter of time before you two fell in love. The only thing was . . . I was afraid you’d kill each other first.”
Simon stood on the porch of his cabin and looked out over the lake. Bright orange and red streaks ran into the crystal-clear blue of the sky above, painting a breathtaking picture on nature’s canvas. Millions of drops of rain dazzled in the light of the new day. Birds called to one another as life moved on after the terrible storm. The people of Tall Pine Camp had wakened to a brand-new day.
LeAnn was the beaming mother of a healthy and beautiful baby girl. With the exception of the weary hours when sleep finally took her, LeAnn had never stopped smiling. Jack gazed as proudly at the tiny squirming infant who lay in her mother’s arms as if she were his own.
Dusty had left for his home at first light with a promise that he would soon return. Mabel sent an invitation for him and his parents to come for dinner on Sunday. Maggie was still sleeping when he left; and though she’d be disappointed when she woke up, she’d have something to look forward to.
Nona had finally listened to Simon and they’d returned to her cabin. She’d lain down on the bed and fallen instantly asleep. Simon had stayed with her throughout the night.
While his shoulder still throbbed if he moved too much, the sharp pains had subsided to a dull ache. Nona insisted they would go to the doctor come morning.
The sheriff had been called and told what had happened during the storm. While the nasty weather had kept him and all of his deputies busy throughout the night, he’d promised to be at the grounds shortly after sunrise. Simon had gone to his cabin to get ready for him.
Simon was putting on a clean shirt when he sensed someone standing in the doorway behind him.
“Morning, Russ,” he said without turning around. “I’ve been waiting for you.”
“How’d you know it was me?” a gravelly voice asked.
Very slowly, Simon raised his hands to show that he was unarmed, then turned around to face Russ Story. The camp’s handyman stood in the doorway, a pistol in his hand. In the faint light of the early day, Simon could see the man’s set features.
“A lot of reasons.”
“Enlighten me.”
“The easy one is, that I saw you out of the corner of my eye when I left LeAnn’s cabin last night,” Simon said with a faint smile. “I knew you were trailing along behind me every step of the way. At first, I thought you might want to have a word with me about something down at the docks. But that’s not quite what you had in mind, was it?”
“Not exactly.”
“I didn’t think so.” Simon nodded. “Maybe it’s that I know Russell B. Story has a record a mile long. Robbery, assault, larceny . . . You failed to mention your police record. I checked on you when you applied for a job and I’ve had my eye on you from the moment you came here, waiting for you to make your move. I knew an old con like you wasn’t here just to fish. When Ernie Leasure was killed, I knew right away you had done it.”
“How did you figure that out?” The older man sneered. “You can’t prove it.”
“You’re right I can’t, but I know you did it. You identified Ernie even when his wife had a hard time recognizing him with his face beaten to a pulp. Why did you kill him?”
“I had my reasons.”
“Mind sharing them with me?” Simon said sarcastic
ally.
“I was just looking for a place to lay low for a while, then these two out-of-towners showed up. I recognized one of them. It only took a few phone calls to find out what they were up to. Leasure was working with them. I’d been watchin’ and waitin’ for Maggie to give me a hint of where the money was hidden, and I didn’t want Leasure horning in.”
“You think I’ve got it?”
“Of course you’ve got it. I ain’t stupid.” Russ chuckled. “Make no mistake about it, I’ll kill you if you don’t hand over the money. All I want is the money. I’ve seen you and the redhead makin’ eyes at each other. You’re her big hero now! Hell, for a second I thought you and I was playin’ the same racket and you were trying to get in her pants in order to find out about it.”
“Something changed your mind,” Simon prodded.
“The little talk I had with Ernie. He told me about you being an insurance investigator.” Russ scratched a hand across the salt-and-pepper stubble on his chin. “But that’s all water under the bridge. You got Frank and Webb out of the way for me, so just hand over the money and I’ll be out of your hair.”
“You and I both know you’ll shoot me just as soon as I give it to you.”
“Yeah, you’re probably right about that, but if you hand it over nice and easy, I’ll just shoot you in the leg.”
“And if I don’t?”
The handyman gave a scratchy, throaty laugh. “Then I’ll shoot you right between the eyes and go have a talk with the redhead. And if that doesn’t do the trick, I’ll work over her feisty little sister. With you out of the way, they’ll be more likely to talk, especially if I show them what I did to you.”
“I don’t know if you’ll have time for that,” Simon said with a shrug of his shoulders. “After all, I just got off the phone with the sheriff. He and his deputies should be here soon.”
“Then we don’t have a minute to waste.” The man took a step closer to Simon, the gun catching a ray of light through the open window. Russ’s eyes glinted with malice. “Where is it?”
On Tall Pine Lake Page 25
