“Look who’s being a sourpuss. It’s about time I pulled one over on you, since you do it to me all the time.”
Preferring to ignore that small fact, she wasted no time in getting to the point. “Just tell me what you said to him.”
“None of your business. Chief of police business.”
Sure, and cows could sing opera. “Well, at least tell me, what do you think of him?”
“The jury is out.”
Alana leaned her head against her seat’s headrest and suppressed a groan. He wasn’t going to give her anything, and while she understood his right, she also knew that something had to have been said because first and foremost, he was protective of her.
“I put out enchiladas for you. Did you find them and the salad in the refrigerator?”
“I just finished. Thank you, baby. Now you behave yourself, hear? Keep your mind on business.”
“I always do—in fact, I’ve gotta go. Would you believe there are kids coming across the street from the school, planking on the roof of a pickup truck?”
Duke swore succinctly. “Are you serious?”
“More than. And it’s Mayor Jim’s pretty daughter Carrie sitting in the passenger seat. That’s not her boyfriend driving. Jerry Terrell’s the one on the roof—you want to give the mayor a call? It’s not going to look good to the community if we make it seem that his daughter and her friends get special treatment because of who they are.”
“I’m on it.” It was clear Duke was not proud of what he was about to have to do. “I can’t believe that school only started the other day and that young fool is already risking losing an athletic scholarship.”
“Uh-huh,” Alana drawled. “You can’t say I ever did anything that blatantly public and humiliating to you.”
“Remind me later,” Duke grumbled. “I’ll throw you a parade.”
* * *
While her shift had started with a great deal of excitement, by midnight, the energy had depleted from the day like a burst balloon lying flat on the ground. By midnight, it was just another sultry night in August and the streets were empty, most stores and homes so dark, as if Oak Grove was a ghost town.
“At the rate things are going, we won’t issue enough traffic tickets to pay for city hall’s light bill this month,” Alana said to herself, as she paused in the library parking lot before swinging around to make a pass by the churches and then the banks.
Ed hadn’t even come over the radio to announce he was going for a coffee and donut break at Happy’s Stop’n’Go. But when she noted that to Bunny at her stop at the station for a restroom break, the other woman told her that Ed’s wife was back from visiting their new granddaughter in Arkansas, so he was probably chomping away on the vegetable slices she packed for him, or parked somewhere chatting away with his wife, Margaret. The thought brought an unexpected but poignant stab of loneliness. Just a little. Then with a mischievous smile, she wondered how Mack would react if she called over there and asked in her most sultry voice, What’re you doing?
“Ally? Ally! Get over here. Hurry!”
Jolted out of her musings, Alana shifted into gear and cut a sharp turn, then sped back to the station. “I’m on my way,” she replied. “What’s up?” As scared as the other woman sounded, it had to be something significant.
“S-snake.”
Whatever answer Alana had expected, it wasn’t that. There was a snake? In the building? How on earth had that happened? One thing she did know for sure—Bunny had left Ed out of things. He was terrified of snakes.
“Yes. Coming right at me. Oh, help!”
“I’m pulling into the parking area.”
How on earth did a snake get in? she wondered as she stopped and shut down her vehicle. Through a vent? A hole in the foundation no one yet knew about?
Running toward the front door, she spotted Bunny on all fours on top of her desk, which would have been as funny a sight as she’d seen lately—except when she found the front door unlocked. She continued inside only to halt as Bunny thrust up her hand to warn her to stop. Then she pointed to Alana’s left.
There Ally saw a very confused snake pausing to look around, undoubtedly wondering why the floor was smoother than its skin and what it had gotten itself into.
“Now how did that thing get in here?”
“I’m sorry, but I forgot to lock the door.”
Alana thought Bunny had somehow managed to unlock it for her, but she should have known better. It was Bunny’s weakness and one Ally warned would get her into trouble one day. It seemed that time was now.
“You know the rules when you’re here by yourself,” Alana began.
“I know, I know,” Bunny replied. “But it gives me claustrophobia.”
“Now? After having this shift for two—three years?”
“Then I had to go,” the other woman said, ignoring the lecture. “Just as I started to exit the bathroom, I heard laughter. I came out and saw the door swing shut, but otherwise there was just a blur of someone running away. That’s when I saw the snake. Ally, it’s like it didn’t want to do anything but come to me. I’ve never been so scared in my life!”
“If I told the chief that you’re exposing yourself the way you are, I think he could raise that up a notch,” Alana replied. “But hopefully now you’ve learned your lesson.”
“You won’t call him?”
Bunny’s hopeful voice indicated she’d heard about what happened earlier regarding the mayor’s daughter and her boyfriend. “He’s sleeping and I’m busy getting a broom,” Alana replied.
“Do you know what kind it is?” Bunny asked as Alana headed to the storage room. “It looks mean to me.”
Alana repressed a smile. “That’s it. Reptilus Meanicus.”
“Ally, don’t make fun of me.”
She might have continued, but she saw the snake’s arrow-shaped head. Added to the brassy coloring and pattern, she knew this wasn’t a laughing matter. “I’m not. It’s definitely a copperhead.”
“OMG! There’s bug spray in my bottom drawer. Get him!”
“Don’t be silly,” Alana called back from the storage room. “If I spray, you won’t be able to work in here for hours afterward and when the morning shift arrives, you’d really have some explaining to do.” She returned with the industrial push broom. “The person running away—could you describe any of his clothing?”
“Oh...you would ask me that. He moved fast, so I think he was young. Of course, the giggling told me that much, too. I think he was wearing one of those sweatshirt type of jackets. The hood was up.”
Oak Grove’s school colors were green and red for the summer and autumn tree colors. The town was neighbors to a community that featured an autumn-trails festival and used to be part of the East Texas Piney Woods. “Was there enough light to notice if it was our school’s colors? Did you spot any emblems or writing?”
“Snake, Ally. I just saw this snake flying into the building!”
“Okay, okay, calm down.”
The thing seemed to figure out that things were not going to improve and had relocated to curl in a dark corner under Skip Donaldson’s desk in the southeast corner of the room. “Yeah, you’re as upset about this as Bunny is,” she told it. “What smart-aleck kids tossed you in here, huh? Hang on. This is your lucky day. I’m not the one who would prefer to turn you into toxic road kill.”
Using the broom, she swept the snake back out into the open and, as it tried to slither back into the dark, she trapped it with the bristles, then took hold of the tail and lifted it into the air. “Okay, Bunny, go open the door for me.”
Instead, Bunny screamed and ran into the bathroom and slammed the door shut behind her.
“Well, for pity’s sake,” Alana called after her. “I wouldn’t let it bite you.”
Some gratitude, she thought, continuing toward the door. She kept the writhing snake at arm’s length and the broom ready to push it away from her hand in case it did manage to climb up its own bod
y enough to attempt to bite her. About to use her shoulder to get the door, she saw someone jog up the sidewalk and open up for her.
Mack’s eyebrows lifted as he took in the situation. “All in a day’s work, I presume?”
His droll tone had her replying in kind. “Someone thought we’d like sushi for our midshift snack, but Bunny vetoed the idea. Back in a minute.”
Wondering at his presence and whether her uncle had anything to do with that, she carried the unhappy and increasingly active reptile across the parking lot and then the street. Her goal was to reach the wooded area that was the park’s northernmost entrance-exit; however, the snake clearly didn’t trust her, or else disagreed, and she was forced to let it go at only the edge of the trees.
“Ungrateful wretch. Do you think you’re going to find anyone else this compassionate tonight?” she scolded as it slithered off. “Stay off the road, and steer clear of wise guys with too much time on their hands!”
Retracing her steps, Alana was glad she had the time to chill and think about why Mack decided to break his own self-imposed solitary confinement. But she couldn’t deny that he looked good standing there waiting for her in jeans and a white T-shirt, just big enough to make her think he’d borrowed it from Fred’s drawers, maybe? To help hide his bandages, or was everything of his needing washing? White was healthier than dyed material anyway. His leather thong sandals seemed out of character for a soldier, but Fred’s white truck parked beside her patrol car told her that he hadn’t walked, so why not? It beat sweaty sneakers in this heat. She would be barefoot herself if she wasn’t on duty.
“You do know that thing was poisonous, don’t you?” he asked, once she reached him.
Was he kidding? “I’ll take a copperhead over a cottonmouth or rattler any day.” Her tone suggested that she was talking about wheat bread over white.
The corner of his mouth twitched, but his mysterious green-gray eyes drilled into hers trying to read what else was going on in her mind. “Uh-huh. Do you also pick up scorpions and black widow spiders to move them to safer quarters?”
“It’s not high on my list of impulses, and I also never tried to lasso the alligator that ended up in the superintendent of school’s swimming pool.” Their conversation was complete nonsense, but she was willing to play along and wait for a clue as to why he was here.
“Good. It would be a shame to ruin such pretty skin...or to see you missing a finger or limb.”
As he spoke, he inspected her bare and tanned arms exposed by her short-sleeved uniform. Unable to resist, she leaned the broom against the door and held out both arms, wrist side up. “No suicidal slash marks, either.”
When he made no reply, she looked away, unhappy and embarrassed. He’d obviously come because Uncle Duke had said too much and either threatened him, or scared him with anecdotes about her impulsive and self-destructive tendencies. Whichever it was, she supposed he’d now come to say goodbye before hitting the road again.
Do you have any clue as to how wrong that was, Uncle Duke? On so many levels?
“Excuse me for cutting this short,” she said abruptly, “but I have that mischief to investigate.” She nodded in the direction of where she’d freed the snake. “Why are you here when all of yesterday’s negotiating was supposed to get you optimum privacy? Did my uncle’s friendly visit give you insomnia?”
“He did mention you several times.”
“I’ll just bet he did.” Alana couldn’t help the slow seethe that spawned in her.
“Oddly enough,” Mack continued, “our meeting had the opposite reaction than even I expected.” He lifted his arms as though helpless. “So you see—I’ve lost my challenge with myself to see how long I could hold out before coming to get you.”
Alana’s heart began to pound; nevertheless, she wasn’t sure she’d heard him correctly. “Interesting phrasing. Interesting timing, too,” she added, glancing at her watch, “considering that I still have a few hours left on my shift.”
Mack’s expression transformed into one of bemused chagrin. “Take that as a compliment.”
“Okay,” she replied slowly. She was feeling just vulnerable enough to hope that he wasn’t messing with her. “So, you want to go for a ride? There really is something I have to check out.”
“We’re still dealing with the snake issue?”
“That’s right. Just a second.” Alana opened the door and put the broom inside, then said to Bunny, “I’m going to see if I can find anyone on foot in the area.”
“Okay. Sorry, Ally.”
“Just lock up this time.”
“Um...is that Mack I see out there?”
Alana sent him a “thanks for making my job harder” look over her shoulder and said, “Looks like it. He just drove up. Later.”
As she led the way to her car, she felt Mack’s gaze and knew he had questions. Well, so did she.
“I take it the snake didn’t get inside by accident?” he asked.
“If you’d arrived two minutes earlier, you might have seen who did it,” she replied. “I was several blocks away, and Bunny just saw the back of a hoodie.”
“Who’s wearing one of those in this heat?”
“Someone trying to hide his identity.”
“You’re only looking for one person?”
“Not necessarily.”
“I saw two kids heading for the school basketball court. The taller one was wearing some kind of jacket.”
“What did the other one look like?”
“I didn’t give them much more than a glance, but he was chunky and was carrying the ball.”
“Sounds just like my favorite juvenile delinquents.” They settled in the car and buckled up. When Alana pulled out of the parking lot, she caught Mack watching her. “Now what’s on your mind?”
“Shouldn’t you be calling for backup?”
“For a couple of sixteen-year-old pranksters? No. But if you want me to let you out, I will.”
“Okay, tough guy, what does scare you?”
“Sleep. Fire. Being trapped.” She pulled into the school parking lot and drove around to the back of the gym where the courts were. There she saw a pair of boys shooting baskets. Shifting into Park, she said, “I appreciate the heads-up. I won’t be a minute.”
* * *
Mack was still taking in the situation as she exited the patrol car. He wasn’t at all happy that she was doing exactly what she claimed she didn’t like—driving to a hidden area of the school where there were enough shadows that any number of people could be lurking, setting her up for a trap. If she knew to come here to find someone, didn’t it stand to reason that they could be expecting her? His own training had him itching to follow her, but he knew that would be the last time she’d let him near her. But he did open the passenger door and stand outside so it would at least appear that he had her back, and to hear enough of the conversation to ascertain if things were going okay or not.
“Look who’s here.” The taller youth—no longer wearing the jacket—stopped playing and rested the ball on his hip. “Come to shoot a few baskets with us, Officer Anders?”
“I’ll have to take a rain check, Ty. Still on the clock. It’s pretty late for you boys to be out, considering that there’s school tomorrow—especially since Kenny has a curfew. Don’t you, Mr. Finch?”
The formal use of his name did have the shorter boy looking increasingly uneasy, but after a brief look at his friend, he attempted to hold his ground. “It doesn’t count when my folks are out of town. They’ll start counting days again when they get back. They know I’ll sneak out even though my grandma’s staying at the house, because she can’t stay awake.”
“That’s pathetic, Finch. What’s worse is that you were dumb enough to tell me. Did any of what you just said resonate in what’s between your ears?”
The stocky boy hung his head. “I guess so. But I gotta have a life.”
“The one your buddy Tyler here is shaping up for you?”
; In the unforgiving light, Kenny’s gray T-shirt stretched over his protruding stomach, and his full cheeks glistened with sweat. Mack suspected that in different circumstances he would prefer to be somewhere flipping TV channels or playing a game on his computer, but friend Ty helped him at least believe he was half cool being outside when all other kids were home.
Alana pointed to the dark mass at his feet. “What’s that?”
Kenny glanced down and then slid another look at Tyler, who continued to act as though he wasn’t part of what was going on. “I don’t know. It was there when we got here.”
“Was it, now? Well, hold it up for me so I can determine if it should be brought to Lost and Found in the morning. Or maybe I’ll have it cleaned and donate it to a church resale shop. Some parent isn’t going to be happy to have put out their hard-earned money and someone being so careless with it.”
Looking increasingly miserable, the kid did pick up the jacket, but tried to keep it bunched in his hands.
“Hold it by the hood, Kenny,” Alana directed. “Don’t suddenly pretend English isn’t your first language.”
The boy did as directed.
“That doesn’t look like it’s been tossed there and forgotten.” Alana added almost gently, “The truth now—is that yours?”
Although there was not so much as a breeze, the jacket began to move from the boy’s shaking. He looked at Ty again, and then he bravely lifted his chin and said, “Yeah, it’s mine. What of it?”
“You know what I’m about to say. Someone in a jacket exactly like that was seen running from the police station after throwing a snake inside—only you weren’t wearing it, were you?” Alana asked the boy that was floundering before her eyes. “Ty was. But just look at him. He has no intention of taking responsibility.”
Kenny did look, only to get a glare of disgust from Ty. “We were just having a bit of fun.”
“That’s ‘having fun, Officer Anders’ to you, mister,” Ally said without rancor. “Unless we’re standing in front of your father and I’m complimenting you on your 4.0 grade average, or some game-winning points—and what’s the likelihood of that happening, considering the company you prefer to keep? Increasingly unlikely by my guesstimation.”
A Holiday to Remember Page 7
