Death by Auction

by Alexis Morgan

  Spence joined his wife but gave Abby a dark look. “Did you know that man cheats?”

  She snickered but felt obligated to defend Tripp’s honor. “I know he can be sneaky, but just how does one cheat at pool? You were watching him like a hawk, so he couldn’t have tilted the table or manually dropped a ball in the pocket without you seeing him do it.”

  The former soldier remained unconvinced. “I don’t know. It’s probably some scary ninja mind game skill he learned while he was in the Special Forces. There’s no telling what all those guys could do.”

  Spence glanced back over his shoulder to where Tripp stood near the bar as he waited for their second round of drinks. “The sneak probably mesmerized all of us long enough to clear the balls off the table.”

  Melanie wasn’t buying it. “So it’s not just because he’s better at pool than you are?”

  Spence gave his wife a disapproving look for doubting his skills, but then grinned at Abby. “Well, I suppose that’s another possible explanation, but I like mine better.”

  While they waited for Tripp’s return, Melanie asked, “Spence, Abby and Tripp were wondering if you remember anything from high school that might have caused bad blood between Bryce Cadigan and Denny Moller.”

  He finished his beer and set it aside. After glancing around, maybe to see if anyone else was listening, he nodded. “Yeah, as a matter of fact. It would’ve been their junior year when Denny got hurt during football practice. I never saw how it actually happened, but it really messed up Denny’s leg bad. They carted him off the field on a stretcher. He had surgery and missed a bunch of school that year. I graduated that spring, so I don’t know what happened after that.”

  Tripp was back bringing four more beers with him. “I just caught the end of that. Are you talking about Bryce and that other guy?”

  Spence nodded. “Yeah, there were some whispers that Bryce might have been involved somehow, but it was all kept hush-hush. After they took Denny to the hospital, the coach made it clear that if any of us were caught spreading rumors about the incident, he’d suspend us from the team. He was a real hard-ass when it came to breaking any rules he put in place.”

  He took a long drink from his beer. “I know the cops got involved and interviewed some of the other players. They never talked to me since I was doing drills at the other end of the field when it happened. I do remember that Bryce wasn’t at school or at practice for a few days after it happened. The investigation was closed a week or so later. They ruled it was an accident, and Bryce came back acting like nothing ever happened.”

  Maybe Tripp was better at reading between the lines than she was because he was already shaking his head. “Sounds like a cover-up of some kind to me. How did Denny’s family take it?”

  “Not well. I forgot something in my gym locker and went back after school to get it. I overheard Mr. Moller hollering at the coach big-time. When the coach spotted me, he motioned for me to get lost, so I did. Considering how many college scouts were keeping an eye on Denny and everything, the injury had to come as a devastating blow to his entire family.”

  “How about Bryce’s parents? Did they get involved?”

  Spence frowned again. “Sorry, I don’t really know. For what it’s worth, Mr. Cadigan was the kind of man who would try to throw his weight around if the situation called for it. Not sure if he would’ve had the clout to protect his son if Bryce actually had done something really bad. To be honest, I was going through my own rough spot about then, so I wasn’t paying much attention to what was going on in anyone else’s lives.”

  Melanie reached out to take Spence’s hand in hers. He immediately swooped in for another quick kiss before reaching for his pool cue. “Come on, Blackston. You’ve gotta give me a chance to even up the score. Best two out of three, and then it’ll be time to grab some burgers.”

  Tripp picked up the chalk and used it on the tip of his cue. “Sounds good. Winner buys the onion rings.”

  “It’s a deal.”

  Abby waited until their attention was back on their game before saying, “Sorry if talking about that stuff brought back some bad memories for Spence.”

  Melanie shook her head. “Don’t worry about it. Spence put all of that behind him a long time ago. Anyway, did any of that help?”

  “Yeah, I think it did. Even without a lot of details, at least we do know that whatever happened back then was pretty bad. We won’t know unless we find a way to talk to Denny directly if he was still holding a grudge.”

  “Good luck with that.” Melanie set down her drink. “I’m going to head over to the ladies’ room. Let Spence know I’ll be back in a minute if he wonders where I’ve gone.”

  Right after Melanie disappeared into the crowd, Zoe tapped Abby on the shoulder. “Two tables just opened up that we can scoot together so we can all sit in one place. We should grab them while we can.”

  “I’ll let Tripp know and be right there.”

  She waited until he took his shot before laying her hand on his arm. “We’re going to claim those tables over in the corner. Join us when your game is over.”

  “You doing okay in this rowdy place?”

  “Actually, I am. It’s been a long time since I spent a night out on the town with friends.”

  He leaned in close. “Never let it be said that I don’t know how to show you a classy time. Nothing like cheap beer and free peanuts to impress the ladies.”

  For a second, she thought he was going to kiss her, but then he backed off when Spence called his name. “Are you going to play or flirt?”

  Abby wasn’t sure if the interruption left her feeling disappointed or relieved. She also suspected Tripp was feeling some of the same confusion. Finally, he smiled just a little. “Spence and I will be over in a couple of minutes.”

  “See you there.”

  * * *

  The food was every bit as good as Tripp had promised, and the company was even better. She hadn’t been lying when she’d told Tripp that it had been a long time since she’d been out with a crowd to share laughs over burgers and beer. It had been even longer since she’d gone dancing. It wasn’t something Chad had ever particularly enjoyed, so they’d only done so when a social occasion made it necessary.

  But as everyone finished up their meals, Callie announced to her husband that he owed her a dance. Even though Nick put up a bit of a fight, it was easy to tell that he really didn’t mind. Spence and Melanie immediately followed them out onto the small dance floor on the far side of the room, but Zoe told Leif they could wait until something slower came on the jukebox. He glanced at Abby and patted his leg. “My ankle is a bit cranky. A little present from my last deployment.”

  Tripp trailed his last French fry through a puddle of ketchup as he quietly asked, “Where were you stationed?”

  Leif named some town Abby had never heard of, but Tripp knew right where it was. The two men and even Zoe launched into a brief discussion about the various places where the three of them had seen duty while serving in the military. Although it left her very little to contribute to the conversation, she found it fascinating to learn more about Tripp’s life in the army. It wasn’t something he often talked about.

  Then the quick-paced song ended. After a brief silence, an old classic by The Righteous Brothers started. Zoe’s face lit up as she grabbed Leif’s hand and dragged him out onto the dance floor. That left just her and Tripp sitting alone at the table. She tried desperately to come up with a topic of conversation to fill the time while the others were gone. But then to her surprise, Tripp took her hand in his and tugged her up off her chair.

  “Come on, Abby, let’s show them how it’s done.”

  Before she could think of any reason they shouldn’t, she was wrapped in Tripp’s arms in the middle of the other dancers. It took them a few seconds to fall into an easy rhythm together, but maybe that was just her overthinking the situation. Neither of them spoke as they swayed to the familiar ballad about heartbreak and loss. Sh
e’d always loved this song, but now it made her think of Chad and all that they’d lost somehow along the way. Was Tripp thinking along the same lines about his own past experience with Valerie?

  She wasn’t sure she wanted to know. It also didn’t help knowing the big veterans dance, which she’d hoped to attend with Tripp, was just over a week away. Well, that wasn’t going to happen, not even if they managed to clear Valerie’s name once and for all. So for now, she’d shove everything else out of her head and just enjoy the moment.

  Tripp eased away from her just far enough to be able to look down at her. “You doing okay?”

  “I’m fine. Why?”

  “You tensed up there for a second.” He tugged her back in closer, but he was frowning. “I didn’t give you a chance to refuse. Would you rather sit this out?”

  That was absolutely the last thing she wanted to do. “Not at all. I’m really fine. I was just thinking about what Spence told us about Bryce and Denny.”

  He drew a deep breath and let it out slowly. “There’s definitely something there, but we can’t do anything about it tonight. What do you say we just relax and enjoy ourselves?”

  He accompanied the proposition by spinning her out and then back into his arms. She loved the slick move and was about to tell him so when she spotted someone standing against the wall near the door. It was the Pratt brother she’d seen talking to Bryce at the auction. This time he wore jeans, a white T-shirt, and a leather biker vest instead of a suit, but there was no mistaking him.

  She still had no idea if he was Gil or Gary, but that didn’t matter. Right now, he was slowly scanning the crowd as if looking for someone in particular. For a brief second, his eyes locked onto hers. There was no glimmer of recognition, no real threat, but nonetheless a cold sensation washed over her that was almost reptilian in nature. Now she understood why Gage had warned her to stay away from the man.

  He might not have been the one who killed Bryce, but there was no doubt in her mind that he could have and not even blinked.

  Chapter Sixteen

  When she stumbled a little, Tripp tightened his hold and glared down at her. “Now I know something’s wrong, Abby. What’s going on?”

  By that point, Pratt had pushed away from the wall and was working his way through the crowded dance floor on his way to who knew where. His route brought him all too close, so she ducked her head, resting her face against Tripp’s chest to avoid any chance of once again drawing the biker’s hard gaze in her direction. She waited until he’d put some distance between them before finally responding to Tripp’s question.

  “That biker who just walked by is the other man who had issues with Bryce at the auction. Unless I’m mistaken, he’s one of the Pratt brothers who own that motorcycle shop down the road.” She shivered a little. “You know Gage warned me to stay away from him. Now I know why. He’s big-time scary.”

  Tripp tightened his grip on her as his eyes flared wide and hot. “Did he threaten you in some way?”

  “No, not really. We happened to make eye contact as he was looking around the room. I have to say he has the coldest eyes I’ve ever seen. This might sound stupid based on just one close look at that guy, but I wouldn’t doubt for a minute that he’s capable of killing a man. I’d be scared to get anywhere near anyone who could do something like that.”

  Tripp winced as if her words hurt him somehow. He spun her out and then did it again, as if trying to put a little distance between them for some reason. Then it hit her. He’d never said it in so many words, but Tripp had to have seen a lot of combat over the two decades he served in the army. That was true of most, if not all, of the people she’d met while working with the veterans group. She honored the sacrifices they’d made and regretted the emotional price that many of them had paid for their service to the country.

  “That came out wrong, Tripp. I’m sorry. I was talking about that scary biker, no one else.” He looked dubious, so she tried again. “I trust you, Tripp—period, full stop. Never doubt that.”

  Then to add a little humor to the moment, hoping it would help, she added, “Besides, Zeke adores you, and we both know what an excellent judge of character he is.”

  The corner of Tripp’s mouth finally quirked up in a small grin. “Come on, Abby. We both know that furry beast’s loyalty can be bought for two dog cookies and a pat on the head.”

  She couldn’t argue with the truth of that statement, but at least the knot of tension in her chest eased knowing he had accepted her apology. When the song ended, another immediately started up, this one much faster. She waited to see what Tripp wanted to do.

  He stepped back just a little. “I’m up for it if you are. I’ve never considered myself a great dancer, but I think I can do better than that.”

  When she looked to see what he was talking about, she spotted Spence over in the far corner busting out some pretty bizarre dance moves. Judging from Melanie’s calm reaction to the display, it had to be his usual style.

  Abby tried her best to smother a laugh when she met Tripp’s grin with one of her own. “You know, suddenly I feel a whole lot better about my own dance skills.”

  Satisfied that Tripp’s good mood had been restored, Abby settled in to enjoy the rest of the evening. As they returned to the table to take a break from dancing, she spotted the Pratt brother over by the bar. She waved to get Spence’s attention. “Do you know that guy standing over by the bar in the biker vest? The one with a ponytail.”

  Spence twisted around in his seat to check the guy out. “That’s Gil Pratt. He owns the bike repair shop right down the street. Do you want me to introduce you?”

  “No, I was just curious. He looked familiar for some reason.”

  Spence looked as if he wasn’t quite buying her explanation, but he didn’t press the issue. Instead, he and Tripp launched into a good-natured rehash of their earlier billiard game. Abby laughed as she listened to them while still keeping a wary eye on Gil Pratt. She wasn’t exactly sure what about him worried her so much, but there was definitely something off about the way he was acting.

  As she watched, several other guys wearing biker jackets crowded closer to Gil on his right. It was easy to tell the logos worn by the new arrivals were different from the one on Gil Pratt’s back. When he tried to put some space between himself and the newcomers, several more moved up on his left.

  Maybe it was time to talk to Tripp about leaving. Before she could say more than his name, the fists started flying. Within seconds, Tripp and the guys had upended their tables to provide a barricade between them and the pig pile of angry bikers near the bar. Abby couldn’t resist peeking over the top edge of the table but quickly ducked back down out of the line of fire.

  Tripp wedged himself down beside her and slipped his arm around her shoulders while keeping an eye on the action. “You okay?”

  She nodded. “What do we do now?”

  “If there’s ever a straight shot to one of the doors, we could try to get out of here.” He stuck his head up for a brief look around. “Trouble with that idea is that we don’t know what’s going on out in the parking lot. Right now, we’re better off hunkering down and waiting for the cops to get here. I promise we’ll do whatever it takes to keep you ladies safe.”

  The sound of wood splintering had him wincing as he glanced back over his shoulder. “Boy, that had to hurt!”

  Abby ducked down lower as Zoe scooted in closer on her other side. Meanwhile, Leif and Nick also took turns scoping out the situation. When someone was knocked into their makeshift barricade, they surged to their feet long enough to send the guy stumbling back into the fray. Abby didn’t know what it said about Tripp and the three former soldiers that they all had huge grins on their faces the whole time.

  A voice rang out over the crowd. “Cops are here!”

  That was enough to start a general rush toward the door. Rather than join the stampede, the eight of them remained right where they were as the shouting and shoving continued for wh
at seemed like forever.

  Finally, a calm voice called out, “Everyone, stay right where you are until we get this mess sorted out.”

  Tripp’s tension level immediately ratcheted down several levels, as did everyone else’s in their small group. Leif kissed his wife. “Don’t ever say we don’t take our ladies to the best places.”

  Zoe reached up to pat his cheek. “I’m proud of you. At least this time you’re not going to end the night sporting a pair of handcuffs.”

  Abby couldn’t help but laugh. There was definitely a story behind that comment, but now wasn’t the time to ask. This was hardly how she expected the evening to turn out even if Tripp had warned her that it was a possibility. Another couple of minutes passed before someone approached their neck of the woods. At least it was a familiar face.

  If Deputy Chapin was surprised to see her, he didn’t mention it. “Ms. McCree, are you and your friends all right?”

  She let Tripp tug her back up to her feet as she smiled at one of Snowberry Creek’s finest. He’d been the officer who had manned the desk when Tripp had been a guest at the town jail a while back. “Deputy Chapin, we’re awfully glad to see you.”

  He nodded as he eyed their makeshift fort. “Glad you didn’t get caught in the middle of that mess. It will take a while before it will be safe to step outside, so make yourselves comfortable. The EMTs are dealing with a few injuries, and we’re getting ready to transport a few prisoners to the county lockup. I’ll let you know when you can head out.”

  “Thanks, Deputy.”

  While they waited, she helped the others right the tables and set the chairs back in place. It was another twenty minutes before the deputy gave the all clear. As the eight of them filed out into the parking lot, Abby drew in a deep breath of the fresh night air, a vast improvement over the stench of spilled beer and booze that had permeated the bar.