Alexa shrank into the driver’s seat of the Land Rover listening to distant gunfire. She jumped when Reese opened the back door for Scout. Seconds later, he climbed into the seat beside her. Alexa turned the ignition before Reese closed the door. The minute that his seatbelt struck its buckle, Alexa raced from the parking lot. She wanted to put Kingdom Lodge far behind them.
“How did things go? With the way you’re driving, I’m thinking, not so good.”
Alexa took the hint and slowed to the speed limit. She took a few minutes before replying. “The conversation with Caleb was difficult, but I made it clear that we’re over. Then, it got really weird when his father and mother walked in and prayed for my salvation. Did I mention that his father is a minister of some fundamentalist congregation over here?”
“What? His parents were there? They prayed? Why?”
“Because I work at an abortion clinic, I’m a sinner. I’m not sure where they intended to go after the prayer, but I decided that I wasn’t interested in finding out. I left. I can’t believe I agreed to come here. What was I thinking?”
“Hey. Hey. Don’t start second guessing yourself. You wanted to give this guy a chance to make his case. Who would have imagined that he would bring his parents along? How old is this guy anyway?”
“Old enough that he shouldn’t need his parents to be around for a conversation with an ex-girlfriend. That little bombshell came out of left field.”
They rode in silence for quite a while as Alexa dealt with her anger at Caleb and her fury with herself. She had driven over to Kingdom Lodge to put an end to Caleb’s incessant calls, but it would have been better to just ignore him completely.
In an obvious effort to distract Alexa, Reese started a conversation. “Have I ever told you how much I like your wheels? Every time I ride in this Land Rover, it takes me back to Africa. Over there, all we drove were Land Rovers. They’re ideal for the bush and will go through almost anything. We got stuck from time to time during the rainy season. The mud in remote parts of Africa can be unbelievable. Every time though, we managed to pull ourselves out of the muck by using the four-wheel drive and a winch. I know that some of the safari companies use Toyota Land Cruisers, which are pretty great vehicles. But, I’d always choose a Land Rover. I just love these babies. How did you get this one, anyway?”
Alexa made an effort to escape her bad mood. “This Land Rover has been in our family for years. My dad bought it from a client back in the nineties. He had represented this guy in a bankruptcy proceeding, and the man offered this car to Dad as part of his payment. Even then, the vehicle had a few hard years on it. But, the client had been flush when he bought the car. I think it was a special edition that he bought the first year Land Rover sold the Defender in the United States. It was one of only five hundred that were imported. Dad decided it would be great for us to use at the cabin, so they made a deal.
“I always loved this car as a kid. I needed a car when I moved out of the city. So, I asked Dad if I could have it. It was pretty beat up by that time, but I found a place outside Philadelphia that works on vintage Rovers. They fixed the engine like new, but I didn’t want to sink a lot of money into the body. It’s the perfect ride for Scout and me. Isn’t it, buddy?” she asked the dog lying in the back.
“The gas mileage is pretty terrible, but I don’t really do much long distance driving. And the white color is not the best for living in the country, but it certainly gets me back to the cabin in the winter. I really like the way the back door opens to the side. Most of the new SUVs have doors that lift up and down.”
By the time they finished talking Land Rovers, they reached the cabin and Alexa had calmed down. She thanked Reese for riding with her to Kingdom Lodge. He seemed to sense that she wanted to be alone and made no effort to come into the house.
“I’ll call you tomorrow,” he said before he left. “I’m working all day, but I’ll check in with you. Later this week, I’m heading home to my parents’ house for Thanksgiving. Take it easy tonight.” Turning to the mastiff, he patted the dog’s huge head and instructed, “Scout, take care of her.”
Chapter Twenty-Four
Alexa fumed about the debacle at Kingdom Lodge for most of the week. It was difficult to find words for Caleb’s atrocious behavior. Bringing his parents to pray over Alexa like she was a lost soul who need to be saved. She felt like Caleb had violated her a second time on Saturday.
Truth be told, Alexa was angriest with herself. She was a fool. Why had she thought that Caleb deserved even a chance to apologize? Caleb’s meltdown that night at the cabin had caught Alexa unawares, but she had walked willingly into the ambush at Kingdom Lodge.
“Seriously, what were you thinking, Alexa?”
Even Tuesday’s after-yoga session at Om Cafe with Melissa and Haley hadn’t helped. That conversation had only made Alexa feel worse. When Alexa told her friends everything that happened at the lodge, Haley said, “There is no doubt that this is one of the weirdest breakups in modern history. I can’t believe he brought the parents. But, Alexa, you’ve always had this tendency to try to make everything OK when your relationships fall apart. That Jake guy in high school. That tool, Trent. Now, Caleb. If you don’t watch out, all this make-nice impulse is going to get you into real trouble.”
“Thanks. I come looking to you guys for support and I get dime-store psychoanalysis.”
“What I can’t believe,” Melissa chimed in, “is that you drove the whole way over to East Bumfuck nowhere by yourself to break up with this loser. As bizarre as this whole thing sounds, I’m astounded that put yourself at risk like that. You’re an attorney, for God’s sake. I thought you were smarter than this, girl. Why didn’t you ask one of us to go along?”
“I wasn’t alone,” Alexa said testily. “Reese Michaels was with me.”
“Who?” Melissa asked.
Haley jumped in before Alexa could answer. “Melissa, you are so behind the times. That’s what you get for missing two Tuesdays in a row. Reese Michaels is the gorgeous new park ranger that Alexa has lined up to take Caleb’s place.”
Despite Alexa’s protestations that Reese was just a friend, Melissa wanted to know everything about this guy. Haley was only too happy to oblige. Alexa just listened to her two friends discuss Reese until Melissa asked, with a toss of her auburn curls, “Haley, describe exactly what you mean by gorgeous.”
Alexa finally jumped back into the conversation. “Wait. I actually have a picture of him. I took one on my cell phone for him to send a friend in Kenya.”
When Melissa saw the picture on Alexa’s cell, she squealed, “I know this guy. Well, I don’t really know him, but we met last summer on the deck at Outlaws. I was there with Francine one Friday after work, probably in late August. He was with a group of friends from Pine Grove Furnace State Park. Some of them were still wearing their uniforms. I remember this guy because Francine really, really wanted to hit on him. You know how brazen she is. She would try to pick up a priest at Mass if she thought she could get away with it.
“Anyway, poor Francine was just beside herself because she couldn’t get near Reese. Some young blonde who looked about nineteen was sticking to him like glue. She had her arm around him every few seconds and stayed by his side all night.
“Francine tried to take a run at him when the blonde chickie went to the ladies’ room. She dragged me along when she approached the group. She knew one of the lifeguards from Laurel Lake, so it gave her an excuse to say hello. We talked to the lifeguard for a little while until Francine found a way to rope Reese into the conversation. It was just idle bar talk. We were never actually introduced, so I didn’t get his name.
“Then the blonde Lolita emerged to monopolize your Reese. Soon after that, the entire group left the bar. Francine talked about the guy for weeks afterward—until she met Keith, who is now her squeeze du jour.”
“What did she look like, the blonde?” Alexa asked.
Melissa looked at her friend in confu
sion. “I don’t know; like any nineteen-year-old, with a tight ass and a decade’s less wear and tear. She had her hair pulled up into a ponytail and was wearing one of those tank tops that bared her flat little stomach and a pair of shorts that bared just about everything else. At first glance, she looked slender enough to blow away like a feather. The more I studied her, I realized that she was actually one of those girls who looked fragile but could whip your ass in tennis or baseball or whatever.” Melissa started laughing hilariously. “Clearly, I was just jealous of the bitch.”
Alexa soon made her excuses and left Haley and Melissa to continue their chat. Her heart had gone cold when Melissa said she had seen Reese with a young blonde girl last summer. As she drove home Alexa turned this revelation over in her mind.
Was this just another coincidence? Or had Reese been with Elizabeth Nelson? After all, he was the one with the history of sexual assault, and Alexa had only his story that the accusation was false. Granted, she had confirmed that the charges were dropped, but there had been no specific details in the news reports.
Then, there was the other possible connection to Reese. Elizabeth’s body had turned up in Michaux State Forest. Who knew those woods better than one of the park rangers? Maybe he had shown up at the scene that day to keep track of what the police were doing. It would be clever to insert himself into the investigation to make sure the police didn’t hone in on him as the killer.
As Alexa’s mind dissected the various possibilities, she realized that she had leapt to the worst possible conclusion based on very little evidence. There must be thousands of young blonde girls in Cumberland County, and the likelihood of this girl being Elizabeth Nelson was slim. However, she continued to fret about it. Her recent experience with Caleb had revealed just how dense she could be about a guy that she liked.
More alarming was the way that Alexa had felt when she heard about Reese and the blonde. It reminded her of the day Trent told her he was accepting an offer with the law firm in L.A. Alexa hadn’t realized until the moment Melissa spoke, but she had fallen hard for Reese Michaels.
Chapter Twenty-Five
With all the turmoil in her romantic life, Alexa was really looking forward to the familiar routine of Thanksgiving dinner with her family. She and Scout arrived at her parents’ house before nine o’clock on Thursday morning to help with the cooking.
As the family sat down for their midday feast, Alexa felt like she’d slipped into her favorite cardigan; cozy and warm. It was so comforting to spend the holiday with a good meal and her beloved family.
The conversation touched on Alexa’s parents’ planning for a new vacation, then moved to some renovations that Graham and Kate had begun. Finally, Kate circled to a topic that Alexa had hoped to avoid. “How are things with you and Caleb? Weren’t you going to some family event with him a few weeks ago?”
“Caleb and I are over.”
“Oh, no. I had high hopes for the two of you.” Kate pouted.
Alexa’s mother offered her opinion. “I’m sure that you know what’s best. I don’t think I ever met this Caleb fellow. Are you OK?”
“I’m fine. It was my decision to break up. I’d rather not go into the details.”
“Leave the girl alone,” her dad commanded. “Her love life is none of our business.”
“Thanks, Dad.”
The discussion came to an abrupt end when Courtney piped up, “Grandma, when can we have Aunt Alexa’s pumpkin pie?”
After dinner, Alexa and Kate did the dishes while Graham and her parents retired to the living room to watch football. The kids were taking an after-dinner nap.
Alexa had just joined the group in front of the television when the doorbell rang. “Strange to have visitors on Thanksgiving Day,” observed her mother. Graham jumped up to answer the door.
A few seconds later, Graham stuck his head into the living room and looked at Alexa. “Caleb is out here and wants to speak to you. Should I tell him to leave?”
Alexa was first startled and then furious. She put down her drink and said, “No. I’ll speak to him.” She stalked angrily to the foyer where Caleb was waiting.
He looked up and said, “I’m sorry to interrupt your family time, but I really wanted to apologize.”
“Caleb, we have nothing further to talk about, and I’m not ready to accept your apology. We are over.” Realizing that her entire family was listening from the living room, Alexa kept it brief. “Please leave.”
Instead of leaving, Caleb grasped her arm. His eyes glistened silver with tears. “This means so much to me. My parents just don’t understand why you left. I can’t tell you how important it is that you come back to me.”
“Caleb, I don’t want to discuss this. I just want you to leave.” Scout had been sleeping near the fireplace but bounded into the entrance hall, barking when he heard Alexa’s tone of stress.
“Sit, Scout,” she told the anxious dog. When Alexa looked up, Graham and Kate were standing under the archway.
Graham spoke to Caleb. “Hey man, I understand that breaking up can be hard, and I don’t want to get into the middle of this. But, you’ve come to our parents’ house in the middle of a holiday celebration and, clearly, you’re stressing out my sister. I think you need to do as Alexa asks and just leave.”
Kate added, “Caleb, Alexa has been through so much lately—the shooting at the clinic and finding that dead girl. Now’s not a good time. Give her some breathing space.”
Caleb kept his eyes downcast while they spoke, but at Kate’s words he lifted his head abruptly. “What dead girl?”
Graham cut Kate off before she could respond. “This discussion is over. You need to leave, Browne.” He took Caleb by the elbow and walked him back out the door.
Caleb stepped onto the front porch and turned to look at Alexa with a mix of bitterness and sadness. “This is not over. Coming back to me could save you. We need to talk.”
Alexa stepped forward and said wearily, “Caleb. I’m finished talking. We are over. I don’t believe that I need to be saved from what you see as my sins. It won’t do you any good to pursue this further.” She closed the door firmly in his face.
For the next half hour, the family fluttered around Alexa with concern. Scout hovered, galvanized into full protective mode by all the emotion he sensed in the room.
Graham apologized, “I should have never let him in the door, Lexie. I’m sorry.”
Her mom said, “I realize that there’s a lot that you haven’t told us. But, this incident certainly diminishes my impression of that young man.”
“It sounds like dumping Caleb Browne was a good idea,” her father concurred.
Alexa managed to accept all the well-meaning support without divulging too many details. “Look, Caleb can be a nice guy. For a while, we had a lot of fun. But, then I found out how conservative he is. And, his entire family is really into the pro-life movement. When he found out that I volunteer at the clinic, it became a real problem.”
“You said something about being saved?” her mother asked.
“Yeah. His father’s a minister, and he wanted to save me from the error of my ways. That was the final straw.”
After things had finally settled down, Alexa turned to her sister-in-law. “Kate, I hope you haven’t told anyone else that I was the one who found that dead girl’s body.”
“Yes, honey.” Graham’s tone carried a hint of anger. “I thought I had emphasized how dangerous it could be if the criminals found out about Alexa’s involvement.”
Kate was totally taken aback. “Of course I didn’t tell anyone, but I just assumed Caleb knew. After all, he’s your boyfriend.”
“He never really was my boyfriend, Kate, even though you wanted him to be. He was just a guy that I went out with sometimes. And, I didn’t tell him about the dead girl. It shouldn’t really hurt that he knows, but Graham is right. The police told me to keep my role in discovering the body quiet.”
Alexa was thrilled when halftime
ended and the football game drew everyone’s attention away from Caleb’s surprise visit. But, Caleb’s intrusion had put a damper on the rest of the holiday. Alexa stayed until dark then gathered up her containers filled with leftovers and headed for home.
Walking into the dark cabin, Alexa felt an unease she couldn’t explain. Scout acted restless, too. Alexa chalked up her disquiet to the confrontation with Caleb and figured that Scout was just reacting to her own mood.
Alexa leafed through a fashion magazine but couldn’t concentrate on the pages. Every time a log cracked in the woodstove, Alexa jumped. Scout paced circles in the dining room, stopping to snuffle at the closed laundry room door and the front door.
Frustrated, Alexa threw the magazine onto the coffee table. “Scout, come here. You’re making me nervous. Or maybe I’m making you nervous. We both need to chill.”
When the mastiff came to sit by her chair, Alexa switched on the television and watched a mindless comedy until she couldn’t take it any longer. Emotionally exhausted, she trudged upstairs to bed.
Chapter Twenty-Six
With the law office closed for a long Thanksgiving weekend, Alexa slept in on Friday. After a good night’s rest, Alexa resolved to put Caleb Browne behind her.
Always looking for the silver lining, Alexa realized that she had learned something important. This dalliance with casual fun and hot sex had been a gigantic mistake. She needed to return to a simpler approach: find a man that she was truly interested in and just let the relationship unfold.
Alexa’s improved mood plummeted when she walked outside. Broken glass carpeted the deck below the laundry room window. Jagged shards frosted the deck like ice, wintry in the morning sun. Alexa could find no natural explanation for the damage, like a fallen branch or tree limb. It was pretty clear that someone, maybe vandals, had shattered the big window.
Dead of Autumn Page 18
