Small Town Justice

by Valerie Hansen

  “That’s impossible.”

  Jamie’s hold tightened, and he returned the hug to further comfort and support her. “It happened. I saw it.”

  “Well, I phoned the police so they’ll be here shortly. What became of the guy?”

  “He ran off,” Shane told her.

  “Good riddance to bad rubbish,” the manager said. “You get a look at his face?”

  “No.”

  That denial was true as far as it went. He had not seen the attacker’s features except for his eyes, and those were shaded by both the hood of the sweatshirt and the knitted mask he wore. However, that didn’t mean he couldn’t identify the person using other clues. Height, build, calloused hands, the odor of diesel fuel and an antisocial attitude all pointed to Roger, one of the Lamont brothers, although it could just as easily have been Dougie. It was handy knowing everyone in town.

  Something in Shane’s posture must have changed without his knowledge because Jamie Lynn eased her hold, leaned back and looked directly into his eyes.

  “You know him, don’t you?” she whispered.

  He cupped the back of her head and gently urged her to lay it against his shoulder once again. “Hush.”

  “But...”

  “Not now,” he told her quietly. “We’ll discuss this later.”

  He felt her slowly relaxing, trusting him, agreeing via body language to do things his way this time. That was a big breakthrough. It also meant that he had just vowed to become as caught up in her quest as his mother was.

  If he had not been embracing Jamie in full view of the motel manager and half the guests, he might have pushed her away and insisted that he did not mean to become involved.

  To his chagrin, he realized he might also have reacted the opposite way and kissed her. Of the two options, the latter seemed by far the most appealing. And just as dangerous, in its own way, as chasing criminals.

  * * *

  “No. Absolutely not. I am not going to stay with Marsha and Otis. Not tonight, not ever.” Jamie Lynn had stopped shaking and, other than a doozy of a sinus headache brought on by too much weeping, she felt strong enough to cope with accepting another room at the same motel.

  “You heard the police. Harlan said the same thing. You shouldn’t stay anywhere alone.”

  “Well, I’m certainly not going to bring my problems to your mother.”

  Watching his expression shift and his cheeks warm, she almost laughed out loud when he said, “You can’t stay with me. Not if you want to protect your reputation.”

  She smiled and huffed. “My reputation? You mean yours, don’t you?” Waving her hands in front of her as if wiping away the comment, she added, “I would never consider putting Kyle in danger, either. He’s a darling.” And his daddy’s not so bad, either.

  “Then what do you propose to do?”

  “I don’t know. I suppose I could slug a cop, get myself arrested and spend the night in jail, but that would mean I couldn’t keep Useless with me. By the way, he’s the one who defended me before you got here. You should have heard him growling.”

  It startled her when Shane balled a fist and smacked it into the palm of his opposite hand. “That’s it. That’s our answer—or part of it.”

  “How so?”

  “The bite mark. That’s where we’ll start. If one of the Lamont brothers has a sore hand from where Useless bit him, that should be enough to convince Harlan to haul them both in.”

  “When?” Jamie asked, hoping he was planning to see the sheriff immediately.

  “How tired are you right now?” Shane asked.

  “I was exhausted until all the excitement started. As long as my adrenaline lasts a while longer, I’ll be wide-awake.”

  “Good.”

  He scooped up the dog and grabbed Jamie’s hand. She gladly let him do both. The aftereffects of their shared embrace that evening were still so vivid she didn’t think she’d ever forget them. Nor did she want to. There was no time in her entire life when she had felt so safe, so comforted, so certain that all was well in spite of outward manifestations of evil.

  Being totally truthful with herself, she had to admit that Shane’s being a Colton and a dedicated citizen of Serenity bothered her less than it once had. It was the person, the man, who impressed her. He was honest. Brave. Intelligent.

  She blinked back tears as she climbed into his truck beside him. Most important of all, he was on her side.

  She was truly not alone anymore.

  ELEVEN

  Heading out Highway 9, Shane telephoned the sheriff’s home and convinced him to meet them at the station. They were sitting in Harlan’s office, with Useless curled up on Jamie’s lap, when he arrived. His hair was mussed, his shirt tucked in haphazardly and his chin showed stubble. Add to that his reddened, sleepy eyes and Shane was glad they had solid clues to present.

  The heavyset lawman circled his desk and dropped into a groaning swivel chair. “All right. Let’s have it. This better be good.”

  His scowl was impressive. If Shane hadn’t known him all his life, he might have been intimidated. “I know who’s been stalking Jamie Lynn.”

  “How’d you figure it out? The DNA on your blood sample didn’t help.”

  “I’m convinced it’ll match one of the Lamont brothers. Probably Roger.”

  Lacing his fingers together atop his desk, Harlan leaned forward. “What makes you think so?”

  “Because I came face-to-face with the guy who broke into Jamie’s motel room tonight and he reminded me enough of the Lamonts that I’d be willing to testify to it in court.”

  “Whoa!” Harlan was instantly on full alert. He straightened and pushed back in his chair. “There’s been another attack? Why didn’t you say so?”

  Shane shrugged. “I figured you’d already know. Don’t you listen to a scanner?”

  “Usually. I was so beat when I got home we shut it off. Anything in my jurisdiction comes straight through to my pager, so I’m covered.”

  “This was another police matter,” Jamie Lynn offered. “The motel is inside the city limits. That’s probably why nobody notified you.”

  “Humph. We’ll see about that in the future.”

  “The important thing is, I got a pretty good look at the man in her room,” Shane went on. “He was big and husky and his jacket smelled like diesel fuel.”

  “That’s hardly conclusive,” the sheriff argued.

  “No, but it should be enough for you to exercise your right to bring them in for questioning. If they think I’ve recognized them, they may be scared or foolish enough to admit what they’ve been up to.”

  Shane felt a light touch on his forearm and looked to Jamie.

  “And who sent them,” she added. “They have no reason I know of to target me. Their names weren’t in the transcripts.”

  Harlan’s eyes narrowed. He studied her, then Shane. “Transcripts? Will somebody please tell me what’s going on here?”

  “It’s complicated,” Shane said. “We’d rather not say just yet.”

  “Complicated?” Sheriff Allgood lurched to his feet, palms flat on the desktop, body arching forward. “Beating around the bush is for lawyers. I deal in facts. If you want me to haul in possible suspects, you’d better level with me. Otherwise, I’m going back to bed where I belong.”

  One quick glance at Jamie Lynn gave Shane the idea she wasn’t ready for full disclosure. A barely perceptible shake of her head clinched it.

  Setting his jaw, he eased out of his chair and reached for her hand. “I’m sorry we bothered you, Sheriff. Good night.”

  “Hold on, hold on. Not so fast. There’s no hurry. How about if I drive out to the Lamont place in the morning and have a little talk with those boys?”

  Shane felt Jamie
squeeze his fingers, so he said, “Okay. That’s better than nothing. Will you assign a guard on her motel room for the rest of the night?”

  “Can’t do it, son. Don’t have the authority.” He arched a bushy eyebrow. “Why don’t you look out for her?”

  “He is not going to stand outside my room all night long,” Jamie said flatly. “And I don’t intend to put his family in jeopardy by staying with them, either.”

  “That’s a wise decision,” the sheriff told them. “I’ve been hearing rumors about Kyle being exposed to unnecessary danger. Next thing you know, somebody might decide to get the courts involved.”

  “Nobody better try.” Shane was adamant. “I’ll make sure he stays with Mom until everything settles down. And in the meantime, Jamie and I will rent connecting rooms.”

  “I don’t care what arrangements you make.” Harlan yawned and stretched his arms over his head. “I need my beauty sleep.”

  As Shane’s glance met Jamie Lynn’s, he was confused by her unreadable expression. Was she afraid of him? Worried about being alone? Or was she relieved? He could almost believe the latter.

  “What do you want me to do?” he asked her.

  “That’s totally up to you.”

  “That’s not an answer.”

  “It’s mine,” she said flatly. “I refuse to ask you to babysit me while your son is neglected or his care questioned.”

  “Kyle is never neglected,” Shane insisted. “He can sleep at my mother’s for as long as need be. When they meet us at church in the morning, we can firm up long-range plans. He loves his memaw.”

  Watching the rapidly changing emotions reflected in her eyes, Shane added, “You can bolt the door between our rooms if it will make you feel more secure.”

  To his surprise—and relief—Jamie Lynn laughed. “A fat lot of good that would do me if I was attacked. You’d have to run outside and dive through my window again!” She chuckled. “That was quite an impressive rescue, by the way. Nicely done. Thanks.”

  Seeking to bolster her spirits as well as distract her from bestowing unwanted praise, he reverted to earlier teasing and used an overblown Southern accent. “It’s not necessary to thank me, ma’am. We superheroes live for the chance to dive through broken glass and race into burning buildings. It’s our callin’.”

  Sobering, she squeezed his hand again. “All joking aside, Shane, I do owe you my life. Probably more than once.”

  “It’s okay,” he answered in a normal voice.

  “Still, I feel bad about your getting dragged into this. And your family, too. Especially Kyle. I would never knowingly put a child in danger. I love kids.”

  “I know,” was all he said. Thoughts and memories, however, were so poignant his heart hammered. If only his ex-wife had been a little like Jamie Lynn.

  That wish settled only long enough for another to sweep it away like waves washing over the prow of his fishing boat when the Spring River was at flood stage.

  The one thing he wanted most was impossible.

  Above all else, he wished Jamie Lynn wasn’t part of the Henderson family. There was no way he’d ever manage to get past the knowledge that her brother had confessed to murdering his beloved dad. The image of Sam’s broken body lying in a muddy ditch would forever bar any personal relationship with Jamie Lynn.

  There was no way to erase the past and start over, no way to go back, no matter how fervently Shane wished there were. Even if she managed to turn up enough evidence to set aside her brother’s initial conviction, R.J. had been involved in the crime somehow. Yes, he’d been intoxicated that night, but he’d known too many details of the crash to have been totally innocent.

  As Shane saw the situation, his best option was to help Jamie dig up the truth, then hustle her out of town ASAP and hope that everything settled down after she was gone.

  And in the meantime? In the meantime, he’d do whatever he had to, including seeing that no more harm came to her.

  He fisted his cell phone, speed-dialed his mother to tell her what was going on, then drove toward Serenity’s only motel. Harlan’s suggestion of adjoining rooms had been logical. Shane just wasn’t sure he wanted to put himself in a situation so rife with the potential for gossip.

  In the end, his problem was solved by the unavailability of connecting suites and they had settled for separate accommodations next to the office.

  He escorted Jamie Lynn the few feet to her room and paused beneath the bright lights. “Are you sure you have everything you need?”

  She nodded. “Yes. Thanks.”

  “Okay. Here’s your keycard. My room is right there.” He pointed to the closest other door.

  “Good night, then.”

  Shane circled her. “Open it so I can check.”

  “I hardly think that’s necessary. This is a different room. Nobody can possibly know I’m here.”

  “Yeah, well...”

  “Okay. You win. I’d rather have you look it over than stand out here all night arguing.” She used the card. “Knock yourself out.”

  As soon as the green light blinked, Shane opened the door. The small room was not only pristine, the drapes didn’t entirely block out the bright lights over the parking spaces.

  “Looks fine,” he said, returning after making a quick pass through. “I doubt anybody will try to break in when this area is so well lit.” He gestured toward his own room. “If you get scared, just holler.”

  “Been there, done that,” Jamie quipped, making a face. “Once is enough.”

  Shane had to agree. He smiled and bid her good-night, waiting until he heard the click of the dead bolt in addition to the regular lock.

  What a difference a few days had made in his well-ordered, peaceful life, he reflected with mixed emotions. There were times when he felt as if this was a nightmare from which he’d soon awaken. Other times, his previous existence was the plodding dream and the crispness of this new reality seemed far more satisfactory.

  That didn’t make a lick of sense, he added, shaking his head with disgust as he entered his room.

  To his surprise and chagrin, he found himself continuing to listen for Jamie Lynn’s voice, to anticipate the ringing of the phone by his bed. Wishing for another chance to come to her rescue.

  Vivid images of the last time he had done so refused to go away. He kept picturing what had happened after he’d grappled with her assailant. His pulse was pounding, then and now.

  He’d reached out to her.

  She’d stepped into his embrace.

  And stayed—almost as long as he’d hoped she would.

  * * *

  Sunday morning arrived a lot more quickly than Jamie had hoped. Sleep had eluded her for hours after she and Shane had parted, and although she knew he was close by, she couldn’t seem to relax.

  Ulysses was more than ready for a walk. She threw on some casual clothing, eased the door open and peeked out, almost screeching when she saw someone loitering. Shane.

  “You scared me. What are you doing out there?”

  “Waiting for you.” Shane checked his watch. “Want me to walk the dog while you get ready for church?”

  “How much time do I have?”

  “Over an hour until Sunday School,” he said with a smile. “But you’ll miss our free motel breakfast if you don’t hurry.”

  “Have you eaten?”

  “I had coffee. We can eat together as soon as you’re presentable.”

  “Assuming I can meet church standards,” Jamie Lynn said. “I told your mother. I didn’t bring anything fancy.”

  Taking the leash from her, Shane continued to smile. “Do I look underdressed to you?”

  Actually, he looked wonderful, she decided easily, masculine in pressed jeans and shiny Western boots, yet balanced for worshi
p service by his crisply ironed long-sleeve dress shirt. “You’ll do,” Jamie said. “How about the white linen slacks and red top I wore to your mother’s the first time?”

  “I didn’t notice. I’m sure it’ll be fine.”

  As she stepped back to close the door, Jamie was grinning. “Didn’t notice, huh? Then why are you blushing?”

  “I’m not.” Shane looked to the dog. “C’mon, Useless. Let’s go find some nice green grass.”

  By the time Jamie finished brushing her ebony hair and adding a decorative clip to keep it neat, she’d lost the lightheartedness of teasing Shane.

  She pivoted in front of the mirror for one last wardrobe check. She looked confident. Self-assured. Capable. That had been her goal, of course. Now all she had to do was figure out how to hide her tremulousness from everybody, including Shane and his family.

  One glance at her spread fingers told her that wasn’t going to be easy. This was the morning when she was to meet two of the men on her list of suspects: the judge and prosecuting attorney. Marsha was right about this being the best method of introduction. Jamie just wasn’t looking forward to any form of subterfuge.

  A knock on her door snapped her back to the present. “Who is it?”

  “Me and a useless mutt,” Shane called. “We’re hungry.”

  “Coming.”

  Taking a deep breath and standing tall, Jamie Lynn stuck her key card in her purse, opened the door and joined Shane. “What can we do with Useless while we’re in church? I want him to be safe.”

  “I’ve already arranged to leave him in the office with Sadie’s granddaughter, Weezie.”

  “Who?”

  Shane laughed. “Her name is Louise but everybody calls her Weezie.”

  He opened the lobby door and they were greeted by an exuberant teenager with a mouthful of silver braces. The girl dropped to her knees in front of Useless. “He’s adorable.”

  “Apparently he likes you, too,” Jamie Lynn said, watching her usually cautious dog leap into the teen’s arms and begin to lick her face as if she were a long-lost friend.

  Weezie was giggling. “Oh, I love him! This is going to be so much fun.”