by Evan Ronan
Jarek nods. “He had to know we’d search the place eventually. If he was up in a tree, he had no choice but to attack.”
“I guess.” I take a deep breath. My hands have started shaking. “I guess he was willing to go to prison if it meant Brody didn’t get to have Lucy.”
“Speaking of Brody,” Jarek says, leaning in conspiratorially, “did something happen tonight?”
“Self-defense,” I say.
“Yeah, I’ll bet.” He smirks. “I’m supposed to do something about it, though, being I’m in charge of campus security.”
“I’ll make you a deal,” I say. “You let it go and if the cops get curious, you tell them to let it go too.”
“In exchange for what?”
“This stays between us.” I lower my voice. “Brody assaulted Lucy at a party about six weeks ago.”
Jarek’s face turns deadly.
I hold out a palm. “No witnesses. Just his word against hers. But I know who I believe.”
“I do too.”
I offer my hand. “Lucy just wants to move on. She’s been through enough. But I did make sure to talk some sense into Brody.”
“I’d like to do the same.” Jarek shakes my hand. “It’s a deal.”
“Army and Marines, living in harmony.”
It’s not funny but he laughs anyway and I try to wrap my brain around the fact that I almost got shot a few minutes ago.
Thirty-Two
“Hello?”
Ashlynn from Larazus Realty really does have a nice voice. “Hi there. It’s Greg Owen finally getting you back.”
“Hey, Greg, good to talk to you. How are you doing?”
“Good.” I hit the gas and pick up speed. I’m running a few minutes late. “Listen, Ashlynn, I appreciate you—your calling me again. But I’ve—”
I have to horn somebody who just cut me off.
Ashlynn jumps in to fill the gap. “Greg, I was just calling to let you know my clients have decided to purchase a different property.”
My heart sinks.
I had actually started to consider selling the place. I know, I’m fickle.
“Well, thanks for letting me know,” I say. “Where are they buying?”
“Actually,” she says, and by the way she says it, I know immediately. “I believe you’re friends with Mr. Lee.”
Oh, Lee. You moved right in there, didn’t you?
“It’s a good spot,” I say. “I hope Lee didn’t take you to the cleaners.”
She laughs and then fails to disclose the purchase price. I’ll call Lee later and bust his stones.
“That’s okay,” I add. “I probably wasn’t ready to sell anyway.”
“Can I ask why?”
“It’s the place. It’s mine. It means something to me and I’m not ready to give it up yet.”
“Yet?”
“Someday I will. When I’m ready I’ll walk away. But not yet.”
“I understand.” She hesitates. “Are you sure it’s not the money? Because I work with other clients also.”
Oh yeah. Two weeks ago, she was telling me how I was overvaluing the property by one hundred grand. Now she’s intimating she can sway different clients into meeting my price. Goes to show there is no such thing as an objective price on anything. When it comes to deals, only the here and now and who needs what more matters.
“I’m sure. Thanks, but no thanks.”
“Let’s keep in touch,” she says.
“Let’s.” And I almost, out of the random blue, ask her out on a date.
“Bye, Greg.”
Before I can prop her, Ashlynn hangs up.
“You should have asked her out,” Tammy says from the passenger seat.
“I …” Why am I about to lie to my daughter? So what if she knows I date? I am a man after all, not a monk. “How did you know that was what I was thinking?”
She shrugs. “A girl can usually tell.”
“I ought to take you to the casino, show you how to play poker.”
“Boring. Call her back.” She smiles. “I want to hear my Dad ask somebody out on a date.”
“Yeah, that’s not going to happen,” I say. “I’ll try her later.”
“Next time, not while you’re driving,” Tammy says. “You know you’re not supposed to use your cell while driving. They showed us this horrible video the other day in school of traffic accidents caused by drivers who were on their phones.”
“I know you’re right. I also know we’re late.”
“I would have been late if Mom hadn’t—”
“Whoa. By order of the Father, I am declaring today a day without complaints about your mother. If you’d like, you can write them all down in an email and send me the message first thing tomorrow.”
She laughs. “Alright, Dad. You know all this is normal teenage behavior?”
It is but I don’t want to agree, which makes me a total hypocrite. “How do you know this is normal?”
“Because Mom got a book out from the library, and we took turns reading it. It’s about how mothers and daughters can better relate to each other.”
“Is it working?”
“Some of the stuff in the book is dumb. But a couple of the things are okay.”
I’ll take okay. I’ll take it after the nightmare that was the end of the school year. Tammy was ready to move in with me just to get away from her mother.
“Is Denise coming?” Tammy asks slyly.
I look at her.
“Mom told me you two were dating by accident.”
“How does one do that by accident?” I ask.
“Now, now, Dad. No complaining about Mom.”
“Alright.”
“So, is she?”
“Denise and I are taking a break at the moment.”
“She dumped you?”
“I wouldn’t say that.”
“She totally dumped you.” She frowns pitifully. “Ohhhh, Daddy, I’m sorry.”
“Really, honey, she didn’t exactly dump me.”
She puts me on ignore and then gives me a hug. I’m not complaining. I’ll take the sympathy if it gets me a hug from my little girl who’s not really little anymore. And I’m glad I don’t have to explain my relationship with Denise to Tammy, because not even I understand it. She broke up with me, then asked to get back together two days later, then we didn’t talk for a while, then she called back … I don’t get it. I should just move on.
But, just like with the pool hall, I’m having a hard time.
I park at the nearest lot and we jump out. It’s a hot day in July, the sun beating down mercilessly on us as we rush to the starting area. The lake beach is packed with participants and families and friends. The Hales have set up their own tent. Julian is clapping wildly, trying to pump Lucy up while she pulls on her swim cap and snugs her goggles.
“We made it,” I announce.
Lucy runs over to me, all nervous energy, and Bob and Mary and Lori pop out from behind the small tent. Lucy gives me a big hug then high-fives Tammy. She bounces from one foot to the other.
“I’m ready to go,” she says.
“You are ready.”
She hugs me again. “Thank you, Greg. Thank you so much.”
“Know how you can make it up to me?”
“I know how.”
“Then go do it.”
The starter begins barking half-intelligible orders through a bullhorn. Lucy gives Lori a hug. Bob kisses her on the cheek and Mary clings to her like she must have done when Lucy went off to college for the first time. Lucy pecks Julian on the cheek and then she’s off, hurrying down the beach.
Bob Hale approaches. “You must be Tammy,” he says. “I’ve heard so much about you.”
Tammy smiles. She used to be shy around adults, but she looks Bob in the eye and extends her hand. “It’s nice to meet you too, Mr. Hale. You must be so proud of your daughter.”
She’s thirteen but she sounds twenty-three.
And I’m pro
ud as hell.
“GO, LUCY!” Lori yells. She turns to me. “Think she’ll do it?”
“She already has.”
I put my arm around Lori’s shoulder and squeeze. Now the shore line is packed with racers, the beach filled with a nervous energy. Lucy looks back once more, all smiles, nothing to worry about, nothing to think about but the race ahead.
The starter raises his pistol and fires.
And Lucy’s off.
****************
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Evan Ronan writes mysteries and thrillers filled with lots of suspense, crisp prose, crackling dialog, and wry humor. Sometimes he posts rambling videos on YouTube. Even more rarely he updates his blog.
He loves hearing from readers and can be contacted at [email protected]. He always responds to emails.
ALSO BY EVAN RONAN
THE UNEARTHED SERIES (Paranormal Investigator, Eddie McCloskey)
The Unearthed
The Lost
The Accused and the Damned
The Hysteria
The Traveler
The Dream Machine
The Possessed
The Missing
THE DEAD SERIES (Part-time Private Detective, Greg Owen)
The Dead Girl
The Stalked Girl
The Prodigal Girl
THE TOMAHAWK AND SABER SERIES
(collaboration with Nathanael Green)
Language of the Bear
Through the Narrows
The Susquehannock
OUT OF THE FIRE SERIES
(collaboration with Nathanael Green)
Out of the Fire
Into the Grey
OTHER NOVELS
UNDO
Otherworld
stay in your homes
The Board
The author also writes books under his real name, Brian O’Rourke. Make sure to check out The Bastard’s Refuge, the first in his heroic fantasy series.
THE STALKED GIRL. Copyright 2017 by Evan Ronan. All rights reserved.
This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are either products of the author’s imagination or used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental. All rights reserved. No part of this publication can be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, without permission in writing from the author or publisher.
Edition: October, 2017
