Living in Shadow

by Georgia Florey-Evans

  “Are you a police officer?” The question came out before she could stop it.

  He froze, a deer in the headlights look on his face. Then, shutters came down over his eyes, and his expression went decidedly neutral.

  “I’d better help Barney.” He turned and strode out of the room before Haley could say another word.

  She set the top she’d been folding on her lap and looked at the empty doorway. She was ninety-nine percent sure she’d just discovered something the man calling himself Beau Harding didn’t want to be known. He was, or at least had been, in some type of law enforcement. He slid all too quickly into the smooth pattern of knowing which questions to ask to elicit the most information. Why would a police officer live under an assumed name? Could he be some kind of fugitive? The subject of an internal investigation getting away from the area while he was under the gun?

  She was still puzzling over her discovery thirty minutes later while she placed books on the shelves. Mitch had assured her there weren’t any laws being broken, but it wouldn’t be illegal to help a fellow officer get away from a messy investigation. And as for the calls concerning him, there had been about a dozen during the two or three days after Mitch gave her a heads up, and then they stopped.

  Why couldn’t Haley have been one of the people who saw that television program? She’d come awfully close to asking callers more specific questions, but that wasn’t her job. In fact, it would have been very wrong since she’d only be asking to satisfy her curiosity. So, all she knew from the calls was a man who looked just like Beau Harding had been on a television show.

  “Wow.” Tessa’s voice drew her from her thoughts as Haley looked at the other woman standing there with her gaze on the bookshelves. “You’ve been busy.”

  Haley slid the book in her hand into the space she’d opened for it. ”I tried to put them in some kind of order, but when it comes to Holly’s psychology books, I have no idea how to sort them.”

  Tessa leaned over and looked closely at the top shelf of books nearest her. “Built Up, not Let Down, Using Our Assets. Let's Go!” She giggled. “These sound more like exercise books than ones she needs for counseling.”

  “Well, I’m down here getting jealous right now.” Haley pointed to the books she was kneeling before. “She has the most Brandilyn Collins and Terri Blackstock books I’ve ever seen outside of a library. There are at least five of these I haven’t read.”

  “She likes Christian suspense.” Tessa wrinkled her nose as she sat on the edge of the bed. “They give me bad dreams. I collect Mary Connealy and Karen Kingsbury myself.”

  Haley looked at the book in her hands. “I like them all. I think I’ve read everything the library has. I’m waiting on the newest one by Liz Curtis Higgs to come from another library in the system right now.” She had never felt the need to own books; she’d always used the library.

  “I’m sure Holly would let you borrow any of these, and you’re welcome to mine, too,” Tessa graciously offered. “Mitch is having more shelves put in the office at his house so I can fit my books in it. He told me at first he thought he’d just build a new room.”

  “Are you ready for your wedding?” Haley went back to putting books on the shelf.

  Tessa’s smile lit up her entire face. “Mitch told me he’d marry me tomorrow. Just get a license and rings and have Pastor Rollins marry us on the spot. He doesn’t care how we do it. He just wants to marry me.”

  “He loves you.” Haley fought back the envy she felt. If she were meant to be married, the right man would come along. “He has your picture in so many places at the station Wayne told him visitors probably think you’re a wanted fugitive.”

  Tessa’s smile dimmed. “I just hope he catches whoever robbed Whites soon. I’m not sure if he’ll enjoy our wedding while he’s still worried about it. Mitch is very frustrated that there hasn’t at least been another sighting of that van.”

  “I know.” He’d been keeping all five officers on the road most of the time, as well as having Haley frequently contact the state police for any updates. Cheryl Higgens, one of the state police dispatchers, had asked Haley if maybe they shouldn’t string tin cans between their offices. Even though the state police would notify county if there was any news, they understood Mitch’s need to check for himself. Things like this just didn’t happen in Shadow.

  “Has he been okay at work?” Tessa’s voice was soft, as though hesitant to ask the question.

  Haley glanced at her friend and nodded. “Like you said, he’s frustrated, but he’s got a good head on his shoulders. He has the deputies and state police working the county in grids. I couldn’t have ever organized it as efficiently as Mitch did." If the van was still in the vicinity, they would find it.

  Tessa knelt beside her and pulled a book out of the box. “I’m not sure if I’ll be a good sheriff’s wife.”

  “What makes you say that?” Haley was stunned. Tessa Lincoln was the most confident woman she knew.

  “I know Mitch is in God’s hands, and he knows what he’s doing.” Tessa’s smile was shaky. “But I’m still afraid. When he wrestled the gun away from Kevin Tripp, it could have been Mitch who was shot instead of Luke.” She rushed to qualify her statement. “Not that I want Luke to have been shot. I guess I’ve seen too many television programs where the person trying to take the gun away from the criminal gets shot with it. My imagination gets away from me.”

  Haley sat back on her heels and looked into Tessa’s eyes. “You have every right to be afraid. But, you’re right about whose Hands Mitch is in.” She searched for words to help the other woman. “Lori Daniels has been a police officer’s wife for nearly fifteen years. I’m sure she struggles with fear for Wayne, too. Maybe you could talk to her and see how she handles it, because they are one of the most secure, happy couples I know.”

  Hope shone in Tessa’s eyes. “You’re right. I forgot Wayne and Lori. She’s a good wife—the kind I want to be. I’ll call her tomorrow afternoon and see if we can get together one evening next week.”

  “Good.” Haley pulled the last book out of the box. Then she had a thought. Mitch told Tessa everything. How would it hurt to ask a general question? “What do you know about Beau Harding?”

  “Other than the fact that he’s not hard to look at?” Tessa was back in her usual cheerful mood. “I think he’s from up north somewhere.”

  Haley had heard he was from Wisconsin. “Do you know what he did for a living before he came to work for Luke and Holly?”

  Tessa frowned as she thought. “I guess I don’t.” Her brows lifted as she looked at Haley questioningly. “Isn’t that strange? He’s been living here nearly six months, and I don’t think anybody has ever said a word about what he did before he came here.”

  Holly’s voice calling Tessa’s name came from the living room.

  Tessa stood up. “I’d better see what she wants. She’s probably trying to decide whether to let poor Luke keep his favorite recliner. The old thing is a horrendous shade of green, but Luke loves it.”

  Haley shared a smile with her friend before watching Tessa leave the room. She slowly stood up and looked once more at the bookshelves. She had learned something else.

  Whatever Beau Harding’s secret was; it was important enough Mitch hadn’t even shared it with his fiancée. The man was even more of an enigma. Why was she so drawn to him? Why couldn’t she just forget he was even there?

  I know I have too much curiosity sometimes, Lord, but this time, I’m more intrigued than I’ve ever been before. If I’m supposed to leave this alone, then help my thinking shift. If I’m supposed to find out about Beau Harding, please help me do so. And You know I’m troubled by the feelings he’s causing—even though I don’t know him and don’t feel like I can trust him. If he’s a bad guy, open my eyes before it’s too late. Keep me away from him. Please. I have a feeling about him that I’ve never had before, and I’m not sure I like it. I’m putting myself in Your hands and asking for your protect
ion and guidance. Amen.

  Chapter 10

  He hung up the phone and sat back in his chair. It was as he’d been told; Harding Davis didn’t seem to have settled in Shadow. It might be that he hadn't been in Shadow long enough to care about anybody yet. The former police officer would, though.

  And when Davis did, he would be right there to take everything Davis loved away from him. It wouldn’t do to simply end his life. Not if he wanted to continue the charade he’d been involved in during the past several months. If the wrong people discovered his real motives for ridding the world of Davis, everything would fall apart. There was already one weak component as it was, but he'd been assured it was under control.

  He still had to stay informed of any progress H.B. Davis made. If it were necessary, he would be the first thing Harding Davis would lose. And it wouldn’t be as difficult as he first thought.

  Chapter 11

  Hardy lifted the second giant bag of dog food onto the counter.

  “Clarence Walker’s favorite brand,” the friendly woman at the register observed as she rang up the price.

  “He eats enough to keep a small kennel in business.” Hardy had found himself reluctantly drawn into the habit of making small talk. He’d soon realized it was much easier to just respond than draw attention by being rude. It was really just another undercover technique when all was said and done.

  Wilma Ebhart, the co-owner of the grocery store, chuckled. “Luke has spoiled that dog since Clarence was a pup. I have to special order this brand just for him.” Her smile dissipated as concern replaced it. ”How is Luke? When will he be able to work on the farm again?”

  “The doctor released him yesterday for light duty. Two more weeks until he’s back to his usual routine.” He didn’t know who had been happier about his boss’s recovery—Luke or his wife.

  Since the couple moved to the farm, things had changed. With no visitors stopping in to see him, Luke was bored to tears every day.

  To pass the time, Luke had taken to watching cooking shows on TV. Holly never knew what kind of cuisine she might come home to. And unfortunately, the Walkers still insisted on saving leftovers for Hardy’s lunch. Just today Hardy had eaten something called cheesy Italian tortellini and a Tiramisu Brownie bar. Fancy food was something Hardy had never grown accustomed to, even while undercover. Spending a large portion of his childhood in a rural area conditioned him to be a strictly meat and potatoes man.

  “What are you going to do when Luke’s able to get back on the tractor?” Wilma didn’t strike Hardy as a gossipy woman; she merely appeared curious. “Do you have another job lined up around here?”

  “I haven’t made firm plans for anything yet.” And if he had, he wouldn’t be able to share them. When it was time, Beau Harding would have to disappear just like Harding Davis had.

  A look of deep sadness appeared on Wilma’s face. Hardy was uncertain what to think until he realized she was looking past him at somebody outside the window. “That boy had it all, you know, and he just threw it away.”

  Hardy considered picking up the dog food and acting like he hadn’t heard her, but his mother had raised him with better manners than that. “Who is he?”

  Her gaze left the young man and refocused on Hardy. “That’s Sammy Lewis. He was all set to go to college after he graduated last spring. He was one of the best high school quarterbacks the state has ever seen. Most folks thought he’d go pro for sure. But he didn’t even graduate.”

  “Why not?” The sooner she told him, the sooner he’d get out of there.

  “He got mixed up with the man who kidnapped Holly Walker. He and some other boys stole some pretty expensive property from the school and vandalized Luke’s farm. The teenagers all ended up in jail. I guess Sammy earned a GED while he was in there, but now, he can’t even get a college to look at him. I heard Mr. Randolph over at the dry cleaner’s just hired him.”

  She had managed to pique Hardy’s interest. Without going into the specifics, Luke had told him there had been a series of bizarre pranks played on him, and the farm was vandalized. He hadn’t said anything about it being connected to Holly’s kidnapping. “He couldn’t have received a very harsh sentence if he’s already out.”

  Wilma smiled proudly. “Luke and Holly spoke to the judge. They thought the boys were taken in by a person much different than anybody else they’d ever known. The Walkers believed the boys really only saw what they were doing as being paid money to pull pranks.” She patted the bag of dog food as though it were Hardy's shoulder. “While they didn’t condone it, they didn’t want the young men placed into situations that might result in them changing for the worse.”

  Unfortunately, that was too often the case. What his squad used to call toe dippers were tempted by more experienced criminals. Law breakers on the borderline frequently ended up with worse behaviors, sometimes needing to be like their fellow inmates to stay safe. The despondency of the young man Mrs. Ebhart called Sammy woke something up Hardy had considered long gone. He wanted to help the boy.

  He needed to tune back into the real world. She was still talking.

  “They all ended up with some kind of sentences, but Sammy was let out after four months for good behavior. He’ll be on probation for another year, now, I think.”

  Luke hadn’t shared that information with Hardy either. He and his wife apparently not only forgave the teenagers; they went to bat for them. Who did something like that?

  My mom and dad would. Even though his father was a retired police officer and had dealt with just about every type of crime imaginable, he managed to come through with a strong faith in place. Hardy once foolishly believed he’d be able to do the same.

  “That was kind of them.” Hardy would only bring danger to the young man; he shoved the idea of helping the boy clear out the window. He moved the top bag of dog food to the cart and threw the second one over his shoulder. “I’d better get this to the farm before Clarence realizes he’s run out.”

  “Take care of yourself, Mr. Harding.” Wilma sounded sincere. “And I hope you know you’re welcome to attend our church. I go to the one across the interstate.”

  “Thank you.” Hardy turned to leave and about mowed down the man who had walked up beside him. “Excuse me. I didn’t see you there.”

  The man with blonde hair and a dark tan that were both too perfect to be natural smiled at him “It was my own fault. I should have realized you wouldn’t be able to see me.”

  Hardy tried to smile as he started to leave.

  “You’re Beau Harding, aren’t you?”

  Hardy stopped pushing the cart and left one hand on it as he turned back to the other man. ”Yes." I don’t believe I’ve had the pleasure.”

  “Oh, of course. I’m just so used to everybody recognizing me.” He stuck out his hand and then must have realized Hardy had his hands full. “I’m Clay Richmond. I run the insurance agency at the end of the block.”

  Insurance salesmen were right up there with root canals on Hardy’s list of things to avoid whenever possible. “It’s nice to meet you.” He turned and headed for the door.

  “Please come by the office sometime soon.” Clay Richmond’s voice came from behind him. “It’s never too late to get good coverage. I can beat whatever policies you have on your truck and camper.”

  Hardy looked over his shoulder and nodded. He didn’t own the truck or camper, and no matter how good of an agent this Richmond guy was, the FSA wouldn’t be hiring him. Anyway, Hardy would be out of the area in two weeks. After over five months without running into Clay Richmond, he could surely avoid him for another couple of weeks.

  The door opened just as he reached it, and Matt Ashford walked in.” Hey, Hardy, let me help you with that.”

  “Thanks.” If Hardy had made any friends in Shadow, Matt was one of them. He drove a truck for a company based right there in town. Matt’s route took him from St. Louis to Milwaukee, but he seemed to gravitate toward Shadow. Hardy had met him when
Matt dropped a load of supplies off at the farm.

  “Let me guess.” Matt lifted the bag of dog food off the cart and dropped it over the edge into the bed of Hardy’s pickup. “Clay Richmond can beat whatever insurance you already have.”

  Hardy dropped the bag he was carrying beside the other one. “Who told you?”

  Matt snorted. “Oh, he’ll beat their cost all right. And then he’ll sit there and talk in circles until you end up with nearly twice as much coverage as you need and spending even more than you had been.”

  Hardy turned and leaned against the truck. “He’s that bad?”

  His buddy shook his head. “He’s that good.”

  “You talk like a man with experience.”

  Matt shrugged. “I’m covered for just about any kind of calamity you can imagine. I’m pretty sure I even have hurricane insurance.”

  “Now you’re pulling my leg.” Matt’s sense of humor was one of the things Hardy liked about him right off. The other was Matt had no roots and seemed to be content. Hardy had pulled his up and could no longer allow himself to settle in one place for very long. Matt lived that way by choice. The only home he had was the cab of his semi-truck.

  Matt's grin faded. “Have you given any more thought to my offer? Luke’s going to be back in action soon, and you’ll be out of a job.”

  “I don’t know if truck driving is for me.” Hardy had thought long and hard about accepting the job of driving a route between Springfield, Missouri and Milwaukee, Wisconsin. He’d be able to swing by Chicago for short visits with his family, and nobody would be looking for Harding Davis to be driving a semi. The thought of what the agency might do in response to that job concerned him. He might be able to make it without their help, but he couldn’t leave his family without it. ”Can I let you know next week?”

  “Sure.” Matt smiled genially. “Sky says it’s yours if you want it.”

  “Joe Ryman” had kept a CDL, which Beau Harding managed to inherit, so the necessary licensing wouldn’t be an issue. “I’ll let you know.”