Living in Shadow

by Georgia Florey-Evans

  Okay. She decided talking would make time pass more quickly. “Did you speak to your parents last night?”

  His frown instantly made Haley regret asking him. But then he relaxed. “Yes. Dad had a bad spell yesterday afternoon. Mom said he became really agitated and said a bunch of stuff that didn’t make sense.”

  H.B.’s crooked smile flashed into Haley’s mind. “He was happy when we visited. Did something happen to upset him?”

  Beau shrugged. “Mom said the only thing out of the ordinary was when Rob Welton and Phil Welsh stopped in again. They brought their other buddy, John Tarp, with them.”

  Are those the three men who were with your dad when he had the stroke?” Might it have been some sort of flashback?” Haley still had trouble imagining the peaceful man who’d called her Dimples becoming irrationally upset.

  “It makes sense, but we won’t know for sure until Dad improves.” He took a deep breath. “Can we talk about you for a while? We’ve only touched the surface, and I want to know you . . . everything about you. ” Beau glanced at her. “Where did you go to school? What was it like when you grew up?”

  Although Haley usually found it disconcerting to speak of her past, it felt natural to share it with him.

  “I was born in Vinton, Ohio. It’s a small town about fifty miles south of Cleveland. We had lots of neighbors.”

  “So, you are a city girl,” Beau observed. “That’s why you didn’t recognize poison oak.

  ”Heat crawled up her neck, and if she looked in a mirror, her face would be beet red. She answered him, though. “Before I moved to Shadow, the closest I’d ever been to nature was a city park.”

  “We’ll have to see if we can fix that.” Beau turned onto the road leading to the interstate crossing. “I don’t want you grabbing the wrong leaves when we visit Luke and Holly.”

  “I like to visit them,” Haley said. “Their home is peaceful and relaxing.”

  “Yes. I’m going to miss it.” He slowed to let a car pass them.

  Fear struck her at his words. “You’re leaving Shadow? But you said—”

  “Hey, I’m not going anywhere.” Beau reached across the bench seat and grasped her clenched hand. “I forgot I hadn’t told you yet. I’m renting Holly’s house until I find a place to buy.”

  Haley’s breath left in a whoosh. She couldn’t remember feeling this degree of relief before. “You’re moving to Holly’s old house?”

  He laced his fingers through hers and squeezed. “Not that I have anything to move. It’s more like I’ll empty the camper into the house.” His hand reluctantly left hers so he could make a left-hand turn. “You’ll help me buy what I need, won’t you? I’m not a savvy shopper.”

  Beau was staying; she was so ecstatic she would have agreed to just about anything. “I’ll help you.”

  “Good.” His eyes met hers for an instant before he looked back at the road. “We’re here.”

  Haley looked out the window and couldn’t believe where he’d brought her. “How did you know about the Fall Farm?”

  “I saw it in the paper.” He pulled the truck into the nearly empty parking lot and turned off the ignition. “Is this okay?”

  Her heart melted when she saw the look of uncertainty in his eyes. He really wanted to please her.

  “I love to come here.” They exchanged a tender look that spoke more than any words either of them could have said at that moment.

  A few minutes later, Haley once more marveled at the way her hand fit in his as they walked toward the barn.

  “It’s not very crowded tonight,” Beau observed.

  She stepped a little closer beside him. “That’s the way I like it.” Every autumn the Fall Farm opened to the public. There, people could take their pick of activities, such as walking through the corn maze, sitting on a wagon for a hayride, or enjoying hot dogs and apple cider. Haley’s favorite activity was the “redneck” golf course, which actually began in the hayloft of a big barn.

  “You two picked the right evening for a visit,” the lady manning the admission table told them. “Since this is our last week open, you just pay one price, and then you can partake of as many activities as you want. The only things that cost extra are food and drinks.” She smiled brightly as Beau pulled his wallet out. “And the items in the craft barn have been marked down for clearance, so be sure to stop in there before you leave.”

  “What is redneck golf?” Beau asked a few minutes later, as Haley tugged him to the clubs.

  She laughed as she picked up a “club” made from a knobby branch with a slight protrusion on the end of it. "We start up there.” She pointed to the hayloft.

  Beau looked up from the club he was examining. “Okay. How do we get up there? I don’t see any ladders.”

  “There’s a staircase behind that wall, Mister.” A young man with Fall Farm Fun written on his sweatshirt pointed it out.

  “Thank you.” Beau looked at Haley, his brow raised. “What were you going to tell me I had to do to get up there? Something tells me you weren’t going to show me the stairs.”

  Haley laughed as she gestured toward the other side of the barn. “I thought maybe you could get creative with that wheelbarrow and pitchfork.”

  “You’ve got an ornery streak, don’t you?” He picked up his club and pulled her toward the stairs.

  “Is that okay?” She was suddenly nervous. What if, after Beau had spent more time with her, he decided she wasn’t who he thought she was?

  His hand tightened on hers. “Everything about you is more than okay. I already told you, honey; this isn’t a test.”

  Nearly two hours later, Haley felt like her capacity for laughter had been tested. From watching a man Beau’s size play miniature golf to having him abruptly lift her onto his shoulders so they could finally find their way out of the corn maze, she laughed. After a trip to Six Flags and now this active date, it was evident he had quite a sense of adventure. He also apparently loved to make her show her dimples. She couldn’t remember ever having this much fun before.

  They were soon seated side by side on hay bales, waiting for the tractor to start pulling them through the woods.

  “Here. Let me hold your cider while you wrap that blanket around your legs,” Beau offered, taking the cup from her hand.

  “Thanks.” It was getting pretty chilly as it got darker. Once she was tightly covered, she accepted her cider back. “Are you sure hot dogs and potato chips are enough of a dinner for you? I know how you usually eat.”

  Beau gave her a sheepish grin. “I’ll probably swing by the diner and pick up a couple of burgers and fries after I take you home. I’m fine for now, though.”

  There were only a few other people on the wagon ride with them, and since they were all huddled together in their own pairings, Haley felt like she and Beau were alone.

  “Look at the stars.” She pointed through the tree limbs to the clear October sky as a tractor slowly began pulling them. “They’re beautiful.”

  Beau leaned back and looked up. “That’s one thing I missed in Chicago. With all the city lights around, you just don’t see the sky anymore.”

  Her eyes met his. “Do you miss Chicago, though? Shadow is a far cry from a place like you’re used to.”

  He touched her cheek. “I don’t miss one single thing from my life in Chicago. I have everything I want right here.”

  Haley couldn’t hold back her smile. She snuggled against his side when he put his arm around her shoulders and pulled her against him.

  “Can I ask you something, Beau?” She tilted her head enough to make eye contact with him.

  “Anything.”

  Haley remembered his mother’s words. “Did you ever consider becoming a farmer? Or have you always wanted to be a police officer?”

  His gaze was troubled when he looked back at her. “There’s one thing about me you have to understand, Haley. I’m a cop. When my cover was blown, the one thing that drove me crazy was the knowledge I couldn’
t do my job anymore. This chance Mitch is giving me—I feel like myself again. If you’re expecting me to be something else, I’ll disappoint you.”

  “I care about you, and I know who you are. You’ve shown me. I don’t expect you to change.” It was as simple as that.

  “Would you like to meet my sister?” Beau asked out of the clear blue.

  “Of course, I would,” Haley assured him, “but is it safe?”

  “I’ll have Elliott arrange something. It’s been too long since I’ve seen my niece and nephew. They probably don’t even remember they have an uncle.”

  “Beau?” This was as good of a time as any. “Not now, but sometime, will you trust me enough to tell me what hurt you so badly?”

  He lowered his head and focused on his feet. Haley wasn’t sure if he was even going to answer her for a minute.

  “I’ll try to tell you . . . sometime.” His gaze was troubled as it met hers. “But I can’t yet. Please understand.”

  It was more than she’d expected. “I do.” Haley made herself smile. “Now, tell me, were you a mischievous child?”

  They spent the rest of the hayride with Beau sharing stories about the hijinks he had been involved in during his youth. It seemed he had always been very enterprising, particularly in grade school. He tried to build an airplane out of an old wooden crate and a lawnmower his grandfather junked. It was a miracle he only ended up with a broken leg after he drove the contraption out of his grandpa’s hayloft. And he hadn’t fared much better with the boat he constructed from an old wooden rain barrel. It made it out to the middle of the pond and proceeded to sink quite rapidly. Haley decided it was just as well he’d found his calling in police work. He’d never have made it as an inventor.

  The evening rushed by, and all too soon they were standing at her door.

  “Thank you, Beau. I can’t remember when I’ve had this much fun.” She turned the key in the lock and opened the door.

  “Haley?” She turned back to face him. “I thought we’d see if that wig made any difference in how we kiss. Okay?”

  His lips met hers before her smile was fully formed. She felt him pull her into his arms and hold her snugly against him as they kissed. Her arms seemed to have a mind of their own as they slid up around his neck and held on tightly.

  They were both breathing heavily when he slowly ended the kiss.

  “Okay.” His forehead rested against hers. “It was even better without the wig, don’t you think?”

  Since Haley was pretty sure the grip she had on his arms was the only thing keeping her from zipping into orbit, she could only smile and nod.

  “I’d better go.” Beau spoke with conviction.

  Haley made herself release him and step back out of his arms. “I’ll see you tomorrow.” Was that soft, breathy sound her voice? “Goodnight.”

  “Goodnight.”

  She could have looked at the tender expression in his steel gray eyes all night, and it was what she still saw as she fell asleep a short while later.

  Chapter 45

  “Sheriff, I’ve got another body over here.” Jeff Fielding’s voice came from the other side of the enormous pile of wrecked cars and junk.

  Mitch looked up from the corpse he and Hardy were kneeling by and muttered something under his breath. “It’s hard to tell for sure, but since this looks like a postal employee’s uniform, I’m pretty sure this is William Baxter. Let’s go see if we recognize the guy Jeff found.”

  A man named George Gibbons had phoned into the station early that morning, hysterical. It had taken Haley a long time to calm him enough to make sense. He had been letting his coon hounds run the woods that separated his farm from the junkyard. One of them started having fits, and when Gibbons walked over to see what his dog was barking at, he found a body. It was partially concealed by an old car hood.

  “What you got?” the sheriff asked his deputy as he and Hardy approached him.

  Jeff pointed to a couple of old refrigerator doors lying on the ground. One was rusted through, and a hand was visible in the opening.

  Mitch keyed his portable radio mike. "Landon to base.”

  Haley’s voice came over the radio. “Base here.”

  “Haley, call the state dispatch. We’ve got two bodies out here at Sampson’s Salvage yard, and unless they figured out a way to bury themselves under junk, we’re looking at homicides.”

  Hardy knew Mitch was upset because the sheriff hadn’t used any codes; he’d just spoken plainly to Haley. That would have been rewarded with a stiff fine back in Chicago, but this was a small town.

  “Ten-four, Mitch. Do you want me to call Dr. Tindell?”

  “Yes.” The sheriff sighed. “We’ll be turning this over to state, though. We don’t have the resources to handle it.”

  “Ten-four. Anything else?” Haley’s voice was unsteady.

  “No. We’ll stay here and provide what help we can.”

  “Ten-four.”

  Mitch clipped the microphone on his shirt pocket with enough force Hardy was surprised the cloth didn’t tear. During the past few weeks, Hardy had gotten pretty used to reading the other man, and right now Mitch was frustrated.

  “Sheriff, I don’t know if it means anything or not, but I admire you.” Hardy felt the need to tell his boss this. “I’ve seen too many men in your position too stubborn to step down and let somebody else take over, no matter what’s best for the case. The people here are fortunate to have you.”

  Mitch grimaced. “It’s hard to do, sometimes. I’d like nothing better than to catch whoever did this, but our department just isn’t set up for crimes of this magnitude.”

  Jeff looked up from where he knelt by the door the hand was visible under. “Is the other guy William Baxter?”

  “I think so,” Mitch replied. “I wonder who that is.”

  “I’m pretty sure it’s another man.” Jeff leaned closer to the exposed hand. “His nails are filthy. Like the kind of dirt that hasn’t been cleaned out from under nails for a long time, not fresh soil.”

  Hardy thought of something. “I wonder if he’s our camper.”

  Mitch gave him a measuring look, interest visible on his face. “If he is, he’s probably one of our burglars.”

  Hardy picked up the other man’s train of thought. “And if that’s the case, Baxter and Callen must be our other two.”

  Revulsion filled the sheriff’s voice. “Then we’ve got somebody altogether different murdering our criminals.”

  Jeff looked back at them. “What about that guy Wayne saw? The one in Hardy’s sketch?”

  Hardy’s pulse jumped and went into overdrive. “If this was him . . .”

  “This is all connected,” Mitch finished for him. “Okay.” Jeff stood up and walked over to join them. “Let’s just try this out to see how it sounds.”

  The two deputies waited for the sheriff to continue. “We’ve got three guys—Baxter, Callen, and whoever this is. They rob and vandalize the salon, animal clinic, insurance agency, and Ebhart’s. Baxter would have done it for the money to pay his mom’s bills. You said Callen worked for cash. Just for the sake of argument, we’ll assume this guy did, too. Then something goes wrong at the convenience store, and one of these two shoots Callen.” What he said was making sense. “Then this other guy who tried to kill Hardy’s father showed up and took care of these two.” His eyes met Hardy’s. “It’s all about you. But I don’t understand why you haven’t been a target. Are you sure nobody’s tried anything?”

  “Mitch, I’ve been even more careful since Haley and I are dating. I guarantee you, I’d know if there were somebody even so much as watching me. There hasn’t been anybody in town paying any particular attention to me.”

  “Except Crystal.” This wasn’t the first time Mitch voiced his opinion, but to do so with dead bodies right there indicated his level of disgust. “I talked to her yesterday about the way she’s been acting toward you. And I still think she’s in contact with Karl King. He knows to
o much about police business.”

  Hardy had quickly learned to avoid the dispatch station if Crystal Stanley was working. She was growing more blatant as each day passed in her attempts to attract him. At least Jeff usually worked the evening shift, which significantly limited the time Hardy was forced to interact with the woman.

  The blare of multiple sirens drew his attention as four state squad cars pulled in and stopped. The next three hours were spent helping the state police officers as much as he could.

  While they were pretty sure the first body was that of William Baxter, positive identifications of both men were going to have to come from something other than facial recognition. Dr. Tindell estimated they’d been out there for three to four weeks, and the elements hadn’t been kind. There were no wallets or other signs of identification found on or near the bodies. A cursory examination led them to believe in each instance the man had been shot in the back of the head with what appeared to be either a nine millimeter or forty-five caliber gun. The job of working the crime scene was extremely unpleasant.

  It was nearly time for Haley’s shift to end when Hardy finally walked back into the station.

  “Was it bad?” she quietly asked him.

  He looked at the woman in front of him and knew he’d do anything he could to shield her from the gruesome scene he’d just left. “I’ve seen worse.”

  “Are you okay?” Her voice was full of concern.

  “I am now.” Amazingly, the sight of her eyes, filled with loving concern, washed all the ugliness away. “Haley, I know my timing is lousy, but I can’t wait one more minute to tell you—I love you.”

  Her eyes widened for an instant before her dimples appeared. He had never seen anything more beautiful than the smile on her face. “I love you too, Beau.”

  He groaned. “I want to kiss you so much right now, but sweetheart, I stink.”

  “You can kiss me this evening,” she suggested, her smile not dimming. “Maybe even twice.”

  “I believe I’ll take you up on that.” He wished he had stopped by his house to shower before he came to the station, but Mitch had asked him to do something. He sobered. “Right now I need to take care of something on Mitch’s computer. I have to get busy, or we won’t have dinner before it’s time for breakfast.”