Ellis shut off her about-to-go-off alarm and picked up on the fourth ring. “Hello?” she said, not happy that someone had robbed her of two minutes of precious sleep.
“It’s Jack.”
Her stomach sank. “I don’t want to talk to you, Jack. I thought I made that perfectly clear the last time.”
“I told you I wasn’t going to give up on us,” he said quietly. “We need to talk about our relationship.”
Ellis looked at her nails and sighed. “Nope. Don’t want to talk to you.”
He had controlled so much of her life before. What hours she worked, where they lived, what she wore, how she felt about herself. No more. Her rose-colored glasses were gone.
“Ellis, if this is about my aunt, I apologize. I had no idea she was going to your little store but she’s right. I’m unhappy without you. I want you back in my life.”
He’d called her store little again. That one word diminishing all the hard work she put into it. Acid burned in her gut. “Oh, really? Well, I’m not your girlfriend anymore so it’s not my place to care about your happiness. Everything is not about you, Jack. I come first from now on and I don’t want to be with you.”
“Why won’t you let me explain?” His voice grew sharp. “I did a lot of thing wrong but I did a lot of good things for you. I can’t believe you are going to let a bad six months ruin a year and a half of good times.”
“You don’t get it, Jack. This isn’t just about you. I wanted a new life.”
“Your old life was fine. Ellis, you need to rethink this breakup. You know how much I love you. If you don’t you’ll regret it.”
“I’m sorry, Jack but I don’t think I will.”
She hung up on him. It was the first time she had done so and damn, it felt good.
*
Belinda had a doctor’s appointment and Cherri wasn’t scheduled to arrive until one. Ellis was left manning the store alone. She didn’t mind. Saturdays were their busy days; only a few shoppers came in early in the week, and not usually before lunchtime. This gave her time to sew. On days like this she brought her form to the front of the shop to do her alterations. Today she worked on a dress for a high school reunion. One of her customers had a very large bust, a tiny waist, and a hard time find clothing that worked on her. Ellis helped the woman try on every dress in the store but nothing came close to fitting her. The reunion was in four days, which left Ellis with a challenge: lose a customer, which she couldn’t afford to do, or redesign a dress. The customer, Lydia, had fallen in love with a red silk number that looked great against her skin. Silk was a hard fabric to work with but Ellis worked carefully and the dress was nearly ready.
“I deserve a treat for this,” Ellis said, studying her work. “A piece of red velvet cake. To honor this dress.” She nodded, smoothed her hands over the silk, and made a mental note to call Lydia.
The bell over the door sounded, alerting Ellis to a customer’s arrival. She turned away from the dress and smiled, expecting to see a woman. Instead she saw a man, balding, big belly, in his mid-forties with a giant, gaudy ring on his left hand. He was probably looking to buy a gift for his wife.
“Welcome to Size Me Up. Can I help you find something?”
“Yeah.” The man approached the register. “Cash.”
“Excuse me?” Ellis’s smile dropped a fraction. “Like an ATM machine?”
“No, honey.” The man put his hands in his pockets. “Empty out your register. You’re getting robbed.”
“What?” Ellis put her hands on her hips. “Are you freaking kidding?” Robberies didn’t happen like this. Short, fat middle-aged men didn’t just walk into stores and demand money.
“No. I’m not. Empty out your drawer.”
“No!” She rolled her eyes. First Jackass’s call and now this. “Who robs a store in the middle of broad daylight? And a clothing store at that? Why didn’t you try the jewelry store on the next corner? They’ve got way more money than me.” It dawned on her then. “Are you the same guy who robbed the yarn store?”
The man took a small step back and frowned at her. “You think I’m going to admit that to you?”
Ellis shrugged. She should be afraid but she wasn’t. This guy was four inches shorter than she was. He didn’t look dangerous—plus he was stupid enough to rob her store. He was no criminal mastermind. “I guess not. Listen, I don’t have any money. Why don’t you just go away and we’ll forget about this.”
The thief took a step closer. Thankfully her glass display case stood between the two of them. “Open the register.”
“No. Go rob somebody else. I just told you that there is no money in there. We opened an hour ago and most of my customers pay by credit card. This is not a convenience store.”
“The jewelry then.” The man looked down at her case.
“It’s all costume. It’s not worth that much.”
“Listen, bitch.” His head snapped up. “I’m tired of talking to you. I’m not leaving here empty-handed, so shut up and open up the case.”
“Fuck off. I’m calling the cops.” Ellis turned to get the phone, her heart pounding.
A hairy hand grabbed her by the back of her shirt and forced her around. “I’m not playing around. Open the damn case.”
“Okay.” Now she was scared. “The key is in the drawer. I need to get it.”
“I’m watching you.”
He let her go and Ellis took the opportunity to rummage through her drawer. She felt the keys but she also felt cool metal against her hand. The retractable metal baton. The most thoughtful present a mother could give. She reached for it, pulled it out ready to strike, but the man with the big stomach and the hairy hands was quicker than he looked. He grabbed the baton with one hand and delivered a viscous backhanded slap to Ellis’s face, his gold ring slicing into her cheek.
“I warned you not to fuck with me, bitch.” In one quick move he slammed the baton down on her display case, causing it to shatter. Pieces flew into Ellis’s face. “Don’t try anything else.”
She nodded, watching him as he emptied the display case, burning his image into her mind as he did.
“Have a nice day, ma’am.” He tipped his nonexistent hat at her and walked out the door as if nothing had happened.
Chapter Eight
“Did you watch the game the other day?” Lester asked Mike. They were at their desks going over paperwork and old case files.
Mike nodded and then shook his head. “It was pathetic. Being a Mets fan is like getting your heart broken, then stomped on repeatedly, then put back together and shot.”
Lester nodded. “That’s some deep shit, man. Why do we even bother?”
“Hell if I know.” Mike looked down at a file. “Hey, did you ever follow up with the lady who thinks her neighbor stole her cat?”
“Yup and she’s batshit crazy. Cat showed up the next day. I still can’t believe she made you fill out that incident report.”
“Believe it. She says that her neighbors are out to get her because she has five rusty Chevys parked in her front yard.”
“Five.” Lester shook his head. “That’s not enough to kidnap a cat over. Eight.” He nodded. “That’s when it gets to be ridiculous.”
Mike laughed at his partner’s musings and returned to his paperwork. A couple of minutes later his cell phone rang and when ELLIS popped up on the caller ID, Mike smiled.
“You changed your mind about going out with me? I knew you would come to your senses eventually.”
“Mike,” Ellis said, her voice shaky.
His whole body went on alert. “What’s wrong, Ellis?”
“I-I. Can you come down here? I’ve been robbed.”
*
It only took Mike four minutes to get to St. Lucy Street. He didn’t remember the drive over or Lester’s complaints about their safety.
Ellis. Her face flashed through his mind; her soft shaky voice stayed in his ears.
I’ve been robbed.
He nev
er expected it to happen to her. Not on St. Lucy Street again. They still had no leads on the last robbery. Not a clue as to who the perp was. No pattern to follow. Mike didn’t think they would ever find the guy. But now they would.
He threw the car into park as soon as he saw the sign to Ellis’s store, ignoring Lester’s shouting that the car was parked diagonally.
“Ellis!” Mike ran up to the entrance of the store. Before he couldn’t enter Ellis came rushing out.
“Mike.”
She rushed into his arms and hung on to him for a moment before looking up at him. He wished she hadn’t. His stomach clenched, his throat tightened, and his eyes burned all at once. The left side of her face was battered. The skin beneath her eye was slashed, blood slowly seeping from it. Little scratches marked the rest of her face. She’d been through hell.
“Don’t look at me like that, Mike,” she said in a quiet voice. “You’re going to give me a complex.”
“Oh, honey,” he said as he softly cupped her face in his hands. “You look awful. What happened?”
“I got the sass slapped out of me and then I got robbed, but don’t worry, I took it like a champ.”
“Like a champ?” He gave her a soft smile, not wanting to upset her. He could tell she was in shock. Whoever did this to her really did a number on her face. It was already starting to bruise.
“Yup, like Tyson.” Her grip on him suddenly tightened, her fingers biting into his shoulders. “Mike?”
“Yes?”
“I feel a little woozy.”
“Okay, honey. Let’s find you a place to sit.”
Before he could move her she slumped in his arms, completely passing out.
*
Ellis opened her eyes nearly ten minutes later. Mike had never been more relieved.
“Elle, are you okay?” He brushed the hair off her pale, rapidly bruising face.
“Yeah.” She attempted to lift her head but quickly settled back into his arms. “Ouch. No. Why are you holding me? Did you drug me?”
“Not funny.” Mike frowned. Ellis was the only person who could be robbed, assaulted, and a pain in the ass. “Would you like me to let you go?”
“No.” She frowned and then winced. “I didn’t say I didn’t like it.”
“Okay then.” He brought her body closer. In the fifteen minutes since he arrived half of Durant PD had shown up, an ambulance had been called, and Belinda had showed up for her shift. It was absolute insanity outside. Once again a crowd had formed on St. Lucy Street. Another robbery, this one worse. The people of Durant were beginning to get afraid.
That’s why Mike took Ellis to her office, her curvy body sprawled against his as he sat on her sofa. When she collapsed his heart stopped beating. He had been scared, really scared, and stopped thinking rationally for a moment.
“What happened?” She blinked up at him. “How did I get here?”
“You were robbed. Don’t you remember?”
She shook her head as if trying to clear it, then nodded. “Yes, but how did I get here? Last thing I remember was talking to you.”
“You fainted, Ellis,” Mike responded softly.
“I did not! I’ve never fainted in my life.”
She had the nerve to be outraged by this. It made him smile. “You did today.”
“Really?” She looked into his eyes, searching for the truth.
“Why would I lie about that?”
“Bummer,” she sighed. “So much for taking it like a champ.”
Mike noticed his boss and Lester hovering just outside the door. It was all going to begin soon. The questions, the visit to the sketch artist, the evaluation by the paramedics, the crime scene investigation. It was a rough process for anyone to go through and since Ellis’s robbery had been violent, it was going to be even more involved. He wanted to spare her from it. He wanted to make it all go away before it began.
“Can you tell me what happened?” he whispered so that only Ellis could hear him. “You are going to have to tell your story a dozen times.”
“Oh Mikey, do you want to be my first?” She gave him half of her naughty grin, and his heart pounded.
“Yeah, this time I do.”
She told him what she remembered, giving him the most detailed description of a perp he had ever heard. He recalled the sketches he had found around her office the day he had tidied up. Some were of elaborate dresses, others were of people. She had an eye for detail, an ability to pick up on the smallest facet.
“I can draw him for you.” Her eyes filled with tears but she quickly blinked them back. She was unable to even allow herself the luxury of shedding a tear. “This is my fault, Mike. I should have kept my mouth shut and given him what he wanted. But there was no money in the register and I couldn’t believe I was getting robbed. We’re barely making it as it is; I couldn’t let him take away what I worked so hard to get.”
“Shh, honey.” He ran his fingers through her thick hair. “This was not your fault. I don’t want you blaming yourself.”
“I was going to hit him with the baton but he snatched it from me.” She took in a deep breath. “My mother gave it to me. I wish I could have hit him.”
“You were brave,” Mike assured her.
“I was stupid.”
“That too.”
He was glad she realized it. Mike stopped himself from shaking her for trying to defend her store. Didn’t she know that people died that way? How many store owners had he seen sprawled lifeless on the floor because they tried and failed to defend what was theirs? If that criminal had had a gun, if he had shot … Mike stopped himself from thinking. She was here, awake, alive, and only bruised.
“I look like a prizefighter, don’t I?”
“Yes, but a beautiful prizefighter. Much better than Ali.”
Her lips curled into a smile, causing her to wince once again. “Don’t make me laugh, dummy. My face hurts like hell.”
“I’m sorry.” He rested his hand on her uninjured cheek and pulled her face closer to his. He couldn’t help himself. He needed to kiss her. Just before his lips met hers two EMTs entered the room, followed by his boss, followed by Lester. That didn’t stop him. He knew what the consequences for kissing her would be but he didn’t care.
Chapter Nine
Life Is Like …
Life’s a bowl of cherries? I hate the saying. Pour some sugar on it, wrap it in crust, and serve it to me on a plate. Mmm, cherry pie … What was my point?
Ellis noted the line of people entering her office just before Mike kissed her. She thought it was going to stop him but instead he pressed his lips to hers and let them linger, making the kiss sweet and unhurried. When it was over he looked down at her with his dark blue eyes and gave her a soft reassuring smile.
“I have to talk to my boss. The paramedics are going to clean up your face.” He gestured toward a tall African American man in a gray suit. “That’s my partner, Lester. He’ll take good care of you. I’ll be back in a little while.”
“Okay,” Ellis said even though she didn’t want him to leave her. It was a foolish thought. He had a job to do.
She watched him nod at Lester then follow his boss.
“Hello, Ellis,” Lester said as the paramedics hurried toward her.
She absently returned the greeting as a funny feeling settled in her belly.
Lester was quiet for a moment, as if he was unsure how to behave around her. “Are you related to Walter Garret?”
“Yes,” she said wincing as the male paramedic poked at her face. “He’s my father.”
“He works with my son Cameron at the university.” Lester paused. “My son says he’s brilliant.”
“He is.” Ellis hissed as some kind of antibacterial solution touched her face.
“Hurts like a bitch, doesn’t it?”
“Mike is getting in trouble, isn’t he?” She could tell something wasn’t right by the uneasy look on Lester’s face, by the awkward way he was treating her. If Le
ster was as seasoned as he looked he should be much more comfortable around robbery victims. It made her realize that she probably shouldn’t have called Mike. She didn’t know why she called him instead of 911 like she was supposed to. After her thief had left it was the only thing she could think to do. His name was the only one that came to mind.
“Uh.” Lester hesitated and Ellis had her answer. “Not too much. We’re probably off this case, though. The captain shouldn’t be too mad at him for coming to help his girlfriend.”
“But I’m not his—”
Lester gave her a pointed look. “It’s better for him if you are. Do you get my drift?”
She nodded. “I didn’t mean for any of this to happen.”
“Nobody is blaming you for this. Don’t worry about him. Mike did what he had to do.”
*
Ellis needed stitches to close the cut on her cheek. The paramedics wanted to take her to the hospital but she balked. She balked again when the doctor at the clinic across the street took out a needle to sew up her face. Mike watched her go pale and then asked the doctor if they had any liquid stitches available. She would be really mad if she fainted twice in one day.
“It was only a four-inch curved needle, Elle. I thought you were tougher than that.”
“Bite me,” she grumped.
“Just tell me where.” Mike looked her up and down, feeling the need to tease her when what he really wanted to do was haul her into his arms and kiss her.
She frowned at him and then winced, making him feel bad for bothering her. Ellis had been a trouper through it all. She remained calm, answered all the questions thoroughly, and drew a very good sketch of the perpetrator. She was a model victim and now she had every right to be cranky.
“Don’t tease me. My face hurts.”
“You should have taken the pain meds.” He grabbed her hand as they left the clinic. “Come on, let’s get your prescription filled and go get something to eat.”
She pulled away. “I don’t take pain meds. They make me all fuzzy and I can’t go to lunch, I have to get back to my store. I have three dresses to finish and I need to start cleaning up.”
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