AM13 - Alice: Bride of Rhode Island

by Anna J. Stewart

  Luke and Jake were counting on both quirks as they sipped their coffee and kept their conversation loud enough to tempt the pair of small, devious ears.

  “You held Rex Winters all this time?” Jake frowned over the top of his white porcelain mug after Luke filled him in about Kyle.

  “He’s being transferred to county jail this morning,” Luke said. “That reminds me. Fletch mentioned something about it being unusual for Winters to leave his house. What’s with that?”

  “Hard to function when your blood’s eighty proof,” Jake said. “Sorry.”

  Luke shrugged. “Why? It’s the truth. My old man could barely hold a conversation let alone operate a motor vehicle when he’d been drinking.”

  “Is Ozzy spending the night in the office?” Jake asked, sidestepping Luke’s inadvertent trip down a not-so-welcome memory lane.

  “He and Fletch switch off about midnight.” Luke had offered to take one of the shifts, but both Ozzy and Fletch had insisted he go home. A knock on the head had been eventful enough without adding babysitter to the hostile drunk in cell three to the crapper of a week. Luke watched Holly refill coffee cups and talk with her customers. It hadn’t all been crap. “Besides—” Luke cleared his throat “—Ozzy’s still working on downloading the surveillance footage from our security system.”

  “Since when does the station need a security system?” Holly deposited a plate of ham, eggs and fried potatoes, along with a homemade biscuit the size of Luke’s head, in front of her father.

  “Since someone started breaking in and messing with things. We’re already on our third coffeemaker in three weeks. Didn’t even have time to name the second one.” He forced a serious frown in case Simon was watching. “Someone shorted out the power the other morning. Blew two printers, too. And that was after having to replace the locks on the front door.” Luke dodged the details as effortlessly as he danced around detonators.

  “That’s despicable,” Holly muttered. Luke skimmed his gaze over to Simon, who had ducked his head as if his twisting hands had become utterly fascinating.

  “Security system at the police station,” Jake muttered. “Never thought I’d see the day. Whoever did it should be ashamed of themselves.”

  “Did they take anything?” Holly asked, but Luke didn’t get a chance to answer as Paige banged her spatula on the pickup bell. “Hold that thought.”

  Luke felt his face flush when Jake caught him watching Holly walk away. “What?”

  Jake grinned and shook his head. “Not a thing. Good biscuits this morning, Holl. You make them?”

  “Paige wanted to take a crack at them. Don’t tell Ursula, whatever you do,” she said as she set a sizzling platter in front of Luke. “I guess you’re a guinea pig this morning. Paige is calling this the kitchen-sink plate.”

  Luke’s stomach growled at the promise of scrambled eggs, ham, sausage, potatoes and bacon piled together and topped with enough cheese to clog the healthiest of arteries. “Is this for one or for one table?” At least he spotted the sprinkling of onions and peppers somewhere in the mix. Vegetables made it healthy, right?

  “That’s what take-out boxes are for. How’s your head?”

  “Still attached. Thanks for asking.” Luke wasn’t sure what unnerved him more. A teasing, friendly and public conversation with Holly or this monstrosity of a breakfast Cash would have lost his mind over. As it was, his dog was probably happily gobbling up some of the doughnuts Luke had dropped off at the station before hoofing it over to the diner to meet Jake. At least that was what he’d heard Fletch promise when Luke left Cash with his deputies.

  “So this security system?” Holly nudged her father over and sat beside him, setting the full coffeepot on the table before crossing her legs. “State-of-the-art?”

  Luke flittered his gaze to Jake, who gave an imperceptible shrug of silent approval.

  “As state-of-the-art as the budget will allow. Assuming the power doesn’t go out, of course. One flip of the breaker box and the building is back to being made of cardboard for all the security it provides. But it’s better than nothing. I won’t get a chance to look over the footage from the past couple of nights until tomorrow, but we should know soon who installed the malware in my computer.”

  Simon had picked up one of his colored pencils and was scribbling madly in his notebook.

  Holly frowned, looking uneasily between her father and Luke. “Sounds as if the two of you have been commiserating about this for some time.”

  “Nobody messes with my station or my boys,” Jake said in a loud enough voice that Luke’s ears rang. “I picked all of them, Luke included. I’ve already given Luke my full support when it comes to filing charges against whoever is responsible for the vandalism. Could put them away for a long time depending on past behavior. If there’s one thing we won’t tolerate in Butterfly Harbor or in the station, it’s disrespect.”

  “Why do I suddenly feel like saying hear, hear?” Holly patted her father’s hand. “Glad the two of you are working together.” The bell above the door jingled and Holly sighed. “There’s my cue. Enjoy your breakfast. Dad, you coming for dinner tonight?”

  “Actually—” Luke swallowed a forkful of sausage and potato, felt the spicy hint of paprika dance along his tongue “—I’m hoping your dad’s going to help me on another project I’m getting off the ground.”

  “A project?” Holly said. “Dad, that’s great. Something to get you out of the house.”

  “It’s not as big a deal as you might think,” Jake said, and Luke purposely avoided the former sheriff’s gaze. “In fact, you might not think it’s so great when all’s said and done.”

  “Why wouldn’t I— Oh, never mind.” She waved them off and headed over to escort her customers to a table on the other side of the diner.

  “Where’s Charlie this morning, Simon?” Jake asked his grandson.

  Simon spun on his chair, aiming timid eyes at Luke before answering his grandfather.

  “Paige said she wanted to stay in bed this morning.” Simon’s gaze dropped to the floor. “I miss her.”

  Given the trouble the two of them had gotten in to, Luke didn’t doubt it. Harder to bend and break the law without a trustworthy lookout. Something told him the station was safe from another of Simon’s attacks. For today, at least.

  “Would you like to come join us?” Jake asked.

  Another appraising look at Luke. “M’kay.” He scooped up his notebook and pencils and scrambled over next to his grandpa.

  “I heard you and Charlie rode over to the community center the other day?” Luke asked as he refocused on his breakfast.

  “Yeah.”

  “When I was a little older than you, I knew a lot of kids who hung out there. They had classes and activities, met there for field trips and stuff.”

  Simon shrugged, his superhero T-shirt bunching on his chest.

  “They don’t have that anymore?” Luke persisted.

  “Nah.” Simon’s nose curled. “Nothing like that. Just school, which is bor-ing.”

  “What if there was a place that did have activities like that? Do you think you and any of the other kids would want to hang out there?”

  “Would there be computers?” Simon’s eyes brightened like an HD screen.

  “I sure as heck hope not,” Jake muttered.

  Simon frowned. “Huh?” He looked at his grandpa.

  “If we found someone willing to sponsor part of it, it’s possible,” Luke said.

  “Wait.” Jake set his fork down. “What are you talking about?”

  “Exactly what I said. I want to reopen the community center, but make it a youth center. Someplace safe, fun and productive for kids and even adults to hang out. There are plenty of people in town with skills to teach different classes, maybe do some community outrea
ch. Bring in lecturers. Computers,” he added with a point in Simon’s direction. “There isn’t much going on in town to keep kids occupied and out of trouble. Or help them figure out what they want to do with their lives.”

  Jake’s eyes narrowed. “You’ve been looking at the crime statistics.”

  “I have.” Luke nodded. The more he’d thought about it and his conversation with Holly in his office, the more sense it made. “Bored kids make for trouble. Troubled, bored kids mean the lines between acceptable and illegal get blurred. I bet Simon here would like a place to go during the day without having to be stuck in the diner.”

  “Mom likes to keep an eye on me.”

  “Well, this would give your mom a break.”

  “It’s a lot for you to take on,” Jake said. “You’ve got enough on your plate as the sheriff. When are you going to have time to get something like that up and running?” Jake resumed eating, a sour look on his face. “Good idea, though. Wish I’d thought of it. Not that Mr. Mayor would have approved something like that.”

  “Which was why I presented the idea at the town meeting.” Luke said when Jake’s eyebrows went up. “He’s on board and it’s on record. It’ll be my responsibility, but I get to choose who runs it, from start to finish.” He leaned his arms on the table and stared at Jake. “What do you say?”

  “What do I say to what?” Jake mumbled around a mouthful of eggs.

  “You want Grandpa to open the center?” Simon’s eyes went so wide Luke was afraid they would pop out of his head.

  “You’re serious.” Jake stared hard at Luke.

  “I am. You’re the only person I want for the job. You say yes, it’s your baby. Say no...” Luke shrugged. “Status quo. I’ll do what I can, but...”

  “Does the mayor know you’re asking me?”

  “He will, but again, it’s my project. I’m not trying to rock the boat, just giving us a stronger foothold moving forward. Having you at the helm is the perfect choice. Gil will see that.”

  Jake still didn’t look convinced.

  “Jake, you’ve got connections all over town. Even better, everyone likes and respects you. You can talk to businesses, organize sponsorships and supplies to get the building in shape. But there would have to be some rules for any of the kids who want to come to the center.”

  “What kind of rules?” Simon’s eyes went wider, if that was possible.

  “Well, being a member of the youth facility is going to be a privilege,” Luke explained. “It means staying on the straight and narrow.”

  “And what if they haven’t in the past?” Jake asked.

  “We’ll look at their history and determine if they’re capable of adjusting their behavior. I ran a similar program in Chicago. We’ll start with a sign-up sheet and go from there. In the meantime, Simon, would you like to be our first recruit?”

  “Me?”

  He said it in exactly the same way his grandfather had moments ago. “You’ve been behaving yourself lately. And it’s not as if you’re going to give your mom any more grief between now and then. Right?”

  “I could use a helper,” Jake added. “Official assistant. It would mean a lot of work, though. And you couldn’t hang out here as much. You’d be with me or Sheriff Luke.”

  “What about Charlie?” Simon shifted his feet under his butt and began to bounce in the vinyl seat. “Can she help, too?”

  “If she wants and her mom says it’s okay.”

  “There’s one catch, though.” Luke took another bite of his breakfast. “You’d have to be a junior deputy.”

  “You mean like a real crime fighter?” Simon’s mouth dropped open. “Do you mean it?”

  “I do. You’re a smart kid, Simon. I need smart people working with and for me. But this is conditional. Only if your mom says it’s okay.”

  “She will! I know she will!”

  “She will what?” Holly sidled up to their table. “What’s all this jabbering going on? Somebody win the World Series?”

  “Mom.” Simon rolled his eyes. “That’s not until October. Sheriff Luke wants me to be a junior deputy.”

  “Does he?” Holly angled a look at Luke that had him refocusing on his half-full plate. He needed an extra stomach. “And what will that entail?”

  “To be determined,” Jake said before Luke could swallow. “We have to clear up the mystery of the station saboteur before we can move forward with anything else.”

  “Whoever it turns out to be, it’s too bad they won’t be able to participate in any of the youth center’s programs,” Luke added.

  “They won’t?” Simon’s face fell.

  “I can’t let someone destructive interact with you and the other kids. It would defeat the purpose. It’s too bad, too. I was hoping we could get things going with a camping trip up at Milkweed Lake.”

  “I love camping!” Simon announced.

  “How do you know? You’ve never been,” Holly pointed out.

  “Then, I would love to try camping. Please, Mom. Can I be a junior deputy and help Grandpa with the group?”

  “I don’t see why not.” She ruffled Simon’s hair. Luke would have had to have been blind not to see a rush of relief slip over Holly’s face. “See what being good brings you? You get to do things like this.” She leaned over and kissed the top of his head. “Thank you for being such a good boy these past couple of weeks.”

  “Why don’t the three of us head over to the community center now and take a look at what you have to work with,” Luke suggested.

  “Can we, Grandpa?” Simon pleaded.

  Jake gave Luke a long, considering look, the frown on his face fading to interest as he nodded. “Why not? Can’t hurt to see.”

  “Great.” Luke glanced at the clock. He’d still have time to run his other errands before he needed to be at the station.

  And put the rest of his plan into action.

  CHAPTER FIFTEEN

  “WELL, THERE’S SOMETHING I didn’t think I’d ever see.” Holly watched her father and son head out the diner door with Luke a little while later. They couldn’t have captured Simon’s attention any better than if they’d tied him to his stool.

  “You worried?” Paige popped up behind her as they stared out the blinds.

  “No.” Holly shook her head. “For the first time in a long time, I’m not.” And what a joy that was. She pushed open the door. “Hey, Twyla.”

  “Sorry I’m late.” Twyla grabbed an apron from behind the counter before heading into the kitchen. “I had to walk this morning,” she called. “Someone siphoned off the gas in my car last night.”

  “What is going on around here?” Holly muttered. Who stole gasoline out of cars anymore?

  “Things are strange everywhere these days,” Paige agreed. “Is it okay if I go check on Charlie? I could call if you’d rather—”

  “No, go ahead. Oh! Hang on.” Holly dashed into the kitchen to grab a set of keys. “Twyla? Can you keep an eye on things for about fifteen minutes?” She pointed up and Twyla stretched her overpainted red lips into a wide smile.

  “Yeah, I’m good.”

  “Thanks. Paige, I have something to show you.”

  She led the way outside and around to a staircase at the back of the building. “I know you like the Chrysalis Motel.” Holly unlocked the dead bolt. “But that’s got to be racking up some serious rent.”

  “It is what it is. Nothing’s free.”

  “Well, I know it’s not much, but—” Holly pushed open the door and waved Paige inside. “It’s yours and Charlie’s if you want.”

  “Wh-what?” Paige stepped forward with such a look of wonder it was as if she’d stumbled into a magical kingdom instead of a one-bedroom apartment. “Holly?”

  “It’s small, but it’s clean
. And it’s private.” Holly was more than pleased with the cleanup she, Abby and Ursula had done. “I’d been using it as a storeroom the past couple of years, but all it took was some of my grandmother’s furniture. Abby donated the linens and Ursula fixed up the kitchen, stocked the pantry for you. Just don’t start outdoing her in the kitchen more than you already have,” Holly warned with a teasing wag of her finger.

  Delicate lace curtains draped the single-paned windows where a scarred desk sat. A daybed took up most of the far wall to be used for either seating or sleeping. The small bedroom was large enough for the double bed and nightstand, along with a bookcase and small dresser, and the bath, well... As long as they didn’t try throwing any parties, the place should be more than serviceable. Personally, Holly envied the old-fashioned claw-foot tub outfitted with a modern hand-held shower wand.

  “So.” She slapped her hands together and looked at Paige. “What do you think? Paige?”

  Her friend was sitting on the sofa, her pale face streaked with tears.

  “How much?” Paige whispered.

  “What?”

  “How much is the rent?”

  “What rent?”

  Paige blinked, as if the question held no meaning.

  “Paige, you’ve more than paid me with the work you do in the diner. I can’t afford any more hours, but this was just sitting here. It doesn’t cost me anything more than a few extra dollars a month for electricity and water. It’ll help you out, right? Let you start socking some money away. Then maybe you can find a more permanent place here in Butterfly Harbor. If and when that happens, it’ll be ready to rent out.”

  “You’re giving this to me.”

  “To you and Charlie. Something tells me you’re a long time between breaks.” It felt so good to be able to give someone something they really needed. “Besides, I need Charlie close by so she can keep Simon in line.”