A Few Good Women (Lexi Graves Mysteries, 9)

by Camilla Chafer

  "One more thing," I said quickly before he hung up.

  "Yeah?"

  "Can you call a tow truck please?"

  Maddox laughed. "Sure."

  I sat in the car, alternating between sighing at my misfortune and happily picturing Anthony in a set of shiny handcuffs. The latter made me pretty cheerful but then I wondered, what if they didn't catch him at the airport? What if he saw the FBI waiting for him and ran? What if he were still at the house?

  Stuffing my cell phone into my purse, I slung the chain strap over my head, and left the car behind. I was a little slower than I would have liked in heels but I wasn't planning to take a long walk. Even at my slow pace, I would have enough time to make it there, peep into the windows, and walk back. Nothing more. I did not intend to apprehend Anthony by myself.

  The road was wet and empty with small puddles pooling at the sides. I could just make out the lights of Montgomery through the furthest trees. No road noise, and no one inside the distantly neighboring houses. No one around at all.

  No wonder Anthony hid out here. It was the perfect place to avoid other people while lying low until he could get out of town. I stepped onto the gravel driveway, relieved this was one of the few houses without huge security gates. Hurrying on, I feared it would rain again and ruin my entire look. I could just imagine what Serena would have to say about that!

  The driveway wound up to the house. I ignored the side road that led to the service entrance and eventually reached the turning circle around the fountain.

  The garage was on the left, a short distance from the house. I barely noticed it before but now I spotted the small window above the double car garage. No light. I hurried closer, pushing away the fronds from the tall ferns that lined the drive. I was ten feet away when I heard a noise. I froze, listening, but it remained silent. I crept forward, bending to the height of the ferns, and trying to conceal myself. There was no point approaching the garage doors. I didn't have anything to open them with, nor did I want to. Instead, I circled the building, following the path that led around the side. There was a window pretty high up but even on my tiptoes, I couldn't see anything although I could hear voices inside. I looked around, searching for something to stand on but there wasn't even a plant pot. I moved around the back of the building but saw no windows there so I pushed on, checking out the other side. A single door was at the closest edge, slightly ajar. I stepped closer, easing my gun from my purse, just in case.

  "Enough," groaned a man. "Enough, okay? I didn't mean any harm, she just got in the way.

  It was Anthony's voice, which I would have known anywhere; but who was he talking to?

  "You set her up."

  One more step and I was at the door. Pressing my eye beside the crack, I had to clamp a hand over my mouth to stifle my breathing.

  Anthony lay on the floor, clutching his stomach with one hand while trailing his shaking fingers over his bloodied face. The second man looked down at him, his back to me, partially obscuring Anthony. He stepped to one side, still observing him. His hands clenched and unclenched with startling repetition.

  The beating Anthony apparently sustained was severe. His nose gushed blood, his lip was split and his eyes were already showing signs of bruising. One eye was even swollen shut. At the sound of his wheezing, I suspected multiple broken ribs.

  I switched off the safety lock. If Anthony were about to be killed in that moment, I couldn't let it happen, no matter what my personal feelings were. Having trained at the range recently, I felt up to it. I temporarily ignored how Anthony tried to use that visit against me when he set me up with that tipoff to the hotline.

  "You should have left her alone," said the man.

  I eased the door open a little more and it creaked on the rusting hinges. I froze and let go as the man looked over his shoulder.

  My mouth dropped open.

  Solomon turned away and glanced at his watch. Stooping on one knee, he bent over Anthony but his voice was clear. "This is your one and only warning, Steadman," he said. "Go near Lexi again and you won’t get a second chance. I will do anything to protect her. Anything! If you ever come back to town, I will finish what I started. Do you understand?"

  "Yes," groaned Anthony.

  Solomon got up and turned around before marching for the door. I jumped back, plastering my body against the garage wall as the door opened and pushed against me. I grabbed the handle and held it open, shielding me from Solomon as he exited. I listened to his footsteps walking away, the sound changing from solid footfalls to crunches when he hit the gravel driveway before disappearing altogether.

  My feet couldn't move. I didn't want to help Anthony but I knew I couldn't just leave him there.

  I couldn't go after Solomon either. Clearly, I wasn't meant to see that but I did. What should I do now?

  I pushed my gun back into my purse and pulled out my cell phone. Stepping away from the garage, I walked back toward the driveway. There was no sign of Solomon and as I wondered where he was, a car I'd never seen before turned off the service road ahead of me toward the driveway exit. Solomon was driving it. I stepped back, hoping he didn't see me in his rearview mirror. His car turned out of the driveway and disappeared.

  I counted to twenty, then ran for the road, faster than I believed were possible in heels. Making a beeline for my car and the help that would be coming soon, I was growing exponentially more anxious to get out of there.

  As soon as I saw Maddox's car, I waved, flagging him down. He slid to a stop, rolling down the window. "What happened?" he asked, his face suddenly filled with concern. "You look terrified."

  "I found Anthony. He's in the garage. Call the police and an ambulance."

  "What happened?"

  I hesitated; then, in the split second it took to make a decision, I lied. "I don't know."

  "Get in."

  I climbed inside the car as Maddox dialed but my mind began spinning and I couldn't concentrate on what he said or whom he spoke to. All I could do was show him the driveway and direct him toward the garage.

  "Any point in telling you to stay here?" he asked, stopping outside the house.

  "No."

  "Didn't think so. Let's go." I took Maddox to the garage side door and let him enter first, his weapon drawn. "What the hell happened?" he asked, darting forward to Anthony and sheathing his gun. He rested a finger against Anthony’s neck. "He's breathing but he looks pretty bad. Did you find him like this?" he asked, glancing at me.

  "Yes."

  "I think he'll be okay," said Maddox, "A few broken bones and a bunch of bruises. Maybe some stitches. It probably looks worse than it really is."

  "It looks terrible," I said flatly. I turned away, a wave nausea bubbling inside me. "I'm going to wait outside."

  I paced on the driveway, waiting for the police and the ambulance to show up. Then the darkened driveway became suddenly bright with lights and talking and noise. With Maddox at my side, I gave a statement to the uniformed cop, stumbling over my words and rambling on about my hunch and the weather and the tire track.

  "We can go now," said Maddox, taking off his jacket and putting it around my shoulders. "You're shivering. Your skimpy jacket doesn't even qualify as a jacket."

  "I don't feel cold."

  "I think you're a little shocked. Get in." He bundled me into the passenger seat, jogged around the car, and got in. He turned a dial and the heater came on. We sat there with the engine idling, the heat blasting, but instead of putting the car into drive, he took my hand, holding it between his. After a long moment, I looked up and met his eyes.

  "Lexi, did you see who did this?" he asked softly.

  I sucked in a breath and didn't look away. "No," I replied just as softly.

  He looked at me, his eyes full of concern, and didn't challenge me. But I knew he didn't believe me. "Okay," he said at last, "Tell me where you need to go."

  Chapter Nineteen

  "Lexi! Yoo hoo! Earth to Lexi!"

  "H
mm?" I blinked and looked over at Lily, who waited expectantly. "What?"

  "You drifted away on your own cosmic ship to Planet Nowhere. What's wrong?"

  I gave her a tight smile. "Nothing."

  "You have a vein throbbing in your temple. Are you still worried about Anthony? There is no way he could ruin tonight; and if he tries, he'll have to deal with me. I'll stand in the doorway and block his entrance."

  "You can't use your baby bump as a weapon."

  "Why not? It makes a great shelf, and it also bakes a baby. It's a multi-tasker!"

  I laughed. "I'm not worried about Anthony," I said, glancing toward Solomon. He was on the opposite side of the room, laughing at something my dad said. Wearing a dark shirt and tie with pressed pants and dress shoes, he didn't look anything like the man I saw earlier this evening. No, now he looked like the model citizen. He swooped in a few minutes before we were shown into Alessandro's private dining room. After kissing me he told me I looked great, but didn't say a word about his previous whereabouts. I wondered if he planned to.

  "I know you. You're worried about something."

  "Really, it's nothing, I'm just a little tired. I'll tell you all the details another time," I said, covering the true reason for my semi-stupor. I couldn't get the image out of my head. I kept flashing on Solomon leaning over Anthony, who lay bleeding on the floor. I also began to wonder how he connected Anthony to Hillside. There could have been a whole bunch of reasons that he made it out there before me, especially if he spotted something in the file we created. Did Lucas track him to that house? Unless I asked him point blank, I would probably never know. I was pretty sure I wouldn't. Some things were better left unchallenged.

  "Was it because Maddox drove you here? I saw you outside and I'll admit, it surprised me. I didn't know he was back in town. You never told me!" Lily berated me.

  "I don't know exactly when he got back but both our cases intersected. He helped me out because I had some car trouble." He also drove me all the way to Alessandro's without a single question and called a tow truck to take my car to a garage and have the flat repaired. He didn't even scold me for not changing the tire myself.

  "You always know where you stand with Maddox," said Lily.

  "Mmm-hmm," I agreed, distracted again as I watched Solomon. Did I know where I stood with him?

  Solomon glanced over and saw me watching him, so he raised his glass. The gentle smile was so unlike the viciously fierce expression I saw on his face at the garage. It was nothing less than amazing to see how a person could jump from one extreme of their personality to the other in less than a couple of hours. But I actually witnessed it.

  I knew Solomon could be very hard when he had to be. He was barely an adult when his parents were killed, leaving him with a brother and sister to raise; although his career and life after that remained a complete mystery to me. That is, until the day I met him. Building his business from nothing, he encountered some very dangerous people, and came to my aid several times. I never objected to his methods for dealing with dangerous people previously. It was all justified. But how could his beating of Anthony to the ground be justified. Or was it? Did Anthony threaten me? Would that be reason enough for his violent reaction? I could only wonder.

  "Is that Serena?" my mother asked as the door to the dining room opened. "Oh, Garrett. Where have you been? Serena is due here any minute!"

  "Sorry," said Garrett, looking around. He spotted me and walked over, taking off his jacket and draping it over his arm. His badge swung on a chain around his neck and his holstered weapon hung on his hip.

  "You brought a gun to dinner!" screeched Mom. I quickly patted my purse with my concealed gun but the purse was sealed shut. Plus her gaze was fixed on Garrett.

  Garrett stopped, turning around. "Have you met my kids?" he asked, pointing to Sam and Chloe. They sat on the floor, comparing cards in a game they were playing. Patrick, the oldest, barely looked up from the game he was preoccupied with on his cell phone. "Just kidding. I came directly from work. We caught Anthony Steadman!"

  A burst of applause and the onslaught of eager questions soon had him describing how the call came in that led them to a house on the outskirts of town. "Get this," said Garrett. "He had a private plane waiting to fly him out of the country. We expected to grab him at the airstrip when a call came in giving his precise location, which is where we found him hiding out in a garage with a cache of supplies."

  "So he's in custody?" asked Dad. "Can you give me five minutes alone with him?"

  Garrett shook his head. "No, he's in the hospital. Someone already got their five minutes with him."

  "What happened?" asked Lily. "Can I give him one well-placed kick?"

  "Couple of busted ribs, his nose too, a fractured arm and he'll be a lovely shade of black and blue for a few weeks. Thirty stitches, too."

  "Someone should’ve tried harder," said Lily as I gulped.

  "Kids," said Garrett's wife, Traci, pointing to the children who were pretending to ignore us while their ears strained to hear the details.

  "Sorry," said Lily in a whisper. "Someone needed to try harder. Do you know who did it?"

  "No, he was by himself when we found him. I questioned him before the bus took him to Montgomery General but he clammed up. He said he didn't recognize the guy and couldn't give a description. Of course, I don't believe him but what more can I do? I can't force him to tell me."

  "You must have some idea?" asked Jord. "Find out so we can send him a gift basket."

  "None. Maybe the crime scene techs will pick something up but I doubt it. Let’s not forget the list of people Steadman pissed off is longer than his rap sheet."

  "Just so you know," said Daniel, setting his daughter Rachel down. "I've been with Alice and the kids all day. My alibi is rock solid."

  Solomon saw me watching him and caught my eye. I didn't smile or say anything. Neither did he.

  "I think I see Serena's car," said Lily. "Everyone! To the table!"

  We all scrambled to stand in front of the table, waiting just as my mother had rehearsed us a few minutes before. We resembled an orderly family when Serena and Delgado entered, along with little Victoria.

  "Pew pew pew," said Victoria, shooting us all with her two fingers and laughing. Garrett used his jacket to cover his weapon before Serena saw it.

  "To the happy couple!" said my dad, popping the first bottle of champagne. The cork hit the ceiling and I had to remind myself not to duck.

  "Congratulations!" we chorused.

  "Oh, you guys! Thank you so much," cooed Serena, beaming at Delgado. "We're so glad you could make our engagement dinner and celebrate this wonderful occasion with us. We're so excited about this memorable day..."

  "Anthony Steadman's been caught," said Jord, leaning in.

  "What?" Serena blinked. "Shut up! I'm making a speech. We're so excited about this memorable day..."

  "I’ll remember it as the day I was really hungry," said Sam, getting to his feet, clutching his trading cards in his hand. "Can we eat now? You guys took forever to get here."

  Serena huffed and continued, "We hope it's just the start of the next stage of Antonio's and my journey together, so..."

  "Who's Anthony Steadman?" asked Daniel's son, Ben. "Is he coming to dinner?"

  Sam leaned over and said loudly, "Anthony is the bad man Aunty Lexi used to date. He was mean and he hit on lots of women; and he made Aunty Lexi run away and join the Army but that sucked so she returned. But she was homeless and didn't have a job or a boyfriend anymore."

  Ben turned and gaped at me.

  "Thanks, Sam," I said. "That was very accurate."

  Sam grinned. "You're welcome. See, Mom!? I said I'd be nice at Aunty Serena's engagement party to yet another man."

  "Yet another?" started Serena, breathing hard as she glared at Garrett and his wife. "What did you say to Sam?"

  "Nothing," said Garrett, holding his hands up.

  "Wasn't me," said Traci. "And we re
ally like Antonio."

  "Thanks," said Antonio. "This looks great. Thanks so much for coming. That's my speech."

  "Why isn't your family here?" asked Sam. "Do you have any family?"

  "Sure, but they're all in prison." Everyone froze. Antonio looked around blankly, then grinned. "Joking! They couldn't make it because their flight home got screwed up but you'll meet them all soon. They're all excited to get to know everyone."

  "Here," said Dad, passing around the champagne glasses and pressing one into my hand. "Isn't this party great? I love engagement dinners."

  "You hate big dinners," I told him.

  "Not when they're like this," he whispered back. "These are the highlights of my whole year. Wait until I tell my golf buddies what Sam said!"

  "So long as you don't mention the bit about me."

  "Naturally," said Dad. "But they already know."

  "Sit, sit," said Mom, taking me by the arm and pushing me into a seat. She repeated the action with Lily, then beckoned Solomon, indicating he should sit on the other side of me.

  He sat, taking my hand and leaning closer to whisper into my ear. "You okay?"

  "Never better."

  "You seem a little tense."

  "Long day. I tried calling you earlier."

  "I saw. I left my phone in the car."

  "Oh? Where were you?"

  Without missing a beat, Solomon said, "Interviewing a potential client. It's a no go. Sorry it took longer than anticipated. I didn't see your car outside. Did you get a taxi?"

  "I caught a ride." If Solomon weren't sharing, I didn't see why I should.

  "Good. We can drive home together."

  "Great."

  "Are you sure you're okay?"

  "Yes, perfect. Mmm, everything looks good," I said, changing the topic as I opened the menu. Thankfully, Solomon didn't press the issue. Daniel, sitting on the other side of him, distracted him with conversation. Garrett caught my eye and I shook my head. The conversation about why I was at Hillside, since he must have read my statement, was inevitable but now was not the time. I hoped I could convince Garrett to never mention my being there.