Along Came Trouble

by Sherryl Woods

  “Tucker, she’s gotten what she wanted,” Liz protested. “She apparently got money from Larry or Ken, and she’s got a job with Ken. She’s not going to do anything to me. What would be the point?”

  “Revenge,” he suggested in a way designed to make her blood run cold.

  “Okay,” she agreed, even though she wasn’t entirely sure she bought his theory. “I’ll wait for you.”

  He glanced at Gail. “See that she does, okay?”

  “You’ve got it, Sheriff.”

  Liz scowled at her friend. “Traitor.”

  “No,” Gail replied. “I’m a desperate woman who’s finally found an employee who can help me run this place. I am not about to risk losing you.”

  “Okay, okay, you two,” Liz relented. “I’ll behave. Are you going to come back here, Tucker? Or should I meet you somewhere?”

  “Meet me at Earlene’s at five-thirty. We can grab a quick bite before we drive out to Swan Ridge.”

  Liz nodded. “Would that be like a date?” she inquired sweetly.

  “If it gets you to stay put, you can call it anything you want,” Tucker replied with a grin.

  “Be still my heart,” she said, putting her hand over her chest. “You are such a romantic, Tucker Spencer.”

  He winked at her. “Glad you’re impressed, sweetheart. But just so you know, I’m saving my best stuff for later.”

  “Oh, my,” Gail whispered as Tucker made a hasty exit. She grinned at Liz. “I think my eyelashes got singed from all the electricity racing around in here.”

  “He’s all talk,” Liz said, even though her heart was pounding just a little harder from the promising hint of desire in his voice.

  “Honey, sweet talk like that sooner or later explodes into something downright dangerous,” Gail pointed out. “If you’re not ready for it, get out of the way.”

  “Oh, I’m way past ready,” Liz declared, her gaze following Tucker as he crossed Beach Drive and met Walker on the opposite side, where he’d just pulled into a parking space. The two men huddled for barely a minute before Tucker climbed in and the two took off toward Montross, lights flashing.

  Liz’s heart skipped uneasily. She might not take Tucker’s theory entirely seriously, but it was apparent that Walker did. She exchanged a look with Gail. “I suppose it would be a bad idea to lock the door and make the customers knock,” she said wistfully.

  “I’ll call Andy,” Gail said decisively. “He can work security detail around here till it’s time to close. He’ll be ecstatic at having something to do that requires a weapon.”

  As it turned out, though, Andy was on his way to Montross to consult with Walker and Tucker, he told Gail when she caught up with him on his cell phone.

  “Go,” Gail said, after reporting what he’d said to Liz. “We’ll be fine.”

  She hung up slowly. “He says he’ll get someone over here. He doesn’t think there’s really anything to worry about, though. He’s confident both Willis and the Miles woman are going to be tied up with a whole lot of questions for the rest of the day.”

  Liz wished she felt as certain about that.

  “It’s going to be okay,” Gail assured her. “If Andy said he’d have someone come by to keep an eye on things, he will.”

  Not fifteen minutes later, a car screeched to a halt outside. Liz eyed the luxury sedan with astonishment, which only increased when King lunged out of the front seat and barreled inside toting a hunting rifle.

  “What on earth?” she demanded, staring at him with alarm. “King, why are you here?”

  “Andy called and said he was worried about some crazy person being on the loose. He asked me to come.” His gaze narrowed. “Are you the crazy person?”

  “No, of course not,” Gail said, interceding. “Liz is working here. Tucker and Andy think there’s been a break in the case. They’re just being cautious, in case the people they suspect decide to make Liz a target.”

  Liz watched the range of emotions that crossed King’s face—from disbelief to worry to outrage. She stood silent, waiting for him to say he didn’t give two hoots whether she got herself killed or not.

  Instead, he sank down in one of the chairs in the café, his gun resting across his knees. “As long as I’m here, I might as well have a cup of that fancy coffee I hear you brew in here,” he grumbled, the comment directed at Gail.

  “I’ll get you a cup right away,” she said.

  While she was behind the counter pouring it, Liz stood her ground. King finally met her gaze. “Look, I may not be crazy about you or the way you treated my son, but I’m not about to let you get hurt and have that on my conscience for the rest of my days.”

  Liz bit back a grin at his grudging offer of protection. “Thank you.”

  “Don’t thank me. I’d do the same for anyone in Trinity Harbor.”

  “I know that,” Liz said. “I’m still grateful. And, King, just so you know, I did not kill my husband.”

  “So everyone seems to believe,” he conceded.

  “What do you believe?” she asked point-blank.

  He held his tongue for so long, she thought for sure he was going to condemn her, but he finally stared straight into her eyes, his expression enigmatic. “The Mary Elizabeth I once knew could never have done such a thing.”

  Liz felt the salty sting of tears in her eyes. “I’m still that same girl,” she whispered. “A little older. A little wiser.” She met his gaze as the tears slid down her cheeks. “And still very much in love with your son.”

  After what seemed an eternity, a deep, shuddering sigh rumbled through him and he held out his arms. “Come here, girl.”

  Liz let the sobs come as she was enfolded in King’s solid embrace. It was like being held by her grandfather again. No, she thought, it was better, because not once did King tell her that her tears were wrong. He simply let her cry herself out, then handed her a clean, white handkerchief.

  “I don’t suppose you have any of those lemon drops you used to keep in your pockets?” she asked with a sniff.

  King chuckled. “You still remember those?”

  “You used to sneak them to me when my grandfather wasn’t looking,” she recalled. “He didn’t approve of candy. He thought it was bad for my teeth.”

  “Oh, he was an old fool when it came to some things. Way too set in his ways,” King declared, pulling a bag of candies from his pocket and offering it to her. “The best friend a man could have, but a hard man for a little girl who’d just lost her folks.”

  “I loved him, though,” Liz said. “I still miss him.”

  “So do I,” King told her. “He and I shared some good times together. We disagreed about most everything, but the man knew just where to go to catch fish.”

  Liz sucked on the tart lemon candy in silence, thinking about this rare moment of peace between her and Tucker’s father. Eventually, she risked a look into his eyes.

  “King, can we start over?”

  He reached down and took her hand between his calloused hands. “Darlin’ girl, we already have.”

  21

  Cynthia Miles was cool as a cucumber as she withstood Walker’s pounding questions about her presence in Trinity Harbor on the day of the murder. Tucker was impressed despite himself. Her composure was apparently the result of all those press conferences she handled for her political clients. She was seemingly unfazed by the pressure.

  Walker, however, was another story. He was getting irritated by Cynthia’s calm responses and her ability to remain completely unflappable. Tucker shot him a warning look, but that was the most he felt entitled to do. He was being allowed to sit in thanks to Walker’s goodwill. He didn’t want to test that by criticizing or trying to take over.

  Andy, however, appeared to have no such qualms. “Walker, could I see you outside for a minute?” he inquired in a tone that commanded his former detective to obey.

  Looking thoroughly disgruntled, Walker followed Andy from the room, which left Tucker alone wi
th Cynthia. The temptation to turn the screws just a little was too great to resist. There was one topic Walker hadn’t broached yet: those unidentified fibers on Chandler’s pants that suggested he’d been intimate with someone before his death.

  “You told Deputy Ames a few minutes ago that you didn’t blackmail Chandler to get that money he paid you on the day he was killed,” he said.

  “That’s right.”

  “But you’re not denying it came from Chandler?”

  “No.”

  “Then what did you do for it?”

  She regarded him blankly. “What do you mean?”

  Tucker feigned a laid-back, mostly disinterested demeanor. “Was it for services rendered?”

  “I hadn’t worked for Larry for years,” she retorted.

  “I was thinking of something a little more personal,” he said.

  Her jaw dropped. She was on her feet and lunging for him before he could react. “Why you low-down swine,” she shouted, raking her fingers down his cheek hard enough to draw blood.

  Tucker had her hands behind her back and in cuffs before she could get in a second attack. Andy and Walker charged through the door in the same instant, guns drawn.

  “What the hell?” Walker demanded, eyeing his suspect’s cuffed wrists. Then he caught a glimpse of Tucker’s bleeding cheek and winced. “Tucker, what went on in here?”

  “Ms. Miles and I were just engaging in a little casual conversation,” he said mildly. “She took offense.”

  “He accused me of being Larry Chandler’s whore,” she snapped. “I don’t tolerate that kind of accusation from anyone.”

  Walker regarded Tucker with surprise. “You said that?”

  “I just asked how she’d earned that money she got from Chandler. She drew her own conclusions.”

  “Maybe you’d better wait outside,” Walker suggested, barely managing to hide his amusement.

  “Sure thing,” Tucker said easily. “I probably ought to get a tetanus shot while I’m at it. Maybe I’ll wander on over to the doctor’s office.”

  Cynthia lunged at him again, but she was too late. He closed the door between them, then grinned at Andy, who’d stepped out with him. “I seem to have upset the lady.”

  “Indeed,” Andy said, regarding him suspiciously. “I’ve got to wonder why. You usually demonstrate a bit more finesse.”

  “Does she strike you as a woman who responds well to finesse?” he asked. “She’s a street fighter. I wanted to see if I could rattle her.”

  “And?” Andy asked.

  “I did. She wasn’t with Chandler right before he died. I’d stake my badge on it. In fact, I pity the woman who was, if Cynthia finds her before we do.” He looked at Andy. “I know you like hanging around in the thick of the action, but would you mind giving me a ride back to Trinity Harbor? I need to catch up with Mary Elizabeth. I have a feeling things are going to come to a head real soon. She could be in danger.”

  “I’ll take you,” Andy said at once. “But you don’t need to worry about Liz. I called in the reserves.”

  Tucker stared at him. “Who?”

  “Your father.” He chuckled at Tucker’s sharp intake of breath. “Of course, I didn’t exactly mention to him that it was Liz he was going to be keeping an eye on. All I said was I wanted someone to keep watch at the bookstore. He thought he was going over there to protect Gail. He took to the idea with as much enthusiasm as if I’d asked him to guard the president. Any idea why?”

  “Probably because he’s been looking for an excuse to try her coffee,” Tucker said. “He made such a big deal about someone from outside coming in to sell books and gourmet coffee that I’m sure he hasn’t dared to step into the place since she opened.”

  Tucker tried to imagine an armed King and Mary Elizabeth under the same roof and shuddered at the image. “I hesitate to think what his reaction was when he found Mary Elizabeth working there. You know, Thorensen, for a smart man, you have some real dumb ideas from time to time.”

  “You know anyone else with a hunting rifle I could have called on in a pinch?”

  “Half the town,” Tucker said. “Any one of them would probably have been better than my father, under these circumstances.” He glanced at the speedometer and noted they were doing precisely the speed limit. “Can’t you make this car go any faster?”

  “What kind of example would we be setting?” Andy asked.

  “I don’t give a rat’s behind about setting an example right now. I’d like to get back there before those two kill each other.”

  “They’ll be fine,” Andy assured him. “Unless, of course, Gail has talked them to death by now, trying to make them see reason.”

  It was going on five-thirty when they reached the bookstore, which was locked up tight.

  “I thought Gail closed at six,” Tucker said, regarding Andy worriedly.

  There was a pinched expression around Andy’s mouth when he nodded. “She does.”

  “Then why the hell is this place all locked up?” Tucker demanded, trying to peer inside. He couldn’t see a sign of anything amiss, but that didn’t seem to stop his heart from pounding.

  “Were you planning to meet Liz here?” Andy asked.

  “No,” Tucker said as his memory kicked in. “I told her I’d meet her at Earlene’s at five-thirty. She must have gone over there.”

  “You check there. I’ll take a look around inside and meet you in a minute,” Andy suggested.

  “Good idea,” Tucker agreed, already jogging down the block.

  But a trip to Earlene’s proved futile, as well. She hadn’t seen Mary Elizabeth, Gail or King all afternoon.

  “Damn,” Andy muttered when Tucker filled him in. “Everything inside the bookstore looks just fine. The register’s locked up. The coffeepot’s turned off, so they didn’t leave in a hurry. Dammit, what the hell was King thinking? I told him to stay put.”

  Tucker punched out the number for Cedar Hill on his cell phone. When he got the answering machine, he left a curt message, then tried Swan Ridge and left the same message there.

  “Where the hell could they be?” he asked Andy, trying to keep the edge of panic from his voice.

  “I’ll try our house,” Andy said, dialing his own cell phone, but hanging up a moment later in frustration. “Not there, either.”

  “You take your car and start looking. I’ll pick up mine over by the bookstore and go the opposite direction. We can stay in touch by cell phone.”

  “Shouldn’t we call Walker and see if he can spare some deputies to start looking?”

  “He’s got all of them combing the area trying to hook up with Ken Willis, but I’ll let him know what’s going on. At least they can keep an eye out while they’re on the road.”

  Tucker placed the call, filled Walker in, then met Andy’s gaze. “I really don’t like this,” he said grimly.

  “I’m not so crazy about it myself,” Andy agreed. “But there’s one thing that’s keeping me from panicking.”

  “What’s that?” Tucker asked.

  “Can you see anyone getting the better of your father when he’s toting a rifle?”

  Tucker considered the question. His father was a crack shot. He’d taught all of them to be comfortable and responsible with guns at an early age. Even Daisy could hit a target dead-center at a hundred feet. It was scant comfort, but at least some of his tension eased when he thought of all that.

  “No,” he admitted. “Daddy can hold his own.”

  “Then it’s not likely that someone has taken all three of them captive,” Andy concluded. “Let’s hang on to that thought. We’ll probably find them sitting around somewhere sipping lemonade.”

  As if they’d both reached the same conclusion at the same, precise moment, they both said, “Anna-Louise’s.”

  Tucker punched out the pastor’s number. The phone rang and rang. Anna-Louise sounded breathless when she finally picked up. “This better be important,” she grumbled.

  “You o
kay?” he asked before he stopped to consider the likely cause of her attitude.

  “Tucker? What’s wrong?” she said, instantly sounding more alert and less grouchy.

  “Are Mary Elizabeth, Gail and my father with you, by any chance?”

  “No. I’m here with Richard,” she said.

  Her reply pretty much confirmed Tucker’s guess. He’d heard about the baby project from Bobby. It was the worst-kept secret in town thanks to his father’s big mouth that night at the marina.

  “I haven’t heard from them. Why?” she asked.

  “Nothing to worry about,” he told her. “Just call me if you do happen to hear from any of them.”

  “Will do.”

  “Sorry to interrupt whatever you were doing,” he said, unable to keep the amusement from threading through his voice.

  “You should be,” she said cheerfully. “In fact, I’m going to cross Tucker off my list of potential baby names right now.”

  Tucker laughed as he hung up.

  “You seem awfully cheerful for a man who just hit another dead end,” Andy observed.

  “You have to know the whole story,” Tucker said, not willing to give away any of Anna-Louise’s personal business, since there was apparently at least one person who actually didn’t know that she and Richard had decided they wanted to have a baby. Everyone else was already starting to place bets on how quickly there would be an announcement about a pregnancy, especially since word was that they intended to give the matter their full attention.

  “Ah, the baby plan,” Andy said at once, grinning. “How could I have forgotten? You’re right. It’s the talk of the town. I’m still not used to the way everyone in Trinity Harbor knows absolutely everything about everybody’s personal business.”

  “Except where we can find your wife, my father and Mary Elizabeth,” Tucker said. “I guess we’d better hit the road.”

  Andy nodded, his smile dying. “Stay in touch.”

  Tucker jogged back to his car and set off through town, systematically going up and down all the side streets, then making another pass along Beach Drive from the northern outskirts of town all the way to the south, including several trips past Ken Willis’s house. Nothing. Not one blessed sign of any of them or their cars, though he did pass several of his deputies in the vicinity of the Willis place.