by Debby Giusti
But steering her car along the roadway, Kelly knew she would never be able to forget Jean Philippe Thibodeaux. The handsome Cajun had stolen her heart.
NINETEEN
Once the formal part of the Hail and Farewell concluded, Phil introduced Captain Sylvia Watters to the two lieutenants who had hovered closeby throughout the general’s lengthy remarks.
“Sylvia called me a few hours ago when she arrived on post. She’ll be working in the housing office.”
The taller of the two men smiled. “A busy place with all the new personnel moving to Fort Rickman.”
She smiled. “Phil was nice enough to give me directions to the Post Lodge. I don’t actually sign in to post for another week.”
“Then you’ll be hailed next month.” The eager lieutenant couldn’t hide his interest.
“That’s right. By then, my fiancé will have arrived. He’s in Germany and slated to take over an infantry company here at Fort Rickman.”
“Fiancé?” The lieutenant’s face dropped.
Phil smiled, enjoying the moment. “Sylvia’s engaged to an old friend of mine. He’s six-three and runs a seven-minute mile.” Both lieutenants quickly excused themselves and headed to the bar.
Sylvia and a newly married female captain starting talking about wedding dresses and honeymoons, which gave Phil an opportunity to track down Jamison. He found him on the far side of the room, standing next to a pretty brunette.
Phil sidled up to the CID agent.
Jamison didn’t look happy with the interruption, especially when the woman excused herself and walked toward a group of senior officers and their wives.
“Who’s she?” Phil asked.
Jamison pointed to one of the brigade commanders who smiled as she approached. “The colonel’s daughter.”
“She seemed to enjoy talking to you.”
Jamison frowned. “Until you showed up.”
“Sorry, buddy.” Phil held up his hands. “But cut me a little slack, okay? It’s been a long week.”
“I hear you.” Jamison looked over Phil’s shoulder. “Where’s Kelly?”
“That’s what I wanted to ask you.”
“She was here earlier. But you know Kel. She’s not a party girl and probably decided to go home after the general finished with the hails and farewells. Although that redhead you’re with may have scared her off.” Jamison took a swig of his cola. “I thought you and Kelly were pretty tight.”
“Tight?”
“Well—” Jamison shrugged. “Working together. Staying in close contact.”
“Yeah, we were, but she’s wrapping up the investigation and suddenly doesn’t want me around.”
Jamison raised his brow. “And that bothers you?’
“No.” Phil shook his head. But the way Jamison continued to look at him, Phil knew the CID agent realized there was more going on than just the investigation.
Last night, Kelly had made it perfectly clear she didn’t want anything to do with Phil, yet the way she returned his kisses had told him something else. Had that been the real Kelly, without the defenses she put in place to protect her heart?
Phil would never know unless he went after her. But would she listen to him or would she continue to close him out of her life?
Heading north on the main highway, Kelly picked up her cell and left a message for Jamison, filling him in on what had happened.
“Call the Montburg police, and ask if they know of any cockfights in the area. If not, alert them that there may be one this weekend. I’ll contact them when I get closer to town.”
Kelly knew having the CID arrive uninvited could make the local police dig in their heels and demand more information before they reacted. A little advance warning sometimes opened doors that otherwise would remain closed.
Her cell chirped a few minutes later. Expecting to hear Jamison’s voice, she was surprised when a cop from Vine Grove, Kentucky, introduced himself. “I got your message seeking information about Lola Taylor.”
“Thanks for getting back to me.”
“No problem. Lola’s one of five girls. The oldest was a spitfire. Ran after a captain at Fort Knox.”
“Probably the whole guy-in-a-uniform thing.”
The cop chuckled. “Maybe. Lola was the baby and spoiled rotten. Always wanted more than she had money to buy. When she got married and moved away, most folks said good riddance. Funny thing. Her husband died unexpectedly a few years later. Right after he’d taken out an insurance policy.”
“And she was the beneficiary?
“You guessed it.”
“Did the insurance company investigate?”
“Not that I heard. Seems the amount of the policy wasn’t that significant by most standards today, although for Lola it probably whet her appetite for more. Of course, that’s just my gut feeling.”
“I understand completely. Do you know anything else about the family?”
“Only that the oldest daughter, who married the army captain, eventually divorced. She lives up north, although I’m not exactly sure where she and her son settled?”
“She’s probably making a new life for herself.”
“Maybe, although the kid used to come back to visit Lola and the other sisters. The boy had problems. Kind of a loner. Not what you think of as being an army guy’s son.”
Kelly wasn’t sure what the police officer meant. “Because he had problems?”
“No. Tattoos. Body piercings.”
She thought of Kyle and nodded. “I’ve got a kid like that down here in Georgia.”
“Of course, fate piled up against this particular young man. His dad’s in prison. You know what they say about the apple not falling—”
“Far from the tree.” Kelly’s neck tingled. “Did you get the kid’s name?”
“I wrote it down.” Kelly waited as he searched through his notes. “Here it is. Last name’s Filio.”
Kelly pushed the phone closer to her ear. “Could it be Foglio? Kyle Foglio?”
The cop chuckled. “Sorry. Sometimes I can’t read my own writing.” He laughed again. “Yeah, that’s it. Lola’s nephew’s name is Kyle Foglio.”
After dropping Sylvia off at the Post Lodge, Phil left Fort Rickman and headed north on the Freemont Road. Passing Magnolia Gardens, his heart kicked up a notch when he spied a cop car in Kelly’s driveway.
Jamming on the brakes, he yanked his keys from the ignition and raced for the front door. His breath came in short gasps, and his heart felt like it was wedged in his throat. Please, Lord, let Kelly be all right.
He jiggled the knob. When it failed to open, he pounded on the door. “Kelly? Open up. It’s Phil.”
His knock was answered by a young cop with a thick neck and square face. Before he could say anything, Phil pushed past the officer.
“What happened? Is she hurt?” His eyes searched the living area. “Kelly?”
Phil’s gaze fell on the curio cabinet and broken porcelain.
“Did someone break in?” He raised his voice, frantic that Kelly had been attacked. “Is she at the hospital?”
Simpson stepped from the kitchen and put a firm hand on Phil’s shoulder.
He didn’t need the cop’s calming touch. He wanted to know about Kelly. “Tell me, where she is? Was she hurt?”
“Settle down, Captain. She’s fine. In fact, she may have saved Mildred Taylor’s life. Luckily the back door of the Taylor home was unlocked. Guess Ms. Mildred was having breathing problems. The EMTs said if Kelly hadn’t arrived when she did, the old woman might not still be with us. As it was, they fixed her up and transported her to the hospital in town.”
“Kelly’s okay?”
“She’s fine.”
Relief swept over Phil, causing his knees to weaken for a second and his heart to jerk back into his chest. He felt drained and elated at the same time.
He pointed to the broken porcelain. “So who did the damage?”
“That’s what we’re trying to determine. Could be that Fogli
o kid. The garage door was pried open.”
“What about the entrance to the kitchen? It should have held.”
“Seems Agent McQueen left her house in a hurry this morning and forgot to flip the lock.”
“Was anything taken?”
“Not that we can tell. Kelly will have to do a thorough search once she gets home.”
“Do you expect her soon?”
“More than likely. I just got back from checking out the farmhouse. Found something suspicious in the barn. I’ve got a team out there now, digging up the soil, trying to find the body of an old codger who belongs to a wallet we uncovered.”
“Catfish Ryan?”
“Exactly. Mildred’s in the hospital, holding her own. I’ve got someone questioning her, but I doubt she’s involved.”
“What about the deserted trailer? Kelly might have gone after Kyle Foglio.”
“A couple officers are checking that out, as well. Kelly should turn up any minute now. I’ll call you when she does.”
Phil left with a sick feeling in his gut. Kelly was in even more danger now that someone had broken into her house. Knowing how stubborn she was about not allowing the perpetrator to control her life, she would probably insist on staying at her own house tonight. Phil couldn’t let that happen.
Once he was in his truck, he called her cell and was relieved when she answered.
“Kelly, it’s me. Look, I’m sorry about last night.”
“I told you it’s okay, Phil.” He could barely hear her voice with the hum of her car engine in the background.
“No, really, I was a jerk. You’ve got a lot on your shoulders with the investigation. I never meant to influence you in any way.”
When she didn’t respond, he tried another tactic. “I wanted to introduce you to Sylvia Watters at the club tonight.”
“The redhead?”
“So you did see her? Sylvia arrived on post this afternoon. I invited her to the Hail and Farewell.”
“She…she’s very pretty.”
Did he detect a bit of jealousy? Phil almost smiled. Maybe there was hope for him after all. “She’s engaged to the best friend a guy could have.”
“Oh?” Kelly’s voice carried a bit more interest.
“Sylvia is staying at the Post Lodge. You need to get a room there, at least until Kyle Foglio is found and arrested.”
“Is that all you wanted to tell me, Phil?”
He let out a deep breath. No, there was so much more he wanted to say about all the crazy feelings swelling up within him that had to do with home and family and being with Kelly for the rest of his life. But now wasn’t the time. Now he had to focus on her safety.
“You’ve got to be careful, Kelly, until this investigation is over.”
“Is the investigation all you’re worried about?”
He swallowed hard. “I’m worried about you. I was at your house tonight. When I saw what happened, my stomach tied up in knots—”
The background noise ceased. “Kelly?”
He looked down at his phone. CALL DISCONNECTED.
His heart plummeted. Phil redialed and got her voice mail. Was Kelly out of range or had she hung up and turned off her phone?
The first question he should have asked her was “Where are you?” Then he would have known how to find her. Instead he had talked about the investigation. Although important, his main concern was for Kelly. More than anything, he wanted to wrap her in his arms and keep her safe.
TWENTY
Twenty miles south of Montburg, Kelly was still thinking about Phil’s disconnected phone call. She wished he would have tried her again, although as sporadic as cell service was in this part of rural Georgia perhaps he couldn’t get through. Right now she needed to distance herself from him and focus instead on finding Lola.
Excited though she had been when her cell had rung and Kelly had seen Phil’s name on the caller ID, her hopes had been dashed when he turned the conversation back to the investigation. The outcome was the only thing that mattered to him.
At least she now knew the redhead wasn’t Phil’s girlfriend, but then, neither was Kelly.
Letting out a groan, she combed her fingers through her hair. “When will I ever learn?”
Shaking off her frustration, she glanced at her near-empty fuel tank and pulled into a service station that sat at the intersection of the highway and a narrow two-lane road. As she pumped fuel, she watched the steady flow of traffic, mainly travel trailers and pickups that turned onto the side road. The constant flow of vehicles heading up the mountain stirred her curiosity.
“Where’s that two-lane head?” she asked the clerk when she went inside to pay.
He shrugged. “A few campsites are nestled up in the hills. We usually see outdoors enthusiasts in the warmer months. I’m not sure what’s going on this weekend. One of the guys buying gas an hour or so ago wanted to cash a check. He said he planned to double his money this weekend.”
“Oh?” Kelly raised her brow with interest. “The local cops ever come out this way?”
The clerk smiled. “You’re not from around here, are you, lady? Otherwise you’d know Montburg hasn’t had a police force for the last four years. We rely on the county sheriff, or always did. He passed away six weeks ago. The deputy sheriff retired shortly before that, so right now, we’re without law enforcement. ’Course there’s always Pine Gate Landing. They’ve got a chief of police and a few officers on duty most days.”
“How far away is Pine Gate Landing?”
The guy rubbed his chin. “Twenty miles to Montburg and another twenty to Pine Gate Landing, so a total of forty miles, give or take.”
“Do you have the number to their police department?”
“Sure do.” He scratched the digits on a piece of paper and handed it to her. “Problem is there’s no way to contact them from here. Storm knocked out my landline, and the hills around here interfere with cell reception. As I tell folks, if you need the police, keep driving east.”
At this point, Kelly didn’t want to go forty miles out of her way just to tell the local cops about an influx of travel trailers that may have no bearing on finding Lola. Kelly planned to follow the flow of traffic and see where it led her. If she was lucky, she might discover the widow and her roosters. With concrete information about Lola’s whereabouts, she could then go to the police and expect to get their attention.
Not that Kelly would try to be a hero before she knew what was really going on. Instead, she’d take a quick look around the mountain campsite and assess whether she needed to notify the local authorities, even if it meant driving to Pine Gate Landing. At least then she’d have proof that something was going down.
Her jacket was in the car, but Kelly didn’t want the CID logo on the front to draw attention to herself or her job, so she pulled a hooded sweatshirt and a pair of sunglasses off the nearby merchandise racks. She paid cash for the items and hurried back to the car.
Kelly followed the road through the forest and up the hill. Lowering her speed, she shoved her gear into Low to ease the strain on her engine. The last thing she wanted was car trouble in the middle of nowhere.
Eventually, the road leveled off and angled into a campsite with picnic tables and trash receptacles where at least thirty trailers had parked in a circle. Kelly pulled off the road near a cluster of pines and studied the vehicles, searching for Lola Taylor’s trailer and pickup.
She checked her cell, but as the service station attendant had indicated, coverage was down. She wanted to let Jamison know where she was and ask him to send backup. He knew she had headed to Montburg but wouldn’t realize she had turned off the main road to town.
Kelly also wanted to talk to Phil again. But as much as she wanted to hear his voice, what would she say? You’re always on my mind and I need you in my life? Wasn’t that what her mother would have done?
Kelly wouldn’t follow in her mother’s footsteps no matter how much she longed to be with Phil again.
Phil stormed into his headquarters, needing something to occupy his mind other than wondering where Kelly was and whether she would ever answer his phone calls again.
The first sergeant looked up as he entered. “Rough afternoon, sir?”
“What gave you that idea?”
The sergeant shrugged. “Could be the scowl you’re wearing or the door you slammed on the way in here, or the way you’re stamping your boots like you want to kick someone in the hind end.”
“Is it that obvious?”
“Only to someone who knows you. After a year together in Afghanistan, I can read you, sir.”
“I just need some time alone to catch up on paperwork.”
“Roger that, sir.”
Phil started into his office and then turned back to the sergeant. “What are you doing here this late on a Friday?”
“Waiting for the Mrs. She had to pick up our daughter from an after-school activity.” He glanced at his watch. “I expect them here any minute.”
“Enjoy the weekend,” Phil mumbled as he entered his office. He looked at the stack of papers in his inbox, knowing an equal number of emails required his attention. As much as he tried, he couldn’t keep his mind on anything except Kelly.
Riffling through the papers on his desk, Phil found the master list for the live-fire demonstration. He glanced over the names, searching for some connection with the Foglio kid.
A woman’s voice sounded outside his office, followed by a knock at his door. “Evening, Captain.” Mrs. Meyers stepped inside, holding a plate of cookies. The first sergeant’s wife was pretty, with curly brown hair and green eyes that twinkled when she smiled.
“You guys have been having a hard time with the investigation. I thought a batch of chocolate chip cookies might lift your sprits.”
Phil’s mood instantly took a turn for the better. “Mrs. Meyers, your husband is a lucky man.”
She laughed, enjoying the flattery, and placed the plate on his desk. “I keep telling him that, but I’m not sure he always agrees.”
Phil reached for a cookie and closed his eyes as he bit into the still warm chocolate chips. “Things are starting to look up already.”
