Cold Hearts

by Sharon Sala

  “And I am so very sorry for your loss,” she said softly.

  Mack sighed. She was staring at the floor, refusing to meet his gaze. He got the message. He walked outside and was off the porch before he heard the lock turn. He didn’t belong here any more than that dead rat.

  * * *

  Reece Parsons was dancing with excitement, waiting for the reaction to his latest little love note. He hadn’t been certain of his next move tonight until he’d found out about Paul Jackson’s death, and then he’d known immediately what came next.

  It had taken a good five hours to find and catch a live rat before he could even go to her place, and then it was a matter of getting everything on her porch and waiting for the sound of her footsteps before he dropped the trigger on the rat and left it in its death throes on her doorstep.

  The moment he dropped the trap, he bolted into the shadows between her neighbors’ house and hers, then slipped down the first alley he came to and kept running. He was breathing hard when he finally reached the truck and unlocked the door. Everything was fine, just as he’d left it. His little dog was asleep in the seat, but he wasn’t through with Melissa Sherman. He clipped the leash on to the dog’s collar and dragged him out.

  “Come on, Bobo, let’s take a walk.”

  Bobo’s legs were short but his attitude was big, and the word walk was always welcome.

  Even though the night was chilly, sweat was drying on Reece’s forehead as he walked Bobo through the park, purposefully taking a shortcut that would take him within two blocks of Melissa Sherman’s house. He’d heard the sirens and guessed she’d finally called the cops. He wanted to see what was happening. It was a different kind of high to know she was that kind of scared.

  The wire-haired terrier was nosing beneath every bush and sniffing trails left by nocturnal creatures but Reece had other business and all but dragged Bobo back toward her house. They exited the park at a side street and immediately headed for the sidewalk. The moment he saw two cop cars at her place, he grinned. There was another vehicle at the curb and he wondered who it belonged to, but this was no time to get too curious. He decided he would just walk Bobo by the house and maybe get a peek at what was going on as they passed.

  Then, as if on cue, a stray cat slunk out from beneath the SUV parked at the curb and took off across the street. Bobo leaped forward so fast the leash slipped from Reece’s hands and he took off running after it. All of a sudden Melissa Sherman’s welfare was playing second fiddle to recovering his dog.

  * * *

  Carl took the pictures, then bagged up the dead rat and trap, securing everything inside his vehicle before he began to check out the neighborhood.

  The lights had been off in every house when they’d arrived, so he doubted there would be any witnesses, but it was his job to ask.

  He began with the house north of where Melissa lived and asked them if they’d seen anyone running away from her place earlier. He got a play-by-play of where the residents had been sleeping and what they’d had for supper before going to bed, but no one had seen anything.

  He went down the block, knocking on doors and asking the same question without getting a useful answer. He had just started back up the block on the other side of the street when he heard a small dog begin to bark. He turned around to look just as a man came running out of the shadows.

  * * *

  Reece was a little panicked. He loved Bobo and didn’t want to lose him, but this was not how he’d intended to revisit the scene of the crime. Not only was the dog outrunning him, but Reece was running out of energy.

  “Bobo! Bobo! Come back here! Heel, Bobo, heel!” he yelled, and then groaned when he saw an officer come off the porch of the house across the street.

  When the cop began running toward him, his heart skipped a beat. But when the officer made a little side step and grabbed the trailing leash and caught Bobo, he relaxed.

  Bobo’s escape ended with a yelp as the leash tightened and pulled him up short.

  The grateful cat disappeared into the shadows.

  Reece approached the cop, winded and gasping with every step, and smiled as the officer handed over the leash.

  “This is pretty late at night to be walking a dog,” Carl said.

  Reece pretended disgust as he picked Bobo up in his arms. “Tell that to Bobo. He’s the one with the nervous bladder.”

  Carl chuckled as he reached over and patted the terrier’s head.

  “You’re the man, Bobo,” he said, and then he glanced up. “By any chance, have you seen anyone else on foot in this area in the past thirty minutes or so?”

  Reece’s heart skipped a beat. He was actually being questioned as a witness to his own crime. This couldn’t get much better.

  “Why? I see patrol cars at Miss Sherman’s house. Did something happen to her?”

  “No, she’s fine. Just a prank gone wrong,” Carl said. “So did you see anything or anyone suspicious?”

  Reece thought about pointing the finger at someone else and then at the last minute didn’t.

  “No, sir, I did not. Bobo and I were originally in the park. I just wound up here trying to catch him.”

  Carl nodded. “Okay. Just be on the lookout as you go back.”

  “Are we in any danger?” Reece asked, holding Bobo a little tighter.

  “I don’t think so, but just be aware.”

  “Yes, yes, we will,” Reece said, and hurried away.

  It wasn’t until he was back in the park that he began to grin. This had turned into a most interesting night. He gave the little dog a quick hug and kiss.

  “Good boy, Bobo, good boy.”

  Bobo yipped once.

  Reece was still smiling as he reached his vehicle. He put Bobo safely inside, then scooted in beside him and started the engine. It was time to get home and do a little work. Sunrise would be here before he knew it.

  Six

  Mack walked into the house on autopilot, moving through the rooms without turning on lights. He was still reeling from the unexpected meeting with Melissa. He wanted to hate her, but time and maturity had taken the edge off his rage, and the fear on her face had done a number on his heart.

  When he got to his room, he shucked off his clothes, giving them a toss into the corner of the room before crawling into bed. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d slept in this house—most likely it had been years because he lived so close the need had never been there.

  He didn’t know if the chief had already contacted the company that serviced the lift, but whenever they came out to test it, he wanted to be there. His dad deserved his full attention, regardless of the outcome.

  He rolled over onto his back, pulled up the covers and closed his eyes and, as he did, the image of Lissa standing in the doorway with an expression of total horror on her face immediately flashed on. He tried to get her out of his mind but instead fell asleep dreaming of the past.

  * * *

  The hot sun was coming in through the skylight at Jackson’s Garage and down onto the back of Mack’s shoulders. He’d come into his own in this, his eighteenth year. His shoulders had widened, and the muscles in his body were toned to a fault from working in his father’s garage for so many years. He knew he was changing outwardly, but what the world had yet to find out was that he was changing inwardly, as well. He had already come to terms with giving up the idea of college and was planning to go to work full-time here as soon as they told their parents about the baby. It wasn’t how he’d planned his future, but the baby was part of their love and he did love Melissa Sherman. And he would be heartily glad when he was through fixing this flat.

  He ran his fingers along the side of the tire and then let it bounce once as he dropped it to the floor. As he did, he heard laughing and looked up just as Kelly Pryor and Jessica Shayne, two girls from his graduating class, ran past the open breezeway toward their public restroom.

  People in Mystic often used the restroom during working hours because they
kept it unlocked, and he thought nothing of it as he rolled the tire over to the car. He squatted down beside the jack, making sure it was still stable before he lifted the tire into place and began replacing the lug nuts.

  He had done this so many times in his life that he could have done it blindfolded and had only one lug nut left to put on when the automatic air compressor behind him suddenly kicked off. The abrupt silence was startling, and when he realized he could hear the two girls talking, he glanced over his shoulder, trying to locate the sound.

  All he could see was an air vent, and he guessed it must link to the bathroom, which was weird. He made a mental note to say something to his dad, then blocked out their chatter until he heard them say Melissa’s name. He stopped to listen. She was the most important person in his life, and they were facing a life-changing decision.

  They’d been struggling to find new footing with each other ever since they’d found out about the baby. It had changed everything they’d planned, from college to career goals. He didn’t know how to talk to her without feeling guilty. She’d cried when she told him she was pregnant, and even though he took just as much blame as she did, they were struggling. But now someone was talking about her, and he felt the need to make sure what they were saying was okay. He leaned forward, listening to the conversation.

  “Are you sure?” Kelly asked. “She never seemed like that kind of girl to me.”

  Jessica laughed, and he could practically see her roll her eyes. “Oh, come on. She and Mack have been a thing for years. You know they’ve been doing it. I heard from a really good source that she was preggers and all freaked out. You know how uptight her parents are. They would probably kill her.”

  “So she’s pregnant. They both graduated. They’ll figure it out,” Kelly said.

  “That’s where it gets good,” Jessica hissed. “I heard she already got rid of it. Easy come, easy go.”

  Mack reeled as if he’d been punched. He couldn’t believe it, wouldn’t believe it. Granted they were facing a tough situation, but she would never kill their baby. Never. He was still shaking when his dad walked into the garage.

  “Mack! Are you through with that tire?”

  He knelt back down to put the last lug nut on the wheel and then stood.

  “All done,” he said, brushing the dust off his hands. “Hey, Dad, I’m gonna take my lunch break now. I’ll be back around two, okay?”

  “Yeah, sure,” he said.

  Mack took off out the front door on the run. He jumped in his truck and drove straight to the Sherman house, knowing Lissa’s parents wouldn’t be home until evening. He drove without caution, too numb to think, and took the turn into her driveway in a skid. His hands were shaking when he knocked on the door, and then Lissa was standing in the doorway and he could tell by the look on her face something was wrong.

  “We need to talk,” he said, and walked in when she stepped aside.

  “Do you want a Coke?” she asked, as she shut the front door.

  Mack was so rattled, he said everything wrong.

  “No, I do not want a Coke. I want to know if you’re still pregnant.”

  When she paled and then began to cry, his heart sank.

  “You’re not, are you?” he yelled.

  She flinched as the tears fell harder. “No, I’m not, I had a—”

  He slapped the wall beside her head.

  “Don’t say it! Don’t fucking say it, Lissa. I thought I knew you. I thought I loved you. I don’t ever want to see your face again!” he yelled as he left the house, slamming the door as he went.

  * * *

  Mack woke up with a start and realized he was crying. He groaned and threw back the covers, and even though it was at least two hours before dawn, he got up.

  For him, sleep was over.

  * * *

  Lissa’s sleep was fretful. She dreamed about dead rats and bloody feet and people knocking on her door. From there, the dream morphed into the day she’d lost the baby.

  * * *

  The windshield wipers were fighting a useless battle against the downpour. This trip to Summerton was to be Lissa’s first appointment with an obstetrician, and she was wishing that she had stayed home and gone another day.

  From the moment she’d found out she was pregnant, it had turned something on inside her that she hadn’t even known was there. In a way, she felt like an explorer. Everything from this moment on would be uncharted territory for her, but she would be the one in control. Before, her life had been dominated by being Mr. and Mrs. Sherman’s daughter and, for the past four years, being everything Mack Jackson needed her to be. She loved her parents and she loved Mack, but she’d almost lost herself in the process. Finding out about the baby had changed everything. Her plans for the future were changing along with her body. Although her parents didn’t know it, college was on hold. Already her breasts were a bit swollen and tender, and she imagined the tiny being growing inside her, wondered whether it would be a boy or a girl, wondered if it would have her blond hair or be dark like Mack.

  A shaft of lightning struck somewhere off to her right, momentarily making her lose concentration. As she did, the rear end of the car fishtailed and began sliding sideways. She was bordering on panic when she remembered her father’s words: steer into a skid. Once she did that, the car was back in the proper lane and her panic subsided.

  The rain was still coming down when she finally drove into Summerton, and with no small amount of relief. The sooner this appointment was behind her, the better, because she needed to be home before her parents got off work. Her stomach was in knots as she took a turn, and then she groaned when she realized she’d turned a block too early. By the time she backtracked, located the medical building and found a place to park, she was shaking.

  Secrets made her feel guilty, and this wasn’t the way she’d been raised. She and Mack had talked, and as soon as a doctor officially verified her pregnancy they were going to tell their parents. She glanced in the rearview mirror, made a face at her reflection and grabbed her umbrella. The rain was still coming down as she headed toward the building on the run.

  She was halfway across the parking lot when she slipped. She felt herself falling, and then her feet went out from under her as she went down, landing hard enough that she was momentarily dazed. When she came to, she was flat on her back and faceup in the downpour, in so much pain she was afraid to move.

  Out of nowhere, two men in hard hats appeared, staring down at her in dual dismay.

  “Miss! Are you all right? We saw you fall. Where do you hurt? Can you move?”

  Lissa groaned. “Oh, my God...I hurt everywhere. Give me a minute. I think I can get up.”

  “Maybe we should call an ambulance,” one of them offered.

  “No, no ambulance!” Lissa cried, and began trying to move.

  The two men helped her up, then steadied her until she got her bearings. She was drenched but upright. Her ears were ringing, but she could move. It was going to be okay.

  “Thanks, guys, I’ve got this,” she said.

  “Here’s your umbrella,” one man said.

  She took it gladly, grateful to get the rain out of her face, and held it over her head as she walked into the building. The shelter was welcome as she paused in the lobby to check the roster, looking for the location of the doctor’s office.

  By the time she got on the elevator she was miserable. Her clothes were sticking to her skin, her shoes were full of water and every muscle in her body was beginning to throb. When she caught a glimpse of herself in the mirrored walls of the elevator she groaned. What a mess! The moment the elevator stopped, she got off and began looking for a bathroom to clean herself up.

  She found one nearby, and when she walked in and saw the hand dryer on the wall she headed for it. After setting her purse and umbrella down, she hit the start button and bent over so that the hot air could dry her hair. She couldn’t do much about her wet clothes but she did take her shoes off and dry the
insides with paper towels, then thrust them under the dryer, as well.

  When she’d done all she could do, she hurried down the hall to the doctor’s office to check in. As she sat down to fill out the new patient forms, her aches and pains increased. Sore muscles began to tighten, and wet clothes exacerbated the misery. To add to her discomfort, she recognized one of the women in the waiting room as the mother of one of her classmates, and she was giving Lissa a very cool, very judgmental stare.

  “Why, hello, Melissa. You’re a ways from home,” the woman said.

  “Hello, Mrs. Shayne. Yes, ma’am, I guess we both are. Terrible weather, isn’t it?”

  Beverly Shayne nodded politely and, to Lissa’s relief, returned her attention to the magazine she was reading.

  Seeing someone she knew made Lissa even more nervous. Would Bev Shayne go back to Mystic telling everyone where she’d seen Lissa Sherman? Then she reminded herself that women of all ages went to gynecologists, and she was a woman—a young one, but a woman nonetheless. On the surface this would not be of any consequence.

  But the longer she sat, the worse she felt. When her belly began to cramp she was in so much pain she couldn’t determine where she hurt the most. By the time they called her back, the pain was so bad she was shaking.

  The nurse eyed Lissa as she led her to the examining room, looking past the wet clothes and damp curls to the muscle jerking at the side of her jaw. Lissa moaned as she crawled up onto the table then rolled over onto her side and curled up in a ball, which increased the nurse’s concern.

  “Melissa Sherman?”

  “Yes, ma’am.”

  “Are you in pain?”

  “Yes, ma’am. I fell in the parking lot, and the longer I sat, the more I began to hurt.”

  The nurse moved to the table and took Lissa’s pulse, then made a note before reaching for the blood pressure cuff.

  “So you are here for a prenatal exam?”

  Lissa moaned. “Yes.”