Read and Gone

by Allison Brook

  “What’s so funny?”

  Suddenly I’m the fashion police. “I was thinking how much I’ve changed these past few months,” I said. “No more Goth clothes, Doc Martens, or purple hair.”

  Dina studied my brown slacks, the tailored beige sweater under my open parka. She had a quizzical expression on her face. “You? For real?”

  “For real.”

  “Antonio’s has better pies, but Raimo’s is closer and won’t be as crowded. Follow me.”

  “Raimo’s it is,” I said and headed for my car.

  I found Smoky Joe asleep in the passenger’s seat. I covered him with the extra jacket I kept on the back seat, and he snuggled down deeper into feline slumber.

  “We’ll be home soon,” I whispered, patting his head.

  Raimo’s was far from crowded, though it was only seven thirty. Dina and I staked out the table in the far corner by tossing our jackets on the chairs, then went up to the counter to place our orders.

  “Mothers bring their kids here for an early dinner,” she said. “The high school kids start coming in around nine thirty.”

  I carried my two slices of veggie pizza, a large coke, and a small salad to the table. I took my first bite. “Not bad,” I said, “but not as good as Antonio’s.”

  “They’re the best,” Dina agreed.

  I was hungry and finished the first slice before asking my first question. “Are you and Chris going out?”

  Dina rolled her eyes. “Absolutely not, though he likes to think we’re soul mates. I mean, we’re good friends, but that’s it.”

  I wasn’t ready to let her off the hook. “Funny, when you and Chris helped your father with his library program, I got the impression you guys were dating.”

  She shrugged as if she was conceding a point. “Yeah, we did—for a very short while. He’s a good guy, but he’s so clingy. He has no self-confidence.”

  “Growing up without a father must have been difficult.”

  “Stella couldn’t bear to think her husband was a loser, so she filled Chris’s head with fantasies—that Bert was misunderstood and victimized, when the truth is he was too drunk to keep a job.” She looked sheepish when she added, “Chris only found out recently that his father started the fire where he’d been working.”

  “How do you know all this?”

  “I thought he should know the truth, so I told him.” Dina bit her lip. “I think I made an awful mistake. It left him more confused than ever. Now he feels he has to prove to me and to the world that he’s not a bum like his father.”

  “Your father must have seen something in Chris, or he wouldn’t have hired him.”

  Dina snorted. “My mother tried to talk my father out of hiring Chris because he came from the wrong side of the tracks—like anyone but her would use that stupid expression—and because he’d dropped out of college. It’s not like he failed or couldn’t do the work. He left because he didn’t find the courses relevant, and he’d run out of money. Turned out Chris loved learning the jewelry business, so he took a course in gemology. We both did. He’s on the shy side, but when he worked at the store, he was amazingly good with the customers.”

  “I understand your mother wants to sell the jewelry store.”

  “She does. I wish she’d keep it and let me run it, but she’ll do what she wants.”

  I bit into my second slice of pizza.

  “Of course, everything would be different if I knew where my father had stashed the gems.”

  I gasped, then coughed as a piece of crust caught in my throat. Dina leaned over to pound my back. Miraculously, the piece was dislodged. I sipped my soda.

  “Just as I thought,” she said softly. “You know about them too.”

  I nodded. There was no point in playing dumb. Not that I expected to learn anything from her.

  Dina cackled. “Here we sit in a pizza parlor, the daughters of two thieves.”

  “I grew up ashamed and embarrassed, knowing my father was a thief,” I said. “Jim was away most of the time, and I missed him a lot. Now I’m glad he wasn’t around.”

  “I only found out a few months ago,” Dina said, “when I started spending more time helping out in the store. My father would occasionally get calls that he’d take in the back room. The parts I managed to overhear were about merchandise, but he sounded furtive. He made sure Chris and I were out in front when he took those calls.” She snorted. “Of course, some of the time he was probably talking to his latest babe.”

  “Jennifer Darby,” I said. “She seemed to think your father was in love with her. They were planning to leave town.”

  “I doubt that very much,” Dina scoffed. “Jennifer was only the last of a long parade of women. I’ve known about them for the past eight years.”

  “Do you think your mother knew?”

  “I think she did but pretended she didn’t. My mother likes to act like everything’s all right. She lives by the code that appearances rule. If you pretend all is well, then everything will look just fine, and people won’t know anything’s wrong. But people always know, don’t they?”

  “They do,” I agreed.

  Dina stood suddenly and gathered up her debris to toss in the nearby garbage can. When she sat down again, she cocked her head at me.

  “So, I’ve been thinking.”

  “Yes?” I sipped the last of my soda and gathered up my rubbish.

  “I bet your father came to Clover Ridge to get his share of the heist.”

  Startled, I gaped at her. “How—I mean, where did you get that idea?”

  Dina grinned. “I’m a pretty good detective when I want to be. I made it my business to listen in on conversations and check out my father’s texts when he left his phone in his jacket.”

  “Clever,” I said.

  “Did you ever think how your life could change if you recovered those stones?”

  “Frankly, no. I wish my father would forget about those damn gems and go off somewhere far away.”

  Dina stared at me in disbelief. “Come on, Carrie. You must have given it some thought.”

  “I’ve wondered where your father hid them,” I admitted.

  “So have I,” Dina said. “And I have an idea where they might be. The thing is, I need a partner. Someone with a car.”

  Don’t be too eager. Play dumb. “What about Chris? You may not be dating, but you guys struck me as BFFs.”

  She let loose a derisive snort. “Are you kidding? Let him in on it, and I’ll have him around for the rest of my life. I want to start out on my own, with no one but me in charge.” She shot me a sly look. “And I suspect you wouldn’t interfere with that.”

  “I certainly wouldn’t. But are you sure you want to share the loot?”

  “Seventy–thirty.”

  “Whoa! This is a fifty–fifty deal. Our fathers were in on it together.”

  “And mine was smart enough to keep it all.”

  “Look where it got him,” I pointed out. “Fifty-five–forty-five is the best I can do.”

  “Sixty–forty, and that’s my final offer.”

  I stuck out my hand. “Deal. When do we get started?”

  “Is tomorrow soon enough?”

  “Sorry. I have to bring my father home from the hospital in the morning, and after work I have the library holiday party.”

  “Thursday morning, then. I’ll call you at eight, eight fifteen, and we’ll go over the details. Figure on a little excursion that should take three, four hours tops.”

  “Very good. Talk to you then.” I gathered up my things to leave.

  Dina grinned. “If I’m as right as I think I am, we’ll be treating ourselves to an early Christmas present.”

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Smoky Joe meowed his greeting, along with forceful head butts to tell me in no uncertain terms that he was seriously annoyed to have been kept waiting.

  “I know, Furry Face. You’re hungry and you don’t like being confined to a car.”

&nbs
p; I turned on the motor and started for home. Satisfied with my apology, Smoky Joe bumped against my hip and settled down beside me.

  What was I thinking? I drove home, stunned by what I’d gotten myself into. But I had to seize the only opportunity that had come my way. By some warped ethical line of reasoning, Dina trusted me to have the same morals she did simply because both our fathers were thieves. The way I saw it, her father had duped mine. Now was my chance to turn the tables—find the gems and hand them over to Dylan.

  I gnawed at my lip as I considered how many people I’d be pissing off by returning the gems to their rightful owner: my father, Dina, Mariel, Richard, and Chris Crowley.

  I shuddered as I factored in one more detail: one of them might be a murderer. Even if Quincy had murdered Benton, someone had done away with Quincy and wouldn’t hesitate to kill again.

  Rush hour was over, and the traffic had eased up. I drove on autopilot, not paying too much attention to the vehicles around me. There weren’t many on the road. But after traveling two miles, I realized that a car had remained about four car lengths behind me. No biggie, I thought as I changed lanes, until the other driver did the same.

  Anxiety tingled along my neck as I approached the private road leading to Dylan’s mansion-sized home and, farther on, my cottage. Dylan was away in another city and not expected home until the weekend. I drove past my turnoff and slowed down. The other car slowed down too.

  My heart pounded as I made a quick U-turn and pulled over to the side of the road. A passing car honked angrily. In my rearview mirror I watched as the car that had been following me slowed down. Was the driver planning to dash across the road to talk to me? Shoot me dead?

  I stomped on the pedal and took off. The other car made a U-turn and, though I was speeding, zipped past me. It was a gray Honda, but I couldn’t make out the driver’s face. My hands shook as I turned onto the private road to my cottage.

  My first impulse was to call John Mathers to tell him someone had been tailing me. But how could I, after making a deal with Dina to retrieve the gems our fathers had stolen? Even though I had no intention of keeping them, John’s questions were bound to probe areas I couldn’t talk about. He’d know I was deflecting and holding back information, and would throw up his hands in frustration. No, it wasn’t fair to turn to John for help.

  I assumed that the driver who had been following me was after the gems. It could be Chris, Mariel, or Richard. Not Dina, since she didn’t own a car—or so she said. I’d have to find out who drove a gray Honda.

  And then what? I supposed remain on my guard.

  When I arrived home, I made sure all of the doors and windows were securely locked. I fed Smoky Joe then called my father at the hospital.

  “Hi, Jim. Is your doctor still planning on letting you go home tomorrow?”

  “So I’ve been told. What’s wrong, Caro?”

  “Nothing,” I said, wondering how he’d picked up on the residual nervousness I still felt from having been followed home.

  “You sound troubled.”

  “Just frazzled. It’s a busy time of the year. What time should I come by?

  “Dr. B usually does rounds at eight, eight thirty. After the paperwork, I should be good to go at nine, nine-thirty. I figure no later than ten.”

  “Okay. We can stop off on the way home for whatever you might need, then I have to go to work. And the library holiday party is tomorrow night. Sorry to abandon you.”

  Jim’s deep laugh came over the wire. “Don’t you worry a thing about me, Caro. I appreciate your taking me in until I’m steady on my feet. That should be very soon. I feel stronger every day.”

  You can’t wait to go after those gems. And then you’ll be on your way. “At least we’ll be together over Christmas.”

  “Looking forward to it, honey.”

  Tears welled up as I disconnected. Damn it, why was I still so vulnerable and in need of my father’s love? I was thirty years old, for God’s sake! When was I going to realize I couldn’t depend on Jim Singleton in the way other people took it for granted that their dads were a part of their lives? Besides, I told myself as I scrubbed away the tears, I was an adult now. I didn’t need my father to protect me from the evils of the world. I had to look after myself and not rely on anyone else.

  I woke up the following morning determined to be strong. I’d do what I had to: drive Jim home from the hospital, find the gems, turn them in, and get on with my life.

  And there was Dylan. I smiled as I reminisced about one of our romantic moments. He’d be home for the weekend. All the turmoil in my life these past few days couldn’t distract me from missing him. I couldn’t wait to see him. I’d felt betrayed and wounded when I first realized he’d been hunting Jim, spurred on by my loyalty to my father, who was my flesh and blood. But I no longer felt conflicted. My father’s criminal actions had led to consequences that had nothing to do with me. Dylan and I cared for each other. We could resume our relationship, if I wanted. It was something, I realized, that I wanted very much.

  I entered my father’s hospital room and found Jim chatting with his roommate, a man in his mid-sixties. He had a full head of white hair; a round, red face; and, from what I could tell, since he was under a blanket, a rather round body. Not a healthy specimen, though he’d make a perfect Santa.

  “Ah, Caro! I was just telling Ernie about you. Ernie Pfeiffer, my daughter, Carrie Singleton. Ernie, here, is gonna have his gall bladder removed sometime today.”

  “The sooner, the better. Your dad’s been bragging about you—how proud he is of you.”

  I rolled my eyes, but I couldn’t help feeling pleased. “Is that so?”

  “I understand you work in the library. My neighbor works there too.”

  “Really? Who’s that?”

  “Dorothy Hawkins. You know. The Dragon Lady.”

  I couldn’t help it—I burst out laughing.

  Ernie grinned. “You work with her, but try living next door to the woman. She’s tried to sue me four times in the past twelve years. Got nowhere, in any event. The last time was over one of my trees that has branches extending over her property.”

  “What’s her husband like?” I asked, to stop him from going into a long story. But I was curious as well.

  “Freddy Hawkins? He’s an okay guy. Doesn’t say much. I guess she has him pretty well cowed. But he put his foot down the time my dog ran loose and she called the police, demanding that they put Old Barney to sleep.”

  “Oh, no!” I exclaimed.

  Ernie waved a hand. “Don’t worry. The police told her they weren’t in the exterminating business. Barney died in his sleep a year later.”

  “I’m all packed,” my father said.

  “So we can go?”

  “Soon as the nurse comes with the necessary papers to sign.”

  I wondered if thieves had a medical plan covering hospital stays, but remained silent on the subject. I didn’t want to get involved. My father must have read my mind because he laughed. “Good thing I got health insurance a few years ago. It’s covered almost all my expenses here.”

  “I’m glad,” I said.

  A few minutes later, a nurse entered the room with the necessary papers. Jim signed them. She asked if he wanted a wheelchair to transport him down to the exit.

  “No way. I can walk fine.”

  I grabbed his small suitcase, said goodbye to Ernie Pfeiffer, and we started walking slowly down the hall.

  “I have some food in the house and a casserole you can warm up for dinner tonight. Would you like to stop at a drugstore for anything?”

  “Yes, to fill my latest prescription.”

  We stopped at the CVS drive-thru window and picked up Jim’s medicine. When we arrived at the cottage, I carried his suitcase into his room. Instead of following me, he plopped down on the den sofa and turned on the TV.

  “Are you hungry? I’ll make you a sandwich, if you like, before I go to work.”

  “I’ll eat
later. You’ve done enough.”

  “You’ll find plenty of cold cuts in the fridge. For dinner, heat up the casserole on the middle oven rack for twenty minutes at three hundred and twenty-five degrees. There are greens for salad in the refrigerator bins.”

  Jim waved away my concerns. “Don’t worry, Caro. I’ll figure it out.”

  I made myself a tuna salad sandwich and wrapped it in tinfoil to eat later on in my office. Then, since I’d be going directly to the party from work, I changed into a sleek black dress with a plunging neckline and a hemline a few inches above my knees. I slipped into a pair of suede sling-back heels and put eye makeup in my pocketbook to apply later on at work.

  Jim whistled. “Wow! Don’t you look gorgeous!”

  “Thanks. I’ll be back from the party around nine thirty,” I said, scooping up Smoky Joe. “Stay out of trouble.”

  “Of course, daughter dear. I’ll be fine.”

  I felt a sense of relief as I headed off to work. My father was safely ensconced in my cottage and, judging by his faltering pace when we’d stopped in the drugstore, he wasn’t strong enough to wander off and get into mischief. I was beginning to understand why someone grieving or beset by problems would find her workplace a haven of solace. My responsibilities as head of P and E gave me no time to think about my father or the gems, or to wonder who had followed me last night.

  An incoming text pinged as I approached the library parking lot. I drove into an empty space and pulled out my phone to read the message.

  Home Thursday night. Talk 2 u then. Can’t wait.

  Dylan! My heart thumped against my ribs. Two days from now I’d be back in his arms.

  I grinned as I imagined the surprised look on his face when I handed over the gems—if Dina was right and her father had hidden them where she suspected. Of course I needed to figure out how to get them away from her, but that was on tomorrow’s agenda. First I had to get through today.

  The cheerful holiday spirit overtook me the moment I entered the library. Somehow Sally had managed to infuse the entire main floor with the delicious aroma of potpourri.