North by Northeast

by Cherime MacFarlane

  "Why do I feel my story is being questioned here?" Lori glared at the detective. "Day is a serial killer who needs to go to jail. I hope California will get him, as it appears he has too much influence in Washington State." She crossed her arms, and stared at the detective, her jaw tight.

  "Well, ma'am," Edwards leaned back in his chair. "This is a bit of a fantastic story if you look at it from my end."

  Lori sniffed. "You mean it's too "fantastic" that someone actually got the job done? That someone could rescue me before the bastard killed me? Did you have any idea where I might be, detective? Were you working on any leads or was I just going to be another statistic? Did you even bother to try to track the Sunny Day?"

  The detective glanced down at the pad in front of him before responding to Lori's question. "We were attempting to locate the ship. We found out where it was just before you suddenly turned up. California has requested he be sent there. As your case is only a kidnapping, it is likely they will take jurisdiction."

  "Well, hooray and hallelujah for that! So what are we doing here, Mr. Edwards?"

  Hamish noted Lori's use of his name without the title was deliberate. She was boiling mad. It was nice to see someone else incensed at the coppers for a change. For the moment, she was doing quite well. He didn’t plan to step in unless it became necessary.

  "Mrs. MacGrough, you don’t know who rescued you from the Sunny Day, blew up the steering, took the crewmen off the vessel and called the Coast Guard?"

  Lori grinned at Edwards. It was positively wolfish. "I didn’t see the face of the individual on the Sunny Day. I saw no one else on the boat. All I know is, someone got me out of a locked room, off the ship into a skiff, and pushed me away out into the channel. I used the oars to get to the Alaska side of the canal. It's about a mile from Hyder to Stewart, an easy walk Detective Edwards. I found my husband had arrived with his friends on the Canadian side. They were inquiring if anyone had seen me. End of story."

  The Detective waved to his associate to shut off the recorder. "As we have no witness to the contrary, I suppose we must accept your story."

  Edwards glanced at the attorney, who had remained silent. Then he looked at Hamish.

  "Might I ask you a couple of questions, Mr. MacGrough? I'm just having a tough time with this one."

  Hamish kept his hands under the table. There were several sore places on the knuckles of his right hand. He had no intention of answering questions regarding how he got the injuries. What the detective didn’t see he wouldn’t ask about. "Ask what ye like. As tha recorder is off, an ‘tis nae ah formal statement, I will reserve tha option of answering or nae."

  Edwards nodded agreement. "Did you hire mercenaries to effect Mrs. MacGrough's rescue?"

  "First, I’ve nae idea where or how tae go about finding any mercenaries in order tae hire them. Second, nae, I hired no one to do anything to either the Sunny Day or Mr. Day. Ye’ve my word on it. Now, what else may I help ye with?"

  Edwards was watching him carefully. "Did you have anything to do with this rescue personally?"

  "Och, aye. I hired ah boat, an went looking in Stewart for Lori. I had learned the vessel often went there for short periods of time. I heard it from Mr. Daniels. Ye can check with his mother. Then ye will find I visited her, looking for her son, Elden."

  Hamish leaned his chair back and put his hands behind his head. "None of which was against the laws of tha State of Washington or Federal law, according tae counsel here."

  Threatening Elden was another matter he was not bringing up. He nodded to the attorney. "So what are ye getting at, Detective?"

  "You know Fredrick in L.A. told me that you could be downright difficult to deal with. I believe he was correct. He didn’t give me chapter and verse, just said that you have a devious bent."

  Hamish chuckled. "First, ye try to pin Lori's kidnapping on me. Now you are trying tae imply I pulled some action hero stunt an pulled off her rescue. It seems tae me, ye've been watching tae many movies, Detective Edwards. I’m just ah musician. I took ah gamble that tha boat carrying tha bleeding kidnapper skipped tae Hyder, as I’d been told. My hunch was correct. I dinnae see what yu're trying tae make of this."

  H.M. let the chair slam to the floor. As he stood, he thrust his right hand into his front jean pocket.

  "I think we've been more than cooperative. We're leaving, Detective. Ye’ve sufficient information tae close tha case. Please dinnae expect me tae shake hands. It has nae been ah pleasure."

  He took Lori's arm with his left hand and guided her over to the door. The attorney reached the door first, leaned forward and opened it for the couple. Lori put her arm through H.M.'s. When they reached the street, a dusty green Jeep waited.

  Glen leaned out of the window. "Can we give you two a ride?"

  "Aye. A moment, mind?" Hamish thanked the attorney who took his right hand to shake it. When Hamish winced a tiny bit, the attorney turned his hand over. He inspected Hamish's knuckles. With a grin, he released his hand. "Good job." The lawyer smiled when he bent down to looked into the Jeep. "Well done, gentlemen."

  Birk woke Lori for his 2:00 a.m. feeding. Hamish's side of the bed was rumpled, but he wasn’t in it. That was all right; she knew where to find him.

  Breasts aching from the need to feed the greedy little boy, Lori went into the nursery to get Birk. Two weeks ago they held the christening. Glen and Francie were his godparents. Mrs. Wier had stood in for Francie as a proxy. Life in the glen settled into a nice comfortable routine.

  She sat down in the rocker with Birk. Lori sang to him softly as he suckled. Once the infant had his fill, Lori burped him. After pulling the robe tight around her, she wrapped the sleeping baby in a blanket and went down to the gym. Hamish had added it to the side of the house, just off the kitchen, as soon as they’d returned home.

  Music was coming from the speakers, but the volume was down, Hamish kept the sound low at night, to keep from disturbing either the baby or her. She stood in the shadows for a moment, in the doorway between the kitchen and the new gym. He was on the treadmill, running smoothly. She liked what the past seven months in the gym had done for his body. He had always been beautiful. Now he was gorgeous.

  Clad in short shorts, he was just the way she liked him, sweaty and hot. Lori walked over to stand in front of the treadmill. The smile that lit his face coupled with the look in his eye instantly ignited need within her. It twisted her insides hard, more than Birk's enthusiastic nursing did.

  "How long?" Lori asked. He held up two fingers and hopped onto the rails on either side of the moving pad. Hamish did something to the buttons that controlled the machine. When he got back on, he had slowed it down.

  "Cool down," Hamish explained.

  Lori looked at the buttons with a sigh. "Now that the baby is here, I suppose I will have to start using this thing." She did see a button that interested her at this exact moment. She removed the towels out of the basket she kept them in, opened two and spread them in the bottom of the basket. Lori picked Birk up from the carpeted floor and placed the sleeping infant in the makeshift crib. When she looked toward her husband a grin crept across Hamish's face.

  Lori turned away for a moment, removed the robe and draped it over the weight machine before turning to face him. As she walked over to the treadmill, his grin widened. Lori pushed the stop button. Ducking under his arm, she stood on the now still pad, put her hands around his waist and molded her body to his.

  "I'm hot and sweaty, luv."

  "Uh huh." Lori slid her hands up his chest. "Just the way I like you, MacGrough, hot and sweaty. Now get me the same way, please."

  Hamish stepped down off the treadmill. Turning, he held his arms out. Lori leaned over to put her hands on his shoulders.

  As he wrapped his arms around her, Lori put both legs around his waist. "I want another one, Hamish."

  His mouth was hot against hers. "This soon, luv? We've just got this one."

  "Aye, luv." She mimicked. Lori licked
the sweat from his upper lip. "But who knows how long it may take? We need to get started right away."

  "Well, now, yur wish is my command, luv." Hamish nuzzled her neck.

  Lori felt love flood her. Thank you, God, thank you, she silently prayed as she surrendered to her need for her husband.

  Glossary

  Arse - bum

  Bawbag - scrotum (insult)

  Da - father

  Dobber - a fool (penis/prick)

  Feckin - euphemism for f---king (Irish)

  Frichted - frightened scared

  Gobeen - big stupid

  Hen - term of endearment for any female

  Hoor (Cute hoor - devious thief Irish)

  Ken - know

  Nutter - crazy

  Polis - police

  Sgian - knife

  Shite - poo

  Tae - to

  Wanker - insult

  Wee - small

  Wheesht - hush