Checkered Thief (A Laurel London Mystery Book 3)

by Kappes, Tonya

  I stood there and watched as he threw his leg over the steel horse and turned the key, giving it a little gas. He motioned for me to get on as he steadied the bike. I planted a hand on each of his shoulders and threw my leg over, positioning myself a little distance from him. But when he took off, the distance disappeared and I wrapped my arms around my rescuer letting him take me wherever he chose.

  Chapter Thirteen

  “S’bout time you got here.” Curly Dean said, a cigarette bouncing up and down in the corner of her mouth. Her hair was a mess and sweat beaded along her hairline. A couple of unsmoked cigarettes were sticking out from under her V-neck shirt between her breasts.

  Curly and Bo Dean had taken in Willie Ray during his later teen years after Trixie kicked him out of the orphanage for the last time. Unbeknownst to me, they took him in as a son. He loved them and they loved him. He was going to the bank on our wedding day to get into Bo and Curly’s safety deposit box where they had a sack full of money for him to get married to me. They had even given him a ring to give me. Unfortunately, Willie Ray was at the wrong place at the wrong time, altering our lives forever. He had never told me the truth about him and the Deans. He kept it to himself. When he was with me, he made it seem like his whole world revolved around me. I was a teenager in love and thought of only myself, so my feelings were still bruised from the entire incident even though I knew the truth now.

  When Bo had died Curly continued to farm their land and eventually opened up a florist on Second Street and that was where we were tonight.

  “Why are we here?” I tried to stay in the darkness away from the streetlights. “If someone sees me right here on the street, they will tell Derek.”

  “You need help, don’t you?” Curly asked, snapping the cigarette out of her mouth and stubbing it out on the ground with her toe. Charlie Haskel crawled out of the back of Curly’s big silver airstream that had Dean’s Florist spray-painted on the side in green. The airstream attached to her car.

  “It’s ready.” Charlie didn’t have on his normal knit stocking hat that I was used to seeing the town bum wear. He lived down on the riverbank and knew more about Walnut Grove and its people than I did. “Laurel.” He nodded.

  “Charlie, you look great.” I smiled. “I guess your new job agrees with you.”

  It was so nice of Curly to give Charlie a job at the florist as a sort of maintenance man. I was glad to see he wasn’t drinking his wages.

  “You mean love?” Willie Ray cocked a brow and looked between Curly and Charlie.

  “You mean you two,” I pointed between the two, “are an item?”

  “Seems like it and it ain’t no business of yours to go spreadin’ it around, especially if we’re hidin’ you from the law.” Curly slid a cigarette from between her breasts. Charlie jumped to her side with a lighter quicker than a jackrabbit.

  “Oh, I think it’s great.” I tried to force a smile, but in my circumstances it was hard to do. “I’m assuming there is a plan?”

  It was nice catching up and all, but there wasn’t much time. The dispatcher had probably stuck his head around the corner of the station and seen I was gone. Derek Smitherman was probably spitting fire by now. Or was he?

  “If there isn’t a plan,” I whispered in Willie Ray’s ear, “maybe our first stop should be the Windmill. I have two people I’d like to introduce you to.”

  “We thought you could live in the airstream. No one would think anything of it since Curly and Charlie drive it around delivering flowers.” He opened up the back door on the airbus and gestured me to go in.

  There was a cozy single bed on one side with a quilt and pillow, a small TV on the wall. The rest of the airbus was filled with five gallon buckets of water and all sorts of wild flowers and a counter for Curly to do her work on the side opposite the bed.

  “I like to take the airstream to wedding locations so I can give them the freshest cut flowers.” Curly pushed back the stray hairs out of her eyes. “It ain’t much, but it’s mine and I don’t owe anyone anything.”

  “This is actually really cute.” I was referring to the side with the bed. It wasn’t the orphanage or my bed there.

  “Rowl,” Henrietta jumped up from underneath the bed after she heard my voice.

  “Henrietta!” I ran over, picking my cat up in my arms and snuggling with her. She purred happily. I looked around the room and found her kitty box and food in the far back corner. She had everything she needed for the next day or so. “Thank you.” My heart sang when I turned back around to find the three of them staring at me.

  “Thank him.” Curly poked Willie Ray. “He insisted we help and I have been dead set against it from the beginning, but you did save his life and all.” She backed out of the airbus with piss and vinegar in each step.

  “Don’t mind her.” Charlie smiled, nary a tooth in his mouth. “She’ll be alright. You two sleep tight.” Charlie stepped out and shut the door.

  “You two as in me and Henrietta?” I stood there, brows raised.

  “If you think I’m going to leave your side, you’re nuts.” Willie Ray peeled off his coat and reclined on the bed, leaning on his elbows.

  “There is no way we can stay in here together.” Henrietta jumped out of my arms and landed on Willie’s chest. “Traitor,” I growled.

  “Grab a beer and let’s figure out what we are going to do.” Willie was giving orders like he always did and stroking the Henrietta’s back, sending her into a world of excitement.

  Yeah, I remember when he stroked me like that too. You better watch out. My eyes lowered watching the two of them love on each other. I opened the mini-refrigerator and pulled out two ice-cold bottles of beer, tossing one to Willie.

  “I never would’ve thought I would have picked beer as my first drink right out of the pokey.” I tried to make a joke. “Here is the deal.” I sucked in a deep breath. “I know who my real family is.”

  It would come as a shock to Willie Ray since he was always on the lookout for his family and I hadn’t given two shits until I got older.

  “Really, Laurel?” He sat up, an interested look in his face. “Tell me about them.”

  “As they say, the apple doesn’t fall too far from the tree.” I giggled and sat down next to him, telling him about my lineage. My heritage. My bank account.

  “You are loaded?” Willie Ray held the bottle next to his lips before taking a chug.

  “Something like that.” Then I told him about Brittany/Bethany and how I was trying to help her/them. “That is why I wanted to go to the Windmill tonight. If she is there, we can get some sort of plan to get the money to her and get Brittany back. Everyone, including Derek will be safe.”

  “But this has nothing to do with you getting caught taking the casino money.”

  “It has everything to do with it since the kidnappers wanted the footage.” Duh, was he not listening to me? “I think they got tired of waiting on Bethany and stole the money. Then after that, they proceeded to the security camera footage room and tried to take the footage. They heard someone, stashed the cash and were waiting. Only they upped the ransom to include the footage.”

  “But Bethany said the kidnappers said no cops and if she comes forward and rats them out after it’s all said and done, you still aren’t safe. They have people. Casino heist robbers are no little fly-by night operation. They are a little gang.” Willie Ray was right.

  “Then, how am I going to prove I’m innocent?” I sat on the edge of the bed and took a nice long drink of beer. “That doesn’t matter.” I shook my head. “What matters is us getting the money and giving it to Bethany to save Derek A-S-A-P.”

  “Jesus, Laurel.” Willie Ray scooted up next to me and leaned an elbow on his thigh, swinging his shoulders in my direction. “You are in love with that pansy ass.”

  “No I’m not.” I rolled my eyes and looked the other way in fear Willie would see right through me.

  “You are too or you wouldn’t be working so hard to s
ave his ass before yours.” Willie Ray scoffed. “Sonofabitch.” He stood up and sat his beer on the flower counter. He ran his hands through his hair and clasped them around the back of his neck; his muscles had so much definition that if I were the younger teen version of myself, I would’ve swooned over them. He looked up at the ceiling as though he were going through things in his head. “If this is what you want, then I’ll do it. But this isn’t good for you.”

  “I can only promise Bethany will help me out in some way once I make it right for her sister and Derek.” I stood up. The space was so cramped; Willie Ray and I were nose to nose.

  “What about lover boy, Jax Jackson? Does he know you are steaming for Derek Smitherman? Is that why he’s not at your side?” Willie’s breath was hot against my cheek.

  “Jax and I are just fine.” I shoved Willie down on the bed and looked out the window on the airbus door. “It’s dark enough for me to get around and I can walk to the Windmill.”

  “I’m going with you.” He grabbed his coat and flung it over his shoulder. “You be a good little girl for Mommy and Daddy.” He tossed Henrietta one of her cat treats that were on the counter with the rest of her food.

  “She’s not yours.” I opened the door and stepped out. “You are lucky I’m letting you help me.”

  “I’m all in now that I know you are one of them little rich girls. I only agreed to help you out for Trixie.” His teeth gleamed in the moonlight.

  That was one thing Trixie didn’t skimp on. The dentist for all of the orphans.

  “Whatever,” I grumbled under my breath realizing Willie was my only hope.

  There really wasn’t anything I could do. He did help me break out of jail and get me a place to hide out. I should be happy that he knew I was innocent before he even talked to me. And he seemed to be following the shadow of the night stars and the moon, skipping from corner to corner of each building until we made our way to Main Street.

  “We are going to have to cross at different times. It won’t be a big deal if I cross and someone sees me because I’m not the one in trouble.” He shrugged. “So wait for me to give the whistle.”

  “What whistle?” I asked, a bit confused.

  “I don’t know. Like you see in the movies.” He darted across the street before I could even know what the hell he was talking about.

  Beep, beep! Skid marks screeched through the nighttime air, a car stopping shy of Willie Ray’s knees.

  “What the hell?” Willie smacked the palm of his hand on the hood of the cruiser. Derek’s cruiser.

  “What are you doing running out in the road like that?” Disgust dripped out of Derek’s mouth. His expression was hard and resentful.

  “Why the hell are you driving so fast?” Willie mocked Derek to a tee.

  I bit my lip to keep from cackling out loud and stayed hidden in the darkness.

  “I’m not wasting my time on you.” The window began to roll up, and then abruptly stopped when Willie thought it was his cue to safely cross. “Wait!” Derek ordered Willie to come back.

  Willie stopped dead in his tracks. With his back to Derek, Willie’s chest heaved up with a big deep breath and a heavy sigh escaped him as he turned around to face Derek again.

  “What?” He shook his head.

  “Where are you going?” Derek had that cop look in his eyes.

  “None of your damn business.” Willie didn’t inch any closer to the cruiser. He kept a good safe distance.

  “Have you seen Laurel?” Hearing my name come out of Derek’s mouth sent chills up my legs. He knew. I could tell he knew I had bailed from the cell. But he also knew that Willie Ray was the last person on this earth I’d ever take help from. No matter how much trouble I was in.

  “Ah. . . your little casino girl isn’t doing it for you?” Willie Ray asked. “Or is that one night down on the docks with Laurel still tattooed on that pea-sized brain of yours?”

  Shit. Shit. Shit. How in the hell did Willie Ray know about that?

  “You know what,” Derek slammed the car in park and jumped out. He was in head to toe cop blues. I closed my eyes. A man in uniform was sexy as hell, but Derek was almost too hot to look at. “They should’ve kept your scam ass behind bars. I don’t know what Laurel ever saw in you.”

  “Don’t you have somewhere to be other than here harassing me?” Willie pulled the leather pouch from his back pocket with his cigarettes and dragged one out, placing the tip on the edge of his mouth, leaving it dangle just enough to look sexy.

  Derek placed his arms over the hood of the cruiser and folding his hands, he leaned his body forward. “Have you seen Laurel or not?”

  “Not.” Like a cool cat, Willie pulled out his Zippo lighter and ignited the flint, catching the cigarette on fire. He took a long draw, his eyes still focused on Derek. He tilted his head and let out a long steady stream of smoke. “Have you tried the orphanage?”

  “Laurel got into a little bit of trouble and I put her down in the jail.” Derek did his cop stare.

  Don’t move, Willie Ray. He will read you like a book. I sucked in a deep breath and held it. Derek was a good cop. He was able to read anyone. Even the likes of Willie Ray Bowman.

  “Hell, I know where she is.” Willie Ray gave a slight smile, making my heart sink to my stomach. I knew better than to trust that sonofabitch.

  I looked around me, appraising my best options to run. There were no good options. Any way I darted, Derek would see me.

  “Where?” Derek asked.

  “The jail where you said you stuck her.” Willie Ray didn’t lose his cool. “Unless you’re telling me our little criminal Laurel London has pulled a Houdini on your fine correctional facility.”

  “Shut the hell up.” Derek jerked back and opened the cruiser door. “You know I can’t help her if she’s on the lam. If she comes to you, which I doubt, have her do the right thing.”

  “That would be what? Do you really know what the right thing for her is, officer?” Willie Ray was taking too much pleasure at my relationship with Derek.

  “Waste of life.” Derek shook his head, slammed the cruiser door once inside and flipped on his siren before speeding back down the road toward the police station.

  It felt like an hour before I heard anything sounding like a whistle from across the street. It was my signal to get my ass in gear and hightail it across Main Street.

  “What took so long?” I sucked air back into my lungs. It was probably a good idea to get in shape, but I blamed my current state of affairs for my lack of energy. Maybe going to prison for a crime I didn’t commit would be good for me to get in shape. Every single prison show I watched, the inmates were either working out or eating.

  “It was five minutes.” Willie Ray took another draw off his cig before he snuffed it out.

  “How the hell did you know about me and Derek?” I asked.

  “You mean?” He gyrated his hips back and forth. A long time ago that move would’ve sent fireworks to my girly parts, now it just made me sick.

  “Shut up.” I think I really did actually loathe him. “How did you find out?”

  “Did you forget Charlie knows all?” he asked. “When I came back to town during my prison escape, I was determined to win you back.” His voice cracked. “While I was in prison, time stood still for me. I had no clue you were actually moving on with your life. So when Sally helped me escape back to Curly and Bo’s barn to hide me, I had a sick fantasy that you were still going to wear that Goodwill wedding dress and stand with me in that Nashville chapel.”

  The look on his face made my heart ache. Willie Ray was a jokester, but he wasn’t kidding in this midnight hour.

  “Charlie told me what he saw and told me y’all weren’t together, but I know you.” He lifted his finger and tapped my chest where my heart sits beneath. “Once Laurel London gives herself to someone, she’s fully committed. Plus, Derek Smitherman would never hurt you like I did.”

  “Derek and I were a mistake,” I mutter
ed. Not actually on my part, but Derek clearly saw it as that. “You.” I swallowed and rested my hand on his arm. “I loved you. I would have gone to the end of the world for you. But you knew my history and how much I distrusted men and I felt like you took advantage of me. You left me at the altar; granted I know you got arrested and convicted of a crime you didn’t do. And I have forgiven you for what happened. But my head and my heart have begun to talk to each other now, whereas my heart was the only thing that kept falling in love with you.”

  What I wanted to tell him wasn’t coming out the way I wanted it to. He nodded like he got it.

  “Breaking me out of the jail tonight was a true testament of how much you do believe in me.” I squeezed his arm and dropped my hand. “Do you think Derek really does want to help me? He said it.”

  “Are you kidding me?” Willie’s lip snarled. “You are fucking in love with him.”

  “I’m not.” I didn’t know if I was trying to convince Willie Ray or myself. “I just have hope that Bethany has convinced him that the story I told him was the real truth and now he is out there looking for me to let me go.”

  “You are so damn delusional.” Willie Ray pulled me out of the moonlight and into the shadow as a car was passing.

  When it went by, we saw it was Derek going back into town at a snail’s pace. No doubt looking between the shadows for something. Only I knew that something was me.

  “Maybe I should let him know I’m okay.” I stepped out, only to have Willie jerk me back.

  “I wish your head and heart were working together now,” he pulled me close to him, and whispered in my ear. “We will make our way down to the Windmill like we said we would. If the coast is clear after, we will find him.”

  I looked up into Willie’s eyes. I might not be in love with him anymore, but his eyes always led into his soul and I knew I was safe with him. He was determined to help me.

  Normally I would never let him lead, tonight I did. I made sure I took every step he took and watched as he sneaked around the backs of all of the shops on Main Street. Even though everything was closed, there was still traffic from all the visitors for the Glitz and Glam.