Hidden Angels: Wildfire Lake Book One

by Victoria Wyngate

  ******

  He left Trish’s apartment complex, going to the small apartment he kept in town. He hadn’t been sleeping well, due to the bad dreams. They were getting more frequent.

  He went to the kitchen and returned with a beer. Sitting on the couch he slowly sipped the pale brew. He need something to help him unwind. I’ll just have one and then a nap.

  He finished the beer and lay down on the couch. Within minutes he was asleep, but this time his dreams were peaceful. He dreamed about his plans for Trish. All of the wonderful things he would do with his newest angel.

  The pleasure he would achieve and the pain he would inflict.

  ******

  Trish walked into Stacie’s over twenty minutes later. Walking over to the Beautique counter, she said, “I am so sorry Janelle,” as she threw her purse in its usual spot.

  “Like I said, you couldn’t control it,” replied Janelle, “You can take the next customer.”

  ******

  David walked into the Sky View Mall and went straight to the Beautique counter. Trish approached him and asked, “Can I help you sir?”

  “Yes ma’am.” David said, “I’m Detective David Moore with the Charlottesburg Police Department.” He showed her his badge and identification.

  “I want to ask you some questions about the incident at the Larabee clinic. Do you remember that incident?”

  “Sure,” replied Trish.

  “Do you remember seeing anything out of the ordinary that day?” he asked.

  “Well, I saw the flashing lights on the police cars. All of the officers and the crime scene tape. Nothing other than that. I’m sorry,“ she said, shaking her head.

  “Well, if you remember or think of anything please call me,” he said, handing her his business card.

  “I don’t know how else I can help you. But I’ll call if I think of anything,” she replied. She put the card in her pocket.

  “Is there anyone else on duty right now that was working that night?” he asked.

  “You might want to talk to Janelle. She’s the manager and she’s right over there in the green blouse,” said Trish as she pointed in her direction.

  “Thank you,” said David as he turned and headed to Janelle’s counter.

  “You’re welcome.” Trish replied. She watched as he spoke to Janelle. He sure is handsome, Trish thought.

  She went to the store room to work on the boxes of blush for the Gencombe display.

  Trish finished stocking the counters and the display shelves. It was a little past 7:00 p.m. when she went to find Janelle.

  Finding her in the stockroom, she said, “I’m finished for the day. Unless you need me for something else?”

  “No,” replied Janelle, “You go on home. I’ll close up tonight. Have a good night.”

  “Thanks,” said Trish, “See you tomorrow.” She left the store and headed to her car. As she walked she scanned the lot.

  She unlocked her car, started the engine and headed home. All she wanted was a nice hot bath.

  Once she was home, she immediately went to her bathroom. She started running the water in the tub. She wanted it very hot and full of bubbles.

  While the water was running, she went and poured herself a glass of wine. The book she’d been reading was on the end table. She picked it up on the way.

  She wanted to read, drink and soak until she looked like a prune. Then, get a goodnight’s sleep. She didn’t even bother with dinner.

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  Travis awoke refreshed. He walked into the bathroom and started the shower. Stepping inside, he let the steaming water cascade over him.

  As he lathered his chest he felt the deep scars from his youth. They were a constant reminder of his father’s drunken rages.

  Finishing his shower, he grabbed a towel hanging from the rack. Wrapping it around himself, he headed to the kitchen.

  After starting a pot of coffee, he went back to his bedroom and got dressed. He got a suitcase from the closet. Grabbing some jeans, he threw them into the case. He threw in some underwear and socks and even put a few folded shirts on top of the jeans.

  The final items added were for his personal hygiene. Closing the suitcase, he picked it up and carried it into the kitchen. Sitting it on the floor beside the table, he got a thermos out of the kitchen cupboard.

  He poured the coffee from the pot into it. Thermos in hand, he grabbed the keys, a ball cap and the suitcase and headed out the door. Having several days off, he decided to take a road trip. I’ll just grab some breakfast at a drive-thru, he thought.

  He closed and locked the door. After throwing the suitcase in the trunk he got into the car. He turned left and headed toward State Route 91.

  Knowing he was low on supplies he decided to stop along the way to restock.

  Seven miles into his road trip he saw a store that fit his needs quite nicely. Pulling into the parking lot he donned the ball cap and went inside.

  He picked up some rope, a roll of duct tape, a shovel and two plastic drop cloths. From the garden section he grabbed a large bag of lime. All set, he thought as he headed to the register.

  “Did you find everything you needed today?” asked the cashier.

  “Yes, thank you,” he replied. He paid for the items in cash, putting his purchases in the trunk beside the suitcase.

  Now he was ready for his new adventure. He headed up SR 91. Maybe he’d stop in the first town he came to or maybe not. He hadn’t decided yet. Right now he was just enjoying the drive.

  He had driven for about two hours when he saw a sign that read, ‘Now entering Lynxboro City Limits’. He drove into the small town.

  It was a quiet, small town. It was so small in fact that it only had two traffic lights. One on each end of town. He decided to stay the night here.

  The town only had one motel and it looked rather run down. A no-tell motel, he called them. Those usually accepted cash payments.

  He went to the registration desk and asked for a room. Signing in under the name of Earl Sutton, he offered cash to the clerk.

  She accepted the payment even without identification. Perfect, he thought. He went to the car and removed only the suitcase.

  The room looked just as bad as the main building. The wallpaper was faded and peeling. The bedclothes were dingy. The bathroom was rundown, but usable.

  He placed his things on the floor and immediately stripped the linens off the bed. He took a plastic drop cloth and placed it over the bare mattress tucking the edges underneath. Replacing the fitted sheet, he made the bed.

  No bedbugs for me, not tonight or any other night, he thought. Needing to do a little more research, he went for a drive.

  ******

  Trish arrived at work as a floral delivery was placed on the counter. Janelle was signing for the flowers.

  “Oh, Trish,” she said, “These are for you.”

  “Does it say who they are from?” asked Trish.

  “There is a card, but it’s sealed,” replied Janelle. Trish took the card and opened it.

  Would you do me the honor of having dinner with me tonight? Looking forward to your answer. You have my number.

  David

  Trish smiled as she looked at the card, blushing. This peaked Janelle’s curiosity.

  “Well?” she said impatiently, eyebrow raised.

  “It’s a dinner invitation.” Trish replied, “From Detective Moore.”

  “Well, he is gorgeous,” said Janelle. She appeared to be jealous. Trish took David’s business card out of her pocket and went to the phone behind the counter.

  He answered on the first ring. “Investigations, Detective Moore,” he said.

  “Hello, this is Trish Langley. I just got your flowers and invitation,” she said.

  “I hope you like them.” he said.

  “They’re beautiful. There’s only one problem” Trish said.

  “What kind of problem?” he asked.

  “The invitation said tonight, Ri
ght?” asked Trish.

  “Yes…” replied David hesitantly.

  “Well,” said Trish, “The problem is, I have to work tonight until 700 p.m.”

  David let out a sigh of relief. “I thought you were going to say something else. Like maybe you had a boyfriend, or worse a husband,” said David.

  “Nothing like that,” said Trish, “I was just wondering if it could be a late dinner. That’s all. I’ll need time to go home and change.”

  “Not a problem.” replied David, “Meet you at 8:30 p.m. at O’Malley’s?”

  “Sounds good to me,” said Trish, “I’ll see you then.” When she hung up the phone she was beaming.

  She had a date.

  ******

  Travis rode through the heart of town. Not much to see. Near the edge of town was a restaurant called ‘The Roadhouse’. He was hungry and decided to give it a try for lunch.

  The restaurant looked decent enough from the outside, he thought. Once inside he walked over to an unoccupied table and sat down.

  A few minutes later, he heard a female voice say, “I’m Gretchen and I’ll be your server today. Can I start you off with something to drink?” He looked up at her and his demeanor abruptly changed.

  Standing before him was an angel with long blonde hair.

  “I’ll have a beer,” he said, “But can you give me a few more minutes with the menu?”

  “No problem,” answered Gretchen, “I’ll be right back with that beer. Take your time with the menu. I’ll check back with you later.” She left his table and went to the bar to place his order.

  He watched her every move. She is gorgeous, he thought. He already knew what he wanted to eat.

  Pretending to study the menu as he watched her intently.

  ******

  Trish was busy helping customers at the counter, but she constantly looked at the clock.

  “Staring at that thing won’t make it run any faster,” said Janelle.

  “I know,” replied Trish, “I’m just nervous.”

  “You will be fine, just be yourself,” said Janelle. A customer approached the counter.

  “I have been using the Gencombe natural blush lipstick, but I can’t seem to find it on display. Can you help me?” she asked.

  “Sure,” replied Trish, “It’s right over here. We, also, have this comparable shade you might also like. It’s called Blushing Bride. It’s a lighter shade of pink.”

  The customer followed her to the display. Maybe staying busy would help the day go by faster. At least, she hoped so.

  ******

  Gretchen came back to the table with his beer. “You know what you want, yet?” she asked.

  “Yes, as a matter of fact I do,” he answered, “Bacon cheeseburger, medium well. No onion. A side of fries and a kosher pickle spear. Oh, and I’ll be needing another beer.”

  “Coming right up,” she said, taking his menu. As she walked away he cocked his head and stared at her back pockets.

  What tight and beautiful pockets, he thought. Gretchen returned with his beer. Sitting it on the table and with one fluid movement removed his empty bottle.

  Well the service is good, but what about the food? Gretchen arrived ten minutes later with his order and put it on the table. She had ketchup, mustard and even hot sauce on the tray for him. She sat those on the table, as well.

  “Is there is anything else you need right now?” she asked.

  “No, I’m fine,” he replied. He picked up his burger and took a bite. It was delicious and cooked to perfection.

  Not too shabby, he thought. He ate his meal relishing every bite.

  Gretchen came back to the table with his check and cleared his plate and empty bottles.

  “Is there anything else I can get you?” she asked.

  “I need another beer and I want you to answer one question for me,” he said.

  “What’s that?” she asked. “If I come back tonight for dinner will you be here?” he asked.

  “Well, you’re in luck. One of our other servers called out sick so I was asked to work tonight. I’m here until closing.”

  “It’s a date!” he said, “I’ll be back tonight.” He left the cash for the meal on the table. He had given her a very big tip.

  Gretchen came back to clear his table and found the cash he had left. There was thirty dollars to pay an eighteen dollar tab. She smiled. She had never gotten a twelve dollar tip before.

  She decided to make sure he was seated at one of her tables.

  That is, if he came back.

  ******

  Trish finished her lunch in the employee lounge and cleaned up the table. She was hoping that by staying busy the day would go by faster. It still seemed to be dragging. She glanced at the clock and it was only 2:30 p.m.

  She went to the foundation display and took inventory. Shoppers sometimes took out the bottles and put them back in the wrong place. She started correcting the displays. Looking over to her flowers on the counter, she smiled.

  ******

  There was a small park in the center of the town with a large statue in the center. It had a nice shaded walking track around the outer edge.

  Several joggers were running around the track. It seemed like a quiet and serene town. What would they do if they knew he was about to turn their peaceful world upside down?

  He drove past the park to a stretch of highway framed by heavy woods. There were no houses in sight and very few cars even at this time of day. He pulled the car off the road and into the brush.

  Driving in far enough to hide the car from the road, he stopped and removed the shovel from the trunk. Going further into the trees and undergrowth to a small clearing, he started digging. It took him several hours, but he completed his task.

  Satisfied with this special place, he went back to the car and put the shovel back in the trunk.

  Backing the car out of the growth, he pulled it back onto the roadway. He headed toward town. While digging, he had worked up an appetite. In fact, he was practically starving.

  A nice Porterhouse, medium rare, sounded really good. ‘The Roadhouse’ it is, he thought, but first he needed a shower. He headed back to his hotel room.

  The minute he walked through the door he started stripping off his grimy clothes. His faded jeans were covered with dirt and debris. His boots were caked with dirt as well. He’d need to clean them before he went to the restaurant.

  Turning the knob on the faucet for the shower, he let the water run for a few minutes. Testing it he found that it was warm enough and he stepped under the spray.

  Picking up the bar of soap that the hotel provided he lathered up a washcloth. Running the soapy cloth over his arms as the dirt and grime from his little field trip disappeared down the drain.

  He tilted his head back and let the water cascade over his face. He picked up the small complimentary bottle of shampoo and lathered, then rinsed, his hair.

  He needed to be nice, clean and handsome for Gretchen. He even slapped on a splash of cologne.

  Nothing is too good for one of my angels, he thought. Clean shaven and freshly showered he felt, and looked, like a new man.

  ******

  Trish looked at the clock over the counter. It read 6:55 p.m. She went to look for Janelle and found her in the break room.

  “I was wondering if there is anything else you need me to do?” said Trish.

  “Are you kidding me?” replied Janelle, “Go!”

  “Thanks,” said Trish excitedly. She grabbed her purse and practically ran to her car.

  There was only one problem. She had to decide what was she going to wear?

  Once she got home she immediately decided on a tan skirt with matching jacket and a dark brown turtleneck sweater.

  She also chose a beige Burberry plaid scarf. Going to the full length mirror attached to the outside wall of her closet, she assessed her attire. Not too shabby.Nervous could not even begin to describe how she was feeling at the moment.

  She
arched her shoulders, took a deep breath and quickly released it.

  Satisfied with her look, she grabbed her keys from the side table and headed to her car.

  ******

  David arrived at O’Malley’s a little early and got a table. He wanted everything to be perfect. He’d brought flowers for the table and a ordered bottle of white wine. It was supposed to be chilled and brought out when Trish arrived.

  Trish arrived ten minutes later and was escorted to the table by the hostess. She smiled when she saw him. Flowers, nice touch, she thought.

  She sat down as the wine was brought out. The server poured two glasses and presented them with the menus.

  “I’ll check back with you in a few minutes,” he said. Trish took the glass and took a small sip.

  “Nice bouquet, good flavor. Nice choice,” she said.

  “Well thank you Ma’am,” said David as he pretended to tip his hat and chuckled.

  How cute, she thought.

  ******

  The hostess of The Roadhouse met him at the door. She was about to seat him when Gretchen looked up from an adjoining table.

  She walked up to the hostess, “I’ve got him Lyndsey.” she said, escorting him to one of her tables.

  “Would you like a beer?” she asked.

  “That’d be fine.” he answered. She brought his beer and a menu to the table.

  “I’ll give you a minute,” she said. There was no need to look at the menu. He already knew what he wanted and what he was going to get to eat.

  When Gretchen came back to the table he ordered his Porterhouse, medium rare. He had a craving for blood tonight.

  He didn’t want a salad. He hadn’t come here to graze. Leave that for the cows.

  ******

  Their server came back to the table as Trish laughed at David’s joke. “Can I get you anything else? Maybe some dessert?” she asked.