“I saw him first,” Laura hissed, moving up behind Jack and me.
I glanced over my shoulder, surprised. “Why are you telling me?”
“Just so you know that he’s going to be mine and there’s no sense making a play for him,” Laura replied, smoothing her hair. “A town without a stoplight doesn’t have a lot of options when it comes to men. In fact, I’ll wager he’s the only option, and he’s mine.”
“I’m not here to pick up a date,” I reminded her.
Laura momentarily flicked her eyes to Jack and offered up a dubious smile. “Yeah. You keep telling yourself that.” She pushed her way between Jack and me and made sure she was the second one to meet Zach.
For his part, the man never changed his expression, keeping his smile in place as his gaze bounced from face to face.
“I’m so happy to meet you,” Laura drawled, extending her hand. “You look like you know exactly what you’re doing. I hope we have a lot of occasion to … explore … Hooper’s Mill together.”
“Can you believe her?” I tilted my head to the side. “I swear it’s as if she’s in heat or something.”
“That’s just the way she is,” Jack said. “She gets her self-worth from her looks. When she doesn’t have them to fall back on, she’s going to have a very rude awakening.”
“And what’s that?”
“Just that she needs something internal to back up the external,” Jack replied. “Don’t worry about it. You don’t have that problem.”
He probably thought that because Laura looked like a model and I resembled the model’s assistant. Oh, well. It’s not as if I could change it.
“And you are?” Zach was smooth as he slid in front of me, grinning as he took in my loose-fitting cargo pants and T-shirt.
“This is Charlie,” Chris offered. “She’s the newest member of our team.”
“Ah, that must be why you look so shiny.” Zach winked, showing off a dimple in his left cheek. “I do love a shiny woman.”
Jack took me by surprise when he shoved out his hand and gripped Zach’s without warning. “I’m Jack Hanson. Head of security. What can you tell me about Hooper’s Mill?”
“Sheesh, Jack,” Laura complained, fanning her face. It was unbearably hot in the hotel lobby. The ancient air conditioning unit in the window toiled hard, but it didn’t offer up much relief. “Let’s get settled before you start the inquisition.”
Jack ignored the admonishment. “I’m head of security. I want to know what we’re dealing with.”
“That’s smart.” Zach’s amiable countenance never slipped. “I thought you guys might want to drop your stuff off in your rooms, and then we could share a light lunch in the dining room. It’s not much, but the sandwiches are good. And you’re going to want to keep hydrated in this heat.”
“Yeah, I noticed the heat.” Laura wiped her hand over her brow. “Does it ever cool down?”
“It cools down at night, but it never gets cold,” Zach replied. “We can talk about all of that over lunch. Why don’t I help you get your stuff upstairs?” Instead of waiting for an answer, Zach grabbed my bag and slung it over his shoulder. “Which room is yours?”
“Charlie has room eighteen on the second floor,” Chris answered automatically, handing over an old-fashioned key rather than a card. It seemed the hotel was behind the times when it came to technology. “I think Zach is right. Everyone has twenty minutes to drop off their things and freshen up. Then we’ll meet in the dining room and talk strategy.”
“That sounds like a plan.” Zach winked again. “How about I help you up the stairs, little lady?”
“Oh, well … .” I wasn’t sure how to answer. Laura’s glare made me uncomfortable enough that I shifted from one foot to the other.
“I’ll help her with her bag,” Jack announced, grabbing the duffel from Zach before the man could put up a fight. “Charlie’s bag is easy. Why don’t you help Laura? She has three bags and could clearly use the help.”
Laura beamed as if Jack had given her the best gift ever. “That’s a great idea!”
“Okey-dokey.” Zach kept his smile in place and shifted to Laura. “I guess I’ll help you.”
Jack kept a firm hold on my bag until he was sure Zach was otherwise engaged, and then he flung the bag at my chest. “It’s not heavy. You can carry it up yourself.”
I tried to hide my glower, but it didn’t work. “You’re a real peach. Has anyone ever told you that?”
Jack was more interested in watching Zach than interacting with me. He put his hand at the small of my back and prodded me toward the stairs. “Your room is on the second floor. Get moving.”
“Oh, I was wrong,” I drawled. “You’re not a peach. You’re a rotten apple.”
Jack was blasé when he finally met my gaze. “You’ll live.”
MY ROOM WAS DEPRESSING, in a horror movie kind of way. The bed was small, barely a double, and the comforter was so old I was certain it came from Annie Oakley’s talented sewing sister herself. One look at my reflection told me that the heat wasn’t going to be my friend. I splashed cold water on my face until all my streaky makeup rinsed away, and then pulled my long dark hair back in a ponytail to get it out of my face before changing my T-shirt.
I met Jack in the hallway as I was heading down and noticed he’d secured his long hair back at the nape of his neck. “How could you be a Marine with that hair? I thought Marines had short hair.” I never think before I speak. I simply blurted out the question and stared.
If Jack was surprised by my forcefulness, he didn’t show it. “I let it grow when I got back to the States. I happen to like it.”
“I didn’t say there was nothing to like. It’s just … you’re so military except for the hair. I don’t get it.”
“And what’s ‘military’ about me?”
“The way you carry yourself. The way you crouch low when you sense danger. The way you’re always looking over your shoulder. Drug dealers do that, too, but I’m guessing you’re not a drug dealer on the side.”
Jack lifted an eyebrow, amused. “Has anyone ever told you that you might benefit from a muzzle?”
“Because I talk so much?”
“Amongst other things.” Jack ushered me toward the stairs. “I see you washed your face.”
Was that a dig? “It was hot and I was sweaty. My makeup ran. Excuse me for living.”
Jack cleared his throat. “I think that came out wrong,” he said. “I just meant that you took off the makeup. That’s good. You don’t need it – especially around here.”
“Oh, well … .” That was kind of a compliment. Almost. I wasn’t sure what to say. “I don’t mind your hair,” I offered finally. “I think it’s cool. It makes you look like one of those bad boys on the covers of popular romance novels these days.”
Jack snorted, his face lighting up. “You read a lot of romance novels?”
“I like it when the romance is mixed with a ghost story or mystery. That way I don’t feel dorky for reading a romance novel.”
“Good to know.” Jack scanned the lobby when we arrived at the bottom of the stairs. It was quiet, signifying that we were probably the first to return from our room visits. “What do you make of Mr. Corrigan?”
The question caught me off guard. “What do you mean?”
“I’m asking what you think of him.”
“Oh, well … I don’t know.” I honestly didn’t know how to answer. “He seems nice enough, charming in a way. He winks so often I kind of want to ask him if he’s got a hair on his contact lens or something.”
Jack snickered. “I noticed the winking thing.”
“He’s extremely handsome,” I added, wrinkling my forehead when a muscle in Jack’s jaw worked. “I think he and Laura are probably going to spend a lot of time flirting over the next few days.”
“What about you?” Jack’s eyes were devoid of emotion when he flicked them to me. “Are you going to flirt with him?”
“I kn
ow you think I’m boy crazy or something, but I’m not. I’m here because I want to learn something, see different things. I’m not here to flirt with whatever guy crosses my path.”
“I didn’t say you were.” Jack chose his words carefully. “I was asking a simple question.”
“Well, then I’ll give you a simple answer. I’m more interested in seeing the Chupacabra.”
“Glad to hear it.”
“If I was interested in Zach, though, I wouldn’t tell you.”
Jack narrowed his eyes. “And why is that?”
“Because it’s none of your business.”
“I’m the head of security. Everything you do when we’re on an investigation is my business.”
“Oh, really?” I wasn’t in the mood to play games. “Well, if that’s the case I also changed my bra and shirt when I was in my room. My bra was wet with sweat and kind of gross. I don’t know if you keep a journal or anything, but I don’t want you to fall behind.”
Jack scowled. “Why do you have to be such a pain?”
That was a good question. “Perhaps you simply bring it out in me.”
“You wouldn’t be the first woman I deranged.” Jack gestured toward the dining room. “Let’s get a table … and a drink.”
“I thought we weren’t supposed to drink on the job,” I challenged.
“You heard Zach the magnificent. We need to keep hydrated. I’m debating keeping hydrated with whiskey.”
“Perhaps I’m the one deranging you,” I suggested. “Have you ever considered that?”
“Only every day since I’ve met you.”
Jack pulled out a chair so I could sit, taking the one to my left and smiling at the approaching waitress as she bustled in our direction. Jack ordered two iced teas without asking and passed me a menu as the waitress slipped into the back to get our drinks.
“What if I didn’t want iced tea?” I challenged.
“You always drink iced tea.”
“I … well … that’s beside the point. Maybe I wanted something else.”
“Oh, it’s like you’re trying to give me a headache,” Jack muttered, rubbing his forehead.
Thankfully for both of us the rest of the crew picked that moment to swoop into the dining room, excited chatter cutting off whatever snarky thing I planned to say next. Zach’s smile was still firmly affixed to his handsome features, and he sat to my right – Laura quickly snagging the spot on the other side of him – while everyone else dispersed evenly around the table.
After the waitress delivered our drinks, she took sandwich orders from everyone, and then we got down to business.
“What can you tell us about Hooper’s Mill?” Chris asked as he mopped at the condensation his iced tea glass left on the table. The hotel was stifling even though it had air conditioning units in almost every window.
“It’s earned something of a reputation around these parts,” Zach replied. “Every kid in the area – and that’s not a lot of kids, as you can probably tell – grew up with the idea that the place was haunted.
“I grew up about three towns over, and I knew all the stories,” he continued. “When I was a kid, I wanted to visit because of the ghosts. As a teenager, I wanted to visit because of the parties.”
“Parties?” Jack sipped his iced tea and lifted an eyebrow. “What kind of parties?”
“The normal kind that teenagers have,” Zach replied. “Everyone knows everyone in this area, so it’s hard to put one over on law enforcement when it comes to underage drinking. What the kids in these parts used to do is lie about spending the night at a friend's place and then meet out at Hooper’s Mill and spend the weekend camping and screwing around.”
“Sounds like normal behavior,” Jack said. “Do they still do that? Could they be responsible for what happened to Dominic Sully?”
“I guess, in theory, that’s possible,” Zach conceded. “But I don’t think that’s what happened. Sully caused a lot of waves when he made his interest in the property public. It really was the best thing that could’ve happened to this area, because there’s not much of an industrial base and the park Sully had planned would produce some jobs.
“I’m sure you’ve taken a good look at this town now that you’ve landed – and it probably only took you thirty seconds – but very little sustains this place,” he continued. “The residents wanted Sully to come through on his promises.”
“Did all the residents feel that way?” I asked, something niggling at the back of my brain. “I’m guessing there are a lot of natives in this area who don’t want their land going to a theme park.”
“Natives?” Laura wrinkled her nose. “Do you mean Indians?”
“I believe she means natives, as in indigenous natives,” Jack corrected. “She’s got a good point. Given the proximity to the border, there’s probably a heavy Hispanic influence in the area.”
“Not as much as you might think,” Zach countered. “This area is mostly made up of white folks, not to be derogatory or anything.” Zach sent an apologetic smile to Bernard, the only person of color at the table.
“I think I’ll survive being around white folks,” Bernard said dryly, earning a throaty chuckle from Millie.
“This area is small, remote and set in its ways,” Zach said. “There is a Hispanic population, but they don’t really concern themselves with Hooper’s Mill. Like I said, most people I know were happy about what Sully had planned.”
“And what do you know about his death?” Hannah asked. “I plan to go to the medical examiner’s office, which I believe is one town over, once I’m done here. I’m curious about what people are saying about the death.”
“People are used to Chupacabra sightings, so that’s naturally what they jumped to,” Zach replied. “We’ve been losing livestock for months, and a lot of people have claimed to see shadowy animals in the hills.”
“That’s not really a Chupacabra sighting,” Jack pointed out. “That’s an unidentified animal sighting.”
“Yes, but other people have seen the beasts up close.”
“Beasts? As in plural?” I couldn’t help being intrigued. “You think there’s more than one Chupacabra here?”
“I believe that’s pretty much a foregone conclusion,” Zach replied. “I saw some weird prints when I was out at Hooper’s Mill last week. They were right in the middle of the street.”
“What were you doing out there?” Jack asked.
“I run a tour company,” Zach replied, seemingly unbothered by the question. “I give tours of the desert. The biggest draw is Hooper’s Mill. Ghost enthusiasts want to see the town and I know it well because I’ve been out there so many times. Believe it or not, I make a decent living giving tours.”
“I believe it.” Laura smiled at him, her expression dreamy. “Do you ever consider leaving the area, though? There are other places you could work as a tour guide.”
“I’ve considered it, but my family is close by. For now, at least, this is my home.”
“Well, we’re happy to have you,” Chris said. “After lunch, I thought we’d split up. Charlie, Millie and Bernard can go with Hannah to the medical examiner’s office. Laura, Jack and I will go with Zach to Hooper’s Mill.”
I immediately balked. “Why can’t I go with you guys?”
“You can tomorrow,” Chris said. “Today is just a quick scouting mission.”
“But … .”
Jack took me by surprise when he interjected himself into the conversation. “I think Charlie should come with us and Laura should go to the medical examiner’s office.”
Chris arched an eyebrow but otherwise kept his face neutral. “Why?”
“Yeah, why?” Laura challenged, her hackles raised.
“Because Charlie is quick on her feet and wants to do the work,” Jack answered without hesitation. “Laura is more worried about impressing our guide. We won’t have a lot of time to mess around tonight.”
“You listen here,” Laura hissed, lower
ing her voice.
Chris cut her off with a shake of his head. “Jack is head of security. If he thinks Charlie and you should switch places, I’ll agree with him.”
“That’s not fair.” Laura adopted a petulant whine.
“Life isn’t fair,” Jack shot back, his eyes momentarily snagging with mine before he turned back to his iced tea. “Everyone will get a chance at Hooper’s Mill. For this afternoon, Charlie will be more helpful. That’s simply the way it’s going to be.”
“I won’t forget this,” Laura warned.
“I don’t doubt that.”
I stared at Jack a long time, dumbfounded. He helped me. I had no idea why, but he did. I wasn’t sure what to make of it, but I was determined to get to the bottom of his vehemence once we were alone.
There was no way I could let that go.
4
Four
The surprises kept coming when, after lunch, Jack handed the keys to the rental to Zach and climbed in the backseat with me. I studied him a moment, brows knit and hundreds of questions flitting through my brain, but ultimately I forced myself to refrain from making a big deal regarding the turn of events.
At least for now. Later, when no one was around to hear me hammer him, would be an entirely different story.
“The road is rutted,” Chris noted from the passenger seat, his eyes keen as they scanned the desert on either side. “The pavement just stopped in the middle of nowhere a few miles back and turned to dirt. It doesn’t look like you get a lot of rain out here.”
“That’s not entirely true,” Zach countered. He occasionally caught my gaze in the rearview mirror and he winked each and every time. I was starting to think it was a nervous tic or something. “We get deluges of rain, but they come after long stretches of heat. When we get a storm, it’s generally a big deal. People head for cover when the sky starts darkening.”
“The road isn’t paved,” I noted as I pressed my forehead to the window. “It’s almost like a two-track.”
“What’s a two-track?”
“Pathways in the woods,” Jack replied. “I get what she’s saying. This road is rough. Not many people use it.”
The Chupacabra Catastrophe Page 3
