by Traci DePree
He banged his head on the metal hood. “Doggone it!” He grabbed the injury and clenched his teeth in a grimace.
“I’m sorry,” Kate said, flinching in sympathy.
“How long you been there, Kate?” He rubbed the back of his head.
“I didn’t mean to startle you, Boom,” she said, glancing around the service bay. There were no other mechanics around, only him and a grease-covered man who took cash in the front office. The place was concrete and steel. A constant wind blew from an oversized fan at the open double-wide garage doors, and an ancient pop machine housed soda at a mere twenty-five cents a can.
“I’m sorry to interrupt your work,” she said.
The man waved the apology away and placed dirty hands on his hips. “What can I help you with?” He had kind eyes that sparkled when he talked, even if the rest of him was a bit intimidating.
“Well,” Kate said, “I was wondering if I could ask you a couple of questions.”
Boom raised his brows and reached for a rag to wipe the black grease from his hands.
“Does this have something to do with Millie’s job? She isn’t going to get fired, is she?”
“No, nothing like that,” Kate assured with a smile. “Actually ...I wanted to ask you about your vacation. I heard that you all went to Disney on vacation?” Kate tried to sound inquiring without prying.
“Best vacation ever.” The man’s grin revealed yellowish teeth. “My sons surprised me and Millie with an all-expense-paid trip for the family to Disney World a couple a weeks ago. Well, Millie was over the moon. Has always talked about a vacation to Disney, but we could never do it, even with her workin’ two jobs.”
“That’s wonderful.” Kate opted for a positive spin. “Did they win the trip?”
Boom shook his head, chuckling at the idea. “Us Lovelaces aren’t exactly what you’d call lucky people. You know those boys, they’re always schemin’ something.” He shook his head. “They’ve got it in their minds that they can find some get-rich-quick scheme to work for them. They aren’t like me.” He waved his hand to take in the dingy garage. “I believe in hard work, an honest day’s labor. You know?” He turned to Kate, and she nodded her agreement. “Now that Buck has a girlfriend, he’s become so...” Then he shook his head.
“Have you met her?” Kate asked.
“Nah. Just seen fuzzy pictures. He hasn’t brought her around to meet any of us.”
Kate started to ask him about it, but he went on. “I don’t know what it is with kids these days. They lay around the house all the time, though they sure seem to have enough money to go around.”
Chapter Fifteen
Even though it was Saturday, everyone was dressed in their Sunday best, spectators included. The large ballroom’s lights were dimmed, save for the spotlights that focused on the competitors at the center of the room. Dancers in flamboyant costumes and heavy makeup performed the Latin dances, Hal and Audrey Harper among them. They moved in perfect symmetry as if attached by invisible cords with every gesture, every step a mirror of their partner.
Kate and Paul had come to Hal and Audrey’s competition with Danny and Livvy Jenner. The Cline sisters and Renee Lambert were there too. The seventy-one-year-old woman was dressed in a tight-fitting pink and brown number that would’ve fit right in on the dance floor, especially with the hot pink manicure and extra-high heels she wore. Thankfully Renee had left her dog Kisses at home. When she’d mentioned bringing the pooch, Audrey had politely informed Renee that she wouldn’t get past the front doors with a dog in tow, even a miniature Chihuahua.
Georgia Cline seemed intent on watching the competitors. Even when her sister bent to whisper something in her ear, her gaze didn’t leave the floor. It was as if a spell had been cast on her.
“You didn’t get Sam to come?” Kate whispered to Renee, who sat on the other side of the Jenners.
The woman whisked her hand as if shooing a fly. “I never should’ve asked him to be my partner! He’s such a party pooper.” Someone in back of them shushed her.
“That’s too bad,” Evelyn Cline said sympathetically. Kate turned to see the man behind them hold a finger to his lips.
The group dance ended, and applause filled the room. There was quiet as the judges tallied scores, then announced the beginning of the individual Latin dances.
Finally a loud, refined-sounding male voice came over the intercom. “Now, dancing the Samba, the husband-and-wife duo, Audrey and Halvard Harper.”
The crowd erupted in applause as the couple moved to center stage. Audrey placed her hands in Hal’s, and she lifted her face to the side in an almost arrogant pose. A hush fell over the audience. Then the music began, a Brazilian song with a heavy downbeat.
Kate had rarely seen anything so transfixing. Before she knew it, the routine was complete and thunderous applause filled the room. Audrey curtsied while Hal took a step back, then he moved forward and gave a gentlemanly bow. Kate hadn’t seen a single flaw. Every motion, every nuance had been perfection on the dance floor. They waved to the crowd, then moved to the judging area to await their scores.
The Cline sisters’ mouths had dropped open. Georgia shook her head. “That was amazing,” she said. She turned to her sister. “We have to join that competition.”
“But we don’t have partners,” Evelyn squeaked.
Georgia just smiled at her sister.
GEORGIA APPEARED TO BE engrossed in the competition. Renee seemed to enjoy the day, though she didn’t say anything about joining the fray herself.
“What do you think?” Kate asked Livvy when they had a free moment. “Will we be entering next time?”
“It’s great to watch,” she said, “but I’d be Lucille Ball out there.” She raised an eyebrow.
When Georgia excused herself to talk to one of the couples, Kate decided to visit with her twin sister.
“Are you going to compete like your sister?” Kate asked as she slid into the seat next to the blue-haired woman.
“Georgia and I do everything together,” Evelyn answered in a veiled tone.
“But do you want to?” Kate studied her. “You don’t seem as excited about it as she is.”
“I’ve learned that life isn’t always about what you want.” She smiled when she said it, and there was no malice in her tone, only pure sisterly affection.
Kate saw a blush climb her neck and cheeks.
“Forgive me,” she went on. “Georgia has suffered more than her share in her life, so if my entering a dance competition makes her happy”—Evelyn shrugged—“I don’t mind that.”
Kate wondered what the elder Cline sister had suffered, but just as she started to ask, Georgia returned. She was huffing in an irritated manner.
“What’s wrong?” Evelyn asked her.
“If I’m going to win that prize money, I’m going to have to find a suitable male.” Georgia went on. “Well, I haven’t been in this position since the Sadie Hawkins dance in tenth grade!”
AFTER LUNCH ON SUNDAY, Kate and Paul went their separate ways, he to read on the back patio and she to work on a stained-glass project. She finished the special order she’d been working on and placed it with a collection of pieces she should have taken to Smith Street Gifts a week ago.
With a frayed scrub brush, she swept tiny shards of glass into a five-gallon bucket she kept near the large worktable. Then she rolled up leftover solder and set them in their bins, which were neatly labeled in her large organizer.
She thought about the dance competition, but mostly she prayed as she worked for the Lourdes family, as well as the various needs in the Faith Briar Church body. She’d been trying to think of a way to approach the Lovelace boys, and she even considered talking to Sheriff Roberts about them. But what evidence did she have? Two seemingly lazy sons who bought cars and took their parents to Disney World? It was hardly search-warrant worthy. All the evidence they did have still pointed to Tim Lourdes.
Kate sent up yet another prayer for Amy,
Tim and Jake.
God would take care of the young family’s financial needs, she knew, and yet she couldn’t help but sense that he wanted her to take a hand in that somehow.
She’d called the local electric company after Amy had mentioned the unpaid bill and asked if it would be possible to pay on their behalf. The woman on the other end of the line had been so touched by the gesture that she’d told Kate the amount. Kate had promptly written a check. And yet the sense that there was more she could do remained. So Kate decided to wait on God and see where he led.
MONDAY MORNING, Kate headed down to the jail to talk to Tim, a plate of fresh-baked cookies in hand. The circles beneath his blue eyes were so dark they seemed tattooed onto his flesh, and the Beach Boys good looks Kate had first noted were gone, replaced by the hollow expression of a man who was lost.
“Mrs. Hanlon.” He stood when she and Skip entered the celled area. He’d been sitting on the bed reading a magazine that looked old enough to be from the Ronald Reagan era. “What are you doing here?”
“I thought you could use some company.” She handed him the paper plate of plastic-wrap-covered cookies.
Skip unlocked the cell door to let Kate in, then after shutting the door with a clanging sound, he returned to his post. The room smelled stale. “How was your visit with Amy and Jake?” Kate said.
Tim smiled as he bit into one of the tasty treats. “It was good, but I hate that I wasn’t able to be there when Jake was in the hospital. He seemed distant to me...like I’m losing him.” He blew out a heavy breath.
“I’m sorry.” Kate patted his shoulder in a motherly way. “I know this has been hard on all of you.”
“You’ve been a good friend.” He lifted his face to her. She felt guilty for thinking he might be lying, yet the thought was there. What could she do about it?
“You’re innocent,” Kate said it as a statement, though she watched his face for any sign of duplicity.
He leaned forward and spoke plainly. “I am.”
“Tell me.” She sat a bit straighter in the hard chair. “How did encrypted files, e-mails about counterfeiting, and bill scans make it onto your hard drive?”
Tim shook his head. “I don’t know. All I can say is that I didn’t put them there. I promise you, Kate.”
“So who did? Who’s Max Lee?” Her tone wasn’t accusing, though she knew the questions weren’t easy for him.
“I have no idea who he is. I know this all makes me look guilty. The fingerprints were bad enough, but those could be explained away because I work at the bank. This”—he paused, his expression deeply troubled—“I don’t have an explanation except the truth. I didn’t send any e-mails. I have no idea where or who they come from and I certainly didn’t scan any bills. When was I supposed to have time to do this, anyway? My life is full of work, doctor’s appointments and taking care of my family. I’m not the kind of person...”
Kate held up a hand, and his words fell away. “Did you go to the ice cream shop near the beginning of the month with a gray-haired man?”
Tim shook his head. “Is someone saying I did? I’ve never been in the place at all. Kate”—he paused and ran a hand through his hair before continuing—“I didn’t do this.”
“If you didn’t do it,” Kate said, “somebody did. Maybe there are people who want you to look guilty so the authorities won’t suspect them.” She paused to let the words sink in, hoping they would strike a chord with Tim somehow. But his expression remained as confused as ever.
“Here’s where I’m most confused,” Tim said. “Why would I supposedly put fake money in the offering meant for my own family?”
“I don’t get it either.”
“So then...if someone’s trying to frame me, who could it be? I don’t have any enemies that I know of.”
“You can’t think of anyone?”
Tim shrugged. “We just moved here; who could have it out for me already? I don’t know. And the places the bills are showing up,” Tim went on, “aren’t places I’ve ever shopped.”
“What does your lawyer say? Has he questioned these witnesses?”
Tim let out a humorless laugh. “All he says is that it doesn’t matter, since money circulates and wherever it ends up is just part of the crime. It doesn’t mean the person passing it off had anything to do with manufacturing it.”
As Kate watched his sincere face, she knew that trust wasn’t always earned. Sometimes it was simply given.
Chapter Sixteen
Clifton Beasley sat on the front porch of the Mercantile whittling. The shavings of wood formed a small pool around his feet. The elderly man could often be found there, turning sticks into art. He worked patiently, feeling the wood, sensing what it demanded to yield the piece he’d set out to make. Kate took note to use the same patience in her pursuit of the truth.
Kate and Livvy stood on the sidewalk in the late June heat, not quite ready to go into the store. So far they’d learned that two men were involved in the counterfeiting scheme, one older, one younger.
“But the two Lovelace sons are both in their late twenties...,” Livvy said.
Kate shook her head. “Maybe one of them was in disguise?” It came out as a question.
Livvy chewed her lower lip in thought.
The bell above the door made a tinkling sound when Kate and Livvy went inside. It was nearing the supper hour, so the checkout line was long. Several other customers pushed carts up and down aisles. Kate spotted Sam Gorman near the back of the store, a skid of canned goods at his side, where he bent to stock shelves.
“Doing the menial labor, I see,” Kate teased as they came up to him.
Sam grinned in his easy way, and he straightened to his full height. “It’s my goal to never be above menial labor. Keeps a person humble.” He nodded first at Livvy, then at Kate. “Are you looking for something in particular, ladies?”
“We’re looking for you, actually,” Kate said.
“Oh?” Sam lifted a brow and winked at Livvy. “This isn’t about that dance competition, is it?” He shook his head. “Did Renee bribe you to talk me into it? ’Cause I told that woman no already.”
Livvy and Kate chuckled.
“You sound undecided.” Livvy joined in the teasing. “It’ll be fun. I know Danny’s thrilled about it.”
“You’re kidding,” he deadpanned, his smile turning into a frown.
“Yes, I’m kidding!” She smiled at Kate. “It’s a miracle Danny signed up for lessons. I’m not going to push my luck trying to sign him up for any competition.”
Sam shook his head. “Renee’s been bugging me constantly, but there’s no way. I have two left feet as it is.”
“Well,” Kate went on, lifting a forefinger, “that’s not what we came to see you about. We’re wondering what you know about the counterfeit money that was passed here.”
Sam pursed his lips.
“Did you see the person who passed the counterfeits?” she went on.
“I didn’t. It was late, near closing time. Arlene Jacobs was on duty.” He referred to a young woman.
“Did she talk to the Secret Service?” Livvy asked.
Sam nodded. “Arlene came out of that interview scared spitless. She wouldn’t tell me a thing about it.”
“Why would she be scared?” Kate asked.
“Beats me, but she was white as a sheet.”
Had Arlene been threatened or intimidated in any way? “Is she around today?”
Sam glanced at his watch. “She should be up front. Her shift is starting about now.”
He led the way to the checkout lane, where Arlene was ringing up cans of cat food for an elderly woman with red fingernails. She turned to bag the goods, then took the woman’s money and finished the transaction.
Once the cat lover left, she looked at Sam, then at Kate and Livvy. “Is something wrong?” she asked.
“No,” Sam said. “Kate and Livvy were wondering if they could ask you some questions about the counterfeit m
oney.” The young woman’s face flamed.
“Yes?” She turned to Kate as Kate and Livvy stepped closer so they could talk without the whole store overhearing their conversation.
“Sam said you were frightened when the Secret Service questioned you. Why was that?” Kate started.
Arlene shrugged and crossed her arms in front of her.
Kate tried a new tactic. “What can you tell us about the night you were given the counterfeit bills?”
She tucked her bleached-blonde hair behind her ears, revealing several piercings. “It was at the end of the day,” she began in her raspy voice, “so there weren’t a lot of customers around. I remember looking at those bills and knowing right away that something wasn’t right.”
Her gaze flicked to Sam, then back to Kate. “Whoever passed them used real money too.”
“How do you know that?” Kate asked.
“There was a real twenty between the two fakes in the till when I looked later.” She shrugged. “I wouldn’t have swapped them.”
“When did you realize they were fake?” Livvy asked.
“Right away, but then the person was right there, and I...” She shook her head. “I guess I got nervous about what might happen, so I just took it.”
“What did the man look like?” Kate asked.
“Man?” Arlene’s face scrunched into puzzlement. “It wasn’t a man; it was a woman.”
Kate was stunned. A woman? Her mind shot to Amy, then to Millie’s assertion that a dark-haired woman had brought the mystery envelope to the church, then to Boom’s mention of Buck having a new girlfriend.
“What did she look like?” Livvy asked Arlene.
“Um...tall. She had blue eyes and long brown hair.”
“Are you sure her hair was brown?” Kate probed.
“It was dark brown and long.” Arlene nodded vehemently. “And she had eyeliner, like really thick. But she wasn’t Goth or anything, ’cause she was really old.”
“How old?”
