Freezer Burn: A Maggie Mercer Mystery

by Jill Behe

  Ricky was bent over his keyboard, plinking. “It’s safe,” he said, not looking up. “He left a few minutes ago. Didn’t look happy, but wasn’t hopping mad anymore.”

  “You know?” Of course he did. Nothing is sacred.

  Now he fixed his baby blues on me. “Oh, yeah.” Rick cleared his throat. “He filled me in, but—and maybe because he actually had to think about what he was saying—he looked … guilty, sheepish sorta, when he was done. That’s when he grabbed his hat and left.”

  I sighed and stowed the pie in the mini-fridge. A delay in the inevitable. Well. Gotta make the best of it until he gets back. I couldn’t let our, my, anger sit there the way it was. It would only morph into a massive infection of—

  Yeesh! I didn’t even want to think about what it could turn into, because it would be really really ugly. And we meant more to each other than to leave it to fester.

  “You two doing anything for Valentine’s Day?”

  I blinked over at my proxy son. It was only the middle of January.

  He shrugged. “They’ve got this really rad restaurant down in Morgantown, and I thought I’d check it out with Lancy, for Heart day. Be nice if we could make it a double-date.”

  “I’ll have to get back to you, or maybe you should take it up with Wyatt. He’s not too happy with me, at the moment.”

  “Aw, come on, Maggie. You two are awesome tight.” He paused. “Aren’t you?”

  “I would have thought so, but…. We do need to clear the air, so to speak. Smooth things out.”

  “You know he only has your best interests at heart.”

  “And I applaud him for that, I really do, but there’s such a thing as being overprotective. If you’d been the one to interview those guys, because no one else was available and it was too late to reschedule, he wouldn’t have blinked an eye.”

  “Yeah. You’re right.” Ricky was nodding. “And I can see your point. On the other hand, I can see his side of it, too. I’m not saying I agree with the way he handled it, just that I understand it.”

  Resigned, I sat down at my desk. “Yeah, me too.”

  My notes from said interview needed to be typed. Since I was one-handed, it would take me a while. Maybe I’d have it finished by the time Wyatt got back. I’d done a pretty decent job of talking to the brothers, even if I was the only one who thought so.

  A few minutes later, Ricky caught a call, leaving me alone.

  Brooding, I knew from experience, breeds paranoia, but there wasn’t much else for me to do, and typing reports—especially one-handed—doesn’t occupy the whole mind. Once I finished, it’d be worse, and my usual ever-present emergency novel wasn’t present today, but sitting forlornly at home on the coffee table. I was right in the middle of Nora Roberts’s newest, too. Hers are almost impossible to put down.

  I got up to make a pot of coffee, which would be more difficult because of my temporary disability. But I needed the caffeine to perk me up.

  Being alone in the office had never bothered me before, but since, well, you know. Now a shiver worked its way up my back, spreading chicken-skin bumps all down my arms. I rinsed and re-filled the twelve-cup pot, and was about halfway across the room from the machine when the front door blew open, slamming loudly against the wall.

  CHAPTER 50

  STRESS OVERLOAD

  I SHRIEKED, and the full glass decanter fell from my hand. The resulting smash splattered me with water and shards.

  Annetta was waving her arms and screaming, “Don’t move, Maggie! Just stand still!” She looked around the room, a little wildly. “Lord have mercy, where’s the broom closet?”

  I stared blindly at the mess at my feet, and pointed with a shaky finger. “Over behind the filing cabinet, next to the restroom.”

  Little pricks of pain peppered my legs, but I was wearing thick leggings under my wool slacks, and was fairly certain the damage would only be superficial.

  Annetta came back with a mop and bucket, and a new roll of paper towels. “Good golly, Miss Molly. What’s got you so spooked?”

  I shook my head, not willing to go into all the possible reasons. “Didn’t realize I was.” Which was the truth, to a point. I hadn’t dissected how the stresses of the last week were affecting every aspect of my life, nor how minor disturbances could escalate out of control.

  “Sweetie, you need to get out of those pants. There’s little slivers of glass all over them.”

  “Easier said than done.”

  “Are you hurt?”

  I rolled my eyes.

  “From the glass, dopey.”

  “No, just disgusted by my lack of … control. I don’t think anything cut me.”

  “Go into the bathroom. I’ll help you get them off, shake ’em out, and help you get ’em back on. Then we’ll clean up this mess.”

  “Oh, no. No, no. I’ll do that. I’m the one who dropped the thing. Crap. Now I’ll have to run over to Wal-Mart and get a replacement.”

  Rats. I wasn’t allowed to drive.

  She didn’t look like she believed me, anyway.

  Even I had a hard time visualizing me sweeping and mopping with my … handicap.

  “Let’s get those trousers cleaned off, first. K?”

  Humoring me. Definitely. She must have thought I lost my marbles.

  Maybe it wasn’t such a stretch.

  I headed to the water closet. “What’d you come by for, anyway?”

  “Blake, and those malcontents who are here to take him away from us, or want to.”

  Oh crud!

  We’d just gotten most of the water soaked up when the door opened again and Wyatt stomped in, slapping his hat free of snow. The look he turned on me was … thunderous. “So, you came back.” Then he noticed my spotlight-in-the-face look and the still wet floor. “What happened now?”

  My eyes cut to Annetta, just coming back from putting away the mop.

  “I was going to make coffee, but dropped the pot.”

  His eyes closed for a five-count beat. “What the hell, Maggie?”

  I must have looked as teary-eyed as I felt because he was suddenly across the room, and his arms were … oh so nicely holding me. Even in his furiousness, he remembered my bruises. “I’m so sorry.”

  There was an exaggerated clearing of a throat from the other side of the room. “I’ll come back later. Looks like you two need to talk.”

  I peeked around Wyatt’s shoulder. Annetta was buttoning her coat. She winked and left.

  As soon as the door closed, Wyatt held me out at arms-length. “Okay, now. Tell me what happened?”

  Blinking back tears, I shook my head. “All I know is, when the door blew open, the thing just fell right out of my hands… hand. Water and glass went everywhere. Annetta and I both screamed.” I glanced down, seeing glitters on the floor from the minute splinters we’d missed. “I need to mop, again.”

  “You can’t mop a floor with a broken wing.”

  “If I can type, I can—”

  “Glad it’s linoleum.”

  “Huh. Good thing it was only water.”

  He pulled me close and kissed the top of my head. “Best thing, you weren’t hurt any more than you already are.”

  Tears threatened, again. “The physical pain I can handle, mostly. Mentally, I feel like I’ve been stuffed through a wringer sideways.”

  “And a lot of that’s probably my fault. Seems to be my running theme, lately,” he admitted, not letting go of me. “I over-reacted, Maggie, and I’m sorry. I saw you in there, all alone, with those three guys, and I just … flipped out. You were well within your rights to interview them. From listening to the tape, it’s a good bet you did a better job than I would’ve.”

  My arms tightened around his waist. I wanted to break the tension with a little joke, but wasn’t sure how without it coming out wrong. “If you heard the tape, there’s not much else to tell, but I could give you my impressions.”

  “Appreciate it.”

  “I need to
go buy a decanter.”

  “I’ll drive.”

  Taking advantage of his mellow mood, I hedged. “Ricky wants us to double date with him and Lancy for a Valentine’s dinner in Morgantown.”

  “Does he now?” I nodded as he helped me into my coat. “Sounds like a plan.”

  I smiled.

  We came back from Wal-Mart with a whole new machine. It was cheaper than buying just the decanter, can you imagine?

  Wyatt and I had discussed a few things during our outing, but neither of us wanted to delve too deep into the real issues. Which was bad. Procrastination, in any form, is not a good thing.

  But I did get to fill him in on all the little nuances I’d observed during my time with the brothers, and there was no tension to cut through.

  A lot of distractions are keeping us from pursuing all the other stuff, and we haven’t had enough alone, quiet time.

  Yes, you’re right, I need to make the time. It is that important.

  I sat, slowly, easing achy bruises and muscles. “So apparently, Sybil really is missing, and her brothers don’t have a clue where she is. I can’t figure out why she posed as a reporter, or why she’d tagged Bruce…. Wait a minute! How did she even know he was a photographer for the newspaper?”

  “Y’got me. Maybe she told him her article was going to be about Wally and his son. To try getting him to tell her things about them, like where they lived, etc.”

  “Possibly. She may have asked him take pictures, to verify that Blake really was with him. Or, since she hadn’t seen the boy in five years, she might not have recognized him. That still doesn’t tell us how she knew about Bruce.”

  “Maybe she just called the local newspaper office and asked for the loan of a photographer, and he’s the one they sent.”

  “He’s the only one we’ve got, but that makes sense. Wasn’t there a copy of The Mossy Creek Gazette in the trunk of her car?”

  “Of course, all she’d have to do is read the caption under any of the pictures on the front page and know Bruce took them.”

  “Exactly.”

  “You should talk to Bruce again.”

  “Me?”

  He tried to hide a smile. “Yeah, you.”

  “I thought Rick was supposed to talk to him.”

  “He did. But Bruce came to you, first.”

  “That’s true.”

  I heard a sigh. “Sweetheart, you know I love you.”

  “Yes, I do know that.”

  “You know I wouldn’t intentionally make you mad.”

  “I’m not so sure about that one.”

  “Come on, Maggie.”

  “I will agree that your intent might not always be to make me mad, but that you do, on occasion, rile me considerably.”

  “That’s been obvious this past week. Still, I don’t try to do it on purpose.”

  I kept the smugness to myself. “What did you find out from Dodge?”

  “Ah, well, his initial inspection turned up a brake fluid leak. He said it didn’t look like deliberate sabotage, though, more like a faulty proportioning valve.

  “She most probably spun through that turn right there before the bridge and went into the ditch. What happened to her after that is the question.”

  “Why would anyone come forward? No one knows she’s missing but us, and now her brothers.”

  “True, but if you stopped for someone who’s car was out of commission, where would you take them?”

  “I see your point.”

  “Do me a favor?”

  I gently waggled my hampered wing. “If I can.”

  “Call the hospital, maybe all of them from here to Waynesburg. See if they have a Jane Doe.”

  “I can do that. I’ll check for ‘Sybils,’ too.”

  “Good idea. Thanks.”

  “By the way, your pie is in the fridge.”

  He blinked. “My—? You were furious with me when you left, and you still bought me a pie?”

  One shoulder moved. “Peace offering?”

  “That should have been my job.” He knelt in front of me, hands on my thighs. “Thank you, love.”

  I smiled. “You’re welcome.” And leaned in for a kiss. “I do have a favor to ask.”

  “Bribery?”

  I kissed his nose. “I’d love to snuggle with you on the couch tonight. I just feel the need to be close to you.”

  “Sweetheart, you can snuggle with me anytime, all the time.”

  CHAPTER 51

  WEDNESDAY MORNING

  “MOSSY CREEK POLICE DEPARTMENT. This is Maggie, how may I help you?”

  “This here’s Cletus. Need to speak to the chief. It’s urgent.”

  “Hold on, I’ll patch you through.”

  “Thanks.”

  I passed the call, then made a beeline, well, as fast as I could, for Wyatt’s office. I’d never heard Cletus so upset.

  Wyatt met me in the doorway. “Get your coat. He found Sybil, they’re at the hospital.”

  “What? How? Where?”

  Stupid, stupid, stupid.

  “Maggie, just grab your coat. I’ll explain on the way.”

  He shouldn’t have had to say it twice.

  Within 10-minutes of the call, we were in the crowded emergency room with Sybil’s brothers.

  We talked to Cletus in the waiting room. The man had actually seen her take a header into a snow bank at the corner of Foggy Bottom and Skunk Hollow Roads. She was barefoot, no coat, no hat, no gloves.

  “Will you keep me posted?” He pulled keys from his pocket. “I gotta get outa here. This place gives me the willies.”

  “Sure, Cletus. One more question before you go, though. How did her brothers get here before we did?”

  “Oh, that’s easy. First thing she did was give me a phone number to call. Wouldn’t cooperate for anything before I dialed it. Called you second.”

  “All right. We’ll catch up with you later. Thanks for your help.”

  He nodded and hurried out.

  The nurse at the desk told us Sybil was being admitted, and would be moved to a room in a few minutes. We accompanied her brothers, and the gurney she was on, to the fourth floor. While she got settled in, Wyatt got the skinny from her doctor.

  * * *

  HER THREE BROTHERS were crowded together at the side of the bed, Wyatt stood at the foot. I was against the wall near the door.

  “Sybil, I’m Chief of Police Wyatt Madison. It’s good to see you alive and well, but I’ve got some questions .”

  She glared, lips pouting, arms crossed. “Not especially well, but I guess it could’ve been a lot worse.”

  Snotty little thing.

  “Yes, it could’ve. Tell me what happened, or as much as you can remember.”

  “Well, that stupid rental car started fish-tailing all over the road. I stepped on the brake, but it didn’t do anything but slide. I tried to straighten up, but just kept going sideways, and ended up hitting the embankment. The car went head-first over it.” Her legs were restless under the blanket. “I guess I blacked out for a little while because it was almost dark by the time I realized what happened. My head hurt and it was freezing. My brothers were expecting me, so I got out and started walking.”

  “Do you know what day it was?”

  “Um, Thursday? Maybe, Friday? No, it was Thursday. For sure.”

  “You knew which way to go?”

  “Not really, but I figured if I kept walking in the direction I’d been driving, I’d get there. Anyway, about a quarter mile down the road I heard this diesel engine coming towards me, but didn’t stop walking. I know it’s not safe to hitch, and wasn’t about to take any chances in a strange town. But this guy stopped and ordered me to get in.”

  “What was he driving?”

  “A big black 4X4.”

  “Sure it was black, sis?”

  She frowned. “No, but it was dark.”

  Wyatt was jotting everything down. “Okay. Go on. Can you describe the man?”

&nbs
p; “He was a Class A weirdo.” She snorted. “I didn’t want to get in that truck with him, but he threatened to run me over if I didn’t. Anyway, he was wearing this hokey disguise. A stupid brown afro-wig thing, thick square black-framed glasses, and false buck teeth. Stupid jerk.”

  “Where did he take you?”

  “No idea. As soon as I was in the truck, he hit me with something and I blacked out again.”

  Wyatt’s jaw went rigid.

  He gets pretty irritated when violence involves a woman, or a child. Come to think of it, he gets riled up about any kind of needless violence.

  “What do you remember next?”

  “I was in a cold damp creepy room. I didn’t know it was a basement until I escaped. He brought in food and water, a couple blankets. It was cold, but not freezing. Probably shouldn’t have eaten the food he brought, either, cause ya never know, he could have drugged it so I’d pass out again. But by that time I was half-starved. He told me he needed to keep me there, and took my shoes. My purse is probably still in his truck.”

  “Did he give you any explanation?”

  “He was being an idiot, why would he tell me anything? But yeah, actually he sort of did. It didn’t make sense to me, but he said he needed my ‘disappearance’ to keep the police chief busy investigating and away from the office, so he could watch her.” She glanced in my direction. “I’m assuming she’s the one he’s after. You’re the only dispatcher at the police department, aren’t you?”

  “Why me? Did he say why? Who is this guy?”

  “How should I know? He just kidnapped me off the street, why the hell—?”

  “Cool it, Syb.”

  She made a harsh sound, and glowered at me. “It’s all your fault. He wouldn’t have grabbed me if it weren’t for you.”

  Abel looked like he wanted to smack her. “If you hadn’t been walking in the middle of nowhere, he wouldn’t have even known you existed.”

  “Oh shut up.”

  Wyatt pulled her attention back. “You don’t know where you were being held?”

  “I told you, I was in a basement.”

  “I meant, what part of town.”

  “Are you kidding me? I’m not from here, remember? Wouldn’t want to be. I just want my kid, and to get out of this stinkin’ hell-hole.”