From the Heart: Romance, Mystery and Suspense a collection for everyone

by Eckhart, Lorhainne

  “You’re just in time for dessert. Maggie made a pie. Got some leftover spaghetti too if you’re hungry.”

  “If you have enough spaghetti, we didn’t have dinner yet, and I’m starved.” Sam snuggled Kyla in his arm and hung a diaper bag over his shoulder.

  “Maggie, how are you?” Marcie, in scuffed hiking boots, stepped in front of her and pulled her close. Richard moved aside. Arms linked, Marcie led her friend into the house.

  “Ryley, you’re doing dishes in here all by yourself? Come over here give me a hug.” Marcie didn’t acknowledge his awkward hesitation when he froze, instead she walked right over pulling him into a strong bear hug, rubbing his back. Stepping back, she held both of his shoulders and studied him, making Ryley beam. “You’ve gotten so big, and you’re becoming as handsome as your father. Your dad said there’s some left over spaghetti, and I’m starved. Lead me, please.”

  Marcie had a way of breaking through Ryley’s awkwardness—the awkwardness that had him appearing to blend into the background and then quietly slip away. Maggie could feel annoyance bubble up because it should have been her putting Ryley at ease, not Marcie. And right now, Ryley was happy to help her, so much so, he was beside Marcie heating up the spaghetti. The screen door clattered shut as Diane, Sam, and Richard wandered in.

  Diane sniffed the air. “Don’t heat any for me, I already ate.”

  Sam and Marcie ate while everyone crowded around the table. Finally the pie was served and Ryley gobbled down his slice. He slipped away from the table so quietly Maggie didn’t know he was gone until she spied his empty spot and dirty plate as she heard the soft click of his door upstairs. She wondered when he’d started this. She rose from her chair to go after him, but Richard laid a gentle hand on her wrist. She looked down into his watchful gaze. He knew.

  “Leave him be.”

  Maggie felt like such an outsider. She was his mother and she couldn’t shake the fact he’d erected a wall to keep her out.

  When she glanced across the table at Sam and Marcie, they were watching her with such sympathy, she wanted to kick something.

  “You’re looking really good, Maggie. I’m proud of you for how far you’ve come. You’ve climbed mountains and persevered over obstacles most people don’t endure in a lifetime. Give yourself a break.” Marcie took another bite of pie. “And this is really good.”

  “So what brings you and Marcie over from your little island?” Richard inquired. “Shopping, supplies?” He leaned back and threw his arm over the back of the Maggie’s chair, nudging his dirty plate away with the back of his other hand.

  Sam never hesitated when he inclined his head. “Let’s skip all the politically correct small talk, shall we? We’re here to butt into your business. We heard Dan McKenzie’s back, and you’re still his partner.”

  Chapter Twenty-seven

  “Dammit, Maggie.” Richard slammed his fist down on the table, the small plates and utensils clanking. “Did you phone Sam?” He didn’t try to keep his voice down as he leaned toward her, his face just a few inches from hers.

  “Yes I did, Richard. And I won’t stop pushing until I know what’s really going on. Please let me help. You need to get him out of your life… all of ours.”

  Richard pushed away from the table and stalked toward the door.

  Sam was quick as he gently passed a sleeping Kyla to Marcie, and he jumped up to go after Richard. “Richard, don’t walk out. We’re here to help, that’s all. Look, come back here. This is us, and we know there’s something going on. Maybe you’re jammed up, or he has something on you. Whatever it is, we can help.”

  Richard circled back away from the door and leaned heavily on the kitchen island, focusing his hard unforgiving glare on Maggie. “I still own the property with Dan. I’ve tried to get him to sell me his half, he refused. Then I tried to get him to agree to put the entire property on the market. He again refused. He has plans, he said. And expects to create a steady stream of income from this property and have a nest egg. We build small affordable houses, sell them to those who wouldn’t otherwise be able to afford a house, and rent the land to them. Ready-built homes, similar to a manufactured home park, but they’re houses. He sees this endless stream of income year after year. So no, he won’t sell. So I offered to sell him my half, he refused outright. But the next day, he comes back with a ridiculous offer of five cents on the dollar. I have a lot of equity tied up in that property, and he knows it. So for now, I’m stuck.

  “Richard, just give it to him. We can start over.”

  He frowned and waved his hand in the air as if he was frustrated he couldn’t get her to understand a simple problem. “You don’t get it, Maggie. We’ll lose this house, this property. And I won’t do that. I had to put a second mortgage on our home. The money we would’ve made by building and selling those homes would have been our retirement. It wasn’t that much of a gamble when we bought it. But the housing market crashed. So until we finish building and sell all the homes, I can’t walk away.”

  “How many houses have you built, Richard?” Sam paced the far side of the kitchen.

  “So far ten. We have five more to go. And of those ten, we still have five to sell.” Richard’s face appeared to darken.

  “Richard, is the property legit? You and I both know anything Dan does has some twist for being not-quite-legal. This whole project of yours sounds off. How can local zoning allow you to build a house and sell just the house, and then charge a pad rent? It isn’t a mobile home park. You can’t move a house if he suddenly gets mad and evicts the homeowner.” Marcie shifted a cooing Kyla in her arms, keeping her voice even and calm. She didn’t bother to look at Sam, but he appeared to be well versed and on board with her assessment.

  “It’s all in the construction. By using different framing we can fit within the definition of a modular home. And Dan did get the designs approved by local zoning.”

  Maggie didn’t miss the way his eyes shifted. The heaviness in her heart tightened. “You’re lying.”

  She had everyone’s attention now. “You don’t think I don’t know when you’re hiding something? I know you, just like you know me. What the hell are you doing, ripping off innocent people now?”

  He didn’t say a word; he just walked out the door.

  Maggie searched out Sam who stood behind Marcie but was watching the door. “Sam, he’s not telling the truth. That line is something Dan would say. What am I going to do?”

  “Maggie, I’ll go talk with him. There may be something else going on, and he may not want you to know. Sometimes a man’s pride and natural instinct to protect his family clouds his good judgment.”

  Maggie stood, prepared to follow.

  Diane grabbed her wrist. “Maggie, listen to Sam. He’s right. Let him talk to Richard alone. Besides there are some things we need to talk about. One of them is your friend Angie, and your interest in helping her.”

  Chapter Twenty-eight

  Diane had a way of disappearing into the background. The silent observer who read people and situations. At times, Maggie found this quite unsettling. A silent communication passed between her and Sam, one of comrades who understood the other’s role. They’d been the perfect partners at one time. But that was when Sam was with the DEA, and they’d investigated Lance Silver.

  Sam was now what you’d call an independent investigator working with the Sequim Detachment and the Feds in a new role of watchdog. He brought together all departments and local jurisdictions, tying together investigations that crossed boundaries, including white collar land fraud, criminal misdeeds toward children, the special needs community, all of which could include drug trafficking. He handled those unusual cases falling in the gray area of unclear jurisdiction.

  Sam didn’t linger, he went after Richard. Diane patted Maggie’s shoulder, and Marcie initiated the conversation.

  “This friend of yours, Angie, who lives in Dan’s house. You were out at her place today.” Marcie lifted her chin as she spok
e.

  The blood tingled on its way down from her head. How did Marcie know?

  Marcie’s smile was vibrant. “I already know, Maggie. I didn’t then, but he was sleeping with her when he was doing me. She’s another of his innocent victims, and he really took advantage of her. I don’t envy her position, but for the record, she has some real balls to stand up to him. He’s a fool to take her on.”

  “How did you find out? Are you having me followed?”

  “Nobody is having you followed, so stop being paranoid. Richard phoned Diane, and Diane told me. Besides, Angie notified state and local authorities on his bylaw infringements on that property. Every time a charge is levied against a property owner for whatever infraction, Sam’s notified, because of his new position. So because of Angie, Dan’s under investigation for too many houses on his Gardiner property. Which also brings in the state, which regulates the wells; you’re not allowed to have that many houses on one well. And because of the illegal dwellings with no permits. And no permits for a septic system installed for two houses. He has pending environmental charges against him. Basically minor fines.”

  Diane busied her hands and stacked the dirty plates on the table and scooped the crumbs with her hand onto a plate and then wiped her hands.

  “I like her,” Maggie said. “She has a special needs kid. It’s not okay what he’s done to her, and now that she’s stood up to him, he’s throwing her out. How can he get away with that?”

  Diane rested her hand on Maggie’s wrist. “You can’t help her. Your friend should not have called you. It’ll be a battle for Angie, but if she stays honest and presents her case, Dan will have to pay her for all the work she did. She’s seen a lawyer and filed a claim against Dan with the rental board. She has photos. He can’t lie his way out of this one. As far as the eviction she’s trying to fight, she won’t win anyway. Landowners have always had the law on their side, even when they’ve lied. And the best thing for Angie is to get as far away as possible from Dan. She may not see it now, but he did her a favor evicting her.”

  When Maggie looked up, she saw a hint of pain shadow Marcie’s baby blue eyes. “Are you okay knowing all this?”

  She released a heavy sigh and gazed down at her baby girl. “Well of course. But I’m still human, Maggie. I’d be lying to everyone if I said it didn’t hurt to find out about yet another betrayal by Dan when we were together. Don’t misunderstand. I love Sam and what we have. But you can’t erase your past. And when someone hurts you as badly as Dan did me… well, in some ways I feel responsible for what Angie has suffered and wonder how many other innocent women he’s fleeced. Did I do enough to stop him from hurting others?” Marcie frowned. “You know me, worrying about what I else I could have done to jam Dan up sucks me back into him. Which is what he wants. He wants me to obsess over him, and I can’t do that. I won’t give him that. Sam’s watching the investigation, and he started his own a while ago. I’ve asked for help from other sources.” She raised her hand above her head.

  Maggie watched the confidence spill forth from Marcie. Her belief in a higher source was at times inspirational. But logically Maggie had trouble understanding what could be gained from such faith.

  “What is Sam investigating on Dan?”

  Diane shared what appeared as a conspiratorial wink with Marcie.

  “Fraud.”

  Chapter Twenty-nine

  “What about the marijuana grow ops Dan’s doing again? He’s always got one or more going somewhere, usually at one of the houses on his property. Why not go after him for drug charges?” Maggie got up and pulled on a thick corded sweater. She carried the dishes from the table and then started loading the dishwasher.

  “He’s too cagey, Maggie. He moves it. It’s as if he knows trouble’s coming, or the cops are going to show, because his grow op suddenly disappears. He’s one slick operator. And besides, Sam’s done a lot of research. What Dan’s done on paper is going to bury him. He’s manipulated state funds, bylaws, telling a different story to each state and municipal authority on land use, wells, septic, and all with environmental impacts. Don’t forget undeclared income, tax evasion. Forget the drugs, he’s too shrewd, but what he’s done on paper will bury him. Do you understand?” Marcie spoke with such confidence.

  Something light and fluffy tingled inside Maggie’s tummy. She matched the crooked smile that lit up Marcie’s face and the subtle wink offered by Diane. “He just screwed himself, didn’t he?”

  Diane grinned. “Yep, and we’re going to nail him.”

  Chapter Thirty

  Richard paced the shop that filled one side of his oversized barn. Instead of animals, the barn was littered with all sizes of power tools and metal storage chests. It was every man’s dream of a place to build, create, and come to peace with his lot in life. He sanded the cedar chest he’d made for Maggie two years ago. Until now, it had been left covered by a sheet in a corner of the shop. Engraved in the lid were their children’s names, Lily and Ryley. It had become a source of solace now for him to finish it.

  The shadow that drifted in his light irritated the hell out of him. There were times he needed to be left alone, and now was one of them. “Walk away Sam, you don’t want to talk to me right now.”

  “That’s a nice piece of work. You’re good with your hands. How long did it take to make?”

  He tossed the sandpaper on the ground and paced over to his workbench. He didn’t know what he was looking for as he stubbornly rummaged through the steel carpentry tools littering the dusty wood top.

  Sam’s boots scraped across the cement. With each step, his shadow stole a little more of his light. He didn’t like being cornered, nor did he want Sam anywhere near his business. He threw him a warning glare. But Sam wouldn’t back away. Instead, he perched himself right against the workbench and crossed his arms.

  “Richard, please listen. Right now I have Dan under investigation for land fraud. Possible tax evasion. He has an order against him from the state water board for environmental contamination for an improperly installed septic system. He’s violated local zoning with his illegally built houses, he sold the two mobile homes on his private land, which is not zoned for a mobile home park, but yet he managed to convince some state agency it was a mobile home park with fraudulent papers. Then there is the matter of the marijuana grow ops we know could pop up at any one of the illegally built houses on his property. Of course, he moves them just before we get in there. I’m tying all of it together, and I’m going to nail the bastard. So tell me, how much of this are you already aware of?”

  “All of it.”

  He knew darn well Sam was condemning him by the way he stared at him. “Don’t you dare judge me. You just don’t get it.”

  “Then help me get it. Tell me, what kind of trouble are you in?”

  “Look, Sam. This is how it is. Not one of those small infractions has amounted to jack shit. He’s gotten away with pulling this kind of stuff for years, and there’s more you don’t know. There was actually a group of locals who took him on when he subdivided, and they went after him with the argument the original land zoning prevents him from building all those homes. Then they went after him once he put the septic system in and dragged in the first of the two mobile homes. That would be the environmental part when he didn’t have the paperwork completed and the approvals in place for the installation before he installed. Do you know what happened?”

  Sam crossed his arms and appeared to hold his breath.

  “Nothing. No charges, no fines. Nothing. The local authority said it didn’t have the resources to pursue the matter. The state didn’t give a shit; they had bigger fish to fry. But this was after he managed to embellish his hard luck story and spin quite the tale with one of the broads he was dealing with at the state water board. I think he even met her for drinks. Anyway, long story short Sam, it went away. And that group of locals was stuck with a huge legal bill, and one of them suddenly had their property taxes jacked up—when no one e
lse’s in the area had been.” He began to pace as he continued.

  “And Harvey, the organizer of the group, had two of his cows butchered and left disemboweled in his driveway. A message delivered, and he got it loud and clear.” He picked up a wood scraper and then dropped it. “I sincerely hope you’re able to make things stick this time. I do, Sam. But I’ve no idea what you expect from me.”

  “What does Dan have on you? I’m trying to help. You can’t go at this alone. You know him, what he’s like. Do you honestly want to stay in business with this guy? Why are you protecting him?!” Sam yelled.

  Richard stepped closer to Sam. The tightness strained his back as he fisted his hands. “Look. You have no idea how tied up I am. He won’t sell. The only thing I can do is sell the houses, finish building, sell my share—at a loss, but with the money out of those houses, at least I won’t lose this place. I took a mortgage out when I bought the property with Dan five years ago. I took a second mortgage out right before the market crash to build the houses. I have no equity left.”

  Sam’s face appeared to soften.

  “Don’t pity me.”

  “Hey this isn’t pity, I do understand. But I have to ask. The property you have zoned as a mobile home park, how is it you can build a house and sell it and charge a pad rent? And don’t give me this crap about different framing. You’re ripping innocent people off.”

  Richard couldn’t hold back the sarcasm as he laughed so hard his stomach ached. “You’re kidding, right? You know who the real crooks are. The municipality for allowing Dan to find this loophole in their official community plan. The state for having legislation that conflicts with rural municipalities. You’ve already seen it, no one works together. They’re not sharing information. Unless it’s black and white and falls within their rules, they don’t care. Dan’s smart. He put this together. Actually he had some broad put together this amazing proposal. Building on site, but the loophole was in the construction. If he used smaller framing, he could make it fit as a manufactured home. And you’re right, it’s not. But those government people bought it.”