by Harper Lin
“Beatrice, would you calm yourself,” Lila whispered.
Amelia relaxed her face and approached the counter as Lila eased back. The red-head was still within hearing distance but completely out of sight. Amelia folded her arms in front of her and leaned a little through the window.
“Hi, Jennifer. John,” Amelia said pleasantly. “You know, Beatrice, my new assistant, said you’d be back for more of her cupcakes. She called it.”
“I’m not here to talk to you about cupcakes, Amelia,” Jennifer said. “Can you come down here so I don’t have to shout?”
“Sure, honey. Just a second.”
Amid Lila’s whispered instructions and Beatrice whispering her plot of revenge, Amelia could only roll her eyes before going out to meet her ex-husband and his pregnant wife in front of the truck. She wiped her hands on her apron just to give them something to do.
“What’s this about?” Amelia looked at John. He stared back smugly.
“Amelia, I heard you had an opinion on John being out with one of his coworkers after work,” Jennifer said, flipping her long hair behind her with an immaculately manicured hand.
Amelia had secretly been hoping Jennifer was one of those women who gained several hundred pounds eating for two and suffered twenty-four-hour morning sickness like Amelia had. But no such luck. Jennifer looked beautiful.
“You heard I had an opinion?” Amelia didn’t want to be mean to the girl. Because that was all she was…a girl married to a man who was as selfish as any two-year-old.
“Yes. John said that he saw you the other night and that you might say something to me about it.”
“So he told you what I saw?”
“Him, out with his coworker. Yes.”
Amelia licked her lips and looked at John. He was puffed out like a prize-winning rooster. She looked at Jennifer and wanted to shake her. Had the poor thing not been so desperate to believe her husband was faithful, Amelia might have just burst out laughing in her face. But this wasn’t funny. John had circled the wagons, and Jennifer was going to stand by him as the arrows flew.
“So?” Amelia asked.
“So, I want to make sure that you don’t go around talking bad about my husband. What he does is none of your business anymore,” Jennifer scolded. “Quite frankly, I think you need to move on, Amelia.” She rubbed her big tummy to drive her point home. “We are very happy and have enough to worry about without the added stress of a gossipy ex-wife.”
There it was. The proof that Jennifer was as young and gullible as Amelia knew she had to be. Sure, Amelia could have reduced the girl to tears by telling her about John and perhaps taken a few jabs at her appearance or IQ level. But what good would that do? Amelia was pretty sure it wouldn’t even make her feel better. It would just make her look like a gossipy ex-wife.
“I haven’t said anything to anyone, Jennifer,” Amelia lied. She had told Lila, Beatrice, and Dan. She hadn’t told the kids, so there was that. “But I’m glad you stopped by to set the record straight.”
She smiled, but Jennifer only glared at her. There was something in that stare that told Amelia Jennifer wasn’t sure she believed the words that came out of her own mouth. It was almost as if she were screaming on the inside for Amelia to confirm her statement and say John obviously hadn’t done anything.
But Amelia couldn’t do that. Not after she’d gone through the same thing. Jennifer needed to know, even if it was just by a look, that her husband had issues with being faithful.
“Since you made the trip all the way out here, why don’t you take some cupcakes home? Today’s special is lemon lavender. They are wonderful. How about it? Half a dozen for you and baby?” Amelia smiled sincerely.
“I don’t want anything from you.” Jennifer scowled. She turned to John, who put his arm around her.
“Argh!” came from deep inside the truck.
Amelia shook her head and watched as John, who hadn’t said a single word during the women’s exchange, walked off whispering to his wife, who nodded, agreeing with whatever it was he said.
Back inside the truck, Amelia asked who had screamed.
“She did.” Lila jerked her thumb at Beatrice.
“It’s okay.” Beatrice inhaled through her nose and exhaled out her mouth. “That one will be back. She’ll be back. They always say no at first, but when a craving for my cupcakes hits her at three in the morning, oh yes, she’ll be back. Even if she has to pay some transient to come buy them for her. Yes. Yes. She’ll be back. They always come back. Always.”
“You scare me, Beatrice. Really, you do,” Lila said.
For the rest of the day, Amelia couldn’t focus on anything but John and Jennifer.
She mumbled to herself as she scrubbed the cupcake tins. She muttered and shook her head as she cleaned the ovens. Long after Beatrice had left, spouting a string of ancient baking curses at anyone who dared defy her cupcakes, Lila and Amelia were still there.
“Would you like me to stay with you?” Lila asked. “I can always find something to do.”
“No. You’ve been great, Lila.” Amelia looked at the receipts and smiled. “If you are cooking the books, they look delicious.”
“Nope. Not even a slight smudging. Those numbers couldn’t be more honest. I wish the IRS would demand to take a look. It would be like a numerical slap in their collective faces.” Lila polished her nails on her shirt.
“I should be more happy, Lila. I should be bouncing off the walls with these numbers, and I can’t. I can’t get John and Jennifer…no, John out of my head. Can you believe what he’s got her saying?”
“Jennifer is a grown woman, barely, but she technically is one. You know as well as I do that there isn’t a soul on this earth that is going to change her mind.”
“I know. But it doesn’t have to be like this. That poor baby.”
“Hey, before you get all weepy, just remember that Jennifer wasn’t stupid when she got involved with a married man. She had her eyes wide open and has found herself a steady stream of income no matter what happens.” Lila grabbed her purse and slung it over her shoulder. “She’s going to be just fine.”
“You’re probably right. And, like she said, it’s none of my business.”
“No. This is your business.” Lila pointed around the interior of the food truck. “And look at how beautiful it is.”
“Good night, Lila.” Amelia smiled wide.
Lila waved and walked out the back of the bus, leaving Amelia alone.
Chapter Fifteen
It was a beautifully cool evening. Amelia could hear some of her neighbors as they cleaned their trucks and socialized as they did every night before heading home. A soft breeze came through the order window.
Amelia looked at her receipts again. They looked great. Maybe she should do something good for Lila and Beatrice to celebrate. Just as she was about to make a list of ideas, her phone rang.
“Are you still at work?” Dan asked.
“I’m just thinking. You wouldn’t believe the day I had,” she said softly. “I’ll tell you all about it. It’s really one for the records. I…wait…someone is at the window. Hold on.”
Amelia set the phone down just as a big, beefy hand and a wrist with a sparkly watch on it reached inside.
“Hey! We’re closed!” Amelia shouted at the man. He didn’t remove his thick hand but instead slid the window open even farther. “Did you hear what I said?”
“Shhhh!” He put his index finger to his lips. “We’re not interested in cupcakes.” This man had the most beautiful long black hair that hung in spirals down to his shoulders. His eyes were almost black and looked red around the rims. There was something not right about the man that Amelia sensed, but when she watched him place his hand against the window, she saw the Rolex. It was unmistakable: rubies and diamonds in a gold setting that was nearly blinding when the light caught it at the right angles.
Any normal man would be afraid to wear this in public. But not this guy. He was
the guy that made other men afraid.
Amelia turned to run out the back of the truck but nearly collided with a bald guy with no eyebrows. He was wearing a jogging suit, and muscles bulged underneath the fabric.
“What do you want?” Amelia asked the first man, who appeared behind the bald guy.
“I want to discuss a little business with you.” He cleared his throat. “You can call me Mr. Hines. This is my esteemed associate, Mr. Lee.”
Amelia felt her heart sink. Dan had been right about the pawn shop. She had half a mind to go back there and tell that blue-eyed ape what a jerk he was. Better yet, she’d send Beatrice in there. That’d put some real fear into him.
“I understand you were interested in a purchase I’d made.” He waggled his wrist. “I don’t like people coveting my things. That’s why I’d like to make you a business proposition.”
“What are you talking about? You’ve got the wrong person. I don’t have any interest in a Rolex. Certainly not one like that. It’s too big for me,” she stuttered.
“Come on. Don’t be silly. You were one of Spencer’s girls. I can tell. He only chose the best-looking ladies in a certain age group,” Mr. Hines said with a greasy voice. “They were all of a certain financial bracket, too. Which leads me to my business proposition.”
Amelia heard something shift behind her and looked to find Mr. Lee had stepped inside the truck. He couldn’t maneuver very well. It was a tight space even for Amelia, but for a guy bursting with steroids, it had to be uncomfortable.
“You see, Amelia, we know why you were looking for me. To answer your question, yes, we killed Spencer Randall.”
“What?” Amelia tried to play dumb. “Spencer who?”
“Mr. Lee, show Amelia we don’t have time for games.”
Mr. Lee pulled out a retractable billy club and hit her stove, causing a five-inch dent in the side.
“No! No!” Amelia cried. “Okay. Spencer Randall. Yes. Okay. I understand.” Her eyes filled with tears. “What do you want from me?”
“You’ve got a cute little business here. It does good from what we’ve observed.”
Please tell me these guys want me to give them free cupcakes, Amelia prayed.
“We think you have just the right business to help us with a little laundry,” Mr. Hines sneered. “You do know what I mean.”
“No,” Amelia lied. She knew exactly what he meant. He wanted her to launder his money through her business.
“Oh, I think you do. If you do what we ask, you’ll only see Mr. Lee once a week. He’s nowhere near as pretty as me, but once a week is no problem. You just have to do as you are told.” Mr. Hines never stopped smiling.
“I have employees. How could I explain it to them?” Amelia had tears in her eyes.
“You fire them. We’ll get you new employees,” he said, his eyes dead like a doll’s. Amelia’s stomach flipped, and she was sure she was going to throw up. The thought of firing Lila and Beatrice broke her heart.
“Now, normally, we allow a twenty-four-hour consideration period,” Mr. Hines continued. “But since you sought us out, we think starting immediately would be better.”
“No, I can’t do that. I have to talk with my staff and then…”
“No, you don’t,” Mr. Hines growled. “You know what happened to Spencer. Terrible mess. But he owed me money. Over twenty thousand dollars for the cocaine I sold him. He took advantage of my good nature.”
Amelia stared at him.
“You killed him?”
“He killed himself. He had me confused with the women he was using. To be honest, I never thought he was all that cute.” Mr. Hines shrugged.
“Neither did I.” Amelia sniffled.
“You will work for me.” Mr. Hines stared at Amelia as he pulled his jacket to the side, revealing a gun. “If you don’t, you will be eating your cupcakes through a straw, and your daughter will be working for me.”
A cobra coiled inside Amelia’s gut sprang forward.
“What?”
“I know you have a daughter. She’s as pretty as you are.”
Amelia began to tremble just as she heard the sound of sirens far off. She was trapped. She’d gone one step too far, and now this monster was going to take over her business. He had threatened her daughter. Add on top of it the fact that John was cheating on his pregnant wife, and it was all too much. Amelia’s head began to swim, and she was suddenly looking through a long, dark tunnel.
Don’t faint! What are you, some Southern belle? Pull yourself together! Her internal voice screamed. She steadied herself on the counter, and that was when she saw her phone. It was still on. The line was still open. Had Dan heard it all? Had he heard Mr. Hines confess to killing Spencer? Had he heard Mr. Lee pound her oven?
The sirens were getting closer.
Even if those aren’t coming here, you’ve got to make a break for it.
Amelia was so full of adrenaline she was sure she looked like a live electrical wire that had snapped during a storm and was flopping on the ground. Carefully, she looked down and saw the only thing within her reach to defend herself with.
“You leave my daughter alone. If you or any of your goons come near her, I’ll…”
“You’ll what?” Mr. Hines hissed.
Amelia turned and saw Mr. Lee was wedged between the second and third ovens. It was tight back there, and he had to stoop because of the overhead exhausts.
“I’ll…think of something!” she shouted. With all her strength, she swung the cupcake tray around and cracked Mr. Lee on his shoulder, surprising him and making him lose his balance. There was no damage; he wasn’t hurt. But he was surprised enough that by the time he took off after Amelia, she had gotten outside and crawled underneath the truck.
She remembered learning in a self-defense class that if you could get under your car, you should do it, because there were so many places to hold on to. Trying to dislodge a person from under a car when they wanted to hold on tight was nearly impossible.
Amelia wrapped her arm around some rod and began to scream her head off.
She saw Mr. Lee’s feet appear as he jumped off the back of the truck. Mr. Hines slowly turned and calmly walked away from the truck. The two men headed in different directions.
It was a matter of seconds before five squad cars showed up, including Dan’s unmarked car. She quickly crawled out from her hiding space and rushed into Dan’s arms.
“Are you okay?” He smoothed her hair back.
“Yeah. If you hadn’t called when you did, I don’t know what would have happened. Those guys…”
“Hines and Lee?”
“Yes! Yes. Dan, they threatened Meg.”
That was all it took for Dan to pass Amelia over to one of the uniformed officers and take off on foot in search of Hines and Lee. But not before he instructed the officer to take Amelia straight home and stay there with her until he arrived.
Chapter Sixteen
It was almost midnight before Dan showed up.
Amelia answered the door wearing the robe and fuzzy hot-pink slippers that Meg had picked out for her mother, herself, and Adam, who only wore them on weekends when he wasn’t going anywhere.
“Did you catch him?” she asked breathlessly.
“We did,” Dan said as he stepped into the house and held her in his arms.
“Oh, I knew you would. I knew you’d catch them both.”
As soon as Dan stepped into the light, she saw that his suit was dirty and tattered. He also had a shiner developing underneath his eye.
“Oh, Dan!” She pulled him inside and shut the door behind him. “What happened?”
“As soon as I heard what was happening on your phone, I got dispatch to get squad cars rolling in your direction. I had you on the phone the entire time I drove, my knuckles getting whiter and whiter as I pushed the accelerator down. I couldn’t get there fast enough.”
“But you did,” Amelia assured him.
“Yeah, he thought he
’d be a smart guy. I followed in the direction you said he went. I didn’t think he’d get too far. If you saw how the guy dressed, he certainly wasn’t dressed for running through the alleys. Not only were his shoes not made for it, but if he tried, he’d make enough noise to attract all kinds of attention.”
Amelia looked up at Dan and touched his face.
“So I tried to outsmart him. And it worked.”
“Where was he?”
“He’d hopped into a dumpster. It’s what I would have done if I didn’t think I could outrun the police.”
“Really? I hid in a dumpster once. It was horrible. There were bugs and smells and ooze.”
“Oh my.” Dan smirked. “That sounds like the same one Mr. Hines was in. So when he peeked out to see if the coast was clear, I grabbed hold and dragged him out.”
“Where was your backup? How did he get in a lucky punch?”
“There wasn’t any backup,” Dan said. “After you told me what he said about Meg, I sort of lost my temper.”
“What?”
“It’s one thing to threaten a man. Try and strong-arm a guy. Men do that. We were hunters from the very beginning, and being told to play nice isn’t going to change what is in all of us. It’s in our nature to hunt and to fight.” Dan swallowed hard. He looked down at his shoes and shook his head as he realized they were all scuffed up and dirty.
“But when he threatened Meg, I just couldn’t let it go. Not only did he threaten her, but he did it to her mother. Amelia, if I weren’t here and you were in the same predicament, I know that you’d sell your soul to the devil if it meant protecting those kids.”
Amelia looked at Dan with tears in her eyes.
“I can’t help it, Dan. They are all that matters.”
“Do you think I see it as a bad thing?”
Amelia shrugged.
“No, Amelia. It’s one of the things I love about you. And I love your kids. That’s why I thought it was necessary that Mr. Hines learn a lesson that when he threatens someone’s family, he better be ready for that family to retaliate. He didn’t know who he was dealing with.”
