by Pamela Tracy
“Not me.” As if to prove her point, her cell phone sounded and played the beginning line of “It’s a Small World (After All).”
Oscar winced. “That ride always spooked me.” He looked over at Candace’s house. “That’s Jack Little of Little Supermarkets. Spend Little, Shop Big.”
“I recognize him,” Shelley said.
“The woman is Tiffany Little, wife number three. They’ve been married only a little over a year.”
Shelley couldn’t help it; she shuddered. She’d been referred to by the cops and by the press as wife number two that they knew about.
Oscar shared, “Candace’s mother died right after Candace was born. She was mostly raised by Jack’s second wife. Tiffany’s maybe a few years older than Candace was.”
“You like him?”
“I do,” Oscar acknowledged.
“I saw him here last week. And I think I’ve seen his wife at least twice.”
“Really?”
“From my big picture window, remember?”
Yet she didn’t tell him about the white car on Vine yesterday. There were plenty of white cars in Sarasota Falls. She didn’t need to fixate on the possibility that it belonged to Larry. Rubbing her hands against her jeans, she tried to squelch the jitters.
“What are you up to?” He looked from her to the hood of her car.
“Nothing, just getting ready to take Ryan to preschool. Then I happened to glance over and saw...saw you and the Littles.” She walked back to the driver’s side. She had things to do, and the only way she’d get them done, and stay safe, was by removing herself from both her ex-husband and the cops.
But the only time she felt safe was when this man, a cop, was around.
Please start, car.
She opened her car door, saying, “I need to go. I have a doctor’s appointment.”
“You need some help?”
“Everything’s fine. The doctor only has to check a few things, like my weight, my blood pressure and the baby’s heartbeat.”
“Do you know what you’re having?”
“A girl.”
“Mommy!” Ryan protested. “Not s’pose to tell.”
Shelley laughed. “I did say that. I’m sorry. But if a policeman asks, you’re supposed to tell...”
Her words tapered off.
She’d believed the words once upon a time. But then, she’d also believed in the tooth fairy.
CHAPTER TWELVE
“COPS ARE THE good guys,” Oscar reminded her. Knowing that Shelley didn’t believe in the badge, didn’t believe in him, hurt.
She gave him a tight-lipped look that wasn’t a frown but definitely wasn’t a smile, either.
“And,” he reminded her gently, “if you’d trust me, I’m sure I can help. Just answer my questions.”
“What question haven’t I answered?” She carefully, as only a pregnant woman could, maneuvered her way behind the steering wheel.
“It’s not what you’ve answered. It’s more what you haven’t shared.”
“I’ve told the truth.” With that, she reached out and started to close her door. He finished for her, giving it a push and stepping back.
She turned the key. The engine rolled over once and sputtered. She tried three more times before he commanded, “Pop the hood.”
She closed her eyes, and he knew she wished it were anyone but him, a dreaded cop, helping her. Still, she reached down, and he heard the ping of the hood’s lock disengaging.
He checked for the easy fixes, but everything appeared connected and in working order.
“What time is your appointment?”
She looked at her watch. “Ryan’s preschool started five minutes ago, and my appointment is in twenty minutes.”
“I’ll take you.”
“You have a motorcycle!” Her cheeks turned a faint pink that looked good on her, except that it matched the faint red of her eyes. There were no tears, and he knew she’d deny them if he asked.
“You get the car seat while I borrow my aunt Bianca’s SUV.”
Five minutes later, they were on their way. Ryan thought it great fun to have a new person around and be in a different vehicle. After giving directions, Shelley picked at the hem of her red shirt.
“Nervous?” he asked.
“I’ve never liked going to the doctor.”
“I meant about being in the car with me.”
She stopped fidgeting. “You mean being with a cop?”
“Yup.”
“I’ll tell you what,” Shelley said. “If you don’t ask me any questions that I’ve already answered, I’ll try not to act like I’m stuck with you.”
He couldn’t help it. He laughed. “Okay, but only because I’ve always heard that you should let pregnant women have their way or they get really cranky.”
“It’s true. I’ve been cranky for the last eight months.”
“You’ve had good reason to be cranky,” Oscar observed.
The preschool came into view. Shelley showed him where to park, told him to wait, quickly unbuckled Ryan and hurried him inside a double set of doors. When she finally returned, she changed the subject. “So, what do you think is wrong with my car? It worked fine yesterday.”
“I don’t know. I gave it only a cursory look. I’ll tinker with it more when we get back.”
“You know cars?”
“One of my uncles owns an auto repair shop. I worked there while I was in high school.”
“I worked with my mother.”
Oscar let out a whistle. “I remember your mother. She used to bring desserts over to Bianca every morning. I thought her chocolate muffins were the best things I’d ever eaten.”
Shelley nodded, her pursed lips relaxing a bit. “I remember you sometimes convinced me to snatch them, especially right out of the oven.”
“Never,” Oscar protested. “I’m an officer of the law. I’d never encourage stealing.”
“You were twelve.”
“I’m glad you remember.”
They drove through one residential street and down another, passing parks and a grade school. Downtown Sarasota Falls came into view, and Oscar felt a moment’s disappointment. For the last few miles, they’d dropped the cop/suspect personas and had actually had a conversation.
Perfect timing. Just as they hit the street, the ten o’clock train approached, the lights started blinking and the post went down. From their left came a long, low whistle.
“I’m really late,” Shelley muttered.
“I’m glad we’re stopped by the train. It gives us more time to talk.” He ignored the face she made. “I promise, nothing about your ex-husband or Candace. Did I tell you when I was young, I thought the Sarasota Falls City Hall was haunted?”
“Really? Why?” Her fingers tapped on the door handle.
He knew she was just itching to get out. “Because of the gargoyles.”
She laughed, and it surprised him so much his foot almost slid off the brake. This was the second time she’d laughed today. The first time, she’d laughed with her son, but now she was laughing at him.
With him.
“Hey,” he protested. “The gargoyles scared me.”
“I love those gargoyles, especially after a rainstorm when the water pours from their spouts. You know that’s what they’re for.”
He didn’t know, but he liked that she did.
“They’re a type of drain. When it rains, they allow the water from the roof to pour down without having to touch the side of the building.”
The train finally arrived, going slow because it was traveling through a town. Shelley took her fingers off the door handle and looked at him. “I know the history of Sarasota Falls. During Sarasota Fal
ls’ Founder Days, I not only rode in the parade but also I participated in some of the reenactments. There were about fifteen of us schoolkids. I usually played the town’s schoolteacher. But—” she gave him a look “—I did not go about slapping any knuckles with my ruler.”
“I wasn’t going to say a word.”
“Cops always have something to say.” She gave him a look. Then she turned her attention to the train and muttered, “It’s going to be a long one.”
Oscar noted he couldn’t see the end of the train. “I’ve always liked trains.”
“Have you been to the Station Diner? It used to be a depot and has a bunch of original railroad stuff. During reenactments, the owner, Jimmy Walker, even makes boarding passes that he hands out with the names of famous Sarasota Falls citizens on them.”
“Really? Who from Sarasota Falls is famous?”
“Billy the Kid came through town.”
“Okay, now I’m impressed. Does someone dress like him?”
“Of course, but everyone fights to be him, so the role doesn’t belong to just one person. Once Tom Riley played the part, but that was before...”
Oscar silently added the words she didn’t say. Before his partner died and his wife left him.
“Tom used to be a lot of fun,” Shelley said. Then she quickly changed the subject. “Sometimes your aunt Bianca’s home is on the tour. You should ask her.”
“Really?”
“Sure. You know its history, right?”
“I know only that it was built to house the main officer who ran the munitions depot.”
Visibly she relaxed. This might be a tactic he’d want to use later. Get her talking about her town. It was a great way to have her open up about people. Maybe she’d accidentally share something.
“You do know,” she asked, “the name of the area of town you live in?”
“Claradan.”
“The munitions depot’s head officer was Daniel. His wife was Clara.”
“Clara and Dan. Claradan,” Oscar figured out. “But Sarasota Falls is older than the munitions depot. Aunt Bianca has some of the old photos on display in the living room. Her guests like to see them.”
“You’re right. At the turn of the century, the twentieth century, Sarasota Falls was called Dead Bull’s Corner.”
Oscar looked at her. “You’re kidding.”
“Nope. No one knows why, but I’m guessing some cowboys sitting around a campfire had great fun coming up with the name.”
“Could have been worse,” Oscar considered.
“The town first changed its name when the school for the deaf was built. Guess the more genteel people in town didn’t think Dead Bull’s Corner would inspire people to send their children here.”
“How did a school for the deaf wind up here?”
“A wealthy cattle rancher built the school, recruited a doctor and teachers and then advertised.”
“One man?” Oscar queried.
“It’s amazing what one person can do, both good and bad, especially one with a daughter who’s deaf.”
Oscar got the idea she wasn’t thinking about the town’s history anymore. Because he didn’t like the tenseness already forming around her lips. He asked, “Why wasn’t the town renamed for him?”
“Because his name was Cornelius Pigg, and he didn’t think the town’s reputation would improve much by the changing of Dead Bull’s Corner, New Mexico, to Pigg, New Mexico.”
Oscar suddenly appreciated the name Guzman a whole lot more.
The last train car rambled by, but the post didn’t immediately rise.
“The school was called the Academy for the Deaf of New Mexico. Soon the town voted to change its name to Academy.”
“Academy, New Mexico.” Oscar didn’t think it rolled off the tongue well.
“Yup, Academy increased the size of the town’s dot on the map tremendously. For a few decades, the cattle farmers and the school coexisted, and the town had something for everyone. When the school closed, though, the population decreased by half and the town stagnated.
“Some say that for ten years, the town existed with only a post office and a train station. Hard to imagine.”
The warning arm finally rose, and Oscar followed her directions to the parking lot of the doctor’s building, the same one he’d been to at age twelve when an attack of vertigo hit during a tree-climbing contest. Funny how some of those long-ago memories came back.
He parked, and for a moment they sat. Sensing her discomfort and knowing she needed a ride back home, he said, “I want to get a few things at the store. Why don’t I do that? Call me when you’re done, and I’ll come back.”
She hesitated, then seemed to realize she had little choice. She knew, after all, that he had her number. Now she just had to accept his.
“Perfect.” Her tone implied anything but. She opened the door and hurried toward the entrance without a backward glance. She was a woman on a mission and intent on doing her battling alone. He’d admired that, but he also saw the look in her eyes and the slump of her shoulders.
He really didn’t need anything, so he parked down the road and called Townley, the man responsible for Oscar’s assignment to get close to Shelley Wagner and delve into her secrets.
Oscar was delving a bit too deep, because he was starting to care more about her than her secrets.
This could be a problem.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
ANY DAY NOW. That was what the doctor said.
She stepped out into the sunshine, part of her wanting to dance and the other part of her wanting to hide. She’d be holding a tiny being soon, in charge of shaping a life. Unfortunately, at what should have been the greatest moments of her life, she had to be on the lookout for a man who’d taken almost everything from her.
Patting her stomach, she reminded herself that he hadn’t taken what was important. No, he’d left what was most valuable behind: Ryan and little Isabelle.
She watched as Oscar brought his aunt’s SUV slowly to the curb. Before she could open the door, he’d jumped out, rounded the vehicle and opened the door for her.
A gentleman.
She put the seat belt on, adjusting it for comfort, looking out the window to see if there were any cars slowing down or pedestrians acting strange. The streets of downtown Sarasota Falls looked quaint and sleepy. She sat back and let herself breathe as the baby moved sharply.
“Ohhhh.”
Oscar got behind the steering wheel. “You okay?”
“Absolutely,” she answered honestly. He was, after all, asking about the doctor’s appointment and her health. Nothing else, at the moment.
He started the engine and pulled out of the parking lot. Part of her wished that the trip home would take longer. She wanted time to reflect and someone to reflect with. Being with Oscar, she was starting to feel like she wasn’t alone. Plus, thanks to Oscar, she felt safe.
The feeling wouldn’t, couldn’t, last.
“Sure you’re all right?” he asked, waiting to turn onto the street.
“Amazingly so,” she answered. “Soon I’ll be a mother. Oh, I’m a mother already, but this time I’ll get to start from scratch.”
“You’ll make a go of it,” he said.
She almost laughed. He was such a guy, and probably what he’d just said was high praise. “If you have a moment, I want to stop at Sell It Again Sam and buy a few things for the baby. I’ve held off.” She’d gotten a call this morning from the bank. It would be another two weeks before her money was returned, but because she’d reported the fraud quickly, she’d been covered by Federal Reserve regulations. She’d receive all but fifty dollars back, freeing her to spend a little of the pocket money she’d earned.
“No problem.” He took the next left a
nd then a right into the parking lot. Shelley was opening the passenger door almost before he’d pulled to a complete stop.
Inside the store, Oscar stayed with her as she went to the section featuring baby resale items. Picking up a set of onesies still in their original wrapping, she said, “The nurse told me I needed onesies, socks and diapers more than anything else.”
“Socks?”
“Apparently Isabelle will sleep better if her feet aren’t cold.” She held up a tiny dress, red, with white polka dots, and a pant that had ruffles on the seat.
“That’s not a onesie or socks,” Oscar observed.
“No, but look how tiny it is.”
He didn’t reach out a finger to touch. He just nodded and stood at a small bin, pulling out little socks.
“You been around babies much?” she asked.
“No. My siblings and I are close in age, and I don’t remember them being real babies.”
“As opposed to fake babies?” she queried.
He laughed and added, “None of us are married. I’m twenty-eight, the oldest. And yes, my mother is constantly annoyed that I haven’t married and given her grandchildren. I keep deferring to my two younger brothers and little sister, who aren’t doing their part. See, I have an excuse. I spent eight years overseas in the Marines. Problem is, we’re all single, although Victor, the youngest of my brothers, has had the same girlfriend for two years. No one in the family likes her much. Anna, my little sister, is in college, majoring in fun.”
It was the most he’d shared about his personal life. It somehow made him more appealing, not that he wasn’t already appealing enough.
“So, why aren’t you married?”
He took a moment before answering, which surprised her. He seemed always to have an answer, almost as often as he had questions.
“I’m not sure I believe in marriage,” he finally said.
“I’m not sure I do anymore, either,” she shared. “I used to believe in it. My parents had an awesome marriage. I think some of my favorite memories are of sitting in the backseat of the car while we drove places. They’d laugh and talk. Sometimes they’d share what they’d done while dating.”
