by Kylie Parker
At that moment, her cell phone rang.
“Damn it…” she let out a gasp of frustration, reaching to her nightstand.
“Hey, Sheriff,” Holly spoke in a languid tone. “What’s up?”
“Morning, Holly. Say, you haven’t seen that bartender, have you? I sent Randolph and Mitchell over to his house, but he’s not there. I’m only asking because I know you go there a lot.”
“Why, what happened?”
“We found a dead body outside his bar last night. Commander Michael Jensen. Poor guy was beaten to death.”
“What?” Her voice turned into a high-pitched squeal.
“Yeah; I’m heading over there as we speak. Call me if you see him, alright?”
“I will. Thanks.”
“Later.”
“What is it?” Tension tightened the back of Jake’s neck, as she tossed her phone across her bed.
“Jake, was anyone else with Allison last night?” Holly asked him, her voice wobbly.
“Yeah,” Jake said with a nod, while sitting up; “some Navy doctor. Why?”
“What happened between you two?” She posed one more question.
“He told me he’d helped Allie fake her death,” he answered with a sigh. “I snapped. I punched him.”
“Just punched him?” Holly squinted at him.
“Yeah; twice,” Jake admitted. “What’s with the third degree?”
“He’s dead,” she informed him, the stiff look on her face making his stomach chill with fear. “They found him beaten to death, right outside your bar.”
“Oh, no…” a whisper of despair fled his lips, as he dropped his head into his hands.
“Look, I believe you, but you need to be able to prove it,” Holly continued. “Are there any security cameras in your bar?”
“There’s one camera outside,” Jake said, sliding his hands down his face. “It’s hidden behind the neon sign.”
“Will it show you beating that guy up?” She asked once more.
“No. Everything happened inside,” he replied getting out of bed. “I just dragged him out. Stop asking me questions, okay? I didn’t do it. End of story.”
“I’m sorry,” Holly lowered her tone. “I’m just really worried about you; that’s all.”
“Let’s just get there,” Jake suggested. “I’m as curious about this as you are.”
Having no time to waste, the young couple put their clothes on, and soon they were on their way to his bar. Before long, they discovered that it had drawn quite a lot of attention. There were several cars parked on the right and left sides of the road, more than half a mile away from the bar. Dozens of people were just a few feet away from the parking lot. Jake and Holly had to push through the gathering crowd. Jensen’s body was nowhere near the entrance. Instead, it was more than a hundred feet south. His arm was very close to the edge of the road. Sheriff Matheson was standing over the dead body, taking notes as they approached.
“It didn’t take you long to find him,” the Sheriff remarked, a sly smile on his chubby face as his eyes met with Holly’s.
“We’re dating,” she confessed, as Jake stared down at Jensen’s body. His face was badly bruised. Parts of his clothes were torn off and he had some blood on his hands as well. “What can you tell me?”
“Son, I probably shouldn’t be doing this but, seeing as you’ve been here for a while now, I don’t see a reason not to,” the Sheriff stated in a low, steady tone, taking a few, furtive glances around him. “First of all, I was just in that bar of yours. Looks like a goddamn bomb went off in there. What happened?”
“He was here last night,” Jake informed him. “We got into a fight. I punched him a couple of times. How did you get in there?”
“You’d left your back door open. I saw the surveillance footage. It just confirmed my suspicions,” the Sheriff added.
“Meaning what?” Jake waited for the answer with bated breath.
“This is a secondary site,” Sheriff Matheson spoke in a voice that was almost a whisper. “The guy was dumped here, almost an hour after you left. Look at him. He’s got blood all over him. There’s no blood on the road or in the parking lot. Also, there’s a tiny fragment of his skull, right under his head. It must have broken on impact. Son, this place will be crawling with feds in a few. This is out of my jurisdiction. I don’t know your beef with the guy, but to me, it looks like someone is trying to pin this on you. Who else saw you beat that guy?”
The Sheriff had barely finished his sentence, when the loud revving of two, powerful engines drew their attention. Two large, black SUV’s parted the crowd and stopped, close to them. Four men in black suits emerged; the oldest addressed Jake.
“Mr. Isaacs, I’m special agent Ron Patrick, NCIS,” He introduced himself. “We need to ask you a few questions.”
10
Jake had a very good idea about the tactics of federal agencies like the NCIS. They would attempt almost anything to intimidate him: lead him to a dark interrogation room in the middle of nowhere, scream at him, and show him gruesome pictures of the dead body, insisting that he was the murderer. Yet, this was not the case. The black SUV’s pulled over outside of the Sheriff’s station and he was taken to the Sheriff’s office. Indeed, this seemed less like an interrogation and more like a friendly chat. However, to Jake, this was nothing more than a minor detail. He had nothing to hide.
Agent Patrick dropped a large folder of documents onto the Sheriff’s desk and opened it. The first page contained Jake’s name and picture.
“What an impressive record,” he said in admiration, “two Bronze Stars, a Purple Heart … stunning; just stunning. Normally, I’d ask why you quit, but you and I have something in common: we both quit. I just chose to help the marines. You chose the mountain.”
“Semper fi,” Jake murmured. “Once a marine, always a marine: I’d always lend a helping hand to a fellow man in uniform. It’s the politicians I don’t trust. That’s one of the reasons I quit.”
“The main reason you quit is a girl, Mr. Isaacs,” responded Agent Patrick, putting a little force in his voice. “Or, perhaps I should say, was. Honestly? I would have done the same thing. But, that’s not the reason you’re here. Did you know the victim?”
“Quite well,” Jake replied. “I hadn’t seen him in three years. He came over to my bar last night. There’s one thing you should know, though: Lieutenant Barnes is still alive. She was with him.”
“What are you talking about?” disbelief tinged Patrick’s voice. “She was killed in action.”
“That’s what I thought, as well, up until last night,” The mere recollection of the moment he saw her sent shivers down his spine. “Go ahead; call the Pentagon if you don’t believe me. Jensen helped her fake her death. That’s why I roughed him up a bit.”
“The guy’s dead, Isaacs,” Patrick’s tone became even stiffer. “I don’t think what you did to him, qualifies as ‘just a bit’. The coroner says his head’s been mangled.”
“I punched him twice,” Jake maintained his composure, “once in the jaw, once in the eye. I’m pretty strong, but…” he faltered, “no man in the world can break another man’s skull with a couple of shots.”
“Not without brass knuckles,” Patrick replied, speaking his mind.
“I don’t have any,” Jake stated. “Besides, Barnes witnessed the whole thing. She’ll corroborate my story.”
“Ghosts can’t corroborate shit!” Patrick yelled, banging his hand against the desk. “Come on, Isaacs. Save us both some time and admit it. You killed him.”
“If you think you can scare me with that crap, think again,” Jake glared at him. “I’ve faced a lot worse and a hell of a lot scarier things than an angry fed,”
At that moment, the Sheriff’s phone rang. In a matter of seconds, Patrick’s face fell in total disbelief.
“Send her in,” he muttered, slowly hanging up.
“What’s the matter?” Jake smirked. “You look like you’ve seen a
ghost.”
The knock on the door did not give him a chance to comment.
“Come in,” Patrick said.
“Lieutenant Allison Barnes; United States Marine Corps,” Jake smiled to himself, watching as Patrick looked up at her.
“How’s this even possible?” he said in quiet frustration. “Your file says you’re dead.”
“Sorry sir, that’s classified,” Allison replied in a calm tone. “You’ll have to address my superiors.”
“Fair enough,” said Patrick as he nodded. “This man says you and the victim were in his bar last night. Is that true?”
“It is,” she affirmed. “They got into a fight. Commander Jensen was hurt; he was a little dizzy when I left him, but other than that, he was fine.”
“Where did you leave him?” Patrick inquired.
“Right outside his hotel room: the Aztec hotel is about two miles south of here,” Allison responded.
“Lieutenant, I trust you knew the Commander,” Patrick’s voice became steadier by the second. “Did he have any enemies? Who could have done this to him?”
“Yes, we go way back,” Allison admitted. “I have no idea, sir. This came as a shock to me. He was a good man.”
“You’re free to go, Isaacs,” Patrick said, returning his gaze to Jake. “Don’t leave town.”
“I wasn’t planning on it,” Jake responded, doing his best to answer in a firm tone, relief flashing in his eyes as he rose from his seat. Jake walked out of the Sheriff’s office, but very soon, Allison’s voice forced him to stop.
“Jake, I really need to talk to you,” she said in a soft voice.
He groaned, looking down at her over his right shoulder. “I don’t want to hear about it.”
“It’s about Jensen,” Allison explained, striding towards him. “I may have something by the end of the day.”
Jake shrugged. “Why would I even care?”
“You do remember his gambling problem, don’t you?” she asked. “Rumor has it he owed money to some Boston-based loan shark. His name is Phil Duncan. My contact in the city says he’s lent a lot of money to people in the area, including local cops. I’ll have the list by tonight.”
“You know about…”
“Do I know about you and the deputy?” A sarcastic smile spread across her face. “Yes, I saw you with her earlier. Anyway, if you want to know more, here’s the address of my hotel.” She pulled a small, blue card out of her right pocket and handed it over to him. “I’ll be waiting for you.”
“Okay, something’s just not making any sense. One: would a loan shark have someone beaten to death? No. It’s too personal. Two: Holly has a gambling problem? I don’t think so. If she did, she would be on Clay’s payroll. Three: Allison’s reaction; she seemed a little too cool; nothing like the woman who cried her eyes out last night. I need to see you, Holly. You’d better be honest with me.”
11
Jake and Holly had agreed to meet at his house after her shift, but he was too tense even to consider waiting for her. Eager to know whether she had a gambling issue or not, he would drive to the Sheriff’s station. In his mind, it wouldn’t be a problem for their relationship, as long as she had quit. Jake was an understanding man; he wouldn’t leave her for something like that, especially if she had managed to put it behind her. The possibility of Holly still gambling scared him, but what troubled him even more was Allison’s words of her borrowing money from a loan shark. If she had done such a thing, he would have to protect her. In spite of his negative thoughts, however, Jake had not believed that she could be a gambler. Nothing in her behavior even suggested that.
His car was rolling to a halt, as she climbed down the stairs of the Sheriff’s station. As soon as their eyes met, her beautiful face lit up with a broad, happy smile.
“Heeeey!” she sang. “What a nice surprise!”
“Hi,” he croaked. “Get in the car, will you?”
“Sure,” Holly chirped.
How am I going to ask her about this? “Hi honey, do you like poker? Blackjack? What about roulette?” Be careful, Jake. You don’t want to insult her.”
By the time he finished his thought, Holly was already leaning over him, seeking his lips. Torn by indecision, he gave her a quick kiss on the cheek.
“You call that a kiss?!” she complained, playfully patting him on the shoulder.
“Sorry,” he muttered, blowing out a long, deep sigh. “I’ve got a lot on my mind.”
“Like what?” she asked, leaning back.
“Someone told me you like to gamble. Is that true?” his baritone was filled with tension, as he turned his head to the right to face her. Holly’s smile was wiped off her face. She leaned against her seat, running both hands through her hair. The silence was so thick he could cut it with a Bowie. For a moment, Jake feared the worst. This was not the reaction he expected.
“I was going to tell you about it,” she confessed, her sweet voice lowering to a harsh whisper.
“How bad is it?” he asked with a touch of sadness in his voice.
“It was pretty bad,” Holly clarified, returning her gaze to his face. “I quit, about five years ago.”
“Thank God…” Jake sighed in relief, tilting his head back.
“I’m sorry, baby,” she softly apologized, reaching her hand towards him. “I should have been honest with you.”
“It’s okay,” he assured her, taking her hand into his own. “Tell me more.”
“Oh, God…” Holly took a deep breath. “It started six years ago. My mom gave me two plane tickets to Vegas for my 21st birthday. I took my friend Cathy with me. I loved that rush. When we came back, I realized I missed it. I used to play for hours online. My folks found out when they saw my credit card bill. It was maxed out. They got desperate. My dad tried to sell his car, but no one would buy his old LeSabre. My cousin introduced me to some Phil Duncan, a loan shark in Boston.”
“Damn it!” Jake yelled, banging his other hand at the steering wheel. “What happened next?”
“I worked double shifts, I worked on my days off, but I was able to pay him off,” she spoke in sighs. “Of course, by the time I did, I had to pay an extra three thousand in interest, but that’s what you get when you borrow money from a loan shark.”
“That’s it?” he inquired with a hint of unease in his voice.
“Yeah; after I paid him off, I made a promise to myself to never go near a casino or visit a betting webpage,” she emphatically stated. “I’ve been clean ever since then.”
“Good,” Jake gave her an appraising nod. Then, he picked up his cell phone and the hotel card from the dashboard.
“You have reached the Aztec Hotel. How may I help you?”
“Hi. I need to talk to Allison Barnes: room 3002.”
“Yes, sir; Let me patch you through.”
“Allison!” Holly exclaimed. “Let me guess. She’s your source.”
“Hello?”
“Allie, it’s me. I’ll be in the lobby in fifteen; alright?”
“Okay. Bye.”
“She is my source,” Jake confirmed, tossing his cell phone up across the dashboard. “She says she has a list of all the people that prick’s lent money to.”
Holly raised her voice and then started questioning. “Hold on just a second. Allison? Really? The woman who lied to you, made you believe she’d been dead for the past three years? That Allison?”
“I didn’t believe her, Holly,” he murmured, while starting the engine. “I didn’t want to. But, she was right. And this has nothing to do with me.”
“On the contrary,” her firm tone forced his gaze away from the road. “This has everything to do with you. Can’t you see it? She’s digging up dirt on me to make herself look good.”
“Maybe,” Jake said with a nod. “But that doesn’t change the fact that you and Jensen borrowed money from the same loan shark,” he added, looking at the road up ahead.
“Maybe?” she cried out in a voice full of frustra
tion. “Is that all you have to say?”
“Stop worrying so much, Holly,” he said evenly in an attempt to calm her down. “I don’t care what she does. I’m not getting back together with her.”
“How long were you guys dating?” Holly asked, folding her arms across her chest.
“Ten years, give or take,” Jake responded sharply. “Why?”
“Exactly!” the frustration in her voice returned. “There’s just too much history between you two and she’s doing everything she can to win you over. Now do you understand why I’m so worried?”
“Not really,” Jake said, turning right and into the vast hotel parking lot.
“I’ve seen it all before,” she sighed like a deflating balloon once more.
“I don’t care what you’ve seen,” he groaned, turning to her. The sad look in her eyes made him regret his tone. Jake leaned over her, a smile on his face, as Holly gazed deep into his eyes. “Look, if I wanted to get back together with her, I would have done it already, okay? I’m with you. Nothing can change that,” he whispered softly to her as he tucked tendrils of her hair behind her ear. The sweet smile that slowly formed on her face gave him the answer he needed. Holly cupped his cheek in her hand, tilting her head up. Running her thumb across his cheekbone, she closed her eyes and locked her lips with his. Her sweet, gentle kiss sent tingling sensations up and down his body. Jake reached down and found her free hand. He picked it slightly up and interlocked his fingers with hers, drowning in her intoxicating scent.
“I’m sorry, baby,” she whispered, planting a quick kiss on his chin. “Go.”
“I won’t be long,” he uttered, kissing her on the cheek. As much as he was annoyed by her insecurity, Jake couldn’t deny that part of him was enjoying it. It proved that Holly was scared of losing him.
“Women,” he thought to himself. “You tell them one thing and they choose to believe something different, just because someone else hurt them in the past. I’m not like your ex-boyfriends, Holly. It might take you a while, but you will see it in the end.”
12
