I get in the car and phone Lucky. “Sam hasn’t answered all day and now her GPS is off. Damn, I know something bad is about to go down.”
“Listen up. There’s mountains and the service is spotty.”
“You know the tingle I get? It starts under my hairline and runs down my spine to the back of my right ankle?”
“Fuck. Don’t tell me. You’re feeling it now?”
I wish to hell I could say no. My throat tightens up and I grunt an affirmative.
“Copy that. Get here as soon as you can. I’m putting chains on my SUV.”
It takes almost two hours to get out of the city and by now, Sam could be anywhere. I can’t understand why she hasn’t called me.
Surely, she wasn’t so ticked at me she’d give me the silent treatment. I check my phone for the hundredth time since leaving New Jersey as six inches of snow pile up on the road.
Lucky, eyes ahead, grimaces. “You sure you got that bloody nonsense going on in your belly?”
“Yeah, why?” The windshield wipers slow down, beginning to freeze.
“I dunno. I don’t think I’ve ever seen you more worked up.”
I clench and open my fist a few times. “Fuck. If anything happens to her…”
“Got it bad, eh?” He shakes his head back and forth. “It was destined to happen at some point.”
“Daaammmn. I can’t sleep, can’t eat, and all I do is worry about her. When I was in Utah, it felt like I left part of me in Brooklyn. Then, I came home and she was gone… If this is love, I am so screwed.”
Lucky chuckles. “Wait until you have a little ’roo bouncin’ about. Gets worse.”
“Thanks, pal, for cheering me up.” I’d slug him in the arm, but he’s too busy concentrating on the road.
Where the hell is she?
Chapter 12
Sam
It’s almost dinnertime as I enter Fort Ann, just off the Vermont border. The wind howls, it catches the back of my car, and I swerve. Then, I notice the gas gauge reads empty and moan. Who knew I’d get stuck for hours behind a jackknifed tractor-trailer?
I need to find someplace to stay the night. Driving the country road with white knuckles, candles flicker in the homes along the two-lane highway. The only other light is of the occasional oncoming car, blinding me with their high beams.
Hoping for a miracle, I pick up my cell phone, but it’s completely dead. Shit. I wiggled the charger and thought I had it working a few towns back but I guess not.
Suddenly, through the whiteout, the dim lights of a gas station appear, and my heart leaps as I pull off the road.
After rolling down the window, the attendant comes out of his hut waving me on. “Sorry, no power, no gas.”
“I, ah… Is there a hotel nearby?” Tears I’ve been holding back for miles roll down my face as he points to the NO VACANCY sign across the street at the Redwood. “That’s the only motel and it filled up around noon.”
“Do you have a cell phone I could borrow?” Maybe, I can call for help.
He shakes his head. “Out of juice.”
“Landline?” For God’s sake, cut me a break.
“Out of order.” The kid shrugs as if this isn’t a life and death situation.
“Don’t you have any fuel at all? Enough to get me to Rutland?”
He scratches his head and a few minutes later, he returns with a red plastic jug. “Open your tank.”
After I pay him, an eighteen wheeler roars, and I peel out to follow in his wake.
Gripping the wheel, I wish like hell I could call Suds. He’ll be pissed, for sure, but having him mad at me would be better than stranded out here alone. Not for the first time, I consider my rash behavior but this has nothing to do with sleuthing. This is all about a ginormous snow storm coming out of nowhere.
“How the hell was I supposed to foresee the weather, huh?” Hearing my own voice gives me much needed courage as I trace the path of the large vehicle ahead.
Occasionally his tail lights brighten, giving me an indication a turn is coming. The driver, unlike me, must be familiar with this area and moves faster than I’m comfortable going. However, there is no way I’m going to lose him. With no other sign of life, it’s like I’ve fallen in a snow globe that God decided to shake and make it real.
The two lane highway turns into four, the truck speeds up, and I put my foot on the accelerator.
Shit! My car tailspins, I ease off the gas, and turn my wheel in the opposite direction. I’ve stopped but now my windshield-wipers are so laden with ice, I have to pull over.
Bye-bye truck.
Still, Rutland is only ten miles away. I can do this and when I do, I’m going to stop at the first establishment and stay put. I don’t care if it’s a diner, motel, or porn shop.
No more driving until the roads are clear.
Then, back in civilization, I will plug in my cell, call Suds, and have a good cry. No doubt by now, he’ll have contacted my cousins and they’ll have told him about my impromptu ski trip.
It’s not my fault the charger thingy wasn’t working. No matter. As soon as I can, I’ll explain everything and our makeup sex will be awesome.
Up ahead, when a green sign with reflective characters points out the exit to West Rutland, I heave a sigh of relief. I made it.
Inching forward, I turn the wheel to the right but the vehicle keeps going straight and barely misses the snowbank. In the deep snow of the shoulder, my tires spin and refuse to grip.
“Fuck!” I bang my hand on the steering wheel and stare incredulously for a moment before shutting down the engine along with my headlights.
Using the overhead lamp, I lean over the seat, open my overnight bag, and dress in everything I brought. Then, I curl up in a ball inside my long coat and pray I’ll wake in this world, not the next.
A few hours later, shivering, I turn on the engine, go outside and brush it off. I really need a flag or something. Reaching into the back seat, I grab a pair of red panties out of the bottom of my bag. Ripping the side, I tie them to the top of the antenna.
Maybe, someone with an underwear fetish will find me. I wouldn’t even care as long as I’m found before I turn into an ice pop.
Barely able to keep my eyes open, I bundle up in the front seat and allow the heater to run for a few blessed minutes.
“Yo, God? I could use a little help here.”
He doesn’t answer which I figure is a good thing. If I start hearing His holy voice, I’m not long for this world.
Chapter 13
Suds
“Please, slow down.” I dare not blink as I sit high in the cab of the Vermont State snowplow. What if we miss her?
A few hours ago, I almost kissed the gas station attendant as I showed him Sam’s picture and he recognized her. He said she went east on Route 4A, toward Rutland.
Soon after, I asked Slate to call in a few favors. He had his staff phone every hotel, motel, and inn within sixty miles. Coming up empty, they started with diners and restaurants. After, it was police stations, hospitals, and even morgues.
Somewhere, deep inside me, I know time is running out.
Later, we stopped at a diner and while ordering coffee, I offered the plow driver, Chuck, a small fortune to let me ride with him to search for my girl.
“What’s that?” I point at a strange red flag waving in the near whiteout conditions,
Before the vehicle stops completely, I jump out, and run to this Chevette almost covered in snow. Lit by yellow flashing lights, I recognize my favorite piece of her underwear and clear the passenger side window.
Inside, Sam’s pale face makes my heart give way as I pound with my fists. “Sugar! Wake up! Dammit. Open the door.”
Her lids flutter and I figure I got me some serious payback to do. For the last four hours I’ve promised God everything but celibacy if I find her alive.
“Sebastian?”
“Sweetheart, let me in.”
“Here. Try this.” Chuck appr
oaches with a crowbar in his thick-gloved hand.
We’re about to destroy her rental when suddenly, she opens her eyes and clicks the lock. My heart pounding, I lower my lips to her cold ones, pick her up, and rush her into the warm cab.
“Are you okay?” I bite off her mittens, rub her frigid hands, and turn to the driver. “Can you get us to the hospital?”
“Yeah, sure. We’ll need to plow as we go.” He jumps up, the plow clunks to the road, and as the terrain starts to move, I check her pulse.
“Dammit. She’s hypothermic.” I tap her cheeks. “Sweetheart. Stay with me.”
Snow sloshes, the engine roars, and as the plow’s heater blasts warm air on our faces, she moans. “All my stuff is still in the rental.”
Now I know she’s going to be okay, I get a little riled up. “Not important right now. Why the hell didn’t you call me?”
“My cell died.”
“And before that?”
“I was going to.”
“Uh-huh.” I phone Lucky waiting back at the diner. “I found her. She’s responsive but real cold. I’m taking her to the hospital, now. Meet you there.”
“Copy that.”
“Oh, and can you call her dad? Tell him she’s okay? I’ll text you his number.”
“Will do.”
After I hang-up, she groans. “Daddy knows I’m missing?”
“Family, Sam.”
“But I was fine. I just was waiting for the snow to stop and fell asleep. There was no need for everyone to lose their shit.”
I sigh. Maybe the doctor will explain how close she came to death’s door. She won’t believe it coming from me.
Chapter 14
Sam
“I told you I was fine.” I glare at Suds who has hardly spoken to me since arriving at the emergency room.
“You almost froze to death.” Cursing under his breath, he grabs my coat, and holds it open while I slide into the sleeves.
Why is he being so unreasonable? “Nu-uh.” The plow was coming. I knew it would.”
Suds dons his jacket in short, staccato movements. “He almost buried you until spring. Admit it, Samantha, it was pretty damn close.”
“Okay. You’re right. I was almost a Samsicle.” He doesn’t smile, so I add, “Too soon?”
His grim face cracks for the first time all morning. “Yeah, maybe. C’mon. Let’s get the hell out of here. Hospitals are not my favorite.”
The nurse gives me some paperwork which I sign and thank God Slate offered me insurance. Done, I hand Sebastian my now-charged cell phone with Google on the screen.
I pause at the sliding glass doors that lead to the parking lot bordered by mountainous snow banks.
“We need to go here.” With index finger and thumb, I open the map wider and point to the town where I suspect the Good Health mayhem man is hiding.
“You’re joking, right?” Suds looks at me like I’ve lost my mind but he’s the one who’s off.
“I didn’t drive all the way up here for nothing. We can take a few pictures, log some field time, then bring it all to Slate. I’m pretty sure this guy, Follet, staged over a dozen accidents over the last five years. Didn’t you read my report?”
“No. When did you send it?” He zips up my jacket, wraps my scarf around my neck, and kisses me on my nose, the only thing showing.
I pull the cloth out of my mouth, take a step forward, and the glass opens. “Yesterday. Right before… oh shit.”
“What?” Eyes boring into me, he tugs me back into the warm building and the doors slam shut.
“I was about to send it but I saw another email from the city which is why I decided to come to Vermont.”
“Still not following you.” He pulls down my knit hat until it covers most of my face.
I slap his hand away then raise the fabric away from my eyes. “Okay. Let me start over. You know how Slate gave me analytic work?”
“He gave it to Suds and Sam Detectives, under my license.” He grabs my elbow and walks me outside where my breath’s fog freezes on my scarf.
I stand closer so he blocks the wind and up my pace. “That’s what I said. Anyhow, I was supposed to find someone the attorneys could sue.”
“I believe our boss said to find out if the old woman had any relatives with money.”
Whoa… so he knew? That means he and Slate had cherry picked this case to keep me home and out of trouble. I will deal with that, later.
“So, I was researching Good Health, the company they work for? And I found a motive…” I jump in the SUV.
Suds runs around the front, hops in, and starts the motor before continuing the inquisition. “How does an accident have a motive?”
“Accidents don’t but murder does.”
He pinches the bridge of his nose. “Go on.”
“About a dozen other people at Good Health had accidents, too.” I pull off my mittens, my palms aching for the feel of his short beard.
After kissing my hand, he shifts gears, and roars past homes buried in six feet of snow. “Isn’t it pretty normal for a company that size?”
My heart races, I grin, and use my hands for emphasis. “I would’ve missed the connection except they all had one thing in common. Don’t you see? The employees who were injured all worked on a denied claim for Robert Follet.”
My partner frowns. “Seems pretty cut and dried, now you figured it out. Why did this require field work?”
“I needed to talk to him so I can solve the murder.”
“Ah huh. So you decided to come to Vermont in a snow storm.”
“To be honest, I didn’t think to check the weather. Are you with me or not?”
“Only if you promise to start tellin’ me your brilliant ideas before you take action. You scared the shit out of everyone. Which reminds me, y’all still need to call your family.” He turns into a Comfort Inn down the street from the hospital.
“You need some sleep and I could use some, too.”
“You mad at me?” I miss our easy banter and wonder if I ruined it forever.
“Disappointed, for sure. You should’ve trusted me.” He glares, more warrior, than the laid-back southern gent I’ve grown accustomed to.
“If I had, you would’ve said no, right?” Something inside me needs to poke the bear.
“Damn straight.”
“Excuse me?”
Sighing, he parks the car, then turns to me. “Honestly? I might’ve asked Lucky to go with you, darlin’. That’s why he’s here in New York. He was supposed to be your backup while I’m away.”
“You could’ve explained.” I sound childish but my God, he makes me feel like a kid.
“I thought it was obvious.”
“Fine. Whatever. I need to call Follet.” I grab my phone, dial the number, and lie to the woman who picks up. “Hi. I’m from the Suds and Sam Detective Agency? I’d like to speak with you about a class action suit against Good Health. I understand they denied your brother’s claim?”
“Good Health? Those executives should be lined up against a wall and shot, not sued. Criminals. All of them."
“Well, that makes you and hundreds of other claimants who agree…”
Chapter 15
Suds
Inside the small, tidy room, I’m not sure what to do. The lizard brain wants to fuck but my frontal lobe insists on sleep.
Her gorgeous brown eyes sparkle as they capture mine. “Are you too mad for sex?”
“No, but some spankin’ may be needed.”
“Promise?” Her sultry smile sends a rush of blood south of the Mason Dixon line.
Ah hell. Now, I got all sorts of visions in my head and none will ever get erased.
“Get undressed.” I toss my jacket on a chair and cross my arms.
“Yes master.” She hiccoughs a laugh and I have to bite the inside of my cheek to stop myself from grinnin’.
After kicking off her boots, she tosses off several layers of sweater, and shimmies out of that many pan
ts.
Mouth dry, I unbutton my fly, unzip my jeans, and release the top button.
“How very shades-of-gray of you.” She stares down at my cock, now poking out to see what’s up.
Not having seen the movie, I got no idea what she’s talking about but the way the centers of her eyes widen, it’s got to be good.
While I work on my flannel shirt, she slips off her underwear, turns onto her hands and knees, and lines up her sweet butt with the edge of the bed. This isn’t the type of retribution I was going for and if anyone is suffering, it’s me.
“Sugar…” I step in closer.
“Not too hard.”
I pat her pretty globes real gentle-like and she glances over her shoulder. “Punishment over?”
I shake my head back and forth, a little of my anger still churning. “You worried a whole lot of people. Not only me, but Lucky, your family, Slate, and even Chuck.”
“The snow plow driver?”
“The guy was chowing down on Tums all night long.”
“That explains the smell in the cab.” Her butt wiggles and I slap it a little, my cock cramming against my cotton briefs.
Warm, I tug off my thermal undershirt, unzip, and let my length bob against her skin.
She moans and when she pushes back against me, I spank her.
“Ah hell.” I rub the pink flesh.
“Again.”
“Sweet God above.” My hand goes back, and I do it. This time a little harder on the other globe.
She yelps, l kiss her buns, then remove the rest of my clothes. “Enough of that.”
She turns onto her back and spreads her legs wide, her labia glistening with liquid want and her tits hard.
“Fuck sweetheart.” I drop to my knees, scrape my cheek against her inner thigh, and taste her honey.
Moaning, her head drops on the pillow and her eyes roll back.
I suck and play until her nub swells to the point of exploding, loving her breathy squeaks as I bring her close to the brink.
“Ah… ah…” Her heels dig into the bed and she tugs on my hair, a sign she’s about to come but I don’t take her, not yet.
Suds and Sam For Hire Page 6
