To Laugh

by Laura Scott

  If it was nothing, he wouldn’t have brought it up. Trusting Jonas’s instincts, she shifted so that she could see the black SUV in her side mirror.

  The SUV slowed down, putting more space between them.

  “Even if someone was out to harm me or make me look bad, we’re in your car, Jonas, not mine.”

  “I thought of that, but my car was parked next to yours at the B&B. And Emily saw us together. It wouldn’t be impossible for someone to discover this car belongs to me.”

  “But how would she, or anyone else for that matter, figure out who you are? I mean, sure Dr. Hackbarth came to the B&B, but why would he assume you were another McNally? It just doesn’t make any sense.”

  “They could look in my medical record from the VA,” Jonas pointed out. “My amputation isn’t easily ignored.”

  “But—that’s illegal!” Bella was horrified just thinking about it. Then a surge of adrenaline went through her bloodstream. “And if they did, there will be an electronic trail.” She pulled out her phone. “I’m going to call and request an audit report from the compliance department.” She dialed, then hesitated. “Actually, I can’t request an audit of your record, Jonas, but you can.”

  “We’ll do that later.” Jonas’s gaze was locked on the rearview mirror. “The SUV is right on our tail.”

  “No way.” She felt her stomach tighten with dread. Remembering how they’d rolled the car just a few days ago made her sweat. She didn’t want to go through that again. “Jonas, you need to pull off at the next exit.”

  “Not unless there are plenty of people around,” he argued, pushing the accelerator to gain more speed.

  The SUV kept pace.

  “I’m calling nine one one.” She’d never in her life dialed the emergency number, but she didn’t hesitate to do so now. The operator’s voice was calmly reassuring.

  “What’s the nature of your emergency?”

  Before Bella could speak, the SUV rammed into them from behind with enough force to cause her to drop the phone.

  “Hang on,” Jonas said, the muscles of his arms bunching with the effort to control the vehicle. He jerked the steering wheel and quickly crossed over to the next lane just in time to take the exit.

  Bella braced herself, turning to search for an indication that the SUV had followed them, but there was no one behind them.

  In fact, there was no black SUV in sight, at all.

  She put a hand over her heart. They were safe for the moment, but without a license plate or the car itself, they had no proof to back up what she and Jonas knew had happened.

  12

  Jonas pulled into the parking lot of a convenience store and gas station, shut down the car, and turned to face Bella. “Are you okay?”

  She gave a shaky nod and picked her phone off the floor. He could hear a woman’s raised voice on the other side of the line.

  “We’re fine,” Bella told the dispatcher. “The danger is over.”

  The female voice started up again, but Bella once again assured the woman they were not hurt and disconnected from the call. “There’s no point in making a report,” she said in a dull voice. “The SUV who did this is long gone, and I doubt there’s anything they can do to find the vehicle involved when we can’t provide a license plate number.”

  He didn’t like it but couldn’t argue against her point. “Do you know if Hackbarth or Emily Archer drive a black SUV?”

  “Hackbarth has a Porsche.”

  “This is Michigan. No matter how much money a surgeon has, no way is he driving a Porsche in the winter.” Jonas thought back to the shape of the SUV. Could it have been a BMW? Maybe. “I bet he has at least two cars, maybe more.”

  “I have no idea what he drives,” Bella said on a heavy sigh. “Even if we thought it was his car, we can’t prove it. Especially since we don’t know for sure who was behind the wheel.”

  “I know.” Jonas scrubbed his hands over his face as the adrenaline faded from his bloodstream. That was way too close. And far too similar to the incident with Bella’s failed brakes. “You need to call Garth. No way is this a coincidence.”

  Bella sighed. “I don’t want to burden Garth with my problems. I doubt this area is within his jurisdiction. We’re not in Clark County, are we?”

  “I don’t know, but I still think Garth needs to hear about this.” Jonas pinned her with a stern look. “He said he’d check on the results of your car later today, right? Knowing about this recent event may convince him to push the forensic team.”

  Bella shrugged but didn’t say anything more. Jonas swallowed a wave of frustration and pushed his door open. He swung out of the sedan, then reached for his crutches. Making his way around to the back of the car, he bent down to examine the damage.

  There was a deep indentation and scuff marks along the back bumper. Anger burned in his belly. Not because of the physical damage but because of how things could have ended up being so much worse.

  If he hadn’t noticed the tail, he wouldn’t have been prepared for the purposeful collision. And it had taken all his strength to keep the car steady and on the road. Another second later and he may have missed the exit.

  There wasn’t a single doubt in his mind that Hackbarth was behind this. As Bella pointed out, he may not be doing the dirty work himself, but all these attempts against her had to be under the direct order of the maligned surgeon.

  And it appeared he was getting desperate.

  Bella joined him at the rear bumper, and he squelched the temptation to draw her into his arms. “I’ll pay to get it fixed,” she said softly.

  “Don’t be ridiculous. I couldn’t care less about the car.” His voice came out harsher than he intended, so he softened it, adding, “All that matters is that you’re okay.”

  She gave a tiny nod, her face pale. “This is the second time I’ve put your life in danger, Jonas.” Her blue eyes were stricken with worry. “If you were smart, you’d stay far away from me.”

  “That’s not happening.” He needed to touch her, so he leaned on his crutch and took her hand in his. “I’m not leaving you alone.”

  She clung to his hand for a moment. “At least having a rental car will help. Whoever is behind this won’t be able to track me down.”

  He continued to hold her hand, unwilling to let her go. “I was thinking about that. It might be best if I rent the car under my name. We can leave my vehicle at the rental car place for a few days. That way they won’t know what either one of us is driving.”

  “But—I still need my own vehicle,” she protested. “Isn’t the rental information confidential? I can’t be tracked through the paperwork I fill out, right?”

  He hesitated, unsure how to respond. The average person couldn’t do that, but a surgeon like Hackbarth had money, and anyone could be bribed to break the law. “That’s a question for Garth,” he finally admitted. He gently squeezed her hand. “Please call him. For me.”

  Her gaze locked on his for a long moment before she reluctantly nodded. “Okay.”

  While she scrolled through her phone to find the number, Jonas tried to think of a way to convince her to let him rent the car under his name.

  At this point, he didn’t put anything past Hackbarth, even going as far as to tail them today.

  “We’re fine, Garth,” Bella assured the deputy. “There’s a dent in Jonas’s car, though. We’re still planning to rent a vehicle but thought you might follow up on the investigation related to my failed brakes.” There was a pause, then she said, “I understand. See you later, then.”

  “What did Garth say?” Jonas asked. “Is he going to file a report and check on your wrecked car?”

  “Yes, to both. And apparently this is still Clark County, it extends to the state border. But he admitted there isn’t much to do without identifying information related to the SUV. He is calling the forensic garage right away, but as it’s Saturday, he said there’s no guarantee he’ll get information. It’s more likely to be Monday before
we learn anything more.” She paused, then added, “He mentioned that only a cop should be able to track my credit card purchases, like a rental car. And being a weekend, it wasn’t likely anyone would be able to do that now.”

  He’d forgotten it was Saturday and was cheered up by the news. “Okay. Let’s hit the road, I’ll feel better once we have a rental vehicle.”

  Bella opened her mouth to say something but didn’t. She returned to the passenger seat. He watched her for a moment before following suit. Five minutes later they were back on the interstate.

  The rental car agency was only ten miles away. He put his hand on her arm to hold her there. “Bella, please let me rent the car.”

  She shook her head, avoiding his gaze. “No, Jonas. I mean, if you want to rent one, too, that’s fine. But I need to have my own vehicle. Besides, if I can be tracked through the paperwork or credit card transactions, so can you.”

  He didn’t like how she was pulling away from him but was helpless to do anything to change it. He dropped his hand and shut down the engine. “Okay. But I’m staying behind you on the trip back to McNally Bay.”

  It didn’t take long for Bella to obtain a vehicle, a white Honda Civic. He waited for her to pull out in front of him, then followed.

  The drive back to the B&B seemed incredibly long without having Bella beside him. Once he’d craved being alone, there was never a moment of peace and quiet while in Afghanistan, but now he keenly missed Bella’s companionship.

  It wasn’t healthy to have become this emotionally attached to a woman he’d only met a few days ago. Yet he knew it wasn’t just Bella’s beauty that called to him. It was her approach to life. Her positive attitude. Her ability to accept him the way he was, without making a big deal out of his disability.

  The way she made him laugh.

  And in the end, Jonas knew it was her laughter that would steal his heart.

  Bella decided to stay at the B&B through the weekend. It wasn’t smart, but since Jonas made it clear he wanted to paint her on Sunday, she gave in.

  The day passed without issue. By Monday morning, Bella knew that she needed to resign from her job. While sitting for Jonas while he sketched her likeness, her mind had drifted back to the near collision on the interstate. When Jonas had questioned whether or not Hackbarth had two vehicles, she’d denied it. But sifting through her memory, she clearly remembered a day she’d been called in early for a surgery and had driven into the parking structure right behind Dr. Hackbarth.

  He’d been driving a black SUV.

  As crazy as it sounded, she realized that the surgeon must be lashing out at her, either in an effort to discredit her or to silence her, for good.

  It wasn’t worth risking her life to keep her job.

  Jonas joined her for breakfast as they’d agreed to ride into Battle Creek together. His therapy appointment was scheduled for one in the afternoon.

  “Jonas, I wonder if you could do us a favor before your doctor’s appointment,” Jazz said when she’d come in to refill their coffee.

  “What do you need?”

  There were no other guests at the B&B, since the two couples had left on Sunday, so Jazz didn’t hesitate to drop down in a chair next to her brother. “We’ve been so focused on finishing Jemma’s garage apartment that we forgot to tell you about the letter we found in the attic.”

  Bella sipped her coffee, wondering if she should excuse herself. It sounded as if Jazz wanted to talk about family stuff that didn’t include her.

  “What kind of letter?” Jonas asked.

  “A letter to Lucy signed J. I have it here.” Jazz pulled it out of her pocket and spread it on the table. “It sounds as if Lucy died, and we’re wondering if the Clark County Library may have some information about it.”

  Intrigued, Bella leaned forward to read the letter for herself.

  Dearest Lucy,

  My world is dark without you in it. I don’t understand how this happened, and I’m finding it difficult to move on without you.

  Life is so precious yet so brief. In one fleeting moment it’s gone, as if it had never been. I’ve searched the Bible for answers but have found no solace to ease my pain. Some would say I haven’t tried hard enough, and that may be true. It isn’t easy to dissect one’s mistakes, holding them up to the glaring light of day.

  This suffering is my price to pay.

  Always, J.

  “Who in the family is named J?” Bella asked.

  Jazz laughed. “Who isn’t? Our dad’s name was Justin, his parents, our grandparents, were Joannie and Jerry McNally. It’s hard to tell from the letter how old it is, but we’re leaning toward it being written by our father.”

  “And you have no idea who Lucy might be?”

  Jazz hesitated, then shrugged. “It’s hard to say for sure. Not everyone in town is happy to have us back. Old Leon Tate and his daughter Mary have made it clear there’s no love lost between our families. I get the sense there were others, too. You know how it is when one family has more success than the next.”

  “This place was referred to as the McNally Mansion for years,” Jonas agreed. “Often with disdain.”

  “I always wondered if the problem was with how our great-grandparents immigrated here from Ireland,” Jazz agreed. “Most immigrants came with little to no money after losing everything to the potato famine, so they were in competition for jobs. On the east coast there were actually signs posted claiming, ‘Irish need not apply.’” Jazz cast her gaze around the interior of the house. “I’m not sure we told you the story of how our grandparents managed to become so successful.”

  “What did they do for a living?” Bella asked.

  “Granddad grew up on my great-grandparent’s farm, but when he was old enough to be independent, he decided to open a grocery store. He met and married our grandmother, who helped out.” Jazz lifted her hands palm upward. “We don’t know details, but we think he bought this land along the lake for a decent price because back then there was a feeling that having property near the water was risky because of possible flooding. He was also a phenomenal carpenter, and Grandma took over running the store while Granddad began to build houses.”

  “So he built this place with his own two hands?” Bella was impressed.

  “Yes, but not right away,” Jazz said. “He built a house in town, sold it, then built another one. He did that a few times, before he began this place.”

  “Amazing,” Bella murmured. “Still, it seems odd for your grandparents to have enemies.”

  “Not as crazy as you may think,” Jazz argued. She gestured to the letter. “There’s always a reason to be jealous. It doesn’t matter now, other than to salvage our curiosity. Maybe when you have some time you can dig in to this for us. Between working on the garage apartment and last-minute wedding planning, I won’t have time. This Saturday is the big day.”

  “I’m aware,” Jonas said dryly. “Sure, I’ll see what I can come up with.”

  “Thanks, bro.” Jazz jumped to her feet. “I’d better help Jemma before she fires me.”

  Bella sipped her coffee, eyeing Jonas over the rim. “What do you think? We could head over to the library now, then hit the road. Should be plenty of time to make your appointment.”

  “Sure.” Jonas stood. “I need ten minutes to grab my stuff.”

  They’d agreed to take her new rental car as an added precaution. When Jonas returned, he was wearing his gun on his hip and using the prosthesis along with his crutches. Bella frowned at the gun but knew it wouldn’t be long before Jonas wouldn’t need the crutches anymore. He was doing great.

  It occurred to her that once he was back to leading a normal life, he may not need her anymore either.

  Jonas used his phone to find the Clark County Library, which happened to be located in the building adjacent to the sheriff’s department. Since guns weren’t allowed in the library, he stored it in the glove box of the rental before they went inside.

  “Good morning.”
The woman behind the counter beamed at them in a way that gave Bella the impression that she didn’t see many patrons during the summer. “My name is Susan Harper. How can I help you?”

  “I’m Jonas McNally, and I’m looking for local newspaper articles from fifty years ago, maybe longer.”

  Susan looked surprised. “That’s a broad time frame, any particular dates or time frame?”

  Jonas shrugged and glanced at her. “What do you think?”

  “I think we should start with summer.” It was a long shot, but considering how people hunkered down in the long winter months, she thought it was the time a tragic accident might take place.

  “Sounds good. We’ll start fifty years ago in June.”

  Susan gave them a pained look but nodded. “Okay, let me see what I can find.”

  “Jonas McNally, is that you?” An older woman’s voice caused them to turn away from the counter. Bella didn’t recognize the short plump woman with curly gray hair who smiled broadly at Jonas. “My name is Betty Cromwell, and I knew your grandparents very well. I must say, you’re the spitting image of your father.”

  “Nice to meet you, Ms. Cromwell.” Jonas held out his hand. The older woman cradled his hand with both of hers. “This is my friend Bella Collins.”

  They exchanged pleasantries for a few minutes before Mrs. Cromwell asked, “What brings you to the library?”

  Bella was surprised when Jonas readily answered, “Ms. Harper is getting old newspaper articles for us. We’re looking for information on the tragic death of a woman named Lucy.”

  “Lucy Tate?” Mrs. Cromwell asked. “Why are you asking about young Lucy after all these years?”

  Jonas lifted his eyebrows in surprise. “Tate? You knew Lucy Tate?”

  “Of course, I knew Lucy.” Mrs. Cromwell appeared exasperated by his question. “Why wouldn’t I? I’ve lived here my whole life, I know everyone. Well, except for the tourists. They come and go too often to bother keeping track of their names.”