“Are you quitting?”
“Why should I? I do enjoy my work.”
“Has Titus ever met Jack?”
“No. I’ve not talked much about Jack. But he’s been like a father to me. He’s a kind boss.”
“What if Titus was jealous?”
“Of what? He didn’t really say anything when I dated Miles, so why would he care about my boss?”
“You get a call and run to do his bidding. I think you misjudge Titus. I doubt he was happy with you dating Miles, but since he hadn’t staked a claim on you what else could he do?”
“Staked a claim? You make me sound like property. Let’s change the subject. How are things going with the pregnancy?”
The meal ended.
Bethany drove to a dealership to look at cars. She avoided the one Miles used to work for.
A perky blonde walked up in high heels, dress slacks, and a blazer. “Hello. I’m Brit. Can I help you?”
“Yeah, I’m looking to buy a used car, possibly a sports-utility vehicle.”
“We have a variety to show you. Any reason you want a used car? We have some great values for financing on new ones.”
“I don’t need financing, but you can show me some if you want.”
Bethany spent the next two hours test driving a few vehicles and finally selected a new, green SUV. She haggled the price with her trade-in and left to get a cashier’s check to pay for it. She called her insurance to swap the vehicles and drove her new car home. Titus would love her new car. At least, she thought he would.
They needed to talk, but she doubted they’d get to with others around. She sat down and penned a letter to him. She found an envelope, addressed it, and shoved it in her interior coat pocket. At least she’d be able to tell him how she felt.
The phone rang.
“Hi, Mom. Aren’t you supposed to be on your honeymoon?”
“We’re at the airport. I wanted to call and see how you were.”
“I’m good. On my way to the garage. I met with Skye for lunch and then bought myself a new car.”
“I’m so proud of you. Text me a photo of it. Allen wanted to apologize again for Sean’s misbehavior. Sean had to go to the hospital to have his eyes cleaned out. He was furious and wanted to call the police but we both warned him that we would stand by you and that assaulting a woman would never be supported by either of us. He decided not to press charges and the officer who arrived seemed reluctant to even write anything down when he understood what happened. I’m glad you were able to leave before any of that.”
“I don’t blame you or Allen for what happened. Thank you for your support.”
“They are calling to board our flight. I’ll see you when I return.”
“Enjoy! Give my love to Allen.”
“I love you, Bethany Joelle, and I’m so glad you are my daughter.”
“I love you too, Mom.”
Bethany hoped her love for Titus was enough to overcome whatever was between them. If he didn’t want her in his life anymore she had some hard decisions to make. She’d find out soon enough, so with sweaty palms, she grabbed her jacket and headed out to her new car. She wondered what he would think of the personalized plates she ordered—BLY JOEL. She figured it was something her father would have been tickled by.
26
Love recognizes no barriers. It jumps hurdles,
leaps fences, penetrates walls to arrive at its destination full of hope.
Maya Angelou
Titus sat in his office. Work was busy this morning with overhauling a transmission on a mini-van. Thankfully, he’d had no wrecker calls. He’d forgotten that he’d told the men not to come tonight, so he could do some inventory in the shop.
He started right after he got out of work after a quick trip through the fast food lane at a burger place. He spent the first hour going through the checklist in the storeroom and was now in his office trying to reconcile that with what had been ordered. As lonely as the place was, at least Cooper kept him company. He wondered when Bethany would arrive.
He dreaded having a difficult conversation. He needed to learn the truth about Jack and Sean. And perhaps explain about the Facebook photos.
Buried in numbers, he didn’t look up when Cooper barked.
The office door opened.
“Hold on a minute, let me finish this row and I’ll be right with you, B.J.”
Cooper’s growl told him this was not his expected visitor. He looked up as a fist slammed into his eye.
Miles.
Off balance, Titus tried to rise but the fist came at him again. The wheeled office chair slid back, and Titus fell to the ground, the metallic taste of blood on his tongue.
“B.J., huh? That little tart who fooled me? What’d she do to my car? She tripped me, and you kept her identity a secret. I suppose you had a good laugh at her pulling the wool over my eyes. But you didn’t take long to swoop in and steal her, did you?”
“I think you misunderstand.” Titus almost tripped over the growling Cooper as the little dog tried to get between him and Miles.
The dog yelped as the larger man kicked him, but it did not stop the dog from fighting. He finally grabbed ahold of Miles’ jeans and got shook around before letting loose and flying to land against the wall. The dog whimpered.
Titus was helpless to aid the pup who’d seen enough abuse in his short life.
The desk was now between Titus and his attacker.
“I understand plenty. You two had me arrested. I saw the police report. Your name is there as being at the scene.”
“After she called me. You hurt her. You were never nice to her or good enough for her.”
“She should’ve been grateful for my attention. You think she wants you? We’ll see how she feels about the pretty grease monkey when I get through with you.”
Before Titus could reach the door, Miles was on him, grabbing him by the shirt. Titus attempted to throw some punches, but nothing seemed to have an impact. His body ached. His head throbbed. Blood obscured his vision. Miles threw some more punches.
“Titus? Where is everyone?”
Bethany! Titus struggled to rally and free himself.
Miles grinned and tossed Ty against the desk. His head hit the edge and he collapsed on the floor where he received a few more kicks and foul words. Lord, protect Bethany.
~*~
Loud crashes came from the office area.
Bethany stared, her attention caught when Titus fell after Miles threw him.
The large man swung the office door open.
Cooper scampered out with a limp, barking wildly at her, and turning to stand between her and Miles.
“Mangy mutt. Thought I killed you once already.” Miles tried to kick the dog, but the animal dodged and ran.
Bethany backed away and turned to run.
He grabbed her by her cap and pulled it off, his other hand grasping her braid and holding tight. “Miss goody-two-shoes, huh?”
B.J.’s phone fell out of her pocket and he saw it, stomped on it, and kicked it to the wall. He walked her under the hydraulic single post lift that held up a mini-van.
“I wouldn’t do that,” she warned.
“Do what? This?” Still holding her hair, he dragged her over to one side of the car and reached up to pull on the tire.
The entire vehicle rocked above them.
He took her arm and twisted it behind her back.
Pain shot through her.
“You don’t get the right to call the shots. That’s my job. I took care of your boyfriend in there and I’ll take care of you. But first—” He twisted her around, grabbed her chin, and forced a kiss on her lips.
She bit him.
He swore.
She leaned her head back and slammed it forward hitting his nose.
“Why you little…” He tossed her against the wall and her head hit the lever for the lift. Instead of coming down slowly as it was designed to, it collapsed. He hit the ground and howl
ed in pain as the entire weight of the car landed on his chest.
Silence.
A dark pool of blood began to spread underneath his head.
Bethany gasped for air as she fought to stay conscious. Titus and Cooper needed her. Was Miles dead? She closed her eyes and willed her lungs to fill.
Gasp!
Her lungs began to work. One tooth was loose in her mouth and bleeding.
Cooper limped to her and started licking her tears.
She gently touched the dog who whimpered in pain. “Oh, Coop. You’re my brave little warrior, aren’t you?” She struggled to stand and checked Miles. He had no pulse. She limped to the office with the dog following her. Titus was so still on the floor. His pulse fluttered under her fingers.
Cooper lay down next to him whining.
“Titus. Come on. You need to wake up.” She took off her jacket and wadded it up to put under his head. Her hand shook as she called 911.
“Please, send an ambulance quick. A man is unconscious. He was beaten up. The other man is dead, trapped under a car.”
Assured the ambulance was on the way she set the receiver down on the desk and dialed Will on Ty’s phone.
“Will? Yeah, it’s B.J. Miles was here, and he beat up Cooper and Titus really bad. Can you come and get Coop and take him to the veterinary hospital? I’ve already called an ambulance for Ty.”
“I’m on my way. Did Miles hurt you?” Will asked.
“Yes. Hurry.” She hung up.
“Titus.” She kissed his cheek. “Please, hang in there for me. I love you.” She scratched behind Cooper’s ear, afraid to pet anywhere else. The tail wagged and drooped. “Come on, Coop. You gotta survive this.”
“Are you the one who called in?” An officer stood in the doorway.
She hadn’t heard him enter. Bethany pulled herself up using the desk for support. “Yes.”
“Come with me,” the officer said.
“But, Ty—”
“There’s nothing you can do for him, and the ambulance is pulling up. Come on.”
She followed the officer out of the room, and he took her over to where Mile’s body was trapped. She stared at the wall.
“Did you do this?”
“He assaulted Ty and knocked him out and attacked me tossing me against the lever there. It’s not supposed to drop like that. Something went wrong. He couldn’t get out. He’d been rocking the car by grabbing the tire.”
“Come with me. You’re under arrest for murder.”
“But it was an accident. I didn’t do it on purpose. He threw me.”
“You didn’t bring it back up, did you?”
“No. I didn’t know if it would be safe to do so. I checked him, and he was already dead.”
“You didn’t try to revive him?” Sirens could be heard in the distance and the officer scowled.
She shook her head. Revive a person who tried to kill her? “I don’t know how to do that.”
He grabbed her sore arm, shoved it behind her back, and then grabbed the other one, snapping on the cuffs. Her wrist began to throb. He dragged her out to the unmarked car, shoving her into the back seat. “Don’t bleed all over back there.”
She tried to sit up. All the pain from her struggle with Miles began to make itself known. Her shoulder ached. Her back ribs made it hard to breathe. Her eye was beginning to swell shut. She closed her eyes for the ride to the police station.
Silently she went through the process of booking. Pat down. Fingerprints. Picture. One phone call placed to Roberto Rodrigues’s office that went to voice mail purgatory. Finally, an officer led her to a holding cell with some other women.
“Oh, dear,” one woman said as she stood and gently led Bethany to a metal seat. “I can’t believe they let you out of the hospital looking like this.”
Bethany shook her head. “They didn’t take me there.”
The woman frowned, and the rest murmured about police brutality.
“Can I just lay here on the floor?” Bethany asked. “I’m so tired.”
“Sure.” The woman helped her off the bench and Bethany found the concrete floor cool and hard. A perfect place to wallow in her pain.
Lord, please let Ty and Coop be OK.
27
And ever has it been known that love
knows not its own depth until the hour of separation.
Khalil Gibran
~*~
Tuesday morning, Bethany was taken to court to make her plea. A public defender had been assigned as Roberto hadn’t responded to her call.
The judge frowned when he saw her. “Young lady. These are serious charges. First-degree murder of Miles Wendt. How do you plead?”
“Not guilty, Your Honor.”
The District Attorney stood up. “We believe Miss Hansen to be a flight risk. We would like bond to be set high.”
The public defender didn’t protest.
“Bond is set at $500,000.”
Bethany let her head drop as they escorted her out of the room. Where was Mr. Rodriguez? Why hadn’t he come? Surely this could be resolved in a reasonable manner. Instead she was stuck wearing an orange jumpsuit that made her look like a pumpkin with strawberry blonde hair. She was escorted back to the jail by a kind officer. “Get comfortable, ma’am. Looks like you’ll be here awhile.”
Bethany looked around the new cell. It was smaller than the holding cell and contained two beds. At least she’d be able to sleep more comfortably. Her cell mate rose from the bottom bunk. “Hello. I’m Tammy. What’d you do? Get in a bullfight?”
“I was attacked by a big guy.”
“Did you get him back?”
“He’s dead, but I didn’t mean for it to happen that way. I was trying to escape.”
“Good for you. Did they take you to the hospital to get checked out?”
Bethany shook her head. “No. I just need to sleep.” She looked up to the top bunk. “Any idea how I’m to get up there?”
“Climb on the back side there.”
Bethany nodded and tried to climb up. Her left wrist ached and was swollen. Her right shoulder didn’t want to support her. She gave up. “I’ll just stay down here.” She slid to the floor and wept.
“Now, it can’t be that bad,” Tammy said.
“My shoulder aches and my wrist hurts, and my head is pounding. This is fine. If I die here, tell my boyfriend Titus that I love him. OK?”
“You’re not going to die here. Stop being so dramatic. You can have my bunk. I’m fit but lazy. I can haul my fat behind up there just fine. But if I fall through during the night don’t blame me none.”
Bethany crawled to the bunk and pushed herself onto the mattress. “Thank you, Tammy. May God bless you for your kindness to me.”
“I ain’t done nothing to deserve His blessing.”
“What’d you do?”
“Car theft and they found drugs on me.”
“I’m sorry.”
“What are you apologizing for? I’ve made my choices and I’ve been in jail before and survived. Now a little thing like you? You wouldn’t last long in prison.”
“At this point, I just want to sleep. I hurt all over.”
“I’ll leave you in peace then.” The heavier set woman hauled her body up to the top bunk and the entire frame groaned at her weight but held firm. Soon Bethany heard loud snores from there and hoped they wouldn’t be ricocheting off the walls of her skull where it seemed a construction crew had taken up residence. She shut her eyes and prayed God would take her home from this nightmare.
~*~
Titus awoke but could only see out of one eye. His mother was there, hovering over him.
“Ty?” she whispered.
“Yeah?” he croaked back.
“Thank God you’ve awakened. I was worried about you.”
“Mom, why are you here?”
“Will called and asked me to come. He took Cooper to a veterinary emergency room. Sounds like the dog was beaten up but will likely
survive. They needed to take care of a dislocated hip, so he’ll be hurting for some time. They’re keeping him there for a few days to assess for any internal bleeding. Will was here all last night, but he had to go to work this morning.”
“What day is it?”
“Tuesday afternoon. You’ve been asleep since they found you last night. And Miles—is dead.”
“I remember doing inventory. Bethany Joelle was supposed to stop by to talk. Everything else is a blank.”
“Will said Bethany called him. She said she was injured but seemed more concerned about you and Cooper.”
“Where is she? Is she OK?” He tried to move but the room spun.
“No one has seen hide nor hair of her. There’s a sport utility vehicle parked outside the garage with temporary plates, but no one knows who it belongs to.” His mother patted his shoulder. “Rest. I’m sure we’ll figure it all out.”
“Miles is dead? How?”
“They found him under the tire of a car parked on top of a hydraulic lift.”
“There’s no way anyone would get caught under that given how slow it retracts.”
“They couldn’t get it to work so they had to jack it up the old-fashioned way to get him out. His rib cage was crushed. Now rest and heal. You’ve got a serious head injury and the best thing for you is to relax. Let the police deal with the rest.”
“OK, Mom. If you insist. But if you could find Bethany, I’d appreciate it.”
“I’ll give her a call.”
~*~
Dan Wink called Roberto. “We had a break-in at the garage last night and a man was killed. I took the video feeds from all the installed cameras. Will the ministry be at risk because of this?”
“Your insurance coverage includes that kind of event, although it’s considered rare in a garage like yours. I’d like to see the video footage.”
“I can bring it over or you can come here.”
“Why don’t I come to the church. I’m tired of being cooped up in this office anyway. Anyone injured in the event?”
“The head of the ministry, Titus Rickmeyer, is in the hospital. Most likely he’ll recover. His dog took a beating too and is in a vet hospital for now.”
“OK. I’ll grab my files. Cue up the recordings. We have several feeds, right?”
Donuts and Detours Page 24
