A Hunted Man (The Men of Halfway House) (6 page)

When Sam insisted on pushing for an early release, Cameron knew it was pointless to resist Sam's perseverance. All Cam requested of him was to try to keep it quiet with as little interaction as possible with the required personnel. Sam was perplexed at first, but perceptive. Sam never questioned him further.

He toweled off and rummaged through the closet looking for something to wear. He found a pair of jeans that fit comfortably and a white shirt. Finally dressed, he made his way downstairs following the smell of brewing coffee.

"Good morning," Matt greeted him when he arrived to the kitchen. "Did you sleep well?"

Cam nodded as he accepted the cup of coffee. No need to mention the recurring nightmare.

"Have you thought about what you'd like to do yet?"

"Are you talking about a job for now or something deeper here?" Cam asked then kicked himself for sounding harsh.

Matt laughed. "I'm referring to a job. I want to know if you've got any particular interest in mind so I can check our list of business partners for a match."

"Oh. Honestly, I don't care. Any job would be fine. I don't mind what I do as long as I'm not the center of attention or wearing a chicken suit or something."

"You're going to wear a chicken suit?" Julian asked as he entered the kitchen.

Cameron glared at Julian and heard Matt snicker as he handed Julian a mug.

Julian grinned before sipping his coffee.

"Be nice, J."

Julian chuckled. "What about the diner? Bill called me last week to ask if we'd had our first guest arrive yet. I think he's really worried about Lucy," he finished quietly.

"Diner?" Cam asked.

Matt nodded. "Lucy and her husband, Bill, have a diner a few blocks down by the business district. It's a small shop but it's been there for quite some time. Sandwiches, coffee, baked goods, stuff like that," Matt replied.

"Best damn cookies I've ever had," Julian quickly added in between sips of his coffee. "She makes all the stuff right there at the diner."

"Is that something you'd be interested in?" Matt asked.

Cameron shrugged. It sounded low-key, quiet, and casual. "Sounds fine."

Julian pushed off from the counter. "I'll give her a call. Maybe she'll like you and won't make you wear the muffin suit during sales," he said before leaving the kitchen.

"Don't listen to him," Matt said, waving his hand in the air. "Did you get a chance to go through the paperwork and handbook? Do you have any questions?"

Cam was momentarily distracted, still hanging on Julian's last words. "No questions."

"Okay. Well, if anything comes up just ask. I know it's a lot to take in."

Cam nodded.
No kidding.

Julian rejoined them a few moments later. "Lucy's cool with Cam working there and is anxious to meet him. Said anytime was good. I'm on my way to run a few errands. I can drop you guys off at the diner."

Matt looked over at Cam, waiting for an answer.

This is quick.
Out one day, job the next. "Let me call that number first to see if I need to do a drug test today then I'm ready to go."

"Great, I'll get the forms while you make your call," Matt eagerly said.

"Hi, Lucy," Matt greeted the older woman.

"Hello, sweetheart," she responded with an embrace. "Where is your young man?" she asked Matt.

"He dropped us off and had to leave but asked me to beg you to save a cookie for him this afternoon," he said with a flush of color in his face.

Lucy smiled and patted his cheek. "You boys and your sweets." She laughed softly then looked over to Cameron.

Cam didn't know what to say or do so he did what he knew best…stand still and stay quiet while he observed his surroundings. The diner sat on the corner of the building, two sides framed with windows from top to bottom, which provided an easy view of the neighboring streets. He looked around and liked the cozy atmosphere. The place was welcoming but seemed more like a bakery than a diner. Absent was the traditional barstool counter area. Instead, the sitting area was off to the left side with a little over a dozen small tables to easily accommodate a respectable lunch-size crowd. To his right, a glass case with clear shelves of various cold salads and sandwich ingredients began on one corner and joined with a smaller glass display of baked goods before reaching the cash register at the center of the diner. Behind the register area, he could see an open doorway leading to a back room with a large wall oven and more shelving.

"You must be Cameron," Lucy said quietly.

He responded with a nod and half smile then looked down. "You can call me Cam. It's nice to meet you, Lucy."

"It's a pleasure to meet you as well. Would you be able to start today?" she asked.

"That would be fine," he responded. He would love to start immediately and find something to do to keep busy. Although he liked his new room, he was anxious to actually have a job and work—something he hadn't had a chance to do since he was a teenager.

"Great!" Matt enthusiastically remarked. "I've actually got the paperwork here."

After leaving the necessary forms, Matt left Cameron alone with Lucy. As usual, Cam fell silent.

"Why don't we start by showing you around," Lucy said, breaking into his thoughts. She carefully wrapped her arm around his and watched him, as if trying to gauge his reaction.

He looked at Lucy appraisingly. She had that maternal quality that felt as if she could hold you in an embrace and soothe all the wrongs in the world. He placed his large hand on her smaller one and smiled.

She returned the smile and guided him around the little diner. She led him toward the back area, and he saw several ovens, a countertop with various-sized mixing bowls and baking tools. Off to the side was a small desk area, which probably doubled as their office, in between stacks of boxes.

"This is my little piece of heaven," she said with a smile.

"You like to bake stuff?" he asked.

"I'm the baker and Bill is the sandwich guy," she said with a warm smile. The love for her husband was obvious in her wistful expression. She neared Cam and whispered, "It's why we call it a diner and not a bakery."

Cameron genuinely laughed.

"Bill has a bad back so I usually have the boxes of supplies stacked in the corners when they're delivered. He's stubborn, so he won't admit he can't do it."

"Got it."

She walked over to the far end of the room and began trying to push away a few boxes. Cam immediately jumped in and lifted the boxes out of the way. She opened the double door and revealed an empty storage closet.

"Um, why is the closet empty?" he asked. "Most of the stuff in these boxes can probably fit in there. That would help organize things and free up some space to sort out the front and this back room," he asked perplexed. Seemed logical as hell to him to actually
use
the storage closet.

She patted Cam on the shoulder. "Sweetheart, you're working with two very old people who can't lift more than a tray of baked goods."

Cam nodded. "I'll take care of it. How are you guys with reaching and steps?" he asked, remembering that his mom used to use a tiny step stool to reach the upper levels of their pantry.

"Reaching is fine, one or two steps would work as well."

"Got it," he said while his mind immediately started cataloging things he could do with the closet space.

"Bill should be here shortly. Let me get you an apron and go through the different items and prices. I've also got to show you how to work the machines and the register. We have tons to do. Come, come," she said excitedly.

"Um, Lucy, one question," Cam asked hesitantly.

"Yes," she asked.

"Uh, do I have to wear a muffin suit or something like that?"

Lucy scrunched her eyebrows. "Remind me to smack Julian when he comes by to pick you up later," she said as she walked away, shaking her head.

"Hunter, I need you to take these additional cases," Chief Assistant State Attorney Melanie Richards said as she handed over the files.

Hunter took the four folders and looked up at his boss in disbelief. "When did these get in?" he asked.

"We're getting slammed. I don't know what the hell is going on out there," she said with a sigh. "I think it's that new guy running the streets," she finished as she took a seat on his couch and rubbed her temples.

"Even then, you've got to admit, this is a ton of cases coming in, Mel. What the hell?"

"No kidding. I think Mr. Mayor is trying to showcase reduced crime as a major political point on the election ticket so he's pushing the cops, the judges, everyone."

"He picked the worst year to do it. I've got a huge stack of cases on my desk."

Melanie turned her head to the side to stretch her neck. "Did you get any red ones yesterday?"

"Yeah. Six of them."

She sighed then relaxed immediately after Hunter heard the pop of her neck.

Six related to his cases, four to hers. He really wanted to know who was supplying the detailed information and how the hell they knew what he and Melanie were working on at any given time.

Mel stretched her arms across the back of the couch. "I want to know who the hell is sending them over."

Hunter exhaled heavily and nodded. "Hey, how was your date last night with Rick?"

"Are you kidding me? You're thinking of a piece of ass now in the middle of this shitstorm?"

Hunter laughed. "Like you're not. Besides, I live vicariously through your hot dates."

Melanie sighed. "I had to cancel again. I feel horrible."

"You better stop cancelling on him. Finding a guy who loves your grace with the English language isn't easy."

"Fuck you."

"Careful, you're giving me a hard-on."

Melanie snorted a laugh. "Why are you single?"

"'Cause you're straight and I'm not."

Melanie shook her head and smiled. "How's your dad doing?"

Hunter shifted in his seat. "He's fine. Stubborn as always but he's taking his meds and trying to eat right. I've got to sneak over there every now and then to throw out his stash of bacon."

"Don't give him such a hard time. He's trying," she said before standing.

"I know."

"I think he just wants you to come by more often. I wouldn't put it past him to keep a pack of bacon around just so you can find it. Gives you an excuse to come by, you know?"

Hunter rubbed his face. "I know, I know. I need to see him more often. He worries about me so I figured I'd spare him that extra bit of stress."

She patted him on the shoulder. "I've got court in ten. I'll see you later," she finished with a wave good-bye.

Hunter sat back in his chair and looked at the new stack then over to his existing pile.
Does it ever end?
He often sat late into the night, reviewing case files and planning his courtroom strategy for trial, or rehearsing his opening and closing statements. He told himself it was simply because he wanted perfection in the courtroom. At least that was his rationalization to justify the early morning and late hours in the offices.

In the end, Hunter fooled everyone but himself. He was committed to his job—that was indisputable. Ultimately, he just didn't want to go home to an empty house. His recent birthday, benchmarking a major milestone, didn't help. No significant relationship or anything he would consider even mildly short-term. He hadn't found someone who could put up with him or the job or anyone who inspired him to entertain the thought of a compromise. He pushed aside his somber thoughts just as he had done endless times before and focused on the new stack of cases on his desk.

* * * *

"So you have the prices for each of the menu items and know how we plan out the daily specials. Any questions?" Lucy eagerly asked.

"I think I've got everything. But what's up with that machine stashed back there in the corner?" Cameron asked, pointing to the stainless steel, double dispensing espresso machine strategically stored behind two boxes of supplies.

Lucy smiled. "Bill hates that thing, so he hides it behind the napkin boxes, thinking I won't see it."

"How can you miss it?" he commented with a laugh.

Lucy neared as if ready to share a big secret. "I think he's scared of it. He refuses to even discuss it. I think he bought it only because I nagged him about it. I thought it would make a great addition to our menu if we offered a few different options rather than the traditional American coffee. But he won't give in."

Cameron quirked an eyebrow. "I'll take care of it," he said with a pat on Lucy's hand.

Cameron straightened his apron and began collecting some of the supply boxes scattered along the shelves, then worked his way into the various cabinets—leaving the coffee machine area for last. He noticed Bill looking over his shoulder whenever he'd near the corner where the machine was hidden. He made several short trips to organize the supply boxes in one of the empty closets in back. Within five minutes, he'd already removed most of the boxes, giving the entire dining area a more organized appearance. He casually worked his way to the boxes of napkins and gave Lucy a smile.