Ladd Fortune (32 page)

Delaney flipped it open with
a sharp intake of breath.
Jeremiah’s
. She looked at Nick, then
Gavin. “This belongs to Ernie’s son, Jeremiah.”

“
That’s what I thought. I
only know of one Ladd family around these parts and that’s yours,”
Gavin said pleasantly. “When did he get back in town?”

Delaney’s first instinct was to explain
it wasn’t a friendly visit, but she hesitated.

“
Where did you find the
wallet, officer?” Nick asked.

Gavin straightened and clicked back
into business mode. “Downtown. I was concerned, because it was
found in an area known for criminal activity.” Gavin turned to
Delaney. “Is Jeremiah okay?”

She wanted to shout, “No, he’s a
troublemaker who deserved the beating he got!” But fearing that
would make her look guilty, she nodded, brushed her hair behind an
ear. “As far as I know. I saw him earlier today,” she said,
checking with Nick to see if she was on the right track. He
discreetly encouraged her. “But I haven’t seen him
since.”

“
Hmm.” Gavin opened the
wallet and furrowed his sandy brow. “Looks like he was robbed.
There’s no cash and no credit cards.”

“
Nothing less than I would
expect, if you say you found it in a rough part of town,” she
replied. “Would you like me to give it to him if I see him again?”
She had no plans to see him, but she wanted to sound normal.
Helpful.

“
Thanks, but I’d better keep
it. We’re running the fingerprints on it now.”

“
Good thinking,” she said,
her mind zipping through potential pitfalls. Were there any? She
flashed a glance at Nick. Like maybe his or Malcolm’s prints
showing up?

Gavin smacked the wallet against the
heel of his palm and said, “Well, when you see Jeremiah, tell him
not to make a stranger of himself.” He chuckled. “I wouldn’t mind
seeing the old boy again.”

Delaney thought,
Think again
.
Jeremiah isn’t the same kid they grew up
with
. But she murmured respectfully, “I
will.”

She waved Gavin goodbye and closed the
door before turning to Nick. “What do you think?”

“
I think they’ll find the
fingerprints of whoever robbed Jeremiah of his wallet.” Delaney’s
thoughts balled into a knot of curiosity. Nick took her face in
hands. “It wasn’t me, so wipe that suspicious look off your
face.”

“
What?’

“
You heard me.” Nick leaned
down and kissed her, soft and sweet. “You need to have some
patience. The police will get Jeremiah in due time, and they won’t
be arresting me along with him.” He grinned and winked at her.
“Shame on you to think otherwise.”

Troy gunned the engine of his truck and
accelerated, spinning the steering wheel in a tight reverse out of
his parents’ carport. Casey was waiting for him at Fran’s Diner.
They were going out again tonight and he didn’t want to be late.
Casey was cool. Sweet and pretty, she didn’t judge him. She
believed in him. He swiped a glance at the upstairs window. It was
more than he could say for anyone else around here.

As expected, his parents hit the roof
when he told them he wasn’t going to college. He explained his
plan, laid out his vision, but all they did was try and talk him
out of it, as though forcing him to go to a college and get a
degree he didn’t want was a smart idea. It wasn’t. It was stupid
and it wasn’t going to happen. Picking up his cell from the center
console, Troy dialed Casey’s number. Bringing the phone to ear, he
slowed. A police car emerged from around the wooded curve, heading
in.

“
Aw, crap.” Casey answered
and he said, “I’m running late, but don’t leave, okay?” Troy
watched the squad car near, the officer’s eyes pinned on him. “I’ll
be there,” he clipped, “so don’t go anywhere, hear?”

Troy and the police officer veered to
the opposite sides of the driveway, splitting the difference. What
the hell were police doing on his property? The officer rolled down
his window and looked up at him. “This the Parker home,
right?”

“
It is.”

“
I’m looking for a Troy
Parker.” The blonde officer squinted slightly, as though
recognizing him through a fog. It was getting dark Troy thought,
but not that dark. “Do you know where I might find him?” the man
asked.

A sudden flood of nerves cut across his
midsection. “I’m Troy Parker. What’s the problem,
officer?”

Glancing toward the home behind him, he
said, “I have a couple of questions, if you don’t mind.”

“
Naw, I don’t mind,” he said
politely. Troy slid the gear into park and jumped out of his truck.
The police officer emerged from his vehicle more cautiously. Angst
zipped through him. Was he here to arrest him? Had he somehow found
out about last night?

“
Do you know a Jeremiah
Ladd?”

Troy nearly crapped his pants. “Yeah.
What about him?”

“
He was robbed last
night.”

Beaten, too, but Troy kept his mouth
shut.

“
He said you might know
something about it?”

“
Me
?
I don’t know anything about any robbery,” he exclaimed. “Why’s he
bringing my name up?”

“
That’s what I’m here to
find out.” The officer glanced up at the house again. “Are your
parents home?”

Yes, but this is a really bad time. Any
more bad news and they might throw him out! “They don’t know
anything about it, either.”

The officer smiled, as though to say
“nice try.” “Maybe we should be having this conversation with
them.”

Stuffing his doubt deeper, Troy squared
off. “I’m eighteen. They don’t have any reason to be
involved.”

Appearing amused by Troy’s response,
the officer nodded. “Okay.” He rested his hands along his gun belt
and asked, “Where were you last night?”

“
Out.”

“
Out with whom?”

“
Myself.”

The man raised his brow.
“Eighteen-year-old boys go out by themselves these
days?”

Troy didn’t like the man’s insulting
tone. “I don’t need anyone to hold my hand.”

“
Where’d you go?”

“
Bowling.”

“
Bowling?”

Troy nodded. He did stop by the bowling
alley on his way out of town with Casey.

“
There’s only one bowling
place in town, son.”

“
I know it.”

“
You have someone there who
can verify your story?”

“
Dad gum, it ain’t no story.
Why don’t you go ask them and see for yourself?”

“
This isn’t a joke,
boy.”

“
I didn’t say it was.”
Troy’s pulse quickened at the sight of a taxi cab pulling in behind
the police officer. He watched the car roll to a stop and stared at
the back door as it opened. His stomach pitched. What the hell
was
she
doing
here?

The officer turned and watched Loretta
Flynn strut over, the dirt driveway proving tricky for her
four-inch heels. Wearing her infamous combination of short skirt
and skintight top, tonight’s top a leopard print, she hurried to
Troy’s side. Concern ripped through her features. Her heavily
made-up blue eyes rounded. “Honey, are you in trouble?”

The officer crossed his arms and
broadcast his surprise at Loretta’s presence.

“
No, Loretta. I ain’t in no
trouble. What are you doing here?” he asked, mindful they were
being watched.

Loretta slid a hand up his arm and
smiled. “I came to see you.”

“
Isn’t she a little old for
you, son?” the officer asked with a smirk.

Troy wanted to punch him in the face.
Loretta’s smile broadened, apparently taking it as a compliment to
her.

“
This your boyfriend,
ma’am?”

“
I wish,” she
said.

Troy cursed under his breath. “She’s a
friend,” he insisted, peeling her off of him—which was a challenge,
the way she kept sidling up to him, all clingy like. Then to her,
Troy repeated, “What are you doing here?”

“
I came to tell you that I’m
leaving. I’m leaving Jerry and I’m going back to
Atlanta.”

Troy groaned inwardly. Way to go,
Loretta.

The officer perked at the mention of
the name. “Jerry? Would that happen to be in reference to Jeremiah
Ladd?”

“
Yes,” she answered. “You
know him?”

“
He was robbed last night,”
the officer said, suddenly taking a keen interest in her. “Were you
with him when it happened?”

“
No. I wouldn’t have
anything to do with that man.”

“
I thought you said you were
leaving him.”

“
I know. I’m the one who
said it,” Loretta snipped. “You might want to get your hearing
checked if you’re still confused.”

The officer’s face reddened, his anger
easily readable in the golden light of sunset. Time was ticking,
and Troy was itching to get out of here. “Well, if you’re though
with me, I’ll be going.”

“
Troy?” Loretta asked, her
voice pinched with hurt. “Aren’t you gonna say goodbye?”

“
Goodbye, Loretta.” It’s not
like they were an item, or anything. She had used him and he used
her. There was no reason for emotional goodbyes.

Loretta grabbed his face and planted a
wet kiss on his lips, leaving half her shiny pink gloss on his
mouth. “Bye, Troy. I’ll miss you.”

Don’t. Troy wiped the sticky
lip gloss from his lips.
The feeling isn’t
mutual
.

Loretta strolled back to her cab with
what Troy would swear was an exaggerated swing to her hips, hopped
in her cab, and the vehicle backed out.

“
You sure you weren’t angry
with her boyfriend?” the officer pressed, smoothing out his tone as
if he was on Troy’s side. “Fights over a woman happen every
day.”

“
I didn’t beat up
Jeremiah.”

The officer angled his head. “Now
that’s interesting. I never mentioned anything about him receiving
a beating.”

“
He did. A bad one. I saw
him this morning over at Fran’s Diner.”

The officer nodded that he’d heard but
didn’t seem convinced.

Troy asked again, “If you’re through
with me?” He wasn’t stupid. He knew he had rights. No police
officer could interrogate him without a lawyer unless he agreed to
answer the questions.

“
Don’t go anywhere, kid. I
might need to ask you a few more questions. We’re running prints on
the guy’s wallet. You better hope they’re not yours.”

They ain’t, he thought, and
with a glance toward his house, spotted his father staring out the
upstairs window. Great. He climbed into his truck. Tomorrow was
gonna be a
great
day.

Chapter Twenty-Four

Malcolm and Lacy joined Nick and
Delaney for breakfast at Fran’s. Sunlight saturated the interior of
the restaurant, lighting up the red vinyl booths, the black and
white checkered floor. A floor that was gleaming, Malcolm noted,
polished and ready to handle another day of heavy foot traffic.
Perusing the laminated menu, Malcolm felt the nine-thirty food call
was a bit early. But without Lacy in his bed, there was no sense in
wasting the day. Last night after dinner and dancing at Whiskey
Joes, she had refused his invitation for a nightcap at his hotel.
Something about milk and cows which made no sense at the time, but
eventually he got the gist. No sex. She was holding out for
marriage these days. “Cup of coffee, black.”

“
Coming right up,” Fran
replied, scribbling on her petite notepad, then headed for the
kitchen.

Sitting by his side, Lacy turned in the
booth. “Black? No cream, no sugar?”

“
Black, like the strands of
your hair,” he replied, raking the top of her head with a hot,
hungry glance. They should be in bed right now, ordering room
service.

Lacy smacked him lightly on the
shoulder. “Be serious.”

“
I am. I like my coffee
black. I like your hair black. I like your black boots. I’d like
you in anything black,” he added, struck by thoughts of her in lacy
underwear.

Lacy giggled. Malcolm caught a glimpse
of Nick and Delaney, staring. Delaney’s face was wrenched in
disgust while Nick’s bore the spark of amusement. He didn’t care
what they thought. He was happy. “Any word on Jeremiah?” he asked
Nick, ignoring their prurient curiosity.

“
None,” Nick replied,
clearly enjoying Malcolm’s new friendship with Lacy.

“
Shouldn’t take them this
long,” Malcolm grumbled.

“
They have to find him
first.”

“
Speak of the devil.” With a
flick of his eyes, Malcolm indicated the front door.

Nick and Delaney turned in unison to
see Jeremiah Ladd walk into the diner. Hanging by the cash
register, he glanced around, the brightly-colored paisley of his
shirt out of sync with the traditional red and white country-style
around him. Once he spotted them, his forehead smoothed and he made
a bee line for their table.