The Marquesa's Necklace (Oak Grove Mysteries Book 1) (20 page)

“Yes,” was his terse answer.

I spoke loudly. “We’ll be coming back into town at the 20th Street entrance. Can someone meet us there?”

I listened for the response. “There will be a local officer and a highway patrol unit. Stay on the line until you get there.”

“It’ll be about five minutes.” I checked my rearview mirror again. No one was behind us. “Might as well sit back and enjoy the scenery,” I told Elijah. “We lost ’em.” Good thing, because the blacktop on this road was in bad shape and I couldn’t risk any more evasive moves.

“Where did you learn to drive like that?” Elijah asked. The color had returned to his cheeks, and he leaned back into his seat.

I glanced at the phone he held. He got the hint and punched a button. “We’re on mute,” he said.

“Jake taught me.” I kept my eyes on the road. This time of year, lost tourists might stop in the middle of the road, gazing at the colorful trees. “It was a game we played. We used to drive around, looking for roads like this one and plotting getaway strategies. I had no idea he might actually be planning to use the information someday.” I fought back a stray tear. The after effects of the adrenalin rush, I told myself. “I certainly never figured I would be the one who needed to put our plans into action.”

He nodded, and twisted around to look behind us. “Still clear,” he said, and punched the button on the phone to take us off mute.

The car that pulled in behind us a few miles from town set off the alarms in my head until I noticed the light bar on top. A second glance confirmed it as state trooper’s vehicle. I stepped on my brakes ever-so-slightly to acknowledge him.

He followed us all the way to the city line where I could see a local police car stationed, lights flashing. As the trooper peeled off and headed to his next call, I waved my hand in acknowledgment. I pulled off behind the waiting officer and rolled down my window. The man coming our way was familiar and I relaxed.

“Officer Felton,” I greeted him with a smile.

“Morning, Miss Duprie,” he said, touching the brim of his hat like an old-time sheriff. The gesture made me smile even more. “Heard you ran into a spot of trouble this morning.”

“The department is going to need to increase their budget next year just to handle my cases,” I told him.

His mouth twitched. I swear he was trying not to laugh. “If you’ll drive on to the station, I’ll follow you,” he said. “And please stay within the speed limit.”

I batted my eyes at him. “Don’t I always?” He chuckled as he returned to his patrol car.

Inside the station, Elijah and I were escorted to the same office. I wondered when I saw the cane leaning against the desk, and my concerns proved correct. Freddie came into the office a few moments later and sat, heavily, in the chair behind the desk.

“What are you doing here?” I asked. “Shouldn’t you be at home?”

“I think that’s my question,” he grinned, but I noted how carefully he was moving. “Sitting around and doing nothing all day long drove me stir crazy, so I blackmailed my doctor into releasing me for light duty. I can only stand to watch so many cop shows. But don’t tell Sarah, okay?”

I nodded. I owed him a favor or two myself.

“So any idea who was chasing you?” Obviously, he had already been filled in on the basics of the case.

“No idea.” I said, shrugging my shoulders. “Major assumption? Whoever it was is somehow tied to the two guys who grabbed me. They are both still in custody, right?”

Freddie grunted. “First thing we checked, and the answer is yes.” Both men had been moved to more secure facilities while they awaited trial. Based on the seriousness of the charges, bail had been denied. “We’re going through channels to see if we can get any new information from them. They haven’t cooperated yet, so I doubt they’ll reveal something now.”

I shouldn’t have expected anything else.

“Were you able to get a tag?”

“I was a little too busy driving.”

Elijah coughed. Freddie grinned. “Yes, we had a few reports of the chase. How come you never told me you were such a good driver, Harmony?”

I was glad there were no witnesses to my maneuvers once we had left town. Except for Elijah, of course, and he was staying awfully quiet. “I never had a reason to bring up the subject,” I answered, looking down at my hands. The hangnail I’d noticed this morning now seemed fascinating.

“When they get done fixing the Mustang, you and I need to find an empty parking lot somewhere out of town, and have a contest.” He started to laugh, but caught his breath. I guessed he wasn’t as healed up as he pretended to be, and felt even guiltier about him being hurt.

“I am so sorry, Freddie.” Leaning forward, I rested my hand on top of his.

He looked startled, but didn’t pull his hand away. “What do you have to apologize for?” he asked.

“For you getting hurt. It was me they wanted, and you were in the way.” I studied a stain in the carpet. “You might’ve been killed and I would’ve been responsible.”

Freddie slowly eased out of his chair and walked around the desk. He reached out and stroked my cheek, then gently pulled me up so I stood face to face with him. I heard a noise from behind me where Elijah sat, but all my attention was focused on Freddie.

“You’re not to blame,” he said. “I can’t even blame Hennessey, as much as I would like to.” He glanced over at Elijah. “Not you. I’m glad you were there for Harmony when I couldn’t be. I wish we could assign an officer to guard her full time, but the department doesn’t have the personnel to do that.”

The fear I had that the two men wouldn’t get along disappeared. I leaned in, intending to give Freddie a peck on the cheek, but he turned back to me at just the right moment and our lips met. I went with the moment, and gave him a full-on kiss. There wasn’t any magic in the kiss, not that I expected any. Call it a thank you or a thanks for the memories gesture, but mostly I meant it as a kiss between friends. And I think he understood.

However, from the look on his face when Freddie and I pulled apart, I’m not sure Elijah did.

Before we pulled out of the parking spot in front of the police station, I checked Dolores’ tires. I’d left some rubber on the road during my maneuvers and was concerned about how much tread I had left. The old penny in the grooves trick told me they were okay for now.

Elijah already had his seat belt on when I climbed into the driver’s seat. It made me grin.

“Well, that ruined my plans for the day,” I said as I turned the key. I still got a kick out of the sound of Dolores’ engine purring. George had sounded more like a wheezy old man. “So what do you want to do now?”

“Get you packed and move you back to the hotel,” he answered. I thought he was joking until I saw that his mouth was set in a hard line.

“What good will that do? By now, anyone who has been tracking me knows where you are staying.” Logic is a bummer sometimes.

“It’ll make it easier for the professional bodyguard I’ve got coming to keep an eye on you.”

So that was what he was doing texting on his phone while we were inside. I turned the engine off. I don’t drive drunk, and I don’t drive when I am boiling mad.

“Oh?” Ice dripped from the word. “Who made you God? Did you ever think you should have asked me first?”

“Are you going to argue with me about this after what happened this morning?”

I counted to forty. “I outran, out-thought and out-drove whoever that was following us. Could your professional bodyguard do any better?”

His expression didn’t soften at all. “What would have happened if they started shooting? You don’t have a gun tucked under your seat, do you?”

“No, but you have one.” Oh yeah, he hadn’t ever mentioned it, but I recognized the slight bulge under his arm. I’d spotted it days ago.

He didn’t even look embarrassed. “It won’t do you a damn bit of good when I’m in Florida,” he snapped.

That shut me up for a good twenty seconds. Now? He was going to leave me now after what had just happened? “Florida?” I asked finally. I’d gotten used to having him around.

“Yes, Florida. I’ve got business to take care of. You didn’t think I was going to stick around forever, did you?”

“No, I figured once you paid off whatever favor you owed Jake for, you would take off. You’re a Hennessey, after all. So don’t worry about your bodyguard. If I want one, I can hire my own.” I’d moved to ice-cold-angry and then on to bitch in record time. It was better than allowing myself to show how I really felt.

Abandoned.

Chapter Twenty-Six

A knock on the window interrupted our argument. Glancing over, I identified Officer Felton and rolled down the window. From the way he examined our faces, he suspected something was up. But he didn’t mention it.

“Thought you folks would like to know,” he said, “Highway Patrol located the car that chased you. Found fifteen miles south of town.”

“Let me guess,” I said. “Stolen, and no one in it.”

Officer Felton grimaced. “Right on both counts. They found it on a dirt road, and tracks at the scene indicate whoever abandoned it got a ride from someone else. HP will check for prints, of course, but they aren’t too hopeful of finding any.”

“Figures,” Eli muttered from his side of the car.

I nodded. I wouldn’t have expected anything different. “You’ll contact me with any updates, Officer?”

“We’ll be in touch.” He patted Dolores’ roof. “Drive safely, Miss Duprie.”

I rolled up the window and adjusted the heater. A definite chill hung in the air. Halloween was coming, and we always had at least one light snow before the end of October. I made myself a mental reminder to buy that blanket for Dolores, and to pull the heavy quilt out of storage for myself.

“Are you still going to fight me on the bodyguard?” Elijah asked, a deep frown drawing lines in his face.

I didn’t answer. After starting Dolores back up, I checked my mirrors, and gently nudged her onto the street. I glanced at them frequently on the way home, but the trip was uneventful, if extremely quiet. We arrived back at my place and I pulled into the spot behind Elijah’s rental car.

“Have a good trip home,” I said, and waited for him to get out. The car was suddenly too small and he was too close. I half-expected him to pull his gun and force me to drive to the hotel. Either that or try to kiss me. I hoped for the latter.

He did neither. Instead, he opened his door and climbed out. “The guy’s name is Bob Stangel,” he said, with his hand on the door. “He should be here in a few hours. I’ll tell him to come here instead of the hotel.”

“You’re assuming I’ll be here,” I pointed out. “Maybe I will be, maybe I won’t.”

“Damn it, Harmony, don’t do this.”

“Tell Lando and Scotty I said hi.” I revved Dolores’ engine, hoping he would get the hint.

He pulled his laptop from behind the seat and started to close the door. I braced myself for the expected slam. Instead, the door swung open again and he slid back in. “Fuck it,” he swore, his voice harsh.

Surprised, I looked at him. “Don’t you have somewhere to be?”

“Not if you won’t trust me enough to put up with Mr. Stangel for a few days. The job can go to hell.”

“You’ll lose your job?” I squeaked. A flood of guilt washed over me. “Why didn’t you say so?”

“I meant to. I thought it would be safe to leave for a few days, and then this morning happened. Now I’m damned if I do and damned if I don’t. So I contacted the agency who is providing Mr. Stangel. It’s the only thing I could come up with.” He took a deep breath. “Do you want me to beg, Harmony?”

I caved. He guilted me into it. “Go catch your plane. Tell the bodyguard I’ll be expecting him. But here. Not at the hotel.” I had to save face somehow.

*****

It’s only for a few days, I reminded myself. I could put up with him for that long. Unobtrusive, he wasn’t. His method of protecting me was to cross his arms and stare malevolently at anyone who approached me. He’d hand me the paper each morning and then escort me back upstairs while Piper went nuts barking at him. Piper didn’t like him either.

I stopped going to the library because he scared the other patrons. He was a six-foot something bundle of overdone muscles, bad vibes, and tightly coiled nerves who never smiled. Not sure if he could with the scar that ran down his left cheek. I was afraid to ask him how he got it.

The day it snowed, I invited him into the apartment while I searched for information on the sex lives of the scientists at the South Pole. Sure, the quarters were crowded, but if you throw men and women together like that and leave them stuck in isolation for six months, sex is bound to happen. But no one talked about it. That’s when I realized how much I missed Elijah. I wasn’t going to try to crack jokes about sex on ice with Mr. No-Personality. When it warmed up the next day and the snow melted, I banished him to his van.

Wednesday night at the Flamingo was a bust. With him glowering at me the entire time, none of us could relax. He made the other customers uncomfortable too. Randy, the bartender, finally slipped me a note, asking me to get him to leave. The only way that would happen was if I left, so I did.

And Halloween? I didn’t expect the kids to tromp up the outside steps to my place, and I enjoyed handing out candy and seeing the costumes. Normally, I wrapped up in a blanket and sat at the bottom of the stairs with a cup of hot cocoa and handed out treats from there. Mr. Grumps-A-Lot didn’t like the idea at all. Heck, he was scarier in his every day long black coat than the kids in their costumes. He wouldn’t stay in his van but I made him sit on the landing behind me so he wouldn’t upset the youngest children too much. The teenagers escorting their younger brothers and sisters thought he was a cool prop I’d added to my minimal decorations.