And Then She Was Gone(72)
Courtney shrugged her shoulders. “Maybe. I don’t think so. I think he’s just jealous.”
“What’s his last name—”
Kelly, Stephanie, and Leesa came hurrying out of the boutique. Kelly had two shopping bags in each hand. “I bought a sweet outfit for Friday.”
Jack forced a smile. “Can’t wait.” He reached for the passenger door handle on the Impala. “Can I talk to you Kelly, for a second?”
“Oh, no!” Leesa grabbed Kelly’s arm. “Hair and nails! We’re late. We’ll lose our spot.”
Kelly shook her head. “You guys go.”
“You have to come, Kelly!” Stephanie grabbed her other arm. “You’re paying.”
Kelly looked pleadingly at Jack.
“Go,” Jack said. “I’ll call you later.”
“I’ll call you tonight. I miss you.” Kelly blushed.
As the four of them hurried down the sidewalk, Courtney turned around and mouthed, “I’ll call you.”
Jack hopped back in his car and pulled out. And as he drove down the street, he kept his eyes peeled for a silver BMW.
Jack walked through the east entrance of Hamilton Park. The park looked much prettier during the day than it did at midnight, but even with the sun rising in the sky, Jack was on edge. In the same way a carpenter could stand in the middle of a finished home but still picture the frame and joists hidden beneath the walls, Jack watched the smiling people chatting away and playing Frisbee but knew the dangers that lurked unseen there. Drugs, prostitution, homelessness: they faded during the day, but they weren’t gone. Just harder to see.
Jack had only gone a little way when he saw Michelle walking across the park by herself.
“Michelle!” he called.
She turned and waved, then ran over to him. “What’s up, my brother?”
“What are you doing out here by yourself?” Jack asked.
“What? I went to the Y.”
“You shouldn’t be walking in the park alone.”
Michelle looked around, confused. “It’s during the day. It’s fine. And I’m on my way home.”
“I don’t care. The park’s dangerous. Come on.” Jack motioned for her to follow him.
“Where?”
“I’m walking you home. Come on.”
Michelle made a face. “You sound like Aunt Haddie.” But she fell into step beside him. “Are you all right?”
“Yeah.”
“Not a good day?”
“Nope.”
“Do you want to talk about it?”
“Well, for starters, I found out I just got someone fired.”
Jack told her about Jeremy. He always found it easy to talk to Michelle. She listened politely and only asked an occasional question.
As they walked, Jack talking and Michelle listening, Jack found his eyes drawn to a man in the distance, walking toward them from the other direction. Something about the man seemed off. Maybe it was his crisp tan pants and bright new shirt? But as Jack kept an eye on him, he changed his mind—it was the man’s walk that stood out. He was tall but his stride was hitched, as though he was forcing himself to walk slowly.
Jack stopped.
“What’s up?” Michelle asked.
Jack pressed a finger to his lips. He felt as if he were watching a bad actor in a play. Someone given the simple task of walking across the stage and nodding.
And that’s what the man did. He was approaching a woman on a bench—a tall, shapely brunette, dressed for summer. He nodded to the woman, then looked forward again. But his motions were stiff and robotic and not natural at all. When he reached the end of the bench, he took his hand out of his pocket and dropped something.
The bad theatrics caused Jack’s adrenaline to kick in.
He’s setting her up. Like a spider and a fly, he’s drawing her in closer to him.
The woman rose off the bench and walked nearer to the man. She called out to him, and he stopped. She bent down and picked up whatever it was he’d dropped.
The man walked back toward the woman.
She looked down at the object in her hand.
The man moved even closer.
“That guy’s up to something,” Jack said to Michelle. “Listen, run to the front of the park and get a cop.”
“What’s going on? I’m not leaving you.”
“No. Get a cop. Understand?”
Michelle turned and bolted for the entrance.
Jack jogged down the path. Neither the man nor the woman saw him approaching.
The woman suddenly jumped away from the man as though she had seen a snake. She ran, but the man’s hand snapped out and seized her wrist.
Jack sprinted forward.
“Let go of me!” the woman screamed.
Jack’s long legs covered the distance in seven strides.