“Come on, Bobo, let’s take a walk.”
Bobo’s legs were short but his attitude was big, and the word walk was always welcome.
Even though the night was chilly, sweat was drying on Reece’s forehead as he walked Bobo through the park, purposefully taking a shortcut that would take him within two blocks of Melissa Sherman’s house. He’d heard the sirens and guessed she’d finally called the cops. He wanted to see what was happening. It was a different kind of high to know she was that kind of scared.
The wire-haired terrier was nosing beneath every bush and sniffing trails left by nocturnal creatures but Reece had other business and all but dragged Bobo back toward her house. They exited the park at a side street and immediately headed for the sidewalk. The moment he saw two cop cars at her place, he grinned. There was another vehicle at the curb and he wondered who it belonged to, but this was no time to get too curious. He decided he would just walk Bobo by the house and maybe get a peek at what was going on as they passed.
Then, as if on cue, a stray cat slunk out from beneath the SUV parked at the curb and took off across the street. Bobo leaped forward so fast the leash slipped from Reece’s hands and he took off running after it. All of a sudden Melissa Sherman’s welfare was playing second fiddle to recovering his dog.
* * *
Carl took the pictures, then bagged up the dead rat and trap, securing everything inside his vehicle before he began to check out the neighborhood.
The lights had been off in every house when they’d arrived, so he doubted there would be any witnesses, but it was his job to ask.
He began with the house north of where Melissa lived and asked them if they’d seen anyone running away from her place earlier. He got a play-by-play of where the residents had been sleeping and what they’d had for supper before going to bed, but no one had seen anything.
He went down the block, knocking on doors and asking the same question without getting a useful answer. He had just started back up the block on the other side of the street when he heard a small dog begin to bark. He turned around to look just as a man came running out of the shadows.
* * *
Reece was a little panicked. He loved Bobo and didn’t want to lose him, but this was not how he’d intended to revisit the scene of the crime. Not only was the dog outrunning him, but Reece was running out of energy.
“Bobo! Bobo! Come back here! Heel, Bobo, heel!” he yelled, and then groaned when he saw an officer come off the porch of the house across the street.
When the cop began running toward him, his heart skipped a beat. But when the officer made a little side step and grabbed the trailing leash and caught Bobo, he relaxed.
Bobo’s escape ended with a yelp as the leash tightened and pulled him up short.
The grateful cat disappeared into the shadows.
Reece approached the cop, winded and gasping with every step, and smiled as the officer handed over the leash.
“This is pretty late at night to be walking a dog,” Carl said.
Reece pretended disgust as he picked Bobo up in his arms. “Tell that to Bobo. He’s the one with the nervous bladder.”
Carl chuckled as he reached over and patted the terrier’s head.
“You’re the man, Bobo,” he said, and then he glanced up. “By any chance, have you seen anyone else on foot in this area in the past thirty minutes or so?”
Reece’s heart skipped a beat. He was actually being questioned as a witness to his own crime. This couldn’t get much better.
“Why? I see patrol cars at Miss Sherman’s house. Did something happen to her?”
“No, she’s fine. Just a prank gone wrong,” Carl said. “So did you see anything or anyone suspicious?”
Reece thought about pointing the finger at someone else and then at the last minute didn’t.
“No, sir, I did not. Bobo and I were originally in the park. I just wound up here trying to catch him.”
Carl nodded. “Okay. Just be on the lookout as you go back.”
“Are we in any danger?” Reece asked, holding Bobo a little tighter.
“I don’t think so, but just be aware.”
“Yes, yes, we will,” Reece said, and hurried away.
It wasn’t until he was back in the park that he began to grin. This had turned into a most interesting night. He gave the little dog a quick hug and kiss.
“Good boy, Bobo, good boy.”
Bobo yipped once.
Reece was still smiling as he reached his vehicle. He put Bobo safely inside, then scooted in beside him and started the engine. It was time to get home and do a little work. Sunrise would be here before he knew it.
Six
Mack walked into the house on autopilot, moving through the rooms without turning on lights. He was still reeling from the unexpected meeting with Melissa. He wanted to hate her, but time and maturity had taken the edge off his rage, and the fear on her face had done a number on his heart.
When he got to his room, he shucked off his clothes, giving them a toss into the corner of the room before crawling into bed. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d slept in this house—most likely it had been years because he lived so close the need had never been there.
He didn’t know if the chief had already contacted the company that serviced the lift, but whenever they came out to test it, he wanted to be there. His dad deserved his full attention, regardless of the outcome.
He rolled over onto his back, pulled up the covers and closed his eyes and, as he did, the image of Lissa standing in the doorway with an expression of total horror on her face immediately flashed on. He tried to get her out of his mind but instead fell asleep dreaming of the past.
* * *
The hot sun was coming in through the skylight at Jackson’s Garage and down onto the back of Mack’s shoulders. He’d come into his own in this, his eighteenth year. His shoulders had widened, and the muscles in his body were toned to a fault from working in his father’s garage for so many years. He knew he was changing outwardly, but what the world had yet to find out was that he was changing inwardly, as well. He had already come to terms with giving up the idea of college and was planning to go to work full-time here as soon as they told their parents about the baby. It wasn’t how he’d planned his future, but the baby was part of their love and he did love Melissa Sherman. And he would be heartily glad when he was through fixing this flat.
He ran his fingers along the side of the tire and then let it bounce once as he dropped it to the floor. As he did, he heard laughing and looked up just as Kelly Pryor and Jessica Shayne, two girls from his graduating class, ran past the open breezeway toward their public restroom.
People in Mystic often used the restroom during working hours because they kept it unlocked, and he thought nothing of it as he rolled the tire over to the car. He squatted down beside the jack, making sure it was still stable before he lifted the tire into place and began replacing the lug nuts.
He had done this so many times in his life that he could have done it blindfolded and had only one lug nut left to put on when the automatic air compressor behind him suddenly kicked off. The abrupt silence was startling, and when he realized he could hear the two girls talking, he glanced over his shoulder, trying to locate the sound.
All he could see was an air vent, and he guessed it must link to the bathroom, which was weird. He made a mental note to say something to his dad, then blocked out their chatter until he heard them say Melissa’s name. He stopped to listen. She was the most important person in his life, and they were facing a life-changing decision.
They’d been struggling to find new footing with each other ever since they’d found out about the baby. It had changed everything they’d planned, from college to career goals. He didn’t know how to talk to her without feeling guilty. She’d cried when she told him she was pregnant, and even though he took just as much blame as she did, they were struggling. But now someone was talking about her, and he felt the need to make sure what they were saying was okay. He leaned forward, listening to the conversation.
“Are you sure?” Kelly asked. “She never seemed like that kind of girl to me.”
Jessica laughed, and he could practically see her roll her eyes. “Oh, come on. She and Mack have been a thing for years. You know they’ve been doing it. I heard from a really good source that she was preggers and all freaked out. You know how uptight her parents are. They would probably kill her.”
“So she’s pregnant. They both graduated. They’ll figure it out,” Kelly said.
“That’s where it gets good,” Jessica hissed. “I heard she already got rid of it. Easy come, easy go.”
Mack reeled as if he’d been punched. He couldn’t believe it, wouldn’t believe it. Granted they were facing a tough situation, but she would never kill their baby. Never. He was still shaking when his dad walked into the garage.
“Mack! Are you through with that tire?”
He knelt back down to put the last lug nut on the wheel and then stood.
“All done,” he said, brushing the dust off his hands. “Hey, Dad, I’m gonna take my lunch break now. I’ll be back around two, okay?”
“Yeah, sure,” he said.
Mack took off out the front door on the run. He jumped in his truck and drove straight to the Sherman house, knowing Lissa’s parents wouldn’t be home until evening. He drove without caution, too numb to think, and took the turn into her driveway in a skid. His hands were shaking when he knocked on the door, and then Lissa was standing in the doorway and he could tell by the look on her face something was wrong.