The Demure Bride(32)

"The woman who owns this car," he answered. "Molly Henderson."

"There was no one else in the car, sir," the uniform answered him and  Michael didn't know whether to be relieved or scared out of his mind. He  tried Molly's cell phone and it immediately went to voicemail. He  called his parents' house and Seamus answered. "Pop, is Molly there?" he  asked, and he heard his voice crack as he silently prayed. It seemed to  take forever before his father returned and told him that Molly must  have sneaked out while he and Mary were playing cards with their  neighbors. Michael felt numb as he closed his cell phone. Where was  Molly?         

     



 







Molly didn't enjoy the movie at all. In fact, she couldn't concentrate  on the highly publicized film, and it was all Michael's fault! She felt  guilty for leaving the house after he told her not to, even though she  was a grown woman and had every right to do as she pleased. She walked  with a group of people toward the parking lot and was stunned to learn  her car wasn't where she left it! She looked and looked, thinking she  must have parked in a different spot, but after a while Molly came to  the realization that her car was gone... stolen!

"Miss, are you all right?" Two young men stopped when they saw her crying. "Did someone hurt you?"

"My car is gone... Someone must have stolen it when I was inside watching a movie."

"Oh no!" He looked at his partner and then said, "I think we should look  again and make sure before we call the police. Don't worry. David and I  will stay with you so you're safe, and we'll give you a ride home if we  can't find your car."

"Thank you." Molly sensed she was safe with them, and was grateful for  their support, even though they were strangers. They spent more time  looking and finally Molly said, "My pretty little car is gone!" She  burst into tears and David and John comforted her, giving her a clean  handkerchief.

"We need to call the police," John said quietly.

"I'll call my fiance," Molly said in a small voice. "He is a police  officer." She took out her cell phone, and turned it on; she'd turned it  off when she went inside the large theater because she didn't want it  going off and disturbing others. Michael answered on the first ring.

"Molly? Where are you? Are you hurt?" She could hear the fear in his voice.

"I'm fine, but my car was stolen, Michael!" She started crying again. He  asked her again where she was, and said he was on his way. She hung up  and a few seconds later her cell started beeping from all the messages  in her voice mail. She quickly played them while David and John waited  with her for Michael to appear and heard Michael over and over again,  begging her to call him. She felt less than an inch tall by the time he  jumped out of his car and took her in his arms, hugging her tightly, and  telling her how much he loved her.

Molly felt so safe in his arms and she knew he would make everything all  right once again. Two more police cars arrived, and the officer who  pulled her over the night of Michael's Christmas party got out of one of  them and walked over. "Are you all right, Molly?" he asked hoarsely.

"Just shaken up," she answered.

"Did he take your car at gunpoint?"

"What?" Molly asked in confusion.

David tried to help her. "Officer, we were all attending the same  feature inside, and when Molly came out and couldn't find her car, we  offered to help her. She didn't see who took her car."

"He must have hotwired it, Trevor," Michael spoke up, keeping his arm around Molly's slender shoulders.

"You sure had us all worried, Molly," Trevor told her. "The Lieutenant  thought you were in the car when it flipped over three times."

"What?" Molly looked at Michael in confusion.

"Your car was involved in a high speed chase, Molly. The kid who stole  it lost control; he was killed... and your car was totaled. Thank God  you weren't in that car."

"Lieutenant, you need to sign off the clock and take your girl on home,"  another officer spoke up. He was older than Michael, and could see the  younger man shouldn't be going out on any more calls. "Things have  slowed, and you've put in your shift. If we get swamped, we can always  call you in."

"You're right, George. I feel like a limp noodle right now." The men  respected him for admitting he was shaken. "Call me if you need me." The  Officers left since there was nothing more they could do for Molly.  Michael made his call, taking himself off the clock, and then he looked  at John and David. "I'm sorry, I didn't introduce myself; Michael  O'Keefe." He offered his hand.

"I'm John Connors," John said as he shook hands.

"I'm David Winters," David offered, shaking hands, too. "We couldn't leave Molly here by herself when she was so upset."

"I appreciate that," Michael told them. "She means everything to me." He  felt like crying he was so relieved. "And, I'm going to spank the  everlasting daylights out of her for scaring me to death tonight!"





Chapter Fourteen





Matt Chambers was disgusted with the Sheriff and told him so. "Why in  hell do we pay you a salary if all you are gonna do is sit on your fat  ass and do nothing?"

"Mr. Chambers, when those two men regain consciousness... if they do...  then I'll question them and go after whoever did this. Until then, I  have nothing to go on. Could be the two of them got into a fight over  one of the gals at the saloon..." The man raised his eyebrows  questioningly, as if it was a possibility that Matt probably overlooked.         

     



 

"You are a damned fool!" Matt exploded. "You're giving the ones who did this a chance to get clean away!"

"I don't have time for a wild goose chase, Mr. Chambers. Let me know when them two come around and can tell me what happened."

"You can get off your lazy ass and go check with Doc yourself! I'll be out doin' your job!" Matt angrily declared.

"You go taking the law into your hands, Mr. Chambers, and I'll be locking you up, too!" the man sputtered.

"You'd have to get out of that chair first, and that ain't likely to  happen... At least until I get you fired and we hire someone else to  replace you who will actually do the job he is paid to do!" Matt turned  on his heel and walked out, slamming the door as hard as possible.

"Who has you riled so early this morning, Matt?" Robert Thorne asked, smiling at the older man.

"What the hell are you doing in town, son? Are you trying to get yourself killed?

"I can't stay cooped up inside like a defenseless girl, Matt. Besides, I  don't want Flockton to come after Helene, or someone else I care  about." Rob felt so frustrated he didn't know what to do.

"Did Helene say someone was giving her a hard time?" Matt demanded.

"No. She is fine, and her Uncle is making her stay in the shop with him.  He's afraid someone will sneak in the house by way of the outside  entrance and he won't hear them. Helene isn't too excited about the  restriction, but Peter told her she could sit and do her knitting, or he  could take a leather strap to her and then she could sit and do her  knitting. She chose to behave and accept his decision like a most  sensible young lady."

"I just hope Mandy is keeping her nose in the house. I've got men  working around the buildings, and they've been told to keep an eye out  for strangers. I still worry, though. Two of my men were beat nearly to  death last night, Rob. We brought them in for Doc to help, but he don't  know if they're going to make it. It's Patterson and Freely," he said,  obviously upset. I made the mistake of thinking the Sheriff would  actually do something about it. He wants to wait until my men come to  and they tell him who did it! Hell, by then all the tracks will be gone!  I'm going to take some of my boys and go looking. My bet is that the  trail will lead to Flockton."

"I will come with you, Matt. I need to be of service in some way."

Matt looked at him for a few seconds and then nodded. "I'll need to go  by the house and tell Mandy what we're doing and threaten her backside  if she even peeks outside while I'm gone."

"I am sure she will obey you, Matt. She gave me her word," Rob stated.

She minds you better than she does me, son," Matt complained.

"I turn her over my knee when she misbehaves," Rob informed Matt.

"It works wonders, too."

Rob accompanied Matt to the Doctor's office, where a group of his hired hands were waiting for news of their friends.

"Men, the Sheriff ain't planning to do his job, so I'm going to do it  for him! No one gets away with harming my men! I'm not ordering any of  you to come and ride with me, but I am asking for volunteers."

Matt wasn't surprised when all the men's hands shot up without  hesitation; they were a 'family' of sorts, and cared about each other.  "Thanks, men. We'll leave the ranch in an hour. Bring enough gear for  two or three days on the trail. I'll see to enough grub for all of us.  Addison, I need someone to stay back here and in contact with Doc. I'm  asking you to do it for me because you are still recovering from being  thrown a couple of days ago."