AintNoAngel (4 page)

“All right. I’ll see if he has been spotted out that way. I
have a couple friends in that area. I appreciate you calling.”

“Of course. I want you to catch him Travis. I…” Her voice
faded off and she took a deep breath.

“What is it?” he asked her.

“It’s nothing. I just wanted to say good luck.”

“Are you all right?” he asked gently.

“Yeah. I’m okay. I’m just worried.”

“Tell you what, I’ll see what I can find out and call you
back.”

“All right, thanks, Travis.”

Three days later, Travis was back at his office with his
feet propped on the desk and his mind full of images of a sexy red-haired
goddess riding him.

He just couldn’t shake it off. She was never far from his
thoughts.

He had called her back after he had a couple of his friends
look around the town Cyrus had asked Jessie to send the money to. No one had
seen him and when he had told Jessie her voice had gone strange.

His partner Ian came strolling in and tossed a file on his
desk.

“That’s the police report filed by one Jessica Parker almost
three years ago. Don’t ask how I got it. I also added in the unresolved murder
file from the case you were fired for. Don’t ask how I got that either. But
there is a lot missing from the murder case. If I had to guess I would say
someone tried pretty hard to cover it up. I’ve got a man looking for the
missing pieces.”

“Thanks, Ian,” Travis said as he dropped his feet to the
floor and eagerly reached for the papers.

Ian cleared his throat. “I also added in any of the
newspaper articles I found online. I thought you should have a look at them.”

Travis glanced up at his friend. They knew each other well
and Ian Davis was the only person Travis fully trusted.

Ian gave him a pointed look as he rose smoothly to his feet
and left the office. No one would guess that he was pushing sixty. But Travis
knew that his customary bandanna on his head covered a receding hairline. He
was also a health nut and Travis refused to eat with him anymore. A man should
be able to enjoy a beer and a steak without Ian discussing what the food was
doing to his insides.

But as Travis started sifting through the information in the
file he knew what Ian had meant. Travis was unprepared for this case. After he
had left town he refused to think about it and had tried to leave it all behind
him.

After he had been fired from the police force in Hill Valley
he had dropped the whole thing and turned a blind eye and deaf ear to the
happenings in the small town.

Most of the murder case paperwork was what he had expected,
some of it he had seen before. The forensic evidence from Candy’s body was
still missing and Travis figured after all this time it would never turn up.

But the report that was in there concerning Jessie made his
blood run cold.

The story was told in the newspaper, from the wedding, where
Jessie smiled up at Cyrus on the steps of the church, to the day that he had
almost killed her.

The paper had actually printed a picture of her leaving the
hospital after filing assault charges against her husband. Her face was almost
unrecognizable. Something dark and angry unfurled in his chest.

There was a large bandage wrapped around her head. A huge
purple bruise covered one whole side of her face and she was walking on
crutches. She was wearing long sleeves and jeans and he wondered what other
injuries were hidden under her clothes.

That bastard.
The image of Candy Marsh popped,
unwanted, in his mind. She had been beaten up too. The similarities weren’t
lost on him.

Running a hand down his face, he stared up at the ceiling.
He had failed to bring Cyrus to justice all those years ago and if he had done
what he had been trained to do, Cyrus would never have been around to hurt
Jessie.

There was nothing he could do about that now. What he could
do was catch him and turn him over to the authorities. Then he would be behind
steel bars where he belonged.

Travis turned resolutely back to the file and got to work.

Jessie woke up Wednesday morning with a splitting headache.
All she really wanted to do was take some aspirin and go back to sleep but
there was too much to be done and no one else to do it. She would never have expected
when her parents died four years ago how hard it would be to run this place
alone.

Cyrus had wanted her to sell it. Getting his hands dirty
literally never was his thing, figuratively was a whole other story. But she
refused to sell. She had grown up here and she was too stubborn to give it up.
Even though she feared she was fighting a dying battle. It was getting harder
and harder to keep the place in the black, especially since the end of the
summer was looming closer and closer.

She hadn’t been sleeping well. Every little noise had her
jerking awake in the dark. She didn’t want to admit it but she was terrified
that Cyrus was going to show up.

Jessie didn’t know what to do. Cyrus wanted money to stay
away and she didn’t have nearly enough to cover what he was demanding. But she
knew that if she paid him once he would expect her to do it again.

So she hadn’t responded to his letter and she wasn’t going
to. She refused to be sucked in by him again. She had been down that path
already and had learned the lesson the hard way. Men weren’t to be trusted.

Travis sprang into her mind but she pushed him away.

She wasn’t stupid and hadn’t left the house alone since she
had gotten the letter. But she had a job to do and she wasn’t going to let
Cyrus affect it.

Jessie, Marc and Brad had put in a good day’s work and she
was pleased with the results. They were landscaping a large yard for a young
couple who had moved to their small town from the city. It was a big job and
the pay would help her make it through the winter.

They were ahead of schedule and the guys had asked if they
could have a couple days off. Marc’s little sister had gone into labor the
night before and they wanted to go and congratulate her and her husband on the
healthy new addition.

Betty was busy in the kitchen when she got home. The smells
coming from her cooking had Jessie’s belly grumbling.

Showering off the day’s grime quickly, she joined the guys
and Betty back in the kitchen. She had done a good job keeping Cyrus out of her
mind today but that just left room for Travis to creep in.

Before long the boys had taken off and Betty had the kitchen
back to rights. Jessie took her dessert to the living room to curl up on the
couch. She was beat.

The apple pie Betty had baked was heavenly. Jessie was
thankful they had air-conditioning so Betty could still bake in the summer and
not roast the occupants of the house along with the apples.

Her eyes got heavy and she leaned her head back, just for a
minute, to rest.

The phone ringing on the stand next to the couch jarred her
awake. Reaching for it blindly, she answered, “Hello?”

There was silence on the other end but Jessie could hear the
unmistakable sound of heavy breathing. Her mind and heart both kicked into
overdrive.

“Hello?” she said again, this time with attitude in her
voice.

“Why haven’t you sent the money?” The voice came low and she
could hear the anger in it. She didn’t know how Cyrus had gotten her phone
number but he was a trained police officer.

Jessie was silent with shock. She hadn’t heard his voice in
almost three years but it still sent shivers of fear down her back.

“Jessica. Why haven’t you sent the money?” Cyrus asked
again.

Anger kicked in then. “I don’t owe you a damn thing.”

She sat up straighter on the couch, refusing to let him
steamroll her into anything. She was now wide awake.

“You ruined my life!” came the shout on the other end of the
phone line. Jessie was too stunned to say anything. He had almost killed her
and she had ruined his life?

“Send me the money, Jessica. Or I will come and get it. And
you won’t like what happens when I get there.” His voice had gone dangerously
low.

“I…” she began, but the line went dead. Setting the phone
carefully back in its cradle, she sat back and tried to slow her pounding heart
down.

She knew that even if she did send Cyrus the money, he would
come for her anyway. He thought that she was responsible for everything that
had happened. For him losing his job and his credibility with the whole town.

If she gave in and sent him the cash then he would have the
means to get back here. The thought sent cold shivers running over her body.

The house seemed quiet. Too quiet. Something set the motion
light on the porch off and the sudden light through the front windows had her
jerking back in surprise.

Then she swore she heard a car door slamming out front.

Moving slowly, she crept toward the door, staying away from
the windows. She came up abruptly against the small section of wall between the
door and the window.

She was breathing hard and terrified. She reached out with a
shaking hand and threw the deadbolt home. Peeking out the curtain cautiously,
she didn’t see anything at all.

She sucked in a deep breath and realized that she was
trembling. She forced herself to get a grip. The phone call from Cyrus had
spooked her.

The motion light went back to darkness and she suddenly felt
more exposed. She moved quickly and shut the lamp off, sending the room into
darkness.

Gathering up her courage, she went through the house
meticulously. She turned off all the lights. She knew the house and he didn’t.
It would give her an advantage.

She checked all her windows, making sure they were locked,
and then dead-bolted the back door too. Retreating to her room, she immediately
reached under her bed for the small safe she had there.

Spinning the combination quickly, she pulled out her .45
caliber 1911 handgun. It was heavy but reliable and that was what she needed
the most. She grabbed one of the full clips. It was loaded with eight hollow
points and she slammed it into place at the grip of the gun. It made an
empowering sound as she released the slide and chambered the first lethal
round.

But she was familiar with her gun. Pressing the button to
release the clip, she filled the missing spot, taking her to the maximum
capacity of nine bullets. Eight in the clip and one in the chamber. It was the
best she could do. Slamming the refilled clip back into place, she breathed a
sigh of relief. It gave her one more chance to defend herself.

Jessie briefly considered calling Marc and Brad to come
over. But then she remembered that they were out of town for the weekend. Just
her luck.

But she felt better now that she was armed. She could do
this. She wouldn’t be a victim ever again.

By the next morning Jessie was nearly close to her wit’s
end. She hadn’t slept a wink all night and when the first rays of the sun had
started shining, only then did she even dare to shower.

She evaded Betty in the kitchen after letting her in, only
taking the time to pour some coffee into a travel mug before she slipped out
the door. Betty knew her well and she didn’t want to answer any questions.

She retreated to the greenhouse for the day. Her gun stuck
uncomfortably in the back of her jeans. It was a constant reminder to be on
alert.

Jessie spent the day cleaning and catching up on odds and
ends. She took care of things that she hadn’t been able to keep up on in the
crush of the busy season. But the greenery of the plants and the smell of the
fresh dirt failed to soothe her.

She worked as long as she could, only stopping to eat the
sandwiches that Betty forced on her. She headed in to her empty house just
before sunset. It would be stupid to be caught outside after dark.

Betty had left her a plate and she took it upstairs with
her, her steps wary and slow.

Sunday night the ringing of the phone on her nightstand
jerked her from an uneasy slumber.

“’Lo?” she murmured.

Silence greeted her. But then she heard breathing on the
other end. Before she could think twice she slammed the phone down.

Her heart raced so hard she thought it might burst from her
chest. Her hands were shaking and she could hear the blood pumping in her ears.

She couldn’t do this alone and stay sane. She needed help
and Travis’ face came swirling to life before her.

He was looking for Cyrus. Maybe he could trace the phone
calls. Because she had no doubt that it had been Cyrus.

Grabbing the business card Travis had given her, she dialed
his cell number quickly and waited for him to answer.

Travis was planted in his chair at the office, his computer
on and papers strewn across his desk. His arms were folded on top of them and
his head on top of his arms.

He was sound asleep, snoring slightly with his head cocked
off at an odd angle and dreaming of his red-haired goddess.

His cell phone that happened to be wedged underneath one
elbow started ringing and jolted him awake.

Grabbing it and flipping it open, he answered, “Turner.”

“Travis?”

The voice on the other end had him yanking fully awake in a
heartbeat.

“Jessie?”

“Yeah, I umm… I wanted to hire you to find Cyrus.”

Her voice was odd, distracted.

“Why?” he asked gently. “You know I have already been hired
to do that.”

“He contacted me again,” she answered quietly.

Travis felt his body tighten and his senses sharpen. This
could be his chance. To right a wrong that had plagued him for what seemed like
forever.

“When? How?”

“Can you come here?” she trailed off and he could feel her
hesitancy.

“Sure, I can get away tomorrow,” he answered.

“No. Tonight. Please.”

“What’s going on?”

“I’ll explain when you get here. He is threatening me. Can
you come?” Her voice broke and Travis realized how terrified she was.

“Threatening you with what?”

“Money or my life.” Her voice went flat and emotionless. She
was barely holding it together.

Then the anger came rolling over him. His blood boiled at
the thought of Cyrus hurting her again. He wasn’t going to let it happen. He
had made Jessie a promise that he would be there if she needed him and he
wasn’t going back on his word.

“Where are you?” he asked.

“Home. In my bedroom.”

“Lock the doors and windows,” he clipped out as he grabbed
his keys and turned off the lights on his way out.

“They are.”

“Stay there, Jessie. I’m on my way.”

“Thank you,” he heard her say before the line went dead.

Stuffing his loaded, matching pistols in his holster at the
base of his spine, he grabbed extra ammo and turned off the lights in his
office.

He locked the door to the building, jumped in his truck,
cranked the engine and was hurtling toward Jessie in a matter of minutes.

He had spent the last three days going over any information
concerning Cyrus Parker. The images of Jessie bruised and beaten as she left
the hospital sprang to mind and had his foot pressing harder on the
accelerator.

Jessie realized as she sat cross-legged on her bed with her
gun in her hand that she had no idea where Travis lived and how long it would
take him to get here.

It could be hours. She knew she should try to get some
sleep. But she was too worried about closing her eyes and giving Cyrus an
advantage. Because he would use it, of that she had no doubt.

Leaning her head back, she remembered when she had first met
Cyrus Parker. She had been sad and lonely after her parents had suddenly died
in the car crash. He was good-looking and she had been flattered by his
attention.

At first he had been giving and attentive in bed and out of
it but that had changed as soon as they were married. Even on their wedding
night he had been different. It was as if he had gotten what he wanted and no
longer needed to put in any effort.

But he had never made her heart pound and her panties wet
like Travis had.

It had been like a switch. As soon as the ring had been on
her finger the true Cyrus had shown up. It hadn’t taken her more than a couple
weeks to realize she had made a huge mistake.

The first time he had hit her she asked him what had
changed, but he had no reply but to give her that look. The look she knew so
well by then, the one that terrified her and sent cold shivers down her back.
So she had kept her mouth shut and bided her time until she could leave him.
But he was a cop and knew what she had been up to.

That had been the night he had almost killed her. The
details of that evening were crystal clear up to a certain point. But she
remembered him standing over her as she lay on the kitchen floor of their house
and telling her that if she ever left him he would kill her.

She remembered his meaty fist connecting with the side of
her head and then everything went dark. When she had woken up still on the
kitchen floor, he was gone and she had managed to dial 9-1-1.

Shaking off the images of her life with Cyrus, she thought
of Travis instead. She didn’t know how she was going to pay him for tracking
down Cyrus but she would figure it out because it would be worth it. If he
already was looking for him then he was sure to take the job.

One night with him had changed her outlook and maybe Betty
was right. It was time to move on. But she couldn’t do that until Cyrus was
safely behind bars where he belonged.

She felt guilty for calling Travis this late and practically
begging him to come to her. But she didn’t know what else to do and she trusted
him, to some extent anyway.

He would come. He promised to be here if she needed him.

A car door slamming out front had her head jerking up and
her hand tightening on the gun.