Broken Vows Mystery 03-In Sickness and in Death (18 page)

Otherwise, I was at a loss to figure out who would want to take a shot at me. Whoever it was must have seen Danny sitting in the Lexus, but hadn’t had any interest in him. Or were the shots fired because of him? Ray hadn’t interrogated Danny about his father, because he couldn’t be the bad cop and the boy’s foster father, too. But I had asked Danny a lot of questions and gotten some pretty interesting information about his father in return. Ray had questioned his father after that. Did Ray let it slip that Danny had confided in me? Had his father spoken with one of his friends and sent one after me to prevent Danny from confiding in me any further? I would have to ask Ray if Danny’s father had received any other visitors at the jail.

Danny’s father must know that Jessica James was dead and that he topped the suspect list. Maybe the attack had been designed to frighten me into asking Social Services to place Danny with another family. All the shots had missed, after all. Or maybe someone thought having shots fired at me would cause Social Services to take Danny away from us, preventing him from sharing any more information that might point to his father as a killer. Shots fired in our home had been one factor in the judge’s decision to award custody of our sweet foster baby, Noelle, to her birthmother. Anyone who read the local paper would know that.

I got up and started to pace, watching the clock and waiting for Ray to come home. Did Danny know more that might incriminate his father? What would his father tell Danny tonight about his mother and aunt? Were Ray and I dismissing an obvious link? All I had was unanswered questions.

And where the hell was Erica? Did Maury Boor figure into all this somehow? Was my sister in danger from him, or just herself like usual?

I started straightening stacks of magazines and blowing dust off the mantel, anything to take my mind off my worries. It didn’t work.

When Ray and Danny walked through the door hours later at nine-thirty, I was in the kitchen making a cup of Chamomile tea to calm my overwrought nerves.

I darted into the living room just in time to see Danny’s bedroom door close behind him.

Ray hung up his coat and followed me into the kitchen. He took a stool at the breakfast bar. “Danny wants to be left alone.”

“Why?” I offered Ray tea, which he declined. Then I climbed onto the stool next to him. “What happened?”

“Danny saw his father in the visitor’s area. I waited outside in the lobby.”

“Did Danny tell you what they talked about?”

“No, but I could tell he’d been crying when he came out.”

“Did you ask him why?”

“No, Jolene. Danny was trying to hide the fact he’d been crying. Maybe it upset him that he could only see his father on the other side of the glass. Maybe it’s dawning on him that his father isn’t going to be released, and he’s stuck with us. It could be he’s just sad. I wasn’t going to ride him about it. You ask him tomorrow when I’m not around. He’ll tell you.”

“But, Ray—” I stopped short and told myself it wouldn’t do any good to ride Ray, either. Instead, I filled him in on my tortured thoughts from earlier in the evening.

He heard me out and gave my ideas a few minutes of thought.

I started to get antsy, squirming on my barstool. “So, what do you think?”

“It’s not Danny’s father.”

“How can you be so sure?”

“Danny’s father doesn’t know Danny confided in you, unless Danny told him. And even if Danny did, the guy hasn’t had any visitors other than Danny. He hasn’t placed any phone calls. His only contact has been with his public defender, who would never help arrange for a hit on you, Darlin’. It doesn’t fit.

“But I will look into Leslie Flynn’s brother. Leslie may have gone home today and asked him about Erica and The Cat’s Meow. Maybe that tipped him off. He might have denied the whole thing to her, but now he knows you’re interested in him. He may also know you’re married to me. That fits.”

Ray stood and stretched his arms toward the ceiling. “I’ll check him out first thing in the morning. And I have the whole department on the lookout for Erica. She and Maury are bound to turn up soon.”

His shirt slid out of his waistband and hitched up, exposing his hip bones and muscled abs and the fine dark hairs around his belly button.

I couldn’t take my eyes off him.

He noticed. His hand slid under my chin, lifting my face. His normally copper-colored eyes looked black. “I’ll keep everyone safe. I promise.”

I smelled coffee on his breath. I didn’t drink coffee, but I sure loved the smell of it. It always reminded me of Ray.

A shiver racked my body.

He rubbed his nose against mine and planted a wet kiss on its tip. “What is it?”

I was thinking Ray never liked to go long without sex, either. It had been a couple months now. He’d been awfully patient with me. Maybe he’d been a little depressed after Noelle’s departure, too. He’d just chosen to work through it differently.

He stepped back, waiting for my answer.

I pulled my legs up onto the stool and slid onto my knees, bringing my face level with his. I held out my arms.

He stepped into them.

I wrapped my legs around his waist and whispered in his ear.

His arms tightened around me with alarming intensity.

“A born-again virgin? Awesome.”

The next morning I
couldn’t get the stupid grin off my face. I felt like Scarlett O’Hara the morning after a drunken Rhett ravaged her. Even Ray had a new spring in his step and added warmth to his voice. We were back in the groove as a couple.

Danny kept sneaking looks at us over breakfast, but he didn’t say anything. Hopefully Ray and I hadn’t made too much noise last night. I wondered what Danny knew about sex. Wasn’t sixth grade the year the kids lost their innocence about that issue forever when the school health teacher showed up? Would Ray and I still be his foster parents when the time arrived to talk about sex? When Ray and I went to school, they told us about the birds and the bees. Now we have the birds and the bees, the bees who preferred bees, the birds who preferred birds, the birds that looked like bees but liked birds and vice versa and versa vice-a, then the birds who actually had the surgery and took the medication to become bees or vice versa. Who could explain all that with a “don’t-worry-it’s-all-part-of-growing-up and growing-up-is-great” face?

I pushed that intimidating thought out of my mind. Nothing was going to ruin my day. It didn’t even bother me when Ray suggested I accompany him and Danny to see Principal Travis in her office. I had a new pair of pants to wear.

Ray followed my Lexus to the school parking lot and kept his eyes open as we entered the building. With all the buses circling, the masses of kids milling about, and Danny inches from my elbow, I doubted anyone would take a shot at me on the school grounds anyway.

When the secretary ushered us into Principal Travis’ office, we found another boy and his parents waiting with Mrs. Travis. The boy’s nose was in a splint, both eyes red, purple, and black. He reminded me of the riddle what’s black and white and red all over?

I tried to arrange my face into a sympathetic expression as I sat down.

Principal Travis introduced us to the other boy’s parents and the boy. His father rose and shook Ray’s hand. His mother gave me a tentative smile. Neither of our sons acknowledged each other.

Danny’s left knee bounced up and down, up and down, up and down. I couldn’t watch it anymore. I stilled it with my hand and shook my head.

He frowned.

Mrs. Travis folded her hands and leaned forward. “I met with Danny and Scottie yesterday. Scottie admits to taunting Danny and referring to Deputy Parker as a ‘pig’.”

She gave Ray an apologetic smile before continuing, “Danny admits to punching Scottie first. According to the teachers who broke up the fight, it was pretty much a free-for-all after that. I did sit down with the boys yesterday. They apologized to each other and shook hands.”

She glanced between Danny and Scottie. “How are you boys feeling today?”

Both shrugged in response.

She nodded and began to alternate her gaze between Ray and me and Scottie’s parents. “Danny and Scottie will receive a mandatory three-day suspension. If they are involved in any sort of fisticuffs again, with each other or anyone else, they will be expelled.

“Do you understand, boys?” She shifted her gaze to the boys in turn.

Danny and Scottie nodded.

“The boys can return to school on Monday. In the meantime—” she tapped two piles of books and folders in front of her, “—their teacher assembled their classroom work for the rest of the week. He’ll correct it all on Monday then test them on it. Do you have any questions?”

Oddly enough, none of us did. I think we didn’t dare.

Outside the school, Danny climbed into the Lexus while Ray and I shook hands with the other boy’s parents one last time. I hoped I’d never see them again.

We watched them get in their car and drive off. Ray shook his head. “You know who they are, don’t you?”

I shook my head. “Who?”

“They own the vineyard on the west side of the lake, the one next door to the big hog farm. They’ve been very vocal opponents of hog farming.”

“So you’re not the only pig they’re against.” I smiled.

“Nice, Darlin’, really nice.” Ray leaned on his patrol car. “Can you take Danny to the shop with you?”

“I guess I’ll have to.”

“When he needs a break from his schoolwork, he can start helping Cory.”

I didn’t look forward to that. Maybe I’d take a leaf from Principal Travis’ book and develop my own good behavior policy. “I’ll have Cory call Brennan and ask him to bring in his car. Maybe I’ll pick Erica’s car up from The Lincoln House, too.” If I couldn’t find her spare key in her apartment, I could always have Danny hotwire it. A man should practice his skills, right? That would be our little secret.

Ray followed my car to the shop and pulled his patrol car into the drive behind me. “I didn’t see any tail. I’m going to drive by as often as I can, just in case.”

He waved. I blew him a kiss.

Danny observed us with a glum expression.

I didn’t think now would be the time to ask him about last night’s visit with his father, not while he was still reeling from the meeting with Principal Travis this morning. I decided to give him a few hours to regain his confidence instead.

Danny followed me into the shop, shoulders slumped and feet shuffling. But when we walked into the showroom, Danny’s eyes lit up at the sight of the Ferrari. “Is that yours?”

“It’s for sale. Until then, it’s mine.” Or the bank’s. I can share.

He ran over to the car and leapt into the driver’s seat. “It’s so cool. I can’t believe nobody bought it.”

I couldn’t tell a twelve-year-old the story of the dead man in the passenger seat, could I? He’d have nightmares. On the other hand, Ray’s ghost stories hadn’t bothered Danny the other night.

I filled him in on the ghost now riding shotgun. “So, that’s why it may never sell. It makes people too uncomfortable.”

“I’d buy it. It’s awesome.”

“I’m glad you like it.” That made one of us, sadly not one with any income. “Come on, Danny. You can sit here and do your work.” I led him behind the showroom reception counter and set him up with pencils and pens.

He gazed at the pile of books and folders without much enthusiasm.

I sat on the edge of the desk. “Cory will be here at nine. Ray said you can work with him after a couple hours of schoolwork. When you do, you will be polite and respectful. You will respond when spoken to and do exactly what he says. We can’t afford any more mistakes.”

Danny’s eyes darkened.

I waited for an argument. It never came. “Okay. Get started on your work. I’ll be in my office.”

A stack of mail waited for me. I sorted through the payments, invoices, and junk, watching Danny out of the corner of my eye. He’d opened his books and his pencil appeared to be moving across the page. Poor kid, nothing had gone right for him lately, but we couldn’t risk having him expelled from school. Wachobe only had one school, and I wasn’t the home schooling type.

Cory breezed through the door at one minute to nine, stopping in the middle of the showroom when he spied Danny.