“I’m not sure, honey, but I know Vivian has a gun. I’m afraid of what she’ll do, she’s crazy, that one.”
“Vivian wants to leave town, but Slater wants to give this one last try and see if he can convince her to come clean.” Benny forked shaky fingers through his hair.
“I need to get over there and see if I can help Slater convince her.” Sunny stood up, her mind racing with the things she needed to do. Call Judson, her brother, get her gun. Her adrenaline pumped up to overdrive. She better move before Vivian either talked Slater into leaving, or something worse happened.
“Sweetheart, you can’t go out there by yourself. Vivian won’t be afraid to use her gun if she feels threatened.”
Sunny gave each of them her calmest smile. “No need to worry about that, I have it covered.”
“Honey, don’t go there on your own. Benny’s right, it won’t be safe. I love my son and I know he wants to do what’s right, but who knows if Vivian has it in her to sway him one last time. If so it won’t be a good outcome.” Maggie’s eyes widened, her palms flattened against her chest.
“Trust me, I have it handled. I’ll call all the appropriate people.” Sunny glanced at the clock. “I’m leaving. I’ll call Judson from my cell.”
“Sweetheart, stay safe…and be careful.”
****
Sunny’s shoulders sagged as she held the phone tight against her ear with one hand and dug into the pliable leather of the car seat with the other.
“What are we even arguing about?” She interrupted Judson’s tirade of orders, as he demanded she wait back at her apartment for him.
“You’re done. This is far enough, Sunny. I’ll handle it from here.”
“The hell you will. I told you this was my baby, my way. Don’t act like you don’t remember the deal, big guy.”
“Don’t push me.” Judson sucked in a huge breath over the phone line and she pictured him running his hand across his head. “Listen, I don’t want to fight, but this case has reached a crucial stage. I don’t want you going there alone.”
“You don’t want me going period.” Sunny hated how he still wouldn’t accept her job, her abilities. How she could love a man who wouldn’t let her be herself tore her up inside. The sooner this was finished so he could leave for Montana, the better.
“Damnit, I have my reasons.” His sigh through the receiver softened his voice. “Please, I’m not ordering, I’m asking.”
Neither spoke, but she could hear his breathing.
“Just wait back at your place. I’ll call it in to the station, to Derek; he’ll handle it from here,” he said.
Sunny flung her head back, squeezing her eyes shut to remain calm. “There’s nothing to talk about at this point. Let’s finish this up, then we can both get on with our lives. I’ll have proven what I wanted to my family and you can leave for Montana to heal your broken heart. Then I’ll get back to…”
She’d get back to what…her empty, lonely life. The life she hadn’t even realized was lacking until she’d met and fallen in love with Judson.
“What? How did you…Wildcat, listen to—”
“I gotta go. You know where I’ll be. Maybe I’ll see you there.” Sunny snapped the phone closed and tossed it onto the seat beside her. It immediately rang, but she ignored it, turning the ringer off.
Of course he wanted to talk to her, possibly now more than ever. Last night, he regretted what happened, and he didn’t want her to get the wrong idea about their relationship
.
Her fingers froze on the pendant around her neck. She dropped the solid gold trinket, and it thudded against her skin. Wishful hopes of a relationship were nothing more than a fools dream.
Relationship was non-existent;
fling, affair, hanky-panky,
or
rendezvous
better described what happened between her and Judson.
Her earlier question had been answered, no need to worry about the stress of a long distance romance. The passion between them had been a diversion, at least on his part. A moment of weakness he hadn’t thought through. Maybe he felt guilt, like he cheated on his dead fiancée, Roxanne.
Sunny swallowed back tears.
The easiest thing would be to finish this case so he could leave like he wanted. She could never let him find out her true feelings. Better she dig out her suit of armor and wrap it around her emotions.
She lifted her chin. Yes, she loved him, but she wouldn’t throw herself at any man. And, she didn’t stand a chance against the memory of Roxanne. Sunny wanted Judson to be happy, even if that happiness didn’t involve her. Self pity overtook her. After his departure she’d have plenty of time to mend her heart. A lifetime.
Sunny parked in a back alley across the street from the derelict cedar shingle building owned by Slater and Vivian. She eased the car door shut then moved along the closed television repair shop that stood across the street from her target. Thick plastic covered the set of windows on the ground floor of the old grocery, the eaves needed a good coat of paint, and the white wooden front door was caged inside a black wrought iron security door. It didn’t look like Slater or Vivian kept up on any repairs.
A group of teenage girls strolled down the sidewalk confident in their arrogant youth, as if they had all the time in the world. Their idle chatter and laughter filled the early evening air. Down the avenue a shop owner flipped his sign from open to closed, and then drew his blinds.
Sunny dashed across the street between a couple parked cars to the narrow alley behind the vacant store. She scanned the three story building for any signs of someone inside. A small window on the third story glowed, lit by the naked light bulb dangling from a cord in the center of the room. The shadow of a small person moved past the window. Sunny smiled. She’d bet big money it was the woman of the hour. Vivian.
The packed buildings gave Sunny just enough room between them to park a vehicle or store a dumpster. She pressed her back against the structure, her fingers moved along the bricks of the coarse cinder blocks that snagged the threads of her tan fisherman’s sweater. As she turned into the alley with hopes of spying the rusted brown sedan parked there, she spotted Slater’s vintage turquoise truck tucked between the buildings instead.
Just past the truck another door with a low watt bulb illuminating the entrance lit the steep steps which led to the basement. Sunny wiped her hands on the front of her jeans, walked to the landing above the entrance then made her way down the four concrete steps, sidestepping the many crevices.
The hinge on the storm door complained as Sunny pulled it open, an ominous, angry squeak which reminded her of someone whom had been disturbed one too many times.
Resting the storm door against her rear, she looked down at the flecks of chipped paint dotting the area around the door knob, betraying the green color underneath. Silently, Sunny opened the door.
Her eyes adjusted to the dim light filtering through the three small windows street level with the alley. As soon as the sun went down completely, this room would be engulfed in total darkness. The stagnant mildew smell overwhelmed her and she wrinkled her nose as it mingled with the scent of….a litter box. Sunny saw the rectangular box to the right of the door. From the looks of it nobody had bothered to clean it for weeks. Next to it a moth eaten blanket lay in several folded layers, with a small plastic butter dish filled with cat foot and another with water.
With a grimace she shook her head. They were concerned about rodents enough to have a cat, but they didn’t do any upkeep on the building.
The clink, clink, clink of a small bell bounded down the steps to her left and she laid flat against the wall in the shadows. When she saw the culprit, a large fuzzy black and white rag doll cat, she blew out her breath. He meandered toward her, meowed, and rubbed against her ankles. Sunny bent down to scratch behind his ears and he purred. At least he seemed well fed and happy.
Sunny moved to the center of the dingy basement, and the stairs leading to the main floor just ahead. She reached behind her and touched the synthetic grip of her .38 pink lady revolver tucked into the waistband of her jeans and patted the gun. A good investigator is ready for anything.
****
Judson couldn’t shake the feeling something bad was about to happen as he careened around the corner onto Fifth Street. He gunned the gas as much as he dared without drawing attention to himself. His reaction to losing Roxanne wouldn’t be comparable to how he’d handle himself if Sunny got hurt. Nothing about working with Sunny had felt
normal,
but of course she wasn’t an ordinary lady.
His heart pounded against his chest so hard it echoed in his ears, perspiration dotted the back of his neck and forehead, even though the cool evening breeze from the open car windows brushed across his face. Anger coursed through him at the idea of Sunny’s refusal to wait for him. She needed to listen to reason and stay put. Her one track mind in proving herself to her family would lead to trouble.
As he pulled into the back alley behind the building Slater and Vivian owned, he recognized Slater’s old truck parked in the narrow space between two buildings. Even though he didn’t spot Sunny’s car, he could sense her presence.
Regret filled him. If only he’d taken the time after they’d left the lab to tell her the decision he came too. Judson wanted to work with Sunny, team up. He’d only agreed to the move to Montana to get away from his guilt about Rox, but working with Sunny helped him deal with it more than all the months of therapy had.
He’d already told Derek and earned his approval. Of course her family would be thrilled with Sunny having a partner rather than going out solo. Hopefully Sunny would agree. If they worked together he could take more of a lead role and work it so she stayed more in the shadows, protected, safe. Maybe then she wouldn’t have this constant need to prove herself to everyone, but she’d still have the rewards of investigating.
She had the power to infuriate Judson and thrill him like no other. His hand shook as he combed his mustache with the pad of his finger, a nervous habit he was well aware of but unable to break.
His thoughts were scattered and he laughed at the notion he acted like a love starved pup.
Not a chance.
He felt something for Sunny, but it wasn’t that deep. His jaw tightened as he argued with himself. Attraction wasn’t love, and attraction was what he felt. As for the fear ripping through him at the idea of her being in trouble, he’d feel that way for anyone. He ignored the voice in his head telling him otherwise.
Judson jammed the gear into park and turned off the engine. Grabbing his gun from underneath the seat, he went in search of Sunny. Hopefully he’d find her before she found Vivian, Slater, or trouble.
****
Sunny crept sideways along the wall of the basement stairs, her back pressed against the uneven plaster surface. With each step the stair bowed down then popped back up. She reached the first level and inspected the small space which was once a neighborhood grocery filled with shelves, counters and display cases. Now it served as a storage room. Every surface filled with crates and boxes from floor to ceiling.
The damp smell from the basement followed her. She rubbed the sleeve of her sweater along the bottom of her nose, preferring the rainwater scent of her laundry detergent. She closed her eyes letting her rapid heart beat return to normal.
The next level of stairs to the right led to the second floor. The area looked almost identical to the previous floor except for a row of storage doors lining one wall, each secured with a padlock. Muffled voices drifted down from upstairs, but she couldn’t make out what they said as the light shuffle of footsteps creaked along the floorboards overhead.
She dried her damp palms on her faded jeans. With a quick breath she placed her foot on the next step which would take her to the third and final level.
Sunny stopped. Had it been her imagination or did one of the stairs from the first level groan under somebody’s weight? Her fingers brushed along the handcuffs looped through her pants. Pressing her lips together she moved away from the stairs to hide behind a tower of boxes blocking the view of the bank of locked closets.
There is was again, but this time there was no mistaking the soft footsteps inching their way up the steps. Her ears tuned into the noise as the stairs creaked. Sunny’s breath caught in her throat. She crouched down, pulled her weapon from her waistband, and held it between stiff fingers.
Somebody reached the level she waited on, their steps slow and steady. Sunny’s uneven breaths came out in short puffs. Moisture gathered on her forehead and above her lip as she blindly clicked the safety off. Slater and Vivian were upstairs. If Judson moved at lightning speed this could be him, or some other party she didn’t know about.
She peeked from behind the boxes then stood to reveal herself as her gaze connected with Judson’s stormy one when he topped the stairs. As she clicked the safety back on she signaled Judson to be quiet. He strolled toward her, his moves silent and steady.
“Damn it, Sunny. I can’t believe you came here on your own, what the hell were you thinking?” Even though he whispered, the anger was loud and clear.
Sunny’s spine stiffened. She leaned against the large wooden cabinet behind her, a handle from one of the cupboard doors sank into the flesh of her behind. “Don’t act surprised. It’s not like I kept it a secret.”
Judson scowled, shaking his head. “Even though you were determined to come here, you should’ve waited until I could meet you.”
“I don’t recall that option being offered.” She lifted her chin.
He worked his hardened gaze to its full advantage. A lump formed in her throat as they glared at each other. She looked away first as she tucked a hair behind her ear which instantly sprang forward. Sunny wanted to laugh at the irony of it all, to have a heated argument while whispering was something she’d never experienced before.
“We do need to talk about a few things, but now isn’t the time and this is definitely not the place.”
Raised voices and a loud crash shook the ceiling above them, bits of dust floated down to settle on the boxes and crates around them. Sunny glanced up shielding her eyes with her hand.