My Heart Laid Bear (Blue Moon Junction) (5 page)

              Clover found herself checking for Bonnie Rhoads’ station wagon when she pulled in.  That woman had given her such a scare that she was constantly looking around for her car. She was relieved to see that the dragon lady was sparing them, at least for today.

Imogen greeted her at the door and Clover forced a smile as she trudged up the steps, lugging her laptop. “Sam McCoy was here a little while ago. Said he’d been trying to text you. He asked you to call.”

              “Thank you!” she said politely.
Yes, I’d love to be taken out on another picnic and then ditched and splattered with dirt,
she thought.  So Sam still wanted to hook up with her; big deal. She’d keep what was left of her self-respect intact, thank you very much.

She walked into the living room and yelled out “Monsters, I’m back!”

Then she glanced over at Imogen. “So I assume nobody committed any felonies today?” she said, as her siblings came out of the kitchen to greet her.

“They were perfect angels,” Imogen assured her. “I’m going to go check on the roast.”

              “We didn’t have time to plan any heists today.  We just baked bread with Miss Imogen and picked oranges,” Lennon said, strolling in with his hands in his pockets. “We’re on felony vacation. We’ll resume next week.”

              “Ha ha ha, no you won’t.” She gave him a severe look. “You wouldn’t like me when I’m angry.”

              “Who says I like you now?” he said cheekily, then high-fived Twilight.

              “Yes! That was a superior burn!” Twilight crowed as Moonlight gave him the thumbs up.

              Clover shook her head and tried not to laugh. “You are all terrible. You’re lucky you’re related to me or I’d deposit every last one of you on the doorstep of the nearest home for criminally inclined children. If there is such a thing.”

              She could have sworn she heard Twilight mutter to Moonlight, “Criminally inclined? I think we’re past that point.”

              Autumn came downstairs carrying a package.  She looked her usual sullen self as she handed it to Clover.

There was no return address, which meant it was from her parents. Nobody else would mail them a package like that. How did they even know that she was in Blue Moon Junction? Well, it was a small town; word travelled quickly.

Frustration welled up inside her. She didn’t even have a phone number, had no way to reach them if there was an emergency. They called from time to time, to check in, but she couldn’t call them back. Her parents had insisted that it was better that way – that way, if the police ever questioned her, she could tell them in all honesty that she had no idea how to find them.

They’d assured her that they would be able to track her down and get word to her once they were safely able to resurface. 

              Clover quickly tore the package open. Wrapped in tissue were four pairs of very pretty earrings, twists of wire with beads on them. She recognized her parents’ handiwork.

              “Hope all is well. Our jewelry is selling really well. Make sure to give a pair to Autumn and the twins! We’ll call you soon.” her parents had scrawled on a folded piece of notepaper.

              “Mom and Dad made these earrings. They wanted me to give them to you,” she said to Autumn, holding up a pair.

              Autumn didn’t even bother to look at the earrings. “Nope,” she said, then pressed her lips together.

              “Look, I’m sorry that things are the way that they are right now,” Clover said. “Our parents just made a mistake taking in Uncle Ralph, but their intentions were good. They really need to hide out until they save up enough money for a lawyer.  The police tend to jump to conclusions when it comes to our family. You understand that, don’t you?”

              “Yep. Trust me, I understand completely.” Autumn’s tone was cold.

              Clover knew that Autumn felt abandoned by their parents.  She could only hope that when her parents came back for good, things could go back to normal and they could settle down in one place. She’d stay with them from now on, no matter where they went; it was very clear that the children needed a good influence in their life.

              “Well, I’ll just put them on top of my bureau. If you change your mind…”

              “I won’t.” Autumn turned and walked out of the room without looking back.

* * *

              It was dark outside, but Sam was still in his office.  On any other Friday night, odds were he’d be at a bar in town, deciding which of the willing, eager women he wanted to take home, but tonight his thoughts were focused firmly on Clover.

“Have you learned anything from the Jones girl?” asked the agent for the Enforcers, on the other end of the line.

             
Yes. That she tastes delicious and she’s a hot kisser,
Sam thought. And at the immediate moment, she was very, very angry at him. He’d left multiple text messages; he’d try again tomorrow.

              “I already told you. I am very confident that she’s not involved in any drug trafficking. She has four younger siblings who mean the world to her. She wouldn’t risk them going into foster care. She was a college student with a 4.0 average, she’s held down a full time job since she was sixteen…she’s not like the rest of the family.”

              “I hope you’re right.” The agent didn’t sound convinced. It was understandable; the Jones family was notorious among bear shifters, for good reason.

              “How are things going with the Somniatus task force?” Sam asked, eager to change the subject to anything other than his delicious Clover.

              “You heard about the laboratory bust?”

              “No.” Sam perked up. “That sounds like good news. Tell me about it.”

              “We believe we’ve busted the last laboratory that manufactures the stuff. Not only that, but we’ve worked with the manufacturers who made the chemicals that were used by the laboratories.  They are now putting in an agent that will render the chemicals useless to the labs.”

              “That’s amazing news,” Sam said. “So…why don’t you sound happier?”

              “Apparently, there’s a crop of Somniatus being grown somewhere, and we have no idea where in the country that might be. It is possible that if someone gets ahold of the actual plants, they could find a way to clone them and reproduce them that way.”             

              “Well, like I told you, we have seen absolutely no sign of it here. I can assure you if we did, I’d let you know immediately. I’ll keep my eyes and ears open.”

              “And you’re still confident that Clover isn’t in touch with her family? Can’t tell us where her parents or her uncle are?”

              “Very confident,” he said. “Have you uncovered anything new that indicates that her parents are involved?”

              “Nothing new, but Ralph Jones was a major player in the business, and it doesn’t look good that they went underground and left their own children behind rather than sticking around to talk to our agents. That suggests that they had at least some involvement.”

              “I can’t argue with that,” Sam said. “It could be because they were afraid they’d be arrested, or it could be because they have something to hide. Clover adamantly denies that they’d ever be involved in something like that, but she has a blind spot where her family is concerned.

              The Blue Moon Junction Clothes Depot was crowded, and Clover was nervously trying to keep an eye on all four siblings at once.
Don’t shoplift, don’t pickpocket, don’t get in trouble
, she silently prayed.

              It was the usual mix of shifters of all species and humans. About sixty percent humans today, she estimated.  Moonlight and Twilight were checking out racks of blue jeans; Lennon had grabbed a couple of T-shirts. They all looked well-behaved and innocent. Too innocent, Clover thought suspiciously. She was going to take them into the changing room and do a discreet pat-down and make them empty their pockets before they left the store.

She glanced at Autumn, who was standing there with her hands on her hips looking down at the floor. Autumn’s toes poked through holes in her sneakers. “Your shoes are falling apart. Get some new shoes,” Clover insisted.

              Sapphire had showed up at the boarding house that morning, waving a sheaf of bills at them, and she’d insisted that Clover use it to buy some new clothes for the kids. Apparently her new waitressing job was paying quite well. She’d taken Autumn aside and tried to hand her a pair of earrings; their parents had tracked Sapphire down too.  They’d had a brief, heated argument and Autumn had turned and stomped off.

              “I’m not using Sapphire’s money. I’m waiting until I have enough money from doing chores at the farm.” Autumn’s tone was firm.

              “So now you’re mad at Sapphire too?” Clover said, exasperated. “What has she done to get on your bad side?”

              Autumn shrugged. “Imogen paid me. I’m going to go buy a cup of coffee,” she said. “Do you want anything?”

              Before Clover could answer, she realized that people were staring out the store’s big picture window into the street behind her, and murmuring and pointing.

              She spun around. Sam was marching towards the store…carrying a twisted, battered car door.

              “Stay here,” she said to Autumn, and rushed outside.

              “Oh, good. I’ve been looking all over for you,” Sam said cheerfully. “Getting some funny looks. Can’t a man take his car door for a walk without being treated like a freak?” He set the car door down on the sidewalk.

              “What are you doing?” Clover looked at the car door and back at Sam.

              “I am bringing you evidence,” he said. “I  was bearnapped yesterday. I apologize for Marjorie taking off and leaving you there. I was shouting at her to stop and she ignored me. She’d driven all the way off the property, yelling at me that she was going to get our family banned from the Jamboree forever if I didn’t fire you, before I finally shifted and punched a hole in the roof of their car. Then when she pulled over, I climbed over her daughter and ripped the door off of their car and climbed out. I’m pretty sure that she won’t try to fix me up with any of her family members again.” He looked genuinely delighted at that.

              He held up the tattered metal door. “So there you go. My apology present. I ran all the way back to your office yesterday, carrying the car door, but you were already gone by the time I got there.”

              “Huh.” She stared at the car door, shaking her head. “Well, as apology presents go, it’s pretty…uh…”

              “Terrible?” Sam asked. She nodded.

“Terrible, but unique. But mostly terrible,” she added hastily, because he was still a total bastard.

              He turned and tossed the car door back into the bed of his pickup truck, where it landed with a resounding clang.

              “Are you really getting kicked out of the Jamboree?” she asked.

              “Hope so. I personally hate it. Marjorie is apparently now lobbying to the committee to get us kicked out.” He shrugged indifferently.

              Autumn walked up. Of course she’d ignored Clover’s orders to stay in the store. “So I’m guessing that he’s the hottie you were going to murder the other day and then he gave you a job because he totally wants you?” Autumn asked. She surveyed him with a critical eye. “Well, you do have acceptable taste.”

              Clover felt her face instantly flame crimson.

              “Autumn, I thought you were going to go buy some coffee,” she said, smiling through gritted teeth.

              Autumn flashed her an innocent look. “Coffee? At my age? It would stunt my growth. I’m shocked that you have so little regard for my health.”

              She smiled winningly at Sam. “I’m Autumn, Clover’s sister. So, did you ask her out yet? If you’re not nice to her, you should know that I can jimmy open windows, I move like a cat, and I will shank you in your sleep. I’m way meaner than Clover is.”

              Sam burst out laughing as Clover choked with indignation.

              She grabbed Autumn, spun her around in the direction of the coffee shop, and said, “Leave. Go buy whatever, right now.”

              “Fine. This is Autumn Jones you’re talking to. Buy whatever?  I believe I’ll buy some submachine guns and hand grenades for Twilight and Moonlight to play with.”

              “Good. Enjoy.”  Clover gave her a shove.

              “And some dynamite!” Autumn yelled over her shoulder as she marched off.

              “I’ll give you the matches!” Clover shouted.

              “Twilight, Moonlight, Autumn, Sapphire, and Clover,” Sam observed.

              “And my brother Lennon. Do not go there. It is a burden we all have to live with.” She shot him a look that dared him to tease her for their names.

              “I think they are lovely names. Hey, my aunt’s nickname is Blue. Who am I to judge?”

              Clover managed a smile – and then suddenly went pale. “Oh God,” she cried out.

              “What?” Sam looked concerned.

              “I left them inside the store unsupervised.”

She thought she might cry. How was it that they hadn’t been arrested yet? It had been minutes – entire minutes. She rushed into the store with Sam on her heels.

              “Don’t worry, I was watching them through the picture window,” Sam said.

              “I’m not worried that somebody will hurt them. I’m worried that they’ll have committed several major felonies in the short time that I was outside.”

              “Call them all over here,” Sam said.

              With a sigh, she did.

              “Sam McCoy, head of security for the bears of Blue Moon Junction,” he said, and shook hands with each of them as they introduced themselves.

              Then he fixed them with a stern look. “You know how I got my job? By being very good at what I do. Moonlight and Twilight, return the wallet. Now.”

              “That lady was making faces at us and saying we looked like rag-pickers.” Moonlight scowled. “I don’t know what a rag-picker is, but she’s a total—” Then she saw the look on Clover’s face and quickly hurried off. She passed by a chubby female jaguar shifter, her arm moved so fast that Clover barely saw her dropping a wallet into the woman’s purse, and then she walked off.

             
They are way too good at that,
Clover thought, stricken.

              “Lennon. Return the cell phone.” Sam raised an eyebrow. Lennon had a smirk on his face as he walked right up to a woman who was examining a blouse.  He tapped her on the arm and handed her a cell phone. “Pardon me, ma’am, you seem to have dropped this,” he said.

              “Oh. Thank you.” She looked startled.

              Lennon walked back, looking pleased with himself. Clover looked at him suspiciously. “What did you do?” she demanded.

              “Well, in my defense…”

              Clover winced. “Never a promising opening.”

              “In my defense, she was gossiping about Sapphire with those other ladies. So, Sapphire’s knocked up?”

              Clover went pale. “Argh,” she gurgled.

              “Anyway, I hacked into the lady’s phone, and she’s cheating on her fiancé with some guy, so it is possible that her phone just downloaded a virus and every time she tries to text the other guy, it’s going to go to her fiancé.”

              “Urgh. You did all that in the two or three minutes I was out of the store?”

              “I know, I know, I’m getting slow, gotta brush up on my skills. Can we go to the coffee shop now? I want a donut.”

              Clover led them all out of the store, with Sam by her side.

              She fell behind as they cheerfully skipped off to the coffee shop. Sam kept pace with her.

“This is all my fault,” she moaned.  “I shouldn’t have gone to college. I just didn’t see this coming. When I left, Autumn was ten and Lennon was nine and the girls were seven and… How did I let this happen? They weren’t anywhere near this bad when I left.”

              Then she realized who she was talking to.  Sam McCoy, the enemy. “But there were no drugs,” she said quickly. “Ever. If there were, I wouldn’t have tolerated it. I’d have turned them in, family or not. I do have my limits.”

              “I believe you,” Sam assured her. “Besides, this isn’t a disaster. I see opportunity here.”

              “How? You planning on being Fagan to a group of underage thieves?”

              “No, I think they’d make fantastic security consultants.”

              The kids were about to walk into the coffee shop, but he called out to them. “Hey, Jones gang!”

              “Don’t call them a gang. I already think they have secret hand signals,” Clover said as they walked back over to him. 

              “I have a proposition for you. You guys get to go to my family’s summer camp for free, which means swimming, archery, and climbing on our rope challenge course. You pay us back by working with me as a security consultant. Also there would be some cash involved. I want you to help me identify security lapses for the local businesses in town, so they can prevent shoplifters and break-ins.”

              “That’s easy,” Moonlight said with a snort of contempt. “I already identified twenty-two different points of entry for the clothing store alone.”

              “Moonlight! Really!” Clover was horrified.

              “I know, right?” Twilight said. “There’s twenty-five. I’m disappointed in her. Loser.” She stuck her tongue out at her twin, then ducked her punch.

              “What does the position security consultant entail?” Lennon asked.

              “A security consultant gets to practice breaking the law all the time, but never gets arrested for it,” Sam said. “And they get to show the owners of big companies how dumb they are by stealing from them. And then the owners pay them.”

              Lennon looked thoughtful. “Hmm. This interests me. Do we get to keep what we steal?”

              “Hey! No, you do not,” Clover said angrily.  Then she directed her wrath at Sam. “My family. Excuse me. Did you think of consulting me about this?”

              “Do you want them to redirect their criminal genius for good, or not? Because it’s not going anywhere – it’s just a matter of where they use it.”

              Clover scowled. Big jerk of a bear. He had her outmaneuvered again.

              “I’m not sure that archery class is a great idea for these little felons-in-training,” she pointed out.

              “That’s true,” Moonlight said. “Mom and Dad already taught us how to make a bow and arrow from scratch. We can probably skip that class. Or we could teach it. Challenge course sounds fun, though. Cat burglars need to be able to climb. So do bear burglars.”

              “Did she just say we were in training?” Twilight asked, looking offended.

              “Felons are people who get caught,” Moonlight added.

              Clover blanched.

              “Security consultant it is,” she said to Sam. “Stop looking smug.”

              “Oh, that’s just kind of my natural expression, because I’m very happy with myself as a person.” His grin would have melted the clothes right off a lesser woman, but she was standing firm.

              She saw Autumn strolling from behind the coffee shop towards her, quickly tucking her cell phone into her pocket. Interesting. She hadn’t gone into the coffee shop yet.

              “We’re all going to summer camp tomorrow,” Moonlight informed her. “And then we get to teach Mr. McCoy how to steal things. I mean, how he can stop people from stealing things.”

              “I’m too old for summer camp,” Autumn protested with a scowl. “That’s kid stuff.”

              “If you want to stay with Imogen and help her out around the boarding house, you can,” Clover said. “She seems to think you’re an angel. Man, are you a good actress.”

              Autumn’s lips twitched into a humorless smile. “I like Imogen. If anyone tried to hurt her I’d throw them out a window. After I stabbed them.”