Protector (46 page)
Authors: Laurel Dewey
Tags: #Police Procedural, #Denver (Colo.), #Mystery & Detective, #Psychic ability, #Women detectives, #Crime, #Suspense, #Women Sleuths, #Children of murder victims, #Fiction, #Occult & Supernatural, #Espionage
“Jane Perry is your real name.” Jane froze in disbelief. “I saw it on that police report. The first rule when you’re on the run from an abusive husband is to change your name so he can’t track you down. I don’t need to know your daughter’s real name. It’d probably be less confusing for her if I didn’t know. But, if your husband is the least bit intelligent—and most of these fellas are in a real sick way—he’s gonna figure out where you and she are hidin’. I’m not takin’ ‘no’ for an answer.” Dan took several steps toward Jane. “I’m gonna protect you.”
Jane couldn’t believe what she was hearing. “Dan, I—”
“I’m gonna drive by during the day and if I see anything out of place, I’ll check it out. I’ll drive by on my way home and first thing in the morning. If things get dicey and you need anything, you call me on my cell and I’ll be here in the blink of an eye.”
Jane needed to put a stop to this. “Dan, please—”
“Don’t worry about your situation gettin’ around town. This is just between us. You know, I think we should have some sort of code—something that will alert me if you sense you’re in danger. How about this: you could flick on the porch light and the light over the garage together. That’ll be our ‘trouble’ signal—”
“Dan! Listen to me!” She decided to let down her guard part way. “You have to trust me when I say this. I cannot have you involved in my situation with Patty. It’s extremely complicated. Thank you for keeping this whole mess quiet. But I simply can’t risk getting you involved.”
Dan hung his head, more in thought than rejection. “You’ve gotta cover yourself for your own safety. Talk to Sheriff George and let him know what’s going on—”
“No! And don’t you dare do that on my behalf!”
“Jane, he could help you!”
“Oh, Christ!” Jane’s patience was wearing thin. “There are a lot of details that I can’t go into with you! But, trust me, I cannot get anyone in law enforcement involved! Do you understand what I’m saying?”
Dan considered Jane’s words. “Your husband’s a cop, isn’t he? That’s why you don’t want law enforcement involved. They could tip him off to your location.”
Jane needed to think carefully before answering. “Yes. My husband’s a cop.”
“Oh, Lord,” Dan said as if the weight of the world were resting on his shoulders. “You sure got a full plate of trouble.”
“You have no idea,” Jane replied honestly.
“Okay,” Dan said after some thought. “We keep Sheriff George out of this. But I’m still gonna watch out for you and Patty.” He grabbed his toolbox.
Jane realized it was useless to argue. “What do I owe you for fixing the pipe?”
“Nothin’. It’s on me.”
“Dan, I have money.”
“I don’t want your money—” Dan opened the sliding glass door and yelled out to Emily. “I’m leavin’, sweetheart! I’ll be checkin’ up on you and your momma!”
Emily turned and waved. “See ya around, Dan!”
Jane headed to her wallet. “I’m serious. How much?”
“Two dances at the Peach Pit Days Carnival,” Dan replied without missing a beat. “It’s two weeks from this Saturday in the park across the street. There’s line dancin’ and two-steppin’. It’s a real fun time. Maybe it’ll take your mind off your troubles for a little bit.”
“Two dances, eh?” Jane said, not sure what to think. “Okay, it’s a deal.”
“I’ll drive by on my way home tonight, just in case. You take care.” Dan lugged his toolbox off the counter and started out the front door. He stopped and checked the lock on the doorknob. “You keep this door locked, you hear?” he hollered at Jane.
Jane let out a long sigh. “I will!” she yelled back.
“And the garage and porch light on for trouble!” Dan no sooner closed the door behind him when Jane’s beeper vibrated against her waist. Jumping to attention, she grabbed it and pushed the play button. After a crack of static, she heard Weyler’s voice.
“Jane. Call me as soon as you can get to a phone. We may have a problem.”
Chapter 20
Jane grabbed her car keys and fanny pack with pistol safely ensconced in it, beckoned Emily to come inside and together they took off in the Subaru in search of a public telephone. Emily reminded her of the one located outside The Apple Cart. But being conspicuously seen talking on the phone was not something Jane wanted right now. She wound around to the main, two-lane highway that looped around the west side of town and headed south. Jane recalled seeing a liquor store about one mile south of town along the mesa. There had to be a public phone there. Sure enough, The Pit Stop liquor store was just over the crest of the mesa. And, thankfully, outside the front doors was a public telephone. “Stay here,” Jane ordered Emily. “I won’t be long.”
Jane crossed the small parking lot and grabbed the phone. Only then did she realize that her hands were slightly shaking. Nervously, she plunked in the quarters and dialed Weyler’s private office number. It only rang once before Weyler picked up.
“Weyler here!”
“Boss! It’s me,” Jane’s voice was slightly shaky. “I got your message. What’s up?”
“Hold on a second,” Weyler said, cupping his hand over the receiver. Even though it was muted, Jane could hear every word. “Look, we’re gonna work this out. I’m on the case.” Jane heard his office door closing as Weyler removed his hand from the receiver. Jane wondered why he cupped his hand over the receiver. Was he just being polite or was he trying to hide who was in the room? “Okay, Jane, here’s the deal. I don’t know if it’s relavant to the case or just an odd coincidence, but your brother came over to drop off your mail and said that your neighbor, a woman named Hazel, told him that two nights ago she looked outside her bedroom window and saw a male yelled out the window at the perp and he immediately ducked out of her sight and took off.”
Jane ran her fingers through her hair, trying to piece together the information. “What did he look like?”
“Apparently, Hazel said it was too dark to clearly identify him. He was wearing a heavy coat, looked to be older rather than some young punk and was carrying implements used for breaking into windows.”
Jane’s head spun with various angles. “I’ve never had a break-in. Why now?”
“It does seem suspicious,” Weyler said carefully.
Jane wondered if Weyler was trying to lead her to say something. She wanted to trust him but she still didn’t know if he was setting her up. The thought crossed her mind that there was no break-in at all and the call was simply a ruse to check in and get her talking. Since she was forbidden to contact Mike, there was no way to confirm Weyler’s information. “Is Mike still there? Can I talk to him?”
“He’s gone. I paged you right after he left.”
Jane figured she would play it close to the vest. “Well, the perp sounds like a pro. I mean, there aren’t a lot of older burglars out there who bring hardware to the scene.”
“That’s true.”
“You’re putting a 24-hour watch on my house, right?”
“I don’t have the manpower for that. But I did ask patrol to concentrate more of their night watch around your block.”
“Uh-huh,” Jane said with a dubious tone. “Okay, so let’s say just for the hell of it, that this is not some sort of ‘odd coincidence’ as you put it. Let’s say that there is some kind of motive behind the attempted break-in. I got to ask myself two questions: Why me and what’s he looking for? As far as I was told, the media doesn’t know I’m on this case. The DA’s office doesn’t know either. In fact, as far as anyone’s concerned, the last case with my name on it was the Stover murder. The only people who could drop my name regarding the Lawrence case are you and Chris. That’s saying that this burglar has got some tie-in with the Lawrence murder. But we’re just flyin’ blind through shit, aren’t we? So then I ask, what’s this asshole looking for? It’s gotta be information. Right?” Jane thought she heard a distinct pop on the phone. “What was that?”
“What?”
An indignant flush came over her face. If Weyler was recording this conversation or having it monitored by someone, she was not going to dish out any more information nor was she going to let anyone think she was stupid. “I heard a pop on the phone. A pop?” Jane said in a leading tone.
“I didn’t hear a pop.”
“Yeah, well . . .” Jane felt as though someone hit her square in the jaw. She turned around and looked at Emily sitting in the car. Suddenly, a boiling rage curled along her spine. “Goddamn, you fuckers!” Jane said under her breath.
“Jane? What is it?”
“Hey, I know!” Jane said sarcastically. “Maybe it’s that elusive Texas mob we keep talking about. Maybe I’ve got the fucking mob on my ass!”
“Jane, you’re not making sense.”
“Really? Well, shit, I’m sorry. I’ve got people trying to break into my house and I can’t do anything about it! How am I supposed to feel?”
“Look, I don’t know that it’s anything to worry about,” Weyler said gently. “I just felt I should touch base and tell you what happened.”
“Yeah. Thanks,” Jane said brusquely.
“Jane, are you okay?”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” Jane said, wondering how many people were waiting for her answer on the other end.
“It means what it means. You’re not . . . I hope to God you’re not drinking.”
Jane was blown away by Weyler’s comment. “Fuck! I should be so lucky!” Her words poured forth with venom. “I’m not getting drunk and I’m not stupid, either!”
“I never said—”
“Listen to me.” Jane turned away from Emily and spoke quietly but directly into the phone. “You’ve got an innocent little girl involved in this mess. A little girl. If that doesn’t mean shit to you, then so be it. But it means something to me!”
“Jane! My God! I’m well aware of your situation! I don’t want anything to happen to that child! We’re doing everything we can on this end.”
The voice automated operator broke in on the call. “You have twenty seconds left. Please insert one dollar for another five minutes.”
“How’s it going with the kid?” Weyler said, ignoring the automated voice.
“It’s going,” Jane said succinctly, not willing to throw any more information in Weyler’s direction. “I’m out of quarters,” Jane added, knowing full well she had a pocketful of change. She quickly said good-bye and hung up the phone with a hard slam. Back in the car, she lit a cigarette and rolled down the window.
“Is everything okay?” Emily asked.
“I don’t know,” Jane replied uneasily.
Emily stared into the distance. She was still silently beating herself up for zoning out in front of Dan. And the photos. She knew Jane would go ballistic if she knew Dan saw the photos. “Was that phone call ’cause of me?”
“No.” Jane took a drag on her cigarette. “What made you think that?”
“I don’t know. Just wondering, that’s all.”
Over the next few days, Dan kept his promise, driving by their house every morning, afternoon and evening. A few times, he stopped in to make minor improvements on the house. One day he improved the reception of their television by installing a used antenna on the roof. This addition brought in PBS and NBC when the sky was clear and the wind was not blowing.
As the days progressed, Jane sensed the gradual tightening of a noose around her neck. The more she tried to figure it out, the tighter and more mysterious that noose became. There were moments when she wondered if the feeling had to do with the attempted break-in at her house. Other times, she questioned if it was just the daily tedium in Peachville. No matter the source, the unidentifiable stress built exponentially. If the past was any indicator, this anomalous sensation typically heralded a monumental event in Jane’s life.
June 16 rolled around—the day of Kathy’s “Cherry Jubilee.” Jane hoped Emily would forget the invitation, but no such luck. By four o’clock, Emily was begging Jane to take her to Kathy’s house. As much as Jane hated the thought of being part of the insipid soirée, she realized that not showing up would generate further gossip and derision by the town hens. Finally, she agreed to bring Emily with her on the condition that they would be out of there in two hours or less.
Other books
The Other Side of You by Salley Vickers
A Woman of Fortune by Kellie Coates Gilbert
Letters to Missy Violet by Hathaway, Barbara
The Last One by Alexandra Oliva
Real Mermaids 2 - Don't Hold Their Breath by Boudreau, Helene
Hush by Carey Baldwin
A Valentine Wedding by Jane Feather
The Game of Kings by Dorothy Dunnett
The Halloween Collection by Indie Eclective
Marriage Seasons 03 - Falling for You Again by Palmer, Catherine, Chapman, Gary