Trouble In Spades (19 page)

I leaned on the hockey stick. "Riley? What're you doing?"

"Uh, keeping watch?"

Had he fallen asleep on the job? Maternal instincts reared up. It was a school night. What was he thinking, being out here this late? And what was Mr. Cabrera doing,
letting
him be out this late? He stood up, tugged on his shirt. "Do you know what time it is?" I asked.

Gracie milled around, her snout to the ground, probably looking for more food. Her stomach had to be the size of Maria's suitcase. Riley shrugged, kept tugging.

Getting a strange vibe, I put my hands on my hips. "
What
is going on?"

Riley shifted back and forth, looking everywhere but at me. Then it hit. I'd heard
voices
when I came out. More than one. "Olly olly oxenfree," I snapped, all patience lost.

Long dark curls trailed down the girl's back as she popped up next to Riley. "Uh, hi, Mrs. Quinn."

Oh-ho!
This certainly explained Riley's nighttime forays. "And you'd be?"

"Katie Coughlin," she said brightly.

Gracie continued yipping. I wished she had batteries so I could take them out and toss them far, far into the woods. Mr. Cabrera's floodlights flashed on.
Oh, here we go.

"Take her home," I told Riley. "We'll talk about this in the morning."

"Uh, Nina, it
is
morning."

"Riley . . ." I warned.

"All right." He took Katie's hand and they disappeared into the woods behind the gazebo. There was a trail there that led to the neighborhood behind ours.

Mr. Cabrera's door creaked open. "Who's back there?" he called out.

"It's okay, Mr. Cabrera. It's just me." I winced at the sight of him in a pair of boxer shorts and black socks pulled to his knees. Too much information.

He stepped out. "Miz Quinn?"

"Really, Mr. Cabrera, I'm just out here with the dog."

My jaw dropped when Brickhouse appeared behind him, wrapped in a bed sheet. I quickly looked away before I saw something that would send me directly into therapy without passing Go.

"Donatelli?" she said to Mr. Cabrera, her loud voice carrying easily in the quiet night. "What's going on?"

"Go in," I urged. "Go back to—" The word lodged in my throat and I forced it out. "—bed."

I tightened my robe, warding off heebie-jeebies.

"You sure you okay?" he asked.

"Right as rain."

He said good-night, and I heaved a sigh of relief when he closed the door behind him.

I fought a yawn, but I knew I couldn't go back to bed until I knew Riley was home safe and sound. I'd kill him in the morning. "Gracie, come on."

Looking around, I didn't see any ratlike dogs. "Gracie?" Oh no. I'd barely had her two days and I'd already managed to lose her. This is why I didn't have a pet. I was lucky I hadn't lost Riley during the last eight years. "Gracie!" I said in a loud whisper.

A yip pierced the silence. It came from my right.

I started to follow it, then stopped. Why? Wouldn't it be easier to let her go?

Guilt nudged me forward. That, and the image of Kit's face when he learned I'd lost the stupid dog. "Gracie!"

I cut across Mr. Cabrera's backyard, through the next two yards, trying to spot any movement in the moonlight. I raised my voice. "Gracie!"

Two yips punctuated the night.

A light flashed on. Mrs. Daasch opened her window. She tossed something out, yelled, "Now let me go back to sleep," and slammed the window closed.

I stooped to pick up what she'd tossed. In the pale moonlight, I made out a pair of flowered panties.

"Eww!" I let them drop, wiped my hand on my robe. But I hated to leave them there, on the ground. I snatched them up, held them at arm's length with two fingers, and hung them on her back-door knob.

"Gracie, I'm going to ring that little canine neck of yours!" I heard a long, prolonged
yiiiiiiip
and took off, grass squishing between my toes, the dew nearly making me slip. I zigged and zagged through trees, rounded the corner of Mr. Weatherbee's house and stopped so fast my feet went out from under me.

A man dressed all in black stood in the shadows of the house, as if he'd been there watching me the whole time.
"Eee!"
I cried as I went down. On the ground, I backpedaled, not caring that my robe had fallen open. I opened my mouth to scream again, but my voice had gone AWOL. I assumed no one had heard my initial scream since no lights were coming on. I cursed hearing aids and searched the ground for something to protect myself. Stupidly, I'd left Riley's hockey stick back at the gazebo. The man stepped forward, out of the shadows, and moonlight cut across his face. Mr. Weatherbee.

"Does this, Mrs. Quinn, belong to you?" he asked, holding Gracie out like I'd held Mrs. Daasch's underwear. My voice still missing, I nodded.

"I'll thank you to keep . . . it . . . out of my garden." I nodded again.

He stepped over to me, dropped Gracie. I caught her, felt her shaking.

I was surprised she didn't tuck her tail and do the pee thing, since Mr. Weatherbee had certainly scared the piss out of me. "Thank you," I managed, scrambling up. "Um, Mr. Weatherbee, what are you doing out here, dressed all in black?" I asked, keeping the "and scaring poor innocent landscape designers to near death" to myself.

He laughed. Gracie and I backed up, inched toward home. "You think I'm the panty thief?"

"I didn't say that."

After a moment he said, "I'm on watch tonight."

A flashlight beam cut through the night, shined on us.

"What's going on here?" Mr. Mustard demanded.

Flash Leonard stood behind him looking at my legs. "Great gams," he said.

"Uh, thanks."

"An explanation is needed," the Colonel said. He was dressed all in black too. I supposed older people had a lot of it, what with all the funerals they had to go to.

Even Flash had on a black robe. Of course, it was open, but so was mine. Balancing Gracie, I managed to tighten my sash. I held out Gracie. "She got out." Gracie yipped as if in agreement. "Mr. Weatherbee found her."

"I heard a scream," the Colonel said.

"I, uh, fell."

"What're you two doing out this late?" I asked them.

The Colonel bristled. "I heard commotion, including a scream."

"I'm on duty tonight," Flash said. "Thought I saw someone and followed him over here."

"Really? Who?"

Flash frowned. "Don't know. Lost him. Then I heard your scream."

At Flash's pace, he could lose track of a snail.

"It's late," Mr. Weatherbee said. "Why don't we all turn in?"

There were murmured agreements all around. Except from me. I kept feeling like someone wasn't telling me something. "I'll walk you home," Flash offered me.

I tucked Gracie into the crook of my elbow and slipped my other arm through Flash's.

As we walked down the street, I looked back over my shoulder. Mr. Weatherbee and the Colonel were watching us go.

I shuddered, and I wasn't quite sure why.

As I closed and locked my door early the next morning, I found myself worrying about Gracie. She hadn't inhaled her food like she usually did. And through the front window, I saw that she was walking in circles. Maria promised to look after her, but I doubted the closeness of her watching. She was fast becoming addicted to TV. Everything from
Regis and Kelly
and the Yo
ung and the
Restless
, to
Dr. Phil
and J
udge Judy.

My truck beeped as I unlocked it. I was running a little behind thanks to my early morning talk with Riley. "I hope you weren't too hard on him."

My sketch pad went flying as I covered my pounding heart with my hand. I turned to face Mr. Cabrera. "Jeez!"

"Sorry," he said, not looking the least bit contrite.

Once my heart settled down and I gathered up my sketch pad, I asked, "Weren't too hard on who?"

Today Mr. Cabrera wore a pair of black cargo shorts and a white button-down with yellow ducks on it, left open to reveal a plain white T-shirt beneath. "Riley. He really likes Katie."

I shaded my eyes against the sun. "You knew?" He nodded.

Silly me. I should've known. Mr. Cabrera knows everything. "You should have told me. I was worried about him."

"Us guys have to stick together."

"He's fifteen!"

"Exactly."

"Men," I muttered. Riley had explained to me that Katie's father didn't want her to date until she was sixteen—a little over six months away. A lifetime to a teenager. Riley hadn't liked me saying he had to abide by her father's rules.

The, er, conversation hadn't been pretty. Even Gracie hadn't stuck around.

"Did you hear that Mrs. Walker got broken into last night?"

"What?!" Mrs. Walker lived four doors down. I gasped. Right next door to Mr. Weatherbee.

"Guy broke in, but something apparently scared him off."

"What time?" I asked, feeling slightly sick.

" 'Bout one-thirty or so. Mrs. Walker heard the glass break in the front door and hid in her closet."

I frowned. "Who was on watch?"

He scratched his chin. "Flash had duty last night."

"Not Mr. Weatherbee?"

"No."

"Not the Colonel?"

"Not that I know of. And I'd know," he said, thumping his chest.

Hmmm.
Mr. Weatherbee had told me he was on duty . . . The Colonel had merely said he'd heard commotion . . . From five doors down? My eyebrows started twitching. "Do you think it's a good idea to have Flash out alone?"

"His bones don't work so well, but his eyes are fine and so're his ears. That's all that really counts."

I remembered what Flash had said the night before: He'd seen someone go by and followed.

And what about the Colonel? He said he'd heard me scream, but honestly, I hadn't screamed
that
loud. It was more a squeal than anything, maybe even a squeak. He'd had to be really close by to hear it. Like at Mrs. Walker's front door. The Colonel, Mr. Weatherbee. They'd both lied to me. Why? I even had doubts about Flash's story. He could barely walk, never mind run. How did he get to Mr. Weatherbee's so fast after he heard my scream? "You're right, Miz Quinn."

Lost in thought, I jumped. I'd forgotten he was standing there. "Right? About what?"

"We need to beef up security, add more patrols."

Had I said that? Still, it was a good idea, and I had an even better one. "Let's call a meeting together," I suggested. "Here, around four or so, so we can all talk about it."

"Good idea, Miz Quinn. I'll set it up."

As I drove toward work, I couldn't help but wonder what Kevin would think of the plan I'd just hatched . . . and how it involved him.

As I was turning left onto Jaybird, my cell buzzed. After checking the caller ID, I flipped it open. "Hey."

"I think my mother's got a secret boyfriend," Ana said.

"Jealous?" I asked.

"Ha. Ha."

"What makes you think so?" I asked.

"You know how she's been on the computer a lot since she got here?"

"Yeah?"

"Well, I caught her instant messaging someone last night. When she saw me, she signed off real quick."

"That doesn't mean much. She could be talking to anyone."

"With the screen name 'hunkoburninglove'?" I let that one sit for a minute.

"Maybe she's got a friend who's an Elvis nut."

"You're not helping."

"So what if she does have a boyfriend? Good for her."

"She should tell me. I'm her daughter. I'm supposed to know these things. I mean, who is this guy? He could be any nut off the street? What if he's after her money?"

"Does she have money?"

"No, but that's not the point."

I sighed.

"I need to make sure she's safe, Nina."

I could understand that.

"I'm going to find out who this hunk o' burning love is. Run a background check. Before she signed off, I saw that they're meeting tonight at nine at Arello's."

I knew better than to try and talk her out of it. "So, are you gonna come or not?"

I smiled, not even bothering to mention that she hadn't asked me to come. "I'll be there," I said. "As long as you come dress shopping with me beforehand."

"Is the wedding back on?"

"Well, it's not off! What if Nate turns up and the wedding is still on? Then I'd be stuck in that . . . that . . . thing."

"Good point," she said. "I'll pick you up at seven. Gotta go, Mom's coming!"

She hung up before I could say good-bye.

I turned into the TBS lot, full of energy to work. I'd never attempted to do a mini this quickly before. I had a zillion things to do to get ready for tomorrow's job at the Fryes'. For the first time in days, I actually felt like I could focus solely on work. Now that Kevin had those pictures, I could stop worrying so much.

My to-do list was a mile long. Near the top of the list was Leo Barker. I couldn't dismiss Tam's negative feelings toward him, and I still didn't know how he'd come to TBS. I needed to get some answers.

So preoccupied with how to deal with Leo, it took me a moment to realize that the alarm system wasn't set. Odder still, no lights were on either, and the coffeepot wasn't perking.

"Hello?" I called out. The hairs on the back of my neck rose. Chills swept down my spine. "Tam?"

I inched inside, holding the door open with my foot. "Hidey, er, ho?"

Early morning light filtered through the wooden blinds on the front windows. Dim sunbeams limned the couches, chairs, books. Tam's desk was neat and tidy, everything in its place, including Sassy, her African violet.

I swallowed, trying to ignore the goose bumps on my arms. It was entirely possible Tam had forgotten to set the alarm the night before.