In Harm’s Way - Ch. 36

Excerpt from rough draft of In Harm’s Way by Pat Otterness

CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX

????????????“Who do you belong to, little guy?” I said. No collar. Not starving. Not ragged-looking. He must belong to someone. I went inside,??pooch at my heels, and found Harm alone, straightening up my house. A whirlwind of small boys had made a mess of it.

????????????“Where’s Hope?” I asked.

????????????“She took the kids to some park,” he said. “I don’t know which one. Where did you get the pup?”

“I met him over near Fletch’s house,” I said. “He followed me home.“

????????????“She?followed you home,” said Hiram. “She’s a girl doggie, aren’t you sweetheart?” Hiram knelt on the floor and gave the dog a lot of love. “What were you doing over there?”

????????????“How do you feel about diamonds?” I grinned. I knew Harm loved the idea of treasure. His eyes got bigger as I told him about my surveillance.

????????????“You might have been killed,” he said. “If those guys killed Vaughn, they could have killed you, too.”

????????????“We don’t know that they killed anyone,” I said. “ But they really did a number on Fletch’s house. Hope is going to freak out.”

????????????“No way is Hope going back there tonight,” said Hiram. “She and the kids will have to stay with you tonight.”?

????????????Augh!! That didn’t bear thinking about.

“We need to report the break-in,” Harm continued.

????????????“What are we going to tell them? Do we tell them where Fletch is? And why those men are searching his house? That would mean telling them about Carmen, and she could get deported.”

????????????“Don’t you think it’s time we told them the truth?” said Hiram.

????????????“Maybe” I said.?Or maybe not.

????????????The question kind of answered itself when Sheriff’s Investigator Hunt drove out in answer to our call. He got out of his cruiser, looking manly and gorgeous, but then another officer climbed out and spoiled my whole day. A tall, willowy figure appeared, with shiny auburn hair and eyes that I’d swear weren’t brown, but gold.

“Chat,” said Jordan, I’d like you to meet Vaughn’s replacement, Sheriff’s Investigator Mallory Drummond.”?

I felt my blue eyes turning green as I looked at her. She was everything I wasn’t in a woman, and as she looked at me, I imagined her sizing me up, as well. I felt the warning flares go up.

????????????“Pleased to meet you,” she said without conviction.

????????????‘Hi!” I said, unwilling to go the pleasure route. “I thought you two would be at Fletch’s house.”

????????????“Cook and Nines are there,” said Jordan. “We wanted to hear how you learned of the break-in first. It seems a little off your beaten path.”

????????????Uh-oh!?I was going to have to wing it.??“I was looking for Hope,” I lied. “She’s watching his boys for him while he’s away.” I was careful not to mention just where he had gone.

Jordan looked skeptical.?

“I saw two men looking in the windows and knew something was up. One was nicely dressed, well groomed, but the other was bearded, kind of scruffy looking.”

????????????“You noticed all this, yet the men didn’t see you drive up?” he said. “How very odd.”

????????????“ I parked out of sight,” I countered.?

????????????“Were you hoping to leap out and surprise your sister?” Jordan clearly wasn’t buying my story.

????????????“Okay,” I mumbled. “I was following them.”

????????????“And why was that, Miz Chance?” Jordan was enjoying my discomfort.

????????????“Ruff!” The tiny Schnauzer pushed open the door and joined us in the driveway.

????????????“Who is this?” asked Jordan, kneeling to pet the enthusiastic pooch.

????????????“He … she … is just visiting,” I told him. “She followed me home from Fletch’s house.”

????????????“Is this his dog, then?” Jordan picked up the tiny pup and stroked his fur.

“Nope,” I said. “It must belong to one of his neighbors. I’ll ask the boys when they get back.”

????????????Jordan set the pup down, where it lay worshipfully at his feet. Mallory stepped away from the dog, looking wary. Must not be a dog lover.

“Anyway, I said, “I heard the scruffy man break a window. He opened the door for the other guy. Once they were inside, I moved in closer.”

????????????“Hoping to be hit over the head, I expect,” said Jordan dryly. He rolled his eyes.?

????????????“I looked in a window and watched them trash the place,” I continued, ignoring his sarcasm. “They were looking for something. Something small, I think. Some of the places they looked could only have held something small. They dumped out a box of oatmeal, for instance.”

????????????“What do you think they were looking for?” asked Mallory in a chilly voice.

????????????“Diamonds,” I told her. “One of the men mentioned looking for?ice.”

????????????“Ri-i-ight,” said Mallory with what could best be described as disdain. “Any other thoughts?” Her implication was clear.

????????????“No-o-o,” I said. “My mind is an empty vessel.” I smiled sweetly at her, with my teeth showing.

“If only,” mumbled Jordan, putting away his notebook.??“ What, exactly, did he say?”

“It was something like, ‘What did she do with the ice?’ or ‘Where did she hide the ice.’”??If I was hiding diamonds, I thought, I would hide them in ice trays. But that was just me.

“We’ll be back later. I hope they didn’t see you. You put yourself in a world of trouble today. I hope you know that.”

????????????“Harm did mention something about how I could have been killed,” I said. “ I’ll put that in the same box and see if it floats.”