Homecoming, page 23
“I don’t think you’re in any danger of that. What did I always tell you growing up?”
“Mm. To do what felt right, what I was comfortable with. To think about the consequences and not let myself be pressured into giving more than I was willing to. To not jump into things too hastily, because that bell can’t be un-rung.”
Molly grinned, then started up the stairs. “Gosh, I sound smart and wise. All that advice is still sound, don’t you think?”
Lauren followed, chuckling. “I do. I also need to get myself to a doctor and see about birth control. I’d prefer any siblings for Ava to come along when I’m ready, not before.”
“Good girl. For what it’s worth, I like Charlie. So does your father, though I thought he was going to have a heart attack this morning when he came downstairs and saw that you’d both slept on the couch. You were lucky you were still snoozing and missed his face, but Charlie got the full-on ‘irate father’ glare. This mess has Win all a-dither, very protective papa again.”
She winced. “Then I guess it’s a good thing Charlie didn’t try to sneak into my bedroom via a ladder and the window.”
“That was an option?” Her mother laughed, stopping at her bedroom door.
Lauren shrugged. “It came up, yeah.”
Molly pursed her lips. “As romantic as that sounds, why don’t we table that for now, at least until Win has had a chance to calm down? Once you’re back at your own house, I say go for it.”
Wrinkling her nose, Lauren made a face. “But I can open the door at my house. I’ve never sneaked a boy into my room before. Maybe I’ll just move back in with you all and experience my teenage years again.”
The idea sent her mother into gales of laughter. “Well, with any luck, I’ll get Charity to come here while she heals. You can both get a redo. Why not?” Shaking her head, she went inside, kicking off her shoes. “Silly girl, go get comfortable.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
Once she was in her bedroom, she went to the window. Her room was on the end of the house that faced Charlie’s, and her window was lined up so that she could just see into his office, which was about seventy-five feet away. When she noticed that he was standing at his window with Rumble and they were both peering across at her, she laughed, waving. He picked up his phone, and a moment later, hers rang.
“What are you doing?” she asked.
“Flirting with the girl next door. When’d you get home?”
“Just now. I came up to change clothes.”
His grin was visible even at a distance. “Let me get my binoculars, in that case. Hang on.” He made to turn, then moved back. “You okay?”
She moved her shoulders. “No. Not even close. I don’t know if I’m coming or going.”
“Want some company?”
“Honestly? I want some fresh air, peace, and quiet. I’m thinking about escaping to Mom’s gazebo.”
He didn’t say anything immediately, then sighed. “That’s not a good idea. The gazebo is a good two hundred feet from the house, and it’s out in the open. Too hard to provide cover. Why don’t you come over here, use my porch? It’s covered, it’s screened, and I can lurk inside. You won’t even know I’m there.”
Lauren put her hand against the window. “I don’t want to put you out.”
“Remember that spanking I threatened you with?” he asked, his voice low as he propped his free hand on his hip. “You’re tempting me.”
“Promises, promises.” She sighed and waved at Jason as he came through the gate and gave her a thumbs-up, letting her know the property was clear. “I might take you up on that. Is five minutes too soon?”
“Not if you leave that shade up while you change clothes.”
She bent over double, she laughed so hard. “It’s a deal! See you soon.”
Feeling sassy even through her fatigue, after she hung up, she unbuttoned the top of her blouse, then grabbed her clothes out of the chair beside the bed. Blowing him a kiss, she flounced out of the bedroom toward the bathroom, giggling the whole way.
“That’ll teach you not to be specific, Charlie Clark.”
By the time she got back to the bedroom, changed, he was gone from the office window. Grabbing her phone, an old cotton blanket, and the book she was in the middle of, she headed down the hall. Her mother’s office door was closed, and as she passed, she could hear Molly talking, presumably on the phone.
“I’ll text you and let you know where I’m going,” she murmured.
Downstairs, she saw Charlie walking across the patio, and she hurried to unlock the door. Just as she twisted the knob, the glass in the window over the kitchen sink shattered, followed by several hard thuds hitting the house, punctuated by sharp pops louder than a firecracker.
“Shit, he’s shooting!” Charlie yelled as he rolled inside, then slammed the door behind him. “Get down! Where’s your mother? Crawl to the front of the house. Go!”
“Upstairs,” Lauren said, crawling as footsteps raced down the stairs. “Mom, get down!”
Molly hit the floor hard, scurrying for cover as the glass in the French door was blown away. “What’s going on? Is that gunfire?”
Four shots sounded in rapid succession, fired in two-round bursts.
On her hands and knees, Lauren glanced back in time to see Jason running through the yard toward the gazebo. “Oh, God.”
Charlie had his back braced against the wall by the patio door, his own gun drawn. He peered around the door frame. “Call nine-one-one! Jason’s probably already on that but just in case. Tell them he’s pursing the guy on foot. It looks like they went over the hill.”
Molly was already on the phone. Thankfully, the gunfire seemed to have stopped, but Lauren wasn’t sure that was good news. She got to her feet, but when Charlie swung back around, what she saw nearly had her stumbling.
“You’re bleeding. Oh, my God, Charlie—you’re bleeding!”
A bright red stain was spreading across the side of his T-shirt, near his ribs on the left side. He glanced down at it, then looked at her. “Oh. I am. Stay where you are!”
Keeping her eyes peeled on the backyard, she sprinted across the room. “You idiot, you got shot! Don’t tell me to stay where I am.” With hands that shook so badly she almost couldn’t lift the hem of his shirt, she tried to move the fabric so she could see.
“I think it’s just a cut,” he said, gritting his teeth.
She nodded frantically when she saw that was exactly what it was—a long groove cut into the flesh over his ribs. “We need to put something on that.”
“Do you need an ambulance?” Molly said from the doorway.
“Yes!” Lauren said at the same time Charlie gave an emphatic “No!”
“Hold on, let me check him,” Molly told the person she was talking to. “Jason just radioed in. He sort of has the shooter. In any event, he won’t be coming back. You can stand down, Charlie.” She grimaced and stepped carefully into the room. “Let me see this ‘cut.’”
Lauren lifted the shirt again as he slid the gun back into its holster on his belt. “It’s awful.”
“It’s not pleasant, but he’ll live,” Molly said. “We can do without the ambulance. I’ll get the first aid kit.”
“Mom!” When Charlie laughed, Lauren turned her outrage to him. “Did you get hit in the head too? What’s so damned funny?”
He wrapped her in a tight hug. “Stress, adrenaline. Your face. You’re ready to do battle for me, aren’t you?” Cupping her face, he kissed her hard. “I love you. I know it’s too soon, so ignore that if you want.” He didn’t give her a chance to respond, just sighed and held her close. “Are you okay? Did you get hit by any of the glass?”
“No.”
Lauren was flummoxed. The day had simply been too much, and she was feeling quite shell-shocked. Without a word, she steered Charlie to a barstool and sat him down, then she took the first aid kit when Molly came back. She didn’t realize she was crying until he wiped her cheeks with his thumbs.
“Hey, look at me. It’s okay. I’m fine. You two are all right. The house is… mostly okay.”
It was too much. She broke, hiding her face in his neck as she cried. She couldn’t even stop crying when he shifted her to the side so that Molly could patch him up.
“I’m going to go unlock the front door and wait for whoever shows up, and I probably should call Win,” Molly said when she was finished.
“What about Troy? I’m assuming that was him doing the shooting,” Charlie said.
Molly snorted. “Yeah, about that. Man versus garbage truck, garbage truck won. Troy’s not a problem anymore. An appropriate end, don’t you think?”
Charlie whistled low as she left them. “Talk about Karma.” He rubbed his face over Lauren’s hair. “Do you want me to take it back?”
She shook her head, her tears slowing somewhat. “Don’t you dare.”
He kissed her forehead then rested his face against hers despite the dampness on her cheeks. “No, ma’am.”
She knew it would be a long time before she could close her eyes without seeing him bleeding. Resting against him, she didn’t say anything but took comfort from feeling his heart beat under her palm. In a very short time, the house would be utter chaos, but for right now, it was quiet and she had everything she needed.
Chapter 37
The road was blocked a good distance away from where the accident had taken place. Ethan parked next to the curb, near the barricade, and ducked under the crime scene tape stretched across the road. A body was lying under a white sheet, just in front of the garbage truck, and accident reconstructionists from the state police were setting up their gear.
Harvey Stapleton and his assistant were getting ready to load the body into a bag. He came over to Ethan, shaking his head. “The guy never knew what hit him, according to Jason. He ran right out in front of the truck. Splat.”
Ethan choked back a horrified laugh. “Splat? Harvey, you’ve been at this too long. Dispatch said we have a tentative ID.”
“We do. Troy Vernon, license says he’s from Georgia. The physical description on the license matches his body, matches what the news has been running. I’ll take fingerprints and get them up to the crime lab to make sure—his face is pretty messed up, so a visual ID won’t do us any good. It looks like your manhunt’s over.”
“Thankfully, yes. I’ll let the lab know to expect the prints. They can do the comparison as soon as it comes in.”
“It’s a good thing Wyatt fought so hard to get that grant and bring the lab in, isn’t it? Certainly makes our lives easier.”
“It does.” A couple of years back, Wyatt had worked his butt off to land a grant that brought one of the highest-tech crime labs in the region permanently to Olman County. “Where’s Jason?”
“Up the hill a ways, talking to the drivers. They’re pretty shaken up.”
“I can imagine.”
Excusing himself, Ethan headed in the direction Harvey pointed, avoiding the evidence cones set up behind the truck. Jason met him halfway, and Ethan assessed him visually.
“You okay?”
Jason blew out a long, hard breath, hands on his hips. “Yeah, I think so. He didn’t even look. I was too far away, still in the tall grass. I couldn’t do a thing to stop him.”
“It isn’t your fault.”
The younger man shrugged. “I know, and I don’t feel guilty. He’s the dumb-ass who didn’t look both ways. Still, it isn’t an image I like having in my head. How are things at the house?”
“Stacy’s there now. They’re a bit frazzled, but they’re all right. I wanted to stop here first, check on you.”
“I’m okay. The truck driver’s probably going to need a career change, however.”
“One could argue he was still doing his job, but we can’t exactly tell him that,” Ethan said with a shrug. “Have you already given your statement to the state boys?”
“First thing.”
“Good. Let’s check in with them, then head up top. I’ll give you a ride back.” He eyed the steep bank that led from the back of the Taylors’ property to the road. “Unless you want to climb back up Billy goat style.”
“I’ll take the ride, thanks.”
“You discharged your weapon?” Ethan asked as they walked.
“I did. I fired four shots, two bursts. He was at a distance, and I didn’t hit him. I figured it was worth the risk to get him to stop shooting at the house since it was clear behind him. There was no river traffic, and the bullets would have hit the water. You’ll take my gun?”
“I will. Wyatt will probably want you riding the desk for a couple of days.”
Jason sighed. “I figured as much. If Charlie hadn’t been going in the house right when Vernon came into the yard, he might not have started shooting. I couldn’t see the backyard from where I was parked. He could have been in that house and hurt or killed Lauren and Molly both before anyone would have known.”
“You hadn’t started the perimeter check?”
“I’d already done it. They’d been home about ten minutes, and I did the walk-through as soon as I parked. I even went back there to the gazebo and the edge of the yard. Either he was hiding in the brush over the hill, or he started climbing up after I did the check. He could have taken me out if he was there when I walked around. I wonder why he didn’t?”
They exchanged a look.
“He probably didn’t want to alert anyone to his presence so he could sneak up.” Ethan touched his shoulder. “For whatever reason, I’m glad he didn’t.”
“You and me both.”
Once Ethan had taken the gun into evidence, they headed up to Win and Molly’s. Gary Collins, an officer with the city, was manning the roadblock, and he let them through. Ethan’s phone rang as they parked.
“Go on in without me. I have to take this.” It was a call he’d been waiting for on another case.
When he hung up a few minutes later and got out of his car, a sharp whistle sounded from behind him. Turning, he saw Beth at the barricade, her cheeks bright red flags as she waved.
“Are they okay?” she asked as he approached.
“I tried to tell her no press allowed, but Ms. Nosy won’t listen,” Gary ground out.
Beth ignored him, reaching for Ethan. “Please.”
“Lauren, Molly, and Charlie are fine. So’s Jason.” Ethan moved the sawhorse and let her in. He sent a hard stare at Gary. “Cool it with the nicknames.”
Beth huffed as they walked toward the house. “I guess that’s your purview, Detective.”
“I guess so, blondie.”
She stopped in front of him, her arms crossed. “What happened? What are we walking into here?”
“Off the record, Troy Vernon fired some shots at the house. Everyone’s okay, although I believe Charlie got cut by some flying glass. Jason chased Vernon over the hill, where the asshole did the world a favor by running in front of a garbage truck.”
She grimaced. “Oh, no. Is Jason okay?”
“I’d say he’s a little shaky, but for the most part, he’s all right. Lauren’s had a rough day, however.” He told her about Charity’s past. “Keep that to yourself.”
“I will. I’m so glad Lauren knows the truth. I didn’t think she ever would.”
“Too often, families don’t. Come on.” He took a single step before another whistle stopped him again. “Shit, what now?”
Turning, he saw Ransom Clark at the barricade, and he motioned him through.
“Think that’s a good idea?” Beth asked skeptically.
“It’s better than letting him stand out here, I figure. Mr. Clark.”
Concern written all over his face, Ransom hurried to them. “Where’s my son? Is he in trouble? Is he hurt?”
“He should be inside, no, and only a little scratch,” Ethan answered. “How’d you hear about this?”
“We were supposed to have dinner, and he stood me up. When I called, he said there was a situation. He didn’t say what it was, but he didn’t sound right, so I came over.”
The three of them had reached the end of the walk outside Molly and Win’s.
“Go on inside. We’ll catch up.” As he and Beth watched Ransom jog into the house, Ethan sighed. “That may put me on Charlie’s shit list.”
Beth cleared her throat. “Let’s just hope Annie doesn’t show up too.”
He frowned. “Annie? Why?”
“Because she’s Charlie’s half sister,” she said in a low voice. “Ransom’s her biological father.”
Ethan stared at her, then whistled. “Well. Yeah, let’s hope she stays home and this doesn’t get any more crazy than it already is.”
“Does Troy’s death mean Lauren’s safe now?”
“I think so. I hope that’s what it means. We won’t have a definitive ID on Troy until probably tomorrow, but since Lauren isn’t the kind of person who collects enemies and the shooter had his ID in his pocket, I think we can safely assume it was him. I’m confident calling it done.”
She nodded. “That would make sense.” When his phone rang and he cursed, she smiled. “I’ll head in and let you answer that. Thank you for letting me in.”
“Yep.” He answered the call as he watched her walk away.
When it turned out to be a robocall, he cursed and hung up then blocked the number. Beth was just going inside the house, and he stood there for a moment, letting his jitteriness settle. More and more in the last couple of months, when he and Beth talked, it turned into an outright argument, so to converse with her now without having that irritation rise up was disconcerting. They’d been friends for many years, and Ethan hated that their relationship was so contentious these days—and he also hated that he didn’t trust their interactions when the contentiousness wasn’t there.
