Alana Candler, Marked for Murder (16 page)

“Did you sleep well?”

“Yes, thank you. The bed was very comfortable.” Something in her tone halted his next remark, and instead he searched her eyes for the truth.

“In other words, you had nightmares.”

“Well, to be honest, I did wake up a couple of times with the cold sweats.”

Sympathy darkened his eyes. “I thought you might. You should have called me.”

The pictures his words conjured up in her mind were startling. She felt the pull of their hearts, and he seemed hesitant to break the connection.

Jaydn took a step back and spoke quickly. “I mean, I could have asked Mrs. Nelson to find something to help you sleep.” He looked down at the bag in his hands. “I have something for you. I bought it years ago but then lost interest. You may as well have it and enjoy using it.”

He handed her the black bag.

Alana took the bag and raised a brow. “What is it?”

“Open it and see.” Jaydn was giving nothing away, so she opened the bag. Inside was a Canon EOS 5D Mark II digital camera with a zoom lens.

She sucked in a gulp of air, and her mouth hung open.

“I . . . I can’t accept this.” She stared at the camera in the bag.

“Look, it’s not being used. I have a smaller one I use when I’m in the mood. This one’s just being wasted. Since yours was ruined, why can’t I let you have this one?”

Alana hesitated, but she knew there was a new sparkle in her eyes. Jaydn would be able to see the excitement even if she tried to hide her delight.

“Go on. Take it, please.”

“Well, okay. I guess I could borrow it a while, if you’re sure,” she said with a lilt in her voice.

Jaydn acted as if he hadn’t heard the “borrow” comment and watched her pull out the camera and turn it on. Immediately she held it up and snapped a picture of Jaydn’s surprised face.

He grinned at her. “I can already tell you’re gonna be trouble. By the way, there’s another memory card stored in that bag somewhere if you need it. Feel free to use it. It won’t fit my other camera.”

He held his arm toward the kitchen. “Are you hungry?”

“A little.”

“How about some coffee and muffins? Or do you prefer eggs and toast?”

“Anything will do. I’ll eat anything.”

Jaydn led her into a large kitchen with a small bay area and a dining table situated at the end of the room. Bright yellow curtains hung in layers around a window seat directly behind the table. Naomi was busy laying out shiny blue plates full of strawberry muffins, slices of coffee cake, and several different types of fruit.

Her stomach growled when she saw the food in front of her. It had been too long since she last ate. She walked to the table, glanced out the window, and suddenly gasped in delight. Outside the window, birds were everywhere. They all gathered around several feeders located head high on the manicured lawn. There were red birds, blue jays, and a mockingbird or two interspersed among a whole group of sparrows, and all of them were feeding from the same feeders.

Alana pulled out the camera and started snapping pictures of the birds as they fluttered to the ground and all around the feeder.

She sensed Jaydn watching her and smiled at him. “This must be Naomi’s hobby. I can’t imagine it being yours.”

Naomi stood back. Her eyes glittered with pleasure. “I love watching them. It reminds me that if God can take care of the sparrow, I know He’ll take care of me.”

Alana dropped the camera back on the strap around her neck. “‘But the very hairs of your head are all numbered,’” she quoted softly as she thoughtfully played with the strap of the camera. “‘Fear not, therefore; ye are of more value than many sparrows.’”

“That’s right.” Naomi looked at Alana with surprise. “That’s from Matthew, isn’t it?”

Alana nodded but noticed Jaydn’s frown from the corner of her eye. She said nothing more but watched the confident manner of the housekeeper as she placed two cups of steaming coffee on the table along with a ceramic cream and sugar set.

“Would you like something else for breakfast, Miss Candler?” she asked. “We have eggs and bacon, if you’d rather have more.”

“This’ll be fine. Thank you, Naomi.” Alana smiled.

Jaydn pulled out one of the chairs and indicated she sit down.

He handed her the sugar and cream, but she waved them away. “I drink mine as black as I can get it. The stronger the caffeine in the morning, the better.”

He said nothing, but she noticed he pushed away the sugar and cream from his coffee as well.

She supposed their individual thoughts kept them quiet during the meal, but eventually there was nothing for them to do but speak to each other.

“I talked to Brad this morning.” Jaydn broke the silence. “He’s coming to Ross this evening.”

Alana nodded. “He said he’d come. He’s such a worrywart.”

“I’m sure he loves you very much.”

The scratchy way he said
loves
made them both uncomfortable. Jaydn was the first to look away. He cleared his throat. “I have business in Ross today, but I have a friend who’s a sketch artist. Brad and I thought maybe you could talk to him and see if he can help you remember anything about the man you saw in the SUV at the hotel, or the guy in the black hood.”

Alana closed her eyes and blew out a troubled breath. “I told Brad, and I’ll tell you, I didn’t really see either of them.”

“We know that, Alana. We’re just trying to cover all the bases. Ralph is good at what he does, and sometimes he helps victims remember more than they think they can. Just try, okay?” Jaydn reached over and touched her hand on the table.

The touch of his hand sent sparks through her body, and she wondered if he felt the same. Instead of pulling back, his hand covered hers with a deeper motion. Her chest rose in tiny movements—it was all she could manage.

When Naomi walked into the room, Alana pulled her hand away and leaned back in the chair, closing her heart to the brief moment of regret she imagined she saw in his blue eyes.

Jaydn stood up slowly and took his plate and cup to the sink. “I think I better go.”

Alana couldn’t tell if their brief contact affected him the same way it had her, but she told herself that it wasn’t likely.

“There’s a computer and printer in the den if you’d like to download your pictures and print them out.” He said, turning around. “There’s also a good selection of books and some DVD’s in the cabinet under the television in the living room. Hopefully, that’ll keep you occupied while I’m gone. I’m leaving the car with Naomi if you need anything. Will you be all right here with her until I get back?”

“I’ll be fine, Jaydn, but . . . are you sure your company won’t mind me staying here? You won’t get fired or anything for letting me stay, will you?”

Jaydn laughed and glanced at Naomi, who seemed silently amused as well.

“No, I’ll be fine. I told you, the company doesn’t mind anyone that has business in Ross using this apartment. Now, stop worrying. I probably won’t be back until later tonight. Make yourself at home, and I’ll see you then.”

Alana watched as he picked up his briefcase and left through the back door. The birds outside the window scattered and flew in all directions as he passed by them on the walk. She sighed as they all landed immediately back in their same positions and began once again eating from the feeder.

“That’s the way we are as humans too.” Naomi’s voice was quiet. “We scatter at the least little thing that comes into our lives, and then afterwards, go back to doing just what we were doing before. We don’t learn a thing. It’s sort of sad, isn’t it?”

Alana was silent but watched the birds, a thoughtful expression on her face.

THIRTY-ONE

POPS SAT ON THE UNMADE
bed in his tiny brick house with the TV blaring in his ear and a can of beer balanced between his knees. With one hand, he punched the mute button on the remote while he stared at the phone in his other hand—dreading the private call he had to make. He opened his phone and waited for his cell phone to gain service, then punched in the number “1” on speed dial.

“Is it done?” The voice on the other end of the line barked.

“Yeah. It’s all taken care of.”

“Are you sure you did it right this time? He didn’t talk to anybody else?”

“Nope. He didn’t have his cell phone on him, and one of the boys followed him in. There’s no way.”

A relieved puff of air sounded through the phone. “What about the ring?”

“We couldn’t find it, boss. He must have stashed it somewhere.”

The silence on the other end of the line was deafening. When Pops could stand the silence no longer, he blurted out, “Well, what do you want me to do now, boss?” His voice sounded desperate as he watched the silent reality TV show flash across the screen.

“I wanted that ring back, but it’s not a fatal mistake. They’ll never connect it to us. Tell Sam to lay low until we get ready for him again.”

“Okay, boss. Anything else?”

“There’s just one more problem, but I’ll take care of that myself. Just stay near the phone.”

Pops pushed the end button on the phone and started dialing again. That “one more problem” the boss referred to made him nervous. The boss didn’t like “problems,” and lately, there seemed to be an awful lot of them. Sweat broke out on his temples. He sure hoped he wasn’t one of those “problems.”

THIRTY-TWO

BRAD PUSHED THE DOORBELL BUTTON
once more—with a little more force this time. A banging noise finally sounded from inside the rattrap of an apartment, and a raspy voice yelled. “I’m comin’! I’m comin’!”

Brad and Vernon shared an impatient glance. When the woman finally opened the door, she looked like she’d just gotten out of bed—even though it was almost noon. Her greasy brown hair hung in clumps, and her cotton gown was wrinkled and dirty. When she saw the uniforms, her eyebrows shot up. An orange tabby cat escaped out the door and through Vernon’s legs before the woman could grab the screen door and pull it closed.

Brad and Vernon turned back to the woman.

“Sandra Temple?”

“Yeah.”

“I’m Brad Candler from the Landeville City Police Department, and this is Officer Vernon Smith. We’d like to ask you a few questions. Would you mind if we come in?”

“Yeah, I mind. What’s this all about, anyway?”

Brad stared at her through the screen. “Do you know a man named Martin Strands?”

Sandra’s eyes twitched and she looked down at the floor. “Yeah.”

Brad shared a glance with Vernon.

“When’s the last time you saw him, ma’am?”

Sandra shifted from foot to foot, and the whites of her eyes increased in size. “Oh, ’bout a week ago. We sort of met at a party, and then we came by here for a beer . . . I mean a Coke . . . I mean, I had a beer and he had a Coke. He had to drive home, you see, so he didn’t want to drink and drive.” She laughed a hoarse laugh. “You guys might pull him over, right? Anyway, we were just talking, you know? I don’t really know him very well, but he’s a nice enough guy . . . not too crazy about cats, though. I have a cat, and they didn’t get along too well . . .”

Brad and Vernon listened to her rambling for several minutes until Brad finally interrupted her. “How long did he stay with you drinking his
Coke
?”

She paused for a minute and panic filled her expression. “Uh . . . I . . . really don’t remember. I think it was several hours. I guess I had too much beer. I don’t know for sure.”

Brad looked at Vernon, who rolled his eyes.

“Can you tell me where you work, Ms. Temple?”

“At the Roadster Café. Every weekend.”

“Does that mean Friday nights too?”

“Yep.”

“What about last Friday night?”

“Look, I told you, I work every weekend. That includes Friday, don’t it?”

“If you work every Friday night, then how could you be working at the Roadster Café when you were supposed to be at a party meeting Martin Strands?”

Sandra trembled, and the pupils of her eyes dilated. Brad could practically see the wheels in her head churning, trying to backtrack and make up a lie to cover the one she’d already told.

“Oh . . . was that on a Friday night? I’m sorry . . . I forgot. I called in sick that night so I could go to the party. I wasn’t really supposed to be there, but a friend invited me just that day, and we went late. Then I met Martin at the party, an’ he asked if he could come over for a little while for a beer . . . I mean a Coke . . . and . . .” Her voice died away as she became agitated and reached to close the door. “I have to go now. I have to get ready for work.”

“Thank you, Ms. Temple. We might be back to ask you a few more questions.”

She nodded and shut the door in their faces.

They grinned and walked down the rickety steps.

“She was lying through her teeth.” Vernon declared through tight lips.

“Yep. So, what does that tell us?”

“Martin Strands needed an alibi, so he found one. That means he’s probably swimming in guilt up to his eyebrows.”