Common Enemy (20 page)

“I’m telling you now, the first sign of trouble and I’m out of there.”

“It’s a deal.” Connor watched her walk away.

Caleb passed Jordan on her way out. “That was pretty smooth, brother. Do you really think you can hold the old man at bay?”

“It’s me he’ll be gunning for. I may be the first one out the door.”

Chapter Twenty-Three

Bobby Ray was glad he’d had time to pack his truck before hanging the investigator in Jordan’s tree. He was already on the road out of town when the first police car headed for her house. It had gone so smoothly. The guy just walked right into his trap. He’d been disappointed that it hadn’t been one of the McCrae brothers, but it was still good.

He took a mental inventory of his weapons. He had Nita’s gun, Truman’s gun, and the camper’s knife. He hoped he wouldn’t have to use the guns. A quick kill didn’t give as much satisfaction. He discovered he liked being close to the people he killed. There was something exciting about the look in their eyes the moment they realized they were going to die.

Since the court hearing he hadn’t needed much money. The car had been his biggest expense. He still had more than four thousand dollars. Truman’s wallet had contained fifty dollars and a few credit cards. He took the money and left the rest. He knew from watching crime shows; you could be tracked by using credit cards. He needed to lay low for a while. Being chased was exhilarating, but letting them get too close was stupid.

He stopped at a motel, one of those rundown places in the middle of nowhere, with separate cabins. When the desk clerk asked for the tag number of his truck, he explained he was delivering the truck to its owner and would be back with a different vehicle later that day. He said he’d come back in with the information. The clerk was satisfied to wait.

Bobby Ray unloaded all the gear from the truck into the room and headed for the nearest town. At a local garage, he approached the mechanic. “I need a lot of work done on this truck. Do you think you could change the oil and filters, replace the belts and hoses, service the transmission, and put on new tires?”

“That’s going to take some time.” The mechanic scratched his head. “We were just getting ready to close until Monday. I can’t get the tires ordered until then. It’ll probably be a week before they’re delivered.”

“That’s no problem for me. I’m staying in the area for about a month. I need a little peace and quiet to finish some art work I’ve been working on.” Bobby Ray noticed the name printed on the front of the man’s shirt. “I could leave the truck with you for a week if you have one I could use as a rental, Paul.”

“The only spare car I have is an SUV that we’re putting out for sale next week.”

“If you can hold off on selling it, I’d give you five hundred dollars to rent it for the week.”

Paul looked at the car and scratched his head again. “I can’t turn that down, but I would need the money for the car up front. We can settle on your repairs next week. I’m in a hurry to get home.”

“Sure, just call me at the motel down the road on Friday. Ask for Jerry Bennett.”

Bobby Ray handed the mechanic five hundred dollars and took the keys to the old Ford Bronco. It wouldn’t be missed for a week and it had plenty of room for his gear. Hell, it had enough room for all that, plus a couple of bodies.

Back at the motel, he loaded the Bronco. He hadn’t slept much lately. Watching Jordan had become a full time job. He decided to take advantage of the bed until it was dark, then he’d figure out where to hide out for a while. He closed his eyes and thought about his latest kill.

Bobby Ray was so pleased with his quick thinking action he’d rewarded himself with a box of colored pencils. The first pencil he’d noticed was the light rust color that matched Jordan’s hair.

Jordan had a soft heart. She wouldn’t allow too many people to get hurt before she came to her senses and gave herself up to him. He smiled at that thought as he rolled onto his side to sleep.

****

Connor looked out the kitchen window at the oak tree, remembering how Tucker had described the findings of the medical examiner over the phone. He rubbed his forehead trying to ease the ache.

Butler’s camping spot had been found by the creek just a quarter mile from the back of their lawn. A clear path had been made from recent and frequent use. Rolled up gum wrappers and scuffmarks indicated the place where he’d sat watching them. Where was he now?

In the morning his father was sending a small plane to pick up John’s body. Ted and Caleb would go back with him. He planned to drive Jordan and Lizzy in the BMW. The road trip would do them all good.

Ted would stay in Tampa to wait for the arrival of his first baby. Hopefully, Caleb would stay behind as well. He’d enjoyed being with his brother again. Their relationship had changed and matured since their reunion. Maybe it was because they weren’t so much alike any more. He still wished he knew what caused Caleb to be so closed up. It suddenly occurred to him that he had avoided his brother for a solid six years, now he hated to think of leaving Tampa without him. But, Caleb would be safer at home.

How would he keep Jordan safe by himself? She would never consider leaving her home again. It was all she had of her past and it was Lizzy’s future. They’d made it their home.

The house was quiet. In the living room Jordan sat at one end of the couch, crocheting a blanket for Ted’s baby. Caleb had perched at the other end reading the newspaper. Lizzy was coloring a picture at the end of the coffee table and Ted’s reading glasses had slid to the end of his nose as he worked on John’s eulogy. John had left an emptiness that they all felt. This would be the last night that they’d all be together under this roof.

He climbed the stairs to the bedroom and picked up his guitar. He hadn’t played it since the cookout. He couldn’t let this last night go without drawing everyone together one last time.

Next, he stopped in the spare room downstairs to find Caleb’s guitar. When he returned to the living room, Caleb looked up, smiled, and held out his hand for his instrument.

Connor played a few cords before Caleb settled into the same tune. Ted sang along to the old Willie Nelson song. Lizzy crawled into her mother’s lap to listen. For the second song, Connor and Lizzy sang
I Never Promised You a
Rose Garden
. They had practiced it while Jordan had still been working.

Connor set down his guitar and pulled Jordan up to dance with him while he sang softly in her ear.

“What would you like to sing?” he asked when the song ended. “We can play almost anything.”

“I don’t sing.”

“Of course you sing. It’s natural. You shouldn’t be shy with us. We sing all the time.”

“But you’re so good. I can’t sing. I don’t even know any songs.”

“You may as well get it over with,” Ted told her. “They’ll get you sooner or later.”

“I seriously don’t know the words to any songs.”

“I can’t believe that,” Connor stated. “Don’t you sing along to the radio? Haven’t you ever done Karaoke? Tell me your favorite song or artist and I’ll help you.”

“I haven’t sung since I was a kid in Girl Scouts. I only faked it then. I have a voice like a bullfrog.”

“That’s not true. I’ve heard you laugh. You can’t have a laugh like that and not sing well.”

Caleb came to her defense. “Give her a break, guys. You can’t force her to sing. That’s no fun. She’s not used to being around a bunch of hams like us. She’ll come around when she gets good and ready. Let’s get Lizzy into this again. She can do
Who’s Bed Has Your Boots Been Under
.”

“What the hell are you teaching my five-year-old?” Connor exclaimed.

“Is that wrong? I don’t know much about kids.” Caleb couldn’t hold back a laugh. “I was just kidding. What about
Mockingbird
?”

Jordan was surprised at how well Lizzy had learned. The men finished with two soft ballads that nearly had her asleep. Jordan followed as Caleb carried Lizzy to bed.

“Do you think you can help me talk Caleb into staying in Tampa after the funeral?” Connor asked Ted.

“I’d feel better if you had back-up here. It’d be even better if you’d all stay in Tampa, just until Butler is back behind bars.”

“I’m not too confident that it’s going to be that easy. He found Jordan before he’d even left the prison. He’ll find her again. I can’t lead him to my parent’s doorstep. Anyone around us is in danger. I think John proved that. I figure Bobby Ray’s laying low for a little while. He’ll be back, even more determined.” Conner’s eyes drifted toward the stairway. “It’s not going to be as easy as walking up and slapping handcuffs on him. We’ll have a fight on our hands. I’d bet my life on it.”

“I think maybe I’ll come back with you.”

Connor hung his tired head and thought a minute. “Are you expecting a boy or a girl?”

“We’re having a boy. Don’t try to sidetrack me.”

“It’s okay, man. John’s boy isn’t going to have a dad anymore. Maybe he can help your son learn how to deal with it too. He’ll be a big help to Jenny after you’re dead. It’s tough for a woman to raise a kid by herself, you know.”

“You are an absolute prick, you know that?” Ted growled.

“Go home and welcome your son into the world. Stay home and teach him to be something better than Bobby Ray Butler. I’m going to bed. We have a long day ahead of us tomorrow.”

Connor lay back on his pillow and watched Jordan braid her hair for the night. “I like that blanket you’re making.”

“Yeah, it’s nice and soft for the baby to cuddle up in.”

“How long does it take you to make one of those?”

“That depends on how much time I’ve got. It could take a day or a week. Why, are you thinking of taking up a new hobby?”

“No, I’m thinking of having babies. I just wanted to make sure that they’d have plenty of those fluffy little blankets.”

“I don’t even want to think about getting pregnant right now. I’ve got enough complications in my life.”

“Okay, but I hope you don’t mind if I think about it. I may even want to get in a little practice.”

“Well, practice does make perfect.” She crawled over the bed to kiss him.

Chapter Twenty-Four

The next morning Caleb and Ted took a cab to a private airport where the company plane was waiting. Connor wished he could drive them himself, to make sure all went well. He knew he couldn’t take Lizzy to watch John’s body being transported, but he couldn’t leave her and Jordan at home alone either. He had to trust Caleb to handle any problems.

It made him nervous to let any of them out of his sight since John’s death. What had he gotten them all into? His father was right to be so pissed. Connor still hadn’t heard from him directly. Ian McCrae had made all the arrangements through the medical examiner’s office. Ted was the only one who’d spoken to his father since that phone call to Jordan. Connor would have to face him today. How could he apologize for what had happened to John? How was he going to face John’s family? This definitely qualified as one of the worse days of his life, and it had barely begun.

Connor looked out the kitchen window as he sipped his coffee. Butler could be out there anywhere, watching.

“This is my family now, asshole,” he whispered. “You’ll never hurt them again. We will find you.”

****

After leaving the interstate, they drove for another twenty minutes away from the city before turning into a drive. They stopped in front of tall iron gates. It seemed like the stone fence stretched for miles. Connor punched a code into a keypad by the driveway and the gates opened.

“How did you remember the code after all this time?”

“Easy, it’s my birth date. Mom wouldn’t ever let it be changed. She says that was the day we became a family.”

“I don’t even know when your birthday is.”

“I can’t tell you now. Then you’d know the code. That’s a family secret.”

“When we get married, I’ll be family too.”

“Okay, I’ll tell you when we’re married.”

The house was a colonial brick with white trim. In the middle of the front porch were huge white double doors that looked small against the size of the house. The windows had to be six-feet tall. A balcony surrounded the entire second floor, looking over the spacious lawn. Connor stopped the car in the middle of the circular drive. The doors opened and an elderly black woman stepped out.

“That can’t be your mom, unless you’re adopted. You weren’t adopted, were you?” Jordan asked.

“No. That’s Miss Hannah. She helps Mom around the house. She’s been with us since Caleb and I were born. I’m surprised she hasn’t retired yet, but I’m glad she’s here. The place wouldn’t be the same without her.”

“I bet she knows your birthday.”

“Yes, but she’s been sworn to secrecy.”

Jordan stepped out of the car feeling a little shaky. She realized it wasn’t Tampa that had her so nervous. It was coming face to face with Ian McCrae. She gently shook Lizzy awake. “We’re here, honey.”

“What is this place?” Lizzy rubbed her eyes.

“This is where Mr. and Mrs. McCrae live. I want you to be on your best behavior here. It’s really important to Connor that we make a good impression. Don’t run or yell or touch anything. Be polite. That lady on the porch is Miss Hannah. She takes care of the house.”

Connor finished taking the few bags from the car and walked up the steps. To Jordan’s surprise, he pulled Miss Hannah into a long hug. The old woman stepped back to wipe tears from her eyes. “I wondered if I’d live long enough to see you walk up those steps again. I sure have missed you.” Miss Hannah reached up and patted his cheeks. “I’m sorry for the reason that brought you back, but I’m glad you’re here. I heard that you were bringing your new family with you. I’m so happy for you, Mr. Connor.”

Connor introduced Jordan and Lizzy. Her smile let Jordan know she had an ally in the house.

“Let me show you the rooms you’ll be staying in. I’m sure you’ll want to freshen up and change after such a long ride.” She led them up the central staircase and to the right. “Mrs. McCrae thought Lizzy would enjoy staying in your old room, Mr. Connor. I put you and Miss Jordan across the hall.”