Love Inspired Suspense July 2015 #2 (22 page)

“I'll wait here with Duke. I'm afraid he'd be like the proverbial bull in a china shop.”

“Ha.” Ellie stepped back into the shop and went behind the register. Johnny kept the glass door propped open with his shoulder.

“How was business today?” he asked, glancing over his shoulder at the quiet street.

“Slow.” The frustration was evident in her voice. “I'm going to have to think of something else to draw customers in.” She paused, leaning the flat of her hand on the counter. “What do you think of those shops that hold art classes?” She shoved something under the counter. “Not art classes per se, but art parties. Women gather on a girls' night out, have refreshments and create artwork? Maybe even kids' birthday parties?”

“Never heard of them. Sounds like an interesting idea. With your artistic talent, it would definitely be something to consider.”

Ellie walked to the door. “Maybe I could clear a space out near the back of the store for easels.” She shrugged. “I still have a lot of thinking to do.”

“You should.” He reached down by his side and patted Duke's head.

She gave him a quizzical look. “You don't think it's stupid?” She said it in a way that made him think someone had put her down in the past. A lot.

“You're a smart lady. You'll figure it out.” He threaded the leash through his hand. “If there's any help you need from me, let me know.”

“Like a bodyguard?” The hopeful expression died in her eyes.

“Well, I hope that's only temporary.” He didn't want to mention the dead end the FBI office had told him about today. Turned out the images from the security camera at the parcel service where the drugs had originated had been too grainy. Even when they enhanced them, the images were still unclear: a dark blob, perhaps a man wearing sunglasses and a hoodie. Not much to go on.

Ellie held up her finger and jogged back over to the counter to grab her purse. “Once you figure out who's been dealing drugs, you're out of here. Back to Buffalo.”

“Buffalo's not that far.” He couldn't help but smile at her. She had such a cynical look on her face. He tilted his head. “What's wrong? You seem annoyed.” Maybe it was just a rough business day on top of everything else.

A look of hesitation lit her eyes. Her pink lips formed a straight line as if she were trying to find the words.

Johnny narrowed his gaze. “Did something happen today that you're not telling me?” His pulse spiked and he stepped into the store to get closer to her, but, in the excitement, Duke wagged his tail. A crystal unicorn wobbled on the glass shelf near the door. He reached out and steadied it before taking a step back toward the door. Duke wasn't helping here.

“I had a visitor today who suggested you might be using me for your investigation.”

The defeated look on her face made his heart sink. “You told someone about the drug investigation?”

Her cheeks fired red. “No, not at all. But Tony Vino next door was asking a lot of questions. He seems to think that's why you're in town.”

“Interesting.” He made a mental note.

“So, are you?”

“Using you?” He scratched his jaw. “You do realize you're smack-dab in the middle of whatever's going on here.”

She crossed her arms and glared at him. “Not by choice.”

“I know that. But someone thinks you intercepted a package of drugs. You're involved whether you like it or not. And it's my job to protect you.”

“I know it's your
job
.” Something about the way she stressed the word disappointed him. He had hopes that their relationship could grow into something more.

Johnny stepped forward again and the tug on the leash reminded him why he had remained in the doorway. “I thought we were friends.”

“My brother thought you were his friend, too.”

A muscle ticked in his jaw. If only he could share everything—the entire truth—with her.

“Are you saying I shouldn't protect you? You're in danger.”

She bowed her head and her words lost their sharpness. “Someone has to get these horrible drug dealers off the street. I know that.” She dropped her arms to her sides then clasped her hands in front of her.

Something about this reminded him of the fourteen-year-old girl he had met all those years ago. “What's on your mind?”

In the distance a siren wailed. Duke's ears perked up.

“I don't like to be lied to...or used,” Ellie whispered as if the words were hard to say.

“I would never—”

Duke sprang to his feet and tugged on his leash. Johnny yanked it back. A police car and then an ambulance raced by the shop, filling the quiet night with their relentless wails. Johnny tilted his head. “I wonder what's going on.”

Ellie stepped closer to him in the doorway to glance down the street after the vehicles. “I hope no one's hurt.” A soft breeze blew a strand of hair across her face and he resisted the urge to sweep it aside. The flowery scent of her shampoo would stick with him for a while.

Ellie flipped off the lights and glanced around the shop one last time before locking it up for the night.

“Ellie—” Johnny lowered his voice “—I would never intentionally hurt you.”

Ellie hiked a shoulder, as if she didn't really care. Or maybe because she didn't fully believe him. Why should she?

“Sounds like this Tony guy is trying to stir up problems where none exist.” Johnny yanked on Duke's leash as the retriever tried to chase a dry leaf scraping across the concrete.

“That's not exactly true.” Ellie pulled the glass door closed and fished around in her purse for the keys to lock it.

Johnny smiled, considering their complicated past. “Your brother?”

She nodded and looked up. The light from the lamppost glistened in her eyes.

Johnny hadn't been wrong about her brother. Greg was as guilty as Roger, but Greg had the better lawyer.
But why would Ellie ever believe me?
She loved her brother.

“Do what you need to do to bring these guys to justice, but please don't use me. I'm not involved with this package. No way. I promise you.”

He stared at her for a minute. A million emotions flickered in her trusting eyes.

“Why do you think Tony was asking so many questions?” Johnny asked.

“It's a small town. People talk.”

A loud engine from a motorcycle roared down the street, attracting his attention. Duke barked frantically at the ear-piercing sound, nearly wrenching Johnny's arm out of its socket.

The motorcycle slowed. A black helmet and dark shield masked the rider's identity. In the heavy shadows, the rider slowly lifted his hand. A long object came into focus.

A gun!

Johnny shoved Ellie back into the shop, pushing her down, covering her with his body, bringing Duke with them.

A whimpering Duke cowered inside the door. A high-pitched zing was barely discernible above the motorcycle's roar.

Glass from the shattered door rained down on them.

Ellie screamed.

FOUR

E
llie's feet went out from under her as Johnny used his body as a shield, pushing her down. She winced and braced for a jarring impact, but Johnny's hand under the back of her head softened the fall. She tried unsuccessfully to fill her lungs under his weight. Terror made her scalp prickle.

Were those shots? Had they just been shot at?

Her head spun. She couldn't think straight. This was surreal. Through a foggy, panic-induced tunnel, she could hear a dog barking frantically. The stillness of the moment sent icy fear coursing through her.

The calm after the storm.

“Johnny? Johnny, are you all right?” Ellie's words came out in a breathless rush. She reached up and touched his wet sleeve, red with blood. She swallowed around a knot in her throat.

Johnny shifted his weight off her and while still on the floor, glanced over his shoulder toward the street. He grimaced. From her vantage point, all she could see was the streetlight illuminating the three empty parking spots in front of her store. There was no visible street traffic save for the distant rumble of the departing motorcycle.

In one quick motion Johnny got to his feet in a hunched position, grabbed her arm and brought her to her feet. “Stay low.” A subdued Duke followed them, as if the animal sensed the gravity of the situation. Johnny guided them toward the storage room and slammed the door shut and locked it.

He checked the exterior door leading to the alley before directing Ellie to the lone wooden chair in the corner of the room. She was about to protest, to tell him it was an expensive antique, but under the circumstances that seemed silly. Duke sat next to her and put his snout on her thigh, as if they were long-lost friends who had just shared a harrowing experience.

Johnny patted Duke's head. “Good boy. Everything's going to be all right.” He was talking to the golden retriever, but his warm brown eyes were locked on Ellie's. He plucked his cell phone out of his belt.

She reached up and touched his arm. “You're bleeding.”

“It's from the glass.” Seemingly disinterested in his injury, Johnny called 9-1-1, and then tucked his phone away. “An officer should be here soon.”

She shrank back at the sight of a blossoming bloodstain on his gray zip-up hoodie. “How do you know you weren't shot?”

Johnny shook his head. “Did you hear the shot? It wasn't that loud. I'll bet we'll discover it was a BB gun and nothing more. It was the glass that cut me, not a small BB.”

“Oh.” She blinked away his comment, trying to process what had just happened.

He refocused his eyes on her and ran his fingers gently across her hair. “Are you okay?” He plucked a shard of glass out of her hair and held it up for inspection before tossing it aside.

Her leg started shaking and she could feel the chill work its way up her spine. “I think I'm okay.” She glanced down at her hands, figuring if she could steady her hands, she'd be all right.

Her hands kept shaking and half her mouth tipped into a smile. “I guess I'm as okay as anyone who just had the glass shot out of her front door would be.”

The intensity of Johnny's gaze as he studied her made her feel both protected and afraid. He traced the lines of her cheekbones, inspecting her face. She closed her eyes briefly and tried to tamp down her growing feelings.

He's just protecting you. Nothing more. It's his job.

“I don't think you have any cuts. Does anything hurt?”

She shook her head.

Only then did he turn his attention to his arm. He yanked off his hoodie, undid his shoulder harness and set it and the gun on the counter next to the sink. He pulled his shirt over his head and stood there in a white T-shirt, its sleeve tinged with deep red.

She suddenly felt woozy, so she looked away. She couldn't exactly pass out from the sight of blood when he was the one who had been hurt.

He grabbed a wad of paper towel from the roll next to the sink and, if she had been brave enough to look, she might have seen him pull a piece of glass from his arm. She shuddered at the thought. When she did look up, he was pressing a paper towel to his wound and adhering it with silver duct tape.

“Um, you might regret that.”

“The tape?” He shook his head. “I know what I'm doing.”

Ellie stood. “Here, sit.”

Johnny waved her off and she sat back down. “Did you get a good look at the guy?” He had slipped back into FBI mode.

“Motorcycle. Helmet.” She shrugged, rewinding the memory in her mind. “Wheels screeching. I wouldn't be able to tell you more than that. It was dark. I'm not even sure of the color of the bike or helmet.”

Johnny rubbed his jaw and nodded.

Ellie pulled her arms close to her and threaded her fingers together in her lap, primarily to keep them from shaking. She finally got the nerve to ask the question she feared the most. “Am I going to have to close the shop to be safe?”

“It might be the smartest thing to do.”

He looked down at her and they locked gazes. She felt a connection and just as quickly it was gone. Ellie stood and touched his good arm. Duke circled them, whimpered forlornly and settled at Johnny's feet.

“This store is everything to me.”

A loud banging on the interior door leading to the shop made Ellie jump. “Agent Rock? You in there?”

Bang. Bang. Bang.
The door rattled in its frame.

Duke jumped to his feet and barked at the intruder. Johnny patted the dog's head. “Easy, boy.”

Johnny grabbed his gun off the counter. He held up his finger to silence her as he moved toward the door. He unlocked it and eased forward, his gun at the ready.

“Whoa, it's Officer Bailey. Easy there, Agent.” Ellie heard the slightly annoyed, booming voice of the police officer, but he hadn't yet come into view. Johnny opened the door all the way.

Officer Bailey stepped inside and looked from Ellie to Johnny and back.

“Seems to be a lot of excitement for a little shop.” He hooked his thumb through his belt and rolled up on the balls of his feet. “Maybe it's time you told us everything you know, Miss Winters.”

* * *

Ellie's face grew white at Officer Bailey's insinuation. She lifted a shaky hand and pointed a finger at him. “I'll tell you what I know.” Her voice was deceptively hard-edged. “I know someone shot out my front door with a BB gun. Someone attacked me in my storage room. And someone threw a brick at my back door. Tell me what you know, Officer Bailey.”

Ignoring her last comment, Bailey turned to Johnny. “You think it was a BB gun?”

“Based on the sound, yeah.” Johnny glanced at Ellie whose chest was heaving. From the dark look in her eyes, he'd bet it was more from anger at being dismissed than from fear over what had just happened.

“Let's take a look.” Johnny thought it best to get Officer Bailey away from Ellie. It was apparent there was tension between the two. Perhaps because Officer Bailey resented her brother for being arrested and inadvertently dismantling the high school baseball team he'd been a part of on their way to the state championship.

Some things a man couldn't forgive. If a guy cut in on his girl or if someone stole their high school state championship, denying them a lifetime of bragging rights.

Johnny looped Duke's leash around the chair and patted his head. “Stay here. I'll be right back.” He didn't want the dog to get any glass in his paws. Duke lay down and rested his head on his paws. Poor animal was exhausted from all the excitement.

Their shoes crunched on the broken glass as they made their way to the front of the store. Ellie hung back, wrapping her arms around her middle, cupping her elbows. He wished he could offer her more comfort right now, but he knew his efforts would be rebuked, especially in front of Officer Bailey.

A small breeze picked up and knocked over a picture frame. It landed with a thwack on the glass shelf. Johnny righted it. “Who do you guys use for emergency closures?”

Mickey Bailey rubbed his chin. “Give Curtis at the hardware store a call.” The officer dug into his wallet and pulled out a bent business card. “Here, call his cell. He'll come down here last-minute, at a price mind you, and close this place up.” He cut a glance to the door. “Supposed to rain later.”

Johnny held up a finger and made the call. When he was done, he said to Ellie, “Once Curtis gets here, I'll take you home.”

Ellie nodded but didn't say anything. She had gotten a little more color in her cheeks since he had thrown her to the ground in an effort to protect her. If he had been the praying type, he would have thanked God for keeping her safe.

A younger officer, probably a new recruit, stood off to the side and took lots of notes, stopping only to push his hat back on his head. His pure eagerness made Johnny imagine the young officer probably had never responded to a drive-by shooting.

Johnny pointed to a small BB lodged in the wall.

Officer Bailey cut Johnny a sideways glance. “What do you make of this? Were they gunning for you or Ellie?”

Johnny rubbed his jaw and winced, then glanced down at the wadded-up paper towel and duct tape he had stuffed under the sleeve of his T-shirt to soak up the blood. “It has to tie in to the other harassment of late.”

Bailey glanced over at Ellie, who seemed distracted. He leaned in. “Does she know why you're in town?”

Johnny nodded.

“You think this one's hands are clean? You know her brother claimed the same thing.”

Anger roiled in Johnny's gut. But the officer was right to be suspicious. Things weren't always as they seemed. “I believe she's caught in the middle here. I'm going to stay close to make sure she's safe.”

“Staying close serves more than one purpose.” Bailey quirked an eyebrow. “In case your gut is wrong.”

Johnny bit back a comment. Now was not the time to let his personal feelings get in the way.

Mickey Bailey gestured to Johnny's arm wound with his chin. “You gonna get that checked out?”

“It's fine.”

“Might get infected.”

“You worry about finding this guy.” Johnny pointed at the blown-out door. “I'll worry about me.”

Bailey seemed to be contemplating something for a minute. “You wouldn't be the first guy to be distracted by a pretty face.”

Johnny shook his head. “I'm going to pretend you didn't say that.”

“Say what?” The two men turned around and found Ellie standing a foot away from them, a look of worry pinching her features. Ellie Winters was certainly a pretty face.

“Agent Rock is giving me his theory on what happened here.”

Ellie crossed her arms. “Oh?”

“Nothing more than you already know,” Johnny said.

Officer Bailey shifted his stance, as if he had suddenly remembered something. “Hey, didn't you have some kids from the church helping around here? What were their names?”

Ellie dropped her arms to her side. “Yes, Collin Parker and Kerry Pitz.” She dragged her fingers through her hair. “Why do you ask?”

Mickey Bailey frowned. “I'm sorry to tell you this, but an ambulance just rushed Kerry to the hospital.”

Ellie leaned heavily on the counter, looking as though her knees were about to give out on her. “Was that the ambulance I heard?”

“Must have been.” Bailey stuffed his hand into his pants' pocket and jiggled his change. “His mom found him unresponsive in his bedroom.”

Johnny wrapped an arm around Ellie's waist; a part of him expected her to push him away. “What happened?”

“Drugs. One of my officers, who lives in the neighborhood, was first to arrive. He saw a discarded syringe on the scene.”

Ellie leaned into Johnny, her thin frame tucking neatly into his side. “Oh, no.” Her voice sounded small.

“I realize this might not be the time to mention it, but any chance any of the young men you hired to work here might have used your address to ship drugs?” Johnny asked.

Officer Bailey did that obnoxious thing with his change again.
Ching-ching-ching.

“They're good boys. I've known them for years. I volunteered as a mother's helper in their preschool class at Sunday school when I was a young girl. And I volunteered in their summer vacation Bible school when I was in high school. I still serve as a chaperone at outings.”

“Seems Kerry, at least, has gone off the rails,” the officer said.

“Is he going to be okay?” Johnny asked, watching the officer for any clues that he might be soft selling on account of Ellie.

“The officer said they're working on him.” Bailey exhaled loudly. “Where there's life, there's hope.”

Ellie stood straighter and stepped away from Johnny. He immediately missed her warmth, their connection. She closed her eyes briefly and then opened them. “This is a nightmare.” Her trusting gaze lingered on his. “You have to find whoever's doing this before any more kids die.”

“I will.” And that was a promise Johnny intended to keep.

* * *

Johnny climbed out of the back of the police cruiser with Ellie when they reached her house. She spun around and said, “I'm fine,” in response to the look of concern on Johnny's face.

Johnny subtly shook his head as Duke sniffed the ground by his feet. “I want to see you in. Make sure you're safe.”

Johnny patted the hood of the police car and leaned in toward the open window. “Can you swing back in thirty minutes and pick me up?” he asked the officer.

“Sure thing.”

Ellie watched the patrol car drive off until the red taillights disappeared at the turn.

She turned toward her garage apartment. “I had hoped for an exciting opening week at the shop, but this is a little ridiculous.” She had envisioned smiling customers, lines at the register and ordering new merchandise. Attacks in the storeroom, shots through the window and Curtis from the hardware store nailing plywood to the door had not entered her brain. Even in her wildest imagination.