Tempting the Light: Legends and Myths Police Squad (L.A.M.P.S. Book 1) (15 page)

“Who?” Abby twirled an empty napkin ring on her finger.

“Oh my gosh. You know, River.”

The ring stopped spinning and dropped off. Did she miss him? Maybe. Okay, that was a big fat
yes
. But he was just like all the other men in her life. “He betrayed me. There’s no coming back from that.”

“But you don’t know for sure why he had the cameras pointed at our house. And even if he suspected we were involved in some way, he’s right. We are.”

“I hate that you’re even involved at all. I wish I hadn’t dragged you into this mess with me.” She didn’t deserve such a good friend.

“I don’t. That’s what friends are for? Besides, paybacks a bitch.” Pepper wrapped her arm around Abby’s shoulders and gave her a hug. “Believe me, I’ll need you to help me out sooner or later.”

“I’d be happy to do anything for you. What do you need?”

“First we get rid of your curse.”

“I’m going to call my mom’s neighbor. He should still be up.”

She dialed the phone, and he assured her he would not give up looking. Her mother’s attic was a mess so it could take some time.

A small weight lifted off the stack of lead sinking into Abby’s chest. Her mom should know where it is. Her pack-ratting had a system to its chaos, and that woman knew where everything was located.

“It didn’t sound like he found it,” Pepper said.

“No. My mom is supposed to call him tomorrow.”

“Good. No more worrying tonight. Let’s do something fun.” Pepper pulled out a board game from the closet. Pepper thrived on competition. Abby made up her mind to let her win tonight.

Chapter 22

River crouched behind the bushes while watching Thomas’s house. Scattered lights illuminated the inside, and Thomas’s rusty old silver Ford Probe sat parked alone in the driveway. He focused through his binoculars but didn’t see any movement in the house or on the property.

The camera that River needed to install weighed under a pound so he could mount it almost anywhere. He scanned the yard for the best spot. Two trees towered over the north corner of the front yard. He chose a low-hanging branch, and aimed the lens at the front of the house. The second camera belonged in the backyard.

Just after River finished installing both cameras under the cover of darkness, a car pulled in the driveway. He checked his watch. Ten fifteen illuminated back at him. Two people got out of the car, and Thomas met them at the front door. River moved in closer.
How interesting?
Mr. and Mrs. Livingston entered Thomas’s home.

The old couple stayed for well over an hour, and before they left, Thomas walked them to their car. River watched him kiss them both on their cheek.
Well, that explained that. The three of them were obviously related.
Still, he would run a background check to see just how they were related.

After the Livingstons took their leave, Thomas cut out the lights and the house stilled. River gathered up his equipment and headed back to the office. On his way, he called Ottar.

“Hey, any luck?” River asked his boss.

“None. That fugly Gnome is pretty good at covering up his tracks. How about you?”

“I installed the cameras. And get this, Thomas is related to the Livingstons.”

“It could be nothing. These small towns are stuffed with people related to each other.” Ottar’s voice sounded distracted and he wondered why.

River let out a frustrated sigh. “I know, but I’m still going to check it out.”

“Got to run, mate. I just heard something a few meters away.”

“Call me after you check it out. I’ll meet you in the woods at the rendezvous point.” River hung up his phone and entered the empty police station. Nothing ever happened in this small town except the Cryptid chaos. He wondered if he should go out and pull some people over for speeding or something so the townsfolk would think of him as a real sheriff who earned his keep.

He had questioned people on the street that afternoon about the homeless man. Everyone reported that he usually hung around town, and was known to sleep in the park at night covered with the local newspapers for warmth. No one really minded the old bum loitering around their shop doors. He never bothered anyone. Even the restaurant owners gave him helpings of their extra food.

One thing rang true. They all had been concerned that they hadn’t seen him around lately. They all worried about his disappearance.

River overnighted the saliva samples to L.A.M.P.S. headquarters. He expected to have those results within a few days. After all, the government agency had the best computers and scientists on their team. How could these particular Cryptids hide from him so well? He’d found the infamous Thunderbirds in a wider area in half the time.

Thoughts of Abby sprung to his mind. Her brown curly hair had felt so soft when he curled it around his finger. Well, he’d blown this one that was for sure. It would be a frozen day in hell before she would go out with him again, or let alone even talk to him. Emptiness filled his ribs with a hollow loneliness. He hoped she’d heed Ottar’s warning and stay the hell out of the woods, especially at night. Ottar’s less than reassuring report convinced River those two would never listen.

He flipped on the camera feed to Pepper’s house. Both Abby and Pepper were outside the barn looking up at the sky. What the heck were they doing out so late?

The phone rang and Ottar’s number came up on the ID.

“That turned out to be nothing,” he said before he could say hello.

“The girls are outside. I’m trying to see what they’re doing. Hang on.” He zoomed in the camera. “It looks like they’re playing with a piñata.”

“What? I told them to stay inside.”

“Abby is smacking something in the tree with a broom.”

“They need to be arrested for their own safety. I think we ought to haul them both in for questioning.”

“Pepper just grabbed a shovel, and she’s helping her. Ottar—get over there
now
. The girls are fighting the Gnome.”

Abby and Pepper had been wrapping up a second game of Monopoly when the dogs started barking at the door. The horses threatened to stampede, and filled the evening air with startled whinnies. The sound grated against Abby’s frayed nerves, and she’d leapt to action.

“My horses!” Pepper had bolted out the door, scattering pastel dollar bills and red plastic hotels all over the floor.

Abby raced behind her, terrified that something might happen to Pepper, or the horses. To find the Gnome perched on top of Pepper’s gray Arabian’s back, while Fred, the horse, kicked and seized in his attempt to throw the Gnome from him. Her mouth dropped open. The horrible Gnome had cackled his horrendous laugh and rode the bucking bronco like he was having the time of his life.

Pepper had leapt up the Arabian’s rump and pushed the little man off with flailing hands. The Gnome tumbled, then rolled out of the barn. Abby grabbed a broom from the barn as a weapon, and they’d both chased after him.

The Gnome
ran
up a nearby tree. He didn’t climb the tree; he’d
run
straight up the trunk like he had demon powers from hell.

“Get that mini devil,” Pepper yelled.

“I got him.” Abby swung the broom, but she missed him. The ugly creature cackled again, and blew a fat, wet raspberry at her with his disgusting tongue.

She stabbed the broom upward, and shouted, “Get out of here, you nasty old Gnome.” The smell of death hit her nostrils like napalm. She coughed and wheezed as she jabbed at the Gnome, using her broom like a lance.

“Let me at him.” Pepper charged the monster with a shovel. “You think you could attack my horses?” The weapon made contact with the Gnome’s shoe, but the creature only howled a roaring laugh.

Abby swung the broom and hit the back of his thigh. “We should call River.” She took another swing. This time her broom smacked the critter right up against his tiny Gnome butt.

“This sucker is mine.” Pepper’s eyes flared wild with the anticipation of the kill. She smacked it on its wicked ugly head, knocking off his red pointed hat. He didn’t fall. His gnarly hands clung to the branch by his hooked claw. “Ewww!”

“He’s strong for a monster that’s so dang small.” Abby stopped a beat to catch her breath.

The Gnome cackled out more laughter, sickening her soul. He kicked his miniature feet up, wrapped his knees around the branch, and hung upside down.

Pepper jumped and swung the blade of the shovel again, but he was too high now for her to make contact. “Whew, wee, that Gnome reeks of week-old road kill.

They both kept their makeshift weapons poised in the air. “We can wait him out. He’ll have to come down sooner or later, right?”

Pepper’s eyes gleamed with vindication. “Oh hell yeah. We’re going to wait. And when he moves he’ll be a dead Gnome. No one hurts my horse.”

Abby glanced at the barn. “Is the horse okay?”

“There wasn’t much blood. I think it’s just a scratch. I’ll check on him in a while. I’m not leaving this tree until this thing is killed.”

“He could be up there all night,” she said in a quiet tone to Pepper so the Gnome wouldn’t hear.

“So be it. We wait out here all night.” Pepper’s voice held a determination that told Abby she wouldn’t give up.

They remained under the tree for almost ten minutes, edging closer every time the mini-monster dared to move. River pulled up in Pepper’s driveway. The distraction of the Sheriff getting out of his car sent the Gnome into action. Blurring feet zoomed down the tree in a whirlwind, and he grabbed his pointed hat from off the ground. Before either Abby or Pepper could react he took off toward the tall grass bordering the yard.

Abby bolted after him and swung her broom. She hit him, knocking him off his feet and sending him rolling.

River darted after the Gnome. He tossed a metal net, but the net caught nothing but air.

Pepper threw her arms up in disbelief. “Nice job, Sheriff. We had him treed. Damn, don’t you even carry a gun?”

River watched the pint-sized bearded man disappear into the brush. “You two shouldn’t have come out here. That Gnome murdered someone today.”

Pepper wheeled on River. “He almost killed my horse. I’m going to check on him right now.” She stomped toward the barn, and at the last second she turned on him. “You,” she pointed to River, “are on my shit list.”

“Hey—I was
trying
to help.”

“By throwing a net at it?
Puhhlease.”
Pepper dragged out the last word and stormed into the barn. Abby hoped the horse wasn’t injured. She knew how much Pepper loved her horses.

River pivoted back to Abby. “I
meant
what I said about staying away from the Gnome.”

“How did you know it was here? Do you have a tracking device on it?”

“Not exactly.”

River and his vague answers again.

“You have another camera on us, don’t you?” Sneaky cop.

“That camera could have saved your life. That’s the only reason I put them there in the first damn place.”

Abby twirled her broom, threw her shoulders back, and lifted her nose. “We were doing just fine without you.”

“What would you have done if it jumped down from the tree on your head? Did you see the claw on his hand?”

Yes she did, and it’d totally grossed her out. She nodded, trying to keep the look of terror she felt in her gut off her face.

River lifted her up, tossing her over his shoulder and strode toward the house.

“Put me down.”

“Let me tell you what the little bastard does. That cute Gnome has a poison claw and rams it into your skull, then he sticks his tongue in the hole and sucks your brains out.” He set her on her feet and grabbed her shoulders. “Do you want that to happen to you? Or Pepper?” River’s voice was frantic. Livid.

“No, but River, he attacked one of her horses.”

River’s breath left him in a long quiet whoosh and he shook his head. “Better a horse than you.”

She couldn’t believe how hard his head was. Her nails drilled into her palms. “Pepper will always protect her horses. And I’ll be right there beside her.”

As if on cue, Pepper came up beside them. “It’s a deep scratch, but I think he’ll be okay. I’ll call the vet and have him come over to stitch him up. It should only take three or four sutures. I’m more worried about infection.”

Abby wrapped her arms around her friend. “Oh, I’m so sorry he got hurt.”

Pepper gave her an I’m-okay nod and hugged her back. “He’s pretty shaky. I might have to sleep in the barn with him tonight. It looks like he didn’t touch Wilma.” She pointed to the short brown horse.

“No.” River and Abby said the word at the same time.

Pepper cocked her head in a silent question.

“From what River told me, the Gnome eats people’s brains.”

He nodded his confirmation.

“Then for sure I’m not leaving them alone.” Pepper brushed off her hands. Pulled her cell phone out, and called the vet. Abby caught the gist of the conversation. The vet would be over within the hour.

Leaves crunched behind a huge pine tree in the shadows. She ran to the broom and raised it up in a baseball batter stance.

Ottar walked over with his hands raised. “Easy with the broom, ey? Is that your new ride?” He laughed at his own dumb joke.

Idiot. Abby swung the broom. He ducked.

His eyes darted over to Pepper. “Nice ducky PJs.” A smile spread across Ottar’s lips, full of snark and smartass.

Pepper crossed her arms and let out an “
Hmph
” and raised her nose to the sky.

“The Gnome was here and it got away,” River said. He collected the net he’d thrown and strung it between his hands.

Abby twisted her lips.
A lot of good that did.
“If you would have just shot the stupid thing, this whole ordeal would be over now.” She set the broom down on the ground and leaned the handle on her shoulder.

Both guys looked at each other.

Ottar scratched his head. “I’ll let you explain that one, Sheriff.”

“Yes. Sheriff.
Please
explain why the heck you didn’t shoot that damn Gnome.” Pepper’s hands went to her hips. “Now I’ll have to sleep in the barn tonight. It’s your responsibility that creature is running around loose.”

“You’re not sleeping in the barn. It’s too dangerous. We already told you that.” River clenched his jaw so tight his cheek muscles flexed.

“I refuse to let my horses go unprotected. What if that mini-monster comes back?”

River shot a glare over at Ottar. “I can stay here and make sure it doesn’t return. The Gnome went that way.” He pointed at the woods. “Why don’t you see if you can pick up a trail?” River lowered his eyes, his lips rigid, and shook his head once.

Ottar squinted, then flashed his eyes wide and took off to track the Gnome.

Abby had watched the two men with full attention. She saw their internal dialogue, but she had no idea what they were saying to each other. She wanted to tell herself she didn’t care, but anything that involved River caught her interest. And that pissed her off more than anything.

When he’d said he would watch the horses tonight, her stone heart had turned to pudding. He cared about them. Pepper had nailed it all along. River’s spying on her was his way of looking out for her. She could hope, right? That still didn’t mean she could have a relationship with him, though. Even if he was some knight wearing a police uniform, the next time she morphed into the Devil beast, all bets were off. He’d be hot on her forked tail.