The Perfect Coed (Oak Grove Mysteries Book 1) (28 page)

“We may not be able to wait for Miss Hogan,” he told Susan.

Susan had been trying to figure out if it was Jake who knocked out the light. If she had known for sure it was, she could yell and bring him inside in time; if it was Aunt Jenny, there was no hope—but how would Aunt Jenny knock out the light? Or even Judge Jackson? And besides, they were still in Mineral Wells. No, it had to be Jake out there. Besides, Susan truly believed that Jake would always keep her safe.
I just never told him how much I trust and need him,
she thought bitterly. She made up her mind.

When Eric went once again to the kitchen window—with the cooking island and two chairs between him and Susan—she yelled at the top of her lungs, “Jake! Eric! Knife!”

* * *

“Can’t you go any faster?” Jenny asked impatiently.

“Jenny, I’m doing sixty now. I know this road but not that well… and not at night. I go any faster, we might not get there at all.”

“Well, couldn’t you have taken the interstate?”

John Jackson was faintly amused. “It doesn’t go from here to there, Jenny. Try to be calm. I’m doing the best I can.”

“But it’s been thirty minutes already. Oh, I’m sorry, John. I’m just so worried…”

“Think about Jake, Jenny. He’ll take care of Susan.”

* * *

Before Susan yelled out her warning, Jake had inched his way carefully to the edge of the sliding door, hugging the side of the house so that anyone looking out the door wouldn’t see him. He’d circled the house carefully and heard both voices and movement, so he knew Aunt Jenny wasn’t having idle premonitions—Susan was inside and in trouble, and she wasn’t alone. Jake’s plan was to attack suddenly, surprise whoever was inside.

So he was already poised when Susan made her dramatic choice. And she chose three words that could galvanize Jake Phillips into action—when she called his name, if he’d have thought about it, he’d have known that she was telling him she needed him and that she trusted him to be there, and when she identified Eric, he knew Aunt Jenny was right. And “Knife!” told him what kind of opposition to expect.

But Jake Phillips didn’t really think any of those things as he burst through the door, yelling, “Police. Stop! I’ve got a gun!” He had a moment of gratitude that he knew where the light switch was inside the door. In a quick gesture, he flipped it on and flooded the room with light.

Susan’s scream had caught Eric unprepared. He truly thought he had her frightened into silence. Instead, that loud voice broke through the night—and through his nerves. Knife in hand, he whirled and started toward her, forgetting momentarily the layout of her house. He crashed into the counter that separated kitchen from the family area where she still lay on the floor. He almost dropped his knife.

When Jake turned on the light, Eric had regained the knife but still stood between the sink and the island. Jake, now between Susan and Eric, pointed a pistol at him and said, “Drop the knife, Eric.”

“You won’t shoot me,” Eric said. “I’m a student.” He clutched the knife and moved as if to circle the counter and head toward Susan, who lay motionless on the floor.

“Take one more step and I will shoot you, student or no.” Jake’s voice was tight. If Eric moved around the island, he would be directly facing Jake who stood just inside the sliding glass door.

Susan saw Eric coming toward her, brandishing his knife, and then she heard the explosion of Jake’s gun, followed by a scream of anguish from Eric, and a clatter as he and the knife fell to the floor.

“Jake, you didn’t—?”

“I shot him in the arm. You all right?”

“No,” she said weakly. “He broke my ankle again… and it hurts.”

For a moment, Jake almost forgot all his professional training. He turned on Eric Lindler in such anger that he raised his fists. Only Susan’s cry of “Jake!” stopped him from beating the boy, who was whimpering and crying, “It hurts. Oh, God, it hurts.”

“It’s all right, Susan. Lie still just a minute more. Eric, sit at the table.” He grabbed the boy none too gently and propelled him to the table, where he handcuffed Eric’s good arm to the table leg. Then he picked Susan up off the floor, being as gentle as he could, and laid her on the couch.

“How long’s he been here?”

“Forever,” she said. “Maybe thirty minutes after you left.”

“Susan, I am so sorry… I should have stayed.”

She put a finger to his lips. “Before you call the police and this place turns into a zoo, would you please kiss me?”

He did, a long kiss filled with promise.

Within ten minutes, the small house was surrounded by squad cars with lights flashing.

Chapter Sixteen

Jake didn’t get his talk with Susan the next day as he’d planned. Having spent half the night in the emergency room, she slept all day, well medicated to keep the pain down.

“How did you manage to rebreak this?” the doctor had asked impatiently.

“You wouldn’t believe,” Susan told him through gritted teeth. Now that she was safe and it really was all over, she had given in to the pain.

Jake stayed with her at the hospital, an arm protectively about her shoulders even as the doctor probed with careful fingers and announced that he would be able to recast it that night. “Now,” he said ominously, “you’ll have to stay off it at least six more weeks.”

The pain medication had taken over, and Susan was too groggy to know what he’d said.

* * *

Susan and Jake had their talk two days later. Jake told Aunt Jenny that Susan needed fresh air. He bundled her into his pickup truck and drove her out in the country to a roadside picnic area sheltered by trees. Few cars went by on the highway, so they were essentially alone.

“Why here?” she asked.

“Because it’s a pretty place to picnic.” He leaned over and kissed her gently.

The day was warm and sunny, a perfect fall day in Texas, and Jake had brought a blanket and a picnic: two small thermoses of his homemade chili, crackers, onion, and cheese to put on the chili, two bottles of beer for himself, and a bottle of wine for Susan. “Wine with chili is barbaric,” he said as he poured some into a plastic glass for her. He spread the blanket on the bird-splattered picnic table, since he could hardly ask Susan to sit on the ground, and then he helped her to the table.

“It’s over, but it isn’t,” she said. “There are so many questions. What will happen to Eric?”

“His family’s here, and they’ve hired a lawyer. They’ll plead insanity, I’m sure.”

“What’s his family like?”

He shrugged. “I can only give you first impressions. Father’s a physician in Dallas, very sophisticated, very busy, probably never had time for Eric. Mother’s a mouse of a woman, completely cowed by her husband. I bet he doesn’t spend two nights at home a week.”

“How did Eric get so religious?”

“If religious is what it is, I imagine he found it a refuge. A place where there were safe rules… and it’s probably not insignificant that those rules forbid adultery. Meeting his dad, I guess I know why that was such a big thing for him.”

“He won’t ever be executed?”

Jake shook his head. “Almost definitely not.”

“I’m glad.”

“He would have executed you.”

She shrugged. “Yeah, but he didn’t get to.” She picked at the edge of the blanket, then found a small stone at her feet and flung it as far as she could. “Like you, throwing a rock at my outdoor light,” she said, smiling at him. “Jake, I owe you an apology… lots of apologies. And I owe you my life. I always knew you’d keep me safe.”

He leaned over and kissed her. “Let’s not have that talk I’ve been so hard-headed about. I’m glad you’re all right… and I’m glad I could be the one to save you. Makes me feel like a knight in shining armor. But, Susan, no more lies.”

She nodded, and after a long minute, she said, “I don’t suppose anything like this will ever happen to us again. We can just go on and grow peacefully old on the campus.”

“Sounds good to me,” he said, leaning over to kiss her. “Have we got time to stop at my house?”

“I told Aunt Jenny we’d be gone all day,” Susan said almost shyly. “Besides, she’s probably entertaining the judge as we speak.”

“I hope they lock the doors,” Jake said.

“Jake Phillips! That’s not what they’re doing!”

“Why not?” he asked, laughing at her. “That’s what we’re going to do.”

“But she’s my aunt! She’s not supposed to do that!”

Susan had thought their lovemaking would be frantic and furious, after abstinence and the terror they’d been through. The cast on her leg hindered them, but not much. Still, they moved slowly, as though in a dance, caressing, clinging, tasting each other, slow to rouse but then quick to finish. Afterward they lay without talking, Jake stroking Susan’s head, nestled in the curve of his neck. She lay perfectly still and soon her even breathing told Jake that she was sleeping naturally and deeply, probably the first time in two days she’d slept without the aid of pain medication. He let himself drift off, content with his world.

“Jake!” Susan pushed herself up on her elbows and stared at him. “Jake, I’ve just had a terrific idea.”

“About what?” he mumbled.

“My Zane Grey project. I can see where it’s going. And Eric, bless his heart, with all his worry about adultery, helped me figure out Grey’s attitude toward sex. Oh, Jake, it’s terrific. It’s going to be so good.”

“And nothing,” Jake said, “is going to change. You’re always going to wake me up with these terrific ideas.”

This time they made love like young animals—hindered by a leg in a cast.

* * *

Brandy Perkins elected to return to the dormitory and finish the semester. When Susan and Jake spoke on Brandy’s behalf, Dean Atwater had a serious and confidential talk with the girl and then announced she would be allowed to return to school. It was, he explained, part of keeping the scandal quiet. And, besides, she deserved one more chance. He believed, he said, more in individuals than rigid rules.

It was unbelievable to Susan that most of the campus seemed unaware of Brandy’s part in Missy’s murder or of all that had gone on after the murder. They simply knew Eric had been arrested. Dr. Atwater wanted to keep it that way, and there had been no blaring headlines about campus girls in a call-girl ring. Brandy and Vicky would certainly never tell.

Brandy was dismissed from the hospital the following week, still swollen and bruised but awake and alert. Vicky would room with her.

“We’ve had conversions before,” Ned Perkins said wearily, “and each time I’ve hoped they were permanent. This… this is more dramatic. It may last.”

Dr. Atwater’s office notified Susan that her suspension was officially lifted, and the faculty was looking forward to welcoming her back to class.

“I’ll bet,” she said to Jake. Her situation with Dr. Scott and Ernie Westin had only worsened, because she’d triumphed in a sense. She knew, though, she hadn’t triumphed over them, and they’d still be trying to sabotage her. Now she was ready for them.

Her first day back, several faculty members came by her office to welcome her with comments like, “I knew you were innocent,” and “How’s your ankle? Can’t believe what happened.” Ellen, now mostly recovered, though her chest still ached, ran interference for her and fetched coffee and lunch.

Susan was as gracious as she could be about the welcoming comments—and for her that was a real effort. She knew many of these same faculty members were the ones who had shunned her. Like Ernie, they now wanted to be on the right side. Especially since it was apparent she had the provost’s support. Ernie Westin kept his distance, with good reason. He knew what Susan thought of him, and he probably feared her scalding tongue.

She did not have John Scott’s support, though he made a show of welcoming her back by calling her into his office.

“Doesn’t he know you’re on crutches?” Ellen fumed. “Couldn’t he come to you?”

Susan just smiled. “This should be interesting.”

John Scott stood to welcome her and indicated a chair. Then, very formally, he told her he was glad the matter was resolved and she had been cleared. He did hope, however, that she would get her car back soon.

“It’s repaired and cleared, sir. But I can’t drive it for six weeks. Jake Phillips will be bringing me to and from campus.”

“Ah yes, Mr. Phillips. I believe you’re involved with him.”

“Yes, sir.”

“You know I disapprove of nepotism.”

“Sir, with all respect, you’d be fine with it if I dated a faculty member.”

He disregarded the comment and moved on. “On another note, I understand Dr. Atwater has postponed your tenure review. I don’t approve of such a move and protested it to Dean Brighton to no avail. Your review will be next year, and I will not be chair. I am leaving Oak Grove at the end of this year.”

Susan desperately wanted to ask if he’d been asked to move on but she didn’t. He was, after all, tenured, but he hadn’t covered himself with glory in this whole thing. She left his office as graciously as she could, without expressing regret at his impending departure.

In each of her two classes that day, Susan received a round of applause when she entered the room. Young men gallantly rose to help her to her seat—none of her usual walking around while she lectured. And each period was pretty much wasted, because the students had so many questions. She figured it was their right to know. Brandy Perkins sat in the front row in the women’s lit class and actually smiled at her.

When she got home that night, Aunt Jenny had fixed one of her favorite meals: salmon croquettes, stewed tomatoes, and mashed potatoes. Jake came for dinner and said not a word about the menu but ate heartily.

When Susan said, “I can make these,” he laughed.

“You may not have to,” Aunt Jenny said. “I’m going to move to Oak Grove. I decided today.”

“Ah… to live with me?” Susan asked tentatively, envisioning a permanent end to her privacy, a long-term restriction on her relationship with Jake, and maybe even eventual frustration with this aunt she now adored.

Even Jake showed a bit of concern on his face.

“Oh, my, no. I couldn’t do that. Your house is too small, Susan. You really ought to look for a bigger place. I’ll go back to Wichita Falls next week… John is going to drive me. Meantime, Sunday I’ll roast a turkey. I always think you should celebrate with turkey, and we have a lot to celebrate.”