Trust No One (39 page)

“I’ll drive, you probably want to call the babysitter.” She opened the door, and every dog in the kennels started a racket loud enough to lift the roof. “Get in,” she yelled over the barking.

MJ hurried around to the passenger side. “Damn, how many dogs are there?” She twisted in her seat and counted. Six kennels on each side of the van. All but one was filled. “Are there that many people who need their dogs groomed?”

“Who cares?” Tasha threw the van into gear. “Uh, oh,” she indicated the side mirror.

“What?”

“A naked guy’s chasing us.”

“What?” MJ looked out her own side mirror. Sure enough . . .“Er, looks like he might’ve been doing some intimate grooming at the residence.”

Tasha laughed. “Seems like it.”

“That makes one too many naked guys I’ve seen today.”

“Yeah, and none of them were Ben,” Tasha joked.

“Time to shut up now.”

Tasha laughed again.

As Tasha drove out of the ritzy neighborhood in the barking dog van, MJ fished the phone out of her backpack, dialed the number, wondered if she could hear Dottie over the racket.

No one picked up the phone. MJ frowned.

“No answer?” Tasha said, turning the last corner to take them to the main road.

MJ shook her head, checked the time. “Her workday should be over, maybe they went somewhere.”

“A grocery run, or something. Call when we get back to the hotel. I want to ditch this van soon. No doubt the dog groomer is calling the cops right now.”

Tasha stayed on the main highway for only a couple of miles before she took an exit onto a side street. “See what sort of back way direction you can find on the GPS.”

“Thank goodness this van has one.”

“Only practical for a delivery van. Though I don’t know who’d be crazy enough to pick up and deliver dogs. Shut up, dogs, or I’ll feed you to my dog, Cy,” she threatened to the still barking pack.

“That’s sort of an empty threat, don’t you think, since most of these dogs are bigger than that little pipsqueak you call a dog.”

“Shut up and get me the directions,” Tasha snapped.

MJ entered the info into the GPS chuckling to herself at Tasha shaken out of her calm, cool and collected persona by a bunch of dogs.

Ten minutes later, Tasha turned the van into a restaurant parking lot. “Here’s a good place.”

“Pretty far away from the hotel,” MJ pointed out. Then she read the sign over the restaurant. “Texas barbecue? You gotta be kidding.”

“I thought you’d appreciate it, want to get some?”

“Dressed like this?”

“We can get it to go.”

“We’re going to carry hot barbecue back to the hotel however many miles away that is, in addition to our other stuff?”

“There’s just no pleasing you is there? Sheesh. I thought you might be hungry. We’ll stop on the way out of town.” Tasha pierced her with a look. “Not a word of complaint out of you either.”

MJ opened the door. “You’re a bossy bitch.”

“Me? Bossy?”

“Bye dogs, we’ll miss you.” MJ blew them a kiss before she shut the door.

“Not.” Tasha closed her door as well.

* * *

“Hey, there, how’s Tex’s girl?”

Tex loved coming home at the end of the day and having MJ’s little girl toddle up to him with her arms held wide. She was such a tiny little thing and with her curly black hair and big brown eyes, looked just like a real life baby doll. Thank goodness there was no Christmas play rehearsal tonight. Now, they could just enjoy a quiet evening at home.

Tex loved kids. His heart gave a clench every time he thought about not having any of his own. Though over the years the clench had gotten softer, sometimes barely noticeable. And he could be satisfied with that as long as he had his dear sweet Dottie who had come so close to death. A double ectopic pregnancy gone horribly wrong, a hemorrhage that nearly ended her life; he’d happily taken the trade off of her having the emergency surgery that made her sterile over not having her at all.

And while all children were special to Tex, and he’d seen a lot of them through the years Dottie had worked in daycare and foster care, little Angelina found a special place in his heart. He felt like her grandpa.

And maybe that was because her mama felt might near a daughter to him, especially since he’d known her when she was a baby herself. And how she’d grown up. She was like a maestro on the cars, positively making an engine sing. Her presence lighted up his old garage and made his days go faster. He couldn’t imagine feeling any happier than if she’d been his real daughter and Angel here, his real grandchild.

“Tex.” Her little fingers grasped at him.

“Yes, ma’am, old Tex is home.” He picked up the little girl and swung her in a gentle circle to the sound of delighted giggles.

“And not a minute too soon,” Dottie said coming out of the kitchen to give him his nightly welcome home kiss. “I just poured her the last of the milk.”

“Guess we’re going grocery shopping,” Tex said.

Dottie didn’t drive. She had her driver’s license, but she didn’t like it, and since she couldn’t go anywhere during the day anyway with all the little kids, she waited until he got home and could take her to the store.

He didn’t mind. He loved spending time with his Dottie. And taking Angelina with them would make it feel like they were grandparents on an outing with their grandbaby. “How ’bout we go to the Hamburger Shack and grab us some burgers before we go.”

“Why, Tex, I already cooked supper.”

“Leftovers tomorrow night. Little Angel here will have a good time playing on the indoor toys. Go grab your purse, sugar and let’s boogie.”

“I need to put the food in the fridge.”

“Okay, I’ll keep Angel entertained while you take care of it. We’ll sit down and read a story.” Tex pulled out a child’s story book off the shelves in the toyroom and settled his bulk into the rocking chair.

“Once upon a time . . . .”

It was a couple of hours later, even with all the noise and bright lights, Tex noticed Angelina nodding off in the grocery cart in the checkout line. “This little girl is beat after all that playing.”

“She’s got a full tummy too,” Dottie said. “I don’t suppose she’ll last long enough to get a bath.”

“She’ll survive going to bed dirty for once.” Tex picked her up from the buggy, and she laid her head on his shoulder. She stirred long enough to mutter the word “momma” when he strapped her into the car seat.

“Yes, little sugar, momma will be here soon,” Tex whispered then placed a kiss on her head.

“You know,” Dottie said when he got into the mini-van. “I haven’t heard from MJ today.”

“Day’s not over yet.”

“Usually she calls once during the day and once at night.”

Tex pulled out of the parking lot and turned on the road toward home. “No doubt she’ll call when she can. She might be in that place again where she didn’t have service.”

“Even then, she called at least once a day and earlier than this.”

“Don’t fret, sugar.” Tex reached across the seat and patted her knee. “MJ’s fine. Anyone who can work on an engine like she does can handle most anything.”

“I just wonder what she’s doing.”

“Family trouble she said.” He kept with MJ’s story. “And you know that families sometimes can be big trouble.” He chuckled. Over the years, with both he and Dottie in the service business, he’d seen some doozies. Especially early on, given their mixed marriage. Of course, folks were more tolerant now, but back in the early 70’s a white man married to a black woman was still a cause for an ass-whuppin’.

“You remember that time when old man Jonas and his wife–” A jarring jolt to the back of the van, the sound of metal grinding metal and Tex suddenly found himself fighting for control of the mini-van. “What the hell?”

A car pulled up beside him, way too close.

“Tex, that car just hit us!” Dottie said, alarm in her voice.

“It’s fucking trying to run us off the road now, too,” Tex growled. “Sorry, sugar,” he said apologizing for his language.

“He must be drunk,” Dottie said.

“A little early in the evening for such a bender.”

“Tex, watch out!”

The car made a sharp turn into them. Tex slammed the brakes and swerved. The van jumped the curb, grazed a sign post with the front right fender and came to a stop, just inches from an ancient oak tree.

“Are you all right, sugar?” Tex looked at Dottie who hadn’t made a sound but was holding her head.

“I hit my head on the window.”

Heart pounding faster than a racing engine’s pistons, Tex unhooked his seat belt. “Let me see.”

“The baby?” Dottie asked.

He’d forgotten. Damn. He glanced into the back. Angelina made a whimpering noise, opened her eyes and saw him then settled back into sleep. Thank God for car seats.

“She’s okay. Let me see your head.” He turned Dottie’s seat where he could see the right side of her head. “It’s not bleeding, but that’s a pretty good knot. I’m gonna run you by the emergency room, make sure you’re okay.”

“No, it’s not that–” She stopped abruptly and then said, “Look, the man driving that car is coming back this way.”

Tex turned his attention from Dottie. Sure enough the man had stopped his car a few yards in front of them, and was running toward them.

“He’s in such a hurry, he must want to help.”

Just didn’t seem right the man would be running. Tex squinted to see in the dark. What he thought he saw raised his hackles. “Dottie, I think he has a gun in his waistband.”

“A gun? Are you sure?”

“No, not at all.  But I’m not taking chances.” He scrambled to the cargo area, digging through his tools. Fear drove him to speeds he never imagined, not since those race riots back in the 60s and 70s. This was Texas and a right-to-carry state, but his guns were home. Lending MJ one the other day had been the first time he’d had cause to pull one out in over a decade.

A tire iron would have to suffice.

“Hop over into the driver’s seat and get ready to drive.”

“What are you doing?”

“Going out to give him a welcome, you be ready to drive away.”

Fear tightened her voice, which came out little more than a whisper. “No, Tex. I won’t leave you.”

“The baby, you have to get her out of here.” She nodded, and crawled over to the driver’s side.

“I won’t leave unless I think we’re in danger.” Dottie’s voice quivered.

“Just drive like hell and get help.” Too late to wish they had a cell phone, never had been a need in a town where practically no one was a stranger. He gave her a kiss, opened the side door and climbed out. “I love you, sugar.

“I love you, too.” Her eyes met his over Angel’s head.

“Keep watch.” He shut the door.

By miracle of miracles down the road behind him he saw a cop car approaching. But it was too far away and the man would get to the van before the cop did. Tex hefted his tool and ran forward. The man had already reached the van. He was moving to the passenger side.

“Hey, what are you doing?” Tex shouted. “You damn near killed us.”

The man turned to face Tex who noted details of the stranger. He was about six feet tall, muscular, dirty blond hair and a hell of a scar on his forehead that disappeared under his hair. “Sorry, I was trying to text a message and drive.” He’d slowed down, but kept walking a steady pace to the passenger door. “Is everyone okay?”

Tex didn’t recognize the guy as a local. “We’ll be fine.”

“I can help.”

“Stay away from that door.”

“I can’t do that.” The man pulled out a small Taurus revolver.

Tex froze. “What the hell do you want?”

“Just something in your van, and I’ll be on my way.”

“You’re not getting in that van, or you’ll be on your way for sure–to jail–when that cop gets up here.” Tex nodded his head toward the back of the van.

Scar head shot a quick glance in that direction. “Shit!” He took off running back to his car leaving Tex puzzling over the odd, alarming behavior.

No use fretting over it. He turned back to the van, stuck his head in the door and said, “Everything’s okay, I’m going to talk to the policeman, then we’ll get you to the hospital.”

“Tex, the milk will spoil.”

“Woman, I can buy some more milk.”

“No need to waste this.”

“We’ll stop by the house and put it in the fridge on the way, happy?”

She gave him a sweet smile that still couldn’t hide her pain.

“I’ll hurry.”

Officer Jenkins was stepped out of his car. His gaze went to the ding on the van. “Trouble?”

“Some asshole tried to run us off the road.”

“Really?”

“Not from here.”

“Odd.”

“Hit me in the front, as well.”