The Girl Who Cried Murder

Had she?

She glanced toward the tiny waiting area, where Mike Strong sat in one of the steel-and-plastic chairs pushed up against the wall across from the vending machine. She’d told him he needn’t wait for her, but he’d insisted. And given that he’d more or less saved her life this morning, she could hardly quibble.

“No, no new enemies,” she said.

Except, she supposed, whoever had killed Alice.

She turned her head to look at Mike again and found him standing in the open doorway between the waiting area and the garage. “Any news?”

“Brake line’s cut,” Bill said shortly before Charlie could stop him.

Mike’s eyebrows came together over his nose. “On purpose?”

“Hard to say with certainty, but it’s possible.” Bill looked at Charlie. “What do you want me to do? You’ve got a little body work needs doing on the front now, and the brake line needs replacing—”

“Can I have the damaged brake line?” Mike asked.

Charlie frowned at him. “Why?”

Mike’s green eyes met hers. “Evidence.”

Bill’s brown eyes darted from Charlie’s face to Mike’s and back again. “Should I call the cops?”

“No,” Charlie and Mike said in unison.

“Okay, then.” Bill licked his lips, looking confused.

“Fix the body damage and replace the brake line,” Charlie said. “And preserve the brake line in case we need to let someone examine it to establish whether or not the cut was intentional.”

“Will do,” Bill said with a nod. “Listen, it’s probably going to take me a few days to get this done. You gonna have a way to get around?”

“I’ll figure out something.” Charlie nibbled her lip, wondering if she could make do with her bike for a few days. She didn’t have any meetings scheduled at work for the next couple of weeks, so she didn’t have to worry about a commute. There was a small grocery store a half mile from her house, so she and the cats wouldn’t starve. Even Campbell Cove Academy was within a mile’s ride. It would be good exercise.

“I can give you a ride home, at least,” Mike said.

“Thanks.”

“What are you going to do for wheels?” Mike asked as they walked to his truck.

“I have a bike.”

He slanted a look at her as he unlocked the passenger door of the truck. “What if it rains?”

There was no what-if; rain fell practically every week in the mountains, and often multiple days a week. She hadn’t really thought about rain, but that was what raincoats were for, right? “I’ll deal.”

He waited for her to fasten her seat belt before he started the engine. The dashboard clock read 11:35 and, to her chagrin, her stomach gave a little growl in response. Breakfast had been a long time ago.

“I could go for an early lunch,” he murmured, sounding amused. “You wanna come?”

She looked at him through the corner of her eye, trying to assess his motives. “To lunch? With you?”

His sunglasses had mirror lenses, so she couldn’t be sure his smile made it all the way to his eyes. “I suppose we could sit apart, if you like. Though that seems like a waste of a table.”

Mayfair Diner was little more than a hole-in-the-wall, one of three storefronts that filled the one-story brick building on the corner of Mayfair Lane and Sycamore Road. Charlie ate there often, since her house was just a short drive down Sycamore. By now, everybody who worked there knew her by name and called out greetings when they entered.

“What’s good here?” Mike asked as they headed for the counter.

“Depends on how much weight you want to gain.”

He smiled at her blunt answer and looked up at the big menu board. “How are the omelets?”

“I like them,” she answered with a little shrug. “The cheese-and-bacon ones are particularly good.”

“I bet.”

The counter waitress, a plump, pretty woman in her forties named Jean, smiled as she approached to take their order. “Hey, Charlie, what can I get for you and your friend today?”

“I’ll have a grilled cheese with chips and a pickle, and iced coffee with cream and sugar,” Charlie said.

“And you, hon?” Jean looked at Mike, her voice instantly flirtatious.

“I’ll have a veggie omelet and a small fresh fruit cup,” he ordered. “And water to drink.”

Disgustingly healthy, Charlie thought. Would explain his smokin’-hot body, though.

“Find yourself a seat, and I’ll send someone out with your orders in a few minutes,” Jean said with one last flirtatious smile at Mike before she turned to clip their orders to the chef’s order wheel.

Charlie and Mike settled in a corner booth. He took the bench seat that faced the door, she noticed. Always on the lookout for trouble?

An uncomfortable silence lingered between them for a moment before Mike broke it in a gravelly murmur. “You didn’t seem that surprised when the guy at the garage thought your brake line had been cut.”

She looked up sharply. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

He shrugged. “If someone told me my brake line had been cut...”

“You’d start with your self-defense class roster?” She flashed him a cheeky grin to hide her own sense of unease with his question.

He grinned back. “Probably.”

What she didn’t want to admit, even to herself, was that there might be someone out there who wanted her dead. For most of her life she’d been fairly invisible, by design. Her ne’er-do-well brothers had brought more than their share of ignominy to the family name. Better not to draw any attention at all than the kind her brothers had managed to elicit.

A smiling teenage girl came over with their orders on a large tray, saving Charlie from having to find something else to say to break the silence. The girl eyed Mike with starstruck shyness, giggling a little as he smiled his thanks. Charlie wasn’t sure the girl even realized there was a second person at the table.

“Does that happen often?” she asked, taking a sip of her iced coffee.

Mike looked up from his plate. “Does what happen?”

Charlie nodded toward the waitress who was still darting quick looks toward their table as she talked with another server. “Googly-eyed females growing tongue-tied in your presence.”

He frowned. “Never noticed.”

Of course he hadn’t. She changed the subject back to the topic of the hour. “How on earth did you even notice that brake fluid in the parking lot?”

“I happened to be looking out the window when you drove away. There was a big puddle of fluid underneath the car, so I thought I should check it out. When I realized it was brake fluid—”

“You hopped in your truck and raced to my rescue?”

“Seemed like the thing to do.”

“When you first whipped around in front of me, I thought you were a maniac.” She shook her head. “That was kind of a crazy thing to do.”

“Blame the academy. Crisis driving is one of the things we’re trained to do, you know.”

“Does the Campbell Cove Academy teach those skills to civilians, too?”

“Only to professional security personnel at the moment,” he said with a shake of his head. “It’s an intense and expensive course, and most civilians won’t have any need to learn the skills.”

“Not sure I agree with that,” she said wryly.

He leaned a little closer, lowering his voice. “You really have no idea who might have tampered with your car?”

“Why would I?”

“You just started taking a self-defense course, and now your vehicle is sabotaged. I have to wonder if there’s a correlation.”

She pretended not to understand. “You think someone messed with my car because I’m taking a self-defense course?”

He frowned. “Don’t be obtuse. I’m asking if the reason you’re taking a self-defense course has anything to do with why someone might tamper with your brakes. Have you been threatened? A stalker or a disgruntled ex?”

“Nobody’s threatened me.”

He sat back, studying her through narrowed eyes. “I’m not sure you can say that with a straight face after today. Assuming your mechanic is right about how the brake line was cut.”

“I don’t know who would want to hurt me,” she said firmly.

That was the problem, wasn’t it? She didn’t know who would want to hurt her any more than she knew who would have hurt Alice. But someone had. She was more convinced of that fact than ever.

“Okay,” Mike said after a long silence. “But I think you should be careful anyway. Maybe this morning was a warning shot.”

“I’m planning to be careful.”

“You still planning on trying to get around by bike?”

“Or on foot. I work from home, and most of the places I go on any given day I can reach by walking.”

“Not sure that’s a good idea.”

“It’s not like my track record in a car is exactly stellar after this morning,” she joked.

He didn’t smile. “Are you going to be at my class tomorrow afternoon?”

She shook her head. “The academy is a little too far away for a bike ride. Maybe I can pick up the class the next time you offer it.”

“You’ll have your car back soon. I can give you a ride to the class until then. Just be ready about a half hour early and I’ll swing by to pick you up.”

She narrowed her eyes. “Why? Why would you do that?”

“Because I think you need it. It’s not like it’s a big problem for me to give you a ride.”

She nibbled her lower lip, considering his offer. He was right about one thing—she’d like to know how to protect herself in a pinch. Wasn’t that why she’d picked up the self-defense class in the first place?

But Mike Strong was taking a peculiar amount of personal interest in her well-being, and she had a feeling it wasn’t a matter of altruism. He had seemed suspicious of her the very first class, hadn’t he?

A new thought occurred to her. Could Mike have been the person who’d tampered with her brakes?

“What is it?” he asked, looking suddenly concerned.

She schooled her own features, trying to hide her doubts. “Nothing. I was just remembering this morning. Can’t seem to shake it.”

“That’s natural,” he assured her with an easy smile. “That had to be a pretty terrifying few minutes.”

“Definitely.” She forced a smile. “And you’re right. I should be back in my car in a week, so there’s no real reason not to try to keep up with the self-defense courses.”

His concerned expression had cleared completely, now that he’d gotten his way. “So I’ll pick you up about thirty minutes before class starts? I like to get there early and do some prep work, if that’s okay.”

“That’s fine,” she assured him, smiling again. “Do I need to bring anything besides me and my sparkling personality?”

He grinned. “That should be all you need. We’ll supply the rest.”

At her insistence, Mike let her pay for lunch. But he insisted on coming into her house with her instead of just dropping her off.

“You didn’t think someone was going to cut your brake line, either,” he argued when she told him he was being paranoid. “I’d like to be sure you’re not about to walk in on an intruder alone.”

Grimacing, Charlie gave in, hoping she hadn’t left the place in too much of a mess that morning. Fortunately, neither of her cats had pulled one of their insane stunts, such as trailing toilet paper around the house or dumping over all the potted plants.

The house was silent and still when they entered. No sign of intruders. And thanks to Mike’s presence, no sign of the cats, either, save for His Highness’s well-worn catnip mouse sitting in the middle of the living room floor.

“You have a pet?” Mike asked, picking up the toy.

“Two. Cats. Currently in hiding, since you’re here.”

He gave a nod of understanding.

A quick walk-through seemed to satisfy his need to play protector, and Charlie walked him to the door. “Thanks for your help this morning.”

“I’m glad I was able to help.” He looked up and down the street behind him, as if he expected trouble. But the street was as quiet and normal as the house. “See you tomorrow afternoon?”

“Yes. Thanks.”

“Lock the door behind me.” He started down the porch steps and crossed to his truck, turning as he reached the vehicle. “Lock the door, Charlie,” he repeated, nodding toward her.

She closed the door and engaged the lock as he asked.

But as the sound of the truck’s engine faded to silence, she realized she didn’t feel any safer.

* * *

MIKE PULLED OFF the road onto the gravel-paved scenic overlook and got out of the truck, pacing with restless energy to the steel railing that kept visitors from stepping off the edge of the bluff. He curled his fists around the top rail, ignoring the burn of the cold steel against his bare palms. If anything, the discomfort helped him focus his scattered thoughts.

Lunch with Charlie Winters hadn’t gone the way he’d expected. He’d figured her obvious shakiness after the near disaster with her car might have made her drop her guard. He could use her rattled state to coax a few secrets out of her, and then he’d have a better idea what her real agenda might be.

Instead, not only had she managed to keep all her secrets, he was now convinced she was hiding even more than he’d suspected.

And instead of probing her story, trying to break through her wall of protection, he’d just sat back and listened. Because he liked to hear her talk. He liked the soft twang of her Kentucky accent, the way her lips quirked when she shot him a quizzical smile. He liked the twinkle in her eyes when he said something she found amusing. He liked the way she smelled—clean and crisp, like a garden kissed by the morning sun.

And the fact that he could come up with a description as ridiculous as “a garden kissed by the morning sun” was why he felt as if he’d just walked into a booby trap and all that was left for him to do was curl up in a ball and wait for the explosion.

He took several deep breaths and gazed across the hazy blue mountains that stretched out for miles before the first sign of a town showed up in the distance. Maybe he was just making too much of the way Charlie was making him feel. It had been a while since he’d really let himself think about a woman as anything other than a fellow soldier or one of the faceless, nameless civilians his orders had required him to protect from the enemy.

After his career as a Marine had ended and he’d entered the civilian force, it had taken a while just to get back into the swing of a life that didn’t include gunfire, explosions and endless miles of dirt and sand. He hadn’t wanted to look within the walls of the academy for a woman to share his bed and he’d been so focused on his job that he hadn’t really looked outside the academy walls, either.

What he needed was a real date. A woman, a nice dinner, maybe some dancing or a movie. Ease into a love life again. No strings, no pressure. No bright hazel eyes making his stomach feel as if it were turning inside out.

Maybe Heller’s wife had a friend he could meet. Weren’t women always trying to fix up their husbands’ single friends?

He pulled out his phone to record a reminder to feel Iris Heller out about her single friends the next time he ran into her, but he saw there was a “missed call” message. It was from someone named Randall Feeney.

For a moment, he thought it must have been a wrong number. Then he remembered the phone call he’d made before he’d set out on his search for Charlie Winters. He took a chance and called Feeney back.

“Randall Feeney,” a man answered. In the background, Mike heard the low hum of voices and the ringing of phones—the sounds of a busy office.

“Mr. Feeney, this is Mike Strong from Campbell Cove Security Services. You just called my cell phone.”

“Right, because you called the campaign office wanting to talk to someone about Alice Bearden.” The man’s voice lowered a notch. “May I ask the reason for your interest?”

Mike had already prepared his answer, but he’d really hoped to talk to Craig Bearden himself. “I’d rather discuss it with Mr. Bearden.”

“That’s not going to happen,” Feeney said firmly. “However, I’m Mr. Bearden’s executive aide and a longtime friend of the family. If you have any questions about Alice or the tragedy of her death, I may be able to help you. But I’d prefer to meet in person. Can you be at the campaign headquarters in Mercerville tomorrow afternoon? Say, around three?”

“I’m sorry, I’ll be busy then. What about later today? Maybe around six?”

There was a brief pause before Feeney agreed. “Six is doable. I’ll meet you here at the campaign headquarters. Do you know where that is?”

“I do.” He’d looked up the address before he’d made the first call.

“I have to admit, however, I’m a little puzzled why someone from your company would have any interest in what happened to Alice,” Feeney added, sounding wary.

“It may have some bearing on a case we’re helping to investigate,” Mike said, keeping his tone noncommittal. “I’ll know more when we speak.”

“Very well, then. See you at six.” Feeney hung up without any further goodbye.

Mike pocketed his phone, feeling a little less rattled than before, now that he had a mission. He’d go talk to Randall Feeney, hear the story of Alice Bearden’s death from someone who, as Feeney had proclaimed, was close to the family. If anyone would know what role Charlie Winters might have had in the death of Alice, it would be Craig Bearden’s personal assistant.

Maybe Feeney could shed some much-needed light on what Charlie Winters really wanted from her self-defense classes at Campbell Cove Academy.

Then Mike could put the confounding woman out of his head for good.

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