Deadly Reunion (The Taci Andrews Deadly Series) (17 page)

Tony pulled up in front of my parents one story ranch house, killing the engine. The house was the same as it’d been while we were growing up with it’s perfectly trimmed long driveway, front sidewalk lined with brightly colored flowers, the white shutters braced against the dark blue trim siding, down to the beautiful rose bushes my mom has doted on for more years than I can remember. I’d like to say I was jealous of the rose bushes for the time and devotion she always gave them but I’d always been grateful for their presence. When she was with them then it meant she wasn’t badgering me.

Reese pulled up behind us in his little chevy pick up truck, killing the engine. Ambling out he moseyed to my side of the truck, peering into the open window at me.

“Are you planning on getting out, because you know she’ll find you out here,” he said with a grin. I stuck out my tongue, reaching for the door handle to swing the door open. I grinned when it struck him lightly on the leg, causing him to jump back with a yelp.

“Oops, sorry,” I mumbled as apologetically as I could. Guess Reese wasn’t the only one who resorted to childish pranks.

Closing the driver’s side door Tony ambled to our side of the truck, giving a shake of his head.

“Kids,” he mumbled loud enough for me to hear.

I opened my mouth to retort but froze when I heard my mother’s voice shout, “Taci Lynn Andrews did you just hit your brother with that door?”

I sighed and turned to face my mother, who was marching down the driveway with a stern look on her face. Other than the tan she’d acquired from the Texas sun she looked pretty much the same as she had before they left. My mom and I looked remarkably alike with our matching blonde hair (mine was natural, hers was dyed to hide her white hair), same green eyes, same height and same body builds. I knew if I ever wondered what I’d look like in twenty or so years I only had to take a look at my mom to get the end results. Other than the white hair I knew I’d someday acquire, I had to say mom looked pretty good for her age. Save for the scowl on her face which I knew was reserved solely for me.

“Sorry Mom, I didn’t know he was standing so close to the truck,” I replied as sweetly as I could muster. Apparently it wasn’t enough because the scowl remained intact.

“Well you know you need to be more careful around Reese, he bruises easily,” she said matter of factly, reaching over to put a light peck on my cheek before turning to Reese. “And how is my little pumpkin doing? Did you start that new job you were so excited about?”

“Yeah Reese, how’s the new job going?” I couldn’t help but throw in.

Reese shot me a look that clearly said drop dead. I grinned in response. “Actually Ma the job fell through, guess I didn’t have the experience they were looking for.”

My mother let out a little cry and gathered Reese against her chest. “My poor little baby, how dare they treat you like that when you were probably the best applicant on their list. Seems to me if that’s how they make their decisions around there then you’re better off not working for them at all.”

Inwardly I sighed at my mother’s dramatics all the while trying to push down the annoyance I could feel rising up. While I never held a grudge against Reese for being the obvious favorite I had somehow hoped to make it through dinner just once without feeling the urge to get raging drunk afterwards.

Tony cleared his throat behind me, making me jump. Amid the drama I’d somehow managed to forget Parson’s had come along for the evening’s festivities. Obviously my mother had forgotten too in her hurry to rescue Reese if the color blooming in her cheeks was any indication.

“And you must be the Tony I spoke with this morning on the phone. My what a handsome young man you are,” she all but gushed. I tried not to gag.

Tony grinned, inching forward to shake my mother’s hand. “That I am Mrs. Andrews. Thank you for inviting me to dinner tonight.”

My mother waved a hand through the air, giving a little laugh. “Well of course you would be invited for dinner! Any beaux of Taci’s is always welcome at our table. And please, call me Lilly.”

I choked before I could stop myself. Tony’s grin deepened.

“Um, Mom? I think you should probably know that Tony and I…,” I began, the words cut off when Tony draped an arm across my shoulders and tugged me under his arm.

“That we are happy to be here tonight. Isn’t that right, sweetheart?” he all but crooned in my ear. I shot him a lethal look before turning to my mother’s delighted face.

“Well do come in then. Supper is just about ready and George is chomping at the bit to eat. We’d better get a move on before he drives down the street and hits the drive through,” my mother said cheerfully. Lacing her hand through Reese’s arm she led the way to the house.

“You’re going to pay for this, you know that don’t you?” I said in a low hiss, smiling tightly when my mother glanced back at us.

Tony responded with a smile, tromping up the front steps and onto the porch. This was going to be a long night.

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

I glanced out the window at the street below, watching the flow of traffic speeding past my apartment building. Dinner with my family hadn’t gone as badly as I thought it would, yet it hadn’t been great either. Thankfully mom’s meatloaf had been edible, Tony spouted off his mouth only a little bit and I’d resisted the urge to drain the contents of the bottle of white wine. I could tell Reese enjoyed himself immensely, of which I knew was at my expense, but I also noticed a change in my mother’s attitude. Namely she’d actually been nice to me for a change and I knew it had little to do with my sparkling personality and more to the fact that I’d actually brought someone home for dinner. Whatever her change of heart I didn’t much mind; I was more thankful to the fact that number one, she wasn’t knit picking my lifestyle and number two as the evening came to an end that she hadn’t produced another invitation for dinner. Actually, I was probably more grateful for number two than number one. Sitting through another family meal with Parsons would probably do me in for the long run.

A glance at my alarm clock read 10:30. I knew I should be in bed and snoring away yet I’d been wired since the moment I arrived home. It might have had something to do with the steamy kiss Parsons left me with, the one that seemed to make my legs go weak and my brain turn to mush. I’m pretty sure things would have progressed further had his cell phone not rang leading to a quick exit. Saved by the bell again. That was beginning to become a regular routine with him, irritatingly enough.

And so here I was pacing the confines of my bedroom, my body on combustible overdrive with no Oreo’s in site. Life just didn’t get much better than that.

Sighing I turned from the window and trudged down the hallway to the kitchen, desperate for a food distraction. A quick glance through my bare cupboards failed to produce any appetizing snacks. It also reminded me it was time to go grocery shopping for something more substantial than just a late night Oreo run.

Tugging open the freezer door I gave a grin at the single serving sized container of chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream sitting there. I knew Reese was more than likely its owner but that didn’t say much. He
did
eat my last bag of Oreo’s the other night. Grabbing the container off the shelf I closed the freezer door and headed to the silverware drawer. Picking out a spoon I momentarily eyed the ice cream scooper before abandoning the thought. This was an ice cream night; scooping it into a bowl would just slow the process down.

With my goodies in hand I trudged into the living room and plopped onto the couch. Turning on the T.V. I surfed through the channels until I found what I was looking for. Ok now I admit that I’m a total geek for watching the discovery channel at 10:30 at night with a container of ice cream but in all truthfulness it really was my favorite channel. I found it amazing how scientists could go back in time and figure out how things evolved, where species originated from and make predictions about an unknown future. There usually wasn’t much about the channel I’d found to dislike, until I realized tonight’s program was about agricultural history. Well, on a brighter note I might stand a chance of falling asleep easier.

Pulling off the ice cream lid I dug into the container, spooning a large portion into my mouth. I had to give it to Reese on this one, chocolate chip cookie dough was definitely the best. As I munched happily I attempted to pay attention to what the narrator was saying, barely catching the last part of his sentence.

“…..and with the addition of Ammonium Nitrate the soil becomes more fertile and ready to be spread,” the voice ended. I paused, spoon halfway to my mouth with my second bite. Ammonium Nitrate. Wasn’t that the name of the chemical Parsons and I were discussing earlier? My attention was definitely caught now as the narrator continued with his explanation. By the end of the program I had a better understanding of how the agricultural community used Ammonium Nitrate. What I didn’t understand was how it ended up on my mannequin friend in my apartment.

Flipping off the T.V. I stared at the wall across from me, drumming my fingers absently on the lid of the ice cream container. Richard had been suspicious of the Rosehill project but why? What was so interesting about a construction zone that would draw his attention? Was something being hidden out there? Were they doing something illegal? Questions and ideas floated through my mind, most of them conspiracy theory related and not even worth considering. But what if I was right in thinking something was going on out there, something being done right under our noses?

Standing from the couch I headed towards my bedroom, tossing the ice cream container back in the freezer as I passed through. Flipping on the light I dug around until I came across the legal papers describing the buy out of the land being used for the Rosehill project. To the naked eye things seemed to be straight up and honest from the description of the farmland being purchased to the projected design and plans for the project. Nothing out of the ordinary…..my eyes flew back up on the page, scanning the info I’d just read about the purchase. Farmland. Rosehill was being built on old farmland, which more than likely, depending on how many years the land had been farmed, would have contained traces of Ammonium Nitrate in it.

My heart pounded as the information sunk in. This was the connection, I was sure of it. Whoever was warning me off was involved with the Rosehill project, which confirmed my gut feeling that something was going on out there. But what? I needed to get a closer look, preferably at a time where there was less likely the chance other people would be around. And I needed some back up. Parsons came to mind but I quickly pushed the thought away. As appealing as going on a stake out with Parsons seemed I knew it would just turn into him acting all macho and not letting me get anything accomplished. No, I needed someone much sneakier, someone who would go along with my scheme, someone who was looking for something to do other than catch up on a television program.

Snagging my phone from the bedside table I flipped it open and hit speed dial. “Hey it’s me, got a minute? I need a favor.”

***

I drummed my fingers on the edge of the steering wheel, hoping to calm my jittery nerves. Normally I was a patient person but tonight I was too edgy. The bright lights of an oncoming car swung into the Time’s parking lot and I breathed a sigh of relief. Parking next to my civic Annie bounded out of her car and into mine.

“Sorry I’m late. I had to wait for Mom to come over before I could get out,” she said breathlessly, shoving her purse onto the floor by her feet.

“That’s Ok, I’m just glad you could make it,” I replied, turning over the engine and driving out of the parking lot. Taking a left I wove through town, heading towards the bypass.

“So what’s up? You were kind of vague when you called last night asking for a favor,” Annie asked.

“Do you want the long version or the short version?” I asked, glancing over at her.

Annie shrugged. “Give me the short version.”

Nodding I took a deep breath. “Saturday night after Tony and I got home we found a butchered mannequin dumped in my bedroom with a warning to back off. We took it down town to the RPD where a friend of Tony’s found traces of a chemical named Ammonium Nitrate on it, which, ironically enough, used to be used in farm fertilizer until people figured out how it could be used as an explosive. Long story short I think I may have connected the Ammonium Nitrate source to the Rosehill project lot and we’re going tonight to stake out the grounds and see if there’s anything fishy going on.”

Annie let out a low whistle. “Geez Tace, and here I thought I was in for a boring night. So what do you need me to do? Is there any breaking and entering involved?”

I tried not to roll my eyes at her enthusiasm. It’d been awhile since I’d involved her in any of my schemes and it was obvious she was more than ready to participate.

“Hardly. I need you to be my back up just in case. I sort of promised Parsons that I’d try to keep a low profile and I’m sure this isn’t exactly what he had in mind,” I explained, taking the turn off that lead to the bypass.

“So what
is
the deal with you and Parsons anyway? I heard he came over to your parent’s house for dinner last night,” Annie asked nonchalantly.

I groaned aloud. My mother and her big mouth. “How is it possible that you heard about that already? It
just
happened yesterday for crying out loud! Don’t people in this town have anything better to do than gossip?”

Annie grinned. “It wasn’t too hard to find out actually. I heard it from Berta Dawson at the Farmer’s Market while picking up some zucchini, who heard it from Eliza Stollard at their church sewing group, who heard it from her friend Eleanor Samson via telephone who, as you already know, lives right next door to your parent’s house and happened to be home when you, Tony and Reese arrived for dinner last night. I tell ya kid, just keep up with the little old ladies in this town if you want to know any gossip. They seem to know everything about everyone in town.”