Death at the Day Lily Cafe (26 page)

The man sat next to Janice and rested his sizable forearms on the counter. They looked like Popeye's after he downed a can of spinach. Crystal was humming while she punched in an order on the computer. “Do you know that guy?” I whispered.

She peered over her shoulder. “No. Definitely not.” She looked back at the screen. “But he's got a mustard brown aura. That's never good.”

“Maybe you should make a tea recommendation for him.”

She looked at him again and chewed on her thumbnail. “That might be a tough sell.”

“I think you're right.” I went back to the bar. “So what will it be? I can make you any kind of coffee drink you like. Today's grind is Honduran.”

“Just a regular coffee. Nothin' fancy.”

“I'm Rosalie,” I said. “Welcome to the Day Lily Café.”

“Name's John.” He scanned the room.

“Are you looking for someone?” I said.

Janice and Gretchen had stopped their conversation about neck creams.

“You still got that Wells boy working here?”

“Why do you want to know?” I crossed my arms.

“I could use that coffee.”

“Yes, of course.” I filled a mug from the carafe. “Cream?”

He shook his head and moved the mug closer with his massive arm.

I waited until he took his first sip. A droplet of coffee lingered on his beard. “Why do you want to know, John?” I hated mirrored sunglasses. I needed to see this man's eyes.

He set his mug down on the saucer with a thud. “I thought he might know where his old man is hiding out.”

“Oh,” I said, relieved. “Custer won't know. I promise you that. He is doing everything in his power to avoid his father.”

“You're not from around here, are you?” Janice said.

“Is it that obvious?”

“Pretty much,” Janice said. “You work out?”

“Requirement for the job.”

“What do you want with Butch?” Janice said.

“He owes someone some money.”

“Butch back to gambling?”

“Mr. Wells is back to gambling badly.” John drained his coffee. “So if you were Butch, ma'am, where would you be right about now?”

“Hiding my butt from you,” she said, and laughed.

“And if you didn't know I was in town?”

“You could try the Cardigan Tavern up the road.” Janice wiped her hands on the napkin in her lap. “If you want to run him out of town, or maybe break a couple of his fingers, I think that would be all right with most of the folks around here. Isn't that right, Rose Red?”

“The sooner the better,” I said. “Would you like something to eat, John?”

“The quinoa burger rocks,” Janice said.

“I don't know what that is,” he replied.

“Grilled cheese?” I said. “Side of fries?”

“Better.”

As I walked over to the computer I heard Janice say, “Your name isn't John, is it?”

“It is to you.”

Glenn drew close. “That man is after Butch?”

“Yes. He must be some sort of bounty hunter. And he's giving me the creeps.”

“The plot thickens,” Glenn said, and pushed through the kitchen door.

 

F
ORTY
-
THREE

Not long after we closed, I carried a bin of dirty dishes back to the kitchen. As I loaded them into the dishwasher, a soothing tone emanated from Custer's phone. He picked it up and studied the new message.

“What the—” He ripped off his bandana. His head shot up to me.

“What is it? What's happened?”

“I have to get out of here.”

He grabbed his keys and started for the door.

“Custer?”

He looked back at me, an almost feral panic on his face. “My dad has Annie.”

“What? Oh my God, where?”

“Your place.” Custer flew out the back entrance, the screen door slamming hard. I heard his motorcycle tires patch out as I ran into the dining room. “Glenn, I have to go. Butch has Annie.” Tears streamed down my face. I searched for my purse. I hiccupped a sob and clutched my stomach. “Where's my—”

“Let me get my keys,” Glenn said. “I'll get you there in no time.”

I looked at Crystal. “Go,” she said, and waved us away. “Hurry.”

Glenn fired up his car and sped down the alley. “Custer already left,” I said.

“That's not necessarily a good thing.” Glenn screeched to a halt when two pedestrians leisurely entered the crosswalk.

“Oh, Annie.” I pushed my palms against my temples.

“I'll get you there,” Glenn said, and hit the gas.

*   *   *

Butch's rusty black pickup idled ominously in my driveway. Tyler's truck was gone. Annie had been alone. Custer's bike lay on its side and he stood planted next to the truck, screaming at his father through the open window. I leapt out of the car before Glenn came to a complete stop.

“Where is she, you son of a bitch?” Custer demanded.

“Hey, looks like we have ourselves a little party,” Butch said, a sickening sneer on his face.

“Where's Annie?” I cried when I reached them. “What have you done to her?”

“I'll tell you where your little Annie is,” Butch said, “once Custer here tells me where the money is stashed.”

Custer reached through the window and grabbed Butch's collar. He squeezed it tight. “You tell me now.”

Glenn caught up to us, out of breath. “I've called the sheriff.”

Butch fisted his right hand and punched Custer solidly in the nose. Glenn caught him as he stumbled back. Blood spewed from between Custer's fingers as he clutched his nose.

“Stop this!” I said.

“You tell me where that money is, you good for nothin' son or I'll drive away and you'll never know where your girlie is.”

I clutched my stomach. “Please, Custer, just tell him.”

“I don't have it,” Custer said, his voice muted from the hands covering his face.

“Son,” Glenn said to Custer as he eased him onto the driveway, “if you know where it is then please, just tell him.”

“All right,” Custer whipped off his T shirt and held it over his face.

“'Bout time,” Butch said.

“It's at CJ's house. Now tell me where she is.”

“It ain't there, you lying good for nothin. I already looked.”

“Did you look under the floorboards in the bedroom?” Custer pushed himself up, scuffling in the gravel. “I don't care if you take it. I never did. Now where is she?”

“She's sitting under a tree,” Butch said. “Having a little picnic. I'll tell you where once I have the money.” He shifted the truck into gear.

“You tell me now!” Custer demanded

Panic constricted my throat. “Custer, the money isn't there anymore.”

His eyes shot over to me, mirroring my panic. “How do you know?”

“We looked. The duffel is empty.”

Glenn frowned. Our eyes met and he took off around the side of the house.

Butch glared at me. “You ever want to see your daughter again?”

A souped-up Mustang with blacked out windows sped down the lane. It squealed to a stop, and out jumped the man from the café. He started toward Butch, handcuffs hitched to his belt.

“You find that money.” Butch called to Custer and hit the gas just as John reached the truck.

A loud whistle pierced the air from behind the house. “That's Glenn,” I said. “He must have Annie.”

Custer tossed his shirt on the ground and took off around the house. All that was left of Butch was a cloud of dust. John pivoted in the gravel and sprinted back to his car, climbed in, and took off in pursuit of Butch. My knees weakened as I ran toward my Annie.

*   *   *

She was sitting on the ground next to an oak tree. Custer knelt behind her, untying a rag that hung around her neck. Glenn held two bungee cords in his hand. “Oh, Annie,” I said as I ran faster. I slid onto the grass, landing on my knees, and scooped her up.

Custer sat back on his heels, holding the cloth. A portion of it was darkened from where it must have been in Annie's mouth. He watched us, a pained look on his blood-stained face. Annie sobbed into my shoulder.

“What did he do to you?” I had never been this close to losing her. “Did he hurt you? Are you okay?”

“I'm okay.” She nodded into my shoulder. “He tied me up.” She sniffled. “But I was so scared he'd do more.”

“Annie,” Custer said, his voice hoarse, “I'm very sorry my father did this to you.” Our eyes met over the top of her head. “I'll be going,” he said. His nose was so swollen his eyes were partially closed. “You take care of her, okay?”

I shook my head.
No,
I mouthed.
Don't go.

“I have to,” he said, and stood. “I don't expect you to understand.”

“Son,” Glenn said, “The sheriff will be here any minute. Don't even think about going after your father.”

He gestured to Annie. “I can't let that bastard get away with this.”

“He's not about to,” Glenn said.

I stroked Annie's hair, rocking her. “Do you need to go to the hospital?”

“No,” she said in a muffled voice.

I looked over my shoulder at Glenn and Custer. “Can you two help me get her inside?”

Custer's head hung down. “I can't stay. I have to go.” He turned to leave but stopped. “Annie … I … I love you.”

Annie's head shot up, but Custer was already hurrying away. “Come on,” I said. “I want to make sure you're not hurt.” Glenn and I each took an arm and eased Annie up to her feet.

“How long have you been out here?” Glenn said as we walked.

“I don't know, but it seemed like a lifetime.”

“At least you were in the shade,” Glenn said.

“Your arm is red,” I said.

“That's where he pulled me out here.”

We rounded the house. “How are your wrists?” Glenn said.

“Sore, but the cords didn't cut into my skin.”

“The bounty hunter showed up,” I said to Glenn as we walked up the steps to the house one at a time. “He had handcuffs.”

“Good lord. What happened?”

“He took off after Butch in his car.”

“Mom,” Annie whispered as she waited for Glenn to open the door.

“What is it, sweetie?”

“Did Custer just say he loves me?”

 

F
ORTY
-
FOUR

Once the sheriff arrived and asked Annie everything he needed to know, he allowed me to take her upstairs. I tucked her in my bed and set a glass of water and a couple of Advil PM gel caps on the nightstand. “I'll bring you some hot cocoa once Sheriff Wilgus leaves.”

“That sounds good.” She propped up her pillow and leaned back against the headboard.

“Let me see your wrists.” She held them out. “Just a little red. You're right.” I turned them over in my hands. “I don't think the cords broke the skin.” I looked up at her. “Where were you when he came in?”

“At the kitchen table on my computer. I heard his footsteps and assumed it was Tyler.” She rubbed her wrists. “Can we start locking the door?”

“I don't know why I ever stopped.”

Todd trotted into the room and jumped on the bed. She scooped him up. “It's about time, you fickle cat.”

“So what happened?” I said. “Did he grab you?”

“He said hello, or hey there, or something creepy. It surprised me so much I spun around. Then he said I had to go with him, so I punched him. Right in the face.”

“Annie!”

“I held my own for the most part. Next I socked him in the gut, and then he grabbed my arm, so I bit his hand.”

“Really?”

“
Hello
? Rugby.”

“So then what happened?” I was so relieved she was ready to talk about it.

Annie picked up a couple of the pills and popped them in her mouth. After a long drink of water, she said, “I would have gotten out of there, Mom. I know I'm short, but sometimes it's an advantage. You should remember that.”

“I will. But—”

“When I started to duck under his arm, he pulled out a knife.”

“Oh, thank the Lord you didn't try to fight that.” A shiver of fear passed through me. My mind raced with possibilities. Careful not to jostle Annie's glass of water, I tucked my arm through hers and scooted closer. I needed to feel her next to me. Alive. Safe.

“Knives are the worst. Once I saw it, I agreed go with him. But I was still thinking of ways to get away. When Glenn found me, I was almost out of the bungee cords. I could hear you screaming at that man. I wanted you to know I was okay. I didn't want him to hurt anyone else.”

“The good news is Butch doesn't have a reason to come back. Custer can't help him anymore. Although Custer knew where the stolen money was stashed, it's not there anymore. That's the only reason Butch came here.”

“I hope Custer is okay.” Tears welled in her eyes. “This is the worst thing that's ever happened to me.”

I pulled her closer. “It's the worst thing that's ever happened to me, too.” I leaned my head against her soft hair. “We should tell your dad what happened. He has a right to know.” I took a deep breath and exhaled. “He's going to be very upset.”

She looked down at the covers. “I will. Eventually.”

“Why not now? He would want to know.”

“He wasn't so into me being with Custer. He might say
I told you so.
”

“Tomorrow, then. You don't need anything else to upset you.” I smoothed her hair. “I love you more than I have ever loved anyone or anything.”

“Me, too. I'm going to take a few days off from work. I think they'll understand.”