Rising Storm (14 page)

"I wanted to apologize again for interrupting."

"No you don't, Ma. I’m pretty sure it was part of a well thought out plan."

"Well, I did hear you were having trouble getting a date, and well, now you have one!" His mother cupped his faced gently, "We mothers are good for some things you know."

"You're good for many things. Good night Ma."

Marshall waved good-bye to his mother and when he turned around Katelyn was standing at the door. She had a wistful look on her face, but her purse hung from her hand.

"You heading out too?"

"Yes. I’m sure Sheriff Nuggett will be here soon and it sounds like you have a long night ahead of you."

Marshall looked up at her from the bottom of the stairs. Her long sun-kissed hair was draped over her shoulders and down to her breasts. She was so beautiful. He needed to make sure he thanked his mother for finally helping him get a kinda sorta date. He looked at his watch and hurried into the house. He needed to get his gear ready before Nuggett got here in ten minutes. He had a couple suspects he wanted to check out.

Chapter Eleven

Katelyn batted her eyelashes and puckered her lips. She was in heaven. It had been a long day at work. She was still jam-packed with new clients wanting gossip more than needing medical care for their pets. At least she was able to get most of the dogs and cats in town up to date on shots or set up to be spayed or neutered.

The workload wasn't the exhausting part. The exhausting part was trying to field all the questions about her dating life. It had progressed from hearing about Marshall to being asked out by most of her single male clients. Apparently people were taking notice of that stupid Keeneston Bachelor/Bachelorette list. And the floodgates opened when they found out she wasn't officially dating anyone.

She had quickly exited though the back door and headed over to Paige's shop for some retail therapy. She looked back into the mirror at the large-brimmed pastel pink hat that sloped gently down and covered one eye. It was so Marilyn Monroe.

"That looks great on you!" Paige said as she came out of the back room holding another hat in her hand.

"Thanks, but it's all the hat. I guess I inherited my grandmother's love of hats. They're just so much fun!"

"I heard you had a lot of fun today. How many numbers did you get?" Paige ribbed her.

"It was horrible. You know I’m not one of those open people. I don't talk about my feelings and I don't do public displays of affection, and I certainly won't talk about what I’m feeling, who I want to date, or play flirty doctor with my clients."

Katelyn felt much better with that quick venting. Shelly and Paige understood her and never made her feel judged. She could really talk to them.

"I heard that all the bachelors are getting attention from this list. And I’m pretty sure the other bachelorettes are trying to nab their top counterparts. At least I know Nancy and Jasmine have both been hanging around my brothers. Kenna told me they even stopped by the law office and now have dates with Henry. Dani said they've even made their way out to the farm looking for Ahmed, only to turn tail and race back to Keeneston when he leveled a look at them."

"I had no idea anyone actually took this list seriously." Katelyn shook her head. Who cared about being on a stupid list?

"It's a huge deal. But, what about you and Marshall? Maybe you won't be eligible for the list next year?" Paige nudged her and laughed at the surprised look on her face.

"No. There's nothing between us."

"Right, and there were no flowers."

"It's no big deal. We're just working on this investigation. There are no romantic feelings there."

Liar liar pants on fire went through Katelyn's mind as soon as she said it. She didn't know what she was feeling, but it certainly wasn't professionalism. And those stupid flashbacks to Marshall lying naked in her bed were nothing either.

"Oh, I’m so relieved then," Paige said on an exhale.

"What? Why?" Katelyn couldn't contain the surprise in her voice. Was she not good enough for Marshall?

"Well, I heard that Kandi was on him like a tick on a deer. If you were to get in between her and her prey, she'd be liable to do something mean and I’d hate to see you get hurt. Kandi is so petty and vicious. She wouldn't stop at anything to get you out of the picture. I had thought, incorrectly I guess, that Marshall was down at the café waiting for you, but I guess he's waiting for someone else. I sure hope he has more sense than to be waiting for Kandi!" Paige handed her a yellow hat with long white netting for her to try on.

Images of Kandi fawning over Marshall flooded her head. Her hand closed to a fist as she felt her heartbeat speed up. She was flush and her breath was coming faster. What was the matter with her?

Anger, nothing but pure anger and jealousy had come over her at the thought of Marshall in Kandi's arms and more importantly waking up in her bed. Kandi already had one husband, she sure as hell wasn't going to take the one man that mattered enough to Katelyn to feel jealous.

"I’m sorry, I think I need to get going and pick up dinner. It's been a long day,"

Katelyn had never felt such feelings in her life. She must be having a panic attack because her anxiety was getting worse as her mind refused to slow down. Images of Kandi running her hands over his body, images of Kandi's balloons bouncing as she rode…oh God, she had to hurry before Kandi got those long manicured nails sunk into Marshall.

"Are you okay? You look sick." Paige told her.

"No, no. I’m fine, just hungry. See you later."

Katelyn ripped off the hat and tossed it back to Paige. She grabbed her purse and was out the door before Paige could say another word. She ate up the sidewalk with her long strides, her eyes never leaving the flower baskets sitting outside the door of the café. She only made it half way to the café before she crossed the street. People were trying to talk to her so she just waved to them as she passed, that is, if and when she even heard them.

The café was getting closer and her vision was tunneled. She didn't hear the birds, or the people on the street. All her thoughts were of what was waiting for her beyond the doors. Was Marshall a willing participant or just another man caught in Kandi's web?

Finally! She pushed open the glass door and charged into the café. She stopped and looked around to locate him. Her breathing relaxed and the elephant that had been sitting on her chest stood up. Marshall was there alright, but he was alone. He was sitting at the back booth with his back to the door and his laptop in front of him. He was working. Alone.

Okay, it was finally time to admit that maybe she felt something for him more than just lust. There’s no way she'd act like this if she didn't have some kind of attachment to him. So, maybe it was time to find out exactly what those feelings were. Katelyn started forward to where Marshall was bent over his computer.

"How does one manage to be both an ice princess and a slut? Now get out of my way."

Katelyn felt hands on her shoulder and then a push all before she knew what was going on. She tripped forward and into the back of Judge Cooper, the district and family court judge in Keeneston. She looked up at Kandi's smirking face as she shot her a triumphant look from the head of Marshall's table.

"I’m so sorry, Judge."

"It's alright, sweetheart. Are you okay?" The older, stoic man asked.

Katelyn looked over and watched Kandi in her skin-tight white tank top and mini blue jean skirt fawning over Marshall. Kandi leaned over the table and closed his laptop, giving him an eyeful of her candies. Katelyn watched as she reached across the table and ran her hand down his arm, sticking her overblown cleavage even closer to his face. Kandi looked up at her and winked. Rage burst forward and for once she decided there was no need to temper it.

"I will be, in just a minute, thank you. May I borrow that piece of blueberry pie, your honor?"

"Sure, hon." Judge Cooper handed her the large piece of deep purple pie.

"Thank you so much." She smiled at him and, with a calm she'd never felt before, walked straight to Marshall's table.

"Excuse me," she drawled in her most polite southern accent and with all the charm of the Deep South her grandmother had taught her.

Kandi turned on her with fire in her narrowed eyes. Her overly mascaraed eyelashes twitched like a hundred spider legs. She waited for Marshall to look up and as soon as he did she smiled at them both. With as much grace and poise as possible she shifted the plate of blueberry pie in her hand and slammed it into Kandi's face. Just for emphasis she turned the plate to the right and then the left for maximum smearage.

"Oh, dear. Bless my heart, I’m so clumsy. Can you believe I just tripped?" Katelyn batted her eyelashes and flashed her oops pose from her modeling repertoire. It was so overdone that no one could believe her apology or had any doubt that this was the furthest thing from an accident as possible.

The café was silent. Everyone was leaning closer to make sure they didn't miss a word. They had to make sure they memorized every detail for the recounting they were all going to give.

"Marshall! Arrest her!" Kandi sputtered as she used her fingers to wipe away the pie in her eyes.

Her face was purple and clumps of crust were hanging from her eyelashes and chin. A whole blueberry was sitting on the end of her nose trying to decide if it wanted to slide off or not. A big blob of pie sat on her white shirt right in-between her overblown breasts.

"For what? Tripping? While the incident is unfortunate, it's not illegal." Marshall just smiled and sat back in the booth with one arm draped over the divider and the other resting on the table. Katelyn had the distinct impression he was enjoying himself.

"Judge! Do something! This was assault and battery. Attempted murder! That's it. She tried to kill me!"

"I’m sorry
Mrs
. Rawlings, I didn't see anything. And in all my years on the bench I’ve never seen or read about death by pie. I believe you’re safe and you can rest assured that no laws have been broken."

"But… but, I’m covered in pie and that bitch is the reason! Someone must’ve seen something! Not all of you could have missed it!" Kandi screamed and looked around the café where suddenly everyone was very occupied with their dinner. With a cry of dismay Kandi grabbed her big bag and held her purple face up as high as she could and stormed out of the café.

"So," Marshall drawled in his deep voice, "does this mean you'll go out with me now?"

*     *    *

Marshall grabbed his clipboard and looked over the names of the people who had shown up at the Wyatt's house. Mr. and Mrs. Wyatt were entertaining the volunteers along with his deputies. Well, really baby Sienna was entertaining them all as her grandmother Betsy held her. Will and Kenna were standing nearby talking to Cade, Cole, Paige, Dani, Mo and Ahmed. Miles and Pierce were talking to Henry and Tammy, Henry's young secretary. She was trying real hard to not look at Pierce.

The Rose sisters were helping Mrs. Wyatt put together little baskets for each pair of volunteers. Sheriff Nuggett was organizing a similar gathering in his county. When they had driven around the counties they had narrowed down the list of suspects to ten people. Six in Nuggett's county and four in Marshall’s. They were really only going on a hunch. But, when they looked at the maps, visited the areas and read the criminal reports for people in those areas these four really stood out.

There was a husband and wife who had each served short stints in rehab for drugs. They also had a criminal neglect case that was tossed out when they handed the dog in question over to the humane society. The other suspects were men in their mid to late twenties with a history of violence toward animals. One had drowned a puppy and one had paid a fine and served three days in jail for beating his dog with his crutch. The others had been found guilty of various charges of cruelty to animals. In most of the cases, a neighbor saw something and reported it.

Nuggett and his men were going to be searching the woods in his county while Marshall and his group of volunteers were to patrol the private farms that sat on the county line. He wasn't thrilled with using volunteers, but he didn't have the manpower that Nuggett had. Keeneston was too small to afford much more than what they had. However, he had devised a plan to have a law-enforcement official with every group.

First, the Wyatts and the Roses were to stay at the house and wait for reports from each section. They had a giant map and would take notes on activities in each area. Cade and Annie would be in one group. Will, Kenna, and Noodle would be in another. Cole and Paige were in the third group. Miles, although not in law enforcement, was going to take Pierce out in the fourth group. Ahmed, Dani, and Mo would be in the fifth. Dinky, Tammy and Henry would be in the sixth, and he and Katelyn would be in the final group.

He was expecting surveillance from them. They’d drive to the farms and then find a good place to stake out. If they saw anything, anything at all, they were to stay hidden and radio in immediately.

"Well, this is an interesting first date." Marshall turned and found Katelyn standing behind him in tight black jeans, boots, and a black t-shirt.

"I wanted you to remember it. But, I also had a C.I. tell me he heard rumors of a fight tonight. He's not involved in them, so he didn't get a text telling him where it was going to be held. These things are done so secretly that if you're not in the group, it's hard to find out the time or location."

"Hence the groups. When do we get going?" she asked.

He was lucky she was so understanding. Just a couple weeks ago, he would’ve sworn that she’d stomp her foot and leave him high and dry for not taking her to a five-star restaurant for their first date. But, he was starting to get to know her and he liked what he was finding.

"Okay! Listen up! Annie, Dinky, Noodle, Cole, Ahmed, and Miles are the group leaders. They have the maps showing where you're to be and where everyone else is. Everyone should have a radio. If you don't, let Beauford know and he'll get you one. The goal is to canvas the section of farm you’re assigned to. Stay quiet and hidden. If you hear anything, don't approach. Stay where you are and call it in.