Half Past Dead (5 page)

Kat parked and walked up to the outside takeout window. Being Friday night, the place was packed, and there was a long line waiting to get in. More than half of the people appeared to be white. Just like her father had always said, “Good people know good food, and good people don't care about the color of your skin.”

She waited behind a man who could no longer see his shoes, and his wife, who shuffled along beside him in what appeared to be a housecoat. Kat promised herself she would limit Big Abe's ribs to special occasions.

The couple put in their order and stepped aside. Kat moved up to the window. Big Abe's daughter DeShawnna took Kat's order for baby back ribs and coleslaw—no fries, onion rings, or barbecued beans.

DeShawnna hesitated a moment, pencil poised in the air and asked, “Don't I know you?”

She paused, reluctant to say her name. What if they refused to serve her?
Get over it,
she told herself. “Kat Wells.”

“Kat? Well, I'll be jiggered. You're beautiful.” She peered out the service window at Kat who was still wearing the white capris and red blouse knotted at the waist that she'd worn to have her hair done. “Girl, how did you get so skinny?”

Heat flushed the back of Kat's neck. No one had ever called her beautiful. She knew she was thinner and vastly improved but “beautiful” was a stretch.

“Daddy, git out here. You gotta see this.”

A few seconds later Big Abe poked his head through the window. Kat smiled at him, remembering how kind he'd been to attend her father's funeral. It had enraged her mother, of course, but Kat believed her daddy was with the angels and would be thrilled to see Big Abe at the service.

“Is that you, Kat?”

“Yeah. I'm out for good behavior. This is my first night home. I've been dreaming about your ribs for years.”

Abe's smile was startlingly white in his dark face. “Hold on.”

A minute later he was outside, hugging her. “Glad to see you, honey. You're looking mighty fine. Come on inside. We'll get you a table. A first night of freedom calls for a party.”

“Oh, no, Big Abe. It's just me. I don't want to take a whole table on a busy evening.”

“Don't matter. They'll wait. I take care of my friends.”

He escorted her past the line at the door. She didn't recognize any of the people. Inside a huge ceiling fan substituted for air-conditioning, stirring the delicious smell of barbecued ribs through the café. Wooden tables were covered with red-and-white gingham paper cloths. All the food was served on paper plates and the entire mess was bundled up and thrown away after each patron.

“Sit yourself down right here,” Big Abe told her as a table for two was being reset. “Baby backs, my special slaw, and onion rings, right?”

“Right,” she replied although she wouldn't have ordered the onion rings if Abe hadn't been so genuinely glad to see her. She sat down, her back to the wall, facing the crowded room.

Big Abe bent low and whispered in her ear. “Your pappy would be right proud of you. You're his girl…and never forget it.”

Big Abe trundled off toward the kitchen. “His girl” echoed in her ears. Big Abe was right, she decided. Kat might look like Tori a little, but Tori was Loretta Wells' child through and through. Kat was like her father—quieter, more studious, and uninterested in “society.”

A waitress brought her an iced tea with two springs of mint. Kat couldn't help smiling. Big Abe remembered everything.

Kat glanced around the room, checking to see if anything had changed. She didn't allow her eyes to linger too long, not wanting to make eye contact. Her first day home hadn't been as stressful as she'd expected. Lola Rae had shut up Mrs. Avery, but Kat knew there would be others who wouldn't be easily cowed.

Jo Mama's hadn't changed much since the last time she'd been here with her father. They'd discussed her application to Ole Miss. He'd been proud of her early acceptance. Neither of them mentioned Tori, who had been rejected by the school two years earlier.

Three weeks later, her father had slumped over at his desk at Twin Oaks Power and Gas. Parker Wells had been pronounced dead when the paramedics arrived. Kat was thankful he hadn't suffered, but she wished she could have seen him one last time.

She would have told him, “I am what I am because you loved me.” It was true. In her father's eyes she wasn't a fat little girl with no potential. She was a princess who received good grades and could be anything she wished to be.

Lost in memories, it took Kat a moment to realize the din in the room had dulled to hushed whispers, and people were staring at her. She added low calorie sweetener to her iced tea, even though she never used it, and busied herself stirring her drink.

She glanced up to see a hulking man weaving between the tightly spaced tables, heading toward her. Hank Bullock. In high school, Tori had gone out with the tackle a few times but dropped him when Clay started calling. Hank had never gotten over Tori and he'd never missed an opportunity to tease Kat, telling her Tori had the looks in the family.

“Well, call me a dog if the jailbird ain't back in town.” He leaned close, his breath rank with whiskey and onions. “You're lookin' better, piggy. I guess prison got rid of that fat ass.”

Kat made herself smile as if she'd received a supreme compliment. She poked the belly that slopped over his belt. “My loss. Your gain.”

It took a second for the insult to register in his inebriated brain. The old Kat would have cowered, but she wasn't giving an inch.

“You bitch! This here's a hard body.”

Kat could see the bully was going to make trouble. She refused to let a lowlife like Hank make a scene that might ruin Big Abe's Friday night profits. The man's friendship meant too much to Kat for her to allow it to happen.

Another thought hit her. She'd been warned that any brush with the law—no matter how minor—and she could end up in prison again. She knew how to take care of this bum, but she couldn't do it in front of witnesses. She attempted a coy smile. “Let's go outside.”

Hank's conceited smirk made her want to slap him. He didn't get it—at all. He turned toward a table across the room where his buddies were watching. They gave him the thumbs-up.

Kat led him by the line outside the door and around the bend into the parking lot. She stopped near her Toyota and looked up at the sky. A star winked at her. It was the first time she'd seen the stars as a free woman. A scumbag like Hank Bullock wasn't going to ruin her second chance.

Hank stumbled up behind her. “In jail too long, huh? Need a good fuckin' bad? Real bad.”

Kat almost laughed. She wasn't a virgin, but the thought of Hank touching her made her stomach churn. Hank grabbed his crotch and fondled himself through his jeans.

“Look, you jerk! Stay away from me.”

Hank reached over and mauled her breasts. His meat-hook hands were hot and sweaty. “Get a load of your rack. You were so fat. Who knew you had tits like this?”

Kat shoved him away. “I'm warning you. Leave me alone.”

“I'll leave you alone after I fuck your brains out. Tori thinks she's too high and mighty for me, but you.” His hand clamped around her wrist and twisted. “You're just a loser jailbird. Who's gonna care if I rape you? Who are they gonna believe—you or me?”

Kat didn't hesitate. She lunged at him and kicked him square in the groin. He dropped to his knees, doubled over in pain. She let him whimper for a few seconds before moving closer. She clutched his neck, gripping his windpipe and pressing down on his carotid artery. The takedown was a favorite of the guards. A prisoner would pass out and there wouldn't be a telltale mark on the neck.

“Don't you dare touch me or come near me again.”

Hank's head bobbled. She took that for a yes and released him.

“Ah-ah,” sputtered Hank, gasping for breath and clutching his crotch. He looked beyond her with glazed eyes. “Sheriff, arrest her! She tried to kill me.”

Kat turned and found herself nose-to-nose with Justin Radner.

K
AT GAZED
into the most intense blue eyes she'd ever seen. Even in the dim light of the parking lot, she could feel their heat. Justin Radner was taller than she remembered. The planes of his face had become more angular and small lines fanned out from the corners of his eyes. He still had an athlete's hard body with broad shoulders, well-defined muscles, and a trim waist. He was a man now, not a boy.

And he was the law.

She muttered a silent prayer. This man had the power to send her straight back to prison before she'd spent one night in her new home. If he charged her with any crime, her furlough would be revoked. Don't allow yourself to remember how attracted to him you were in high school, cautioned the rational part of her brain.

Still, being this close to him made her pulse pound in her temples the way it had when she'd secretly watched him at the trailer park years ago. Kat reminded herself that times had changed and so had she. But still, there was
something
about him that called to her and always had.

She'd forgotten how powerful and confident he'd always been. Without even knowing she existed, he'd overwhelmed her as a teen. That was then; this was now. The last thing she needed was the attention of a sheriff whose virile good looks she'd always found disturbingly appealing.

The way he stared at her seemed impudently familiar. His eyes roamed over her in silent appraisal, tracing the curve of her cheeks and dropping to the swell of her breasts, then roving lower to her hips, then thighs until he reached her toes. She wondered if he was recalling her fat years. No, she decided. He'd never noticed her then, and he wasn't interested in her now. She found him sexy, but his expression said he was so bored that nothing short of a terrorist attack would move him.

Hank lurched to his feet. “You saw what the bitch did. Arrest her!”

“I was defending myself. He was trying to rape me.”

Kat watched Justin study them both for a moment. “I was right over there.” His voice was deep and husky as he inclined his head toward a nearby black pickup where a hound of some kind was leaning out the window. “I saw your hands all over her, and I heard you threaten her.”

“I was just joshin', that's all.” Apparently, Hank was still sober enough to know not to cross a man like Justin.

“I could haul your sorry ass to jail, but I'm letting you go with a warning. Don't come near this woman.” He pointed his finger at Hank. “And get someone to drive you home. You don't need another DUI.”

Hank weaved his way toward a battered car with duct tape holding a taillight in place. He yanked open the rear door and threw himself onto the backseat, where Kat assumed he was going to sleep it off.

“Thanks for helping me.”

“Don't thank me,” he said, a threatening undertone in his voice, and something clenched in her stomach. “I've seen you in action.”

“In action?” Droplets of sweat blossomed across the back of her neck.

“You used unnecessary force on Hank. Kicking him in the balls would have been enough,” he said in an emotionless, detached voice. “Must have learned the takedown maneuver behind bars.”

“If I hadn't taught him a lesson, Hank would have come after me later.” She paused, trying her best to make her case and not anger this man. “I needed to show him that I can take care of myself.”

“I'll just bet.”

His voice could freeze vodka. She couldn't afford to alienate the sheriff. She might be innocent, but only a few people knew the truth. A deep anger born of frustration welled up inside her.

She looked away from him and thought about the hummingbird for a second. Her heart was thumping painfully against her ribs. It eased a bit when she pictured the dainty bird. She reminded herself that she'd been through worse than this and survived. The way to handle Justin Radner was not to get angry and not to give him any reason to arrest her.

“My dinner's probably been served,” she told him.

He followed her. “I'm going to talk to you while you eat. There are a few things we need to get straight.”

Inwardly she was still trembling from her encounter with Hank, but before she could adjust, she had to deal with this man. No doubt he was going to lecture her about toeing the line while she was on furlough. She'd be forced to sit through it—and smile.

A mountain of baby backs was waiting for her. The aroma of barbecue sauce made her stomach growl and brought back fond memories of times with her father. She took her seat and Justin sat opposite her. He leaned forward across the small table. Too, too close.

The crowded room was almost silent. Only the slight whir of the ceiling fan and the muffled clatter from the kitchen filled the air. Everyone was watching and waiting for them to talk.

Big Abe lumbered out, slapped Justin on the back, and asked, “What can I get for you?”

“Nothing tonight, BigAbe. I'm just keeping Kat company.”

Justin sounded as if they were old friends. Big Abe smiled and winked at Kat. He turned to the silent room. “Now you folks finish up so those in line can get in. Kat Wells is back in town. She's out for good behavior, and we're going to see she gets the second chance she deserves.”

“Yeah, right,” said a male voice with a pronounced twang.

Justin surged to his feet. Every eye swung to his towering frame. The confidence he'd exhibited as a youth had become an aura of power. “Don't let me catch any of you giving this woman trouble.”

“Iffin' you do,” Big Abe chimed in, “don't come to Jo Mama's. Get your ribs over in Jackson.”

Justin sat down and Big Abe clambered into the kitchen. Kat picked up a rib and took a small bite. The tender meat with the special barbecue sauce brought the sting of tears to her eyes. This one's for you, Daddy, she said to herself.

A few minutes later the noise level in the room returned to normal, and Justin said, “I was just notified this afternoon that you're here on a work furlough. I'll be keeping my eye on every step you take.”

“Why? Don't you have a murder to solve? Isn't your time better spent on that?”

Something flared in the depths of his eyes, and she regretted not keeping her mouth shut.
Don't turn this man into another enemy.

“You're a real smart-ass, aren't you?”

Kat wiped her hands on her napkin. Once having a man talk to her in that tone and using those words would have shocked her, but prison had transformed her in ways she was just now realizing. “Let's just say being convicted of a crime I didn't commit and serving time for it has changed my outlook on life. I'm not letting people push me around.”

Justin lofted his dark brows, obviously not believing one word. Then his lips curved into a suggestion of a smile, reminding her of how attractive he could be when he wasn't being a total jerk. His smile evaporated as if it never existed. “I'm not pushing. I'm the law. It's my duty to make sure you don't return to a life of crime.”

Anger simmered inside her, but Kat picked up another rib and decided not to argue her innocence. Until the truth came out, most people would assume her to be guilty the way Justin did.

“You don't have to watch me too closely. I'll be working—”

“For David Noyes at the paper. I know all about it.”

“Then what's your problem? You can check on me without watching every step I take.”

He leaned back in his chair and rocked it slightly while he gazed at her with an intensity that made her uncomfortable. A brief, bristling silence followed. “I'm going to keep close tabs on you. Tell you why. Most people don't just suddenly commit a crime. It's a gradual thing. Filching money from their mother's purse. Pocketing pens and pencils when the teacher isn't looking. Then it escalates to petty shoplifting.”

Kat kept stuffing rib meat in her mouth to keep from saying something she would regret. What an arrogant jerk! What happened to the boy who'd seemed so nice in high school?

“When all this goes unnoticed or they lie their way out of being punished, criminals move onto bigger things like you did.”

Kat started on Big Abe's slaw. It was loaded with fresh cabbage and finely shredded carrots with a hint of horseradish. Everyone loved it, and no one could sweet talk Big Abe out of the recipe. She refused to allow Justin Radner to ruin a meal she'd been dreaming about for years. Let him think whatever he wanted.

“Then they're caught and convicted. In prison they learn tricks like the take-down hold and new ways to break the law. They get out, thinking they're smarter now and can get away with crime.”

Kat finally lost it completely. “Is there a point to this?”

He let his chair legs down and again leaned toward her. He reached across the small space and seized her hand. Kat's pulse skittered alarmingly. She had to remember this man was the enemy. She tried to pull her hand away, but his grip tightened.

“Over ninety percent of parolees return to prison within two years.”

“I know. It's called recidivism.”

“I'm going with the odds.” His voice was low but had a lethal charge to it. “You'll break the law again.”

“You're wrong. I've never broken the law, and I won't now.”

His jaw flexed, and she expected him to make some scathing comment. Instead, he stood up and left without another word.

 

J
USTIN WAITED
down the road in his pickup until Kat's car rolled out of Jo Mama's parking lot.

“That woman's something else,” he muttered to Redd as he scratched the dog's chest. Redd leaned into his hand as if to agree. She was one hot babe. He wasn't usually attracted to brunettes, but Kat was an exception.

After Justin had received the call from the Mississippi Bureau field office, he'd phoned Warden Bronson at Danville Federal Correctional Facility. According to the warden, Kaitlin “Kat” Wells had been a model prisoner and had an excellent chance of being rehabilitated.

Justin wished he had the faith he'd heard in the warden's voice. He knew the odds. Most criminals became repeat offenders. Crime was the only life they knew.

The system had been set up to promote rehabilitation. The reality was a damn sight different. First-time offenders came out hardened cons. The system worked against them, not for them. Justin hadn't a clue how things could be changed, but something had to be done.

Kat had come out a hard case, all right. Not that he blamed her for defending herself against Hank, but using the take-down on him had proven how tough she'd become. Tough and beautiful. And sexy as hell.

Justin had spent part of the afternoon with Tori. Kat's older sister was a flirt with a polished veneer that reminded Justin of the society wannabes in New Orleans. Those women were after one thing—money. Kat was different. He wasn't sure how exactly, but he could sense it. She didn't try to flirt with him or manipulate him the way Tori had.

He'd remembered Tori from high school. Who wouldn't? She'd been every horny guy's wet dream, but all she'd cared about was Clay Kincaid. He didn't remember Kat at all. She was several years younger and back then kids more than a year behind you were babies. You wouldn't be caught dead near them. Even if she hadn't been in any of his classes, he should have remembered her from around town. He'd thought about it and had drawn a blank.

Tori hadn't mentioned Kat was out on furlough. He suspected she didn't know. He recalled his mother telling him how Kat's family had turned their backs on her when she was arrested.

He kept his lights off and followed Kat's Toyota at a distance. “Claims she's innocent,” he said to Redd. As usual when the car was moving, the dog had his head out the window and wasn't paying any attention.

A few cars joined him on the road behind Kat, and he turned on his headlights. A group of teenage boys sped past him, hanging out the windows of a battered SUV. They flipped him off as they drove by and yelled, “Muthafucka!”

He could have slapped the portable flasher on the roof and triggered the siren, but he'd long ago learned an unwritten law enforcement rule: Don't sweat the small stuff. He'd been young once. Friday nights in Twin Oaks didn't provide many diversions.

He followed Kat into the downtown area. Fewer cars came this direction. Like the center of most towns, Twin Oaks had little going on there at night. It was almost nine and the No Latte Café was shutting down. Ragin' Cajun Tavern would be open until two, an illegal poker game going on in the backroom.

Kat pulled into the alley behind All Washed Up. He waited, idling with his lights out. A few minutes later, he saw her sexy silhouette against the shade upstairs.

She'd taken him by surprise. Totally. In spite of everything, he found himself liking her. He didn't know if prison had taught her that take-no-crap attitude or if she'd been that way when she'd lived here, but he liked it. He'd never gone for women who clung to men. Verity Mason had taught him how treacherous they could be.

Far too many women had paraded through his life after Verity, but he'd kept his relationships—if you could call them that—brief and with no commitment on his part. What would Kat be like, he wondered? There was a very compelling quality about her. He kept thinking of her soft mouth with its full lower lip and his pulse kicked up a notch.

She had the damnedest eyes, cat-green and fringed with long lashes. Alluring. Sexy as hell. An image kept recurring in his mind. The ceiling fan in Jo Mama's had stirred the wispy hair at Kat's temples in a way that he found extremely provocative. Okay, okay—arousing.

She had a temper like a tightly coiled spring. Defiance and anger had flared in her eyes more than once. He'd been brutally direct, because he wanted her to change her behavior patterns. He intended to watch her very closely. With him dogging her all the time, she might just beat the odds and turn her life around.