Murder and Salutations (Book 3 in the Cardmaking Mysteries) (16 page)

“
What’s this all
about?”

He shrugged, and, after a moment’s
hesitation, I walked outside. I wasn’t sure who I expected to see
but I was stunned nonetheless when Bailey stepped out of the
shadows.

“
Jennifer, thank God you
were here tonight. I’m in some serious trouble. You’ve got to help
me.”

Chapter 9

I glanced over my shoulder to see if Jack
was still there, but it was just the two of us standing in the
dark. Great. My brother-in-law looked desperate, and, at that
second, I wasn’t entirely sure if it was safe to be alone with
him.

“
Bailey, what’s
wrong?”

His gaze scanned the alley behind us as he
spoke. “Somebody’s after me. That’s why I took off like I did.
Jennifer, I think I know who killed Eliza.”

“
Tell me,” I
said.

“
I’ve got a feeling that I’m
not the only one Eliza’s been seeing lately. She told me something
. . . No, I’d better not say it.”

“
Come on. I need to know, if
I’m going to help you.”

Bailey seemed to consider it for a moment,
then he said, “I can’t. It will be too dangerous for you if you
know.”

“
Like I’m not in danger
right now just standing here talking to you,” I said.

He ignored that completely, and I knew not
to push him on it. After a second, Bailey said, “Sara Lynn must
hate me. Does she know I took our emergency fund?”

“
You made it kind of obvious
when you left every, light in the house on.”

Bailey stopped and stared at me. “Jennifer,
when I left the house, it was completely dark.”

“
Then someone must have come
in after you, and they didn’t mind if the world knew it.” I started
looking out into the darkness myself. His paranoia whether real or
imagined, was catching.

“
Oh, no, this is worse than
I thought. I don’t know what to do. You’ve got to help
me.”

“
What can I do?” I asked. “I
make cards for a living. You need to talk to Bradford. He’ll know
what to do.”

“
He’s never liked me,”
Bailey said petulantly.

“
Even if you’re right,
you’re still family. I’m going to call him.”

Bailey put a hand on my shoulder. “Are you
sure?’’

“
Trust me.” I dialed
Bradford’s number.

“
Sheriff,” he answered on
the first ring.

“
Hey, it’s
Jennifer.”

“
I thought you were out on a
big date with Greg? Have you lost your mind, Sis?”

“
Bradford, shut up and
listen to me. This is important.”

That certainly got his attention. “What is
it?”

“
I’m at Hurley’s with
Bailey. He says someone’s out to get him, and I believe
him.”

Bradford’s voice was calm as he asked, “Is
he armed? Is there anyone else around?”

“
What?” The questions didn’t
make sense.

“
Jennifer, listen to me. I
think he may have had something to do with Eliza’s murder. If you
can get help without alarming him, do it. If not, find a way to
mollify him until I get there.”

“
Okay,” I said, trying not
to give anything away.

“
Don’t hang up. I need you
to stay on the line so I know you’re okay.”

“
We’ll be waiting right
here. I’ll see you in a minute.” Despite my brother’s protests, I
hung up the phone. I couldn’t believe Bailey had anything to do
with the murder, so I didn’t want to give Bradford the chance to
hang him based on something Bailey said when he didn’t know my
brother was listening in on our conversation.

“
What did he say?” Bailey
asked as I closed my flip phone. “Did he believe you? He didn’t ask
you any questions.”

I’d never seen him so agitated. “Take it
easy. He’s coming here to help.”

“
I don’t know. I think this
is a mistake.”

The next thing I heard was an explosion as a
bullet ripped into the loading dock door behind us. The shot had
gone between us, and I could swear I’d heard it whizzing through
the air before I ever heard the gun’s report. A second shot ripped
the air above us, but by that time Bailey had tackled me to the
dock and rolled us both off the platform onto the asphalt below. I
was still trying to get my bearings when the restaurant door above
me flew open.

My brother screamed, “Jennifer! Are you all
right?”

“
Get down,” I shouted.
“Somebody’s shooting at us.”

Bradford hopped down to the ground beside me
and asked, “Where’s Bailey?”

It wasn’t until then that I realized my
brother-in-law was gone.

“
I don’t know,” I said. “He
was just here.”

“
Take it easy. Were you
hit?”

“
I don’t think so,” I said
as I searched my body for pain. I’d twisted my wrist in the fall,
ruined a pair of brand-new pantyhose and wrecked my dress beyond
salvation, but other than that, I was fine. “I’m okay.”

“
Good,” he said as he patted
my shoulder. Then he spoke into the mike hanging from his belt.
“We’ve got an active shooter in the back of Hurley’s. I need
everybody here in two minutes with your lights on, and your sirens
blazing.”

“
What happened to those
fancy codes you always use?” I asked after he was
finished.

I could see a slight grin on Bradford’s
face. “I forgot to use them in all the excitement. That alone
should get everybody’s attention.”

I stared out into the night. My eyes had
grown accustomed to the darkness, and I searched the shadows for
the shooter or Bailey. I couldn’t see any other signs of life, but
that didn’t mean nobody else was out there.

“
Why doesn’t Jack turn the
outside light on?” I asked. “Maybe we could see something
then.”

“
And so could the shooter,”
Bradford said. “I told him not to.”

I remembered the bullet hitting the door
where Jack was waiting. “Is he all right? That first shot didn’t
hit him, did it?”

“
He’s fine. The thick wood
of the door stopped the shot.”

I was suddenly blinded as the first squad
car pulled, into the alley behind the restaurant. I was still
trying to get my vision back when I heard more cars join us along
with the different squeal of an ambulance.

“
Bradford, was someone hit?
Why is an ambulance coming?”

“
It’s for you,
Jennifer.”

I started to stand and felt my knees give
out on me. Luckily my big brother was there to catch me. “I don’t
need an ambulance,” I protested.

“
Well, you’re getting one,
anyway. I’m not taking any chances with you.”

I started to protest when he held up a hand.
“Jennifer, there are a couple of reasons we’re going to do this my
way. I want to be sure you’re all right, and I also want the
shooter to think he hit one of you. If he’s cocky, maybe he’ll slip
up. So if you’re not willing to ride in the ambulance for yourself,
do it for Bailey.”

I wanted to argue with him, but I couldn’t.
I drew the line at allowing them to strap me to a gurney, though.
Unfortunately, nobody listened to my protests, and I was strapped
onto one like a lunatic, not able to move my arms or my legs. We
were just about at the hospital when I remembered Greg. If nobody
told him what had happened, I had a feeling he’d be under the
impression I’d walked out on him. What a perfect ending to our long
and troubled relationship.

Two hours later, I was back at the front
door to my apartment. There was a wrap on my wrist, but other than
that, I was as fit as I’d been before I’d taken that tumble. Thank
goodness the loading dock was only a few feet above the pavement,
or I might have been in some serious trouble. Bradford met me at
the discharge desk and insisted on driving me home. My wrist was a
little stiff, and I knew it would be even worse the next day.

To my surprise, Lillian was waiting for me
inside my apartment.

“
What are you doing here?” I
asked her as Bradford led me in.

“
Somebody had to feed your
cats,” she said.

“
Did they cadge another meal
out of you? I fed them before I left.”

Lillian sputtered, “But they acted so hungry
when I came in, and this one kept mewing under the cabinet where
you keep your cat food.”

I picked Oggie up gingerly and said, “You
should be in the movies, you’re such a ham. I hope you’re happy.
You’re getting fat, you know that, don’t you?

He offered me a brief mew, but he was too
stuffed to squirm out of my arms. “Go on, you lunatic,” I said as I
put him down.

As he walked slowly off, Lillian asked
Bradford, “Did she hit her head when she fell?”

“
Not that the doctors could
tell. Why?”

“
I just don’t think it’s
normal having a conversation with a cat. Of course she did the same
thing before, tonight, but I was still hoping they’d be able to do
something for her.”

“
You’re too funny,” I said.
“Thanks for coming, but I don’t need a welcoming committee.” As I
looked, around the apartment, I noticed that my neat piles; were
gone, and in their places were boxes, all labeled and sealed. “What
happened here?”

Lillian looked sheepish. “Sara Lynn and I
packed for you tonight. It was supposed to be a surprise.
Surprise.”

I’d deal with their invasion of my privacy
later. “Where is she?”

Lillian said, “She’s back at her place.
After we heard what happened with Bailey, she insisted she had to
go home in case he needed her. I tried to tell her that was the
worst possible thing she could do, but she didn’t listen to me.
What a shocker.”

I grabbed Bradford’s arm with my good hand
“You’ve got to get someone over there. She could be, in
danger.”

“
Don’t worry, Sis, I’ve got
it covered. Lillian called me, and I sent Jody with Sara Lynn. The
patrol car’s in the driveway and he’s sitting inside with her on my
orders.”

“
Do you really think Bailey
will show up with that kind of greeting?”

My brother snorted. “I don’t think he’s
coming at all. He’d better not show his face around here. I may not
wait for the judge to take care of his punishment.”

“
You honestly think he
killed Eliza?” I asked.

“
I’m not talking about
that,” Bradford snapped. “The fool put you in jeopardy, and then
when trouble started, he left you there alone. I could kill him
myself w right now for that.”

I touched my brother’s arm lightly.
“Bradford, don’t forget, he saved me when he knocked me down. And
how do you know he didn’t go after the shooter when he
disappeared?” I wasn’t exactly sure what had happened myself, but I
had to plant at least a little suspicion in my brother’s mind that
Bailey had done the right thing.

“
He still shouldn’t have
involved you in this,” Bradford said stubbornly.

“
He was desperate. Bailey
swore that someone was after him.”

Lillian scoffed. “He’s a delusional
paranoid. The man never was all that stable.”

“
Then who shot at us?” I
asked.

My aunt didn’t have an answer for that.
Bradford ha said sternly, “If he ever shows up again, call me and
then get away from him as fast as you can.”

“
Isn’t that what I did
tonight?” I asked.

Bradford shrugged, then looked at my couch.
“I’m sleeping here tonight.”

“
I’ll be fine,” I said, lied
“You sure will be, because I’m not leaving. Whoever took those
shots at you might come back.”

“
They were shooting at
Bailey,” I said.

“
How can you be so sure
about that?” he asked.

For once, I didn’t have a reply. Was it
possible that I’d agitated someone enough to make them want me
dead? Sure, I’d asked some questions, even pushed a few people for
their alibis, but Lillian had been more active than I had and no
one was coming after her.

“
Those bullets had to be
meant for Bailey.”

“
Most likely you’re right,
but we can’t be too careful. Do you still have that sleeping bag in
your closet?”

I nodded, and he headed to my bedroom to get
it “You can’t babysit me around the clock,” I called out.

Lillian smiled and said softly, “Let him
think he’s helping, Jennifer. He must feel terrible that he
couldn’t protect you tonight.”

“
How could he have possibly
done anything to stop what happened at the restaurant?” I
asked.

“
He couldn’t. That’s the
point. He’s always watched out for you, and right now he feels he
failed you.”

My brother came out with my sleeping bag.
“This is perfect,” he said as he unrolled it on the couch.

“
Shouldn’t you tell Cindy
you won’t be home tonight?” If I couldn’t convince him to go home,
perhaps his wife could.

“
Are you kidding me? It was
her idea. She says I’ve been snoring too much lately, and she needs
her rest.”

“
Fine, but
if you wake me up, I’m pouring a bucket of water on you. It worked
in third grade, and I’m willing to bet it will work again.” I’d
doused him once when we were kids, and though I could tell my
folks
approved of my intentions,
they grounded me for a week nonetheless.