Red Ochre Falls (28 page)

CHAPTER 25

Catching up with mom and Aunt Eileen lifted my spirits. No boy drama.
Unless, you counted their attempts to get grandpa to keep his doctor
appointments, and lay off the bacon.

I always saw
grandpa as a strong man, because he was. But he was getting older, and had been
more prone to accidents recently. I could relate, but I guessed he didn’t have
an evil thunder-god chasing him around town.

Eileen and mom
explained they were able to get grandpa to his check-up. There would be
additional trips needed to ensure he remained in good health. My aunt offered
to do most of the shuttling, but it was obvious mom wanted to help as well.

I thought back to
her recovery in the hospital. Cousins and old friends showed up to offer help
and casseroles. Mom wanted to make sure grandpa knew he had a support system
like that. We’d figure it out later, but I knew she needed to be part of
grandpa’s life more for herself than for him.

When my aunt left,
she stopped me at the door. “Keep an eye out for your mom. She may seem well,
but she needs rest. When we were at dad’s appointment, she got short of breath
a few times.”

After seeing my
reaction, Aunt Eileen reassured me it was okay, but the doctors had hooked her
up to some machines just to make sure.

“They said she’s
fine, but the excitement from the move, and this stuff with dad has her
stressed out. She needs to take it easy. Take care of her and let me know if
you need anything.” Aunt Eileen hugged me at the door and left.

I tried to put a
smile on my face before I saw mom again. She’d know something was up if I
hadn’t. Judging by her expression, she knew something was off.

“Everything okay,
Mattie?”

“Yeah, mom. Fine.”

“You don’t seem
fine. Are you okay since the accident?”

“Yeah, it’s just
been busy here. I’m just glad you’re back.”

“Glad to be
here…back home. Can I make you anything?”

“Let’s just relax.”

We looked over the
apartment. Our photos on the walls, our magazines on the coffee table, and a
family-made afghan draped across the couch—this was our home.

“I know it’s not an
ideal home, but it’s ours,” mom said. “Thanks for handling all the work while I
was gone. I don’t know what we’d do without this place.”

I didn’t handle it
at all. Since we moved here, I’d complained about the place, and shirked most
of the work. When mom needed to be with her dad, I’d come around enough to
pitch-in, but was so messed up over Chloe’s death and threats on my life,
Garrett and Ryder had picked up the slack.

I didn’t want to
let mom down, but I felt like I had. She needed me. It was time for me to take
responsibility, like a grown-up.

“I love you, mom.”
I hugged her tight.

“I love you too.”
Her embrace weakened. She was obviously tired.

“Why don’t you lay
down? I’ve got class in a little bit, so I’ll be busy for a while. We can catch
up later.”

She agreed then
went to lie down. I put a blanket over her and she settled underneath.

“You know, I was
worried.” Mom ran her fingers gently over my bruised cheek. “I don’t know what
I’d do without you. Please try to be more careful.”

“I will mom. No
more farm equipment for a while.” We laughed.

“Derek seems like a
nice boy. I thought you might be interested in Garrett, but it’s probably
better you like Derek.”

My heart sank. I
didn’t know how to respond. So I kissed her head, closed the door and left the
bedroom. Hopefully, she’d get some sleep. It would give me time to figure out
what to do next.

It was time for school. I grabbed my backpack and headed downstairs.

I was prepared to
make a quick exit. Before I ran into anyone. It hurt to think of giving up
whatever might happen with Garrett, but I had to consider mom, and our home.
Those were the priorities, not my love life. Maybe I could act cool and skip
the ‘us’ conversation. Thoughts rolled through my head. I jumped off the last
step and bumped into him.

“Oh my gosh! You
startled me.”

“So, did you really
kiss Derek?”

“You get right to
the point, don’t you?”

“Yes,” he said, and
walked toward the office. I went too, his expression intrigued me.

“Well, if you must
know. Yes. But it was only because he kissed me.”

“So, do you kiss
anyone who tries kissing you?”

“No. No. Not what I
meant.” I blushed. He flustered me. When I stopped fumbling around for words, I
noticed him grinning. Garrett was playing with me, but I knew why. Then I
smiled. “Are you jealous?”

His jaw clenched
and he moved closer to me, like a panther stalking prey. “Yes,” he said firmly,
then pulled me close. We engaged in an alarmingly amorous kiss, considering
where we were. Mom was right upstairs, and anyone bringing flowers or dead
bodies could walk in at any time. It was terrifying and thrilling. Once I
stopped thinking, I really enjoyed it.
 

We enjoyed several
minutes of passion. Enough that my lips buzzed long after we stopped. When the
room came back into focus, I patted my hair into place and brushed at my shirt.
Whew, nothing came off. If it had…Oh boy.

Garrett smiled.
“You tempt me way too easily.”

“Me? You started
it!”

“I know, but it’s
because you make me lose control.”

“Really?”

“Yes. I don’t mean
totally uncontrollable. I’d stop—if you wanted. But I want to get away
from here and show you how I really feel.”

“You mean that
wasn’t it?”

“It’s a fraction of
what I feel, Mattie. A fraction.”

I shuddered to think
how much more intense he could be, or if I could handle it. Then I remembered
boundaries. We needed to set some boundaries. “Um, well, um. Class. I have to
get ready for class—”

“Didn’t mean to
scare you off,” he sounded hurt.

“You didn’t. It’s
just that I, well. Maybe you did a little. But only because I have to consider
our situation here.” I looked around nervously. “Also, I’m not as
um…experienced as you.” Smooth delivery, my internal voice mocked.

Garrett chuckled.
“You don’t need to be anything other than who you are with me. We need to
discuss what happens next, but I’m not waiting around to tell you how I feel.
It’s intense, but it doesn’t mean we have to move fast. Whatever pace we set
together is fine with me. As long as we can have an occasional lip-lock session
like that one. And the one upstairs.” He smiled his 1000-watt smile. “Promise
we’ll talk seriously about this, soon, and I’m good. Okay?”

“Mmm-hmm.” It was
all I could mumble.

“Didn’t you say
something about school?”

“Mmm-hmm. Wait.
What?” I was totally distracted, but snapped out of it long enough for him to
kiss me again before I left.

CHAPTER 26

Parking around campus was a challenge, but I managed to snag a spot in
the same zip code. When I finally got to class, I shoved my bag under my seat,
and took out my notebook and pen.

A dark-haired guy
in his early twenties snuck in behind two girls, they were all late. He had on
black jeans, a grey two-tone shirt and black Pumas. He had a blue book bag slung
over his shoulder, pulled out his earbuds as he walked past me and took a seat
in the next row. I couldn’t place who he was—just that I recognized him
from the lawyer’s office—maybe a client?

The class listened
for roll call. Then the professor rambled on about the syllabus and classroom
guidelines. This left only fifteen minutes of real lecture time, but it didn’t
bother me. Something else had me distracted.

I kept feeling that
there were eyes on me. It was enough I began to squirm. My pen moved across the
notebook page, but the professor’s voice faded in and out while I tried to
figure out if someone was really watching me.

My roller ball
dropped to the floor. I reached to pick it up and scanned the room as
discreetly as possible. He was watching. The guy from Oxley’s office. I
analyzed him for a second before he smiled. I tried to relax and forced myself
to return the smile.

Why was he watching
me? It didn’t feel like the kind of watching a guy does when he’s attracted to
someone, but more like he was analyzing me.

It was unusual for
me to be so skeptical of people. But I’d become defensive and edgy since the
threats started. If I was going to endure interacting with strangers for an entire
semester, or longer, I was going to need all the other problems in my life to
go away.

I did my best to
get through class. As soon as it was over, I bolted for the car. I didn’t
breathe until the locks clicked and the Hellcat rumbled. I felt safe again.

I’d promised to
pick up supplies for Mrs. Jacobson, so I stopped by the art shop on my way over
to her house.

Not realizing my
speed, I zipped through errands, and ended up at her house a few minutes early.

There was an old
Cadillac parked outside the house, so I took a spot at the curb. When the
engine stopped, a man came out the front door. The way he and Mrs. Jacobson
held hands gave the impression they cared for each other. He hugged her and
left. She closed the door before I even got out of the car. She must not have
seen me.

I gathered the bags
and walked up to her door.

When she opened the
door, she had a pink flush on her cheeks. She looked happy. I wanted to ask
about her guest, but she spoke first.

“Over here, dear.
Please put the bags in my studio.”

“Sure,” I said. “Do
you need me to unpack them?”

“No, I’ll make sure
they’re unpacked later. Would you like some tea?”

“Actually, I was
hoping to get back and see my mom. May I take a rain check?”

“Of course. How is
your mother?”

“She’s all right. I
think she needs sleep. My plan was to let her rest, and surprise her with
dinner.”

“That’s very
thoughtful. She’s lucky to have you helping her.”

“Thanks. I just
wish I could do more.”

“What do you mean?”

“If it were
something simpler, like fixing a faucet or something, I could figure it out.
But this is different. It’s her heart that needs care, and I’m not sure what to
do. I try to help, but she just tells me she’s fine.”

“When my husband,
rest his soul, had his bypass years ago, the doctors give him a list of things
to do, and some to avoid. Did your mom get something like that?”

“Yes.”

“Well, maybe you
should ask to review it with her again. It might remind her that you’re there
to support her, and she won’t feel like she has to do it all on her own.”

“Thank you, that
sounds like a good idea. I’ll ask when I get home. Now, about the supplies I
picked up. Are you sure you don’t need me to unpack anything?”

“I’m all set. Now,
go and see your mother.” Mrs. Jacobson helped me out to the door.

CHAPTER 27

After mom checked out, we had some hot tea and lemon cookies. It was
hard to tell if her tired eyes were a carryover from her trip, or if she needed
a doctor.

“Mom, is everything
okay?”

“Sure.”

It didn’t sound okay.

“Now that you’re
home, let me know how I can help you rest.”

“I will.”

She was not usually
this short with her answers. But before there was time to pry, the intercom
buzzed.

“Mattie?” Garrett
said, and started to flirt. I smiled, but my heart dropped when I saw mom’s
reaction. She knew.

“Um, I’ll be down
in a few,” I cut the call short. It was just the two of us now.

Usually, I could
read her face. But she remained calm. Too calm.

“Let’s talk.”

We shifted in our
seats during a long, uncomfortable pause.

“What’s going on?”

I wiped my damp
hands on my jeans. “Mom, I can explain…I…we…it’s complicated.”

“How complicated?”

“Not that
complicated, but still complicated.”

“Mattie, you are an
adult. But is this a good idea?”

“Which part?” It
slipped out and I wanted to take it back.

“How many parts are
there?”

“Well, ha, um…Just
the one. I think.”

“Are you two
involved?”

“Depends, on what
you mean by involved.”

“Now is not a time
to joke.”

“Okay, mom,” I said
with the same frustration I’d felt at seventeen and she wanted to discuss boys.
“I like him.”

Her head sank as if
this was a real problem.

“We’re attracted to
each other.”

“Sweetie—”

“I know it’s bad,
mom. I’m not sure what it even means.”

“It means you like
each other. It’s not bad to like someone, but it’s something we need to
discuss. Stanley frowns on rule-breakers.”

“We didn’t think
about Stanley. It just happened.”

“While I don’t
agree with everything Stanley does, I can see how he could get upset over this.
Dating an employer is probably big time rule breaking in Stanley’s book.”

“We aren’t
officially dating. But mom, I don’t want to mess this up. Any of it.”

“I know,” she
huffed that exasperated breath only parents know how to make. “I’m glad you didn’t
think, and followed your heart. We just need to come up with a plan in case
Stanley finds out.”

“Thanks.”

“You’ve had a lot
of pressure on your shoulders to help me, and get back in school, and find a
job.”

“About that, I
think I should drop my classes this semester. So I can help around here.” It
surprised me this came out of my mouth, but it was how I felt. Mom obviously
needed more help than she let on she needed, our cash flow could use the boost.
There was too much to sort out, class was an inconvenience.

“Mattie Harper, you
will not drop out of school,” mom was firm.

“Okay, but you need
to let me help you more.”

“Of course. We’ll
talk about ways you can help. But are you sure this doesn’t have something to
do with the handsome fellow that’s working downstairs?” She had me there.

“Speaking of
handsome, you better go find out what he wants.”

I blushed, and we
hugged. Sure it hurt to stand, and walk, but I did my best to fake it long
enough to leave the apartment without mom knowing.

“Hey,” Garrett
said.

“Hey.”

“Do you have some
time to talk about our meeting with the Sultan?”

“Sure,” I swallowed
hard. “First, have you ever seen an older guy with Mrs. Jacobson?”

“No. Why?”

“Just curious. I
saw a man leave her place today. They looked…close.”

“Hmm. It wouldn’t
surprise me, I heard a couple old guys were hanging around trying to marry her
for the money.”

“Yikes, I hope it’s
not the case. She’s a nice lady. I’ll keep my eyes peeled though.”

“Sultan?”

“What about him?”

“We need to prepare.
He’s not a man who casually ‘meets’ people. Unlike Ruggiano, he likes
anonymity. And privacy.”

“I take it, he’s a
hard guy to see.”

Garrett eyed me a
minute. I think he was figuring out what he wanted to say.

“Sultan is a
powerful guy. He won’t see just anyone. Cal was right. Even if he lets us in
his place, there is no guarantee he’s gonna let us leave there alive. The guy
can’t be trusted.”

“Why are you
telling me this now?”

“Because, I want to
know if you want to back out.”

“I can’t. He might
have information about Chloe.”

“Do you really
think he’ll open up to you about her death?” Garrett shrugged. We both knew the
answer was probably no.

“I’m the only one
who’ll know if he’s lying.”

“The guy lies for a
living. Even you may not be able to read him.”

“Sure, but I
promised Chloe’s mom. I have to try.”

“Sounds like you’ve
made up your mind.”

“I have.”

“Then let’s run
through it.”

We spent the next
hour prepping. He told me the story of Sultan’s rise to power and that he had a
reputation for eliminating any and all threats. He sounded as bad as Ruggiano.
At least Ruggiano cared about himself more than business. A person stood a
chance Ruggiano might trip up doing something brazen.
 

As far as I could
tell, Sultan was only concerned with business, and wouldn’t hesitate to
eliminate anyone in his way. He had a knack for making problems and people
disappear. The only reason he hadn’t eliminated Ruggiano yet, was Ruggiano
served a purpose.

Ruggiano had
leverage on a lot of powerful people in the city, and beyond. He even paid
Sultan a cut of his profits. Cal had told us a fight was brewing between them,
but they were business associates for the time being. Cal’s assumption was
Sultan was biding his time before he took out Ruggiano, and took over the regional
business. I wasn’t sure if helping Sultan would eliminate Ruggiano, or if we
wanted anything to do with either of them.

When we started
looking around Chloe’s files, we got stuck. Chloe had locked some documents.
She must have known bad people wanted access. So, our plan to copy and wipe the
drive was halted until Garrett called a buddy. Garrett apparently knew
everybody. When his tech guru arrived, I recognized him from the gym.

He was the kid
who’d been bullied. The one working on defense moves with crew cut guy.

After a closer look
at his freckles, hoodie, baggy jeans, and Vans, I pegged him at fifteen, tops.
He looked young and inexperienced, but it didn’t stop him from working some
real magic on the flash drive.

The boy went by the
name Spade. He asked us a few questions, took a look at Chloe’s files, and
focused on the job.

Spade helped us
transfer data to Chloe’s spare laptop, and dummy up a bunch of
important-looking, but innocuous files. I could have done it, but it would have
taken me weeks. The way this kid was able to do it so quickly showed he had
real talent. He could easily work for the government, or some tech company
earning seven figures and stock options. And he was a nice kid too. Why anyone
would want to beat him up was beyond me.

When he left, we
got back to discussing the dangers of meeting Sultan. Garrett was determined to
protect me, but all our planning for the worst was wearing me out.

“I need a break.”

He didn’t argue. He
just stopped.

“It’s probably time
we see your mom.”

“Us?”

“Is that what you
want?”

“Yes. But, she
already knows about us.”

“What did she say?”

I told him about
our conversation. And how I was concerned about Stanley because mom was
concerned about Stanley.

“Let me worry about
him,” Garrett moved closer to me. “I want to know what you think.”

“I think we have a
lot to discuss. After we survive this meeting with Sultan.”

“Agreed.” He stood
back and analyzed me.

“I don’t want mom
to know what we’re doing. It might put her in danger.”

“Cal can help
protect her.”

“I’m more afraid
her heart couldn’t take this. She’d freak if she knew I was meeting with
mobsters searching for a killer.”

“Got it. But you
shouldn’t get in the habit of keeping secrets. They have a way of hurting those
you love. Even if you mean well.” His voice trailed off.

I jumped when we
heard the back door.

He left to see who
was coming, and came back holding a bouquet of fresh flowers.

“Are you going to
put them in the viewing room?”

“No.”

“Why not?”

“They’re for you.”
His jaw locked when he set them on the desk. His eyes were steel and angry.
Something was wrong.

I looked for the
card. He handed me a handwritten note on expensive cardstock. I searched his
expression for answers, but found nothing. Unsure of what else to do, I read
the note:

Dearest Matilda,

As truth seekers,
our desire is to uncover the real story. I have your answers, and you have my
information. Someone from my organization will contact you.

In the meantime,
enjoy these beauties. They suit you better than dead ones.

Warmly,

Sultan

I dropped the note.
Before I had time to process anything, Sledge and Manny came through the door.
Garrett scooped the note off the floor and held onto it.

“And that’s what I
call male corpse enhancement,” Manny nudged Sledge. “Get it?”

They laughed.
Sledge stopped when he saw Garrett and me. Sledge turned to leave, but Manny
shook him off, and walked over to me. Manny looked me over, which made Garrett
really unhappy until I put my hand up.

“Can I help you?”

“I’m sorry.”

It surprised me.
Although Manny’s voice sounded sincere, the look on his face said otherwise. It
was the hungry for fresh meat look he’d given me before. My hands rolled up
into fists, and Garrett moved into an attack stance.

“I think your hot and
all, but Sledge told me not to come on so strong.”

If that was his
idea of an apology, it was lame. But there was too much tension in the room. If
I didn’t let this go, there would definitely be a fight. Odds were Garrett
would take Manny in one punch. We had more bad guys circling, and I needed
Garrett focused.

I decided to let it
go. “It’s not okay to scare people. But I accept your apology.”

Sledge grabbed
Manny by the collar and rushed him out the back. Smart move. Sledge knew as
well as I did, they needed to leave before Manny said anything else.

Garrett came over
and guided me into Hank’s chair. I needed a distraction from my raw nerves, so
I surveyed his desk. Hank was neat. It looked like the guy didn’t do any work.
But I’d witnessed how hard he worked firsthand. I guess that was part of the
reason he was so good at his job. He knew where to find everything when he
needed it. He also had big shoulders, which was vital in the funeral business.
For a second, I wondered if he would help us smooth things over with
Stanley—that was, if Garrett and I pursued this romance.

Mind still
wandering, I noticed something unusual on Hank’s appointment calendar. He wrote
down important stuff—‘It’s easier to remember if I see it on paper,’ he
told me once.

Printed in small
blue ink were the words ‘Harper pre-need’.

I’d learned enough
to know what a pre-need meant. An individual or a family might set one up, to
begin the funeral planning process before a loved one died. It meant
preparation. I assumed we couldn’t afford a pre-need unless death was imminent,
so I got angry.

When I slammed the
kitchen door closed, mom jumped. She had papers spread out on the table. She
was working on something.

“When were you
going to tell me?!”

“Tell you what?
What’s wrong?”

“Why don’t you tell
me? Or are you going to lie some more?”

“Lie? Mattie, what
do you mean?”

“I wish you and
Aunt Eileen would have just told me!”

“Told you
wha—”

There was a knock
at the door.

“Is everything okay
in there?” Garrett must have wondered what was happening, but I didn’t have
time to talk.