Stolen Innocents (The Shadow Series Book 2) (11 page)

It took less than a second for Tommy to dismount his bike and get in Jesse’s face. He pushed him against the brick wall of Quiver’s with brute force. Holding his arm across his neck, Tommy snarled at Jesse.

Through gritted teeth, Tommy seethed, “You touch either one of them and you’re a dead man.”

Chapter              6

June 17, 2000

27 Caribou Road

Elkhart, PA

Before Dawn

Angie woke up with a dull familiar ache searing in her chest. She felt like the walls were closing in around her. There is nothing quite as sobering as returning to the place where your nightmares played out before your very eyes. Then, with the unwanted inheritance from Bernard, it was no wonder Angie couldn’t sleep. The pressure weighed on her like an iron anvil.

“Shit,” Angie muttered as she threw her blankets off of her.

The clock radio only said 5:44, but Angie’s mind wouldn’t let her fall back asleep. She swung her legs out of bed and onto the floor. She jammed her foot into something hard and she yelped in pain.

“Yow!”

Angie looked down at the floor to see the source of her pain as her thoughts turned violent.

“Goddamn box! Curse you to the depths of hell, Bernard!”

Angie scooped up the box and tossed it in the trash bin that sat next to her desk as the photograph that rested inside fluttered to the floor.

***

Roger O’Mara was already sitting at the kitchen table when Angie went downstairs. He was pouring over the Elkhart Bugle with a warm cup of coffee in his hand.

Without looking up, Roger said, “Early bird Angie…”

Angie replied with a slight smile, “You know me.”

Angie was always the lightest of sleepers in the O’Mara household and always the first one awake with Roger when she was a child. She was the first to wake up on Christmas morning, the first to beg for breakfast, and always the first out the door to see what adventures waited for her beyond the confines of 27 Caribou Road.

“There are donuts on the counter…” Roger offered, pointing to the white box that was overflowing with chocolate and powdered sweets.

“I’ll pass. I’m just going to grab breakfast while I’m out.”

“Getting an early start?” Roger asked.

“Yeah. I have a lot of ground to cover.”

“Hold on,” said Roger, holding up a finger, “Let me get you the keys…”

Roger got up from the table and pushed out his chair loudly against the cracking linoleum floor. He was already dressed for work in a smart gray suit with a navy blue striped tie, and white dress shirt. Angie followed Roger into the living room as the grandfather clock in the dining room boomed six times. Roger opened the vestibule door and retrieved a set of keys from a hook on the wall. He dropped the keys into Angie’s open hand.

“Don’t forget to fill it up when you’re done and please don’t be late for the party. Your mother will have your head,” Roger said only half-joking.

Before Angie could reply, a loud screech from outside interrupted her train of thought. Roger O’Mara’s calm demeanor was now replaced with an irate and agitated mood. He raced to the front door and onto the porch. Angie followed him, close on his heels. As Tommy Morrow’s motorcycle roared up Caribou Road, Mr. O’Mara’s thoughts turned belligerent.

“Goddamn menace! Morrow!” Roger yelled up the road. Angie looked at her father wide-eyed.

“Who was that?!” Angie demanded to know.

“Tommy Morrow. Your sister’s idiot boyfriend!”

As Tommy’s motorcycle turned off Caribou Road, he yelled back, “Love you too, Mr. O!”

***

Angie spent the day driving around Dansville, Sunbury, and Shepard’s Grove looking for work. By the time 3 P.M. rolled around, she had a manila folder filled with job applications. She rolled into Elkhart around 3:30 as pangs of hunger began ravaging her stomach. She hadn’t eaten anything since her greasy egg sandwich this morning and she needed to fill her stomach. Trixie’s graduation party didn’t start until 7 P.M. and she wasn’t sure that she could wait that long to eat. Angie walked into a packed house at Monte’s Café and there wasn’t an empty table in sight. She waited by the front counter for someone to assist her.

Joe Piedmonte greeted Angie warmly, “Hey! Look who’s back in town!”

Angie smiled broadly at Joe. He was always so friendly. The memories of living next door to the Piedmontes for all those years brought back pleasant memories for Angie.

“Jenna… You remember Angie, right?” Joe asked.

Jenna DiNolfo turned around on her barstool to face Angie and Joe. She was dressed in jeans and a t-shirt and was clearly enjoying her afternoon off as she picked at her cheese steak and fries that Joe had just served up.

“Oh, of course I do!” Jenna exclaimed happily. “We went to high school together. It’s been a long time, Ang…” said Jenna politely.

Jenna wiped her hand on a napkin before reaching to shake her hand. Angie was surprised to see Jenna. She never thought that Jenna would stick around these parts for long. Angie always thought Jenna was the type of girl that was on to bigger and better things, beyond the borders of tiny little Elkhart. Regardless of her story, she looked great and she seemed to be really happy. Unlike Angie.

“Hi Jenna! Good to see you!” gushed Angie, happy to see a familiar face.

“What are you up to these days?” asked Jenna curiously.

“I actually just came back. I’m looking for work. How about you?” asked Angie.

No need to tell them your life story, Angie.

“I came back a few years ago… I was in Pittsburgh for years.”

“Oh, what do you do?” asked Angie curiously.

Jenna raised an eyebrow as Joe took over the conversation. He loved telling people he was dating the town police Sergeant.

“She’s the Sergeant,” said Joe proudly.

Angie was taken aback and she smiled in surprise. That was the last thing Angie expected to hear Joe say. She assumed Joe would say sales clerk or secretary. But Sergeant?! No way.

“Damn, Jen! I never expected that… Good for you,” Angie said in a sugary sweet tone as she eyed the dining room to see if any seats had opened.

“Well, it was good seeing you,” said Jenna as she turned back around to her dinner.

“You, too,” replied Angie.

“I’m not too sure how long the wait is…” said Joe apologetically.

“It’s okay. I’ll wait.”

Suddenly, Angie noticed that someone was waving at her from the back of the restaurant. She squinted her eyes as she tried to make out who it was. A man stood up beside the last booth on the right and Angie couldn’t believe her eyes. Standing at six feet two inches with tan skin and tattoos from his neck down was none other than Hunter McCord. Hunter was Angie’s high school boyfriend and the only guy who hadn’t broken her heart. Angie approached him with a big smile on her face.

“C’mere beautiful…” said Hunter in a raspy voice.

Angie kissed Hunter on the cheek as he pulled her into a tight hug.

“What the hell are you doin’ here?! I thought I’d never see you again,” said Hunter excitedly.

“Me either! Going through a divorce, so I’m home now,” said Angie.

“Good for you… Good for me, too. Hey, join me,” Hunter said pointing to his booth. It was more a demand than a request.

For the first time since arriving in Elkhart, Angie felt like she was exactly where she was supposed to be.

***

Hunter and Angie talked for a long time in the back of Monte’s café. He immediately ordered Angie a platter of chicken parmesan and he watched as she slowly ate, savoring each bite. Hell-bent upon catching up, Hunter and Angie revealed what events had transpired since they last saw each other.

Angie learned that Hunter had done five years for a drug related crime, but he claimed that he was now completely rehabilitated. He worked at the gas station on I-80 and did some inspirational speaking gigs at the local high schools about the dangers of drug use. Hunter listened intently as Angie told him about the circumstances surrounding her separation.

“You know, I’d never treat you like that…” Hunter assured her.

“I know, Hunter. You’ve always been good to me.”

“Give me a chance…”

“Let’s see how things go… The separation is still very fresh to me.”

She hadn’t even signed the divorce paperwork yet, but already her heart was wandering elsewhere.

“Hey, do you have plans tonight?” Angie asked as Hunter’s face lit up.

“Not any that can’t be broken…” Hunter said slyly.

“Come to my parent’s house. Were having a party for Trixie,” Angie suggested.

“I’ll be there…”

***

Angie said goodbye to Hunter and thanked him for dinner. It was nearly 5 P.M. and she had to get back home to help set up for the party. She pulled the car out of the parking lot and turned onto Mountain Road. She was about to speed off when suddenly, she had to slam on the breaks. Someone had run out in front of her car! Angie hadn’t fastened her seat belt yet, and the sheer force of the stop caused her head to crash hard into the steering wheel. The impact caused Angie to see spots. She lifted her head as the warm flow of blood rushed down her face. Jesse Trafford had run out in the middle of the road just inches from Angie’s front bumper. The car came to a screeching halt as gravel and dirt kicked up around them. Jesse stared at Angie through her windshield with an ill-tempered look on his face. Angie was alarmed at the hatred that she saw in his gaze. Angie let out a deep sigh of relief. She thought for sure that she had hit him. Suddenly, Jesse brought both of his fists down hard onto the hood of Angie’s car.

“Watch where y’er goin’ ya old bitch!”

Now Angie was far from old, but she couldn’t quite disown the bitch comment. A deep scowl grew across her pretty face. Angie laid on the horn, causing Jesse to go scrambling across the road, quick and afraid, like a rat running through a maze.

Pathetic weasel.

Angie shook her head as she thought,
Home sweet home
. Everyone had aged, and the new generation seemed to be as ill-favored as the last. As Angie prepared to hit the gas pedal, the slow, warm ooze of blood dripped down onto her dress shirt.

DiNolfo knocked on her driver side window with a worried look on her face. “Are you okay?”

Angie didn’t hear her at first. There was a loud ringing in her ears and her vision was spotty.

“Angie… I’m taking you to the hospital,” said DiNolfo with an official tone to her voice.

Angie nodded as she moved over to allow room for Jenna in the front seat. Jenna wiped off the steering wheel with a napkin, and drove Angie to Grier Mountain Medical Center where she could be checked out. Jenna thought that she might have a concussion from the impact. After waiting for a half hour, a triage nurse brought Angie back to the emergency room where she waited for a full evaluation. Angie was still a bit dizzy, but overall, she felt better than she had when she walked in. Jenna sat in a chair beside her gurney as she flicked through a magazine. Nurse Bridgette Kilpatrick strolled through the door with an air of authority about her. She grabbed a blood pressure cuff and proceeded to take Angie’s blood pressure.

“Are you still feeling dizzy?” Bridgette asked as she marked notes into Angie’s file.