The Devil Wore Sneakers (29 page)

When Lucy folded her arms over her chest, Lisa shrugged. “Why were the police here? Because if they’re looking for me, I
borrowed
Teagan’s car.”

“Lisa, does Teagan know where you are? Did you run away from home?”

“No. This is a restaurant, huh? I’m thirsty.”

“You stole a car?” What had the girl done?

“Shh. No.” She gestured to the dining room. “Can I come inside? I drove a long ways.”

“We’ll go in the office and talk.”

“Okay, then coffee.”

Lucy led the way into Liam’s office and temporary bedroom and closed the door behind Lisa.

“Whose dog?” Lisa stared at Target lying on the corner of Liam’s bedroll on the sofa. “Why does he have his own sleeping bag?”

Lucy rolled the desk chair near the couch. “Sit and explain why you’re here.”

Lisa perched at the far end of the sofa. “Where’s the coffee?”

“It’s heating up.”

“I don’t hear or smell any.”

Lucy sat across from the teen. “What are you doing in Barley?”

“Okay. I
overheard
Teagan tell Noah that Matt might have murdered your brother, he stalked you to Barley, and he kidnaped another girl in this town. Oh, and the police suspect your old boyfriend killed your brother. So I came to volunteer.”

“Volunteer for what? Lisa, driving to the Moose alone was dangerous.” Maybe Matt was tracking her, too. What in the name of sanity had prompted her to head to Barley? A normal person would hide out, but then Lisa never fit into average or ordinary.

The teen had changed little in the few months since Lucy had seen her. Green streaks instead of pink highlighted her dark hair. She wore her usual jeans, a gray T-shirt, and cool-looking boots. The defiant
get lost
gleam in her eyes had faded. Where was her jacket? Teenagers.

The girl shook her head. “Give me a chance to explain before you lecture me. Geesh.”

Lisa was back to her old self.

“I’m going to search for Matt. He’s thinking about me. I want to face him when they arrest him.”

“How do you know he’s thinking about you?” A sick feeling gnawed at Lucy’s stomach.

Lisa’s face went pale. “Yesterday, I got a message from him in the mail.” She dug into her jeans pocket and held up a holy card.

Chapter 42

Matt had sent Lisa a threat. Lucy’s chest tightened. She inhaled a deep breath to reassure herself she could breathe.

“Hold on. I better lock the door.” She crossed the bar and the rear hall and went to the door. She bolted it.

Feeling relieved, she returned to Lisa. “Now, what did Matt write you?”

Lisa flipped over the card she gripped in her hand. “Visit me in the mountains and meet my new friend. God bless.”

“Did you report the postcard to Noah or Teagan?”

Lisa shook her head. “It came yesterday when she was out. I didn’t know what to do. I spent the night thinking about it. Teagan would have freaked if I showed her. She gets uptight if you say his name. That’s when I decided to come myself to warn you and to help while I’m here. He abducted that girl. He’s near you. I want to find him.”

“Maybe the card’s a copycat.”

“I worked in the parish office. I can recognize his handwriting. He didn’t bother to disguise it.”

Lisa kept on top of everything, including Lucy’s relationship with Matt. “You need to call Teagan right away and tell her where you are and about Matt’s threat.”

“Will you talk to her? Calm her down. Reassure her.”

“You should have left her a note. You should be at home in Hawick Falls. Teagan will be a wreck.”

“She’s out until noon.”

“How’d you get her car?”

“She went to a meeting with a friend. If I left her a note, she’d have called Noah, and he would have had the local police pick me up. I had to wait and make sure I got here first.” She glanced at her watch. “She won’t be home for another twenty minutes. I was supposed to take a science test while Teagan was at the workshop. Homeschooling rocks.”

“Call Teagan or I will, and it won’t be to calm her.”

“Okay. Okay. She might not answer.” Lisa dug her cell out of her pocket.

Lucy wandered into the dining room. Across the street, Hank, Bella, and Gage huddled together. They were probably exchanging new theories about the investigation and would be at the door now that the officers had left. She blinked at the stab of pain above her eye. No time for a headache.

“Lucy.” Lisa stood a few feet away, holding up her phone. “Teagan wants to speak to you.”

From the girl’s expression, Lucy imagined her friend was beyond unhappy. Lucy reassured Teagan that Lisa was safe. She didn’t need to rearrange her life to chase after the girl, with an ice storm on the way. After much back and forth, the women decided Lisa would stay until the next day, when Teagan and Noah would escort her home and he’d meet with Sullivan for updates.

“That’s stupid,” Lisa announced when she heard the plan. “Why do I need two people to drive up here to turn around and drive me home?”

“Because no one knows where to find Matt, and a girl has disappeared from Barley, and you’ve received a threat from him, and Teagan is responsible for—”

“Okay. One reason was enough.”

The Mad Moose’s landline rang. Liam? She glanced at the caller ID. It was Hank. He must be calling to remind her the doors were locked. She let it go to voice mail.

“Since you’re spending the day, you can help with inventory. The boxes of condiments are on the third floor. You’ll count each packet and record the number. I’ll show you the backup data sheet on my phone.”

“How many are there?”

“That’s what you’ll find out. I have to let in part of the crew.”

Ten minutes later, Hank, Sadie, and Chip had shown up for work. Lucy filled everyone in on the police visit and the little she knew about Liam. She told them Lisa was visiting. The less said about the girl, the fewer questions Lucy would have to answer.

Lisa set up to count in the upstairs kitchen. Lucy settled by the second-floor front window. She stared at her cell, hoping Liam had borrowed or bought a phone to use. Her phone seemed to hold a hypnotic power over her, not allowing her to look away from its screen.

“Why do you keep staring at your cell?” Lisa asked from the doorway. “Did you and your ex have a fight?”

“His name is Liam. I wanted to check in with him. He’s on a trip.”

“If he’s driving, he can’t talk. This dog keeps bothering me to pet him.” She walked into the living room with Target at her heels. “We should go search for that missing girl. That’s why I came.”

“I promised Teagan I’d keep you safe.”

“Yeah, I’ll be safe with you.”

“Right. We’ll stay at the Mad Moose and be out of harm’s way.”

Lisa walked back and forth while dragging a hand through her hair. Target watched.

“I want to help the missing girl. I keep imagining what’s happening to her.” She stopped in front of Lucy. Her wide eyes flickered with fear, and then the emotion disappeared. “C’mon. You’re familiar with the area. We can find her.”

“I’m responsible for you and can’t take any risks.” Lucy glanced out to Gage’s business.

A black car pulled up to the gas tank. She studied the shape. It was smaller than the FBI’s, but similar. Ali Smith’s boyfriend Tate hopped out of the front seat with energy and confidence.

He didn’t look worried, like a kid out on bail. Was it possible the teen had been the one following them? Goosebumps rose on her arms. If she knew more about vehicles, she’d be able to tell the difference. Mentally, she compared the two in her mind.

“You used to be a lot nicer when you lived in Hawick Falls.” Lisa’s complaint broke into Lucy’s thoughts.

“In the past, I was a lot of things.” She glanced at the time on her cell phone. “Your work break is over.”

“It was like three minutes.”

“You’ve worked six.”

“Why don’t we go find your ex then? I heard you tell your friends that was why the police were here. They’re going to arrest him.” Lisa’s eyes glowed with excitement. “We should warn him.”

Across the street, Tate finished pumping his gas and jumped into his car.

Lucy shook her head at Lisa. “He’s good at taking care of himself.” She hoped.

The dark car careened out of the station. She leaned forward and peered out the window.

A few blocks away, Chief Sullivan and his men combed through Liam’s emails, texts, and browser history, searching for anything that would bolster evidence he was guilty.

Let them find nothing
, Lucy prayed.

Chapter 43

Posters with Ali’s picture stared at Liam from passing trees and telephone poles. Was the girl alive? Doubtful. His gut turned cold at the thought. Overhead, the storm clouds thickened. Didn’t look like he’d miss the hail. He reduced his speed while questions and ideas flew through his mind.

He rounded the curve. His truck lunged into the oncoming lane. Shock bit into him. What in hell? He jerked the wheel. The vehicle continued on its course. The trees rushed at him. Their limbs scraped across his pickup’s roof and windshield until he slammed into the tree trunk.

He jerked forward and then back as the seatbelt snapped tight around him. The airbag blew up like an oversized balloon. Stunned, he sat for several seconds, letting his brain catch up.

Get out.
He pressed the metal button. Nothing happened. He tried again. The belt didn’t budge. Liam yanked on it and swore under his breath.

Well, he’d escape come hellfire or ice storm. He shoved his fingers into his pocket and slipped out his key ring. The small pocketknife from his childhood swung from the key ring. He’s always thought it was worthless until today.

Soon, Liam was sawing through the fabric.
When I get out of here, I’m buying a huge knife with a super long, sharp blade.

What had happened? Why had he gone off the road? The strap loosened, and he yanked it over his shoulders and head. He was free. He shoved the door open and strode to the front of his pickup. His front tire was missing. What? He scanned the area and found it a few feet away. His feet sank into the muddy spots where the sun had melted the snow. Bare trees hovered above him. He crouched down to study the damage.

The fender and hood were smashed against a trunk. It looked worse than he’d expected, and it would have been a lot worse if he hadn’t slowed down before the curve. He rubbed the ache in his chest caused by the seatbelt or airbag. He couldn’t complain. The safety features had saved him from meeting the windshield.

But what had happened? He hadn’t been speeding for once. No, something was wrong with his steering. He studied the frame. Rising, he spotted a wheel lug nut a foot away. He scouted around and found four more. Crazy. How had the lug nuts come loose?

Gage would tell him. Right now, Liam needed a tow truck. Where was he? He dug into the pocket of his leather jacket. Damn, Sullivan had his phone. Could the day get much worse? He wished he had stopped for a new phone. An uneasy feeling insisted he needed to check in with Lucy.

He turned and headed back toward Barley. Maybe he’d have luck hitching a ride. If he’d stayed on the main roads, he would have had a better chance. With the forecast of bad weather, people stayed on the well-salted major routes.

As he strode onward, his accident played out again in his mind. Before he’d gone half a mile, he was certain someone wanted him to crash— Matt Hastings.

He had to get to the Moose and Lucy. Fast.

Jogging and walking, he tried to keep his sense of urgency under control. He’d been on the road for almost an hour when ice pellets began to hit him. He slowed. At this rate, he’d reach the bar near midnight. Damn. Maybe he’d come across a house soon.

The sound of an engine broke through his musings. Someone was coming. He stepped into the middle of the pavement and raised his arms over his head.

A dark car appeared around the bend, braked, and cruised to the shoulder in front of him.

Recognition shot through him. Just his luck. His savior was the law. He blinked as the occupant swung the door wide and got out.

* * *

Lucy helped Lisa with the inventory as the morning crawled toward the lunch hour.

Lisa sighed and stretched her arms. “Teagan might hire someone to find her mother.”

“Her aunt hired an investigator years ago and never found her. Legally, she’s dead.”

Lisa shrugged. “Guess she wants to look again and make sure she’s not wandering the streets somewhere. I told her I’d trade my two jailed parents for her missing, homeless mother. Teagan didn’t go for it.”

“Hard to believe, Lisa.”

A knock on the door ended their conversation. Lucy opened up to Sadie on her welcome mat.

“You guys should come downstairs to eat in a few minutes. We’re closing up as soon as our three lunch customers leave.”

“Thanks, Sadie.”

“Not a problem. With the ice storm, the school is letting out early. Most people will head up to the elementary for pickup, or to the grocery store, and then straight home.”