Washed Up (A Gracie Andersen Mystery Book 4) (13 page)

“Things moved pretty fast.” Gracie took a seat on the sofa.

The sip of whisky burned her throat, bringing tears to her eyes. She was definitely a Diet Coke girl.

“I guess. After tonight’s exploit, I expect a full report from the DEA.  I imagine there’s a lot to tell. Well, I’m going back out there. I need to know who to send the bill to for repairs to my cactus garden. Cruddy federal government. They
will
pay for it, or I’ll know the reason why. Do you have any idea how much those things cost?”

Gracie chuckled darkly, watching Amanda make her exodus. Standing to leave herself, she caught her reflection in the glass of a tall china cabinet and groaned.

The “fetching outfit” was definitely kaput. She wouldn’t be wearing it again, that was for sure. Between the shredded fabric and the dirt, the dress was history. Before she could turn the doorknob, Marc entered, making her take a couple of steps back.

“You surprised me,” she said, laughing. “I didn’t think I’d see you again tonight.”

“The DEA has things well in hand at the moment, and I’m extra baggage. And speaking of hands,” he continued with a rakish smile.

“Oh no. I’m a mess, Marc. Really …”

“You are the most beautiful mess I’ve ever seen.” Marc snatched her hand and dropped to one knee. “I can’t wait anymore. The box in my pocket is danged uncomfortable, so here goes.”

Gracie looked into Marc’s eyes, feeling like a teenager. Definitely a bit gooey.

“Gracie, I love you with all my heart. And, even though none of my plans have gone right, including our dinner date.” He paused, taking a deep breath. “Will you marry me?”

“Yes. Of course, I will. Yes.”

Her rehearsal for a dignified “yes” was for naught.

“Whew! Great! I mean …” Marc struggled to rise and pulled the ring box from his pocket. The ring slid easily onto her finger, and the next-most-perfect kiss commenced.

Deer Creek, NY

Gracie hauled the wicker picnic basket from the back of the RAV4, trekking to the two picnic tables mashed together at the Lower Falls in Letchworth State Park. Haley, her cheese-loving black Lab, overjoyed at a park outing, trotted happily with her raggedy sock monkey in her mouth.

Her brother Tom and his fiancée Kelly were already putting plastic tablecloths over the wooden tables, pressing thumbtacks into the corners.

“Little sister, you’re by yourself?” Tom asked, taking the basket from her.

“He’ll be here. He’d better be here,” Gracie said, laughing.

“It’s so good to have you back home, safe and sound.” Kelly wrapped her arms around Gracie for a hug.

“No kidding. I’ve decided vacations are way too stressful. Work is actually relaxing at the moment.”

“Sorry I missed your arrival last week, I was at a conference at Cornell.”

“Don’t worry about that. I needed a couple of days of sleep to function again.”

A pickup rolled into the parking lot in the space next to Gracie’s vehicle.

“And here he is now,” she said, pointing.

Marc carried a grocery bag, and Max ran to greet Haley.

“Good man, Marc Stevens. You’ve avoided execution,” Tom teased, shaking Marc’s hand.

“We want the full story on the Wild West adventure you two were involved with.” Kelly pulled out a Tupperware container of macaroni salad and set it on red-checked tablecloth.

“I’ll let Marc start on that.” Gracie tore into a bag of chips and placed them next to a bowl of onion dip. “But wait for Jim. He’s pulling in now.”

Tom stirred the charcoal in the old park grill and plopped enough burgers down to feed an army. Jim strode across the grass, carrying a red cooler.

“Hey, Jim. Open that up. I need an adult beverage while Marc gives us the lowdown on Gracie’s
National Lampoon
vacation.”

Jim smiled and obliged. “I told her to stay home, but you know your sister. Never listens to anybody.”

“All right, Peanut Gallery.” Gracie grabbed a Diet Coke. “I would have to say that it didn’t work out quite as planned, but the ending was pretty good. Right, Marc?”

“I would say so. Shall I or will you?” he asked. He pulled her close.

The trio looked at Gracie and then Marc.

“I believe I can guess,” Kelly started.

“I’m sure you can, but it’s official,” Gracie confirmed. She twisted the diamond ring into the correct position for all to see. “We’re engaged.”

Kelly squealed, grabbing Gracie and hugging her. “Let me see that ring!”

“Congratulations! It’s about time,” Tom said, pumping Marc’s hand. “Welcome to the asylum. You’ll get used to it.”

Marc laughed. “I am. I am. It’s really not that bad,” he grinned. He bent down and kissed Gracie soundly on the mouth. 

“Congratulations, you two.” Jim’s look of uncertainty gave Gracie a cold chill in the warm night. She should have told him before everyone else, but it was too late now.

The smell of burning meat returned Tom’s attention to the grill. Jim grabbed a beer from the ice chest, popping the top.

“Have you set a date?” Kelly asked, sliding onto the bench seat, still looking at the pear-shaped diamond.

“Let’s talk about that later,” Gracie said. “Personally I want to hear the conclusion of Marc’s last case as an Arizona lawman. I haven’t heard the final outcome on the whole thing.”

“Right. Come on, Marc,” Kelly chided. “Gracie promised you’d have more details since it was closed now.”

Marc straddled the bench seat across from Gracie. “Yes, that’s right. The Park Service ranger was actually a cartel member who was using teenagers in the Sierra Vista area as his mules. Manny Enriquez, the Park Service hydrologist, must have seen him with his foster kid up on a trail. According to Ricky, Manny followed Ricky and his friend to a cave that was being used as a drop-off for cocaine and other drugs.”

“That’s the cave with the secret entrance I told you about,” Gracie added.

Kelly shook her head. “Only you would discover a cave with a secret entrance. Please continue, Marc.”

“Well, Ortiz, the ranger was there, and Manny confronted him. The two men fought, while Ricky and his friend took off. Ortiz ended up strangling Manny with his own lanyard and dumped his body into the stream that was in the cave. That stream runs underground and feeds into another stream which empties into the pool where Gracie found the body.”

“It’s amazing that the body ever showed up.” Tom shoveled burgers onto a paper plate and placed it on the table.

“Funny thing is,” Marc went on, “this Manny was working on mapping the underground streams for a study he was doing. His maps actually helped us verify that the murder scene was correct, and it was totally possible for the body to end up in Miner’s Springs.”

Jim, who’d been standing at a distance, took a seat next to Marc.

“What about those two treasure hunters?” he asked.

“Unfortunately, one of them was killed by Ortiz.”

Gracie jumped in. “The ranger thought they’d taken a brick of cocaine from the cave, since that’s what Amanda, the B & B owner, had reported to the investigators. That landed us in big trouble,” she added, closing her eyes.

“The brick she saw was actually a box of trinkets the two were using to salt caves and abandoned mines. They had pottery, a Spanish helmet, jewelry, and all kinds of other stuff they’d bought from a replica place. Their big mistake was stashing a load of it in Ortiz’s drop,” Marc finished.

“Why were they doing that?” Jim asked.

“For a TV show,” Gracie answered. “They were trying to wrangle financing for a reality series.”

“What happened to the one who survived?” Tom asked.

“Justin’s working out a deal with the feds for some fraud charges and not having the permits he needed. I doubt if he’ll get more than a slap on the wrist. He’s paid heavily for a get-rich-quick scheme, and Alex lost his life over it,” Marc said.

“Pretty grim outcome.” Tom waved everyone to the food table.

“And Ricky,” Gracie probed. “Is he safe?”

Marc nodded. “He is. It’s terrible that Hank lost his life to rescue the kid the night I followed him to Our Lady of the Sierras. I wish I’d done more.”

“You were in as much danger.” Gracie frowned. “You could’ve been shot that night too.”

“But I wasn’t,” Marc said firmly, meeting Gracie’s eyes. “Fortunately, Ortiz only got the windshield. Ricky was the key to the case. He’d been dealing drugs for over a year when the ranger was transferred from Great Bend National Park in Texas and became the new cartel sales rep in the area. I’m crossing my fingers Ricky stays clean and decides to move on to a better life.”

“I really feel sorry for Amanda.” Gracie squirted ketchup on a rather crusty blackened burger. Her brother wasn’t known for his grilling prowess. “She was sure the box was a brick of drugs, which led to Alex and Justin getting into real trouble.”

“I’m not sure I’d recognize a brick of cocaine. How would she?” Jim asked, taking a bite of burger.

“TV, I guess,” Gracie answered. “The cave was pretty dark, and it was a mistake easy enough to make.”

“Ortiz was out on the trails, scouting for Ricky, and heard about Amanda’s report from the DEA agents,” Marc continued. “It was pretty easy to trap them in the old mine. When Alex put up a fight, Ortiz grabbed the fake relic knife they had and stabbed him. Justin was tied up and left to cool his heels. Ortiz was hoping he’d cough up the location of the drugs after he’d sat in the dark for a day or two.”

“So, there were drugs missing then?” Tom asked.

“We believe Manny had broken into a package, which is why he had traces of cocaine under his fingernails. Ricky may have grabbed it and run in the confusion, or maybe it landed in the water. We’re not sure exactly what happened, but Ortiz would have been extremely interested in recovering that valuable white brick.”

“A tale of the modern Wild West,” Tom commented. “So, are you back to work at the sheriff’s department?”

“That’s another story,” Marc said hesitantly. “I actually got the ax a few weeks ago. The official version is budget problems.”

“Marc has an interview this week though,” Gracie added hastily.

“Right. It’s for corporate security. The company is in Batavia.” Marc finished the last spoonful of baked beans on his plate.

“Not a security guard?” Tom asked.

“No. It’s personal security for executives and also the company’s R & D. The job is pretty interesting, from what they’ve told me.”

“That’s good. Hope you get it,” Jim said, finishing his burger.

“As usual, we have way too much food,” Kelly complained, pushing away from the table.

“I know,” Gracie agreed. “Haley, don’t get any ideas,” she warned, eyeing the Lab’s surreptitious approach to the plate laden with burgers. “You’re not that sneaky. I can see you.”

Chagrined, the Lab moved to where Jim sat, shoving her head under his hand.

“Yes. Yes, milady. I’ll pet you again. You are very high maintenance lately,” Jim jokingly protested. “Why can’t you be cool like Max over there?”

Max was lying asleep under a maple near the group. He pricked up his ears briefly before resuming his nap.

“You are now her hero. After all, you furnished a great deal of cheese for her highness,” Gracie joked.

“I’ll never live that down.” Jim stood to refill his plate. “It wasn’t pretty when she plastered your parents’ lawn though.” He shook his head.

Momentary silence prevailed, while everyone focused on the feast of burgers, macaroni salad, and beans. Tom wiped his mouth with a paper napkin.

“Let’s talk about a date for you two,” Kelly insisted. “Ours is only a month away now.”

Gracie smiled at Marc. His eyes crinkled in amusement, and he shook his head.

“You’re not already married, are you? Tom demanded.

“No. No. It did cross my mind though. It would be so much simpler.” Gracie toyed with a plastic fork. “I’m not excited about Isabelle trying to become my wedding planner, or Mom putting in her two cents. We want a simple ceremony.”

“We do too,” Kelly said, looking at Tom.

“And now we’ve got the Glen Iris booked, a harpist, and—” Tom groused,

“Slow down, my love,” Kelly admonished.

Tom grimaced and rubbed his short red hair. “It’s the truth. That’s all I’m sayin’.”

“Marc really wants to have a job in place before we set the date.” Gracie reached for Marc’s hand.

“Yeah. I’m a little old-fashioned, I guess. But I won’t be a kept man.”

“That’s understandable,” Jim agreed. “Give yourself some time. What’s the hurry?”

Gracie looked at her business partner in surprise. They needed to have a talk and the sooner the better.

The kennel was roiling with activity, between grooming appointments with Marian and Cheryl directing traffic with pick-ups and drops. The canine guests were voicing their excitement with such vitality, Gracie finally shut the door to her office. Haley and Max lounged in the backyard while she caught up on paperwork. The two dogs might as well get used to cohabitating. Marc was off to his interview with high hopes, which she prayed wouldn’t be dashed.

The din increased with the opening of the door, and Jim appeared in the office, heading for the refrigerator.

“Just the man I needed to see.” Gracie turned from the screen.

“That so,” he answered brusquely.

“It is. We need to talk.”

“All right. But it’s crazy out there today.”

“I know. But it’s a little crazy in here.”

“Meaning?” Jim asked, unscrewing the cap from a water bottle.

“I mean, I owe you an apology. I should have told you about our engagement before last night’s picnic. That wasn’t fair.”

Jim sank into his dilapidated green-striped recliner.

“Not necessary.”

“I made a mistake, and I’m sorry.”

“Apology accepted then.”

His icy blue eyes were hard, but Gracie also recognized the concern in them.

“I did what you told me to do in Arizona,” she started. “I’ve dealt with Marc’s job and my feelings about it. Our marriage will be different than what I had with Michael. It’s okay. I’m sure my emotions will not always be in check, but nobody’s perfect. Right?”

Jim arched his dark eyebrows and remained silent. He took a swig from the bottle and wiped his hand on the knee of his jeans. He certainly wasn’t making this any easier.

“Jim. Let’s put everything on the table. I hate feeling awkward around you.”

He looked up, a half-smile softening his expression. He pushed the Yankees cap away from his forehead.

“All right, Chief. You know how I see things. I made a promise to Michael to watch out for you if anything ever happened to him. It did. I’ve done my best to keep that promise. If you marry Marc, I need to know that it’s the right thing for you. I want you to be happy and to make certain I’ve fulfilled that promise.”

“I know. I know. It is the right thing. I’m really sure. You’ve done a great job sticking with me. Supporting me in those really rough early months. We’ve done well together. This business is beyond what either of us imagined at the start.”

“I’d have to agree. That first year was a doozy too.”

“Yes, it was. We’re wiser fortunately, and the business is growing. I want us to continue as business partners. Marc isn’t cut out for the kennel business. He’s a cop and will be in whatever form that becomes now.”

“You’re sure?” Jim stood, thrusting his hands into his pockets. “He understands about us?”

Gracie laughed. “He does. We talked about that a lot, as a matter of fact. You have been, are, and always will be the extra brother I apparently need. The good Lord gave me one biological sibling, but generously gave me one more who’s almost tougher than the red-headed one.”

“Ha! Tom needs all the help he can get. You’re not an easy woman, Gracie Andersen, but I will continue our partnership until such time we decide to part ways—if ever. I’ve gone to the dogs with you, and now I’m officially doggone happy for you.”

Gracie giggled at the bad joke, and Jim swept her up into his arms for one of his famous bear hugs.

***

Marc sat in the parking lot of DACO on the outskirts of the Batavia city limits. The job offer lay on the seat of the pickup. How would he tell Gracie about this? They’d promised to communicate clearly and often about everything. The limitation had been active cases, if he was in law enforcement. She’d readily agreed and understood why.

His mind whirled with the best approach to explain such a shift in his career path.  The six-figure salary amount was dazzling, the responsibility formidable, but a challenge he welcomed. Max could partner with him and they’d both receive more training. Unfortunately, secrecy was paramount, there was a great deal of travel, and a security clearance from the U.S. government was required. His family situation with a half-brother sitting in federal prison might be an obstacle to obtain the clearance, but the defense company hadn’t hesitated in handing him the generous proposal.

It was the opportunity of a lifetime. Fingering the textured letterhead, he refolded it, and slid the offer into the inside pocket of his suitcoat.