Paper Cuts, page 24
Nora tried McCabe’s number first, but he didn’t pick up. She tried Andrews next. When that failed, she called the department’s non-emergency number and explained the situation to the on-duty officer.
When he promised to relay the message to McCabe, Nora thanked him and hung up.
“Sounds like you’ve had quite a night,” said Dr. Anene.
Nora half listened as the doctor explained how to care for her cast. Five minutes later, a nurse pulled back the curtain separating Nora’s treatment area from her neighbor’s and said, “Your friends are in the waiting room. Do you want to see them while we wait for Dr. Shah? He’s your ER doctor.”
“Yes. Thanks.”
Dr. Anene left and the nurse returned with June, Hester, and Sheldon.
“We heard you were very anxious to have this,” Sheldon said, handing Nora her phone.
The case was bent, and the screen was so badly shattered that tiny triangles of glass were missing. Though she knew it was futile, Nora tried to turn the phone on. It didn’t work, of course.
“How are you feeling, baby?” asked June.
Nora couldn’t hide her agitation. “I’m sore and my head feels like it’s stuffed with cotton, but I’ll be okay. I’m freaking out because I can’t reach Grant. I borrowed the doc’s phone, but I couldn’t get through to him. Hester, can you call Jasper? They arrested Gus and he’s—”
“I know. Estella called us from the station.”
June sat on the edge of Nora’s exam table. “You can relax. They got the bad guy. The one who took out Kirk and did his best to take you out? They got him.”
“What happened to Kirk?” Nora asked.
Sheldon put an arm around June’s neck. “Spider-Man got him in a sleeper hold. But he was in a rush, so he didn’t hold it for long. Kirk was only out for a few minutes. By the time he came to, Gus had entered the house and grabbed a cast-iron pan from the drying rack. While Spidey was busy picking the lock to Tucker’s room with his knife, Gus clocked him. I bet the guy had little cartoon birdies circling around his head.”
“You watched too much Tom and Jerry as a kid,” Hester teased.
Sheldon wiggled his finger. “Not Tom and Jerry. Wile E. Coyote got the biggest bumps. And if there was any justice in this world, the Road Runner would’ve been hit by a Mack truck.”
Ignoring this exchange, Nora focused on June. “If they got him, then why did I see Gus handcuffed in the back of a cop car?”
“He’s an ex-offender. He was in the house when the cavalry came. They had to take him in while they figured out what had gone down.”
“Jasper called his parole officer on the way to the station,” Hester added. “The sheriff needs statements from Kirk and Gus before he can let anyone go, and you know these things don’t happen quickly.”
Nora nodded. Her mouth was dry, and the exam table was uncomfortable.
As if sensing her need, June pulled a bottle of water out of her purse and pressed it into Nora’s right hand.
“You need to hydrate and relax,” she ordered. “Jack and Estella are both at the station. They’ll take Gus home as soon as they can.”
Nora drank the water, and even though it hurt a little to swallow, the aching was a reminder that she’d survived the attack. Kelly and Justine hadn’t been so lucky. Gus hadn’t been there to save them. No one had.
“Why was Gus at the Walshes’ in the first place?”
Sheldon said, “Gus has been watching Spidey all day. Spidey is the man Gus didn’t want to work with at Midnight Chicken. He was bad news in prison and hadn’t changed one bit since he got out. Gus said he was involved in lots of shady deals when they were inside, but he wasn’t the brains behind any of the schemes—more like an unstable minion.”
“He must’ve been working for Lawrence.”
Hester shrugged. “We don’t know. We don’t even know the guy’s name. But the Walshes are safe. Fuentes and Hollowell will be watching their house for the rest of the night. Can you tell us why this guy was looking for an old deed?”
“I think Lawrence wants to build a casino on land that he doesn’t own. The land belonged to his mother, Virginia, and she left it to Kelly and Tucker. With Kelly gone, it’s Tucker’s land—or will be when he comes of age. Lawrence showed up at Kelly’s funeral just to be near Tucker. He must’ve asked him about the deed. That’s why Tucker had a meltdown. He felt threatened.”
June kissed her teeth. “Larry was going to steal from his own child! Lord, hell needs a new circle for that man.”
“There’s a big copper deposit on this land. If Lawrence opened the casino in one area and a copper mine in another, he’d really rake it in,” Nora continued. “I told you that he took over his mother’s finances against her will, right? There was a big court battle, which Lawrence won, but Virginia gave the land to Kelly long before he took over her finances.”
“Was the deed inside a book?” asked Sheldon.
For the first time since she came to, Nora smiled. “It was in Treasure Island. Virginia read the book to Tucker many times. It was their favorite story.”
Hester pressed her hands to her heart. “That is so sweet.”
“She must’ve told him about the land and the copper. I think that’s why Tucker wore a penny as a necklace and why he collected pennies. To him, pennies are treasure. They remind him of his grandmother.”
Sheldon made a time-out gesture. “You’re going to make me cry. This whole thing sounds like the plot of a Lifetime movie, starring Larry as a cliché villain. A rich, handsome womanizer who took advantage of his mama and neglected his children? Who’d play him on TV? Jared Leto? Christian Bale?”
A nurse bustled in to tell Nora that Dr. Shah was on his way. “I’m getting your paperwork ready, so you should be able to go home soon.”
That was music to Nora’s ears. She’d had enough excitement for one day. All she wanted to do was change into her pajamas, make tea, and climb into bed.
Unfortunately, Dr. Shah had other ideas.
“With a concussion, you’ll need to rest for the next two or three days. Cut way back on activities. No driving. Do you share a living space with anyone? Because someone needs to check on you in the morning.”
“She’s going to stay with me tonight,” said Hester.
Dr. Shah reviewed post-concussion symptoms and treatments before finally signing off on her paperwork. Nora agreed to see her primary care doctor for a follow-up visit in three days, and reluctantly accepted a seat in the wheelchair the nurse pushed into the room.
Ten minutes into the journey back to Miracle Springs, Nora was overcome by fatigue. She rested her head against the cool window glass and closed her eyes.
Sheldon, who was sitting directly behind her, rubbed her shoulder and said, “You doing okay, my little flying squirrel?”
Nora cracked a smile. “Yeah. But did you hear what that doctor said about reducing my activities? There’s no way I can sit at home with my feet up when Family Fun Fest is this weekend. We have to switch out all the displays in the store.”
“We could leave the bee and honey displays. I mean, what’s more familial than a hive?”
June clucked her tongue. “If you want to be healthy enough for the rest of festival season, then you need to follow doctor’s orders.” Glancing at Hester in the rearview mirror, she said, “What kind of treats are you making for this fest?”
“I’m playing off two themes: the family tree and home is where the heart is. I’m making two kinds of tree-shaped pull-apart bread and mini sheet cakes decorated with trees. On top of that, I’m doing house-shaped cookies and cupcakes with hidden hearts inside.”
“Nothing too crazy, eh?” Sheldon scoffed.
Hester laughed. “It’s a little optimistic, I admit, but I might have some help. As soon as I have the chance, I’m going to ask Gus if he’ll work at the bakery.”
Even Nora perked up at this. “I love that idea.”
“He won’t have to deal with customers if he doesn’t want to, but the man is a natural in the kitchen,” continued Hester. “I think it would be great for both of us. Estella too. Gus wants to help out with the baby, so if he bakes in the morning, he can watch his grandkid in the afternoon while Estella’s at work.”
Sheldon whispered, “Un bebe. I still can’t believe it.”
While her friends discussed the many ways a child would change Estella’s life—and theirs—Nora’s thoughts kept returning to Tucker.
Twenty minutes later, June pulled in front of Nora’s tiny house and kept the engine idling. Though Sheldon offered to accompany her inside, she insisted that she could throw pajamas, a toothbrush, and a change of clothes into a bag without help. She almost brought Tucker’s origami along but didn’t want to risk it coming to any harm.
Five minutes later, they arrived at Hester’s to find an SUV with the sheriff’s department seal parked in her driveway. For a moment, Nora thought McCabe had come.
“Jasper’s here,” Hester said in a bright voice.
June stopped at the curb and put the car in park. “Jasper might not welcome a crowd right now. You can fill us in tomorrow.”
Sheldon hopped out and threaded Nora’s good arm through his. “I’m not helping you. I’m just getting you out of the car so I can hug you good night.”
Andrews was on the phone when Hester and Nora appeared in the kitchen. After wrapping up his call, he kissed Hester on the cheek. Turning to Nora, he said, “It’s good to see you on your feet. For a second, I thought you and the sheriff might be sharing an ambulance. He was white as a sheet. Poor guy.”
“Before I go to bed, can you tell me who he is? The man with the spider web tattoo?”
“His name’s Colton Fieri. He and Mr. Sadler served time together, and when Colton learned that an old enemy was working the late shift at Midnight Chicken, he decided to pay Gus a visit. Colton’s parole officer thought he was working at Midnight Chicken too, but he never fried a single piece of chicken. The manager put him on the payroll because he and Colton were involved in a grease theft scheme.”
Assuming she’d banged her head harder than she thought, Nora just stared at Andrews.
Hester was equally baffled. “Why would anyone steal grease?”
“Believe it or not, it’s a million-dollar business. Fat and cooking oil are used to make animal feed and biofuel.”
“Ugh. The poor animals,” murmured Hester.
Andrews went on speaking. “Most restaurants keep grease collection units near their other trash receptacles. The grease is collected by a service and sold to a biofuel company. People steal from the outdoor bins or take the whole bin. They sell the grease and pocket the money. It’s not like the biofuel company can tell where the grease came from, and there are organized rings of grease thieves in almost every state. When Gus saw Colton emptying the Midnight Chicken grease bin, Colton threatened him. He told Gus to keep his mouth shut or he’d have him sent back to prison and make Estella’s life a living hell.”
Nora shook her head. “No wonder Gus quit.”
“Mr. Sadler suspected Colton of killing Justine, but he didn’t think his word would carry any weight. Especially since his manager was sure to defend Colton. When Estella told him that you, Kelly Walsh, and Justine were all connected to Lawrence, Mr. Sadler got worried. He figured Colton must be working for Lawrence.”
“Where was Gus all day?” Hester asked.
“In the woods behind the Walshes’ house. This town has changed a lot in the past fifteen years, but the woods haven’t. It’s still a nature preserve, so no one’s been able to tear down the trees. The trailer park where Mr. Sadler used to live is on the other side of that preserve.”
Nora was suddenly feeling more alert. “Is that where Colton lives now?”
Andrews pointed at her. “You guessed it.”
“Was Colton on a motorcycle? I thought one was following me when I left the Lodge.”
“Probably. We found his Harley parked two blocks over.”
Hester moved closer to her boyfriend. “Is Lawrence behind all of this?”
Andrews put a comforting arm around her and squeezed. She rested her head against his shoulder and laid her hand over his chest. “I’m sorry, babe, but Colton isn’t talking. We don’t know who the other players are. Not yet anyway.”
“What about the woman?” Nora asked. “The one from the video?”
“We’re still looking for her.”
If only Nora had seen the woman’s face the day she’d gone hiking, but Colton and the mystery woman had been on the boulders above Nora. She recognized their voices but couldn’t remember what they’d been talking about. Her memory refused to cooperate.
Interpreting Nora’s faraway look as fatigue, Hester ushered her upstairs to the guest room.
“I’ll make tea while you get changed.”
Nora struggled to get her T-shirt off over her cast. Then she stretched out the neck of her pajama top trying to get her head and arm through the opening at the same time. Her pajama bottoms were another challenge. She had to sit in a chair and shimmy the pants up her legs, a few inches at a time, until the elastic waist was more or less where it was supposed to be.
After washing her face and brushing her hair, she returned to the guest room to find a steaming mug of chamomile tea and the latest edition of TeaTime magazine on the nightstand.
Nora flipped through the magazine. Page after page, her tired eyes were treated to a bounty of beautiful flowers, teapots, and food. She read an article about flowering teas and drank in the images of fruit scones and lunch salads. The dainty table settings, delicate porcelain tea ware, and menus soothed her. By the time she got to the Cozy Corner section, which featured a cozy mystery novel and a recipe inspired by the book, her eyelids were drooping.
As she reached out to turn off the light, she pictured the origami flower on her nightstand at home. It was a comfort object, as was the magazine Hester had given her. At the outset, things made of paper seemed so fragile. They could be ruined by fire or water. They could be torn, bent, or stained. Yet paper held such power. A single sheaf could be transformed into a crane, a fortune teller, or an airplane. Decorated with words, it could tell a story, represent ownership, seduce or repel, bind or separate.
Nora had always loved paper because books were made of paper. But at ten years old, Tucker Walsh understood its beauty far better than she ever had. He’d used it to draw maps from memory. He shaped it into works of art. Through the pages of Treasure Island, he’d bonded with his grandmother. And his grandmother had used paper to leave him a legacy.
Nora shifted her cast and tried to get comfortable. Since she normally slept on her side, she had to prop her broken arm on a pillow to get off her back, but no matter where she moved, she seemed to press down on a bruised body part. The drugs she’d been given had long since worn off, and she ached all over.
Muted sounds from the television downstairs mixed with the murmur of Hester and Andrews’s voices, and Nora felt as safe and secure as she had in her childhood bed.
She thought of the room she’d had when she was about Tucker’s age. She pictured the floral wallpaper and the white wicker chair that held her stuffed animals. She remembered her dollhouse, her wooden bookcase, and the little desk where she did her homework. She’d loved her colored markers and her stack of construction paper, but her favorite thing of all was a new notebook. Each sheet was a clean canvas, waiting to be transformed into something more. Something magical.
Caught in this memory of paper, Nora fell asleep.
* * *
When Nora slogged downstairs to the kitchen the next morning, Hester was already gone. She left coffee and an apple turnover on the counter.
Is this for me or for Andrews? Nora wondered.
Glancing out the window over the sink, she saw no cars in the driveway. She was alone in Hester’s house with no way of getting home unless she walked. Her moped was still parked on Maple Street, and she didn’t think she could drive it with one arm.
Nora had a few sips of coffee and then used Hester’s landline to call McCabe.
He picked up right away. “Your voice is music to my ears. I was going to swing by and tuck you in last night, but Hester threatened to push me in the oven if I did. She knew you needed to sleep, but I’m a selfish man and I wanted to see you.”
“It’s a good thing you didn’t come, then. It’s better not to mess with Hester when she’s channeling the witch from ‘Hansel and Gretel.’ It sounds like you’re in the car. Are you heading to work already?”
“I’ll go in later. For now, I’m your Uber driver. I’m about five minutes from Hester’s house and I haven’t had any coffee. Any chance she brewed extra?”
“Yep. I’ll have it ready when you get here.”
McCabe appeared at the back door carrying a bouquet of sunflowers and a black Sharpie pen. He dropped both on the kitchen table and enfolded Nora in a hesitant but tender hug.
“My tough girl,” he whispered, kissing her on the brow.
Smiling up at him, she said, “I wish I’d had this cast yesterday. I could’ve done some real damage to Colton’s face. It feels like my arm is encased in a bag of rocks.”
“I wanted to be the first one to sign it.” McCabe grabbed the Sharpie. “The flowers are for Hester. Knowing she was looking after you gave me the headspace to focus on work, so I want to thank her.”
Nora opened a cupboard and pulled down a vase. “I can pour your coffee, but you’re on your own with the floral arranging.”
McCabe took hold of her sling. “Any requests, like a literary quote or a tic-tac-toe board?”
“Whatever comes to mind.”
A sly grin crept over McCabe’s face as he bent over her cast. When he was done writing, he chuckled and pocketed the pen.
The big, block letters said, YOU SHOULD SEE THE OTHER GUY!
Nora laughed, which caused her sling to jiggle up and down, nearly catching the handle of McCabe’s coffee cup. He grabbed it before it could slide off the counter and cried, “Careful, now! I have a day full of interrogations, attorneys, and paperwork. I need this coffee.”
