Squeeze Play
Always kiss the last bullet before loading it into the magazine. ~From the Deployment Survival Journal of Pete “Rabbit” Kincaid
Dawn clawed its way up from the horizon, sending streaks of mauve and orange into the midnight blue sky, smudging it into a deep teal where the colors met. Rabbit watched the day break over the Atlantic as though frozen in place, unwilling to risk waking the woman tucked against his side and losing the comfort of her warm weight.
Brisk morning air brushed his arms, painting goose bumps in its wake. But cocooned in a blue and green beach towel they had found draped over the chaise, Lin slept on, apparently oblivious to the chill.
It was scary how he’d come to depend on her being there. And the kids. The three of them — mother and children — were a unit, a boxed set. He couldn’t put a finger on exactly when he’d begun to feel drawn to the idea of being in that box with them. After Lin had finally drifted to sleep, he’d allowed his mind to wander along the garden path to the rose-covered cottage behind the white picket fence. It was a far cry from Middle East deployments.
But he’d enjoyed the images.
Lin sighed and stretched. “What time is it?” she mumbled.
He glanced out at the ocean where the sun was still unwrapping itself from the low clouds. “Seven… give or take.”
She stretched and shifted. “We stayed out all night?”
“Umm-hmm.” Chuckling softly, he rolled his stiff shoulders. “If we keep this up, you’ll have to marry me or my mom might just come down here with Grandpa’s shotgun.”
“Peter…” Like a panicked animal in a trap, she struggled to get out of the chair. The towel dropped to the deck as she stood. “I’m not— I’m not— I don’t think we should go there.”
The chuckle became a full-on laugh. Sweetheart, I’m already there and so are your kids. We’re just waiting for you to catch up. But that was a discussion for another time. “Relax.” He pushed to his feet, snagging the towel on the way up then draping it over the chair again. “Grandpa’s shotgun hasn’t been off the rack above the mantel since I was about five.” He shrugged and wrapped an arm around her shoulders as they walked to the back door. “Besides, my mom knows I’m all out of virtue to guard.”
* * * *
“We don’t even know if he has anything to do with Doris and Trevor,” Lin said as she walked with Peter along the boardwalk back to Montgomery House.
“We don’t know that he doesn’t, either.” At the end of the boardwalk, he held out his hand and stopped her from stepping into the street. As he inched forward, Cammie stuck close by his side and did the same.
Lin had no idea what he thought he’d find. Dan and Trish had already returned to Montgomery House and called with an all-clear.
“Do you think someone showed up in the last five minutes?” she grumbled, kicking a rock off the path.
He turned his head and met her gaze. “Do you want to take any chances?” After a final scan, he started walking again.
A chilly sensation rippled through her. No, she didn’t. What she wanted was that sweet spot of mindless mundanity, to live without looking around every corner or hiding behind the curtain when she looked out a window. Lin sighed. “You’re right. It’s best not to take chances. I guess now that I’ve decided to stop running, I want to really stop running away.”
“Getting away for the day with the kids isn’t running away.” He took up her hand and twined their fingers together. “It’s simply having an outing with your kids.”
And if things didn’t go the way they hoped, at least they would have one last day. But he didn't say that. He didn't have to — they both knew it. Gloom sprouted in Lin’s heart. They reached the garage, and her steps slowed. The bright orange kayak stood out amid the ivy clinging to the garage, a stark reminder of their outing the day before. Nate had been so happy, so full of life. At least he’d had—
Pete grabbed her arm and shoved her against the side of the garage. “Don’t think like that,” he murmured. How had he known the turn her thoughts had taken? How did he read her so well? With a low, feral growl, he crushed his lips against hers, and she stopped thinking altogether.
She twined her arms around his neck and balanced herself on her toes, giving him back inch for inch, drinking him in, taking what she wanted. What she needed. Offering him… everything, her whole world. He sent his hands roaming down her arms to her waist, skimmed up along her ribs and pushed around to her back, pulling her closer. His breathing quickened as he pressed against her, his movements became feverish, as though he couldn’t get enough.
Wanting more herself, Lin parted her lips and invited him inside. He dragged his tongue across her bottom lip then withdrew, teasing, creating an exquisite ache.
Easing back, Peter lifted his hands until he cradled her face. Heat from his palms seeped into her cheeks. His musky scent enveloped her. It took a massive effort to control her ragged breathing as she blinked up at him, trying to wrap her brain around the sudden detour.
“Hold onto that,” he whispered. “Because we have stuff to do now, but this thing between us…” He dropped a kiss on the tip of her nose. “It’s very definitely a scene to be continued.”
Closing her eyes, Lin rubbed her left cheek against his hand, pushing into his touch, reveling in the warmth, the strength.
You don’t deserve him. You want him, but you don’t deserve him. No one deserved a third chance when so much had been screwed up in the first and second chances, and especially not when her future was so vague. What if her destiny was to move from savior to savior, hero to hero? Never truly standing on her own, always making the worst choices?
Peter angled his head and leaned in again, lightly brushing her lips, then slowing and capturing them with devastating tenderness. With a sigh, he stopped the kiss and laid his forehead against hers.
“Ready to go inside?” he asked in a gentle tone.
“Not… just yet.” She smiled. “I need a second. Trish sees too much.”
“Don’t I know that!” He gave a soft chuckle. “Okay. I have a few things I want to check anyway. Come in when you’re ready, and we can meet back here in fifteen.”
A smile tugged at Lin’s lips. “Make that thirty minutes and you’ve got a deal.”
“Twenty it is.” He winked and turned without giving her a chance to argue. He didn’t exactly swagger across the yard, but it came pretty close. He sure kept himself in good shape. Muscles rippled beneath his dark T-shirt. His jeans weren’t tight enough to outline everything below the belt, but they didn’t bag on him either, leaving just enough for her imagination to find intriguing. A little like Baby Bear’s “ju-u-u-ust right.”
After he disappeared into the house, Lin sucked in a few deep breaths. When he took charge like that, she could almost believe everything would work out. She shuffled over to the vegetable garden. A few late tomatoes had reddened overnight. She’d forgotten about the extended growing season in North Carolina. Back in Ohio, they’d probably already had at least one killing frost. She stooped and tugged one of the ripe red globes.
The crunch on the gravel behind her made her smile. “Did I forget to tell you my twenty minutes start when I actually make it inside?”
No one answered.
“Peter?” Lin turned, ready to tease him about not being able to go five minutes without her.
“Hello, Melinda,” said the tight-lipped woman standing at the front of the garage. The wind didn’t mess with her perfectly coifed silver hair — even the forces of nature didn't provoke Doris Weston. The woman was always neat, never a hair out of place or a wrinkle in her clothing, as the trim navy skirt and jacket she wore attested.
“Doris…” Lin’s gaze slid to the house and then along the alley toward the street, and spotted a nondescript sedan the color of champagne parked there.
“Don’t worry, I came alone.” She looked around the yard as if to assure herself Lin was also alone.
“How did you find me?”
A cold smile played at the corners of her mother-in-law’s lips. “It wasn’t easy but I still have a few connections. I figured you’d come to this area. You do love your marines, after all.”
Lin’s stomach clutched. That’s not fair, she wanted to shriek, but she held her tongue.
“I should have figured you’d go back to your maiden name.” Doris shook her head. “But I never considered that you might dress my granddaughter like a boy.”
The park incident. They should have packed up and left right then.
Doris Weston examined the back of her hand. “Come on now, did you think I’d give up looking?”
“But, how… did you find us here?” Lin gestured around the yard. “Did you send Mr. Dickson? How did he know it was us?”
Doris sent Lin a pitying look. “He was wearing a hidden camera. He took a picture of Jenna. Even dressed like a boy, I knew it was her. She looks just like Jeff.” She slipped a hand into her jacket pocket and retrieved something blue and shiny. “And if the pictures on this are anything to go by, you’re already moving on.”
Lin recoiled in shock. “That’s Trish’s camera!” Where had it come from? How had Doris gotten hold of it? Lin’s mind flashed to the day before. She’d brought it in the house… she’d had it when she heard the stranger in Trish’s office… The phone table! “Dickson stole it. But how did he find us?”
Doris snorted. “You left so many crumbs lying about, Hansel and Gretel could have found you, but the break came with a thirteen hundred dollar car repair bill on a credit card at this address.” Thirteen hundred dollars? What was she talking about?
“On a car registered to Melinda Doyle.” Doris sneered, wrinkling her nose in distaste.
“Thirteen hundred?” But Peter had said it was only about three hundred. No! Her stomach churned. He’d said three hundred would call it even.
Doris glanced around the yard. “Where are they? Where are my grandchildren?”
“They’re not here.”
“So I gathered.” She stared toward the beach. “But you and your boyfriend walked here so they must be close.”
Lin’s heart hammered, but she willed herself not to flinch. Show no fear. “We went for a walk on the beach.” How long had Doris been there? “We watched the sunrise this morning.”
“How nice for you.”
“Doris… I didn’t kill Jeff… or Joey.” Maybe the woman was beyond reasoning with, but Lin had to try. “They just… died. It was war.”
“Oh, honey I know that.” Doris gentled her tone. “I said things to you I shouldn’t have. I’m sorry. It’s not an excuse, I know, but I was hurting so badly, and I… I lashed out.” She took a step in Lin’s direction. After a tremulous sigh, she went on. “Please… I know it’s probably too late for my apology, but I just want to know the children are all right.”
Lin wanted to believe her, wanted the whole thing to be over. Still, she hesitated. “There’s still the matter of you seeking custody. I assume your feelings about that haven’t changed.” Surprisingly, she was able to speak without so much as a quiver in her voice. “And… all the questions surrounding Evan’s death.”
“That’s why you won’t let me see them?” Doris sighed and stared into the distance. “Because of something I think you did?”
* * * *
Rabbit fully expected Lin to take at least the thirty minutes she’d asked for, so after he changed, he sat at the desk in his room and popped open his laptop. He took his time perusing the Internet for family outing ideas, even though he’d already decided on a local fun center for a day of miniature golf, go-carts, and arcade games. The newly opened toddler center Trish told him about had closed that deal. Something for everyone. He closed the window on the zoo. Another weekend maybe.
He paused with the mouse pointing at the shut down command and decided to check his email first. The screen whirled open. Nothing but a note from his mom —he’d read that later — and the files Dan had emailed him.
A glance at his alarm clock on the nightstand showed he had exactly five minutes. He opened the coroner’s report.
“The gun went off…” Nate had said. “…blood on his shoulder… Mom took the gun…”
The screen shifted to a series of scanned, handwritten documents.
“The gun went off…”
Frowning as the kid’s hollow voice echoed in his mind, Rabbit scrolled the mouse and zoomed in on the diagram of the body. There it was… entry wound, upper right chest, just below the shoulder, piercing the upper lobe of the lung. Rabbit read the notes about trajectory angle and rubbed at the stinging sensation on his neck. He scrolled back to the diagram. The entry point in the center of the chest was labeled as the fatal wound.
“Blood on his shoulder… Mom picked up the gun… It just went off… blood on his shoulder.”
Rabbit slipped his hand into his front pocket and brought out his cell phone. He punched speed dial for Nick. Thankfully, his former CO didn’t ask questions when Rabbit asked to speak to Nathan.
“Hey, kiddo. We’ll be there in a second, but I have a question.”
“Okay…” Caution was a tangible third party on the line with them.
“That night…” Man, he hated rehashing everything. “Do you know how many times the gun went off?”
“Just one time.”
“Once… not twice?”
“No, just once, and then I dropped it. I didn’t mean to… I wasn’t going to really—”
Chills washed over Rabbit in waves. “It’s okay, kid. I know you didn’t. I’m just tying up some loose ends.” The crime scene report caught his eye and he skimmed the summary. “Hey, one more thing, kid. You said Weston let himself in. Did he have a key?”
“Grandma D-Doris did. Sh-she met me after school sometimes wh-when Mom was w-working.”
“So you think he used that?”
“I guess…” Nate’s tone grew wary. “That’s what Grandma Doris s-said. That h-he took her k-key to ch-check on… us.”
“Thanks, Nate. We’ll be along in a few minutes.” Rabbit punched end and stared at the crime scene report. Broken glass consistent with a break from outside… baseball-sized rock lying about two feet from the door under a bush. Then he shifted his attention to the coroners’ diagram.
“He took her key… Mom picked up the gun… He took her key… Mom picked up the gun… picked up the gun…”
Broken glass…
Lin had admitted to cleaning up and sending the kid away. She was afraid of losing her children. Had she staged the crime scene? Had she used the gun…? Bile rose in his throat. Even if she had, she’d had reason… she’d been scared of the man. She might not have been justified, but maybe there’d be enough understanding, some sympathy for the stress she was under.
Pinching the bridge of his nose, Rabbit squeezed his eyes shut and tried to picture Lin aiming the Walther at a defenseless man’s chest… pulling the trigger. The image wouldn’t come. He shook his head. No, it wasn’t Lin.
Even under threat of losing her children?
He shook his head again. She was all kinds of desperate, but he just couldn’t paint her as a cold-blooded killer. He was missing something. Frustrated, he clicked through the available documents: crime scene, autopsy, evidence collected.
Ballistics report.
He clicked on the file and when the white document filled the screen, he started reading.
And there it was. The one redeeming factor that leaped off the screen.
“Son of a biscuit,” he murmured. “Two guns.”
At the soft knock on the door, he jerked upright and closed out the document. Before he could call out, the door was pushed inward and Trish slipped inside.
“Peter… Lin’s outside.”
He nodded. How was he going to spend the day with her and the kids while so many questions still hung between them even after she’d sworn she had told him everything?
“Peter!” hissed Trish in an urgent tone.
She’d been speaking to him, he realized, forcing his attention on the woman hovering in his doorway. “Sorry… what?”
Tension had drawn tight lines in her brow, and worry reflected in her eyes. “Lin’s outside by the garage, and she’s not alone. There’s an older woman out there with her.”
A curse slipped out as he stepped to the window and scanned the street in front of the house. Nothing but blacktop, a bit of grass, and then beach and ocean. No cars. Not even a resident out for a stroll. Rabbit swore again and strode to the door. Whoever was there, it probably wasn’t good, but it wasn’t time for panic. Yet.
The calm of battle settled on him like a favorite old T-shirt as he trotted down the stairs, keeping close to the wall out of habit. He slipped into the kitchen and peeked out the window, spotting Lin instantly, still wearing the clothes she’d had on earlier. So she hadn’t even made it inside.
She was speaking, making slight gestures with her hands, but he couldn’t see who she was talking to. He moved to the mud room. The wall next to the door provided adequate cover with a good foot or so of shadow if he had to step back.
The rise and fall of Lin’s voice drifted over the yard, but she wasn’t speaking loudly enough to be understood. She sounded relatively calm but her stiff back and squared off shoulders showed him she was tense about something.
Of the other person, he saw nothing.
“Come on, step back a little, sweetheart,” Rabbit whispered then added a curse when she moved out of his line of sight.
If he couldn’t see Lin or her visitor, odds were favorable the other person couldn’t see him. He touched the roll of candy in his pocket. No time to peel one out. He had to move.
Keeping his eye on the spot at the far side of the garage where Lin had disappeared, he eased the door open and stepped onto the porch. A quick recon of the yard didn’t raise any warning flags, but the back of his neck felt like it was under attack by a hundred stinging insects. Acting with a balance of stealth and nonchalance, he walked down the steps and across the lawn, heading toward his car on the near side of the garage rather than making a line directly toward Lin.
As he drew closer, he began to make out words.
“Doris… not penalizing you… see the kids… coming back…” That was Lin grinding out those phrases. Doris. So it was her mother-in-law.
Someone else spoke. “Please, I… see for myself… Are they…” The voice was female, almost frail, but with underlying hardness, definitely worthy of his instant distrust.
Another glance around the yard as he crept along the front of the garage revealed they were still alone. Unless the other woman wasn’t alone with Lin. He felt like crap for resting against the front of the garage and eavesdropping, but gathering intel was imperative before he made any moves.
“The police dropped the investigation,” said the stranger in a gentle tone. “They said there’s just no evidence since they can’t find the gun.”
That’s not true! His heart kicked against his chest. Why would the old lady lie so blatantly? Showing support? Because she wants to entice Lin home… make her feel it’s safe, and then…?
“Really?” The hope in Lin’s voice was unmistakable. “I-I was thinking we should… maybe we should—”
“So you’ll let me see the children?” pressed the woman. Her voice was tight; the eagerness seemed more forced than natural.
Rabbit tensed.
“I… I suppose.”
“That’s wonderful! Where are they?” The mother-in-law’s voice faded, as though she was moving off. “Oh, please take me to them.”
“They’re—”
“They’re safe. Not here, not even close, but safe.” Rabbit stepped around the corner of the garage and took in the situation at a glance.
The elderly woman stood about ten feet away from Lin, with a straight shot through the back neighbor’s yard to the street beyond. But her gaze swept to the end of the alley, where a pale gold sedan waited. The car appeared empty, but that didn’t mean anything. He returned his focus to Doris Weston. She stood wringing her hands and sighing periodically, but she kept a flint-eyed stare on Lin.
“Pete, this is my mother-in-law—”
“So I gathered.”
The silver head turned, sending the old woman’s cold stare in his direction. She smiled but said nothing.
A warm touch grazed his knee, and he stretched his fingers down to tease the top of Cammie’s head. Trish must have let her out. The way she stood, hackles raised and staring at Doris Weston, gave Rabbit the idea the Lin’s mother-in-law was the single threat.
“How do you know my grandchildren?” Doris finally asked, raking a scathing gaze along Rabbit’s body.
“I’m a friend,” he replied, keeping his voice carefully even.
“Ah…” Doris nodded, dislodging a strand of her hair in front. “I know you now. You’re my daughter-in-law’s new—”
He gave a quick shake of his head as he took a step forward. “Friend of the family. Actually, I—” He flashed a glance at Lin, who stood watching him, a confused frown pinching her forehead. “Actually, I served in Afghanistan with your son.”
Lin’s eyes widened briefly, followed by a nod so subtle he might have missed it. She probably thought he was lying.
Doris seemed to deflate. “My son…?”
“Yes, ma’am. Jeff McKinley.”
“Jeffrey?” A sob slipped from between her overly painted red lips, and she stopped retreating. “You knew my Jeffrey?”
Knew was a stretch… Rabbit called up his memory of the three lance corporals looking at a picture and joking about going home. “Yes, I did.”
“Was he…? Did he talk to you?”
“He talked about coming home a lot. And he loved showing pictures of his new little girl.” He paused, struggling to remember that last morning and the group of men. “She looked just like him. Everyone told him so.”
Doris wilted a bit more. “She does… so much like her daddy.”
A strangled noise emerged from deep within Lin’s throat, but Rabbit couldn’t allow her distress to distract him. He inched forward another two steps.
“Yeah, he sure loved that baby. Carried her picture everywhere.” He had to swallow against the lump of emotion blocking his throat.
“Jeff…” She sighed. “He was my baby. He shouldn’t have been there.”
Rabbit shook his head. “No, ma’am, he shouldn’t have been. But because he was, he saved our lives — mine and my men.”
“He — he was a hero…?”
Rabbit nodded and closed the distance between them. “Yes, he was. I wouldn’t be here today if he hadn’t warned us about the attack.” Gently, he laid an arm over the fragile old lady’s shoulder. “Did someone bring you here?”
“No… After Mr. Dickson came to the hotel and showed us the camera…”
Lin stiffened. So she’d picked up on the “us” in Doris’s statement too. Rabbit met her eyes and shot her a warning look. Her nod was nearly imperceptible.
Rabbit turned back to Doris. “Go on,” he encouraged softly.
“He told us where Melinda was staying with Jenna, but he didn’t know where Nathan was. Trevor wanted to wait until we were sure… until Mr. Dickson found out.” The sigh she heaved shook her body. “But I knew if I could just talk to Melinda, I could reason with her. So I… I got up before Trevor this morning, and I took our rental car.”
“Let’s go sit down and talk,” Rabbit suggested, gently steering her to the chairs under the magnolia trees.
Lin aimed a questioning glance at him but all he could do was grimace and shake his head. He had no idea what he was doing, but he knew he didn’t have much time to do it. Something was wrong with the whole thing that had gone down between Lin and Nate and Evan Weston.
As he settled the old lady in one of the Adirondack chairs, he could only pray she knew something and would spill it.
Before the cavalry arrived in the form of Trevor Weston.
“Mrs. Weston,” he began, keeping his voice low and even. If she perceived any threat at all, he’d lose his chance. If he even had a chance. “Lin — Melinda’s been trying to piece together what happened.” He glanced up, prepared to silence any protests, but Lin remained silent. “She can’t quite remember everything that happened the day your husband was shot.”
Doris stiffened and her eyes hardened again. “Evan. He wasn’t— Sometimes he could be a mean man.”
Rabbit eased his hand into his pocket. Pushing the roll of candy aside, he reached deeper until he encountered his cell phone.
Need witness out here, he texted to Trish. Then he set the digital recorder. “Mrs. Weston…”
She smiled. “Call me Doris.”
“Okay, Doris… would you mind if I record our talk? It’ll help Lin to fill in the blanks.”
“Oh.” One heavily veined hand fluttered at her neck as she glanced at Lin. “I suppose so.”
Cammie stood, ears perked, and stared in the direction of the house. A second later, Dan was crossing the lawn with Jack at his side.